While AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was in Milwaukee Labor Day with President Obama and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler traveled throughout California, taking part in three Labor Day celebrations. In Los Angeles, she told an enthusiastic crowd at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor ’s Labor Day breakfast: There’s nothing wrong with good jobs in America. There’s nothing wrong with trade that creates jobs—instead of killing them. Click the headline to read more>>

In a Labor Day address to more than 10,000 union members and their families in Milwaukee, President Obama announced a massive new job-creating road, rail, runway and air traffic control rebuilding project. Speaking to the Milwaukee Area Labor Council’s annual LaborFest celebration, Obama said it was “the great American middle class that made our economy the envy of the world. It’s got to be that way again.” Click the headline to read more>>

The U.S. jobless rate worsened to 9.6 percent in August from 9.5 percent in July, with 54,000 jobs lost, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data out today. The private sector created only 67,000 jobs in August, far below the 150,000 jobs a month needed to keep up with the population and extremely far below the hundreds of thousands of new jobs needed each month to return to pre-recession employment levels. Government employment fell by 121,000, largely reflecting the loss of 114,000 temporary workers hired for U.S. Census 2010. Click the headline to read more>>

Arkansas working families must make our voices heard in the important elections this year. Make sure that you and all of your friends, family members, and co-workers are registered to vote. You can check your registration online and register to vote online too. You must be registered at least 30 days before an election in order to vote.

Please contact Senator Blanche Lincoln (call 202-224-4843 or 800-352-9364) and urge her to stand with working families by voting FOR a new US Senate reconciliation health care reform Bill.

Work is underway on new legislation to replace the unacceptable bill passed previously by the Senate. Fixing the Senate bill will require significant changes, (e.g., scaling back or eliminating the excise tax, improving subsidies for low income workers, filling the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole" and improving the Medicaid provisions). Tell your Senator to support the new reconciliation Bill when it comes to the floor.

Have you called and/or written your Senators yet to ask them to support the Employee Free Choice Act yet? It's so important that they hear from you, a voter, about this bill. You can use your own words, add a personal story, and always include an address.

Sample message: "My name is ________ and I live at _______. I'm asking the Senator to please co-sponsor and vote for the Employee Free Choice Act, to put the American Dream back within reach for working people. The Employee Free Choice Act will restore workers' freedom to form unions and bargain with their employer for a better life. With our economy in a free fall, working families need a fair chance to get ahead."

The number to call is 866-207-2060. When calling, if you're leaving a voicemail don't forget to leave your address too so they know you are a constituent.

One of the most important ways we can get the word out to the public about the Employee Free Choice Act is to get our message in the papers. Have you written a letter to the editor yet about the Employee Free Choice Act?

If you go to the website of your local paper, there is often a link to send in a letter via email. Or you can use this tool from the AFL-CIO.