Jill Long Thompson for Governor of Indiana

Steelworkers Summer

What is Steelworkers’ Summer?

Steelworkers’ Summer is an educational and training internship in which participants develop skills useful for union organizing by experiencing firsthand the kinds of struggles workers face while trying to win a voice at work. It is also designed to give participants an understanding and appreciation of the positive impact the union has had on their parents’ working lives.

Internships are open to young adults, 18 years of age or older. Selection preference is given to children of members of the United Steelworkers International Union.

Steelworkers’ Summer is committed to uniting students, workers, and community activists to bring about social justice through work place and community organizing.

What kinds of qualifications are needed to participate in Steelworkers’ Summer?

Applicants should have a strong commitment to social and economic justice, as well as openness to working with a broad cross section of people. This includes people of various races, ethnicities, religions and orientations. Participants need to be people-oriented, enthusiastic, energetic, flexible and willing to work long hours on an unpredictable schedule. A college degree is not required. Previous union experience is not necessary. Volunteerism or activism is a plus.

You can download an Application and get more information here

For More Information, Contact
Steelworkers' Summer
USW Organizing Department
Five Gateway Center
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-562-2550
E-mail: steelworkerssummer@usw.org

Source: USW website

“Enough is Enough!”

Jill Long Thompson's campaign for Governor announced it has selected an original score composed by three Montgomery County brothers as its official theme song.

Written and produced by Carl, Troy and Alan Thompson (no relation to Jill) all of Ladoga, the country theme song entitled "Enough is Enough" will be used at various campaign events.

"Jill is the real deal," added Carl. "She's smart, she's tough and she's got the kind of common sense that will allow her to clean up Mitch's mess, protect our jobs and put Indiana back on track."

Enough is Enough

There's two on the ballot but not hard to choose

A vote makes a difference could mean win or lose

The state of Indiana is in distress

Vote Jill Long Thompson to clean up the mess

Vote Jill Long Thompson so Indiana will make it

We need a change she's the one to change it

Enough is Enough and this is how we'll say it

Enough is Enough Vote Jill Long Thompson

Who's the one to fix our state

Plain and simple the best candidate

Jill Long Thompson she'll work for you

All that know her know it's true

Enough is Enough Vote Jill Long Thompson

Enough is Enough Vote Jill Long Thompson

Let her be our voice Governor Jill Long Thompson

You can visit Jill's website by clicking here

4000 U.S. Dead -- Why?

McCain's Shadow

Has anyone else noticed that John McCain has been keeping Senator Joe Lieberman within whisper shot?
At least twice now, McCain has screwed up when responding to questions concerning foreign affairs, and Lieberman had to bail him out both times.

Now that's scary!

Obama Speech: 'A More Perfect Union'

McCain--Wrong on George W. Bush

Since President Bush took office, John McCain has supported Bush’s positions 89 percent of the time. McCain’s support of Bush’s policies reached as high as 95 percent in 2007.

Source: AFL-CIO

McCain--Wrong on Health Care

John McCain wants to make health care premiums part of taxable income, creating a new tax for working families. His plan would force working families to fend for themselves in the private insurance market and undermine employer-based health care. In addition, McCain has voted to slash funding for Medicare and opposed the reauthorization and new funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Source: AFL-CIO

McCain--Wrong on Social Security

John McCain voted for Bush’s Social Security privatization plan and says the only solution to fixing Social Security is through private accounts.

Source: AFL-CIO

McCain--Wrong on Jobs

John McCain has made it a point to tell audiences that some jobs “aren’t coming back.” What he doesn’t often explain is his role in exporting those jobs in the first place. McCain voted against prohibiting the overseas outsourcing of government contracts and voted to privatize federal jobs. He also voted to contract out federal jobs. And McCain has certainly done little to aid those who have lost their jobs, voting against the extension of federal unemployment insurance benefits.

Source: AFL-CIO

McCain--Wrong on Workers

John McCain voted to block the Employee Free Choice Act and supported a national “right to work” for less law. He supported President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while voting against raising the minimum wage.

Source: AFL-CIO

McCain--Wrong on Trade

John McCain has cast vote after vote for every free trade agreement under the sun, including the most devastating agreement in our history, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He has gone on to praise NAFTA and its effects and has voted to make it easier for the president to enter into agreements without strong worker protections.

Source: AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO Congressional Voting Record for 2007

AFL-CIO Voting Record for 2007 -Percent of votes in favor of Working Families

The AFL-CIO Voting Record lets you know where your lawmakers stand on working family issues such as strengthening Social Security and Medicare, freedom to join a union, workplace safety and more.
All votes were selected for inclusion because of their importance to working families. The graph below show the percentage of the time that each of these Representatives and Senators voted correctly ie; a pro-working families, vote. The Voting Record also shows each member's lifetime record of support for working families.

Here's how they have voted

You can find this information, not only for the above but for all the members of congress by going to the AFL-CIO website.

Ah, Those Wonderful Christian Conservatives

On Saturday, March 8, President Bush vetoed H.R. 2082, an important piece of anti-torture legislation that would have banned the use of waterboarding, stress positions, induced hypothermia, and other so-called "harsh" interrogation techniques by requiring all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, to abide by the restrictions in the Army Field Manual while conducting interrogations. H.R. 2082 was passed by a majority of both houses of Congress.

Sometime this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow, the U.S. House will vote on whether or not to override the President's veto. It is very difficult to override a veto (it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress), so the attempt to override may not be successful. That said, we want to make every effort to convince as many Members of Congress as possible to vote for the override.

Please call your Representative in Congress and urge him or her to vote to override the President's veto of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization bill. To contact your Member of Congress you can call the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to speak with your Representative.

Thank you for your efforts to end U.S.-sponsored torture and the conservatives who want to cause as much human pain, misery, suffering and death to as many people as they can before they get thrown out of Washington.

Torture is a Moral Issue

Bush Clone McCain Ready to Screw Retirees

Friday, March 7, 2008

John McCain Restates Support for Social Security Privatization

In an interview appearing in the March 3 edition of The Wall Street Journal, John McCain restated his support for the privatization of Social Security, saying, “As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it -- along the lines that President Bush proposed.” The proposal McCain favors is the same Bush privatization plan rejected by the American people in 2005 for jeopardizing the economic security of current and future retirees and ravaging guaranteed benefits for seniors and the disabled. Without the program, half of all American seniors would live in poverty. Privatization would mean a 30-50% cut in benefits, with the average retiree losing $134,000 in payments over 20 years of retirement. Arizona Alliance members gathered outside a Phoenix Social Security office this morning to protest Sen. McCain’s support for privatization, which he has consistently favored and voted for in 2006. “Don't be fooled, John McCain is, was, and always will be a privatizer,” said George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “While he fancies himself a maverick, he has long championed the Bush plan to gamble away Social Security on the roulette wheel of the stock market. In a Bush-McCain world, seniors' risk would be Wall Street's reward.”

Source: ARA Friday Alert

USW Condemns Outsourcing of Air Force Fuel Tankers; Condemns McCain's Lobbying; Calls on Congress to Defund

USW Condemns Outsourcing of Air Force Fuel Tankers;

Condemns McCain's Lobbying; Calls on Congress to Defund

For Immediate Release March 4, 2008

PITTSBURGH - The United Steelworkers (USW) today denounced the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for awarding a contract for the construction of Air Force refueling tankers to the European firm, Airbus, and called for its defunding. The contract is worth up to $100 billion, with its value rising to $408 billion over its lifetime. The USW also decried Sen. John McCain for his role in lobbying the DOD on behalf of the French corporation.

USW International President Leo W. Gerard pointed out that the DOD’s choice of Airbus undermines our country’s economic and national security. Gerard expressed grave concern over the fact that McCain lobbied so relentlessly for Airbus instead of U.S. based Boeing at a time when the U.S. government has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over unfair trade practices resulting from the French company’s illegal subsidies.

"Senator McCain's insistent lobbying for Airbus reveals he's no different than George Bush when it comes to putting the interests of corporate profits ahead of concern for American workers and their communities,” Gerard said. “In other words, the only thing that will change for workers under McCain is that things will get worse."

“With tens of thousands of jobs at stake over the next 20 years,” Gerard said, “this decision will have a deep, damaging and enduring impact on the aerospace industry and supporting industries, such as aluminum, glass, rubber and advanced materials and electronics, among others where many USW-represented workers will feel the impact.

Finally, the union joined the AFL-CIO, whose executive council this week called on Congress to exercise its Constitutional authority by conducting a complete review of the nation’s procurement policies, including any and all waivers of the “Buy American” provisions granted by the Bush Administration to date.

“Given the breadth and depth of the potential negative consequences of this contract award,” Gerard said, “the USW urges Congress to defund this project in its entirety until the investigation is complete.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers in the United States and Canada employed in the metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and other industries as well as the service and public sectors.

Contacts:

Tony Montana (USW) – 412-562-2592

Andre' Carson Wins ARA Endorsment

André Carson, Democratic Candidate for Congress in Indiana's 7^th District, met Wednesday with members of several area senior groups and promised them that he will fight to protect and strengthen Social security.

"Social Security is a promise we made to our seniors and one we must keep," said Carson. "Unlike my opponent, I would never privatize Social Security. Our seniors and future generations cannot afford to have their guaranteed benefits left to the whims of the stock market."

At the meeting, which included representatives from Alliance for Retired Americans, United Senior Action, the Generations Project, and local union retirees, Carson signed a pledge to oppose any attempt to partially or fully privatize Social Security.

Signing this pledge to oppose any legislation that would partially or fully privatize Social Security, clinched the Alliance for Retired Americans endorsement of Andre' Carson for Congress in Indiana's 7th CD.

USW 12775 Important Notice

Attention all Linemen
You are invited to attend

A Linemen’s Meeting
March 5, 2008 5:00pm CST
At USW 6787
1100 n. S.R. 149
Chesterton IN

All of us have been devastated by the recent fatality and what this means to linemen and the work we perform at NIPSCO.

We need to come together and discuss what we can do to keep ourselves safe.

We need to do this for our families, our apprentices and our customers.

There will be a second meeting later in the week for our Linemen on the east end of our service territory

NIPSCO Balderdash on Lineman death

The following is taken from the Michigan City News Dispatch.

"NIPSCO has commissioned a third-party investigation into the accident.

NIPSCO director of communications Colleen Reilly said any time there is a serious injury or fatality, the utility calls in a third-party inspector to investigate.

"Every job has a safety protocol," Reilly said."

Isn't the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) a third party? And can anyone remember NIPSCO ever accepting their findings and taking responsibility?

NIPSCO's only "safety protocol" is to find the accident victim at fault. The NIPSCO management team will not accept any responsibility for its failed safety program. Lies, lies, and more lies. Sort of reminds you of the Bush administration, doesn't it?