What this country needs is a workers' revolt. No bloodshed, no violence in the street. A civilized, lawful revolt that will give workers some of their rights back -- not to mention some dignity. We've let Corporate America treat us like commodities for too long. Workers in the United States – both blue and white collar – may be in their worst shape since the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed way back in 1938. The FLSA, among other things, established the eight-hour work day, a national minimum wage and overtime for certain jobs. It was an enormous victory for workers and Corporate America and their enablers in government have spent the last 70 years undermining it. Does the eight-hour work day even exist anymore? Blue-collar workers are often forced to work overtime and if you wear a white collar you know that a 9-to-5 work schedule is merely a memory. Corporations have been successful in keeping the minimum wage at poverty levels, and making more and more jobs ineligible for overtime compensation. At a time when corporate earnings reach unheard of highs and the stock market surpasses 12,000 – workers who don’t have a “C” in front of their titles are being left behind. The median income for families has decreased 2.9 percent since 2000 despite productivity per worker increasing 16.6 percent and the economy growing from $9.8 trillion to $11.2 trillion in the same period. While we’re earning less – we’re working more. The number of U.S. businesses offering paid vacations dropped in 2004 to 68 percent of companies compared with 87 percent in 2003 – a drop of 19 percent in one year. One in six U.S. workers was unable to use up their vacation time – and we have fewer vacation days than any other industrialized nation. It’s time for a change. Workers need to unite behind an Employee Bill of Rights. But its important to start with a manageable bill – so our first draft will not include a universal healthcare care plan (which the U.S. desperately needs. Job creation stagnation is partly being driven by the high cost of healthcare. U.S. corporations can no longer afford to underwrite the country’s healthcare system. Nor should workers only option for healthcare come from employment in an age of lay-offs and multiple careers. But universal healthcare is too thorny a political issue and the goal here is to establish a foothold). Here’s a recommendation for an Employee Bill of Rights: Three weeks (15 days) of paid vacation Six weeks of paid maternity leave for women Two weeks of paid paternity leave One year of unemployment benefits Vacation American workers are exhausted (see: http://darkpartyreview.blogspot.com/2006/07/essay-exhausted-america.html). Europeans and Australians enjoy four weeks of vacation mandated by their governments. In the United States, the average worker receives an average of eight days of vacation – a little over a week. Globalization and technology have made working 9 to 5 obsolete and result in longer hours and more days worked. In this type of hyper-competitive atmosphere, workers need to be protected – and this means making vacation time mandatory. Well rested workers will increase productivity, create safer working conditions, lower stress related illness, and allow workers to send more time with their families. In our plan to mandate three weeks of vacation for every full-time worker in the U.S., small businesses will be eligible for tax cuts and subsidies to help pay for their workers to take time off. Workers will be encouraged to take the time off – but if they do not, they will be compensated for any vacation time leftover at the end of each year. Maternity & Paternity Leave There’s a lot of talk in America about valuing the family – but little action. Just like we lag behind the rest of the industrialized world in vacation time, we fall far short in providing time off for new parents. In fact, there is no requirement in the United States for paid maternity (never mind paternity) leave of any kind. According to a recent study at Harvard University, out of 168 countries in the world, 163 had some form of paid maternity leave. The U.S. enjoys the company of Swaziland, Lesotho, and Papua New Guinea as the only nations in the study that did not. Industrial nations are unusually generous (or realistic) when it comes to advocating for parents to be with their children. Canadian women enjoy 14 months of paid maternity leave and in Sweden couples get 16 months of paid parental leave (at 80 percent of salary), according to a recent article in U.S. Today. If the U.S. is serious about being family first – then we need to start with maternity and paternity leaves. Six weeks is hardly adequate for mothers, but it’s a starting point. This benefit (and the two weeks of paternity leave) will be compensated directly by the government at full pay. Companies will have the option to extend the benefit, of course. Under the plan, the amount of time will be reviewed for an increase every two years. Unemployment Benefits The average length of time it takes for an unemployed worker in 2005 to find a job is about 20 weeks. Unemployment benefits in the U.S. last an average of 24 weeks and that’s cutting it much too close – especially when you consider older workers who have a more difficult time finding work. It’s a ridiculous notion that you can lose unemployment benefits while still actively looking for a job. Why do we want to burden workers with a ticking clock of anxiety as they search for a new job? Twelve months of full benefits is fair and allows people to adequate time to find a new job. We want to make sure people don't fall into bankrupcy, enter into a spiral of debt, and lose their self-esteem like looking for work. Extended unemployment benefits ensure the dignity of all workers.
It won't probably happen while so many are actively seeking employment. It's a buyers market and the employers have the upper hand and the ear of government. We've been lead for years to think unions and employee rights have lead to the outsourcing of jobs. It's just not true but so many bought into it that the employee has no rights or respect whatsoever. American worker productivity and innovation have lead to so much of todays technology, but we are told that we are holding corporations down...what a line but the American public bought it. Now we are being told we need to retrain....for what jobs, someone please outline the skills we need for these marvelous new jobs.
Without bloodshed = They fire you or move they'r factory to China "wait they allready being doing that".
Legislation is the way to go. Politicians listen to noise. Stringing Larry Ellison up to the nearest telephone pole might be fun, but it will get you in trouble.
