Labor News

(NY Times, 8/31/10)
With the country focused on job growth and with unemployment continuing to hover above 9 percent, comparatively little attention has been paid to the quality of the jobs being created and what that might say about the opportunities available to workers when the recession finally settles.
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(LA Times, 8/30/10)
The state Senate approved a bill aimed at preventing the spiking of public pensions in California and prohibiting state employees and other government workers from retiring one day and going to work for another state agency the next.
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(The Hill, 8/26/10)
The nation's middle class is under attack. The recession hit private businesses and public budgets hard, but Americans' ability to attain or hold onto a middle-class standard of living may be the ultimate victim.
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(Huffington Post, 8/25/10)
Economic development agencies such as the CRA are charged with doing their part to realize the great American vision of a society built on good jobs, thriving communities and a healthy environment. But too often, public officials subsidize developments without considering these goals... I don't work for a union, but I've looked at the facts. Union jobs almost always offer better pay, better benefits and better conditions than non-union jobs, Moreover, unions are good for the overall economy.
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(In These Times, 8/24/10)
Across the country, the right wingers are going on the attack against all workers. Arizona and eight other states have measures on their respective ballots that would block any changes to labor law made by federal passage of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
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(SF Chronicle, 8/24/10)
State leaders on Monday used a recently passed law to delay payment of nearly $3 billion in funds to K-12 public education and a welfare program, a decision that officials acknowledged will exacerbate difficulties for school districts and counties that already have had to lay off workers.
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(LB Press-Telegram, 8/24/10)
Property owners will pay a few more dollars in taxes this year to help offset the rising cost of emergency and trauma care in Los Angeles County. The tax hike will bring in an additional $17 million, the bulk of which will go toward offsetting the LA County Department of Health Services' soaring budget deficit.
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(Sacramento Bee, 8/19/10)

Whether you think furloughing state workers is good fiscal policy, poetic justice, an illegal lockout or just downright crazy, Wednesday's state Supreme Court decision to allow the policy's resumption reinforced Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's weakening labor relations leverage.

(LA Times, 8/18/10)

Legislation intended to curb pension spiking has been weakened by so many amendments, prompting reform advocates and bill sponsor state Controller John Chiang to withdraw support.

(EPI, 8/18/10)

Public libraries around the country are facing budget cuts that are forcing them to reduce hours, scale back book purchases, or close altogether. Such cuts will make it more difficult for millions of unemployed workers to access the resources and technology needed to find jobs.

(LA Times, 8/13/10)

Bill would require large firms to post online what they're doing to ensure that no one in their supply chain violates human rights. Business groups fear it could make them the target of enforcement actions and bad press.

(Sacramento Bee, 8/13/10)

The Assembly voted 61-4 Thursday to ratify contracts with three state employee bargaining units that include some modifications to pension benefits - agreements that the Schwarzenegger administration worked out with the affected unions.

(California Watch, 8/12/10)

In a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, state Recovery Act Inspector General Laura Chick admonished the Department of General Services for spending only 1 percent of $25 million in stimulus funds available for the greening of state buildings.

(Sacramento Bee, 8/11/10)

Government statisticians have put a number on Californians' paycheck pain last year: about $40 billion. Personal incomes of Golden State workers fell by that amount in 2009 compared with the previous year ....

(Sacramento Bee, 8/11/10)