Obama Signs Unemployment Insurance Extension
Long-term jobless workers finally have some relief, with President Barack Obama signing legislation today to provide up to 20 extra weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for workers who exhaust their benefits before finding new work. The bill had been held up for almost six weeks as Senate Republicans blocked several attempts to bring it to a vote.
Obama’s signature came just hours after it was announced the nation’s unemployment rate had soared to 10.2 percent in October, from 9.8 percent in September.
The legislation provides an additional 14 weeks of benefits to unemployed workers in all states and an additional six weeks for jobless workers in states with an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent or higher.
More Concerns Emerge for Christie as New Jersey Election Approaches
In six days, New Jersey residents head to the polls to vote for governor—and former Bush political appointee Chris Christie is at the center of yet another scandal. The Star-Ledger reports that near the end of his tenure as a Bush-appointed U.S. attorney, Christie defied requests of his co-workers and hired a political crony’s son as an assistant U.S. attorney.
It’s the latest in a list of allegations that Christie misused his office as U.S. Attorney, through potential violations of spending limits on travel and hotels, deferred prosecution agreements, the use of his position to get out of driving violations, a questionable loan to an employee who may have given aid to his political campaign and planning his run for governor with Bush political operative Karl Rove while still serving as U.S. attorney.
New Mine Safety Chief: The Change We Needed
Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Joe Main—by unanimous consent—as the new leader of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
Main is a longtime advocate for safety and health in the mining industry. He worked 22 years as director of Occupational Health and Safety for the Mine Workers (UMWA). That’s a huge change from the Bush-era head of MSHA, coal-industry lobbyist Richard Stickler, who came under fire for failure to enforce mining safety laws.
Shameless: Christie Ad Features Obama—Even Though Obama Supports Corzine
The New Jersey governor’s race is just two weeks away, and President Barack Obama is in the state today to support Gov. Jon Corzine for re-election.
So why is his challenger, Chris Christie, releasing a Web video that’s basically a minute and a half of Obama speaking, accompanied by pictures of people with Christie signs?
Christie must be desperate to make voters think Obama is supporting him to distract from voters’ real concerns: New Jersey working families increasingly are questioning his stands on key issues like women’s health care, his ethics and his support of George W. Bush.
As blogger Josh Marshall puts it, “the facts are now campaigning against him.”
State and Local Bodies: The Heart of the Union Movement
 |
||||
|
||||
Today’s theme at the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention is “The Power of Many,” and in support of a strong movement across the country, members approved a resolution to step up involvement with state federations and central labor councils.
Resolution 8 encourages leadership development and training, attention to diversity, alliances with community organizations, accountability and transparency at the state and local levels, as well as the continued pursuit of solidarity charters to keep all unions engaged and unified in pursuit of a pro-worker agenda.
AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker said everyone in the union movement benefits from the strength of state and local bodies:
Today we’ll discuss the power of many at the grassroots level—what it means to us and how we make the most of it.
One of the unique and most powerful advantages of the AFL-CIO is that we have a presence in every state and in more than 500 communities across our country—nobody can match that…at the grassroots, there may be no more important work than this.
Obama: We Need Strong Unions for a Strong Economy
 |
|
 |
|
| President Obama greets convention delegates, including Alliance for Retired Americans President Barbara Easterling. | |
President Barack Obama had a strong, inspiring message for delegates to the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention: We’re going to make this country work again.
In a speech punctuated by chants and standing ovations, Obama said he’s committed to the same goals as the union movement: restoring the economy, getting health care for everyone and passing the Employee Free Choice Act:
“These are the reforms I’m proposing. These are the reforms labor has been championing. These are the reforms the American people need. And these are the reforms I intend to sign into law.
“Quality, affordable health insurance. A world-class education. Good jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced. A strong labor movement. That’s how we’ll lift up hardworking families. That’s how we’ll grow our middle class. That’s how we’ll put opportunity within reach in the United States of America.”
Throughout, the enthusiastic crowd gave him multiple standing ovations—when one woman shouted “I love you,” he responded: “I love you, too, sister.” In turn, Obama showed he understands the needs of working people and the unions that represent them:
“When labor succeeds—that’s when our middle class succeeds. And when our middle class succeeds—that’s when the United States of America succeeds.”
Live Coverage of President Obama
Seth Michaels is posting live from the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention.
It’s an exciting day today: President Barack Obama is speaking at the AFL-CIO Convention.
We’re lucky to have a friend of working families in the White House—one who has already signed into law historic legislation to create jobs, protect equal pay and provide health care to millions of children. And it’s an honor to have him come to Pittsburgh to speak before our convention on the issues facing our country.
We’ll be covering his speech live right here.
Union Political Mobilization Has Turned Around America
Four years ago, an anti-worker majority in Congress and the Bush administration were conducting a corporate-funded assault on workers and the programs that supported America. They were implementing policies that steered the economy toward the very wealthiest and leaving everyone else behind. What a difference four years makes. Now in the White House, we have Barack Obama, the first African American president and a supporter of unions and working families and pro-worker majorities in both houses of Congress.
Today, at the AFL-CIO Convention, attendees got a chance to examine the successes of union political mobilization and look forward to continuing the fight to elect pro-worker candidates and passing a pro-worker legislative agenda. Delegates adopted a strong resolution in support of continuing an active political program.
Reid, Pelosi Thank Union Members, Pledge Action
The 2009 AFL-CIO Convention just got a message from the top leaders in Congress: We stand with you and with America’s workers.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the leader of the U.S. House, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) each delivered a video message to the opening session of the convention.
Pelosi thanked outgoing AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and the union movement, crediting union members with taking the lead in winning a pro-worker Congress and giving them the momentum needed to pass legislation that really changed lives. Pelosi said:
On behalf of the Congress, I thank all of you for your leadership for America’s working families.
USW President: AFL-CIO Convention Opportunity to Rally Activists
This is a cross-post from the United Steelworkers.
United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard today gave the keynote speech at the Union Label & Service Trades Department convention in Pittsburgh, saying the meeting along with the upcoming AFL-CIO convention is an opportunity.
Gerard said working families should be hopeful after President Obama’s decision last night to enforce trade rules in the 421 trade case that showed a flood of tires imported from China was harming the domestic industry. Thousands of jobs at U.S. tire plants have been lost because of the imports. (Click here for more information on the 421 story.)
