MASSACHUSETTS AFL-CIO JOINS OTHER LABOR UNIONS IN URGING THE PASSAGE OF THREE PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT ADDRESS THE HOUSING AND FORECLOSURE CRISIS.

State's largest labor organization urging the State Legislature to act on
legislation before end of Session on July 31

MALDEN, MA - ISSUED July 21, 2008...The Massachusetts AFL-CIO has joined the North Shore and Merrimack Valley Central Labor Councils, the United Auto Workers, Painters District 35, Carpenters Local 107, UE Northeast Region, and Massachusetts Jobs with Justice to publicly announce its support for three pieces of legislation presently pending in the State House: a six month moratorium on subprime foreclosures of 1-4 family owner occupied housing; extension of just-cause eviction standards to tenants in already foreclosed properties; and judicial foreclosure, guaranteeing a day in court before homeowner's have their mortgage taken away. (House bills #4733, 4734, 4735/ Senate bills #2662, 2663, 2664).

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO has been reaching out to the legislature on this important and pressing legislation, and will step up efforts with letters and visits to key Representatives and Senators in the days leading up to the July 31st deadline.

“The brunt of the escalating foreclosure crisis is being primarily felt by working families,” said Robert Haynes , President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “And while our federal government continues to prioritize using our tax dollars to bail out the hugest lenders who already made billions off of unregulated and risky loans, we need our state government to take action to protect the homes and neighborhoods of the workers of this Commonwealth. That is why today, labor leaders are announcing a critical call on our legislators to act now. We cannot afford to delay on three critical pieces of legislation that must secure passage this session, by July 31st. Legislative intervention must come before this fall's peak of mortgage payment increase, the spike of foreclosures expected to begin August 1st, erosion of local jobs and municipal tax bases and loss of whole neighborhoods to boarded up, crime infested and rapidly deteriorating empty buildings. This should be a top priority between now and July 31st and we'll work to let the legislators know that they can literally save peoples' homes until a strong federal solution comes when a new President and a Congress with a larger, stronger pro-worker majority hopefully take over next year.”