Would veto the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) that restores the right of workers to organize unions, bargain collectively, and thereby make economic progress. Throughout his political career he has opposed labor and voted repeatedly to weaken unions and deny workers the right to collective bargaining.

Supports EFCA and would sign it into law, allowing millions of workers to organize and to negotiate wage and benefit improvements from their employers. Unlike McCain, Obama will end the Bush policy of appointing enemies of unions to powerful positions at the National Labor Relations Board, U.S. Department of Labor, and federal courts. He pledges to ban the use of “permanent replacements” to break strikes.

Wants to tax the money your employer spends on your health premium, treating it as part of your wages. He says later you'd get some if it back as a “tax credit,” perhaps as much as $2,500 for a single worker, $5,000 family. An analysis of his plan by experts at several major universities concluded that it would cause 20 million Americans to lose employer-paid healthcare. McCain’s plan would force people to buy their own insurance in the nongroup market, where you’ll pay more for worse coverage.

Would require employers to either provide health insurance or pay to support a new public health plan. This public plan would be available to the uninsured, self-employed and small businesses. He would mandate that no American can be denied coverage by any insurance company; require that all children have healthcare; and expand Medicaid and SCHIP. While apparently well-intentioned, his proposals fall far short of the solution UE advocates, a single-payer national health plan covering everyone.

Wants to privatize Social Security, making your retirement dependent on the ups and downs of the stock market and your luck in picking stocks. In recent weeks we’ve all seen how dangerous the financial markets can be. He would increase the Medicare eligibility age to 67, and his campaign says he might also raise the Social Security age to 68 and reduce cost-of-living adjustments. In the Senate he’s voted to cut Medicare, increase seniors’ premiums, and divert Social Security funds to other uses.

Would defend Social Security from privatization, make the rich pay more taxes to fund Social Security, and improve Medicare. He plans to change the bankruptcy laws to make it harder for employers to dump pensions. He proposes eliminating income taxes on senior citizens making less than $50,000, and offering incentives for workers to save for retirement. His administration will negotiate lower Medicare prescription prices for seniors.

Would continue limitless spending on the Iraq war, keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely, and make U.S. military occupation permanent. He opposes any timetable for bringing the troops home. He opposed the 2008 Senate bill to improve the GI Bill of Rights. McCain’s foreign policy may be even more belligerent than that of Bush and Cheney. In September, for no apparent reason, he picked a fight with Spain.

Opposed the Iraq war from the start, would immediately set a timetable for bringing our troops home, and is against permanent military bases there. He supported the 2008 Senate bill to improve the GI Bill of Rights with more education benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Obama calls for more cooperation with other countries, and for eliminating nuclear weapons around the world.

Would make permanent the Bush tax cuts for big business and the rich, worsening the already enormous federal deficit. He supports new job-killing “free trade” deals, and backed Bush’s attempt to take away overtime pay from millions of workers.

Proposes tax cuts for working people. He says he will negotiate changes to NAFTA, and that he’s against trade deals, such as CAFTA, that do not protect workers and the environment. He would index the minimum wage to inflation, extend unemployment compensation, and pay unemployment benefits to part-time workers who are laid off.

Flip-flopped on Bush’s Wall Street bailouts, but consistently backed policies that led to this crisis. Got caught 20 years ago taking over $112,000 in contributions from crooked savings and loan CEO Charles Keating. McCain lobbied for looser S&L regulation and to stop an investigation of Keating. Deregulating S&Ls created an epidemic of risky investments, the crash of 750 S&Ls, and a 1989 federal bailout that cost taxpayers $125 billion. This year he repeated, “I’m always for less regulation.” In 1999 he backed repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, a 1930s law to prevent risky behavior by commercial banks. Bank deregulation led to predatory lending and reckless investments, and the current crisis.

Has criticized bank deregulation that occurred before he got to the Senate, and which the Bush administration has continued. He voted against the 2005 Bankruptcy Act that made it nearly impossible for working people to get relief from crushing debt, but did nothing to stop predatory lending practices by banks and credit card companies. (McCain voted for it.) Obama backed efforts of Democrats in Congress to amend Bush’s Wall Street bailout to give the public an ownership share of any bank or company that receives aid, limit executive compensation, do the bailout in stages, and impose Congressional oversight.

Picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, one of the most inexperienced politicians ever nominated for the country’s number two position. McCain’s age and past health problems make this a major concern.

Chose Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a U.S. Senate veteran of more than 35 years with an extensive pro-labor record. The AFL-CIO rated Biden’s voting record 100 percent in 2007 and 2008, and 93 percent in 2006.