Working Life

The gloves are off, the sides have been clearly drawn. It’s the president, the Republican Party and business versus the people, workers, labor and most of the Democratic Party. And a top House Democrat, who is at the forefront whipping the votes against fast track and the Trans Pacific Partnership, is making it clear: the president stands with multi-national corporations against workers.

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I have written often that the only way we stop the killing of workers and the widespread thievery of billions of dollars is to put executives in jail. Fines are complete nonsense and a cost of doing business. Take away their liberty and you start to get their attention. Uh, hello. Attention. Just on The […]

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I guess it’s a no-brainer to point out that The New York Times is basically in the tank for so-called “free trade” (I need to underscore I’ve always written “so-called” going back to NAFTA because these deals have nothing to with “free trade” theory, at least if you bother to read David Ricardo). The paper […]

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I meant to write this up a couple of weeks ago when Elizabeth Warren released a report called, “Broken Promises: Decades of Failure to Enforce Labor Standards in Free Trade Agreements” but, well, stuff got in the way. But, here’s a hint: there will always be a spineless Democrat who gives you a chance to come back to an important topic. And that topic is: trade enforcement never works, it’s a scam and should not be allowed to be used as a reason to vote for fast track or any of these so-called “free trade” deals.

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I’ve written about this a lot: the financial transactions tax. And now a little update, via Bernie Sanders’ campaign. He’s for it. Duh. To pay for college for everyone.

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Oh, seriously. Democrats are whining about, heaven forbid, a bit of pressure from unions to actually vote correctly on fast track and the Trans Pacific Partnership. Grow up–and if you can’t cast a vote for workers, go be a lobbyist.

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A confluence of two ideas: the Democrats are not being serious about hiking the minimum wage AND Bernie Sanders makes a more formal presidential campaign announcement today. These are connected ideas.

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Sometimes, you just got to connect the dots–even when the stuff is so obvious and screams out with the truth. In this case, some evidence on why these so-called “free trade” agreements are so destructive, though, I have to say I chuckled when I read that the very forum consisting of the planet’s wealthy countries has discovered, shockingly, that global inequality is at record levels.

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This is a picture I’d turn into a “Wanted” poster, maybe circulate in every election district in the 13 states represented by these folks. It says it all–thanks to the AFL-CIO.

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The Senate has voted to proceed to debating fast track, which essentially ensures its eventual passage. The vote is still taking place but with 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and pass the motion, there are already 62 votes SUPPORTING THE MOTION to proceeding. Final vote 62-38 (Vote specifics in a moment).

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