UE Political Action Updates

Our nation is at a crossroads. Forty years of continued assault on working-class living standards have eroded working people’s faith in government. Corporations have attacked wages and benefits, destroyed good jobs, busted unions, and devastated whole communities through plant closings. Meanwhile, politicians of both parties have pursued privatization and deregulation, doing their best to turn government from an instrument for the public good into an opportunity for private gain — for themselves and their wealthy friends.

UE unequivocally condemns the violent attempts by a group of supporters of President Trump to disrupt the certification of the electoral college results in Washington, DC yesterday. This was an attempt by a small group of extremists to overturn a democratic election in which record numbers of U.S. citizens participated. This assault on democracy also threatened the safety of thousands of public employees who work in the capitol.

The nomination of Katherine Tai for U.S. Trade Representative is a positive step. Tai led negotiations over NAFTA 2.0 for the Democratic majority in Congress, helping to strengthen provisions in the new agreement that protect Mexican workers’ ability to form independent unions and negotiate for better pay and benefits. However, it remains to be seen how much Tai, and the Biden administration, are committed to policies that raise the wages and working conditions of workers in all countries.

Since the pandemic began, more than 60 million Americans have filed for unemployment. Congress must act now, or millions more workers will lose their jobs without a safety net to catch them. Make plans to join the December 1 Day of Action for #ReliefNow by calling your senators at (202) 224-3121 to demand relief. Or join in-person events in Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston sponsored by the Association of Flights Attendants.