JEERS to the 50 U.S. CEOs who laid off the most employees and got paid an average of $12 million each last year! (From Kansas City Star)

CHEERS to the economists who proved statistically that wages are growing at less than half the rate at which they expanded immediately prior to the recession, thus showing that the jobs crisis is making everybody suffer! Economic Policy Institute

JEERS to the 10 banks that received the most bailout money and then, in the first half of 2010, spent over $16 million lobbying against reform! (from Associated Press)

CHEERS to 200,000 or more domestic workers in New York State who won, with a little help from their friends, the first-ever law in the nation that upholds their rights, including guaranteed sick days, overtime pay, a day of rest, protection from discrimination, and notice before termination. (From AFL-CIO blog)

JEERS to the American Petroleum Institute for holding rallies against the moratorium on new gulf drilling just one day before the latest oil platform explosion! (from Texas AFL-CIO E-mail news)

CHEERS to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) for making plans to introduce a resolution expressing the sense of Congress against raising the retirement age. (From Alliance for Retired Americans)

JEERS to news that the United States has only a second-tier rating compared to workers’ rights in the rest of the world. (From Freedom House)

CHEERS to AFL-CIO President Trumpka for blasting the bad August employment news and calling for government action: “As the recovery continues to weaken, the economy desperately needs new government support, both from both fiscal and monetary policy. It’s time for our leaders who are true economic patriots to fight to create jobs, reject unfair trade deals and put us on a path to make things in America again.” (AFL-CIO blog )

JEERS to the so-called “Roadmap for America” plan being promoted by Illinois Congressional candidate Joel Pollack. Seniors say this plan would dismantle Social Security! (Alliance for Retired Americans) Click here for photos of protest.

CHEERS because new health care benefits are beginning to solve the nasty “doughnut hole” flaw in the 2002 prescription drug law. Also, 2,000 groups have now been approved for early-retiree health care funds. Early retirement for workers is terrific news for the jobless! (Alliance for Retired Americans and Washington Post)

JEERS to the corporate lawyers making up excuses to avoid a provision of the new financial reform law that requires companies to disclose the ratio between a chief executive’s pay package and that of a typical employee. (from New York Times)

CHEERS to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for making it clear that workers can report it when their employers violate safety laws. (From OSHA).

CHEERS to record numbers of American seniors going on-line. (Alliance for Retired Americans)

CHEERS to the magazine editors providing another view of the media-created Sarah Palin. (from Vanity Fair)

CHEERS to the editors who believe that female Wal-Mart employees have a right to sue the company together as a class. (from New York Times)

Graphic: Brad Walker