9to5 at Southern Labor Union Meeting

The newly elected officers of the national AFL-CIO stopped in Atlanta this past Monday to meet with union members and labor community leaders (9to5 included!) for a discussion on the foreclosure crisis in the South. Although this was the first union meeting I had ever attended, the few expectations I had of what it might be like were met almost immediately. The walls were covered with colorful political rallying posters for the Employee Free Choice Act (for more info about this important legislation, click here).

There was speech-making and hand-shaking by politicians running for office in the impending city elections. Almost every speaker ended at a fevered-pitch, shouting over the cheers of what was a surprisingly vocal crowd for 8am in the morning.

Several of the speakers decried the predatory lending schemes that have targeted low-income minorities with loans doomed for foreclosure. A single mother and a woman in retirement, both of whom had lost their homes after being led into risky loans, went to the podium to tell their stories. There were even plans to head down the Wachovia Bank headquarters to call for a moratorium on foreclosures which was ultimately canceled due to the louder demands of the Georgia weather.

If you’re interested in learning more about how the discriminatory targeting practices of lenders have affected low-income and minority workers in the foreclosure crisis, read this article by Barbara Ehrenreich in the New York Times called “The Recessions Racial Divide.” Take a closer look at the the banner that was made to take to the Wachovia headquarters.

Share the Health

Last Thursday Atlanta 9to5 members, staff and interns headed to the health care rally at the Georgia state capitol building to stand with Americans across the country in favor of health care coverage for all. There was lots of chanting and cheering among the crowd of over 700 supporters (What do we want? HEALTH CARE! When do we want it? NOW!) as well as some very creative poster messaging (Share the Health! and Can I trade in Chambliss and Isakson in for Clunkers and Collect $4,500? were our favorites). Two 9to5 chapter Board members Gloria Smith and Claudia Lewis were also at the rally showing their support and wearing 9to5 T-shirts. As the President speaks to Congress this evening about passing health care legislation, 9to5 members need to remind their Congressional Representatives and Senators that affordable health coverage is an essential need for working women and their families.

Check out these photos of 9to5 at the rally and some of the more creative posters we saw.

Federal Minimum Wage increases to $7.25/hour

The federal minimum wage will increase today, raising wages of the lowest paid workers from $6.55/hour to $7.25/hour and providing a real boost to working families and the economy. Workers who benefit from the increase will spend it in their local communities on much needed items like milk, diapers and clothes for their children.

Marilynn Winn is a temp worker in Atlanta earning $6.75/hour at an auto auction. “Increasing the minimum wage will help me and everyone in my community,” she says. “I help my 77 year old mother and 18 year old grandson when I can. Sometimes my mother calls asking for help to buy food and I have to say, 'I can’t this week.'”

Such basic needs might not sound like the elements of an economic recovery package. But according to the Economic Policy Institute, this $24 per week increase for full-time minimum wage workers will generate $5.5 billion in consumer spending over the next year - providing a helping hand to the sagging economy. Though Congress could not foresee our current economic troubles when a series of three wage increases were enacted in 2007, this minimum wage increase could not come at a better time – for low-wage, working families and for the country as a whole.

When President Franklin Roosevelt first proposed the first federal minimum wage law in 1937, he noted that "The increase in national purchasing power (is) an underlying necessity of the day.”

Thirty-one states will be affected by the minimum wage increase, including Georgia and Wisconsin where 9to5 has worked in coalition with business, labor, faith, nonprofit and civil rights organizations to ensure that working families receive what Roosevelt called a “fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” Other states where 9to5 has launched campaigns, including Colorado and California, have a minimum wage above $7.25.

Recent economic studies document that states where the minimum wage was raised had better employment and small business growth than states that did not. A letter signed by 650 leading economists, in support of raising the minimum wage, noted “most of the beneficiaries are adults, most are female and the vast majority (come from) low-income working families.” Disputing claims that these increases threaten job growth, they state, “The increase… would not have the adverse effects that critics have claimed.”

While the federal minimum wage increase will go into effect at a time when working families are struggling mightily to make ends meet, the American worker, particularly low-wage workers, need and deserve more: guaranteed paid sick days, more affordable child care for working parents and time off to be involved in their children’s school activities.

As we celebrate this minimum wage increase and all that it promises, let’s continue to move toward family-friendly workplace legislation so that the workplace works for all of us.

- Statement of Cindia Cameron
Organizing Director, 9to5 National Association of Working Women
Co-Chair, Georgia Minimum Wage Coalition


ALSO: Check out Michael Kanell's article about the minimum wage hike in today's AJC... two 9to5 members were quoted!

This 4th of July, Support the Healthy Families Act!

For most Americans, the Fourth of July is a day for fireworks, concerts, parades and all manner of patriotic displays. It’s as American as barbeque ribs and apple pie, reminding us of freedom, justice, community, hard work and family values; the shared ideals that define us as a nation.

We don’t need a holiday or special celebration to honor working families. But we all occasionally need time off from work to share the responsibility for our family’s health. Still, the Fourth of July is a perfect time to contact our leaders in Congress and ask that they celebrate our national values of family and work by supporting the Healthy Families Act (HFA).

On May 18, Rep Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Healthy Families Act to the 111th Congress. HFA is designed to allow Americans to earn paid sick time so that they can take care of their own and their family’s health needs. Care-giving responsibilities can be one of the biggest hurdles working families face in their quest to realize the American dream of economic self-sufficiency. But nearly 60 million American workers lack a single paid sick day in which to care for themselves when occasional illness strikes. Nearly 100 million lack a paid sick day to care for an ill child.

For these Americans, the lack of this basic labor standard presents unconscionable choices: whether to go to stay home and get better or go to work to keep from losing a job. On this Fourth of July holiday – and beyond -- there is lots of work to do to make work, well, work. Click here to learn more about the Healthy Families Act. Share the information with your family, friends, co-workers, community members. Urge them to take action today by contacting their members of Congress to insure that they support the Healthy Families Act.

While we’re waving our flag this July 4th, let’s really honor all Americans by moving toward passage of the Healthy Families Act.

REPORT: Race and the Recession

The Applied Research Center recently released a report titled "Race and the Recession: How Inequity Rigged the Economy and how to Change the Rules." This report details the stories of people of color who are disproportionately affected by the recession. It uncovers root causes of long-term racial inequities that fed into the economic crisis. It proposes structural solutions to change a system that threatens future generations.

You can look at a synopsis of the report and watch a video of personal stories here.

The report finds that: "People of color have been relegated to precarious, low-wage work - or no work - at disproportionate rates. Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian communities face barriers in employment, including discrimination in hiring and promotions, unfair criminal background checks and the lack of protections for immigrant workers. As a result, communities of color on the whole, relative to whites, face higher rates of poverty, are less likely to have healthcare and consistently face recessionary levels of unemployment and underemployment."

Be sure to check out the Action Steps listed on the ARC's website and make sure your voice is heard!

Who is Sonia Sotomayor?

Today, President Obama announced his nominee for the Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor. Of Puerto Rican descent, she was raised in a housing project in the South Bronx before going to college at Princeton and to law school at Yale. Her father died when she was nine years old and her mom worked full-time as a nurse, while raising her two children.

I don't know about you, but I'm really excited about this nomination for a few reasons: First, between Michelle and Barack Obama, Kathleen Sebelius, and Sonia Sotomayor, working moms -- or people raised by single, working moms -- are in positions of power in never before seen numbers! Secondly, for the past three years, there's only been one woman (one woman!) serving on the Supreme Court. And, if confirmed, Sotomayor will be only the third (the third!) woman to serve on the Supreme Court. And, third, Sotomayor will be the first Latina (the first!) to serve on the Court in United States history.

The National Women's Law Center released a statement after Sotomayor's nomination, detailing the importance of this nomination for women everywhere. Check it out here.

Later this summer, the US Senate will be voting on whether or not to confirm Sotomayor as a Supreme Court Justice. When that time comes, check back here for information about contacting your Senators. Remember, your opinion counts!!

We're in the News -- Please Take Action!

The editorial in today's Atlanta Journal Constitution was written by none other than 9to5's executive director, Linda Meric!

Stay home sick? Not an option for many workers

In light of the outbreak of swine flu virus in Mexico — and the 3,352 confirmed cases, so far, in the United States — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that “to stay healthy” people should cover their mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, wash their hands more often and avoid touching their eyes, mouth or nose.

The CDC also recommends that if you feel sick, you should stay home from work, limiting contact with others to keep from infecting them.

It’s that final recommendation that might prove the fatal flaw in health education efforts designed to avoid a swine flu pandemic in the United States.

Many American workers who feel ill can’t stay home from work.

They must go to work anyway because so many — 57 million workers to be precise — don’t have a single paid sick day.

Especially in this dismal economy, most workers cannot afford to help protect the public health by staying home when they are sick because doing so might mean that they lose a day’s pay, or even worse, their jobs.

Low-wage workers are the least likely workers to have jobs that allow them to earn paid sick days.

What does this mean for an America in fear of a pandemic flu virus?

It means restaurants, child care centers, nursing homes, hotels, public transit systems, schools and offices across the country could potentially be full of infected workers, who should be home in bed or at the doctor’s getting treatment, but will be on the job instead.

It means that instead of containing and minimizing public health risks, we’ll be maximizing them. It means many sick workers could be making other workers — and the public — sick.

Coming to work sick doesn’t help employers either. Workers who must report to work when they are ill are less productive. They don’t save money for business; they add to the costs of doing business.

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that has no state or federal law requiring paid sick days. As a result, half the work force has none.

In addition, 100 million workers lack a single paid sick day they can use to care for an ill child, spouse or parent. Not only do we lack a federal sick leave policy, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Milwaukee are the only cities that require employers to provide paid sick days for all workers.

Most Americans, though, believe paid sick days should be a basic right guaranteed by law.

Public opinion polls show that a majority consistently list paid sick days as “very important.”

Allowing workers to take short breaks from their jobs when their health, or the health of their families, demands it made sense to nearly 90 percent of people polled in 2007.

This basic labor standard is feasible, affordable and is good public and workplace policy.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) are expected to reintroduce the Healthy Families Act in Congress this month.

It would allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days a year to care for themselves or their families.

Women’s, labor, education, community and other organizations all support this proposal.

Maybe this swine flu scare, along with the voices of the American people, will move our Congress to action.

To fight the spread of disease and ensure the public health, a basic labor standard for paid sick days is the remedy.

See the original article online here.


We're really excited about this local publicity around a nationwide Paid Sick Days campaign, but now we need YOU to take action! We'd love it if you could write a letter to the editor, expressing support for paid sick days as a basic labor standard. You can send an email to the AJC editorial board here.

Note: If you're interested in writing, but unsure of what to say, check out the National Partnership for Women & Families Support Paid Sick Days page.

Prevent a Swine Flu Pandemic by Supporting Paid Sick Days Nationwide!

Hello, Atlanta 9to5 members!

I'm writing this from Washington DC (if I turned around, I could literally see the Capitol building out the hotel window!), where nearly 50 members and staff of 9to5 have come together for our 2009 Annual Leadership Conference. Tomorrow, we'll be going to Capitol Hill to meet with our Senators and Representatives, asking them to support family-friendly workplace policies, like the Healthy Families Act.

The Healthy Families Act, which would give workers nationwide seven paid sick days each year, has always been an important bill. But now, with our nation facing a potentially pandemic flu, we are in a unique position to ask our legislators to support this bill. President Obama, hoping to stop the spread of the swine flu, has been joined by governors and mayors across the country urging parents to keep their kids out of school if they become ill, and to stay home from work if they themselves feel sick. However, without paid sick days, many working moms and dads cannot afford to take time off work to care for their sick children or to stay in bed for a day or two while they regain their own health.

Even if you are not in Washington with us, you can still let your Congressmen and women know that you support the Healthy Families Act! Read 9to5's press release on the Swine Flu and the Healthy Families Act here. Then, send a letter to your US Representative, asking that he or she co-sponsor the Healthy Families Act. That letter can be found online here.

Thanks for taking action, and I'll see you back in Atlanta next week!

In the News, part two

I don't have a computer or internet access at home, so every morning I get to work about a half hour early so I can have time to check my email & read up on the news before I start the day. Normally I watch "Meet the Press" or buy a $1 copy of the AJC on Sunday mornings & catch up on the weekend's news that way, but since yesterday was Easter, I was really out of touch with what's been going on by the time I got to work this morning. In addition to learning how to standoff with the pirates off the coast of Somalia ended (one word: Whoa!), there were two articles that pertained to 9to5 that drew my attention...

The second was from AJC.com, about an increase in discrimination lawsuits as more and more workers are laid off during the recession.

Read the article here.

I don't have too many comments on this article... Instead, I just found it interesting that the number of discrimination claims and lawsuits has jumped so much in recent months. I operate the 9to5 Job Survival Helpline (1-800-522-0925) and I get a lot of questions about discrimination -- pregnancy discrimination, age discrimination, gender discrimination, among others. Women call me with questions about what's illegal (and what's not -- for instance, it's not illegal for a company to refuse to hire someone because they know that person is homeless!) and what their rights are if they have been discriminated against.

And just remember: Make sure you know your rights BEFORE you're discriminated against, so you can take necessary action against any discrimination that you experience. Any questions? Don't hesitate to call the Helpline.

In the News, part one

I don't have a computer or internet access at home, so every morning I get to work about a half hour early so I can have time to check my email & read up on the news before I start the day. Normally I watch "Meet the Press" or buy a $1 copy of the AJC on Sunday mornings & catch up on the weekend's news that way, but since yesterday was Easter, I was really out of touch with what's been going on by the time I got to work this morning. In addition to learning how to standoff with the pirates off the coast of Somalia ended (one word: Whoa!), there were two articles that pertained to 9to5 that drew my attention...


The first was on the New York Times website: a debate about how older workers are faring in the current economy. Men and women working for a variety of organizations, in varying fields, and with perspectives and opinions across the spectrum weighed in on issues such as age discrimination, healthcare coverage, and equal pay. Time and time again, as I was reading the article, I thought, "that's wrong!" or "but that's unfair!" or "that's illegal!" I was disappointed by the absence of an opinion that defended older workers and that supports legislation currently in place to protect them from discrimination in the workplace.

Want to read the article? It's available online here.

And so, I think this would be a good time to have a discussion about the rights of older workers.


In the article, Alicia Munnell, a professor at Boston College, says: "If we had data on quit rates — which we don’t — I bet the rate for older workers has dropped sharply. And long tenure and anti-discrimination laws make it hard to fire older workers. But older workers without jobs are a different story. No law can really prevent the 'not hiring' of older workers."

Not true. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects workers over the age of 40 from being discriminated against in any employment decisions. This means that older workers cannot be fired because of their age, but the ADEA also prohibits age discrimination in hiring, promotion, wages, and health care coverage, among many other things. So, anti-discrimination laws protect older workers from being fired because of their age, but it also protects them from not being hired in the first place because of their age.


Then, Laurence Kotlikoff goes so far as to suggest that "employers should simply pay you less with age." He thinks we should "modify the Age Discrimination Act by establishing a national age-productivity reference profile that employers can use to defend pay cuts they feel they need to impose on their older workers..."

Seriously?! This proposed "national age-productivity reference profile" completely defeats the purpose of the ADEA. It's a sadly common misconception that as a worker ages, they become less productive. This is untrue -- and an idea like Kotlikoff's simply adds fuel to this fire. Not to mention, it encourages unfair profiling. Older Americans have a right to work -- and to earn a fair wage -- just as much as younger members of the workforce.


So, what do you think?

Are you an older worker? If so, have you experienced discrimination in hiring or wages or firing... or in any other way? Have you heard people express opinions like the ones above? How do you respond? I'm curious. Let's continue the discussion the New York Times started...

Take Action for the Employee Free Choice Act!

About the Employee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will make it easier for men & women to join unions in their workplaces. How?

• EFCA will protect workers' rights by strengthening penalties against employers who fire or retaliate against workers during an organizing campaign or an effort to obtain a first contract.
• EFCA will also allow the employer or the employees to request mediation if they are not able to negotiate a first contract, helping them to settle on a contract in a reasonable amount of time.
• EFCA will allow workers to form a union if the majority of employees (50% plus one) sign union authorization cards. (Currently 100% of workers must sign on for the union to be recognized.)
  

Where is the bill now?
On March 10th, EFCA was introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-California). The bill has widespread support in both houses of Congress and in the White House, but still needs our support to get passed.



What can YOU do?
First, educate yourself about the issue. Visit the American Rights at Work and the AFL-CIO websites to find more information about EFCA.

Then, contact Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, urging them to support EFCA. Find contact information for Chambliss here and for Isakson here. Or, if you'd rather send a pre-written email, ARAW provides one here. Unsure of what to say? Check out the AFL-CIO's key facts about EFCA.

Spread the word! Make sure your friends know you support this bill and encourage them to contact their senators, too. Click on the envelope (with an arrow on it) at the bottom of this post to send this blog post to your friends.



PS: Did you contact your senators? Did they reply? Please let 9to5 know what they're saying, either by posting a comment below or by emailing us at activist@9to5.org. Thanks!

Ask the President...

Have you ever wished that the president would answer your personal questions at a press conference? Through the "Ask the President" project, he just might!

On the project's website, you can upload a video of your question or type it out (on the "submit an entry" page). Then, people who view the site can vote on their favorite questions. One of the most popular questions will be asked at every press conference the president holds! So, if you'd like to ask President Obama a question, make sure to send an email to all of your friends to vote for it, then wait to see if it gets answered.

The "Ask the President" Project is sponsored by the Nation, the Washington Times, and the Personal Democracy Forum.

Click the link below to get started.


What are you waiting for? Ask the President your questions!

And let us know if we need to vote for your submissions online!

Celebrate Women's History Month!

In the United States, March is Women's History Month. This month, Americans celebrate women, everything we've accomplished, and the work we still have to do. This wasn't just an excuse for the Atlanta 9to5 office to be closed last week in honor of International Women's Day... at events nationwide, women are being honored, celebrated, and acknowledged for their good works!


In honor of this month, President Obama last week created a White House Panel on Women and Girls. This panel will work with every cabinet agency and department of the government to ensure that women have access to the same opportunities as men. In his official statements about the panel's creation, President Obama made several references to the many working women who have touched his life -- his grandmother, his mother, and his wife, Michelle -- as well as his desire to make the world a better place for working women before his daughters, Malia and Sasha, enter the workforce. President Obama's personal advisor, Valerie Jarrett (who is herself a single mother), will head the White House Panel on Women and Girls.

The San Francisco Chronicle had a great article about the White House Council on Women and Girls. Read it here.

• How do you feel about President Obama's actions?

• What do you hope this council will accomplish?

• What further action steps do you think he should take to protect the interests of women and girls?

Watch the Georgia Job/Family Collaborative & the Georgia Minimum Wage Coalition on Lawmakers!

Twice during the month of February, 9to5's coalition work was featured on Georgia Public Broadcasting's "Lawmakers" program.


View the episodes here:

February 10, 2009: National Association of Social Workers (NASW) student lobby day

February 26, 2009: Job/Family Collaborative seniors & kids press conference @ the capitol


To tune in:Simply click on the word "watch" at the top of the screen, allow the entire program to load, and fast forward to the correct time: for the NASW lobby day, coverage starts at 26:33 and for the seniors & kids press conference, coverage begins at 22:40.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for more media coverage in the future!

Take Action!

The rumors are true: Sonny Perdue is thinking about following the lead of many other southern governors by turning down some of the stimulus money offered to Georgia.

Perdue's reasoning is that certain provisions - specifically, an expansion of unemployment insurance (UI) - will lead to higher taxes in Georgia in the long run.

In order to receive the funding allocated for unemployment insurance, Georgia must make two reforms to its current UI program: UI benefits must be expanded to cover part-time workers and those who are in extended training programs.

Many states already made these reforms to their UI programs years ago, and now is a great time for Georgia to catch up! With our state's unemployment rate at record highs, why is Sonny Perdue refusing to reform the current system?

Many other southern governors, including Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mark Sanford of South Carolina, have already rejected this funding for unemployment insurance. But, Perdue hasn't made up his mind yet!

NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION! Contact Sonny Perdue's office and let him know you favor accepting all stimulus money offered to Georgia and an expansion of unemployment insurance benefits!

To reach the governor...
by phone: 404-656-1776
by fax: 404-656-5947
by email: fill out this web form
in person: State Capitol, room 203


MAKE SURE SONNY PERDUE HEARS YOUR VOICE!



For more information, please visit the following websites:
Franklin Wants Perdue to Take Stimulus Money - AJC.com
Georgia Unemployment Reaches Record High - AJC.com
Perdue, Labor Commissioner Debate Taking Stimulus Money - AJC.com
Take the Money and Update the Rules - NELP.org
Unemployment Insurance Links - NELP.org
Unemployment Insurance Reform - Women's Policy Group

Today at noon, students and seniors from across the state came together on the North Steps of the capitol building in support of the Parent Protection Act. We held a press conference, where 2 students from A. Philip Randolph Elementary (where the idea for the bill originated) and a senior citizen affiliated with the Georgia Council on Aging spoke about why they support the passage of the Parent Protection Act (HB 37). There was a news crew there from the "Lawmakers" program on Georgia Public Broadcasting, so check it out tonight at 7pm on channel 8!

Stay tuned to the blog next week... I'll post videos from today's press conference, as well as from the 2/13 minimum wage press conference and a presentation to Masters of Social Work students, that was also featured on "Lawmakers" last month!

How do you feel about the new stimulus plan??

Our U.S. Congress is working on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The House has already passed the stimulus plan and the Senate will soon be voting. If passed, some of the money will come to the state of Georgia, to some of our cities and also some school districts.

Locally, ten cities in Georgia have requested almost 3 billion dollars from the plan, including Atlanta, Alpharetta, Marietta, Acworth, and Athens. Proposed projects would put money into repairing old infrastructure and building new that could possibly add 30,000-40,000 jobs in Atlanta region alone. Also a priority to Atlanta is public safety, including hiring more police officers. Mayor Shirley Franklin states that “this is important to the city, to the state and important to the national economy.”

Meanwhile, Rep. John Lewis, who supports the stimulus plan, states on his website that the bill offers tax cuts to 95% of Americans and that the funds will go to increasing Pell grants, infrastructure, lowered healthcare costs thru technology upgrade as well as many other programs. His website shows as much as $8 billion as being requested to aid in projects such as Head Start; employment training for adults, youth and dislocated workers; Low-Income Home Energy Assistance; elderly services; the Food Stamps Program; and Medicaid.

Critics, however, look at this as increased government spending and increasing to our debt, rather than helping it. They urge for continued stimulus to the private sector rather than government programs. Adding to public criticism is the failure to pay taxes by several of President Obama’s administration choices including Tom Daschle.

Meanwhile, the news reports today that employers have slashed another 598,000 jobs in January - pushing the unemployment rate up to 7.6 percent!! According to CNNMoney, the latest job loss is the worst since December 1974, and brings job losses to 1.8 million in just the last three months. Economists project continued losses and economic downturn in 2009.
President Obama has said that the American people called for change in November and “that's what we're going to deliver”. How do you feel about the new stimulus package? Do you support it or oppose it? Have you contacted your legislators about your views? Share with us, but also don’t forget to share with your US Senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, as well as your district House and Senate reps. You can find how to contact them at www.votesmart.org.