At no time in the history of this Union have working men and women been under greater attack from a more unabashedly anti-union, pro-business Administration and Congress.

At the same time that President Bush and his allies are seeking to repay their corporate supporters with one of the biggest tax cuts in history, tens of thousands of Americans have lost their jobs, 41 million Americans are without any health insurance, and a growing share of our nation's elderly live in poverty.

BAC members, along with millions of working families and retirees, are crying out for strong leadership.  We need leaders who understand our concerns, leaders who have listened and learned from our collective experiences, and leaders who will unite us, not divide us.  We want leaders who appreciate us for all that we are -- fathers, mothers, skilled craftworkers, caregivers, and community servants -- not just as members of a political interest group to be chastised and rebuked.

The 2004 election can set a new tone and a new direction for our nation.  The time to lay the foundation for that new direction is now.  And the leader to help guide us there is Rep. Dick Gephardt.

As a distinguished legislator and the son of a union member, Dick Gephardt believes, as we do, that the right to organize and collectively bargain are the cornerstone of a free and democratic society...rights that can and must be protected at all costs.  He understands our concerns over rising health care costs, and is the only candidate to have proposed a bold, new health care plan that will provide universal coverage, stimulate our economy, and create new jobs.  He understands why it's so important to preserve prevailing wage protections, and we can count on him to fight with us to protect Davis-Bacon provisions.  He understands that it's madness to let Wall Street control our Social Security contributions, and will work with us to preserve secure, guaranteed retirement benefits for generations to come.

Now is the time to lend our support to a proven friend and an ally of labor.  Now is the time to rely on one of this nation's most steadfast champions of working people.  Now is the time for BAC to support Dick Gephardt for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

BE IT RESOLVED, that the BAC Executive Council endorse the candidacy of Richard Gephardt and work diligently to help him secure the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, and this nation's highest office in the general election of 2004.