The debate over measures to fix America's broken labor laws took a back seat during the long debate on health care. Now that the focus has shifted to efforts to stimulate economic growth and job creation, it's time to put workers' rights front and center.
Jim Wasser served in Navy combat during the Vietnam War. His father fought in World War II, a veteran of the Pacific theater.
Wasser, a member of the Electrical Workers (IBEW) union, respects Sen. John McCain's military service-but not his record in the Senate. Wasser puts it this way:
He wants us to keep spending $10 billion a month in Iraq, just like Bush. We could use that money to build schools, and roads, and create jobs with livable wages and benefits and insurance. He even took sides with Bush against increasing health care benefits for veterans.
People should let John McCain know: His agenda is not what we need, not now.
The headline says it all as it was a very busy and sometimes hectic week. I started out the week Sunday and Monday in Harrisburg where I was attending the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania spring conference. I really wish I could have been in State College to see Senator Barack Obama's historic visit to Penn State but, I had already scheduled to attend the CCAP conference several weeks ago. I've heard from people who attended and they were all still buzzing late in the week from the rally.
Contact: Victor M. Ordonez
Email: vmo1701@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
McCRACKEN RECEIVES MAJOR LABOR ENDORSEMENTS
Electrical Workers'' and Iron Workers'' Union Endorses McCracken Campaign
Mark B. McCracken, Democratic candidate for United States House of Representatives in the 5th Congressional District of Pennsylvania is proud to announce that he has received the endorsements from the 2,760 plus members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union #5 and the 263 member International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers Local Union #772.
Today is the global warming forum in LA by Congresswoman Hilda Solis. I blogged about it here, and did an interview with her which you can watch here.
Moving to a non-fossil fuel economy is going to create unionized jobs, improve the economic prospects of low income Americans and working class minorities, and generate an entirely new growth sector of the economy. Scratch that. I shouldn't have used the future tense. It is creating jobs and economic opportunities. I got an email from Don Lyster, Congressman Solis's Chief of Staff, letting me know what Solis was up to during the recess.
The Congresswoman visited the East LA Skills Center today. The Center is run by LA Unified School District and is the only educational facility in Southern California which provides solar panel installation training. The teacher of the class will be one of the featured speakers at Solis' forum this Thursday.
The Congresswoman met with the students in the solar installation training class, a group of mostly Latino males, but also African Americans and Anglos. After completing the training, they will be placed in a pipeline for solar installation jobs - mostly union (IBEW) and well-paying jobs. Others will become contractors. Some want to start their own solar installation contracting firms. One trainee was a 56 year old Latino male who said he was inspired to return to the classroom because of the economic promise of the renewable energy industries. He has spent his career working as a custodial worker in LA schools. Others mentioned that they are excited to play their own role in conserving energy and reducing American dependence on foreign oil in their own way.
You can find out more about the forum here. There's a new economy coming, and the leaders in bringing it to us are progressive Democrats like Solis, rural Democrat Tim Walz, and Governors like Eliot Spitzer, who just announced the completion of the first green affordable public housing project in New York state.
Thank you to the Matt, Mike, and Chris at OpenLeft.com for inviting me to blog here. As a blog reader, but infrequent contributer, I'm excited to join the discussion about how to propel this movement forward and bring together all the allies - national and local, insider and outsider, public figures and grassroots activists. My day job is in the political department of the AFL-CIO. I also work on the Analyst Group which is convened by the AFL-CIO and am co-founder and board member of the New Organizing Institute. That's for disclosure, though what I post here isn't official work of these organizations. Mike's post yesterday about the opportunities and challenges for labor and the netroots to build a strong relationship, has particular resonance for me - and sparked a great discussion. Thanks again to Matt, Chris and Mike for all your work to create this incredible, new space.
Last night, the former Alaskan Democratic party chairman Jake Metcalfe was in DC and stopped to meet with some folks. There was an interesting discussion with him about his background, family, why he decided to run for Congress, and what's important to the Alaskan electorate. Jake stepped down from the state party on Saturday to throw his hat into the ring in 2008 for the single house seat in Alaska. Jake has also worked as an attorney for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 1547) and has a lot to say about labor in Alaska, one of the most union-dense states. Pending the primary in August of 08, the winner will face off against Don Young, who is currently the subject of a criminal inquiry.
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