Washington DC–President Obama’s commitment to ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care was reaffirmed today, as he announced his choice of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Gov. Sebelius is well-respected on both sides of the aisle and understands the challenges confronting America’s health care apparatus. During her tenure as Kansas insurance commissioner, she demonstrated both the tenacity and technical expertise needed to overhaul a system paralyzed by insurance companies and special interests. The voters of Kansas have long known Gov. Sebelius as a champion of working families and as a dedicated public servant, and we are eager to join her as she works to realize the dream of a stronger, healthier America.
Tagged as American Dream
>Hundreds Of Union Members To March In 56th Inaugural Parade
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From Change To Win In Washington, DC:
January 20th is going to be an historic day!
Oh, you think, I knew that. That’s when we’re going to be swearing in our first-ever African-American President of the United States!
That’s true, but it’s not the only reason why Tuesday will be historic.
What else is happening? For the first time in living memory, members of America’s labor movement have been asked to march in the official Inaugural Parade, that’s what.
Representing America’s workers will be 265 union members from across Change to Win, the AFL-CIO, and the National Education Association (NEA), along with a 17-by-24 foot float built entirely by union workers and driven by a Teamster. The float will feature the “faces of labor” — a tribute every hard-working man and woman who gets up every day and goes to work. (In the photo above, you can see the faces as they wait to be mounted on the float.)
January 20 will be the start of a new era for American workers, so it’s fitting that hundreds of them will be marching alongside President-Elect Barack Obama to mark the occasion!
>Outta the Way, Young Whippersnapper!
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Young workers have a new challenge in the workplace: Old People.
Actually, it’s more experienced workers.
As the recession deepens, unemployment among teenagers is as high as its been in over 60 years. Retirees, uable to live on thier savings along with college grads, many of whom can’t find employment in their fields, have both started taking suplimental jobs in the service industry. Jobs that historically have been the starting point for younger workers. Economist Andrew Sum calls it the “Bump-down” effect.
An article on youth employment in the Las Vegas Sun paints a pretty grim picture:
Studies show minorities and teens from low-income families are disproportionately affected, and Sum predicts the trend, if allowed to continue, will create a new underclass of American youth.
Yikes. A generation of workers without jobs. What’s needed to ensure that younger workers are getting the skills and experience needed for future work? What jobs are teens better suited for than college grads or retirees? Share your ideas here!