Obama Gives Labor Unions a Boost

Putting a point on how his administration’s labor policies differ from his predecessor’s, President Barack Obama on Friday signed three executive orders designed to support organized labor. Vice President Joe Biden followed up by saying “Welcome back to the White House” to labor representatives at the signing ceremony.

The New York Times:

On yet another morning of grim economic news, President Obama sought to further distance himself from his predecessor on Friday as he announced steps that he said would strengthen organized labor and improve the lot of middle-class Americans.

At a White House ceremony, the president signed three executive orders that he said would “reverse many of the policies towards organized labor that we’ve seen these last eight years, policies with which I’ve sharply disagreed.”

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AP photo / Ron Edmonds

President Barack Obama, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden, speaks in the East Room of the White House on Friday after signing an executive order dealing with the Middle Class Working Families Task Force.