AFL-CIO Annual Labor Day Briefing on Jobs, Health Care, Employee Free Choice Act

National Survey of Young Workers:
1/3 of Workers under 35 Live with Parents,
After “Lost Decade,”  Young Workers Less Likely to Have Health Care, Economic Security and Confidence in Future than 10 Years Ago
www.youngworkers2009.org/com

(Washington, Sept. 1) Young workers today are significantly less likely to have health care or economic security than they were 10 years ago, and one-third live in their parents’ home, according to a new national survey, Young Workers: A Lost Decade, released by the AFL-CIO at its annual Labor Day briefing today.  Leaders of the 11.5 million-member union federation said they will make an unprecedented effort to reach out to young workers. They also described working people’s overall plans to restore balance to the economy. 

“This Labor Day, working people are standing at the edge of a huge wave of change. Almost a year ago to the day, working people rallied behind an Illinois senator in Denver to nominate him for the presidency of the United States,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “And today, amidst economic distress and upheaval, union families are working to finish the job — we’re leading a massive mobilization for health care reform and passage of the Employee Free Choice Act to create an economy that works for everyone.” 

Sweeney noted the Labor Day briefing comes two weeks before a change of leadership at the AFL-CIO; he will step down after almost 14 years as president at the federation’s convention in Pittsburgh September 13 – 17.

AFL-CIO Sec.-Treas. Richard Trumka and Exec. VP Arlene Holt Baker detailed the AFL-CIO’s plans in the coming months to reach out to young workers and engage all workers to address core economic issues.

“Young workers are facing the worst kind of insecurity — struggling to find good jobs and hold down debt while trying to grow into adulthood,” said AFL-CIO Sec.-Treas. Richard Trumka.  “We owe them better.  Unless we change it, their economic standards are going to define a new norm—a norm of lower job and living standards.  Their future is our country’s future and we must commit to creating an economy that provides a strong economic future for all.” 

Trumka, who is so far running unopposed for the AFL-CIO presidency, said he will ask the upcoming convention to approve plans for broad recruitment of young workers, as well as plans for training and leadership of young workers who are currently union members.  He also noted unions’ unique role to play in engaging young workers around economic and political issues. Eighteen- to 35-year-olds make up a quarter of current union membership.

The national survey of 1,156 workers, including 602 young workers, conducted by Hart Research Associates in late July, was commissioned by the AFL-CIO and its 3-million member community affiliate Working America.  Findings were presented by Tahir Duckett and Jenn Jannon of Working America.

Some of the key findings:

• For 31 percent of young workers, Labor Day is not a paid holiday
• 31 percent of young workers report being uninsured, up from 24 percent 10 years ago, and 79 percent of the uninsured say they don’t have coverage because they can’t afford it or their employer does not offer it.
• Amazingly, one in three young workers are currently living at home with their parents.
• Only 31 percent say they make enough money to cover their bills and put some money aside—22 percentage points fewer than in 1999—while 24 percent cannot even pay their monthly bills.  Fifty-eight percent do not have savings that would cover two months of living expenses.
• Only 58 percent receive paid sick days, only 66 percent receive paid vacation and only 41 percent are offered paid family leave.
• More than half of young workers earn less than $30,000 and this struggling majority has been the most severely impacted. A third cannot pay their bills and seven in 10 do not have enough saved to cover two months of living expenses. They are just as likely to live with their parents as to live on their own.
• 37 percent have put off education or professional development because they can’t afford it.
• Jobs, health care and education top the economic agenda for young workers.
• When asked who is most responsible for the country’s economic woes, close to 50 percent of young workers place the blame on Wall Street and banks or corporate CEOs. And young workers say greed by corporations and CEOs is the factor most to blame for the current financial downturn.
• By a 22-point margin, young workers favor expanding public investment over reducing the budget deficit. Young workers rank conservative economic approaches such as reducing taxes, government spending and regulation on business among the five lowest of 16 long-term priorities for Congress and the president.
• Thirty-five percent say they voted for the first time in 2008, and nearly three-quarters now keep tabs on government and public affairs, even when there’s not an election going on.
• The majority of young workers and nearly 70 percent of first-time voters are confident that Obama will take the country in the right direction.
• More than half of young workers say employees are more successful getting problems resolved as a group rather than as individuals, and employees who have a union are better off than employees in similar jobs who do not.

Nate Scherer, a 31 year old Working America member from Columbus, Ohio, who shares a home with his wife and parents, said:

While in college I racked up a lot of credit card debt… there’s no financial responsibility class in high school. After getting married my wife and I decided to move in with my parents in order to pay off our bills.  And I don’t think my situation is that unique …

Also at the Labor Day briefing, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Holt Baker detailed a national mobilization around health care and labor law reform currently underway. Union families are working days, nights, and weekends, she said, to ensure that Congress knows that working people consider health care and the labor law reform an urgent national priority.  More than 18,000 union members attended 400 town halls in the month of August alone. Union families have made close to 200,000 phone calls and written over 250,000 letters this year to senators and representatives about health care and workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life. This Labor Day weekend, over 100,000 union members will make a push for health care and the Employee Free Choice Act at celebrations around the country.

Click here to read the report

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