News

This piece was originally published in Politico

By: Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Heidi Hartmann

Across America, hardworking teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses and other public employees are being squeezed from two directions.

On one hand, cutting deficits has become the main budgetary priority in Washington and state capitals, which means pay freezes or layoffs for hundreds of thousands of these middle-class workers. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and other states, governors are using the real problem of budget deficits as a justification to pursue a long-term goal: union busting.

Whether by design or default, this two-pronged assault on the public sector disproportionately hurts women.

Health Care for America Now has released a study showing that in 2010, the last year before market regulations from health care reform take effect, insurance companies posted huge profits despite the catastrophic recession that plagued the rest of the country.

Will your local be rallying April 4? Leafleting outside a union-busting business? Protesting at city hall or the state legislature? With just 2 1/2 weeks to go until the nationwide day of action, CWA is making it easy for you to plan, share and join events in your community.

On Tuesday, March 29, CWAers will again join together for a virtual town hall meeting. CWA President Larry Cohen, Executive Vice President Annie Hill, executive board members and thousands of CWA activists will be on the phone in our third meeting since the fight for fairness in the states got underway.

Fighting for good jobs and strong communities, CWA members and thousands of allies turned out in pouring rain across Ohio on Tuesday to condemn attacks on public workers' collective bargaining rights and Gov. John Kasich's deep budget cuts targeting schools, cities and essential services.