Battles Rage over Drug Tests for Unemployed

Senate Democrats have offered an emergency plan for extending unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for millions of jobless Americans whose benefits are set to expire on February 29, 2012.

Pelosi Speaks in Support of Workers’ Rights

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor yesterday against the Republicans’ so-called Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act.

Breaking faith with jobless Americans over an applause line

The president seems to have forgotten all about these people, who are trying to get by in an economy that is shedding as many jobs as it creates. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the aviation industry has been among the hardest hit. America's aviation manufacturers shipped a total of more than 6,000 airplanes in 2007 and 2008. The total for 2010 was 1,334. Net factory billings fell to less than $8 billion last year from more than $13 billion in 2008, retrenchment to a level not seen since 2004. The biggest losers have been industry workers who have lost their jobs.

Jobs Crisis Pushes More Families into Poverty

New data released by the Census Bureau shows that nearly one in six Americans now lives below the federal poverty line – earning less than $22,314 a year for a family of four. Not only did the poverty level jump, but household income dropped below 1997 levels. The only group to have significant income gains were the richest one percent of Americans.

Union of Unemployed Demands Real Solutions in Obama Jobs Speech

Union of Unemployed (UCubed) calls on the White House to deliver real, robust and immediate solutions to our nation’s jobs crisis in tonight’s presidential address on jobs.

UCubed Announces the ‘Pink Slip Primary’

The Union of Unemployed (UCubed) will be holding its own election ahead of the 2012 primaries. Aimed at focusing the U.S. political agenda on JOBS Now! and giving the jobless a chance to vote for or against presidential candidates who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk, UCubed is introducing the “Pink Slip Primary.”

A Vision for Economic Renewal -- An American Jobs Agenda

America is facing a catastrophic jobs crisis. Not since the Great Depression has official unemployment hovered above nine percent -- where it is today -- for more than 20 months. Millions of American have given up looking for a job altogether. Even worse, real unemployment is more than 18%. Yet Washington overall has obviously yet to embrace a large-scale job creation agenda. Even if we reach consensus around the deficit -- the only economic issue even getting any attention these days -- it will do little to help the 29 million Americans who are unemployed in real terms. If we do not seriously tackle jobs, our country may never regain its competitive global edge.

Updated UCubed Map Showcases Broad GOP Attack on Jobless

More than 6.8 million jobless Americans are about to see their situations go from bad to worse.

GOP Spending Cuts Stalls Job Growth

The GOP promise in the 2010 elections that “getting government out of the way” by cutting spending would create jobs is turning out to have the effect most economists expected – more layoffs.

Debt Talks Must Address Jobs Crisis

President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are in private talks to raise the U.S. debt ceiling – the legal limit on borrowing by the federal government. The $4 trillion deal is expected to include a mix of spending cuts and new taxes – but nothing to create jobs.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress and the White House a deal forged without measures to spur job growth is a bad deal, doomed from the start. Tell leaders do not ignore jobs and the unemployed.

Union of Unemployed Warns of Double Dip Recession

The specter of a double dip recession came roaring back to life with the news from the U.S. Labor Department that the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent, with only 18,000 jobs added in June.

Hindery Argues for Sound U.S. Manufacturing Policy

In an op-ed published on The Huffington Post, Leo Hindery, Chairman of the Smart Globalization Initiative at the New America Foundation, explains “Why We Need a Manufacturing Renaissance – Economically and Ethically.”

The Machinists Take Netroots

June 22, 2011 - The Netroots Convention, held in Minneapolis this year, brought together more than 2,000 progressives from every walk of life.

UCubed Attends 6th Annual Netroots Nation Convention

The Union of Unemployed (UCubed) joined thousands of labor activists and progressive bloggers at the 2011 Netroots Nation Convention in Minneapolis, MN.

UCubed Targets Wall Street in ‘The Game’

The Union of Unemployed (UCubed) is drawing renewed attention to the economic crisis with the release of a new online video entitled The Game.

Pawlenty Endorses Union of Unemployed?

Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty came very close to endorsing the Union of Unemployed, nicknamed UCubed. “While not a full-throated endorsement,” explained UCubed Executive Director Rick Sloan, “the former Minnesota governor is whispering our tune.”

‘Going Back on the Deal’

An op-ed published in the New York Times this week reveals GOP attempts to double-cross American voters – particularly, the unemployed.

UCubed to Jobless: ‘Tell It Like It Is’

UCubed is asking the jobless for their help in designing a bumper sticker that sums up what it means to be unemployed in America.

UCubed Calls for ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ to be U.S. Made

Ur Union of Unemployed is calling on New York City and state officials to oppose a plan by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to flood the New York streets with thousands of foreign-built taxicabs.

AFL-CIO Paywatch Notes Runaway Pay for CEOs

The 2011 Executive Paywatch website shows CEOs at 299 U.S. companies earned a combined income of $3.4 billion in 2010. Viacom’s CEO Philippe P. Dauman earned $84.5 million alone last year, one of the highest among the executives.

UCubed Reveals Worst States to be Unemployed In

UCubed released a second edition of its map outlining which states are currently pushing legislation aimed at punishing the unemployed. In addition to highlighting states like Indiana and New Mexico where state lawmakers want to reduce unemployment insurance benefits, subject the unemployed to drug tests, have refused to accept federal unemployment funds, etc., the map now shows exactly how many folks will be affected if the bills become law – a total of over 5.4 million.

'The Jobs Czar from Hell'

UCubed’s Unemployment Brackets Showcase Grim Statistics

Hindery Op-ed Argues for U.S. Manufacturing

UCubed Creates ‘Marching to Madness’ Unemployment Brackets