DNC: Even Celebs Talk Up the Employee Free Choice Act

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/08/28/dnc-even-celebs-talk-up-the-employee-free-choice-act/

Alison Omens, AFL-CIO media specialist, is in Denver this week at the Democratic National Convention and shares this post.

People from across the country have converged on Denver this week—there are women wearing red, white and blue hats that remind me of the old movie “Easter Parade,” union members proudly displaying their union colors, politicians, leaders in the Democratic Party and even celebrities.

I caught up with one celebrity, Jurnee Smollett, last night at the convention. She’s a member of the Screen Actors (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). You may remember her from the movie The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington. The movie actually includes a good deal about unions and the struggles workers faced during the Great Depression. Jurnee said she studied a lot about unions for the movie and talked about how people were killed in this country trying to form unions not so long ago.

Her mom is also a huge advocate for working families, so Jurnee grew up knowing how important unions are. She says, “unions are the foundation of this country. As a union member, I’ve been affected and protected by unions all my life.” She also wanted everyone to know about the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation that will allow workers to form unions, free from intimidation.

Everywhere I’ve gone this week I’ve talked to people like Jurnee who are proudly showing their support for the Employee Free Choice Act, health care for all and real change. Across Denver and the country, people are energized and ready to work to elect Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden to turn our country around. And we’re excited to be a part of it.

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Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

The Repug's fillibustered it in the Senate. We want this bill.