Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers. Their mission is to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers. Its income is derived solely from the sale of Consumer Reports and their other services, and from noncommercial contributions, grants, and fees. Consumer Reports is an American magazine published by Consumers Union, a non_profit organization founded in 1936 by Arthur Kallet, Colston Warne, and others who felt that the established Consumers Research organization was not aggressive enough. ... Consumer Reports is an American magazine published by Consumers Union, a non_profit organization founded in 1936 by Arthur Kallet, Colston Warne, and others who felt that the established Consumers Research organization was not aggressive enough. ...

Integral to its mission, Consumers Union has four advocacy offices which address the crucial task of influencing policy that affects consumers. Its advocates tackle consumer issues that are regional, national, and even international in scope from their offices in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, California; Austin, Texas; and Yonkers, New York. They testify before Federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies, petition government agencies, and file lawsuits on behalf of the consumer interest. Consumers Union is known around the halls of Congress as willing to work with members of both the Democratic and Republican parties. A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ...

Consumers Union's advocacy staff focus on policy issues related to telecommunications, media, auto safety, health care, product safety, financial services, investing, food safety, housing, and energy and utility deregulation. Telecommunication is the extension of communication over a distance. ... Health care or healthcare is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions [[1]]. The healthcare industry is one of the worlds largest and fastest-growing industries, consuming over 10... Financial services is the largest industry (or category of industries) in the world in terms of earnings (20% of market cap in the S&P 500 in 2004). ... Investment is a term with several closely related meanings in finance and economics. ... Foodborne illness or food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites. ... Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, England For other meanings of the word house, see House (disambiguation). ... Deregulation is the process by which governments remove selected regulations on business in order to (in theory) encourage the efficient operation of markets. ...

Consumers Union has thousands of e-advocates who take action and write letters to policymakers about the issues its advocates take on. CU has also launched several new advocacy websites including HearUsNow.org which helps consumers with telecommunications policy matters, StopHospitalInfections.org which has been calling on state legislatures to pass laws requiring hospitals to disclose infection rates and more. In March 2005, CU campaign PrescriptionforChange.org released an animation with a song from the Austin Lounge Lizards that was featured by The New York Times, JibJab, BoingBoing and hundreds of blogs. The Austin Lounge Lizards are a band from Austin, Texas formed in 1980. ... The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The JibJab logo, with its Victorian era appearance, illustrates the influence of Terry Gilliam on the duos animation JibJab is a website featuring Macromedia Flash cartoons. ... Boing Boing (originally bOING bOING) is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine and later becoming a website. ...

Consumers Union History

Founded in 1936 by Arthur Kallet, Colston Warne, and others who felt that the established Consumer's Research organization was not aggressive enough. Kallet, an engineer and director of Consumers' Research had a falling out with Frederick Schlink, who busted Consumers Research's union and started his own organization with Amherst College economics professor Colston Warne.

The House Un-American Activities Committee placed Consumers Union on a list of subversive organizations only to remove them in 1954. Consumers Union has also helped start several consumer groups and publications, in 1960 creating global consumer group Consumers International and in 1974 providing financial assistance to Consumers' Checkbook which is considered akin Consumer Reports for local services in the 7 metropolitan areas they serve. Consumers International (CI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which represents consumer groups and agencies all over the world. ...