Last week, the Vermont Legislature gave final approval to a bill that would guarantee working people paid sick days. Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) is expected to sign the legislation. With his signature, Vermont will become the fifth state in the country to require paid sick days. An estimated 60,000 workers who don’t currently have access to paid sick leave will now have it. Voices for Vermont’s Children, the Vermont State Labor Council and coalition partners have worked on the bill for a decade.
The labor movement is welcoming Pope Francis back to North America this week and joining with those celebrating his historic visit to the U.S.–Mexico border. His visit brings a much-needed message of solidarity at a time when immigrants, refugees and working people are increasingly under attack.
Supporters of strict voter identification laws argue that they are needed to prevent voter fraud and that they aren’t designed to suppress anyone’s vote. We’ve already known for quite a while that voter fraud is largely a myth. Research from the 2014 election shows that voter ID laws suppress the votes of Democrats at more than twice the rate the laws block Republican voters. Are you shocked?
Surprise, Surprise! They're Lying to You About Voter ID Laws
Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer for the California Labor Federation, wrote a recent op-ed for The Sacramento Bee explaining why the Trans-Pacific Partnership is bad for America’s workers.
Just days before the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade and investment deal was signed, a human rights experts warned against it.
Federal District Judge David Hale’s decision striking down Hardin County’s “right to work” ordinance was a victory for Kentucky’s working families, said Bill Londrigan, president of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO.
Londrigan: Judge's Ruling Against County RTW Ordinance a Victory for Kentucky's Working Families
Why shouldn’t higher education be free for everyone?
Higher education is not a commodity. It is a social good. It’s increasingly necessary to get a good, middle-class job. A more highly educated workforce can be more adaptable and make the country more competitive. So why shouldn’t it be free for everyone?
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a so-called “trade deal” that could cost 448,000 U.S. jobs, suppress U.S. wages, and irreparably weaken our democracy and sovereignty.
In a new op-ed for the Hill, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka explains the key reasons why the Trans-Pacific Partnership is bad for working people, both in the United States and overseas. Trumka describes the deal by saying that “the TPP is a giveaway to big corporations, special interests and all those who want economic rules that benefit the wealthy few.”
Trumka: TPP Is a New Low
{$excerpt:n}
One of the billionaires crusading to cut working people’s Social Security now has his sights set on making the Trans-Pactific Partnership look like a sweet deal. Hint: It’s not.
Pete Peterson’s think tank, Peterson Institute for International Economics, just released a study in January 2016 predicting great economic growth from the TPP. But the PIIE methods are so detached from reality that the conclusions are wrong. Here are the reasons why.
5 Reasons that Rosy Predictions About the TPP Are Wrong
{$excerpt:n}