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Strike Three! New Hampshire House Calls Right to Work ‘Out!’

New Hampshire union members applaud defeat of "right to work" for less bill. Hew Hampshire AFL-CIO photo.

It was no charming third time for former New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien (R) as the state House of Representatives decisively defeated (212-141) a "right to work" for less bill sponsored by O’Brien who no longer holds the speaker’s post.  

New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie called today’s vote “a strong rebuttal of ex-Speaker O'Brien's attacks on the middle class.” O’Brien championed the anti-worker measure in the past two sessions only to see it die both times.

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Seniors and Veterans Tell Honeywell: 'Pay Your Taxes'

Seniors and veterans showed up at a "Fix the Debt" event in New Hampshire to tell Honeywell CEO David Cote that if he really wants to fix the debt, he should have Honeywell pay its fair share of taxes. Cote is one of a number of wealthy corporate leaders in the "Fix the Debt" coalition, which advocates for cuts to benefits like Social Security and Medicare and is pushing for lower corporate taxes. Advocates for working families and their allies point out that many of the "Fix the Debt" companies engage in loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

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PIRG: States Lose $40 Billion a Year to Offshore Tax Havens

Photo from the AFL-CIO's Bring Jobs Home campaign.

A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) reveals that state governments lost $39.8 billion in revenues because corporations and wealthy individuals are using offshore tax havens to avoid paying their statutory tax rates. We've seen the devastating effects that offshoring jobs have had on America's workers, and offshoring has long been talked about in terms of lost federal revenue, where $150 billion a year goes unpaid, but little focus has been given to state losses from the practice.

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North Carolina Republicans Ramp Up Attacks on the Unemployed

Photo of Gov. Pat McCrory courtesy Willamor Media

In a near party-line vote, the North Carolina House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to a bill that would harm many of the state's more vulnerable citizens by cutting back on unemployment insurance. The measure would cut maximum weekly benefits by one-third, bringing the top weekly payout to $350, and reduce the maximum length an unemployed worker can get from 26 weeks to 20. As the bill currently stands, 80,000 workers are set to lose unemployment insurance payments.

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Workers Expose Dirty Secrets of Recycling Industry

Most of us don’t know what happens to our recycling after we take it to the curb each week.

On Feb. 2, hundreds of recycling workers and community supporters gathered in Oakland, Calif., at the Recycling Workers Convention to discuss a wide range of serious problems plaguing Alameda County’s recycling industry with an audience of elected officials and policy makers who oversee this supposedly “green” industry.

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North Carolina Working Families Announce Support for Commonsense Immigration Reform

Photo courtesy of North Carolina AFL-CIO

The North Carolina State AFL-CIO joined with immigrant workers and advocates, the civil rights community and local community organizations to reaffirm its support for comprehensive immigration reform that protects America's workers, including aspiring citizens. Secretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan of the North Carolina federation announced the adoption of a resolution by the state and local AFL-CIO, which calls on Congress to pass commonsense immigration reform that includes a practical and inclusive road map to citizenship and reflects core American values such as fairness, equality and family unity.

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Coalition of Michigan Lawmakers, Unions and Citizen Journalist File Lawsuit to Block 'Right to Work' for Less

[Photo credit: Anne C. Savage | Eclectablog]

Chris Savage is a Michigan-based political writer and owner of Eclectablog. You also can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

On Dec. 6, 2012, Republicans in the Michigan legislature passed bills that eventually led to Michigan becoming the 24th "right to work" for less state. With their majorities in both the House and the Senate and encouragement from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, this was a pretty straightforward accomplishment. However, it was done with a crowd of thousands of protesters surrounding the Capitol building and filling its corridors. 

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