HR 1000 Reintroduced on March 6!!

HR 1000, the Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act, was reintroduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) on March 6, 2013.  This transformative federal legislation would create a national public service jobs program to complement job creation efforts in the private and nonprofit sectors. 

Most notably, the bill "aims to provide a job to any American that seeks work, and to ultimately, create a full employment society."

HR 1000 creates a national "Full Employment and Training Trust Fund," funded by a small Financial Transactions Tax on stock, bond and derivatives transactions. This would create a major new national funding source large enough to create 2.5 to 4 million jobs in the first two years of the program. The bill would also provide much additional funding to support innovative job training programs, such as one-stop career centers, YouthBuild and Job Corps, among others.

(Previous versions of HR 1000 were introduced in 2010 and 2011 (HR 870 and HR 4277)).

For more information, read HR 1000 and the bill summary.

 

Download Full Text of HR 1000

 

Download Bill Summary

Sign our Petition!!

Poster from the WPA Work Programs of the 1930s

Join the movement for Jobs for All by signing the petition to Congress to enact HR 1000, the Humphrey Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act, introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI).

Promote the link to the petition: >> http://www.blastroots.com/campaign/put-america-to-work

Detropia film released

Detropia

Detroit's story has encapsulated the iconic narrative of America over the last century— the Great Migration of African Americans escaping Jim Crow; the rise of manufacturing and the middle class; the love affair with automobiles; the flowering of the American dream; and now . . . the collapse of the economy and the fading American mythos. With its vivid, painterly palette and haunting score, DETROPIA sculpts a dreamlike collage of a grand city teetering on the brink of dissolution. These soulful pragmatists and stalwart philosophers strive to make ends meet and make sense of it all, refusing to abandon hope or resistance. Their grit and pluck embody the spirit of the Motor City as it struggles to survive postindustrial America and begins to envision a radically different future.

- by Caroline Libresco

Visit Detropia web site

National Organizations Endorse HR 4277!

Three resolutions featuring HR 4277 and related jobs legislation have been passed by national organizations in the last several months, including AFSCME, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, and the National Organization for Women!!

See below for the text of the resolutions.

Help build momentum for HR 4277 and a national jobs program by passing a resolution in your religious, labor, civic or community organization, or passing a local resolution in your city, county or state legislature!

And, please let us know if you do suceed in passing a resolution, so we can keep track of endorsements and list them on this web site.

Much thanks and appreciation to Ed Rosario of LCLAA for his help in advancing the resolutions at AFSCME and LCLAA, and to our good friends at National Organization for Women for speaking out so clearly on the jobs crisis and the benefits of HR 4277.

Recently Passed Resolutions that Feature HR 4277

AFSCME 2012 Convention Amended Jobs Resolution -- passed at 40th International Convention, 6/18-22/12, Los Angeles, CA

Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) Resolution -- passed at National Confereence, 7/26-28/12, Orlando, FL

National Organization For Women (NOW) Resolution -- passed at National Conference, Baltimore, MD 7/1/12
Draft New York City Resolution in Support of HR 870/HR 4277 (pending)

Other resources for passing local jobs resolutions:

Local Jobs Resolution Toolkit, from Cities for Progress


The text of the AFSCME Resolution follows below:

40^th INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION                                                  

LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER                                                               June 18 – 22, 2012

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA                                         

AFSCME Support for Federal Jobs Acts

1.      WHEREAS:

2.      There is a jobs crisis in which mass unemployment continues to take its toll.  At any given time during the Great Recession and its aftermath in the United States about 14 – 15 million people are officially unemployed (forced to work part-time or want a job but are not looking often because they can’t find one). 16 – 18 million full-time workers earn less than the poverty level.  That means about 44 million people and their families are casualties of the jobs crisis; and

3.      WHEREAS:

4.      Even before the Great Recession, millions were unemployed, underemployed and underpaid; and

5.      WHEREAS:

6.      America’s roads need repair, our bridges are eroding, our children need more teachers, parents lack affordable childcare, seniors lack elder care, millions lack adequate healthcare, affordable housing is under siege, and we must green our economy; and

7.      WHEREAS:

8.      All of these needs can and should be met by the federal government; and

9.      WHEREAS:

10.  This was done during the Great Depression of the 1930’s when Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal put millions of the unemployed to work doing useful jobs that have made a lasting contribution to our nation – roads, bridges, schools, libraries, housing, parks, arts, culture and much more; and

11.  WHEREAS:

12.  The labor movement and all its affiliates and supporters need to support the passage of legislation that guarantees a living-wage job to all who want one.  Steps in that direction are: 1. HR 4277 (Rep. John Conyers, D-MI) The Humphrey-Hawkins 21^st Century Full Employment and Training Act – would create a national jobs program, including 2.6 to 3.9 million jobs over the first two years, in affordable housing, neighborhood rehabilitation, energy conservation and weatherization, infrastructure repair, education, and human services; 2. The Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act – HR 2914 (Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL) would create, 2.2 million public service jobs in school construction and maintenance, park improvement and restoration, education, child care, law enforcement, health care, energy conservation, and affordable housing; 3. The National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2011 HR 402 (Rep. Rosa DeLauro D-Con.) establishes a National Infrastructure Development Bank, an independent body designed to evaluate and finance infrastructure projects of substantial regional and national significance. (A similar bill, S-652, the Senate BUILD Act introduced by Sen. John Kerry would establish an American Infrastructure Financing Authority - AIFA); 4. S. 2252, the Rebuild America Act, introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin in March, a comprehensive bill to invest in roads, bridges and schools, raise the minimum wage, and reform trade policies and the tax code; and

13.  WHEREAS:

14.  Privatization, deregulation and outsourcing are tools for unionbusting and a major source of job loss; and

15.  WHEREAS:

16.  Legislation is needed to create jobs and we need to organize and demand for it now!

17.  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

18.  The AFSMCE 40^th International Convention being held at Los Angeles, CA – June 18 – 22, 2012, endorse, lobby and mobilize for the passage of the Humphrey-Hawkins 21^st Century Full Employment and Training Act, the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act and the National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2011, the BUILD Act, and the Rebuild America Act; and

19.  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

20.  AFSCME urge all its affiliates and friends of labor to endorse, lobby and mobilize for the passage of the Humphrey-Hawkins 21^st Century Full Employment and Training Act, the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act and the National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2011, the BUILD Act, and the Rebuild America Act; and

21.  THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

22.  That AFSCME and all its affiliates mobilize against all schemes that embrace the privatization, deregulation and outsourcing of jobs and in support of legislation that would employ millions of jobless workers here in the United States at decent pay and for the improvement of the quality of life through repair and expansion of our physical and social infrastructure.

SUBMITTED BY;       Behrouz Fathi, President and Delegate

                                    Frank G. Thomas, Executive Chair and Delegate

  

AFSMCE Council 37

Local 375, The Civil Service Technical Guild

New York, New York

 

How Did Congress Vote on Jobs Issues?

In the national media, a lot of attention is being given to the Presidential race between President Obama and Mitt Romney. 

But when voters go to the polls, they will also need to assess whether Congress has been doing enough to enact legislation to create jobs.  Many members of Congress have staunchly opposed the American Jobs Act proposed by President Obama, and other legislation to create jobs by investing in infrastructure and public services. 

How can voters find out how their member of Congress voted on jobs legislation, and other matters that affect labor rights?

Three resources for looking up Congressional Voting Records on Jobs Issues are:

AFL-CIO Scorecard (2012 and prior years)

SEIU.org Key Votes

UFCW Congressional Scorecard

Workers Stand for America -- Mass Mobilization In Philadelphia

From:  WorkersStandForAmerica.com

Join Us in Philly!

11 a.m. Saturday, August 11, 2012

Eakins Oval
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130

NEW: LIVE DIGITAL COVERAGE ON AUGUST 11TH... (click for more info)

America's Second Bill of Rights

We the People want to strengthen our nation, as a beacon of equality, economic opportunity and freedom for all. We hold these rights to be essential to our vision of America and believe that the principles contained therein should guide our government, business leaders, organizations and individuals in our common goal of a just and fair society.

The Right to Full Employment and a Living Wage:

All Americans willing and able to work have the right to safe, gainful employment at a fair and livable wage. We call on the public and private sectors to invest in America’s infrastructure and promote industrial development, maintaining job creation as a top policy priority.

The Right to Full Participation in the Electoral Process:

Recent initiatives to disenfranchise citizens seek to reduce the rolls of eligible voters and empower money instead of people. We believe these actions constitute an assault on our nation’s democracy and history of heroic struggle against voting restrictions based upon property ownership, religion, race and gender and call for reinforcing our fundamental right to vote.

The Right to a Voice at Work:

All workers have the right of freedom of association in the workplace, including the right to collectively bargain with their employer to improve wages, benefits and working conditions.

The Right to a Quality Education:

Education is a fundamental bedrock of our democracy, vital to America’s competitive position in the world and the principal means by which citizens empower themselves to participate in our nation's economic and political systems. Quality, affordable education should be universally available from pre-kindergarten to college level, including an expanded use of apprenticeships and specialty skills training to prepare Americans for the workplace.

The Right to a Secure, Healthy Future:

Americans have the right to a baseline level of health care, unemployment insurance and retirement security, all of which have been badly eroded by the disruption of the social compact that served the nation well for decades. We call on government and private industry together to confront the issues of declining access to health care especially for children, weakening of unemployment coverage, and inadequate pension plans that undermine the ability of working men and women to retire in dignity, even as Social Security and Medicare are under strain and threatened with cutbacks.

Endorse the Second Bill of Rights at WorkersStandForAmerica.com

Click to Download the "Bill of Rights"in Printable PDF format Click to Download the "Sign-up Sheet" in Printable PDF format

Rep. Jesse Jackson Introduces Legislation to Raise National Minimum Wage to $10

Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) is joined by, left to right, Ralph Nader, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Representative John Conyers (D-MI) at a press conference outside the US Capitol on June 6, 2012, to call for an increase in the minimum wage. Photo by George Zornick.    Photo coutesy of the Nation (read Zornick blog)

HR 5901 - Text of legislation (23 cosponsors as of 7/15/2012) Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2012   CONTACT: FRANK E. WATKINS 202.225.0773 THE CATCHING UP TO 1968 ACT OF 2012 - A $10 PER HOUR MINIMUM WAGE Statement By Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. Attached please find legislation - the Catching Up To 1968 Act of 2012 - that I will introduce in the House of Representatives today regarding raising the minimum wage to $10 per hour.  That may sound like a hefty wage increase but it doesn't fully equal the purchasing power of the minimum wage in 1968 - which today would be closer to $11 per hour.  The bill is really only allowing American workers a degree of "catch-up."  Thus the name and theme around the bill:  "Catching Up To 1968."  Of course, the current federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2007. The Catching Up To 1968 Act of 2012 contains four basic elements: It raises the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour; The minimum wage is raised  immediately - not gradually as in the past - beginning 60 days after the date of enactment; and Beginning one year after the $10.00 per hour minimum wage takes effect, and each year thereafter, the minimum wage will be indexed in proportion to the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For workers earning their living on the basis of tips, the cash wage paid to such an employee is to be 70% of the minimum wage when the law takes effect, but in no case less than $5.50 an hour, adjusted annually as necessary thereafter. The bill will affect more than 30 million workers and give the economy an immediate boost by significantly increasing aggregate demand.  Most economists that I've talked with said there was no economic reason to increase it incrementally over a couple of years. Raising the federal minimum wage and indexing it to keep up with inflation has been supported historically by 70% of the American people.  The AFL-CIO, National Council of La Raza, civil rights organizations, Ralph Nader, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and many others have all supported raising it and indexing it.  Even Rick Santorum (as Senator) and Mitt Romney (while Governor), believed in raising the minimum wage and Mr. Romney wanted to index it to inflation.  If Mr. Romney had put it into effect during his time as Governor of Massachusetts, it would now be around $10 per hour in that state. $10 per hour at 40 hours per week is $400.  $400 times 52 weeks equals $20,800 annually.  As of 2010, the average income in the US per person was $40,584 (per capita personal income). A $10 minimum wage, after years of windfall price increases and executive compensation windfalls at labor’s expense, would annually pump tens of billions of dollars into greater consumer (or aggregate) demand by low-income families in this depressed economy. The federal minimum wage, covered by the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), operates as a floor.  States and communities have the leeway to set higher livable wage standards and cover more workers - and a few do.  Ten states have indexed the minimum wage to inflation. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the minimum wage represented nearly 50 percent of average wages for private-sector, non-supervisory workers.  But in 2010, that figure had fallen to only 38 percent.  The purchasing power of the minimum wage plummeted in the 1980s when Congress did not increase it from January 1981 to April 1990. In 2007, Congress raised the federal minimum wage by $2.10 per hour—from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour—as a first step toward restoring its historical value, providing an additional $1.6 billion annually in increased wages.  It's now time to complete the job and index it into the future. Research has shown no job loss resulting from reasonable minimum wage increases, even when the economy is struggling.  On the contrary, to fix the underlying weakness of our economy, we must boost aggregate demand and increase the purchasing power of millions of low-wage workers—and one proven and effective way of doing that is to raise the federal minimum wage. In conclusion, I want to especially thank Ralph Nader for encouraging me to introduce this legislation.  While he has not been able to secure the presidency, he has been right on the issues and for his vast contributions to the betterment of our country, every American should be grateful. -30-