Organized labor in the U.S. is experiencing a resurgence, as unions secure better contracts with higher pay and improved conditions following pandemic-related wage suppression, inflation, and a tight labor market. This "Great Reset" has led to successful strikes by various unions, including American Airline pilots, Teamsters at UPS, Kaiser Permanente workers, and more. The current strike by United Auto Workers (UAW) members against major auto corporations GM, Ford, and Stellantis is notable for its creative "Stand Up" strike strategy and a focus on economic justice and inequality. The auto industry's advantages, such as mobility and technological investments, pose challenges to labor. Move to Amend can learn from the UAW's clarity, boldness, and visibility in addressing systemic issues. We must also leverage the current anti-corporate sentiment and remain committed to organizing and being accountable to our base in working to enact the We the People Amendment. 

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In the hallowed halls of the U.S. House of Representatives, there's a troubling void that's casting a dark shadow over our democracy. For more than two weeks, the GOP-controlled House has been without a speaker, rendering one of America's key branches of government effectively paralyzed. The consequences of this leadership vacuum are not just political; they are threatening the very foundation of our democracy.

This current predicament marks the longest period of congressional disarray since 1962, when it took a staggering 55 days to elect a speaker. It's a stark reminder of the urgent need for change, a need that the Move to Amend community recognizes and has been tirelessly advocating for.

As the infamous anniversary of the Patriot Act approaches on October 26th, we are reminded of the civil liberties that most Americans lost in the name of national security.

While we must always be vigilant against threats, it's equally important to scrutinize the internal threats to our democracy. At Move to Amend, we believe it's time to address a pressing issue - the unchecked power and influence of corporations in our society. 

Today, we invite you to stand with us and be a part of the solution.

14 years ago today..."a group of twelve dedicated organizers sat together in a living room, watching the proceedings of the Citizens United vs. FEC case. The impact of this pivotal moment was crystal clear – it was time to take action. Not just to reverse the disastrous decision that unleashed untold amounts of dark money into our electoral system, but also to address the more fundamental issue of corporate personhood, a problem that has plagued our democracy since the 1800s.

On that fateful day, October 20, 2009, Move to Amend was born." 

Today is Move to Amend's 14th Anniversary! And, we want to thank you for sticking with us for 14 years -- building the movement for a Constitutional Amendment that would make clear that corporations are not people, and money is not free speech. And while there's still much work to be done, we are in it to win it!

Part of the Veterans For Peace 2023 Online Convention
Presenters: Mike Ferner (Veterans for Peace), Greg Coleridge (Move to Amend)

  
Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah_3QP-FdAM

VFP members, like so many others in the struggle for peace and justice, are always on the defensive because corporations wield governing power and we are always reacting to them -- fighting another specific weapons system, another invasion, another human rights violation. VFP can be a leader in showing how we can do that work, while also overthrowing corporate rule so we are "running the show" and not the other way around.

There were two main reasons why Move to Amend held a vigil and rally at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during our recent trip to Washington, DC to lobby for HJR54, the We the People Amendment. 

The two reasons were to highlight what the Chamber represents and what the Chamber does. 

In the midst of political uncertainty and turmoil, our government has come to a standstill. The halls of the U.S. Capitol echo with silence, and it's not because of an unforeseen crisis, but rather a leadership crisis.

As we write to you today, there is no House Speaker to guide our legislative branch. This absence of leadership is a wake-up call, an urgent reminder that it's time for We the People to step up and demand the action we deserve.

On this eerie October Friday the 13th, as the world prepares for spooky tales and haunted happenings, let's not forget about a real horror that haunts our democracy every day: the insidious grip of Corporate Rule and their ill-gotten Corporate Constitutional Rights.

October Newsletter

1. Making Waves in D.C.!

2. Announcements

3. Affiliate Spotlight!

4. Community Calendar

5. Support the movement!

While the public, investors and many leaders abroad exhaled in relief when Congress agreed to a 45-day temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, the shutdown of real democracy in our country endures.

Representative democracy decreasingly represents the public, particularly for people of color, women and other groups who have never possessed equal rights.