With Over 750,000 Jobs Lost To Date This Year, Latest Jobs Report Fuels Economic Anxiety, Desire For Change

 

Washington, D.C.--Astoday's latest jobs report showing nine straight months of job losshits the headlines, SEIU members knocking on doors and making callsacross the country report growing frustration and fear from votersabout an economy that shows no signs of improving.

 

"Imeet families who are losing their jobs, they're losing theirhomes--some of them have been out of work for months," said Philadelphiajanitor and SEIU member Audra Traynham. "I've never seen so much fearout there."

 

"People understand how important this election is. We can't afford more of the same," added Traynham.

 

Traynhamis taking time off work to make sure that everyone in her community isregistered to vote and turns out for Barack Obama on Election Day.

 

"Workingfamilies know we didn't get here by accident," said SEIUSecretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "And we're not going to solve thiseconomic crisis until we have a president who understands that we needto put working families ahead of the big corporations on Wall Street.On November 4^th, we begin the long road back to recovery by electing Barack Obama and a pro-working majority in Congress."

 

Justyesterday, with the national unemployment rate at a seven-year high,Senate Republicans blocked efforts to extend unemployment insurance. In less than three months, over one million jobless workers willexhaust their unemployment benefits - benefits which are helping manyfamilies put food on the table, gas in the car, and keep up withmortgage payments to prevent foreclosures. 

 

SEIUmembers are committing record amounts of time, money, and energy thiselection to educate voters about John McCain's anti-worker agenda andelect Barack Obama and a pro-worker majority in Congress. More than1,000 members are taking time off to work on the election, and 100,000nurses, child care providers, janitors, and other workers arevolunteering after work and on weekends. SEIU members have committed tospending $85 million on election efforts.

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