AFL-CIO blasts White House over Walmart veterans program

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AFL-CIO blasts White House over Walmart veterans program By Justin Sink - 05/07/13 10:00 AM ET
AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka blasted President Obama and Vice President Biden for championing a Walmart program that guarantees a job to returning veterans.
"Walmart’s recent announcement of a plan to hire returning honorably discharged veterans is more about public relations than honoring our heroes," Trumka said in a statement. "That this effort was valorized by President Obama and Vice President Biden reflects an acceptance of economic failure out of line with America’s history or future."
Last week, the president and vice president spoke at an event commemorating the first lady's Joining Forces Employment initiative, which looks to encourage private businesses to hire veterans.
"Walmart is telling any veteran who has served honorably that if they want a job in the year after they separate from service, Walmart is going to hire them. And their goal is to do it within 30 days of the veteran’s application," Michelle Obama said.
But in his statement, Trumka asked, "After facing enemies abroad, is an $8.81 an hour part-time job the best we can offer returning veterans?"
"Already, working families and our economy are struggling against an epidemic of low-paying, low-benefit, part-time work. Instead of legitimizing that trend, we need to treat the talents of our veterans—and of all of America’s people—as a critical national resource," he continued.
Trumka has been a vocal critic of the big-box chain, which has resisted unionization at its stores.