The Great Con: The Working People Weekly List

Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s this week’s Working People Weekly List.

 

AFL-CIO Leader Trumka Hits Trump Tax Plan: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka hit hard at GOP President Donald Trump’s tax plan. He predicted it would eventually lead to Republican agitation for more cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Trump unveiled the plan, after weeks of work by his business-dominated economic team. It calls for a cut in the corporate tax rate from its current 35 percent to 20 percent and eliminates the estate tax, a favorite GOP cause."

GOP Tax Plan Is 'The Great Con,' Says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: "Trumka said a tax plan that would be good for working people should have corporations and the rich paying their fair share. It should also create enough revenue to create jobs and should destroy all incentives to offshore jobs and profits, he added. 'This tax plan fails miserably on all three of those things.'"

Cecil Roberts: Graham-Cassidy a Bad Song That Gets Worse Every Time We Hear It: "President Trump was right when he said health care is complicated. What is not complicated, however, is what working people want from our health care system. We want to be able to get the care our families need — when we need it — at a price that does not leave us bankrupt."

A Tax Plan That Works for the People, Not Wall Street: "Working people are tired of hearing how tax giveaways for Wall Street billionaires and corporations will supposedly trickle down to the rest of us. Too many politicians and pundits want us to believe our country is broke, and we have no choice but to demand sacrifices from working people, yet they have no trouble finding trillions of dollars to waste on tax giveaways for people who do not need them. They want to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education and infrastructure to pay for tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy."

Unions Are Our Best Chance for Changing Our Economy and Politics: "This month, MaryBe McMillan made history when she was unanimously elected as the first woman president of the North Carolina AFL-CIO. A native of Hickory, North Carolina, and a leading advocate nationally for building labor's presence in the South, McMillan has served as secretary-treasurer of the state federation since 2005, working alongside outgoing president James Andrews, the first African American to hold that post. After the convention, Facing South publisher Chris Kromm talked with McMillan about the state of labor in North Carolina and the South, and why unions are a key piece of the broader progressive movement."

Fact-Checking Inaccurate News About the Jones Act: "On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he would be waiving the Jones Act in response to devastation that has hit the island of Puerto Rico. Much of the reporting about this has included inaccurate information. Here are the real facts about the Jones Act and Puerto Rico."

Republican Tax Plan a Con Game Against Working People: "Yesterday, President Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Congress released their new tax plan. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka responded to the proposal."

Iowa Teachers Overwhelmingly Reject Attack on Working People: "In February, then-Gov. Terry Branstad (R) signed into law a bill that was a direct attack on the rights of working people. In the first major test of the new law, Iowa's teachers and faculty rejected the attacks and recertified 13 bargaining units overwhelmingly yesterday."

Students Work Together to Create Change at Nike: "In a powerful illustration of the ability of grassroots activists to challenge corporate power, United Students Against Sweatshops, the nation’s leading student organization focused on issues of worker rights and economic justice, has just scored a crucial victory over the world’s biggest sports apparel and footwear brand: Nike."

Time Is Short to Renew DACA Status: "The Donald Trump administration recently announced it will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an outrageous decision that will strip status and work permits away from nearly 800,000 productive members of our society. The labor movement strongly condemns these efforts to criminalize young working people and will work tirelessly to defend and extend these important protections. While we continue to push Congress and the administration, there are some important things that you need to know if you or a family member, co-worker, neighbor or friend have DACA."

Check Out the More Than 250 Union-Made Options for National Drink Beer Day: "Our friends at Labor 411 inform us that National Drink Beer Day is totally a real thing and that it takes place on Sept. 28. Don't worry, though, they have the definitive list of union-made beers ready for you to check out. Make sure that while you enjoy your beers in celebration of the totally real holiday of National Drink Beer Day, you choose ethically made beers that treat their workers fairly. You have options. More than 250 of them."

Americans in Every Way—Except on Paper: "This month, the Donald Trump administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided temporary permission for more than 800,000 undocumented young people brought to the United States as children to live and work in the country. The young people covered by DACA include teachers, journalists, entertainers, behavioral health specialists and many other young professionals. As the place in the labor movement for professionals, the members of the affiliate unions of the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees (DPE) bring to the table a diverse array of backgrounds, nationalities and immigration experiences — including Dreamers.’"

How One AFSCME Local Is Helping Florida Dry Out and Rebuild: "Most times, you can find longtime AFSCME member Bert Walthour serving the city of Miami Beach as a heavy equipment operator. He and his co-workers at Local 1554, AFSCME Florida, where he serves as vice president, make one of the world’s most iconic cities function every day."

NFL Players Association Responds to Attacks on Free Speech: "After President Donald Trump and others attacked the free speech rights of athletes, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) responded to the president's comments."

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IATSE, Local 728

Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians

1001 W. Magnolia Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91506

(818) 954-0728

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