Charles Kouto-messan and Mark Scherbing: A walk in the shoes of working Americans

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.startribune.com/562/story/1395493.html

Union wants to help candidates truly understand what it's like out there.

Charles Kouto-messan and Mark Scherbing

Published: September 01, 2007

As Labor Day approaches, we wonder: Do our elected officials really know what it's like to be a working American?

Many of us are forced to work second jobs or even third jobs, giving us less and less time to spend with our families. For example, we return home from the night shift and have to get kids off to school or day care, then make it to our next job on time.

We worry about making the numbers add up in our family budget when our health insurance gets more expensive by the day. Even with health insurance, what happens to our savings (if we have any) if we or our loved ones contract a devastating illness? We worry about becoming a burden to our kids if we can't save enough for retirement. And we fear that the future facing our children is even worse.

We want every candidate running for office to understand these worries, and feel them. We also want real results on the issues that matter to us -- a paycheck that supports a family, affordable health care, a voice in the workplace, a secure retirement and a better life for ourselves and our families.

That's why the Service Employees International Union has created its "Walk a Day in My Shoes" program. The goal is to make sure politicians truly know what the real world is like for the rest of us.

FULL story at link.