Portside

In a move expected to draw harsh opposition from the business community, President Obama will use his executive authority to push changes in overtime law so that millions of workers who are now exempt will be eligible for premium rates when working more than 40 hours per week.

There are major problems at the Queens Borough Public Library which is one of the largest public libraries in the country. The President and CEO is paid $391,000 plus major perks. In the past 5 years he has reduced the staff by 130 positions through attrition and 44 layoffs. This has become major news in the New York City media as well as the national library press.

A decision in favour of Pamela Harris in the Harris v. Quinn case before the U.S. Supreme Court would seriously impact the quality of care provided to tens of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities who use state-supported home care services. It would do this by ruling the collective agreement covering more than 27,000 workers unconstitutional. More broadly, a ruling that the current system is unconstitutional threatens the future of collective bargaining.

Manufacturing jobs are not what they used to be. Companies increasingly hire temp workers through contractors who are paid less and even wear different shirts. Employees paint a grim picture of the work and the long-term impact on the local economy.

As national Democrats prepare to run against the GOP on income equality issues, a giant union has issued a scathing Obamacare document that could undermine that case. "The Irony of ObamaCare: Making Inequality Worse" is the title of the UNITE HERE document that is soon to be making its way to Capitol Hill.