The Transport Workers ( TWU ) union is reminding all working people why they should get out and vote Nov. 6. What are Mitt Romney's plans for collective bargaining, project labor agreements and "right to work" for less laws ? Watch TWU's new video," Mitt's Plan for the American Worker ," to find out.
Damon Silvers is the policy director and special counsel of the AFL-CIO.
Mitt Romney’s 2011 tax return is an education in injustice, just like his 2010 return was. The peculiar letter he released from his tax accountant Pricewaterhouse Coopers concerning his taxes before 2010, simply adds to the mystery—why won’t he follow his father’s and President Obama’s example and release ten years of tax returns?
When Mitt Romney dismissed 47 percent of the population as shiftless riff-raff who pay no income taxes and live off government largess, the Republican presidential nominee “spit in the face of everyday people who know what it means to work incredibly hard and still sometimes fail to get by,” says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
Damon Silvers is the policy director and special counsel of the AFL-CIO.
The psychology of Mitt Romney's apparent attack on 47 percent of Americans is fascinating. It’s all about the excuses the very rich make up to cover for their refusal to bear their fair share of the costs of maintaining civilization. Because, of course, the poor actually pay a higher share of their income in taxes than people like Romney do, it's just they don’t pay it in federal income tax. The poorest 20 percent of America pays 23 percent of their income in state and federal taxes—in payroll taxes, sales taxes and other excise taxes and state income taxes. As we know, in the one year Romney has disclosed, he paid just under 14 percent in federal taxes, almost all of his income was not subject to payroll tax, and his state income tax bill was likely far less than 8 percent of his income. By the way, in 2011, 13,000 families in the top 1 percent of income paid no federal income tax.
When you are at the very top, the middle must look higher than it really is, at least according to Mitt Romney ’s latest financial optical illusion. In an interview today on ABC’s "Good Morning America," host George Stephanopoulos asked Romney how he would define middle-class income. “Is $100,000 middle income?’’ Stephanopoulos asked. Romney replied:
No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less.
The AFL-CIO will be offering live responses to the Republican National Convention on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney offer their "vision" for America. Paul Ryan will be speaking tonight at 10 p.m., and Mitt Romney, Thursday night at 10 p.m.
You can follow the action on our Twitter account, @AFLCIO or on the Web at www.twitter.com/aflcio .
Mitt Romney tries to walk the walk of a friend of working people but he certainly doesn’t talk the talk: whether he is attacking the American auto industry or insulting the British workers organizing the Olympics, Romney remains an out-of-touch voice of, by and for the richest 1% .
Last week we launched our Meet Mr. 1% website with shareable infographics on Mitt Romney’s record as a state governor, his overseas bank accounts and his economic attack plan that would harm working families. The graphics also highlight, with Romney at its helm, that Bain killed and outsourced jobs and pushed companies into bankruptcy.
Here are some of the “ greatest hits ” remarks from our commenters. John DeRosier writes:
Some people get rich the old-fashioned way—hard work. Mitt Romney—Mr. 1%—got rich the new-fashioned, wrong way. As head of Bain Capital , he’d swoop down on companies like Ampad and GS Industries, pull out tens of millions of dollars in dividends, declare bankruptcy and kill thousands of jobs.
And that’s just the part of the story of how Romney got rich the wrong way. Check out our new Meet Mr. 1% website for a closer look.
It’s been four years since low-wage workers got a raise. Sign the petition to tell Congress it’s time to raise the minimum wage.
Click here »
Tell us about the good stuff happening where you live and work.
