'Let's be clear, there is no greater investment in this country than getting Americans back to work,' says SEIU's Henry

Washington, D.C.--SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement responding to President Obama's State of the Union address:

Let's be clear, there is no greater investment in this country than getting Americans back to work. With nearly 30 million Americans unemployed or underemployed, we don't just have a jobs crisis, we have a jobs emergency.

"Tonight, President Obama issued a clear call to action to solve our jobs emergency. We need all Americans, Republicans and Democrats, business and labor, to work together to pave the road that working people, and our country, must walk to a stronger, more promising future.

"It's alarming to hear some Republicans counter the president's bold vision with devastating cuts that would destroy jobs and plunge our nation back into recession. These Republicans are quick to dismiss job-creating investments in education and infrastructure as unnecessary spending while pushing for budget-busting tax breaks for millionaires. And it's no longer acceptable for corporations and Wall Street banks to earn a record $1.6 trillion in profits while refusing to put America back to work.

"If this is indeed our Sputnik moment, we can no longer allow politics to divide us. Our children are counting on all of us to come together to create a brighter future and meet the great challenge of our generation. We can and must do big things."

SEIU Members Discuss the State of the Union and What We Need to Do to Put America Back to Work

Teresa Law, a home care worker from Lucasville, Ohio, writes about the need for good jobs. Teresa is facing cuts to her home care program that could eliminate her healthcare coverage and slash her wages. Teresa is also worried about her two sons, both unemployed and unable to find work.

"I know firsthand that just having a job is no guarantee that you can buy groceries or pay the gas bill. Americans need jobs that pay a living wage, offer health insurance, and provide a secure retirement," writes Teresa. "Tonight, I hope President Obama will lay out an agenda for our country that invests in our people to create the good jobs of the future."

Read more: http://www.seiu.org/2011/01/state-of-the-union-the-route-to-prosperity-is-inve.php

Mark Freeman lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and currently works as a warehouse receiver and distributor at Methodist Hospital, as well as a part-time manager of a liquor store. Mark reflects on the benefits his family has experienced from healthcare reform.

"My son Andy turned 21 only just last week. Had the Affordable Healthcare Act not passed, my wife and I would be struggling right now to help him find health insurance. As it stands, we're happy to now have him covered under my wife's health insurance plan," writes Mark. "The thing about being a parent is that caring - and worrying - for your children doesn't end at age 18. But this little bit, knowing that my son has health insurance, helps us."

Read more: http://www.seiu.org/2011/01/state-of-the-union-no-longer-worried-about-our-son.php

With 2.2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.

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