Passing the jobs bill was the highlight of a program during Wednesday’s session. Florida state juvenile detention officer Faustino “Tino” Cosby of Tampa told how passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 prevented a threatened 10 percent budget cut in the Department of Juvenile Justice.

“Because of that funding, my pink slip never came, and the vital services I provide to improve my community’s youth were spared,” said Cosby, vice president of Local 2707 (Council 79). “The economic recovery bill saved my job and hundreds of thousands of other jobs like mine.”

Then William LeBeau, a police lieutenant for the city of Cohoes and also a member of the statewide executive board of New York State Law Enforcement Officers Union/District Council 82, urged everyone in the session to text the word “Happen” to the number 6-9-8-6-6 on their cell phones.

That action signed up delegates to receive AFSCME text alerts to call Congress when it takes up important legislation that invests in public services and eases state and local budget shortfalls. “We are the ones who have the power to make this happen!” LeBeau said.

As of this morning, thousands of calls had been made.

Full-page ad in Wednesday’s Boston Globe.

At the close of Convention business this afternoon, thousands of AFSCME delegates and guests will head to Boston Common to rally with members of Council 93 Massachusetts to oppose dangerous cuts in services across the nation and for the jobs that America needs to boost the economy.

A dramatic, full-page ad in today’s Boston Globe illustrates the concerns of AFSCME members and points out to Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown that while the deficit matters, jobs matter more.

The rally on Boston Common is part of a series of events taking place across the nation today, the last day of the fiscal year for many states, to urge Congress to end the GOP filibuster on the jobs bill and enact legislation to help the unemployed and states dealing with unprecedented budget shortfalls.

A bipartisan group of ten governors are holding a joint afternoon press conference in Washington, D.C., and rallies are taking place in 18 states including Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The post-Convention rally is also aimed at Massachusetts and Boston politicians who are threatening to close the state’s facilities for people with developmental disabilities and make devastating cuts to the city’s public libraries. The rally will call for fair contracts for Massachusetts’ higher education workers represented by AFSCME.

The roar of the lion was heard during Convention today as our union paid tribute to one of its greatest allies, Boston’s own Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy (1932-2009).

“With his death, labor lost a true champion for working families,” Pres. McEntee said. A video presentation showed highlights of Kennedy’s career and his long relationship with AFSCME.

Kennedy’s widow Victoria Reggie Kennedy commended the union for working arm-in-arm with her late husband. “He said to me many times that AFSCME members were working not out of a sense of their own personal benefit,” she said, “but out of a great sense of obligation to their fellow Americans.”

Vicki Kennedy’s full remarks are available on the Convention video page.

AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka today addressed the 5,000 delegates, alternates and guests at AFSCME’s 39th International Convention.

Trumka recognized the success of AFSCME’s organizing program, saying, “Of all the unions of the AFL-CIO, AFSCME is the largest and fastest-growing. Even in the face of an economic crisis, large-scale layoffs, and the scapegoating of public employees by politicians from both parties, more than 145,000 workers have organized with AFSCME over the past four years.”

He spoke of the “triple whammy” state and local governments are up against. “With the severe recession and soaring unemployment, tax revenues are taking a dive. The financial crisis and the busted bubbles from Wall Street’s shenanigans are taking a big bite out of pension funds. And now as always, when hard times hit, the demand for public services actually increases — from unemployment compensation to job training, public assistance, and mental health care.”

And he defended public service workers:

“It’s bad enough that public employees are being made the fall guys for the economic crisis. But now politicians and pundits are trying to make you out as fat cats… I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that, if you want to get rich in America today, you’ve got to work for the government…

“Even with all the woes on Wall Street, I don’t think you’ve found many hedge fund managers taking jobs as hospital workers or highway workers, or many stockbrokers changing careers to become social workers or sanitation workers, or many bankers who are becoming bus drivers or bridge and tunnel inspectors…

“Because, when you come down to it, almost everyone understands that you don’t become a public employee to become wealthy, you do it to be of service to your fellow citizens.”

Watch the full video on the AFSCME Convention website and read the full transcript.

President Gerald W. McEntee used his keynote address at the 2010 AFSCME Convention to demand that Congress pass a critical jobs bill — and that politicians be held accountable for their promises to working people.

“We need a new jobs bill that continues to fund our economic recovery. That jobs bill exists right now in Congress. It includes resources to help states avoid massive layoffs. Unfortunately, this bill is on life support. Just last week, Senate Republicans blocked the bill for the second time. They again decided to play politics with our lives and our jobs.”

McEntee also pointed to the recent Senate runoff in Arkansas where AFSCME’s accountability campaign put the incumbent “on the ropes and fighting for her political life.”

“We support the politicians who support working families. But these politicians, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, must understand: We are holding you accountable. You are not above the people who elected you. And if you turn on us you will pay the price!”

McEntee also talked about the hard work of AFSCME members around the country, calling them “unsung heroes from communities across this nation.” Among those were:

• Ralph Miller, president of Los Angeles County Probation Officers Union, Local 685, who helped a young gang member turn her life around to become a medical assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles;
• Theresa Bach, president of Missouri Council 72, Local 2093, for not only working two jobs, but also dedicating herself to helping other home care workers join the union;
• Jean Thompson of Pennsylvania Council 13, Local 2582, who worked with the community food bank in Fayette County to help the sisters and brothers of her union get through a very tough period; and
• AFSCME members from across the nation who traveled to Haiti after the tragic earthquake to help rescue victims and rebuild.

Read more in this press release, and watch excerpts from Pres. McEntee’s keynote address:

This entry by AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee is cross-posted from Huffington Post and Firedoglake.

In the worst economy since the Great Depression, far too many Americans are out of work. Despite the rising fears of more job losses, the Senate is refusing to do what is necessary to protect and create jobs. On Thursday, the Senate failed to break a Republican filibuster of the jobs bill, meaning that states will not get help with their budget shortfalls; and more than 1.5 million unemployed Americans will lose their unemployment insurance at the end of this week.

At the same time, U.S. companies are sitting on $1.8 trillion, the most cash they have ever hoarded. Stockpiling this vast amount of money means less investment in economic growth, fewer new hires and continued unemployment for millions of Americans. Corporations, the Republican party and so-called ‘deficit hawks’ are prolonging the recession with their irresponsible games. The reckless policies of corporate America put us into the economic ditch. The truth is that investment in America’s economy and its people is the only way to get out.

The more jobs we create now, the less federal debt our children will have to carry later. Jobs not only put food on the table, they put revenue in the Treasury and money in the marketplace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-huea-boGg

Last month, only 45,000 private sector jobs were created. State and local governments laid off 22,000 employees. More than five job seekers are available for every one available job. Nearly 7 million workers have been unemployed now for more than six months. Those are signals that we may see a double dip recession and more people out of work – that means “it will get worse – much worse.”

Congress must act immediately to avoid the loss of hundreds of thousands more jobs in the coming months. Senators who block the emergency jobs bill are wrapping a hangman’s noose around the state and local governments that cope with increasing demand for vital public services during dire economic times. And they’re making it harder for our nation to get out of the economic crisis.

Failing to pass a jobs bill that contains this important funding would mean more lost jobs, while making it harder to rebuild the economy, cut down the deficit and get our nation back to prosperity.

Unlike the federal government, most state and local governments are required to balance their budgets. As a result, at a time of decreased tax revenues, state and local governments must cut back on the vital services Americans rely upon during troubling economic times. Job cuts come along with the budget cuts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 180,000 local public-sector jobs have already been lost since August 2008.

Matters may soon become worse. Georgia State Sen. Don Balfour, the Republican who heads the National Conference of State Legislatures, wrote to Senate leaders earlier this month calling for an extension of aid to states. “States continue to address sizeable budget gaps that have compelled state lawmakers to make dramatic programmatic and revenue changes in order to ensure balanced general fund budgets,” he wrote.

The urgent need for action was underscored by a study released recently by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers. The Fiscal Survey of States revealed that while some signs of improvement can be seen in the overall economy, “state fiscal conditions continue to deteriorate.” The report makes a compelling case that state and local governments need help to protect a million jobs in this difficult economy. It also points out that recovery could be a long way off for our state and local governments.

This country’s fragile economy cannot grow if elected officials in Washington refuse to take the action needed to put our country back to work. We intend to make sure that the American people understand what this reckless failure to act will cost in terms of our recovery. If we are to avoid massive additional job cuts and more debt, the jobs bill must include critical funding for states and local governments.

More jobs equal less debt. Congress must act now to protect workers and promote American jobs.

It’s simple, really. The more jobs we create now, the less federal debt our children will have to carry later. Because jobs not only put food on the table, they put revenue in the Treasury and money in the marketplace.

It also shouldn’t be hard to understand that too many Americans are out of work. Too many families are struggling to get by. And too many kids will pay the price.

America needs Congress to pass a bill to protect jobs and provide aid to states. Unfortunately, some Senators are gumming up the works with a filibuster that will put hundreds of thousands of additional Americans out of work.

AFSCME and Americans United for Change kicked off a television advertising campaign in Maine on Monday, urging U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to support a jobs bill that extends unemployment insurance for people who have lost their jobs and invests $84 million to help states avoid massive new layoffs.

Citing deficit concerns, some senators are sitting on this crucial legislation that would help put Americans back to work and get our country back on its feet. The ad, which has already received coverage from the New York Times, CBS News, The Hill and AMERICAblog among others, addresses deficit concerns by noting that the more jobs we have now, the less debt we will have in the future, since jobs supply revenue to the treasury and keep people off public assistance.

This country’s fragile economy cannot grow if elected officials in Washington refuse to take the action needed to put our country back to work.

AFSCME is making it clear what this reckless failure to act will cost in terms of our recovery.  If we are to avoid massive additional job cuts and more debt, the jobs bill must include critical funding for states and local governments.

More jobs equal less debt. Even our kids can understand that.

The fight to help cash-strapped states and public services stalled in the Senate on Thursday as it failed to achieve the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate and bring to a vote a second Senate version of the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213), which included $24 billion in additional federal money to aid states.

The aid is a six-month extension of increased federal Medicaid matching funds which was authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. All Senate Democratic Caucus members present voted to close off debate, except Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) who supported the filibuster. All Republican Senators supported the filibuster.

In March, Sens. Lieberman, Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), George Voinovich (R-OH), Scott Brown (R-MA), Christopher Bond (R-MO), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) all voted to cut off debate on a similar jobs bill, which included the lifeline funding to states in fiscal crisis.

The jobs bill voted upon on Thursday was already a scaled-back version of the legislation. It cut an extra $25 from weekly unemployment benefits checks and postponed Medicare payment cuts to doctors through November instead of for 19 months. The failure of these Senators to vote to end the filibuster and move forward with a vote on the jobs bill will mean that Senate Democratic leadership will be forced to scale the bill back further, putting the $24 billion in state aid and the economy at risk.

Economists like Mark Zandi, Chief Economist of Moody’s Economy.com, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warn that pulling back on state aid now, while the economy is fragile, could risk plunging the economy back into a recession.

Even though most states are relying on these desperately needed funds to close ever growing budget shortfalls, all Republicans and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) voted in support of a Republican alternative bill offered by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) which did not include the needed $24 billion in state aid.

All AFSCME members are urged to ask their Senators to fight to preserve the $24 billion in new federal funds for state Medicaid programs.

Working America reports that if “the 15 million unemployed workers in this country stood side-by-side, literally shoulder to shoulder, they would stretch from Bangor, Maine to Los Angeles, California… and back again.” Even more Americans have given up on finding work, or can only find part-time work when they need to work full-time to support their families.

Congress must act immediately to avoid the loss of many more jobs in the coming months by passing a jobs bill that helps states with their budget shortfalls.  Without that important funding, more Americans will lose their jobs and their famlies will be forced into further desperation.  And it could make it harder to rebuild the economy and get our nation back to prosperity.

The urgent need for action was underscored by a study released last week by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers.  The Fiscal Survey of States showed “Although the nation’s economy shows signs of improvement, state fiscal conditions continue to deteriorate.”

The report makes a compelling case that state and local governments need help to protect a million jobs in this difficult economy.  It also points out that recovery could be a long way off for our state and local governments.

Helping states now is a smart investment for the economy and will reduce deficits over the long run.  According to a June report from the National Urban League, putting laid-off workers back on the job could reduce the deficit by $235 billion.

AFSCME members are demanding that jobs legislation include critical funding for states and local governments. Congress must act now to protect workers and promote American jobs.

Last week’s jobs report showed that our economic recovery is extremely fragile. The last thing we need is thousands more layoffs because of state budget shortfalls. The Senate jobs bill includes funding for state governments to avoid layoffs and public service cuts. As the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports, failing to extend fiscal relief to states will create new budget gaps, forcing cuts and job loss in at least 34 states.

Impact of Federal Aid on Public Sector Jobs

FMAP estimates from FFIS adjusted for $23.5B CBO spending level – based on state spending. Jobs estimate based on the FMAP dollar amounts and average compensation in each state.

As this chart shows, without the Senate jobs bill we could see hundreds of thousands more job losses nationwide. That would have a hugely negative impact on the federal deficit, given the lost tax revenue and the increased reliance on government services.

Saving jobs and services will keep our economic recovery going. And it will reduce the national debt in the long term. Slashing budgets right now is the wrong thing to do. The right thing to do is for the Senate to pass the jobs bill.