AFL-CIO Calls on Unions, U.S. to Assist Haitians
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The AFL-CIO is calling for the United States and the entire international community, including the global union movement, to “do our utmost to aid our Haitian sisters and brothers in their moment of extraordinary need.”
You can help Haitian workers in distress by donating to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center‘s Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers’ Campaign. Click here to make a donation and here to learn more about how the center is working to help Haitian workers. (More donation options below.)
Northampton, Mass., City Council Backs Living Wage
With working families trying to stretch every dollar to make ends meet, the City Council in Northampton, Mass., last night unanimously gave final approval to a resolution defining a living wage as a human right. The nonbinding resolution also states the city will attempt to do business with employers that pay living wages and will encourage people to patronize those businesses.
The resolution was sponsored by the 16-member Northampton Living Wage Coalition, most city council members, the Human Rights Commission and the mayor. The resolution defines a living wage as a salary sufficient to meet basic needs such as housing, transportation, food and health care. Using data from the Northampton Housing Authority and the Crittenton Women’s Union, the coalition calculated a living wage in Northampton for a single person without children at $11.90 per hour. The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $8 per hour.
