[Excerpt] The Education and Workforce Committee is scheduled to markup the “Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2012” (H.R. 4297) tomorrow. As previously detailed in our letter dated April 16, 2012, the AFL-CIO continues to express strong opposition to H.R. 4297.

[Excerpt] This week the Senate will debate and amend S. 1789, the 2Ist Century Postal Act, to address a crisis facing the United States Postal Service (USPS). The USPS is an essential communications network and national asset that touches every household, business and community in your state. More than 7.5 million workers’ jobs and nearly a trillion dollars of the U.S. economy depend on this reliable institution.

[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to vote against legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act and against H. Res, 9, a symbol of Republican support for the status quo masquerading as reform.

[Excerpt] The AFL-CIO urges conferees to the FY 12 Agriculture Appropriations Bill to retain a common-sense reporting requirement, one which was first included by House Republicans in the FY04 bill:

“Provided, That no funds made available by this appropriation may be obligated for FAIR Act or Circular A-76 activities until the Secretary has submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives a report on the Department’s contracting out policies, including agency budgets for contracting out. “

[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to urge you to vote for cloture on the American Jobs Act (S. 1660), America is facing the worst jobs crisis since the Great Depression, and it is critical that our elected officials address this crisis with at least as much urgency as they exhibited in negotiating an increase in the debt ceiling this summer, and on a scale that is equal to the size of the problem. The American Jobs Act is a critical first step towards putting America back to work.

[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-C10,1 am writing to strongly support the agreement to extend the expiring FAA and Surface Transportation authorizations at existing levels of funding. This agreement shows that both of these jobs programs are too important to be jeopardized by eleventh hour negotiations that could result in partial shutdowns.

(Reuters) – Early holiday sales forecasts are indicating a largely stronger season for retailers than last year, helped by higher online sales and increasing spending power due to a strong labor market.

A food and arts festival aims to help migrants and asylum seekers build professional networks and foster better understanding of displaced people.

The two companies hope a joint venture would be better equipped to tackle chronic problems in the sector. But the deal faces major obstacles.

(Reuters) – Drugmaker Pfizer Inc on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson , saying its rival’s contracts with health insurers for blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Remicade, were anticompetitive and blocked sales of Pfizer’s new biosimilar.