Seafarers Thank their Union in Fighting Pirates

The American crew members of the Maersk Alabama - a ship recently hijacked by Somali pirates - fought back and won. They specifically cited their union membership as a reason for how they were able to beat the pirates.

Watch this new video about how the crew's union membership helped them fight the pirates, and then pass it on to your friends.

Click here: http://action.seiu.org/page/invite/pirates

Third Engineer John Cronan, a member of both the Seafarers International Union and the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, said this about their efforts:

"We are American seamen. We are union members. We stuck together, we did our jobs. And that's how we did it."

Show your support for every worker in America - and on the high seas - to have the free choice to form a union and have the right training that protects them on the job.

Click here to tell your friends about this great story:
http://action.seiu.org/page/invite/pirates

The failing state of our economy, skyrocketing costs of healthcare and the growing CEO-to-worker pay gap have combined to create a crisis. Collectively, these factors have become an impossible drain on the finances of working Americans and on our economy.

Americans have spoken powerfully for change and now expect action --action that will both revive our failing economy and rebuild it stronger and fairer for the future.

And we can't afford to wait....

Two million-member labor union planning intensive state-by-state effort to help fix nation's healthcare system, ensure workers have a voice on the job

WASHINGTON, DC- Against a backdrop of economic crisis and skyrocketing healthcare costs, the two million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will unveil a groundbreaking state-by-state effort to fight for immediate economic relief and recovery efforts, help fix the nation's broken healthcare system and ensure workers have freedom to choose a voice at work on a telephone press conference at 1:30 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, January 7.

On Thursday, January 8, SEIU will host a live chat about the campaign with bloggers and activists at 4:15 PM eastern, which can be viewed live on SEIU.org.

The announcement comes the same week as an economic stimulus package moves before Congress and on the heels of a historic election where ordinary American families overwhelmingly voted for change. Post-election polling by Lake Research Partners showed the economy topping the list of voters' overall issues and healthcare costs ranking number one among economic concerns. Meanwhile as union membership has declined nationally, average CEO pay has reached an all time high of 344 times average worker pay according to The Washington Post.

WHAT: Telephone Press Conference on New SEIU Campaign

WHEN: 1:30PM EDT Wednesday, January 7, 2009

***** CALL-IN INFORMATION:*****
Members of the media should dial 1(800) 288-8960 and ask for the
"Change That Works" call.

Tomorrow, more than 500 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will hold a rally at the Denver Convention Center to highlight the urgent need for health care reform and legislation that will protect workers' rights to have a voice on the job. In a worsening economic climate where CEOs continue to pay themselves 344 times more than workers on average, there has never been a more critical moment to establish a clear agenda to support the Employee Free Choice Act and help rebuild the middle class.