By Lee SaundersShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAs families gather around Thanksgiving tables, they're living a hard truth that no economist needs to explain: Everything costs more, and paychecks cover less.
Last year, President Donald Trump and his allies swept into office promising to lower prices on "day one." One year later, that promise rings hollow for families stretching every dollar just to get by.
...Working people can't afford to look away from the affordability crisis. It's not just about whether you can afford a Thanksgiving turkey. It's whether you can afford the rent or mortgage payment due next week. It's whether you can fill the prescription you need or pay the heating bill. It's whether your family's health insurance premiums, set to double for millions next year, will force impossible choices.
The president recently said, "I don't want to hear about the affordability." But working families don't have that luxury. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) members show up every day in public health, safety, education and transportation and more doing everything they can to help their communities survive this crisis. Meanwhile, the Trump administration undermines their work and cuts funding for their jobs. When workers hurt, communities hurt.
This Crisis Is a Choice
A recent Ludwig Institute study found that a minimum quality of life is now out of reach for 60 percent of American households. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that the average minimum wage worker would need to work nearly three full-time jobs just to afford a modest two-bedroom rental.
This isn't an accident. It's a deliberate choice to give billionaires sweetheart deals and tax breaks, then make working families who play by the rules pay the price. But working people are done settling for less, and are rising up to demand more.
This Thanksgiving, we have something to be grateful for: when working people stand together and get organized, we can turn things around by electing pro-worker candidates committed to tackling the cost-of-living crisis. Recent elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City sent a clear message: People are fed up with a system that rewards wealth over work.
People want good jobs that let them keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and health care that doesn't bankrupt them. They want the freedom to join a union and have a voice at work. These aren't radical demands. They're achievable when we organize our workplaces and elect leaders who stand with workers.
Despite constant attacks on worker protections, the public understands the importance of unions. In a time of deep political polarization, support for unions continues to be strong. In fact, a recent Gallup poll once again showed that support for unions over the last five years is the strongest it’s been in decades. Nearly 70 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of unions.
The American people are with us. Now, with workers organizing from the ground up, Congress has a choice: stand with us or stand aside.
Members of Congress have an immediate opportunity to stand with working families by voting to extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Without this extension, more than 20 million people will see their premiums skyrocket, forcing many to lose coverage entirely.
AFSCME's 1.4 million members are doing our part, organizing and calling Congress to demand action. Let's give working families something real to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: an affordable life and a bright future.
Lee Saunders is president of AFSCME.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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