The Chamber supports job retention and job growth.  In the midst of a recession, neither Congress nor the incoming administration should enact new laws or promulgate new regulations which increase the cost of employment.  Increasing the cost of employment in a recession will cause further job loss, including but not limited to driving jobs out of the country.  Our nation's human resource, labor and employment laws should help employers to become more competitive internationally, instead of raising barriers to domestic job creation.  Very real quality of life, "main street" issues for struggling families hang in the balance as Congress and the administration decide whether to undertake actions which would effectively regulate and legislate their jobs out of existence.  Our members have been crystal clear on this subject.  Jobs will be lost if Congress or the administration increase the cost of employment during this recession.

Equal Pay Act

The Equal Pay Act makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of sex, in the payment of wages for equal work on jobs that require equal skill, effort and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions.  In essence, the Equal Pay Act requires employers to pay comparable wages to male and female employees who are employed in the same position.  The Act makes specific exceptions for wage differentials which are based upon:  (i) a seniority system; (ii) a merit system; (iii) a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or (iv) a differential based on any factor other than sex.

Despite the protections provided in the Equal Pay Act, Congress has proposed the Paycheck Fairness Act. 

The Paycheck Fairness Act would, among other things, make it easier to file large class action lawsuits, expand remedies under the Equal Pay Act to include unlimited punitive and compensatory damages and limit an employer's ability to justify legitimate pay differences, in effect, putting courts in the position of second-guessing employer pay decisions. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act already provides adequate remedies for sex discrimination in employment, including any claim that equal pay is being denied based on sex. But proponents support the bill based on the "pay gap"---which assumes that any gap in pay must be due to unlawful discrimination. This assumption is being used to justify radical rewrites of pay equity laws and put expansive regulation in place. The only parties that benefit from this are the trial lawyers.

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce opposes any legislation that will place unnecessary burdens and expenses on employers during this time of recession.  Employees are already fully protected by the Equal Pay Act and Title VII.  Expanding the Equal Pay Act at this time will only increase unnecessary litigation, which will result in the loss of more jobs. 

Family and Medical Leave Act and Paid Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) was intended to provide leave for a "serious medical condition" of an employee or immediate family member, birth of a child and bonding.  In 2008 the Department of Labor implemented new regulations which are effective January 16, 2009.  The long-term effects of these new regulations are yet to be determined.  Despite the burdens already placed on employers, each year new legislation is proposed that would expand the FMLA’s leave entitlements.

Last session Congress introduced the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act, which is still pending before Congress.  The Act would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow employees to take, as additional leave, parental involvement leave to participate in or attend their children's and grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities and to clarify that leave may be taken for routine family medical needs and to assist elderly relatives, and for other purposes.  Congress should not force employers to provide employees with leave to attend extracurricular activities.  This legislation goes too far.  The precedent that this type of legislation would set would have damaging long term affects on the autonomy of employers to run their businesses.  

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce supports:

Legislation and/or regulatory reform that will revise and clarify the FMLA to ease the burdens created by the implementing regulations. We oppose expansion of the FMLA to provide leave for purposes not currently covered, and oppose expanded application of the FMLA to smaller employers.

Employee Free Choice Act - Union Certification

Under current law, if a group of employees wish to have a union represent them, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administers an election in the workplace, during which employees vote via secret ballot. The election process occurs without the presence of any supervisors or managerial representatives of the employer, and no campaigning of any kind is allowed in the voting area. The question of union representation is then determined by majority rule, based on the number of votes cast.

In recent years, there have been proposals to make changes to the NLRB’s practice of holding a secret ballot election. These proposed changes, termed the “Employee Free Choice Act,” would first, allow employees to form a union by collecting signed union authorization cards or petitions. Second, the Employee Free Choice Act would require employers and newly certified unions to enter binding arbitration if they cannot reach an agreement on an initial contract after 90 days of negotiations.  Neither the employer nor employee could appeal the arbitrator’s ruling, and the contract would last for two years.  Third, the Employee Free Choice Act would dramatically increase the penalties for unfair labor practices committed by employers, but not unions, during an organization drive.

Proponents of the Bill contend that the Act would protect workers' freedom to freely choose to join a union. However, workers' best defense against harassment and intimidation by either a union or an employer is a secret-ballot election in which neither knows how any individual worker voted.

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce opposes:

Legislation that would eliminate the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) secret ballot election process. The Employee Free Choice Act would strip workers and employers of their fundamental rights and leave them more vulnerable to pressure than before.  Congress should protect the privacy of American workers and guarantee their right to vote in an election before joining a union.  Congress should also guarantee every worker the opportunity to hear arguments from both sides and time to reflect before voting.  The NLRB secret ballot process is time tested and is the only way to ensure that most fundamental American right. 

Employment Verification: E-Verify  

The past 110^th Congress brought with it a hope of comprehensive reform of our nation’s immigration laws, as there was strong bi-partisan support of Congressional leaders.  Although efforts to enact immigration reform collapsed in the summer of 2007, Congress did consider legislation aimed at improving the voluntary electronic employment verification system known as E-Verify.

Currently, employers may voluntarily elect to participate in the E-Verify system. Participants in E-Verify confirm employment authorization of new hires through Social Security and Homeland Defense databases. Currently only 85,000 employers (out of 7,000,000 U.S. employers, or 1.2 percent) participate. The program supporting E-Verify was set to expire in November 2008, but has been temporarily extended until May 21, 2009.

The Northern Kentucky Chamber supports:

Providing employers a reliable method to confirm worker eligibility. A fully-electronic system, using biometric measures to prevent identity theft, such as the proposed New Employee Verification Act, would provide employers with the tools they need to keep unauthorized workers off their payrolls.

Highly-Skilled Worker Shortages

Congressional proposals have been introduced, but not enacted, to address the shortage of highly-skilled labor. Some of the proposals included permanent employment-based visa reform, expanding the H-1B visa exemption for foreign nationals who have earned an advanced degree from a U.S. college or university; exempting from the employment-based visa cap foreign nationals holding an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; as well as efforts to place additional requirements on U.S. employers using the employment-based visa categories.

The Northern Kentucky Chamber supports:

Expansion of H-1B visas for foreign nationals, especially those who have earned advanced degrees in the U.S. Increased intellectual human capital should be viewed as a valuable asset, not a liability.  

National Right-to-Work

Under current law, an employee must join a union if a union is certified at a place of employment (closed shop) unless the state in which the employee works has enacted a "right to work" law.  Congress has pre-empted the field of union/labor relations to provide uniformity throughout the states, yet left "right to work" up to each state.

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce supports:  

The Northern Kentucky Chamber encourages Congress to enact a national right-to-work law so that no employee should be required to join a union against his or her will, regardless of the state in which they work. 

Mar 10, 2010 Another top cop quits in turmoil (Times Union) Charles Day, the head of Paterson's security detail, to contact Booker just after the incident occurred.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Powerful ILWU gives nod to mayor (The Honolulu Advertiser) A governor who will work with the Neighbor Island mayors and the mayor of Honolulu. "A governor who can bring Democrats, as well as Republicans and independents, to the table. Daniel Akaka have endorsed Hanabusa over former U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat, and Honolulu Councilman Charles Djou, a...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 More turnover in leadership of New York State Police (The Boston Globe) ...obstacle to progress of the New York State Police, an agency I love,'' Perez wrote to the governor.Thomas Mungeer - president of the union that represents uniformed troopers, including those in the governor's security detail - had said they needed fresh leadership. Perez was Corbitt's...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 BRIEF (The Honolulu Advertiser) The International Longshore and Warehouse Union today endorsed Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the Democratic primary for governor. Isaac Fiesta Jr., the union's president, described it as a difficult decision given that Hannemann's rival is former congressman Neil Abercrombie, a liberal with a...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 American executive says market will dictate wages, benefits (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Each of those is in various stages but each of those are in mediation which is normal in the labor negotiation process. If you look back at the history of labor agreements in the industry, it takes two to three years to get a contract.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Berks bucks gender gap in wages (Reading Eagle) In the fi re department, we have no women. There is no diff erence in salaries for males and females.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Bennet Reinforces His Left Flank (Politico) Manu RajuFacing a fierce primary challenge from the left, Colorado Democratic Sen. A former superintendent of Denver public schools, Bennet entered Washington as a relative unknown, appointed by Gov. They point to initiatives that might not be popular with liberals.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 FedEx labor issue still knots FAA reauthorization bill (The Commercial Appeal) Bob Corker, R-Tenn., has on the measure of special interest to FedEx. (NYSE:FDX) Without using the word "hold," it appears Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., has also intervened. Air Transport Association spokesman David Castelveter, whose group represents airlines, said the NextGen navigation...    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 U.S. Chamber of Commerce grows into a political force (Los Angeles Times) The new grass-roots program, the brainchild of chamber political director Bill Miller, is concentrating on 22 states. The chamber is expected to substantially exceed that spending level in 2010. The chamber insists that those donors remain anonymous.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 U.S. Borax offers some concessions to union (The Bakersfield Californian) ...-- U.S. Borax has offered a labor union some concessions aimed at resolving a bitter labor dispute. About 560 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have been locked out of Rio Tinto Minerals' borax mine in the Mojave Desert since Jan. 31, the deadline the company imposed...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Details Near on Long-Awaited Election in Myanmar (New York Times) And the popular and charismatic leader of the country’s democracy movement, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is under house arrest and not due to be released until October at the earliest. The new constitution will take effect after the elections. Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, won...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Toyota workers raised safety concerns with bosses in 2006 memo (Los Angeles Times) Then, in the fall of 2006, six founding members drafted a memo warning Toyota about an impending disaster. We just told them what we saw." Hiroko Uchino's complaint with Toyota wasn't over its products. It was 4:30 a.m. and Kenichi Uchino had finished his assembly line shift hours earlier.    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Unions' support is no lock for Patrick (The Boston Globe) Many teachers are upset by elements of a sweeping education law that could result in firings at underperforming schools. But union members may have difficulty finding a more palatable alternative in the race. Patrick's principal challengers - Republicans Charles D. Baker Jr. and Christy Mihos and...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Toyota workers raised quality, safety concerns with bosses in 2006 memo (Los Angeles Times) Assembly line worker Wakatsuki has seen what he calls the deterioration in working conditions and product quality. We just told them what we saw." Hiroko Uchino's complaint with Toyota wasn't over its products. One of Toyota's most vocal critics is automobile consumer advocate Fumio Matsuda,...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Union leaders, widow, activist say Toyota's practices have long concerned them (Los Angeles Times) Then, in the fall of 2006, six founding members drafted a memo warning Toyota about an impending disaster. We just told them what we saw."Hiroko Uchino's complaint with Toyota wasn't over its products. It was 4:30 a.m. and Kenichi Uchino had finished his assembly line shift hours earlier.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Glover: Help Ohio plant, shun Hugo Boss at Oscars (Associated Press Online) Glover by signing an online petition urging Hollywood to shun Hugo Boss at the Oscars. Hugo Boss AG, based in Metzingen, Germany, said the plant is under capacity and isn't globally competitive. It makes two lines of men's suits there. During union negotiations last year, the company told workers...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 County's retiree benefits loom large (The Capital) Fulton would not comment on whether the county was renegotiating retiree health care as part of employee benefit packages, citing the confidentiality of the discussions.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 R.I. budget hole waiting to be filled (The Providence Journal) That's not the right way," Carcieri said in a brief interview late last week. "We're operating with fewer people than anybody can remember right now. Just to plug a number in there that's an across the board cut, I would not support that.    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Sacramento City Council races attract cash from outside town (The Sacramento Bee) All but two candidates collected more than half their donations from outside their districts. Campaign finance figures for 2009 were available for 13 candidates. Four more candidates since have jumped into the race for four seats, making this year's Sacramento City Council field the most packed...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 EDITORIAL: The patch for court ruling: Disclosure (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) With disclosure will come some measure of accountability. Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) is proposing legislation that would require companies to secure majority shareholder approval before disbursing money for elections and requires public disclosure. The key now is to require as much...    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Democratic activists channel anger into Arkansas Senate race (Washington Post) Perry Bacon Jr.Democratic activists flooding money into a primary challenge against Sen. It is also about rebuking a Democratic-controlled Congress that they say isn't pursuing an aggressive, populist agenda.After Arkansas Lt. Liberals blasted Lincoln with anti-Washington rhetoric that sounded...    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Boron on the brink (The Bakersfield Californian) They note that Edwards Air Force Base also provides nearby employment, as do a rocket testing facility and a solar plant outside of town. He added that he is unaware of any recent student fights related to the labor dispute. The school district is remaining neutral. Business owners feel it in...    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Democrats Need a Rally Monkey (New York Times) “When a party’s snakebit, it’s really snakebit,” said Charlie Cook, the independent political handicapper, who is predicting a thumpin’ for Democrats in November. Pushing the Employee Free Choice Act could rally labor. In the scenario best for the Democrats, the Tea Party peaked with Mr.    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Stop & Shop reaches deals with 5 NE labor unions (Associated Press Online) The unions say they won't strike unless workers reject the agreements. Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC had been negotiating with the locals since January.    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Glover: Help Ohio plant, shun Hugo Boss at Oscars (Associated Press Online) Glover by signing an online petition urging Hollywood to shun Hugo Boss at the Oscars. Hugo Boss AG, based in Metzingen, Germany, said the plant is under capacity and isn't globally competitive. It makes two lines of men's suits there. During union negotiations last year, the company told workers...    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Union labor at Plant Vogtle in negotiations (The Augusta Chronicle) ...labor agreement for construction work on Plant Vogtle," she said. "The project labor agreement is not final at this time; however, we are hopeful we will reach a mutually beneficial agreement in the near future." In October, Georgia's AFL-CIO circulated e-mails expressing fears that union...    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 BRIEF (Detroit Free Press) Alma Wheeler Smith, D-Salem Township, is labor-friendly but considered a long shot. Last fall, Kildee, a nephew of U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee, launched the Center for Community Progress, a think tank based in Flint and Washington, aimed at helping urban cities.    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Saving history (Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)) Other times it meant using a lighter touch. The gears needed the lighter touch. When the labor union learned the museum needed help, its members volunteered. Seven people spent Friday working to clear the building. They pulled containers full of yarn, a pallet of scrap material and a large scale.    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Carpet group, lawmakers meet (Chattanooga Times/Free Press) Services in Atlanta, joins TVA in Chattanooga as chief information officer. TVA Vice President Jacinda Woodward has been acting chief information officer since last fall.    more...  

Mar 6, 2010 Vincent L. Buondonno, 78, ex-police officer, labor leader (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Buondonno saw a bulletin that Camden police were hiring, he took it as a challenge and applied. Buondonno quickly rose through the ranks and became a captain in the mid-1970s. Buondonno and his childhood neighbor, Dolores DelBuono, started dating.    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Arkansas Senate primary could turn into major battle for Dems (The Hill) Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) also face early campaign tests. But their circumstances are different: Bennet was appointed to his seat and Specter switched parties.And Arkansas is expected to be one of the most hotly contested Senate races in the country. Mike Beebe (D), the...    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 In speech to AFL-CIO, Biden defends bailouts, jobs-creation agenda (The Hill) That’s where labor is going to lead.    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 EDITORIAL (The Sacramento Bee) Steinberg says the ruling should send the governor a "clear directive" to cut a labor agreement with the unions. It's a nice sound bite, but a pact will never happen if labor leaders are unmotivated to negotiate. Lawmakers have ways to apply pressure, if they choose. Under the Ralph Dills Act,...    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Ground breaking doesn't break the ice between NAACP and Pasadena Unified (Pasadena Star-News) Pasadena Unified has accepted offers from two firms that would facilitate local hiring. The San Gabriel Unified district board is drafting project labor agreements.    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Some House foes consider `yes' on health care (The Boston Globe) The Senate would then pass changes to the bill to satisfy some demands of House Democrats.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Vulnerable Ark. Dem faces Senate primary challenge (Associated Press Online) After Halter's announcement, the AFL-CIO's political committee voted to endorse him, according to a union official. Aside from Lincoln, the GOP also is going after Democratic incumbents in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Republicans would add New York to that vulnerable Democrat list if they...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Vice President Joe Biden tells groups of workers "we have come a long way" in a year (The Orlando Sentinel) ...union leaders said they wanted to hear about. "Jobs, jobs, jobs," said newly-elected AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, when asked what Biden needed to talk about to address concerns of this traditionally Democratic-friendly audience. And in introducing the vice president, Trumka put aside any...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Biden defends bailouts before labor leaders (Associated Press Online) That's where labor is going to lead. Too many people are in trouble in this country." Biden, who appeared with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Sen.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Lawsuit over labor delays Montco prison project (The Philadelphia Inquirer) None of the bidders met the price. The department was in negotiations in July with the lowest bidder, Keating Building Corp., a Philadelphia union contractor. The bid would be awarded to one contractor who would let out the rest of the bids as subcontracts.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 The Accidental Lieutenant (New York Times) Ravitch has practically perfected the role of Mr. Ravitch seldom speaks with the governor, and they hardly meet. Ravitch supported the state’s taking on more debt.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Pension bill may save jobs (The Columbus Dispatch) We're all feeling the pain," said John Agenbroad, executive officer/secretary treasurer of a chapter of the Graphics Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. But he and other union members are willing to go along with that compromise to maintain bipartisan backing...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Dillon to join governor's race: Speaker (Detroit Free Press) The poll, by EPIC-MRA, shows Dillon with 17% support among likely primary voters. Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. The proposal has been bogged down in the House. Dillon said he tried to bridge partisanship in Lansing but could be more successful as governor.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 Value of labor unions depends on reference point (The Buffalo News) In New York, 72.4 percent of the government workers at the local, state and federal level are union members.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 NFL labor battle puts stadium on backburner (San Gabriel Valley Tribune) Union leaders have said the league's new labor proposal amounts to an 18-percent pay cut.    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 EDITORIAL: STALLED AGENDA (Richmond Times-Dispatch) Virginia's Jim Webb and Mark Warner supported cloture. If their side had prevailed, Big Labor's right-hand man surely would have won confirmation to a panel with powers that could affect business-labor relations to business' great detriment. Both parties, however, have embraced unwritten rules...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Andy Dillon to formally launch gubernatorial candidacy (Detroit Free Press) The poll, by EPIC-MRA, shows Dillon with 22% support among likely primary voters. Also in the Democratic race are former Genesee County treasurer Dan Kildee, state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. The proposal has bogged down in the House. Dillon said...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Organized labor's agenda hits roadblock; what now? (Associated Press Online) Even slimmer are the chances of achieving labor's chief goal, passage of a bill making it easier for unions to organize workers. They were disappointed when Obama said he wouldn't do it anytime soon. "Enough is enough," Trumka said in an e-mail to labor activists.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Improve talk, or we'll walk (Tulsa World) ...items, including wages and benefits are unresolved. American's last wage proposal to the TWU also involves per-year lump sum cash payments: a total of 10 percent of a worker's wage over four years. Impatient over the pace and content of negotiations, TWU executives said last week they will...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 Andy Dillon to formally launch gubernatorial campaign (Detroit Free Press) The poll, by EPIC-MRA, shows Dillon with 22% support among likely primary voters. Also in the Democratic race are former Genesee County treasurer Dan Kildee, state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. The proposal has bogged down in the House. Dillon said...    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 American Airlines, labor unions may be near impasse (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) ...talks in January, both American and the flight attendants union traded comprehensive proposals. But with the sides still far apart on key issues, the federal mediator was expected to present a proposal to both parties during the talks that began Saturday. Under the Railway Labor Act, unions...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Veteran municipal lawyer fired in Milford (Connecticut Post) ...-- MILFORD -- Veteran Assistant City Attorney Cynthia Anger, a municipal employee for 23 years, has been "summarily" fired, friends said Friday. Lisa DiLullo, the aide to Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr., handed Anger two cardboard boxes at the end of the workday Wednesday and told her to gather...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Auditor candidate protests actions of elections board (The Ironton Tribune) Some motorists honked as they drove past. "We get a lot of that," Ater said, acknowledging the horn blasts. What prompted the protest Thursday afternoon? Ater is angry about the way in which the Lawrence County Republican Central Committee chose to select a new board of elections member last...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 3 city unions won't deal (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier) ...tax hike in next year's budget, Clark asked the unions to reopen the contracts and take a 1 percent pay raise July 1 and a 2 percent increase Jan. 1, 2011. The move, which would have covered nonunion staff, could have saved $229,000 and turned a projected 3.9 percent residential property tax...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Voices From the Crisis: Investigating Local Effects of Unemployment (New York Times) In this lesson, students consider the scope and personal impact of the unemployment crisis, as well as some ideas for combating joblessness. Ask: What kinds of jobs will the bill help create? Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights26.    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 'Living wage' could be factor in govt contracts (Associated Press Online) More than 100 other cities and counties have adopted similar mandates.    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Union calls for massive jobs bill (The Post and Courier) ...movement for jobs." She wants the jobs bill to extend unemployment benefits, increase federal aid to local governments and put some of the repaid bailout money into community banks so they can lend money to small businesses that create jobs. Baker wants the bill tied to investment in...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 In Pa. governor's race, predictable giving (The Philadelphia Inquirer) His top contributors were branches of the laborers union, which delivered $143,500. The union has benefited from development projects Onorato has pushed forward with public dollars in the Pittsburgh area. Candidates had to file their 2009 financial reports by Feb. 1. Wagner reported collecting...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Bank of America resistant to shareholder say on pay (Los Angeles Times) Other major banks have agreed to put one or more pay-related resolutions on their ballots. Legislation passed by the House last fall to overhaul the financial industry would mandate such a vote, known as a "say on pay," at financial firms. The company called the measure "false and misleading,"...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Philadelphia Daily News Paul Domowitch column: Paul Domowitch (Philadelphia Daily News) Depending on the tender offer a team makes to its restricted free agents, the compensation for signing a restricted player can be as high as a first- and third-round draft pick. Got it. Teams have until next Friday to tender offers to their restricted free agents. There are four different tender...    more...  

Feb 26, 2010 Mall's $100 million tax break fast-tracked (The State) S.C. voters also will elect a secretary of state in November.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 NFL's unrestricted free-agent market could be thin (The Philadelphia Daily News) Depending on the tender offer a team makes to its restricted free agents, the compensation for signing a restricted player can be as high as a first- and third-round draft pick. Got it.Teams have until next Friday to tender offers to their restricted free agents. There are four different tender...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Group plans petitions on secret ballots, paycheck deductions (Las Vegas Review-Journal) ...causes. The SOS Ballot Nevada initiative on paychecks really is an "impediment" to block unions from acting in their members' best interest, Kallas said. Mooney acknowledged that unions have opposed similar efforts by his group in other states, and he expects challenges in Nevada. In...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Supervisors push ban on labor pacts (The San Diego Union-Tribune) Horn's motion for an election. Horn then moved to adopt an ordinance to ban the labor deals, which are seen by proponents as a way to ensure quality and fair wages but are seen by detractors as wasting taxpayer money. His second motion was approved by all five elected officials. At one point in...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Plan aims at political giving for Ohio elections by companies (The Blade) I think it evades the doctrine of prior restraint. There could be strategic reasons that they don't want it to be publicly released before their timing dictates that it be released," Mr.    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 DPS wants residents to get priority for jobs: Bond projects expected to create work for 11,000 (Detroit Free Press) Cobo Center, Robert Bobb, the emergency financial manager for DPS, said the bond projects are expected to create 11,000 jobs and the district is working with local unions to ensure Detroit residents and students get priority offers. "We're working our way through to make sure that ... bona fide...    more...  

Feb 25, 2010 Candidates court unions even as influence wanes (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) He has clashed with Onorato during contract negotiations over issues such as binding arbitration and holiday pay. Though Democrats most often get union support, Shea said his council has supported Republicans, such as U.S. Rep.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 More than 400 protest proposed district pay cuts (The San Diego Union-Tribune) The contract offer also reduces the number of school days by five next year and would increase class sizes across the board, with high schools being hit the hardest.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Clashes break out at Greek crisis protests (Los Angeles Times) Interest-rate yields on Greek bonds remained high on Wednesday, reflecting market worries of a default. Spreads on government bonds over their German equivalent was at 3.30 percentage points after Fitch ratings agency on Tuesday downgraded ratings for four Greek banks. Market confidence has been...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Austerity measures spark clashes with Greek police (USA Today) Interest-rate yields on Greek bonds remained high Wednesday, reflecting market worries of a default. Spreads on government bonds over their German equivalent was at 3.30 percentage points after Fitch ratings agency on Tuesday downgraded ratings for four Greek banks. Market confidence has been...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 The Fox News/David Brooks tag team (Washington Post) Conservative politicians attack death panels and rationing and higher taxes. Neither party is really able to vote for the other party's major initiatives. That doesn't make much sense, given that Brooks supports the excise tax and Obama is protecting the excise tax.    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Second Strike Paralyzes Greece (New York Times) ...austerity measures would reduce demand for loans and curb bank profits.As a media blackout by protesting journalists kept Greeks in the dark about the progress of government talks with visiting European Union and I.M.F. inspectors, political commentators said they expected no surprises. “It...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 Greek unions set to stage general strike (Los Angeles Times) Greek labor unions are set for a show of strength Wednesday in a nationwide strike against austerity measures aimed at pulling the debt-ridden country out of its worst postwar financial crisis. Public schools, tax offices and municipal offices will be closed, and public hospitals will function...    more...  

Feb 24, 2010 States weigh campaign-finance changes (USA Today) Two top Democrats in Congress, New York Sen. Eight campaign-finance bills have been introduced, including one that would require shareholder approval for the spending and content of any campaign material a corporation distributes. Robert Burns, the Republican president of the state Senate and Sen.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Bank of America resisting shareholders on executive pay (Los Angeles Times) Other major banks have agreed to put one or more pay-related resolutions on their ballots. Legislation passed by the House last fall to overhaul the financial industry would mandate such a vote, known as a "say on pay," at financial firms. The company called the measure "false and misleading,"...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Toyota Sees Growing Anger From Suppliers in Japan (New York Times) Moewaki, 60, standing in the dark one-room workshop where he and his three employees operate gritty machines. “Toyota said we were all one big family. Toyota continued to grow even as Japan stumbled in other industries, like consumer electronics.Now there is a palpable sense of alarm in the...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 At Home, Toyota Finds Growing Disaffection Among Suppliers (New York Times) Moewaki, 60, standing in the dark one-room workshop where he and his three employees operate gritty machines. “Toyota said we were all one big family. Toyota continued to grow even as Japan stumbled in other industries, like consumer electronics.Now there is a palpable sense of alarm in the...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Another jobs-killer that needs repeal (Washington Post) By artificially raising labor costs on public projects, Davis-Bacon both reduces employment and soaks taxpayers. Davis-Bacon sets wages based on calculations by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hours Division, rather than statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In boom times,...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Transport strikes lay bare Europe's malaise (Associated Press Online) ...politicians seeking re-election, Jamet said. Air traffic controllers walked off the job across France as a four-day strike began on Tuesday, testing the patience of would-be travelers and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Unions called the walkout to protest plans to integrate...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Campaign finance bill tailored to attorney general opinion: CORPORATE MONEY: He'll ask legislative lawyers to take a look. (Anchorage Daily News) In the case of union- or corporation-supported campaign organizations, the ad would have to name the five top contributors. He said he works well with French but he wants to gauge Republican support. Meanwhile, state Rep. Bob Lynn, an Anchorage Republican who chairs the House State Affairs...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 AFSCME's No. 2 leader will resign (The Philadelphia Inquirer) AFSCME preferred Barack Obama. Lucy, a civil engineer, is the founder and president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. He worked in the civil-rights movement here and in South Africa. He was first elected the union's secretary-treasurer in 1972 and had been considered the heir apparent...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Protesters blockade Greek stock market (Associated Press Online) Greece, Feb. 23, 2010 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- Protesters blockaded the Athens Stock Market on Tuesday, on the eve of a general strike, as the leader of Greece's largest labor union warned the government's fiscal austerity measures could lead to an "eruption" in unemployment. About 100...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Lufthansa strike suspended (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) Airways PLC, meanwhile, faced a renewed threatof cabin crew strikes, after the Unite union announced Monday that most of its members had voted in favor of a walkout.In London, Unite - Britain’s biggest labor union - said after the vote that it was not announcing any strike date and its members...    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 N.J. pension, health changes sail through Senate (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Christie, who has been generally supportive. Assembly Democrats have signaled their intentions to move slower and hear out labor union objections more fully. It's not a quick fix," Buono said.    more...  

Feb 23, 2010 Labor leader gets 2 years in kickbacks (Philadelphia Daily News) ...and inflated incomes to make it appear that loan applicants were qualified when they weren't or weren't eligible to be a member of the credit union. Authorities said that Forte recruited his brother and others to find loan applicants and pay kickbacks to Forte. David Forte, who did not work...    more...