State of IL Pols Played by IL Business again….
Within 2 weeks of blackmailing the State of IL into $150 million handout (or else we’ll leave), Sears promptly shut down 200 stores. The Chicago Tribune reported that “a spokesman for Sears Holdings said the timing of the announcement was in line with the company’s usual practices. ‘We typically publish a release after the holidays, as the [...]
HAPPY HOLIDAYS from EEA!
Please enjoy a safe and happy holiday season. We ask that you remember those less fortunate and give to your favorite charity at this, the end of another year. Thank you from everyone here at EEA as we look forward to 2012. Peace.
House Republicans: “No room at the inn” for 2.2 million unemployed
Early this morning, the Republican-controlled House Rules Committee voted to block a full House vote on the bipartisan Senate compromise that would have extended unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term jobless. The current program expires Dec. 31. I don’t have to tell most readers of this blog how tough times are for the 2.2 million [...]
Belleville News-Democrat: Continuing to ignore facts. Journalism at its worst.
Beth Hunsdorfer and George Pawlaczyk continue to publish headlines at the Belleville News-Democrat that grossly mischaracterize the facts at best, and bordering on outright lies at worst. One wonders where these two are getting their “facts” because it certainly is not from any objective source (because they clearly ignore those). Or perhaps their bias against injured workers [...]
NLRB Approves Union Election “Speed Up” Rule
A rule to limit the average amount of time to hold union elections and campaigns to less than 21 days (from the usual 38 days) and require employers to postpone their legal challenges to elections until after the workers vote was tentatively approved on 11/30/2011. This after the 2 Democratic Board members and the lone GOP [...]
New Program Aims to Help Illinois’ Hardest Hit Keep Their Homes
The Illinois Housing Development Authority is using $345 million in federal funds to assist working families who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments due to unemployment or under-employment. Eligible families will receive ten-year loans of up to $25,000 at zero interest. The program aims to help 15,000 families to stay in their homes. [...]
Massey Energy pays $200 Million to the families of for killing 29 men. OSHA concludes this was “entirely preventable.”
The final report is in on the April 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster, and it isn’t pretty. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration concludes that the deaths of 29 miners in April 2010 were “entirely preventable.” It blames parent company Massey Energy for massive, repeated safety violations, deliberate cover-ups of hazards and “a [...]
Austerity measures on both sides of the “pond” lead to international union unity
US unions have been rallying at United Kingdom embassies throughout the US (e.g. Chicago, DC, LA, San Francisco, and Orlando) in support of UK trade unions and their protests against the Conservative UK governments “austerity measures” aka slashing government workers middle class wages, benefits, pensions or even their jobs. All this “austerity” to preserve the [...]