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The Gangbox

Date Posted: December 9 2005

No minimum wage in Congress. The Republican-controlled Congress, which has blocked a raise in the minimum wage three times this year, voted Nov. 18 to give itself its eighth pay raise since the federal minimum wage was last raised in 1997.

While millions of minimum wage workers continue to struggle on $5.15 an hour, the
Congressional pay raise, approved as part of the fiscal year 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill, will give lawmakers a $3,100-a-year pay hike.

Minimum wage workers who work full-time earn just $10,700 a year. Members of Congress, though, will be making $31,600 a year more than they did in
1997. 

Family leave threatened. The Department of Labor is widely expected to cut back protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that has helped tens of millions of workers since it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993.

The AFL-CIO reports that big business groups - including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers - are pressing to limit workers' ability to take time off without pay for the birth or adoption of a child and to care for a sick loved one or for their own illness.

In its recently released regulatory agenda, the Labor Department said FMLA changes are among its regulatory priorities and could come as early as December. But unions and
other groups have urged the Labor Department to keep the current FMLA regulations intact.

Date set for hearing on defense rules. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has set Jan. 24, 2006, as the hearing date for a lawsuit by 10 unions challenging new Department of Defense work rules, issued by the Bush Administration, which basically gut union protections for 600,000 federal workers.

"We are very pleased that the court has agreed to hear the case in timely manner," said American Federal Government Employees (AFGE) President John Gage. The unions filed suit Nov. 7 to stop the personnel system, which would allow Defense officials to override provisions in collective bargaining contracts.

On the border. The Bush Administration has outsourced the manufacturing of U.S. Border Patrol uniforms across the border - to Mexico.

"I'm embarrassed, not only as a Border Patrol agent but as an American citizen that our government has decided to outsource the production of these uniforms with no regard for
the safety of the process or the security of our country," said Joseph N. Dassaro, president of the National Border Patrol Council/AFGE Local 1613. 
Agents are concerned about the possible theft and misuse use of the uniforms. Several members of Congress have indicated they will introduce legislation when Congress reconvenes requiring the Border Patrol uniforms be made in the United States.

Holiday shopping? The Union Shop Online (www.unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/index.htm) has holiday cards, plus ornaments, games, clothing, caps, music, books and many other great gift ideas. All are union-made-in-the-USA and many carry pro-union, pro-worker messages.