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Pennsylvania health care workers show spirited support for health care reform

By Maria Tchijov on September 28, 2009 4:19 PM

About 600 health care workers, including many from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, descended on the Chamber of Commerce in Harrisburg, PA last week. They were joined by SEIU Healthcare executive vice president Mary Kay Henry, who reiterated the message that health care workers from across the country want health care reform.

The protestors marched from the state capitol building to the chamber's office armed with signs and megaphone chanting slogans like "Chamber, chamber stop your greed. Health care, health care that's our need." To better illustrate their point, the protestors even engaged in a little street theater. They brought along two giant puppets and acted out a short skit illustrating the ongoing battle between Chamber of Commerce greed, represented by a giant shark, and health insurance reform, represented by a patient. The puppets, which were a hit, helped to communicate the message of health care reform in a new and creative way.

Check out ABC27's coverage of the event:

As well as a more "behind the scenes" video from PennLive:

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What Would Pennsylvania Look Like if the Chamber Got Its Way?

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on July 10, 2009 1:46 PM
Below is the text of a message we sent out today. Please take a moment to write Sen. Arlen Specter and tell him to listen to what Pennsylvania needs:

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 Pennsylvania is hurting.

But if you can believe it, there's a group that continues to fight ways to improve the lives of Pennsylvanians.  For years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has done all it can to stop working people in Pennsylvania from getting ahead.
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Click here to write to Senator Specter and tell him to listen to the needs of working people, not the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

What would Pennsylvania look like if the U.S. Chamber got its way through the years?  The picture isn't pretty.

  • The U.S. Chamber opposed the minimum wage hike in 2007.  About $132 million would be generated for  808,000 Pennsylvanians resulting from the 2007 schedule for minimum wage increases, research shows.  The U.S. Chamber says they have "consistently opposed increasing the federal minimum wage."
  • The U.S. Chamber opposed a bill to expand healthcare coverage for children. 129,000 Pennsylvanian children would gain from the 2009 healthcare initiatives, studies indicate.  The U.S. Chamber opposed a bill to expand healthcare coverage for millions of uninsured children.
  • The U.S. Chamber consistently defends outsourcing jobs.  228,900 Pennsylvania jobs were lost to outsourcing in 2007 alone.  The U.S. Chamber says that there are "legitimate values in outsourcing" and that Americans are "short of skills."

The U.S. Chamber's been on the wrong side of so many issues important to Pennsylvania's families.  But that's just the beginning.

Just like they're going all out to stop healthcare reform, the U.S. Chamber is doing anything it can to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act - yesterday their lead lobbyist warned of "Armageddon on Capitol Hill."

Click here to write to Senator Specter and tell him to listen to working people, not the greedy CEOs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Why should Senator Specter listen to the same people who've tried to consistently hurt Pennsylvania's families?

We need to make sure our senators know that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn't have the best interests of our state in mind: just those of the same greedy CEOs that hurt our economy in the first place.

Click here to send a message now.

Thanks for writing to Senator Specter.  Your voice can make the difference

In solidarity,

Michael Whitney
Pennsylvania Change that Works
www.changethatworks.net/PA

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If The U.S. Chamber Had Their Way, Pennsylvanians Would Suffer

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on July 8, 2009 7:26 PM

When CEOs in Washington decide the agenda of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they seem to forget all about real workers and business owners throughout America. For decades, they have fought legislation that would have a real impact on working families right here in Pennsylvania. With more than 530,000 Pennsylvanians out of work, now is the time to do everything we can to stand up to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - and stand up for working families.

The U.S. Chamber opposed wage hikes that not only benefited hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians but also pump more than $132 million into the state economy. They opposed a children's health care that will not only cover 129,000 more children in Pennsylvania, but also will create nearly 8,500 jobs in the state. The U.S. Chamber doesn't speak for working families in Pennsylvania.

 

IMPACT OF MINIMUM WAGE HIKES ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 The U.S. Chamber "Has Consistently Opposed Increasing the Federal Minimum Wage." In July 2007, Marc Freedman, the labor law policy director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, wrote, "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has consistently opposed increasing the federal minimum wage." He added, "Increasing the minimum wage does not even help those it is intended to benefit." [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/17/07]

 U.S. Chamber Official on Wage Hike: "We Have Taken The Hell No Attitude." "We have taken the 'hell, no' attitude," said the U.S. Chamber's Randel Johnson discussing a proposed minimum wage increase in 1999. "I don't care what the 20-second sound bites say. This move hurts lower-income, lower-skilled workers."[Akron Beacon Journal, 6/21/99]

 U.S. Chamber Official: "We Don't Think Government Ought to Be in the Business of Setting Wages." In 2002, U.S. Chamber spokesman Randy Johnson said, "We don't think the government ought to be in the business of setting wages." [Washington Times, 5/6/02]

 U.S. Chamber: "Wage Mandates Ignore the Principles of Free Market Economies." In an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of Louisiana, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote, "Wage mandates ignore the principles of free market economies; they prevent businesses from making profits, growing and hiring more workers; and they base wages on what the worker wants instead of on the value of work performed." [The Pantagraph, 11/21/04]

 

2007 Minimum Wage Hike Could Pump $132.2 MILLION Into Pennsylvania's Economy. The average American works 1,916 hours every year. In 2007, 69,000 Pennsylvanians earned at or below the federal minimum wage. With an increase from $6.25 an hour to $7.25 an hour by July 2009, the 2007 wage increase passed by Congress could pump $132.2 million into Pennsylvania's economy. [Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Work Schedules in the National Compensation Survey," 7/28/08; Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2007," 5/7/08; EPI, "What a new federal minimum wage means for the states," 5/25/07]

 

Study Found That 808,000 Pennsylvanians Would Benefit From the 2007 Minimum Wage Hike. The Economic Policy Institute found that approximately 808,000 people in Pennsylvania alone would benefit from a federal minimum wage increase to $7.25 an hour. This include those workers that were earning less than $7.25 as well as workers that would benefit indirectly as other wages increase proportionately. EPI explained, "While a raise is not legally mandated for these workers, empirical evidence shows that many employers raise the wages of workers earning above the new minimum wage in order to preserve internal wage structures, an occurrence known as the 'spillover effect.'" [EPI, "Issue Guide on Minimum Wage, 8/1/08]

 

 IMPACT OF FAIR PAY LAWS ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 U.S. Chamber Opposed Equal Pay Bill, Saying it Would "Undermine America's Civil Rights Laws." In a January 2009 letter to Congress, R. Bruce Josten of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote that the U.S. Chamber opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a bill to protect workers who receive unfair pay for equal work, "on both substantive and procedural grounds." Discussing another fair pay bill this year, the Chamber's Randel Johnson said, "further increasing the opportunity for frivolous litigation would only further serve to undermine America's civil rights laws." [Chamber Letter, 1/14/09; Chamber Press Release, 1/9/09]

 U.S. Chamber Opposed 1998 Equal Pay Law for Women. In 1998, the U.S. Chamber opposed President Clinton's call for legislation to strengthen laws reducing disparities in men and women's earning power. Randel Johnson, vice president of labor policy at the chamber, said that wage disparities are due mainly to the interruption of many women's job careers to raise families. "Work experience does tend to translate to greater wages," Johnson said. [AP, 6/10/98]

 

Women in Pennsylvania Earn Only 75% Of What Their Male Counterparts Make, Below the National Average. According to a study released by the National Women's Law Center, "In 2007, on average, women in Pennsylvania working full-time, year-round earned only 75% of what men working full-time, year-round earned -- three percentage points below the nationwide average of 78%. The wage gap is even more substantial when race and gender are considered together. White, non-Hispanic women working full-time, year-round in Pennsylvania earned only 74% of the wages of White, non-Hispanic men. However, Black women working full- time, year-round in Pennsylvania earned only 69%, and Hispanic women only 55%, of the wages of White, non-Hispanic men." [National Women's Law Center, April 2009]

 

 IMPACT OF OUTSOURCING ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 U.S. Chamber President Defended Outsourcing of U.S. Jobs, Arguing That Americans Are "Short of Skills." Defending outsourcing in 2004, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said, "The big fundamental issue that we need to understand is we are short of skills in this country. Five years from now we'll have 10 million skilled jobs and we haven't got the people to fill." [CNNFN, 5/3/04]

 U.S. Chamber President: "There Are Legitimate Values in Outsourcing." In 2004, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said, "there are legitimate values in outsourcing -- not only jobs, but work -- to gain technical experience and benefit we don't have here, to lower the price of products, which means more and more of them are brought into the United States, used, for example, I.T., much broader use than it was 10 years ago, create more and more jobs. But the bottom line is that we outsource very few jobs in relation to the size of our economy. We employ -- American companies employ 140 million Americans. They provide health care for 160 million Americans. They provide training in terms of 40 billion a year. The outsourcing deal over three or four or five years and the two or three sets of numbers are only going to be, you know, maybe two, maybe three million jobs, maybe four." [CNNFN, 2/10/04]

 U.S. Chamber President Suggested More Jobs Were Brought In to the U.S. Than Outsourced to Other Countries. In 2004, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said, "nobody knows where Lou got 2.2 [million] outsourced jobs. Maybe we've got 300,000 in the last couple of years. The most interesting thing is that if you take an annual basis, we insource in the very same categories of work $16 billion more than we outsourced, which is 2 million jobs." [CNNFN, 9/2/04]

 

In 2007 Alone, Pennsylvania Lost 228,900 jobs to Outsourcing. According to a study from the Economic Policy Institute, Pennsylvania lost 228,900 jobs as a result of the U.S. non-oil trade deficit in 2007 alone, making Pennsylvania the 8th biggest loser in numeric terms. Nationwide, 5.6 million jobs were lost. 70% of these jobs were in the manufacturing sector. [EPI, 10/2/08]

 

Pennsylvania Has Lost Nearly 350,000 Manufacturing Jobs Since 2000. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in April 2009, there were 582,600 manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania. In January 2000, 931,100 Pennsylvanians worked in the manufacturing sector.  [BLS, 5/22/09; 3/28/00]

 

 IMPACT OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 Chamber Opposed 2009 Bill to Expand Children's Health Care. In a January 2009 letter to Congress, R. Bruce Josten of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged members to vote against the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, writing that the bill "raises taxes on a narrow sector of the U.S. economy with the aim of funding a broad-based entitlement program, which is grossly unfair and burdensome to American businesses and consumers." [Chamber Letter, 1/14/09]

 Chamber Opposed 2007 Bill to Expand Children's Health Care. In September 2007, the Phoenix Business Journal reported, "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is opposing a federal plan to raise tobacco taxes to fund government-provided health services for uninsured children. That puts the U.S. Chamber on the same side of the issue as the Bush administration." "To prejudice a narrow sector of the U.S. economy with the aim of funding a broad-based entitlement program is grossly unfair and burdensome to American businesses and consumers," said the chamber in a letter to congressional leaders on the issue. [Phoenix Business Journal, 9/26/07; Chamber Letter, 7/17/07]

 

129,000 Pennsylvania Children Could Gain Coverage Under the 2009 SCHIP Expansion. A 2009 report from Families USA found that 129,000 Pennsylvania children could be covered under the 2009 bill to expand and reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program. [Families USA, January 2009]

 

Children's Health Care Reauthorization Will Bring $1.8 Billion Into Pennsylvania, Creating 8,498 Jobs.  In 2007, a Families USA study found: "With $50 billion in additional federal funding for SCHIP and Medicaid, SCHIP reauthorization could bring Pennsylvania approximately $1.82 billion in new federal funding for children's health coverage over the next five years. This would result in the state getting three times the amount it would have otherwise gotten for SCHIP... Over the next five years, $1.82 billion in new federal funding will create: $820.6 million in increased business activity, $287.7 million in increased wages, and 8,498 additional jobs for Pennsylvania." [Families USA, May 2007]

 

 IMPACT OF MEDICARE ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 Chamber Opposed 2008 Bill to Prevent Medicare Cuts. In June 2008, R. Bruce Josten of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote that the Chamber opposed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, S. 3101, because it would cut the Medicare Advantage program. Referring to the bill, and the cuts to the private insurance Medicare Advantage program, the American Medical Association aired an ad saying "A group of U.S. senators voted to protect the powerful insurance companies at the expense of Medicare patients' access to doctors." [Chamber Letter, 6/12/08; AP, 7/2/08]

 

2 Million Medicare Beneficiaries, Along With 161,653 Military Members and Their Families, Would Have Been Affected If 2008 Medicare Cuts Had Gone Through. In 2008, the Chamber opposed a bill that prevented a 10.6% cut in Medicare payments to doctors. According to the American Medical Association, 2,005,670 Medicare patients and 161,653 TRICARE patients in Pennsylvania would have been affected by these cuts. [American Medical Association, February 2009]

 

 IMPACT OF SOCIAL SECURITY ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 U.S. Chamber Opposed the 1935 Social Security Act. According to an official history of Social Security, "In 1935, while there were long debate and votes on many amendments, the Congress passed the Social Security Act by an overwhelming majority.  In the House, the vote was 372 yeas, 33 nays and 25 not voting.  The vote in the Senate was equally positive, with 77 yeas, 6 nays and 12 not voting.  President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Act into law on August 14, 1935.  Despite the strong support, there was vocal opposition to the Act, both in the Congress and externally.  The minority members of the House Ways and Means Committee said it would impose a crushing burden upon industry and upon labor.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers opposed the bill." [SSA History: History of SSA 1993-2000]

 U.S. Chamber Wanted to Postpone 1935 Social Security Act. In June 1935, the New York Times reported on a "broad program for recovery and re-employment" adopted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. On Social Security, they reported, "The chamber will continue to advocate that enactment of the major features of the pending social security legislation be postponed until there can be further examination by a Congressional committee. If a study of this character is made, the chamber will present to such a committee its views as to the constitutionality of the legislation as proposed and will emphasize the fact that the proposals now pending would double the entire present volume of Federal taxes." [New York Times, 6/16/35]

 U.S. Chamber President: Any Social Security Reform "Must" Include Privatization. In June 2005, Thomas J. Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, co-wrote an op-ed that stated, "any Social Security reform must meet four core principles," including "Giving younger workers the option of investing part of their payroll taxes in personal retirement accounts." In January 2005, Donohue  "said a Social Security overhaul is 'doable' this year and said the Chamber believes 'individual investment accounts must be an important component of reform.' [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 6/7/05; National Journal's CongressDaily, 1/5/05]

 

If Social Security Were Privatized, Pennsylvania Would Lose At Least $10.9 BILLION Every Year. According to a 2005 report by the National Women's Law Center, "In 2002, $24.2 billion flowed into the Pennsylvania economy through Social Security benefits."  If the cuts expected under President Bush's plan were to take effect currently, "Pennsylvania would lose $10.9 billion per year, even including the proceeds from private accounts. This amount is equivalent to 25% of state government expenditures in fiscal year 2002 (state government expenditures include money generated from state funds, federal funds, and the sale of state bonds). [National Women's Law Center, February 2005]

 

Privatizing Social Security Would Impose a $42.4 BILLION Unfunded Mandate on Pennsylvania. According to the Institute for America's Future in 2005, the Bush Social Security privatization plan would create a new $42.4 billion unfunded federal mandate on the state of Pennsylvania and would plunge at least 244,000 Pennsylvania seniors into poverty. [Institute for America's Future, April 2005]

 

Women in Pennsylvania Would Be Hard Hit If Social Security Were Privatized, With Widow's Benefit Dropping $4,884 Per Year. According to a 2005 report by the National Women's Law Center, "The typical recipient of a Social Security widow's benefit in Pennsylvania receives $904 per month ($10,848 per year).  According to the Congressional Budget Office, under Plan 2 of the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security, today's kindergarteners are projected to receive 45% less than they are promised under current law, even when the proceeds from their private accounts are included in the total.  If such a benefit cut were to take effect currently, the typical widow in Pennsylvania would receive only $497 per month ($5,964 per year), an amount equal to only 69% of the poverty line. [National Women's Law Center, February 2005]

 

 IMPACT OF WORKER SAFETY ON PENNSYLVANIA:

 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vigorously Opposed Occupational Safety Regulations. In an article written between the initial bill supported by President Johnson and the second bill, that passed, supported by President Nixon, the New York Times reported: "The first legislation providing for a comprehensive nationwide system of health and safety standards was proposed last year by President Johnson.  Strongly supported by labor, the bill ran into immediate and vigorous opposition from industry, led by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States." [New York Times, 12/10/69]

 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce "led the fight to defeat the 1968 bill." [New York Times, 3/19/70]

 U.S. Chamber Argued That OSHA Was a Failure. In 1979, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce charged "that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had failed to reduce worker injuries and illnesses significantly since its inception in 1970." Mark De Bernardo of the Chamber wrote, "In the wake of piles of more O.S.H.A. rules and paperwork, fatal injuries on the job soared by more than 24 percent from 1976 to 1977." [New York Times, 8/27/79]

 U.S. Chamber Spokesman Said OSHA Is a "Blatant Denial of Fundamental Fairness." When describing the structure of the Labor Department within the Executive Branch rather than the Judicial Branch of the government, Richard Berman, then director of labor law for the United States Chamber of Commerce, said "This has a chilling effect on an employer's exercise of his right to appeal and is thus a blatant denial of fundamental fairness." Berman now runs the Center for Union Facts, a corporate front group trying to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. [U.S. News & World Report, 11/24/75; New York Times, 1/9/09]

 

In 2007, 220 Workplace Fatalities Were Reported in Pennsylvania. In 2007, 220 Pennsylvanians reportedly died as a result of workplace injuries. [BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2007]

 

 


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Mandatory overtime a thing of the past for PA direct care workers

By Kate Thomas on July 1, 2009 5:57 PM

Beginning today -- July 1st, 2009 -- mandatory overtime is a thing of the past for any healthcare worker in Pennsylvania providing direct patient care. This victory is the culmination of a 7-year struggle by nurses and other healthcare workers who repeatedly marched, called, emailed and lobbied their legislators to support this important patient safety legislation.

With the exception of true emergencies and unforseen events, the law protects all nurses and health care providers from discipline by their employers for refusing to work overtime. Nurses and other caregivers will no longer have to worry about making mistakes or falling asleep while driving home because we had to work over our regularly scheduled shift. This is a monumental day for patient safety in Pennsylvania.

SEIU Healthcare PA has been working to educate caregivers on the legislation and how to implement it at their facilities. Now it's up to our hospitals, nursing homes, State facilities and other health care employers to begin adhering to the new law. If you have questions about how the law is being followed at your facility, you can fill out this form on the SEIU Healthcare PA website. Read more about what is covered in the legislation and how it applies to your facility by downloading Your Guide to Act 102.

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State Legislators to Federal Lawmakers: We Need Health Care Reform Now

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on June 17, 2009 4:48 PM

Pennsylvania State Legislators Sen. Vincent Hughes, Sen. Michael O'Brien, and Rep. Cohen signed onto a letter along with 700 state legislator from every state, to the President, HHS Secretary Sebelius and leaders of Congress, asking them to support key ingredients for real health care reform. Today, a delegation of legislators from around the nation will be on Capitol Hill to meet with the White House and deliver the letter.

State legislators are at the forefront of good health care reform with states like Pennsylvania looking for ways to implement health care reform through mechanisms like Prescription for Pennsylvania.

From the letter:

Key priorities for reform are reflected in recent state initiatives and public opinion polls which show that Americans want more choices and options for quality health care. Americans recognize that the private sector alone has proven incapable of creating a high-quality, fair, and accountable health care system that works for all families. Therefore, a key priority for reform is the choice of a public health insurance plan that is available to businesses, individuals, and families.

These are elected officials who have been legislating on health care reform for years, and have a keen understanding of how burdensome our broken health care system is for state budgets and for people's pocketbooks.

Read the entire letter being delivered on the Progressive State Network's website. You can find a list of Pennsylvania state legislators after the jump.

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Continue reading State Legislators to Federal Lawmakers: We Need Health Care Reform Now.

Public Employees Notch Two Victories in Keystone State

By Kate Thomas on June 11, 2009 1:37 PM

Workers in two counties on opposite sides of Pennsylvania voted late last month to unite for a voice with SEIU Local 668--Pennsylvania's Social Services Union. In Montgomery County, a traditionally conservative Philadelphia suburb that hasn't always been union-friendly, 38 prison guards and detention counselors voted overwhelmingly on May 27th to join Local 668. These employees for the Montgomery County Youth Center have started a union wave that is spreading across the county, and will hopefully soon give needed representation to hundreds of additional workers in the coming months.

Meanwhile, straight across the state in Westmoreland County, 34 first-line supervisors said "Union YES" to Local 668 on May 22nd in this eastern Pittsburgh suburb. These new members are on the front lines of ensuring that Westmoreland residents receive quality public services at the county's 9-1-1 center and Children's Bureau.

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Senator Specter, Stand with Us

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on June 9, 2009 2:58 PM

Some of the biggest corporations in America are lining up to fight Pennsylvania's working people. They're spending millions of dollars - some of it your tax dollars from the bailouts! - to stop corporations from being held accountable.

Join us - tell Sen. Specter to stand with Pennsylvania's hard-working families and support the Employee Free Choice Act.

They think that they can send in CEOs to make Senator Specter forget about working people. With your help, we can make sure that doesn't happen...but we need your help right now.

Tell Senator Specter to stand with working families and support the Employee Free Choice Act.

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155 Academics Urge Sen. Specter to Support the Employee Free Choice Act.

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on June 1, 2009 2:33 PM

Everyone's jumping on the train. Today 155 Pennsylvania college & university professors signed a letter asking Sen. Arlen Specter to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

The letter notes that Pennsylvania's middle class needs the act because it'll empower them to bargain for fair wages and benefits, and in turn, will help the economy recover.

In their letter, the academics state:

Studies show that most workers would join a union if they had the opportunity. Workers in unions earn better pay and benefits than their non-union counterparts but only if they get a contract. We need the Employee Free Choice Act in order to ensure that workers get the unions they want and the first contracts they deserve, free from today's corporate-dominated process that subjects them to threats, illegal firings, coercion and delay.
This letter from Pennsylvania academics comes on the heels of almost 50 Arkansas academics asking Senator Blanche Lincoln to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

The full text of the letter to Senator Specter is below.

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Continue reading 155 Academics Urge Sen. Specter to Support the Employee Free Choice Act..

Pennsylvania Needs the Employee Free Choice Act

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on May 28, 2009 1:37 PM
Union members in Pennsylvania and across the country earn significantly more than non- union workers. "Over the four-year period between 2004 and 2007, unionized workers' wages in Pennsylvania were on average 9.4 percent higher than non-union workers with similar characteristics. That means that, all else equal, Pennsylvania workers that join a union will earn 9.4 percent more--or $1.77 more per hour in 2008 dollars--than their otherwise identical non-union counterparts." [Unions are Good for Pennsylvania's Economy, 2/18/09]
 
Unionization rewards workers for productivity growth. "Slow wage growth has squeezed the middle class and contributed to rising inequality. But increasing union coverage rates could likely reverse these trends as more Americans would benefit from the union wage premium and receive higher wages. If unionization rates were the same now as they were in 1983 and the current union wage premium remained constant, new union workers in Pennsylvania would earn an estimated $2.5 billion more in wages and salaries per year. If union coverage rates increased by just 5 percentage points over current levels, Pennsylvania's newly unionized workers would earn an estimated $852 million more in wages and salaries per year. Non-union workers would also benefit as employers would likely raise wages to match what unions would win in order to avoid unionization." [Unions are Good for Pennsylvania's Economy, 2/18/09]
 
Employee Free Choice Would Pump Money Into Rural Economies. The League of Rural Voters writes, "Declining worker incomes have meant declining incomes for farmers and ranchers who produce food, fiber and biofuels. And that means less money has been coming into the rural economy. A big reason for shrinking worker paychecks is that big business has made it nearly impossible to join unions and bargain for solid benefits and fair wages (15 - 25 percent higher than non-union jobs). In fact, thousands of people are illegally fired every year just because they tried to organize a union. The Employee Free Choice Act can help level the playing field by making it easier for people to join unions and bargain for a better standard of living. It can give regular working folks the purchasing power to revive the economy - and to buy the products we grow and sell in rural America." [League of Rural Voters, accessed 5/19/09]
 
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. [CAP Report: Unions are Good for the American Economy, 2/18/09]

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Making a House Call at Independence Hall

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on May 16, 2009 10:32 PM

Nearly 100 doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals gathered Friday in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in support of quality, affordable health care for all.

Two hundred and thirty-two years ago, our nation's leaders came together in this same spot to affirm certain inalienable rights: the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

These days, though, far too many Americans are denied their pursuit of happiness, grappling with a health care system that obstructs the vision outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

Watch Dr. L. Toni Lewis, resident physicians from the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare and other health care professionals explain why they're rallying for health care reform in Philadelphia this weekend.

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Your Voices: What Sen. Specter's Announcement Means for Us

By Kate Thomas on May 4, 2009 6:12 PM

If you thought that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter's change from a Republican to a Democrat meant an automatic endorsement from labor unions for his 2010 election...think again.

In the memo SEIU President Andy Stern sent to Pennsylvania members late last week, he affirmed that we will maintain our ramped-up efforts to reach out to the Senator and let our concerns be known on the need for reform to our nation's labor laws: allowing workers, not employers, to choose how and when to form a union; enforcing real penalties for employers who break the law; and ensuring that those who've chosen a union can actually secure a contract.

From Stern:

SEIU has always been an organization that supports candidates and elected officials based on their commitment to working families, not their party labels.

The issues that face working people in Pennsylvania have not changed, and the support we need from our representatives in Congress hasn't changed, either.

We know there have been contradictory and confusing reports about what Senator Specter's decision means for the priorities of working families in our state. In a word: our fight for Employee Free Choice and quality, affordable healthcare continues, as strong as ever. (Read Stern's memo here)

After Specter's party-switch announcement last week, we asked you to write him a note telling him what you think, and what you expect of him as your senator now that he's a Democrat. SEIU's Raf Noboa has a great round-up of some of your letters to him. Here are just a few:

B.C.:

"Just like you signed a form switching parties, you need to give workers the right to sign a card saying they want to belong to a union. There is a time and place for a secret ballot and a time and place to simply sign a card. This is the time for you to change your position. Think of your legacy."

R. S.:

"Last week, I met a woman who campaigned to bring a voice at work to her workplace. After 17 years at her job, she makes $10.00 an hour. Nearing retirement, this woman wanted to make her workplace fairer for herself and her coworkers. Two years after electing union representation, they still do not have a contract. In the Jewish tradition, social justice is a driving force. Employee Free Choice is sound and needed social policy. It will bring equality and balance to the one-up/one-down power dynamic in the workplace. Please support EFCA."

P. L., Allegheny County:

[...] "Living today in the U.S. as a working class citizen is not financially easy. The only hope we have is that unions can help lift everyone up from wages which have been truly stagnant since the eighties and have not matched the increases in cost-of-living. Food, transportation, and housing have all shown to have had very large increases since the early eighties; however, wages have had minor increases and do not allow workers to afford even minimum essentials. Before President Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers, we had hopes, dreams and good jobs. I lived in NYC and Pittsburgh with positive hopes for the future back then. Crime was minimal because people had decent jobs.

A horrible transition has taken place in our country since the eighties because some of our leaders have been unduly basing their votes on bills to assist big business--and we all are now aware of the damage that the fealty to the rich and the powerful has caused. Please reconsider your present stance on unions and help us to build a better future for all. Thank you, Senator Specter, for your work and independence."

T.F., Allegheny County:

"Dear Senator Specter: I'm glad to have you as a fellow PA Democrat -- be assured your hallmark of independent thinking will always be appreciated among us. Please review the Free Choice Act and see if there are ways in which you can support this legislation from a conservative democratic point of view. As a Democrat, I have voted for you since the 80s and believe you are one of the best independent minds in the Senate and as a state leader of thoughtful compromise. Best Wishes to you and your family during this repositioning period."

J. R., Erie:

"The U.S. needs more better-paying jobs for workers and unions are a good way to obtain them. Unfortunately, many businesses in the last decade have been very aggressive in their efforts to defeat unionization efforts and break unions. They have even violated national labor relations laws to do this with very modest, if any, penalties being imposed. The Employee Free Choice Act counter-balances business efforts and restores a more level playing field in business-labor relations. Please support it."

As Senator Specter knows, putting Pennsylvania's families ahead of partisanship is a priority--but just in case he needed a reminder, SEIU members delivered these letters (plus hundreds more) to Specter's office this weekend, to reiterate to him why Pennsylvania's working families need his support on the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform.

Please take a moment and write to Senator Specter today--he needs to hear from you.

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Your Voices...

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on May 2, 2009 11:27 AM

On Tuesday, Senator Arlen Specter decided to cross the aisle and become a Democrat. We asked you to write him a note telling him what you think, and what you expect of him as your senator now that he's a Democrat.

Here are some of your letters to him:

B. C.:

"Just like you signed a form switching parties, you need to give workers the right to sign a card saying they want to belong to a union. There is a time and place for a secret ballot and a time and place to simply sign a card. This is the time for you to change your position. Think of your legacy."

R. S.:

"Last week, I met a woman who campaigned to bring a voice at work to her workplace. After 17 years at her job, she makes $10.00 an hour. Nearing retirement, this woman wanted to make her workplace fairer for herself and her coworkers. Two years after electing union representation, they still do not have a contract. In the Jewish tradition, social justice is a driving force. Employee Free Choice is sound and needed social policy. It will bring equality and balance to the one-up/one-down power dynamic in the workplace. Please support EFCA."

T. M.:

"First off, I think it's great you are now a Democrat! When I heard this I started to cry, because now I believe change is really going to happening and I'm so proud that you are my senator! If only I could get you to support the EFCA, it would be even better! I going through to much at work, I am on the verge of losing my job because I am fighting for a union. Without a union, we hard working people have no representation and there's too much favoritism! I need your help, and I am asking you from the bottom of my heart: PLEASE Support the Employee Free Choice Act. I have faith in you, and so do a lot of others!"

P. L., Allegheny County:

"Welcome to my party, Senator Specter. I write today with a plea to you. Living today in the U.S. as a working class citizen is not financially easy. The only hope we have is that unions can help lift everyone up from wages which have been truly stagnant since the eighties and have not matched the increases in cost-of-living. Food, transportation, and housing have all shown to have had very large increases since the early eighties; however, wages have had minor increases and do not allow workers to afford even minimum essentials. Before President Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers, we had hopes, dreams and good jobs. I lived in NYC and Pittsburgh with positive hopes for the future back then. Crime was minimal because people had decent jobs.

A horrible transition has taken place in our country since the eighties because some of our leaders have been unduly basing their votes on bills to assist big business--and we all are now aware of the damage that the fealty to the rich and the powerful has caused. Please reconsider your present stance on unions and help us to build a better future for all. Thank you, Senator Specter, for your work and independence."

T.F., Allegheny County:

"Dear Senator Specter: I'm glad to have you as a fellow PA Democrat -- be assured your hallmark of independent thinking will always be appreciated among us. Please review the Free Choice Act and see if there are ways in which you can support this legislation from a conservative democratic point of view. As a Democrat, I have voted for you since the 80s and believe you are one of the best independent minds in the Senate and as a state leader of thoughtful compromise. Best Wishes to you and your family during this repositioning period."

S. H., Philadelphia

"Oh Mr. Specter, it is a blessing to have you join the Democratic party! I wish that you would support working families such as myself, who work hard to survive. I maintain my home and support my son who is autistic. I pray that your judgment be for good cause in supporting the issues that are right, supporting people such as myself that aren't looking for government to do everything--just to keep an open mind with assistance and do what's right by us, the working middle class."

J. R., Erie:

"The U.S. needs more better-paying jobs for workers and unions are a good way to obtain them. Unfortunately, many businesses in the last decade have been very aggressive in their efforts to defeat unionization efforts and break unions. They have even violated national labor relations laws to do this with very modest, if any, penalties being imposed. The Employee Free Choice Act counter-balances business efforts and restores a more level playing field in business-labor relations. Please support it."

These are just a few of the hundreds of letters that we've gotten; there are many, many more. We're delivering many of these to Sen. Specter's office today, and we'll continue to do so as the days go on.

Please, take a moment and write Senator Specter today -- he needs to hear from you. As Senator Specter knows, putting Pennsylvania's families ahead of partisanship is a priority. Thanks for taking the time to write to him. We'll let you know how our delivery goes next week.

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The Big News - And What You Can Do NOW

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on April 30, 2009 2:11 PM

image of Arlen Specter

You probably saw the big news earlier this week. In case you didn't, here it is.

Senator Arlen Specter joined hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have left the Republican Party and announced that he would become a Democrat. In the past, he's risen above above partisanship to support working people - and we've worked with him on many important issues.

Arlen Specter needs to hear from you now. Pennsylvania's working families need his support on the Employee Free Choice Act and Health Care Reform. I'm going to one of his offices tomorrow with some of our SEIU members and we'll make sure he hears from you.

Click here to write a note to Senator Specter about why we need him to support the Employee Free Choice Act and healthcare reform. We'll make sure he gets it tomorrow.

Even though Senator Specter is now a Democrat, we expect him to support Pennsylvania's working families in the same way he has throughout his career as a Republican. The issues that face working people in Pennsylvania have not changed, and the support we need from our representatives in Congress hasn't changed, either.

Senator Specter will now be able to vote his conscience on the important issues. He did so in voting for President Obama's economic stimulus program, and we hope he'll do so on other critical issues facing our country: reforming our broken healthcare system and giving employees the free choice to join unions.

Senator Specter needs to hear from you by tomorrow. Tell him that Pennsylvanians need him to support the Employee Free Choice Act and healthcare reform.

As Senator Specter knows, putting Pennsylvania's families ahead of partisanship is a priority. Thanks for taking the time to write to him. We'll let you know how our delivery goes next week.

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Trish Miechur Talks About Employee Free Choice

By Rafael Noboa Rivera on April 22, 2009 5:58 PM

Trish Miechur was raised to love & respect her elders. She carried that love and respect into a job helping senior citizens at a nursing home.

When the burdens of her job started to impair her ability to properly care for the people she was supposed to help, Trish and her fellow workers decided to form a union so they could get the help and resources they needed for their jobs.

Watch and listen to her story above as she tells us what happened next.

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Senator Specter on the Employee Free Choice Act: Then and Now

By Michael Whitney on April 7, 2009 12:26 PM

This morning Senator Arlen Specter appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe and spoke about his new position on the Employee Free Choice Act -- which he formerly co-sponsored and now announced he will not even allow for debate on the bill.

Watch this video of him in 2007 when he voted for a full debate on the bill, and now in 2009 when he refuses to vote for the same exact thing.

Let Senator Specter know what you think about his refusal to debate - send him an email and then make a free phone call to his office.

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Joe the Plumber: Clueless on the Employee Free Choice Act

By Michael Whitney on April 1, 2009 11:16 AM

"Joe the Plumber" campaigned across Pennsylvania to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act - the only problem is, he has no clue what he's talking about.

When asked a basic question about the bill - that majority signup currently exists as a way for workers to join unions - Joe the Plumber's mental pipes got clogged. Watch this great video captured by Keystone Progress:

Watch Joe the Plumber's clueless rambling and then pass on the video to your friends. Corporate front groups can continue to prop up fake plumbers, but real working people know we need the Employee Free Choice Act now.

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