Stories on this page:
- Tell Labor Department to Adopt Homecare Worker Rule
- How you can help IN working families
- Tell Congress: Extend UI Lifeline for 6 Million Now
- Tell Democrats on Super Committee: Stand with the 99%
- Our bridges need work. So do we.
- Tell Attorney General Holder to Fight Koch Brothers' Voter Suppression
- Tell Your Senators: Pass the Rebuild America Jobs Act
- Sign the petition to ‘Save Saturday Delivery’ at USPS
- Help Supply the "Occupy Seattle" Movement
- Join Next Week’s America Wants to Work Nationwide Week of Action
- Join Twitter Action Asking Boehner: Where are the Jobs?
- With A Few Clicks, Help Fight Labor Law Abuses
Tell Labor Department to Adopt Homecare Worker Rule
Posted: January 31, 2012
Source: AFL-CIO Now Blog
In December, the Obama administration proposed a new rule to bring the nation’s nearly 2 million homecare workers under the protection of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage, overtime and other provisions.
But opponents who want to continue to deny these rights to homecare workers are mounting a campaign to derail the proposed rule. With the public comment period now open, they are flooding the Department of Labor with negative comments and a barrage of lies, and their congressional friends are backing a bill (H.R. 3066) that attacks the proposed rule.
You can help these hardworking homecare workers by clicking here to tell the Department of Labor to adopt the new FLSA rule for homecare workers and here to send a message to your lawmakers urging them to oppose the bill.
Homecare workers provide back-breaking personal care assistance to many older adults and individuals with disabilities. When President Obama announced the proposed rule, AFSCME President Gerald McEntee said:In the wake of the worst recession in our lifetime, the denial of a basic minimum wage and no overtime is a double blow to the millions of home care workers who care for the most vulnerable in our society. This workforce is too critical to the independence and dignity of individuals with disabilities and older adults. Something had to be done to stabilize the workforce and address pay standard.AFL-CIO President Trumka says the proposed rule is “a long-overdue matter of basic justice for the hundreds of thousands of workers who do the vital work of providing at-home care for our nation’s elderly and disabled citizens.”
How you can help IN working families
Posted: January 24, 2012
Source: Teamster Nation
Teamsters and other unions in Indiana are putting the call out to occupy protestors everywhere to occupy the Indiana Statehouse. Those who can make it are encouraged to be in Indianapolis by 2:30 p.m. central time.
Sign the Petition
Stand with working families in Indiana and let your voice be heard! Sign this petition to let Indiana’s Democrats know you support them and their efforts to stop right-to-work legislation in the Hoosier state.
Sign the petition here.
Send an e-mail or make a phone call
Reach out to political leaders in Indiana who are standing up for the rights of working families! Click here for more information.
Tell Congress: Extend UI Lifeline for 6 Million Now
Posted: November 29, 2011
Source: AFL-CIO Now Blog
Yet House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would rather spend the limited amount of time Congress has left this year to attack workers’ rights and workplace safety and health laws than exetend UI for workers struggling in an economy where there are more than four workers for every available job.
Tell Boehner and Congress it’s time to stop playing partisan politics. Click here to sign a petition to Congress demanding it act now to extend the emergency UI benefits program.
Tomorrow, a coalition of workers groups will deliver the petition to Congress during a rally where jobless workers will urge Congress to act before it’s too late for millions of working families.
Tell Democrats on Super Committee: Stand with the 99%
Posted: November 19, 2011
Source: AFL-CIO Now Blog
All six of the Republicans on the so-called Super Committee have proposed cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits that America’s working families depend on—while keeping Bush’s tax rates for the richest Americans, including the top 1 percent.
That’s why it is so important the six Democrats on the committee stand firm against the Republican plan to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits for the 99 percent and make the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy permanent.
You can help. Click here to sign a petition to the six Democrats to reject the Republican plan. They are Sens. Patty Murray (Wash.), John Kerry (Mass.) and Max Baucus (Mont.) and Reps. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), James Clyburn (S.C.) and Xavier Becerra (Calif.). AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says the Republican Robin Hood in Reverse plan is “class warfare against working America on behalf of the top 1 percent”
The Super Committee is empowered by law to propose legislation that cannot be amended and can be rammed through Congress quickly, with minimal debate. That’s why, says Trumka,
We need every single Super Committee Democrat to stand strong and protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Click here to sign the petition.
- 45 bridges in King County are "structurally deficient". 349 more are "functionally obsolete."
- $6 billion of repairs are needed in Washington's public schools.
- More than 800,000 people in our state don't have access to affordable health care.
- We could create up to 30,000 new construction jobs in Washington with a general obligation bond next April.
Our bridges need work. So do we.
Posted: November 14, 2011
We have a jobs crisis here in Washington. But instead of doing their part to get the economy moving again, Congress and the State Legislature are making more cuts.
We need to get people working on the jobs that need to get done. The Jobs Act proposed by President Obama would invest $50 billion in immediate projects like fixing roads, bridges, and mass transit to get people working and get the economy moving. It wouldn't solve all our problems, but it's a big step in the right direction.
But some politicians keep saying no to jobs. Instead of getting us back to work, they're demanding cuts to Social Security, health care, and education — cuts that we simply can't afford.
On November 17, people from across the area will converge at the functionally obsolete University Bridge to demand our political leaders build bridges to good jobs — not make more cuts. Join us.
Join us at the University Bridge on November 17th. Together, we'll make politicians understand how serious our jobs crisis is. RSVP online.
Tell Attorney General Holder to Fight Koch Brothers' Voter Suppression
AFL-CIO Now blog
The AFL-CIO, NAACP, the Brave New Foundation and several other groups are urging U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to enforce the Voting Rights Act to stop the discriminatory voter suppression laws the right-wing billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have pushed and financed in dozens of states. The Koch Brothers are major funders of ALEC.
You can join in the fight to protect voting rights by clicking here and signing a petition to Holder urging him to use his authority under the Voting Rights Act to protect voters’ rights.
According to a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee study, here’s who would be affected in Wisconsin where Gov. Scott Walker (R) won a photo ID bill patterned after the model bill ALEC has distributed to right-wing lawmakers:
- 23 percent of Wisconsinites over age 65.
- 17 percent of white men and women.
- 55 percent of African American males and 49 percent of African American women.
- 46 percent of Latinos and 59 percent of Latinas.
- 78 percent of African American males age 18-24 and 66 percent of African American women age 18-24.
Tell Your Senators: Pass the Rebuild America Jobs Act
AFL-CIO Now blog
This week, the U.S. Senate will take up the Rebuild America Jobs Act (S. 1769), which would create jobs immediately by investing $50 billion to repair and rebuild the nation’s roads, rails and airports, establish a national infrastructure bank to fund a broad range of projects and ask millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. All without adding a dime to the deficit.
Click here to send a message to your senators to start putting Americans back to work by passing the Rebuild America Jobs Act.
The Rebuild America Jobs Act is the latest piece of the American Jobs Act that President Obama called on Congress to pass into law. The first piece—which Republicans filibustered when it came up for a vote—was the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, which would have created or protected nearly 400,000 education jobs while preventing the layoffs of thousands of police officers and firefighters.
The vote could come as soon as Thursday, so click here now and urge your senators to pass the Rebuild America Jobs Act.
Sign the petition to ‘Save Saturday Delivery’ at USPS
AFL-CIO Now blog
The nation’s postal unions and allies are fighting back against proposals to eliminate Saturday mail deliveries—and you can join by signing a petition to your senators and representatives to preserve six-day mail service. Click here to sign the petition.
The Save America’s Postal service campaign is a joint effort of the Letter Carriers (NALC), Postal Workers (APWU), Mail Handlers, an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), and the Rural Letter Carriers.
Over the next several weeks, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the “super committee,” will produce a plan to reduce the federal deficit. It may include a package of proposals to fix the financial difficulties facing the USPS that could include an end to Saturday deliveries. Earlier this this month, a House committee passed a bill (H.R. 2309) that included $3 billion in cuts to t the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), close facilities, reduce door deliveries by as much as 75 percent and lead to the layoffs of as many as 120,000 workers.
Last month, thousands of postal workers and their supporters held rallies in nearly 500 locations across the country, protesting the proposed cuts in jobs, postal facilities and Saturday service.
Click here to sign the petition to keep six-day delivery.
Help Supply the "Occupy Seattle" Movement
Posted: October 12, 2011
The Occupy Seattle contingent is in desperate need of supplies to sustain their presence in Westlake Park. Help us collect ready to eat foodstuffs, toiletries, and other camping-type supplies to help them out. Drop off locations are as follows:
| Seattle Labor Temple 2800 1st Ave. # 206 Seattle 9 am - 4 pm, Weekdays |
Seattle/King Co. Building and Construction Trades Hall 6770 East Marginal Way South Building E, Suite 360 Seattle 9 am - 11:30 am and 1 pm -3 pm, Weekdays |
Teamsters Building 14675 Interurban Ave. S Tukwila 9 am - 5 pm, Weekdays Look for the large purple bins in the front lobby! |
Join Next Week's America Wants to Work Nationwide Week of Action
AFL-CIO Now Blog
Posted: October 7, 2011
Beginning Monday, Oct. 10, the AFL-CIO’s America Wants to Work initiative will bring working people together in hundreds of events through Oct. 16 to demand action from Congress to promote a real jobs creation agenda.
Click here to find an America Wants to Work action near you next week and here for information on the Oct. 12 America Wants to Work National Teach-In. You also can sign an America Wants to Work petition to Congress here. Follow the action on Twitter with the hashtag #want2work .
Monday in Raleigh, N.C., worker activists will light hundreds of luminaries to highlight the state’s 1.2 million jobless and low wage workers who need good jobs. Later in the week, they will hold accountability actions at the home offices of Rep. Renne Ellmers (R) and Rep. Sue Myrick (R) who campaigned on promises to create jobs, but instead are playing political games and not focusing on jobs legislation.
The Washington State Labor Council and the King County Labor Council will join with the Occupy Wall Seattle—an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement. In message to the protestors, labor leaders said:
Labor, youth, seniors, the poor, and immigrants — the 99 percent — must raise their voices and call the question on what type of society we want to live in. It is time for us to create an economy and a political system that is based on a concept of shared prosperity.
Read the complete source story here
Join Twitter Action Asking Boehner: Where are the Jobs?
AFL-CIO Now Blog
We launched a fun but serious action today with our partners in the progressive community to call on House Speaker John Boehner (R) to move the American Jobs Act and stop stalling while millions of America’s workers suffer without jobs.
Thousands already have taken part in the Twitter campaign, which urges people to sign an online petition directed at Boehner. You can join in as well by clicking here: http://act.ly/4aq or Tweeting one or all of the following:
America wants to work @SpeakerBoehner. So why won’t you pass the American Jobs Act? #BoehnerFail http://act.ly/4aq
John Boehner is @SpeakerBoehner for now. But if he doesn’t create jobs fast, he’ll become #BoehnerFail soon. http://act.ly/4aq
Class warfare for the rich, not jobs, is @SpeakerBoehner’s agenda. #BoehnerFail. http://bit.ly/oa6vu8 http://act.ly/4aq
From Working America, Doug Foote writes today:In 2010, Boehner consistently asked, “Where are the jobs?” while leading his caucus to block, obstruct, and delay legislation that would spur the clean energy industry, extend desperately needed unemployment insurance, cut taxes for working families, preserve the jobs of teachers, strengthen workers’ rights, and much, much more.
With A Few Clicks, Help Us Fight Labor Law Abuses
Source: Working America.org
Posted: September 27, 2011
Working America’s Job Tracker is an online tool you can use to find out about mass layoffs, outsourcing, and other labor law violations going on right in your neighborhood.
Now, with a few clicks, you help us spread the word about what’s really going on in the American workplace. We have entered the Job Tracker into the Department of Labor’s informACTION App Challenge – and the voting is open to the public.
In this contest, we have the chance to win $15,000 to improve, expand, and spread the word about Job Tracker and truth about where good American jobs are going. We hear all the time – in emails, phone calls, Facebook messages, and at the doorstep – about how outsourcing and off-shoring are decimating communities. With a few clicks, help us fight back.
Here’s what you do:
- Click this link to vote for Working America’s Job Tracker. You just have to set up a quick account with your email address or Facebook.
- After you cast your vote, share the link using the Facebook and Twitter buttons on the site. Let your family and friends know why tracking outsourcing and labor law violations are important.
- See what all the fuss is about! Try out our Job Tracker, and see what’s really going on behind closed doors in your area.
Voting ends October 19, so there’s no time to waste! Vote here now.