Paltry Minimum Wage Increase for U.S. Workers

Workers in America should be up in arms over the paltry minimum wage increase passed by Congress today. Only $5.85 per hour up from $5.15 per hour at a time when gas is over $3.00 a gallon is just plain cruel. The minimum wage should be at least $10.00 per hour. Minimum wage workers today are stuck in a vicious cycle of hopelessness and poverty perpetuated by Republican members of Congress. The Republicans blocked increases every step of the way for ten long years and they need to be held accountable. Many states have long given up on the federal government to step up to the plate and set a decent minimum wage. Some states have taken it upon themselves to pass increases over and above the federal level because those leaders realize that like the saying goes, “an injury to one is an injury to all.”

I find myself asking the same question day after day, “What happened to this country?”

Workers Claim Brinderson Forcing Employees to Sign-Up with Phony Union

Is Brinderson Construction up to no good again? It appears so. The LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council has been receiving calls claiming that the company has formed an alliance with the phony, sham union the International Union of Petroleum & Industrial Workers (iupiw aka A-SCAM!) and is threatening employees with termination if they don’t join! Some say the iupiw owners do whatever the companies want and have been charged with fraud by the federal government for selling bogus health plans. Is this just another attempt by Brinderson to block the voice of the workers? Will enough employees’ come forward to thwart Brinderson’s desperate attempt? Let’s hope so.

Here’s what the workers can do:

Sign a Representation Card with a legitimate labor organization so they can negotiate a strong contract

Refuse membership in the phony IUPIW

File a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to cancel the IUPIW contract

Union Organizer Abducted by Iranian Government

Tuesday July 10th Tehran- Suspected government assailants attacked and abducted union organizer and president of the Bus Drivers Union, Mansour Osanloo. The attackers continued to beat Osanloo as he was driven away in an unmarked car (Read more here). Please join me in protesting this despicable act against a fellow labor activist by sending a protest letter AND signing a petition online. Amir Taheri of the Prairie Pundit calls Osanloo “Iran’s Lech Walesa”. Violent acts against labor leaders seem to be on the rise. We cannot allow this to continue.