PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF DISAPPROVAL REGARDING SENATE AND HOUSE PROPOSAL ON LABOR

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENT
March 31, 2015
Remarks by the President Before Signing Memorandum of Disapproval Regarding S.J. Res.8
Oval Office
12:08 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Well, I am about to sign a memorandum of disapproval.  A while back, the National Labor Relations Board, the NLRB, put forward some common-sense, modest changes to streamline the voting process for folks who wanted to join a union.  And unfortunately, the Republican Senate and House decided to put forward a proposal to reverse those changes.  I think that’s a bad idea.

Unions historically have been at the forefront of establishing things like the 40-hour work week, the weekend, elimination of child labor laws, establishing fair benefits and decent wages.  And one of the freedoms of folks here in the United States is, is that if they choose to join a union, they should be able to do so.  And we shouldn’t be making it impossible for that to happen.

So not only am I going to be signing this memorandum of disapproval; I also want to announce that in the fall we’re going to host a summit on increasing the voice and the rights of workers here in the United States.  We’ve had a terrific economic recovery.  We’re got more work to do.  We’re finally seeing wages being to tick up after many consecutive years of job growth.  Nevertheless, what’s true is, is that we’ve got record corporate profits.  Folks at the very top are doing very well.  Middle-class families and folks trying to work their way into the middle class still have some big difficulties.

And part of what we want to do is to make sure that we give workers the capacity to have their voices heard, to have some influence in the workplace, to make sure that they’re partners in building up the U.S. economy, and that growth is broad-based, and that everybody is benefitting just as everybody is contributing.  So that’s something that I’m very much looking forward to.  We’ll have a wide range of voices from the business community, from small businesses, from the workers in a wide range of fields -- academics, organizers.  Because I think that everybody here in America wants to make sure that even as the economy is growing, everybody is playing a part in that growth and everybody is sharing and contributing to that success.

So with that, let me sign this memorandum of disapproval.  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
12:11 P.M. EDT

LABOR DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION AWARD TO REDUCE CHILD LABOR IN MOROCCO

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

$5M grant to reduce child labor in Morocco awarded by US Labor Department

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced the award of a $5 million cooperative agreement to Creative Associates International to implement a project to reduce child labor in Morocco.

The project aims to reduce child labor in the Marrakesh-Tensift-Al-Haouz region of Morocco by promoting children's participation in educational programs and delivering vocational training focused on sectors, such as farming and ecotourism. Additionally, it will offer support to youth of legal working age to secure quality employment opportunities.

"This grant will fund a multifaceted project to protect children and families in Morocco," said Deputy Undersecretary of Labor for International Affairs Carol Pier. "Especially for those children at risk of engaging in the worst forms of child labor, education and vocational training hold the promise of a safer and more secure economic future."

Creative Associates International will promote access to social services for families and help them improve their livelihoods by providing access to microlending and savings programs and other activities to increase household resilience. It will also strengthen the capacity of government at the national and local levels to address child labor and of civil society organizations to provide assistance to working children and their families.

The project will collaborate with key government agencies and ministries at the national, regional and local levels, including the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs.

Since 1995, ILAB projects have rescued approximately 1.7 million children from exploitative child labor. The Labor Department has funded 275 such projects implemented by more than 65 organizations in 93 countries. ILAB currently oversees more than $245 million of active programming to combat the worst forms of child labor.

SERVICE MEMBERS, RETIREES SHOULD CHECK OUT 'SPACE-A' FOR BUDGET TRAVEL DEALS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Budget-minded Travelers Take Flight With 'Space-A'
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2013 - Fantasizing about an exotic getaway but finding yourself strapped for cash? A "Space-A" seat aboard a military aircraft might be just your ticket to that vacation of your dreams.

Military-owned or -contracted aircraft fly to more places than many people realize, even to areas without U.S. military installations. When all mission-related passengers and cargo are accommodated, empty seats are offered up to eligible passengers on a space-available basis.

Last year, almost 215,000 service members, military family members and retirees took advantage of these "Space-A" flights all over the world, Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Alexander of Air Mobility Command's passenger policy and fleet management branch told American Forces Press Service.

They flew stateside at no cost on military planes and paid just $3.90 for a seat on a commercially chartered flight, Alexander reported. Those on international flights paid $17.20 or less to cover the cost of head taxes and federal inspection fees.

The travelers didn't require high-placed contacts or insider information -- just a basic understanding of how the system works.

In general, active-duty members and retirees and their families can fly Space-A between Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard facilities around the world. Flights also are available from the Seattle-Tacoma and Baltimore-Washington international airports.

Seats are offered to Space-A passengers only after all official-duty passengers and cargo have been accommodated, Alexander emphasized. Once those requirements are met, empty seats are offered to any qualified Space-A traveler. They may get a standard seat on a contracted commercial aircraft. But in other cases, it might be a backward-facing seat on a C-5 Galaxy aircraft or a jump seat on a C-130 Hercules cargo plane or KC-135 Stratotanker, or anything in between, Alexander said.

Passengers with a sense of adventure willing to try Space-A travel can sign up at the terminal they plan to fly from in person, online or by email or phone and stay on the roster for up to 60 days or, if applicable, until their military leave expires. It's possible to sign up for more than one destination, and at more than one terminal to improve the chances of getting a seat.

When passengers register, they get assigned to a passenger category that designates their place in "line" for a seat.

Space-A may be the one instance in which rank doesn't have its privilege. Seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on a Space-A passenger's travel category and date and time they registered.

First priority, Category 1, goes to active-duty service members and their accompanying family members on unfunded emergency leave. Category 2 is assigned to those on environmental morale leave. Category 3 is for members and their families on ordinary leave or in a house-hunting status in conjunction with a permanent-change-of-station move. Category 4 goes to unaccompanied active-duty family members on environmental and morale leave. Category 5 is assigned to unaccompanied family members and service members on permissive temporary duty. Category 6 goes to military retirees, reservists, National Guard members and ROTC cadets.

Once official mission requirements are met, the likelihood that any would-be traveler gets a Space-A seat depends on a multitude of factors, Alexander said. Some air terminals have more flights than others, and larger commercially contracted aircraft tend to have more seats than cargo planes.

Timing is an important factor, too, he said. During the summer months, when many military families are making PCS moves or vacationing, Space-A seats fill up quickly. In Germany, for example, an aircraft with 100 or more available seats may fill up with travelers in Categories 1 to 3 alone, Alexander said.

Yet, Alexander said, retirees, who are in the lowest-priority group for Space-A seats, are big fans of the program and frequently get seat assignments. Many make a point of learning how the system works and avoid the busiest travel times so they are more likely to get a seat, he said.

AMC, which enforces the policies for the Space-A program, spells out the details of Space-A travel on its website. The site, including a downloadable Space-A handbook, is updated regularly.

The command's Facebook page provides travelers the most current information possible to help them plan better than ever before and to answer any questions they might have, Alexander said. The site offers 72-hour flight schedules that are updated daily.

One of its newest features is a Space A "roll call report." It provides information about seats provided to Space-A passengers within the previous 24 hours, including the latest date and time they signed up and which travel category they had been assigned.

AMC introduced the feature as part of its efforts to give travelers more predictability, but works closely with its operational security team to make sure it's not divulging too much information that could tip off potential adversaries, Alexander said.

Admittedly, Space-A travel can be a gamble. Many people have heard horror stories about seemingly endless waits for empty seats on outgoing flights, wasted leave days and destinations never reached. Passengers are cautioned to be prepared to buy a return flight on a commercial aircraft, as well as meals and lodging, if they find themselves unable to secure a Space-A flight home.

But trends show that many travelers are willing to sacrifice some of their leave for a free or almost-free seat on an unfilled military contract aircraft. Alexander attributes it to higher ticket prices on commercial aircraft and more awareness across the military about Space-A travel opportunities.

"People say, 'Wow, this is a great service, and I am going to use this, because it is one of my benefits,'" Alexander said. "As long as you have an open mind and you are educated on the processes and you have some time available, Space-A can definitely work well in your favor."

U.S. DOD OFFERING NON-MEDICAL COUNSELING TO TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES

U.S. Navy photo Antonio P. Turretto Ramos. Blurred 01-02-2013 BRGNR.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD Offers Non-medical Counseling to Troops, Families

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2013 - The Defense Department continues to ensure the well-being of service members and their families through no-cost, short-term, non-medical counseling in the interests of military and family readiness, a defense official said.

Jena M. Moore, program analyst for counseling in the Office of Military Community and Family Policy, explained the program during an interview with The Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

"The Military and Family Life Counseling program ... offers short-term, non-medical counseling," Moore said. "And it's confidential for our service members and family members."

The program, administered by licensed professionals with master's or doctorate degrees in a mental health-related field, provide services for active duty, National Guard and reserve members and their families, as well as DOD civilians "serving as part of the expeditionary workforce and their families."

The program's goal, she said, is to prevent the development of or the exacerbation of mental health conditions that can detract from military readiness.

"Another goal of the program was to establish a different avenue of counseling for service members and family members, in addition to what's already available through their military community," Moore said.

Data indicates usage of non-medical counseling has increased from 10 percent of active-duty service members in 2003 to about 35 percent, she said.

According to Moore, the program provides non-medical counseling for issues that can be resolved or supported through short-term support.

"These are daily issues that come to our lives like dealing with work or dealing with family," she said. "And, specifically for the military community, it's those normal reactions that service members and family members can have to the stressful attributes that can come with being a military family member."

Moore said medical counseling is not provided through the program since such care typically would be used for health issues requiring longer-term care. Counselors ensure service members or family members are connected with the right resource before finishing the counseling sessions, she said.

"Examples of [medical counseling] would be issues related to child abuse, spouse abuse, or suicidal ideations," Moore said. "These are counseling sessions that you could find within a military medical treatment facility or through TRICARE."

Moore explained how the MFLC program delivers counseling to the military community in a variety of ways.

"One of the largest ways that we're utilized is on installations on rotations up to 180 days," she said. "And typically these MFLCs are found within our family support centers, but they also can be found throughout military installations as well as embedded in military units.

"We also have our child and youth behavioral MFLCs that support child and youth on installations," Moore continued. "Those can be found in our child development centers as well as public schools that have high populations of military children."

For commanders, Moore noted, there are surge support services available to units that are returning from combat. And there are on-demand medical services that primarily support National Guard and reserve members, she said, which are usually available at family events and during drill weekends and deployment-related events.

"If a commander is interested in receiving surge support for their unit that is returning from deployment, they would request through their family program manager at service headquarters," Moore said, "and then that request would come through to the MFLC program where we'd review it, and provide support as needed."

For troops with privacy concerns, the sessions with the MFLC counselors are confidential -- even their commander won't know -- and the counseling will not impact their security clearances, she said.

Additionally, Moore said, full-time program counselors can be accessed through joint family support assistance programs, available in all 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia.

And MFLC program options include speaking to a military chaplain, or going to a family support center, she said.

Moore said research data indicates the program is working.

"In a recent review of the MFLC program that was conducted by Virginia Tech, [of] those that were surveyed, 98 percent indicated that the MFLC counseling program was effective in dealing with their issues," she said.

Senior commanders like retired Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, who led U.S. Special Operations Command, also have provided feedback, Moore said.

"In 2010, [Olson] spoke to the MFLC program and the support that the MFLC program provided his service members and family members," she said. "[Olson] mentioned how the MFLC program is flexible, and it's so accessible ... that his families and service members feel comfortable in utilizing it."

Olson "really thinks that it's a value added for his service members and family members to have that resource," Moore said.