Lede: With the recession deepening amidst continuing massive jobs loss, labor is calling on Congress for urgent economic recovery action. Doug Cunningham reports.

By Doug Cunningham

The AFL-CIO says if Congress doesn’t act urgently we’ll be facing a “category 5” economic crisis. AFSCME says America lost more jobs in the last year of George Bush’s disastrous presidency than in any year since 1945. Two and a half million jobs were lost in 2008. With more than 11 million Americans out of work and millions more at risk of losing their jobs, AFSCME say Congress needs to jump-start the economy right now. That economic recovery package should include aid to states and localities facing record budget deficits. The AFL-CIO says an economic recovery program must be big enough to restore sustainable economic growth. Broad-based economic changes must be made to ensure sustained economic growth and broadly shared prosperity the labor federation also continues to call for economic changes beyond a stimulus –to put the interests of working people ahead of corporate interests.