On Tuesday, June 23, several dozen activists joined organizers from United Electrical Workers Local 155 to picket the Wachovia Bank at 1500 Market Street in Philadelphia. A National Day of Action was called by UE in support of the workers they represent at Quad Cities Die Casting in Moline, IL, who face the loss of nearly 100 factory jobs and more in the community because of inadequate funding to meet obligations in the economic downturn. Although the company remains viable and has kept its customers, the recession has resulted in fewer orders and temporary hardship. The company seeks bridge financing to sustain itself until an economic recovery.

 
On Thursday, thousands of workers congregated at Love Park in downtown Philadelphia to let Mayor Nutter know that they are prepared to fight and potentially strike for a fair contract. During the rally, workers from AFSCME District Council 33 were chanting "No Contract No Peace" and carrying signs which read "Shut it Down," and "On Strike-Municipal Workers D.C. 33."  The contract between the City and four municipal unions including D.C. 33 and 47, and the police and firefighters unions, expires at midnight on June 30th. While the city seeks to flatten workers' wages and cut contributions in healthcare and pension to mitigate the budget shortfall, union leaders explain that they will not give up already hard won benefits, as workers did not "create this crisis."

In this interview, Darnell Dixon details the working conditions he faces as a janitor in a center city building in Philadelphia. Mr Dixon explains that the company he currently works for recently established a series of new rules which are clearly violations of Darnell and other workers' human rights. Some of the rules these workers are forced to endure include: no talking on the job, no humming on the job, no pausing for a drink water, and no complaining about lack of ventilation. The broad edict for the workers is that they must be continuously cleaning and continuously moving.

In Washington, DC on Friday June 5 the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly employment report showing a 9.4% unemployment rate for May as job losses continue to grow.  The number of unemployed individuals in the U.S. is now greater than at any time since the Great Depression.