NLRB Obstructionism Could Lead To Union Militancy
Due to ongoing Republican obstructionism in the Senate, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is headed toward doomsday this summer. Come August, when two of the board members’ terms expire, the board will be functionally obsolete unless new members are confirmed by the Senate (which is unlikely to happen). This means that nobody will be enforcing the principal law that governs labor relations in this country. This could be disastrous for workers. Without a functioning NLRB, employers will be free to fire anyone who dares to show any sympathy for a union. In 2013, the United States already is seeing…
In Philadelphia, Unregulated Capitalism Claims The Lives of 6 More Innocent Victims.
Last week the weapon of mass destruction known as unregulated capitalism tragically and senselessly claimed more innocent American lives. On Wednesday, June 5th, a demolition crew was working on taking down a building in Philadelphia when suddenly the whole building collapsed, taking out the building next door with it. The adjacent building housed a Salvation Army Thrift Store. This is where most of the victims were innocently going about their days when, Without warning, the wrath of unregulated capitalism literally came crashing down upon their heads, needlessly ending 6 lives and forever altering 14 others. The contractor, Griffin Campbell Construction Co.,…
May 1st is International Worker’s Day, Here’s Why it Matters:
In case you’ve missed it, today (5/1) is International Worker’s Day, also known as May Day. In America, the biggest holiday for workers is Labor Day, which falls in September. May Day is the international worker’s equivalent of labor day. Around the world, protests and demonstrations have shown the extent to which workers are outraged and are showing their ability to flex their collective muscle. In Istanbul, Turkey, demonstrators caused a city-wide shut down. In Greece, striking union workers shut down train and ferry services. In Jakarta, an estimated 150,000 workers marched on the capital, demanding an increase in pay and…
Tea Party Protests We Can Believe In
On this Monday, April 15th, we will enjoy both the benefits and detriments of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution which has permitted income taxation by Congress for the last 100 years. Also on this day in all 50 states, “grass roots” tax protests of varying authenticity will occur outside post offices, government buildings and town squares as tens of thousands bemoan the annual freedom killing duty that is the timely filing of our returns. Notwithstanding that these protest folks are in apoplexy over the lowest marginal tax rates since Reagan, that the last GOP POTUS turned a $200 billion…
Fast Food Workers in New York Stage Surprise Strike
On Thursday April 4th, for the second time in less than a year, workers at fast food restaurants in New York City staged a surprise strike. Over 400 workers at restaurants like McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, and Burger King walked off the job. The workers, who mostly earn the federally mandated minimum wage of $7.25, demanded a living wage of $15 an hour, as well as the right to union representation. The strike was timed to coincide with the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, who was killed while in Memphis, Tenn. to support striking sanitation…
Interview: Awake the State Director Ray Seaman
Florida voted for President Obama in the last two general elections. Yet, the State’s government is dominated by Republican and Tea Party representatives. There is a well-organized force working to change this: Awake The State. Awake The State is an organic, grassroots movement started in 2011 with 3 organizations coming together. Progress Florida, Florida Watch Action and America Votes joined together to provide a platform for everyday Floridians to make their voices heard. Awake The State is made up of everyday Floridians fighting to reject devastating budget cuts, stop the assault on middle class families, and invest in Floridians again….
It’s Time for a Worker’s Movement in USA
The labor movement has a history that is marked by violence, bloodshed, employer intimidation and oppression. The deck has always been stacked against the unions. It has never been easy for workers to have their voice be heard in the workplace. The modern American labor movement can be traced directly back to the 1930s and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal” legislation which created a real social safety net for the working class and the poor. Social Security, which the labor movement helped lobby into law, was a major development for the working classes. It meant that the elderly in this…
The Economy is Booming, but for Whom?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to over 14,000 points in recent weeks. The Dow reaching this high number first happened in 2007, the year before the Great Recession hit America like a ton of bricks, wiping out the retirement savings for millions of Americans and changing the nation’s confidence in the markets. I suppose now would be a safe time to announce to you that we are the only ones hurting, the economy is doing great! Conventional beltway wisdom these days seems to be that what is good for Wall Street is good for America. With the market eclipsing…
Death of Organized Labor: Death of Middle Class
There has been quite a bit of talk recently, about the death of organized labor. With labor on its so-called “death bed”, perhaps now would be a good time to reflect on some of the things organized labor did for Americans in the 20th century. A typical anti-union argument that people will often invoke is “unions were once useful, but they are no longer necessary.” With this argument, critics of unions are admitting that unions helped build the middle class by establishing the 40 hour work-week, the weekend, paid time off, increased wages and benefits, and increased safety in the…
The Language War
How an issue is framed in large part determines our attitudes toward it. That seems obvious. But the critical importance of controlling the message by controlling the language is not so obvious. Profound changes to America have occurred, or been attempted, with small changes in the language. The Right has been successful in getting their words and phrases into everyday usage in large part because they are fighting the language wars, and they seem to be winning it. Global Warming becomes “climate change”, the Affordable Healthcare Act becomes Obamacare, common-sense gun laws become an attack on the 2nd amendment, government…
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