Democratic Presidential Candidates Promise Big Changes for Workers

AFA-CWA's Janette Rook was standing in line in front of the stage Tuesday night in withering Chicago heat at Soldier Field eager to ask her question when the clock ran out on the AFL-CIO's Democratic Presidential Forum.

But that didn't make her any less thrilled to be there. "What an incredible opportunity, so fantastic and exciting," Rook, the local council representative for Northwest Airlines members in Detroit, said the next morning.

A Northwest flight attendant for nine years, Rook was one of 25 workers the AFL-CIO selected to be in the front section for the event and one of 10 chosen to ask questions, if time permitted.

She knew her question by heart: "In 2005, Northwest filed for bankruptcy. Our pay and benefits were cut nearly 40 percent and our pensions were frozen. Meanwhile, our top executives received nearly $400 million in bonuses. How will you protect workers like me and stop companies from abusing corporate bankruptcy laws?" she planned to ask.

The workers who did get their 15 seconds in front of the candidates and crowd of 17,000 union members asked about health care, outsourcing, worker safety – noting this week's mine accident in Utah – and workers' freedom to form unions.  All of the candidates wore pins showing their support for the Employee Free Choice Act.

A retired Indiana steelworker in leg braces who lost his health care and much of his pension when his company went bankrupt brought the crowd to its feet after his voice broke at the microphone. "Every day of my life I sit at the kitchen table across from the woman who devoted 36 years of her life to my family and I can't afford to pay for her health care," Steve Skvara said. "What's wrong with America and what will you do to change it?"

A Los Angeles TV critic called it "real pain, on display" and MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews said in the post-debate analysis, "I wonder if that wasn't a moment that's going to change American political history."

Candidates took turns answering the workers' questions, and Skvara's went to former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who said pensions and health care for CEOs should be no different than that of workers. He and all the candidates called for universal health care.

The crowd at the Chicago Bears' football stadium for the debate included hundreds of CWA members, some of whom volunteered to help stage the event. In addition to Edwards, the event featured New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann served as moderator.

All the Democratic candidates have strong to exceptional track records on workers' rights issues. For now, neither CWA nor the AFL-CIO is making an endorsement.

The AFL-CIO Executive Council said in a statement Wednesday that, "It is clear that a number of the Democratic candidates have the experience and the credentials to lead our nation. And it is equally clear that our members support a number of the candidates - union members have told us all the candidates are impressive and they are eager to support many of them. For this reason, the AFL-CIO has decided not to proceed with a decision process that would lead to support for a single candidate at this time."