Oregon's Strong Voice for the Middle Class

Corporate Accountability and an Economy that Works for All Oregonians

 

I want an economy that works for all Oregonians.The work of the union movement to create a strong middle class is one of America’s great accomplishments. It meant that working people had the opportunity to share in the American Dream and build a better future for themselves and their children. It also created a workforce and a market that built the American economy into the greatest the world has ever seen.

Today, however, the middle class is shrinking because of anti-union efforts waged by corporate America. A recent study shows that CEO pay has grown to 364 times higher than what the average blue collar worker makes – it is the widest gap in the world by far.

While worker productivity has skyrocketed in the past few decades, wages have stagnated. The AFL-CIO believes that the employees who make companies more efficient, effective and profitable – which helps the entire economy – should benefit, too.

Historically, when unions have been strong, the middle class has been robust and thriving. Stronger unions mean a stronger middle class. The Oregon AFL-CIO is fighting to make our economy work for everyone again, not just those at the top.

  • Playing Chicken with Our Economic Recovery

    DECEMBER 20th, 2011 | Congress stands at the crossroads of yet another Federal shutdown, the third this year. If we were waiting for a clear indication that we need to more Representatives in Washington who will put working families and the middle class first, this is it. Partisan bickering keeps the real leaders on both sides of the aisle, who are ready to fight for the 99% of us who work for a living, doing their jobs.

  • Breaking Down Wealth Inequality

    NOVEMBER 30th, 2011 | Occupy Wall Street has rippled across the country leaving a wake of activism and protest in nearly every state and wide-scale demonstrations teeming in over 20 major North American cities. The message is clear: we are the 99%. We work the jobs, we pay the bills and we’re tired of the 1% keeping all of the profits.

  • Understanding The Gas Tax.

    SEPTEMBER 13th, 2011 | The Federal Gas Tax will stop being collected if Congress does not take action to renew it before September 30th. There are discussions about short term solutions, but a long term fix is needed.

  • Bringing Change: Middle Class Mobilization

    When the middle class stands together, change happens. Harnessing the power of volunteers and various organizations into a collation has proven to work, both here in Oregon and across the nation.

  • Big Corporations: Helping or Hurting the Middle Class?

    JULY 27th, 2011 | Did your family’s income increase by 23% last year? Unless you’re a corporate CEO, the answer is likely no. CEOs rewarded themselves as their corporations posted record profits in 2010 and they’re not shying away from the reason why.

  • PERS in Perspective

    JULY 18th, 2011 | State and local government employees’ retirement benefits have become a popular scapegoat, with everyone from Tea Partiers to members of Congress labeling public employee retirement benefits as culprits of states’ financial crises.

  • Protecting the Middle Class

    JUNE 21st, 2011 | By fighting back against attacks like we’ve seen in Wisconsin to keep collective bargaining and standing together as one to increase our piece of the pie instead of competing for scraps, the middle class can remain the driving force behind our country’s success.

  • Bridging the Gap: Tax Revenue

    JUNE 16th, 2011 | We’re beginning to shift from a tax structure which benefits the supply-side of our market, giving money to businesses and the ultra-wealthy and hoping they use it wisely, to a system which fosters growth by giving the demand-side, the American middle class, the room we need to grow and prosper.

  • The Bush Tax Cuts Are the Disaster that Keeps on Giving

    JUNE 9th, 2011 | Ten years ago today, the first round of Bush tax cuts became law. But what if they hadn’t? What would our fiscal situation look like if history had been different in just one respect: if we’d never implemented President George W. Bush’s eponymous tax policies?