In a special statement sent out on the Internet today AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka warns that “the right-wing bullies in Congress are plotting to take their next hostage, cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and threatening to tank our economy and government unless they get their way.”
In the statement Trumka calls on every person in the country to send a letter to the editor of his or her local newspaper calling out “Republican bullies in Congress” for holding the middle class hostage so “they can reap the rewards flowing to corporate CEOs and the rich.
For help finding the appropriate newspaper to contact anyone with Internet access can go here.
In his latest appeal for action Trumka notes that with the recent fiscal cliff agreement labor and its allies were able to hold off the congressional “bullies” and win an agreement that restores “some” tax fairness and extends unemployment benefits for workers for a year.
During that campaign more than 40,000 people signed petitions that were delivered to senators and representatives in 22 states before the holidays.
More than 15,000 called their members of Congress, including a thousand in the immediate moments leading up to the agreement.
Over 28,000 e-mails were sent in just two days to President Obama and elected officials asking them to hold the line on service cuts.
In addition, tens of thousands attended one or more of the 200 events organized by unions in each of the 50 states.
On Facebook, the AFL-CIO campaign reached 143,000 people and more than 10,000 participated in an online candlelight vigil
Tumka warned also in his statement that “the hostage takers” want to curtail conversation so that “dangerous budget austerity,” which he described as “taking food aid from hungry children, cutting education and killing safety on bridges and roads ” becomes the things we discuss. “They are trying to strong-arm us into believing the manufactured deficit crisis is the problem. The real problem is the Republicans’ continued insistence on protecting their rich donor friends and lobbyists and their approach of cutting benefits.”
“They refuse to talk about the genuine solutions to help our economy and create jobs by investing in infrastructure and education, raising wages, reducing inequality and increasing economic security for working people..
Action can also be taken, the AFL-CIO says, by going to the labor federation’s website.
Photo: Stock image of Trumka. Randy Bayne // CC 2.0
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