Labor advocates say Collins' vote for Scalia shows 'which side she works for'
Maine’s unions and worker advocates condemned Senator Susan Collins’ vote Thursday afternoon to confirm Eugene Scalia, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. They said his record on of defending corporate interests over workers is the antithesis of the department’s mission, which is to protect wage earners.
“We are very disappointed with Senator Susan Collins for allowing this man to take over the Department of Labor where he can do the bidding of billionaires and multinational corporations by further trampling on workers’ rights and making it harder and more dangerous to make a living in this country,” Maine AFL-CIO president Cynthia Phinney said in a statement. “Maine workers deserve a secretary of labor who will work to protect their rights, safety, wages and freedom to organize. Senator Collins has shown which side she works for.”
The Senate voted 53-44 along party lines to install Scalia as labor secretary. Maine independent Senator Angus King voted against the nomination. On Tuesday, Collins, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, cast the deciding vote to advance Scalia’s nomination to the full Senate.
Scalia is the son of the late conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He was selected by President Trump to replace former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, who resigned on July 19 amid criticism of a plea deal he offered to serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Read more: https://mainebeacon.com/labor-advocates-say-collins-vote-for-scalia-shows-which-side-she-works-for/
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