Alliance for Retired Americans Blog

"We cannot have a solid, stable retirement unless we have a solid, stable middle class."

Former Alliance President George Kourpias said this winter, "We cannot have a solid, stable retirement unless we have a solid, stable middle class." (Download Full statement)

Kourpias' sentiments apply to the current economic and job crisis in America.

Today new AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke at the Economic Policy Institute's (EPI) “Spotlight on Jobs” conference.

Trumka pointed out that "Over a period when we needed to create 2 million jobs just to keep up with population growth, we have lost more than 8 million jobs.  That’s more than 10 million jobs in the hole since the recession began in 2007.  And we have not yet hit bottom."

He laid out the AFL-CIO's 5-point plan for creating and saving at least 2 million jobs over the next year. This plan includes:

• Extending unemployment benefits, food assistance and health care for the unemployed
• Putting America to work on our broken infrastructure
• Boosting aid to state and local governments to maintain vital services & prevent more layoffs
• Dirctly creating jobs that put people to work in communities meeting pressing needs
• Putting TARP funds to work for Main Street

Download Trumka statement at EPI Jobs Conference

AFL-CIO Convention Coverage

The AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh last week showcased retirees’ vital role in the labor movement.  The Alliance for Retired Americans President Barbara Easterling gave a major speech to the convention on the political power of the retiree movement, particularly in this year's health care debate.  She inspired union members young and old saying, "We can pass the Employee Free Choice Act.  We can reform health care.  We can change this country.  This can be our lasting legacy." 

The Alliance Town Hall meeting on Tuesday in Pittsburgh gave the 500 retirees in attendance an update on the health care debate plus key materials to help them educate and mobilize at the grassroots level.  Their charge is to separate fact from fiction.  Check out the ‘Mythbuster’ sheet.

Richard Fiesta, Alliance Director of Government and Political Affairs, provided a legislative update, while Dani Pere, Alliance Director of Field Mobilization, urged attendees to take specific steps back home, such as calling talk shows and sharing fact sheets.  Following the Alliance Town Hall, the retirees attended President Obama’s speech to the AFL-CIO.  The speech opened with a powerful story of Indiana Alliance and United Steelworkers member Steve Skvara, and included strong support for protecting Medicare.

On Wednesday, Richard Trumka, a very strong and early supporter of the Alliance, was elected President of the AFL-CIO.  AFL-CIO delegates passed a resolution on Retirement Security, with Ms. Easterling speaking from the floor, and Mr. Trumka read a tribute to outgoing President John Sweeney written by former Alliance President George J. Kourpias.  The remarks praised Mr. Sweeney for knowing “that the labor movement must retain its lifelong activists - that union members must remain part of the family, even when their working days are done” and assured Sweeney’s “commitment to retirees will be in good hands under our friend Rich Trumka.”

More convention coverage here!

(Video: AFL-CIO)

The Alliance Town Hall