The Great Debate

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

Labor was the focus of the most recent debate for Democratic presidential hopefuls.  The 90-minute debate sponsored by the AFL-CIO took place yesterday in Chicago.  The audience of 15,000 union members questioned the candidates on topics such as the right to organize, pensions, health care, workplace health and safety (a pressing topic given the recent cave-in of a mine in Utah), education, Iraq, trade and much more. 

Did you miss the debate?  Don't worry -- you can watch it online here!

The AFL-CIO Blog has a number of posts about the debate.  The debate was also covered by several other media outlets.  Below are some of the articles.  For more on workers' rights issues in Chicago and how you can support workers at one factory there, check out this blog entry.

SEIU is sponsoring a campaign called Walk a Day in My Shoes where presidential candidates are asked to accompany SEIU members on the job and at home to see what it is really like for working families.  Check it out!

Dem front-runners play defense at debate: Associated Press
Rivals Swipe at Clinton During Debate: Los Angeles Times
A Night of Touch Football: Washington Post
Obama and Clinton Take the Gloves Off in AFL-CIO Debate: Washington Post