Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s this week’s Working People Weekly List.
Employers Sue OSHA to Stop Posting of Injury, Illness Reports: "'The AFL-CIO and the unions strongly support the rule,' the AFL-CIO’s Safety Director Peg Seminario told Bloomberg BNA Jan. 5. 'We are reviewing the latest industry challenge and will be working with our unions to determine the action we will take to defend this rule.'"
AFL-CIO, House Democrats Want Workers’ Rights in Trade Deals: "The head of the AFL-CIO and House Democrats are hoping President-elect Donald Trump and his recent pick for U.S. trade representative will put workers’ rights at the top of the list of demands during trade negotiations. A group of lawmakers and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka made the case during a news conference at the Capitol Jan. 3, a day after Trump said he will nominate Robert Lighthizer, a Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP lawyer, as U.S. trade representative. Trade may be one of the few policy areas in which Trump and labor advocates—who have criticized previous agreements for being soft on worker protections—can agree."
Why Corporations Are Helping Donald Trump Lie About Jobs: "It has become abundantly clear that Mr. Trump is easily distracted by shiny objects, especially if they reflect back on him. He’s more interested in boasting about how he personally saved a thousand jobs at Carrier, say, than in policy details that could make a difference in the lives of tens of millions of workers."
Don’t Let Trump Speak for Workers: "Working people do not want a savior to speak for us. We want to raise our own voices through our unions—and those voices are more essential than ever."
Day 1 in the Newly Seated Kentucky Legislature Is About Attacking Working People: "Eds. note: 'Right to work' legislation passes 58–39 in the Kentucky House. Kentucky Republican leaders, led by Gov. Matt Bevin, gained control of the state House, giving them control of the executive and legislative branches. Their first order of business? Go after working families. Bevin and the Republicans are pushing forward with several anti-worker resolutions. In the process, they have given more say in the state's future to outsider billionaires and CEOs than the people of the state."
Long Day AND Long Week? For Oregon Factory Workers, Double the Pay: "Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries has changed how it interprets overtime laws—in a way that could fatten the paychecks of Oregon factory workers. The change follows a lawsuit filed in August by the non-profit Northwest Workers' Justice Project on behalf of a group of workers at Portland Specialty Baking, which earlier in 2016 quashed a union campaign."
Take Action Today to Oppose Medicare Cuts: "Not surprisingly, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is making going after Medicare one of his top priorities in the new Congress. But this scheme helps no one but Ryan and his buddies, and cuts to Medicare are not what the American people are asking for, nor need."
Working People Wins to Celebrate in 2016: "Let's be honest, 2016 was a heavy year for a lot of us. But as we start a new year, we've taken time to reflect on the pretty amazing things working people accomplished last year."