VOA慢速英语20060609a

ECONOMICS REPORT - As Boomers Age, Times Change in the U.S. Labor¹ MarketBy Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Thu, 8 Jun 2006 16:00:00 UTC

I'm Mario Ritter with the VOA Special English Economics Report.

The oldest of America's baby boomers are sixty years old this year. Almost one-fourth of Americans alive today were born in a population explosion between nineteen forty-six and nineteen sixty-four. As they retire, they will leave a labor market very different from the one they entered.

In the middle of the twentieth century, one worker in three was a member of a labor union. Now it is one worker in eight.

American unions had their greatest influence in the fifties and sixties. In nineteen fifty-five, the American Federation² of Labor joined with the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The first president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O, George Meany, was a political force until he stepped down in nineteen seventy-nine.


Andrew Stern

Last July, the federation suffered a split that included the loss of the fastest growing union in the country. The Service Employee International Union has almost two million members. Its president, Andrew Stern, says unions today must organize workers at big international companies.

He supports a new labor federation, Change to Win. The unions in Change to Win together claim six million members. The A.F.L.-C.I.O. now has about nine million.

Industrial changes have hurt some unions more than others. Automobile⁴ industry unions have traditionally been among the strongest. But many of those jobs have disappeared as General Motors and Ford⁵ shrink their North American operations.

G.M. faces a strike threat at a major parts supplier. Delphi is seeking to cancel union agreements and cut pay. The United Auto³ Workers voted last month to permit a strike. Delphi, formerly⁶ part of G.M., is under bankruptcy⁷ court protection from its creditors⁸.

As the economy has changed, major new employers are companies like Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart says unions are not needed in its stores. It says it does not need a middle man in its relationship with its employees.

And now unions are facing a television campaign that uses humor to present a serious message. A group has gathered what it calls a wealth of information about the political and criminal activities of the American labor movement.

The Center for Union Facts says it is supported by foundations, businesses, union members and the general public. It does not name its supporters.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. I'm Mario Ritter.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

4 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

5 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

6 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

7 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

8 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》