Category Archives: Employment

Five Ways to Hold the Right Kind of Attention

No matter how talented or accomplished you are, you cannot always count on attracting and retaining the attention of others. Too many options compete for everyone’s attention, and they multiply with each passing day. It will be more and more challenging to rise above the noise and hold onto the attention of those who matter to you.

Attention provides leverage. The more people we can attract and motivate to join us on a challenging quest or initiative, the more impact we are likely to achieve. So, what are effective ways to attract and retain the kind of attention that helps us to address the challenges we face? Here are five steps that build on each other.

1. Embrace mystery – Frame really gnarly problems that are relevant to you and need to be solved. Help people to understand why these are such significant problems and why so many people have stumbled in trying to solve these problems. It probably will not attract the people looking for easy answers or silver bullets, but it can attract those who are naturally curious and looking for stimulating challenges.

2. Focus inquiry – Don’t try to suggest answers. Frame interesting questions instead. Help people gain a foothold by posing questions that intrigue and motivate them to start investigating the mysteries that lie ahead.

3. Excite the imagination – Provide some “what if?” scenarios to illustrate the possibilities that await those who manage to come up with creative answers. Paint the pictures but make it clear these are only pictures. Stimulate people to pursue the questions with a lot of energy and creativity.

4. Limit availability – Lots of people will seek you out if you are successful in exciting the imagination. If you try to connect with everyone, the conversations can spread you way too thin. Be more selective in your availability – you will often provide even greater incentive to tackle the problems, rather than simply engaging in conversations.

5. Be authentic – If you try to game this, you will be found out and the backlash will be significant. So, here is the catch—if you are not genuinely engaged in addressing these problems yourself, you will not be able to sustain the attention and effort of others to come up with creative solutions. On the other hand, if you are on a quest yourself, leading by example, you could have a contagious effect and the encounters you have can help both sides to learn from each other.

Do these techniques actually work? Well, think of how Martin Luther King excited and mobilized a broad group of people to tackle some very challenging social problems. On a completely different level, one leading tech company in Silicon Valley regularly attracts the attention of the venture capital community by sharing its most difficult technology problems and suggesting that they would buy the start-ups that come up with creative solutions to these problems. Or look at the way professional astronomers have mobilized a global network of passionately engaged amateurs to learn more about the vast universe beyond this one planet.

This kind of attention is priceless and powerful. We will all need to find ways to generate it and harness it. This is not just an opportunity, but increasingly an imperative. We are all experiencing increasing economic pressure as individuals and institutions. In this kind of environment, we not only need leverage, we also need to more rapidly improve our performance. We all get better faster by working with others. To do this, we first need to attract the attention of others. If we fail to attract that attention, we will not get better faster in an increasingly competitive global economy, and we could be marginalized. That is why attention is becoming more valuable at the same time that it is becoming scarcer.

 ~John Hagel and John Seely Brown / Harvard Business Review

How to Handle Raise Request

“Can I have a raise?”

Five little words cause a lot of stress and frustration. In many smaller organizations — and even some larger ones — there’s no formal compensation policy. There may not even be an HR professional available to consult on merit increases and other pay issues. In these companies, you are likely to encounter direct requests from your staff members for a raise. Absent a policy, people assume that if they want a raise the only way they can get one is to ask for it.

Of course, the best solution to this problem is to set some kind of compensation policy so these decisions don’t have to be handled in a one-off, spur-of-the-moment fashion. But as a manager, you may not be in a position to determine what your company’s policy will be, particularly if your company is a small owner-operated firm and you aren’t the owner. To have to say, “You’ll have to talk to Mr. Jones about that,” lets everyone know that you have no power or authority in the really important areas.

Raise-requesters usually offer up a combination of reasons why they deserve a pay increase: They’ve done an outstanding job and therefore deserve an increase. (Regardless of the truth of the assertion, this reason is almost always offered.) The scope of the job has significantly widened. The person is underpaid compared with peers in the office or what the going rate for the job is at other organizations. The cost of living has gone way up since the last salary adjustment. And there’s always the universal “I just need more money” motive.

If you are the decision-maker, the best approach is to thank the person for bringing the matter to your attention along with a promise to get back with an answer by a specific date. From there, talk to other people in leadership positions in your company about the whole issue of compensation. Is this raise request a unique event, or is it the tip of an iceberg of compensation grumbles?

Then, fairly assess the situation. Keep in mind the difference between the value of the role that employees perform and their value as individuals. They’re not the same. Every job is worth a certain amount. That amount is determined by the market, not by the quality of the individual’s performance or their need for a greater income. It may be that the limit of the value that can be placed on a particular role has simply been reached. The refusal to grant a salary increase here is not a reflection on the person’s value as an individual but the worth of the job to the company, no matter how well it’s performed.

But let’s say a review of the individual’s salary-change request tells you that a pay increase is appropriate — the person is, in fact, underpaid compared with others in the company who are doing similar work, or it would be difficult to replace the individual if she left at anywhere near the salary the raise-requester is currently getting. Don’t immediately grant the increase. If a salary increase is granted directly following a request, word may spread that all individuals in the organization are underpaid. The unfortunate precedent will be set that the way to get a salary increase is simply to ask for it. You will then be held hostage to all the other raise requests that will immediately follow.

Instead, initiate a second conversation. Explain how the amount of money paid an individual is a function of two things: the value of the job itself and the quality of performance of the person doing the job. Ask the individual to examine both how she might enhance her performance and how her job can be made more valuable to the organization. What additional duties might she assume? How much extra responsibility is she willing to take on? How much extra effort is she willing to put forth?

When these issues have been successfully settled, the pay increase can be granted with both you and your subordinate can leave the table satisfied. With a few extra steps and strategic thinking, answering difficult compensation questions can be a breeze — and not a headache.

by Dick Grote  The Conversation- Harvard Business Review

Job Hunting Strategies to Get You Noticed

Feb 14th, 2011

So now you’ve got to look for a job. Maybe you’re experienced at this, maybe not. Maybe you’re a hot commodity, maybe not so much. Reportedly there are 5 applicants for every position, so for sure there’s more competition. I can say with certainty that no matter how great you are, among those five is at least one person smarter, younger, out of work a shorter time or with better credentials than you.

So, is it hopeless? Of course not. 9.5% unemployment, means 90.5% employment. You just have to be smarter and faster and yes, maybe settle for less pay, shorter hours, and/or fewer (or no) benefits. But if you need to have a job as soon as possible, you’ve got to start right away as the longer you’re out of work, the less desirable you are to a prospective employer.

Preparing Yourself

Update and target your resume for a few companies that you want to work for even if there are no job openings at the moment. Concentrate on those in growth industries, energy, health, security, for example. If you go after what you want, you’ll have better focus and determination.

When applying for positions, make sure you follow the instructions given. If they say, “no calls,” then don’t call. This seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget when you have a pattern going and then someone asks you do something in a way to which you’re unaccustomed.

Put your resume online. It makes it easier to find. There are many free places to do that. One of the easiest and best ways (also free) is to use blogging software, like WordPress or Google’s Blogpost. All you need is one page for this unless you want to elaborate in which case you can do that also. Just use your name, i.e., yourname.wordpress.com and you don’t need a domain name and you can reuse it for something else when you’re done having your resume online. Perhaps a blog about your job hunt?

Updating also includes updating your computer skills if they are rusty or non-existent. There are many courses given at the community level to help you in this area. Also, get a professional email address if yours is more like daffyducklovesdaisy @ whatever.com.

Learn how to speak about yourself effectively. Find some sample interview questions and write down your answers and do it until you feel confident speaking them aloud. No one employer will ask all of them, but if you prepare for any contingency, the confidence you’ll get will help you be a powerful and interesting interviewee. No matter what, it’s a good skill to have in life.

Doing Your Research

Do your homework about the organization and speak to your knowledge in an appropriate way in your cover letter. Have a list of questions prepared should you get to speak with someone. (Not “how much does the job pay?”, but more like “how did your company (or division) overcome challenges to growth last year?”)

Get the names of key people in the organization. Call the companies, get correct spellings and titles. Mail (by US Postal Mail) your personalized cover letter and updated resume. Speak to the specific skills and qualifications they are looking for. It’s “what can I do for X Company” approach, not the other way around. Try saying in your cover letter you’ll call on a certain day and time to be available for any questions they may have and follow through on that. If this sounds a little gimmicky to you, remember those 4 other smarter, younger, more qualified people. If you get to speak to someone and it’s a “no” or “I haven’t looked at it yet”, find out what you need to do to get noticed.

Getting and Staying in Touch

If there are no openings now, write a letter to the person who has the job you would want in that company, and request a short (telephone or email) informational interview about three things they would recommend you do to land a job in their field. Be creative and appropriately flattering to their position and knowledge in the field. Who could resist this? The possibility of landing such interviews and the information and networking potential here is worth any amount of resistance you might have to the idea. It works.

When you land an informational interview, make sure the last question you ask is, “May I stay in touch with you?” Keeping yourself in front of key people can never hurt. If they say “no,” thank them and move on.

No matter what the situation that got you a face to face with someone, follow up with a thank you note. Thank them for their time and ask (if it wasn’t covered in the meeting) what weaknesses you should address based upon their time with you. Another opportunity a) to learn and b) to keep in touch. An online search will yield tons of examples of post-interview or post-informational interview thank you notes.

Reinventing Yourself

Be open to possibilities you might not have originally considered like:

Freelancing or consulting. Many companies are farming out work to save on benefits. If you need a paycheck more than health insurance or a pension, this might tide you over or even create a new focus for you in the form of a new business.

Temporary work. Many a temporary position led to a full-time job. At the least it can help pay the bills until one comes along, possibly broaden your experience or keep your skills sharp and fill in resume gaps.

Consider job hunting your new job, although keeping busy at other endeavors can help fill in the gaps in your resume should you not have any temporary or part-time work to put on it. If you already were volunteering, volunteer more, or find something to do that shows you were trying to enrich your employment potential.

Janice Salomon is the creator of http://theamericanidle.com, a comprehensive blog/website offering the latest resources, tools, tips, news and information for anyone affected by job loss or change. From what to do if you get laid off to negotiating the unemployment insurance maze through job hunting or career change, we’ll help you with your journey. Come visit today and tell us your story about you survived and conquered being The American Idle.

~employmentdigest.net@bill

7 tips for improving email etiquette »

According to 2009 research from international consulting firm Deloitte, the average office worker sends around 160 emails and checks his or her inbox more than 50 times per day. If practice really made perfect, we’d all be Olympic gold medal-winning emailers by now.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. I still hit the “send” button in the exact instant that I spot a typo, and I still get emails that give me the funny feeling that a co-worker didn’t mean to hit “reply all.”

Despite tons of practice, it seems that email etiquette is still something most of us are working to perfect.  

So, in honor of National Email Week (what, that wasn’t on your Outlook calendar?) we talked to a few communications experts about proper email etiquette. Here’s what they had to say about what makes a good email, and what gets your message sent to the trash folder.

Do:

Be concise: “Email is intended for short, informational messages,” says Jodi R. R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting in Marblehead, Mass., and author of “From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman.” “Keep in mind that with some email systems it is possible for the recipient to read just the first three lines of your message without ever opening the email. Make the first couple lines count.”

Double check: “Never, ever skip the spell check and double check the word is not changed to a word you did not intend to use,” says Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company that specializes in corporate etiquette training. “Spell check is not foolproof if it picks up a word that it ‘thinks’ you mean.”

While you’re rereading your email, also take a second to ensure that the correct person’s name is in the “To” field. It can be easy to accidentally type in the wrong name, especially with email programs that auto-complete email addresses when you start typing.

Be professional: “Treat email like a professional correspondence, because it is. It’s the only communication most executives see and you will be judged accordingly,” Gottsman says. That means spelling out words in their entirety (no “U,” “LOL,” etc.), using correct capitalization and including an email signature with your contact information.

Professionalism should extend to the style and formatting of your email as well. When choosing fonts and creating an email signature, use the “Phyllis” test. Anything you think Phyllis from “The Office” might include in her emails should be avoided in yours. This includes cutesy fonts like Comic Sans, email wallpaper, and signatures with flash animation or your favorite quote.

Be pleasant: You probably know from experience that it’s hard to tell whether someone is being sarcastic or serious via email. “Watch not only what you say, but how you say it,” Smith says. “Using all capital letters is considered yelling.” The same goes for sentences with excessive punctuation — ending a sentence with “!!!” or “???” will just make you seem angry.

Similarly, suggests Robby Slaughter, owner of Slaughter Development LLC, a business productivity firm based in Indianapolis, start your email off with a friendly greeting, not an order. “The word ‘hello’ followed by the name of the recipient does wonders in ensuring your email is well received and actually read,” he says.

Don’t:

Avoid face-to-face conversation: Sometimes, it’s just easier and more effective to walk into your boss’s office, or pick up the phone and call your customer. “Remember this rule: Email is more for coordination than it is for communication,” Slaughter says. If you have a lengthy project or proposal to discuss, schedule time to talk to the person face-to-face or over the phone.

Similarly, email shouldn’t be used to resolve conflict, or as a method of avoiding confrontation. “Don’t hide behind your computer,” Smith says. “Don’t use email as a shield to avoid having a conversation or a face-to-face interaction.”

Copy your whole team: “This is like scheduling a pickup from two taxi companies ‘just in case’– you’re wasting almost everyone’s time, and most of the recipients will assume that someone else will answer,” Slaughter says.  

Send an email when you’re angry: In the heat of an angry moment, it is way too easy to fire off a scathing email full of things you’d never actually say to someone’s face. “Wait until you cool off before putting something down in writing,” Gottsman says.

While most of the experts we heard from agreed on the above points, there were some divided opinions on a couple of popular email practices, notably:

  • The use of emoticons in work emails. Some experts said they were OK, because they helped signify the tone of the email (i.e. putting a at the end of the sentence to tell the recipient you are joking), while others thought they were simply unprofessional.
  • Whether or not the “Sent from my BlackBerry” or “Sent from my iPhone” should be kept at the bottom of emails from wireless devices. Some argued that it should be there, to alert the recipient that formatting issues or typos are a result of emailing on the go, while others said it should be removed, because it’s a dead giveaway to clients and colleagues that you’re not in the office.

~Kaitlin Madden

Why Aren’t Employers Calling Me Back?

You write a killer cover letter, tailor your résumé to highlight skills described in the job ad and double-check your application before sending to make sure it includes everything the company requested. All that is left to do is sit back and wait for the employer to contact you.

But as days turn into weeks without hearing a peep, questions arise. Did they get my material? Has the job been filled? Did they just not like me?

Here, experts weigh in on what might be behind that silence — and what you can do to get the conversation rolling.

The reality of the situation

Companies truly are glad that people want to work for them. Unfortunately, many places simply do not have the manpower to offer individualized responses.

“Given the volume of applications an HR office receives, you should not expect a response beyond an automated ‘we received your application’ unless they are interested in interviewing you,” says Pennell Locey, senior consultant for Keystone Associates, a career management consulting firm headquartered in Boston. “In the event there was no auto-response, you can send a note via snail mail to someone in HR along with your résumé to ensure that they received it.”

But is there anything one can do besides play the “wait and see” game?

“After submitting a job application, it is wise to follow up with a telephone call to the appropriate contact within a week to 10 days,” says Mary Massad, vice president of talent acquisition and retention strategies for Administaff, a professional employer organization headquartered in Houston, Texas. “Some individuals might feel that following up may be perceived as being pushy, but this actually demonstrates to the employer that you are conscientious, organized and professional.”

When following up, Massad recommends asking if the application was received and if any additional information is needed. (Of course, if they didn’t get your application, offer to send it again.) “It also is important to restate your interest in the job, but don’t be overzealous.”

Locey suggests trying to stand out from the masses by seeing if you can find a contact at the company who can single you out to the hiring manager and speak to your strengths. “That can be beneficial to you (you may get an interview) and to the company (finding a candidate who someone is willing to vouch for).”

The waiting game, part 2

Job seekers who are fortunate enough to generate employer interest may feel like their days of waiting are over. In truth, however, an interview (or even two or three) may simply usher in a new era of frustrating silence.

According to Locey, if you have interviewed with a company and not heard back within two weeks, chances are that one or more of the following is happening:

They are talking to several candidates and it is taking awhile to get them all scheduled.

They can’t get the interviewers together to discuss the candidates post interview.

You are not the first choice but are strong enough that they do not want to say “no” yet.

Having talked to several qualified people has changed the hiring manager’s view of the job and he is working behind the scenes to upgrade or shift the role.

“The best thing you can do is try to set some expectations during the interview about what the company’s process is,” says Tracy A. Cashman, partner and general manager of the information technology division of Winter, Wyman — one of the largest staffing firms in the Northeast. “Ask when you can expect to hear if you are selected for the next round. Take that date, add a few days to it and then don’t be afraid to politely follow up.”

Sending a thank-you note immediately after the interview can help set the stage for further contact. Follow-up strategies later in the game may include:

Sending an e-mail that reiterates interest and offers to provide any additional information.

Finding an article on a topic discussed during the interview and sending it with a note as a way to show you are thinking about the company.

Phoning the person who interviewed you to thank her again, to ask if there is an update on the position and to share anything you might have forgotten in the initial interview.

While employer silence is anything but golden to an eager applicant, stay positive by remembering that the day will come when the quietness will be broken by the sweet sound of a job offer!

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter

After your Job Interview Follow up

But what is the proper protocol? Where do you go from here?

A good rule of thumb is to follow up 4-5 days after your interview and call or send an email to your interviewer. Keep the communication short and sweet. The goal here is the let the interviewer know that you are still interested in the job.

Here is an example of how the call or email should be worded:

"Hello Mr. Recruiter, this is Steve Jobs and I interviewed with you on Tuesday. I just wanted to touch base with you since I am still very interested in the Sales Associate Position at the Apple Store. Have you made a selection yet? When will you make a selection?"

Some occupations require a lot more follow up than others. For instance, someone who is applying for an outside sales role would be expected to follow up more than a human resources generalist.

If you continue to follow up and you do not get a response, this could the organizations way of getting the message across. Many organizations do not tell job seekers when they have made a selection, and if they are interested in you they have your number. In other cases, the organization will send you a mail by post.

If you have not already upgraded and want to take our Trial click
http://www.climber.com/url/t/HWRa6178541357 or call 1880-374-7113.

20,500 jobs lost across Georgia, NOT WITHOUT YOUR SIGNATURE!

Over the next 11 days, the President will ask Republicans to make a choice:

Set aside party politics — or risk 20,500 Georgia jobs.

Because if a budget agreement isn’t reached by next Friday, the government will shut down — and the President has made clear that the current plan as proposed by congressional Republicans is not acceptable.

The final budget cannot be dictated solely by one party or a narrow set of interests — it will affect every American.

That’s why true leadership means making tough choices and putting people before party or ideology.

And that’s the kind of leadership we need over the next 11 days.

The President is calling on both sides to come together, but it’s up to us to show Republicans in Congress that we have his back. As negotiations heat up, we all need to speak out to make sure they get the message.

Stand with the President by signing your name today — and OFA volunteers will deliver your signatures to House Republicans and make sure your voice is not ignored.

Congressional Republicans have less than two weeks to come to the table and help craft a responsible funding plan that won’t derail economic growth.

President Obama has laid out a plan that reduces the deficit by a trillion dollars. He’s committed to finding common ground to cut wasteful spending, but he won’t go along with a plan that eliminates nearly a million jobs, guts investments in education and innovation, and ends protections that keep our food safe and air and water clean.

We simply cannot afford any proposal that weakens our country or sets us back.

The Republican budget:

– Prevents the government from implementing health reform, rolling back critical patient protections and cost savings, and returning control of your health care to insurance companies;

– Slashes funding for preventive health services that millions of American women depend on through Planned Parenthood — and eliminates 2,200 community health center jobs across Georgia;

– Guts investments in education and infrastructure that will grow the economy and create jobs;

– Cuts Georgia homeland security investments by $2.3 million, hindering local law enforcement’s ability to keep our families safe; and

– Drops 5,693 Georgia children from Head Start, an early-education program proven to help students thrive later on.

And it could mean nearly 1 million American jobs lost — all without making a dent in the deficit.

With a shutdown looming, we’re approaching a critical moment that could quickly become a crisis.

Organizing for America will make sure Americans know that millions of people — from every district in this country — will be affected by these cuts.

And we’ll show lawmakers that we’re paying attention, we’re organizing, and we’re not going to stop. That we refuse to accept partisan games that could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs — or a government shutdown that puts our economy at risk.

Please add your name in support of the President today:

http://my.barackobama.com/Stand-Up-For-Jobs

WIA FUNDING WILL BE CUT—WILL YOU HELP US?

***WIA FUNDING will be cut-we need your help!!***
The skinny on the funding-Underemployed and Unemployed constituents that are receiving TANF, Food stamps, Unemployed benefits, are eligible to go to school and receive the funding. It pays for their training. Please click the links and ask to NOT CUT the funding. You need to submit to both links!
WIA info link.
Thank you,
On-Site Computer Training Staff

Worried because You’re Not a College Graduate?

By: Mauri Schwartz

When nearly all job postings are asking for a college degree, and even some for a master’s, what do you do if you don’t have one? The one thing that you do NOT want to do is to lie on your resume, about a degree or anything else. If you do, you will ultimately pay dearly for your dishonesty. But there is a way to lower your frustration level.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of positions that don’t require a college degree. Here’s how you can find them. In previous columns I’ve mentioned that my favorite job search site is Indeed.com. It isn’t an employment bulletin board, but rather a search engine for jobs that allows seekers to find positions posted on thousands of company career sites and job boards.

The simple search on Indeed.com’s home page lets you enter a job title or keywords plus a geographic location. However, using its advanced job search feature you can refine your search in several ways. Look for the phrase “Advanced Job search” in tiny letters just below the “Find Jobs” button on the right side of the screen and click on this link. On the subsequent page you’ll be given an array of options, such as job type – full-time, part-time, temporary; commute tolerance – distance between home and employer; salary; and age – how long the job has been posted (not your age!).

There are also options that allow you to get specific with your keyword search. You can specify an exact phrase, or look for certain words in the title. The choice you want is the one that allows you to exclude job descriptions with stated words in them. It’s called,”With none of these words.” Type these words into that box: degree ba bs. When you complete the search, the result will be a list of positions that don’t have these words in their requirements section. A few jobs may slip in for which the employer requires a degree but failed to include it in the job description. In general, however, you should be able to apply for these positions without getting screened out for not having a degree, as long as you’re otherwise qualified.

About the Author
Mauri Schwartz, President of Career Insiders, is a leading figure in the San Francisco Bay Area career management community. Career Insiders consults with companies and nonprofit organizations in the form of outplacement and hiring assistance, as well as with individual job seekers. In addition to her outstanding success rate in helping clients achieve their career goals, Mauri is a frequent speaker at conferences, job fairs, and career panels. She serves as Adjunct Advisor of Career Services at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Mauri’s motivational style uses techniques that combine old fashioned interpersonal relationship building skills with the latest technological tools.

 

Will you reverse this outrage immediately? Sign our electronic petition NOW.

 

Help us! Will you sign the electronic petition immediately?

 
NAFTA’ed? Too bad.
Thanks to the actions of Speaker John Boehner and the House Republicans, a noncontroversial, previously bipartisan program to help workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing and unfair trade deals like NAFTA has expired.

Tens of thousands of AFL-CIO members and activists already have expressed outrage. Add your name to our electronic petition to House Speaker Boehner.
   

 

It’s shocking, unacceptable and totally unnecessary: Thanks to the actions of House Speaker John Boehner and the House Republicans, assistance for jobless workers harmed by unfair trade deals like NAFTA expired Saturday.

The program that expired—called Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)—provides financial help and training for workers who lose their jobs or see their hours or wages reduced due to outsourcing, offshoring or increased imports.

Demand action this week to renew assistance for workers whose jobs are outsourced: Sign our electronic petition to Speaker Boehner and House Republicans. (We’ll deliver a copy to your member of Congress, too, so he or she knows how you feel.)

Until last week, there was a bipartisan consensus that people who lose their jobs because of unfair trade deals like NAFTA deserve help and training for finding new jobs.

By rejecting extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, Boehner and House Republicans have decided that people who lose their jobs because of unfair trade deals like NAFTA no longer deserve help. Maybe they’re supposed to pull themselves up by their Chinese-made bootstraps.

Demand Speaker Boehner reverse this outrage immediately: Sign our electronic petition NOW.

When Boehner and Republican leaders pulled TAA extension off the floor last week, they said they didn’t want to pick “winners and losers.” That’s a cruel joke for working men and women. The deck has been stacked, and the winners already have been picked: CEOs, multinational corporations and Big Banks. America’s workers have lost.

Displaced workers struggling to find their footing deserve dignity and the possibility of working again. If we’re going to continue with unsustainable and unacceptable trade deals, the very least we can do for workers who lose their jobs is provide financial and training assistance.

Urge Speaker Boehner and House Republicans to reverse their outrageous refusal to renew Trade Adjustment Assistance by taking immediate action this week.

In solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO

To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.