The Blueprint for Change: on Jobs

Fight attacks on workers’ right to organize & strike

• Ensure Freedom to Unionize:Obama believes that workers should have the freedom to choose whether to join a union without harassment or intimidation from their employers. Obama cosponsored and is strong advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize.
• Fight Attacks on Workers’ Right to Organize: Obama fought the Bush National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) efforts to strip workers of their right to organize. He is a cosponsor of legislation to overturn the NLRB’s “Kentucky River” decisions classifying hundreds of thousands of nurses & workers as “supervisors” who are not protected by federal labor laws.
• Protect Striking Workers: Obama supports the right of workers to bargain collectively and strike if necessary. He will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods.

Focus farm programs on family farms, not giant corporations

• Family Farms: Our farm programs should help family farmers, not giant corporations, with fair access to markets, control over their production decisions, and fair prices for their goods.

• Family Farmers are Being Squeezed: Farm consolidation has made it harder for mid-size family farmers to get fair prices.
• Rural Communities are Often Left Behind: Because of lack of infrastructure and remote distances, there is less access to quality doctors, and schools have trouble recruiting teachers.

• Strong Safety Net for Family Farmers: Obama will implement a $250,000 payment limitation so that we help family farmers--not large corporate agribusiness.
• Prevent Anticompetitive Behavior Against Family Farms:Obama is a strong supporter of a packer ban. When meatpackers own livestock they can manipulate prices and discriminate against independent farmers.