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<STRONG><FONT size=3>Another Broward Teachers Union (Fla) Boss Forced Out</FONT></STRONG><BR></LI>
<LI><A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/opinion/crippling-the-right-to-organize.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1" target=_blank><STRONG><FONT size=3>Crippling the Right to Organize</FONT></STRONG></A></LI>
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<P class=ecxheadline1 style="FONT-SIZE: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><A href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14071?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=2" target=_blank><FONT face=Tahoma color=#0068cf size=3><STRONG>How Ayn Rand Seduced Generations of Young Men and Helped Make the U.S. Into a Selfish, Greedy Nation</STRONG></FONT></A></P></LI>
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<P class=ecxheadline3 style="FONT-SIZE: 16px; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><FONT face=Tahoma color=#0068cf><A href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14079?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=27" target=_blank><STRONG>How Finance Vultures Feed off the Poor As They Fight to Climb Out of Poverty</STRONG></A></FONT></P></LI>
<LI><STRONG><FONT size=3>How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers</FONT></STRONG></LI>
<LI><STRONG><FONT size=3>Unemployment Slamming Public Employees"</FONT></STRONG></LI>
<LI><STRONG><FONT size=3>Why Does the Dallas Fed President Want to Destroy West Coast Port Unions?</FONT></STRONG></LI>
<LI><STRONG><FONT size=3>Honest Work for Honest Pay? Not in America, Not Anymore</FONT></STRONG></LI>
<LI><STRONG><FONT size=3>Victoria's Secret Revealed: Child Labor Picking Its Cotton</FONT></STRONG></LI>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><FONT face=Tahoma size=3>Bishops Speak Out on Unemployment, Immigration</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV></LI>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><FONT face=Tahoma size=3>Jesuit Priest Inducted into California Hall of Fame</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV></SPAN></DIV></LI>
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<H2 class=ReadMsgSubject><FONT face=Tahoma size=3>Alabama Immigrant Law Recalls Jim Crowþ</FONT></H2></SPAN></DIV></SPAN></DIV></LI></OL>
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<STRONG><FONT size=4>Another Broward Teachers Union (Fla) Boss Forced Out</FONT></STRONG><BR>
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On the eve of a hearing to determine whether Pat Santeramo would remain head of the<BR>Broward Teachers Union, he resigned instead. <BR>Santeramo, the subject of two state probes into his handling of funds,<BR>agreed Tuesday night to end his decade-long run as the BTU’s leader.<BR> <BR>He was scheduled to go before the union’s executive board Wednesday<BR>to defend himself against charges that he misled the body by<BR>falsifying budget reports to conceal $19,500 in reimbursed campaign<BR>contributions. <BR>Rather than airing the union’s dirty laundry before an expected<BR>crowd of more than 150 union members, Santeramo stepped down.....Calls<BR>for Santeramo’s removal have steadily intensified since the release<BR>of a Nov.4 audit by the union’s national parent organization — the<BR>American Federation of Teachers — which detailed salary overpayments<BR>to Santeramo and three other union leaders, information on 26 union<BR>staffers and relatives who were reimbursed for campaign contributions<BR>and two years of haphazard financial record keeping....Santeramo’s<BR>attorney said he expects his client will receive $255,020 in accrued<BR>sick leave and vacation days.<BR> <BR>, it appears Santeramo will not have to worry about his next union<BR>paycheck. A large portion of his $189,000 annual salary has been paid<BR>up front, rather than spread throughout the year as it is earned,<BR>according to the AFT audit......Santeramo, a former middle school<BR>music and physical education teacher, rose through the ranks of the<BR>union’s leadership. He started as a union representative, then<BR>served as vice president, and, finally, president in 2001, when<BR>Gentile was forced out after his arrest on charges that he tried to<BR>engage a teenager in an online relationship. <BR> <A href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/06/2534477_broward-teachers-union-president.html" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/06/2534477_broward-teachers-union-president.html</FONT></A><BR><BR>
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<H6 style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; COLOR: #000000; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Opinion</H6>
<DIV><A href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/opinion/crippling-the-right-to-organize.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1" target=_blank><IMG style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0pt; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0pt; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0pt; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0pt" height=75 alt="" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/12/17/opinion/1217OPEDjinkins/1217OPEDjinkins-thumbStandard.jpg" width=75 align=right border=0></A>
<H6 style="FONT: 11px arial, sans-serif; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; COLOR: black; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">Op-Ed Contributor </H6>
<H3 style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/opinion/crippling-the-right-to-organize.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1" target=_blank>Crippling the Right to Organize </A></H3>
<H6 class=ecxbyline style="FONT: 10px Arial,sans-serif; COLOR: #999">By WILLIAM B. GOULD IV </H6>
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<P style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; COLOR: #000">On Jan. 1, American workers may lose their right to be represented by a union.</P></DIV></DIV>
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<A href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14071?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=1" target=_blank><IMG height=196 alt="" src="http://images.alternet.org/images/managed/storyimages_picture16_1267143856.jpg_310x220" width=313 border=0></A> <BR>
<P class=ecxheadline1 style="FONT-SIZE: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><A href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14071?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=2" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>How Ayn Rand Seduced Generations of Young Men and Helped Make the U.S. Into a Selfish, Greedy Nation</FONT></A></P>
<P style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; COLOR: #666; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks in part to Rand, the United States is one of the most uncaring nations in the industrialized world. <A class=ecxreadmore style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 9px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; LETTER-SPACING: 0.1em" href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14071?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=3" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>READ MORE</FONT></A></P>
<FONT face="Georgia, Times, serif" color=#4d4d4d size=2><I>Bruce E. Levine / AlterNet</I></FONT><BR>
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<TD vAlign=top><A href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14079?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=26" target=_blank><IMG height=81 alt="" src="http://images.alternet.org/images/managed/storyimages_1324059259_screenshot20111216at1.13.58pm.png_640x413_95x68" width=112 align=left border=0></A></TD>
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<P class=ecxheadline3 style="FONT-SIZE: 16px; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><FONT color=#0068cf><A href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14079?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=27" target=_blank>How Finance Vultures Feed off the Poor As They Fight to Climb Out of Poverty</A></FONT><BR>
<P style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; COLOR: #666; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Poverty is the result of decades of political choices that first created ghettos and then left them prey to a still growing industry that profits from their existence. <A class=ecxreadmore style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 9px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; LETTER-SPACING: 0.1em" href="http://act.alternet.org/go/14079?akid=8012.16102.-hu0hK&t=28" target=_blank><B><FONT color=#0068cf>READ MORE</B></A> </P>
<P style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; COLOR: #4d4d4d; FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif">By Kai Wright / The Nation </P></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
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How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest<BR>Eggs of American Workers <BR> <BR>By Ellen Schultz, Portfolio Books <BR> <BR><A href="http://www.alternet.org/story/152549/" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>http://www.alternet.org/story/152549/</FONT></A><BR> <BR>The following is an excerpt from Retirement Heist: How<BR>Companies Plunder and Profit From the Nest Eggs of<BR>Americans Workers, by Ellen E. Schultz by arrangement<BR>with Portfolio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.,<BR>Copyright (c) Ellen E. Schultz, 2011.<BR> <BR>In December 2010, General Electric held its Annual<BR>Outlook Investor Meeting at Rockefeller Center in New<BR>York City. At the meeting, chief executive Jeffrey<BR>Immelt stood on the Saturday Night Live stage and gave<BR>the gathered analysts and shareholders a rundown on the<BR>global conglomerate's health. But in contrast to the<BR>iconic comedy show that is filmed at Rock Center each<BR>week, Immelt's tone was solemn. Like many other CEOs at<BR>large companies, Immelt pointed out that his firm's<BR>pension plan was an ongoing problem. The "pension has<BR>been a drag for a decade," he said, and it would cause<BR>the company to lose 13 cents per share the next year.<BR>Regretfully, to rein in costs, GE was going to close<BR>the pension plan to new employees.<BR> <BR>The audience had every reason to believe him. An<BR>escalating chorus of bloggers, pundits, talk show<BR>hosts, and media stories bemoan the burgeoning<BR>pension-and-retirement crisis in America, and GE was<BR>just the latest of hundreds of companies, from IBM to<BR>Verizon, that have slashed pensions and medical<BR>benefits for millions of American retirees. To justify<BR>these cuts, companies complain they're victims of a<BR>"perfect storm" of uncontrollable economic forces--an<BR>aging workforce, entitled retirees, a stock market<BR>debacle, and an outmoded pension system that cripples<BR>their chances of competing against pensionless<BR>competitors and companies overseas.<BR> <BR>What Immelt didn't mention was that, far from being a<BR>burden, GE's pension and retiree plans had contributed<BR>billions of dollars to the company's bottom line over<BR>the past decade and a half, and were responsible for a<BR>chunk of the earnings that the executives had taken<BR>credit for. Nor were these retirement programs--even<BR>with GE's 230,000 retirees--bleeding the company of<BR>cash. In fact, GE hadn't contributed a cent to the<BR>workers' pension plans since 1987 but still had enough<BR>money to cover all the current and future retirees.<BR> <BR>And yet, despite all this, Immelt's assessment wasn't<BR>entirely inaccurate. The company did indeed have<BR>another pension plan that really was a burden: the one<BR>for GE executives. And unlike the pension plans for a<BR>quarter of a million workers and retirees, the<BR>executive pensions, with a $4.4 billion obligation,<BR>have always been a drag on earnings and have always<BR>drained cash from company coffers: more than $573<BR>million over the past three years alone.<BR> <BR>So a question remains: With its fully funded pension<BR>plan, why was GE closing its pensions?<BR> <BR>That is one of the questions this book seeks to answer.<BR>Retirement Heist explains what really happened to GE's<BR>pensions as well as to the retirement benefits of<BR>millions of Americans at thousands of companies. No one<BR>disputes that there's a retirement crisis, but the<BR>crisis was no demographic accident. It was manufactured<BR>by an alliance of two groups: top executives and their<BR>facilitators in the retirement industry--benefits<BR>consultants, insurance companies, and banks--all of whom<BR>played a huge and hidden role in the death spiral of<BR>American pensions and benefits.<BR> <BR>Yet, unlike the banking industry, which was rightly<BR>blamed for the subprime mortgage crisis, the<BR>masterminds responsible for the retirement crisis have<BR>walked away blame-free. And, unlike the pension raiders<BR>of the 1980s, who killed pensions to extract the<BR>surplus assets, they face no censure. If anything they<BR>are viewed as beleaguered captains valiantly trying to<BR>keep their overloaded ships from being sunk in a<BR>perfect storm. In reality, they're the silent pirates<BR>who looted the ships and left them to sink, along with<BR>the retirees, as they sailed away safely in their<BR>lifeboats.<BR> <BR>The roots of this crisis took hold two decades ago,<BR>when corporate pension plans, by and large, were well<BR>funded, thanks in large part to rules enacted in the<BR>1970s that required employers to fund the plans<BR>adequately and laws adopted in the 1980s that made it<BR>tougher for companies to raid the plans or use the<BR>assets for their own benefit. Thanks to these rules,<BR>and to the long-running bull market that pumped up<BR>assets, by the end of the 1990s pension plans at many<BR>large companies had such massive surpluses that the<BR>companies could have fully paid their current and<BR>future retirees' pensions, even if all of them lived to<BR>be 99 and the companies never contributed another dime.<BR> <BR>But despite the rules protecting pension funds, U.S.<BR>companies siphoned billions of dollars in assets from<BR>their pension plans. Many, like Verizon, used the<BR>assets to finance downsizings, offering departing<BR>employees additional pension payouts in lieu of cash<BR>severance. Others, like GE, sold pension surpluses in<BR>restructuring deals, indirectly converting pension<BR>assets into cash.<BR> <BR>To replenish the surplus assets in their pension piggy<BR>banks, companies cut benefits. Initially, employees<BR>didn't question why companies with multi-billion-dollar<BR>pension surpluses were cutting pensions that weren't<BR>costing them anything, because no one noticed their<BR>pensions were being cut. Employers used actuarial<BR>sleight of hand to disguise the cuts, typically by<BR>changing the traditional pensions to seemingly simple<BR>account-style plans.<BR> <BR>Cutting benefits provided a secondary windfall: It<BR>boosted earnings, thanks to new accounting rules that<BR>required employers to put their pension obligations on<BR>their books. Cutting pensions reduced the obligations,<BR>which generated gains that are added to income. These<BR>accounting rules are the Rosetta Stone that explains<BR>why companies with massively overfunded pension plans<BR>went on a pension-cutting spree and began slashing<BR>retiree health benefits even when their costs were<BR>falling. By giving companies an incentive to reduce the<BR>liability on their books, the accounting rules turned<BR>retiree benefits plans into cookie jars of potential<BR>earnings enhancements and provided employers with the<BR>means to convert the trillion dollars in pensions and<BR>retiree benefits into an immediate, dollar-for-dollar<BR>benefit for the company.<BR> <BR>With perfectly legal loopholes that enabled companies<BR>to tap pension plans like piggy banks, and accounting<BR>rules that rewarded employers for cutting benefits,<BR>retiree benefits plans soon morphed into profit<BR>centers, and populations of retirees essentially became<BR>portfolios of assets and debts, which passed from<BR>company to company in swirls of mergers, spin-offs and<BR>acquisitions. And with each of these restructuring<BR>deals, the subsequent owner aimed to squeeze a profit<BR>from the portfolio, always at the expense of the<BR>retirees.<BR> <BR>The flexibility in the accounting rules, which gave<BR>employers enormous latitude to raise or lower their<BR>obligations by billions of dollars, also turned retiree<BR>plans into handy earnings-management tools.<BR> <BR>Unfortunately for employees and retirees, these<BR>newfound tricks coincided with the trend of tying<BR>executive pay to performance. Thus, deliberately or<BR>not, the executives who green-lighted massive retiree<BR>cuts were indirectly boosting their own pay.<BR> <BR>As their pay grew, managers and officers began<BR>diverting growing amounts into deferred-compensation<BR>plans, which are unfunded and therefore create a<BR>liability. Meanwhile, their supplemental executive<BR>pensions, which are based on pay, ballooned along with<BR>their compensation. Today, it's common for a large<BR>company to owe its executives several billion dollars<BR>in pensions and deferred compensation.<BR> <BR>These growing "executive legacy liabilities" are<BR>included in the pension obligations employers report to<BR>shareholders, and account for many of the "growing<BR>pension costs" companies are complaining about.<BR>Analysts, shareholders, and others don't understand<BR>that executive obligations are no different from<BR>pension obligations for rank-and-file workers and<BR>retirees--they are governed by the same accounting<BR>rules, and they represent IOUs that a company has on<BR>its books. In some ways, executive liabilities are like<BR>public pensions: large, growing, and underfunded (or,<BR>as in the case of the executives, unfunded).<BR> <BR>Unlike regular pensions, the growing executive<BR>liabilities are largely hidden, buried within the<BR>figures for regular pensions. So even as employers<BR>bemoaned their pension burdens, the executive pensions<BR>and deferred comp were becoming in some companies a<BR>bigger drag on profits.<BR> <BR>To offset the impact of their growing executive<BR>liabilities on profits, many companies take out<BR>billions of dollars of life insurance on their<BR>employees, using the policies as informal executive<BR>pension funds and collecting death benefits when<BR>workers, former employees, and retirees die.<BR> <BR>With the help of well-connected Washington lobbyists<BR>and leading law firms, over the past two decades<BR>employers have steadily used legislation and the courts<BR>to undermine protections under federal law, making it<BR>almost impossible for employees and retirees to<BR>challenge their employers' maneuvers. With no punitive<BR>damages under pension law, employers face little risk<BR>when they unilaterally slash benefits, even when<BR>promised in writing, since they can pay their lawyers<BR>with pension assets and drag out the cases until the<BR>retirees give up or die.<BR> <BR>As employers curtail traditional pensions, employees<BR>are increasingly relying on 401(k) plans, which have<BR>already proven to be a failure. Employees save too<BR>little, too late, spend the money before retiring, and<BR>can see their savings erased when the market nosedives.<BR> <BR>But 401(k)s have other features that ensure that the<BR>plans, as they exist, will never benefit the majority<BR>of employees. The plans are supposed to provide a level<BR>playing field, the do-it-yourself retirement vehicle so<BR>perfect for an "ownership" society. But the game has<BR>been rigged from the beginning. Many companies use<BR>these plans as part of a strategy to borrow money<BR>cheaply, or in schemes to siphon assets from pension<BR>funds.<BR> <BR>And just as the new accounting rules led to such<BR>mischief, so too did new anti-discrimination rules.<BR>Implemented in the 1990s, the rules were intended to<BR>ensure that employers didn't use taxpayer-subsidized<BR>401(k) plans for the favored few, but would make them<BR>available to a broad swath of workers. But thanks to<BR>the creativity of benefits consultants, employers have<BR>used the discrimination rules to shut millions of<BR>low-paid employees out of their plans and to provide<BR>them with less generous benefits, while enacting other<BR>restrictions that make the plans more valuable to<BR>managers and executives, at the expense of everyone<BR>else.<BR> <BR>Today, pension plans are collectively underfunded,<BR>hundreds are frozen, and retiree health benefits are an<BR>endangered species. And as executive pay and executive<BR>pensions spiral, these executive liabilities are slowly<BR>replacing pension obligations on many corporate balance<BR>sheets.<BR> <BR>Meanwhile, the same crowd that created this<BR>mess--employers, consultants, and financial firms--are<BR>now the primary architects of the "reforms" that will<BR>supposedly clean it up. Under the guise of improving<BR>retirement security, their "solutions" will enable<BR>employers to continue to manipulate retirement plans to<BR>generate profit and enrich executives at the expense of<BR>employees and retirees. Shareholders pay a price, too.<BR> <BR>Their tactics haven't served as case studies at Harvard<BR>Business School, and aren't mentioned in the copious<BR>surveys and studies consultants produce for a gullible<BR>public. But the masterminds of this heist should take a<BR>bow: They managed to take hundreds of billions of<BR>dollars in retirement benefits that were intended for<BR>millions of workers and divert them to corporate<BR>coffers, shareholders, and their own pockets. And<BR>they're still at it. It might not be possible to<BR>resuscitate pension plans, but it isn't too late to<BR>expose the machinations of the retirement industry,<BR>which has its tentacles into every type of retirement<BR>benefit: profit-sharing plans, 401(k)s, employee stock<BR>ownership plans (ESOPs), and plans for public<BR>employees, nonprofits, small businesses, and even<BR>churches.<BR> <BR>The retirement industry has exported its tactics, using<BR>them to achieve similar outcomes in retirement plans in<BR>Canada, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere, and has big<BR>plans for Social Security and its overseas equivalents<BR>as well. Unless it is reined in, the global retirement<BR>industry will continue to capture retirement wealth<BR>earned by many to enrich a relative few.<BR> <BR>Ellen Schultz, an investigative reporter for the Wall<BR>Street Journal, has covered the retirement crisis for<BR>over a decade. (c) 2011 Portfolio Books All rights<BR>reserved. View this story online at:<BR><A href="http://www.alternet.org/story/152549/" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>http://www.alternet.org/story/152549/</FONT></A><BR> <BR><BR>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<BR>
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<STRONG><FONT size=3>Unemployment Slamming Public Employees"<BR></FONT></STRONG>Dick Meister, Dick Meister's Blog: "The layoffs mean 'a lower quality of life ... fewer teachers, pothole repair crews and nurses.' It's been happening all over the country, of course. As elsewhere, the layoffs of course reduce vital public services, but it's important to note that they also of course have a serious impact on those who lose their jobs. The impact has been especially harsh on African-American workers." <BR><A href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0oKvguu3fj05nniHD/ETPlR6AQBQ60N/" target=_blank><FONT color=#cc0000>Read the Article</FONT></A> <BR><BR>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<BR>
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<STRONG><FONT size=3>Why Does the Dallas Fed President Want to Destroy West Coast Port Unions?<BR></FONT></STRONG>Matt Stoller, New Deal 2.0: "The FOMC is far more secretive than most government agencies, and after reading the transcripts of its meetings, it's not hard to see why. It is, after all, the President of the Dallas Federal Reserve who is bragging about his region's work to undermine West Coast port worker bargaining leverage. Otherwise, his CEO friends might not be able to exploit China fast enough." <BR><A href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=LPTi83HIfUVrjqeMqNhEvVR6AQBQ60N/" target=_blank><FONT color=#cc0000>Read the Article</FONT></A> <BR><BR>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<BR>
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<STRONG>Honest Work for Honest Pay? Not in America, Not Anymore<BR></STRONG><A href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vWi0/bHM5w6kXW3d5yvbu1R6AQBQ60N/" target=_blank><FONT color=#cc0000>Read the Article at The Baltimore Sun</FONT></A><BR>
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<STRONG>Victoria's Secret Revealed: Child Labor Picking Its Cotton<BR></STRONG><A href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=6m2/DQBGvT9LRNqDXXCxSVR6AQBQ60N/" target=_blank><FONT color=#cc0000>Read the Article at Bloomberg News</FONT></A><BR>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><FONT size=4>Bishops Speak Out on Unemployment, Immigration</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><I><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Unemployment</SPAN></I></STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> - As they finalize spending priorities, Congress should find ways to assure continuation of unemployment benefits, said Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">“For millions of American workers and their families, economic hardship continues and grows. The US Bishops have long advocated that the most effective way to build a just economy is the availability of decent work at decent wages,” wrote Bishop Blaire in a letter to Congress. “When the economy fails to generate sufficient jobs, there is a moral obligation to help protect the life and dignity of unemployed workers and their families.”</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">The full text of the letter is available <A href="http://capwiz.com/cacatholic/utr/1/DAQIQYTNQP/DECEQYWJFB/7718242471" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>online</FONT></A> as is a <A href="http://capwiz.com/cacatholic/utr/1/DAQIQYTNQP/KEOMQYWJFC/7718242471" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>request from the USCCB</FONT></A> to contact Senators.</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><I><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Immigration -</SPAN></I></STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> In a letter to immigrants dated on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 33 U.S. Hispanic and Latino Bishops expressed their solidarity with and concern for immigrants in the United States, particularly undocumented immigrants.<BR></SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> </SPAN></STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><BR>“We recognize that every human being, authorized or not, is an image of God and therefore possesses infinite value and dignity,” said the Bishops. “We open our arms and hearts to you, and we receive you as members of our Catholic family.”</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Acknowledging the challenges of all migrants and the political pressures and misconceptions surrounding the issue, the Bishops renewed their call for comprehensive immigration reform: “Immigrants are a revitalizing force for our country. The lack of a just, humane and effective reform of immigration laws negatively affects the common good of the entire United States.”</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">The complete <A href="http://capwiz.com/cacatholic/utr/1/DAQIQYTNQP/NBHZQYWJFD/7718242471" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>letter is available</FONT></A> in both Spanish and English. For more information, contact Steve Pehanich, <A href="mailto:spehanich@cacatholic.org"><FONT color=#0068cf>spehanich@cacatholic.org</FONT></A>. </SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><FONT size=4>Jesuit Priest Inducted into California Hall of Fame</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, joined with 10 other honorees - including The Beach Boys, Buzz Aldrin and Magic Johnson - at the California Hall of Fame induction celebration last week in Sacramento.</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> </SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">The Hall of Fame recognizes remarkable individuals that transcend the boundaries of their fields to make a lasting, significant contribution to the state, nation and world. Fr. Greg was recognized for his work with at-risk and gang-involved youth in Los Angeles and around the world. </SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Born in Los Angeles as one of eight siblings, Fr. Greg was ordained a priest in 1984 and launched Homeboy Bakery in 1992. His mission: to create an environment that provided training, work experience and the opportunity for rival gang members to work side by side. </SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">The success of the bakery created the groundwork for additional businesses. Today, Homeboy Industries’ nonprofit economic development enterprises include Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise, and Homegirl Café. To read more about the 2011 California Hall of Fame inductees, <A href="http://capwiz.com/cacatholic/utr/1/DAQIQYTNQP/ITLSQYWJFE/7718242471" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>click here</FONT></A>.</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">And see <A href="http://capwiz.com/cacatholic/utr/1/DAQIQYTNQP/KDXTQYWJFF/7718242471" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf><I>Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job</I> </FONT></A>our recent feature story on Fr. Greg Boyle’s work.</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">For more information, contact Trish Spindler, <A href="mailto:tspindler@cacatholic.org">tspindler@cacatholic.org</A>.</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><B>Dec. 16, 2011</B></SPAN></SPAN><BR>
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<TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=pWaNbYGpzUdK0%2BfVu6gaWb15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><IMG title="Recall Walker" alt="Recall Walker" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/happy-holidays-wp.jpg" border=0></A><BR><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=TdJ1Bu/1xFSvL1AI3aBnDr15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT color=#0068cf>In less than a month, Wisconsin working family volunteers have collected more than 500,000 signatures on petitions to put the recall of Gov. Scott Walker (R) on the ballot. They need 540,000 signatures by Jan. 17</FONT></A>.</SPAN></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Last month, an AFL-CIO delegation with decades of experience fighting for civil and human rights traveled to Alabama to investigate the impact of H.B. 56, the harshest anti-immigrant law in the nation. In its just-released report, the group says, “The parallels to Jim Crow were all too real, and the prejudice we heard about felt all too familiar.”</SPAN></SPAN><BR>
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<TD vAlign=bottom height=24><A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=jPrpfHusR441PqIIiTZCX715YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><IMG alt="Read More" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/read_more.gif" border=0></A></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Got comments? Post them at </SPAN></SPAN><A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=lVkoWuyeu3iyAkXTtpCKS715YJdcwu/j" target=_blank></A><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"><A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=q6NXe7wqnYYU4Dpaug6HhBDJmWiqW0cW" target=_blank><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><B><FONT color=#0068cf>blog.aflcio.org</FONT></B></SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">.</SPAN></SPAN><BR>
<P align=left><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><IMG height=12 alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" width=16 border=0> <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=e9skypBIU8PWV4Ybta1NOb15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><STRONG>Recall Walker Signatures Pass 500,000 Mark</STRONG></FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><IMG height=12 alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" width=16 border=0> <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xr9luZJIbp8%2B178i%2BH3lkr15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><STRONG>House Republicans Mount Sneak Attack on War to End Black Lung </STRONG></FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><IMG height=12 alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" width=16 border=0> <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=w35K5Fl6A4cyJY1Ghcv5Qr15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><STRONG>Report: Federal Intervention Needed to Stem African American Unemployment</STRONG></FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><IMG height=12 alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" width=16 border=0> <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=1eJpqTLwMuNISemHo8bsmr15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><STRONG>3.3 Million Would Lose Unemployment Under GOP Bill</STRONG></FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><IMG height=12 alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" width=16 border=0> <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=jok8LSO5E5bVy5PelqGqP715YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><STRONG>Past Tax Holiday Created Corporate Profits, Not Jobs </STRONG></FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><IMG height=12 alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" width=16 border=0> <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=DAVHZg4GpZlblzteDipFjL15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" face=Arial color=navy><STRONG>Time’s Person of the Year, the Protester, Is Most of U.S.</STRONG></FONT></A></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"><A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=uMQrAr%2BAZZCNXO4PSIACCRDJmWiqW0cW" target=_blank><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><STRONG><FONT color=#0068cf>Read more important news</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> of the day on the issues working families care about. </SPAN></SPAN></P>
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<P align=center><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"><EM><NOBR>Take the next step. Become a mobile activist</NOBR><BR><NOBR>by joining the AFL-CIO Rapid Action Text Team.</NOBR><BR><NOBR>Text <STRONG>NEWS</STRONG> to <STRONG>AFLCIO (235246)</STRONG> to receive action alerts and more.</NOBR><BR>(Message and data rates may apply.)<BR></EM></SPAN></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P align=center><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13px">To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at <A href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=YUN4GF2RHSdv3Jewoy2dbL15YJdcwu/j" target=_blank><B><FONT color=#0068cf>www.aflcio.org</FONT></B></A>.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
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