Showing posts with label minimum wage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label minimum wage. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

The job market picture: unlike what's happened before

It’s been nearly three years since pandemic shutdowns staggered the economy.

In just two months, March and April 2020, Massachusetts employers cut 690,000 jobs — nearly one out of five. Unemployment soared to 17 percent from less than 3 percent.

There’d been nothing like it, even during the Great Depression. And the aftershocks continue to reverberate across the state, exposing faults in what otherwise seems like a solid job market.

Employers added an average of 11,000 jobs a month last year, compared with 4,300 a month in 2019. Yet there were 240,000 open jobs in November, according to the most recent data available. That’s a historically elevated level — the monthly average in the five years before the pandemic was 157,000 openings — that indicates hiring is being held back by a shortage of workers.
Continue reading the article in the Boston Globe (subscription may be required)

Thursday, January 19, 2023

New York Times: "How Restaurant Workers Help Pay for Lobbying to Keep Their Wages Low"

More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) tweeted  on Tue, Jan 17, 2023:

"NEW: The NY Times reveals that low-wage restaurant workers have been unknowingly funding the industry's powerful lobbying arm, the National Restaurant Association, as it worked to kill minimum wage increases around the country.

Here's how the scheme works: "   
https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1615379667825065986


"In 2007, the restaurant lobby (sometimes called "the other NRA") bought ServSafe, an online food safety training company.

It then lobbied states to require restaurant workers to take those trainings, producing a reliable stream of paying customers."  
https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1615379959824134145


"Since 2010, 3.6 million workers have paid for ServSave courses, providing $25 million to the NRA—enough to fund all of its lobbying costs, the Times found. 
The funding extracted from everyday workers dwarfs the amount that some of the NRA's large corporate donors provide."   https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1615382543385202688

 

New York Times: "How Restaurant Workers Help Pay for Lobbying to Keep Their Wages Low"
New York Times: "How Restaurant Workers Help Pay for Lobbying to Keep Their Wages Low"

You can read the full article at the New York Times ->

Monday, January 16, 2023

There is no US labor shortage. That’s a myth | Robert Reich | The Guardian

Robert Reich, author and a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, writes:

"When a public problem is wrongly described, the solutions posed often turn out to be irrelevant or inhumane.

A current example: America’s so-called “labor shortage”.

Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, says the United States has a “structural labor shortage” that’s unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.

The US Chamber of Commerce claims there are over 10 million job openings in the US for which employers can’t find workers.

Here’s the truth: there is no labor shortage.

There is, however, a shortage of jobs paying sufficient wages to attract workers to fill job openings."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

‘If we want more people to take jobs and we wish to live in a decent society, the answer is to pay people more.’ Photograph: Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images
‘If we want more people to take jobs and we wish to live in a decent society, the answer is to pay people more.’ Photograph: Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Town Council meeting recapped & more as we join TC Quarterbacking with Talk Franklin for this session (audio)

FM #888 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 888 in the series.


This session of the radio show shares the combined Town Council Quarterbacking session with our "Talk Franklin" conversation. I am grateful for the alignment of the schedules to have Town Council Chair Tom Mercer along with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and Asst Administrator Alecia Alleyne. We conducted our conversation via conference bridge.  


Topics for this session

PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS

  • Becki Carloni - Franklin Fire Department 

PRESENTATIONS / DISCUSSION

  • Presentation: Recreation Department, Ryan Jette, Director of Recreation

  • Discussion: Davis-Thayer Reuse Committee   

LEGISLATION FOR ACTION 

  • raise to minimum wage & 

    • Increase in opportunity for veterans to take advantage

    • If a disabled veteran, can have a family member do the work for the benefit

  • budget adjustment prior to tax rate hearing

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

  • Franklin Open Space and Recreation Plan Process   

Town Council teasers

  • Tax hearing coming Nov 30

  • Old South Meeting House

  • Annual license renewals


The conversation runs about 45 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Tom, Jamie, and Alecia


Audio file -> https://anchor.fm/letstalkfranklin/episodes/Talk-Franklin-with-the-Town-Council-e1rfsjn



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Town Administrator page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator


Town Council page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council 


Nov 16, 2022 agenda -> 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/11/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-nov-16.html


Nov 30, 2022 agenda ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/nov_30_town_council_agenda.pdf


And the Doug Flutie anniversary was indeed on Nov 23, 1984 (the day after we recorded this session)  https://www.boston.com/sports/college-sports/2019/11/22/doug-flutie-hail-mary-miracle-in-miami/ 



--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.


How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

  • If you don't like something here, please let me know


Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.


For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/


If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com


The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.


I hope you enjoy!

------------------


You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"


Town Council meeting recapped & more as we join TC Quarterbacking with Talk Franklin for this session (audio)
Town Council meeting recapped & more as we join TC Quarterbacking with Talk Franklin for this session (audio)


Thursday, November 17, 2022

Town Council recognizes Carloni, appoints Wallace, approves license for La Cantina, hears from the Recreation Dept, and more at their Wednesday meeting (video)

The Town Council held their session Wednesday in Council Chambers beginning at 7 PM. One member (Frongillo was remote) so all votes were via roll call. One member absent (Dellorco).

  • The meeting opened with recognition of Becki Carloni of the Franklin Fire Department for her off duty life saving effort at a sporting event.
  • The appointment of Alison Wallace to the Library Board of Directors was approved.
  • The Special License to allow sale of wine at 2022-2023 Franklin Winter Farmers’ Market by La Cantina Winery Company was approved. The first market is this Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM.
  • Ryan Jette, Director of Recreation provided an update on the operation of the Recreation Department including near term plans and future plans.
  • There was also a discussion on the approach to determine the reuse of Davis Thayer. Consensus was to set up a Reuse Committee of town folks interested in this building and location to make a proposal to the Council for approval. Details on the volunteer application process will be forthcoming and the process will kick off sometime in 2023.
  • Legislation to approve of an increase to the minimum wage for both the senior citizen and veterans tax work off programs was approved.
  • Legislation to adjust the budget with some transfers and final numbers of state aid, etc. was approved. This had been previewed by the Finance Committee in their meeting last week and unanimously recommended. This adjustment step was needed before the tax rate is set. The hearing for the tax rate is scheduled for the Nov 30 Town Council meeting.
  • The Franklin Open Space and Recreation Plan Kickoff Process has begun. The Conservation Commission will lead this effort to update the plan.
The agenda and documents released for this session can be found

The Franklin TV video replay of the meeting is available on YouTube

My notes captured via Twitter during the meeting can be found in one PDF document ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kcsiah2iONeLXjpPRlc9dOSEKNKpx8AQ/view?usp=share_link

firefighter/paramedic Becki Carloni Listens to Councilor Pellegri read the proclamation
firefighter/paramedic Becki Carloni Listens to Councilor Pellegri read the proclamation



Sunday, November 13, 2022

Franklin, MA: Town Council - agenda - Nov 16, 2022

Franklin Town Council
Agenda & Meeting Packet
November 16, 2022 - 7:00 PM

Meeting will be held at the Municipal Building
2nd floor, Council Chambers 355 East Central Street 

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIR
a. This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others.
b. Chair to identify members participating remotely.
2. CITIZEN COMMENTS
a. Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to three minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

4. PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS
a. Becki Carloni - Franklin Fire Department  

5. APPOINTMENTS

6. HEARINGS - 7:00 pm - None Scheduled.

7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
a. La Cantina Winery Company, Farmer-Winery, Special License to allow sale of wine at 2022-2023 Franklin Winter Farmers’ Market located at 887 Lincoln Street   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/7a._license_la_cantina_0.pdf

8. PRESENTATIONS / DISCUSSION
a. Presentation: Recreation Department, Ryan Jette, Director of Recreation
 
9. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
a. Resolution 22-71: Further Amending the Senior Citizen Property Tax Work-off Abatement Program (Motion to Approve Resolution 22-71 - Majority Vote)   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9a._22-71_sr_tax_workoff_0.pdf
b. Resolution 22-72: Further Amending the Veterans’ Property Tax Work-off Abatement Program (Motion to Approve Resolution 22-72 - Majority Vote)   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9b._22-72_veterans_tax_workoff.pdf
c. Resolution 22-73: General Funds Appropriation, Transfers and Adjustments FY23 (Motion to Approve Resolution 22-73 - Majority Vote)   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9c._22-73_general_funds_appropriation_transfers_adjustments_fy23.pdf
d. Resolution 22-74: Gift Acceptance - Veterans’ Services Dept. ($1,550) (Motion to Approve Resolution 22-74 - Majority Vote)   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9d._22-74_gift_acceptance_-_vets_0.pdf
e. Resolution 22-75: Cable Funds in Support of PEG Service and Programming per MGL Ch. 44,  §53F3/4 (Motion to Approve Resolution 22-75 - Majority Vote)   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9e._22-75_peg_comcast.pdf

10. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

11. SUBCOMMITTEE & AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORTS
a. Capital Budget Subcommittee
b. Economic Development Subcommittee
c. Budget Subcommittee
d. GATRA Advisory Board

12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

13. COUNCIL COMMENTS

14. EXECUTIVE SESSION
a. Considering the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, because an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Public Body

15. ADJOURN

Note:
Two-Thirds Vote: requires 6 votes
Majority Vote: requires majority of members present and voting


Franklin, MA: Town Council - agenda - Nov 16, 2022
Franklin, MA: Town Council - agenda - Nov 16, 2022

Saturday, August 14, 2021

"there isn’t a single US county where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford a modest two-bedroom rental"

"Nearly half of American workers do not earn enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment, according to new data.

Rents in the US continued to increase through the pandemic, and a worker now needs to earn about $20.40 an hour to afford a modest one-bedroom rental. The median wage in the US is about $21 an hour.

The data, from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, shows that millions of Americans – from Amazon warehouse workers to cab drivers to public school teachers – are struggling to pay rent. For the poorest Americans, market-rate housing is out of reach in virtually all of the country."
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/12/housing-renter-affordable-data-map


Guardian graphic. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition. Note: In 2021 dollars
Guardian graphic. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition. Note: In 2021 dollars


Wednesday, April 14, 2021

"a rare opportunity—and a responsibility—to reimagine the path towards what I call “back to better”"

An excerpt from Senate President Karen Spilka's remarks to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, April 13, 2021: 

"I have been particularly struck by the statistics on the devastating effects COVID-19 has had on women in the workplace. Before the pandemic, women in Massachusetts were participating in the workforce at increasing rates, surpassing the national rate by 2019 – but the pandemic has brought women back to where they were after the 2009 recession. In fact, the percentage of women participating in the U.S. labor market in October 2020 was the lowest since 1988.

It is clear to me that if we wish to have a full and equitable recovery, we must take a close look at the factors that affect women’s employment, at every level and in every sector, and one clear factor that we must address is caregiving. In the same way that we learned to diversify our sectors after the last recession, we are now learning that we must support and strengthen the caregiving sector in Massachusetts so that we can support working families across the Commonwealth.

Almost exactly one year ago today, I appeared before this Chamber, in what was your first ever virtual forum, if you can believe it, and declared that childcare was as important to our infrastructure as roads and bridges in getting people back to work. The struggles of the past year have borne this out, which is why I have pushed the Legislature to begin to address the need for childcare, including providing for emergency childcare for essential workers, increasing rates for early education providers, and dedicating $40 million for a new reserve to cover parent fees for those receiving subsidized childcare. We also established the Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission to review childcare funding and make recommendations on policy changes to expand access.

With the promise of over $500 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan, we are well-poised to make more strides in making childcare more accessible and affordable, and I look forward to working with all of you to dedicate our best thinking towards tackling this problem, both in the public and private sectors.

But childcare is just one piece of what many are calling a “caregiving crisis”–a storm that has been brewing on our horizon for a few years, but which COVID-19 has turned into a full-blown tsunami. Many people, mostly women, who work in non-caregiving professions, but are sandwiched between aging parents and growing children, have dropped out of the workforce in alarming numbers to care for those who rely on them, while too many Black and brown women who work in caregiving professions have been crushed by the job losses of the economic downturn, with devastating results for their families and communities. As we all feel the squeeze of this caregiving crisis, is it any surprise that we are facing a mental health crisis as well?

But this is Massachusetts, my friends, and I know we can do better. "

Continue reading the full text of Senate President Spilka's remarks
https://karenspilka.com/updates/2021/4/13/sd2diqeu9ul39l05kvjwx6zu4lulna 

"a rare opportunity—and a responsibility—to reimagine the path towards what I call “back to better”"
"a rare opportunity—and a responsibility—to reimagine the path towards what I call “back to better”"


Thursday, December 31, 2020

Boston Globe: "Workers to get a boost in 2021 as new laws take effect Jan. 1"

The Boston Globe has the following:
"The new year will be an important one for workers’ rights in Massachusetts. Here are three key pieces of legislation that will take effect in 2021. The trio is part of a large labor and wages bill passed in 2018, known as the grand bargain. Advocates say several of the measures will help workers desperately in need of relief during the pandemic. In addition, starting this year workers will be eligible for holiday pay on Juneteenth, after officials recognized it as a state holiday.

1. Paid family and medical leave

Starting next year, all employees in Massachusetts will have access to paid family and medical leave that will allow up to 12 weeks of family leave and up to 20 weeks of medical leave, with the guarantee that they would be restored to their same or equivalent positions, with the same status, pay, and employment benefits."
 
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

MassBudget: Workers' Policies That Work For Everyone










  MassBudget: Workers' Policies That Work For Everyone     
September 3, 2019

The Importance of Improving Workers' Lives
September is here and many of us are preparing for the start of the school year and heading back to work after this Labor Day weekend. In honor of our nation's holiday celebrating the socioeconomic achievements of workers, here's a look at some of the workers' justice issues we have been focusing on in 2019:
  • In January 2019, the Massachusetts minimum wage increased from $11 to $12 per hour, the first of five annual steps on the way to $15 in 2023. This historic win will benefit hundreds of thousands of workers across the state, along with their families and communities. 
  • Wage increases are vital to economic security. But workers need more than a raise, they need fair workweeks. Bills now before the Massachusetts Legislature would require large retail, food service, and hospitality employers to give their workers advanced notice of their schedules, time to rest between shifts, and access to more hours when they're available. Unstable scheduling practices affect household finances, health, and family well-being, and fixing the problem could help workers and businesses.
  • Hourly workers aren't the only ones demanding better schedules. Salaried workers are eligible for overtime, but outdated and confusing federal and state overtime laws make it easy for employers to require them to work 50 or more hours a week without paying them extra in overtime. MassBudget wrote about how modernizing the Massachusetts overtime law would grant new or stronger overtime protections to 435,000 salaried workers in Massachusetts, that's one out of four salaried workers.
  • Wage increases, fair workweeks, and modernized overtime protections are all important. But like all worker rights' protections, they need to be enforced. An innovative approach known as whistleblower enforcement could strengthen workers' ability to hold employers accountable in court - even if they've signed mandatory arbitration agreements. It could also provide the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division with much-needed funding for outreach and enforcement, and support a permanent grassroots infrastructure for education and enforcement of workplace rights.
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER

1 STATE STREET, SUITE 1250
BOSTON, MA 02109


Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 1 State Street, Suite 1250, Boston, MA 02109
Sent by rwilliams@massbudget.org in collaboration with
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Whistleblower enforcement
http://massbudget.org/reports/pdf/MassBudget%20testimony%20Wage%20Theft%20and%20Whistleblower%20Enforcement.pdf

Overtime link
http://massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=Its-About-Time.html

Fair Workweek testimony
http://massbudget.org/reports/pdf/MassBudget%20testimony%20-%20Fair%20Workweek.pdf

Minimum wage increaseimpact
http://massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=Impact-of-$12-Massachusetts-Minimum-Wage.html

MassBudget: Workers' Policies That Work For Everyone
MassBudget: Workers' Policies That Work For Everyone

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

"is seen as women’s work and is underpaid"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Less than a year after lawmakers struck a so-called “grand bargain” to increase minimum wages for all workers, advocates are mounting a new push to ensure tipped workers receive the same base wage as all other hourly employees. 
In all but seven states, the minimum wage for service employees who can earn gratuities — many of whom work in the restaurant industry — is lower than the standard rate. Massachusetts has one of the largest gaps in the country, with a minimum wage of $12 per hour and a minimum tipped wage of $4.35 per hour. 
The divide will persist as increases under the new law take effect and the standard minimum wage rises to $15 an hour by 2023 and the minimum tipped wage climbs to $6.75. 
Legislation re-filed last week by Sen. Patricia Jehlen and Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier would effectively eliminate the separate rate for service workers and include everyone under the larger standard minimum wage."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190129/lawmakers-push-for-equal-pay-for-tipped-workers

For more about One Fair Wage   http://onefairwage.com/about/

For more about One Fair Wage   http://onefairwage.com/about/
For more about One Fair Wage   http://onefairwage.com/about/

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

MassBudget: Five Things to Look for in the FY2020 Budget



MassBudget  Information.
  Participation.
 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center  Democracy.
January 22, 2019






Five Things to Look for in the FY 2020 Budget
When the Governor releases his budget this week, he will kick off the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget debate. The FY 2020 budget will not only determine funding for schools, roads, parks, and other essential services, but can also move the discussion on how to raise the revenues our state needs to pay for these services.
For those following the debate, the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) offers a new report, Five Things to Look for in the FY 2020 Budget.
http://massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=Five_Things_to_Look_for_in_the_FY_2020_Budget.html
"State lawmakers have a tough task this year. We have many needs - such as education funding reform and transportation improvements - but we have no significant, new revenue sources to help pay for these essentials and fix substantial holes that may develop in state revenue sources over the next couple of years," said Marie-Frances Rivera, Interim President of MassBudget. "One overarching question to consider during this year's budget cycle is whether state lawmakers propose new, progressive sources of revenue through the state budget or through independent legislation."
MassBudget: Five Things to Look for in the FY2020 Budget
An update of the outdated formula that funds our K-12 schools has been a key issue in recent months. Reform of this can come through the state budget or through separate legislation.
Another question to consider is whether the state budget will account for this year's minimum wage increase (from $11 to $12 per hour) which will benefit many low-income workers who provide care for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Without funding from the state, providers may struggle to maintain the same level and quality of services while paying their workers the higher wage.
Undergirding the questions on spending is a question on how the state can generate adequate revenues to overcome impending shortfalls and plan for the future. The revenue forecast over FY 2019 and FY 2020 is mixed and will depend greatly on whether the state economy's decade-long upturn will slow or falter. 

Further, over the next two years, the state expects to see substantial holes develop in both tax and non-tax revenue sources - stemming from scheduled drops in the personal income tax rate and from the expiration of a roughly $260 million temporary assessment to help pay for subsidized health care. Neither the Governor nor the Legislature has yet offered specific plans that would fill those holes with new revenues.
It will be worth considering whether any proposed taxes or fees make the state's tax system more equitable - by requiring top income-earners to contribute a greater share of their incomes, closer to the share that everyone else pays.
The report also includes information to help budget watchers follow the debates. Readers can track funding recommendations in each budget proposal using MassBudget's Budget Browser.
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER

15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108


Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108

Sent by mrivera@massbudget.org in collaboration with
Constant Contact