Labor & Employment Law

Fla.?s Scott Holding Up $1 Billion That Would Help Stop Foreclosures

Posted on March 17, 2011
In another example of his lack of concern for working people, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is holding up more than $1 billion in federal funds that could help thousands of that state?s citizens save their homes from foreclosure. Florida?s first installment from the federal Hardest Hit program?$418 million?was awarded to the state more than a year ago...

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Fire

Posted on March 16, 2011
March 25 is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York City, which killed 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, many of whom jumped to their deaths from the 10-story factory to escape the fire because they were locked inside...

Wisconsin Republicans Get Special Welcome in Washington

Posted on March 16, 2011
Fresh from stealing workers’ rights to bargain for good, middle-class jobs, Wisconsin’s Republican state legislators were met by hundreds of  protestors tonight in Washington, D.C. The lawmakers are in town for a big corporate $1,000 a head fundraiser to help fill their recall election campaign coffers now that they have done the bidding of the CEO’s who backed the assault...

Bill Would Ensure Very Wealthy Pay Fair Share of Taxes

Posted on March 16, 2011
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced legislation today that would add fairness to the nation?s tax system by ensuring that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. Schakowsky says the Fairness in Taxation Act, with more than a dozen co-sponsors, is: about fairness...

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Republican ?Jobs? Bills Fail Truth Test

Posted on March 16, 2011
If there was a ?truth in labeling law? for congressional legislation, a series of Republican bills aimed at repealing last year?s landmark Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law would be facing felony charges, AFL-CIO Policy Director Damon Silvers told a congressional hearing today...

Thousands of Michigan Workers Protest Snyder?s Power Grab

Posted on March 16, 2011
      More than 5,000?and the crowd is growing?Michigan union, community, education and other activists are on the Lansing Capitol grounds and inside the state House this afternoon to protest Gov. Rick Snyder?s (R) new ?financial martial law...

Republican Budget Cuts Would Shut Social Security Offices

Posted on March 16, 2011
In Washington, D.C., workers protested Republican budget cuts to the Social Security Administration that will lead to furloughs.    House Republicans want to slash funding for Social Security Administration (SSA) so deeply that the agency would be forced to shut down for the equivalent of a month with worker furloughs this year...

Walker Backlash Boosts Working America and Union Support

Posted on March 16, 2011
   Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker?s (R) attack on workers? rights and middle-class jobs is having what is surely an unintended effect, as far as he is concerned?building support for workers? rights. Amanda Terkel at The Huffington Post reports today that after Walker zeroed in on workers? collective bargaining rights, more than 20,000 Wisconsinites have joined Working America, the AFL-CIO?s community affiliate for people without a union...

Poll: Ohio Voters Reject Gov. Kasich

Posted on March 16, 2011
A new poll finds the majority of Ohio voters, like their Wisconsin counterparts, oppose their governor’s moves to take away the right of public employees to bargain for middle-class jobs. And for good reason, as this fantastic New York Times piece points out today...

Michigan Workers Set to Rally Against Snyder?s Attack on Democracy

Posted on March 16, 2011
Thousands of Michigan union, community, student, faith and other activists are on their way to Lansing today for a massive rally to protest Gov. Rick Snyder?s (R) blatant assault on democracy with his ?financial martial law? bill that won final legislative approval yesterday...

Like OPEC, NFL Owners a Cartel of Rich Seeking Even More, Plus New Players? Website

Posted on March 15, 2011
Just what is behind the National Football League (NFL) owners? lockout of the players this past weekend when talks for a new collective bargaining agreement broke off? James Surowiecki of The New Yorker writes in this week?s edition: It?s about very rich businessmen thinking that they should be even richer...

International Unions Reach Out to Japan Quake Victims

Posted on March 15, 2011
Global unions are reaching out to Japanese workers and their families following the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan, likely claimed more than 10,000 lives and left half a million people homeless. In a statement, David Cockroft, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) said: The people of Japan are well prepared for these events but the sheer size of this one could have overwhelmed all preparations...

8.9 Percent Jobless Rate Not ?Normal? nor Structural

Posted on March 15, 2011
Put this under the heading of ?voodoo economics.?  The argument goes that the nation?s 8.9 percent unemployment rate?after nearly two years between 9 and 10 percent?is the new ?normal? unemployment rate. Proponents of this absurd claim say it?s workers? fault because they don?t have the skills to fill the jobs or don?t live near the jobs that are available...

Indiana Workers Continue Monthlong Capitol Vigil

Posted on March 15, 2011
Today marks the 23rd day Indiana teachers, public employees and other workers have been at the state Capitol protesting more than 30 bills backed by Republican lawmakers and Gov. Mitch Daniels (R). The legislative package includes bills that slash public school budgets, defund women?s health care and eliminate public-sector unions...

?Right to Work? Stalls in Missouri

Posted on March 15, 2011
With some 500 workers in the Missouri state Senate gallery last night, backers of a so-called right to work bill, were unable to muster enough support to bring the legislation to a vote. Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan (D) said supporters of “right to work” for less legislation who claim it will attract more businesses to the state might as well be arguing “let us race to become more competitive by emulating the Third World? through unions and good jobs we created a middle class...

Signs of the Times: Small Biz Supports Wis. Public Employees

Posted on March 15, 2011
       Small business owners have come out in strong support of Wisconsin public employees in their battle against Gov. Scott Walker’s moves to take away their right to bargain to improve their lives. In storefront after storefront, signs indicate backing for Wisconsin workers...

Maryland Workers Blast Cuts to Education, Health and Retirement

Posted on March 15, 2011
  Some 15,000 Maryland teachers, government workers and other public employees rallied and marched in Annapolis last night to protect public school funding and workers? health and retirement security. Bills before the state legislature call for big cutbacks in all three...

Wis. Dem?s Votes Won?t Count?Another Blow to Democracy

Posted on March 15, 2011
Proving once again that state Senate Republicans don’t believe in democracy, Wisconsin Sen. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald yesterday said the votes of state Senate Democrats won’t count. Won’t count? Here’s Fitzgerald to state Senate Republicans: …when taking roll call votes on amendments and bills during executive sessions, Senate Democrats? votes will not be reflected in the Records of Committee Proceedings or the Senate Journal...

United to Support Wisconsin Workers

Posted on March 14, 2011
       This is a cross-post from the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog. On Saturday, March 12, an estimated 185,000 concerned citizens gathered to stand up against Scott Walker?s extreme attacks on worker rights and Wisconsin?s middle class. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the energy on the ground was unprecedented as young and old, union and nonunion, public sector and private sector came together to stand up for Wisconsin?s working class...

Kasich Blocks Broadcast of Ohio Budget Briefing

Posted on March 14, 2011
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is a public official accountable to taxpayers. But he is demanding a news blackout tomorrow when he releases the state’s budget plan. Kasich has forbidden reporters to broadcast any videos, photos or audio recordings during or after his afternoon budget briefing for the press...

World?s Workers Standing with U.S. Public Employees

Posted on March 14, 2011
The freedom to bargain for a better life through a union is recognized as a basic human right around the world. With politicians in the United States trying to take away that basic freedom from public employees, working people around the globe are responding with strong expressions of solidarity...

Postal Workers, USPS Prove Public Employee Bargaining Works

Posted on March 14, 2011
  While governors and state lawmakers across the country are attacking the right of public employees to bargain, the Postal Workers (APWU) and the U. S. Postal Service (USPS) today showed that public employees and government can work together to solve financial problems and provide good service...

Attack on Middle-Class Jobs, Workers Is Nationwide

Posted on March 14, 2011
      The incredible response and mobilizations against the coordinated attacks on workers’ rights and middle-class jobs in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana have grabbed most of the media spotlight during the past few weeks. But there are other serious assaults under way in dozens of states, pushed by corporate CEOs and their Republican puppets...

Wis. Democrats Nearly Halfway to Recall Signature Goal

Posted on March 14, 2011
Wisconsin Democrats have collected more than 56,000 signatures in two weeks to hold recall elections of eight Republican state senators who backed cutting out public employees? freedom to bargain for a better life. That?s 45 percent of the total needed and supporters still have at least six weeks before the deadline...

Actions Nationwide Back America?s Workers and the American Dream

Posted on March 14, 2011
    AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler joins Peter Rickman, a member of the Teacher Assistant Association, an affiliate of AFT Wisconsin, at last weekend?s rally in the Badger State.         Over the weekend, more than 100,000 people jammed into the square surrounding the Wisconsin state Capitol Saturday for an all-day series of rallies that sent a message to Republican legislators and Gov...

?FitzWalkerstan?

Posted on March 13, 2011
Talking Points Memo has interesting background on the Fitzgerald brothers, who head up the Wisconsin state senate and assembly. “Big Fitz” is Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, while “Little Fitz” is Assembly Speaker Jeff...

Buy Union and Get $50 Credit on New Cell Phone Service

Posted on March 13, 2011
This from Union Plus. With the attacks on workers in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states, it’s more important than ever to show your support for union workers and employers that honor their workers? desire to belong to a union. Union Plus is now offering a one-time $50 credit if you switch your cell phone service to AT&T, the only unionized national wireless company...

Librarian Refuses to Be Scott Walker?s Scapegoat

Posted on March 12, 2011
    Librarians protest Wisconsin Republican attacks on workers.          Audrey Barbakoff, a librarian at the Milwaukee Public Library, is being anything but quiet. In a column in American Libraries Magazine, she says the vilification of public workers?teachers, fire fighters, police officers, nurses and, yes, even librarians?could cause immeasurable long-term damage beyond the loss of jobs and the middle-class lifestyle...

The Next Step

Posted on March 12, 2011
With crowd estimates as high as 150,00 for the rally in Madison, Wisconsin working people prepared for the next step in their struggle for democracy and the middle class. They are mobiliziing to recall at least eight Republican senators who participated in a rigged vote to take away public employee bargaining rights...

Wis. 14: We Are Proud to Stand With You As Badgers

Posted on March 12, 2011
The Wisconsin 14 take the stage at a mass rally in Madison. Check out the live stream at http://theuptake.org. Here are more Tweets from the rally:  op_99 4:06pm via TweetDeck RT @News3Maria: DOA crowd estimate as of 2pm: 725 inside Capitol; 49,500 outside<– and growing #wiunion MelissaRyan 4:04pm via Twitter for Android This is what Democracy looks like...

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