Chris Dodd believes it's time we had a President who can break thedeadlock between workers and employers in this country – who can bringpeople together to create an environment and an economy that respectswork and builds wealth. For 32 years, he's fought to protect collectivebargaining rights, secure pensions, and fair wages. And he has workedto curb the outsourcing of American jobs. As President, Chris Dodd willbring the values and aspirations of working people into the White House.
The Dodd Plan to Create Economic Opportunity
- Restore Workers' Freedom to Form Unions. Chris Dodd believes the freedom to form a union is one of our most fundamental rights. He will use the power of the presidency to ensure that the right to organize is upheld and to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
- Enhance the Family Medical Leave Act to Include Paid Leave. Chris Dodd knows that far too many workers who need the protections of the FMLA cannot afford to take the time off. He will guarantee at least six weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, an elderly parent or sick family member, or one's own serious illness.
- Increase Child Care and Elder Care Assistance. Chris Dodd will help working parents balance their commitments to work and family by making child care programs more affordable and flexible. He will also increase assistance to working Americans who care for their elderly relatives.
- Safeguard Pension Plans from Corporate Raiding and Protect Overtime Pay. Chris Dodd will enhance federal oversight of pensions. Employees should never have to forfeit their retirement security to pay for corporations' mistakes. Chris Dodd will also fight to guarantee workers are always compensated time-and-a-half for overtime work and prevent employers from avoiding their obligations through unfair pay period calculations.
- Create Jobs and Bolster Training Programs in Conjunction with Implementing a Comprehensive Energy Policy. Chris Dodd will create a technical education curriculum that trains a new generation of automobile mechanics, electricians and construction workers to maintain energy-efficient goods, from cars to homes. His energy plan will create jobs at every stage, from production to maintenance.
- Make Workplaces Safer: Chris Dodd will promote efforts to enhance safety in the workplace that all businesses can understand and comply with. He will also protect workers who have been injured on the job from unfair retaliation or loss of benefits of any kind.
- Enforce Trade Laws at Home and Abroad. Chris Dodd will insist that every trade agreement America enters into is fair, by ensuring that workers in those countries are guaranteed fair wages, fair working conditions, and strong environmental protections. Above all, Dodd will insist U.S. trading partners open their markets to American products.
A Longtime Commitment to Working Families
- Dodd Worked to Protect Families. Chris Dodd authored and fought for seven years to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, which has allowed an estimated 50 million workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a new child or a sick family member. In addition, he has been a leader in the effort to ensure children receive the best child care. As the author of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, he has fought for safe, nurturing child care facilities run by qualified providers. Dodd has also been a strong supporter of increasing the minimum wage.
- Dodd Worked to Protect Collective Bargaining Rights. Chris Dodd authored the RESPECT Act, which would reverse a series of decisions from the National Labor Relations Board that unfairly expanded the definition of a "supervisor" so that many workers would be denied the right to join a union. Dodd has also cosponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as the "Card Check" bill, which will remove obstacles to joining a union, such as the cumbersome election process that can be delayed by employers to intimidate or discourage workers.
- Dodd Fought to Protect American Jobs. Chris Dodd authored legislation – the U.S. Worker Protection Act – that sought to prevent most federal agencies from outsourcing jobs to overseas contractors. Dodd also sponsored legislation that required the Bush Administration to track and discourage the use of so-called "offset contracts" – agreements where a foreign government purchases defense-related systems from U.S. companies, but only if those companies buy goods or services from that country.
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Comments: 3
What about small business?
Does Chris Dodd have a strong attitude for encouraging growth in small business?
Starter grants and the funding of community incubator programs are a boon to the struggling classes.
Thank you for including the elderly in your Family Leave proposal. As a nurse who works with elders, I know first hand the hardship an ailing elder can have on a family, and frankly, I'm not getting any younger myself.
Your Granny's Nurse
Donna F.