Labor & Employment Law

Honor Veterans by Fighting for Them Like They Fought for Us

By James Parks

More than 2 million union members are veterans. On this day dedicated to those who have served their country in the military, it’s appropriate to remember that we need to fight for them just as they fought to defend us.

Like all workers, veterans are suffering in this tough economy. But for many vets, the situation is dire. Nearly one in five veterans (18 percent) recently back from tours of duty is unemployed. Of those employed since leaving the military, 25 percent earn less than $21,840 a year. On any given day, as many as 250,000 veterans (male and female) are living on the streets or in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.

So as we celebrate their service, let us also focus on ways to help veterans and all workers get out of this economic mess. In a statement, Mark Ayers, chairman of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council and president of the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), says:

They way I see it?they served us, so now it?s our turn to serve them. We owe our freedoms to the sacrifices of the brave men and women who have served in the military. For many, their fights on the battlefield are over; but now they must sadly endure other battles?such as finding meaningful employment, affordable housing and accessible health care?in their transition back into civilian life.

Speaking today at ceremonies at the National Labor College, James Gilbert, director of the Union Veterans Council, said the best way to honor our veterans is by making sure they have the resources to succeed. He called on the audience to support programs such as Helmets to Hardhats  and Veterans in Construction, which prepare veterans for jobs in the construction industry. He said we need to expand GI Bill benefits to include vocational training and apprenticeships that can ease the transition to civilian employment.

 It is imperative to strengthen and enforce Veterans Preference Laws, which require the federal government to favor returning veterans for government jobs, Gilbert said. Also we must ensure that the Veterans Health Administration, which serves 8 million veterans, including 3 million in rural areas, is fully funded and staffed, he said.

Meanwhile, Gordon Pavy, the Vets Council staff coordinator, represented the council at ceremonies at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

According to Ayers:

… no United States military veteran should ever have to struggle to live a normal, healthy life after all they have sacrificed for us. On this Veterans Day, let us both take a moment to remember, honor and support those men and women in uniform who serve our nation today for the noble cause of freedom and liberty, and to also make sure that not one single American veteran loses his or her life, or struggles to make a life, because we, as a nation, did not do enough to help.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on November 11, 2010 (boomark / email).