News

May 03 Threat to Blacks in the Public Sector Lee A. Saunders, The Root Radical conservative politicians want to slash city, county and state jobs — and undercut economic security.
Apr 12 Countering the Siege New York Times AFSCME President McEntee on how attacks on public service workers have energized union members and our allies in a growing battle over workers’ rights.
Mar 31 Ohio Lawmakers Pass Anti-Union Bill STEVEN GREENHOUSE, New York Times This bill is a reprehensible attack on the middle class and the rights of Ohio’s workers,” said Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Mar 11 Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signs anti-union bill -- but Democrats say they're the political victors Stephanie Condon, CBS News Political Hotsheet Lee A. Saunders, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, told the Washington Post that it's no coincidence Republicans are pushing anti-union measures in states that will be key in the 2012 elections.
Mar 05 Why employee pensions aren't bankrupting states Kevin G. Hall, McClatchy Newspapers The short answer is that there's simply no evidence that state pensions are the current burden to public finances that their critics claim.
Feb 08 Paying for the Crimes of Others Rev. Al Sharpton, Huffington Post In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered while pushing for the rights of public workers. Today, the labor unions and workers that provide necessary services for us all are once again under attack.
Feb 08 Discover The Network Out To Crush Our Public Workers Dave Johnson, Campaign for America's Future The news reports are everywhere: public employees are paid too much and get “lucrative” pensions and this is “bankrupting” your state, county or city.
Feb 07 A Terrible Divide Bob Herbert, New York Times With millions jobless and millions more underemployed, more and more of the public services that help make life livable, or even bearable, in a modern society are being put to the torch.
Feb 03 Media The Conservative Class War, Continued Eric Alterman, The Nation The assault on public employee unions is the next phase of a forty-year class war in America by the rich against the rest of us.
Feb 02 A Bankrupt Idea: The GOP’s Latest Not-So-Subtle Attack on Public Employees Editorial Board, St. Louis Post Dispatch Deep economic fears may be a breeding ground for policy ideas pushed by ideologues that could severely damage the public interest.
Jan 26 Public-Employee Pensions Are Not the Issue Pres. Gerald W. McEntee, Wall Street Journal Responding to yet another attack on public service workers, Pres. McEntee points out the real cause of states' economic difficulties.
Jan 17 Opposing View on Public Pensions: Blame Wall Street Pres. Gerald W. McEntee, USA Today It is simply wrong to suggest that modest retirement benefits paid to public service retirees are a cause, or even a part, of the budget problems facing governments.
Jan 16 Public Sector Workers are a ‘Privileged New Class,’ Says Billionaire John Bellamy Foster, Need to Know, PBS Debunking claims by billionaire Mort Zuckerman that public sector workers should be held responsible for the failures of the U.S. economy.
Jan 10 Do Roads Pay for Themselves? Ryan Holeywell, Governing.com A new study seeks to dispel the oft-repeated claim of highway advocates that roads pay for themselves due to gas taxes and other user fees assessed on motorists.
Jan 06 Understanding the Attacks on Public Employees Dave Johnson, Campaign for America's Future, Huffington Post How much of what you are hearing is really true, and how much is just one more Wall Street-funded campaign to turn people against each other and our government?
Jan 05 The Shameful Attack on Public Employees Robert Reich, Fmr. Secretary of Labor, Huffington Post Public servants are convenient scapegoats for Republicans who want to deflect attention from corporate executive pay, Wall Street bonuses and continued tax cuts for the rich.
Jan 04 Wall Street vs. Workers The Ed Show, MSNBC Filmmaker Robert Greenwald explains why Wall Street is winning the war against Main Street.
Jan 04 State Budgets and Public Employees The Diane Rehm Show, NPR AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Lee Saunders joins a panel to discuss the push by states against the hard-working men and women in labor unions.
Jan 04 America's Union-Bashing Backlash Paul Harris, guardian.co.uk Unlike bankers, US labour unions had nothing to do with the economic crisis – yet they're the ones now being scapegoated.
Jan 03 The Plan to Blame Unions For Everything Hamilton Nolan, Gawker Why is our economy in the predicament that it's in today? High unemployment, sluggish growth...who's to blame? The unions, of course.
Jan 02 New GOP Scapegoat: Public Workers The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC Guest host Chris Hayes is joined by Dorian Warren from Columbia University to look at the new scapegoat for our nation’s economic woes: public workers.
Dec 19 Public Employees: Myths and Realities Mark Brenner, Labor Notes With all the venom directed at public employees these days, it’s hard to separate the facts from the attacks. Here’s a guide to common claims made about government spending, taxes, and public employees.
Dec 14 Stop the Lies Pres. Gerald W. McEntee, Huffington Post McEntee: "At this pivotal moment in the economic history of our country, we cannot stand by and let corporate CEOs and their flunkies define the debate and shape the future."
Nov 30 AFSCME Fights Back with "Stop the Lies" Campaign Press Release, AFSCME AFSCME launches an aggressive campaign that will expose right wing lies by using social media, videos, paid advertising and ground events across the country.
Nov 29 Public Workers Push Back Ben Smith, Politico The GOP is riding a wave of public anger with public employee unions, one the big public workers union AFSCME is seeking to blunt with a new campaign.