We’re tired of politicians playing the same old political games. After every election, they care more about punishing their opponents than solving the problems facing working families.

Politicians and their CEO donors are attacking anyone who stands in their way. They want more power and bigger profits, even if it hurts the middle class.

Working through our union, we can protect middle-class families and give workers the ability to speak out for good jobs, better wages, good benefits and safer workplaces. It’s time to stop the power struggle, restore the balance and focus on creating decent jobs in America.

 

 

Everyone’s struggling in this economy—some of us more than others. Can you afford even a small donation to make 2012 a little bit brighter for someone less fortunate than yourself?

Not all of us can afford to give this year. So if you can afford to help, your contribution is more important than ever. Here are two things you can do:

1. Since Aug. 1, 1,300 BCTGM (Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers) members in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa have been locked out of their factories by American Crystal Sugar. The company has hired replacement workers and continues to refuse to return to the bargaining table. Click here to pitch in and help 1,300 union brothers and sisters who have been locked out by their employer since Aug. 1.

2. On Sat., Jan. 21, the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) will host the AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Carson, Calif. What’s special about this game is that the AFL-CIO is working with the players to fill the stadium with people—particularly union members—who have lost their jobs, plus local youths and members of the military. It costs $12.50 to donate a ticket. Can you help? Click here to donate one or more tickets. (If you live near Carson, Calif., or can make it to the game, you can also purchase tickets for the game here, using discount code UNION to save 20 percent.)

Whichever of these campaigns you choose, your donation will have an immediate, tangible impact on people's lives in the New Year.

Thanks for all the work you do.

 

 

Time is running out for more than 2 million people who can’t find work and are relying on emergency unemployment benefits. They’ll lose their lifeline in January if Congress fails to act. We need your help to spread the word. Watch video footage, find stories—and spread the word here. Use Twitter? Click here. Congress is in town for a little more than a week. Time is running out for more than 2 million Americans who can’t find work and are relying on emergency unemployment coverage. They’ll lose their lifeline in January if Congress fails to act. And without action in 2012, that number will rise to at least 6 million.* That’s why we're asking you to act today to share stories of unemployed workers and help us make the case for extending unemployment without cuts or pre-conditions that hurt the 99%. Go to the AFL-CIO Unemployment Stories website, find stories from unemployed workers and share them. If you use Twitter, click here. Members of Congress keep getting confronted with the stories of unemployed workers, and it's making a difference. The question is no longer whether our leaders will do anything for America's jobless—it looks like they'll do something. But we're not out of the woods yet. Obstructionists continue to play partisan games with unemployment benefits. Watch video footage, find stories—and spread the word here. Use Twitter? Click here. Last Thursday—from Wall Street to Main Street to Capitol Hill—we took action for America’s jobless workers. Our most massive mobilization was in Washington, D.C., where more than 2,000 jobless workers and clergy gathered for a prayer vigil on Capitol Hill. We're keeping that pressure up, pushing out stories to members of Congress and forcing them to pay attention. Our pressure is working—some in Congress who weren't even talking about extending unemployment before now are claiming they are willing to consider extending unemployment coverage, but only with massive cuts as a “compromise.” But we need to push for a clean, full extension of jobless aid, because it's the right thing to do. As Christine Owens of the National Employment Law Project says, "Long-term unemployed workers are not lazy slackers who choose an unemployment check over a paycheck. They are millions of men and women—family, friends and neighbors, many of whom have worked for years—whose lives and livelihoods have been chewed up and spit out by the nation’s worst economy in 80 years. With the number of officially unemployed job seekers still outnumbering job openings by more than four-to-one, it’s no wonder so many long-term unemployed workers cannot find work: there simply are not enough jobs." Watch video footage, find stories—and spread the word here. Use Twitter? Click here. America’s communities are relying on every penny of benefits—and every penny in cuts shrinks the economy and destroys jobs. We need obstructionists in Congress to be confronted with these stories and know it's unacceptable to cut benefits for jobless workers, cut pay for public employees, cut preventive health services, reduce premium assistance for low- and middle-income individuals buying health insurance, and raise premiums for many Medicare beneficiaries. It's time to stop picking on the 99% and make the 1% pay its fair share. Click here to watch video footage, find stories—and spread the word. And if you use Twitter, click here. Thanks for all the work you do. In Solidarity, Manny Herrmann Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO * Based on cut-off estimates contained in the National Employment Law Project's briefing paper, "Hanging On By a Thread."

 

More than 2,000 jobless workers, activists and clergy are on Capitol Hill today. Thousands more are making their voices heard in district offices across the country. Back them up: Help flood Congress with messages. And be sure to share this on Facebook and sign our Twitter petition. Brothers and Sisters, Chris from South Carolina used to work in an unemployment office. Then he was laid off. Here’s his warning: You should know that Congress has let the emergency benefits lapse several times in the past few years and always when a break is scheduled for them. It happened last Easter and last Christmas. They don’t care about the unemployed. They take their holiday break and deal with it when they return to Washington. We can’t assume Congress will renew unemployment in time for the millions who are hanging by a thread before extended benefits expire Dec. 31. That’s why we’re pulling out all the stops. More than 2,000 jobless workers, activists and clergy are on Capitol Hill, right now—demanding a clean and immediate extension of emergency unemployment benefits. Thousands more are in district offices across the country. As we gather on Capitol Hill and at district offices, activists across the country are flooding Congress with messages. Add your voice: Help make sure the voices of America’s jobless can’t be ignored by Congress. Diane from Michigan worked in the newspaper industry and is now unemployed. Here’s how she describes her situation: Every job opening has hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants. It is almost impossible to get a job—especially if you also face age discrimination. Retraining is too costly. Meanwhile, we are hanging on by a thread. No health insurance....My current unemployment benefits are the only thing saving me from the street. I have faced food insecurity for the first time. We must not let people like Diane be forgotten. Make Congress hear the stories and see the faces of jobless workers. Contact Congress now and demand an immediate, clean extension of emergency unemployment benefits. Momentum is building—but we can’t take the passage of emergency unemployment aid for granted. Obstructionists like House Speaker John Boehner—who has nearly absolute control over what comes up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives—continue to block a clean, immediate extension of emergency jobless aid. There’s no excuse for that. Especially when our economy is so bad and budget cuts in our communities are so dire. Chris, a now unemployed unemployment office worker, asks a powerful question: “Don’t they realize they work for us?” Tell Congress: “You work for us. Renew emergency unemployment aid now.” Will obstructionists like Speaker Boehner really let benefits lapse yet again, take a vacation, come back and play partisan games? Will the obstructionists let families get thrown out of their homes? Will they force kids to go hungry to extract cuts and concessions that hurt our most vulnerable people? Send a clear message now: “No help for the jobless? No vacation for Congress!” Thank you for all the work you do. In Solidarity, Richard L. Trumka President, AFL-CIO P.S. Our unemployment stories website has been covered by the media in publications lawmakers read while in Washington, D.C., including The Washington Post and The Hill—plus papers they read at home. But we need your help to make sure every lawmaker feels the heat and sees these stories. Take action now.

 

 

BATTLEGROUND INDIANA
As Statehouse Republicans announced that the so-called "right to work" legislation would be their #1 priority in the 2012 General Assembly, more than 2,500 Hoosiers poured into the capitol for the AFL-CIO’s "All Workers' Lobby Day" last Tuesday to voice their opposition.

Held in conjunction with the General Assembly’s Organization Day, workers were encouraged to meet with their state representatives and state senators one-one-one to discuss the negative implications the proposal would have on them, their families and communities. And, despite some Republican members refusing to take meetings with our members, the day was an overwhelming success.

Yet, it was only one day in what promises to be a long battle to protect Indiana’s middle class. This past Sunday, Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma, who is authoring the right to work bill, began airing television and radio commercials around the state designed to mislead Hoosiers about the true impacts of the bill.

In an effort to fight back, the Indiana AFL-CIO is asking all working people to make a small donation of $1, $5, $10 to help with the response.(Click this link to donate today!)

“It’s incredibly important that all working people get active in this fight right now,” said Indiana State AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott. “There can be no more standing on the sidelines and waiting for someone else to do it. Each of us must do everything we can – from talking to friends and neighbors, to writing letters to the editor to the local paper, to contacting your legislators and talking to them directly – and we must hold each other accountable.

Forums, town halls and other actions have been taking place throughout the interim and more are being planned. Rallies were recently held in Huntington and Lafayette to oppose “Right to Work” and public forums were held in Evansville, South Bend and Spencer in an effort to raise the public’s awareness of the issue.

More events are being planned (click here to see the updated calendar of events) ahead of the January 4, 2012 meeting of the Indiana General Assembly, when the “Right to Work” bill is expected to be formally introduced, including neighborhood walks and leafleting in areas where lawmakers are undecided on this issue. If you would like to participate in any of these activities, please contact Becky Smith at bsmith@inaflcio.org or click here.

For more information on “Right to Work” click here to access the Indiana State AFL-CIO’s online toolkit.

NEW HAMPSHIRE REJECTS “RIGHT TO WORK”
Momentum to defeat anti-union measures grow as battle shifts to Indiana
In reaction to the New Hampshire House of Representatives’ failure to override the governor’s veto of right-to-work legislation on Wednesday, Indiana State AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott issued following statement:

“On behalf of all working Hoosiers we congratulate New Hampshire on this big victory today. Their defeat of the so-called "right-to-work" bill is another indication of how little support there is for these politically motivated attacks on workers. Along with what’s occurred recently in Wisconsin and Ohio, this win in New Hampshire is another repudiation of politicians who put out-of-state corporate interests over the well being of their constituents.

And while we know these same forces are now targeting Indiana in an effort to lower wages and silence the voice of all workers, we are confident that Indiana will continue this growing momentum and join the ranks of states that have rejected unchecked corporate power.”

PUBLIC SHOWS UP TO SUPPORT POSTAL SERVICE
As Congress considers a plan to close post offices and consolidate half of its mail sorting facilities throughout the country, Hoosiers are standing up and speaking out.

 

 

At the first of several public hearings last week, hundreds of Hoosiers turned out in Terre Haute and South Bend in opposition to the consolidation plan. Under the proposal, mail processing centers in Bloomington, Gary, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, Terre Haute and South Bend face possible consolidation and dozens of post offices throughout the state would be closed. In addition to eliminating hundreds of good-paying jobs across the state, the move would cut communities off from vital mail service and would delay delivery by one to two days. For a recap of the South Bend meeting click here and for the Terre Haute click here.

RALLY TO SAVE THE STAR
Fighting to save independent, local journalism and middle class jobs, the Communications Workers of America and the Indianapolis Newspaper Guild recently held a rally in downtown Indianapolis to raise awareness about the ongoing unfairness at the Indianapolis Star.

The company that owns The Indianapolis Star, Gannett, has cut the news staff by 40 percent in three years, cut pay by 10 percent to workers who remain and now wants to outsource jobs to other states. All the while, newspaper has remained profitable and Gannett executives are raking in huge raises, seven figure bonuses and lavish golden parachutes.

The “Save the Star” rally was held on the doorstep of The Star in an effort to say 'Enough is enough.' Indianapolis residents – from all walks of life – attended in a strong show of solidarity against unchecked corporate greed. For more information visit: www.savethestar.com

HELP SPREAD THE WORD
Help to grow our movement by getting your family, friends and co-workers to sign up for the Indiana AFL-CIO's email. To sign up click here. You can also join us on Facebook here or follow us on Twitter here.


MUST READS:
Times of Northwest Indiana: Bosma misstates job creation data in right-to-work fight
Times-Mail: Address real Hoosier needs
Anderson Herald Bulletin: Now is not the time for a right-to-work law
Terre Haute Tribune Star: Will our GOP heed warnings?
Indianapolis Recorder: Push for right-to-work returns; but has it helped African-Americans?
Evansville Courier Press: The past is present in the right-to-work debate
Post-Tribune: GOP taking aim at workers
Dan Carpenter Column: Break up pols union
Rich James Column: Indiana doesn’t need right-to-work legislation

 

We have seen the union busting tactics, such as so-called Right-to-Work laws, here in Indiana and across the country. We have banded together for the working and middle class Americans that have been told to sacrifice more while the top 1% reins in more profit. From Wisconsin to Maine, our brothers and sisters have stood in unity against the relentless attacks on the 99%.

And now Ohio workers—including nurses, firefighters and teachers—have lost some of their most basic rights under Ohio’s Senate Bill 5, which many say is even worse than what Gov. Scott Walker pulled in Wisconsin.

SB 5 is part of Wall Street’s strategy to chip away at collective bargaining rights, piece by piece, law by law, until unions and collective bargaining rights are destroyed. It must not stand.

Can you help make sure Ohio voters remember to make their voices heard by calling 10 of them now? You can help make sure they show up at the polls on Nov. 8 and repeal SB 5 by voting NO on Issue 2. Click here to get started.

It seems like workers can’t get a break these days. But we can beat back this attack on working people if we make these calls. Here’s why we know we can win this election with your help:

• There is enormous grassroots opposition from across the political spectrum. And the good news is, Ohio voters have the power to overturn SB 5 by voting NO on Issue 2. They just need to show up and vote.
  
• And public opinion in Ohio is on our side. Fifty-seven percent of Ohio voters say this attack on workers—which is listed on the Ohio ballot as Issue 2—should be repealed, compared with 32 percent who are in favor of keeping the law.

But this is an off-year election. We can’t win on public opinion alone. We need you to help make sure Ohio voters turn out to the polls and make their voices heard on Nov. 8.

Get a list of Ohio voters and their phone numbers right now. Give them a call and make sure they vote on Nov. 8 to repeal SB 5 by voting NO on Issue 2.

The fate of working families and SB 5 will be decided not by politicians but by Ohioans, as they cast their vote on Ballot Issue 2 on or before Nov. 8. And all of us can help folks who don’t remember there’s an off-year election to get to the polls.

Early voting is going on in Ohio right now. Don’t wait until Election Day to call voters. Call now. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to make a difference with so much on the line.

Grab your phone now. It takes 10 minutes to ask 10 Ohio voters to show up at the polls and repeal SB 5 by voting NO on 2.

 

 

For more information visit

www.http://www.saveamericaspostalservice.org/