Senator Obama

A co-sponsor in 2008 of the IAFF's collective bargaining bill (S.2123), Senator Obama returned to Washington, DC, during his campaign for the Democratic nomination to cast a crucial vote in favor of cloture (a procedural vote to move the legislation through the Senate).

Senator Obama discusses unions and collective bargaining at the Building Trades Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2008:

Watch YouTube Video

Senator McCain

Opposes collective bargaining. McCain failed to return to Washington to vote in 2008 on cloture during important debates on the IAFF's collective bargaining bill, even though the IAFF asked him to return to the Senate to participate in the debate.

In 2001, Senator McCain voted against our collective bargaining bill.

Senator Obama

Obama opposes forcing fire fighters to be covered under Social Security and has signed our letter that says he opposes mandatory Social Security coverage for fire fighters.

Senator McCain

McCain refuses to sign a letter opposing mandatory Social Security coverage for fire fighters. He supports mandatory Social Security coverage that would impose an additional payroll tax on fire fighters.

Senator Obama

Obama favors employer-sponsored health care. He supports universal health care - including mandatory coverage for children - and vows to address rising health care costs.

Senator Obama discusses health care in Iowa City, Iowa, on May 29, 2007:Watch YouTube Video

Senator Obama discusses ideas to help Americans deal with crushing health care costs in a June 9, 2008, speech in North Carolina: Watch YouTube Video

Senator McCain

McCain's health care plan would change the tax code and encourage employers to drop health care coverage, forcing IAFF members to buy their own health insurance, and assuming they find a plan that covers pre-conditions.

IAFF members who continue to get health insurance through an employer would then have to pay taxes on the high cost of their health benefits because the McCain plan would make health care premiums part of taxable income.

Senator Obama

Obama opposes efforts to overturn the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which ensures overtime pay for IAFF members. He was the chief sponsor of the law that exempts Illinois from the Bush administration's new federal overtime rules and protects overtime pay for thousands of Illinois workers.

Senator McCain

Supports judicial nominations that would threaten court decisions guaranteeing overtime pay and other critical worker issues - such as the Family Medical Leave Act, collective bargaining, the FLSA and the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Senator Obama

Obama voted against privatizing federal jobs. He supports measure to help working families by providing money to protect them from the mortgage crisis, extending unemployment insurance to workers who lose their jobs and providing a tax cut to families with annual income of $37,595 to $66,354.

Obama discusses the economy in a June 9, 2008 speech in North Carolina: Watch YouTube Video

Senator McCain

McCain has voted to outsource federal contracts overseas. He voted to give President Bush fast track authority to pass more bad trade deals. He would extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

Senator Obama

Obama has supported the authorization and full funding of all fire service grant programs. He has consistently voted for increased funding for the FIRE Act and SAFER grants (Roll Call vote #177, 7/13/05; Roll Call Vote #197, 7/13/06). He has consistently voted to increase funding for first responders (Roll Call Vote #59, 3/16/06; Roll Call Vote #178, 7/12/05; Roll Call Vote #64, 3/17/05; Roll Call Vote #50, 5/15/05).

Senator McCain

While Senator McCain voted to authorize the Fire Act and SAFER, he has not demanded that those programs be adequately funded subsequent to their creation.

Senator Obama

Obama supports labor unions, and has a 98 percent overall labor voting record. He voted to expand worker rights, voted to guarantee overtime pay and has promoted the right of workers to organize, and co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, the AFL-CIO's top legislative issue.

Senator Obama discusses the importance of unions in America on April 2, 2008, to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO: Watch YouTube Video

Obama opposes so-called "right to work" laws that are intended to destroy unions. He also opposes so-called "paycheck protection," which limits the power of workers in unions.

Senator McCain

McCain supports so-called "right to work" laws intended to destroy unions. He has voted for so-called "paycheck protection," which limits the power of workers in unions - including traveling to California in 2005 to support an effort by anti-labor activists to reduce union power in that state.

He voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure to overhaul how workers vote to unionize. He consistently votes against labor issues.

Interfered in the Defense Department bidding process to steer a $40 billion contract for Air Force refueling tankers to a French company, EADS. Seven members of his campaign lobbied for and fund-raised for EADS. The Government Accountability Office said in June 2008 that the process to bid the contract to EADS was faulty.”

International Herald Tribune | AFL CIO 

Senator Obama

Under Barack Obama's plan, working Americans will receive a large tax cut, while the wealthiest Americans will be asked to pay their fair share. A typical fire fighter earning $50,000 per year will pay $1,00 less in taxes unders Obama's proposal.

Senator McCain

Senator Obama supports the IAFF’s bill to extend disability retirement benefits to federal fire fighters who contract certain illnesses on the job.