The Northwestern Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation produces a quarterly newsletter for the delegates of the NWPA ALF, the ten (10) Central Labor Councils and their Affiliated Local Unions. You must sign in to view this article.

 

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Due to so many conflicts in scheduling the NWPA ALF Meeting has been changed from Wednesday, December 16th to Tuesday, December 15th. The location and times remain the same: 6:00 PM for the Executive Board and 7:00 PM for the Delegates Meeting. We will still be meeting in the 1st floor meeting room of the AFSCME DC 85 office which is located at 1276 Liberty St. Franklin, PA 16323.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

The Drawing for the Stereo offered to Members completing an E-Activist Card with a valid email, will be drawn at the meeting like planned the onl change is the date. Good Luck!

We’re watching closely to see if the U.S. Senate begins its debate on health care this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will unveil the Senate bill tonight and we could see the first vote to begin debate as early as Saturday. Read More>>

Today at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and other leaders joined together to call for urgent action to create jobs and rebuild the economy. In a live webcast panel discussion, the consensus was clear: Without quick action, an entire generation could be mired in economic turmoil. The nation can, and must, put people back to work—while addressing critical needs for the future of our communities. Read More>>

This year, The Erie-Crawford Central Labor Council is sponsoring a Christmas program for the children of SafeNet, a shelter for victims of domestic violence.  This year, with the assistance of numerous Angels in Solidarity, we hope to help approximately 80 families with 160 children. We realize this is a lofty ambition and our ability to fulfill this goal is dependent upon the assistance of those Angels in our community. If not for us, these kids might not have a Christmas at all.

The children will be age’s infant through 18.  Click here to read more....

                                   McKean Potter Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
                                         68 Jefferson Street Bradford, PA 16701
                                                    Phone: 814-368-7848
                                                      Fax: 814:368-7894
                                                E Mail: ekemick@usw.org

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                                                          SAVE THE DATE!!!! 

                                               MONDAY DECEMBER 14, 2009

                                                       Please join us for our

                                              Annual Christmas Celebration at:

                                                       Fox Pizza Den (upstairs),

                                                         Port Allegheny, PA

                                                             at 7 PM.

                                           We will also be conducting a

                                              Community Service Project

                                    that evening—don’t worry—it’s EASY!! 

 Our AFSCME Sisters and Brothers have asked us to bring an unwrapped gift to be distributed to  the needy residents at the Sena Kean Manor, where they work.

                     Suggested items include:

                                         Slippers PJs              Robe
                                         Socks                          Magic Gloves 
                                        Toiletries                     Puzzles or Card Games
                                        Bath Sets (Women)  Grooming Sets (Men)
                                        Anything else you can think of!!!

Please Join us in making Christmas a little brighter for the needy residents at Sena Kean Manor.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL!!!!!

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With successful passage of a historic health care reform bill this weekend, experts are weighing in on the benefits that the bill would bring to working families. Read More>>

Find Your Elected Officials Enter a 5 or 9 digit zip code below /> /> />

 Place 9 digit zip code in to find all of your elected officials. If you do not know the 9 digit zip code press find buttton and complete the form that will appear. This will enable you to find any 9 digit zip code of any address in the United States.

If you only enter first five digits you can only locate your Federal Officials and Governor.

You can learn a vast amount about your elected officials from the various links that will be made available by using this "Elected Officials Look-up Feature" you call also email them directly.

Please utilize this tool for the benefit of yourself and your members. Thank you!

This information came from Don Siegel of IBEW, which he recently sent to his members, I have taken the liberty to edit it to be more inclusive to the entire labor movement.

We need to organize a new generation of workers into unions. While we tend to believe that this new generation is indifferent to unions we also know that they know very little about unions.

Mr. Siegel found this link to a video about a protest against the CEO of Whole Foods who recently wrote an op ed in the Wall Street Journal about health care reform. Needless to say the CEO, John Mackey, didn’t think that the health care reform that was being proposed was worth consideration and went on to say among other things that health care is not a right but rather a privilege.

This link will take you to a 6 minute video that I think is worth your time for two reasons. Number one it takes John Mackey to task for his public denunciation of the cu rrent health care reform proposal and number two and much more importantly please take notice of the age of most of the protesters. They are certainly not from my generation and we should take some comfort in that. This group could teach some of us some new things about civil disobedience not to mention the raw courage it takes to expose your self publicly for a cause you believe in. I encourage you to watch the whole video and consider that this is the generation that we need to bring into our union.

They may not know much about unions but they sure know how to engage in concerted activity. They are creative, committed, energetic and determined when they find something that they can believe in. They are an example of what the labor movement can become if we can connect with their passions. The challenge is ours to reach out to a new generation of union members and I hope that this video shows that they are ready, if we are willing to take the time to listen to their concerns and explain how unions can be a part of the solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APs76Cd6fbI 

by Michael Morrill
Keystone Progress

The figures are staggering. Unemployment at 8.5 percent. Record new unemployment claims. By one measure, unemployment and underemployment at 15.6 percent. And only 37 percent of unemployed workers collecting unemployment benefits.

Hardworking families are struggling to get by, and too often, they don't know where to turn for help. Read more...

When we talk to our elected or appointed officials in our area, it is helpful if we know if they are or have been a member of organized labor. The AFL-CIO has designed a form named the Target 5000 Survey that would make it easier for us to track those individuals and use them as our first point of contact at their level of public service, if needed.

 

We encourage members of organized labor who are seeking public office to also complete this form. Read more...

Click here to look up either find your elected officials or look-up the last 4-digits of your zip code.

The resource link below will connect you to a power point presentation developed solely to emphasis the importance of the Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations. Please take the time to view it.

  

 The Northwestern Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation (ALF) would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us.  This invitation is extended to all local unions and AFL-CIO recognized Constituency Groups in the 19 Northwestern Pennsylania Counties in our jurisdiction.  Please take a few minutes to read more.....