The North East Area Labor Council teamed up with other health care reform organizations for a rally this past weekend. About 65 people attended the rally on the steps of the Gerald Heaney Federal Building to call on congress to pass health care reform now. Speakers included Alex Livadaros, small business owner and member of AFSCME local 66, and Alan Netland, President of NEALC and AFSCME local 66. Kathy Heltzer, a Social Work Professor at UMD and UEA member, was the MC for the event. Other speakers included Pastor Kathy Nelson of Peace United Church, Frank Boyle former WI legislator and retired member of LIUNA, and Duluth City Councilor-elect Kerry Gauthier.

The days unitl we reclaim Paul Wellstone's senate seat with a true progressive, pro-labor senator and elect a new president that is ready lead this struggling economy are flying off the calendar.  We need your help now to make sure our member are mobilized to the polls on election day.  Sign up for a phone bank or door knock, take election day off or come in for a couple hours, whatever you can contribute, we need your participation.  The Labor 2008 campaign is a team effort and your contribution to the team is crucial.

Attached below are the October schedules for the Iron Range and Duluth.  Give us a call to find out how you can help.  If we all put in a little, we get get back a lot more!

Contact Scott Dulas to become part of the movement to take back our country:  218-728-8996 or scott@nealc.org.

Labor Day weekend started with Larry Anderson's (LIUNA 1091) party at his home in Thomson Township and ended with thousands converging on Bayfront Park for Duluth's Labor Day picnic.  In the middle was the Iron Range Labor Assembly's picnic on Sunday at Olcott Park in Virginia and Carlton County's parade and lunch on Monday morning in Cloquet.  You can see photos of the weekend here. 

 

From AmericaBlog.com:

Olbermann and Maddow eviscerate McCain over his lack of support of vets and the troops. Olbermann details all the pro-troops legislation that McCain either opposed or refused to even show up for a vote. You really need to watch this, then send it to your friends. These are actual votes that McCain opposed, actual legislation that would have helped the troops, and he was against it. McCain likes to talk about how he's all about the troops, but he doesn't like to talk about the specifics of his record.

Watch the video here.

With the price of gas hitting $4 a gallon this week, working families are feeling the squeeze. Pointing to skyrocketing prices and unemployment, union members in Duluth and from Boston to Albuquerque, hit the streets to demand a new national energy strategy and assistance for working families. 

On the very first day following the end of the DFL convention, Labor endorsed Al Franken paid a visit to Wellstone Hall - packed full of supporters.  In front of a banner reading "Fighting for Minnesota's middle class," Franken enjoyed raucous applause as he called on Minnesotans to send him to replace Norm Coleman who occupies a seat once held by the late Paul Wellstone.

About 50 union members, students, and area progressives gathered on the steps of the Duluth City Hall last Wednesday to bring attention to Norm Coleman's record as a Senator from Minnesota.  Duluth Central Labor Body President Alan Netland spoke of Coleman's closeness to George Bush and his attempt to distance himself from the President as his re-election campaign drew nearer.