Tonight I don't have one specific topic for us to discuss. I guess part of the reason for that is that since the inception of this series I've started reading more blogs that are related to Class and Labor issues and I come across so many good different topics that it's incredibly hard to pinpoint just one to focus on. So tonight, I'm wondering what blogs you're reading that relate to Class and Labor issues.
I've got a few interesting recent stories I'll link you to below the fold, and you can feel free to use this as an open thread to discuss any of those stories, or if you want to add a link and a story of your own, or just tell us which blogs you like to read that cover Labor and Class issues, that would be lovely too.
First, a word about the series:
Issues of class and labor seem to pop up quite a bit on Daily Kos as sidebars or as impacting other topics in important ways, but they don't get their own diaries as often as they perhaps should. Yet work and class have enormous relevance in American life. Almost all of us must work for a living. Most of us who work owe a great debt to organized labor - even if we are not ourselves members of unions, we benefit from the advances unions have made over the years, in safety conditions, limited hours and overtime pay, benefits, child labor laws. And while a shrinking percentage of American workers are represented by unions, not only do union members earn more than their nonunion counterparts, but nonunion workers in highly unionized industries and areas benefit from employer competition for workers, leading to better pay and conditions. Class issues, too, apart from the question of organized labor, are central in many of the political struggles of the day. From bankruptcy legislation to the minimum wage to student loans, legislation affects people differently based on how much they make, what kind of access to power and support they have.
With this series we aim to develop an ongoing discussion around class and labor issues. Such ongoing discussions have emerged in the Feminisms and Kossacks Under 35 series, and, given the frequent requests for more (and more commented-in) diaries on these issues, we hope this series will accomplish the same. Entries will be posted every Tuesday night between 8 and 9pm eastern. If you are interested in a writing a diary for this series, please email Elise or MissLaura and we will arrange for you to be put on the schedule.
The AFL-CIO's blog covers a wide variety of issues, but a few of the posts stuck out this week--
From their story, Sobering News on Tax Day for Americas Middle Class:
Just in time for tax day, some in the news media are highlighting what we frequently note here: The rich are getting richer and more of us are just getting by.
Yesterday’s Parade magazine, that all-American national weekly tabloid, features a multi-page article on the discrepancy between our growing economy and our not-growing wages. In sum, writes reporter Lynn Brenner:
Most Americans didn’t see the long economic boom reflected in their paychecks.
Instead: The salary gains of the last five years have gone to the highest-paid workers.
And New Workplace Needs New Rules, which MissLaura linked to on the Front Page over the weekend. This post notes that workplaces need to change their structure based on the fact that women are now 46% of the workforce. Frankly, I think it'd be great if everyone could move past the 1950s.
The Economic Policy Institute is a great site with lots of research and data on a variety of class and labor related issues.
Check out the SEIU's 2007 Social Justice Calendar Artwork. The artwork is amazing as are the quotes...and you can buy them! Yay!
Over at TPM Cafe, Nathan Newman writes, Beyond Minimum Wage: Maryland Passes First State Living Wage Law. Some details:
This week, Maryland became the first state to enact a "living wage" law, HB 430, requiring government contractors to pay their employees a decent wage, in the bill ranging from $8.50 an hour in rural areas to $11.30 an hour in areas of the state with higher costs of living. Maryland follows the 120 local governments around the country that have required that public money go to companies that pay their workers above the poverty line.
The bill exempts small businesses with fewer than 10 employees working on smaller government contracts and non-profits from the laws rules, but makes sure than larger private companies use public money to raise living standards for their employees, not just pad their profit margins.
Studs Terkel always has interesting interviews and commentary on a variety of socio-economic issues as well as issues of race and war.
Mother Jones also has a blog which often covers class and labor related topics.
These are just some of the blogs and websites I check out on a fairly regular basis. What are you reading? Or do you have thoughts on any of the sites or stories I've referred to? Consider this sort of a class and labor open thread.