INDIVISIBLE Lambertville NJ / New Hope PA

Category: Human rights

  • The Dissolution of Worker Protections and Rights

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    The slow, insidious decline in the power of the American Worker can no longer be ignored. Under Trump, The Department of Labor, established under the New Deal, has taken a carving knife to any form of protection killing off panels, agencies and regulations. 

    On May 1, International Workers Day, warehouse workers and grocery employees at Amazon and its subsidiary Whole Foods and gig workers for Instacart and Target-owned Shipt walked off the job. The workers — whose jobs have become more critical during coronavirus quarantines and stay-at-home orders — called for more personal protective equipment, professional cleaning services and hazard pay from their employers.

    The protests didn’t include all company employees and were comparatively small, however media and social media coverage exponentially increased the impact. Other professions such as healthcare and transit workers lent their support.   

    The hostility to labor in favor of business by the Trump administration and the GOP in general is widely-recognized. Now, coupled with the plight of frontline workers across industries, ranging from career professionals to lower-wage workers exposed to, sick and dying of COVID-19, and others who are struggling due to business closures, the situation has reached a boiling point. 

    The decline in the status and power of the American worker didn’t begin with Trump, but it’s surely been exacerbated. The Department of Labor is the agency that is supposed to look out for the worker, yet evidence makes it abundantly clear that its current mission does anything but that as staff and boards are changed or disbanded, regulations are slashed, anti-labor rulings and executive orders chip away at any protections they might offer. 

    The Secretary of Labor position – a revolving door since the inauguration, is now headed by Eugene Scalia (yes, his daddy was a SCOTUS judge)  since September 2019. As an attorney, Scalia handled many cases for businesses against employees and others, and repeatedly criticized for siding with large corporate interests against the working people. What a surprise. 

    The National Labor Relations Board (N.L.R.B.) has five members who are nominated by the president to serve staggered five-year terms. Trump’s N.L.R.B. has hamstrung union activism, with rulings favoring business and undermining vulnerable employees. See its rulings on McDonalds, Uber and graduate student employees. This long slide in the power of the worker gathered steam since the 80’s, when President Reagan notoriously declared the air traffic controller action illegal and fired more than 11,000 striking workers, hiring replacements. One of the Reagan administration’s lawyers in the case was Peter B. Robb, now general counsel of the N.L.R.B.

    It’s been said as unions go, so goes inequality. The division of income among Americans has increasingly tilted to the richest 10 percent, and away from everyone else, as union membership has ebbed. (see Just the Facts: Unions in this issue). In a few cases, companies have actually stepped up and done right by their employees, Patagonia comes to mind, but in general, businesses hold most if not all the cards outspending unions in political contributions by 16 to one during the 2016 election.  

    Further, five panels that were created by law to advise the labor secretary on how to improve health, safety and whistleblower protections in nearly every facet of the workforce have been outright killed or mothballed. Set up under OSHA – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, these committees include: 

    • Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health Last meeting: June 20, 2017
        • Role: Has provided expertise on every OSHA standard in the construction industry for decades and must be consulted before the Department of Labor finalizes any construction industry-related rule-making, from ergonomic guidelines to work with hexavalent chromium.
        • Pending issues: Preventing trucks from backing up and killing workers, a common cause of death at construction sites, and new telecommunication tower standards, prompted by workers falling to their deaths while working on the towers.
    • National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health – Last meeting: Nov. 15, 2016.
      • Role: Advises on issues from reducing illness and injury in poultry line assembly to blood-borne pathogens, working closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 
      • Pending issues: Regulations to protect temporary workers and emergency responders
    • Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health – Last meeting: Sept. 8, 2016
      • Role: Developed federal training guidelines, adopted by OSHA, for workers’ health and safety, and helped to ensure that federal contractors work with unions on developing safe environments for such work as refueling nuclear submarines.
      • Pending issues: Recommendations to prevent workers at federal sites in Florida from Zika exposure.
    • Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health – Last meeting: Aug. 10, 2016
      • Role: Provides advice and technical expertise on health and safety issues in shipyards, the longshore industry and commercial fishing vessels. Since the committee was created, fewer maritime workers have died annually of asphyxiation or drowning.
      • Pending issues: Implementation of a new, more aggressive beryllium standard that will take effect in May. Also, guidelines to prevent lead and other toxic exposure during welding.
    • Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee – Last meeting: April 26, 2016
      • Role: Developed a first-of-its kind guideline for how employers in 22 industries should address whistleblower issues and created a forum at its meetings for the public to bring up issues they felt had been unfairly dealt with.
      • Pending issues: Whistleblower protection issues within the railroad industry, improving the relationship between OSHA’s health and safety programs and its whistleblower protection programs.

    Additional Resources: 

    U.S. Department of Labor 

    U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions – Legislation

    U.S. House Committee on Labor and Education – Bill Status and Tracking

    Congressional Record

     

    Sources
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/01/amazon-instacart-workers-strike/
    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/19/magazine/labor-law-unions.html
    https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-labor-department-eviscerates-workplace-safety-panels

  • ACTION! Senators Release Proposals Supporting Frontline Workers

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    Three proposals focusing on Frontline Workers have been unveiled by both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate for consideration in the fourth coronavirus relief package

    Three different proposals have been released by members of the U.S. Senate intended to support the frontline workers to varying degrees. The goal is to include more focused provisions to protect and reward these workers, and to stimulate interest in filling these much needed jobs. Ideally, some form of these proposals will be included in the fourth coronavirus relief package, and you can help by calling Congress and demanding their support. Don’t forget your state government, which in many cases has done more to protect its people than the federal government.

    Essential Workers Bill of Rights 

    In April, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ro Khanna’s unveiled an “Essential Workers Bill of Rights,” which has been cheered by leading progressive organizations – including Indivisible and MoveOn – who are demanding the next coronavirus relief package take care of those on the frontlines of the pandemic.

    COVID-19 Hero’s Fund

    Also in April, Senate Democrats Charles Schumer (NY), Gary Peters (MI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Patty Murray (WA), Robert Casey (PA), and Tom Udall (NM) revealed the COVID-19 Hero’s Fund — a federal fund offering payments of up to $25,000, or $13 an hour and retroactive compensation for qualifying workers dating back to late January, when the public health emergency was first declared. Their plan also proposes a one-time payment of $15,000 to draw new workers into essential fields.

    • Uses a flat-dollar amount per hour premium model in order to ensure it is clear, simple, and lifts up particularly those workers making lower wages.
    • Would give each essential frontline worker $13/hour premium pay on top of regular wages for all hours worked in essential industries through the end of 2020.
    • Would cap the total maximum premium pay at $25,000 for each essential frontline worker earning less than $200,000 per year and $5,000 for each essential worker earning $200,000 or more per year.

    Patriot Pay

    Then on May 1, Utah Senator Mitt Romney released his Patriot Pay proposal aimed at providing bonus pay — up to $12 an hour on top of normal wages — for employees in eligible jobs. The increase would extend through May, June and July and would be paid out by employers and the federal government via a payroll tax credit. Workers in industries designated by Congress and the Department of Labor as essential, including hospitals, grocery stores and health manufacturing, could qualify for the hazard pay. 

    • For essential employees that make less than $50,000 annualized, employers would receive a 75% refundable payroll tax credit for a bonus up to $12 an hour.
    • For essential employees making over $50,000 annualized, the tax credit phases out by $24 for every additional $500 in income until annualized incomes hit $90,000.
    • The maximum tax credit is $1,440 per month, per employee, meaning a full-time worker would receive up to a $1,920 monthly bonus.

    Unlike the Democratic proposal however, Romney’s plan opts to offer employers a refundable payroll tax credit for paying out the bonuses to eligible employees. The plan states that employers would be refunded for up to three-quarters of hazard pay bonuses to employees making less than $90,000 a year. 

     

    • ACTION! Call your U.S. Senators and tell them to support the Essential Workers’ Bill of Rights and COVID-19 Hero’s Fund in the next coronavirus relief package. Find their contact information here.

     

    ACTION! Sign Indivisible.org’s The People’s Agenda Pledge to make sure your Representative opposes any coronavirus relief bill that does not 1) Keep people on payrolls; 2) Provide aid to the most vulnerable, including cash, food, debt relief and eviction protection; 3) Provide full healthcare coverage for all frontline workers, and 4) Enact a vote-by-mail requirement for all federal elections. Find all the tools you need plus at Indivisible.org The People’s Agenda

  • Just the Facts – Indigenous People

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    • There are more than 370 million indigenous people worldwide across 90 countries
    • Indigenous peoples are 5% of the world’s population but account for 15% of the world’s extreme poor
    • There exist more than 5.000 indigenous communities and that speak around 4.000 different languages
    • Indigenous peoples encompass approximately 22% of the world’s land surface and are estimated to hold 80% of the planet’s biodiversity
    • According to the United Nations, indigenous peoples are facing greater violations of their rights than was the case 10 years ago
    • More than one in three indigenous women are sexually assaulted during their lifetime, and they also have higher rates of maternal mortality, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases.

    Sources:

    https://www.iwgia.org/en/news/3268-facts-indigenous-people

    https://stories.undp.org/10-things-we-all-should-know-about-indigenous-people

  • ILNH FYI – Updates and Upcoming

    ILNH FYI – Updates and Upcoming

    Ready to get busy? Check out our Action Group Activities and Opportunities to Get Involved!

    Environmental Action Team Update – Lambertville is a hub of environmental action fueled by volunteers and we are only getting started! Indivisible LNH members and community allies have fought climate change this year with tenacity and innovation. Below is only a snapshot of the incredible work folks like YOU have been up to!

    PennEast – ILNH worked alongside incredible Stop PennEast allies like Lambertville CAP, Hunterdon and Mercer CAPS, HALT, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Rethink Energy and Sierra Club NJ to support homeowners, urge legislators to act and demand permit denials from the NJDEP and DRBC. The NJ AG’s office won an important case in this fight, which will prohibit PennEast from taking state owned preserved lands along the route. The project is stalled, but we must remain diligent in advocating for NJDEP and DRBC to DENY all PennEast permits before them.

    Greening the Pipeline is an initiative and creative approach to fighting PennEast started by Lambertville resident Michael Heffler. Aggregation is a program available to towns to buy electricity. What the Greening the Pipeline program is proposing, is rather than just lower the cost, they change the mix of electricity to lower the natural gas used and increase the percentage of renewables. This hits PennEast in the wallet. Towns along the proposed pipeline route that have passed the ordinance to join the program are Frenchtown, Delaware Township, Kingwood and Lambertville. Pennington, Stockton and Alexandria are in the process of passage and discussions have started with Hopewell and West Amwell. This program will save all of us money, shrink our carbon footprint with no cost and no risk. Thank your town council for joining the energy coop, saving all of us money and taking it from the companies investing in Penneast.

    The Lambertville Environmental Commission in partnership with volunteers throughout the City launched the Ditching Disposables Initiative. The DD Initiative seeks to empower businesses and residents to minimize their consumption of single use plastics and transition to more sustainable alternatives. One of the kickoff events was the T-Shirts to Totes event, where residents turned unused t-shirts into reusable bags that will be donated to the local food pantries. The success of this event was due largely in part to the incredible dedication of Cindy Sternfeld and her team of ILNH volunteers who rocked it at the sewing machine! Ditching Disposables has continued to roll out with programs like the Sustainable Business Forum and Green Innovator Award! To learn more follow Lambertville Environmental Commission on Facebook.

    On Oct 1 the ILNH Environment Team was joined by Student Climate Strike Organizer Patrick Artur and Eric Benson from Clean Water Action NJ. Patrick shared what inspired him to organize the Climate Strike and how students can inform future Environment Team actions. Eric Benson from Clean Water Action shared about the top issues facing NJ today and what we can do to address them!

    Call to Action!
    Urge NJDEP and DRBC to Deny All Permits to the PennEast Pipeline
    Sign petition to the NJDEP https://www.greenactions.org/stop-penneast?sc=hlt&fbclid=IwAR2SlWQMpEGr9jPNtQg8EGX3BMoQE-3T-iK6PN6FPYc23xo6KYv_k955HF8
    Sign petition to the DRBC
    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZvhXXAppbzQKrZ_5s6lnIdHdUiyIg0hO0_2SN5FsV-8qUZQ/viewform

    Civil Rights Action Group is Active as Heck! – check out the upcoming events. Contact Shara Durkee for more information, locations and to RSVP.

    • Book Club Meeting – Wednesday, October 9 at 6:30 pm in Lambertville – Subject is Solitary by Albert Woodfox, who served more than four decades in solitary confinement – 23 hours a day in a 6-foot by 9-foot cell – for a crime he didn’t commit. Even if you don’t have time to finish or haven’t even started the book, please join us for a lively discussion!
    • Volunteer at Books Through Bars in Philadelphia – Saturday, October 19, 11 am – 2 pm
    • Civil Rights monthly meeting – Monday, October 21 at 6:30 pm in Lambertville.
    • Presentation and Discussion with Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills, authors of If These Stones Could Talk: African American Presence in the Hopewell Valley – Saturday, October 26, 3-5 pm – Methodist Church, 108 N. Union, Lambertville – A decade ago, Beverly Mills and Elaine Buck began formal collaboration into researching the lives of their African American ancestors, most of whom were likely to have been brought up the Delaware River as slaves to–what is now the Hopewell Valley region in Central New Jersey. Active community members, Mills and Buck both serve on the board of the Stoutsburg Cemetery Association, a burial ground for African American residents and veterans in the region.
    • Tour of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia – Saturday, November 9, 11 am – This one hour tour highlights Eastern State’s fascinating 142-year history, revolutionary architecture, notorious inmates and world-wide influence. The tour will also focus on criminal justice. For the group tour, prices are $11/adults, $10/seniors, $8/students ages 7-12.
    • Workshop “Dismantling the Racism Machine: Myths, Taught to White People that Perpetuate White Supremacy – Wednesday, November 20, 6:30-8:30 pm, Lambertville Public Library – With Karen Gaffney, author of Dismantling the Racism Machine: A Manual and Toolbox.

    Join ILNH Leadership Team! We have roles to fill and need your help. We need to flesh out our GOTV team now, including an overall lead, NJ and PA specific leads, and those who want to focus their energies on righting the ship by educating and encouraging voters through November 3, 2020.
    We’re also looking for someone to head the Swag team, including identifying merchandise to sell, caring for and maintaining inventory and adding to the ILNH finances by successfully SELLING the stock at meetings and other appropriate locations and events.
    In addition, a Fundraising co-lead will join Diane Abatemarco to help plan activities and other mechanisms through which we can support the financial health of ILNH.

    Write for Us! The ILNH Take A Stand Newsletter needs writers. Part of the ILNH mission is educating our community and one of the ways we do so is through this newsletter. Contribute a single piece to express your passion and/or knowledge, or be a regular staffer who keeps their finger on the pulse of the incredible amount of news and subjects that help us be informed citizens – the choice is yours. Contact Deb Kline via email or Slack.

  • Same, Same, But Different: Diversity in Communities, Workplaces and Schools

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    The business world has extolled the benefits of diversity for the past decade or more. Encouraged by the findings of several studies, many large corporations have held diversity trainings, have diversity officers, celebrate various cultures and ethnic groups with special events, days or weeks. Despite all this, however, according to a 2017 report by Diversity Best Practices, 93% of Fortune 1000 companies are led by men, most of whom are overwhelmingly white. (For more statistics on diversity in the workplace, see this link.) (more…)