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By Fran Tobin, on March 2nd, 2010 The fight-back is growing
Whirlpool refrigerators. Hugo Boss suits. Toyota Corollas. What do they have in common?
They’ve all been made by U.S. workers who will soon lose their jobs — if the corporate CEOs get their way. All these major corporations work hard (and spend a lot) to promote a positive corporate image. But they all plan to shut down their U.S. plants and shift production overseas — devastating our communities and taking advantage of workers abroad – even though these plants are profitable. If Corporate America gets its way, good jobs with benefits and economic security will be a distant memory.
But the fight back is growing. Jobs with Justice coalitions and our partners vow to make every plant shut-down costly and to challenge every major lay-off until we win Full and Fair Employment and a New Economy that Works for Everyone.
Last week, JwJ joined the AFL-CIO and IUE-CWA in challenging corporate greed at Whirlpool in Evansville, IN. Thousands of workers and community residents delivered 70,000 petitions to Whirlpool, protesting Whirlpool’s plan to send these jobs to Mexico — after taking millions of dollars in federal economic stimulus funds.
“We’re sending a message to Whirlpool and the rest of these companies that
Continue reading Stop Shut-Downs. Stop Lay-Offs. Stop Corporate Greed.
By Fran Tobin, on December 7th, 2009 As President Obama considers his proposals to respond to the jobless crisis and Wall Street prepares to shower executives with record bonuses, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has put a hold on Ben Bernanke’s re-nomination as Federal Reserve Chairman.
Bernanke is widely seen as one of the causes of the financial crisis. In his efforts to keep his job, Bernanke testified that he was committed to the Fed’s “dual mandate, which is growth and inflation.”
In fact, the Fed has a “dual mandate” to promote full employment and stable prices.
Bernanke and the rest of the banker crowd seem to have long ago forgotten that full employment (defined as 3% unemployment for persons age 20 and over) is supposed to be a fundamental goal of federal reserve and government policy.
Corporate bigwigs and Wall Street financiers are selling us the idea of a ‘jobless recovery,’ telling the unemployed to wait while they give themselves record bonuses. They want policy makers to accept high unemployment, low wages and economic insecurity as the new normal.
For the 1,500+ organizations that make up Jobs with Justice coalitions around the country, it’s long past time to take full employment seriously, beginning with the government creation of
Continue reading Does Bernanke Know What the Fed is Supposed to Do?
By Fran Tobin, on November 6th, 2009 “If the people lead, eventually the leaders will follow.”
Over the past year, JwJ coalitions have been calling for a break up of the “too big to fail” banks, new regulations that make the finance sector work for the economy and a large scale national jobs creation program.
Senator Sanders of Vermont is following the lead of the people in introducing a bill to break up the banks that would be “too big to fail.”
The bill would give the Treasury Department 90 days to identify any financial institution that might be ‘too big to fail,’ and then a year to break up all those institutions.
Rep. Paul Kanjorski from Pennsylvania is reportedly planning a similar bill.
“Trust Buster” Teddy Roosevelt broke up about 40 mega-institutions (his successor President Taft more than doubled that number), understanding that they were a threat to both democracy and the economy.
Let’s hope our leaders follow the people. Now THAT would be change we can believe in.
By Fran Tobin, on October 23rd, 2009 Looking to get fired up before heading to the Showdown in Chicago, October 27? Here are a few reasons we’re looking forward to facing the American Bankers Association meeting in person next week.
- Highest unemployment in 26 years.
- Three million foreclosures expected this year alone
- The “Bailout bandit” bankers are fighting to block a recovery for the rest of us.
After driving their companies and the entire economy into the ground, Wall Street took bailouts that add up to $15,000 for every man, woman and child in the country. They claimed they were ‘too big to fail.’
Then they actually reduced lending that would keep people working, increased foreclosures, charged outrageous overdraft fees and – surprise, surprise – gave themselves record salaries, bonuses and perks.
We consider these to be corporate crimes, which is why JwJ coalitions across the country have been staging actions, wrapping the ‘bailout bandits’ with crime scene tape and demanding new regulations and a major jobs program.
The simple fact is that “too big to fail” is as much a political as an economic issue. Failed banks are taken over every year by
Continue reading Too Big To Fail is just plain TOO BIG
By Fran Tobin, on October 2nd, 2009  Near record unemployment levels mean that 25 million Americans are out of work or forced to scrape by on part-time jobs.
This year alone, about 2 million families will be evicted due to the foreclosure crisis.
The ‘bailout bandit’ banks plan to pay $75 Billion in executive bonuses this year, while pushing people from homes and jobs, charging obscene fees and eliminating jobs. They are also spending million of dollars lobbying against a recovery for the rest of us.
The health insurance industry makes massive profits by denying care and spends millions fighting any reform.
Yet, many pundits and some in Congress say everything is OK. It’s back to “business as usual.”
We must tell Congress that the crisis is very real, that there is no such thing as a “jobless recovery” and that we need bold action to create jobs and make the economy work for everyone.
Across the country, JwJ coalitions held more than 30 actions this week, at banks and other ‘corporate criminals,’ saying that “enough is enough!”
Show your support by sending a message to congress today!
By Fran Tobin, on September 24th, 2009  Belva Davis is facing eviction from her Detroit area home, despite her attempts to pay her mortgage. Deb Johann lost her job and had months of her vacation pay stolen from her, when Quad City Die Casting abruptly shuttered its Moline, IL plant. She and her co-workers are also owed thousands of dollars in health care.
They are only two among tens of thousands of victims of corporate crime. The culprit? Wells Fargo.
Take Action Now.
Wells Fargo and its Wachovia subsidiary received $25 Billion in “TARP” bailout money, not to mention far more subsidy from the Federal Reserve, supposedly to extend credit and keep our economy going during this economic crisis.
Instead, Wells Fargo and the rest of the big “Bailout Bandits” (Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase – you can read more about their corporate crimes here) reduced their lending, increased foreclosures and are paying huge executive bonuses while:
foreclosing and evicting tens of thousands of people
pushing people out of jobs when companies close for lack of credit
charging obscene overdraft fees
spending millions lobbying against reforms of the financial system and a recovery for the rest of us (health care,
Continue reading Tell Wells Fargo: Stop the Evictions & Wage Theft!
By Fran Tobin, on August 3rd, 2009  Once again, a major corporation — this time Toyota — is threatening to cut thousands of jobs in the name of ‘competitiveness.’
Don’t let banks and corporations get away with a “jobless recovery” that restores profits and bonuses, but leaves workers behind. A real recovery puts workers and communities first, providing good jobs, affordable housing, retirement security and health care for all.
As part of the complicated auto industry bankruptcy process, Toyota is considering shutting down its only unionized workforce, the highly efficient partnership with GM called “New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.” (NUMMI) in Fremont California. Shutting down the plant would cost 4,500 good autoworker jobs, not to mention tens of thousands at dependent companies.
TAKE ACTION NOW
New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) is a partnership between Toyota and General Motors. According to outside evaluators, the vehicles produced at the unionized NUMMI plant had fewer problems than those produced at other Toyota plants. NUMMI was the 7th most efficient car making plant in the US, and better than any of Toyota’s car assembly plants in the US. The only Toyota-related facility in the US with a collective bargaining agreement, labor costs are comparable to
Continue reading No Jobless Recovery: Put Workers First in Auto Retooling
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