Change to Win

New Report Documents Unparalleled Employer Abuse In Underreporting Of Workplace Injury And Illness

November 16, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – America’s workers suffer more workplace injury and illness than employers report, and medical professionals are under pressure from employers to misdiagnose and under-treat work-related health conditions, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The report confirms what workers and worker advocacy organizations have known for a long time—Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) statistics do not reflect the real risk workers face from workplace hazards.    » read more »

House Delivers On Election Promise. Now Is Time For Senate To Act

November 9, 2009 -- The following is the statement of Anna Burger, Chair, Change To Win, on the passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

After generations of struggle and decades of delay, the U.S House of Representatives had the courage to act---and, to pass historic reform legislation to assure every American, regardless of age or income, access to high quality, affordable health care. The House’s action this November is why working men and women turned out at the polls last November. Health care is a key economic concern of working families—and, national health care reform is key to economic recovery and security for working families.    » read more »

Cites Chamber President Donohue’s own track record as director of scandal-ridden companies

November 2, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Change to Win (CtW) Chair Anna Burger today called on members of the House Committee on Financial Services to reject the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s less than credible rhetoric and to approve the Waters/Peters Amendment to the Investor Protection Act of 2009 in this Wednesday’s vote. The Waters/Peters amendment affirms the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) authority to adopt a uniform proxy access rule.    » read more »

CtW report: Chamber CEO Tom Donohue has hijacked the Chamber’s agenda

October 15, 2009 --
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Preaching free enterprise, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue leads the Chamber’s attack on the financial reforms essential to restore employment and the economy. He cloaks the Chamber’s staunch opposition in the most expensive rhetoric money can buy. But Donohue’s pro-business, pro-economy and pro-jobs rhetoric notwithstanding, the Chamber’s record under his leadership is none of those things. It is pro-CEO.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Working American Dream – quality health care, good jobs and educational opportunity -- is the foundation for the new progressive majority. Workers are looking to government to play an active role in turning this economy around and renewing the American Dream, yet they remain skeptical of the effectiveness of government and the commitment of politicians to represent the interests of working families, according to a new survey conducted by Lake Research Partners and released today at the “America’s Future Now” conference.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win executive director Chris Chafe issued the following statement regarding U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis’ decision yesterday to suspend the midnight Bush Administration changes to weaken labor protections in the H-2A guestworker program.

“Change to Win applauds Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for her decision to suspend and reconsider anti-worker regulations that were issued by the Bush Administration as a gift to growers on its way out the door. We are extremely grateful to Secretary Solis for standing up for workers and insisting that these unlawful, anti-worker rules be reviewed and reconsidered.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON DC -- Statement of Change to Win Chair and SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger on President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States:

“Some choices are made for today; others are decided with the future in mind: this choice is right on both counts.    » read more »

April 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Change to Win chair and SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger released the following statement on today’s bipartisan vote by the U.S. Senate to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“The 6 million hardworking Change to Win affiliate members hoped the current economic crisis and overwhelming burden healthcare costs place on working families would be enough for a speedy confirmation. We are encouraged that obstructionists in the Senate have finally realized that dragging their feet on reforming our healthcare system only harms working families, small businesses and our economy. A potential pandemic with severe economic consequences only reaffirmed the immediate and critical need for leadership at HHS.    » read more »

Commemorates Those Lost on Workers Memorial Day

April 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from Change to Win Executive Director Chris Chafe on Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2009.

“Each year, thousands of workers are killed on the job and millions more sustain workplace injuries. According to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than four million workers were injured on the job and nearly 6,000 were killed by injuries due to job-site hazards in 2007 alone. Thousands more died of job-related diseases.    » read more »

March 20, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win called on Congress today to amend the critical tax legislation to recover the unwarranted and outrageous bonuses to failing managers of AIG and other bailout recipients to include the $3.6 billion in bonuses Bank of America allowed Merrill Lynch to secretly pay in advance of its merger.

“The Merrill Lynch bonus pool is one of the most egregious bonus fiascos on Wall Street,” said Change to Win chair Anna Burger. “American taxpayers are tired of repeatedly seeing corporate excess rewarded, but adding insult to injury, they are now being asked to reward corporate failure. Enough is enough.”    » read more »

March 10, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win chair Anna Burger issued the following statement in response to Rep. George Miller’s, D-Calif., and Sen. Tom Harkin’s, D-Iowa, introduction of the Employee Free Choice Act today in the United States Congress.    » read more »

March 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a letter to Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Lead Director O. Temple Sloan, the CtW Investment Group called on BAC's board to remove Ken Lewis as Chairman and CEO in light of his disastrous missteps. Since the September 15, 2008 announcement of the merger with Merrill Lynch, BAC has:

* Suffered a 90% drop in share price
* Allowed Merrill to pay out $3.6 billion in bonuses, even as the firm was hemorrhaging money
* Denied any active role in determining the size of Merrill bonuses, a claim subsequently contradicted by documents that have emerged in the NY Attorney General’s investigation
* Failed to timely disclose over $20 billion in pre-tax losses at Merrill    » read more »

March 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win chair Anna Burger issued the following statement about today’s White House Forum on Health Reform, which was attended by various Change to Win leaders.

“There are few challenges we face as a nation that are as complex and consequential as fixing our health care system. With 14,000 more Americans losing their health coverage every day, we can no longer turn a blind eye to solving a difficult problem. Instead, we must work together to make the big reforms necessary to bring about real solutions and deliver quality, affordable health care for every man, woman and child in America.    » read more »

February 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win chair Anna Burger, issued the following statement about the first meeting of the Middle Class Task Force today, chaired by Vice President Joe Biden, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

“The world is facing a historic opportunity to rebuild our global economy through investments in sustainable projects that will create new jobs, reduce our dependence on oil and protect our planet after decades of mismanagement.    » read more »

February 25, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – CtW Investment Group Director of Value Strategies Michael Garland released the following statement today in response to Principal Financial Group’s claim that they haven’t taken a position on the Employee Free Choice Act.

“In a transparent attempt to rewrite history to qualify for $2 billion in TARP assistance, the Principal Financial Group (NYSE: PFG), issued a statement last night asserting that it has not taken a position on the Employee Free Choice Act. The public record indicates otherwise.    » read more »