Soaring health care costs. Foreclosures on the rise. An uncertain future. So how can we turn around our economy?

When more folks can negotiate for better wages, health care, and working conditions by joining a union, things get better for all of us.

That's why hundreds of state leaders are in Washington DC today, fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act - so workers can fix our economy from the bottom up.

We need to make our voices heard on Capitol Hill. Can you join us in calling your senators right now?

Just call 1-866-311-3405 and you'll be connected to your senator's office. Ask your senator to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Call 1-866-311-3405 now.

When you're done, click here to let us know how your call went.

When you're connected to your senator's office, tell the staff member who answers the city and state you're calling from, and that you strongly urge your senator to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Following up on their rousing back-to-back speeches on the Senate floor, the "women of the Senate" took their message into America's living rooms last night when they appeared on Larry King live.

The nine Senators, who spoke via television from the White House visitors center, renewed their call for an end to gender-based discrimination in our health care system, touting health care reform as a way of achieving that goal.

The extremist views of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce leave it far outside the mainstream.  Your senators need to hear from you: don't listen to the greedy CEOs at the U.S. Chamber. Click here to sign the petition.

The last one to leave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, please turn off the lights.

In the last week, three major energy companies have quit the U.S. Chamber. And just today, Nike left its role on the U.S. Chamber's Board.

The exodus from the corporate front group is taking place because of its extreme views on issues like climate change, health care reform, financial regulations, and labor law reform. We must use this opportunity to further isolate the U.S. Chamber as an out-of-touch outfit that only serves the interest of a handful of greedy CEOs.

Sign the petition to your senators: listen to working people, not the greedy CEOs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

From health care and financial reform, to Employee Free Choice and climate change, the U.S. Chamber's extremism leaves it far outside the mainstream.

Want to know just how wacko the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is? Here's just a couple examples:

• An official from the U.S. Chamber called for a "21st century version of the Scopes Monkey Trial" to determine if global warming was real - equating climate change with creationism.
  
• The U.S. Chamber admitted to using money from bailed out companies to fund its campaigns against working people and the Employee Free Choice Act. This is billions that came from your tax dollars.
  
• Declaring pregnancy to be a "voluntary condition," the U.S. Chamber opposed a 1978 law that prohibited discrimination against pregnant women.

The U.S. Chamber can't be taken seriously. While it purports to represent Main Street businesses, the U.S. Chamber's true interests lie with Wall Street and greedy CEOs.

Your senators need to know this - the corporate front group is in Congress every day, lobbying for its extremist positions. They need to be immediately discredited.

Sign the petition to the Senate now: don't listen to the extremist U.S. Chamber of Commerce on any issue.

Thanks for doing your part to tell the truth about the U.S. Chamber. With your help, we'll make sure they're the loneliest front group in Washington.

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee voted down the public option amendments introduced by Senators Rockefeller and Schumer. Sen. Schumer's public option amendment picked up moderate Democratic votes by Sen. Carper (D-DE) and Sen. Nelson (D-FL) - both of whom received hundreds of phone calls from people across the country in support of a public option.

The media is desperate for a story here - they're sniffing around for a new angle. Back in August, Republican opponents were declaring the public option dead. Health care reform, itself, seemed increasingly unlikely of passage. Well, no more. The public option has momentum, and despite dire predictions from the right, it's on the move. Thanks to your phone calls yesterday, we picked up two additional votes in the Senate's most conservative committee.

Sen. Schumer appeared on MSNBC's Hardball yesterday to discuss the vote:

Sen. Schumer is clear: if we keep this up, we are going to see a public option.Your phone calls gave voice to the two-thirds of Americans who support the public option. And because of your calls, we're winning.

Unfortunately, some Senators didn't listen. While we expected this move from the Republican faction, we are disappointed by some of the Democratic votes. Statements in support of increased competition and choice for American consumers directly conflict with votes against the Schumer amendment. Still, the majority of Democrats voted in support of giving consumers the choice of a public plan. Thanks to Senators Rockefeller, Bingaman, Kerry, Wyden, Schumer, Stabenow, Cantwell, Nelson, Menendez and Carper, all of whom represented their constituents yesterday - not insurance company interests.

In the next couple months, each member of Congress will have the opportunity to vote for the public option. While the various health care bills make their way through Congress, we must continue relating our personal stories to Senate and Congressional staff, writing letters to our local newspapers, talking to our neighbors and demonstrating why Americans need an affordable, competitive choice when buying health insurance.

Affordability was the word of the day during the Senate Finance Committee's first markup session yesterday. In order to prepare for today's voting, committee members made their opening statements and reviewed the Chairman's Mark presented by Sen. Baucus.

In hopes of calming Democrats' (and some Republicans') concerns over affordability, Baucus' Mark includes a number of edits to the bill that would ultimately provide coverage to 36 million more people. The modifications include: an increase in health care tax credits, a reduction in out-of-pocket costs, a lower threshold for families to receive tax credits instead of employer-sponsored insurance, an increase in the threshold for insurance companies to be subject to excise taxes for their more expensive plans and lower penalties on individuals that do not purchase coverage.

"My modification to the chairman's mark focuses on making health care more affordable for middle class families, while ensuring the legislation reduces the deficit and effectively slows the growth of skyrocketing health care costs," Baucus said.

With the Mark as their jumping off point, the Democrats on the committee used their opening statements to reassert the need for even more affordability provisions and other changes that would make the final legislation better for the American people. Sen. Schumer said it best when he noted that the bill "must be improved in the committee, on the floor and as we move to conference."

Today the committee moves into actual voting and things are bound to get more heated with both sides vying to make significant amendments to the bill. As the fight continues, we'll be right here to provide you with the latest updates from Capitol Hill.

Al Franken, like many ex-performers, knows when to arrive at stage right at the critical moment of a new play. Six months into the new Obama administration as we now get ready to pass for the first time in 223 years, a healthcare bill and in the coming months, the Employee Free Choice Act, Sen. Al Franken's presence and strong leadership in the Senate couldn't have come at a better time.

"He may have been a little slow in getting here, but we'll excuse him because he has a lot of catching up to do," joked Andy Stern, congratulating the newly-seated U.S. Senator of Minnesota on his victory last week at a rooftop reception held at SEIU's headquarters in the Senator's honor to welcome him to Washington, DC. Also on hand to welcome Sen. Franken to Washington, DC were fellow Senator Amy Klobuchar and SEIU members, staff, and leaders.

Upon his arrival to the reception, Sen. Franken had some warm words of praise for SEIU and the efforts the union made on his behalf during his campaign:

"What an amazing asset to America Andy Stern--and the SEIU--is. Andy has been right at the front of the healthcare debate for years, and [addressing Andy] I want to thank you for that work. I also want to thank Anna Burger and the members and leaders of SEIU..."

Being the strong supporter of workers' freedom to form unions and bargain that he is, Franken--who is a member of four unions!--also expressed gratitude for the opportunities and security being a union member has provided him, wife Franni and his family:

[...] I'm a member of four unions. If it weren't for unions, Franni and I wouldn't have [had] healthcare for the last three years.

The Senator for Minnesota also discussed his plans for the working people of this country, now that he's finally been seated [Franken's first legislative act as Senator was to co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act].

Now that I'm in the Senate, I guess I get their healthcare....and that's the healthcare that every American should get.

We're going to do that. I'm on the HELP committee, and we're going to do that. It's the first thing we're going to do. And we're going to do just a lot of great stuff...we're going to pass EFCA. We're going to make sure people have a level playing field to organize. We're going to create jobs in this country, and renewable energy...We need to do all these things--and I know we can. There are so many great possibilities ahead of this country. Our best days are yet to come. And I'm just so proud to be a member of the Senate.

Every single person who supported Franken by going out and voting for him made a big difference in the outcome of Minnesota's extremely close election, which, as Sen. Franken pointed out, he only "won by 312 votes...It was a really close election!"

"Through this union, ordinary people get to do extraordinary things--like elect Al Franken," said SEIU President Andy Stern.

Within hours of being sworn in as Minnesota's 2nd senator, Senator Al Franken took action on his first bill: he co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act.

"I just became a cosponsor of my first bill in the Senate, the Employee Free Choice Act," the Minnesota Democrat declared at a gathering at the AFL-CIO on Tuesday evening.

The addition of Senator Franken makes 41 sponsors of the Employee Free Choice Act in the Senate, in addition to 227 in the House. Click here to fax your Members of Congress today and make sure they support the Employee Free Choice Act, too.

UPDATE, 4:00 p.m.: Former Sen. Norm Coleman announces his concession. Al Franken will be the next senator from Minnesota!

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that Al Franken won the state's U.S. Senate election last November against incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). "During the election, Senator-elect Franken made clear he will work hard to rebuild our economy through real healthcare reform and the Employee Free Choice Act, as well as tackling the long-term challenges we face on the environment, keeping college education affordable and fixing our broken immigration system," said SEIU's Anna Burger.

Today's decision begins the last chapter in a story that began almost two years ago, when then-candidate Al Franken participated in SEIU's Walk a Day In My Shoes program, becoming the first Senate candidate to do so. Watch the video of Franken's WAD with SEIU member and nursing home worker Ulysses Bridges in Minnesota.

Timing matters and it's well past the time for Minnesota to recognize Al Franken as the duly elected Senator from Minnesota--and send him to Washington. "Minnesotans took the time to conduct an extensive and thorough recount process, but now that all reasonable legal options have been exhausted, Minnesota deserves its full representation in Congress," said Burger. "We call on Governor Pawlenty to pursue the state's best interests and end this contest instead of favoring those who would allow the recount to continue for purely partisan reasons."

Today, we moved a little bit closer to fixing health care.

Nothing about it was easy, but Congress has passed a budget that includes a historic commitment to health care reform. It follows the president's directive to establish a health reform reserve fund to cover the cost of health care without raising the deficit. Consider this a promise to the American people that real change is coming this year.

But you and I both know that promises can be broken; nothing is a done deal in Washington until it has the president's signature on it. We had to work hard to get this budget passed and we're going to have to work even harder to pass legislation that solves the health care crisis once and for all.

The good news: our movement is gaining momentum. Nothing like this has ever been done before, which means we started from a standstill. But, we kept growing larger and stronger in our call to fix health care - and Congress has taken note. Last week, when you flooded Capitol Hill with phone calls, members of Congress started making a few calls of their own. Officials who had previously been on the fence about President Obama's budget called to let us know they definitely supported it - and could we please stop calling?

A few senators - including Mary Landrieu (LA) and Mark Pryor (AR) - were identified as key votes. In those states, our activists made hundreds of extra calls into their offices. This morning, every single one of them voted to support the budget.

Then there's the (not really) bad news: you've set the bar very high. On the same day the president's budget proposal left the White House, our movement sprang into action. Since then, you've put 7,000 calls into Congress. You've written 4,409 online letters. And you've recruited 2,594 new people into our movement. Your work has turned a lot of heads, and now they're watching to see if we can keep it going.

Thanks to your efforts, we can now focus all our time and attention on one, single goal: passing a bill that fixes health care. I don't need to tell you, though, that our opponents will be just as focused on defeating it. That means that every moment we're not moving forward, we're falling behind.

Let's keep advancing; keep the call for quality, affordable health care growing stronger. Together, we will be the ones to solve this crisis that has plagued America for almost a century.

Update: Yesterday evening, the House voted to approve the budget and, just after 12:00am this morning, the Senate followed suit. Details coming soon.

The AP is reporting that Congress is expected to take a final vote on a budget resolution as early as today. Both the House and Senate Budget Committees released their own proposals last week that protect the key investments President Obama had requested for fixing health care and restoring the economy.

Included in both proposals is the creation of a health reform reserve fund that would establish funding for health care without increasing the federal deficit. The plans recognize that the only way to stabilize our economic future is to reign in out-of-control health care costs for patients, businesses, and state governments.

This budget is critical for the future of health care. The Senate is voting on amendments to it as we speak. Use these final hours to call your members of Congress and tell them to vote YES on a budget that makes a serious commitment to health care reform.

Click here to be connected to your members of Congress right now.

Click on one of the live feeds from C-SPAN 2 to watch the floor of the U.S. Senate where the vote on the budget is expected to happen at any time:

Great news comes out of the Senate, where Hilda Solis was just confirmed as President Obama's Secretary of Labor. You can send a note of thanks to the Senate for confirming Rep. Solis.

As SEIU President Andy Stern stated in his previous endorsements of Solis, she is the embodiment of the American Dream. "As the daughter of two immigrant workers and union members who met in a citizenship class, today's vote to confirm Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor proves the American Dream is still alive. Working men and women now have a Department of Labor they can count on to stand up and fight for them because Secretary Solis personally understands the challenges workers face in a global economy. For Secretary Solis this is not just another job, but the culmination of a lifetime of action serving as a voice for people who work," said Stern following today's bipartisan vote by the U.S. Senate to confirm Hilda Solis as the next Secretary of Labor.

SEIU pushed for Hilda Solis to be confirmed as Secretary of Labor and took action to urge others to join in. More than 10,000 people called for Hilda Solis to be confirmed as our next Secretary of Labor -- and now, she has been.

Watch this video to find out more about Hilda Solis:

Solis has never forgotten her roots in her public service career, and her confirmation is a win for the people of this country who get up and go to work every day. "As a member of the California Legislature, Solis pushed for pay equity legislation," said SEIU's Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger when she was first nominated. "She also marched with our union in Los Angeles to support low-income workers, many of them women, because she wanted them to have the same opportunities she has had."

Leading up to today's vote, SEIU has been an outspoken leader in demanding a full vote on Secretary Solis.

• SEIU-organized coalition delivered more than 22,500 petition signatures to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Senator Kennedy and Ranking Member Senator Enzi.
  
• More than 9,000 letters sent to the Senate from SEIU online activists in just the last 24 hours.
  
• More than 200 minutes of phone calls to Senate office over the past 24 hours.
  
• SEIU and progressive allies organized a half-dozen leading national blogs to contact Congress before vote.
  
• SEIU produced four YouTube videos in support of Solis in the last month, generating more than 20,000 online views.

Last week, SEIU President Andy Stern sent a video message out to the SEIU community via email, calling on Congress to confirm Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor.

Since that time, more than 22,500 people signed on to our petition in support of Secretary-designate Solis with the help of Courage Campaign, Sierra Club, United Farm Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, and Change to Win.

Yesterday, before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee voted to forward her nomination to a full Senate vote, we delivered the names of these signees to Senators Kennedy and Enzi.

Watch the video here:

To learn more about Hilda Solis' life-long fight on behalf of working people, watch this video:

SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement on the importance of today's vote by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Representative Hilda Solis' nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Before the vote, SEIU, UFW, UFCW, Change to Win and the Courage Campaign delivered nearly 20,000 petitions to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Senator Kennedy and Ranking Member Senator Enzi in support of Congresswoman Hilda Solis' immediate approval as Secretary of Labor.

Our economy is in crisis and it will take the teamwork of every branch of our government to pull us through. The Secretary of Labor will play a key role, working with Congress and President Obama, to help families and businesses through the current recession and lay the groundwork for a stronger future that puts the American Dream back within the reach of America's workers.

Congresswoman Hilda Solis is exactly the right type of person to do this work. Solis is an experienced leader who has been an advocate for the middle class and working families throughout her entire career. She has consistently supported efforts to increase the minimum wage and to increase unemployment benefits. Solis authored the 'Green Collar Jobs Act of 2007' which gives her a unique perspective on how to make the new jobs created in the Economic Recovery Plan the most effective.

We thank the Senators on the Committee who voted for Congresswoman Solis; they recognize her unparalleled qualifications for the job. We urge a vote by the full Senate on her confirmation as soon as possible so Congresswoman Solis can get to work helping Americans through these economic problems. America's families cannot wait any longer for a position as important as Secretary of Labor to be filled by a woman as qualified as Hilda Solis. She has lived the American Dream and will never back down from helping the men and women who go to work every day to earn a paycheck and keep America running.

Can you believe it? President Obama nominated a pro-working family Secretary of Labor! How novel.

But for some conservatives in the Senate, the prospect is too much to handle. They're doing all they can to block Rep. Hilda Solis from becoming our next Secretary of Labor simply because she supports the interests of working people.

More than 10,000 of you have already signed our petition to the Senate in support of Solis' nomination, but we need to grow that number before the full Senate vote takes place tomorrow.

Click here to watch our new video about Hilda Solis, then sign our petition to the Senate.

http://action.seiu.org/page/s/confirmsolis

So who is Hilda Solis?

Hilda Solis is a champion of the middle class. She's fought for green jobs, fair pay for women, and children's health insurance. Raised by two union members, Solis is an experienced leader who has fought to restore balance to our economy and fairness for working families throughout her entire career.

Our country loses thousands of jobs every day. In the midst of our economic crisis, America's workers need a strong advocate at the table. Hilda Solis is the perfect person to be our Secretary of Labor - and it's time she was allowed to get to work.

Learn more about where Hilda Solis stands by watching our video and signing our petition.

Click here to sign the petition: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/confirmsolis

WASHINGTON, DC - "Today, Congress took a first and important step to rebuilding the American Dream," said SEIU International Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger as Senators from both parties worked together to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). "Leaders of both parties worked hard to craft this bipartisan bill. It delivers peace of mind for more hard-working parents that the health of their kids will not keep them from affording to put a roof over their family's head.

"We applaud the Senate for strengthening the children's health insurance program and ensuring no child must wait for care. Congress' job is just beginning. We urge Congress to include key health care provisions in its economic recovery package. Let these measures be the start of a broader effort to finally fix our broken health care system."

SEIU, the nation's largest union of health care workers, is helping its 2 million members and community leaders contact their members of Congress. In addition to comprehensive health care reform, members are continuing to talk to their elected officials about the need to pass a large economic recovery package that invests in state and local government to preserve essential services and invests in infrastructure and human services to save and create jobs.

"Our economy is in serious trouble and if we wait to pass health care reform or President Obama's 'American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan' things will only get worse. Congress cannot stop now, they must move forward on delivering help and hope to working Americans and local communities. Only by building a new economy and health care system can we build a new American Dream."

With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.

Tonight, after three days of debate on a series of amendments to the bill, the Senate passed the bipartisan Children's Health Insurance Program.

When President Obama signs this bill into law, it will mark day one of changing America's broken health care system. Day one of working together, across the aisle, to implement changes that will have long-lasting effects on the health and well-being of our nation. Day one of shifting focus toward solving the health care crisis--once and for all.

This program will ensure that millions of children, many of whose parents have lost their employer-provided health care coverage through layoffs and cutbacks, will be able to receive doctor check-ups, dentist visits, and preventive care.

But it's also an important day for all of us who've joined together in support of fixing health care. It's evident today that we're building a real, grassroots movement. SEIU's online activists alone banked more than 1,000 calls to Congress in support of the reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program. We called 87 senators - many of them multiple times. Reports even came back from our callers that receptionists seemed "flustered," and "puzzled" by the number of calls they were receiving.

We also learned a lot about what to expect as we continue our movement. Activists like Rose in Indiana discovered that senate offices who opposed us were reluctant to be forthcoming about it on the phone. Rather than discuss the issue directly, they claimed to have no knowledge of the bill.

That didn't stop us, though; and we sent a signal loud and clear: we're paying attention, and we expect results.

We don't have time to waste. It's clear that if we don't find solutions to our ailing health care system, the financial burden placed on Americans will continue to grow.

You can tell President Obama that children's health is just the first step in our movement to fix health care - click here to send him a letter.

Just as we didn't let our setbacks stop us from improving access to health care for kids, we can't let our early victories stop us from winning health care for everyone. Senator Olympia Snowe called this bill "a critical first step towards greater health reform." More than ever, we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work - and we expect Congress to do the same.

Stop delaying confirmation of Rep. Solis as secretary of labor: As Obama said in his inaugural address, "let's put away childish things" and get on with the workings of government.

The success of the American worker is key to the success of the American economy - and few understand that better than President-elect Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of Labor, champion of working families Representative Hilda Solis.

"During the Bush administration, working women were left to fend for themselves; but under Solis, that will change because she understands the challenges personally as well as professionally," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger in an article featured in today's Women's ENews.

Solis comes from a union family and has never forgotten her roots in her public service career. "As a member of the California Legislature, Solis pushed for pay equity legislation," says Burger. "She also marched with our union in Los Angeles to support low-income workers, many of them women, because she wanted them to have the same opportunities she has had."

As part of an effort to push Solis's nomination forward, several labor activists (including us here at SEIU) have collaborated to get together a Facebook page to express support for Rep. Solis, along with contact information on reaching your Senators to give your views on her nomination:

Almost 400 people have joined this cause so far since this Facebook page emerged onto the scene on Monday. So...what are you waiting for!. Join "Americans for Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor" on Facebook today

President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Rep. Hilda Solis, will appear before a Senate committee this morning to confirm her appointment.

We'll be livestreaming her confirmation hearing here on SEIU.org. You can watch it here starting at 9:30am. (To start watching, click on "Windows Media Player" or "Real Player" next to the third orange CSPAN-3 logo.)

Few people are better suited to be America's advocate for working people than Rep. Hilda Solis, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of Labor. The daughter of immigrant union members, Rep. Solis has spent her life fighting to make the American Dream available to all.

From her outspoken support of healthcare for all and a livable minimum wage, to her belief that employees need free choice at work, Rep. Solis understands the need for a bold new agenda for America's workers.

For Rep. Solis, serving as Secretary of Labor will not just be a job, but the culmination of a lifetime of action standing up for working people.

"Our members recognize there are many economic challenges that face our country. We believe there is now a once in a lifetime chance to finally address a strategic economic challenge that has been unsolved for too long and that is to solve our health care crisis," stated SEIU President Andy Stern at Wednesday's hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.

Pointing to the combined impact of the health care and economic crises on the lives of working families nationwide, Stern called on President-Elect Barack Obama and key leaders in Washington to work together to address the nation's ailing health care system in the short-term, saying, "This is an American problem. The time has come...it is within our reach."

Watch him address the Senate Committee on Finance:

Top leader of nation's largest union of health care workers highlights connection between economic and health care crises at Senate Finance Committee hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - Pointing to the combined impact of the health care and economic crises on the lives of working families nationwide, SEIU International President Andy Stern called on President-Elect Barack Obama and key leaders in Washington today to work together to address the nation's ailing health care system in the short-term.

Read his entire prepared testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.

"Working people in this country are living in fear. Fear of losing their jobs and their health care. Fear of being just one illness away from financial ruin," said Stern in his testimony today before the Senate Committee on Finance led by Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). "If we're going to revive our economy--if we're going to restore a sense of economic security to ordinary American families--we have to fix health care."

Today's hearing entitled "Health Care Reform: An Economic Perspective" is the latest in a series of hearings on health care reform held by the Senate Committee on Finance. Stern's appearance before the Committee comes as urgency continues to build to address a health care crisis typified by skyrocketing costs, rising numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals, and a general trend toward decreased quality of care and coverage:

• Post-election polling by Lake Research Partners showed voters ranking health care among their top overall issues--and health care costs as their number one economic concern.
• Meanwhile, a new analysis by the New America Foundation entitled "The Cost of Doing Nothing: Why the Cost of Failing to Fix Our Health System is Greater than the Cost of Reform" shows average rising health care premiums outpacing wage increases and a trend that will result in "Americans will continue to pay more for less-generous health coverage; and fewer employers will offer health insurance to their workers."

With two million members, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the largest labor union for health care workers in the country and has been a leading voice in the effort to win quality, affordable health care for all Americans. In the last two weeks alone, SEIU has partnered with other organizations in advertising and other outreach efforts to President-Elect Obama and Members of Congress calling for improvements to the nation's health care system--including Divided We Fail, Better Healthcare Together, Partnership for Quality Care, Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases, and Health Care for America Now! Last Wednesday, SEIU applauded the release of Senator Baucus's "Call to Action" blueprint to address the health care crisis.

"SEIU's millions of working families are ready to find common ground to win health care. Already, we're participating in coalitions with diverse and sometimes unlikely partners--including employers we disagree with on a lot of other issues, but who all agree we need to fix health care now," said Stern. "It's up to all of us--workers, business, and government--to deliver the change that voters demand."