Small-business owners and employers discontent with the “reckless lending” practices of bailed-out banks now have an outlet for their outrage.
On Thursday, the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, launched a toll-free hotline and Web site in the hopes of offering support to those who face job loss as taxpayer-funded banks continue to freeze loans and threaten to liquidate small businesses.
The SEIU’s new program, officially called Keep America Working, was developed as a response to the recent “sit in” actions at factories where workers are losing their jobs, or are at risk of losing those jobs. It is aimed to provide resources for workers aiming to save their jobs. The SEIU has also assembled a team devoted to helping concerned workers connect with community activists and elected officials.
“Liquidating small businesses is a far cry from putting the economy back on track. It’s time big banks make good on their promise to restore lending and become partners, not adversaries,” Andy Stern, president of SEIU, said in a release.
The SEIU’s new hotline number is 877-286-1JOB and will be accessible Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The new Web site is www.keepworkinghotline.org.
