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Published byThomasina Boyd Modified over 9 years ago
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ATU Legislative Conference March 13-17 Washington, DC
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The U.S. Transit Crisis and The Longest Undeclared War in U.S. History— On America’s Middle Class and Workers
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Corporate America drives down power of workers Public Private
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The Corporate Attack on Public Workers Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: “We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots.”
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FOX Gets it Wrong Again
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Legislative Attacks
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“Do public workers make more than private sector workers? THE WRONG QUESTION All workers wages and benefits frozen for 40 years Hourly compensation Hourly wage
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38% 64% 3% 12% 23% 181% Wealthiest 0.1% avg. $1.7 million a year 116% 97% 98% 103% 85% Top 0.1%* 1947-'731973-'04 *1979-2001 Top 0.01%* Off the charts! 497% income rise $6 million avg. income Growing Together, Source: Economic Policy Institute Poorest 20% Second 20% Middle 20% Fourth 20% Richest 20% Household Income Growing Apart 0 50 100 150 200 Percent Increase
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We Make It, They Take It Source: EPI analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Tables, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Major Sector Productivity and Costs data. Productivity Real median family income
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How much does Defense Spending cost your city? National Priorities Project's "Trade Offs"
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How have workers survived? Spouses work Part time jobs Borrow on credit cards Borrow from retirement savings Take out savings/equity in homes THEY HAVEN’T!
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The Economy is NOT Like the Weather…
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The Economy Is Not Like the Weather The market solves all problems Anything that gets in the way of the market is bad Get government out of the way of the market –Cut taxes –Dismantle government –De-regulate –Privatize Unions are in the way of the market –Weaken, eliminate unions Neo-conservative Ideas Govern America
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This is a story of POWER Working families and our unions helped build a powerful American middle class. Corporations are taking power away from workers–we are losing bargaining power at work and in our country. This power grab is key to their corporate agenda for America.
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Boxing Workers Into The Corporate Agenda
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WHOSE Tax Cut?
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Stranded at the Station
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One Year's Mass Transit Cuts, 2009 Fare Increases Service and/or Staff Reductions
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Privatize: Everything for Sale √ √ √ √ √ √ √ Pittsburgh, PA Las Vegas, NV New Orleans, LA Jefferson Parish, LA Phoenix, AZ Dallas, TX Bridgeport, CT Rockford, IL Savannah, GA San Diego, CA Austin, TX Denver, CO Newark, NJ Union, NJ Marietta, GA Norcross, GA Charleston, SC Sacramento, CA Toronto, ON Colorado Springs, CO Plymouth, MA Brockton, MA Pensacola, FL Raleigh, NC Richmond, VA Knoxville, TN Milwaukee, WI South Bend, IN Lexington, KY Boise, ID Asheville, NC Worcester, MA
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The Economy is NOT Like the Weather…
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Dismantle the Corporate Agenda Build a Working Families Agenda
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Corporate America has a plan. What Is Our Plan?
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