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Dear Peter,                  5-4-2010

Together we’re breaking the powerful grip Wall Street bankers and their high-paid lobbyists have on Washington. Our message is powerful and simple:

Good Jobs Now! Wall Street Must Pay.

Last week, mere hours before we rallied and marched on Wall Street, the Senate overcame Republican obstructionism and brought us closer than ever to meaningful Wall Street reform.

Meanwhile, the most elite Wall Street investment bank of them all, Goldman Sachs, is facing a criminal investigation, compounding its already substantial legal problems. As a result, Goldman stock has plummeted, costing executives millions—small consolation for those out of work, but a start.

The last few months have been amazing, as across the country union members, leaders and allies in the movement have taken our message to the street and to the Wall Street banks that cost us billions of dollars and millions of jobs.

Last week’s rally on Wall Street, with more than 10,000 marching in person and more than 35,000 joining online, was a powerful event, making it clear we will not be taken for granted. Together we are making a difference. What’s NEXT in our fight for good jobs?

1) Text: REFORM to 225568 to join our Wall Street rapid action network. Wall Street must pay to rebuild our economy and create jobs to replace the millions it helped destroy.

2) Ensure the Senate passes meaningful Wall Street reform. We overcame a huge hurdle last week, but many more remain and the next few weeks are critical, as opponents of reform will be fighting with all their power to weaken the Wall Street reform bill on the Senate floor. Contact your senator now and take action.

3) Keep on marching and rallying. Marching and rallying. We can’t slow down. We can’t stop taking our message of Good Jobs Now! Wall Street Must Pay to the rich and powerful. In two weeks we will rally and march here in DC to make sure the banks and their K Street lobbyists hear your message.

For more pictures and stories from our march and rally on Wall Street, visit our blog.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

 


 

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Join Our March on
Wall Street

 
I'm Marching With
Peter from
Independence, MO

  

Add your name and we’ll take you to Wall Street.

Dear Peter,

If you’re as fed up as I am with the mess Wall Street has made of our jobs and economy, join me April 29 to demand: Good Jobs Now: Make Wall Street Pay!

Big Wall Street bankers tanked our economy, took billions from hard-working Americans and now they are back to business as usual—paying themselves millions and fighting accountability.

So next Thursday, about 10,000 of us will march and rally in the heart of New York’s financial district, calling for commonsense rules to hold Wall Street accountable and restore our jobs.

Can you join me in person?

If not, add your name online now to be there virtually.

We’ll print your name on a sticker and give it to a marcher to carry as we march on Wall Street. Help us send a message to all those who have been reckless on Wall Street and made people jobless on Main Street.

Even if you can’t be in New York City, you still can rally and march with us as we cut through the Wall Street bull and make it clear: We want Good Jobs Now and Wall Street Must Pay.

Add your name now and join the march and rally from Independence.

Together we can hold Wall Street accountable, restore jobs, strengthen the rules and make sure everyone plays by them.

In solidarity,

Richard Trumka
AFL-CIO President

P.S. Thanks for adding your name, but we need your help to make this event huge. Please forward this e-mail far and wide now and urge others to join you in the virtual march and rally. Thank you!

 


 

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Dear Peter,

While Wall Street bankers and other Big Business titans bring home millions, the story for everyday working families is not so good. Job furloughs, wage freezes and layoffs are rampant across every sector of our economy. We need to save the good jobs people still have, while rebuilding our economy and creating even more good jobs.

The Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812) will do just that by pumping $100 billion directly into our communities. Sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the bill would give America’s economy a shot in the arm and safeguard essential local services. Your representative, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, has joined Rep. Miller and 138 other representatives by co-sponsoring the Local Jobs for America Act.

Take a moment to thank your representative for fighting to create and save good jobs.

We still need more co-sponsors, because we need to show there is broad support in Congress for this important bill. When you contact your representative, ask for help getting more co-sponsors for the Local Jobs for America Act.

Today, millions of teachers, police and firefighters, the backbone of our communities, are in trouble due to massive state and local government budget problems. We need to act now and act fast to save the good jobs people still have, while we rebuild our economy and create even more good jobs.

From saving teachers’ jobs and keeping class sizes manageable to keeping thousands of law enforcement officers on the beat, the Local Jobs for America Act will help ensure the services that make our communities livable and keep the unemployment rolls from growing.

Thank your representative for co-sponsoring the Local Jobs for America Act and ask for help to add more co-sponsors to the bill.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

 


 

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Live Webcast—
Today at Noon

Join AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and a special guest for a live online video discussion of the 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch report at noon today and learn more about Wall Street bankers and their outrageous pay and massive lobbying efforts.

Join President Trumka at Noon Today.

    

Dear Peter,                     4-13=2010

Obscene salaries. Outrageous bonuses. Absurd benefits packages. All perks of being a corporate titan in America. For 14 years, we’ve tracked CEO pay on the AFL-CIO Executive Paywatch website and as we slowly make our way out of a recession that cost millions of Americans their jobs and has put us in an 11 million job deficit, we thought maybe, just maybe, CEOs and other corporate execs would have taken a major hit as well. Well, guess again.

In 2009, the CEO of a Standard & Poor’s 500 index company was paid, on average, $9.25 million in total compensation. $9.25 million. That’s a lot of money.

Even more outrageous is the pay the bankers, the people responsible for our economic mess who we had to bail out to “save” our economy, have awarded themselves: more than $145 billion in total compensation, including $20 billion in bonuses.

Join AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka for a live online video discussion of our 2010 Executive Paywatch report at noon today.

Then check out the case studies we’ve done on each of the big six banks. Learn how much their executives were paid, how much they’ve been spending on lobbying in Washington, D.C., and, of course, how much money they borrowed from America’s working men and women to keep themselves afloat.

After tanking our economy, helping to put us in an 11 million job hole and taking hundreds of billions in taxpayer bailout dollars, the Big Banks on Wall Street are already back to business as usual: fighting to keep their profits and pay high at the expense of working families.

Join President Trumka today at noon to talk about executive pay, specifically banker pay, and their lobbying efforts here in Washington and take questions live from supporters like you. Don’t miss this special event, and then be sure to take some time to sift through the incredible data we’ve compiled on executive pay.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

 


 

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Mark Your Calendar for
Noon EDT, Tuesday, April 13

FACT: Wall Street bankers paid themselves more than $145 BILLION in 2009. That’s a lot of money. But guess what else they are spending big on?

Join AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Tuesday at noon for a live online video discussion of the 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch report and learn more about Wall Street bankers, their outrageous pay and massive lobbying efforts.

RSVP TODAY.

    

Dear Peter,                          4-9-2010

With health care reform enacted, Congress and the president have set their sights on reforming the Wall Street casino.

We couldn’t agree more, because we can’t afford another financial mess like the one we’re still cleaning up. Millions are out of work, while bankers are taking home billions. It’s not fair and it’s not right.

Take a moment today and tell your senators to fight for real financial reform NOW.

After tanking our economy, helping put us in an 11-million-jobs hole and taking hundreds of billions in taxpayer bailout dollars, the Big Banks on Wall Street already are back to business as usual: fighting to keep their profits and pay high at the expense of working families.

Instead of lending in their communities, they are choking off much-needed credit. And instead of working with Congress to develop good, commonsense regulations to prevent another financial meltdown, they are spending millions lobbying to protect their own narrow interests.

We can’t let it happen again. Properly regulating our financial markets is central to securing the economic future of America’s working families.

Hard-working Americans are angry, frustrated and fed up. Big Wall Street banks helped create our financial crisis and must pay to create the jobs they destroyed, and accept commonsense regulations to ensure it never happens again.

The Senate is working on a financial reform bill right now. Take action today and tell your senators we’re counting on them to fight for real reform that:

  • Creates an independent agency to protect consumers from predatory lenders;
  • Sheds light on the shadow financial system; and
  • Puts mandatory limits on bank size and risky behavior.

Thank you for your support and we hope you can join us Tuesday at noon for the special live webcast with President Trumka launching the 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch. Learn more about Wall Street bankers, their outrageous pay, massive lobbying expenditures and how we can help make real financial reform a reality.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

P.S. Take a moment and tell your senators to fight for real financial reform today.

 


 

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Mark Your Calendar for
Noon EDT, Tuesday, April 13

FACT: Wall Street bankers paid themselves more than $145 BILLION in 2009. That’s a lot of money. But guess what else they are spending big on?

Join AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Tuesday at noon for a live online video discussion of the 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch report and learn more about Wall Street bankers, their outrageous pay and massive lobbying efforts.

RSVP TODAY.

    

Dear Peter,                             4-9-2010

With health care reform enacted, Congress and the president have set their sights on reforming the Wall Street casino.

We couldn’t agree more, because we can’t afford another financial mess like the one we’re still cleaning up. Millions are out of work, while bankers are taking home billions. It’s not fair and it’s not right.

Take a moment today and tell your senators to fight for real financial reform NOW.

After tanking our economy, helping put us in an 11-million-jobs hole and taking hundreds of billions in taxpayer bailout dollars, the Big Banks on Wall Street already are back to business as usual: fighting to keep their profits and pay high at the expense of working families.

Instead of lending in their communities, they are choking off much-needed credit. And instead of working with Congress to develop good, commonsense regulations to prevent another financial meltdown, they are spending millions lobbying to protect their own narrow interests.

We can’t let it happen again. Properly regulating our financial markets is central to securing the economic future of America’s working families.

Hard-working Americans are angry, frustrated and fed up. Big Wall Street banks helped create our financial crisis and must pay to create the jobs they destroyed, and accept commonsense regulations to ensure it never happens again.

The Senate is working on a financial reform bill right now. Take action today and tell your senators we’re counting on them to fight for real reform that:

  • Creates an independent agency to protect consumers from predatory lenders;
  • Sheds light on the shadow financial system; and
  • Puts mandatory limits on bank size and risky behavior.

Thank you for your support and we hope you can join us Tuesday at noon for the special live webcast with President Trumka launching the 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch. Learn more about Wall Street bankers, their outrageous pay, massive lobbying expenditures and how we can help make real financial reform a reality.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

P.S. Take a moment and tell your senators to fight for real financial reform today.

 


 

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Good Jobs Now Campaign Resources

  • Check Out the AFL-CIO Good Jobs Now Organizing Hub.
  • Read Stories from Working Men and Women Affected by the Jobs Crisis.
  • Submit Your Stories and Photos.
  • Read the AFL-CIO Jobs Agenda.
  • Join the AFL-CIO Good Jobs Now Campaign.

  •     

    Dear Peter,                      3-8-2010

    I didn't need to read Friday's jobs report to know our economy is not recovering fast enough. From Evansville, Ind., to Titusville, Fla., and all across America, I've met with individuals whose lives and families are being torn apart. Each story is terrible and taken collectively it is a tragedy of epic proportions.

    We are missing 11 million jobs—and millions more workers either have given up looking for jobs or are stuck in part-time work. Sadly, many politicians and pundits seem resigned to long-term massive unemployment in our country, but this situation is intolerable and action is required.

    I know this, you know this and the entire movement of working people knows this. I am resolved to bring the full force and power of the labor movement to ensure everyone in our country has a good job.

    To kick off this effort, the AFL-CIO Executive Council has called upon the entire labor movement—our affiliated unions, our state and local labor councils, the millions of members of Working America and our allies in communities and progressive movements across this country—to come together to create and protect good jobs. In the coming months we will target politicians, Wall Street firms, corporations and all those who stand in the way of an economy that works for all in the name of speculation that benefits the few.

    Will you join us?

    Our first step is to hold Wall Street accountable and ensure the Big Banks pay to replace the jobs they destroyed.

    While millions are suffering, the party on Wall Street continues—producing speculation instead of investment, executive bonuses instead of jobs and the sowing of the seeds of another financial crisis even as we continue to suffer the consequences of the current one. This is the legacy of the failed deregulatory economic model of the past 30 years and the failed presidency of George W. Bush.

    We will carry out this effort to hold Wall Street accountable at every level—in Washington, D.C., in state capitols and city halls, in boardrooms and workplaces and in living rooms across this country.

    Our message to the banks will be clear: Your risky schemes to enrich yourselves and your friends tanked our economy and took our jobs. You played Russian Roulette with our futures, and it's time you faced up to your responsibilities to the people whose lives you played with. It is time for you to pay back a small part of what you owe the American people instead of continuing to pay yourselves million-dollar bonuses.

    Join us as we fight for Good Jobs Now and hold Wall Street accountable.

    Together we will fight the complacency and obstruction that are preventing action, and challenge the speculation and greed that stand in the way of the investments that could create the jobs we need today and an economy that will work tomorrow. 

    The consequences of inaction for working people and their families—the lives put on hold, the homes lost, the communities threatened—are grim. Children in families touched by long-term unemployment are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to go to college. Young workers entering the job market now are likely to have diminished earnings throughout their careers. Older workers who are dislocated risk never being able to regain the economic standing and dignity that come from having good jobs.

    The harm from this crisis to our society will be measured in more than dollars and cents, and only working together can we restore good jobs for all Americans—not just the privileged few.

    In solidarity,

    Richard L. Trumka
    AFL-CIO President

     

     

     

     

     

    Dear Peter,                      2-19-2010

      

    Tell Whirlpool:
    Keep It Made
    in America
    and
    Save Our Jobs

        

    The Whirlpool Corp. is closing a refrigerator manufacturing plant in Evansville, Ind., putting more than 1,100 people out of work. Even worse, Whirlpool will continue to produce these refrigerators, but not in Evansville and not anywhere else in America. They are planning to manufacture them in Mexico, where weaker labor and environmental laws make them “cheaper” for Whirlpool to produce.

    This is outrageous and unacceptable, especially in light of Whirlpool’s profitability and the $19 million dollars in economic recovery money Whirlpool recently received from the federal government as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those are OUR economic recovery funds, not Mexico’s.

    To protest Whirlpool’s decisions and demand good jobs in America, I’m heading to Evansville next Friday to rally and march with local workers and labor leaders—and I’d like you to join me. No, I’m not asking you to join me in person, but I would like you to sign a petition in solidarity with the Evansville workers for me to deliver to Whirlpool’s management.

    Click here to sign our petition to Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America: Save Our Jobs.

    Too many people have lost their jobs. Too many jobs have been sent overseas. Enough is enough. Whirlpool’s management can’t take our money, shut down our factories and lay off our workers. It’s not acceptable—and together we’re going to deliver a loud and clear message to Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America and Save Our Jobs.

    Sign our petition today.

    Tell your friends to sign the petition in solidarity.

    Together we will fight against corporate greed and for good jobs. Together we will rebuild the American economy, because everyone deserves a good job NOW!

    In solidarity,

    Richard L. Trumka
    AFL-CIO President

    P.S. Please sign the petition today. Our power is in our numbers. Together we can make a difference.

     

     

    Dear Peter,                           2-19-2010

    We recently learned that the Senate and the White House cut a last-minute deal with obstructionist Republicans to approve some of President Obama’s nominees. But guess who was left out of the deal? Yup, that’s right: working people.

    Craig Becker and Mark Pearce, highly respected labor lawyers whom President Obama nominated for seats on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), weren’t included in the deal. Meanwhile, the NLRB, tasked with protecting American workers’ rights, has been handicapped with vacancies for the past two years.

    Enough is enough. Call the Democratic Party headquarters today and demand that President Obama fight Republican obstructionism and use his executive power to appoint Craig Becker and Mark Pearce to the NLRB during the Presidents Day recess.

    Call the Democratic Party headquarters NOW: (800) 705-7083.

    Becker already has received majority backing in the Senate and both won committee support, but the Republican minority has continually blocked their appointments. America’s working people are getting short shrift and it’s past time to do something about it. Workers need an NLRB that can enforce the National Labor Relations Act and protect workers' rights—not an NLRB handicapped by vacancies.

    In solidarity,

    Richard L. Trumka
    AFL-CIO President

     
     

     

    Dear Peter,                           2-18-2010

      

    Tell Whirlpool:
    Keep It Made
    in America
    and
    Save Our Jobs

        

    The Whirlpool Corp. is closing a refrigerator manufacturing plant in Evansville, Ind., putting more than 1,100 people out of work. Even worse, Whirlpool will continue to produce these refrigerators, but not in Evansville and not anywhere else in America. They are planning to manufacture them in Mexico, where weaker labor and environmental laws make them “cheaper” for Whirlpool to produce.

    This is outrageous and unacceptable, especially in light of Whirlpool’s profitability and the $19 million dollars in economic recovery money Whirlpool recently received from the federal government as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those are OUR economic recovery funds, not Mexico’s.

    To protest Whirlpool’s decisions and demand good jobs in America, I’m heading to Evansville next Friday to rally and march with local workers and labor leaders—and I’d like you to join me. No, I’m not asking you to join me in person, but I would like you to sign a petition in solidarity with the Evansville workers for me to deliver to Whirlpool’s management.

    Click here to sign our petition to Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America: Save Our Jobs.

    Too many people have lost their jobs. Too many jobs have been sent overseas. Enough is enough. Whirlpool’s management can’t take our money, shut down our factories and lay off our workers. It’s not acceptable—and together we’re going to deliver a loud and clear message to Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America and Save Our Jobs.

    Sign our petition today.

    Tell your friends to sign the petition in solidarity.

    Together we will fight against corporate greed and for good jobs. Together we will rebuild the American economy, because everyone deserves a good job NOW!

    In solidarity,

    Richard L. Trumka
    AFL-CIO President

    P.S. Please sign the petition today. Our power is in our numbers. Together we can make a difference.

     

     

     

     

     

      

    Tyrannical?

    Republican Sen. Jim DeMint recently referred to efforts to use budget reconciliation to pass comprehensive health care reform as “tyrannical,” but it was just a few years ago that DeMint used budget reconciliation to pass Bush’s tax cuts for the rich.

    Stop Republican Hypocrisy.

    Support Real Health Care Reform
    .

     

        

    Dear Peter,                             2-3-2010

    No one ever said that winning comprehensive health care reform would be easy. From contentious committee hearings and votes in the House and Senate to middle-of-the-night procedural votes in the Senate, the process has been long and complicated.

    But all hand-wringing aside, success is near. All we need is a majority of senators to support commonsense changes—including eliminating the tax on workers' benefits—to the current health care bill as already approved by the Senate. To be clear, a super-majority of senators doesn’t need to support the changes, only a simple majority.

    The process for this is known as budget reconciliation, but the name doesn’t really matter. What matters is that a majority of senators can bring comprehensive health care reform to all America’s working men and women.

    Some Senate Republicans and their allies in the media already have begun to howl in outrage at this possibility. But these howls are coming from the very Republicans who used budget reconciliation to move George Bush’s tax cuts for the rich through the Senate in 2001 and 2005.

    One of your current senators voted in favor of Bush’s tax cuts for the rich using budget reconciliation. Send a message today to that senator: Don’t be a hypocrite. If a majority vote was good enough for Bush’s tax cuts, a majority vote certainly is good enough for comprehensive health care reform for all.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     

     

     

    Dear Peter,                                 1-28-2010

    Last night, I was in the House gallery for President Obama’s State of the Union address. After our collective wake-up call in Massachusetts, I was eager to hear the president’s plans for 2010 and beyond.

    I recorded a brief video message last night with my initial reactions to the speech.



    Please take a moment to watch this video and pass it around. The president was absolutely right to make jobs a top priority, and we must act on a scale that is meaningful. I hope you can join us in this fight.

    In solidarity,

    Richard L. Trumka
    AFL-CIO President
     
     

     

     

    Tired of banks loading you up with fees while taking taxpayer money and giving executives huge bonuses? Send a final notice—payment is past due and it's time for the government to rein in the banks.

    Dear Peter,                               1-22-2010

    Wall Street banks threw our economy into crisis. Bailing them out cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. Now, with unemployment at 10 percent, those same Wall Street banks are planning to give six- and even seven-figure bonuses to the executives who created this mess.

    It's time to say enough, and send the banks a final notice. Payment is past due on the harm they've done to the economy. Payment is past due on all the ways they've mistreated their customers—from excessive credit card fees to risky mortgages.

    We're letting the bankers know—since they won't rein themselves in, the government is going to have to do it. And we're letting our senators know we want the banks to face consequences for their actions:

    • President Obama's proposed financial crisis responsibility fee on the largest banks will help get back the taxpayer money that bailed out those same banks, without penalizing community banks and small firms.
    • We need a consumer financial protection agency to provide strong oversight so banks can't play Russian roulette with our economy again, and to protect customers from being bled dry.

    Click here to let the bankers know this is their final notice. Your message also will go to your senators to urge them to rein in the banks.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Yesterday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told us the Massachusetts special election results demand harder, faster, smarter action from us on working family issues. Sending this final notice to the big banks is our first step. Take action now!

     
     

     

     

      

    Pledge Now:
    Work Harder, Faster, Smarter

     

    The wake-up call sent by Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts for the U.S. Senate couldn’t be clearer.

    Working people are fed up with inaction in Washington and expect real results.

    We can’t leave it to any political party to protect the interests of working families—it’s up to us to organize and mobilize harder, faster and smarter than ever before.

    Please pledge to do your part. Recommit now to push harder to win jobs, health care and an economy that works for all of us. Click here:

        

    Dear Peter,                                 1-21-2010

    What happened Tuesday in Massachusetts was a wake-up call to all of us.

    It was a working class revolt—a signal that in this economic crisis, the American people demand jobs, health care and an economy that works for them now—not political business as usual.

    It was a loud and clear message that our elected leaders—and our labor movement—must do more for working people, do it fast and do it smarter.

    An AFL-CIO poll taken Tuesday night shows without doubt:

    Voters are fed up that elected leaders have done too little to help working families.

    They said Democrats have NOT overreached on jobs, the economy and health care—they have underreached.

    Voters have seen too much help for Wall Street and not nearly enough help for Main Street.

    Unless Democrats demonstrate that fixing the economy is their overriding priority, and begin to create more jobs for working Americans NOW, we’re going to see more results this November like the Massachusetts election.

    For the union movement and activists, the message was also clear: It’s not time to leave it to any political party to take care of us once we put them in office. 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 health care we need. 
     
    I am not discouraged by Tuesday’s election results. Actually, I’m energized and I want you to be, too. Working America is demanding major change NOW—not timid, go-slow, partial solutions.

    I know we are the people who can mobilize a massive army to force elected leaders to deliver.

    Let’s do it—starting NOW.

    P.S. I’m sending this same message in a YouTube video. Please take a look and share it with other fighters for working families.

    In solidarity,

    Richard L. Trumka
    President, AFL-CIO

     
     

     

     

      

    CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW

    1-877-3-AFLCIO
    (1-877-323-5246)

    Tell him or her to vote for health care reform that:

  • DOES NOT tax our health care benefits.
  • Requires employers to pay their fair share.
  • Controls health care costs—and the best way to do that is by creating a public health care insurance plan option.
  •     

    Dear Peter,                             1-13-2010

    Add your voice to the national call-in day for health care reform today. Please call your U.S. representative now and urge him or her to vote for health care that will work for working families.

    After a long, hard fight, we’re down to our final opportunities to make a difference on health care reform.

    Both the House and Senate have passed health care bills that will be merged into final legislation over the next few weeks. The House version is far better for working families—so please call your representative now and urge him or her to stick with working families and vote for health care reform that:

    • DOES NOT tax our health care benefits.
    • Requires employers to pay their fair share.
    • Controls health care costs—and the best way to do that is by creating a public health care insurance plan option.

    Please call your representative now toll-free at 1-877-3-AFLCIO (1-877-323-5246).
     
    We’re closer to major health care reform than we’ve been in 60 years. But so much is at stake as the House and Senate hammer out a final bill. This really is the finish line. Make your voice heard now.

     

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Call your representative toll-free at 1-877-323-5246. Then please urge your friends to call Congress, too. Just click this link.

     
     

     

      

    Watch Today

    Don't miss the major national address by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

    TODAY at 1 p.m.

    Go to www.press.org

        

    Dear Peter,                                1-11-2010

    Today AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will deliver a major address on jobs, the economy, health care and more at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

    Watch it live at 1 p.m. at www.press.org.

    Find out more about what it will take to turn around America for working families—and how we will do it.

    Don’t miss it!

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     
     

     

     

      

    Next Wednesday: National Call-In Blitz for Health Care Reform

    Deluge the U.S. House with phone calls on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

    Demand health care reform that works for working families.

        

    Dear Peter,                        1-8-2010

    Get ready: We’re taking the fight for health care reform to the finish line Wednesday, Jan. 13, with a national call-in day.

    Pledge now to call your congressional representative and urge your friends to call the House, too.

    Our message to representatives:

    Vote for health care reform that:

    • DOES NOT tax our health care benefits.
    • Requires employers to pay their fair share.
    • Controls health care costs—and the best way to do that is by creating a public health care insurance plan option.

    Pledge now to make your call.

    The fight for health care reform has been long and hard—and we’re just weeks away from a final bill merging the versions passed by the House and Senate.

    Both bills greatly increase the number of people who will have health care coverage and end some of the most egregious insurance company abuses.

    But the bill passed by the House is far better for working families—and now is our time to tell representatives to stick to their guns and vote for health care reform that will really work for working families.

    The Senate bill is badly flawed. It would tax middle-class health care benefits, allow employers to escape responsibility for paying a fair share and does not include a public health insurance option to reduce costs and hold insurers accountable.

    We’re down to our final opportunities to make sure that health care reform passed this year works for us.

    Pledge now that you will call your representative next Wednesday and urge your friends to call, too.

    In solidarity,

     

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     
     

     

     

      

    Help Fix
    Health Care Reform Bill

    Leaders from the House, Senate and White House are meeting next week to write the final health care reform bill.

    Write Your Representative Today.

        

    Dear Peter,                         12-23-2009

    One month ago, the House of Representatives passed a historic health care bill—one that would make great strides toward the guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in America.

    Tomorrow morning, we expect the Senate to pass its health care bill. While the Senate bill includes significant reforms, it does not adequately address our health care crisis. Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill will not check costs in the short term, does not ensure that employers pay their fair share and is not financed fairly.

    As the House and Senate merge their bills into final legislation, we have one chance to fix health care reform before it is sent to President Obama’s desk for his signature. Your representative signed a letter opposing a tax on workers' health care benefits to pay for reform, and we need Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to stay strong and fight to ensure the final bill is financed fairly.

    Write Rep. Cleaver today.

    A health care benefits tax will result in benefit cuts and increased premiums and out-of-pocket costs for one in five workers by 2016. Taxing health care benefits is simply the wrong way to finance health care reform. We need your representative to stay strong and fight for fair financing. The House bill passed with just a three-vote margin, so your representative's continued opposition to the tax is critical.

    Urge Rep. Cleaver to tell House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House not to tax our benefits.

    Write your representative today.

    Happy holidays,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. We’re nearing the end of this fight, and we must finish reform right. Write your representative today.

     
     

     

     

    12-16-2009

    **** ALERT: Wednesday, Dec. 16, is the LAST DAY to order from The Union Shop Online to receive your merchandise by Dec. 25. ****

    Dear Peter,

    You are one of our most loyal activists, and we’d like to thank you this holiday season with a 10-percent discount on all the great union-made gear at The Union Shop Online.

    Get out your gift-giving list, make your selections from The Union Shop Online and enter Thanks09 as your coupon code when you check out—we’ll take 10 percent off everything.

    To ensure delivery of your union-made items by Dec. 25, be sure to order by Wednesday, Dec. 16. That's today, so don’t delay!

    Never before has it been so important to support America’s workers and good jobs. Shop at The Union Shop Online this week and take 10 percent off everything.

    In solidarity,

    Working Families e-Activist Network

     
     

     

     

     

    Dear Peter,11-8-2009

    What a moment! Last night, 219 Democrats and one Republican in the U.S. House, including your representative, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, voted to pass a health care reform bill that will end insurance company abuses, require employers to pay a fair share and establish a strong public option to lower costs and make insurance companies compete. And it won't tax the benefits of hard-working middle class families.

    With the opponents of reform working hard to go after representatives who voted right, I need you to call and thank your representative today for voting for the kind of health care reform working families need.

    Call and thank Rep. Cleaver today:

    D.C. Office: (202) 225-4535

    When you call, make sure to thank your representative for voting for H.R. 3962—the Affordable Health Care for America Act—historic legislation that includes a public health insurance option, guarantees that employers pay their fare share and doesn't tax our benefits.

    After you call, click here to tell us about your call.

    This is a truly historic moment and one that many of us have been fighting for decades to achieve. Thank you for what you have done to make this happen. While we enjoy this success, it is important to remember the battle is far from over. The Senate still has to vote on its health care bill, and then the Senate bill will have to be combined with the House bill.

    We will win in the end, but final victory is going to take more relentless work by each and every one of us. Please call and thank your representative today.

    Thank you,

    Richard Trumka
    AFL-CIO President

     
     

     

      

    Health Care
    Can’t Wait

    We need your help TODAY. Call your representative in Washington in support of the House’s historic health care reform bill. Tell your representative that health care reform can’t wait and that you support H.R. 3962.

    1-877-702-0976

        

    Dear Peter,                             11-5-2009

    We have exciting news. Within days, the U.S. House will vote on H.R. 3962—the Affordable Health Care for America Act—a historic health care reform bill that includes a public health insurance option, guarantees that employers pay their fare share and doesn’t tax our benefits.

    Many of us have been fighting for real health care reform for our entire lives, and this vote is going to be very close. If you've never called your representative before, now is the time. If you've called before, we need you to call again. Tell your representative the time for reform is now: Support H.R. 3962.

    Call your representative toll free today in Washington in support of H.R. 3962, the House bill: 1-877-702-0976

    The House bill covers 96 percent of Americans, is entirely paid for, reduces the deficit and lets families keep the health care they have instead of facing cuts in benefits and higher costs.

     

     

    When you call, you will be joining tens of thousands of activists in a nationwide action for real health care reform. Together, we’re going to barrage Congress with calls in support of health care reform that works for America’s working families by:

     

    • Including a strong public health insurance option to break the stranglehold of insurance companies and bring down costs
    • NOT taxing our health care plans.
    • Guaranteeing that employers pay their fair share.

    Call your representative in Washington today in support of H.R. 3962, the House bill: 1-877-702-0976

    We’ve been fighting for years to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care. We are so close, but we’re not there yet. The insurance companies and their lobbyists aren’t even close to giving up.

    As a matter of fact, insurance companies are spending more money than ever on lobbying against reform. Just last quarter, the 13 largest insurers and the health insurance industry trade association spent more than $8 million lobbying Congress.1

    Your representative needs to hear from you. Call today: 1-877-702-0976

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Called before? Call again. No matter what you've done. Call now. Winning health care reform is going to take a relentless effort by all of us. Call today. 1-877-702-0976

    1 Campaign Money.

     
     

     

    Dear Peter,                             11-4-2009

    I was talking to a lobbyist a few days ago, and I asked him how many times he tried to meet with each of his target legislators. He immediately burst out laughing. Why? Because he tries to meet with each of them as many times as he can.

    We need to do the same thing.

    If you’ve written a letter to your senators and representative already about why we need real health care reform, we need you to write another one.

    If you’ve written two letters to your senators and representatives about why we need real health care reform, we need you to write another one.

    One letter is not enough. Two letters are not enough.

    No matter how many letters you’ve written, we need you to write more.

    Relentless. That’s what the lobbyists are. Relentless in their pursuit of corporate interests. We must be relentless, too. We cannot stop. We cannot rest. We must continue to fight for reform. Write a letter today. Write a letter tomorrow. It is our time.

    Without a relentless effort by every one of us, we won’t win real health care reform with a strong public health insurance option to lower costs, reform that doesn’t tax our benefits, reform that will require employers to pay their fair share.

    Write a letter today. And get ready to write more letters next week. Momentum is on our side, but the lobbyists for Big Business and the insurance companies aren’t letting up.

    We can and will win with your help.

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. It really does matter. We keep hearing from members of Congress about the letters they are receiving. Keep ‘em coming. Write your senators and representatives today.

     
     

     

    Dear Peter,                                    10-27-2009

    ’Tis the season for union-made holiday cards. At The Union Shop Online, we have an extensive selection of union-made cards on recycled stock. Check them out.

    Evergreen Tree holiday card

    Dove holiday card

    Star Maker holiday card

    All holiday cards

     


     

    Joy Christmas card

    Chanukah holiday card with menorah

    Festival of Lights Chanukah card

    Kwanzaa holiday card

    Peace and Love holiday card

    Tree Dance holiday card

    Circle Dance holiday card

    Tree of Life holiday card

    Reindeer Dream holiday card

     

    Dear Peter,                              10-15-2009   

    As the government affairs director of the AFL-CIO, I spend hours every day speaking to senators and representatives here in Washington about health care reform. In every meeting, I try to represent the voices of more than 11 million union members when I lay out the core components of real reform.

    But not surprisingly, my voice is not enough. At many meetings, senators ask me for examples of what people in their home states have to say about reform. And that’s where you come in. The more letters and phone calls I have from activists like you, the more powerful our voice is.

    Only working together can we bring the real reform that we need. I'm not asking you to write a letter or make a call today. But can you commit to writing at least one letter or making at least one phone call to your senators and representative in Washington during the next few weeks?

    Click here to commit to write a letter or make a call for real health care reform.

    We are in the middle of a truly historic opportunity to win real health care reform. Over the next few weeks, America’s working men and women need your help.

    Thank you,

    Bill Samuel
    AFL-CIO Government Affairs Director

     
     

     

    Dear Peter,                        10-7-2009

    The clock is ticking. Every hour, another five people die because they don’t have health insurance.1

    How many more have to die before everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care?

    Too many have died already. We have waited long enough for real health care reform.

    Call your members of Congress today toll free and demand that they support real health care reform NOW: 1-877-702-0976

    Now is the time for reform. All across the country, as a part of a nationwide call-in day, tens of thousands of activists like you are calling Congress and demanding real health care reform that:

    • Controls costs.
    • Holds insurance companies accountable.
    • Includes a strong public health insurance option to lower costs and make sure everybody can get health care.
    • Requires employers to pay their fair share.
    • Does not add taxes or other costs for working families—we’re already paying too much.

    Working together, we can make sure everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care.

    Call and tell your senators and representative to support real health care reform:
    1-877-702-0976

    Insurance company lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce are doing everything they can to slow down the process and ultimately kill reform. Don’t let them block reform. The time for waiting is done. We want quality and accessible health care for all now.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. We voted for change last November. Now it’s time for Congress to deliver real health care reform. Call your senators and representative today: 1-877-702-0976

    1 Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance (Reuters).

     

     
     

     

     

     

      

    Take Action: Tell Your Insurance Company You Are Sick of It!

     

    Click here if a Blue Cross Blue Shield company provides your health insurance

    Click here if UnitedHealthcare provides your health insurance. 

    Click here if Aetna provides your health insurance.

    Click here if Humana provides your health insurance.

    Click here if CIGNA provides your health insurance.

    Click here if a different company provides your health insurance.

    Click here if you don’t have health insurance.

        

    Dear Peter,                             9-22-2009

    Are you sick of insurance companies being able to deny coverage or raise rates for individuals or businesses based on pre-existing medical conditions?

    Are you sick of insurance companies being able to come between doctors and patients when it comes to deciding what care patients need?

    Are you sick of insurance companies being able to provide incentives to their employees who deny care and reject claims?

    We’re sick of it, and today thousands of people across the country are taking to the streets at more than 100 events to demand that insurance companies stop denying our care and stop using our premiums to lobby against health insurance reform. Join the thousands of activists and help take the fight directly to the insurance companies. 

    We want real health insurance reform, and we’re sick of insurance companies getting in the way. 

    For years, insurance companies have expanded their stranglehold over health care in this country. They make record profits. They make life-and-death decisions. And they’re spending millions of dollars on campaign contributions and lobbyists to defeat reform—$1.4 million per day.

    That’s your money they’re spending to defeat health care reform and the choice of a public health insurance option. Tell them you are sick of it! 

    Thank you for fighting back against the insurance industry—the real enemy in this debate.

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Together we can stop the insurance companies and ensure that Congress passes real health insurance reform.

     
     

     

      

    2009 AFL-CIO Convention Main Hall Schedule

    We Are Many, We Are One
    Sunday, Sept. 13, 3-6 p.m.
    —John Sweeney

    Organizing for Our Future
    Monday, Sept. 14, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
    —Hilda Solis and Caroline Kennedy

    Making Change. Now.
    Tuesday, Sept. 15, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
    —Barack Obama

    The Power of Many
    Wednesday, Sept. 16, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
    —AFL-CIO Officer Nominations

    One World, One Movement
    Thursday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
     

    Watch Online Here
     

        

    Dear Peter,                                9-16-2009

    The 26th AFL-CIO Convention begins this Sunday in Pittsburgh, and I’m excited to announce that we will be streaming live video online from the convention floor all week.

    The convention kicks off at 3 p.m. Sunday and continues through 12:15 p.m. Thursday. We’ll be streaming online all the main floor activities, including speeches, resolution discussions and debates and officer elections.

    Watch the AFL-CIO Convention live online.

    Convention Highlights: Be sure not to miss AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s keynote Sunday afternoon, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis' speech Monday morning and President Obama's address to the convention Tuesday afternoon.

    On Wednesday, new AFL-CIO officers will be nominated. Watch the election of our next president, secretary-treasurer and executive vice president live online.

    Watch the AFL-CIO Convention live online.

    Click here for our main convention website.

    Click here for a full convention schedule. (pdf)

     Follow the AFL-CIO on Twitter for the latest updates, including schedule changes, etc.

    Thank you,

    Reggie Cole
    AFL-CIO Broadcast Division

     

     

      

    A Question for Your Senators:

    Will you vote for reform that puts patients and their doctors in charge of their health care or will you side with health insurers and vote for legislation that continues their control over health care in America?

    It’s time for real health care reform. Call your senators today.

        

    Dear Peter,                                  9-10-2009

    Last night, President Obama laid out in clear and certain terms how and why we need health care reform. The president is right. The status quo is unacceptable, our health care system desperately needs reform and we've never been closer to making historic breakthroughs in guaranteeing quality, affordable health care.

    A key component of reform is a quality public health insurance option because it will help hold down costs and provide real competition for insurance companies. But the public option is at risk because insurance companies are spending millions on lobbyists to stop it. It’s time for members of Congress to side with us instead of the health insurance lobbyists and support a public option.

    Tens of thousands of you already have made calls, written letters and attended town hall meetings on health care reform, but we need you to call your senators again today. Opponents of reform aren’t slowing down, and we can’t afford to slow down either.

    Ask your senators to join us and support a public insurance option to reform our health care system.

    Sen. Kit Bond: (202) 224-5721
    Sen. Claire McCaskill: (202) 224-6154

    Tell your senators that health care reform can’t wait. Here are some specific talking points to keep in mind when you call.

    I want health care reform that:

    • Requires insurers to compete with a quality public health insurance option to keep them honest and hold down costs.
    • Requires companies to pay their fair share toward employees' health care.
    • Does not tax health coverage, which would penalize the very people who already are struggling with out-of-control costs.
    • Puts people and their doctors in charge of their own health care.
    • Ends insurance company abuses.

    Thank you for everything you do. And as we continue our fight for real health care reform, keep in mind these words from President Obama:

    Well, the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care.

    Working together, we truly can provide stability and security to those who have insurance, and affordable coverage to those who don’t.

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Call Sen. Bond and Sen. McCaskill today. Report what they had to say on our blog.

     

     

      

     

     

    Labor Day Weekend. It’s a time for all of America’s working men and women to relax, reflect and rejuvenate. America’s labor movement brought us the weekend, the eight-hour workday, the minimum wage, an end to child labor and much, much more. Labor Day is our day to celebrate our successes, while looking ahead to our next challenges.

        

    Dear Peter,                           9-4-2009

    This Labor Day weekend, we are taking a moment to reflect on the future of America’s working men of women. Young workers today have lower-paying jobs than they did 10 years ago—those able to find jobs at all. Health care is a luxury, and retirement security is something for their parents, not them.

    In fact, 34 percent of workers younger than 35 still live at home with their parents. Low-income young workers are as likely to live with parents as on their own.

    A new report by the AFL-CIO and Working America, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade,” finds that the economic meltdown over the past decade has handicapped young workers’ ability to transition into adulthood and financial independence.

    After getting married, my wife and I decided to move in with my parents to pay off our bills. We could afford to live on our own, but we’d never be able to get out of debt. We have school loans to pay off, too. We’d like to have children, but we just can’t manage the expense of it right now...so we’re putting it off till we’re in a better place.

    —Nate Scherer, 31, lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he shares a home with his wife, his parents and his brother.

    The situation facing young workers like Nate is far worse than it was 10 years ago and is cause for alarm.

    What do you think it means for our future? Read more about the report on our blog and share your thoughts.

    Read the full report. (pdf)

    Here are just a few of the report's disturbing findings:

    • 31 percent of young workers report being uninsured, up from 24 percent 10 years ago, and 79 percent of the uninsured say they don’t have coverage because they can’t afford it or their employer does not offer it.
    • Only 31 percent say they make enough money to cover their bills and put some money aside—22 percentage points fewer than in 1999.
    • Seven in 10 do not have enough saved to cover two months of living expenses—a real danger when so many jobs are disappearing.

    The future of our country depends on the prosperity of each generation, and while the magnitude of the problems is huge, so are the opportunities. Young workers remain full of hope and want to be involved. As a movement, we must engage proactively with this generation.

    Young workers in particular must be given the tools to lead the next generation to prosperity. Our national survey shows just how broken our economy is for our young people—and what’s at stake if we don't fix it.

    —AFL-CIO President John Sweeney

    As we look to the future this Labor Day, let's all think about what we can do to make our economy work better for the next generation. Keep in mind that one exciting result of our survey is that not only do young people want to be involved, their priorities are even more progressive than the older generation of workers.

    Join us on our blog all weekend for Labor Day stories and opportunities to connect.

     Friend us on Facebook.

     Follow us on Twitter.

    Together, we can make a difference.

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     
     

     

    Dear Peter,                           8-22-2009

    Table of Contents

    • Fall B.A. Courses—Registration Deadline: Aug. 28
    • Union Skills Courses and Schedule
    • NLC Now Offers Federal Financial Aid

     


    Bachelor of Arts Degree Programs and Course Schedules

      

    National Workers Memorial Bricks

    The National Labor College is home to the National Workers Memorial.

    Click here to honor fallen workers by sponsoring bricks engraved with their names.

        

    The NLC fall semester starts Sept. 8. Apply now or register for courses online here. The NLC offers fully and partially online courses, making study possible for full-time workers with families. Courses can be taken individually or as part of a Bachelor of Arts degree program. Click here to find out more about the NLC degree programs.

     

     

    Fall BA Course Schedule (REGISTRATION DEADLINE AUG. 28)

    Courses begin online Sept. 8, 2009. Residence week: Oct. 3-9, 2009

    SATURDAY-THURSDAY 3:30-6:30 p.m.
    Labor and the Economy
    Senior Seminar
    History of Labor Theater
    Union Structure and Governance

    SUNDAY-FRIDAY 8:00-11:00 a.m.
    Intro to Labor Studies
    Organizing and Representing the New Workforce
    Workplace Hazards and the Law
    Writing About Labor Literature

    SUNDAY-FRIDAY 11:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m
    Comparative Research Methods
    Gender and Identity in Labor History
    Labor in the Global Economy
    Employment Rights
    Senior Project (Online Only)
    Senior Project Progress (no class time)

    Online Class Offering for BA and Online Degree Program

    Courses begin Sept. 8, 2009, and are completely online, no residential required. All degree courses are three semester credits unless otherwise noted.

    Introduction to Labor Studies
    Digital Learning and the Future
    Comparative Research Methods
    Social History of Labor Music
    Effective Writing (lower division credits)*
    Science, Technology and Our World
    Film & Globalization
    Labor Law
    Computer Skills for Trade Unionists
    Instructional Systems Design
    Response to Bio-Terrorism I
    Foundations in Safety & Health
    The Role of Corporation in Society
    Union Administration**
    Leadership Theory**
    Effective Leadership**
    Grassroots Leadership for Working America I (5 weeks, 1 credit)**
    Grassroots Leadership for Working America II (10 weeks, 2 credits)**
    Using Web 2.0 for Student Collaboration (Sept. 8-Oct, 20)***
    Going Digital with Student Storytelling (Nov. 2-Dec. 18)***
    Internet and Educational Research (Sept. 8-Oct. 20)***
    Integrating Technology in Classroom (Sept. 8-Oct 20.)***

    * This course does not count as part of the NLC 30.
    ** These courses can be utilized for the new Leadership for Change Certificate.
    *** These courses can be utilized for the new Computer Skills & Technology in Education Certificate and are worth two credits each—12 credits to complete certificate.

    Union Skills Courses at NLC

    Participation in a Union Skills Course provides students with the opportunity to learn practical, tested skills and keep up to date with the labor movement. Courses are open to all and are usually two credits. A third credit can sometimes be earned through additional assignments in consultation with the course instructor.

    Union Skills Course Schedule 2009-2010

    SEPTEMBER
    11-12 New Union Strategies for Local Economic Development*
    13-17 Negotiations Strategy and Tactics*
    13-18 Contract Negotiations in the Private Sector
    14-Oct. 2 Steward Training (online)
    20-25 Closing the Deal
    20-25 Arbitration Preparation and Presentation Level I
    21-25 Secretary-Treasurers LM2 Requirements
    27–Oct. 2 Organizing I
    27–Oct. 2 Teaching Techniques I
       
    Register Here
       
    OCTOBER
    25-30 Negotiating and Writing Contract Language
    25-30 Organizing in the Construction Industry I
    25-30 Arbitration Preparation and Presentation II
       
    Register Here
       
    NOVEMBER
    8-13 Western Seminar**:
     
  • Closing the Deal: A New Approach to Expanding the Unionized Construction Industry in the 21st Century**
  •  
  • Labor Law in the Construction Industry**
  • 8-13 New Union Staff
    16-20 Secretary-Treasurers Total Solution
    16-20 NLC Leadership Institute—tentative
    16-Dec. 31 Arbitration Brief Writing I (online—7 weeks)
       
    Register Here
       
    DECEMBER
    4-5 Good Jobs, Green Jobs*
    6-10 How to Do Arbitration and Hearings*
    6-11 Strategic Planning for Construction Organizing II
    6-11 Arbitration Brief Writing II
    7-11 Labor Relations in the Federal Sector
    11-12 Immigration and Labor*
    13-18 Contract Negotiations in the Construction Industry
       
    Register Here
       
    *Taught as part of the Southwest Organizing School in Santa Fe, N.M.
    **Taught as part of the Western Semester at L.A. Trade Tech. in Los Angeles, Calif.

    NLC Now Offers Federal Financial Aid

    The NLC is pleased to offer a number of opportunities for financial assistance, now including federal financial aid in the form of grants and loans to students who qualify, and scholarship opportunities through union and privately funded programs. The NLC was approved to offer federal financial aid this spring. Click here to learn more about financial aid loans and grants through the NLC.

     
     

     

      

    Forward This
    E-mail

    Seriously. Please forward this e-mail to your family, friends and co-workers. Every day, we’re hearing questions from our members, supporters and others about what health care reform means for them. Here are some answers.
        

    Dear Peter,                                  8-14-2009

    A lot of angry, over-the-top rhetoric is muddying our discussion of health care reform. To help clear things up, here’s a brief summary of President Obama’s plan, including how it will stop insurance company abuses and help you—even if you currently have a strong health benefits plan.

    • Health care reform will stop insurance company abuses.
      • Insurance companies won’t be able to refuse to pay a claim or give you coverage because of “pre-existing” conditions.
      • Your out-of-pocket expenses will be capped. No more going broke because of a serious illness or injury.
      • Insurance companies won’t be allowed to charge women higher rates than men or drop you if you get sick.
      • Insurance companies will have to cover your children until age 26 instead of dumping them at 19.

       

    • Health care reform will hold down rising costs.
      • A public health insurance option will force private insurers to compete and will lower costs for everyone.
      • By requiring companies to pay their fair share, we’ll stop them from dumping their health care costs on the rest of us.

       

    • Health reform means affordable care will be there for you, no matter what. If you lose your job, or your kid loses his. If you get sick. When you retire. Affordable health care will be there for you, no matter what. That means you and your family can’t fall through the cracks and won’t go broke because of health care bills.

    For more information about how health care reform can help you and for answers to many of the common questions about President Obama’s plan, check out this new web resource from the White House.

    We are so close to real reform, but getting over the finish line will be a battle. We are up against giant insurance companies, a Republican Party that wants President Obama to fail and the corporate media like Fox and Rush Limbaugh.

    The reality is that health care costs are spiraling out of control, and everyone in America deserves quality and affordable care. Health care reform simply can’t wait. We will all be better off with real reform.

    Thank you for everything you do, and please forward this e-mail far and wide.

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     
     

     

      
    Real Health Care Reform Includes:
     
  • A quality public health insurance option.
  • A requirement for employers to pay their fair share.
  • No taxation of workers’ existing health care benefits.
  • Digging Deeper—
    What Does Obama’s Health Care Reform Plan Mean for You?
  • Health care will be there for you, no matter what.
  • Health care costs will be reduced.
  • An end to insurance company abuses.
  • You can’t be denied coverage because you’re sick or have a pre-existing condition.
  • You and your doctor will be in charge of your health care decisions.
  •     

    Dear Peter,                                 8-6-2009

    Across the country, a small group of radical right-wingers are engaging in an all-out effort to stop real health care reform. There is little doubt that this increased level of coordinated activity is because we are closer to reform than we have been in more than 50 years.

    While we are getting closer to real reform, we can’t let up yet. We need to keep fighting to ensure that our voices are heard over the unruly mobs. More than 75 percent of America’s workers support President Obama’s plan for real health care reform, and we cannot allow a small band of angry zealots to stand in our way.

    Currently, fringe right-wing opponents of health care reform are focused on disrupting congressional town hall meetings. And we’ll be e-mailing you directly if we learn about town hall meetings near you. In the meantime, we need you to call your U.S. representative’s district office today and remind him or her to support real health care reform this year.

    Call your representative toll free: 1-877-702-0976

    The progress Congress has made so far toward reform has come thanks in part to the more than 50,000 phone calls made last week by activists like you. As of today, four congressional committees have approved health care reform bills with a quality public health insurance option, a requirement for employers to pay their fair share and no taxation of workers’ existing health care benefits.

    This is a remarkable achievement and the furthest we’ve come in 50 years toward providing affordable, secure and stable health care for all. We still have a ways to go, and while the media loves to highlight all the bumps in the road, it’s important to remember two things: We have yet to lose a significant vote in Congress this year on health reform, and the president, his staff and leaders in Congress are all committed to enacting health care reform this year.
     
    Call your representative toll free: 1-877-702-0976

    If you have a chance to speak with your member of Congress or a staff member, here is a question and a few talking points you might find helpful. But personal stories are often the most powerful way to communicate the need for reform, so feel free to tell your own story.

    • Will you side with health insurers and vote for legislation that continues their control over health care, or vote for reform that puts patients and their doctors in charge of their health care?

       

    • I want real health care reform with:

       

      • A quality public health insurance option.
      • A requirement for employers to pay their fair share.
      • No taxation of workers’ existing health care benefits.

    Thank you for your support,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. We are going to win this fight, but we can’t do it without hard work. The Republicans and their corporate allies are going all out to stop reform, and the next 30 days are going to be critical. Call your representative toll free: 1-877-702-0976

     
     

     

      

    Dear Peter,                     7-28-2009

    Our all-out push for real health care reform continues—we can’t afford for Congress to wait any longer.

    We need to fix our broken health care system with a reform bill that provides a quality public health insurance option, calls on employers to pay their fair share and doesn’t ask workers to pay more for what they already have.

    This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. The time is now, and we need a few minutes of your time today to make sure Congress acts now. Call on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to support real health care reform today.

    Call Rep. Cleaver toll free today: 1-877-702-0976

    Across the country as a part of a nationwide call-in day, tens of thousands of activists like you are calling their representatives demanding real health care reform with the following three conditions:

    • A quality public health insurance option.
    • Requirements that all employers pay their fair share.
    • No taxation of workers’ benefits.

    This is a historic opportunity to fix our broken health care system, and we need every member of Congress to understand this. Working together, we can make sure everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care.

    Call and tell your representative to support real health care reform: 1-877-702-0976

    It’s absolutely critical that you call today. Insurance company lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce are doing everything they can to slow down the process and ultimately kill reform. Don’t let them block reform. The time for waiting is done. We want quality and accessible health care for all NOW. Call your representative today.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. We voted for change last November. Now it’s time for Congress to deliver real health care reform. Call your representative today: 1-877-702-0976

     
     

     

      

        

    Dear Peter,                          7-14-2009

    Streaming hi-def web video. Music. Movies. Pictures. Books. All available when you want them—how you want them. This is the promise of the Internet.

    But is your Internet service fast enough to fulfill that promise? Can you stream hi-definition video online? Can you even watch low-quality streaming video? Sadly, the answer is probably not.

    The United States ranks just 15th among industrialized nations in broadband access, and we are virtually the only industrialized country without a national high-speed Internet policy.

    Click here to take the CWA Speed Matters Internet Speed Test and find out how your Internet service stacks up.

    To keep up in this rapidly modernizing world, everyone must have access to high-speed, affordable Internet service. The country that invented the Internet should be a leader in broadband speed and access, and we need your help to make it happen.

    The good news is that at the direction of President Obama, the Federal Communications Commission is crafting a national broadband strategy. To help the FCC develop this new strategy, we will compile the data from the speed tests of hundreds of thousands of activists like you and report on the results, breaking them down by state, county and ZIP code.

    Click here to take the CWA Speed Matters Internet Speed Test and help make a difference.

    Speed Matters is a project of the Communications Workers of America. CWA has been working for years to close the digital divide in the United States—collecting data, spreading awareness and lobbying our lawmakers about the need for universal broadband.

    The U.S. government invests relatively less on telecommunications than most other major countries, and we continue to lose ground to other countries in broadband access and speed. People like you are charged more for slower speeds, and our existing high-speed networks aren’t even available, much less affordable, for millions of American households.

    The result? Every day, American businesses are missing opportunities to sell their goods and services in the global marketplace. Every day, the American people are missing out on important health and educational benefits. And every day, the American economy is missing out on good jobs created by broadband deployment and maintenance. The FCC is working to fix this right now, and the results of your speed test will help them develop the best possible policy.

    Test your Internet speed and be part of the effort to bring the benefits of affordable high-speed Internet access to every American.

    There’s been a digital divide in the United States for many years. It has cost millions of Americans the full benefits of the digital age and kept our economy from reaching its full potential.

    Now we’re so close to closing the divide. I hope you’ll support this effort.

     

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     
     

     

     

    Dear Peter,                           7-10-2009

    Take
Action NowWe knew that achieving meaningful health care reform wasn’t going to be easy, but today we have some exciting news to share. Three committees in the House of Representatives just released a draft proposal that provides a quality public health insurance option, calls on employers to pay their fair share and doesn’t ask workers to pay more for what they already have.

    This is a strong reform proposal that meets the goals of President Obama, and ours, to control runaway health care costs, offer the American people real choices and expand access to quality health care.

    Speak out today: Send a message to your representative in support of real health care reform.

    This proposal is just a small step in the long road to real health care reform, but as part of the reform process, it’s critical that your representatives in Washington hear from you now in support of this proposal.

    Opponents of reform are making their views known at every moment, and we need your help to counter their lobbying efforts. Sadly, we cannot count on our representatives to vote for reform because it’s the right thing to do, so we need to regularly remind them how important this issue is to us and why we need real health care reform now.

    Make your voice heard: Send a message to your representative today.

    Insurance companies, drug makers and other private health industries have spent $126 million on lobbyists this year alone, and we can’t let them kill real reform. The American people want real health care reform, and it’s up to you to keep the pressure on your representatives in Washington to do the right thing.

    Together, we can ensure that everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care. 

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Congress just came back into session, and health care really is at the top of the agenda. We need you to make your voice heard right now. Contact your representative today.

     
     

     

      

    Franken Wins!

    Tuesday afternoon, after a grueling recount process, former Sen. Norm Coleman finally conceded defeat and congratulated Al Franken on his Senate victory in Minnesota. Franken is a longtime union member and supporter of workers' rights.

    Sen. Franken is expected to take a seat on the powerful Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, where he will play a key role in health care reform.

    Additionally, his full support for the Employee Free Choice Act brings us that much closer to securing 60 Senate votes for workers' freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life.

    — Marc Laitin, AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

        

    Dear Peter,                           7-2-2009

    Every Fourth of July is an opportunity to celebrate the freedom we have, while remembering the freedoms for which we are still fighting. Our key fight now is about whether the workplace is a place of dignity—or of absolute employer power.

    It’s a fight over the basic question of whether workers’ rights at work, health care and pensions are fundamental to having a decent life—or luxuries that only CEOs and investment bankers get to enjoy.

    This is why we are fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act.

    We are fighting for the people who do the real work of our society—who build our cities, teach our children and run into burning buildings when everyone else runs out. The people who make power plants work, tend the mentally ill and collect garbage. The people who staff hospitals, fly planes, drive buses, build ships, harvest produce and perform thousands of other critical jobs.

    These people are why we are fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act.

    We can only win this fight together, so join me on this Independence Day weekend and send a message to your representatives in Washington: Pass the Employee Free Choice Act because every worker deserves the freedom to join a union and bargain for a better life.

    Write your representative and senators today.

    America’s workers need all of us to keep fighting for our freedom.

    John J. Sweeney
    AFL-CIO President

     
     

     

     

     

    Dear Peter,                         6-23-2009

      

     

        

    The more than 23,000 of you who took the online 2009 Health Care for America Survey made it clear: Our health care system is failing us, and we need relief from costs that are bankrupting families, endangering our health and hobbling businesses. That’s why it’s so important that we let Congress know they must hang in there and get health care reform done!

    In the survey, sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America, nearly one-third reported skipping important medical care because of costs. Almost everyone is dissatisfied with health care costs—including nearly three-quarters of people with insurance. And 6,409 of you were so motivated that you took the time to share personal stories about your experiences with health care.

    In the current economic crisis, 97 percent say health care reform is urgent. With Congress working on legislation right now, it is critical that your senators and representatives hear from you.

    1) Read the report and personal stories and pass them along.

    2) Tell your members of Congress we need real health care reform now.

      

     

        

    The survey shows that every day people are being forced to make life-and-death decisions: Pay their health care premiums or buy the life-saving prescription? Chip away at credit card debt or skip the required care for a serious chronic condition?

    This is not acceptable. We must have real health care reform now.

    That’s what the 23,460 people who took the 2009 Health Care for America Survey—and the 6,409 who submitted heart-wrenching personal stories—demand. You and others who took the survey reveal the real-world toll of soaring health care costs, lack of insurance, systemic flaws in our health care system and the economic downturn.

    Read the full report here, including thousands of categorized stories.

    Your survey responses further reinforce the three key elements in real health care reform:

    • A strong public health insurance plan must be available to lower costs and make sure everybody has a health care option.

       

    • All employers should be required to either provide health care to their employees or pay into a system to make sure everyone is covered.

       

    • Workers’ health care benefits must not be taxed—we’re already paying too much.

    Contact your representative and senators today. Tell them health care reform must include each of these elements.

    It is vitally important that your representative and senators hear from constituents like you. Together, we can ensure that everyone in America has high-quality health care.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. There are no two ways about it. The status quo is unsustainable. If we continue on the current path, health care costs will crush families, business and government at all levels. It is critical that we have real health care reform now. Contact Congress today.

     
     

     

      

    What a Response!

    Wow, we asked and you delivered!

    More than 23,000 of you took the AFL-CIO/Working American 2009 Health Care for America Survey—and more than 6,400 added detailed stories. Our preliminary reading of these surveys shows how desperate the need is for real health care reform in America. We’ll have the full results for you in a few weeks in all their harsh detail.

    Meanwhile, now is the time to fight for real health care reform by joining with Organizing for America members this Saturday at a Health Care Organizing Kickoff event near you.

        

                                                      6-5-2009

    Real health care reform: It’s happening and it’s happening now.               

    Your demand for health care for all has been heard loud and clear. President Obama and leaders in Congress are moving quickly to make it a reality, but success is far from assured. Insurance companies are gearing up to spend millions of dollars again in an effort to derail real health care reform.

    That’s where you come in. This Saturday, in homes across the country, members of Organizing for America are holding thousands of events to discuss real health care reform and make local plans to help it pass this year in spite of the multimillion-dollar lobbying efforts bent on stopping reform. Join in—be a part of this fight.

    Find a local Organizing for America Health Care Reform Kickoff event near you.

    In the next few weeks, we expect the House and Senate to draft actual health care reform legislation. Never has it been more critical for your voice to be heard. These events are a great opportunity to ensure that America’s workers are represented in the fight for real reform.

    Be sure to emphasize that health care reform must:

    • Include a public health insurance option that will bring down costs and guarantee quality affordable health care for all.
    • Require employers to pay their fair share to prevent companies from shifting costs for their workers to taxpayers and firms that offer good benefits.
    • Ensure affordable coverage for pre-Medicare retirees, who can't get affordable coverage on their own.
    • Reject schemes to tax health benefits, which would unfairly raise costs for workers—especially vulnerable workers.

    Make sure our voice is heard. Attend an Organizing for America Health Care Reform Kickoff event near you.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. Thousands of events have been planned, and it’s critical that America’s workers have a voice. Attend an Organizing for America Health Care Reform Kickoff event this saturday.


     
     
     
     
     

    5-26-2009

    The response to the AFL-CIO/Working America 2009 Health Care for America Survey has been overwhelming. Since the survey was launched, more than 17,000 working men and women have participated.

    But we need more people to take the survey. We need you to participate.

    Politicians in Washington are debating health care reform right now. When we release the results of our survey, we want to present the voices of more than 20,000 working men and women. Can you make your voice heard today and help us get to 20,000?

    Click here to take the 2009 Health Care for America Survey today.

    In addition to the 17,000 survey responses, we've received more than 4,000 heart-wrenching health care stories, like this one from Michelle in Pennsylvania whose surgeon recommended, after exploring multiple other options, a bilateral mastectomy to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer:

    My insurance company came back denying this—stating they determined it to be a “cosmetic” procedure. I am now having to go through the first-level appeal, awaiting an answer. What 35-year-old woman would want to go through this procedure unless absolutely necessary, then to have to fight for coverage....and rather humiliatingly be told it's “cosmetic”—all while being in constant pain. Being a Type 1 diabetic, I have dealt with insurance companies for a long time—but this experience tops the list.

    Sad and amazing! Add your story and join thousands of others to help bring real health care reform this year.

    While Michelle is fighting her insurance company for coverage, at least she has some coverage. Here’s a story from Sam in California:

    I am a contract employee, and health insurance is not available through the agency that placed me in my current job. I was covered by my wife's insurance plan, but that ended when we got divorced. I tried to obtain health insurance on my own, but was denied coverage by multiple insurers due to the pre-existing conditions of hay fever and shingles. One major company sent me a denial letter that basically came right out and said that it was not cost-effective to cover me.

    Everyone, including Sam, deserves quality, affordable health care. The 2009 Health Care for America Survey gives you the chance to make your voice heard and ensures that decision makers in Washington understand what working families are experiencing.

    Click here to take the 2009 Health Care for America Survey today.

    All individual survey responses are kept completely confidential.

    Here's a story about what health care in this country could look like from Erik in Wisconsin:

    One evening I developed a fairly severe pain in my ear. As I am accustomed to avoiding doctor visits due to the hassle, I tried to wait it out. But 30 minutes later, the pain was unbearable.

    So I called a taxi and took it to the nearest clinic, located in a very rough neighborhood close to my house. I walked in, talked to a doctor within 30 seconds, was examined, and was given all the medication I needed to treat my ear infection, including painkillers and antibiotics. The medicine was free, along with the consultation, and I was again waiting for the taxi 10 minutes later.

    Sound foreign? That's probably because this took place in rural Venezuela in South America.

    Together, working families can be a big force behind winning secure, high-quality health care for all in 2009.

    Take the 2009 Health Care for America Survey today.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     
     

             

     
    5-21-2009

    Intimidation and Harassment.

    Threats and Surveillance.

    Interrogation and Retaliation.

    All standard tactics in the employer anti-union playbook, and during the past decade we've seen these tactics used more and more often.

    In a study released this week, Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, documents this in detail -- including the increase in corporate tactics to interfere with, block and delay workers' attempts to form unions, and the ineffectiveness of current labor law to protect and enforce workers' rights in the election process.

    The study, "No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing," examines more than 1,000 union-representation campaigns and finds that "intense and aggressive" tactics to block workers' freedom to form unions are becoming more commonplace.

    We need your help to make sure every senator and representative in Washington, D.C., reads this new study. Click here to share this study today.

    Here are a few highlights (or lowlights) of the study:

    • During union campaigns, bosses threatened to close plants 57 percent the time and threatened to cut wages and benefits 47 percent of the time.
    • In more than 60 percent of union campaigns, workers are forced to attend mandatory one-on-one sessions with supervisors and are given anti-union messages or interrogated about their support for a union.
    • The number of employers using 10 or more identified coercive tactics to intimidate and harass workers has doubled.
    • When employees actually win an election to form a union, 52 percent still have no contract a year later, and 37 percent are without a contract two years after they voted to join a union.

    Want to learn more? Click here to read the full study. (pdf)

    Don't forget. Make sure to share this study with your senators and representative.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

     

     

     

     

    5-14-2009

    Forty-seven artists.

    Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony award winners and nominees.

    Sitcom stars, character actors, musicians, comedians and Broadway performers.

    All union members.

    All support the Employee Free Choice Act and say so in this new video.

    People associate actors with fame and glory. The truth is for a long time my union contract was the reason I could support my family. That's why I support the Employee Free Choice Act, because each worker, regardless of their field, deserves the freedom to bargain for a contract, for a better life.
       -- Actress Amy Brenneman

    As the performers say, this is not a red state issue. This is not a blue state issue. It's a workers' issue.

    It's time for Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. It's time the economy worked for everyone.

    I've belonged to three unions in my life, and every one gave me the freedom to bargain with my co-workers for decent hours, benefits and safe conditions. If all workers don't have the freedom to form unions, I don't see how we can fix our economy.
       -- Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller

    Watch the video. Share it with your family and friends. Together, we can make America's economy work for working people.

    In solidarity,

    Marc Laitin
    AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

    P.S. You really should check out this video. It's an amazing collection of artists who have come together in support of the Employee Free Choice Act. Check it out today.

    P.P.S. A special shout out to all the actors, musicians, editors, writers and crew members who made this video possible, including members of the following unions:

    • Actors' Equity Association
    • American Federation of Musicians
    • American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
    • Directors Guild of America (DGA)
    • International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE)
    • Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
    • Writers Guild of America, East
    • Writers Guild of America, West

    Click here for a full list of performers and their bios.

     
     

     


    NLC Summer Semester Registration Deadline:
    May 8

    The National Labor College’s 2009 Summer Semester begins Monday, June 8. The last day to register for the semester is May 8. For more information, call the NLC Admissions Office at 301-431-5421 or e-mail josborn@nlc.edu. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

    5-1-2009      

    At the National Labor College, we make quality labor education accessible and affordable for working adults. Our union-subsidized tuition rates, plus the opportunity to take some courses fully or partially online, make it possible for you to complete a degree or just take a course to develop your union skills while holding down a full-time job. Take a look at our courses. We think you’ll be proud of the labor movement’s own accredited college.

    In this e-mail:

    • Announcing Free Non-Credit Online Courses
    • New Certificate in Leadership for Change
    • Save the Date: National Health Care Conference on July 24
    • Save the Date: Celebrate 40 Years of the National Labor College on July 28
    • Labor Secretary Honors Fallen Workers
    • Announcing the NLC Green Workplace Representative Certificate
    • Listing of our 2009 Bachelor’s Degree Courses
    • Listing of our 2009 Union Skills Courses

     


     

    NLC to Offer Free Online Courses

    The National Labor College has launched a new, cutting-edge union education tool called the Open Learning Course (OLC) program. The OLC is offered free and is a self-directed, web-based learning activity that offers opportunities for union members, leaders, activists and staff to study new topics and improve their understanding of the labor movement. Courses usually take about an hour and provide informative overviews of topics important to unionists. Take an OLC course on collective bargaining, Taft-Hartley funds, labor and the arts or another subject of interest to you. Find out more on the NLC OLC webpage. The course listing will be updated periodically, so keep checking back.

    New Certificate in Leadership for Change

    The Leadership for Change certificate is a four-course, 10-week, fully online program. The four courses are: Effective Leadership: Making It All Happen, Grassroots Leadership for Working America 1 & 2, Leadership Theory and Union Administration. Courses are designed to provide participants with a new comprehensive look at organization, management and leadership issues for today's union leaders. Local union activists, officers, administrators and others in leadership positions are ideal candidates for this program. For more information, contact Professor Bonnie Ladin at bladin@nlc.edu.

    National Health Care Conference Set for Friday, July 24

    The Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Institute at the NLC will host its annual health care conference, Team Work, Technology and Integrated Care: A New Blueprint for Health Care Delivery, on Friday, July 24, at the NLC’s George Meany Campus in Silver Spring, Md. The conference will feature nationally recognized legislators, government officials, labor leaders and academic and industry experts. Participants will discuss how technology, integration and labor management partnerships are transforming health care. To receive an invitation, please e-mail Professor Bonnie Ladin at bladin@nlc.edu.

    Celebrate 40 Years of the National Labor College, Tuesday, July 28

    Mark your calendar for the 40th anniversary of the National Labor College on Tuesday, July 28. Originally established at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in 1969, the NLC became a degree-granting institution in 1997 and earned accreditation in 2004. Join us for a night of celebration to benefit the college of the labor movement. To receive an invitation, e-mail RMolofsky@nlc.edu.

    Labor Secretary Hilda Solis Honors Fallen Workers at NLC

    At the National Labor College’s Workers Memorial Day ceremony April 28, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis honored the more than 5,000 workers who are killed on the job each year and the more than 50,000 who die from occupational illness and disease. Solis joined NLC President William E. Scheuerman, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney, Secretary-Treasurer Richard L. Trumka, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts and hundreds of union leaders and members, college faculty, students and staff for the groundbreaking of the new Workers Memorial to be constructed on the college’s campus. See photos and read more here.

    NLC Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program

    The NLC is developing a new Green Workplace Representative Certificate Program that will offer union activists knowledge, expertise and leadership in the field of climate change response and green workplace auditing. These “Green Workplace Representatives” will advance sustainability values and practices in workplaces that meet the mutual interests of workers and managers and enhance the competitiveness of American firms in the global economy. To find out more, visit the NLC website.

    2009 NLC Bachelor of Arts Course Schedule

    The NLC Bachelor of Arts degree in Labor Studies is an open enrollment program, meaning students may apply to the degree program at any time. The NLC offers six majors: Labor Studies, Health and Safety, the Political Economy of Labor, Labor Education, Union Leadership and Administration and Labor History. The NLC accepts credits from other accredited institutions and training programs and will assess a student’s life experience and training for additional credit. A college degree may be closer than you think.

    To find out more about the NLC degree program, click here. All Bachelor of Arts courses may also be taken by non-degree students. Click here to register online.

    NLC 2009-2010 Course Term Schedule

    SUMMER SEMESTER 2009
    Semester: June 8-Aug. 28, 2009
    In residence: July 11-17, 2009

    Partially Online Courses with One-Week Residency at the NLC

    Senior Seminar
    Labor and the American Political System
    Union Administration
    Images of Labor in Film
    Intro to Labor Studies
    Bargaining in a Changing World
    Health Care Reform That Works
    Capital Stewardship
    Comparative Research Methods
    Reading and Writing Critically
    History of Labor and the Law
    Organizing the Global Workforce

    Fully Online Courses

    Education Planning
    Mathematics in Modern Society
    Music Appreciation
    Creative Writing
    History of Communication, Culture and Technology
    Instructional Technology
    The Adult Learner
    Leadership and Landmark Events in the 20th Century
    Hazardous Materials Transportation
    Foundations in Safety and Health
    Grassroots Leadership for Working America I & II
    Leadership Theory
    Bibliography and Research

    FALL SEMESTER 2009
    Semester: Sept. 8, 2009-Dec. 18, 2009
    In Residence: Oct. 3-9, 2009

    Partially Online Courses with One-Week Residency at the NLC

    Senior Seminar
    Labor and the American Political System
    History of Labor Theater
    Leadership: Special Topics
    Labor and the Global Economy
    Introduction to Labor Studies
    Workplace Hazards and the Law
    Health Benefits Future
    Employment Rights
    Organizing and Representing the New Work Force
    Comparative Research Methods
    Writing About Labor and Literature
    Gender and Identity in Labor History
    Labor and the Global Economy, Train the Trainer
    New Social Justice Course
    Senior Project
    Senior Project Progress

    Fully Online Courses

    Digital Learning and the Future
    Mathematics in Modern Society
    Western Music in the Gilded Age
    Effective Writing
    Science, Technology and Our World
    Film and Globalization
    Labor Law
    Grassroots Leadership for Working America I & II
    Leadership Theory
    Multimedia Technology
    Computer Skills for Trade Unionists Level I
    Social Networking Technology in Education
    Computer Skills for Trade Unionists Level II
    Distance Learning for Labor Education
    Instructional Systems Design
    Bio-Terrorism
    Foundations in Safety and Health
    Effective Leadership
    Labor in the U.S.: Concept, Change, Challenge
    The Role of the Corporation in Society
    Union Administration

    2009 Union Skills Course Schedule
    Union Skills courses are open to all. Most are taught online, on the NLC campus or through the NLC’s Southwest Organizing School in Santa Fe, N.M.  Additional NLC courses are taught through our partnerships with other academic institutions around the country. To find out more about our regional partnerships, click here.

    Union Skills Course Schedule Through December 2009
    Note: All courses and schedules subject to change.

     

    May 2009
    3-7 Workers' Rights—Advanced Grievance Handling*
    3-8 Negotiating & Writing Contract Language
    8-9 Developing a Media Strategy*
    10-14 Union Leadership, Administration & Member Organizing*
    11-15 Labor Relations in the Federal Sector
       
    Register Here
       
    June 2009
    7-12 Negotiating Contracts with State & Local Governments
     
    7-12 Organizing in the Construction Industry I
     
    14-19 New Union Staff
     
    21-26 Arbitration Preparation & Presentation Level I
     
    22-26 Secretary-Treasurers Total Solution
       
    Register Here
       
    July 2009
    12-17 Strategic Planning in the Construction Industry II
       
    Register Here
       
    September 2009
    13-18 Contract Negotiations in the Private Sector
    14-Oct. 2 Steward Training
    20-25 Closing the Deal
    20-25 Arbitration Preparation & Presentation Level I
     
    21-25 Secretary-Treasurers LM2 Requirements
    27- Oct 2 Organizing I
    27- Oct 2 Teaching Techniques I
       
    Register Here
       
    October 2009
    18-23 New Union Staff
    25-30 Negotiating & Writing Contract Language
     
    25-30 Organizing in the Construction Industry I
     
    25-30 Arbitration Preparation and Presentation Level II
     
       
    Register Here
       
    November 2009
    8-13 Western Seminar**
    A New Approach to Expanding the Unionized Construction Industry in the 21st Century**
    Labor Law in the Construction Industry**
    16-20 Secretary-Treasurers Total Solution
     
    16- Dec. 31 Arbitration Brief Writing I (online—7 weeks)
     
       
    Register Here
       
    December 2009
    6-11 Strategic Planning for Construction Organizing II
     
    6-11 Arbitration Brief Writing II
     
    7-11 Labor Relations in the Federal Sector
     
    13-18 Contract Negotiations in the Construction Industry
     
       
    Register Here
       
    * Taught in Santa Fe, N.M.
    ** Taught at Los Angeles Trade Tech, Los Angeles
    For more information, click here.