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Back to To the Point

To the Point

Trump's love affair with working Americans: Will it last?

Organized labor was the foundation of America's middle class in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Recently, the unions have fallen on hard times. President-Elect Trump claims he's saved middle class jobs by threatening companies with plans to re-locate in Mexico, but even supporters say that's not a real policy.

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By Warren Olney • Jan 6, 2017 • 1 min read

Organized labor was the foundation of America's middle class in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Recently, the unions have fallen on hard times. President-Elect Trump claims he's saved middle class jobs by threatening companies with plans to re-locate in Mexico, but even supporters say that's not a real policy. The President of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, says he told Donald Trump he'll be willing to work with him — especially when it comes to NAFTA and other trade deals that have taken jobs overseas. But, for the moment, what matters are Trump's appointees to major positions, like the Secretary of Labor and members of the National Labor Relations Board. Do they represent the interests of the working class--or the latest version of "crony capitalism?"

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    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

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    Paul von Zielbauer

    Producer, 'To the Point'

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    Jenny Hamel

    KCRW

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    Elizabeth Segal

    freelance journalist

  • KCRW placeholder

    Josh Eidelson

    Bloomberg BusinessWeek

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    Oren Cass

    Manhattan Institute

  • KCRW placeholder

    Benjamin Sachs

    Harvard Law School

    NewsNationalPolitics
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