Social Security Update

The federal government announced today that tens of millions of Social Security recipients will go through another year in 2011 without an increase in their monthly benefits, marking only the second year without an increase since automatic adjustments for inflation were adopted. The first year was 2010. The cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, are set each year by an inflation measure that was adopted by Congress back in 1975. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that when Congress returns in November, he will press for passage of $250 in emergency relief for Social Security recipients and disabled veterans to compensate for the lack of a COLA. That same proposal was defeated in the Senate on March 3, when only one Republican voted to allow the amendment to be considered. Sanders said the estimated $13 billion cost of the help for seniors is only a fraction of the $70 billion in annual tax breaks that Senate Republicans are pushing for the wealthiest Americans.

The House will vote in November - after congressional elections - on a bill to provide a $250 payment to Social Security recipients, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. Already, in July, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) introduced H.R. 5987, The Seniors Protection Act of 2010, legislation to assist seniors, retired veterans, and disabled individuals on Social Security with a one-time $250 payment in the event that no inflation adjustment for 2011 is announced. President Obama also supports the $250 payment. "The Alliance endorses H.R. 5987, and will work in every way possible to pass it, as well as Sen. Sanders' legislation in the Senate," said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. "We should also remember that, as difficult as things are in this country now, they would become worse if candidates are elected on November 2 who want to cut or privatize Social Security."

The "No Child Left Behind" Act was intended to improve education and funding in primary and secondary schools in the United States.  Most teachers have found the law has done little to improve anything in the schools they work in.

A little known clause hidden in the arcane language of the law says that for schools and school districts to receive funding under the NCLB Act they have to cooperate with recruitment efforts of the US Armed Forces....without permission or knowledge of the parents of the children being recruited.

The military has long struggled to find more effective ways to reach potential enlistees; for every new GI it signed up last year, the Army spent $24,500 on recruitment. (In contrast, four-year colleges spend an average of $2,000 per incoming student.) Recruiters hit pay dirt in 2002, when then-Rep. (now Sen.) David Vitter (R-La.) slipped a provision into the No Child Left Behind Act that requires high schools to give recruiters the names and contact details of all juniors and seniors. Schools that fail to comply risk losing their NCLB funding. This little-known regulation effectively transformed President George W. Bush's signature education bill into the most aggressive military recruitment tool since the draft. Students may sign an opt-out form—but not all school districts let them know about it.  Read more at this link: (Mother Jones Magazine - Sept/Oct 2009)

Calls for "Speedy Withdrawal" from Iraq and Defends Iraqi Labor Rights

These  resolutions were adopted  September 17, 2009, in  the  final  session of  the AFL-CIO Convention  in Pittsburgh.  USLAW (US Labor Against the War) affiliates contributed to this success.  International Unions, State Federations, Central Labor Councils, Local Unions and many individuals worked together to make this bold statement to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our brave members of the Armed Forces home.

Leaders of five of Iraq's labor federations attended the convention to witness this effort.  They were also honored with a luncheon hosted by the United Steel Workers Union.

Click here to View the Resolutions