Tag Archives: United States

Our opponent, Josh Mandel, recently sat down for an interview with the Atlantic Monthly1. And he made a remark that really stood out.

Defending his habit of dodging questions about his positions, he said:

“We don’t pretend to cast votes on all these different pieces of legislation going through Washington. You know, we leave that to Sherrod Brown and the other career politicians.”
But here’s the thing. You don’t have to be an elected official to know that it’s wrong to call a woman a “slut” just because she disagrees with you. You don’t have to be an elected official to know that President Obama did the right thing when he saved the auto industry and hundreds of thousands of Ohio jobs.

Josh Mandel won’t say what he thinks about those — and many other — issues. Even worse, when the reporter asked whether Ohioans deserve to know where he stands, he said that “when I’m a U.S. Senator…they’ll know exactly what my position is.”

I know that you’re not an elected official — but I bet you have opinions on these issues. And if you want a Senator who isn’t afraid to tell you where he stands, it’s clear that there’s only one choice in this election. Stand with Sherrod by contributing $5 today!

Frankly, Josh has it backwards. After all, in his current elected position, he has skipped every single meeting of an important state panel he was supposed to chair. In Josh’s world, you don’t have to tell people what you think until you’re elected — and then you don’t have to show up for work.

That’s not how Sherrod treats his job. Sherrod’s always been proud to tell people where he stands — on the side of workers, on the side of women, on the side of Ohio’s manufacturers and small businesses. And whenever there’s a fight over the future of the middle class, Sherrod shows up to work hard for Ohio families.

I think Ohio can do better than Josh Mandel — someone who, according to the article, “quickly turns evasive or just blank on unfamiliar ground.” And if you agree, we need your support — will you give $5 or more now?

You don’t have to be a “career politician” to know where you stand. And you don’t have to read between the lines to know where Sherrod stands.

Thank you for helping us hold Josh Mandel accountable.

Sarah Benzing
Campaign Manager
Friends of Sherrod Brown

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AFL – CIO new website

03/12/2012 Nativegrl77

The AFL-CIO’s new website showcases our commitment to reaching and engaging all working people. We hope you’ll take a look—and come back often.

Visit the AFL-CIO’s new website.

Since becoming secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, I have been committed to reaching and engaging the broadest range of working people inside and outside of unions.

I believe that—to be relevant and part of the conversation in this day and age—we need to do things differently.

It’s critical that we embrace constant innovation to build on what we do best. And we’ve got to commit to a culture of openness—building an inclusive movement that puts the voices of workers front and center and encourages all working families to get involved.

Innovation and openness are what we had in mind as we redesigned our website from the bottom up. We put the stories of working people front and center, and created a community space to share information, take action and showcase the work of the unions and the people we are proud to represent.

Please take a moment to visit the AFL-CIO’s new website and get more involved by visiting our blog and action center.

The AFL-CIO’s investment in cutting-edge communications and technologies isn’t just limited to a new website. In fact,our commitment to innovation starts at the top.

President Richard Trumka sent his first tweet last week. You can now follow President Trumka on Twitter (@RichardTrumka). And you can also follow me on Twitter here (@LizShuler).

We’ve also made a big commitment to building new tools and a new team that will empower our members and activists to leverage the power of the Internet to mobilize their friends, neighbors and families.

Over the coming months and beyond, we’ll take what the labor movement has always done well offline, bring it online and open up our movement in more ways to more people. We’ll be mobilizing harder and smarter than ever before.

Soon, we’ll ask you to use some of these new tools to do more of what the labor movement does best. Things like conversations in our workplaces, phone banking and reaching out to the people you know. We’ll invite everyone who cares about the future of working families to get involved.

Lots of exciting things are coming, and I can’t wait to tell you more soon. But today, the best way to see the new direction we’re headed in is to visit the AFL-CIO’s new website, blog and action center.

With your help, we’re building an increasingly innovative, active, open and effective movement for all working people—including young people, Latinos and working men and women who don’t have the benefits of a union voice on the job. Our new website reflects that. Thank you for being a part of it—and for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,

Liz Shuler
Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO

P.S. Here are four things you can do this week that you couldn’t do last week:
1. Visit our redesigned website, then share it on Facebook and Twitter.
2. Check out the revamped AFL-CIO Now Blog.
3. Visit our new action center.
4. Follow President Trumka on Twitter. (You can also follow me.)

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Help Home Care Workers Get Basis Workplace Protections

03/09/2012 Nativegrl77


	Help Home Care Workers Get Basic Workplace Protections



	For decades, home care workers have been underpaid and undervalued. Tell the Department of Labor to extend minimum wage and overtime protections today!

	WWW.NWLC.ORG

We have labor laws for a reason — because fair workplace practices shouldn’t be options subject to the whims of an employer.

Most workers in America are entitled to minimum wage and overtime protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). But one group of workers — home care workers — is still denied these basic labor rights.

Who are these workers? They are everywhere, in nearly all of our communities. They are overwhelmingly women (about 9 out of 10) and are disproportionately women of color. These workers take care of elderly and disabled Americans — perhaps your family members — who need extra help at home. Most are employed by the fast-growing home care industry. But this difficult, extremely important work has been deprived of FLSA protections for decades.

Today, we have an opportunity to extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers. But we need your help!

The Department of Labor has proposed a regulation that would extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers, lifting many of them and their families out of poverty, and helping to close the wage gap for women.

For one more week, the Department is accepting comments on this regulation. The home care industry and other opponents of minimum wage and overtime protections are mobilizing in opposition. It’s vital for people who care about fair pay and economic security for women to take action and make their voices heard!

These workers have been denied these rights far too long. The clock is ticking — please, take two minutes to help the caregivers who work so hard to help our families in times of need. WWW.NWLC.ORG

The deadline for comments is next Monday, March 12. Please act now, before it’s too late!

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Please help us continue to advocate for policies that protect and improve economic security for women and their families by making a generous donation today.

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RIP Jimmy Ellis – Burn baby Burn … Disco Inferno

03/09/2012 Nativegrl77

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Take Action Today: Urge Congress to Support the International Affairs Budget – CARE

03/08/2012 Nativegrl77

On February 13, President Obama released his FY2013 budget, which includes $56.2 billion for international affairs. Such resources demonstrate his strong commitment to supporting development and humanitarian programs that help fight global poverty.

Today for International Women’s Day, some of CARE‘s leading advocates are on Capitol Hill meeting with their policymakers and raising their voices in support of the International Affairs Budget, which has a very real impact on the lives of women and men with whom CARE works.

Will you join them? As Congress begins the process of deliberating the President’s request, they need to hear your voice. Please contact your representatives and senators TODAY — you can help make a difference.

The International Affairs Budget is a strategic, cost-effective investment that helps tackle the root causes of poverty and helps us respond to humanitarian crises. It represents a practical and smart investment in building a prosperous, stable and secure world. Only one percent of the total budget is for foreign assistance; truly a small investment that yields big returns for our nation and the world.

We need to act now to show our policymakers that Americans support these critical programs. Urge your members of Congress to support the International Affairs Budget now!

Sincerely,