Last week, we discussed that the Republican Party platform is a road map to dismantle workers’ rights. Steven Greenhouse of The New York Times says the Republican platform “calls for numerous steps that could significantly weaken America’s labor unions” and, for the first time in years, doesn’t even acknowledge the right to form unions.

The New York Times reports, when doing a side-by-side comparison of the platforms, the two visions are “poles apart in their view of the nation.”

Let’s take a look at some of the major differences:

True Value should take back the 2011 Supplier of the Year Award it gave North American Salt, says United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard, because North American operates a salt mine in Louisiana that has received safety and health citations for serious violations and been shut down temporarily by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Some 100 workers at the company’s Cote Blanche mine in Louisiana are USW members.

Michael Frank headed over to a rally in East Grand Forks, Minn., last night, one of many he’s taken part in over the past year. Frank, along with 1,300 other workers, was locked out of the American Crystal Sugar factory a year ago, and last night’s event was part of the workers’ ongoing efforts to urge the sugar beet processing company return to the bargaining table.

“They don’t want to sit down with us,” said Frank, a 33-year veteran with with company and currently day warehouse foreman. “We didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

If you're curious how much more the Romney-Ryan Medicare plan will cost you, the Center for American Progress Action Fund has a new infographic which spells out exactly what you'd be paying for health care. It's not pretty. View the entire Center for American Progress Action Fund Medicare Infographic.

Last night in Springfield, Mo., while more than 300 Republican insiders were paying up to $25,000 a head to hear a stump speech by Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, more than 100 union and community activists were outside letting passersby know about Ryan’s and Mitt Romney’s plans to cut taxes for the wealthy and gut Medicare. Activists included members of the Springfield Central Labor Council, Missouri Pro-Vote, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 6312 and 6355, Carpenters Local 978, Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 453 and 753,  Letter carriers (NALC) Local 203, Missouri AFL-CIO, Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans, MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood, Teamster Local 245 and United Transportation Union  retirees.

One of the important consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act—the health care reform law that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to repeal—is that health insurance companies must clearly tell people what their policies cover and what they don’t when it comes to treatments, services and providers. 

In Texas, the withdrawal, by the state insurance commissioner, of new rules that would have helped consumers know if they were facing huge out-of-network costs when they are hospitalized shows why those protections in the Affordable Care Act are needed.

What’s your biggest worry about your job?

Some 40 percent of America’s workers say they fear their benefits will be reduced in the near future, according to Gallup’s annual Work and Education poll released today. That compares with 28 percent who are afraid their wages will be cut back and 28 percent who fear they will be laid off, a percentage that's still high compared with pre-recession levels. (Click on chart to enlarge.) In addition, 26 percent fear their hours will be cut back.

Are you a senior who needs life-saving cancer treatment? No problem, says Mitt Romney’s new running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Just make sure you brought your envelope of Romney-RyanCare coupons to the hospital (a.k.a. Medicare vouchers). 

Ohio AFL-CIO, SEIU, ProgressOhio and other allied groups gathered outside a Mitt Romney campaign stop last week in Chillicothe, Ohio, to spread the word about the harmful Romney-Ryan budget and how it would affect Medicare beneficiaries. 

Happy 77th birthday, Social Security. As we celebrate Social Security's anniversary, let’s remember it has never missed a check. Despite Congressman (now vice presidential candidate) Paul Ryan's claim it’s “going broke,” Social Security has a $2.7 trillion surplus (going broke, really?) and is financially sound, despite the recession, high unemployment and stagnation of workers' income across the board. It has provided insurance against loss of wages for seniors and people with disabilities and pays out benefits in the form of survivor benefits to children who lose a working parent. 

Two years ago on Aug. 5., a San José copper-gold mine located in Chile’s northern Atacama Desert, caved in, trapping 33 miners 2,257 feet underground. “The 33,” as they were quickly known around the world, survived a staggering 69 days underground before their rescue.