Daily Archives: July 29, 2009

Economy, labor

AFL-CIO Calls for New Stimulus to Create Jobs

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wealthcareEconomic Recovery: Take Two

July 28, 2009
Silver Spring, MD
AFL-CIO Executive Council statement

The legacy of the Bush Administration has been a perfect storm of economic devastation — in finance, housing and jobs.  The challenge of fixing this economic mess is enormous – and urgent.  Creating good jobs that cannot be outsourced is central to the solution.

Despite much-touted “green shoots,” the prognosis for the U.S. economy keeps getting worse.  The official unemployment rate hit 9.5 percent in June and is likely to exceed 10 percent by later this year and remain high throughout 2010 – when mid-term elections will take place.  We have lost an extraordinary 6.5 million jobs since the onset of the recession, and we are 8.8 million jobs short of where we should be, taking into account the growing working age population.

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health care

IATSE is Twenty-first International Union to Endorse HR 676

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Orlando, Florida.  

The 66th Quadrennial Convention of IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees became the twenty-first international union to endorse HR 676, national single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

On July 29, 2009, over 800 delegates, representing more than 100,000 members nationwide, voted unanimously to endorse H.R. 676.  Since a
campaign to endorse HR 676 began within IATSE last January, over seventy-five individual IATSE locals have endorsed HR 676.

International President Matthew D. Loeb stated from the podium after the vote that HR 676 is the “right thing to do.”  The Convention resolution
will now be submitted to the AFL-CIO Convention to take place in Pittsburgh Sept. 13-17th.

Robert Score, Recording Corresponding Secretary of IATSE Local One in New York City, led the six month campaign.