Vice President Harris, Governor Walz Celebrate Labor Day with Promise to Fight for Union Members, Retirees

Democratic nominee for President Kamala Harris spoke about the power of solidarity during a Labor Day speech Monday in Detroit, vowing to fight for a future where every worker has the freedom to join a union. Later in Pittsburgh, she reinforced that message at an event with President Joe Biden and union leaders including AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, AFSCME President Lee Saunders and IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper.

In Milwaukee, union members gave Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz an enthusiastic Labor Day welcome. He talked about how being a member of a teacher’s union made a difference in his life, and how his dream is for all Americans to have a defined benefit pension like he does.

Vice President Harris, President Biden and President Shuler with union members Monday

Walz also discussed the need to protect and strengthen Social Security, Medicare, and pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

Governor Walz (MN) in Milwaukee Monday

“The Labor Day appearances by Vice President Harris and Governor Walz remind us of what we are fighting for in this election,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “The message was loud and clear: Harris and Walz will protect your pensions and stand up for good union jobs with fair wages and retirement security.

Save the Date: Alliance Retirement Security Symposium on November 13

The Alliance's annual Retirement Security Symposium will be Wednesday, November 13, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. and also streamed online.

The event will examine the future of retirement security and bring together government officials, labor movement leaders, policy experts, Social Security and pension advocates, academics, attorneys, economists and young workers who work on retirement security and social insurance issues.

Participants will hear from national experts on important retirement security issues, including defined benefit pensions and Social Security. Presenters from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have been invited to speak.

“The symposium will include a discussion of the next steps to address the diminishing number of Americans who have a defined benefit pension plan,” said President Roach. “More details will follow as the event approaches.”

Voters Urged to Re-Confirm Their Voter Registration Status as Voter Roll Purges Continue in Many States

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday that 1,150,500 people have been removed from Texas' voter rolls since 2021, and these purges are happening in other states. In Ohio, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose has removed 154,995 "inactive" and "out-of-date" registrations from Ohio’s voter rolls. In most cases voters are not notified that they are no longer registered.

As early voting, absentee voting, and vote by mail periods get underway, all voters are encouraged to check their voter registration status by going to www.vote.org and entering their address. 

Vote.org is the largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan voting registration and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) technology platform in America and is a trusted organization. You can also contact your local board of elections to check your voter registration status.  

“Older Americans vote at the highest rates and take the right to vote seriously,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “We encourage all Alliance members to take a minute to confirm their voter registration today to avoid problems when voting starts in your community.”

Seniors Hit Disproportionately by New Bitcoin "ATM" Fraud Scam

Financial scams can come in many forms: a technology company supposedly warning you that your online account has been hijacked, or someone impersonating a bank executive claims there have been unauthorized charges on your credit card.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning the public to be aware of a new Bitcoin “ATM” scam which is targeting people aged 60 and over. This type of crime often involves a fraudster claiming that your computer has been hacked, or that your bank accounts have been linked to drug smuggling or money laundering. They tell you they can help, but only if you follow their instructions.

At that point, the FTC explains, the scammer instructs victims to withdraw cash from their bank and directs you to a nearby BTM, where they text you a QR code to scan at the machine. That sends the money directly to the thieves' crypto wallet.

“These financial crimes are especially heinous, because they can steal someone’s life savings in a matter of seconds,” said President Roach. “Remember, representatives of legitimate businesses and government agencies will never say that you need to use a Bitcoin ATM to protect your money or fix a problem — anyone who does that is a scammer.” 

Pollsters Say Kamala Harris Could Win a Majority of Seniors’ Votes

Although voters over the age of 65 haven't preferred the Democrat in a presidential election since 2000, when Democrat Al Gore lost to George W. Bush, recent polls including the most recent New York Times/Siena poll on August 10 show Vice President Kamala Harris in a very close race with former President Donald Trump.

These national polls reinforce the findings of an August poll of likely voters ages 65 and up, conducted on behalf of Retired Americans PAC, the Alliance’s independent political arm. That poll showed Harris and Trump in an extremely close race to win the pivotal senior vote in six of the most contested battleground states. Harris had 47% of the total senior vote in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Donald Trump is supported by 49%. 

“Vice President Harris’ strong showing in multiple polls with an age group that went for Trump four years ago is encouraging, but polls don’t vote,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “There are dramatic differences between the two parties when it comes to our earned Social Security and Medicare benefits, prescription drug prices, and taxes. We must continue to remind seniors to check the candidates' records and support people who will strengthen and protect our earned benefits, not privatize or cut them.”

Download the Alliance’s side-by-side comparison of Harris and Trump on seniors issues to see the differences between the candidates on retiree issues.

Thanks for reading. Every day, we're fighting to lower prescription drug prices and protect retirees' earned benefits and health care. But we can't do it without your help. Please support our work by donating below.