By David P. Gaibis

– The Republicans’ war on labor has taken American workers from a moderate lifestyle story to a rags story. In the beginning, before the labor movement, employers worked their “captive labor” 12 hours a day, seven days a week for 25 cents an hour with no safety rules or regulations.

These employers are directly responsible for the creation and need for labor unions, the Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, just to name a few.

In the 1980s, then President Ronald Reagan abolished the cost-of-living adjustment, citing it as inflationary, thus freezing wages as the cost of living skyrocketed. This move alone was instrumental in creating what is now known as “the working poor.”

This brings us to 2014. We have Republican governors quoted as saying they want no labor unions in their states. Labor unions are the only real path for the middle class to secure a profitable wage. Poverty is not self- inflicted; just go to your local grocery store or gas station. What do you think a worker should be paid, not only to survive, but to profit?

It’s a fact that corporate America and the wealthy white Republican male has tried to buy and run our country with their money and are responsible for all the big government in Washington, D.C. These people would like nothing better than to go “back to the beginning” when everything was stacked in their favor and the American workers were left with nothing. With the recent Republican majority Supreme Court decisions, they are well on their way to just that.

American workers need to wake up. Save collective bargaining so you can retire with dignity. Our constitution says “for the people, by the people.” It does not say “for the rich, by the rich.”

David P. Gaibis, New Castle, Pa.

Correction

Dr. Mark C. Vopat, a professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University, notes that his letter published in Tuesday’s Vindicator contained two errors:

First, he listed the cost of cellphones for the YSU’s Athletic Department as $175,000. The correct cost is $17,500.

Second, 44 percent — not 48 percent — of overhead lighting in Bliss Recital Hall must be replaced.

Source: http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/aug/14/republicans-war-on-labor-is-gaining-stea/?newswatch

By Joel Mathis

– CBS Philly reports that SEPTA has come to contract terms with Regional Rail electric workers — but that negotiations remain “tense” with Regional Rail engineers.

If ratified, the electrical workers would get an 11.5 percent raise — this, after a four-year contract dispute.

CBS Philly reports on the engineers:

“We are aware that our brothers in the IBEW have resolved their dispute with SEPTA. However, we remain as far apart as we were when PEB 246 rendered its recommendations. I would not characterize the discussions as negotiations. Our discussions are best described as, ‘tense’,” Stephen J. Bruno, Vice President of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said in a statement.

In June, the engineers and electricians walked off the job together for a day only to be forced back to work a day later by presidential order.

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/08/14/septa-settles-regional-rail-electric-workers/

Los Angeles, CA (August 11, 2014)—SAG-AFTRA joins the world in mourning the sudden passing of Robin Williams. A two-time Screen Actors Guild Award recipient, Williams was consecutively honored for Outstanding Performance by a Cast for The Birdcage and then for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his inspirational portrayal of Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting.

After spending time at the prestigious Julliard School, Williams became a union member in 1977. He first rose to fame as the beloved alien Mork in the popular series Mork & Mindy and entertained and inspired generations as a stand-up comedian before moving audiences in the classic Dead Poets Society.

Said SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard, “I am deeply saddened to hear of Robin Williams’ death. He was a performer of limitless versatility, equally adept at comedy and drama, whether scripted or improv. With his incomparable manic style, he could appeal to adult sensibilities in a stand-up comedy routine or elicit giggles from children as the voice of Genie in Aladdin. Outside of his career, he used his considerable talents to raise money for charity. He was not only a talented man, but a true humanitarian. It’s such a tremendous loss.”

Source: http://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-loss-robin-williams

By Randy LoBasso

– It’s hard to imagine how much more information the city government actually needs on paid sick leave. After all, it’s come up for a vote twice since 2011. Both times, it passed, was vetoed by Mayor Michael Nutter, then lacked the Council support to override his stamp of disapproval.

Primarily sponsored by Councilman Bill Greenlee in 2013, Philly’s paid sick leave legislation would have mandated local businesses with six or more employees allow those employees to earn sick time, with pay.

Nutter’s problem with the idea? He worried it would put too heavy a burden on local businesses and reduce competitiveness, even though there’s no evidence to support this.

“The paid sick leave bill, in our opinion, would put thousands of jobs at risk and discourage businesses from coming to the city of Philadelphia,” Nutter said last year. “This type of legislation that we’re talking about here is truly better suited at either the commonwealth level, so that it has a statewide reach, or even at a national level.”

Even though he’s shown strong negativity toward the legislation, he threw supporters a bone this June by creating a “task force,” by executive order, to study paid sick leave legislation—which is the same action Mayor Street took before passing an anti-smoking measure last decade.

Like the measure which banned smoking in Philadelphia bars, paid sick leave has been studied enough already to pass in places apparently more progressive than we: San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Eugene, New York City, Jersey City, Newark, Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

Notice a trend? Some within the government testified last year that a sick leave law may not work here because Philadelphia is, by and large, poorer than a place like San Francisco. There was strong lobbying against the bill conducted by Comcast and the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, among others. But that was before it passed and was enacted in Jersey City, Newark, and Eugene without international incident.

Anyway. It’s a new year, and the first meeting of The Mayor’s Task Force took place at the Community College of Philadelphia on Wednesday, where both supporters and those against the idea testified in front of the task force. Each participant was given four minutes.

Of the 18 speakers, 15 of them were in support—either low-wage workers in Philadelphia, or activists working in coordination with a local community organizing groups, like the Working Families Party, a national organization which recently came to Philadelphia and has thus far collected, they claim, 4,000 signatures from local residents in favor of paid sick leave.

According to testimony, many of the examples used at the meeting were similar to what we heard throughout the city during the last two paid sick leave debates—low-wage workers, including restaurant workers, often have no choice but to work sick. It’s bad for them, it’s bad for their families, it’s bad for the customer.

“I work every single day. My son, Jaden, is almost two, and to give him a good life, I can’t afford to take a day off. That means I also can’t afford to get sick. What my family needs,—along with everyone elses—is the opportunity to stay home when we’re sick, and not risk falling behind on rent and bills, or losing my job,” said Shymara Jones, billed as an airport and fast food worker.

Kati Sipp, director of the Pa. Working Families Party, reiterated this, noting, “Making people go to work sick isn’t healthy and it isn’t fair.”

During the 2013 debate over paid sick leave, polls showed more than 80 percent of Philadelphians supported such legislation and a study produced in part by the left-leaning Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center actually showed such mandates to be good for business, proving to have no downside for profits, reducing employee turnover and making employees happier.

Source: http://phillynow.com/2014/08/08/paid-sick-leave-debated-again-as-mayors-task-force-meets/

By Dale Mezzacappa

– Notebook editors Paul Socolar and Dale Mezzacappa prepared a question-and-answer sheet, updating the budget crisis for distribution at E! Day, the District’s annual back-to-school event to be held Friday at School of the Future. This is the event at which the District holds workshops and gives out information to families, as well as free book bags.

Following is the Q&A, and here is a link to the actual flyer. Feel free to copy and distribute.

What’s this about the schools not opening on time this fall?

The School District relies primarily on revenue from the city and the state to operate. Right now it does not have enough money to meet its expenses. This is because over the last several years, it has lost a lot of state aid while some of its costs continue to rise – and city and state leaders disagree over who is responsible to provide the necessary funds.

Is it just a threat or could it actually happen?

It could actually happen. Superintendent William Hite says that if he has to cut more personnel, he doesn’t think it will be safe to open schools. He says he needs $81 million in additional revenue just to reach the reduced level of services that the schools had this year, when thousands of jobs were cut – assistant principals, counselors, nurses, teachers, school police, and support staff. “I am at a loss to explain how or why our students are caught in a political tug of war,” Hite said this week. “I can say unequivocally, however, that our students deserve more.”

The governor said he was giving a cash advance to the School District so schools can open. Doesn’t that solve the problem?

No. Gov. Corbett said he will advance $265 million of the funds it already owes the District. It was not a promise of new money that would help close the $81 million gap. Advances like this have been done before; they help the District avoid short-term borrowing that costs money. The District was already counting on this happening.

There were tons of layoffs last year. Who can they possibly lay off now?

If Hite and the School Reform Commission are forced to close the budget gap with layoffs, they can eliminate some positions in District headquarters, but there simply aren’t that many of them left. The central office staff has already been cut in half. Most of the District’s employees work in the schools, so that’s where most further layoffs would have to come. There are more teachers than anyone else, so a good number would have to be teachers, which is why the superintendent is talking about class sizes going up – and possibly reaching 41 in high schools.

Would passing a cigarette tax solve the problem?

If the state legislature agrees to a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes in Philadelphia, it would help close the gap. Revenue from the tax would be new money. Estimates are that it will bring in between $45 million and $60 million this year, and this money would cut into that $81 million shortfall. But it won’t completely close the gap. And legislators went on their summer recess without approving the tax, and aren’t due back until September.

Is there any movement to resolve this crisis?

So far, the Republican leadership in the state legislature is ignoring pleas from Philadelphia – and from Gov. Corbett – to interrupt its summer recess and return to Harrisburg to authorize the cigarette tax that the City Council has already passed. These leaders, as well as Gov. Corbett’s budget secretary, have told the District to count on the cigarette tax money. Superintendent Hite, however, wants a guarantee and has not yet decided what to do. Meanwhile, many advocacy groups have been calling for the state to adopt a fair formula for adequately funding schools. But legislators have barely started their discussions about what such a formula might look like.

When will we know what will happen?

We will have a good idea of what will happen by Friday, Aug. 15. Superintendent Hite says that this date is the latest he can go in setting staffing levels for all the schools. If he must lay off more people, he has to do it by then.

If District schools didn’t open on time, would charter schools still be able to open?

Most likely. Under state law, charter schools get paid monthly by the District an amount per pupil based on the District’s prior year spending for schools. So if the District’s per pupil spending goes down as it did in 2013-14, charter schools’ funding levels are impacted the following year. However, the District is required to pay the charters all that they are owed. This means that the District cannot try to balance its budget by withholding or reducing what it sends to charters.

Can I do anything to get involved?

You can write or call your elected officials. Phone numbers are in the Notebook’s print edition and on our website.

You can also keep current with what advocacy groups like Education Voters PA, Parents United for Public Education, Public Citizens for Children and Youth, or Youth United for Change are doing by reading the Notebook or contacting those organizations directly.

Source: http://thenotebook.org/blog/147531/key-questions-and-answers-budget-crisis