The Union Message

22

Working Families Under Assault for 30 Years

For the last 30 years, Big Business has worked this agenda with every resource it has:– Deregulation: trucking, airlines, telecom, financial

services, health care, the environment, labor protections– Global race to the bottom through NAFTA, GATT, Fast

Track, FTAA . . .– Privatize social benefits and social services– Abolish negotiated benefits like pensions and health care

that are critical to the standard of living of working people– Cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy – Break the power of unions

33

The Corporate Assault On Workers

Goal: - Maximize corporate

profits and CEO pay

Strategy:- Destroy unions- Reduce workers’ wages and

benefits

CEO PAY OUTRAGEThe New American Aristocracy

As Unions Decline, Benefits Decline

Source: U.S. Department of Labor; BLS; EPI; Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Nonunion Union

Health Insurance

68%

92%

Guaranteed Pension

16%

73%

Vacations

11.75 days

15 days

thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/03/03/147994/unions-income-inequality

28%

12%

53%

46%

WHO PAYS FOR OUR GOVERNMENT?The elite rich 1% pays less, the 99% pay more.

Federal Revenue Sources from 1950 to 2008.

Revenues, by Source, 1970 to 2020(Percentage of gross domestic product)

Source: Congressional Budget Office.

40%

10%

Income over $1 million taxed

at over 90%

Income over $1 million taxed at less than 35 %

10%

30%

Top 10% own 80% of all US stock wealth

Top 10%

Own 80%

Productive workers are taxed Productive workers are taxed higher than gambling speculatorshigher than gambling speculators

The Social Security Tax Cap Burdens Workers

The Social Security Tax Cap Burdens Workers

7.65% $50,000

0.82% $1,000,000

0.16% $5,000,000

Effective FICATax Rate

Yearly Wages

Year Before the Stock

Market Crash

Year Before the Stock

Market Crash

Reagan Cuts Top Tax Rate to 28%

Fires Striking WorkersPermits Media Monopolies

Growth of the Middle Class

FDR’s Top Tax Rate Over 90%Unions are Growing

New Deal & G.I. Bill Promotes Education & Housing

FAT CATS CREATED THE CRISIS LOOTED THE ECONOMY

NOW WE HAVE TO SAVE IT?

Clinton had a surplus So who caused the record deficits?

Who benefits from Wars, Tax cuts & the Crash?

Bush’s Tax Cuts

Bush’sWars

Wall St.Crash

TAX CUTS AND DEREGULATION THE ANSWER TO EVERY PROBLEM

For the Elite Top 1% there is never enough!

NYC 44%

NYS 35%

USA 24%

1919

In NYC the rich get nearly 1/2 of all the income but only pay 1/3 of the taxes.

+0.2%+ 0.1%

+ 1.2%

+ 2.8%

+ 5.1%+1.6%

-11.1%

"We can have concentrated wealth

in the hands of a few

or we can have democracy.

But we cannot have both."

— Justice Louis D. Brandeis

TAX CUTS ARE STARVING GOVERNMENT

CORPORATIONS HAVE CORRUPTED OUR DEMOCRACY AND STOLE OUR GOVERNMENT

CORPORATE MEDIA THE ECHO CHAMBER PUSHING DEREGULATION, TAX CUTS AND

MAKING THE TOP 1% RICHER

SCAPEGOATING PUBLIC WORKERS

3030

And they are out to destroy unions

AFL-CIO

National Union Density, 1984 = 19% of workforce

0% to 9%

10% to 20%21% to 30%31% +

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

3131

…and it’s working

AFL-CIO

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

National Union Density, 2004 = 13% of workforce It’s already down to 12.1% in 2007

0% to 9%

10% to 20%21% to 30%31% +

US SUPREME COURT SAYS CORPORATE MONEY IS SPEECHMORE MONEY… MORE SPEECH

REPEATING A LIE NEVER MAKES IT THE TRUTH

UNDO THE CORPORATE COUP OF THE 1%Government By And For The People…

Living Breathing Human Beings - the 99%