Hoffa Praises Obama for Bold Actions to Protect Working Families

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Jan 04, 2012, 05:45 ET

Teamsters General President Applauds Recess Appointments

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today applauded President Obama for using his constitutional authority to appoint well-qualified people to government posts that are key to protecting working people from union-busting corporations and financial predators.

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Defying obstructionists in Congress, President Obama took action to ensure that we have a functioning National Labor Relations Board to protect the rights of workers in this country. He named Richard Griffin, Sharon Block and Terence F. Flynn to the NLRB, where they will continue the necessary work of making sure workplaces are productive, fair and safe while safeguarding workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively.

He also named Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In the new role created by financial reform legislation, Cordray will protect American working families from abuses by the financial industry.

"There can't be any doubt which side President Obama is on after the recess appointments he made today," Hoffa said. "He stood up to Republicans in Congress who hate the idea of consumer protections and fairness in the workplace. They've tried everything they could think of to destroy the NLRB and to prevent the CFPB from functioning, including blocking appointments. President Obama made the right decision on behalf of the American people by bypassing obstructionists in the Senate.

"Richard Cordray is a solid public official who has done much to protect Ohio's retirees, investors and business owners from financial fraud. Richard Griffin, as general counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers, is a strong choice for the NLRB. Sharon Block, currently deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs at the Labor Department, has worked for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a great protector of workers' rights.

"And the appointment of Terence Flynn, the Republican nominee to the NLRB, shows the president's determination to rise above petty partisan politics."

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters