| Now that Senator Joe Biden has been selected as | | | | or Central American workers with improved |
| Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate, | | | | working conditions. |
| this would be a good time for labor union | | | | PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY |
| members and working people to examine Biden's | | | | Biden opposes plans to privatize Social Security |
| positions on labor related issues. Biden's positions | | | | that would cut benefits and shift risk to workers. |
| are summarized below (revised from the "Joe | | | | PREVENTING FRAUD |
| Biden US Senator from Delaware" website): | | | | Biden has authored legislation that would impose |
| MINIMUM WAGE | | | | tough, new criminal penalties that would prevent |
| Biden supports increasing the federal minimum | | | | the kind of fraud perpetrated by Enron that cost |
| wage to $7.25 an hour. He notes that the federal | | | | the jobs of 15,000 Enron employees. |
| minimum wage was fixed at $5.15 per hour for 10 | | | | CREATING GREEN COLLAR JOBS |
| years. | | | | Biden supports efforts to attract and train |
| PROTECTING WORKER'S RIGHTS TO BARGAIN | | | | workers for new green collar jobs. He is a |
| COLLECTIVELY | | | | co-sponsor of a worker training program that |
| Biden is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free | | | | would train workers for "green" jobs that could |
| Choice Act that protects workers who want to | | | | employ 3 million people in the United States. |
| form, join, or assist labor unions without | | | | TRAINING MORE NURSES |
| interference from employers. | | | | Biden wants to expand loans and scholarships for |
| REPRESENTING WORKERS IN TRADE | | | | those who want to train to become nurses. He |
| NEGOTIATIONS | | | | wants to increase the number of nurse faculty to |
| Biden has voted against trade agreements, such | | | | train the next generation of nurses. Finally, he |
| as CAFTA, that rolled back standards for labor | | | | supports legislation to give laid off workers the |
| protection. He believes that CAFTA does not | | | | chance to train for employment as nurses and for |
| provide American workers with adequate security | | | | other health care professions. |