January 29, 2008

What’s missing in the Federal Stimulus package?

The whole point of the federal stimulus package is to get money back into the economy—quickly.  But the quickest way to do that (and to help folks who need it the most) has been opposed by President Bush.   So who’s left out and what is missing?

¨ Folks on extended unemployment benefits.  Over the next six months, an estimated 1.57 million workers and their families will run out of benefits.  And 8,736 of those are Iowans.  The AFL-CIO recommendation:  extend benefits an additional 20 weeks (plus 13 weeks in high unemployment states) and increase benefits by $50 / week.

¨ Folks who use food stamps.  An average 206,696 Iowans  use food stamps every month to feed their families.  These benefits should be increased.

Both these groups are folks who would plow that money right back into the Iowa economy.  But they have been left out, despite the fact that the economic ripple effect of these programs would start within a matter of weeks after passage.  (Most estimates are that tax rebates will not start before May and might not be completed by the overworked and understaffed IRS until August.)  

President John Sweeney hits the nail on the head:  “President Bush is just plain wrong to continue to insist that

businesses  receive tax breaks at the expense of assistance to the growing ranks of unemployed workers. More than 200,000 unemployed workers run out of benefits each month and need immediate assistance for basic needs. As the economy weakens, the number of people without jobs will only increase, and the  number of unemployed workers running out of state benefits will increase, leaving too many families with nowhere to turn.  Further, giving businesses tax breaks without extending benefits to those who need it most will tighten the squeeze on cash-strapped states that are already considering slashing services due to the economic downturn.”

Additionally, the AFL-CIO recommends:

¨ $30 billion to help hard pressed state governments with an increase in the Medicaid match and revenue-sharing.

¨ A significant tax rebate for middle– and lower income families.

¨ $40 billion to ready-to-go construction projects repairing schools, bridges, and sewage plants, plus investment in energy-efficient buildings.

¨ A moratorium on foreclosures and other measures to keep people in their homes.

The Des Moines Register writers just don’t get it.  For example, on January 25, Tom Beaumont wrote about Culver’s consideration of “union-backed measures, including one requiring public employees who choose not to join a union to pay union fees, called ‘fair share’ legislation by its supporters.”  On Sunday, January 20, Editor Carol Hunter wrote that union leaders have pushed fair-share legislation, “which would allow nonunion workers to be assessed a fee for the services unions provide.”

The fact is:  Fair Share legislation would allow unions and management to NEGOTIATE a clause in their contract that would require non members who are covered by and benefit from the contract to pay a fee.  It is not automatic.  The employer and the union have to agree.

Time after time not only the Register, but other newspapers and media outlets, distort the facts about fair share.  Whether done deliberately or out of ignorance, repeating something often enough leads people to start believing it, even if it isn’t true.

The public sector fair share bill (SF 413) is still alive.  Todd Taylor (D-Cedar Rapids) has been assigned to manage the bill through the House Labor Committee and debate on the House floor.

What you can do:  Contact your representative and let them know that you support fair share and the passage of SF 413.  Do it today!

Contacting your Representative

By e-mail: 

 firstname.lastname@legis.state.ia.us

By phone: 

Representatives: 515-281-3221

To identify your representative, go to

 
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/Default.aspx

Please do it today!

Bills

to

Watch

HF 2065 MILITARY LEAVES   Requires that an employee returning from military service be given a position of like seniority, status and pay if not returned to the employee’s original position. IFL supports

SSB 3042 CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION FEE  Increases the contractor registration fee to $50.  IFL supports

SSB 3044 UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS  Establishes an alternative base period for persons who would otherwise be ineligible for benefits; authorizes training benefits for some workers who have exhausted their regular benefits; authorizes benefits for loss of employment due to family circumstances.  IFL supports

SSB 3045 UNEMPLOYMENT CHARGES  Does not allow an employer who wins a benefits appeal to collect charges for benefits already paid if the employer failed to participate in the initial fact finding.  IFL supports

SSB 3047 WAGE OVERDRAFT CHARGES  Allows an employee to file a wage claim for an overdraft charge anytime an employer fails to pay wages.   IFL supports

SSB 3073 UNEMPLOYMENT REPORTING  Creates a $50 penalty for each delinquent or insufficient unemployment report from an employer and a $30 fee, plus costs, for a faulty unemployment payment to the DWD.  IFL supports

SSB 3074 LABOR SETTLEMENT FEE   Sets a $500 fee, to be assessed as costs, for settling a workers comp case less than three business days prior to the hearing date.  IFL opposes

NAFTA: going, going, gone??

Long-time labor ally Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would require the United States to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if new negotiations do not produce specific, concrete improvements.

H.R. 4329 is drawing support from Democrats and Republicans. The bill

would require the Executive Branch to certify that certain benchmarks have been met, including gains in U.S. jobs and living standards, increased U.S. domestic manufacturing, stronger health and environmental standards. The bill also sets benchmarks regarding food imports, decreased flow of illegal drugs, and the guarantee of Mexican democracy and human freedoms.  

GOIAM Imail

Union membership
increases nationally,
but not in Iowa

Governor Supports
Closing Tax Loopholes

   300,000 new members.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just released its annual union membership numbers.  They show  an overall increase of 311,000 union members in 2007, and an increase in density from 12.0 in 2006 to 12.1 in 2007.
   The increase in overall membership is the largest single-year increase since 1979.

   States with lowest percent union membership (below 5%): North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.
States with the highest proportion (over 20%): New York, Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington.

   Iowa: 10.5% in 2007, a decrease in union density from the 2006 number of 11.3%.

   "I believe our corporate tax structure must be fixed.  It's just not fair that big, out-of-state, multi-billion dollar corporations that do tens of millions of dollars of business in Iowa avoid paying Iowa income taxes because of an outdated tax loophole," said Governor Culver, in his January 15th State of the State speech, referring to “combined reporting” of corporate revenue.

   Combined reporting would keep multi-state corporations from shifting their profits to other states to avoid Iowa taxes.  It would force corporations to report profits based on Iowa sales to the state for tax purposes.

   Twenty-one other states have already closed this loophole.  The Iowa legislature should act quickly to capture up to $100 million a year in lost revenue .     
   The IFL supports combined reporting to hold Iowa corporations accountable for their share of Iowa taxes.

Labor Center

in cooperation with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO,  presents:
2007-08 Courses for Union Members

Interesting….The US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Services arm found in August of 2002 that a $5 billion increase in Food Stamps would produce $9.2 billion in economic activity and 82,000 jobs.
 

Did You Know….

Last year, instead of employing local workers, Iowa governments and school boards gave away over $115 million of our tax dollars to out-of-state contractors and their employees.

Iowa’s current law mandates that whenever a public project is built in Iowa, the “lowest responsible bidder” must be awarded the job.  It doesn’t matter that a bid is the lowest because a company plans to import unskilled workers and pay them substantially less than our local workforce.  The lowest bidder still gets the job…at our expense.  The fact remains that Iowa’s public projects have been targeted by unscrupulous companies and contractors who specialize in bidding on schools, bridges, libraries, public buildings and projects of any sort. 

The reason is that Iowa is the only State in the Midwest that doesn’t protect its local workforce and contractors with a prevailing wage law.  Consequently, competing to win a bid by importing unskilled, cheap labor doing shoddy work is relatively easy in Iowa and even worse, until we change the law….it’s legal!

Not only do our local workers lose the work and income, more often than not, we taxpayers also lose again when the sloppy workmanship has to be redone at additional expense to us.

Shoddy construction: No one saves; the public loses.

Iowa Federation of Labor,  AFL-CIO

Lobbyist Meeting

10:00 Monday Mornings

2000 Walker Street

Des Moines, Iowa

SAVE THESE DATES

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Legislative Hospitality

Monday Evenings

5:00 - 7:00

Machinists Hall

2000 Walker Street
Des Moines

You’re invited!

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

C.O.P.E. Convention

April 12

 USW Local 310 Hall

125 NW Broadway

Des Moines, Iowa