Equal Times columnist Jonathan Tasini correctly predicted the US election results last week. In his post-election comment, Tasini points out that this victory was due also to the Democrats’ superior ground organising.

The trade unions played a big part in this. But it remains to be seen what the Obama administration will do for working people in the US in return – both citizens and migrants.

One in five Americans still cannot find decent, full-time work and there are over 10 million undocumented workers in the US who are exposed to abuse and exploitation.

No doubt that there are some core priorities, like raising taxes for the wealthiest, stopping cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, ensuring investments in manufacturing, education and infrastructure. No doubt that creating a number of jobs is vital. Yet it’s not enough.

The economic meltdown has shifted all the attention from the quality of job to the quantity of jobs.

Among Obama’s promises in 2008 there was a serious reform of freedom of association through the Employee Free Choice Act. The law would have strengthened collective bargaining, thus increased workers’ incomes and ensured core social protections, the only concrete way to actual and endurable recovery.

Reforming the immigration system should be a top priority as well, since such a number of undocumented workers cannot but create distortions in the labour market.

Will the Obama administration be able to fulfill any of these promises with "four more years"? We’ll see.