Blog

Celebrate and keep working!

November 5, 2008

It wasn't easy. It took a candidate of remarkable intelligence,
discipline and ease, organizing a truly exemplary campaign. It took the
worst financial catastrophe since the Great Depression; the worst
foreign policy debacle in Iraq since Vietnam. It took the
self-immolation of John McCain. It took Americans deciding not to fall
for the old politics of division -- not this time.

Protecting Workers, Consumers and the Environment: Let’s Get Our Own House in Order

November 4, 2008

To my dismay, as I write this it is evident that the race to the bottom has already reached the US.  Here in the US, we have good labor laws on the books. We also have decent laws protecting communities from environmental degradation, and protecting consumers from unsafe products.  We are apparently little better than China or Brazil, however, in finding the capacity, resources or political will to enforce these laws.  As a consumer, worker and citizen I am alarmed at the extent to which the current Administration has eviscerated the bureaucracies we need to protect us and ensure our legal guarantees to safe and healthy homes, communities and workplaces.

Truck the GAP: Jeff the Trucker is a Better Symbol of America's Workers

November 3, 2008

Oak Harbor proposed raising many retirees' health premiums by $400
to $700 per month. Even though its workers' pension plan is already
substantially below industry standards, Oak Harbor also proposed
freezing contributions for five years. It sought to deny workers
overtime pay for weekend work on GAP business. It also insisted on
prohibiting union representatives from access to workers at their
workplaces.

Instead of negotiating with striking workers in good faith, Oak
Harbor, based in Aurora, Washington, has imported teams of professional
strikebreakers to coerce and scare loyal long-time employees.

A Brief Reminder: The Consumer’s Role in a Globalized Economy

November 1, 2008

But some of the students’ opinions were quickly quieted by the movie. In ‘A Tale of Two Mexicos,’ filmmakers ventured into the homes of factory workers and asked them to reveal their thoughts and experiences of life in the maquiladoras. Each of the workers explained that they had moved to the city for higher pay and job openings. Unfortunately, most to all of these job openings are in the sweatshops. The interviewees repeatedly complained that the nature of the sweatshops has broken down the social fabric of communities and reduced people to mere objects. Long work hours and overbearing management cause people’s lives to revolve around the factories, where they are dehumanized by constant labor.

Ex-slave in Niger wins landmark case

October 28, 2008

The ruling is important because it increases pressure on Niger to take stronger action to stop slavery and forced labor.  It also may encourage other West African nations, like Mali, to follow suit.  It is also exciting to see ECOWAS taking action to stop forced labor.

Romana Cacchiolo, Africa Program Coordinator for Anti-Slavery International, said: "This historic
verdict sets a legal precedent that we can take to neighbouring states where
slavery remains an issue. Niger
now needs to look closely at its customary law courts to ensure that there is
an end to the discrimination of women and to the acceptance of slavery at a
local level."

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