Quote of the Day -- On Fair, Living Wages

Vote No On Prop A August 7

What "Right to Work" legislation gets people.

No on Prop A Moved to Aug 7th 

Missouri Jobs With Justice

Links:

“Right-to-Work” States Still Have Lower Wages 

Wages Are Lower in States With These Laws

New Study Confirms that Right-To-Work Laws 

Are Associated with Significantly Lower Wages

So-called “right-to-work” is an assault on wages

Surprising, If Disappointing, Continuity From 1912 To Today

We think we've made vast, huge leaps of progress in workers rights and pay and all kinds of things in the workplace and on a lot, we certainly have, sure. But check out this list of things called for in 1912 for workers.  We are still, more than 100 years later, working for far too many of these, not least of which is a "living wage", rather famously right now.

I'm a "Progressive" and this is what we stand for (from a 1912 document)

-Effective legislation looking to the prevention of industrial accidents, occupational diseases, overwork, involuntary unemployment, and other injurious effects incident to modern industry;

-The fixing of minimum safety and health standards for the various occupations, and the exercise of the public authority of State and Nation, including the Federal Control over interstate commerce, and the taxing power, to maintain such standards;

-The prohibition of child labor;

-Minimum wage standards for working women, to provide a “living wage” in all industrial occupations;

-The general prohibition of night work for women and the establishment of an eight hour day for women and young persons;

-One day’s rest in seven for all wage workers;  (okay, let's make this two out of the seven, mkay?)

-The eight hour day in continuous twenty-four hour industries;

-The abolition of the convict contract labor system;

-Standards of compensation for death by industrial accident and injury and trade disease which will transfer the burden of lost earnings from the families of working people to the industry, and thus to the community;

-The protection of home life against the hazards of sickness, irregular employment and old age through the adoption of a system of social insurance adapted to American use;

-The development of the creative labor power of America by lifting the last load of illiteracy from American youth and establishing continuation schools for industrial education under public control and encouraging agricultural education and demonstration in rural schools;

-We favor the organization of the workers, men and women, as a means of protecting their interests and of promoting their progress

The American Worker Doesn't Know What He Doesn't Have---But Could

Wil Wheaton:

I was at work today for Labour Day and on TV was Good Morning America. The theme was celebrating the American worker and their accomplishments. I’ll tell you how it went down.

Kelly put on her glasses, smile wide, and pulled out a piece of paper which she read from. The paper was from an article (which I have issues with, but I will leave alone for now) by ABC news. Kelly proceeded only to read the opening of it, which reads: ‘Americans work more than anyone in the industrialized world. More than the English, more than the French, way more than the Germans or Norwegians. Even, recently, more than the Japanese. And Americans take less vacation, work longer days, and retire later, too.’

And everyone cheered.

And they kept cheering when Kelly put her paper down and smiled at everyone. (not continuing with the rest of the article which suggests that this may in fact be a problem).

And I just couldn’t BELIEVE that anyone was cheering. America. AMERICA you work more than the French, who are entitled by law to have 5 weeks off a year for vacation and can not work more than 35 hours per week. You work more than Norway, who average 33 hours per week and 44,000 dollars a year. Germany, where AGAIN, we see a shorter work week and better pay! And all of these countries have health care and better pay and free/affordable education!

WHY ARE YOU CHEERING?

I have a different interpretation of this information: the American worker is the most taken advantage of worker in the industrialized world. It’s plain and simple. You work long hours and get horrible pay. You take multiple jobs and work and work and work just to get by. Unions are disappearing, jobs are always looking for part timers and all you are doing is giving up your time for less money, less vacation, less safety and stability and less education than anyone else on the list.

Celebrate Labour day. Celebrate the accomplishments of the common worker, but don’t let these people trick you into thinking you should celebrate the theft of your time and energy, or the fruits of your labour.

They are using you. Stop cheering.

(via wilwheaton)

Really, When Did This Happen?

And why did we let it happen?