posted on May 11, 2003 04:40:01 PM new
Workers won't get paid during Bush plant visit Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. -- Employees of a plastics plant have been told they'll need to make up the time they're off work while the plant is used as the site of a speech by President Bush on his economic and employment proposals.
The president, who has been campaigning across the country to drum up support for his tax cut and economic plan, scheduled a speech Monday at the Airlite Plastics Co.
Bush is expected to speak to the company's 575 employees about how his economic stimulus plan would benefit them.
Airlite president and CEO Brad Crosby said workers will be given one of four options during the visit: work their regular shift in an adjacent plant not visited by the president, take the day off and make up the work on Saturday, use one of their vacation days, or take an unpaid day off.
"Right from the beginning, we didn't want to see anyone take a cut in pay. We're just trying to be completely fair," Crosby said
Crosby said he had not spoken to any employees who dislike the options. "I think the overwhelming majority of our employees are just very excited about seeing the president," he said.
However, the company added the fourth option -- allowing workers to take a paid vacation day -- after the Omaha World-Herald reported Saturday that at least one employee complained about having to take an unpaid day off or make up the work on a normal day off to see the president.
The company planned to shut down the plant's first shift and parts of the second shift Monday to accommodate the president's appearance, Crosby said.
Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said he was a little surprised by the company's decision regarding compensation for workers during Bush's visit.
"That could very easily undermine the president's message, but I don't want to be an ungracious host," Nelson said from his home today. "If this is Airlite's way of handling it, that's between them and their employees."
Although one of the options for workers was an unpaid day off, Claire Buchan, a White House spokeswoman traveling with the president in Santa Fe, N.M., said today: "All of the employees at the plant are being paid in full."
A group opposed to Bush's tax cut plan will demonstrate during the president's visit to the plant. However, members of the Fair Taxes for All Coalition were told they will have to stay at a back entrance, well out of sight of news cameras and reporters, said a leader of the group, Patrick Pannett.
"There really isn't a viable or visible opportunity for us to get our point across," Pannett said. "It's just a blatant political move."
Airlite makes coolers for shipping vaccines and steaks, blocks for building tornado-resistant buildings and plastic lids and containers for foods and soft drinks.
posted on May 11, 2003 04:47:08 PM new
Geeesh, if it was going to cause that much of a problem, why did they agree to have the President visit... go see the President or get paid.... what a choice.
Or worse having to use a vacation day or make it up on a Saturday....
posted on May 11, 2003 08:49:52 PM new
They should be happy to help the President push the tax cut..after all, they're going to get like a 90 dollar break..
If you can't answer a man's argument, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.
- Elbert Hubbard
posted on May 12, 2003 12:00:55 AM new
If the President doesn't get to cut taxes and get the economy going, they might not even have jobs in the future.
posted on May 12, 2003 09:24:23 AM new
He is a Republican otherwise Bush wouldn't caught within a mile of the place. By not paying his workers, he insure the dissenting element will not show up for the speech. This further keeps Bush insulated from having to address the truth
And when has a tax cut ever created jobs? By all accounts NEVER! Poor and middle class spending creates jobs, not giving money to the rich.....
And how much you want to bet that the President's speech has a large crowd listening to him, acting like jubilant employees of the company and we are never told a large majority have been trucked in just to fawn over his highness?
A politician will call you intelligent to keep you ignorant. I tell you that you are ignorant so that you may want to be intelligent - Eugene Debs
[ edited by mlecher on May 12, 2003 10:38 AM ]
posted on May 12, 2003 11:26:56 AM new
Most main stream economists do not believe the tax cuts will stimulate the economy. Essentially the cuts will increase the amount of dollars the wealthiest 1% retain while doing little for the average working poor.
This is a widely held opinion across party lines both democrat and republican with the exception of the white house insiders who coincidentally will be among the primary beneficiaries of the plan.
As to employee compensation to attend a partisan political event. It would be construed to be an endorsement of a specific candidate and would leave management liable to offer equal time to dissenting opinions. Not offering compensation is the correct thing in this case.
posted on May 12, 2003 11:40:59 AM new
He doesn't appear to be politically active one way or another. From the Grand Island Independent: "Airlite wasn't chosen as any payback for campaign donations. The company does not have a political action committee and none of its executives have made large contributions to a state or federal campaign or political party."
However, had Crosby been a big-time Democrat, you can bet your bippy that Bush wouldn't have chosen Airlite for his photo op.
The underlying truth is that Bush is making these workers pay three times to boost his own political fortune. His destruction of the U.S. economy has endangered the jobs market and made it more difficult for them to put food in their families' mouths. His tax plan has shifted the burden from the wealthy in this country to the working families, a shift that is drastically apparent when you look at the entire tax burden (federal, state, local).
And oh, yeah, he's costing them a day's pay. What an honor.
Edited to add: Did anyone see the new Treasury Secretary Snow on the weekend poli-talk shows? He was sweatin' it, bigtime.
[ edited by msincognito on May 12, 2003 04:39 PM ]
