|
|
By jwjnational, on September 10th, 2010
 People are angry, and for good reason. Corporate greed and recklessness have driven the country into a crisis, and leaders in Washington have yet to offer any real solutions.
Banks are making bumper earnings and corporations are raking in record profits and sitting on more than $8 Trillion in cash reserves. Meanwhile, 15 million Americans are out of work, and without a major federal investment in creating jobs, (official) jobless rates will be 8-13% into the next decade.
There is no such thing as a jobless recovery!
On Wednesday, September 15, we are taking action in cities across the country to send a message to Congress: If you won’t act to create jobs, maybe you don’t deserve to have a job.
OUR DEMANDS:
Full and Fair Employment. Congress must recognize the jobs emergency. Pass legislation like the Local Jobs for America Act, extend the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families emergency fund jobs subsidies program, extend unemployment insurance, heed President Obama’s call to renew the countries’ infrastructure and create a national infrastructure bank, and other bills that will create jobs, protect public services, and help
Continue reading This is a jobs emergency. Join us September 15th… and beyond!
By Rev. Jim Sessions, on September 3rd, 2010
The labor movement is the largest and most powerful economic justice organization in the world. From its beginning, the union movement and some parts of the religious community have worked together to help bring justice to our society. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1909 recognized this connection by designating the Sunday before Labor Day as Labor Sunday, a day dedicated to the spiritual and educational dimensions of the labor movement.
Labor organizers have often drawn from the deep wells of religious imagery to lead struggles for economic justice. As scholar and author Perry Bush points out, “They have been able to do so because a great mass of U.S. workers have held religious convictions that were not easily stripped away or transmuted into mindless obeisance to the power of the wealthy.”
Labor Day and Labor Sunday are times for the religious community and the labor movement to not only celebrate working people and their contributions to society. It also is a time to remember the struggles that workers endured to achieve the many benefits we now enjoy but take for granted. Benefits such as the eight-hour day, workers’ compensation, overtime pay, pensions, health and safety laws, Social Security,
Continue reading Labor Day: Recommit to Full Employment
By Allison Fletcher Acosta, on August 27th, 2010
 Dozens of protests planned for September 15
Reviving a core demand from the August 28, 1963 “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” Jobs with Justice is declaring a national “jobs emergency” and calling for Full and Fair Employment. Protests are expected in dozens of cities across the country on September 15.
“It’s time for corporate apologists in the Senate, who are blocking a recovery for the rest of us, to recognize what workers already know: we are in a jobs emergency that requires a bold, emergency response,” said Sarita Gupta, Jobs with Justice Executive Director. “With record long-term unemployment and communities losing vital public services, it is time to put Full and Fair Employment and a massive federal works program, core demands from the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom that Glenn Beck wants us to forget, back on the national agenda.”
The demands of the September 15 protests are full and fair employment – including passage of legislation like Local Jobs for America Act which would save or create 1 million jobs, extension of the emergency Temporary
Continue reading 47 Years After King’s March, JwJ Revives Call for Full & Fair Employment
By Debbie Kline, on June 3rd, 2010
 Yesterday, flanked by Cleveland Jobs with Justice activists; including members of the Cleveland Teachers Union (CTU), SEIU Local 1, Workers United, Working America and ATU Local 268, along with fire and police union members, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown announced his intent to introduce the Local Jobs for America Act during the week of June 7th. Senator Brown’s version of the House Bill would send $75 Billion to local governments and community groups over the next 2 year period. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Mayor Don Plusquellic of Akron both spoke about the cuts in fire and police forces that have had to endure during this economic downturn. Teacher Justin Hons, effected by the upcoming teacher layoff in Cleveland and laid off ATU Local 268 mechanic, Dennis Pohl both attended the news conference lending support to the bill being introduced by Senator Brown.
Michele Pomerantz, CTU Trustee and Director of Political Action and Cleveland Jobs with Justice member said, “today’s announcement gives me hope that better days are coming for everyone.”
The crowd of approximately 100 listened intently while a small group of teabaggers (3, in fact)
Continue reading Sherrod Brown Will Introduce the Local Jobs for America Act in the Senate
By jwjnational, on June 2nd, 2010
 14.6 million U.S. workers unemployed. One in ten without work. Only one job opening for every 5.6 people looking.
Congress just doesn’t get it. Joblessness is an emergency, and requires bold, emergency action. Tell Congress they must ACT NOW to create jobs and protect jobless benefits!
This jobs crisis is deeper and longer-lasting than even the Reagan recession of the 1980s, but many Democrats seem to be falling for right-wing scare tactics about the budget deficit and buying into the ridiculous argument that getting jobless benefits keeps the unemployment rate higher.
 Wall Street has recovered. Corporate CEOs are back to their greedy ways. Meanwhile, even if trends reverse today, workers will have to wait four to six years to close this job gap. The House voted last week to extend unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, but only through November, and they removed money to help people keep their health care coverage.
No matter what the conservative number crunchers say: there’s no such thing as a jobless recovery! Congress must act now to save and
Continue reading They Still Don’t Get It
By Fran Tobin, on June 1st, 2010
Leroy Smith leads chants at a Chicago JwJ Unemployed Workers Council action outside the unemployment office on June 1. Jobless activists and JwJ member groups rallied and collected "applications" for the 1 million jobs that would be created by the Local Jobs for America Act.
Congress still doesn’t get it. During the Congressional recess this week, Jobs with Justice coalitions across the country are sending them a message: There is no such thing as a “Jobless Recovery”.
America is 28 months and 8 million fewer jobs into a major jobs crisis — caused by Wall Street recklessness and corporate greed. Unemployment levels are deeper and longer-lasting that any post-war recession, there are nearly six people looking for every job opening, yet Congress has yet to enact a serious job-creation program, like the “Local Jobs for America Act”. And pundits are telling us we should just wait a few more years til we can put America back to work.
The House of Representatives even stripped health care benefits for the jobless from its recent unemployment extension bill, passed on Friday. Efforts to restore the jobless benefits for long-term unemployed
Continue reading Ramping Up the Pressure for Jobs and Benefits
|
|
