More than 47 million people in this country have no health insurance. Yet the vast majority of those who have no health insurance are employed—a travesty that sometimes ends with tragic consequences, as Sharon from Michigan told the AFL-CIO/Working America 2008 Health Care for America Survey.

My mother-in-law was employed in a low-wage job that did not provide health care coverage. She became ill and could not afford to go to a doctor on her own. My husband and I urged her to go, stating we would pay for the visit.

By the time she got to the doctor, she had pneumonia and required hospitalization. The pneumonia placed so much stress on her system that she ended up dying. If she had had health care coverage and been able to go to the doctor for treatment earlier, she likely would not have died.

Earlier this week, the Social Security Board of Trustees released the 65th annual report on the program’s financial status.

And on cue, the Bush administration and the Wall Street-knows-best crowd—now joined by Sen. John McCain (who acknowledges " economics is something I've never really understood as well as I should")—used the occasion to push for privatizing Social Security. You know, turning over seniors' retirement security to the stock market's financial wizards who supposedly will show a bit more fiduciary acumen than the folks who presided over Bear Stearns' crash and burn.

Mike Cerbo, executive director of the Colorado AFL-CIO, describes how he and area union members greeted Sen. John McCain outside a ritzy fund-raising event, demanding to know why McCain's plan to fix the nation's mortgage crisis is to blame homeowners.

Hearing chants of "Stop Foreclosures," John McCain passed a group of 50 union activists on his way to a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser at the Petroleum Club in Denver. Holding giant "Turn Around America" signs, dozens of union members from AFSCME, AFGE, APWU, ATU, CWA, IBEW, SMWIA, UA and USW greeted the senator from Arizona.

The crowd heard from Denver resident Linda Donna, 55, who has been severely impacted by the foreclosure crisis. She was a victim of a "bait and switch" tactic—she originally was promised a lower interest rate, but at the last minute, the lender raised it.

The demand for energy is growing rapidly as the number of utility workers is declining and infrastructure is aging—even as concerns grow over global climate change. To more effectively meet these new challenges, the Electrical Workers (IBEW) is forging an unprecedented labor-management partnership in the utility industry.

In an innovative initiative, the IBEW, which represents 250,000 utility workers across the United States and Canada, is urging members to foster excellence in their skills and performance at work while also seeking a more cooperative relationship with management.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) spent much of this week in California, holding closed-door, big-dollar fundraisers with his corporate cronies—but he got more than he bargained for. Union members were at each event, calling him out on his anti-worker record.

In addition to successful events held this week across Southern California, union members turned out strongly yesterday to confront McCain in Pebble Beach and San Francisco. Enthusiastic members of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council and the San Francisco Labor Council held signs, chanted and let their fellow Californians know that McCain is wrong for working families—all part of the AFL-CIO’s national McCain Revealed campaign.

Economic Report

Home prices in California dropped nearly $3000 per week during the month of February. The median sales price dropped by 26 percent – the fastest decline in the country at three times the national average. According to the California Association of Realtors Santa Barbara County saw some of the sharpest declines in home prices at an average of 39.1 percent in comparison to where they were last year.

By Doug Cunningham

Four unions are forming a partnership to share resources and focus efforts on four key priorities – the Employee Free Choice Act, health care, jobs and fair trade. The Communications Workers of America, the United Steelworkers, the United Auto Workers and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers say the new strategic partnership will work in “determined unity” to forge a political movement which will put workers rights and protections at the top of the national agenda.

On Thursday the two Democrats running for President laid out how they would help the struggling economy, while targeting Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. Jesse Russell reports:

The message from Presidential candidates Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on Thursday to their Republican rival Senator John McCain was “where’s the beef?” Both Clinton and Obama gave speeches on Thursday laying out how they would tackle the big issues facing the economy and hitting Americans hard in the wallet. And both had strong words for McCain. Obama said the Arizona Senator’s economic plan was lacking:

By Doug Cunningham

If the UAW strike at American Axle doesn’t end soon, GM will be forced in April to shut down the first auto plant shuttered by the strike. GM has already stopped or slowed down production at 29 plants involved with making trucks, vans and SUV’s. UAW workers at American Axle are the victims of an assault by the company on their wages and benefits. Because the profitable American Axle wants to cut wages in half and slash benefits, as many as 40,000 jobs could be cut from U.S. payrolls in March according to economist Brian Bethune. Bethune says that would cut three tenths of a percent from U.S.