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Daily NewswireNational/PoliticalDems circulate revised health care plan Democrats on a key Senate committee are circulating details of a revised health care plan that includes a government-backed insurance option and a fee on employers if they do not offer coverage to their workers. In a letter to members of the HELP Committee, the backers of the plan say it will result in 97% of Americans having health coverage, at a net cost of slightly over $600 billion over the next 10 years. That's far less than an earlier $1 trillion estimate from the Congressional Budget Office in mid-June. A description of the plan was sent to committee members in a letter Wednesday night from Sens. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Chris Dodd of Connecticut. The Associated Press obtained a copy. President Pushes Health Plan as an Economic Boon President Obama returned to the familiar trappings of a political campaign on Wednesday, holding a town-hall-style meeting where he sought to heighten the urgency surrounding the health care debate and dismissed critics who say the issue is too complex to tackle during his first year in office. CDC: Private health care coverage at 50-year low The percentage of Americans with private health insurance has hit its lowest mark in 50 years, according to two new government reports. About 65% of non-elderly Americans had private insurance in 2008, down from 67% the year before, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Job Losses Rise in June as Unemployment Reaches 9.5% The pace of job losses quickened in June after slowing just a month earlier, casting a shadow over the Obama administration’s attempts to stanch months of declines in the labor market. The American economy shed 467,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent from 9.4 percent, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. Job losses were widespread among the construction, manufacturing and business and professional services sectors. SEC requires all companies to provide more info on exec pay The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved rules requiring greater transparency for executive compensation at bailed-out firms and all public companies. In an open meeting, the panel voted 5-0 for a rule requiring firms that received government bailouts to let shareholders vote on executive pay. The SEC also voted to make all public companies give shareholders more information about pay policies, risk management and corporate governance. Related from AFL-CIO blog: SEC Proposals Would Expose Conflicts on CEO Pay Medicare Plans to Cut Specialists' Payments The Obama administration said Wednesday that it plans to cut Medicare payments for imaging services and specialists, and will use the savings to increase payments to physicians providing primary care. Obama allies push energy bill A pro-Obama, Democratic grassroots group unveiled a new TV ad today, lauding the House for passing a landmark climate change bill and urging supporters to call their senators to do the same. The spot, from Americans United for Change, is to air in Washington this week and asserts that the legislation will create millions of clean energy jobs. "It’s a foundation for America’s long-term economic success, making us world leader in clean energy," the announcer says. "The challenge is global. And the solution uniquely American." Signed Election Certificate Delivered to Senate Less than an hour before a rally celebrating Al Franken's victory, the signed election certificate naming Franken as Minnesota's next Senator arrived at the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Senate. .... The rally was hosted by the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Americans United for Change, MN AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 5, Working America, SEIU MN State Council, DFL Party, UAW, St. Paul Trades and Labor, Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council. Federal employee union leader found dead at 47 National Federation of Federal Employees President Richard N. Brown died on Tuesday at the age of 47, according to the union. Union officials credit Brown, who was elected in 1998, with turning around NFFE after a period of turmoil in the 1990s. Under his leadership, officials said, the 92-year-old union gained thousands of new members, established an affiliation with the International Association of Machinists and became an AFL-CIO member. State/LocalBan on mandatory OT for nurses becomes Pa. law A state law prohibiting hospitals and health care facilities from requiring nurses to work beyond their scheduled shifts goes into effect today. The ban on mandatory overtime had taken seven years to enact, said Sue Tonkin, a registered nurse in Mercy Hospice, Scranton. Related: Council 13’s FAQ’s on new law Pew Report Documents Challenges Faced by Philadelphia in Paying for City Workers’ Pensions and Health Care A new study by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative reports that Philadelphia’s city pension fund now has less than half the money it needs to make good on its obligation to past and current city workers. The fund has not been this severely underfunded since 1996, and there is little prospect that the picture will brighten appreciably in the next few years. Employees brace for withheld paychecks .. For workers at both, Wednesday was the first day of a new fiscal year for which their employer does not have a budget, and their first workday for which they will not be paid as long as negotiations between the governor and legislators remain stalemated. Caseworker shortage delaying food-stamp applications More people need food stamps than ever before, but there are fewer state workers in Pennsylvania to process the claims; this may result in applicants missing out on benefits, according to anti-hunger advocates. Research by the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger shows that a major problem for people eligible for food stamps is communicating with their caseworkers at local offices of the state Department of Public Welfare. ... In a statement, the coalition blamed Gov. Rendell for not adequately staffing the Department of Public Welfare. "Gov. Rendell has ignored the problem," the statement said. County AFSCME workers to vote on pact today Employees in Luzerne County’s largest union are set to vote on a new contract today, and the workers have the right to strike if it’s not accepted. The proposed contract with the 300-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Residual Unit calls for two potentially controversial changes in 2011: a 10 percent health insurance contribution for all employees and a switch to 3 percent raises instead of a flat $1,000 increase, according to union members. DC 33 and DC 47 Rally On Thursday June 24th, four unions representing thousands of families across this city, came together to let the city know they would not stand for attacks on workers contracts. Those unions are: AFSCME DC 33, AFSCME DC 47, SEIU 32BJ, and TWU Local 234. Video: DPW employees protest contract impasse In this video, CSEA Capital Region President Kathy Garrison explains why some Department of Public Works employees rallied in front of the City Center Tuesday afternoon to protest ongoing labor negotiations. Senate Inaction Is Hurting Many Towns Across State ... As the stalemate in the State Senate stuttered through its fourth week, a crucial deadline came and went: June 30. It was the expiration date of more than a dozen statutes that authorize local governments to carry out their everyday duties, from planning budgets to collecting taxes. Visions of Tier 1 danced in their heads / State workers saw richer pensions if two tiers lapsed, but reality dawns It would have been what one union official described as the "loophole of all loopholes." Alas, it was only open for a few hours -- and probably applied to no one at all. Nonetheless, word that the biennial extension of the state's Tier 3 and Tier 4 pension plans had lapsed at midnight Tuesday prompted a flurry of calls by curious state workers to their unions and the office of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who oversees the pension system. .. "We got calls," said Stephen Madarasz, spokesman for the Civil Service Employees Association, when asked if members were wondering if people hired on Wednesday morning -- between the expiration and the governor's signing -- might have ended up in Tier 1. "Potentially, there could have been some problems," Madarasz said. Union leaders say no deals with Daley yet as layoffs loom Mayor Richard Daley met this morning with labor leader Dennis Gannon, but three major unions representing city workers have not yet reached a deal on concessions in return for avoiding major layoffs. ... Daley also has not been able to force concessions from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents unionized white-collar employees. Related:
Overtime issue raised by prison union chief Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to cut 1,000 jobs from the Illinois Department of Corrections makes no sense, a spokesman from a prison workers union said Wednesday. Quinn's proposal - part of a plan announced Tuesday to cut $1 billion in state spending - is intended to help combat the rising cost of overtime, officials said. Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents thousands of prison workers, dismissed that reasoning. Arbitrator: Walker exceeded authority in ordering 35-hour workweeks Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker exceeded his authority in attempting to unilaterally cut union employees' hours as a budget-cutting move, according to an arbitrator's ruling issued Wednesday. ... Richard Abelson, executive director of District Council 48 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said he was pleased with the arbitrator's ruling and repeated his offer to work constructively with Walker on a plan to help the county solve its financial problems. Furloughs go into effect for Milwaukee workers Thursday Like it or not, thousands of city employees have Thursday off. ... And the city's largest union, District Council 48 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, has filed a grievance over the furloughs, said Troy Hamblin, city labor negotiator. Wisconsin to recognize domestic partnerships Madison — With the budget signed Monday by Gov. Jim Doyle, Wisconsin has become the first state with a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions to put in place domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. 30 failing schools may face takeover / State would skirt teacher contracts Patrick readies bill as part of overhaul The Patrick administration, in a sharp deviation from previous state policy, will seek legislative approval to take over about 30 of the state’s worst schools and dramatically weaken their teacher contracts, as part of the governor’s effort to overhaul public education. Red Cross workers see red over contract issues FARMINGTON — Phlebotomist Debra Lenintine is angry and says she and fellow union workers aren’t going to take it any more. “Three years ago, we gave a tremendous amount back in dollars,” said the president of Local 3145, Council 4 AFSCME. “For management to want more this time is ridiculous and unfair. Red Cross is becoming all about profits and big money; safety is being compromised.” NL Public Works Union Calls Layoff Notices 'Harassment' The Public Works Union halted discussions about give-backs Wednesday after New London officials sent layoff notices to all 88 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Letter: Rell should do her part to fix health care ... The state legislature has recognized the urgent need for health care reform and has passed two bills that will fix our broken system. Both await the Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s signature. The bills are Connecticut Healthcare Partnership and Sustinet. Hartford Police Union Rejects City's Call For Concessions The police union has rejected the city's proposal for money-saving concessions, voting instead to begin contract talks with the city in March 2010. .. The five contracts, covering more than 500 municipal employees, are with the Hartford Professional Employees Association; Local 1716, Council 4, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; the School Crossing Guards Association; and Hartford Municipal Employees Association; and the Hartford firefighters union ratified an agreement with the city, approved June 8 by the council. Attempts to Block Governor's Furloughs Heads to Court Attempts to block the governor's furloughs of state workers heads to court Thursday. A circuit court judge will hear three unions motions to block furloughs or terminations. But what happens next will set precedent on the governor's scope of authority over the state workforce. .. "In achieving sacrifice we are not going to let people stay above the law and trample on the constitution," said Randy Perreira, HGEA Executive Director. ... The HGEA, UPW and HSTA say Lingle doesn't have the authority to act unilaterally. Related:
Contra Costa unions agree to major contract concessions Contra Costa County's three biggest labor unions have overwhelmingly ratified a two-year contract with major wage and benefit concessions. Under the pact, county workers must take six unpaid days off for each of the two years, the equivalent of an average 2.3 percent annual pay cut. .. The unions, which represent 5,300 employees, are the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, Local 2700, Public Employees Union Local One and Service Employees International Union Local 1021. The 300 members of AFSCME Local 512 are expected to ratify the pact this week. State's budget gap deepens $2 billion overnight A missed deadline worsened California's budget crisis Wednesday by $2 billion - and now, the fiscal hole will deepen by millions each day that a solution is not passed... If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators fail to balance the budget within a month, the state's deficit will likely grow by another billion, said Mike Genest, director of the Department of Finance. City Union Employees Working Under Expired Contracts Members of three City of Huntington unions representing AFSCME employees, Fraternal Order of Police and IAFF have been working under expired contracts for at least one year. On Wednesday afternoon, July 1, workers set up an informational picket in front of Huntington City Hall. Danny Plybon, a former president of the AFSCME local, told HNN late Wednesday night that informational pickets will be at Huntington City Hall until the administration agrees to sit down and talk contract, whether that takes a matter of weeks or the next three and a half years. Related Herald Dispatch: City workers picket City Hall Hundreds Protest, Call For Health Care Reform Maine -- Hundreds of people protested the high cost of health care in downtown Portland on Wednesday. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees singled out Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and other private health insurance companies, criticizing what they claim are high profits and unscrupulous practices. School District Says Raise Is Unlikely ... Ciranna said the district, the Polk County's largest employer, is focused on avoiding layoffs. "The district's position has always been to preserve jobs during this economic downturn and not to have massive layoffs similar to surrounding districts," Ciranna wrote. That union represents 4,000 custodial workers, maintenance and vehicle services personnel. Ciranna said AFSCME officials understood the economic climate last year. Puerto Rico Governor Signs $7.6 Billion Budget, Bond Buyer Says Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno yesterday signed the island's $7.6 billion budget, the Bond Buyer reported. Previous Daily Newswires |
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