AFL-CIO

May 19, 2009 -- "Today’s agreement on nationwide fuel economy standards is a major step forward and a victory for America’s workers, consumers and the environment. The agreement lays the groundwork for building a new generation of cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles that will be manufactured here in the United States.

President Obama showed tremendous leadership by bringing together workers, the automakers, environmental groups, the federal government and the state of California. The plan shows that protecting our environment and creating good paying jobs can go hand in hand and America’s workers are proud to do their part towards achieving this deal.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) – People who have lost jobs in the economic downturn are being saddled with the high costs of health care, according to preliminary results of an ongoing online health care survey sponsored by the AFL-CIO (www.healthcaresurvey.aflcio.org).

Of 16,000 people who have taken the online survey to date, nearly 4,000 report that they or someone in their household have lost their health care due to losing or changing jobs. Survey responses will be accepted through May.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- (Washington) The stars of stage and screen – actors, musicians, Broadway performers, comedians, writers and crew – are coming out in support of the Employee Free Choice Act through a new online video called “Artists4WorkersChoice.” Many have Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards and nominations, and they have one thing in common – they’re all union members, and they all share the experience of working every day for a living, struggling to find jobs and pay the bills.    » read more »

May 12, 2009 -- "Although the Social Security and Medicare Trustees’ 69th annual report on the program’s financial and actuarial status was released in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the trustees reaffirm that the Social Security system is sound and faces no immediate danger.

Despite rhetoric from Social Security alarmists and doomsday prognosticators the program continues to run large surpluses and remains capable of paying scheduled benefits in full for the next three decades. Radical changes are not necessary to bridge short-term revenue decreases or to address the program’s long-term solvency.    » read more »

May 11, 2009 -- Today’s letter of support for the Employee Free Choice Act from an international coalition of institutional investors – representing over $372 billion in assets – adds a critically important voice to the effort to rebuild our struggling economy and restore workers’ rights. This significant endorsement reflects both a commitment to protecting workers freedom of association and a duty to support policies that promote long-term financial stability.    » read more »

Workers Can Go to www.unemploymentlifeline.com for Assistance

May 08, 2009 -- America’s workers are suffering through the worst job loss in a generation, while too many politicians continue to stand in the way of urgently needed government action and reform. Addressing the deeply rooted problems in our labor market is just as important to ending the recession as fixing the banking system.

We lost 539,000 jobs in April, bringing the total job loss since the recession began to over 5.7 million and the unemployment rate to 8.9 %. While job loss slowed last month, the number of people unemployed for a long time has risen, and as a result of George Bush’s disastrous policies, this is now the longest recession since World War II.    » read more »

New Data Available in Report Released Today to Mark Workers Memorial Day

April 27, 2009 -- The nation’s workplace safety laws and penalties are too weak to effectively protect workers, according to the new AFL-CIO annual report released today: Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.

There were a total of 5,657 fatal workplace injuries in 2007, a slight decrease from the year before, according to the AFL-CIO’s analysis of the newly available data. In 2007, employers reported more than 4 million workers having a work-related injury or illness, more than 10,950 each day. Due to the impact of underreporting of injuries and illness, the true toll may be as high as 12 million workers experiencing an injury or illness in 2007.    » read more »

Website Includes Latest CEO Pay Data, Bailout Bonuses

April 14, 2009 -- (Washington) - Retention bonuses. Golden coffins. Turbo-charged pension plans. Hefty severance packages. Lavish “executive physicals.” These are some of the outrageous CEO pay practices highlighted in the AFL-CIO’s 2009 Executive PayWatch website launched today at www.paywatch.org.

Despite the worst economic slump in decades, companies continue to heap millions of dollars in pay, bonuses and perquisites on CEO for poor performance, according to the latest data for 2008. The 2009 PayWatch site highlights 10 of these worst CEO pay practices through case studies and includes a comprehensive database of new CEO pay figures.    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- Today’s announcement by Sen. Specter – a sponsor of the original Employee Free Choice Act who voted for cloture in 2007 – is frankly a disappointment and a rebuke to working people, to his own constituents in Pennsylvania and working families around the country.

The fact is the Employee Free Choice Act has more support than ever – large majorities in both houses of Congress, the President and Vice President, 73 percent of the public. We will continue to work with Democrats and a number of Republicans to create commonsense solutions to the decades of corporate power.

We do not plan to let a hardball campaign from Big Business derail the Employee Free Choice Act or the dreams of workers.    » read more »

March 10, 2009 -- "Today is a banner day for working Americans, a milestone on the road to rebuilding our nation’s middle class – and it couldn’t come at a more crucial time. We thank the House of Representatives and the Senate for introducing the Employee Free Choice Act, which will restore workers’ freedom to bargain for fair wages, job security, better health care and secure pensions. Special thanks also goes to Congressman Miller, Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Harkin for being the lead sponsors and champions for America’s working families.

We are confident the Employee Free Choice Act is going to become the law of the land.    » read more »

Workers Also Came to D.C. to Tell Their Stories Directly to Their Representatives and to Testify Before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee

March 09, 2009 -- Starting today, and continuing throughout the week, America’s workers will hold over 100 grassroots events across the country urging congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, which will restore workers’ freedom to join a union and bargain for a better life.

Workers also are coming to D.C. to tell their stories directly to their Representatives and to testify before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee.    » read more »

March 06, 2009 -- America’s steepest drop in employment in over 30 years shows just how long the road to economic recovery will be. The pain of February’s widespread job losses was felt across virtually every employment sector -- with manufacturing and construction especially hard hit. Unemployment among African American men hit 14.9 percent last month – almost double the level a year ago.

The economy has spiraled into a vicious downward cycle: Workers are losing their jobs and can't maintain their mortgage payments. Housing foreclosures are exacerbating the downward slide in housing prices and tightening credit. Frozen credit markets are forcing firms to lay off more workers.    » read more »

March 02, 2009 -- We congratulate President Obama on his choice of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as our next Secretary of Health and Human Services. The nomination of Gov. Sebelius will provide a great boost to the effort to enact sweeping health care reform.

Her experience as Kansas insurance commissioner and her outstanding record as governor uniquely qualify Gov. Sebelius for this demanding position. Time's selection of her in 2005 as one of the country's five best governors speaks to the critically important leadership and managerial abilities needed for this job.

Gov. Sebelius brings a track record of bipartisanship and the ability to work well with all the players in health care. We look forward to working with her to enact affordable, comprehensive health care for all.    » read more »

February 26, 2009 -- President Obama said from day one that he’s going to tackle the tough issues quickly and decisively, yet people in Washington seem shocked that the president is doing exactly what he promised to do. His budget signals just how serious he is about addressing the profound imbalances in our country and repairing the economic damage.

President Obama’s proposed budget takes us in the right direction towards creating an economy that works for everyone. The budget sets out ambitious – but achievable – proposals for bold new reforms in energy, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, while also laying out a concrete plan to fund these programs over the next decade.    » read more »

February 18, 2009 -- The swift action by the Obama Administration today to address the housing crisis is a welcome and refreshing change.

For more than a year, the Bush Administration ignored calls from the AFL-CIO and others to address a coming foreclosure tsunami. Tragically, in the months that followed, the deepening housing debacle turned millions of families’ lives upside down and strengthened its chokehold on our economy.

The Obama plan is designed to help up to nine million homeowners. The strong plan from the Administration correctly includes changing the bankruptcy laws to allow judges to modify the mortgages of distressed homeowners, including reducing the principal of these loans to the property's current market value.    » read more »