Working Life

As the debate heats up over raising the federal minimum wage (Nancy Pelosi says the hike will be passed in the first 100 hours of the new Democratic House majority), it’s worth looking at something the folks at the Economic Policy Institute put out which documents how state minimum wage hikes have fared. EPI asked: […]

Read the full story

It never ceases to amaze me. Maybe I–and you–should get used to it. Maybe i’m naive. But, you gotta love the gall…The Committee on Capiutal Markets Regulation has recommended that it be “harder for companies to be indicted by the government or sued by private lawyers, and urges policies to keep the Securities and Exchange […]

Read the full story

Well, yes, thanks–I had a grand little vacation. Thanks to Stef for covering the blog for me. I hope everyone treated her nicely… I am still wading through the various stuff floating around in email and on my desk but this caught my eye: just as I was thinking of canceling my Business Week subscription […]

Read the full story

There’s already resistance to Walmart’s plan to open hundreds of stores in India. Walmart’s deal to partner with the Indian company Bharti is being called into question as an attempt to skirt the law. As per the agreement between the two corporate giants, Bharti would manage the front-end of the business, while Walmart would take […]

Read the full story

While Walmart’s sales fell short of expectations this holiday weekend, and its website crashed on “Black Friday,” the company announced a new deal today that will expand its empire into India. Partnering with the Bharti Group, India’s top telecommunications company, the joint-venture plans to open “several hundred” stores, beginning next summer. The partnership is necessary […]

Read the full story

More discussion of the divisions between the Clintonite “free-trade” Democrats and the incoming populists in today’s NY Times. I just hope they come up with a better name for their group than “Shared Prosperity.” That sounds like a team on Survivor.

Read the full story

Congratulations to the Houston janitors, who won higher pay, increased hours and health insurance after a six-week strike. As Jordan Borab’s analysis of the victory at firedoglake concludes, “[e]very city can be Houston. And every election can be 2006.” ~Stef

Read the full story

Because they must. What is the alternative? It’s common wisdom now that we’ve just about reached the tipping point in terms of globabl warming. While the Dick Cheneys of the world seem to believe that their obligation to their descendants is met by leaving them a large inheritance of ill-gotten funds, most Democrats understand that […]

Read the full story

Sander Levin says Congressional Democrats have sent a letter to the president in opposition to new trade deals with Colombia and Peru. The congressman said labour standards were at the “core” of Democrats’ objections – a sign that the influence of the labour movement within the party has been strengthened by the election result, which […]

Read the full story

The United Steelworkers hopes to go viral with this new internet ad on YouTube, intended to demonstrate the possible dangers of tires made by replacement workers. The video is part of a new website the union has launched to inform investors about Goodyear Tires. 15,000 USW workers at 16 plants have been on strike since […]

Read the full story