This week in the War on Workers: Declining income mobility

Laura Clawson for Daily Kos Labor

Daily Kos Staff

Saturday December 03, 2011 · 3:55 PM PST

2011/12/03 · 15:55

no image description available — (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

(Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

We're often told that, sure, there may be a lot of income inequality, but that the economy is fair anyway, because in this great nation of ours, anyone can become wealthy due to enormous income mobility. Except that as it turns out, income mobility is declining. Jared Bernstein writes:

A new paper by Federal Reserve economist Katharine Bradbury clearly documents a statistically significant decline in the rate of mobility. The slowdown isn’t dramatic; Bradbury accurately labels it “slight.” But it’s there.

More:

The National Mediation Board rejected a request by the machinists union for a new election at Delta; the union had alleged employer intimidation.
A Project Labor Agreement in San Francisco involves thousands of jobs and is described as a "critical tool" by the executive director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.
WellPoint settled an age discrimination suit for $2.6 million; the insurer allegedly fired older workers who had health problems.
Yale University has followed Brown University in deciding not to reinvest in private-equity hotelier HEI Hospitality, the seventh-largest hotel management company in the country. HEI buys hotels, cuts costs and tries to sell the hotels at a profit. The cost-cutting step often involves laying off workers and increasing workloads for those who remain.
The Restaurant Opportunities Center United has released its national dining guide, identifying restaurants that offer workers things like decent wages, paid sick leave and opportunities for advancement, as well as restaurants where workers have complained about violations of the law.

Check below the fold for stories you may have missed at Daily Kos Labor.

The New Hampshire state legislature failed to override Gov. John Lynch's veto of a right to work law.
So many sources of rotten profit in public education.
The National Labor Relations Board's one Republican member could have shut down the board's ability to function by resigning, but he decided not to obstruct. He's still voting like a Republican, but you have to think that not obstructing given such a huge opportunity to do so is something that will hurt his long-term career prospects in his party.
Speaking of the NLRB, a tentative deal between the machinists and Boeing could put an end to the NLRB's complaint against Boeing.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers merged offline and online organizing in a campaign to organize Sears technicians.
A trucking industry spokesman inadvertently told the truth, referring to the workers he was trying to insist were independent contractors as "employees."
Hatred and violence in Scott Walker's Wisconsin.
A CEO compared his company's labor contract to a 21-pound tumor.
Mark E. Andersen has no problem paying his fair share.
African-Americans are being hit hard by public sector job losses and layoffs continue.
Republicans keep going after government regulations and telling all kinds of lies in the process.
Warehouse workers are suing a Walmart subcontractor for wage theft.
Scott Walker labor appointee argue that workplace harassment of gays is legal.

This week in the War on Workers: Declining income mobility

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