America’s middle class has been the backbone of our nation’s success. But now the opportunities and education long available to many are open only to a privileged few. In The Betrayal of the American Dream, a New York Times bestseller, Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele show how a prosperous new ruling elite has systematically impoverished our middle class and made it far less certain our children will enjoy a better life than their parents.

Join us at the AFL-CIO for the third event of our fall book series to discuss Barlett and Steele's book, The Betrayal of the American Dream, Friday, Sept. 28, at noon. Bring your lunch; beverages will be available. Books will be available for purchase and authors' signing.

Where: AFL-CIO

815 16th St., N.W.
When: Friday, Sept. 28, noon–2 p.m.

RSVP here. 

Voter ID laws are real threats to our democracy.

Join us at the AFL-CIO to discuss Tova Andrea Wang's book, The Politics of Voter Suppression: Defending and Expanding Americans' Right to Vote, Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 1 p.m. Wang, a senior democracy fellow at Demos, says today's voter suppression tactics have roots going back a century and a half and pose a serious threat to the democratic process. 

RSVP here. 

This from Alfonso Nevarez in the AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department.

Powell’s Books in Portland, Ore., is in the process of laying off 7 percent of its workers due to declining sales. International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 5 units at Powell’s Burnside and Beaverton stores, as well as the Hoyt Street and Northwest industrial warehouses, will be affected by the layoffs. Local 5 President Ryan Van Winkle said that Powell’s was proactive in notifying workers of their bumping and separation rights.