April 9, 2007

How would Bush's Health Care Proposal affect us? 

John Sweeney says: No benefit, Lots of harm!  1/24/2007

AFL-CIO president John Sweeney describes the President's proposal to make workers pay taxes on health benefits in order to pay for a new standard deduction as a measure that “will prompt employers to shift more costs onto workers or eliminate coverage altogether.” 

“A tax- based approach to helping the uninsured doesn't  work because many of the uninsured have too little income to buy health  coverage on their own,” Sweeney added.   “They also won't benefit from a deduction because they owe little or no taxes.” 

(Or, as comedian Stephen Colbert put it:  The plan “would give tax relief to people who don’t pay taxes, because they don’t make enough to pay the taxes they won’t get back to give them the health care they can’t afford.”)

   Sweeney pointed out that “Two of every three Americans receive health insurance through their employer,” and that “without a meaningful, comprehensive alternative, the shift from  employer to individual responsibility will exacerbate the nation's health care crisis and actually increase the number of uninsured and underinsured.”            

Joke!

Fact!

The proportion of employers offering health coverage decreased from 69 percent to 60 percent over the last five years.  While most firms that don’t offer coverage are small firms, large firms that have historically been the most likely to offer health benefits are also cutting back: one in four uninsured in 2001 worked for firms with 500 or more employees or were dependents of those workers. (AFL-CIO 8/08/06)

Bills

to

Watch

HF 893  Tax amnesty.  Creates a state tax amnesty program from September 4 to October 31, 2007, during which delinquent taxes may be paid with 50% of the interest normally due; all other interest and penalties will be waived.  IFL supports.

SF 580  Tax Amnesty.  (See HF 893).  IFL supports.

SF 582  Sales Tax exemption for performing arts centers.  Exempts materials and services used in the operation of a non-profit private performing arts center.  IFL opposes.

December 9, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

North Central Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Marvin Gardens

809 Central Avenue Fort Dodge

December 9, 2006, 5:00 p.m.

North Iowa Nine Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Hanford Inn

3041 - 4th St. SW

Mason City

December 13, 2006, 5:30 p.m.

Black Hawk Union Council, AFL-CIO

Brown Bottle

209 West 5th

Waterloo

December 15, 2006, 5:30 p.m.

Hawkeye Labor Council,

AFL-CIO

Iowa City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

RWDSU #110 Hall

526 F Ave. NW

Cedar Rapids

December 16, 2006, 9:00 a.m.

Dubuque Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Labor Temple

1610 Garfield, Dubuque

December 16, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

Clinton Labor Congress,

AFL-CIO

Quad City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Rusty Nail

2606 W. Locust

Davenport

December 16, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

Southwest Iowa Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Tish’s

1115 S. 35th St. Council Bluffs

December 16, 2006, 5:00 p.m.

Des Moines - Henry County Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Lee County Labor Council,

AFL-CIO

Parthenon Steakhouse

715 - 8th St.

Ft. Madison

December 16, 2006, 5:00 p.m.

Northwest Iowa Labor Council, AFL-CIO

UFCW #222

3038 S. Lakeport,

Sioux City

December 17, 2006, 12:30 p.m.

Southern Iowa Labor Council, AFL-CIO

UFCW #230 Hall

1305 E. Mary Ottumwa

December 18, 2006, 5:30 p.m.

Iowa Federation of Labor,

AFL-CIO

Machinists Hall

2000 Walker St.

Des Moines

Skyrocketing election costs. Shrinking pool of candidates.  Big money influence.  Low accountability.

These are the results of our current election financing situation in Iowa. This system plus the constantly escalating cost of running a campaign  trap candidates in a need to fund-raise constantly, rather than focusing on issues and community needs. 

Does this influence how our elected officials vote?   Can we tell?   City View (Oct. 26-Nov. 1 issue) reported that Christopher Rants received $25,000 from R.J. Reynolds on Oct. 12, 2005; $10,000 from Lorillard Tobacco on Dec. 12, 2005; and $25,000 from Altria Corporate Services (representing Phillip Morris) on Dec. 29, 2005 — the eve of the 2006 legislative session.  Did that influence Rants’ vote on the cigarette tax increase in 2007?  Rants voted “no.” 

Legislation called “VOICE” (Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections) could change all this.  It is still alive in both chambers (HF 805 and SF 553).  These bills would have Iowa follow the example of 7 other states and begin public financing of campaigns for state offices, ranging from up to $3 million for governor/lieutenant governor to $30,000 for an Iowa House seat.  Candidates can opt in or out of the system. For those who opt out, contribution limits are set at $5,000 from political action committees and $1,000 from individuals.

Tim Urban, former Des Moines City Council member, argues for this legislation in the Des Moines Business Record Online (3/25/07). Urban points out that “in Arizona's last gubernatorial election, two candidates spent $2 million instead of $18 million. More than 84 percent of Maine legislators opted for publicly financed campaigns.”  As a person who has given much to state candidates, Urban says he would “much prefer that their ideas and capacity to demonstrate leadership determine their success, not how much money they can raise, which political operatives they can hire and how many TV ads they can run.”

The Iowa plan would allow all donors to make $5 contributions to the opt-in candidates.  $10 million per year would be set aside from those annual unclaimed taxpayer refunds collected by the state treasurer.   If enacted this year, the laws would affect the November 2010 election. Funds would be collected for three years while the system is established, and then be able to provide a $30 million cushion to start the process.   www.voterownediowa.org

New PayWatch Website: 

Surprise!! CEO Pay Systems Rigged!

Check out the new 2007 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch website (www.paywatch.org) and  see  a comprehensive database of brand new CEO pay figures.  These totals include stock and option awards not required in the total compensation number under new federal pay disclosure rules.

The latest version of the popular site examines how certain CEOs rig the rules of the game to ensure a "perfect payday."  Visitors to PayWatch who are fed up can take action and demand that Congress and the Securities and  Exchange Commission give us all the tools we need to fight back.

2007 State Community Services Conference

Updates on:

·  Healthcare

· Drug Control Policy

· Community Outreach

· Job Training Programs

· Volunteer Opportunities

· Immigration Issues

Speakers from:

· Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

· AFL-CIO Midwest Region

· University of Iowa Labor Center

· Iowa Finance Authority

· State of Iowa Labor Division

· Legal Aid of Iowa

When:    May 17—19, 2007    Where:  Adventureland Inn, Des Moines

Cost:     $100 (includes lunch Thursday and Friday and dinner on Friday.)

 For more information or to register for the conference, contact: 

• Holly Sagar, South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. 

  • 515-265-1862 / 515-326-0856 

  • holly@scifl.org

“We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.”   Supreme Court
Justice Louis Brandeis. 

The vast wealth of today’s rich hasn’t been  seen since just before the great Depression. 

What are our priorities? 
 

National Priorities Project releases annual tax day report

In cooperation with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO presents a conference for union members.

Labor Short Course 2007
 

The Labor Center invites Iowa union members to a week of classes and workshops designed to educate and motivate new union activists and reinvigorate the experienced. 

· Building Stronger Unions  Restoring the Right to Organize: Organizing Strategies, Policy Initiatives, and Coalition Building; Union Values & Labor History

· Leadership & Communication  “Talking Union” One-on-One; Effective Grievance Handling; Public Speaking; Framing Effective Messages

· Economic & Policy Issues   The Health Care Crisis; The Costs of “Free” Trade; Immigration and Workers’ Rights; Taxes and Wages in Iowa

· Legal Tools for Union Leaders  Introduction to Labor Law (Private and Public Sectors); The Family & Medical Leave Act; Workers’ Compensation Basics   

Phone registration:  call (319) 335-4146.  Fax registration:  (319) 335-4464.  Online and email registration is available at http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr.  Register by May 4, 2007. 

2007 51st Annual Convention
Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Mark your calendars

When: August 15—17, 2007

Where:  Ramada Inn, Waterloo

FAIR SHARE
for public workers still on hold.

Passed Senate — Still delayed in House.