Tula Connell

How appropriate Michael Moore premiered "Capitalism: A Love Story" in Pittsburgh this week, to coincide with our 26th AFL-CIO Convention.

Something bad happened in the past 10 years to young workers in this country: Since 1999, more of them now have lower-paying jobs, if they can get a job at all; health care is a rare luxury and retirement security is something for their parents, not them. In fact, many—younger than 35—still live at home with their parents because they can’t afford to be on their own.

These are the findings of a new report, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade.” Conducted in July 2009 by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO and our community affiliate Working America, the nationwide survey of 1,156 people follows up on a similar survey the AFL-CIO conducted in 1999. The deterioration of young workers’ economic situation in those 10 years is alarming.

So I took a tour of a steel plant today. There was a lot of hot, molten steel, but also high-tech computerized systems running the show, making sure just enough steel is poured into a mold at just the right temperature and speed, among many other functions.

While in Pittsburgh for Netroots Nation, several bloggers had the opportunity to tour a modern steel plant. The tour highlighted the space age and environmentally friendly technology used in modern steel production.

» Tula Connell, We Are All Steelworkers
» Dave Johnson, Steel: Important To Us But Not Important To Us

The unemployment data is due tomorrow, and it's likely to be bad, with an expected 300,000 to 320,000 jobs

The Chamber of Commerce--that's the U.S. Chamber of Commerce--proved once again how anti-American it is when it comes to supporting U.S. industry.

Rachelle Honeycutt works at an oil refinery in Washington State. Sam Schaffer is a skilled sheet metal worker from West Virginia. Javier Almazan organizes workers in south Florida and Cathy Merkel is an registrar in Maryland. They're all union members.

Rachelle Honeycutt works at an oil refinery in Washington State. Sam Schaffer is a skilled sheet metal worker from West Virginia. Javier Almazan organizes workers in south Florida and Cathy Merkel is an registrar in Maryland. They're all union members.

How appropriate Michael Moore premiered "Capitalism: A Love Story" in Pittsburgh this week, to coincide with our 26th AFL-CIO Convention.

Something bad happened in the past 10 years to young workers in this country: Since 1999, more of them now have lower-paying jobs, if they can get a job at all; health care is a rare luxury and retirement security is something for their parents, not them. In fact, many—younger than 35—still live at home with their parents because they can’t afford to be on their own.

These are the findings of a new report, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade.” Conducted in July 2009 by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO and our community affiliate Working America, the nationwide survey of 1,156 people follows up on a similar survey the AFL-CIO conducted in 1999. The deterioration of young workers’ economic situation in those 10 years is alarming.

So I took a tour of a steel plant today. There was a lot of hot, molten steel, but also high-tech computerized systems running the show, making sure just enough steel is poured into a mold at just the right temperature and speed, among many other functions.

While in Pittsburgh for Netroots Nation, several bloggers had the opportunity to tour a modern steel plant. The tour highlighted the space age and environmentally friendly technology used in modern steel production.

» Tula Connell, We Are All Steelworkers
» Dave Johnson, Steel: Important To Us But Not Important To Us

The unemployment data is due tomorrow, and it's likely to be bad, with an expected 300,000 to 320,000 jobs

The Chamber of Commerce--that's the U.S. Chamber of Commerce--proved once again how anti-American it is when it comes to supporting U.S. industry.

Rachelle Honeycutt works at an oil refinery in Washington State. Sam Schaffer is a skilled sheet metal worker from West Virginia. Javier Almazan organizes workers in south Florida and Cathy Merkel is an registrar in Maryland. They're all union members.

Rachelle Honeycutt works at an oil refinery in Washington State. Sam Schaffer is a skilled sheet metal worker from West Virginia. Javier Almazan organizes workers in south Florida and Cathy Merkel is an registrar in Maryland. They're all union members.