Teaser: 

This July 4, there will be lots of speeches about freedom and patriotism. Politicians will talk about the nation's struggle for independence and how we must fight to defend what we have achieved. But especially since the terrorist attacks in 2001, such talk has defined patriotism as fighting terrorism and standing up for the flag—yet it goes no further.

But it should.

Among those in the country embodying patriotism are the women and men who make up our nation's unions.

Union members demonstrate their patriotism by taking on the most fundamental of roles: Defending our nation. Thousands of union members have joined the National Guard and the military. Union members—firefighters, police, medical technicians—were the first to respond on Sept. 11, and hundreds more risked their lives to help recover bodies from the rubble. These union members put their lives on the line on Sept. 11—as they do every day.

This July 4, there will be lots of speeches about freedom and patriotism. Politicians will talk about the nation's struggle for independence and how we must fight to defend what we have achieved. But especially since the terrorist attacks in 2001, such talk has defined patriotism as fighting terrorism and standing up for the flag—yet it goes no further.

But it should.

Among those in the country embodying patriotism are the women and men who make up our nation's unions.

Union members demonstrate their patriotism by taking on the most fundamental of roles: Defending our nation. Thousands of union members have joined the National Guard and the military. Union members—firefighters, police, medical technicians—were the first to respond on Sept. 11, and hundreds more risked their lives to help recover bodies from the rubble. These union members put their lives on the line on Sept. 11—as they do every day.

Teaser: 

Charles Clark, Labor 2008 state director for Indiana, reports on union members’ response to a McCain appearance this week.

When John McCain arrived in Indianapolis on Tuesday morning, he was greeted by dozens of union members chanting “Shame on McCain” and “McSame as Bush” in protest of the presidential candidate’s visit to the state capital.

Protesters from AFSCME Local 661, OPEIU Local 1, IUPAT Local 47, UAW Region 3, UFCW Local 700 and USW Locals 1999 and 715 blasted McCain for his plan to tax health care.

Charles Clark, Labor 2008 state director for Indiana, reports on union members’ response to a McCain appearance this week.

When John McCain arrived in Indianapolis on Tuesday morning, he was greeted by dozens of union members chanting “Shame on McCain” and “McSame as Bush” in protest of the presidential candidate’s visit to the state capital.

Protesters from AFSCME Local 661, OPEIU Local 1, IUPAT Local 47, UAW Region 3, UFCW Local 700 and USW Locals 1999 and 715 blasted McCain for his plan to tax health care.

Teaser: 

Tax cuts for corporations, coupled with tax hikes and higher health care costs for working families? That’s no way to turn around the economy and the country. Yet, it’s the likely result of John McCain’s economic agenda, according to analysts.

This week, the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) hosted “McCain U.,” a daylong session with economists and policy analysts who say a McCain presidency would be a third Bush term.

McCain’s agenda, these experts say, is quite extreme, taking Bush’s economic theories and pushing them even further, leaving working families behind.

Tax cuts for corporations, coupled with tax hikes and higher health care costs for working families? That’s no way to turn around the economy and the country. Yet, it’s the likely result of John McCain’s economic agenda, according to analysts.

This week, the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) hosted “McCain U.,” a daylong session with economists and policy analysts who say a McCain presidency would be a third Bush term.

McCain’s agenda, these experts say, is quite extreme, taking Bush’s economic theories and pushing them even further, leaving working families behind.

Teaser: 

Barack Obama is the only candidate in the presidential race who is on the side of working people, and we must defeat attempts to divide workers by race and put him in the White House, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka says.

Speaking to the United Steelworkers’ (USW) convention in Las Vegas this week, Trumka said:

[At] the end of the day, what people are going to need to hear is that when it comes to protecting jobs, when it comes to protecting pensions, when it comes to health care, child care, pay equity for women, Social Security, Medicare, seeing to it that people can afford to go to college and buy a home—and restoring the right to collective bargaining—Barack Obama has always, always been on our side.

Barack Obama is the only candidate in the presidential race who is on the side of working people, and we must defeat attempts to divide workers by race and put him in the White House, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka says.

Speaking to the United Steelworkers’ (USW) convention in Las Vegas this week, Trumka said:

[At] the end of the day, what people are going to need to hear is that when it comes to protecting jobs, when it comes to protecting pensions, when it comes to health care, child care, pay equity for women, Social Security, Medicare, seeing to it that people can afford to go to college and buy a home—and restoring the right to collective bargaining—Barack Obama has always, always been on our side.

With its two leaders still awaiting trial, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has condemned the continuing violence and intimidation of union members in the country as the government of discredited President Robert Mugabe tries to hold on to power. The violence against union members is taking place within a countrywide surge of brutality against Mugabe opponents.

The AFL-CIO Solidarity Center, along with the international labor movement, is supporting Stand Up for Zimbabwe, a global campaign to end violence in Zimbabwe and show solidarity with its people.

The ZCTU says members of Mugabe’s ruling party orchestrated a national campaign of intimidation, with union members as major targets, to ensure he would win the June 27 presidential runoff. Mugabe was the only candidate in the race. His opponent had withdrawn, saying the election could not be fair because of Mugabe’s reign of terror.

Teaser: 

Jobs tanked again in June, with U.S. employers cutting 62,000 jobs, for a sixth consecutive monthly decline, according to the Labor Department today.

The jobless rate remained at 5.5 percent after jumping in May by the most in two decades.

The Labor Department today also issued a report showing initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 16,000 to 404,000 last week.

According to Bloomberg:

The total, higher than economists forecast, brought the four-week average to the highest since October 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina. The total number of people collecting benefits dropped to 3.116 million from 3.135 million.

Jobs tanked again in June, with U.S. employers cutting 62,000 jobs, for a sixth consecutive monthly decline, according to the Labor Department today.

The jobless rate remained at 5.5 percent after jumping in May by the most in two decades.

The Labor Department today also issued a report showing initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 16,000 to 404,000 last week.

According to Bloomberg:

The total, higher than economists forecast, brought the four-week average to the highest since October 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina. The total number of people collecting benefits dropped to 3.116 million from 3.135 million.

Teaser: 

First McCain said he doesn't know much about the economy. Lately, he's saying he never said it. Which is it?

George W. Bush's solution to our nation's economic mess—that his failed policies helped create—is to applaud people who must work three jobs to make ends meet.

Sen. John McCain colors his solution to working families' financial struggles with similar crayons: He encourages us to make a living selling stuff on eBay. As reported on Bloomberg:

McCain, seeking to address voter anxiety about the economy, uses eBay to signal that he is "fundamentally optimistic about the capacity of the U.S. economy to innovate, for that innovation to give new opportunities for jobs,'' said Doug Holtz-Eakin, the candidate's senior economic adviser. "We shouldn't be obsessed with looking backwards all the time, and saying, 'Gee, where did those jobs go?' "

First McCain said he doesn't know much about the economy. Lately, he's saying he never said it. Which is it?

George W. Bush's solution to our nation's economic mess—that his failed policies helped create—is to applaud people who must work three jobs to make ends meet.

Sen. John McCain colors his solution to working families' financial struggles with similar crayons: He encourages us to make a living selling stuff on eBay. As reported on Bloomberg:

McCain, seeking to address voter anxiety about the economy, uses eBay to signal that he is "fundamentally optimistic about the capacity of the U.S. economy to innovate, for that innovation to give new opportunities for jobs,'' said Doug Holtz-Eakin, the candidate's senior economic adviser. "We shouldn't be obsessed with looking backwards all the time, and saying, 'Gee, where did those jobs go?' "

Teaser: 

In a global economy where multinational companies operate across borders, unions are developing global strategies to better represent their members and sustain the middle class.

Today, the United Steelworkers (USW) and Unite, Britain’s largest union, took a giant step in that direction by formally joining together to form the world’s first global union.

The new union, dubbed Workers Uniting: The Global Union, will draw on the energies of the two unions' more than 3 million active and retired workers from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The members work in virtually every sector of the global economy, including manufacturing, service, mining and transportation (see video).

In a global economy where multinational companies operate across borders, unions are developing global strategies to better represent their members and sustain the middle class.

Today, the United Steelworkers (USW) and Unite, Britain’s largest union, took a giant step in that direction by formally joining together to form the world’s first global union.

The new union, dubbed Workers Uniting: The Global Union, will draw on the energies of the two unions' more than 3 million active and retired workers from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The members work in virtually every sector of the global economy, including manufacturing, service, mining and transportation (see video).

Teaser: 

Top row from left: Ed Wright, Ironworkers Local 7; James McCallum, former alderman and retired president of Sheet Metal Workers 17; Alderman Robert Trane, Ward 7; Alderman Bill Roche, Ward 1; Dennis Sullivan, president, Board of Alderman; Tony Perrone, business agent, Laborers Local 22; Reese Thornton, member, Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35; Reese Thornton's son. Botton row from left: Rich Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer, Greater Boston Labor Council; Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone; and Frank Callahan, president of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council.

If construction contractors want to do business with the Boston suburb of Somerville, they must show they are "responsible employers" as a result of new contracting standards. The city's Board of Aldermen passed the new contacting standards after Boston-area unions pressed for the legislation.

The new "Responsible Employer" ordinance, passed earlier this month and signed into law Monday, requires all contractors bidding on city construction work to provide worker health benefits, maintain a state-certified apprenticeship program and classify their workers as employees, not independent contractors.

Top row from left: Ed Wright, Ironworkers Local 7; James McCallum, former alderman and retired president of Sheet Metal Workers 17; Alderman Robert Trane, Ward 7; Alderman Bill Roche, Ward 1; Dennis Sullivan, president, Board of Alderman; Tony Perrone, business agent, Laborers Local 22; Reese Thornton, member, Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35; Reese Thornton's son. Botton row from left: Rich Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer, Greater Boston Labor Council; Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone; and Frank Callahan, president of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council.

If construction contractors want to do business with the Boston suburb of Somerville, they must show they are "responsible employers" as a result of new contracting standards. The city's Board of Aldermen passed the new contacting standards after Boston-area unions pressed for the legislation.

The new "Responsible Employer" ordinance, passed earlier this month and signed into law Monday, requires all contractors bidding on city construction work to provide worker health benefits, maintain a state-certified apprenticeship program and classify their workers as employees, not independent contractors.

Teaser: 

Members of CWA Local 6355 take part in a recent weekend labor walk in St. Louis.

In Pennsylvania, Missouri and across the country, union members went door to door last week to educate, mobilize and energize union members for the 2008 elections.

This month’s member-to-member walks are focused on the economy and the Employee Free Choice Act and are part of the AFL-CIO Labor 2008 program, the largest grassroots union political mobilization in history.

In St. Louis, 47 union leaders and members gathered Saturday at the Greater St. Louis Labor Council building for the AFL-CIO’s second labor walk.

Members of CWA Local 6355 take part in a recent weekend labor walk in St. Louis.

In Pennsylvania, Missouri and across the country, union members went door to door last week to educate, mobilize and energize union members for the 2008 elections.

This month’s member-to-member walks are focused on the economy and the Employee Free Choice Act and are part of the AFL-CIO Labor 2008 program, the largest grassroots union political mobilization in history.

In St. Louis, 47 union leaders and members gathered Saturday at the Greater St. Louis Labor Council building for the AFL-CIO’s second labor walk.