Working Life

So, a federal judge has upheld the raid and seizure of documents from the office of CAFTA 15 Rep. William Jefferson. I’ve been torn about this episode from the beginning. On the one hand, no one likes the specter of giving the FBI any more power to raid offices. BUT, the argument that the raid […]

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I really can’t think of a member of the U.S. Senate that is so distasteful as Rick Santorum. While I am skeptical of the Democrats chances of doing well this year–because the party still lacks a real vision–I will celebrate no matter what the outcome if Santorum goes down. And there is probably a better […]

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Kate Bronfenbrenner’s comment on a previous post about a Wall Street Journal article seems worthy to highlight here and maybe get a discussion and/or more facts/input. The WSJ article argued that it’s getting harder for unions to get a first contract, primarily because of employer opposition. Kate says that the data being used is flawed […]

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I suspect the debate over the minimum wage will keep percolating here and there. So, the Economic Policy Institute has just updated its guide on the issue. Check it out.

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Yesterday, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that barring marriage for same-sex couples does not violate the State Constitution. It was an appalling ruling–but only shifts the battle from the courts to the legislature. This is an issue that every union member needs care about. Discrimination is discrimination is discrimination. Period. Not all […]

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For those of us who have endured Tom Friedman’s endless babble about the wonders of the economy of India, it was a welcome read on the paper’s op-ed section today to see an account that gives a different view. Entitled “The Myth of India,” author Pankaj Mishra makes the critical point that it is basically […]

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The headline in The Wall Street Journal this morning could have been “Employers Love Anti-Union Labor Laws” because that is the upshot of the data reported in the article (subscription only): Unions Set Pacts at a Slower Pace As Clout Wanes, Employers Resist By KRIS MAHER Unions are taking longer, as much as five years […]

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Check out the Troops Home Fast here. Seems like a patriotic thing to think about and beats empty sloganeering.

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This story in today’s Wall Street Journal headlined “Global Trade Talks Near Collapse Amid Farming, Other Disputes” offers some hope that perhaps there are real brakes to be put on the imposition of so-called “free trade” on a global scale. Yes, individual countries are striking these deals–see the U.S. Oman deal–but if the global framework […]

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So-called “free trade” rears its ugly head–again. I wrote about the negotiations for the new deal with Oman back in May and now its headed to Congress. It’s bad, bad, bad–and here’s a letter signed by a ton of organizations explaining why it’s bad: On behalf of the millions of Americans we represent, the undersigned […]

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