Archive for April, 2007
New Hampshire Raising Minimum Wage
Although Republicans in Congress have delayed raising the federal minimum wage, states are moving ahead with their own pay raises. The latest action is in the New Hampshire legislature, described here by Christine Silvia-DeGennaro in the AFL-CIO Legislative Department.
New Hampshire is one of 13 states with a minimum wage of $5.15 an hour and is the only state in the Northeast that does not have a higher minimum than the federal rate. But that is about to change, thanks to legislation passed this morning by the state Senate, which approved a $2.10 an hour increase.
The two-step increase will raise the New Hampshire minimum wage to $6.50 an hour Sept. 1, 2007, and to $7.25 an hour Sept. 1, 2008.
Who’s the Biggest Health Care Hustler?
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The AFL-CIO community affiliate, Working America, is sponsoring Cliff Schecter, political analyst and national commentator, to cover its campaign on health care, In the Heart of the Health Care Hustle. Check out Schecter’s blog here and at Americablog.
In a country where millions go without health insurance — while pharmaceutical company executives sometimes have to struggle to pay for that fifth mortgage in Belize or scrape by to purchase that second corporate jet — Working America members have come up with the worst of the very bad health care hustlers in this nation: Big Pharma.
As part of the Heart of the Health Care Hustle campaign, some 11,000 Working America online voters selected Big Pharma over health insurers and other health providers as the worst hustler. The campaign enables us to get involved by sharing our health care horror stories, and just as importantly, to target which greedy industry and/or company was to blame.
‘Millions of Workers Lack Even Most Basic Safety Protections’
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In the 36 years since the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) became law, the nation has made significant progress in protecting workers. But in the past six years progress has slowed, and now may be reversing.
Testifying today before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions subcommittee on employment and worker safety, Peg Seminario, the AFL-CIO’s safety and health director, said the economy has changed greatly since 1970, when the act was passed, with new hazards presented and new groups of workers at risk. Yet,
the number of workers and workplaces covered by the OSH Act today is double what it was in 1970, but there are fewer resources available to OSHA to meet its responsibilities.
Health and safety standards are out of date or non-existent for many workplace hazards. Millions of workers still are not covered by the OSH Act, and lack even the most basic safety and health protections.
Flight Attendants, Northwest Reach Agreement
After a week of intense bargaining, members of the Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and Northwest Airlines reached a tentative agreement today (contract details haven’t been released). If members ratify the agreement, the flight attendants would become eligible for a $182 million bankruptcy equity claim that could mean an additional payment of $15,000 to $18,000 each.
The bankruptcy court has ruled that other workers who have contracts with Northwest have a claim against the airline. Because the AFA-CWA does not have a contract, members are not automatically eligible for such an equity claim.
‘Put Presidential Debate Video on Internet’
A large bipartisan alliance is asking the Republican and Democratic national committees to ensure that all video from upcoming presidential debates can be legally shared, reused and blogged. This would allow people to share the candidates’ issue positions through sites such as YouTube.
The AFL-CIO is one of the 75 signatories, which include Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessing, the founders of Craiglist and Wikipedia, national women’s and civil rights groups, MoveOn.org, DailyKos.com and conservatives such as Redstate.com and Michelle Malkin.
Union Plus Credit Card Makes the Grade
Union members already know the value of the Union Plus credit card. Now Gerri Detweiler, a highly respected consumer educator and advocate, is praising the card on Credit Bloggers.
Detweiler calls the Union Plus program a “good guy” example that “should be the standard, not the exception” for affinity credit. Detweiler points out that Union Privilege, which provides benefits to members of participating unions across the country, has worked long and hard to negotiate and maintain a card with strong protections for cardholders.
Read Detweiler’s take on the Union Plus Card here.
AFL-CIO Presidential Town Hall Forums Kick off This Weekend
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Beginning this weekend, working families will get the unique opportunity to meet face to face with the Democratic presidential candidates and tell them about our concerns: good jobs and wages, affordable health care for their families, retirement security and a firm plan for getting out of Iraq.
In a series of town hall forums, the candidates will hear from working people about what it’s really like to live in today’s economy. Workers will have the opportunity to ask each candidate how he or she plans to make life better for working people.
Employment Non-Discrimination Act Now in Congress
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The Employment Non-Discrimination Act was introduced yesterday in the House, and Jessica Burgan, media associate with the AFL-CIO constituency group Pride At Work, discusses why the act will benefit America’s working families.
In 33 states, it is legal to fire and otherwise discriminate against a worker because of his/her sexual orientation. In 42 states, it is legal to do so because of that worker’s gender identity and/or expression.
It may seem hard to believe that a community in our nation—a community, no doubt, that contributes unreservedly to our labor and economic systems—is lawfully discriminated against in the majority of United States.
