Today, starting at 11 a.m. ET, we’re joining with Working America , NELP , MomsRising ,  HERvotes , USAction and a slew of other organizations and bloggers to launch an #ExtendUI tweet-a-thon.

Listen to the conventional wisdom, and you’ll hear that women have fared better than men in the recent recession. In reality, women are not only shouldering the burden of being the sole breadwinner in more families than ever before, they also account for the majority of public-sector layoffs. Single mothers and women in communities of color continue to suffer rising unemployment of more than 12 percent.

Holding white carnations high above their heads to symbolize the nation’s millions of jobless workers—including the 6 million facing the loss of their unemployment insurance (UI)  benefits Dec. 31—more than 2,000 union, faith and community activists committed their faith and action to demand Congress act now to extend the emergency lifeline for the jobless.

Tomorrow in a prayer vigil on Capitol Hill and at actions at dozens of congressional offices around the nation, workers, activists and people of faith will demand Congress act now to extend long-term unemployment insurance (UI) benefits that expires Dec. 31. As many as 6 million people could lose their benefits next year if Congress does not act.

The nation’s unemployment rate in November fell to 8.6 percent down from October’s 9 percent and the lowest since March 2009. The economy added 120,000 jobs last month, according to the latest figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Some 200 unemployed workers converged on Capitol Hill yesterday to demand that Congress act immediately to extend unemployment insurance (UI) to those whose benefits are due to expire, but who remain unemployed in what has been termed a “jobless recovery.” Unless Congress reauthorizes the federal UI program before Dec. 31, millions of Americans will find themselves with no income at all.

When your job gets shipped overseas, you want help fast. You don’t want to decode reams of fine print to get that help.

If Congress doesn’t act to ensure 6 million longtime jobless workers don’t lose unemployment insurance (UI) next year, 2 million people desperately seeking work will lose the lifeline that’s helping them and their families get by on Jan. 1.  Another 4 million will run out of help week by week next year.

Bill Redler of Omaha, Neb., knows both the hard times of the American construction worker today and the right way forward.

Terry Maile’s supervisor called her into a conference room with all of her co-workers to hear the news: It was their last day of employment at Level 3 Communications in Pittsburgh.