Kicking Hardworking Tennesseans When They Are Down, Parts 1 and 2

KICKING HARDWORKING TENNESSEANS WHEN THEY’RE DOWN We can’t say it any better than Pith in the Wind: “Not satisfied with crippling their union and weakening tenure, Republicans running the state House slapped public school teachers again today. This time, Tennessee’s big-government conservatives rammed through legislation to yank their certificates to teach if they fail to pay back [...]

The Promise of the State of the State – Is Jon Stewart Clairvoyant?

Tonight, at 6:00 PM CST, Governor Bill Haslam will give the State of the State address. Tennessee Citizen Action and friends will be live blogging along with the speech starting about 5:30 at www.tnca.org/live. We expect that no small part of the speech will be about jobs and making Tennessee an attractive place for “job creators.” [...]

The ALEC – Tennessee Connection

ALEC, or the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group made up of representatives of large corporations and primarily conservative state legislators, works this way: ALEC members – large corporations with special interests – give them millions of dollars. ALEC holds conferences for state legislators State legislators attend these conferences and take home “cookie-cutter” legislation written [...]

The Tennessean: Lawmakers bump heads on debt ceiling

Debate Distracts from Unfair Tax Cuts, Lack of Jobs Tennessean, June 7, 2011 by Mary Mancini Debt ceiling, schmebt ceiling. Will Congress just raise it already so we can start the conversation that we should be having: “What are the real solutions that will put Americans back to work?” In June 2001, President George W. [...]

An Out of Work Tennessean Pleads for “help and relief” from Governor Bill Haslam

UPDATE 5/20/11 at 2:00 PM: HB 2156 (Fitzhugh/Finney) to extend unemployment  passes the house 75-22 with 1 present not voting. No votes: Alexander, Butt, Casada, Dennis, Dunn, Faison, Hall, Haynes, Holt, Johnson, Matlock, Miller, Nicely, Pody, Ragan, Rich, Sexton, Shipley, Sparks, Weaver, R. Williams, and Wirgau. The day after the Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & [...]

Tennessee Citizen Action Releases Statement on House Passage of Bill to Abolish Collective Bargaining

Nashville, Tenn. (May 19, 2011) — Today, the Tennessee State House spent almost a full day arguing about a bill that will do absolutely nothing to bring quality jobs, fix our state’s economy, or generate revenue for much-needed public services and infrastructure in the state. HB130, which would abolish the long-standing right of teachers to [...]

When Labor Unions Attack. Or Not.

Last month, we wrote why labor unions are valuable. It’s important to remember their value as the Tennessee General Assembly continues to pass bad bills that do nothing but attack unions and their members. These bills, really, are solutions in search of problems. Watch the video posted below to see 31-year union member, Rep. Gary [...]

TN Citizen Action Commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr. and His Legacy of Justice

Forty three years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King traveled to Memphis to support the sanitation workers and their struggle for dignity, fair pay and union rights. Their picket signs read, “I AM a Man.” Dr. King was assassinated the next day, April 4, 1968. On the solemn anniversary Tennessee Citizen Action along with the SEIU, [...]

9000 Teachers

From Mr. Sisk at the Tennessean: The Tennessee Education Association delivered a petition today signed by nearly 9,000 teachers and supporters asking lawmakers not to pass bills that would repeal their collective bargaining powers, take away the TEA’s seat on the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System and end the use of payroll deductions to pay dues. [...]

MLK Solidarity Events Today in Nashville From 3:00 – 8:30pm

Forty three years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King traveled to Memphis to support the sanitation workers and their struggle for dignity, fair pay and union rights. Their picket signs read, “I AM a Man.” Dr. King was assassinated the next day, April 4, 1968. On this solemn anniversary we will commemorate the life of Dr. [...]

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