By Jesse Russell

That was Representative Bernie Sanders of Vermont criticizing the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. While many are focused on his stance on abortion - many in organized labor are concerned about what appears to be a anti-labor position. In 1996 Alito was the sole dissenter in a case concerning a female hotel employee who complained of sexual harassment. In his ruling Alito sought to raise the bar for the requirements of filing a sex-discrimination claim. During a 2000 suit in Pennsylvania concerning a state employee who was fired for taking unpaid sick leave, Alito said Congress went to far passing the Family and Medical Leave Act and the state was not required to abide by it.

By Doug Cunningham

America needs a new direction. That's the theme of a new AFL-CIO initiative that spells out a plan for good jobs and a just economy
nationwide, beginning with the rebuilding of hurricane decimated parts of the Gulf Coast. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

[John Sweeney 1] : "What we witnessed over the past three weeks is a disgrace. Seeing the people of New Orleans and throughout the gulf coast abandoned in their time of need was like a bad dream. Realizing that most of them were either young, or old, or black or disabled - and all of them poor - was a horrifying nightmare. The inability of our federal leaders to deal with this continuing tragedy is a failure of huge proportions."