Published: September 03, 2007 11:10 pm         

U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth is keynote speaker at Labor Day dinner

TERRE HAUTE — Members of Congress must work together and do a better job of helping all citizens achieve a better life and standard of living, 8th District Congressman Brad Ellsworth said during the annual Labor Awards Dinner on Monday.

Ellsworth, a Democrat, was the featured speaker at the dinner, staged at the Holiday Inn.

“Washington, D.C., for so long has not worked for us,” the working men and women of this country, he said. “The halls of Congress should be about raising the water for everybody … When the water raises, it raises all the boats.”

In 2006, American workers saw their earnings decrease for the third year in a row, he said. Since 2000, real household income has declined by more than $2,500.

At the same time, costs keep rising — for health care, energy, gasoline and college tuition.

“No wonder our paychecks do less and less and less,” he said. “We’ve got to turn the trend around.”

One of his roles as a congressman is to help bring jobs to the 8th District and act as a cheerleader for the area, he said.

“We’ve got a great work force, great people, and great resources. We’ve just got to band together and bring it back,” Ellsworth said. “It’s going to take all of us to raise that water.”

He pointed to some of his accomplishments since taking office, including his vote to raise the minimum wage and his support for the Ledbetter Amendment and the Employee Free Choice Act.

He said he was particularly proud of his vote to increase the minimum wage. He said he’s talked to a lot of people, including husbands and wives “that are working for minimum wage, trying to make it and falling below the poverty level,” he said.

Ellsworth also talked about his goals as a congressman and his goals for the country:

n “I look forward to an America that’s at peace. I want America to be at peace in the very near future,” he said.

That doesn’t mean the country will be able to stop fighting terrorism, he said.

n “I look forward to when our country is making friends, and not making enemies, around our globe.”

n He said he looks forward to a time “when people who need to go to doctor can afford to go to a doctor,” and the decision will be between a doctor and patient, not a health insurance company or third party.

n The congressman said he looks forward to a Social Security system that is secure, and that doesn’t mean privatization or special accounts. “I’ve not seen one bit of evidence that’s the kind of thing that works,” he said.

n Ellsworth said he wants “an immigration policy that is real and that is enforced and that goes back to that America we all knew, that says, ‘I don’t blame you for wanting to come here. All we ask you to do is do it legally.’” Congress has to act and has to do it in a way that makes it fair and secure, he said.

n Ellsworth said he looks forward to a national wiretap policy that balances security and civil liberties.

n He said he looks forward to a trade policy “that if they call it free trade, let’s make it fair trade … I’ll do my best to make sure that any trade agreement is fair trade, fair to us, fair to America, fair to American workers.” His comment drew applause.

The annual Labor Awards Dinner recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the Wabash Valley’s working families during the past year. The Wabash Valley Central Labor Council sponsors the event.

The purpose of the dinner “is to recognize labor people, public servants and others in the community that have been working together with labor on various issues and concerns,” said Bill Treash, president of the Wabash Valley Central Labor Council.

The Central Labor Council is made up of 28 local unions in the Wabash Valley.

Award Winners 2007

• Pete Culver Labor Day Award — Jim Giffel, retired member of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 157.

• Local Union of the Year — United Steelworkers Local 7-0613.

• Leo Perlis Community Service Award — Kenny Slater, member of United Steelworkers Local 103-A.

• Union Member of the Year Award — Mike Pleasant, business manager of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 157.

• Public Servant of the Year Award — Brad Miller, director of the Terre Haute Transit Utility and Street Department.