Smlr_net September 2010

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ITUC: USA: PROBLEMS PERSIST for RIGHT TO ORGANIZE & OTHER FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS [29 September 2010]
by Eugene McElroy 30 Sep '10

30 Sep '10

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC) *INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED CORE LABOUR STANDARDS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA* *REPORT FOR THE WTO GENERAL COUNCIL REVIEW OF THE TRADE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA* (Geneva, 29 September and 1 October 2010) http://www.ituc-csi.org/report-for-the-wto-general-council,7686.html or http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/final_US_CLS_2010.pdf [full-text, 21 pages] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The United States has ratified only two of the eight core ILO labour Conventions. In view of restrictions on the trade union rights of workers and child labour problems, determined measures are needed to comply with the commitments the US accepted at Singapore and Doha in the WTO Ministerial Declarations over 1996-2001, and in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its 2008 Social Justice Declaration. The US has not ratified the ILO core Convention on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, nor the Convention on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise. Anti-union campaigns by employers are common and the legislation is insufficient as is its enforcement to protect the right of workers to organise. The right to strike and to collectively bargain are severely restricted, in particular for public sector workers and for certain groups of private sector workers. The US has not ratified the core ILO Convention on Equal Remuneration nor the Convention on Discrimination. Discrimination in employment is prohibited by law but does occur in practice. There is still a wage gap between men and women and between different ethnic groups. Women and some ethnic minorities are also disproportionately represented in certain occupations. The US has ratified the ILO core Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, but not the Convention on Minimum Age. Child labour remains a problem in the US, in particular in agriculture where fewer regulations apply, where collective bargaining is exceptional, and where children continue to be exposed to hazardous working conditions. The US has ratified the Convention on the Abolition of Forced Labour but not the Convention on Forced Labour. Forced labour exists in the form of forced prostitution, bonded labour, and forced prison labour. There is also forced labour in agriculture as well as in garments in US territories. Press Release 29 September 2010 ITUC OnLine 131/290910 *USA: unresolved problems with the right to organise and other fundamental rights * http://www.ituc-csi.org/usa-unresolved-problems-with-the.html Brussels, 29 September 2010 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC presents today its biannual report on core labour standards in the USA, coinciding with the Trade Policy Review of the USA at the WTO, taking place on 29 September and 1 October. It reveals a poor record on workers’ protection, particularly with regard to trade union rights and child labour, areas in which serious violations continue to take place. US law excludes large groups of workers from the right to organise. These include agricultural workers, many public sector workers, domestic workers, supervisors and independent contractors. Moreover, for most private sector workers forming trade unions is extremely difficult and anti-union pressure from employers is frequent. The report notes that there is a $4 billion union-busting industry which aims at undermining trade union organising. Some 82 per cent of employers hire such companies that employ a wide range of anti-union tactics. Employers often force employees to listen to anti-union propaganda and threaten workers with company closures if they vote to form a trade union. The report further notes that the Employee Free Choice Act, which would redress some of the imbalances workers are subject to, continues to be blocked by Senate Republicans despite passing the House of Representatives and gaining majority support in the Senate. Child labour is in many cases not effectively addressed in the US, particularly in agriculture and not least because of the hazardous conditions that children are exposed to. Many of the children are migrant farm workers, often Latino. The AFL-CIO estimates that between 300,000 and 800,000 children are employed in agriculture under dangerous conditions. Moreover, the number of child labour inspections has been falling. Concerning discrimination the report notes that women continue to earn less than men (77.1%). While women represent 47.8% of total employment, only 29.0% of executive and senior level officials and managers are women. Furthermore women have no guarantee of paid family leave. Finally, the report notes that forced labour remains a problem in the US, in particular with forced labour in agriculture for migrant workers. To read the full report: http://www.ituc-csi.org/report-for-the-wto-general-council,7686.html [Thanks to Rory O'Neill of *Hazards Magazine *http://hazards.org/ for the tip] **************************************** Stuart Basefsky Director, IWS News Bureau Institute for Workplace Studies Cornell/ILR School 16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 Telephone: (607) 255-2703 Fax: (607) 255-9641 E-mail: smb6(a)cornell.edu **************************************** -- Eugene McElroy Library Associate School of Management and Labor Relations SMLR Library Rutgers University 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (732) 932-9513

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Check out this page on NJ.com
by mcelroy＠work.rutgers.edu 30 Sep '10

30 Sep '10

Dear smlr_net: eugene (mcelroy(a)work.rutgers.edu) thought you would be interested in this item from NJ.com http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/nj_educators_say_gov_christies.html eugene

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NYTimes.com: After 2 Days, Dockworkers Agree to End Strike
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 30 Sep '10

30 Sep '10

This page was sent to you by: ciudadviejo(a)yahoo.com. N.Y. / REGION | September 30, 2010 After 2 Days, Dockworkers Agree to End Strike By PATRICK McGEEHAN Dockworkers agreed to return to work Wednesday after a walkout supporting union members in Camden, N.J., shut down ports in New York Harbor. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/nyregion/30strike.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

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NYTimes.com: Private Moment Made Public, Then a Fatal Jump
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 30 Sep '10

30 Sep '10

This page was sent to you by: ciudadviejo(a)yahoo.com. N.Y. / REGION | September 30, 2010 Private Moment Made Public, Then a Fatal Jump By LISA W. FODERARO Tyler Clementi killed himself after an intimate encounter was broadcast. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/nyregion/30suicide.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

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Library cuts threaten research - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences
by mcelroy＠work.rutgers.edu 30 Sep '10

30 Sep '10

http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/57728/ --- This message was sent by mcelroy(a)work.rutgers.edu via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses. Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

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COLUMN-Private equity and the cost of hope: James Saft
by mcelroy＠work.rutgers.edu 29 Sep '10

29 Sep '10

thanks to our old friend eileen appelbaum for fowarding this. http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/COLUMN-Private-equity-and-the-cost-of-hope… --- This message was sent by mcelroy(a)work.rutgers.edu via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses. Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

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mcelroy@work.rutgers.edu would like to share this NJSpotlight story with you.
by mcelroy＠work.rutgers.edu 29 Sep '10

29 Sep '10

an article by SMLR;s Mark Magyar The Future of the ARC Tunnel Will Gov. Christie derail the ARC tunnel -- the largest public works project in the nation -- to bail out the bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund? Link: http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/10/0928/0254/ Sent from http://www.njspotlight.com/

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NYTimes.com: New Jersey to Review Tenure Rules
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 29 Sep '10

29 Sep '10

This page was sent to you by: ciudadviejo(a)yahoo.com. EDUCATION | September 29, 2010 New Jersey to Review Tenure Rules By WINNIE HU In a move likely to upset unions, Gov. Chris Christie has proposed a plan under which teachers would be evaluated based on their students' performance. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/education/29christie.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

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NYTimes.com: Workers in Europe Protest Austerity Measures
by ciudadviejo＠yahoo.com 29 Sep '10

29 Sep '10

This page was sent to you by: ciudadviejo(a)yahoo.com. WORLD | September 30, 2010 Workers in Europe Protest Austerity Measures By RAPHAEL MINDER and ALAN COWELL Spain struggled to cope on Wednesday with a general strike as a day of labor unrest began across Europe. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/world/europe/30europe.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

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[IWS] Census: AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY (ACS) 2009 DATA RELEASE [28 September 2010]
by Eugene McElroy 29 Sep '10

29 Sep '10

*AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY (ACS) 2009 DATA RELEASE* [28 September 2010] http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2009_release/ Includes the following ACS Briefs · Poverty: 2008 and 2009<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-1.pdf> · Household Income for States: 2008 and 2009<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-2.pdf> · Men’s and Women’s Earnings for States and Metropolitan Statistical Areas: 2009 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-3.pdf> · Food Stamp/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Receipt in the Past 12 Month for Households by State: 2008 and 2009<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-8.pdf> · Health Insurance Coverage of Children under Age 19: 2008 and 2009<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-11.pdf> · Disability Among the Working Age Population: 2008 and 2009<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-12.pdf> · Usual Hours Worked in the Past 12 Months for Workers 16 to 64: 2008 and 2009 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-4.pdf> Press Release 28 September 2010 Census Bureau Releases 2009 American Community Survey Data http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_… The U.S. Census Bureau today released the results of the 2009 American Community Survey (ACS), one of a series of data products the Census Bureau is releasing in the coming months that provides information on the nation's population. Today's release is based on survey responses collected over the course of the 2009 calendar year and provides data about the nation's socioeconomic, housing and demographic characteristics. The first set of 2010 Census data, including the nation's population and congressional apportionment figures for the states, will be released by the end of 2010, as required by law. “Collectively, ACS and census data are critical components of the nation's information infrastructure, providing data essential to our economy and our communities,” Census Bureau director Robert Groves said. “ACS data are required by numerous federal programs and for planning and decision making at the state and federal level. ACS data help communities and businesses create jobs, plan for the future, establish new businesses and improve our economy.” Focusing on the population's characteristics, the ACS complements, but is different from, the 2010 Census population data. As a complete count of the population, the 2010 Census data are critical for people who need to know how many people live in the United States and where they live. The ACS data, on the other hand, are based on a sample survey of the nation and describe how we live by providing estimates of key social, economic and housing characteristics. Today's release covers more than 40 topics, such as income, educational attainment, housing and family structure for all geographies with populations of 65,000 or more. In December, the Census Bureau will release the first set of ACS statistics for all geographic areas, regardless of size, using data collected between 2005 and 2009. A third set of 2009 statistics covering all areas with populations of 20,000 or more will be released in January 11, 2011, based on data collected between 2007 and 2009. In addition to the ACS data released today on the Census Bureau website, the Census Bureau is releasing a set of briefs on seven topics: poverty, median household income by state, men's and women's earnings by state, food stamp/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program receipt by state, health insurance coverage among children, disability among the working age population and usual hours worked (see: < http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2009_release/>). Thirteen additional briefs based on today's data will be released on this website on October 12. * 2009 ACS Highlights* *Median Household Income* - Real median household income in the United States fell between 2008 and 2009 — decreasing by 2.9 percent from $51,726 to $50,221. - Between 2008 and 2009, real median household income decreased in 34 states and increased in one: North Dakota. *Poverty* - Thirty-one states saw increases in both the number and percentage of people in poverty between 2008 and 2009. - No state had a statistically significant decline in either the number in poverty or the poverty rate. *Health Insurance* - Between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of insured children in the United States increased from 90.3 percent to 91.0 percent, with 1.1 million more insured children in 2009. - In 2009, the uninsured rate for children under 19 in the United States was 9.0 percent, and the uninsured rate in the states ranged from 18.4 percent in Nevada to 1.5 percent in Massachusetts. - Between 2008 and 2009, the uninsured rate for children decreased in the United States as well as in 17 states. The uninsured rate increased in two states (Alaska and Minnesota) and was not statistically different in 32 states and Puerto Rico. - Between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of uninsured increased from 14.6 percent to 15.1 percent, with 2.2 million more uninsured in 2009. The percentage of uninsured increased in 26 states, decreased in three states (Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico) and did not change significantly in 22 states. *Industry and Occupation* - Work hours in the United States fell by about 36 minutes per week from 39.0 hours in 2008 to 38.4 hours in 2009. - Work hours fell in 46 of the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas between 2008 and 2009. - Workers in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations worked about 63 minutes less per week in 2009 than in 2008. - Self-employed workers experienced a greater reduction in work hours between 2008 and 2009 than workers in other types of employment. Workers who were self-employed in their own unincorporated businesses worked 66 minutes less per week in 2009, while those self-employed in their own incorporated businesses worked 49 minutes less in 2009. *Journey to Work* - In 2009, the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island metropolitan area had the highest percentage of workers who commuted by public transportation at 30.5 percent, followed by the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area, where 14.6 percent of workers commuted by public transportation. *Home Values* - In 2009, the median property value for owner-occupied homes in the United States was $185,200. - After adjusting for inflation, the median property value decreased in the United States by 5.8 percent between 2008 and 2009. - Five of the 10 highest median property values among the 50 most populous metro areas were in California: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($638,300), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ($591,600), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana ($463,600), San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos ($417,700) and Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville ($298,000). - Between 2008 and 2009, the percentage change in home values in the 366 metro areas ranged from a decline of 34.0 percent in Merced, Calif., to an increase of 19.7 percent in Hattiesburg, Miss. *Rental Housing Costs* - Nationwide, nearly two in five renter households (42.5 percent) experienced housing costs that consumed 35 percent or more of their incomes. - Housing cost burdens ranged from a low of 23.2 percent of renting households in the Casper, Wyo., metro area to a high of 62.8 percent of renting households in the College Station-Bryan, Texas, metro area. - Double digit rental vacancy rates characterized the following 12 of the 50 most populous metro areas: Jacksonville, Fla.; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga; Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark.; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.; Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.; Houston-Sugarland-Baytown, Texas; Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla.; and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. - Among the 50 most populous metro areas, the Pittsburgh, Pa., metro area had the lowest median gross rent ($643). Pittsburgh was followed by Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Louisville/Jefferson County, Ky.-Ind.; Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio, where rents were between $652 and $706. The St. Louis, Mo.-Ill., metro area rounded out the most affordable markets with a median gross rent of $732. - The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. metro area, with a gross rent of $1,414, was the most expensive rental market among the 50 most populous metro areas. Following San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, was the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif., metro area and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., metro area, both with median gross rent of $1,303. The fourth highest median gross rent was in the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif., metro area ($1,224); the fifth highest median gross rent was in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., metro area ($1,197). Rounding out the top seven most expensive metro areas were New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ($1,125) and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H. ($1,123), which were not significantly different from each other. *Labor Force Participation* - The labor force participation rate for men 16 to 24 decreased nationally from 61.5 percent in 2008 to 59.2 percent in 2009, while for women this age the rate decreased from 60.4 percent to 58.7 percent. - For men 25 to 54, the national labor force participation rate decreased from 88.5 percent in 2008 to 87.9 percent in 2009, while women in this group experienced an increase from 77.0 percent to 77.1 percent. - For men 55 and older, the national labor force participation rate remained unchanged (at 45.2 percent) from 2008 to 2009, while the rate for women increased from 32.8 percent to 33.2 percent. *Disability* - In 2009, 19.5 million people, or 9.9 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 to 64, had a disability. Between 2008 and 2009, both the number and percent of people with disabilities did not change. - In 2009, West Virginia had the highest disability prevalence rate for people age 16 to 64 at 16.8 percent. Hawaii has the lowest prevalence rate, not different from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Utah. - About 34.7 percent of people with disabilities were employed compared with 71.9 percent of people without a disability. North Dakota had the highest employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities, not different from Wyoming. - The District of Columbia had the lowest employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities, not different from Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. *Education — Science and Technology* - A new question in the 2009 American Community Survey asked respondents with bachelor's degrees about their undergraduate major: - The estimated number of people in the United States 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher was 56.3 million. Of this group, 20.5 million, or 36.4 percent, held at least one science and engineering degree. - The percentages of all bachelor's degrees in the science and engineering fields were 28 percent or less in Mississippi, North Dakota and Puerto Rico, and as high as 51 percent in the District of Columbia. *Foreign-Born* - According to the 2009 ACS, 38.5 million of the 307 million residents in the United States were foreign-born, representing 12.5 percent of the total population. In 2008, there were 38 million foreign-born in the United States, also making up 12.5 percent of the total population. The number of foreign-born in the United States increased between 2008 and 2009, in contrast to 2007-2008, when the number of foreign-born did not change significantly. *Language by Hispanic Origin and Race* - Overall, among the major race groups and Hispanic origin, non-Hispanic whites had the lowest proportion (6 percent) of people who spoke a language other than English at home, and Asians alone and Hispanics had the highest proportion (77 percent and 76 percent, respectively). - Hispanics were much more likely to speak a language other than English at home (76 percent) compared with non-Hispanics (10 percent). Among the selected Hispanic detailed groups, Dominicans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans, each around 92 percent, were among the top three groups with the highest percent who spoke a language other than English at home. This was followed by Colombians (87 percent), Cubans (82 percent), Mexicans (76 percent) and Puerto Ricans (66 percent). *The Older Population * - People 60 and over were more likely than the total population to have a disability. In 2009, 32.4 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 60 and over reported having a disability compared with12.0 percent of the total civilian noninstitutionalized population. - Approximately one quarter (27.1 percent) of the population 60 and over reported being in the labor force, an increase from 26.7 percent in 2008. *ABOUT THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY* The American Community Survey is the successor to the former census "long form" that historically produced demographic, housing and socioeconomic data for the nation as part of the once-a-decade census. The decennial census program, which includes the ACS and the 2010 Census, serves as the basis for the allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, local and tribal governments every year. These vital data also guide planning in the private sector as well as the work done by policymakers at all levels of government and in communities of all sizes. All survey responses are strictly confidential and protected by law. As is the case with all surveys, statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. All comparisons made in the reports have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level, unless otherwise noted. Please consult the data tables for specific margins of error. For more information, go to http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/documentation_main/. Changes in survey design from year to year can affect results. See http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2009_release/ for more information on changes affecting the 2009 data. See http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/comparing_2009/ for guidance on comparing 2009 ACS data with data from previous years and the 2000 Census. Visit “American FactFinder,” the Census Bureau's online data tool, to obtain ACS 2009 data for the nation, all states and the District of Columbia, all congressional districts, approximately 800 counties, and 500 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, among others. -X- -- Eugene McElroy Library Associate School of Management and Labor Relations SMLR Library Rutgers University 50 Labor Center Way New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (732) 932-9513

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Smlr_net September 2010