Reply #26: Here's some news

[ProSense]

Today: The Vice President and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis meet with President of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka and presidents of AFL-CIO labor organizations

Earlier this month: A single dominant industry no longer carries the economy, and the time to think small has arrived.

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Solis heard from a good range of ASBC members, all dedicated to pursuing a “triple bottom line” that reflects social and environmental responsibility, as well as the profitability of their operations.

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Rudy Arredondo of the Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association points to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s challenge to create 100,000 new farming jobs. Arredondo sees an opportunity to help farm workers become farmers, and in doing so promote small-scale farming, food security and local businesses by working with individuals who already know how to work the land.

Brian Golden, president of Litecontrol, an employee-owned and unionized manufacturer of high efficiency lighting products, describes how the company has been able to grow at a steady clip and now has 200 employee-owners. And Vince Sicliano, President and CEO of New Resource Bank in San Francisco, describes the commercial bank’s “mission-based” approach of achieving environmental and social as well as financial returns by investing in companies that share these values. He speaks of consumers’ growing interest in “knowing where their money sleeps.”

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Other key ideas explored with Solis included public-private partnerships that support locally-rooted start-ups that offer a higher financial return for communities; procurement and lending policies that promote businesses pursuing a triple bottom line; and cooperative research, development and training programs to create healthier, cleaner and more profitable products.

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