On the menu this morning
MORNING MESSAGE: It's Still About Jobs
On Black Friday, Shopping Your Values
MORNING MESSAGE: It's Still About Jobs
OurFuture.org's Bill Scher: "A new advertising campaign from three major unions is targeting key congresspeople with a clear message: The way to reduce the deficit is by “creating jobs and growing our economy,” not by “cutting programs that families rely on most.”" Read more »
Fighting The Fiscal Swindle
"Rough start" for fiscal talks? Politico reports Democrats standing firm: "Hill Democrats say Republicans aren’t serious about crafting a deal that President Barack Obama can accept. The GOP’s opening offer, the sources said, would freeze the Bush-era tax rates, change the inflation calculator for entitlement programs, keep the estate tax at 2012 levels and authorize a major overhaul of the Tax Code — although they did not provide a revenue target."
Obama Campaign Machine May Be Turned Loose On Fiscal Cliff Climbing Congress. NPR: "At a Politico breakfast event Tuesday, Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager, said he could readily see some of the campaign's online and mobile tools being repurposed to put pressure on Congress to reach agreement on the fiscal cliff negotiations and other pieces of Obama's agenda. "People just spent five years winning two presidential elections together," Messina said. "They're now not going to walk away and not help him become the change that they want to see.""
'Fiscal Cliff' fear-mongers mimic Mitt Romney, writes Ethan Rome of Health Care for America Now: "In the name of avoiding the wildly exaggerated "fiscal cliff" deadline, the self-interested corporate CEOs behind Fix the Debt are pushing a deficit reduction plan that would lower taxes for corporations and the super-rich while slashing programs central to the middle class and those working their way into it. Meanwhile, none of the deficit hawks is talking about putting America back to work and jump-starting our economy. Didn't we just reject this on Election Day?"
On Black Friday, Shopping Your Values
Walmart Black Friday strike gains momentum. David Dayen at Firedoglake: "We can now see why the imminent Walmart strikes on Black Friday have spooked the company. … Several sympathizers, seeing a point of weakness for Walmart, have jumped aboard with help in promoting the Black Friday protests. The United Auto Workers, one of the more insular unions as far as activity outside their specific area of interest is concerned, just went out to their members supporting the strikers and encouraging attendance … The progressive policy think tank Demos released their study yesterday on how increases in retail wages would support the entire economy with tens of billions in new stimulus. … The Corporate Action Network has created a widget to help people find the protests at Walmart stores in their area on Black Friday (some of which will be held on Thursday, as Walmart decided to open their stores early this year)."
Worker Group Alleges Walmart 'Told Store-Level Management to Threaten Workers' About Strikes. The Nation's Josh Eidelson: "As planned Black Friday strikes draw increasing media attention, Walmart continues to publicly dismiss the actions as stunts and the workers involved as an unrepresentative fringe. But workers charge that behind closed doors, the company is waging a stepped-up campaign to to intimidate them out of striking. That includes both alleged illegal threats and punishments, and likely legal mandatory meetings designed to discourage workers from joining the Black Friday rebellion."
Why Walmart workers are striking (Think Progress): "Workers — organized by non-union OUR Walmart — are protesting that Walmart continues to pay low wages and cut benefits, even while it is making billions of dollars in profits. The strikes that have occurred are the first in the 50 year history of the company. Workers have demanded “more-predictable schedules, less-expensive health-care plans and minimum hourly pay of $13 with the option of working full-time.” The company is increasing employee contributions towards its health plan in 2013. Walmart made $15 billion last year, and paid its CEO $18.1 million."
Macy's is target of Progressive Congress campaign because CEO Terry Lundgren is one of the CEOs on the "Fix the Debt" campaign lobbying for cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Twinkie Talks Topple
Hostess talks break down, BBC reports: "Union officials said talks with Hostess Brands had ended without a deal that would save Twinkies. … The company is due to appear in a bankruptcy court on Wednesday, when it will reportedly seek to end operations. … Members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike after workers were asked to accept pay cuts, diminished health benefits and a reduction in contributions to their pension fund from $100m (£63m) a year to $25m a year. It also emerged that some members of the management had received 80% pay rises at the same time."
OurFuture.org's Dave Johnson: "You’ve probably heard that Hostess is closing down and putting more than 18,000 people out of work because greedy unions asked for too much. It’s a lie."
Breakfast Sides
How safe will your next Thanksgiving turkey be? AFL-CIO Now Blog: "If a proposed new rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is approved, it may be the last Thanksgiving bird you’ll be sure is free of—if you’re squeamish skip to the next paragraph—tumors, feces, scabs, salmonella and other defects. The proposed rule would not only allow plant management to increase the speed of poultry processing lines by five times the current limit, it could eliminate the jobs of more than 800 trained federal food safety inspectors and turn many inspection duties over to plant employees."
Conservative sabotage of health care law means most Americans will be unaware of the benefits they will be eligible for. The Washington Post: "… Policy decisions are being made now that will affect tens of millions of Americans, and the lack of public awareness could jeopardize a system that depends on having many people involved. … States such as Texas and Florida, where opposition to the legislation was strong, have been slow to embrace the law, and critics have been loath to promote it. Initial White House efforts at outreach caused congressional Republicans to accuse the administration of using taxpayer money for political gain."
