Archive for November 25th, 2008
Global Wages Decline; U.S. Income Gap Worst of Developed Countries
 |
|
The global economic crisis will lead to deep cuts in the wages of millions of workers worldwide in the coming year, according to a report published today by the International Labor Organization (ILO). Meanwhile, wage inequality in the United States between the top 10 percent and bottom 10 percent income brackets is the highest of any developed economy.
The report, Global Wage Report 2008/09, warns that wages are likely to fall worldwide and exacerbate an already unacceptable level of inequality. Based on the latest growth figures from the International Monetary Fund, the ILO forecasts the global growth in real wages will at best reach 1.1 per cent in 2009, compared to 1.7 per cent in 2008.
Labor Department Lies
The Bush administration hasn’t even packed its bags, and already we hear the first of what undoubtedly will be an ongoing string of revelations about how U.S. workers and taxpayers have been deceived over the past eight years by the Bush Labor Department.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released yesterday finds the Labor Department gave Congress false numbers on cost savings it supposedly was incurring by hiring outside contractors.
As TobyWollin at Firedoglake writes:
President George W. Bush’s Labor Department misled Congress in an effort to prove outsourcing jobs to private companies was more efficient than assigning the jobs to government employees, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday.
You Can Help Send Jim Martin to the Senate
 |
|
There’s only a week to go before the Dec. 2 runoff election in Georgia that could send Jim Martin, a champion of workers, to the U.S. Senate and send incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss packing. You can still take part by helping Martin raise the funds he needs to get out the message and get out every vote in this critical election.
This election will absolutely make a difference in the ability of Congress to enact a real pro-worker agenda. We can help Martin get to the Senate and cast votes in favor of creating new jobs, expanding affordable, high-quality health care coverage and ensuring the freedom to form unions—or we can watch Chambliss go back to Washington and continue his efforts to block the change working families desperately need.
Stakes High as Auto Plan Deadline Approaches
 |
|
The nation’s Big Three automakers face a Dec. 2 deadline to bring to Congress a detailed plan on how they would use federal funds to turn the industry around.
Economists, executives, union leaders and President-elect Barack Obama have said bankruptcy is not an option because of the devastating consequences to workers and retirees and to the U.S. economy.
The stakes are high. Should the auto industry collapse, more than 3 million jobs would be lost; pension and health care benefits would be cut for 1 million retirees, spouses and dependents; and thousands of other businesses—dealers, suppliers and others—would be threatened.
To find out ways you can take action to help save millions of auto jobs, click here.
