**** U.S. Department of Labor | Wage and Hour Division ....
**** WAGE/ADVOCATES: How To Report Wage Theft | Overtime Pay Violation Lawsuit ....
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Trump's Labor Department says No Penalty for Wage Theft ... Thanx to Labor This Week
This posting will be for the "American Jobs" and "Poverty & Despair" series of this journal/ blog. It's to look at the current jobs climate and growing problem of wage theft in our own country (USA) ... and most importantly, what to do about it. Wage theft is nothing new, especially for America, but it's been increasing and spreading like a disease over the last several years ... this is a perfect example of what the one sided approach of laissez- faire economics in neoliberalism can lead to. A short intro video above to see what's on the horizon, as far as plans from our loved ones ... President Trump and the Republican side of Congress in particular, as an approach to cleaning this up. And this "PAID" (Payroll Audit Independent Determination), is just the usual smoke and mirror junk, that is meaningless, as far as trying to clean up things ... and even insulting to American workers. These politicians say that they do everything for the workers and middle class of America ... for, you know ... making America great again ... and looking at the blueprint, I assume like the 1920's. I chose some links and video below, out of several others I reviewed, that paints a straight picture of the reality ... and some of the techniques employers been using to basically take advantage of workers, with tips for what has been accomplished and what to do about the theft. At the bottom of the posting, I will add my own input.
***** POLITICO: Behind the minimum wage fight, a sweeping failure to enforce the law ... (newsread)
***** POLITICO: DOL wage theft program ... (newsread)
***** LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER: Kentucky workers cheated by fed contractor, union says ... (newsread/ video)
Undocumented and Unpaid, Until Now: Houston Day Laborers Fight Wage Theft After Hurricane Harvey ... Thanx to Democracy Now!
***** MARLIN & SALTZMAN: Stolen: The California Wage Theft Epidemic ... (PDF)
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***** PD/ RCJ: "AMERICAN JOBS" ... PART'S 8 THRU 1
***** PD/ RCJ: "POVERTY & DESPAIR" ... PART'S 6 THRU 1
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp
When someone comes into your yard or property and takes any property that is yours, you either take action yourself and defend your property or call the police ... this is basically theft. As an employee, if you steal on the job ... the employer is going to get their property back some way and fire you, after all, they have your paycheck too, as collateral ... and if they press charges, you wont get a citation or months to change your name and respond later ... you'll go to jail. As a deterrent to crimes against yourself and property, you add a type of sentry, technologies, etc ... and take security measures ... if you let it "slide", they are going to come back and take more, because it's an easy score. Any banking or corporate institution takes many security measures to protect their money and assets as well, including to protect themselves from employees who may burn them. If you take away the guards/ police from a bank or business in the type of system of capitalism we have, they will get robbed as well. You may think ... "so what if some illegal immigrants get cheated, or some low end hospitality worker ... just as long as it's not me ... ". The deal is, that this is a slippery slope, when you give an inch they will take a mile, it's human nature in an environment of capitalism on steroids ... especially when you take away basic rules and securities. Today, it's illegal day labourers, low end jobs/ workers, independent contractors, etc ... tomorrow, it's everyone else up the food chain, one step at a time, just look at a reputable place like General Dynamics above, and what they do to middle America workers and our government, and increasingly with other large corporations. A buddy of mine contracts his services out, he's not a minimum wage worker ... he dont work for less than $35 an hour minimum, transportation, food, lodging expenses, etc. He sets up WiFi and communications systems in commercial and residential building developments in the U.S. and Canada, may be in Toronto for a couple weeks, then off from there to Seattle, Chicago, or wherever. His agency last year folded here in Dallas ... didnt pay up several thousand they owed him on back contracts, they changed their company name, changed hands, etc ... told him that the contract he worked had not paid their bill yet, etc. He aggressively pursued them, got his money after months of run around, today he has a new agency in Portland,OR. If you dont act aggressive in these cases, they will just continue.
This is particularly importante to resist this culture, which has become another fad or sort ... of take everything you can. This it what feeds the culture of those employers that burn workers, and makes them think that the best thing to do, is to gang up and cheat and steal from employees, because there is not enough guards or penalization and enforcement to stop it now. They spend much of their time manipulating legislation through politics, keep us at each others throats, drive desperation, austerity or whatever, just to keep you down and their profit up .... widening the wealth gap, and creating a working class of poverty. It's the workers responsibility to gang up through labour organizing and other means to defend themselves ... and if taking down these folks is necessary, through courts/ litigation even, so be it ... they will take you down if you dont. So much can be done to fight this, so dont dwell on the despair and fear they love to push. Grassroots/ local legislation, as you can see above, does get results too, then move up to the Washington crowd ... look at measures Wisconsin took for example. Making these companies take out insurance policies, and having laws to be able to put liens (generalized wage liens) on them, before they can change company name or whatever other scam, is added security, voting and using the courts, labour organizing, social media, boycotts, etc ... there are so many tools. Use your tools/ resources, just like these companies do that screw you ... and credit to all these people that stand against this and stand by these workers. Make sure they have a backup and security before any court determines the merit of the case, make them wait ... like you have to wait, since they do the same to you. Some will tell you that to impose all these regulations/ rules on companies will hurt business ... it's the same old excuse, over and over ... business has alwayz flourished with regulations and even paying taxes, and have alwayz profited, so that's bullshit too. No business, as history shows, can survive for long without any rules and regulations ... they have rules and regulations for all their workers, they need to have rules and regulations on themselves ... not just for the workers and consumers good, but for a healthy business too. Politicians on the local levels that dont want to serve the people, vote against them. No workers rights of any kind in this country was achieved without a fight ... and the system of past, is the same game now with different players ... so none will be achieved today without a fight.
Word Out ....
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
***** "THE RESISTANCE | PERILS OF THE POWER POSSE" ... ( a 2 part futuristic Ranch Chimp Journal dream to dream on )
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7 comments:
As a businessman Trump was notorious for stiffing his workers and contractors, so he's not going to do jack about this, obviously.
At least in the Kentucky case the workers have some hope because they have a union which is taking action. One more reason why unions are necessary, and of course why Republicans want to destroy them.
Yes, I read about Trump's record on labour and such. I have never been union, but I think that it is SO importante NOW to support unions, exactly because of the reason you stated, there is clear evidence that the push from the republicans in particular, is to destroy not only unions, but any type of organizing of labour, and if they had their way, they would probably censor labour social media, as well as make laws against striking or even peaceful assembly. They have been VERY clear on their agenda. Thank You for your voice here, Infidel
as well as make laws against striking or even peaceful assembly.
Colorado Republicans are already pushing a bill which would allow striking teachers to be jailed for up to six months, as well as fired.
For any shitty thing a person can imagine, there is a Republican somewhere who actually wants to do it.
Jesus christ! (no pun intended Infidel) ... that is sickening ... but does not surprise me at all, they have been talking openly about so many things they want to do. It is unbelievable, and these are supposed to be people of all, that cherish the Constitution!! It's basically some form of fundamoralist communism too, with a dash of fascism (IMO). Thanx for the link guy.
One of the funniest things about living in red state South Carolina is how blue collar workers are so conservative republican they almost goosestep when walking.
Now the thing is these people almost literally live and die by the overtime they earn for working over a 40 week. The trouble is that republicans at both the federal and state level make every effort to undermine the rules about overtime pay. Back when I worked manufacturing my employer heavily promoted "comp time" for working over 40 hours instead of the usual time and a half wage.
As you can guess comp time allowed a worker to take time off for working overtime instead of getting the increased wage. I can at least write that hardly anyone took advantage of comp time and the idea was shelved. I left that employer in 2005 and I'd bet money I do not have management at that place has tried to bring comp time back at least twice, probably more.
Interesting Bum ... and I "had to guess", because I had no idea what exactly "comp time" was and had to read up on it (online). I never had anything like that, worked quite a few places, as far as printing/ graphics industry, I spent like 25 years within 3 companies, lots of contract side stuff and such. Bum ... they will do everything they possibly can to squeeze an extra buck (not all) ... and in these times currently, that mindset has become more popular than it has since the labour fights back before the bloody damn Great Depression" ... it's almost like a fashion trend sort of thinking. I been fortunate I guess ... having worked for some folks that were decent with us, a few that were really good.
I know what your saying as far as those workers who depend on that over time, as far as what they seem to march to politically ... it's almost unbelievable, it has to be some kind of just "follow the leader" type thinking, "do what you're told" or whatever. There should be NO question where the republican party, in particular stands on jobs ... they themselves MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR ... Hell, you dont even have to listen to left wing talk to hear about it ... they openly admit what they are trying to do! I have no doubt, that even the most centrist democrat, or even Clinton herself as a President (despite how corporate she is) would even come close to doing what this republican President and crew been doing. You think you have it hard it South Carolina? ... You wouldnt believe this current regime we have in Austin Texas! ... Thanx for your input here, Bum
Thanks for sharing blog about Job Opportunities in USA.
Job Opportunities in USA
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