Oct
2015 8
2015 8
Trans-Pacific Partnership Complete. Nations Hold Breath. Clinton Speaks Out.
After years of secret negotiations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is complete and now awaits months of intense scrutiny before being voted on by Congress. Negotiators of the controversial “free trade” agreement between the United States, Japan, and 10 other pacific rim nations reached a final agreement in Atlanta on Monday. Given…
Sep
2015 25
2015 25
Portage, IN Becomes First City to Pass Measure Countering Repeal of Common Construction Wage
On Wednesday, the Portage School Board unanimously voted to approve a responsible bidding policy for work on school construction projects. The move follows Portage Mayor James Snyder’s proposal of a similar ordinance citywide, which was passed by council. The ordinances are considered necessary following the state legislature’s…
Sep
2015 14
2015 14
Teamsters Call on UPS to Cut Ties With ALEC
The Teamsters have joined a coalition of 84 investor, public interest, and civil rights groups in an attempt to persuade UPS to cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The so-called think tank has become widely known as a corporate bill mill that pushes a specific agenda throughout the country’s state…
Jul
2015 14
2015 14
CEOverreach: Big Boss Pay Is up 997% Since ’78 While Workers Only Gained 10.9%
A shocking new number from the Economic Policy Institute helps explain the stifling income inequality in the United States. Between 1978 and 2014, inflation-adjusted CEO pay has risen from $1.5 million to $16.3 million, an unfathomable of 997 percent. Over that same time period, the average private-sector production and non-supervisory…
Jul
2015 10
2015 10
Former Member Says Corporations, Lawmakers Vote Side-by-Side on Laws at ALEC Retreats
When the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recently met at a resort hotel in Savannah, Geogia, investigative reporters from NBC 11Alive decided to find out what was really going on. They reserved hotel rooms at the resort and attempted to speak to lobbyists and legislators. The resulting news report is almost Daily Show-esque in…
Jul
2015 1
2015 1
Boeing CEO Taking $3.9M Annual Pension for 15 Years After Workers Were Forced Into 401Ks
Boeing’s most recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing has revealed that CEO Jim McNerney will be paid $3.9 million a year in pension benefits for each of the next 15 years. This revelation follows the announcement that he will retire on July 1st but will remain as chairman until February of 2016. The news [&hellip…;
Jun
2015 24
2015 24
BLS Figures Paint Bleak Picture of IL Economy, Refute Gov. Rauner Claims of Union-Driven Ills
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has blamed almost all of the state’s economic woes on unions and pensions, but a look at the numbers shows the real problem may be the small group of workers he is trying to protect. Creating “Right-to-Work” zones and making drastic changes to the state pension system are cornerstones of [&hellip…;
Jun
2015 19
2015 19
Goldman Sachs Limits Interns to 17-Hour Workday, Impressing Absolutely No One
Goldman Sachs has told its 2,900 interns to take it easy this summer by limiting themselves to a 17-hour day. Yes, folks, you read that right. Working twice as many hours as a normal person is Goldman Sachs’ idea of not overdoing it. The announcement of the policy “shift” comes two weeks after The [&hellip…;
Apr
2015 29
2015 29
Maine Bill Would Tie Big Business Tax Credits to (Prevailing) Wage Standards
A bill proposed by Maine State Sen. Chris Johnson would ensure that companies receiving tax breaks create decent paying jobs and are held accountable for their actions. Maine LD 1287 was written following the Great Northern Paper Mill debacle, wherein the company received $16 million in tax credits and then closed its doors without repercussion….
Mar
2015 23
2015 23
Surprised? Two-Thirds of Federal Subsidies Since 2000 Have Gone to Large Corporations
A new report shows that two-thirds of the $68 billion in business grants and special tax credits awarded by the federal government over the past 15 years have gone to large corporations. In that same 15-year period, hundreds of billions of dollars in loans, loan guarantees, and bailout assistance have been given to the [&hellip…;
Nov
2014 19
2014 19
U.S. Co’s Now Hold More Money Overseas Than Domestically; Tax Holiday May Not Help
An alarming stat has been released by Capital Economics, citing its own Audit Analytics database and other sources: U.S. companies are now stashing more than $2 trillion overseas. Looking at the latest Federal Reserve flow of funds tally, corporations currently hold $1.9 trillion on U.S. shores, meaning there is potentially more money…
Oct
2014 21
2014 21
CHART: Financially, It’s 1986 for the Bottom 90% of Americans
Just in case you need a reminder of how lopsided the economy has become, a new paper from economists at the London School of Economics and the University of California at Berkeley shows the bottom ninety percent of American families are no wealthier than they were in 1986. While the top 10 percent and, [&hellip…;