A New Worker's Bill of Rights: We need more than a minimum wage increase

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Thursday February 27, 2014 · 8:30 PM PST

2014/02/27 · 20:30

This will be a quick diary. Everyone is talking about increasing the minimum wage, $8.15, $9.00, $10.10, even $15.00 an hour. That's great and I'm all for it. However, I think if we're concerned with basic minimum workers rights it's time to state the obvious: we need more than just a minimum wage increase. There are several things the US needs just to keep up with the international consensus on workers rights. We are behind--pathetically so. We need a new "Worker's Bill of Rights" in this country. Here are some basic ideas of what I think should be on there:

Paid Sick Days - at least a week earned over a year. This will help workers, especially mothers, and help ensure that no one should be fired for being sick or taking care of a sick loved one. This is supported by an overwhelming % of voters but hasn't even been mentioned in Washington for years.
Paid FMLA - Several states including California, Rhode Island, & New Jersey have this now. Several more states are pushing for it. This can either be paid via unemployment/disability insurance or by requiring the employer to pay.
Paid Vacation - We're the only first world nation that doesn't require employers to provide their employees with at least two weeks of paid vacation a year. That is just WRONG. People deserve a break every now and then.
Paid Holidays - Workers should be able to take the day off (paid), take a substitute day off, or get paid time & 1/2 on holidays.
Set Schedules - part time workers with erratic schedules find it nearly impossible to 1) hold a second job, 2) budget, and 3) arrange for child care. We need policies in place that end "just-in-time" scheduling and require schedules to be set at least a month in advance. This is an important topic that rarely gets mentioned.
Increased Minimum Wage pegged to inflation - This one speaks for itself. You deserve to not live in poverty if you work full time (or the equivalent of full time at multiple part time jobs). We also need to peg the minimum wage to inflation so we don't have to do this run-around every few years.

What are your ideas?

Progressive Policy Idea: Paid Sick Days

scott jones

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Thursday January 09, 2014 · 8:49 PM PST

2014/01/09 · 20:49

If you get sick, are you guaranteed time off? What about if your child is sick? What about the person serving you your meal? Are they even allowed to take time off?

The United States is one of the only nations in the world where workers are not guaranteed sick days. I'm not talking about maternity or long-term sick leave here, I'm talking about a few days of paid time off when sick or when taking care of a sick family member. Most Americans have sick leave at their work (62%) but that leaves a depressing 38% without.

An astonishing 86% of Americans favor requiring employers to provide sick leave (including 81% of conservatives!). This is not a controversial issue. Why is this not at the top of the legislative agenda? This just speaks to how bought-and-paid-for our congress is by business interests. This doesn't mean nothing is being done, there is movement at the local, state, and national levels. There's also a concerted conservative counter-movement at the state level to squash local reforms.

scott jones

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Friday December 27, 2013 · 7:21 PM PST

2013/12/27 · 19:21

no image description available — Karl Gehring, Denver Post file photo

Were you disgusted stores forcing their workers to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Karl Gehring, Denver Post file photo

Here's how we push back: paid holidays! It's a travesty that the US doesn't have paid holiday laws. Most other first-world nations do. This is not some wild-eyed untried idea and would benefit workers for a variety of reasons.

Graph showing other nations with paid holidays

Center for Economic and Policy Research graph (http://www.cepr.net/...)

scott jones

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Sunday February 14, 2010 · 8:48 AM PST

2010/02/14 · 08:48

This great news: apparently DARPA -- the US government agency that gave us things like the internet and such has figured out a procedure to produce bio-diesel jet fuel for less that $3 a gallon. This is great news for a number of reasons.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/...

scott jones

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Saturday December 26, 2009 · 1:41 PM PST

2009/12/26 · 13:41

So not everyone is happy with the Senate's health care reform bill, I understand that. I won't debate the merits of the bill here but will instead focus on what progressives can do regarding health care reform in the future. Something resembling the Senate bill will undoubtedly come out of conference and that is what I'm assuming will become law. Here are some ideas and policies that progressives can push to improve upon what has been accomplished.

These ideas and policies will aim at the following:

sustainability (cost containment)
equality (equity in coverage regardless of age, income, or location)
freedom (portability of policies, choice of a public option)

scott jones

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Monday March 30, 2009 · 5:39 AM PDT

2009/03/30 · 05:39

In my previous diary I gave an overview of the Dem plan for offering a "public option" as part of their health care reform plans and offered some suggestions on how to address concerns raised by various folks about such a plan. Now, I still think that my suggestions are valid and may be tactically useful in getting health reform passed that still includes some form of a public option while at the same time getting (at least some) bipartisan support. However, I did hear some valid criticism of--if not my ideas--at least my intent with the diary. In this diary I will address those criticisms and try to offer some new thoughts on how to sell the public option to Congress and the public.

scott jones

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Thursday March 26, 2009 · 6:33 AM PDT

2009/03/26 · 06:33

I know that the Democratic leadership in the White house and Congress have rejected the idea of moving outright to a single payer system. What they have offered instead is the option of buying into a "public option". First, what does this mean? secondly, how can they sell this idea to the American people and to a skeptical Congress?

scott jones

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Thursday July 24, 2008 · 5:49 AM PDT

2008/07/24 · 05:49

Let me start by quoting Pete Stark (D-Calif.):

"I hope it is true that these companies intend to be a positive force in health reform efforts, but I tend to be cautious when the fox starts drawing up plans for a new henhouse"

Following along with the launch of "Health Care for America NOW! (HCAN)" initiative, AHIP (American Health Insurance Plans, a special interest group for the health insurance industry) has launched their own initiative for expanding health insurance coverage (and profits?) called "Campaign for an American Solution (CAS)". Their plan is a mixed bag that throws a few bones to progressives while trying to change the current (profitable) system as little as possible. HCAN has come out against the CAS plan:

"Americans understand that (the industry) puts profits before people and is not interested in the health of America. The last thing we can do is trust the health-care industry to fix the health-care mess," said Richard Kirsch, the national campaign manager of Health Care for America Now.

Poll

28 votes Show Results

What type of health care reform legislation are we most likely to see in 2009?

28 votes Vote Now!

What type of health care reform legislation are we most likely to see in 2009?

HR676, a Single-Payer health care system put in place!

9 votes

Something resembling the HCAN plan--universal guaranteed coverage that still includes private insurers

8 votes

Something resemblnig the AHIP/CAS "plan"

1 vote

Something even less/worse/mediocre than the AHIP/CAS "plan"

6 votes

Nothing

4 votes

2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses HR676

scott jones

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Wednesday July 23, 2008 · 4:55 AM PDT

2008/07/23 · 04:55

Last month the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed HR676: "The United States National Health Insurance Act", a bill to provide the U.S. with a single payer health care system.

According to this article:

Others lining up behind it include several faith-based organizations, the Kentucky and New Hampshire houses of representatives, 20 cities and counties, the League of Women Voters, AFL-CIO organizations in 33 states and more than 400 labor groups across America, including the Boulder Area Labor Council and the Southern Colorado Labor Council in Pueblo.

Kentucky? Really? That's great though. That's exactly what we need to see happen. All of the mayors of all of the bluer-than-blue cities in the country can endorse to their hearts content but it'll be when we see rural politicians warm to the idea that we'll really get somewhere. What we need is for some state to adopt a single-payer system (California?) to serve as a model for other states. Most Americans don't seem to notice that this model works in other countries.

~Scott

Fatal flaws in McCain's health care plan

scott jones

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Monday July 21, 2008 · 5:09 AM PDT

2008/07/21 · 05:09

This excellent article from the Chicago Tribune sums it up pretty well with these four bullet points:

If the candidate's proposal, as presented on his campaign website (www.johnmccain.com), were implemented without certain key provisions being modified, the following chain of events would likely occur:

Millions of Americans now covered by employer group health plans would replace their group coverage with individual medical policies.

Many employers, if not most, would eventually drop their group medical plans.

Employees with chronic health conditions would be unable to find affordable and comprehensive replacement coverage in the individual medical insurance market.

These individuals, instead of being able to continue coverage in their employer group plans, would have no choice but to turn to state insurance programs with uncertain funding and possibly limited access to quality care.

scott jones

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Monday September 17, 2007 · 5:13 AM PDT

2007/09/17 · 05:13

From the AP, Hillary will unveil the final piece of her plan for achieving universal health care today in Iowa. Here's an overview:

Will require all businesses to provide health coverage or pay into a pool (small business would get tax benefits to help them pay).
Will eliminate "pre-existing condition" discrimination in the individual policy market.
Everyone without insurance will be able to buy into either an enhanced version of Medicare or the FEHB (The federal employee program, same as members of congress get).
Everyone will be required to carry health insurance (similar to Mass. model and the Swiss health care system). Those who can't afford it will get subsidies to purchase it (from the pool that employers will pay into).
First will focus on containing costs and preventative care, then on expanding coverage.
Price tag set at $110 billion a year. Will be paid for by rolling back Bush tax cuts and other cost saving measures.

Poll

86 votes Show Results

How do you feel about the plan?

86 votes Vote Now!

How do you feel about the plan?

It's better than I expected

26 votes

It's pretty much what I expected

22 votes

It's worse than I expected

12 votes

I don't care about any plan unless it's single-payer

26 votes

Presidential Candidate Health Care Reform Plans

scott jones

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Sunday August 05, 2007 · 11:45 AM PDT

2007/08/05 · 11:45

As progressives, one of the most important issues for us in this next presidential election is (or should be) health care reform. More specifically, the chance of finally achieving truly universal health insurance coverage in the United States. This has been a goal of the progressive movement in this country for over 100 years now, and frankly, it's an embarrassment that it hasn't been achieved yet. Currently we stand alone amongst first-world democracies as the sole nation not to have such a system of universal coverage in place.

So, let's take a look at the plans put forth by the current field of Democratic presidential candidates...

Poll

140 votes Show Results

Which candidate's plan do you prefer?

140 votes Vote Now!

Which candidate's plan do you prefer?

Hillary Clinton

3 votes

Barack Obama

8 votes

John Edwards

17 votes

Bill Richardson

2 votes

Joe Biden

0 votes

Dennis Kucinich

102 votes

Chris Dodd

0 votes

Mike Gravel

1 vote

None of the above

7 votes

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Progressive Policy Idea: Paid Holidays

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What's next for progressives after health care reform passes

Some More Thoughts on Selling the Public Option

Some Thoughts On Selling The Public Option

AHIP announces their own "universal" health care reform plan, launches web site and campaign

2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses HR676

Fatal flaws in McCain's health care plan

Preview of Hillary's Universal Health Care Plan to Be Released Today

Presidential Candidate Health Care Reform Plans