Economy

Clinton's Labor Secretary Blasts Trump for 'Workforce Development Week'

June 13th 2017

Amidst the ongoing Russia scandal gripping the White House, President Donald Trump attempted to switch the nation's focus to a new policy initiative this week, following last week being declared, "Infrastructure Week." The policy initiative du semaine?

"Workforce Development Week."

Robert ReichATIS547 - flickr.com

According to a memo from the White House, "Workforce Development Week" is a policy initiative designed to help workers "obtain the education and skills they need to find good, stable jobs, and succeed in the workplace." What this actually means for policy is unclear, but according to a press release, "Secretary [of Labor] Acosta delivered a presentation on the importance of expanding apprenticeships in America and the need for all agencies to support the Administration’s apprenticeship initiative."

However, Trump's record on worker's rights is shaky at best — which wasn't lost on Robert Reich as he laid out on Twitter Tuesday 10 things the president has done to hurt workers.

The former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration, who's best known for his interesting and digestible policy videos, blasted Trump for purporting to support labor, in spite of the numerous ways he's hurt workers in his first few months in office.

Among other things, Reich notes how Trump's agenda seeks to roll back rules expanding overtime pay, cut taxes on the wealthy, block a minimum wage increase, and even end a rule that required employers to disclose whether they'd hired consultants to bust unions. Also, Trump's been criticized for trying to take 23 million Americans, mostly working class, off Obamacare. It's also worth noting that Trump's Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta — while he wasn't met with as much opposition as his original choice of Andrew Pudzer — is no friend of labor, either.

Reich's honest tweets on the subject were met with amusement and indignation on Twitter.

Though one user noted that the "most anti-worker president ever" might be a bit of a stretch.

However, that's not a very high bar to clear.

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