At a 50,000 person march on London’s Parliament Square expressing opposition to recent austerity measures by the coalition government, comedian Russell Brand spoke more truth about the struggle of working families than U.S. Republicans have this legislative session!
While Brand is talking about his hometown of Grays, Essex, he could just as easily be talking about parts of Ohio or Detroit where job losses have crippled vibrant cities where working families once thrived.
“Where I grew up … I felt like there were low expectations, low possibilities for people. People like me didn’t have a lot of opportunity. And I was presented with a marvelous glistening spectacle. I remember as a kid when they built Lakeside Shopping Center I felt it would be the best thing that happened in my town and my community. Little did I realize that what that would do is suck the life out of the town center, destroy the tithe of community and along with the erosion of jobs in that area … it brought to it’s knees a community of proud working people. This is an issue that affects the 100%.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren has a new autobiography out about growing up in Oklahoma and how the economy was such that it allowed for the American Dream. Warren’s book tour has focused on how that isn’t the way things are now a days, where families can’t pull themselves up from their bootstraps anymore because they can’t even afford bootstraps. Or an education to know what bootstraps were used for back when the American Dream was alive and well.
Good progressive and populist message. This should have been a total puff piece for Matthews. But Matthews, a man from working class roots himself, passionately implores Warren to give America the hope and the answers, and she delivered in true Elizabeth Warren style:
Matthews: “What can and will the Democratic Party do (since this is the party that wants to do it) to restore the hope of a meaningful, family building employment, that seems to be gone in so much of the country?”
Warren: “Well, you know, this isn’t magic. We actually know how to do this. We did this for nearly half a century, coming out of the great depression until about 1980. We made the investments together that helped build opportunity for all of us.”
“I went to a commuter college that cost fifty dollars a semester. It opened a million doors for me. How could I go to a school that cost fifty dollars a semester? Because I grew up in a America that said, we collectively, all of us, are going to make those investments in education so that any kid, who works hard, who plays the rules, who tries to get out there and make something of herself, is going to have a fighting chance to make that happen.”
President Barack Obama is speaking at the Working Families Summit on Monday afternoon, but before the summit began, his weekly Saturday address dealt with the issues that matter most to working families. (transcript below):
Hi, everybody. As President, my top priority is rebuilding an economy where everybody who works hard has the chance to get ahead.
That’s what I’ll spend some time talking about on Monday, at the White House Summit on Working Families. We’re bringing together business leaders and workers to talk about the challenges that working parents face every day, and how we can address them together.
Take paid family leave. Many jobs don’t offer adequate leave to care for a new baby or an ailing parent, so workers can’t afford to be there when their family needs them the most. That’s wrong. And it puts us way behind the times. Only three countries in the world report that they don’t offer paid maternity leave. Three. And the United States is one of them. It’s time to change that. A few states have acted on their own to give workers paid family leave, but this should be available to everyone, because all Americans should be able to afford to care for a family member in need.
Childcare is another challenge. Most working families I know can’t afford thousands a year for childcare, but often that’s what it costs. That leaves parents scrambling just to make sure their kids are safe while they’re at work – forget about giving them the high-quality early childhood education that helps kids succeed in life.
Then there’s the issue of flexibility – the ability to take a few hours off for a parent-teacher conference or to work from home when your kid is sick. Most workers want it, but not enough of them have it. What’s more, it not only makes workers happier – studies show that flexibility can make workers more productive and reduce worker turnover and absenteeism. That’s good for business.
At a time when women make up about half of America’s workforce, outdated workplace policies that make it harder for mothers to work hold our entire economy back. But these aren’t just problems for women. Men also care about who’s watching their kids. They’re rearranging their schedules to make it to soccer games and school plays. Lots of sons help care for aging parents. And plenty of fathers would love to be home for their new baby’s first weeks in the world.
In fact, in a new study, nearly half of all parents – women and men – report that they’ve said no to a job, not because they didn’t want it, but because it would be too hard on their families. When that many talented, hard-working people are forced to choose between work and family, something’s wrong. Other countries are making it easier for people to have both. We should too, if we want American businesses to compete and win in the global economy.
Family leave. Childcare. Flexibility. These aren’t frills – they’re basic needs. They shouldn’t be bonuses – they should be the bottom line.
The good news is, some businesses are embracing family-friendly policies, because they know it’s key to attracting and retaining talented employees. And I’m going to keep highlighting the businesses that do. Because I take this personally. I take it personally as the son and grandson of some strong women who worked hard to support my sister and me. As the husband of a brilliant woman who struggled to balance work and raising our young ladies when my job often kept me away. And as the father of two beautiful girls, whom I want to be there for as much as I possibly can – and whom I hope will be able to have families and careers of their own one day.
We know from our history that our economy grows best from the middle-out; that our country does better when everybody participates; when everyone’s talents are put to use; when we all have a fair shot. That’s the America I believe in. That’s the America I’ll keep fighting for every day. Thanks, and have a great weekend.
