Sweeney, Global Unions Call for Stronger Stimulus Measures
Workers are the innocent victims of the worldwide economic crisis and their governments must take stronger actions to stimulate the global economy, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney told the leaders of the world’s top economies today.
Governments should ensure that their recovery measures are big enough to maintain and protect jobs and provide social protections, Sweeney told the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) annual forum June 23-24 in Paris.
Obama’s First 100 Days Mark Major Wins for Working Families
It’s worth repeating—again and again: What a difference an election makes, especially an election in which working family voters pool their strength and efforts to put an end to the most anti-worker, corporate-beholden administration in modern times and elect a president who shares our values and dreams.
Today is the 100th day of Barack Obama’s presidency. In the past three months, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic Congress—operating with a Republican axe hanging over it—have made major strides to rebuild America for working families.
Trade Unions to G-20: Half Measures Will Not Fix Global Economy
As the G-20 governments get set to meet next week in London, where they will discuss strategies for pulling the global economy out of this recession, trade unions are demanding leaders of the world’s top economies take strong actions—including spending more of their nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) on addressing the global financial crisis.
Meeting in Rome and London in advance of the G-20, members of the global union movement are proposing a five-point plan that includes detailed policy proposals and sets out actions needed to tackle the crisis and build a fairer and more sustainable world economy for the future. Among those, is the need for G-20 governments to spend at least 2 percent of their nation’s GDP on solving the crisis. Currently, European nations are spending no more than 1 percent.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who is leading the global union delegation, says the international economy cannot go back to business as usual.
The need for change goes much deeper and there is a real risk that when the economy begins to improve, there will be an attempt to return to the failed policies of the past. There can be no “business as usual.” Together we must build a new framework for a stronger, more sustainable and more just global economy going forward….The global task is just beginning.
Here’s Why U.S. Job Loss Worse, Wider Than Previous Recessions
The current economic downturn is the worst since the Great Depression and has led to more job loss than the previous two recessions. Just as in the 1930s, today’s economic crisis was triggered by a banking failure created in large part by financial degregulation. Both jobs and a stronger financial system must be addressed to prevent future problems, say two union leaders key to solving the crisis.
In a recent interview with National Public Radio (NPR), AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, a member of President Obama’s White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board, pointed out that the current recession is worse than the recessions of the mid-1970s and early 1980s when it comes to job losses. Says Trumka:
This recession began in December of 2007, and we’ve already lost more jobs as a percentage of total employment than in the entire ‘73 or ‘80-’81 recessions.
Biden to AFL-CIO: Employee Free Choice Act Key to Rebuilding Middle Class
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Vice President Joe Biden told the AFL-CIO Executive Council today that returning our economy to health means restoring the basic right to join a union and bargain collectively. And the way to do that is by passing the Employee Free Choice Act.
He quoted President Obama saying: ‘”I don’t buy the argument that providing workers with collective bargaining rights somehow weakens the economy or worsens the business environment.”
If you’ve got workers who have a decent pay and benefits, they also are customers for your business. So let me add to that and say that I have a simple, basic belief, one that we’re going to work hard to put into action: If a union is what you want, a union you’re entitled to have.
Obama Puts Jobs, Health Care at Top of National Agenda
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Last night, as the doors opened into the halls of Congress, America’s working families breathed a sigh of relief as we heard these words:
“Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States!”
What a difference a year makes. Although our economic condition is dire, hearing those words about our new president instills confidence that our leaders are listening to our deep concerns and are up to the task of putting us back on track. Ninety-two percent of those polled who watched President Barack Obama’s first address to Congress last night approved of the speech, in which he was both realistic in the assessment of the challenges we face and optimistic about the solutions to those problems.
As he acknowledged often during the campaign, Obama noted that the problems in our economy didn’t start with the housing crisis or the stock market collapse last year; for too many of America’s working families, the economy hasn’t been working for much longer than that.
14,000 Insured Lose Health Coverage Every Day
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In December and January, as the nation’s unemployment rate shot upward—hitting 7.6 percent in January—the number of Americans without health insurance neared the 50-million mark.
Some 14,000 people a day, nearly 100,000 a week, lost their health insurance during that two-month span, according to a forthcoming analysis by James Kvaal and Ben Furnas, reports the Center for American Progress’ Wonk Room.
The growing number of working families that are losing their health care coverage highlights the need for swift action on comprehensive health care reform.
House Passes Compromise Economic Recovery Bill
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UPDATE–Feb. 14–The Senate late last night, approved (60-38) the economic recovery package. Three moderate Republicans–Arlen Specter (Penn.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Olympia Snowe (Maine)–broke ranks with party leaders and voted for the bill. All other Senate Republicans followed the lead of House Republicans from earlier in the day and voted against the jobs-creating legislation.
All Democrats supported the recovery package. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), continuing his treatment for cancer, was unable to attend the session.
President Obama is expected to sign the bill next week.
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Some 3.5 million jobs will be created or saved, financially strapped states will receive fiscal relief to maintain vital services, jobless workers will get improved benefits and help in maintaining health coverage, and working families will have more money in their pockets from targeted tax cuts under a historic economic recovery package passed by the House this afternoon on a 246-183 vote.
Every Republican House member voted against the jobs bill, as did seven Democrats. Republicans had called for less spending and more Bush-style tax cuts for the wealthy.
The Senate is expected to approve the bill tonight or tomorrow with the support of a handful of moderate Republicans. President Obama is expected to sign it this weekend.
Don’t Believe Lies About Health Care Items in Recovery Bill
The fringe right wing, including a cigar-smoking, former pill-popping radio talker and a skinny, venom-spewing blond author, are giving us a preview of how they and the big drug makers hope to derail comprehensive health care reform.
Lies. Big lies. Preposterously big lies.
They’ve latched onto two provisions in the economic recovery bill and are using them for target practice until the full health care battle heats up—competitive effectiveness research and health information technology.
The economic recovery package contains funds for both and those investments, which will create jobs and improve the quality of health care for all of us.
State Aid, School Construction Must Be Restored in Recovery Package
Reports today indicate that House and Senate negotiators are close to reaching agreement on an economic recovery package. The tentative deal, according to the Associated Press, is pegged at about $790 billion, and talks are continuing on how the money would be allocated.
The Senate yesterday passed its version of the bill that reduced or eliminated several job-creating provisions in the House-passed bill, including aid for fiscally strapped states, infrastructure projects and education. The conference to iron out the differences is under way.
In letters to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), AFL-CIO Government Affairs Director Bill Samuel urges that the state aid be restored, along with funds for school construction, among other provisions.
