Union Members Set to Take Action on Bush’s Failed Economy

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/06/30/union-members-set-to-take-action-on-bushs-failed-economy/

by James Parks, Jun 30, 2008

The nation’s economy is in a tailspin with the stock market plummeting, gas prices skyrocketing, jobs disappearing and mortgage payments ballooning out of control.

From New York City to California, union members are taking a close look at what’s wrong with our economy and learning how they can be part of the solution.

More than 340 central labor councils, state federations, trades councils and other union-related groups plan to hold meetings over the summer to give grassroots union leaders a look behind the dismal economic numbers and to mobilize to make the economy a central issue in the 2008 political campaign.

The meetings on the economy follow a whopping 337 central labor council meetings in April on health care reform. Combined, that’s nearly 700 central labor council and state federation meetings since April reaching more than 30,000 union leaders and activists on the key issues in Labor 2008 political mobilization effort to Turn Around America.

The “Turn Around America” mobilization is reaching out to working family voters around the country, building grassroots momentum to elect leaders who will fight for health care, workers’ freedom to form unions, fair trade and an economy that works for all.

Already, several councils have kicked off their summer meetings, and the economy is a big issue, drawing enthusiastic responses. In Alameda County, Calif., workers are gearing up for a major march tonight in support of 50,000 workers whose contracts expire at midnight. Sharon Cornu, executive secretary-treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, says the council held a barbeque June 9 that attracted three times the number of regular CLC attendance.

FULL story at link.