Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
White House Exploits Disaster to Slash Workers' Pay
The Gulf's multibillion-dollar catastrophies have given the White House yet another excuse to roll back worker's rights - and paychecks - while contractors reap millions in profits.
Saying he wants to save taxpayers money, President Bush in September waived the rule that normally requires federal contractors to pay the prevailing wage wherever they're working.
In New Orleans, that's just $9 an hour for construction workers. But Bush and 35 Republican lawmakers who urged him to rescind the law, known as Davis-Bacon, believe that's too much.
"This is a time to unite Americans," CWA President Larry Cohen said, condemning the waiver. "But once again, the president isn't interested in doing that. He's taking advantage of a tragedy to push his anti-worker agenda."
The Department of Labor is seizing its opportunity, too, waiving an affirmative action rule for federal contractors hired to do service and supply work during the clean up and reconstruction. The rule, designed to ensure fairness in hiring, was lifted so as not to burden contractors with paperwork, a DOL spokesman said.
Newspapers and talk show hosts, such as CNN's Lou Dobbs, have described the anti-worker actions in the face of a crisis as shameful and immoral.
"By any standard of human decency, condemning many already poor and now bereft people to subpar wages - thus perpetuating their poverty - is unacceptable. It is also bad for the economy," a New York Times editorial stated. "The ostensible rationale for suspending the law is to reduce taxpayers' costs. Does Mr. Bush really believe it is the will of the American people to deny the prevailing wage to construction workers in New Orleans, Biloxi and other hard-hit areas?"
Saying he wants to save taxpayers money, President Bush in September waived the rule that normally requires federal contractors to pay the prevailing wage wherever they're working.
In New Orleans, that's just $9 an hour for construction workers. But Bush and 35 Republican lawmakers who urged him to rescind the law, known as Davis-Bacon, believe that's too much.
"This is a time to unite Americans," CWA President Larry Cohen said, condemning the waiver. "But once again, the president isn't interested in doing that. He's taking advantage of a tragedy to push his anti-worker agenda."
The Department of Labor is seizing its opportunity, too, waiving an affirmative action rule for federal contractors hired to do service and supply work during the clean up and reconstruction. The rule, designed to ensure fairness in hiring, was lifted so as not to burden contractors with paperwork, a DOL spokesman said.
Newspapers and talk show hosts, such as CNN's Lou Dobbs, have described the anti-worker actions in the face of a crisis as shameful and immoral.
"By any standard of human decency, condemning many already poor and now bereft people to subpar wages - thus perpetuating their poverty - is unacceptable. It is also bad for the economy," a New York Times editorial stated. "The ostensible rationale for suspending the law is to reduce taxpayers' costs. Does Mr. Bush really believe it is the will of the American people to deny the prevailing wage to construction workers in New Orleans, Biloxi and other hard-hit areas?"