Joe Lieberman is at it again. Jockeying for attention. Threatening to support a Republican filibuster. Overlooking popular support in his own state. But this time, he may not be alone.

Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) have each been targeted by the opposition to join a Republican filibuster. If that happens, health insurance reform will not move forward.

We can't sit on the sidelines while this political drama unfolds. And right now, you can have no greater impact than adopting a health care "swing state" as your own. Adopt-a-state, and begin recruiting now:

Join Team Connecticut (Sen. Lieberman)

Join Team Louisiana (Sen. Landrieu)

Join Team Arkansas (Sen. Lincoln)

Join Team Nebraska (Sen. Nelson)

The AP reported today that opponents of reform, led by the U.S. Chamber, have poured $24 million into an advertising onslaught in the last month alone. The fact is, we will be outspent by corporate special interests. But we can do something corporate American can't - we can talk to fellow voters, and have personal conversations about health care.

We elected Barack Obama, in part, by calling tens of thousands of voters in key "swing states." This year is no different. Voters in Arkansas, Nebraska, Connecticut and Louisiana need to hear from us about what's happening on health insurance reform. So adopt-a-state, and start recruiting for your team today.

P.S. If you live in one of our health care "swing states," even better! Adopt your own state, and start recruiting friends and family to join. 

Joe Lieberman is at it again. Jockeying for attention. Threatening to support a Republican filibuster. Overlooking popular support in his own state. But this time, he may not be alone.

Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) have each been targeted by the opposition to join a Republican filibuster. If that happens, health insurance reform will not move forward.

We can't sit on the sidelines while this political drama unfolds. And right now, you can have no greater impact than adopting a health care "swing state" as your own. Adopt-a-state, and begin recruiting now:

Join Team Connecticut (Sen. Lieberman)

Join Team Louisiana (Sen. Landrieu)

Join Team Arkansas (Sen. Lincoln)

Join Team Nebraska (Sen. Nelson)

The AP reported today that opponents of reform, led by the U.S. Chamber, have poured $24 million into an advertising onslaught in the last month alone. The fact is, we will be outspent by corporate special interests. But we can do something corporate American can't - we can talk to fellow voters, and have personal conversations about health care.

We elected Barack Obama, in part, by calling tens of thousands of voters in key "swing states." This year is no different. Voters in Arkansas, Nebraska, Connecticut and Louisiana need to hear from us about what's happening on health insurance reform. So adopt-a-state, and start recruiting for your team today.

P.S. If you live in one of our health care "swing states," even better! Adopt your own state, and start recruiting friends and family to join. 

In August, we took our message of health care reform to our elected officials during town halls all across the country, and they listened. But, now that they are back in Washington, they are again under the influence of the insurance industry, which is fighting hard to defeat real reform.

So now we need to take on the insurance industry! Today, SEIU members all over the country took part in the "Big Insurance: Sick of It" rallies hosted by MoveOn, HCAN and our other progressive allies. From LA to New York, members arrived at offices of major health insurance providers and demanded to know why they were standing in the way of health care reform.

MINNESOTA: Fifty SEIU members joined nearly 250 other activists in marching up to the doors of UnitedHealthcare. They presented their demands to UHC representatives, and staged a 15-minute die-in to bring home the point that insurance companies are truly killing Americans. Local member Tammy Brown, who participated in the protest, said, "Big insurance companies are a roadblock to reform. As long as they keeping reaping record profits, the rest of us will keep losing our raises, our health, and even our lives."

FLORIDA: A group of 60 people protested outside the headquarters of Hygeia, a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare Group. A delegation of eight protestors met with Hygeia representatives and presented them with their demands.

NORTH DAKOTA: Fifty local activists met with the Vice President of Corporate Communications for Blue Cross/ Blue Shield in Fargo, North Dakota. She promised that BCBS would respond to their demands in writing by Friday, and suggested they also meet with the company's CEO.

NEBRASKA: A small group of SEIU members and supporters, led by a local pastor, formed a prayer circle outside the offices of UnitedHealthcare. The pastor also tried to deliver the group's demands to UHC executives, but the staff locked the doors to the building and would not let him enter.

NEW YORK: About 500 people attended an event outside the UHC offices at 1 Penn Plaza. One of the speakers, a new member of 32BJ, recounted how he was forced to go into debt paying for his wife's cancer treatment. Recently, he finally received health insurance, which has allowed him to pay for her medication.

COLORADO: Over 150 people, including 40 SEIU members, protested outside the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield building in Denver. Three of the participants shared their personal stories about being denied health insurance. Their stories were then underscored by a street theater demonstration that made the same point. The event culminated with three activists attempting to deliver the protestors' demands to BCBS officials. They were turned away at the front door.

CALIFORNIA: Up and down California, SEIU members joined with other activists to take the "Big Insurance: Sick of It" message to the offices of Wellpoint Blue Cross in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. And in Santa Ana, United Healthcare got the same message. Over 700 participated in the actions including 265 SEIU members from locals in every division of the union.

We hear everyday from folks who want healthcare reform and those who don't. We hear facts, figures and we hear information that can't be backed up by facts and figures.

While at the Mission of Mercy dental clinic in Nebraska this weekend, I asked two doctors--one a Republican and one a Democrat--if we needed reform and when we needed it.

Check out the video above to see what comes straight from the doctors' mouth

We do not need any more studies. We do not need to wait and see if things get better.

The words "slow down" or "need more studies" were not words out of these Doctors' mouths and they were not words out of the hundreds of Nebraskans who were there to get the care they need.

Join us on our weekend canvass or at our next community forum and help us make sure all of our Members of Congress hear us, and the medical experts, voices loud and clear.

We can't wait for reform!

Below is the text of a message we sent out today. Please take a moment to write Sen. Mike Johanns and tell him to listen to what Nebraskans need:

It could be worse. It's hard to imagine how things could be worse these days: between unemployment, the financial crisis, and the state of healthcare, it's no secret that Nebraska is hurting.

But if you can believe it, there's a group that continues to fight ways to improve the lives of Nebraskans.  For years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has done all it can to stop working people in Nebraska from getting ahead.

Click here to write to Senator Johanns and tell him to listen to the needs of working people, not the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Click here to write to Senator Johanns and tell him to listen to working people, not the greedy CEOs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Click here to send a message now. Thanks for writing to Senator Johanns.  Your voice can make the difference.

In solidarity,

Jane Fleming Kleeb
Nebraska Change that Works
www.changethatworks.net/NE

Today the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) sent letters to television stations in Nebraska and Arkansas demanding that deceptive ads about the Employee Free Choice Act be taken down immediately. The ads are paid for by the Employee Freedom Action Committee (EFAC), the political action committee of anti-worker front group Center for Union Facts.

Said SEIU Political Director Jon Youngdahl:

"Arkansans and Nebraskans are losing their jobs, their benefits and their retirement security, yet the same greedy CEOs and corporate lobbyists who helped tank the economy aren't satisfied.

"Now, they want to take away workers' rights to bargain for better working conditions and higher wages. In order to do so, they're reduced to creating vicious and false ads that portray union members as mobsters. They need to stop this deceptive ad campaign and remove these lies from the air."

In a letter sent to television stations in both states today, SEIU debunked the false claims made in EFAC's ads, writing in part:

The ad falsely claims that organized workers do not have a say in negotiations over their wages and benefits, when nothing could be further from the truth. It is unorganized workers who have no mechanism to negotiate with their employer over their wages and benefits. At the same time, union members typically vote on whether to ratify their contracts.

Moreover, the ad falsely implies that employers are handing out raises to their employees with the union that is standing in the way, when the exact opposite is true. The fact is that union workers have higher wages and better benefits than non-union workers, which is why more than half of all workers--nearly sixty million--would join a union if they could. Indeed, according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, union workers earn significantly more on average than their non-union counterparts, are nearly 54 percent more likely to have employer-provided pensions, and are 28 percent more likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance. In 2007, union workers earned 30 percent more on average than non-union workers.

On Thursday, Media Matters also deconstructed the ads, deeming the campaign "inaccurate and offensive."

EFAC, like its affiliated organization Center for Union Facts, is run by corporate lobbyist Rick Berman. Berman, former labor counsel at the US Chamber of Commerce, is a virulent anti-worker and anti-consumer activist. According to a profile of Berman on NPR:

Berman's firm also runs the American Beverage Institute, which argues that drunk driving is over-hyped; the Center for Consumer Freedom, which argues that the obesity "epidemic" and mad cow disease, among other things, are over-hyped; and the Employment Policies Institute, which advocates against minimum wage increases.

• Download a copy of the letter (PDF)

View the letter below:

Letter to Arkansas TV Stations re: Inaccurate Advertising

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) demanded that ads from the Employee Freedom Action Committee (EFAC), the political action committee of anti-worker front group Center for Union Facts, be taken down immediately. The ads, running in Nebraska and Arkansas, make deceptive and false claims about the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation to allow workers to bargain with their employers for job security, better wages and benefits.

In a letter sent to television stations in both states today, SEIU debunked the false claims made in EFAC's ads.

• Download a copy of the letter (PDF)

View the letter below:

Letter to Arkansas TV Stations re: Inaccurate Advertising

"All we wanted were safety shoes." This was the answer cafeteria workers gave when asked why they formed a union at their school. The workers had often asked their managers to provide them with safety shoes, and every time they asked they were told no.

When the organizing election drew near, the trucking company did everything they could to get Doug's co-workers to rally against him. Management made phone calls to workers and issued veiled threats, held closed-door meetings and spread nasty rumors ... all in an attempt to discredit the one worker who had been most vocal in fighting for fair representation.

The same thing happened to Jerry and Bert when they tried to help organize their workplace. Their company promptly hired an anti-worker law firm and soon afterwards forced their co-workers into captive audience meetings where they were all fed empty promises and even emptier threats.

After all that these Nebraskans have seen in their workplace, it's understandable that they might be a bit confused as to when big business decided that they were the true champions of workers' rights. After all, surveys show that, when faced with an organizing campaign, 75 percent of companies hire union-busting law firms, 92 percent force their employees to attend closed-door sessions and 25 percent actually fire at least one union-supporting worker.

And yet, there they are on our televisions and in our papers, big business groups, the Nebraskan Republican party and even state elected officials, claiming to promote and protect "workplace democracy." The target of all these attack ads? The Employee Free Choice Act, which is perhaps the single most important piece of workplace legislation Congress has considered in almost 75 years.

The Employee Free Choice Act in a nutshell: Freedom

What the Employee Free Choice Act will do is simple and straightforward (the entire proposal is only three pages long), and it adheres very closely to a basic principle--that workers should have the freedom to be able to choose whether and how to form a union on their own, without fear of interference from their employer.

In essence, the bill is composed of three parts: (1) allowing workers to form a union through majority petition, (2) creating a fair system of arbitration to ensure that unions and employers work together in negotiating new contracts and (3) imposing meaningful penalties on companies that illegally coerce or fire union-supporting workers.

Penalties would also be levied against unions if they break the law, a fact that is often either left out or misrepresented by opponents of the bill in their efforts to mislead Nebraskans.

What's missing from the bill is the boogeyman that corporations, the Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Republican party have invented for their current attack ads, namely, any provision that would endanger a workers' right to a secret ballot. This right is already guaranteed by the 1935 Wagner Act and nothing in the Employee Free Choice Act would affect it in any way.

But, of course, the corporate lobbyists know this already. Like everything else that these Wall Street CEOs do, this current campaign is about nothing but their bottom line. Many companies, both here in Nebraska and across the country, have made billions by ignoring basic workplace protections and slashing benefits and wages to the bare minimum. Invariably, the losers in this arrangement are our working families.

Economic studies suggest that when workers are given fair wages, their communities benefit as a whole. Higher wages mean higher spending, and higher spending means more goods and more services and, most importantly, more jobs to meet this rise in demand. It's for this reason that a recent study by the Center for American Progress predicted that the Employee Free Choice Act could pump as much as $176 million back into Nebraska's economy.

Our 30-second ads: A message from Nebraskans

What if television ads about the Employee Free Choice Act did tell the truth? What if they reflected the real world as experienced every day by hardworking and common sense Nebraskans?

Well, to find out we asked a few of our friends to tell us their story in 30-second ads:

Freedom--Loren Cassidy, electrical worker in Omaha

"The face of this country is right here. It's not the greed of Wall Street. It's not bailouts and bonus checks. It doesn't rise and fall with the stock market. The real face of our country is us--each of us--and our choices about our future. At first, I had no idea if I wanted to join a union. But here's what I do know, that choice is mine. It wasn't my boss's and it wasn't my friend's. And that's why the Employee Free Choice Act is so important. It's about choice. It's about freedom. It's about each of us, and it's about our country."

Dignity--Trish Meuhlenkamp, cafeteria worker in North Platte

"My job lasts longer than 9 to 5. And my work is about more than a paycheck. It's about people, and it's about dignity. And my job isn't unique. Each of us works for more than our title suggests. We choose our work, and we earn our dignity. The Employee Free Choice Act is not about unions or employers, it's not about secret ballots or card check. It's about giving each of us the dignity of a choice ... it's about giving each of us the dignity we deserve."

Rights--Butch and Shirley McGinn, rancher in Anselmo and small business owner in Broken Bow

"You know, this country was built on several things--freedom being one of them. So what we don't get is why people are being fired for exercising that very freedom. If people want to join a union, seems to us that they should have that right. Instead, they are getting fired or bullied. Just doesn't seem right to us, telling people they can either have their rights or their jobs, but they can't have both. The Employee Free Choice Act would give that freedom back to the people to whom it belongs, each of us. It would also put meaningful penalties for anyone that breaks the law--whether it was a union or a business."

These are the stories of the Employee Free Choice Act. You might not see them on your TV, propped up by billions of dollars in corporate money, but you will find them in every corner of our state. Workers and small business owners, nurses and teachers, ranchers and ministers who understand what workplace democracy really means--it means having a free choice and gaining a voice. And that's exactly what the Employee Free Choice Act will do.

Nebraska needs leaders who stand up, not just placeholders who simply stand in. We need leaders who will tell us the truth, not just parrot talking points from outside groups. But we also need you. This bill will only be passed with your help in the grassroots.

Call Senator Johanns and Senator Nelson and tell them why you support the Employee Free Choice Act. Send them a postcard. And tell all your friends to visit http://www.changethatworks.net/NE to find out how you can get involved to help workers in our state. Together, we can make this change happen.

In response to new ads from out-of-state corporate lobbyists spreading lies about the Employee Free Choice Act, Nebraska Change that Works issued this statement from North Platte cafeteria worker Trish Meuhlenkamp:

"The ads by this outside group are a slap in the face to Nebraska workers. This is yet another example of the dishonest politics coming from weak outsiders. My job is more than just a paycheck. It's about people and it's about respect. These groups represent exactly the kind of greed that we need to rein in to protect our economy. They need to stop speaking for Nebraskans and start telling the truth."

The Employee Freedom Action Committee is spreading lies about the Employee Free Choice Act, claiming that unionization means that workers do not have a say in their wages and benefits and that higher unionization hurts companies. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The fact is that union workers have higher wages and benefits than non-union workers. That is why more than half of all U.S. workers would join a union if they could. And research shows that unionization does not lead companies to fail. Higher unionization would actually put more money into workers' pockets, which would provide a much needed boost to businesses and our economy overall.

Below is a fact check on the many falsehoods in the ads.

Next Saturday, June 20, volunteers from across the state will participate in a massive door-to-door campaign to mobilize support for health care reform, and they need your help to succeed.

Organizing for America, working in partnership with our organization and supporters from all over the state, is in the process of organizing canvass efforts in 14 cities that stretch all the way from Scottsbluff to Omaha. Their efforts will no doubt go a long way towards mobilizing the support necessary to pass real health care reform. But they just can't do this one alone.

Barack Obama's job didn't end on Election Day, and neither did ours. It's critical that our Congressmen and our Senators understand just how important this issue is to the voters in their state. That means identifying new supporters and activating new volunteers. That means talking to our neighbors, and letting them know the truth about the current health care debate.

Whether you live in Omaha or Lincoln, South Sioux or McCook or anywhere in between, there is bound to be a canvass in your area that needs your help to succeed. For more details and to RSVP, please check in at our Facebook events page and stay tuned here for more updates as we get closer to the date.

On Sunday morning, workers from across the state took off in their motorcycle and started a one-day trip through Central and Eastern Nebraska. They were joined by local activists at rallies outside the offices of Senators Nelson and Johanns, and through their actions and their words and a few home made signs they made their message clear: Nebraska is ready for the Employee Free Choice Act.

I've gathered a few images from the day's events below. We had a strong turnout and everyone involved had a wonderful time:

All eyes will be on health care in the next couple of weeks, as language is expected from the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Across the country SEIU members and Change that Works activists worked at a feverish pace to spotlight the value of reforming our broken healthcare system.

• In Nebraska, organizers earned coverage across the state from Lincoln to Grand Island with 24 stories in 24 hours.
  
• Change that Works teamed with Democracy for America this week to promote a public health insurance option. In the Buckeye State, Change that Works Iowa teamed with SEIU Local 199 and state Senator Joe Bolkcom to encourage Senator Charles Grassley to support a public health insurance option.
  
• Pennsylvanians for Healthcare released a video profile of an advocate for healthcare reform and encouraged residents to "share their story" with elected officials.
  
• Change that Works Montana attended Senator Max Baucus' "Listening Tour" across Montana and encouraged him to remain a strong advocate for a public health insurance option.
  
• In Ohio, SEIU 1199WKO members delivered a book of Healthcare Worker Stories to Representative Marcia Fudge.
  
• Change that Works Tennessee delivered over 500 petition signatures urging Representative Gordon to support a public health insurance option.
  
• Wednesday at First Unitarian Church in downtown Denver, Colorado, former Governor Howard Dean discussed the need for a public option with more than 350 town hall attendees. On Friday, Governor Dean co-hosted a town hall of nearly 100 participants in Wilmington, DE, with SEIU Change that Works.

In the current debate over health care reform, an awful lot of attention has been paid towards Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson.  And it's certainly understandable that it should.  After all, Nelson has proven to be a critical swing vote in a divided Senate, and as we documented earlier this week with our "24/7 Project", Nebraskans themselves have a whole lot at stake in this debate.

But in the fights that are still ahead on this issue, it's important to remember who the real obstacles are.  And while Senator Ben Nelson has consistently shown a willingness to listen to his constituents and vote for the real reform that they need, his colleague, Senator Mike Johanns, has not.

This week a DC group launched a direct mail campaign attacking Ben Nelson for his stance on the public option.  But, as has now been documented in the Huffington Post, Nelson has kept his mind open to supporting just such a plan. 

Nelson made these statements while meeting directly with community leaders from across the state, including our organization and many other progressive partners.  By contrast, Mike Johanns has never extended invitations to hold similar meetings, and has been steadfast in his opposition to any public option. 

So why aren't more groups holding Senator Johanns accountable for his record, too? 

After all, the votes really speak for themselves.

Senator Nelson voted to continue and expand SCHIP, a program he actually created as Governor, so that our kids in Nebraska whose families cant afford health insurance can be covered.

Senator Johanns voted against SCHIP, which would have left thousands of Nebraskan kids uncovered and unprotected.

Senator Nelson voted to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA, the health insurance safety net for those who lose their job and lose their health insurance.

Senator Johanns voted against unemployment benefits and COBRA, leaving Nebraskans with not only lost hope but filled with fear of what happens if they get sick in between jobs.

Senator Nelson voted to fund health clinics which are the backbone of our communities.

Senator Johanns voted against our health clinics which would have left a huge hole in coverage for communities across our state.

Groups focusing on Senator Nelson and ignoring Senator Johanns are kinda like the parents who punish their kid who got a B instead of an A, and ignore their kid that got a D because that is what they expect out of him.  We think the D student could use some coaching and focus.

Jane Fleming Kleeb lives in Hastings, Nebraska with her husband Scott Kleeb and their two daughters.  Jane heads up SEIU's Change That Works project focusing on reforming healthcare and labor laws.

Union Members in Nebraska and Across the Country Earn Significantly More Than Non-Union Workers. Over the four-year period between 2004 and 2007, unionized workers' wages in Nebraska were on average 13.7 percent higher than non-union workers with similar characteristics. That means that, all else being the same, Nebraska workers that join a union will earn 13.7 percent more--or $2.40 more per hour in 2008 dollars--than their otherwise identical non-union counterparts. [Unions are Good for Nebraska's Economy, 2/18/09]

• Higher Wages & Benefits Help U.S. Economy by Giving Workers the Ability to Purchase More Goods & Services: According to the Center for American Progress Action Fund report, unionization is good for the economy overall and "putting more money in workers' pockets would provide a needed boost for the U.S. economy." Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich stated that higher wages and higher benefits would give workers the purchasing power they need to buy more of the goods and services that this economy produces. [Center for American Progress Action Fund, "Unions Are Good for Workers and the Economy," 2/18/09]

First Contract Negotiations At Millard Processing Services Didn't Even Start Until Nearly Three Years After Workers Joined a Union. In 1995, the Omaha World-Herald reported, "The NLRB has alleged that Millard Processing Services Inc., 13076 Renfro Circle, has refused to bargain with Local 271 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. Workers at Millard Processing voted in August 1991 to be represented by the union, and the first contract talks started March 23, 1994. The local said it represents about 500 workers, most of whom are Hispanic." [Omaha World-Herald, 10/16/95]

• Management Agreed to Pay Back Wages Rather Than Face NLRB Hearing on Unfair Labor Practices. In October 1995, Millard Processing Services and the United Food and Commercial Workers union reached a settlement, leading to the cancellation of a planned NLRB hearing on union charges of unfair labor practices. "Among other things, the settlement calls for the company to pay thousands of dollars in back pay to at least 91 workers, with back pay to an additional 24 workers hinging on the outcome of an NLRB review... An administrative law judge was to have heard the complaints Monday, but the hearing was called off when MPS, without admitting it violated the law, agreed to: Restore an annual 30-cent-per-hour wage increase to at least 91 workers and give them back pay dating from July 18, 1994." [Omaha World-Herald, 10/21/95]


• Millard Processing Paid More Than $34,000 in Back Pay. In March 1996, the Omaha World-Herald reported, "Millard Processing Services Inc. is scheduled to pay $ 34,322 in back pay to 112 employees involved in a labor dispute, the National Labor Relations Board said Thursday. Leonard Bernstein, regional attorney at the board's office in Kansas City, Mo., said the amount is subject to some final adjustments or claims but otherwise would be carried out under an earlier board order. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 271 had sought the wages, alleging that the company halted normal pay increases in retaliation for workers supporting the union." [Omaha World-Herald, 3/14/96]

Union Officials Alleged 32 Labor Violations During Campaign at Nebraska Beef. In the summer of 2001, Nebraska Beef workers rejected union representation by a vote of 452 to 345, but an NLRB officer recommended that the full board order a new election. "The hearing officer, Francis A. Molenda of Tulsa, Okla., recommended that the full board void the Aug. 16 election, which was won by the company... In September, the union asked the labor relations board to order another election, saying that Nebraska Beef officials committed 41 violations of federal labor law. The number of objections, later reduced to 32, became the basis of six days of hearings by Molenda in October." [Omaha World-Herald, 1/3/02]

• Workers at Nebraska Beef Said They Were Afraid of Losing Their Jobs If They Supported a Union.During the course of the unionization drive at Nebraska Beef, the NLRB "issued a complaint against the company for allegedly firing seven workers" because they led a protest complaining of unsafe conditions. Worker Jose Juan Robles "said workers are 'yelled at and reminded that they are dispensable.' Many Nebraska Beef workers are 'kept from the restroom,' he said through an interpreter. 'And many times we are not sure if we are paid for the entire time we put in because we have no time clock, and we are at the mercy of what supervisors decide.'" [Lincoln Journal Star, 8/12/01]


• Union Officials Said Nebraska Beef Workers Earned Up to a Dollar Below the Prevailing Wage at Other Plants. In August 2001, the Lincoln Star Journal reported, "Union officials say the Nebraska Beef plant in a red and white industrial structure north of Omaha's L Street arterial between 35th and 36th streets operates below the norm in terms of wages and working conditions. They estimate the average production line and kill floor wage at $8.50 an hour, as much as a dollar below the prevailing wage at competing plants." [Lincoln Journal Star, 8/12/01]


• Alleged Worker Intimidation by Nebraska Beef Included Added Security By the Company and Increasing the Size of the Bargaining Unit To Lessen the Union's Chance of Success. Testifying in front of the NLRB judge, "Anselm McCrimon, a Nebraska Beef employee and union supporter, said the company parked four semitrailer trucks near the plant entrance. That action, the union said, restricted access to the plant and intimidated workers... The trucks had never been parked that way before, McCrimon said, and were removed two or three days after the election. Newly hired security guards also showed up on election day, McCrimon said, with one driving a car with flashing lights in the area. The union also contends that Nebraska Beef hired people before the election solely to increase the size of the bargaining unit to lessen the union's chances of success." [Omaha World Herald, 10/12/01]


• Four Years After the Contested Election, the NLRB Ruled In Favor of Workers and Ordered a New Election Held at Nebraska Beef. "On April 6, 2005, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordered a new election at Nebraska Beef after citing the company for violating workers' rights in an August 2001 election, after UFCW had filed charges on behalf of the workers. The NLRB upheld a hearing officer's findings that the company used a broad range of intimidation tactics to deny workers a voice on the job in the 2001 election." The second vote never occurred. [UFCW Press Release, 5/18/05; Lincoln Journal Star, 12/29/08]

Nebraskans are standing up for health care reform 24/7, what about you?

Change that Works Nebraska kicked off their Memorial Day recess activities yesterday morning with their innovative 24 Hours of Healthcare stories Youtube campaign.

The subjects and details in each of these 24 videos may differ, but one thing remains constant across the board: Nebraskans want real health care reform, and they're ready to demand action now. According to the Lincoln Journal Star, "Although anyone can access the stories online, they are specifically aimed at Nebraska's congressmen and senators. Top-level staff members for each official will receive e-mails with links to each new story."

View all 24 stories on the Change that Works Nebraska YouTube page.

Updates, as well as the individual videos, can be found below the fold. Here's the latest story:

You hear it in the fields and the factories, from farmers and students and small business owners. It runs all the way from one end of our state to another, and cuts across all party lines. Nebraskans want real health care reform, and they're ready to demand action now.

This is an issue that truly affects us all, and everyone has their own story to tell. Today, our organization joins a broad coalition of statewide partners to present just a few of those stories...literally all day long.

These videos simply must be seen to be understood. The subjects may differ, the details might change, but the passion, the anger, and the hope for something better remains the same no matter who you ask. For many Nebraskans, health care is a problem they worry about 24/7. And for the next 24 hours, we'll be bringing their stories to light.

Here's our first story, from Jim in Belgrade:

Jim is not alone in this struggle: throughout the rest of the day, his voice will be joined by others here. Every hour, on the hour, we'll be uploading a new health care video, and sharing that new story with our Congressional leaders and the Nebraska media. (See these videos after the fold)

In creating this project, our organization, SEIU, is indebted to the efforts of our statewide partners, including: Nebraska Appleseed, Health Care for Americans Now, the Center for Rural Affairs and the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network. But if we are to see real reform enacted, we're going to need your efforts, too.

So take the time to call your Congressman, and let them know just what health care reform means to you. Together, we can build a health care system that works for us all.

* Senator Johanns: 402-476-1400
* Senator Nelson: 402- 441-4600
* Representative Terry: 402-397-9944
* Representative Fortenberry: 402-438-1598
* Representative Smith: 308-384-3900

On May 18th, Mark Fahelson, the Nebraska Republican Party Chairman, wrote in the Midland Voices that "Opposition to Employee Free Choice Act Only Sensible."

We keep hearing parroted talking points and rhetoric from corporate-backed Republicans, when what we need to hear are the facts behind a bill that will help working families who are struggling to have a voice in their workplace.

Sign our letter to Nebraska GOP Leader Mark Fahelson: Walk a Day in a Worker's Shoes, then invite your friends to sign on as well.

Walk a day in our shoes, Mark. Talk to us, hear what real workers have to say about this important piece of legislation.

We keep reading and seeing all of these negative stereotypes in the news by Republican leaders in Nebraska. That's why we want to extend this opportunity to Republican leaders to actually meet union members and to experience the work they do on a daily basis to keep our country moving. After all, we need leaders who stand up for working Nebraskans, and not just repeat the same tired talking points we've heard time and again.

The Employee Free Choice Act will not only aide in giving workers a voice, but will provide necessary support when forming a union through the freedom of choice and fair policies that will protect them throughout the process. Mark, please stop being just a figurehead. Show us you're a true leader by listening to the facts. We need leaders to stand up for working families, not figureheads who just stand in.