Mar
2013 22
2013 22
NOT SO FREE ENTERPRISE: Michigan GOP Tries to Slash Funding at Universities that Sign Labor Contracts Before “Right-to-Work” Takes Effect
Republicans in the Michigan statehouse have rushed a (de)funding bill through the higher education appropriations subcommittee? that would strip a total of $74.8 million from four state colleges that the party says authored union contracts to circumvent the state’s newly passed “Right-to-Work” law. Wait. They rushed something...
Feb
2013 28
2013 28
Source Watch: The People Who Want to Gut Social Security Benefit the Most from Its Gutting
The tireless researchers who brought us the invaluable ALECexposed Wiki have set their sights and searches on the dark, corporate ties behind the astroturf group Campaign to Fix the Debt. Fix the Debt’s billionaire backer, Pete Peterson, is making a strong push to slash Social Security and Medicare. But this is only the latest face ...
Jan
2013 4
2013 4
Maine Takes Strides to Streamline Definition of “Independent Contractor” Ahead of ACA Changes
The state of Maine will start 2013 with a streamlined standard for what defines an independent contractor. The old system created different standards for the Maine Department of Labor, the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board and Maine’s Revenue Services which sometimes led to accidental misclassification. As states around the country...
Dec
2012 26
2012 26
Is the Odd Combination of Rising Housing Starts and Stagnant Construction Employment Cause for Concern?
The newest monthly employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that despite a resurgent housing market, the construction sector lost 20,000 jobs in November. The industry’s unemployment rate currently sits at 12.2 percent although housing starts were up 3.6 percent in October. These pieces of data seem to be at odds with one ...
Dec
2012 20
2012 20
Confusion Abounds in Minnesota’s Game of Employee Misclassification Legislation Hot Potato
Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota has introduced a new bill, the Independent Contractor Tax Fairness and Simplification Act or H.R. 6653, that aims to punish businesses for misclassifying workers as independent contractors. The bill, though, is similar to the Fair Playing Field Act (H.R. 4123) which has had little success moving forward...
Nov
2012 29
2012 29
In 2012, 117 ALEC Members and Alumni Were Voted Out of Office
Research from the Center for Media Analysis shows that in 2012 primary, general and recall elections, 117 members or alumni of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) were voted out of office. The statistic shows that membership in the group has become a public liability and campaign issue. However, it may not be enough to ...
Oct
2012 18
2012 18
Rumors of UAW Pres. Bob King Swapping Ballot Measure Support with an Anti-Union Bridge Owner Have Michiganders Confused
A complicated labor matter is playing out in Michigan where residents are preparing to cast their votes on a set of ballot initiatives that will determine the state’s political future. UAW President Bob King’s reluctance to state a position on Proposition 6 — which would require voter approval for any bridge that connects...
Oct
2012 1
2012 1
“The United States of ALEC” Aims to Uncover Underhanded Corporate-Funded Legislation
This weekend, Bill Moyers premiered his new documentary, The United States of ALEC, on progressive news network Democracy Now. In the film, the veteran journalist aims to inform Americans about the overwhelming overreach that the corporate fronted American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) engages in while ghostwriting laws in dozens of states....
Sep
2012 4
2012 4
Steamfitters 638 Member Describes How His Union Teamed Up With Management to Achieve “Full Employment” for His Local
Richard Roberts of Steamfitters Local 638 recently took to the New York Daily News as a guest commentator to talk about the challenges facing the labor movement in 2012. He also took time to reflect on the hardships felt throughout his industry following the economic downturn of 2008. In this pre-Labor Day address, Roberts credits ...
Jul
2012 31
2012 31
REPORT: Misclassification Allows Subcontractors to Shave 26% off Payroll on the Backs of Workers
According to Virginia’s new General Assembly Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), the misclassification of construction workers as “independent contractors” is a problem that affects workers, business people, and the commonwealth alike. This is by no means breaking news to those in the know, but the problem is...
Jul
2012 6
2012 6
Legislators from 50 States Sign Letter Demanding New Approach to TPP Negotiations by the Obama Admin
According to a press release from Maine Rep. Sharon Anglin Treat, a total of 130 legislators representing all 50 U.S. states have pledged to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (aka “NAFTA on steroids”) unless the Obama administration agrees “to change its approach.” The press release reveals an “open letter from...
Jul
2012 2
2012 2
“When public projects are delayed and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on this theory, just remember that the ABC and other entities put you in this position.”
Last month, the residents of San Diego voted on and passed Prop A, a measure that bans Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and was vigorously defended/funded by ‘the ALEC of the construction industry,’ The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Now, Scott Strawbridge — employer representative of the California Industry Labor...
