Taking Action for the 99%

It's official - our national conversation has changed in the past month. From endless droning about deficits and austerity measures, now the talk is about the real target: Corporate Greed. The reason we have high unemployment? Corporate Greed. The reason working class wages have stagnated while the top 1% incomes continue to rise? Corporate Greed. The reason the Pentagon budget gets a boost every year while the social safety net gets cut? Corporate Greed. We have the Occupy Movement to thank for changing the conversation in our country. Now it's up to us to take action to make change happen.
 
Action #1 - Continue Unemployment Benefits
Half In Ten, the campaign to cut poverty in half in ten years, has this online action to urge members of Congress to protect jobless benefits. For insight on organizing the unemployed, check out this People's World article titled Chicago unemployment activist’s message of hope.
 
Action #2 - Repair and Modernize America’s Schools
All students are entitled to a safe and healthy learning environment.  We need immediate action to turn crumbling schools into healthy,  high-performing learning environments for students and educators. Please sign this petition to President Obama from the American Federation of Teachers.
 
Action #3 - Support S. 1769, the Rebuild America Jobs Act
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has set up an action to get your senator on board to support S.1769 to put $58 billion dollars of infrastructure spending in areas such as roads, bridges, transit, and aviation.
 
Action #4 - No Cuts to Social Security or Medicare
Progressives United has an online tool that allows you to tell super committee Democrats to say no to any deal that cuts Social Security or Medicare.
 
We Are the 99%!
 
The AFL-CIO has taken another step to embrace the Occupy Movement by creating their own We Are the 99% website. Also, CPUSA Chair Sam Webb has an article on the movement at the People's World: Occupy: embrace the new, build the movement.
 
Economic Indicators
Anyone who wants to understand the enduring nature of Occupy Wall Street protests across the country need only look at the first official data on 2010 paychecks, which the U.S. government posted online last month.
 
Please make sure to visit the People's World online for the best in worker's news!             

In solidarity,            
 
Scott Marshall
Labor Chair, CPUSA
 
Source: E-letter from CPUSA.  Image courtesy of The Rachel Maddow Show.