Subject: [big campaign] Sen. Franken, AFL-CIO Pres. Trumka, 25,000 Unemployed Workers
From: "Alison Omens" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:17:35 -0500
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that today Working America held
a tele-town hall with 25,000 unemployed Working America members from
across the country and Sen. Franken and AFL-CIO Pres. Trumka. There was
a ton of participation from folks on the phone. Attached is the petition
people signed calling for jobs for Main Street.
 
Thanks, Alison

http://www.workingamerica.org/blog/2010/01/15/tele-town-hall-for-unemployed-workers/

Tele-Town Hall for Unemployed Workers

“This year, our first priority and our second priority and our third
priority are creating jobs,” Senator Al Franken told 25,000 unemployed
Working America members on a tele-town hall today. With 500,000 of our
members unemployed, Working America’s strong priorities are putting
people back to work and making sure that, in the mean time, jobless
workers have the resources and support they need to get by. So today we
reached out to unemployed members to give them a chance to get
information, ask questions, and hear about opportunities to take
action.

Sen. Franken was joined on the call by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
and National Employment Law Project executive director Chris Owens, with
Working America’s executive director Karen Nussbaum moderating. 

Two unemployed Working America members opened a question-and-answer
section that ranged from the broad economic issues to advice for
specific situations.

Marvin, from Yellow Springs, Ohio, had worked in the food service
industry his whole life as a chef and a manager. He’s been unemployed
since the residential college he worked at closed their facility and
laid off the staff. He said,

My experience is basically that the service industry is where people
spend their surplus money, and no one has any, so we have no jobs.
I’ve seen a lot of companies advertise jobs as entry level where
before they were looking for people with more experience and were much
higher paying. 

I’d like to see the government take a more proactive stance to run
the economy from the bottom up instead of the top down. So my question
for you is what should the government do to create jobs? And not just
short term jobs but ones that will stick around.

Sen. Franken responded that “we have to start manufacturing again,”
investing in research and development and making use of the strong
skills in manufacturing so many American workers have, and “we have to
rebuild our infrastructure,” because America’s schools and roads and
bridges are in need of repairs that would put jobless workers back on
the job. He also stressed the importance of investing in green jobs.

Both Sen. Franken and President Trumka strongly and repeatedly stressed
the importance of jobs legislation and economic stimulus. Trumka pointed
out that when last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was
passed, it was for a smaller amount than was anticipated to be
necessary, because Republicans in the Senate stonewalled and obstructed
the full amount needed. With the recession having proven deeper than
expected, making the stimulus that was passed even more inadequate than
initially anticipated, Trumka pointed to the danger of further half
measures. Deficit spending now to create jobs and stimulate the economy,
he said, is an investment in the future.

Other callers had questions about the billions of dollars in executive
bonuses the big Wall Street firms are announcing this week, the effect
of buying goods produced cheaply overseas, and unemployment benefits.
NELP’s Chris Owens urged listeners to call their senators in support
of extending unemployment benefits, which will begin running out for
some people at the end of February. 

So many callers had questions that time ran out before all could be
addressed during the tele-town hall, but this wasn’t just a one-off
event. Working America is committed to working with all our members to
promote strong jobs and economic legislation to put people back to work,
rein in the banks, and restore balance to our economy.

In the mean time, if you’re unemployed, check out our Unemployment
Lifeline for resources in your area and advice.

Alison Omens
Working America 
202-637-5083 (o)
202-341-7263 (c)
[email-masked]
www.twitter.com/alisonomens

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group.

To post to this group, send to [email-masked]

To unsubscribe, send email to [email-masked]

E-mail [email-masked] with questions or concerns
 
This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization.