Huck 7/2011

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on

“Gang of Six” Plan
July 20, 2011

Both parties keep telling us that deficit reduction requires “tough choices” and “shared sacrifice” and “taking on sacred cows.”  But then we keep seeing bipartisan support for plans like the so-called “Gang of Six” that cut Social Security benefits, kill jobs, give tax incentives for corporations to export good jobs overseas, tax health benefits, and lower tax rates for billionaires and corporations.  There’s no shared sacrifice here.  The only sacred cows being gored are working people, the middle class, seniors and the poor.  Though the plan is very specific when it comes to spelling out tax cuts for rich people, there are still a lot of blanks to be filled in.  Even so, we’ve seen enough to know that there is nothing here for working people.  We need to keep asking our leaders: “Who got us into this mess?”  It wasn’t working people.  The people who got us into this mess are getting off scot-free, and this Gang of Six proposal shows they have accomplices in both parties.

APWU Health Plan’s Blueprint to Medicare

This guide is designed to help you understand how APWU Health Plan works with Medicare. Dealing with one health insurance company is complicated enough, having to deal with another can be overwhelming. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for individuals:

     • Over 65 years of age
     • With certain disabilities
     • Who have end-stage renal failure
     • Lou Gehrig’s disease

Click Here for Medicare Brochure

Now is the Time to Contact Your Legislators!

On Thursday and Friday of last week a small but dedicated crew stuffed, stamped, and labeled 4000 letters to be sent out to all members of the APWU of Wisconsin. Included in this mailing is a letter for our members to sign and a stamped and addressed envelope for them to mail the letter in to their congressional representative. As local leaders your job is to make sure they mail it in. Please contact all of your stewards and tell them to remind members to send in their congressional letter. They should do this on the workroom floor and at service talks. You should also do follow ups with your representative to get them to cosponsor HR1351. No one else will do this for us. It is up to you to make sure this gets done.

Thanks,

Steve Lord, President - APWU of Wisconsin

Webmeister Note: If you are an APWU member and have not receive the aforementioned letter, you can contact President Lord at the following email address:  Steve Lord  lordsa@charter.net or at:

PO Box 2371
Oshkosh, WI 54903
Cell 920-279-0638

National Call-In Days: July 14-15

TELL YOUR SENATORS DON'T CUT SOCIAL SECURITY

Your Social Security benefits are under attack by politicians in Washington. They want to: Cut Social Security's Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to reduce the deficit. But Social Security doesn't contribute a penny to the deficit. Raid Social Security by using your contributions to give a tax break to Wall Street banks, Big Oil and other corporations. They shouldn't get another taxpayer handout. Social Security belongs to you. You pay for it in every paycheck. Don't let them cut it or raid it! Call your Senators on Thursday and Friday, July 14-15, at 1-866-251-4044. Tell them: NO cuts to Social Security! NO cuts to Social Security's COLA! NO Social Security payroll tax holiday! Contact WI Alliance for Retired Americans 6333 W. Bluemound Road Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53213 414-771-9511 wiara@att.net