The Union of Unemployed (UCubed) joined thousands of labor activists and progressive bloggers at the 2011 Netroots Nation Convention in Minneapolis, MN.
Dozens visited the UCubed booth for brochures, a chance to see UCubed’s newest online political ad The Game, to ask questions about UCubed’s 21–point Hire US, America plan and to receive free JOBS Now! t-shirts.
The sixth annual gathering included speeches, workshops and panels led by national and international experts, including a keynote address by Minnesota Sen. Al Franken. “Our movement is about putting the concerns of working families at the forefront of our national agenda,” said Sen. Franken. “I urge you all to stand up for the America our movement helped to build. Stand up for the principle that we should grow together, instead of growing apart. Stand up for the principle that we all do better when we all do better. We have a tough fight ahead, but it’s one that we have to win.”
Other speakers included AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler who called out the conservative agenda for its attack on workers and showed how the decline in union membership is correlated to a decline in the middle class. “No individual worker. No single union. No one progressive activist or one single blogger alone can counter the entrenched, money-drenched power of corporations and the wealthy,” said Shuler. “But together, we have a chance. That’s the one thing I hope I leave you with. Together, we actually have a chance.”
Former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, Rep. Debra Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer also spoke to convention attendees. For a complete recap of the week’s events, click here.
