Unions for Change

Illinois canvassing...

MarkkraM — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:38:45 EST

Okay now it is our turn in Illinois to get out the vote!!

I am impressed by the number of Americans

that are voting this year, AS IF it should be shocking

since we are in a war and have some serious issues with

taxation, education funding and infrastructure repair

in America - along with an expensive war.

In the Quad City area (and beyond) we are organizing

good old canvassing and phonebanking.

Phonebanking early on will be to Nevada and South Carolina

with the great help of our massive, intelligent, technical and

hardworking staff at BarackObama'08 Headquarters, then

we will phonebank our OWN neighbors, BUT door to door canvassing

and tabling at events would be a great way to REMIND people

WE VOTE FEB. 5th

FEB. 5th

In Illinois!!

Our Obama contact for this area is Aubrey Cunningham

( acunningham@barackobama.com )( c. 312-550-6756 )

get ahold of her, drop her you email and she will notify

dates and times of events, or follow along events on

www.my.barackobama.com

Thanks for believing in Barack Obama with me, together we will WIN!!

MarkkraM @ mybo.com

Vote for Obama on DFA Pulse Poll....Last Chance!

Elesha — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:38:51 EST

The final DFA Presidential Pulse Poll ends tonight at midnight Eastern Standard Time. That means you only have a few hours left to vote and make sure your voice is heard.

Today is a big day. With over 130,000 votes cast, the poll is already the largest presidential poll of progressive activists this year. Yet this isn't even close to over. Traditionally, tens of thousands of votes come in on the last day.

That means the winner is still very much up for grabs. Cast your vote right now:

http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/PulsePoll

Barack Obama has moved from second to fourth and currently back to third. Can Obama finally hit the top spot and repeat his previous DFA Pulse Poll victory from April 2007? You decide.

Today is your last chance to vote:

http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/PulsePoll

The count is based on one vote per email. So if one of the candidate's messages swayed you, you can change your vote today and it will override your previous choice.

After you vote, get your friends, family and co-workers to support your candidate. Think of this as Election Day. You have the power to choose the winner. It's up to you to make it happen.

Thank you for everything you do,

Obama Statement on Writer's Strike

Elesha — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:32:55 EST

Obama Statement on Writers Guild Strike CHICAGO , IL--U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Writers Guild strike.

"I stand with the writers. The Guild's demand is a test of whether media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work."

Help Obama win the DFA poll.

Elesha — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:09:56 EDT

Hey Friends,

I wanted to drop you a short note to ask for your help. DFA is holding a Presidential Primary Pulse Poll to decide which candidate deserves their support. I voted for Senator Barack Obama and I need help to move him from 2nd place in the poll.

Could you take just a minute to vote for Barack Obama right now? Here's the link:

http://DemocracyforAmerica.com/VoteObama

Thanks for your help.

Obama gets support from SEIU in MO and KS

Elesha — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:02:14 EDT

SEIU Missouri / Kansas State Council Endorses Barack Obama for President The Missouri / Kansas State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has voted unanimously to endorse Senator Barack Obama for President. The Council represents more than 15,000 working families in Missouri and Kansas. Sherwin Carroll, President of the SEIU Missouri / Kansas State Council, cited Obama’s commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare and protecting workers’ rights as two of the biggest reasons for the union’s endorsement.In announcing the Council’s endorsement, Carroll called Obama, “a real fighter for working families with a proven track record for getting things done.” Carroll also pointed out Senator Obama’s strong stance with healthcare workers, janitors, and public workers facing unfair treatment and low wages on the job”“Senator Obama has the judgment and vision necessary to lead our country in the right direction,” said Carroll, “and we are proud to endorse his candidacy for President.” Making this announcement today with State Council President Carroll, were SEIU Local 2000 (Missouri) President Barbara Black, SEIU Local 513 (Kansas) President Jim Bishop, and SEIU Local 1 (Missouri Division) Vice President Nancy E. Cross.With today’s announcement, the Missouri / Kansas Council joins the SEIU Illinois State Council and Indian SEIU as other mid-western states to have endorsed Obama’s Candidacy. The SEIU Missouri / Kansas State Council is widely recognized as having one of the most effective political grassroots organizations in both states.

Obama gets support from SEIU in Illinois and Indiana

Elesha — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:16:15 EDT

The Illinois State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Indiana SEIU representing more than 170,000 workers has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The union of healthcare workers, security guards, janitors, public workers, home healthcare and childcare workers has a long-standing relationship with Senator Obama and is proud to support his candidacy.

Tom Balanoff, President of the SEIU Illinois State Council, cited Obama’s commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare and to protecting workers’ rights as among the biggest reasons for his union’s early endorsement.

In announcing the SEIU’s endorsement, President Balanoff called Obama, "a real fighter for working families with a proven track record of getting things done." Balanoff also cited Obama’s early opposition to the Iraq War as proof positive that he has the judgment and vision necessary to serve in the nation’s highest office.

Illinois SEIU is widely recognized as one of the most effective political organizations in the state and is committed to helping organize thousands of its members to volunteer on the Senator’s presidential campaign. Already, hundreds of members are volunteering to phone bank, door knock and to travel to neighboring states to support Obama’s presidential bid.

Obama's Statement on UAW Strike

Elesha — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:42:44 EDT

Obama Statement on UAW Strike CHICAGO, IL—U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the United Auto Workers Strike. “I stand with the workers who are striking Chrysler. The union’s demands--job security, the health benefits they were promised--are basic guarantees that all workers should expect and that UAW members deserve. Chrysler has a responsibility to work with the UAW so that union members can go back to work.”

Obama's Statement on Dana Corportation Case

Elesha — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:33:37 EDT

Obama Statement on Dana Corporation Case
Chicago, IL— Senator Barack Obama issued the following statement in response to the National Labor Relations Board's decision in the Dana Corporation Case. "I strongly oppose and reject the National Labor Relations Board decision in the Dana Corporation case. It is just another part of the Bush Administration's larger effort to block workers' efforts to organize into unions and collectively bargain for fair pay and benefits. The decision discourages employers from working cooperatively with their employees by making it more difficult for employers to voluntarily recognize a union that a majority of employees supports. This decision, like many by this Bush board, is ideological and aims to disenfranchise workers and attack unions. It adds urgency to our efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act to assure that workers get a union when a majority supports that union. As president, I will sign the Employee Free Choice Act into law and appoint leaders to the National Labor Relations Board who understand workers' struggles and support their right to organize."

Obama introduces pro-labor legislation today

Elesha — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:03:14 EDT

The Obama-Durbin Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007 (The ICPC ACT of 2007) Issue Overview

Every day, the vast majority of working Americans and their employers get up, go to work, and play by the rules. They pay their taxes and recognize their responsibilities to each other. And they recognize that as employers and employees, they are engaged in a common effort to provide goods and services to customers in a competitive marketplace. And all that they ask for is a fair and level playing field. But today, a tax loophole tilts the playing field against those playing by the rules.

The Section 530 safe harbor in tax law currently encourages some employers to avoid paying their taxes in full and deny their employees basic protections, thereby placing employers who play by the rules at a disadvantage, striping the government of billions in uncollected business taxes, and exposing employees to a loss of overtime, workers compensation, and other protections. The problem is particularly acute in the construction industry, but it also exists in other growing industries, ranging form high-tech, to trucking, to janitorial services, to home care.

We are introducing the Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007 (ICPC) to fix the problem and treat all workers and employers properly and fairly. That should lead to better tax compliance, fair pay and benefits, proper coverage in workers’ compensation, and competition on a level playing field for workers and business.

A 2006 University of Missouri study of employee misclassification in Illinois found that between 2001 and 2005 the percentage of misclassified employees in the state went from 5.5% to 8.5%, a 55% increase. It also estimated that misclassification of workers in 2005 resulted in a $53.7 million loss of unemployment insurance taxes and a $149 million to $250 million loss of income tax, and that $97.9 million in workers’ compensation premiums were not paid properly in 2004. There are other studies out of New York, Massachusetts, and Maine that show similar outcomes.

The way it works is this, an employer can cut its payroll costs by up to 30% if it calls a worker an “independent contractor” instead of an “employee” and issues a Form 1099 instead of Form W-2 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As long as it treats like workers the same, the employer does not have to withhold taxes from the worker’s pay, forcing workers to pay all their own payroll taxes as if he or she were self-employed. And, at the same time, the employers fail to pay their fair share of federal and state payroll taxes. Section 530 bars the IRS from penalizing the employer if he falls under the safe harbor, requiring a change in the treatment of workers even if the IRS concludes that those workers should be treated as employees, and it bars the IRS from writing rules, regulations and guidance on the matter.

Genuine independent contractors make up a small part of the American workforce because, by definition, an independent contractor operates his or her own business. They have specialized skills, they invest capital in the business, and they perform a new service, not just routine services already that other workers already provide. Most workers, especially in labor intensive jobs like construction are not operating a business of their own.

There are legitimate independent contractors in every industry. And it is not our intent to undermine their work. By ensuring that the IRS can require employers to properly classify the people working for them as well as give them guidance on how to do that, we will ensure that both true independent contractors and true employees are treated as such.

This legislation will close the Section 530 loophole. It will allow the government to collect the taxes employers owe and level the playing field for all workers and employers. The legislation will also address the serious need for more enforcement of federal tax and employment laws to identify those employers in major industries that wrongly classify their workers as independent contactors and require greater cooperation between the IRS and the Department of Labor in enforcing the law.

In the end, everyone is a winner. The vast majority of employers who pay their fair share of taxes and recognize their workers as employees will be able to compete on a level playing field against employers who will held accountable for cheating the system. Workers benefit by receiving the basic employment rights of all other employees. And the “tax gap” is narrowed by collecting literally billions of dollars in unpaid federal taxes that are now denied the federal treasury due to misclassification of independent contractors.

Opposition to closing this loophole would favor businesses not complying with their obligations to their workers or complying with their tax obligations over those playing by the rules. Maintaining the status quo would be a disservice to all employers competing in the marketplace and doing the right thing.

The Fixes

The legislation we are introducing will end the practice of allowing employers to continue to misclassify workers for employment tax purposes and eliminate the employer’s defense that misclassification is a common practice in the employer’s industry. Thus, in industries like construction, where especially large numbers of employers misclassify their workers, the safe harbor provision will no longer apply just because it is common practice in the industry to violate federal laws.

Also, our legislation allows the IRS to write rules, regulations, and guidance for employers on how to properly classify their employees for employment tax purposes. Current law bars the IRS from writing rules, regulations, and guidance on this matter. To help beef up enforcement of existing tax laws, the bill also improves on an IRS procedure that allows individual workers to ask the IRS to make a determination whether they are, in fact, wrongly classified as independent contractors by their employers.

Of special significance, the legislation would also require the IRS to communicate with the Department of Labor because employers who misclassify employees for tax purposes, may also be misclassifying workers to avoid compliance with any number of labor laws including minimum wage and overtime pay. It also requires the DOL to start tracking misclassification cases to get a better handle on the true scope of the problem.

Finally, the legislation would require employers to notify independent contractors of their rights, including their right to seek a determination from the IRS about whether they are properly classified as an independent contractor.

The Scope of the Problem

The GAO has reported that at least 10 million workers in the United States are classified as independent contractors, which is an increase of more than two million workers in just six years. Other studies have found that as many as 30% of employers misclassify their workers as independent contractors, especially in problem industries like construction. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor still fails to track how many workers are denied minimum wage and overtime pay despite the rampant problem of misclassification of independent contractors.

While many workers are legitimately employed as independent contractors, those who are not are denied worker’s compensation, overtime pay, and the other benefits due them, while their employers fail to pay their payroll taxes. And employers playing by the rules should not have to compete with employers who are not playing by the rules.

The following studies have quantified the problem:

Ø NY: Fiscal Policy Institute, “New York State Workers Compensation: How Big is the Shortfall?” (January 2007), estimated that misclassification of workers amounts to a loss of $500 million to $1 billion annually in evaded workers’ compensation premium; Ø IL: Michael Kelsay, James Sturgeon, Kelly Pinkham, “The Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in the State of Illinois” (Dept of Economics: University of Missouri-Kansas City: December 2006), estimated that misclassification of workers in 2005 resulted in a $53.7 million loss of unemployment insurance taxes and a $149 million to $250 million loss of income tax, and that $97.9 million in workers’ compensation premiums were not paid properly in 2004; Ø NJ: Dept. of Labor & Workforces’s audit in 2005 found $5 million in lost income taxes and $15 million in underpayments to UI and disability funds; Ø ME: State of Maine, “Annual Report on the Status of the Maine Workers’ Compensation System,” Submitted to the Legislature, February 2005), estimating that for a typical year from 1999-2002, misclassification of workers in the construction industry resulted in a $11,729,009 loss of federal and state tax revenues; Ø MA: Francois Carre, J.W. McCormack, “The Social and Economic Cost of Employee Misclassification in Construction (Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School and Harvard School of Public Health: December 2004), estimating that misclassification of workers from 2001 - 2003 resulted in an annual $3.4 million to $11.7 million loss in unemployment insurance taxes, a $91 million loss of income tax revenue, and up to $91 million of loss in workers compensation premiums; The Loophole: Further Background on the Section 530 Safe Harbor & Limited Federal Enforcement

The Section 530 Safe Harbor requires the IRS to excuse misclassification and allow an employer to continue reporting employees as 1099 independent contractors if the employer (1) has been treating similarly situated workers as independent contractors, (2) has been consistently reporting the workers as independent contractors to the IRS and has been issuing 1099’s to the workers or (3) has a reasonable basis to classify employees as subcontractors. The first two are known as the consistency requirements.

A consistent employer still needs to satisfy the reasonable basis test. The reasonable basis test is satisfied if the employer (a) reasonably relied on a court decision or IRS ruling issued to the employer, (b) was a subject of an IRS employment-classification audit of similarly situated workers and the IRS did not reclassify the workers, and (c) relied on a long-standing practice of a significant segment of the industry.

So an employer can be misclassifying his workers, but as long as he does it consistently and other people in the industry do it too, the IRS can do nothing about it. And the law also bars the IRS from writing rules, regulations, or guidance on compliance with the law on this issue, thereby further discouraging compliance.

Lastly, the U.S. Department of Labor has failed to aggressively enforce the minimum wage and overtime laws to identify and prosecute cases where low-road employers misclassify their workers as independent contractors. Indeed, the agency in charge of enforcing the nation’s wage and hour laws does not even track cases where employers routinely violate the federal law by misclassifying their workers as independent contractors.

“The Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007” Section-by-Section Summary Section 1: Title

Section 2: Reformation of Safe Harbor to Close its Use as a Tax Loophole

Amends Section 530 to allow the IRS to require employers to reclassify workers that they have misclassified in the past.
Eliminates the ban on the IRS issuing regulations or revenue rulings on employee/independent contractor status.
Eliminates the ability of employers to rely on others in the industry misclassifying employees as a basis for continuing to misclassify their employees.

Section 3: Review of Classification Status

Directs the IRS to develop a process for workers to ask for an evaluation of their proper classification.
It requires safeguards against employer retaliation and payment of attorney’s fees to employees who were misclassified.
Directs the IRS to audit employers if an employee requests an evaluation of their classification and the IRS finds that the employee was misclassified; and
Directs the IRS to inform the Department of Labor of misclassification practices.

Section 4: Enforcement and Compliance

IRS and DOL are required to issue annual reports on misclassification and their efforts to curtail the practice.
Requires the DOL to conduct investigations in industries that IRS data show to have high rates of misclassification for tax purposes and to track cases involving misclassification of independent contractors involving the Wage and Hour Division.

Section 5: Notice to Employees and Independent Contractors of their Rights and Obligations

DOL will provide information on any poster required under the FLSA of the employee right to challenge their status as an independent contractor.
Requires each employer to notify any independent contractor of their federal tax obligations as an independent contractor, the labor and employment law protections that do not apply to independent contractors, and the right of the independent contractor to seek a classification determination from the IRS.
Requires employers to retain for three years a list of the independent contractors they have hired.

Labor Day Recap

Caitlin Harvey — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:00:59 EDT

Yesterday, we announced a 25-member Labor Steering Committee to lead union outreach efforts for our campaign here in Iowa. Bill Ziegler, Kevin Petit, Harlan "Curly" Salvatori, Elliot "Andy" Anderson, John Riessen, Steve Nienhaus, Robert McFadden, Dennis DeDecker, Frederick Seay, Olin Clayton, Phil Sanchez, Heidi Drees, Carol Kula, Buzz Malone, Bob Schubert, Mike Godbout, Warren Yaple, Greg Simpson, Lori Sokolowski, Dick Sokolowski, Senator Bob Dvorsky, Sue Dvorsky, Michela Parbs, Dale Hedgecoth, and Tom Haugen have all signed on to help serve as a sounding board for the labor community and discuss Barack Obama's efforts to protect worker's rights against special interests.

We are extremely grateful to have the guidance and assistance of these leaders as the campaign continues. Other Obama supporters also came out for labor yesterday, celebrating Labor Day by participating in the Des Moines Labor Day parade--one of the biggest parades of the year. Volunteers were excited to hold "Obama '08" signs and wave to people on the street as they passed out stickers and candy to kids along the parade route.

We were very enthusiastic about getting parade-goers to sign supporter cards and telling them that Barack will be speaking in Waukee today. We got a great reception from people on the street, who were excited by Barack's message of hope and change.

The parade took our group down Grand Avenue to the State Fair grounds, where we gathered in the 4-H building for Laborfest. Hundreds of supporters of organized labor gathered to enjoy hot dogs and water and visit each candidate's booth. There were even rides and games for the kids!

Have you signed a supporter card yet? You can sign one online here. You can view a slideshow of pictures from the event below.

All in all, it was a great Labor Day for Obama supporters!

Will AFL-CIO unions stay neutral?

Elesha — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:14:11 EDT

This was a great artcile I saw this week. I am interested in knowing your thoughts on the topic. This is from the AP.

AP NewsBreak: AFL-CIO to Hold Off on Endorsement in Presidential Primary

JESSE J. HOLLAND
AP News

Aug 08, 2007 12:25 EDT

The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labor unions, has postponed making an unanimous endorsement in the Democratic presidential primary, freeing its 55 unions to choose for themselves from the eight contenders.

"There is not a consensus candidate," Karen Ackerman, political director of the AFL-CIO, said Wednesday, one day after the candidates tried to impress union leaders at a presidential forum.

The Democratic hopefuls now will increase their lobbying efforts on the AFL-CIO's unions _ representing some 10 million workers _ in hopes of picking up key endorsements. Several unions already have made plans to endorse one of the eight after Labor Day.

"It is clear that a number of the Democratic candidates have the experience and the credentials to lead our nation," a statement from the federation's executive council said. "And it is equally clear that our members support a number of the candidates _ union members have told us all the candidates are impressive and they are eager to support many of them. For this reason, the AFL-CIO has decided not to proceed with a decision process that would lead to support for a single candidate at this time."

Many expected the AFL-CIO to delay a decision following Tuesday night's presidential forum at Chicago's Soldier Field. Seven of the eight Democratic candidates participated, including leading candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, and all seemed to have some support among the crowd of some 17,000 that included union members and their families.

The AFL-CIO didn't endorse a candidate in the 2004 primary, backing eventual Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry in February. Its rules say two-thirds of the AFL-CIO's individual unions must agree on a candidate before an endorsement, and that didn't happen.

The last two AFL-CIO primary endorsements went to former Vice President Al Gore in 2000 and Walter Mondale in 1984.

"At a later date, the executive council will decide if the AFL-CIO should endorse a candidate for president," the statement said.

Although union membership has declined over the years, the AFL-CIO remains a political force. Labor endorsements are prized for both the money and the foot soldiers that unions can provide.

The AFL-CIO said in 2006 that it knocked on 8.25 million doors for union candidates, made 30 million telephone calls, distributed 14 million fliers and sent out 20 million pieces of mail.

In the 2004 elections, organized labor also gave $53.6 million to Democratic candidates and party committees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That number increased to $66 million for the 2006 elections and is expected to increase again for 2008.