Change to Win Statement on President Obama's Executive Orders for Working America

Change to Win chair Anna Burger released the following statement today regarding President Obama's White House ceremony to sign four worker-related executive orders into law, including the creation of the Middle Class Working Families Task Force led by Vice-president Joe Biden.

"Change to Win, its seven unions and six million members, applaud President Obama and Vice-President Biden for continuing to stand up for working families by taking bold actions to restore the economy, rebuild the middle class and renew the American Dream. Today's executive orders are further proof that when workers vote for pro-worker candidate, workers win.

"Today, the Obama administration reaffirmed its commitment to America's workers. Taken together, these orders show that the administration recognizes the federal government's responsibility, as the nation's largest purchaser of goods and services, to set model employment standards for private sector workers, as well as for the direct federal workforce.

"Millions of American families are facing tough decisions when they gather around the kitchen table trying to find how to survive the economic recession. Can they pay for their health care bills as well as the home over their heads? Will they ever be able to retire or will their golden years be spent working at the Golden Arches? Workers' wages are the single largest source of consumer spending. Stimulating worker wage increases will help drive consumption and generate economic growth.

"The mandate of the Middle Class Working Families Task Force sends a clear signal of a new government. A government that makes sure working Americans are treated with the dignity and respect at the work place that everyone deserves. A government that understands that rebuilding the American Dream and fixing the economy means creating more than just jobs, it means creating good jobs with a wage that can support a family, benefits that can keep them healthy, and a secure and dignified retirement.

"We look forward to working with the new administration and Vice-President Biden on the Middle Class Working Families Task Force. Vice-President Biden has proven time and again his leadership and commitment to workers' issues and we are honored for the chance to work alongside him. On behalf of the growing numbers of workers who belong to unions as well as the millions more who are struggling to secure a fair voice in the workplace, we must explore every avenue available to create change that works now and for generations to come."