Mark Warner on Jobs

Democratic Jr Senator; previously Governor

Bring high-tech, well-paying jobs to small towns

Let me tell you about a place called Lebanon, Virginia. Lebanon’s in the coalfields of southwest Virginia. Lebanon’s like a lot of small towns in America. It’s seen the industries that sustained it downsized, outsourced or shut down. Some folks look at towns like Lebanon and say, “Tough luck. In the global economy, you’ve lost.” But we believed that we couldn’t, and shouldn’t, give up on our small towns and expect the rest of the state to prosper. And that’s what brought me to Lebanon to announce that we were going to bring over 300 high-tech jobs -- jobs that paid twice the county average. One student told a reporter that before this, he always thought that he’d have to move away to raise his family and find a good job. Now, I just heard from this young man, a junior at Virginia Tech. His older brother just moved back home to Lebanon because there was an information technology job open for him that was just too good to pass up. That’s a story worth rewriting all across America. Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention , Aug 26, 2008

Gilmore opposed helping Tultex, despite Assembly’s support

RHETORIC: Warner: “In Southside, even when the legislature wanted to provide extra economic benefits [to displaced Tultex workers], [Gilmore] wouldn’t...”

Gilmore: “That’s a mischaracterization of what I did with the Tultex people in Southside.”

REALITY: The legislation would have paid for health insurance for the unemployed workers, including 3,300 Tultex Corp. employees in Henry County who lost their jobs when the giant sweatshirt maker declared bankruptcy. Gilmore said he had no choice but to veto the assembly’s plan, describing it as a “health care benefit entitlement, but only for displaced textile workers in the Martinsville area.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/20/00]

Taking their cue from Gov. Gilmore, Republicans kept legislation to help unemployed textile workers bottled up in committee. The bill had bipartisan support before Gilmore weighed in. [One legislator] said. “There’s only one person who is diametrically opposed to this, and he’s the governor.” [AP, 2/12/00]

Source: 2008 VA Senate Debate: analysis by Warner campaign , Jul 19, 2008

No employment discrimination based on sexual orientation

In 2005, Governor Warner supported and signed legislation to allow insurers and businesses to provide health insurance coverage to the life partners of unmarried employees. Governor Warner also added sexual orientation to the state government’s existing prohibitions on employment discrimination. Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, markwarner2008.com, “Issues” , Mar 9, 2008

Increase minimum wage; support homeless job training

Provide tax incentives for companies to hire and train homeless people who want to work.
Increase the minimum wage.
Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to supplement the cost of an apartment.
Implement enterprise zones in communities with high unemployment.
Support programs that give incentives for employers to hire and train welfare recipients.

Source: 1996 Congressional National Political Awareness Test , Jul 2, 1996

Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue.

Warner signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted;
an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or
an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid.

Allows an aggrieved person to obtain relief, including recovery of back pay, for up to two years preceding the filing of the charge, where the unlawful employment practices that have occurred during the charge filing period are similar or related to practices that occurred outside the time for filing a charge. Applies the preceding provisions to claims of compensation discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

[Note: A woman named Lilly Ledbetter filed a lawsuit for gender-based discriminatory compensation. The Supreme Court ruled that Ms. Ledbetter could only sue for damages going back 180 days, and the 180 days was calculated from the time her employment contract was initiated, i.e., her hire date. This new law changes the 180-day period to two years, and also calculates the date from the time of each paycheck, rather than the hire date. -- Ed.]

Source: S.181&H.R.11 2009-S181 on Jan 29, 2009

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Contact info: Fax Number: 202-224-6295 Mailing Address: Senate Office SR-459A, Washington, DC 20510 Phone number: (202) 224-2023

Page last updated: Apr 22, 2013