Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Unequal Pay
A slim majority (5-4) of the Supreme Court has decided that there is a very slim window --180 days! of opportunity to bring forth a lawsuit alleging wage (equal pay) and sex discrimination (Ledbetter v Good Year Tire and Rubber).
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1074.pdf
This is surely a win for corporations and businesses that discriminate based on sex (and race) regarding wages. How many of us know what our colleagues are being paid? How many of us discuss our pay and raises?
While the Supreme Court held that "the later effects of past discrimination" do not warrant "restart [ing] the clock" on an EEOC filing, the effects of past discrimination keep on effecting those who received lower starting wages and lower raises throughout their employment. Because it is usually women who receive the lower starting pay, and lower raises throughout their working life ( for instance, even if they receive the same 3% cross the board raise, 3% of a lower pay that is substantially lower, remains substantially lower) and this effects social security and other pension benefits. Since women live longer than males, this means women are living longer on less.
The initial result of this ruling is that there should be more immediate contests over salaries and raises (though as Justice Ginsberg points out wage discrimination happens incrementally and are hard to uncover). The remedy, I guess, is for all new hires to require notification of all other new hires salaries, and throughout one's career, salaries and raises should be public information.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1074.pdf
This is surely a win for corporations and businesses that discriminate based on sex (and race) regarding wages. How many of us know what our colleagues are being paid? How many of us discuss our pay and raises?
While the Supreme Court held that "the later effects of past discrimination" do not warrant "restart [ing] the clock" on an EEOC filing, the effects of past discrimination keep on effecting those who received lower starting wages and lower raises throughout their employment. Because it is usually women who receive the lower starting pay, and lower raises throughout their working life ( for instance, even if they receive the same 3% cross the board raise, 3% of a lower pay that is substantially lower, remains substantially lower) and this effects social security and other pension benefits. Since women live longer than males, this means women are living longer on less.
The initial result of this ruling is that there should be more immediate contests over salaries and raises (though as Justice Ginsberg points out wage discrimination happens incrementally and are hard to uncover). The remedy, I guess, is for all new hires to require notification of all other new hires salaries, and throughout one's career, salaries and raises should be public information.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Bush's Circle
Bush's Circle might be getting smaller
*It has been coming to light in the current Senate hearings and his actions that Mr. Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States is not, nor has he been a supporter and defender of the Constitution and the people of the United States. Oh, he has been a supporter and defender of the President of the United States, but that is not his role as Attorney General. Schumer is pushing for his resignation, via a vote of no confidence. . .
*Paul Wolfowitz Bush's favorite neo-con who Bush placed as head of the World Bank is now seeking a way to save face and resign from the World Bank.
* USAID chief Randall Tobias--the one who pushed abstinence while not abstaining himself.
*It has been coming to light in the current Senate hearings and his actions that Mr. Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States is not, nor has he been a supporter and defender of the Constitution and the people of the United States. Oh, he has been a supporter and defender of the President of the United States, but that is not his role as Attorney General. Schumer is pushing for his resignation, via a vote of no confidence. . .
*Paul Wolfowitz Bush's favorite neo-con who Bush placed as head of the World Bank is now seeking a way to save face and resign from the World Bank.
* USAID chief Randall Tobias--the one who pushed abstinence while not abstaining himself.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Real Family Values
Today's NYT columnist Bob Herbert's column "The Right to Paid Sick Days" http://select.nytimes.com/gst/tsc.html?URI=http://select.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/opinion/15herbert.html&OQ=_rQ3D1&OP=32dc3b23Q2FXuK_XQ7C6,kkQ7CXQ51DDxXDQ2FXQ24Q2FXkA!7!k7XQ24Q2F2K,_K,Q7CQ272Q7C
is just one more issue that points to the fact that for all the talk of family values, this administration and its supporters seem to only support life in the womb.
Real family values includes policies that afford a living wage, affordable housing, paid sick leave, universal health care . . .
is just one more issue that points to the fact that for all the talk of family values, this administration and its supporters seem to only support life in the womb.
Real family values includes policies that afford a living wage, affordable housing, paid sick leave, universal health care . . .
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Right to Hate!
I have read the Constitution many times but I have never found "the Right to Hate Homosexuals" yet, that was the reason that W gave the other day for why he was going to veto the amendment to the Hate Crimes Act to include sexual orientation.
