Thanksgiving is a time to gather family and friends to appreciate and enjoy the bounty of the harvest.  And it’s been a really great year — if you happen to work on Wall Street, where CEOs are expecting record bonuses.  But the rest of us are in the trough of the worst economic crisis in a generation.  Millions more Americans are suffering hunger, joblessness and the loss of our homes. 

November brought bleak reports on the state or our economic health.  This month unemployment officially topped 10%, and while job loss has slowed, the economy continues to lose about 200,000 jobs per month.  Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 10 homeowners is delinquent on their mortgage, while home values have dropped an average of 7.1 percent. 

Americans are not only struggling to stay in their houses, but they are also struggling to put food on the table.  A USDA report issued this month shows that 49 million people (14.6 percent of the population), cannot consistently get enough to eat.  Another recent study found that nearly half of all children and 90% of African-American children in the U.S. will receive

Continue reading Giving Thanks in Tough Times

From September 24th through October 1st, activists and workers in dozens of cities took to the streets as part of Jobs with Justice’s week of action demanding economic recovery for working America. We covered a lot of ground, connected some dots along the way, and observed the 1 year anniversary of Bush’s TARP (bailout) program the same way we welcomed it – on the streets and in opposition to corporate welfare. 

With a national economy that continues to lose jobs, more and more homes being lost, and a debate around health care going nowhere unless we step up to the plate and mobilize for it, Jobs with Justice coalitions across the country brought diverse communities together to challenge those most responsible for the current crisis.

U.S. September Job Cuts Exceeded Forecasts, Unemployment Rose – and many believe that we’ll easily pass the 10% figure officially in terms of unemployment (which some argue puts us closer to 20% unemployment).  A report by the AFL-CIO found that workers under 35 are worse off than they were

Continue reading Shifting Gears: On the Offensive for Jobs, Health Care, and Housing

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!

The fact that our government often subsidizes the profits of big corporations instead of investing in our communities isn’t new, but it’s time that we say enough is enough.  How are we going to tackle the tough problems facing our country when our state and local governments—often the places where we can make the greatest impact—are unaccountable and unable to implement the change we need?

New York City’s government frequently greenlights massive redevelopment projects that rely on millions of taxpayer dollars.  In one of the most expensive cities in the world, projects that reshape entire neighborhoods get approved without considering if they will meet community needs, or deliver good jobs and affordable housing. 

New York Jobs with Justice was part of a coalition that fought back during the rezoning of Coney Island to win significant community benefits, including 35% affordable housing units, money  to renovate the local hospital’s emergency room, land for a new school, and much more.

Right now, the Kingsbridge Armory project in the Bronx will saddle a community desperate for good jobs with a shopping complex that will create 1,200 permanent,

Continue reading Fighting for Accountable Development in NYC & Beyond