Janet Edburg
Template:TOCnestleft Janet Edburg is a Chicago based supporter of the Communist Party USA.
Career
Janet Edburg was laid off in June 2008 from her job in a packing factory.[1]
Communist Party phonebanker
In March 2011, Janet Edburg took part in a St. Louis based nationwide phone bank for the Communist Party USA.
"A lot of people were very happy to hear what we were doing," said Janet Edburg, another phonebanker. "One member was so excited about what was happening in Wisconsin I thought he was going to jump out of the phone!"[2]
Emergency Jobs Bill
A crowd of local union members, advocates for the unemployed and elected officials were on hand outside the Gould Elementary School in Chicago Aug. 10, 2011, for the unveiling of a new jobs bill.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who sits on President Obama's 18-member Fiscal Commission, announced she will introduce the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act, which will put "over 2 million people to work for two years".
"It begins with this simple idea: If we want to create jobs, then create jobs," the Congresswoman declared. "I'm not talking about incentivizing companies in the hope they'll hire someone, or cutting taxes for the so-called job creators who have done nothing of the sort. My plan creates actual new jobs."
"For months," Schakowsky declared, "They have been talking about the deficit but the worst deficit this country faces isn't the budget deficit. It's the jobs deficit. We need to get our people and our economy moving again."
Schakowsky called Janet Edburg, a jobless factory worker and Communist Party USA supporter, who has exhausted her 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, to the speakers' platform. Not able to hold back her tears but speaking in a loud, firm voice Edburg told the hushed crowd: "You cannot imagine how it feels to lose your job, to be homeless and have to be taken in by a friend." Pounding on the podium, she declared, "It is about time that something be done."
Schakowsky stepped back up and, putting her arm around Edburg, said, "This is America and we can do better than this.".[3]
2011 Chicago PWW banquet
Labor and community activists, elected officials, readers and supporters of the PeoplesWorld.org and MundoPopular.org gathered in Chicago Nov. 20th, 2011, for the annual banquet bash at the Parthenon Restaurant. They feasted on sumptuous Greek food and honored heroes of the growing labor and people's movement.
Keynote speaker Ed Sadlowski, Jr., a leader of Wisconsin AFSCME and Madison capitol occupation described the exploding movement to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and restore democracy and worker's rights to the state.
Janet Edburg and Gregory McLaughlin, activists with the South Halsted Unemployed Action Center, urged guests to contact Sen. Mark Kirk and demand he support extension of unemployment benefits and the Obama Jobs for America Act."[4]
References
- ↑ [http://www.progressillinois.com/posts/content/2011/06/03/voices-unemployed-video, Progress Illinois, Friday July 8th, 2011, 12:10pm Voices Of The Long Term Unemployed]
- ↑ PW, “Hello, Communist Party calling”, John Bachtell March 29 2011
- ↑ Peoples World, Congreswoman introduces emergency jobs bill, John Wojcik August 11 2011
- ↑ Peoples World, Chicago PeoplesWorld.org readers celebrate growing fightback by: John Bachtell, December 1 2011