Laura Clawson (@lauraclawson) joins Sam to talk about the Republican push to bust unions through “right to work” laws. In Indiana, host to the 2012 Super Bowl, lawmakers face pushback from the NFL Players Union giving the effort renewed urgency as Republicans try to beat the February 5th spotlight. As attacks on workers’ rights continue, members of Occupy Bloomington support striking workers of Indiana Limestone Company showing alliances between Labor and the Occupy Movement growing. The Occupy movement gears up for J17 OccupyCongress, Romney secures a Federal bailout for Bain Capital, a member calls in with her personal story of the effect of corporate vultures, Ross Brockley reports from primary trail and latest in Clown Car audio….there are some entertaining bites!
Use this post as today’s thread.
10:29 am
mornin folks!
heh!
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/php/galleries/image.php/344/27/27.jpg
11:33 am
The G.O.P. and its allies, like the Chamber of Commerce and brethren organizations, are trotting out the charge that unions reduce economic growth and jobs.
It stands to reason that a union will reduce a company’s profits somewhat, by obtaining a higher share for workers. But over the last three decades, economists have found that unionization has a minimal impact on growth and employment in an entire state or country. In fact, six of the 10 states with the highest unemployment have right-to-work laws. North Carolina, a right-to-work state, has a private sector unionization rate of 1.8 percent, the lowest in the nation. It also has the sixth highest unemployment rate: 10 percent.
Unionized workers earn more and get more generous benefits. In 2010, wages of workers in unionized manufacturing companies in Indiana were 16 percent higher than in nonunion plants. One study concluded that the decline in unionization since the 1970s is responsible for one-fifth to one-third of the growth in inequality in this country. Voters, unionized or not, should recognize the new “right to work” push for what it is: bad economics and cynical politics.
12:13 pm
Ring of Fire Radio
ringoffireradio Ring of Fire Radio
RFK jr of @ringoffireradio on Mitt Romney’s Test of Moral Fiber huff.to/A2nalo via @huffingtonpost
12:15 pm
AriBerman Ari Berman
Former Romney staffer produced hard-hitting anti-Bain documentary for Gingrich Super PAC bit.ly/xj7Jxx via @KrystalBall1
12:16 pm
iWatch iWatch News
How opaque and increasingly powerful super PACs are shaping the future of U.S. elections: bit.ly/AhAl27 via @theAtlantic
12:33 pm
awesome call
1:35 pm
http://allthehypocrisy.com is looking for editors and bloggers. let me know if you are interested in serving in the war on hypocrisy #majorityfm