Archive for 2010
It would be easy to miss the meaning of the October 2nd One Nation demonstration in Washington, D.C., given that all the media — and many on the left — focused their attention almost exclusively on the calls by top organizers of the action to vote for the Democrats in the coming election. This was, no doubt, part of the picture. But it was not the most important part.
Tags: Solidarity Day III
Flyer PDF, click here:WERC After Oct 2_fin-1
The October 2nd demonstration in Washington, D.C., is a great step forward. We are now beginning to take matters into our own hands, relying on ourselves, and acting collectively.
Working people have been patiently waiting for the politicians to address our needs. Instead, they bailed out the banks and [...]
The official organizing for the October 2nd Washington, D.C. demonstration, which we hope will be massive, has allowed us to catch a glimpse of a crucial ambiguity underlying the event. Will this demonstration be aimed at demanding that the government finally address the real needs of working people, now that it has made the banks whole, despite everyone’s objections? Or will its real purpose be to get Democrats elected to office, in which case demands will be carefully crafted, trimmed, and pre-packaged so as not to embarrass the Democrats and then be used only as bait to lure working people into the election campaigns, not as true goals in themselves?
Tags: AFL-CIO, Solidarity Day III
The significance of the AFL-CIO adopting the strategic approach underlying its rallying cry, “Working people can make a difference when we rely on ourselves and act collectively,” cannot be emphasized enough. This approach points in the direction of organizing massive demonstrations in the streets, not simply sending working people to voting booths once every several years to vote for politicians who fail to keep most of their campaign promises.
Tags: 2010, AFL-CIO, October 2, One Nation
Not enough jobs are being created in the private sector to keep up with the number of new workers who are entering the labor market. According to an AFL-CIO blog (June 7, 2010), 38 percent of Americans report that either they or someone close to them has lost a job. There are officially almost 15 million Americans now out of work, mostly due to the current economic crisis. But if those who are involuntarily working part-time and if discouraged workers are taken into account, the number is much higher.
May 15, 2010
We are disappointed to inform you that a Solidarity Day III event where the labor movement would mobilize and demand that the government institute a massive jobs-creation program is not going to take place — for now.
Unfortunately, the top officials of the AFL-CIO failed to move on this proposal at the AFL-CIO’s special [...]
Tags: AFL-CIO, Solidarity Day III
March 19, 2010
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
The Executive Council of the California Labor Federation, representing two million organized workers, over one-sixth of the membership of the AFL-CIO, passed a resolution on Feb. 23, 2010, calling on the AFL-CIO and Change to Win to organize a Solidarity Day III demonstration in Washington, D.C. for Jobs, Peace and [...]
Over 125 activists from across U.S. plot strategy for coordinated grassroots campaign to win single payer healthcare
Silver Spring, MD – More than 125 union leaders and activists from 25 states gathered at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, MD last weekend to strategize about next steps at the state and national level to win [...]
WHEREAS in the aftermath of the Massachusetts special senatorial election, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued a statement declaring, “It’s time to organize and mobilize as never before to make every elected or aspiring leader PROVE he or she will create the jobs we need in an economy we need with the healthcare we need. I [...]
Tags: Labor for Single Payer
The California Labor Federation Calls for a National March on Washington for Jobs, Peace, Affordable Healthcare for All And For an End to Foreclosures and Evictions
This coming April 12 is the deadline for submitting the 1 million signatures required to get the California Democracy Act (CDA) on the November 2010 ballot in California. CDA is an essential step toward winning progressive taxation. It would return majority rule to the California State Assembly (instead of the current two-thirds requirement) for all decisions regarding budget AND revenue.
By James Parks On February 19, 2010 @ 10:57 am
From the AFL-CIO Blog
http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/02/19/trumka-creating-jobs-is-best-way-to-fix-deficit/
The best way to reduce the growing federal deficit is to [1] create 10 million jobs now—the number of jobs needed to close our jobs deficit—not to cut vital programs such as [2] Social Security and [3] Medicare, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said.
President [...]
Tags: Trumka
Librarians’ Guild, AFSCME Local 2626, joins with our brothers and sisters in calling for a labor-sponsored march on Washington for jobs, peace and justice, which would have the capability of mobilizing the kind of massive army Brother Trumka spoke of; and be it finally RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the AFL-CIO and Change to Win.
Dear Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign folks-
I’m delighted to inform you that the The Council of New Jersey State College Locals (CNJSCL), AFT, AFL-CIO http://www.cnjscl.org/ voted unanimously in our state-wide meeting of delegates on February 12, 2010 to endorse the resolution calling upon the AFL-CIO and Change to Win to organize a Solidarity Day III March [...]
Tags: Solidarity Day III
As Of February 16, 2010
South Carolina State AFL-CIO
San Francisco Labor Council
South Bay Labor Council (San Jose, Calif.)
The Council of New Jersey State College Locals (CNJSCL), AFT, AFL-CIO NEW
Chris Silvera, Secretary – Treasurer, Teamsters Local 808 NEW
Chris Driscoll, Recording Secretary, The Campaign for Fresh Air and Clean Politics NEW
National Jobs for All Coalition [...]