Florida AFL-CIO Early Endorsed Candidates

The Florida AFL-CIO, as of January 10, 2010 has endorsed candidates as follows:

1 - Governor
1 - US Senate
5 - US House of Representatives
2 - Florida Senate
10 - Florida House of Representatives

The endorsed candidates that affect the members of LL731 are as follows:

Governor - Democratic Primary
The Honorable Alex Sink
P.O. Box 75590
Tampa, FL 33675

US Senate - Democratic Primary
The Honorable Kendrick Meek
111 NW 183rd St #325
Miami, FL 33169

Jobs for Main Street

The U.S. House has taken a good first step toward addressing the jobs crisis.
Now the Senate must act.

CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY AT 866-838-9757.
Tell them to pass the Jobs for Main Stree Act (H.R. 2847).

The bill invests $154 billion to:

• Extend liftime unemployment benefits, health care assistance and food aid to people who have lost jobs.


• Rebuild and repair crumbling schools, roads, low-income housing and clean water systems.


• Help state and local governments hire or save jobs for 150,000 teachers and 5,000 police officers.


• Get job-creating credit flowing to small businesses.


• Cut taxes for 16 million families with children.

We'll need much more to turn around the jobs crisis - but let's start with the Jobs for Main Street Act.

North Florida Central Labor Council February Business Meeting

The February Business meeting of the North Florida Central Labor Council was held on Wednesday, February 10.

Dustin Ponder, Florida AFL-CIO Zone 1 Coordinator, gave a presentation of the AFL-CIO's Jobs campaign for the National, State and Local levels.

The main discussion of the meeting was Jobs for Jacksonville and how to get the Jacksonville City Council to act to create the jobs needed.

LL731 February Business Meeting

The February Business meeting for LL731 was held on Tuesday, February 9 at the Union Hall. Sean Ryan, District 142 Assistant General Chairperson, Flytele/BA and Southwest Airlines was in attendance for the District 141 and 142 election nominations.

Names were placed in nomination for the June 2010 general election. Once all the nominees are decided at the locals, within Districts 141 and 142, the slate of candidates will be listed.

Reports by the President, Recording Secretary and the Financial Secretary were given as well as Committee reports and Chief Stewards reports.

LL731 will be entering the 2010 IAM Newsletter and Website contest, which will be held later in the year.

Lawmakers Gear up for Fundraising

Sen. Al Lawson, right, talks with former Rep. Curtis Richardson, left, of Tallahassee, who is running for the Senate; state Sen.Charlie Justice, second from left, of St. Petersburg; and lobbyist Patrick Bell, second from right, at a Florida Democratic Party fundraiser in Tallahassee. (Bill Cotterell/Democrat)

Lobbyists and legislators munched hors d'oeuvres and sipped scotch in a rooftop ballroom with a nice view of the Capitol last week in an annual ritual as important to Florida politics as mass mailings and attack ads.

Forbidden to raise money when the Legislature is in session, members are passing the hat now for a hot summer campaign season costing millions. For all the money that will be spent, Republican control of the House or Senate is unlikely to change.

M Patricia Smith, NY State Commissioner of Labor

Commissioner M. Patricia Smith has been a dynamic and effective labor advocate for over 30 years. She has been a driving force in overhauling the New York State Labor Department to focus on vigorously protecting workers and on ensuring that employers compete on a level playing field.

Senate Confirms Smith as the Nation's 'Workers' Lawyer'

By a 60-37 vote, the U.S. Senate this afternoon confirmed M. Patricia Smith as the solicitor of labor. The solicitor of labor oversees enforcement of the nation’s most important labor laws and sets enforcement priorities that have a major impact on workers and their lives.

New Union Plus Book Club Announces First Selection

Our friends at Union Plus have just launched the Union Plus Book Club that will delve into the latest publications by leading experts on vital working family and workplace issues. The books will be available at the AFL-CIO’s The Union Shop OnlineTM and chosen every two months by union leaders based on their interest and expertise in a subject.

U.S. Jobless Rate Now 9.7%, but Millions Fear Losing Unemployment Insurance

The U.S. unemployment rate fell from 10 percent to 9.7 percent in January, with 14.8 million workers now without jobs. Employment continued to decrease in construction and transportation and increase in retail, health care and temp work, according to U.S. Department of Labor data out this morning. Unemployment among black workers continued to worsen.

Labor Radio On the Air Around the Nation and World

Looking for the latest in international labor news? Now it’s just a click away with the launch of RadioLabour.net and its Solidarity News program. The weekly podcast will focus on union and workers’ activities and issues from around the world with special emphasis on emerging market and developing countries.