Monday, September 1, 2014

Happy Labor Day! 36 reasons to thank labor unions.

Happy Labor Day from the Harrison County Democratic Party! Here are 36 things brought to you by the labor movement, and 36 things the Koch Brothers and Tea Party Republicans would take away if they got the chance. 

Did you know that labor unions made the following 36 things possible?

  1. Weekends without work
  2. All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks
  3. Paid vacation
  4. Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  5. Sick leave
  6. Social Security
  7. Minimum wage
  8. Civil Rights Act/Title VII - prohibits employer discrimination
  9. 8-hour work day
  10. Overtime pay
  11. Child labor laws
  12. Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
  13. 40-hour work week
  14. Workers' compensation (workers' comp)
  15. Unemployment insurance
  16. Pensions
  17. Workplace safety standards and regulations
  18. Employer health care insurance
  19. Collective bargaining rights for employees
  20. Wrongful termination laws
  21. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
  22. Whistleblower protection laws
  23. Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) - prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on an employee
  24. Veteran's Employment and Training Services (VETS)
  25. Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e. raises)
  26. Sexual harassment laws
  27. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
  28. Holiday pay
  29. Employer dental, life, and vision insurance
  30. Privacy rights
  31. Pregnancy and parental leave
  32. Military leave
  33. The right to strike
  34. Public education for children
  35. Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 - requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work
  36. Laws ending sweatshops in the United States
Thanks to Union Plus for the list. 

Something the Tea Party and Koch Brothers don't believe in.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Indiana Democrats Push for Equal Pay for Women

Democrats across the country, and in particular the State of Indiana pushed for laws to guarantee equal pay for equal work for women. In the U.S. Senate, Republicans blocked even having a debate on a bill to make it easier for women to show disparity in pay. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana) voted to proceed, while Sen. Dan Coats (R-Indiana) voted against proceeding. Here in Indiana, Rep. Linda Lawson (D-Hammond) tried to get an amendment to simply set up a commission to study this issue. However, Republicans in the State House blocked this amendment. Take a look at these two articles on the issue.

Democrats: Indiana Needs To Do More On Equal Pay

Senate GOP Blocks Debate on Equal Pay Bill