NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) -- Gov. Bill Lee has launched an Economic Recovery panel tasked with a “reboot of the Tennessee economy.”
The group is composed of the state’s GOP leadership, member of the Lee administration, and industry trade groups. Tourism commissioner Mark Ezell will chair the task force.
In a press statement, Lee notes the pandemic has “not only created a public health crisis, it has hurt thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of hard working Tennesseans.”
The Tennessee chapter of the AFL-CIO fired off an angry press release following Lee’s announcement protesting the fact that unions were not given “a seat at the table.”
You can find the complete state press release and a list of all committee memebers here. A full copy of the AFL-CIO statement is copied below.
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TN AFL-CIO Criticizes The Makeup Of
Governor Bill Lee's Economic Recovery Group
NASHVILLE, APRIL 16, 2020 - TN AFL-CIO President Billy Dycus issued the following statement in response to the announcement of Governor Bill Lee's Economic Recovery Group.
"Governor Lee's idea of an Economic Recovery Group is not only incomplete but also an inaccurate snapshot of Tennessee's economy. The fact that there is not a single labor or employee representative listed speaks volumes about his true priorities. Governor Lee is clearly more concerned with ensuring that his business associates and friends make the important decisions and get back on their feet first, rather than our state's working families. It is both critical and frankly non-negotiable that labor have a seat at the table during these conversations. Until that happens, it is impossible for our state's economy to begin to fully work for all Tennesseans."
The Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council represents over 60,000 working men and women throughout the state.
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