Politics

"... are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians."

S. 2882, the Taxpayer Responsibility, Accountability, and Consistency Act [text, pdf], introduced in the Senate on December 15, 2009, by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 relating to the treatment of individuals as independent contractors.
This legislation would close a tax loophole employers use to mis-classify workers as "independent contractors" and avoid paying various taxes which cheats employees out of worker's compensation, Social Security, Medicare, overtime pay and other benefits and protections due them.

Ask your US Senators to co-sponsor S 2882.

H.R. 2067, the Protecting America’s Workers Act
A bill strengthen and modernize the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Introduced by Rep Lynn C. Woolsey (CA-6) on 4/23/2009. Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
This legislation:

Establishes mandatory minimum penalties for violations involving worker deaths.

Allows felony prosecutions against employers who commit willful violations that result in death or serious bodily injury, and extends such penalties to responsible corporate officers.

Prohibits OSHA from designating a citation as an “unclassified citation” where an employer can avoid the potential consequences of a “willful” violation.

Requires OSHA to investigate all cases of death and serious injuries (i.e. incidents that result in the hospitalization of 2 or more employees).

Provides workers and employee representatives the right to contest OSHA’s failure to issue citations, classification of its citations, and proposed penalties.

Gives injured workers, their families and families of workers who died in work-related incidents the right to meet with investigators, receive copies of citations, and to have an opportunity to make a statement before any settlement negotiations.

Allows any worker or their representative to object to a modification or withdrawal of a citation, and entitles them to a hearing before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Ask your US Representative to support HR 2067

S.560 and H.R.1409, Employee Free Choice Act
A bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations and to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during the organizing efforts.

Ask your US Senators to support S 560
Ask your US Representative to support HR 1409