Impassioned Biden reassures public workers

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Updated 5:40 p.m. ET

(CBS News) Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday delivered a rousing defense of public workers and the labor movement at the annual convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in Los Angeles.

"You guys are under full-blown assault," he said, speaking to members of one of the nation's largest unions. "This is the greatest assault on working-class people and their unions that I've seen in my lifetime."

Public workers have faced cuts to salaries and benefits as their unions have stared down the prospect of having collective-bargaining powers severely restricted in states currently governed by Republican governors and legislatures. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney threw fuel on the fire when he was accused of endorsing that kind of belt-tightening--even at the risk of slashing firefighters, teachers, and police officers.

Biden said that a Romney presidency would see more of the same policies enacted on the federal level.

"They hear 'labor,' and they hear 'enemy,' " Biden asserted in his fiery remarks. "They hear 'labor' and they see an opportunity to scapegoat labor for the problems they created."

"We owe you," Biden said. "Unions should not be vilified."

Correction: An earlier version of this story misquoted one of Biden's remarks. He said unions should not be vilified.

[OweninNJ]

Wisconsin is a harbinger for unions, and Biden knows it.

[endurorob_5]

Well, Joe, the fact is that public worker unions are one of the main causes for state and local budget problems. They are generally overpaid and over compensated and the quality of work is low. You look at federal government workers. You can tell union from non union very easily. If you are getting good customer service and the workers are concerned about providing a good product then they are non union. If you get poor customer service and poor quality work then that is union. The fact is union workers tend to have the attitude that they are owed that job and the customer is there strictly to provide them with a job.

[marychgo]

Go, Joe! Biden may not always phrase the truth in the most elegant possible language, but he DOES tell the truth. How sad that so many Americans whose incomes have been under attack for more than 30 years have been misled into blaming their losses on public employee unions, rather than on the managers who have benefited enormously from their suffering....

[wfw3536]

So where was Obama when the union and Barrett needed him and Biden in Wisconsin. Oh, that right Obama did fly over Wisconsin to raise money in Mn or Ill.

[fairba]

Biden could have told them the truth and said, "We owe you...TOO MUCH!" We have enough problems keeping one government in control of spending. We don't need two.

[PlatinumWords]

I'm sure they feel reassured having Biden talk to them when they know deep down he and Obama will be gone next year and the public sector unions will be history in 4 years of Romney's presidency.

[sjc_1]

"They hear 'labor,' and they hear 'enemy,'

If you have 50 managers and 1000 workers, let's see the 50 managers produce what the 1000 workers do. Workers are the source of all TRUE wealth creation, they produce value added. They turn iron ore into cars and sand into computer chips. Managers just try to escape blame and blame everyone else.

[hypnotoad72]

I wish this article would have gone into detail over private sector wage, benefit, and job cuts as well. The real issue is ALL workers losing middle class pay and benefits. Read the charts and the graphs and wages have not kept up.

And, yes, for all workers, it HAS been an assault. Biden is absolutely right. Anyone who disagrees with me can go work in the conditions they want (everyone except themselves) to endure.

Unions aren't perfect, but they do seem to be a bit more aware of the issue than some whose predictable responses will invariably show up in response to this article in due course...