Today SEIU launched a new television ad calling attention to Republican Gubernatorial candidate and former Bush appointee Chris Christie's dismal record on women and families. The ad, titled "What Do We Know?," will air on local cable across southern New Jersey during the critical closing days of the Gubernatorial campaign.

Transcript for the ad can be found here.

"Time and again, Chris Christie has chosen his corporate backers over New Jersey's working women--opposing paid family leave and crackdowns on insurance companies," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "We will not stand on the sidelines as [Gov. Corzine's] record of accomplishment is attacked by someone who would rather pad insurance company profits than require them to cover needed care like mammograms and childhood check-ups."

Yesterday, President Obama attended a rally in support of Gov. Corzine's reelection, calling him a "partner" and the kind of leader New Jersey needs during difficult times. It was the third rally held on the Governor's behalf this week, with VP Joe Biden stumping for Corzine on Monday and former President Bill Clinton visiting on Tuesday. Under Gov. Corzine, New Jersey became the second state in the nation to enact a to enact a child health care mandate and a Family Leave Insurance law to help working families care for sick family members. New Jersey now leads the nation in preschool enrollment after Governor Corzine prioritized high quality early childhood education. SEIU members endorsed Corzine in August.

According to reports, Governor Fortuño's personal security detail has been significantly beefed up since an incident on Tuesday when a protester threw an egg at him. The governor was holding a press conference in Fajardo to tout his new project for the improvement of the boats that carry passengers to the islands of Vieques and Culebrain. As the governor announced that the boats would be repaired in Fajardo, praising it as initiative to create jobs, one of the workers affected by the Gov.'s mass layoffs hurled an egg at the Governor's head, shouting "Hypocrite, how dare you talk about jobs when you're getting rid of them!"

Watch the egg-throwing incident unfold here:

After narrowly missing being hit by the egg, the Governor abruptly ended the press conference and left the area in a angry huff...but not before uttering this truly remarkable quote:

"I have nothing to say, because you, the press, decided to abandon me," he complained.

Nothing to say, really?! Has the Governor nothing to say to the families of the thousands of workers he's laying off? Or the hundreds of thousands of school children who will suffer when the Puerto Rican Department of Education loses federal funding?

How about all the patients who will have to wait in longer lines, and receive poorer services because of the cuts to the Health Department? Or all the seniors, battered women and neglected patients who will have no choice but to rely on crippled agencies decimated by ridiculous layoffs--especially as some of those jobs are paid with FEDERAL funds. And let's not talk about the abused kids and families struggling to get off welfare who will receive poorer services from an overstretched family department.

Unlike Governor Fortuño, we have plenty to say. And so did the dozens of protesters who arrived in the area, chanting "the people demand justice!" and "Fortuño is a coward!"

Today, news broke that the Governor's office bought all the remaining unsold seats (350) for a gala opening tonight featuring the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at the new Performing Arts Center in Santurce. Reason: the Governor will be attending the event with his family and some members of Cabinet--and they don't want egg-throwers around.

"It is an audacity that the Government incurs expenses in times like this, where moderation should prevail in the costs to the treasury...and thousands of civil servants are living moments of despair and distress, having lost their jobs, wondering how they will bring bread to their children after November," said UGT president Juan Eliza Colon. At the very least, it doesn't look like the Governor is going to be shaking the public's new-found association of him + eggs anytime soon.

L ast night MSNBC's Rachel Maddow took on the radical right-wingers seeking to silence working families by attacking progressive community organizations. As part of that segment, she discussed with Peter Dreier, professor of politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles, why they're trying to target the SEIU next.

Watch the clip here:

You can watch the entire segment right here.

On the eve of the first G-20 summit since the global financial collapse, SEIU has a new report measuring the severe impact the economic crisis has had on working families. The report breaks down not just the cost of the bailouts, but also the (much, much bigger) associated costs that came along with them.

Here are some of the astounding highlights:

• Taxpayers have committed $4.7 trillion to the financial sector over the last year--only $700 billion of that $4.7 trillion was through TARP.
• The bank-induced economic crisis has cost American families $11 trillion in wealth in 2008, nearly 18% of their net worth.
• Americans have lost $6.1 trillion in homeowner wealth since June 2006.

Even banks like Goldman Sachs that returned their TARP funds earlier this year continue to benefit from other bailout programs, such as the $12.9 billion that Goldman received as an AIG counterparty that it will never have to pay back.

Meanwhile, banks continue to...

• Pay themselves millions in bonuses: the nation's top six banks paid out $31.2 billion in bonuses this past winter.
  
• Set aside $$ for future bonuses. In the first half of 2009 alone, banks set aside another $74.4 billion for bonuses and compensation--an amount alone that would solve the budget shortfalls in 15 states, including California.
  
• Make excessive profits on the backs of consumers: banks continue behaviors such as refusing to modify mortgages to prevent foreclosures and reducing their small business lending--they actually now give out less money than they did before their TARP infusion.
  
• Gouge us on overdraft fees. Americans will pay more than $38 billion in overdraft fees alone in 2009, more than $125 for every man, woman, and child in the United States.

The worst part? Big banks and other financial institutions aren't merely back to their old tricks and the same practices that caused the crisis in the first place--they're actually standing in the way of real reform that would protect consumers and prevent a future crisis.

Companies in the financial, insurance, and real estate sector spent $321 million lobbying against federal reforms such as:

• The creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency
  
• Limits on bonuses
  
• Loan modification proposals that could help keep millions of Americans in their homes,
  
• And the Employee Free Choice Act--which would provide a much-needed check on corporate power by giving workers a real voice in the workplace.

Read and download the report here:

Trillion Dollar Bank Job -

"We now understand that the actions of a small group of greedy CEOs and Wall Street investors can wreak havoc on the global economy, yet we still haven't taken the necessary steps to prevent a future crisis," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger at a briefing to release the report. At noon tomorrow, outside a secret meeting of the Financial Services Roundtable at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., workers and community groups will kick off a month of actions in more than two dozen cities across the country.

Download the report here: The Trillion Dollar Bank Job: How Wall Street and the Big Banks Are Holding Up America's Economic Recovery.

Today, SEIU President Andy Stern thanked outgoing AFL-CIO president John Sweeney for his 50+ years of service to working families, and congratulated his successor, Richard Trumka.

"John Sweeney has spent his life thinking of how he can improve the odds for women and men who work. He understood early on that organizing was a key component of our strength. He fought for healthcare reform before it was popular. He modernized SEIU. The labor movement owes him a debt of gratitude for his service.

[...] "Rich Trumka has a great union history and we look forward to working with him to shape the history of American workers in the 21st century."

Labor Warrior At-Large John Sweeney's first job in the labor movement was with the International Ladies' Garment Workers, and in 1961, he joined SEIU Local 32B in New York City as a union representative. Sweeney was elected president of Local 32B in 1976 and led two citywide strikes of apartment maintenance workers during the 1970s. In 1980, he became president of SEIU and has led the AFL-CIO since 1995.

Read Stern's entire statement here. To read more about the AFL-CIO's 26th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention this past weekend in Pittsburgh, click here.

Unionists and allies can send retiring AFL-CIO President John Sweeney a personal message here.

With Labor Day rapidly approaching and the Congressional recess coming to an end, we're experiencing the most explosive, critical debate on healthcare reform in our nation's history. This Labor Day, nothing is more critical to working families than seeing real progress on healthcare reform.

No one knows better than working families and healthcare providers the mounting cost of inaction--and the stakes just keep getting higher. Employer-sponsored health coverage for families has increased by 119 percent between 1999 and 2008 and rates could jump by 94 percent (to $23,842 per family) in the coming decade if cost growth continues on its current course.

Every Week that Health Insurance Reform is Delayed:

* 44,230 more people will lose their health insurance coverage
* 16,653 more people will file for bankruptcy because they can't pay their medical bills
* As many as 423 people will die because they lack health coverage

"Access to quality affordable health care should be a right, not a privilege," said Kenioun Williams, a youth minister at Greater First Baptist in Helena, Arkansas. "We live in the richest country in the world and need to do better for the least among us. Something must be done to control skyrocketing premiums, and the time is now to pass health insurance reform." The bottom line is simple: we cannot restore economic balance and bring prosperity to all Americans without drastically bringing down healthcare costs and ensuring that all Americans have access.

Concerns and fears about healthcare reform are tainting peaceful dialogues and crippling efforts by Congress and the White House Administration to fix the U.S. healthcare crisis. And so as members of Congress head back to Washington, DC after the recess, we need to make sure they hear loud and clear that health insurance reform must happen this year. Join the fight for health reform by attending a send-off rally.

« For a listing of events being held on Labor Day, Monday, September 7th by SEIU and HCAN, click here.

On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first-ever Labor Day parade. Despite the threat of losing their jobs, participants took an unpaid day off to honor American workers and draw attention to grievances they had with employers.

And the list of grievances was long. During this time, the average American worked twelve hour days, seven days a week, just to make a basic living, with children as young as six toiling alongside adults.

As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later. A bloody strike by railway workers brought the issue of workers' rights to the public eye and provoked Congress to officially make the first Monday of September Labor Day.

Today, it's not uncommon to hear the phrase "Unions: The Folks Who Brought You the Weekend." And the saying is true: unions won the eight-hour day standard we all enjoy today. What many people don't realize is that workers and their unions had to fight for the eight-hour day for nearly 3/4 of a century (beginning in August 1866) before any national reform was enacted. The dream of an eight-hour work day finally became a reality in 1938, when the New Deal's Fair Labor Standards Act made it legally a full day of work throughout the United States.

The Struggle Continues

Although many Americans have now come to associate Labor Day as just a day off from work or the end of summer relaxation, it's important not to forget the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters, whose brave acts earned us the working rights we now possess. Unions have historically laid the groundwork for impressive grassroots campaigns to strengthen America's middle class and rebuild the economy in hard times. As we face the greatest recession since the Great Depression, unions continue to be at the heart of efforts to pass healthcare reform, restore economic balance and bring prosperity to all Americans.

This Labor Day, let's remind members of Congress just how many working families are still struggling to make ends meet under the strain of skyrocketing health care costs. Help send Congress back to DC with a mission to reform healthcare by joining us at send-off rallies across the country.

Events being held by SEIU and HCAN across the country on Labor Day, September 7th in Arkansas, Colorado, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Washington state are listed after the break.

Throughout his storied career, Sen. Kennedy stood with members of SEIU to fight for dignity and respect for working people everywhere. As a testament to this, stories continue to pour in on the work the Senator championed alongside our members.

In 2002, Senator Ted Kennedy walked the picket lines, held a press conference, and rallied public support for 10,000 Massachusetts janitors fighting for their first contract. His dedication and continued presence throughout the long negotiations helped some of Massachusetts hardest-working and most underpaid workers win a livable wage and access to affordable healthcare--even for part-time janitors.

Kennedy also stood with more than 250 security officers at Harvard as they fought for a fair contract. "From the fight for decent wages and benefits to his pioneering work on healthcare and immigration reform, Kennedy was there, always championing the little guy," recalled Rocio Saenz, President of SEIU Local 615 in Boston.

Sen. Kennedy could always be counted on to stand shoulder to shoulder with SEIU members in Massachusetts.

• He championed the mission and funding of Boston Medical Center, where 1199SEIU members staff and deliver care at the most charitable safety net hospital in the state. Thanks to the support of the Senator, 1199SEIU members have provided care for more uninsured and under-insured patients than any other hospital in Massachusetts.

• In late 2008, Senator Kennedy called together an historic meeting of Boston-area hospital CEOs, asking them to pledge their commitment to a free and fair process for caregivers seeking to form unions. The Senator helped ignite a campaign that has allowed thousands of area hospital workers the freedom to join a union and improve their lives and patient care.

• Kennedy was also a stalwart advocate for the 1199SEIU Training & Upgrading Fund, the largest healthcare workers training fund in the United States. That fund has helped countless Massachusetts healthcare workers establish improved career paths, through unique and innovative healthcare education and college tuition programs which are jointly administered by health employers and 1199SEIU.

During an interview with 1199SEIU's magazine Our Life and Times back in December 2007, Senator Kennedy spoke about his support for workers' rights and Employee Free Choice, saying "Unions make a profound difference in the lives of working families."

We feel the same way about the Senator. Learn more about Senator Kennedy's legacy on SEIU.org, and help us honor him by sharing your memories.

More than 45,000 SEIU members in New Jersey today announced their strong support for Governor Jon Corzine as the clear choice for working families this fall. SEIU's New Jersey State Council, 1199SEIU, 32BJ, Local 518, Local 617 and the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) cited Governor Corzine's strong record of expanding healthcare for New Jersey families and his continued leadership to help families recover from the greatest crisis since the Great Depression as reasons for their support.

Unlike Republican candidate and former Bush appointee Chris Christie, SEIU members say that Governor Corzine has shown time and time again that he stands on the side of working families over corporate interests. Governor Corzine worked with the legislature to find bipartisan budget solutions to protect vital community services and didn't unfairly target working families struggling to survive the economic downturn. Meanwhile, Christie said "it will be a priority for the Christie administration to reduce corporate business tax rates" while all spending programs and every budget item--including education funding and healthcare--will be on the table for budget cuts.

While Christie advocates cuts to childcare programs like NJ Family Care (just like George W. Bush), Governor Corzine expanded NJ Family Care to qualify 80,000 additional children and even took the Bush Administration to court to stop their efforts to strip 10,000 kids of their NJ Family Care coverage.

And while Christie wants to allow CEOs to continue firing, harassing and intimidating workers who try and join a union, Governor Corzine supports legislation leveling the playing field to allow workers to unite on the job. He believes that protecting workers' freedom to form unions is key to restoring the middle class by allowing workers to negotiate for safer workplaces, and higher benefits and wages just like CEOs do. "Governor Jon Corzine has been a true leader and advocate for New Jersey's working families throughout his public service and we are proud to stand with him now as he has so often stood with us in the past," said Milly Silva, SEIU New Jersey State Council President. "We will be out in front to help voters understand that Governor Corzine is fighting for their families while the other candidate is instead going to follow in the footsteps of George W. Bush and Karl Rove to fight for the special interests and corporate insiders."

On Monday, August 31st in Jersey City, Governor Corzine will join SEIU nursing home workers at a major rally. More info about the rally and this endorsement after the break.

For five decades, Senator Kennedy stood with working families to fight for our shared vision of America where every family has access to affordable healthcare, every worker has a paycheck that supports a family, and every child is guaranteed a brighter future. He spent his entire adult life, through tragedy and triumph, in pursuit of this America. From his first major speech in support of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to his last vote on President Obama's economic recovery plan, his vision of a more perfect nation never wavered.

From SEIU President Andy Stern:

Senator Kennedy stood with SEIU members on countless picket lines and contract negotiations. He stood with millions of hardworking immigrants and SEIU members to call for comprehensive immigration reform in 2005. He stood with workers fighting for a voice on the job by championing the Employee Free Choice Act. And until his final days he stood with SEIU healthcare workers and other workers to win access to affordable healthcare for all Americans.

Thirty-nine years ago, Senator Kennedy introduced his first bill to overhaul our nation's broken healthcare system and provide affordable coverage to all Americans. "Sen. Kennedy dreamed of a nation of progress where justice, fairness and opportunity for all laid at the heart," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "The most fitting tribute to honoring the life and legacy of this great statesman is for Congress to pass quality affordable health care for all this year."

"We stand closer now than ever before to achieving what Senator Kennedy called the cause of his life," said Stern. "Let us continue his cause...And let us continue to make Kennedy's vision for America a reality."

In the wake of Senator Kennedy's passing last night after a long battle with brain cancer, our deepest condolences and prayers go out to Senator's Kennedy's wife Vicki, his children and the rest of the Kennedy family. He will be missed.

Visit our tribute page honoring Ted Kennedy here. Sign an online card for Senator Kennedy's family here.

New Report Shows That If the Extreme Right Had Its Way, Mainers Would Suffer

PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Change That Works campaign, along with small businesses owners, senior citizens and other healthcare reform advocates joined together in Portland today to stand up to extreme, out-of-state front groups that advocate for the status quo. The group also asked Congress to stand up for working families by passing comprehensive healthcare reform that focuses on affordability.

A new report released at the event illustrates the danger of the extreme right's agenda to workers, women and senior citizens in Maine. John Carr, President of the Maine Council of Senior Citizens stated that Social Security has helped hundreds of thousands of Mainers "from falling into abject poverty." But if extremists had their way and Social Security funds were allowed into the stock market, it would have forced "at least 33,000 Maine seniors into poverty, an astounding number considering Maine only has 1.2 million residents," Carr said.

Today, the same types of extreme right-wing groups that have stood in the way of progress are fighting efforts to reform healthcare and protect workers. These opponents include the Club for Growth, a right-wing organization that has spent millions of dollars to defeat moderate Republican members of Congress who don't agree with their extreme policies; the so-called Americans for Job Security, a front group for corporate interests that has run ads against the Employee Free Choice Act; the Heritage Foundation, a think tank that promotes ultra-conservative policies and commentators like Rush Limbaugh, who has not only opposed most efforts to assist Maine residents, but has made denigrating statements about Maine's Senate delegation.

The Club for Growth and Heritage Foundation opposed raising the minimum wage that not only benefited thousands of Mainers but also pump more than $8 million into the state economy. Some of the extremist voices have even opposed a children's health care bill that will not only cover 11,600 more children in Maine, but also will create nearly 2,000 jobs in the state.

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 Indiana. With nearly 350,000 Hoosiers 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 Hoosiers but also pumped more than $144 million into the state economy. They opposed a children's health care plan that will not only cover 66,200 more children in Indiana, but also will create nearly 4,600 jobs in
the state. The U.S. Chamber doesn't speak for working families in Indiana

Read the entire report here:

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 Louisiana. With over 136,000 Louisianans 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 Louisianans but also pump more than $160 million into the state economy. They opposed a children's health care that will not only cover more than 82,000 more children in Louisiana, but also will create nearly 4,000 jobs in the state. The U.S. Chamber doesn't speak for working families in Louisiana.

IMPACT OF MINIMUM WAGE HIKES ON LOUISIANA:

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 $160.9 MILLION Into Louisiana's Economy. The average American works 1,916 hours every year. In 2007, 40,000 Louisianans earned at or below the federal minimum wage. With an increase from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour by July 2009, the 2007 wage increase passed by Congress could pump $160.9 million into Louisiana'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 366,000 Louisianans Would Benefit From the 2007 Minimum Wage Hike. The Economic Policy Institute found that approximately 366,000 people in Louisianans 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 LOUISIANA:

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 Louisiana Earn Only 65% Of What Their Male Counterparts Make, Thirteen Percentage Points Below National Average. According to a study released by the National Women's Law Center, "In 2007, on average, women in Louisiana working full-time, year-round earned only 65% of what men working full-time, year-round earned -- thirteen 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 Louisiana earned only 74% of the wages of White, non-Hispanic men. However, Black women working full-time, year-round in Louisiana earned only 45%, and Hispanic women only 54%, of the wages of White, non-Hispanic men." [National Women's Law Center, April 2009]

IMPACT OF OUTSOURCING ON LOUISIANA:

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, Louisiana Lost 42,700 Jobs to Outsourcing. According to a study from the Economic Policy Institute, Louisiana lost 42,700 jobs as a result of the U.S. non-oil trade deficit in 2007 alone. Nationwide, 5.6 million jobs were lost. 70% of these jobs were in the manufacturing sector. [EPI, 10/2/08]

Louisiana Has Lost Nearly 40,000 Manufacturing Jobs Since 2000. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in April 2009, there were 147,100 manufacturing jobs in Louisiana. In January 2000, 186,700 Louisianans worked in the manufacturing sector. [BLS, 5/22/09; 3/28/00]

IMPACT OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE ON LOUISIANA:

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]

82,100 Louisiana Children Could Gain Coverage Under the 2009 SCHIP Expansion. A 2009 report from Families USA found that 82,100 Louisiana 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 $812.8 Million Into Louisiana, Creating 3,897 Jobs. In 2007, a Families USA study found: "With $50 billion in additional federal funding for SCHIP and Medicaid, SCHIP reauthorization could bring Louisiana approximately $812.8 million 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, $812.8 million in new federal funding will create: $317.2 million in increased business activity, $116.5 million in increased wages, and 3,897 additional jobs for Louisiana." [Families USA, May 2007]

IMPACT OF MEDICARE ON LOUISIANA:

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]

581,345 Medicare Beneficiaries, Along With 125,230 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, 581,345 Medicare patients and 125,230 TRICARE patients in Louisiana would have been affected by these cuts. [American Medical Association, February 2009]

IMPACT OF SOCIAL SECURITY ON LOUISIANA:

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, Louisiana Would Lose At Least $3 BILLION Every Year. According to a 2005 report by the National Women's Law Center, "In 2002, $6.6 billion flowed into the Louisiana economy through Social Security benefits." If the cuts expected under President Bush's plan were to take effect currently, "Louisiana would lose $3 billion per year, even including the proceeds from private accounts. This amount is equivalent to 17% 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 an $11.6 BILLION Unfunded Mandate on Louisiana. According to the Institute for America's Future in 2005, the Bush Social Security privatization plan would create a new $11.6 billion unfunded federal mandate on the state of Louisiana and would plunge at least 103,000 Louisiana seniors into poverty. [Institute for America's Future, April 2005]

Women in Louisiana Would Be Hard Hit If Social Security Were Privatized, With Widow's Benefit Dropping $4,224 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 Louisiana receives $782 per month ($9,384 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 Louisiana would receive only $430 per month ($5,160 per year), an amount equal to only 60% of the poverty line." [National Women's Law Center, February 2005]

IMPACT OF WORKER SAFETY ON LOUISIANA:

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, 2.9 Workplace Injuries Were Reported for Every 100 Workers in Louisiana. In 2007, there were 2.9 cases of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for every 100 workers in Louisiana. In addition, 139 Louisianans reportedly died as a result of workplace injuries in 2007. [BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2007; BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2007]

Bonuses, bailouts, and a broken system: Is this the America in which big banks and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce believe in?

The Washington Post reports today that Chamber and the banking industry are intensifying their lobbying efforts against financial reform. Recognizing their parallel efforts to fund campaigns against working families, the unappetizing alliance of big bank executives, credit card and financial services companies is joining forces to intensify their lobbying efforts against financial reform. "It's no surprise that the U.S. Chamber and the big banks that drove our economy into the ground are joining forces to defend a failed financial model that enriches CEOs at the expense of shareholders, workers, and our economy," commented SEIU's Anna Burger, on efforts to block the Consumer Financial Protection Agency proposed by President Obama.

Obama's proposed agency would oversee a range of financial products, from mortgages to credit cards and checking and savings accounts to guard against anti-consumer sales practices and fight for needed reforms to protect front-line bank workers and consumers. The coalition fighting the Obama consumer agency plan views their efforts to protect those on the receiving end of multi-billion-dollar taxpayer bailouts as simply "allowing the financial services industry to serve its customers in the best way possible." Um, U.S. taxpayers who've been forced to subsidize banks' bad behavior with billions of their hard-earned money might not agree. The coalition's prescription for financial reform to make their case so far include rebranding the same reckless policies that will drive families deeper into debt and launching a massive PR campaign to scare Americans with 'Harry and Louise' style TV ads.

BofA "encourages" its employees to help consumers rack up debt

This comes a week after current and former Bank of America workers stepped forward to expose harmful anti-consumer practices by the bank that encourage customers to sign up for high-interest-rate credit and cash advance services to max out customer credit, as well as structuring a variety of check and debit card services resulting in overdraft fees and other charges. A former BofA employee from Landover Hills, MD, Gabby Inaleis, said that although initially she thought she was taking financial services job, it didn't take very long to realize BofA had no interest in helping customers reach their financial goals. Under constant pressure from her manager to meet unrealistic sales goals (example: sell at least 40 checking accounts every Friday), Gabby reported she would often sell multiple checking accounts to clients that didn't need them by offering to waive the account fees for a couple of months. "It became standard practice to make a customer who wasn't planning on opening an account wait for up to an hour to speak with a personal banker," she says.

No employee bonuses until grandmothers everywhere are penniless (and cold): Among the former bank workers who spoke out was Chris Feener, an ex-employee with 15 years' experience in the industry who worked in BofA's collections department. The department's #1 priority, said Chris, was to collect payment from customers who hadn't made a payment on their credit card for 180 days--no matter the cost. "There was a time I was encouraged to tell an elderly woman to sell her stove and cook on a Bunsen burner to pay off her credit card debt that [the bank] had inflated over time," said Chris.

The questionable practices BofA employees were made to engage in to ensure their jobs were safe didn't stop there, for Chris and his coworkers. "In 2007 when BofA's numbers were particularly low, we were given scripts to read on our customers' answering machines, threatening to sue them or collect any assets they had if they didn't," he said. "It was called the Maxwell message, and for three months straight we used that method, forcing customers needlessly to file for bankruptcy."

And that's not all! Enter more violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Chris says he and his team members were pushed to do if a customer had a delinquent account: publicly humiliate the customer to shame them into paying. "We were required to call every customers neighbor on every account--the sole purpose was to embarrass the customer and encourage the neighbor to personally bring a phone note to the neighbor to deliver the messages for us."

The BofA bank workers who shared their stories all acknowledged they felt as though the practices like the ones described above were unethical. But one should not underestimate how powerful the pressure to "sell, sell, sell" can be when it comes from a person of authority, like one's manager--or an entire institution (like Bank of America). Without any real whistleblower protections, most workers are too afraid to speak up for fearing of losing their job--something no one supporting themselves in this dismal economy can afford to chance.

SEIU, U.S. PIRG and the National Association of Consumer Advocates have outlined new protections to ensure front-line bank workers can speak out and create a financial industry that puts consumers and the health of our overall economy ahead of quick profits for bank executives. Read them here. "It's clear that big bank executives and the U.S. Chamber will stop at nothing to stand in the way of real solutions for our economy," says Anna Burger. "That's why it's more important than ever that bank workers be a part of any financial reform package."

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."

Last week hundreds of CEOs and other businesspeople flew to Washington, DC to pressure your senators. They want Senator Jim Webb to stand with the same greedy CEOs who wrecked our economy in the first place.

I need you to fight back. We just produced this ad making it clear that Senator Webb can't stand with CEOs. Send your message to Senator Webb now.

Some of the biggest corporations in America are lining up to fight Virginia'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.

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

Tell Senator Webb to stand with working families and support the Employee Free Choice Act:

Last week hundreds of CEOs and other businesspeople flew to Washington, DC to pressure your senators. They want Senator David Vitter to stand with the same greedy CEOs who wrecked our economy in the first place.

I need you to fight back. We just produced this ad making it clear that Senator Vitter can't stand with CEOs. Send your message to Senator David Vitter now.

Some of the biggest corporations in America are lining up to fight Louisiana'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.

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

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

Helene O'Brien, President of SEIU Local 21LA issued the following statement in response to Senator Vitter's most recent fundraising email:

In a recent fundraising email, Senator Vitter attacked the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for exposing his votes against working families. But it's nothing compared to the hardships he's caused to middle and low-income Louisianans with his votes as the Junior Senator of Louisiana.

SEIU believes Louisianans deserve to know how Senator Vitter lets down working families in our state:

• Our Senator voted NO to providing health care for four million children when he voted against SCHIP legislation.
• He voted NO to creating and keeping jobs in Louisiana when he voted against the economic recovery package.
• And as if that's not enough, he voted AGAINST long-term economic recovery for all Americans when he opposed a budget that would get our economy back on track.

Senator Vitter consistently votes against the interests of working families in our state--while supporting CEOs and corporate banks who line his campaign chest.

And for him to shamelessly cover up the votes he's cast by soliciting donations for his 2010 campaign, working families in Louisiana have only one thing to say:

Senator Vitter: You can run for re-election, but you can't hide from your voting record.

Senator Vitter was right about one thing though--the election is more than 500 days away. That's why working families throughout Louisiana are uniting now to hold politicians accountable. We need to make sure in November 2010, we elect leaders who will stand up for hardworking Louisianans.

Harley riders. Pancake breakfasts. Governor Howard Dean.

What do they all have in common? They're just a few of the unique ways that SEIU's keeping our campaigns for health care reform and Employee Free Choice moving during the Memorial Day recess.

As the Congressional week draws to a close, and Members head back to their districts, they'll be greeted by a wave of activities on the ground, in the mail and over the airwaves, letting them know that working families need affordable, quality health care, and the right to bargain with their employers for job security and better benefits.

Here's just a few highlights from the more than 100 events in 16 states taking place next week:

• In North Dakota, SEIU leaders will be participating in a Divided We Fail event with Senator Conrad. Keep an eye out for our traveling "Faces of the Employee Free Choice Act" billboards as well.
• In Colorado, we'll be standing with former Gov. Howard Dean at a town hall to champion the need for a real public health insurance option. We're also going to be partnering with the Sierra Club in CO to highlight the economic and environmental support for Employee Free Choice and green jobs, through community engagement and signs along the road.
• In Maine, our "Faces of the Employee Free Choice Act" billboards will travel the state from event to event, where members will be making calls to their Senators. Maine is also one of nearly a dozen states where we'll be releasing our "Value of Reform" reports that demonstrates the true value of changing our broken healthcare system.
• In Virginia, we will continue our statewide door-to-door canvassing campaign to build community support.
• In Montana, we'll join Senator Tester at events across the state to share personal stories on why the legislation is needed.

During these next few weeks, we'll be sprinting to the finish line on major pieces of legislation that will truly deliver the change we voted for in November. To get involved, become a part of Change that Works and start making the difference in health care reform and ensuring workers have a voice on the job today.

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.:

R. S.:

P. L., Allegheny County:

T.F., Allegheny County:

J. R., Erie:

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.