One more post to be filled. Yesterday I had read some reports (read leaks, but from whom?) that Governor Jennifer Granholm was slated for appointment to the Labor post. Now I see reports that wasn't interested. And now reports are out that the post will be filled by a Represenative from California.
Representative Hilda Solis, a California Democrat, is President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to be Labor secretary, according to Democratic officials.
Not a name I'm familiar with, frankly.
Solis, 51, is a four-term member of Congress with an extensive record on environmental issues. Her legislative accomplishments include spearheading a bill to provide workers with training for “green-collar” employment. Such initiatives are a hallmark of Obama’s plan to address the country’s energy needs and create new jobs.
I am not sure why a person's age is always reported. A liberal Democrat from California, who is a Hispanic woman. It'll be interesting to look at the Cabinet as a whole and break it down.
Solis, who grew up in a union household in Los Angeles County, is a favorite of labor groups, including the Service Employees International Union.
A conciliatory gesture to labor. Perhaps even more, a signal.
Labor officials have been grumbling recently that some of Obama’s Cabinet choices lack strong labor ties. Union chiefs also question why Obama didn’t announce his choice for Labor secretary when he introduced his core economic team, putting them on alert about what kind of influence the Labor Department will have in the new administration.
A lot of liberals, a lot of Democrats have been grumbling about Obama appoinments, while Republicans and moderates have been largely, even almost completely, quiet. Of course, the right wing is trying to tar Obama with a Blagojevich brush (coz they got nothing else to pin on him for now, rumours of his Communism having been proven wholly exaggerated, er, false).
Solis would succeed Elaine Chao, who has held the job for all eight years of the Bush administration, making her the longest-serving Labor secretary since Frances Perkins under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
That's an interesting tidbit.
Showing posts with label Labor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Labor. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Happy Labor Day. Drop Dead.
The latest Republican target is the "card check" system for unionization.
There is an enomous backlash against the Employee Free Choice Act, a bit of union-backed legislation that might allow labor to start reversing decades of decline. Almost wherever there is a close race for a Senate seat, you can see TV commercials assailing the initiative in the most strident terms.
But it's more than the hypocrisy that should concern us, and it's even more than the ongoing violation of people's rights, human or civil. The destruction of the labor movement by tactics like these is a big part of the reason why wage-earners no longer rise as the economy grows, and why some day soon we will speak of the great middle-class nation in the past tense.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
France in a Lather as President Takes a Swipe at Cushy Benefits
Sarko is many things, but he is courageous to take on the battle.
Since 1860, when Napoleon III appropriated this ancient Roman spa at the foot of the Alps for his empire, the National Baths of Aix-les-Bains have been a symbol of France's cushy health-care system.
Ah, tradition.
These days, however, Aix-les-Bains is in hot water. Vowing to trim the fat in France's bloated public sector, President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced 23,000 civil-service job cuts. That includes half the spa's 165 state-employed physiotherapists.
165 physiotherapists in one place, government employees.
France has the same number of passport-control officers it had 15 years ago, even though border controls for travelers within most of the European Union have been abolished, Mr. Sarkozy scoffed in a recent speech. There are 721 French diplomats in the former colony of Senegal, which has a population of about 12.5 million, and only 271 in India. "How is that normal?" the French president asked in another speech.
He might not be telling the whole story, but he is spot-on with this: 721 diplomats in Senegal? 1 for every 17,000 people. Aich!
Teachers and parents took to the streets several times in recent months to protest a plan to cut 11,000 teaching jobs this year. The government says there are fewer children to teach today in France than there were a decade ago. Opponents say students will be deprived of important subjects such as Greek and Latin.
Greek and Latin today?
At Aix-les-Bains, all the physiotherapists are paid to work full time all year, even though the resort fills up mainly in summer. In an attempt to keep them busy throughout the year, the spa redeploys many to the reception desk or the cloakroom. The decline in business has been so bad for the therapists' morale, says Ms. Claret, that 27 are currently on sick leave, most of them for depression.
If there aren't enough customers, does redeploying physiotherapists to the cloakroom make any sense? Never mind the sick leaves.
Protesting the planned job cuts at Aix-les-Bains has become a matter of national pride. In the late 19th century, the spa was a fashionable haunt for the European aristocracy, including Napoleon III's wife Eugénie and Britain's Queen Victoria.
Over the years, visitors have also abused the system, essentially getting France's national health insurance to foot the bill for all-expense-paid spa vacations. "For many people, it's like a free holiday," says Ms. Surmont, who says all her mud wraps and massages were properly prescribed by a doctor to soothe her ailing back. "Some patients go shopping in the afternoon. They're hardly in pain."
Point made.
Yet because the civil-servant status of the physiotherapists protects them from being immediately dismissed, the spa has asked that 47 resign voluntarily by a Dec. 31 deadline. The snag: Physiotherapists have virtually no chance of finding similar jobs elsewhere, because their state diploma is valid only at the Aix-les-Bains spa.
Not a very valuable, or marketable, degree.
Since 1860, when Napoleon III appropriated this ancient Roman spa at the foot of the Alps for his empire, the National Baths of Aix-les-Bains have been a symbol of France's cushy health-care system.
Ah, tradition.
These days, however, Aix-les-Bains is in hot water. Vowing to trim the fat in France's bloated public sector, President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced 23,000 civil-service job cuts. That includes half the spa's 165 state-employed physiotherapists.
165 physiotherapists in one place, government employees.
France has the same number of passport-control officers it had 15 years ago, even though border controls for travelers within most of the European Union have been abolished, Mr. Sarkozy scoffed in a recent speech. There are 721 French diplomats in the former colony of Senegal, which has a population of about 12.5 million, and only 271 in India. "How is that normal?" the French president asked in another speech.
He might not be telling the whole story, but he is spot-on with this: 721 diplomats in Senegal? 1 for every 17,000 people. Aich!
Teachers and parents took to the streets several times in recent months to protest a plan to cut 11,000 teaching jobs this year. The government says there are fewer children to teach today in France than there were a decade ago. Opponents say students will be deprived of important subjects such as Greek and Latin.
Greek and Latin today?
At Aix-les-Bains, all the physiotherapists are paid to work full time all year, even though the resort fills up mainly in summer. In an attempt to keep them busy throughout the year, the spa redeploys many to the reception desk or the cloakroom. The decline in business has been so bad for the therapists' morale, says Ms. Claret, that 27 are currently on sick leave, most of them for depression.
If there aren't enough customers, does redeploying physiotherapists to the cloakroom make any sense? Never mind the sick leaves.
Protesting the planned job cuts at Aix-les-Bains has become a matter of national pride. In the late 19th century, the spa was a fashionable haunt for the European aristocracy, including Napoleon III's wife Eugénie and Britain's Queen Victoria.
The Thermes Nationaux became a French household name in 1947 when "La Sécurité Sociale," France's national health-care-insurance system, agreed to foot the bill for spa treatments if patients had doctors' prescriptions.
An empress and an English queen; national pride?Over the years, visitors have also abused the system, essentially getting France's national health insurance to foot the bill for all-expense-paid spa vacations. "For many people, it's like a free holiday," says Ms. Surmont, who says all her mud wraps and massages were properly prescribed by a doctor to soothe her ailing back. "Some patients go shopping in the afternoon. They're hardly in pain."
Point made.
Yet because the civil-servant status of the physiotherapists protects them from being immediately dismissed, the spa has asked that 47 resign voluntarily by a Dec. 31 deadline. The snag: Physiotherapists have virtually no chance of finding similar jobs elsewhere, because their state diploma is valid only at the Aix-les-Bains spa.
Not a very valuable, or marketable, degree.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Pelosi to Block Vote on Colombia Trade Deal
This is great, politics at its finest: change the rules if you don't like the ones in force now. Aside from the cynicism of such action, it is heartening to see a Democrat push back against the Bush agenda.
Defying the White House, Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday the House will change its rules to avoid a required vote this year on a hotly disputed free-trade agreement with Colombia.
The White House yawled, of course: White House press secretary Dana Perino reacted sharply. ''Speaker Pelosi today did something unprecedented in the history of negotiating trade deals in announcing that Democrats would change the rules in the middle of the game,'' Bush's spokeswoman said.
But, that's politics. Bush pushed the issue to force the hand of the Democrats.
House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement that Pelosi's proposed rule change ''would be cheating.'' He asked what nation ''would conclude a treaty with the United States knowing that Congress can change the rules of the game after it is negotiated?''
Done all time. Cheating? That's the same thing Greenspan is saying: his being criticized is unfair. Boo-hoo.
Pelosi insisted that the House's right to determine its own procedures overrides any requirements that Congress take up a measure within a prescribed time period. She said she is interested in taking up the agreement in an atmosphere that is ''as unemotional as possible,'' but ''that is not possible if the president of the United States is going to usurp the discretion of the speaker of the House to bring'' legislation to the floor.
Well said.
Defying the White House, Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday the House will change its rules to avoid a required vote this year on a hotly disputed free-trade agreement with Colombia.
The White House yawled, of course: White House press secretary Dana Perino reacted sharply. ''Speaker Pelosi today did something unprecedented in the history of negotiating trade deals in announcing that Democrats would change the rules in the middle of the game,'' Bush's spokeswoman said.
But, that's politics. Bush pushed the issue to force the hand of the Democrats.
House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement that Pelosi's proposed rule change ''would be cheating.'' He asked what nation ''would conclude a treaty with the United States knowing that Congress can change the rules of the game after it is negotiated?''
Done all time. Cheating? That's the same thing Greenspan is saying: his being criticized is unfair. Boo-hoo.
Pelosi insisted that the House's right to determine its own procedures overrides any requirements that Congress take up a measure within a prescribed time period. She said she is interested in taking up the agreement in an atmosphere that is ''as unemotional as possible,'' but ''that is not possible if the president of the United States is going to usurp the discretion of the speaker of the House to bring'' legislation to the floor.
Well said.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Argentina agricultural strike
This story, of course, gets zero coverage in the US media. The venerable New York Times has nothing. In fact, in the World section of NYTimes.com there is a Times Topics: Find News By Country section with a drop-down list of countries. Choosing Argentina brings these gems: the last story in the category is dated December 14, 2007, in which La Presidenta faults the US for meddling in Latin AMerican affairs; next is this gem: in macho Argentina, a new beacon for Gay tourists, dated December 3, 2007 -- and then one about Queen Cristina from September! Geez!
El País, Madrid leftist rag, does cover Argentina well -- well, it covers it, and it does have a story about the agri-strike. The strike, now 17 days old, will last until at least Wednesday.
El País, Madrid leftist rag, does cover Argentina well -- well, it covers it, and it does have a story about the agri-strike. The strike, now 17 days old, will last until at least Wednesday.
La presidenta de Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, saluda al presidente de las Confederaciones Rurales, Mario Llambías, durante una reunión el viernes- EFE
Navarro = Memphis
In La Vanguardia of Barcelona, the headline Los Grizzlies de Navarro derrotan a unos Lakers desnortados sin Gasol
History Beginning in 1995 as the Vancouver Grizzlies through today’s Memphis Grizzlies franchise.
Argentinian turmoil continues
Turmoil continues. Marcharon, por separado, la izquierda y el kirchnerismo. Separately, the left and the Kirchnerists marched [in the Plaza de Mayo, a, or the, main plaza in Buenos Aires].
Los supermercados sólo admitieron subas "marginales"; el Gobierno buscó ayer exhibir, al menos en los papeles, un principio de solución.Acuerdan retrotraer los precios al 1° de marzo (Agreement to roll back prices to 1st of March)
Los supermercados sólo admitieron subas "marginales"; el Gobierno buscó ayer exhibir, al menos en los papeles, un principio de solución.Acuerdan retrotraer los precios al 1° de marzo (Agreement to roll back prices to 1st of March)
Friday, March 28, 2008
El Gobierno reanudará el diálogo con el campo el próximo lunes
La Nación, a Buenos Aires media outlet (who can say newspaper these days?) has the headline of a story dated Viernes 28 de marzo de 2008 | 00:46 (Friday 28 March, 12.46am): The government will resume a dialogue with the country next Monday.
El campo is used in the headline. El campo can mean the countryside, or the camp, to me. Then again, I ain't Argentinian, and don't know el Español all that well.
Se volvió a cortar la ruta en Gualeguaychú Lo decidió la asamblea, que se volverá a reunir a las 23; en tanto, sigue el estado de alerta en el resto de las rutas a la espera de definiciones. (Road to Gualeguaychú - a city on the Río de la Plata -- cut off again. The assembly, which will meet again at 23 [11pm], decided it; state of alert continues on the other roads while awaiting decisions [?])
El campo is used in the headline. El campo can mean the countryside, or the camp, to me. Then again, I ain't Argentinian, and don't know el Español all that well.
Se volvió a cortar la ruta en Gualeguaychú Lo decidió la asamblea, que se volverá a reunir a las 23; en tanto, sigue el estado de alerta en el resto de las rutas a la espera de definiciones. (Road to Gualeguaychú - a city on the Río de la Plata -- cut off again. The assembly, which will meet again at 23 [11pm], decided it; state of alert continues on the other roads while awaiting decisions [?])
Thursday, March 27, 2008
La Presidenta is facing problemas
Uh, oh. Looks as if Presidenta Fernández de Kitchner is facing tough times. The Agriculture sector is on strike. She has insulted them. They feel abused. The result? See for yourself.
Estanterías de un supermercado de Buenos Aires-
Makes one hungry.
Makes one hungry.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
China economics: CPI and Union wages
CPI leaps to 8.7% in February, 11-year high
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-03-11 11:33
Updated: 2008-03-11 11:33
Inflation in February rose 8.7 percent year on year, the fastest monthly rise in more than a decade, China's National Bureau of Statistics reported on its website on Tuesday.
The accelerating price hikes, mostly contributed by skyrocketing food prices, have hardened the life of wage-earners and pensioners, Chinese analysts say, and will pressure China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, to increase benchmark interest rates, in the short run.
A customer buys vegetable at a market in Nanjing, Jiangsu province February 19, 2008. China's consumer price index (CPI), the major gauge of inflation, hit a new 11-year high of 8.7 percent in February on the back of skyrocketing food prices, announced the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Tuesday. [Agencies]
Union calls for regular wage rises
By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-15 08:46
Updated: 2008-03-15 08:46
National union leaders said on Friday they will strive to secure regular pay rises for workers across the country to counter the effects of surging consumer prices.
Zhang Mingqi, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), said it has been working with government departments on a mechanism to ensure stable pay rises for workers so they can benefit from the country's economic boom.
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