Save Medicare! Make Big Banks Pay Their Fair Share!
The United NY coalition, which includes New York SEIU Locals 1199SEIU and 32BJ, organized seniors and community members to hold “Knit-Ins” at bank branches throughout New York City and Long Island with the theme “Save Medicare, Make Big Banks Pay their Share.” After being bailed out by taxpayers, banks are back to making record profits–and many are not paying their fair share in taxes.
The seniors will hand-deliver the knitted blankets to members of Congress during the August recess.
Vickie Owens, a 69-year-old retired health professional and senior rights activist from the Bronx says she’s participating in the knit-in because Medicare is essential to her health. “I have diabetes and need medications and constant treatment. We bailed out the big banks, got them on their feet, and now they just want to throw us taxpayers and senior citizens to the dogs,” said Owens.
- Read more on the SEIU blog.
- Click here, here, and here for news coverage on the event, and here for photos.
New Report on Money, Power and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
There’s a new report out today exposing how some of America’s largest corporations have joined forces to pour millions of dollars each year into supporting anti-worker politicians and legislation at the state level. Led by such corporations as Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and Koch Industries, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is attacking healthcare, education, voting rights, workers, and lots more in all 50 state capitols.
The 22 companies that make up ALEC’s “private enterprise board,” their executives and affiliated political action committees, put more than $38 million into state elections in the 2009-10 election cycle and have invested more than $370 million in state politics since 2001, according to the report.
- Read the report.
- Watch a press conference featuring workers and community leaders speaking out against ALEC’s harmful practices.
The World In Our Hands: Art from 32BJ Union Members
Earlier this summer, janitors, window cleaners, doormen and other members of SEIU 32BJ created powerful works of art to put on display at the fifth-annual 32BJ Art Show in Manhattan.
The theme of this year’s show was “The World in Our Hands,” and featured more than 125 pieces of art work by 62 artists from the city’s union community. On display were paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and poems that expressed members’ concerns about social issues and showcased their widely-varying artistic talents. Spouses and children of union workers also contributed to the art show.
- See the list of artists.
- Images from this and previous years’ art shows can be found at 32bjarts.org, as well as on Flickr here.