Meantime, AFL-CIO Calls for "Good Jobs Now: Make Wall Street Pay"in 200 Events Across the Country

Millions of Americans who can't find jobs can take some comfort in today's Senate passage of a jobs bill.  Not since the Great Depression have so many workers been out of work for so long.  With more than 8 million jobs lost since the start of the recession and nearly 3 million new jobs needed to keep up with population growth over the same period, our country has an 11 million jobs hole.  And the anguish is shared by small businesses and entire communities.

While this legislation is a good start, we agree with Sen. Harry Reid that much more needs to be done.  We need to restore the jobs that were lost to the financial debacle, and Wall Street should pay to create them.  We must invest in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and in the green jobs of the future.  We have to maintain funding for vital services by state and local governments and prevent destructive cuts in education, police and fire protection and more.  We must take the additional steps needed to extend unemployment insurance and health care lifelines to the unemployed.  We must increase funding for neglected communities to match people who want to work with jobs that need to be done.  And we should move right now to use leftover TARP money to get credit flowing to Main Street.

This week and next at 200 events across the country, working people are joining together with community activists at big Wall Street banks in a call for "Good Jobs Now, Make Wall Street Pay.". We are demanding that Wall Street be held accountable for the jobs it destroyed and calling on lawmakers to act swiftly and boldly to put our country back to work, building on the legislation passed today.

Contact: Amaya Tune 202-637-5018