>>> FOR THIS WEEKS GOTCHA, I
WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SUDDEN
ABANDONMENT OF ONCE-CHERISHED
FREE MARKET PRINCIPLES BY
REPUBLICANS AND BIG BUSINESSES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN SIGNS LIKE
THIS ONE EITHER ONLINE OR OUT IN
YOUR COMMUNITY POSTED ON THE
DOORS OF FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS
OR SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS
BEMOANING A SO-CALLED LABOR
SHORTAGE OR WHINING THAT, QUOTE,
NOBODY WANTS TO WORK ANYMORE.
BUT ITS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
A YEAR AGO WE CALLED THESE
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL.
IT WAS TRUE THEN AND IT REMAINS
TRUE TODAY.
THIS COUNTRY CANNOT FUNCTION
WITHOUT FAST FOOD WORKERS,
CUSTODIANS, AND GROCERY STORE
EMPLOYEES, AND THEY DESERVE
WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS AND A
LIVING WAGE.
UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THESE
BUSINESSES COMPLAINING THEY
CANT HIRE OR EVEN KEEP THEIR
WORKERS ARE OFFERING LOW AND
STAGNANT WAGES.
ACCORDING TO "FORBES," WAGES ARE
UP A SCANT 1.2% IN THE LAST
YEAR, SO THE FREE MARKET AS
SPOKEN.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF WORKERS, BUT
THEY DECIDED THAT THEY DO NOT
WANT TO RISK THEIR LIVES FOR
$7.25 AN HOUR, ESPECIALLY DURING
A PANDEMIC.
OF COURSE, SOME REPUBLICANS ARE
HOWLING ABOUT THIS, WHINING
ABOUT THE SO-CALLED LAZINESS OF LOW-WAGE WORKERS, MANY OF WHOM
LOW-WAGE WORKERS, MANY OF WHOM
ARE BLACK AND BROWN, WHO
STRATEGICALLY
WITHHOLD THEIR LABOR, AND
WITHOUT FAIL, THEY HAVE MOVED IN
THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
THE GOP CONSISTENTLY BLOCKS ANY
INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM WAGE,
WHICH HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED FOR
OVER A DECADE.
AND THATS NOT ALL.
DURING THE PANDEMIC ALONE,
REPUBLICANS TRIED TO SHIELD BIG
CORPORATIONS FROM LEGAL
CONSEQUENCES FOR PUTTING THEIR
WORKERS AT RISK OF COVID.
THEY ATTEMPTED TO GUT THE
OPERATING BUDGET FOR
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION, AND THEY REFUSED
A TO FULLY FUND THE KIND OF
HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES
NEEDED TO REOPEN SCHOOLS AND
CHILD CARE FACILITIES, FORCING
WORKING PARENTS INTO AN
IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS LONG
BEEN FUNDAMENTALLY OPPOSED TO
EXPANDING RIGHTS FOR WORKERS,
PASSING UNION-BUSTING
LEGISLATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES AND
FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL AGAINST
ATTEMPTS TO LIFT UP AMERICAN
LABOR, LIKE THE
DEMOCRATIC-SPONSORED PRO ACT
CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION IN
THE HOUSE.
LABOR UNIONS WERE ONCE THE
BEDROCK OF A STRONG MIDDLE CLASS
IN AMERICA, THE POWER OF WORKER
DISABILITY ENDED CHILD LABOR,
ENSURED SAFER WORKING
CONDITIONS, AND USHERED IN
WEEKENDS AND 40-HOUR WORK WEEK.
THE REPUBLICAN ATTEMPT TO
DISMANTLE THE CORRECTIVE POWER
OF AMERICAN LABOR AND THE
AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT HAVE
BEEN DECADES LONG IN THEIR CREW
SAID.
BUT WERE SEEING A RESURGENCE OF
COLLECTIVE ACTION RIGHT NOW IN
RESTAURANTS, IN GROCERY STORES,
IN WORKPLACES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
I STAND WITH UNDERPAID ESSENTIAL
EMPLOYEES IN THEIR FIGHT FOR
FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS AND THE
VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS DO
TOO.
SO TO REPUBLICANS AND GIANT
CORPORATIONS MALIGNING THE
AMERICAN WORKER, THESE PEOPLE
PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK OVER THE
LAST 14 MONTHS TO KEEP THIS
COUNTRY FED, INFORMED, AND CARED
FOR, AND NOW YOU HAVE THE
AUDACITY TO CALL THEM LAZY FOR
DEMANDING SAFE WORK SPACES AND
FAIR WAGES?
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, THE
FREE MARKET HAS SPOKEN, AND SAID WHAT I SAY, I GOTCHA.