An analysis posted by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee shows that Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) won re-election while promising not only to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but to expand the benefits for those programs. Tester won the race by a comfortable 3.9 point margin despite predictions that the seat was a likely Republican pick-up.

Reflecting what voters said in AFL-CIO's election-night poll, a poll conducted on behalf of Democracy Corps and the Campaign for America's Future (CAF) shows that voters strongly reject proposals to cut Social Security and Medicare. When asked which was more important, 70% of respondents said that protecting education, Medicare and Social Security was more important than broad cuts to reduce the deficit. More than half—58%—of the overall sample said that they felt strongly about opposing such cuts. Only 17% of the survey said they felt strongly that across-the-board cuts were important enough to cut the popular programs.

This is an excerpt from "An Election Message for the Lame Duck Congress: Fair Taxes, No Cuts," by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

After a hard-fought and divisive election year, it's time to rebuild America's middle class—but to do it we need to make sure the lessons from this campaign stick.

Four years ago, the leadership of the Republican Party made a cynical political gamble—and this year they lost because they bet against Ame

The conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C., and in much of the media, is that because of the deficit and debt, we need to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. A bipartisan commission led by Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles has promoted a plan that would cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and lower corporate taxes for the wealthy. Bowles and Simpson have been promoting their plan heavily and took to endorsing candidates who they believed would support their plan. 

Voters on Tuesday rejected all of the candidates that both Bowles and Simpson endorsed...

After Tuesday's historic election victories for President Obama and many pro-working family candidates, newspaper headlines give credit where credit is due.

Here's a roundup of some headlines highlighting how labor got out the vote:

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the key message of the 2012 elections is that working people have rejected the vision for the United States championed by the opponents of working families. The union movement’s unprecedented efforts to reach out to working families was decisive in the presidential election and down the ballot.

An election eve poll taken among AFL-CIO union voters in Ohio shows that Ohio working families strongly support President Obama and Sen. Sherrod Brown.

After you vote Nov. 6 (if you haven't voted already), join us on the AFL-CIO Now blog for live coverage and an interactive chat on Election Day, starting at 9 a.m. ET. We'll be providing updates from the states, info on voter protection and the inside scoop on what we're hearing from America's workers and union members. Bookmark www.aflcio.org/Election2012Live or sign up for an email reminder below. 

In an article on CNN.com, President Obama made his closing argument for the 2012 election by laying out his vision for the country in his second term.

What is your vision for the future of the country? Log in and comment below. 

There are only a few days left to vote in what AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka calls the most important election of our lifetimes.

Tuesday is the last day to vote. Do you know where your polling place is? You have a busy schedule, do you need a reminder on Election Day? Have you made sure that all your friends and family are voting, too? Have you made a plan to vote?

If you make a plan to vote, you’ll actually be more likely to vote. Makes sense, right?

And we have the tools to help you.