March 12, 2008

IFL priorities survive the first funnel

Friday, March 7, marked the first “funnel” or deadline for the 2008 Iowa Legislature.  All bills, except for budget and tax bills, must have passed at least one committee by then or they are considered dead for the session.

So far, all of the Iowa Federation of Labor’s major priorities (fair share, prevailing wage, collective bargaining and employee choice of doctor) are still live bills.

A number of other worker-friendly bills also survived the funnel, including several measures to improve workers’ compensation benefits and increase benefits and eligibility for Unemployment Insurance.  Legislative committees also advanced bills to protect health care whistleblowers, allow workers time off from work to attend their presidential caucuses and establish a state WARN Act to require notice to employees for layoffs of more that 25 employees at least 60 days in advance.

Licensing of fire sprinkler installers and fire sprinkler maintenance workers was approved by committee, as well as some clarifications to plumbing licensing and electrician licensing, passed last year.

Also receiving committee approval were bills on public employee pensions, consumer rights, elections and two versions (one House and one Senate) of legislation to improve health care costs and coverage.

Friday, March 28 marks the date of the second funnel, when these and other live bills must be approved by one chamber as well as by a committee in the opposite chamber.

International Women’s Day March 8

On 100th Anniversary, AFL-CIO joins Global Campaign for
Decent Work, Decent Life for  Women

While 40% of world employment is made up of women, women still:

· Earn 12% to 60% less than men; in the United States, women are paid 77.6% of men’s hourly earnings

· Make up 60% of the 550 million working poor;

· Are concentrated in low-paid, unprotected, temporary or casual work;

· Lack maternity protection rights and face violence and sexual harassment at or near the workplace.

The Global Campaign for Women was launched by the 168-million worker International  Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Global Union Federations, which  advocate for decent work for women and gender equality in labor policies.  The Campaign also seeks gender equality in trade union structures, policies and activities and

significant increases in the number of women organized into unions and in elected positions.

“I can think of no better way to honor those 15,000 women who marched down the  streets of New York 100 years ago than to ensure their legacy lives on,”  AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said. “This campaign is an opportunity to  build a better union movement, and ultimately, a better, more inclusive  world that makes the most of the talents of all its citizens."

Bills

to

Watch

HF 2485 HEALTH CARE WHISTLEBLOWERS   Establishes protections for health care workers who disclose information to a government agency or law enforcement or the AG.  IFL supports

HSB 771 CHOICE OF DOCTOR   Gives an employee the right to pre-designate a doctor, who has treated the employee previously, to treat the employee for a work-related injury.  IFL supports

SF 2281 EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION   Prohibits employment discrimination against an employee due to service as a witness in juvenile proceedings, divorce proceedings and domestic violence proceedings.  IFL supports

SF 2292 CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS   Extends the deadline for filing a civil rights complaint to 300 days from the time of the alleged discrimination.  IFL supports

SF 2296 HOSPITAL STAFFING   Requires hospitals to develop staffing plans that include the minimum number of RNs, LPNs and other patient care personnel and to staff according to the plan.  IFL supports

SF 2303 WORKERS’ COMP SETTLEMENTS   Continues the Workers’ Compensation Commissioner’s  jurisdiction over settlements that include

an agreement for continued medical benefits during the time covered by the agreement and strikes the sunset on the authority to impose a surcharge for the second injury fund.  IFL supports

SF 2314 WORKERS’ COMP PAYMENT DELAYS   Establishes new penalties for certain delays or terminations of workers’ comp benefits.  IFL supports

SF 2332 WORKER NOTIFICATION ACT   Establishes provisions requiring notice to the DWD and to employees for layoffs of more than 25 employees at least 60 days in advance.  IFL supports

SSB 3262 OPTICAL SCAN SYSTEMS II   Requires a county to use an optical scan voting system after November 4, 2008.  IFL supports

Labor Center

IFL Graduate Assistant Position 

The Labor Center is offering a 10 hour/week Graduate Assistantship for the fall and spring semesters of the 2008-2009 academic year, funded through a grant from the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

Responsibilities:

Perform research in areas related to organized labor and workplace issues

Assist at on-campus Labor Center classes and workshops

Some teaching of non-credit classes to trade union members

Qualifications:

To be eligible, candidates must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at the U of I and either be a member of a labor union affiliated with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, or be the daughter or son of a member of a labor union affiliated with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

To Apply:

Send resume, a list of three references with complete contact information (phone, address, e-mail), and a cover letter indicating interest in the position to:  Director, Labor Center, The University of Iowa, M210 OH, 100 Oakdale Campus, Iowa City, IA  52242-5000.  For more information, contact Jennifer Sherer, Director, Labor Center at (319) 335-4144.

McCain Watch:  

No Help on Health Care

Sen. McCain has routinely ignored the issue of America's health care crisis throughout his campaign. His plan offers no real help and no real solutions.

McCain voted against health care relief for airline workers after September 11 by supporting a filibuster of a bill which would have provided health and job retraining benefits to displaced workers [10/11/01]

McCain voted to cut Medicaid by voting against an amendment to S Con. Res. 18 that rejected the Bush administration’s $14 billion in Medicaid cuts. Such large cuts would devastate state budgets and result in more uninsured and uncompensated care, the cost of which often is shifted to employer-sponsored health plans.  [ 3/17/05]

McCain opposed SCHIP expansion, voting against reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for five years, and expanding the program by $35.2 billion to cover millions of uninsured children. [8/2/07]

McCain’s Proposal for Health Care Reform:

· Shifts the burden from employers to workers

· Makes health insurance premiums part of taxable income

· Leaves workers at the mercy of big insurance companies

· Makes insurance harder to get by encouraging insurance companies to cherry-pick the healthiest individuals

· Emphasizes high-deductible Health Savings Account (HSA) plans

· Circumvents state laws that require insurance companies to cover basic services

"What effect will a Democrat in the White House have on our labor movement?"

Labor activists’ express their hopes

Sandra Galer, IBEW 405 "We will get a NLRB which is not biased against labor. We will get fair trade not free trade."

Kevin Pamperin, AFGE 2119 "It can only help--but we need to hold their feet to the fire!”

Steve Abbott, CWA 7108 "It will give the American worker a voice in union member concerns: jobs, health care, retirement security and other issues. It also gives us a voice on appointments to the NLRB and other important boards."

Fair Share Facts

One More of Ten…
Good Reasons to Support
Prevailing Wage Legislation

Here’s some more of the baloney circulating out there about Fair Share legislation...and here are the facts to fight back with.

Myth:  This legislation will force unwilling workers to join a union regardless of any personal opposition to unionism.

Truth:  The legislation will not force anyone to join against her or his will.  In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that no collective bargaining agreement can require anyone to join a union.  Unions and employers, even in free-bargaining states, may only negotiate contract provisions requiring nonmembers to pay their fair share of the union’s costs in representing them.

Reason #6:  We can stop promoting mediocrity as Iowa’s pinnacle of workforce achievement.  The best, most professional, most efficient and highest quality contractors invest in skill training for their employees, providing a career track for entry-level workers, as well as good jobs for highly skilled workers.  Prevailing wage encourages contractors to participate in bona fide apprenticeship and journeyman upgrade education programs.

We hope to see you:

MARK L. SMITH RETIREMENT PARTY

Saturday, March 29, 2008

For more information,

call 515-262-9571

Save these Dates

2008 Iowa Community
Services Conference

May 15th and 16th

Support elected officials who support us!

The AFL-CIO’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) was created by the 1955 AFL and CIO Merger Convention in order to continue and expand on the work which was credited with securing New Deal programs in the face of tremendous business opposition to the re-election of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Our COPE conventions consider endorsements recommended by local central labor councils based on reviewing voting records, studying candidate questionnaires and listening to union members.
 

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
C.O.P.E. Convention
April 12 USW 310 Hall

 

Want to help close tax loopholes for multi-state corporations?  Here’s how:

• putting out hard-hitting reports,
• seeking media coverage for them, and
• informing legislators.

But all of us have our own part. For example, unions and other groups can use that information to talk to small business owners in

If you know of one or two progressive small business owners in your part of the state, please send this information to IPP Outreach Coordinator Kristi Lohmeier. Kristi will follow up with these folks, giving them the facts they need to know to get active on this issue. Contact Kristi by phone (319-338-0773) or email her at klohmeier @iowapolicyproject.org

Only if we speak out can we expect legislators to level the playing field between small Iowa-owned business and big multi-state corporations doing business in Iowa and not paying their fair share!