While Washington hold center stage, Minnesota Republicans are trying to tie the hands of local governments, impose crippling costs on free speech and protest, and politicize redistricting in 2020. That makes it time to focus on St. Paul and start calling and contacting state legislators. Minnesota have already compromised on premium relief for health insurance. They might be more open to hearing voices of reason than their counterparts in Congress. Continue reading
Filed under elections, organizing, work
Steven Suffridge worked nights at a fast food restaurant. Sometimes his supervisors said he had to work straight through the mandatory 30-minute break, but the restaurant still deducted the time from his paycheck. That’s one of the examples of wage theft cited in an investigative series from Workday Minnesota. Other examples come from janitors, health care workers, construction, on-line jobs, and more. Continue reading
Filed under health care, work
Talking Points Memo published an important four-part series in December, The March to Inequality: How did we get here? It’s one of my Christmas week readings, which I recommend despite its distinctly un-merry description. To balance the darkness, I also recommend bell hooks’ recent New York Times interview. But first, Josh Marshall’s introduction to the terrible inequality of today’s economy:
“Half a century ago, the US political economy was profoundly different. Wealth and income inequality were at historically low levels. The US still had the immense advantage of being the factory for rebuilding the world after the devastation that scarred much of the globe during the Second World War. And unions were a pervasive feature of the industrial economy. So how did we get from there to here?”
Photo by Peter Kaminski, published under Creative Commons license.
The top dogs at publicly-traded Minnesota companies earned an average of $1.21 million a year in 2014, up 18 percent from 2013. The chief executive officer pay at these 95 companies was the second highest since 2007. Did you get an 18 percent raise last year?
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Photo by photologue_np , published under Creative Commons license.
Almost one in five U.S. workers has a part-time job. Some people work part-time because it suits them, like a $100 an hour computer programmer. But more of them are like the part-timers featured in a 2014 New York Times article, and the 400+ people who wrote in to comment on it. Liz from Wheaton, Illinois, commented:
“As an RN with a master’s degree, you’d think I would fare better, but no. One Christmas Day not so long ago I was scheduled to work the 3-11 shift at the local hospital. I showed up for my shift but was told, “Didn’t someone call you? Our census is down and we don’t need you. But stay by your phone because you are on call for the next four hours” (without pay).”
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From 15 people at the Bureau of Mediation Services to 115 at the Perpich Center for Arts Education to more than 4,000 at the Department of Natural Resources, lay-off notices go out to Minnesota state employees today. If the legislature and the governor don’t reach budget deals by the end of the month, more than 9,000 government employees could be out of work. Here’s the list: Continue reading
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Photo by photologue_np , published under Creative Commons license.
Forty percent of U.S. workers are “contingent,” and, for most of us, that’s not good. Contingent means that you don’t have a “permanent jobs with a traditional employer-employee relationship.” So we are the self-employed (3.3 percent), part-time (16.2 percent), independent contractors (12.9 percent), contract workers (3.0 percent), on-call (3.5 percent), and agency temps (1.3 percent). I’ve been in all of those categories. It’s not pretty.
As a contingent worker, you usually don’t have health insurance, sick days or paid holidays or vacation. (Sure, take Christmas Eve off. In fact, take the whole week off, since our offices will be closed. Just don’t expect a paycheck. Merry Christmas!) Continue reading
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The state’s monthly unemployment report was released December 17, showing another slight decline in unemployment. Here are some of the most important numbers: Continue reading
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Unless Congress acts, unemployment compensation benefits for many workers will end December 31. Government subsidies for COBRA health insurance extensions for unemployed workers will also end. Continue reading
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The census will hire 1,000 temporary workers in the Shakopee area, reports AP in the Pioneer Press and on MPR. Why is Shakopee such a key area? Continue reading
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Mary Turck
News Day 