House Republicans want to slash funding for Social Security Administration (SSA) so deeply that the agency would be forced to shut down for the equivalent of a month with worker furloughs this year.

Put this under the heading of “voodoo economics.”  The argument goes that the nation’s 8.9 percent unemployment rate—after nearly two years between 9 and 10 percent—is the new “normal” unemployment rate. Proponents of this absurd claim say it’s workers’ fault because they don’t have the skills to fill the jobs or don’t live near the jobs that are available.

This from Union Plus.

With the attacks on workers in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states, it’s more important than ever to show your support for union workers and employers that honor their workers’ desire to belong to a union.

Opponents of working families and their unions have tried to pit public workers against those in the private sector, by fomenting an internal class warfare centered on disparate wages and benefits.

Americans are sending a message to Congress: Focus on creating jobs and don’t cut spending on Medicare or Social Security and don’t shut down the federal government.

Heather Slavkin, a senior legal and policy adviser for the AFL-CIO Office of Investment, reports on a victory for the global union movement.

Earlier this week, the European Parliament voted by an overwhelming majority in favor of a financial speculation tax—a tiny tax on financial speculation that can raise hundreds of billions of dollars for much-needed public services. This is a huge victory for the global labor movement, which has been at the head of a major worldwide campaign to push for the tax.

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.

The Campaign for America’s Future is bringing together key leaders and grassroots activists for a critical Summit on Jobs and America’s Future March 10 to tell the truth about what it will take to get America working and to discuss solutions to the economic crisis.

The number of U.S. jobs increased by 192, 000 in February, with the unemployment rate declining to 8.9 percent from 9 percent in February, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data out this morning.

Check this out. ABC World News this week is spotlighting products that are ”Made in America.” 

Recognizing the connection between a strong industrial base and a vibrant economy, the feature on American-made products asks, “how we can bring jobs back to the U.S.?”