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As a strong advocate for workers' rights, I have continuously fought for what is best for the American worker.

My first job was as a laborer. I shined shoes and I worked on the Santa Fe Railroad. I have always remembered my roots, and that's why I have gone out and walked picket lines and worked tirelessly for working families. My parents taught me to respect a hard day's work and the working men and women of this country.

It is critical that we support policies that are labor-friendly to working families, whether it is in the area of wages, providing a safe workplace, enacting tax policies favorable to working families, and providing health care for families.

In the State Legislature, I strongly supported overtime and minimum wage provisions, as well as legislation related to collective bargaining and teachers' retirement.

In the Congress, I have also compiled a strong labor record. By voting against measures like Fast Track and permanent normal trade relations for the People's Republic of China, I have taken a stand against countries that consistently abuse their labor force. Understanding that Americans need a higher standard of living and voting to increase the minimum wage are examples how I have stood up for working families. I am working hard in Washington, D.C. to find a better solution to the monetary as well as the health care needs of the American work force.

This year in the Congress I have continued my fight for working families.

• I voted against giving President Bush fast track trade authority.
• I voted against tax cuts that would be financed with our Social Security funds.
• I voted against the Bush plan to roll back workplace safety.
• I voted against the elimination of federal government worker protections.
• I voted for safety requirements for Mexican trucks.
• I voted to oppose normal trade relations with China.

Our workers deserve health, safety, and environmental protections. We have fought hard for these rights. That's why I opposed the President's efforts to repeal workplace safety requirements. This is about workers who are forced to lift too heavy a load! This is about our spouses, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons who work all day long in the supermarket, the warehouse, the factory floor!

That is why I opposed Fast Track. That's why I oppose trade with China. That's why I opposed NAFTA. We must not do business with countries that refuse to respect worker rights! We must not do business with countries that hurt working families by undermining the value of an honest day's work!

Since NAFTA, working class families have lost jobs - people who thought they had the American dream - owning a home, sending their kids to college. We must not make the same mistake with other trade agreements.

We have fought for the minimum wage. We have fought for workplace safety. We have fought for working families. We must keep these rights. We will not retreat!

• Countries must respect human rights and worker protections or we should not do business with them or give them special trade treatment.
• We are not asking for special treatment for American workers, just for a level playing field.
• We will not give up these rights - we worked hard for them.
• No bad trade agreements!
• Stand up for workers!

Here are some examples of pro-labor legislation I am co-sponsoring:

H.R. 457 (Kaptur). Establishes a transitional adjustment assistance program for workers adversely affected by reason of the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of the People's Republic of China.

H.R. 665(Bonior). Fair Minimum Wage Act: the Democratic Leadership plan increases the minimum wage to $6.65 in three steps-60 cents this year, 50 cents in January of 2002, and 40 cents in January of 2003. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

H.R. 808 (Visclosky). H.R. 808. Steel Revitalization Act of 2001. Provides safeguards to the domestic steel industry. Directs the President to impose quotas on imports of steel products. Assists in the funding of retirement benefits for steelworkers. Supported by Steelworkers in the 42^nd congressional district.

H.R. 917 (Gutierrez). Provides for a livable wage for employees under Federal contracts and subcontracts.

HR 1262 (Rodriguez). The Federal Wage Worker Pay Fairness Act: Addresses fundamental inequities in the system used to compute salaries for America's 225,000 federal blue collar workers.

H.R. 1360 (Miller, George). Ensures Project Labor Agreements are permitted in certain circumstances.

H.R. 1457 (Gutierrez). Provides for a livable wage for employees under Federal contracts and subcontracts.

H.R. 1819 (Shows). Free Trade Community Relief Act: Provides tax incentives and job training grants for communities affected by the migration of businesses and jobs to Canada or Mexico as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

H.R. 2181 (De Fazio). Directs the President to impose quotas, tariff surcharges, negotiated enforceable voluntary export restraint agreements, or other measures on imports of Canadian softwood lumber products, to ensure that the volume of such products during any month does not exceed the average volume of such import that was imported monthly during the 24-month period preceding December 1995. Supported by Carpenters local in the 42^nd Congressional District.

H.R. 2989 (Emerson). Requires procedures that ensure the fair and equitable resolution of labor integration issues in transactions for the combination of air carriers. (Requested by Airline Pilots Association to ensure fair treatment of airline employees.)

H.R. 3130 (Boehlert). To provide for increasing the technically trained workforce in the United States.

H.R. 4551 (Green) To deem the nondisclosure of employer-owned life insurance coverage of employees an unfair trade practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

H.R. 4646 (Dingell). To remedy certain effects of injurious steel imports by protecting benefits of steel industry retirees and encouraging the strengthening of the American steel industry.

H.R. 4799 (Bonior). To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for an increase in the Federal minimum wage.

UPDATED - September 13, 2002