Vice President Joe Biden demonstrated once again that he and the Obama administration stand firmly with working families in supporting passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Biden reiterated his opinion that labor unions are a big part of the solution in rebuilding our economy, saying there is "no way" for the administration to "level the playing field" without strengthening organized labor.

Which is why, Biden told union members yesterday, "we need to pass the Employee Free Choice Act."

On the need to reform our labor laws, Biden said this:

"You've got to climb up a hill with so many roadblocks on the way to organize that it's just out of whack.

"You know, I think it should be pretty simple. If a union is what you want, then a union is what you should get."

Biden said he and President Barack Obama would not consider their efforts to turn the country around economically a success unless growth creates "good, sustainable, livable jobs in the process."

"We will not consider it a success," he continued, "unless the middle class is growing, taking a piece of that productivity."

Take a look at other past remarks by President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on the need for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user The Official White House Photostream.

On Friday morning, former California Rep. Hilda Solis was sworn in as Secretary of Labor by Vice President Joe Biden at the U.S. Dept. of Labor headquarters. The confirmation of Hilda Solis as labor secretary is a momentous occasion that SEIU and organized labor had been anticipating--and fighting for--since Barack Obama first nominated her in mid-December for the position.

Before the oath was administered, Biden spoke high praise for Solis' drive and leadership skills as a champion for the middle class:

"Things like fairness in the workplace and workplace safety are not just idle phrases that are to be debated in Hilda's mind; they're real...She knows that a job is more than about a paycheck...A job is about dignity. A job is about respect. Hilda understands that."

Biden describes Solis as a "woman of integrity" who respectfully demands to be heard--and has a long track record of standing up for workers' rights to prove it.

"When she was in the state legislature, when it came to domestic violence, to health care, to education, she was heard. When she held hearings on sweatshops, she was heard. When she fought to protect low-income and minority communities from landfill and pollution and environmental hazards, she was heard. And in Congress, when she stood up to level the playing field for workers who wanted to organize, she was heard.

"When it comes to standing up for expanding this economy for all people, no one is going to be a stronger voice than the new Secretary of Labor. Hilda Solis will fight. And today, we can all be proud this daughter of union members is now America's most forceful advocate for working men and women in this country."

After the swearing-in, Solis reiterated her goal to ensure workers receive fair treatment, a safe and healthy workplace and receive a wage they deserve. "To those who have for too long abused workers, put them in harm's way, denied them fair pay, let me be clear, there is a new sheriff in town," she said.

Today, the Employee Free Choice Act was introduced in Congress. Want some great reasons to support this bill that you've been hearing so much about? Here's five. (And if you already support it, please contact your Members of Congress and ask them to do the same.)

1. Because more jobs should be good jobs.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last year, it's no surprise that millions of Americans are out of work, losing their health care or their retirement money, or are otherwise in financial straits. Times are tough. And who's taking this economic crisis on the chin? Well, we are, of course.

Four million people have lost their jobs since the recession began in December 2007. It's not for lack of trying. In terms of productivity, people are working harder than ever-- but American workers still haven't gotten a raise. And while jobs and wages are down, the cost of living continues to rise: The average cost of family health insurance plan will go up to $24,000 by 2016. $24,000!

The Employee Free Choice Act says that workers should have the ability to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits--like affordable quality health care.

2. It's good for the economy.

One of the biggest reasons for our current economic crisis? People literally don't have the cash they need to buy goods and services--which would in turn help the economy. Higher wages and higher benefits would give workers the purchasing power they need to buy more of the goods and services that this economy produces. According to a February report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, unionization could pump more than $49 billion into the economy.

But don't take it just from us. Last month, forty leading economists, including three Nobel prize winners, took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post offering their reasons for supporting the bill. In the ad, they argued that one of the main reasons for our economic slump is the "erosion of workers' ability to form unions and bargain collectively," that shifted the wealth of our country from "broadly-shared prosperity" to "growing inequality."

3. Barack Obama loves it, and so do most of you.

Not to mention Joe Biden, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and majorities in both houses of Congress. And according to recent polling, 73% of the public supports it. Just last week, speaking in front of a labor gathering, President Obama vowed to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, stating,

"I have every confidence that if we are willing to do the difficult work that must be done, we will emerge from these trials stronger and more prosperous than we were before. And as we confront this crisis and work to provide health care to every American, rebuild our nation's infrastructure, move toward a clean energy economy, and pass the Employee Free Choice Act, I want you to know that you will always have a seat at the table."

What's not to love about that?

4. Because CEOs should be helping workers, not hurting them.

Want to get really depressed about your paycheck? Compare it to a CEO's. As a testament to the growing income disparity between CEOs and the workers they employ, look no further than Wal-Mart's former CEO, Lee Scott. Scott earned $15,000 an hour in 2007 while Wal-Mart workers earned just $10.68 an hour. On average, CEOs earn 344 times what their typical employee makes.

And yet, when Goldman Sachs received $10 billion in Wall St. bailout funds, they turned around and spent $6.5 billion on bonuses! If the Employee Free Choice Act passed, workers would have more of an opportunity to share in the prosperity they helped create.

5. Because the other side is really scary.

Or at least, they're trying their hardest to scare us. The corporate interests opposing the Employee Free Choice Act have warned of everything from rioting in the streets to, literally, Armageddon if the bill passes. For a sense of just how extreme the other side has gotten, check out our "scary movie" video here:

Corporate interests are bent on lying about the Employee Free Choice Act - they'd have you believe that the bill means the end of the secret ballot - but nothing could be further from the truth. The Employee Free Choice Act simply gives employees the choice to join unions - not the employers. Right now, workers can join unions through majority sign-up or a secret ballot election, and they can do so under the Employee Free Choice Act, too. The only difference is it will be the employees' choice, not the employers.

But don't take it from me - watch Rachel Maddow destruct this argument:

If you're as fired up as we are, go to SEIU.org and sign up to help. It's time for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Crossposted from the Huffington Post here.

Let's dance.

That's what Vice President Joe Biden told union members today in Florida. What's got the Vice President ready to tango?

The Employee Free Choice Act.

Can you please take a minute to thank Vice President Biden for his support of the Employee Free Choice Act? Click here to read what Joe Biden said and write your thank you note.

Here's a short sample of what the Vice President said:

So, folks, that's why there's no one thing we have to do. This is all going to be difficult, and one of the most difficult things will be to reinstitute that basic bargain. And I think the way to do that is the Employee Free Choice Act.

So let me add to that and say that I have a simple, basic belief, one that we're going to work hard to put into action: If a union is what you want, a union you're entitled to have.
Now that's change we can believe in.

Click here to read the rest of what Vice President Biden said and write your thank you note.

The Vice President wants to dance. So, let's dance.

President Obama demonstrated once again that he stands firmly with working families in supporting passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Here's what he said yesterday to the AFL-CIO:

I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, and to my administration, labor unions are a big part of the solution. We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests - because we cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement.

The truth is, the road ahead will not be easy. The economic crisis we face is vast and the challenges we confront are many; you know this because your members have already had to make sacrifices. But I have every confidence that if we are willing to do the difficult work that must be done, we will emerge from these trials stronger and more prosperous than we were before. And as we confront this crisis and work to provide health care to every American, rebuild our nation's infrastructure, move toward a clean energy economy, and pass the Employee Free Choice Act, I want you to know that you will always have a seat at the table.

Thank you for everything you do.

The President's statement was preceded by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis' commitment to enforce the Employee Free Choice Act and comes ahead of the Vice President's expected support of the bill in his address to the AFL-CIO tomorrow.

Take a look at other past remarks by President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on the need for the Employee Free Choice Act:

Barack Obama on the Employee Free Choice Act

Vice President Joe Biden: Employee Free Choice Act "This Year"

President Obama to the Washington Post on the Employee Free Choice Act

Update, 6:15 pm: President Obama asked Andy Stern to share his thoughts on the importance of fixing health care during the closing session of the summit. Video of their exchange is below.

The first-ever Fiscal Responsibility Summit is wrapping up right now at the White House. Advisors at the highest levels of the Obama administration hosted members of Congress as well as leaders from a wide range of organizations to discuss solutions to long-term fiscal challenges facing the nation.

President Obama and Vice President Biden opened the event with remarks that made one thing clear: solving the economic crisis means fixing our broken health care system.

The vice president said the recent struggles Americans have faced only serve to remind us of the urgency of our long-term goals:

We will not lose sight of the need to tackle unmet needs for health care reform, to deal with the energy policy that we need, and so many other challenges that are going to determine what the 21st century looks like.

The president echoed those sentiments, going so far as to identify "the rising cost of health care [as the] single most pressing fiscal challenge we face by far."

That theme will be repeated again and again during the breakout discussions; the White House has even devoted an entire session to the importance of health care reform for fixing our economy.

SEIU President Andy Stern and Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger are among the attendees at the event, representing the millions of SEIU members and activists leading the grassroots movement for health care across the country.

Andy Stern has posted updates from the summit on Twitter, and his latest tweet sums it all up nicely:

@SEIU_AndyStern: health care is a go!

President Obama again Wednesday affirmed his support for the Employee Free Choice Act, critical legislation that will make it easier for workers to bargain with their employers for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. This is the latest in a series of statements from the President and Vice President Biden supporting the legislation.

In an interview with regional papers at the White House, Obama said he would allow
Congress to move forward in considering the bill, stating,

"I don't buy the argument that providing workers with collective-bargaining rights somehow weaken the economy or worsens the business environment, if you've got workers who have decent pay and benefits, they're also customers for business."

"We're grateful for the support of the Administration in supporting this critical legislation that will improve the lives of millions of Americans by giving them a fair opportunity to bargain with employers for job security, better healthcare and higher wages." said SEIU National Political Director Jon Youngdahl. "As we seek to create or retain more than 3 million jobs as part of the President's economic recovery plan, we need to ensure that the jobs we're creating are good jobs--with quality health care and a living wage.

In addition to Obama's statements Wednesday, the Administration has been steadfast in its support for the legislation as part of the economic recovery plan.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN SUPPORT FOR THE
EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT

Obama said that providing workers with collective bargaining rights strengthens the economy. In an interview with 16 regional papers at the White House in February, President Obama said that "I don't buy the argument that providing workers with collective-bargaining rights somehow weakens the economy or worsens the business environment, if you've got workers who have decent pay and benefits, they're also customers for business." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/12/09]

In a February interview with regional newspapers, President Obama said he would not delay the Employee Free Choice Act. Per the Philadelphia Enquirer, President Obama said that "he would not urge a delay in consideration of the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation sought by organized labor that would make it easier for unions to win the right to represent workers. [Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/12/09]

President Obama strongly supports the Employee Free Choice Act. When "asked if Obama's support for the Employee Free Choice Act remained as strong as his public proclamations suggested on the campaign trail, transition spokesman Dan Pfeiffer responded, succinctly, "Yes." Huffington Post, 12/3/08]

President Obama asserts that you cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement. During the press conference for the Middle Class Working Family Taskforce, Obama said "I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem; to me it is part of the solution. We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent there interests because we know that you cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement. We know that strong vibrant growing unions can exist side-by-side with strong vibrant and growing businesses." [Middle Class Working Family Taskforce press conference, 1/30/09]

President Obama signs an executive order that will prevent federal contractors from
influencing the formation of unions. One of the first executive orders that President Obama signed in his administration was to "prevent taxpayer dollars from going to reimburse federal contractors who spend money trying to influence the formation of unions." [Middle Class Working Family Taskforce press conference, 1/30/09]

Vice President Biden said that the administration will be an ally of organized labor. During the press conference, he stated that the leaders "of organized labor have dedicated their lives to the thing that this task force is about, making the lives of working people better. I would argue that there would be no middle class were there not an organized labor movement that started 150 years ago and I am so proud that this administration with your leadership Mr. President will be allied in that effort." [Middle Class Working Family Taskforce press conference,
1/30/09]

The Taskforce will work to restore Labor's place with the Department of Labor. Vice President Biden said that one of the goals of the Middle Class Task Force is to restore "the balance in the workplace with the Department of Labor and restoring labor's place with the Department of Labor." [Middle Class Working Family Taskforce press conference,
1/30/09]

Vice President Biden said that "Over the last 100 years the middle class was built on the back of organized labor." [Associated Press Online, 1/30/09]

Biden also stated that without labor, "we wouldn't have the middle class we have now." In an interview with CNBC, Biden referred to labor saying that "Without their weight, heft and their insistence starting in the early 1900s we wouldn't have the middle class we have now, in my view...So I think labor getting a fair share of the pie is part of it." [Associated Press Online, 1/30/09]

President Obama says that Unions serve an important role in protecting the middle class. "Here is my basic principle, that wages and incomes have flatlined over the last decade...part of it has to do with the fact that workers have very little leverage and that larger and larger shares of our productivity go to the top and not to the middle or the bottom. I think unions serve an important role in that." [Washington Post, 1/15/09]

Obama does not agree with Bush Administration management of the department of Labor. "I think that the way the Bush Administration managed the Department of Labor, the NLRB and a host of other aspects of labor management relations put the thumb too heavily against unions. I want to lift that thumb, there are going to be steps that we can take other than the Employee Free Choice Act that will make a difference there. I think the basic principle of making it easier and fairer for workers who want to join a union, join a union, is important, and the basic outlines of the Employee Free Choice Act are ones that I agree with..." [Washington Post, 1/15/09]

TIMETABLE FOR THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT

Vice President Biden expects the Employee Free Choice Act to be passed this year. When asked if the Employee Free Choice Act would not be passed until 2010, Biden responded, "Our expectation is this year, this calendar year, that we will move, and hopefully with some bipartisan support, to dealing with this issue." [Wall Street Journal, 1/30/09]

Although the White House has not set a timetable for the Employee Free Choice Act, both the President and Vice President strongly support the measure. "White House spokesman Bill Burton said: "The President and the Vice President are on the same page, as their collective answers, taken as a whole, reflect. The White House has not yet stated a specific timetable, and the Vice President's answer doesn't state one either. Both men believe that economic recovery is the first priority, and both support EFCA." [Wall Street Journal, 1/30/09]

Last week, in a CNBC interview with John Harwood, Vice President Joe Biden talked about the timeline for passing the Employee Free Choice Act. Here's what the Vice President said:

"We're going to try to push for (it) prudently. By that I mean there's only so much on the plate these first couple months." "We both believe it's very important, making and--taking away the roadblocks that were built up...So we do think making it--taking away the impediments to organization is in the self-interest of labor, but also I believe in the self-interest of economic growth."

Harwood then tried to read into Vice President Biden's words, asking him if, by his words, the Vice President meant that the legislation will be taken up in a year or two. Biden was adamant that the issue will be taken up this calendar year:

"This year. This year, we hope. Our expectation is this year, this calendar year, that we will move, and hopefully with some bipartisan support, to dealing with this issue."

Watch the video here: