Labor

GOP Frontrunner of the Week, Newt Gingrich, Advocates Return to Child Labor

November 22, 2011 by Left in Alabama

AFSME has some fun with Newt's "fire the janitors, let the kids clean up" spew.

Just when you think Republicans can't possibly find a worse anybody-but-Mitt-Romney candidate ... they do.

Can’t We Have An Honest Conversation About Unemployment? (Accountability)

November 18, 2011 by Kenneth

The answer seems to be “no.” Widespread reporting was issued today on the fact that Florida’s unemployment rate fell from 10.6 percent to 10.3 percent, the lowest number in 28 months. We knew the governor, the Chamber and other conservatives would spin this as an amazing feat of conservative policies and treat it like it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.

It isn’t. A closer look at the details show this isn’t good at all, particularly in context, and that the glowing media coverage of the number shows a basic misunderstanding of the numbers in question. Four key articles on the story are:

Ohio Voters Offer A Cautionary Tale for Gov. Susana Martinez About Workers’ Rights in New Mexico

November 16, 2011 by Democracy for N...

Tuesday, November 8^th, voters in Ohio issued a definitive statement to their union-busting Governor, John Kasich (R) that should cause New Mexico’s own Governor Susana Martinez (R) to think twice about her plans to eliminate workers’ basic rights in our state. 

After muscling through a law that stripped Ohio public sector unions of collective bargaining rights earlier this year, Gov. Kasich saw voters overwhelmingly reject his vision for eliminating workers’ voices, as Ohio voters on Tuesday repealed a law that severely limited collective bargaining by a 61% to 39% margin.  From a policy perspective, Tuesday’s results are a victory for sensible legislation that doesn’t seek to use fiscal crises as an excuse for stripping workers’ rights.  From a political perspective, Tuesday’s results are a resounding defeat for Gov. Kasich, as well as a cautionary tale for other politicians pursuing extreme, anti-worker agendas – like New Mexico’s own Gov. Martinez.