Dear Working Families e-Activist:

We hope you saw Saturday's headlines announcing that after hearing from you, brokerage firm Edward Jones dropped out of a business coalition backing President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security.

The Washington Post said Edward Jones resigned from the Alliance for Worker Retirement Security (AWRS) "after the AFL-CIO staged protests at two of the firm's offices and attacked it on the Internet....The labor federation staged rallies on Tuesday near the firm's St. Louis headquarters and outside its office in downtown Lincoln, Neb. It also instigated thousands of e-mails to the firm protesting its role in aiding the president's plan."

Good job! Now let's do it again.

Charles Schwab is another Wall Street money manager supporting Bush's Social Security privatization—and Schwab has not backed down. Although privatization would slash clients' guaranteed benefits, Wall Street firms "could reap billions of dollars in management fees and commissions over the long term" if Social Security is privatized, according to the Jan. 18 Los Angeles Times. That's a conflict of interest.

Tell Charles Schwab: Don't support Social Security privatization. Step down from the front groups pushing privatization. Click the link below:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/71111111uPvE/

Charles Schwab also is a member of the AWRS and of the Financial Services Roundtable. These and other front groups are raising millions for ad campaigns to sell Social Security privatization to the American public. Charles Schwab's corporate philosophy description says the company's goal is to offer individual investors "useful, ethical services at a fair price." The most ethical service Schwab could provide for working families is to withdraw from the front groups trying to privatize Social Security.

You convinced Edward Jones to leave the main Social Security front group. Now convince Charles Schwab to do the same. Click here:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/71111111uPvE/

Social Security is America's best-run, most successful family insurance program. Millions of retirees, survivors and people with disabilities rely on Social Security. President Bush's plan to move Social Security funds into private accounts may be good for Schwab's business—but it would hurt working families terribly, forcing devastating cuts in benefits and replacing retirement security with retirement risk.

Please contact Schwab CEO Charles "Chuck" Schwab. Urge his company to drop its support for Social Security privatization and to step down from the pro-privatization front groups. Click here:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/71111111uPvE/

And when you've sent your message, please ask others concerned about retirement security to send their messages as well. Click link below:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/7d111111uPvU/

Thanks for all you do for working families—and congratulations on a win.

Thanks for all that you do.

In solidarity,

Working Families e-Activist Network
Feb. 15, 2005