Justice Dept.: Looks Like Rick Perry’s Redistricting Intended Discrimination
TPM reports that a preliminary Justice Department investigation finds that the redistricting plan approved by presidential candidate and Texas governor Rick Perry (R) appears to have been “adopted, at least in part, for the purpose of diminishing the ability of [minorities] to elect their preferred candidates of choice to Congress.”
Report: Latino Workers Face Roadblocks on Path to American Dream
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Latinos face tremendous challenges that threaten their prospects for a better life, according to new report.
The report, “Latino Workers in the United States 2011,” released this week by the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), provides an in-depth look at the state of Latino workers.
The recession has hit Latino workers hard, the report says. The unemployment rate among Latinos last month was 11.3 percent, compared with 7.9 percent for white non-Latino workers. Employed Latinos disproportionately work in low-paying jobs. The median weekly income for Latinos in the most recent quarter available in 2010 was $532, while white non-Latinos earned $774. In fact, one in every four Latinos lived below the poverty line in 2009.
Latinos also have the highest high dropout rate, the highest percentage of people without health insurance, the highest occurrence of wage theft and are the most in danger of being killed on the job.
Read the full report here.
To correct these alarming trends, the report calls for a series of policy changes by Congress and the White House. It should begin with a massive jobs program that targets the Latino community. According to the report:
Workers will need training programs in order to full advantage of the good jobs, high wages and career opportunities presented in a new economy. In states and localities with limited English proficient populations, these programs must provide both job and language training. Legislation that better protects the lives and health of workers is a priority.
Finally, the report also calls for the President and Congress to: Read the rest of this entry »
Nearly One-Third of Black High School Grads Can’t Find a Job
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In this recession, a high school diploma or even a college degree is no guarantee that you will have a job or a decent income. But for African Americans, the situation is worse than for any other group.
In fact, a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows nearly one-third of young African American high school graduates are unemployed.
African Americans face a “considerable disadvantage” in finding jobs compared with their white, Hispanic and Asian counterparts, the report says.
Latino Leaders: ‘Don’t Vote’ Ad Is Irresponsible, Dangerous
With less than two weeks to go, a Republican operative has been roundly condemned for trying to suppress the Latino vote, this time through a TV ad that Latino leaders say is both irresponsible and dangerous.
The Spanish-language network Univision on Tuesday pulled an ad funded by the front group, Latinos for Reform, urging Latinos in Nevada not to vote in the upcoming election, supposedly because Democrats had not reformed immigration laws. Latinos, who make up 15 percent of Nevada’s voters, overwhelmingly support Democrats.
Nevada’s Latino vote could be decisive in the race between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and tea party-backed Sharron Angle in one of the most high-profile races in the country. Nationally, Latino voters also will most likely play critical roles in races in California, Florida, New Mexico and Illinois, and Latino voter participation also will be watched closely in Arizona and Texas.
Report: Reviving Latino Workforce Key to Rebuilding America
The recession has hurt all America’s workers, especially Latino workers. Despite their growing political power, Latinos are still at the bottom of the economic ladder. Until the nation enacts policies that help lift Latinos and other communities of color, the economy cannot fully recover, according to a new report.
“Reviving the Latino Workforce: Complex Problems Demand Comprehensive Solutions,” released June 17 by the AFL-CIO constituency group, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), points out the interconnections fueling this economic hardship, and the need for comprehensive solutions.
Latino Workers Mobilizing for Employee Free Choice
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Update: The LCLAA leadership forum set for this weekend has been rescheduled to Oct. 1-4.
Latinos make up the fastest growing segment of the workforce and union movement. To gain a better life for themselves and their families, Latinos and all workers need the freedom to form unions and bargain.
As part of that effort, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), an AFL-CIO constituency group, is stepping up its efforts to mobilize in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.
LCLAA members from across the Midwest will meet this weekend in Chicago for the first of three regional leadership development forums. At this forum and at future gatherings in Philadelphia and in Orange County, Calif., LCLAA members will develop strategies to build support for the legislation and expand organizing.
Report: Latinos in Unions Fare Better Than Nonunion Peers
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The current economic crisis is hitting Latinos hard and they need the same help that all workers do—better wages, safe working conditions and a union. A new report marks National Hispanic Heritage Month with the news that the union difference benefits Latino workers, just as it does all other union workers.
In the report, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) documents a large wage and benefit advantage for Latino workers who join unions compared with their nonunion counterparts. The report, Unions and Upward Mobility for Latino Workers, found that unionized Latino workers earned, on average, 17.6 percentage points more than nonunion Latinos. Latino union members also were much more likely to have health insurance benefits and a pension plan.
