FROM: NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
Office of Public Affairs 202-273-1991 publicinfo@nlrb.gov www.nlrb.gov NLRB Office of the General Counsel Issues Complaint against Walmart January 15, 2014 The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Office of the General Counsel has issued a consolidated complaint against Walmart alleging that the company violated the rights of its employees as a result of activities surrounding employee protests in 14 states. The Office of the General Counsel informed Walmart that complaints were authorized in November of 2013, but withheld issuing the complaints to allow time for settlement discussions. The discussions have not been successful and a consolidated complaint has issued regarding some of the alleged violations of federal law. More than 60 Walmart supervisors and one corporate officer are named in the complaint. Cases were consolidated to avoid unnecessary costs or delay. Walmart must respond to the complaint by January 28, 2014. No hearing date has been set. The Office of General Counsel has authorized or issued complaints in other Walmart cases and additional charges remain under investigation.
The National Labor Relations Act guarantees the right of private sector employees to act together to try to improve their wages and working conditions with or without a union. The consolidated complaint involves more than 60 employees, 19 of whom were discharged allegedly as a result of their participation in activities protected by the National Labor Relations Act. The Office of the General Counsel alleges that Walmart violated the Act when: During two national television news broadcasts and in statements to employees at Walmart stores in California and Texas, Walmart unlawfully threatened employees with reprisal if they engaged in strikes and protests; At stores in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Washington, Walmart unlawfully threatened, disciplined, and/or terminated employees for having engaged in legally protected strikes and protests; At stores in California, Florida, Missouri and Texas, Walmart unlawfully threatened, surveilled, disciplined, and/or terminated employees in anticipation of or in response to employees’ other protected concerted activities. #
Showing posts with label WORKING CONDITIONS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WORKING CONDITIONS. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Friday, November 22, 2013
CDC REVEALS HEALTH DISPARITIES
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
CDC Report Documents Health Disparities
Highlights progress, challenges, and needs for stronger data
Income, education level, sex, race, ethnicity, employment status, and sexual orientation are all related to health and health outcomes for a number of Americans, according to a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The "CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2013," is the second CDC report that highlights differences in mortality and disease risk for multiple conditions related to behaviors, access to health care, and social determinants of health – the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, age, and work.
The latest report looks at disparities in deaths and illness, use of health care, behavioral risk factors for disease, environmental hazards, and social determinants of health. This year’s report contains 10 new topics including access to healthier foods, activity limitations due to chronic diseases, asthma attacks, fatal and nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses, health-related quality of life, periodontitis in adults, residential proximity to major highways, tuberculosis, and unemployment.
“Better health for all Americans depends on focusing our efforts where they’re needed most,” said CDC Director Tom. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H." This kind of information helps us target health programs and promotes accountability for improving health equity at the federal, state and local level."
Some of the report’s key findings include:
The overall birth rate for teens 15-19 years old fell dramatically -- by 18 percent -- from 2007 to 2010. Birth rate disparities also decreased because the rates fell by more among racial and ethnic minority populations that had higher rates. However, across states, there was wide variation, from no significant change to a 30 percent reduction in the rate from 2007 to 2010.
Working in a high risk occupation -- an occupation in which workers are more likely than average to be injured or become ill -- is more likely among those who are Hispanic, are low wage earners, were born outside of the United States, have no education beyond high school, or are male.
Binge drinking is more common among persons aged 18-34 years, men, non-Hispanic whites, and persons with higher household incomes.
While the number of new tuberculosis cases in the United States decreased 58 percent from 1992 to 2010, tuberculosis continues to disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities, including foreign-born individuals.
The report also underscores the need for more consistent data on population characteristics that have often been lacking in health surveys, such as disability status and sexual orientation. To help ensure that such data are more available in the future, the Affordable Care Act required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a set of uniform data collection standards for national population health surveys. These standards were published in 2011.
“It is clear that more needs to be done to address the gaps and to better assist Americans disproportionately impacted by the burden of poor health,” said Chesley Richards, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Office of Public Health Scientific Services, which produced the report. “We hope that this report will lead to interventions that will allow all Americans, particularly those most harmed by health inequalities, to live healthier and more productive lives.”
The full "CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2013" and related information on the individual chapters is available at http://www.cdc.gov/DisparitiesAnalytics .
The Affordable Care Act can help to reduce health disparities in the United States. Through the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will qualify to get health care coverage that fits their needs and budget, including important preventive services that are covered with no additional costs. Reducing disparities in health insurance coverage and access to care will contribute to health equity and is a key strategy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. For those enrolled by December 15, 2013, coverage starts as early as January 1, 2014.
CDC Report Documents Health Disparities
Highlights progress, challenges, and needs for stronger data
Income, education level, sex, race, ethnicity, employment status, and sexual orientation are all related to health and health outcomes for a number of Americans, according to a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The "CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2013," is the second CDC report that highlights differences in mortality and disease risk for multiple conditions related to behaviors, access to health care, and social determinants of health – the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, age, and work.
The latest report looks at disparities in deaths and illness, use of health care, behavioral risk factors for disease, environmental hazards, and social determinants of health. This year’s report contains 10 new topics including access to healthier foods, activity limitations due to chronic diseases, asthma attacks, fatal and nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses, health-related quality of life, periodontitis in adults, residential proximity to major highways, tuberculosis, and unemployment.
“Better health for all Americans depends on focusing our efforts where they’re needed most,” said CDC Director Tom. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H." This kind of information helps us target health programs and promotes accountability for improving health equity at the federal, state and local level."
Some of the report’s key findings include:
The overall birth rate for teens 15-19 years old fell dramatically -- by 18 percent -- from 2007 to 2010. Birth rate disparities also decreased because the rates fell by more among racial and ethnic minority populations that had higher rates. However, across states, there was wide variation, from no significant change to a 30 percent reduction in the rate from 2007 to 2010.
Working in a high risk occupation -- an occupation in which workers are more likely than average to be injured or become ill -- is more likely among those who are Hispanic, are low wage earners, were born outside of the United States, have no education beyond high school, or are male.
Binge drinking is more common among persons aged 18-34 years, men, non-Hispanic whites, and persons with higher household incomes.
While the number of new tuberculosis cases in the United States decreased 58 percent from 1992 to 2010, tuberculosis continues to disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities, including foreign-born individuals.
The report also underscores the need for more consistent data on population characteristics that have often been lacking in health surveys, such as disability status and sexual orientation. To help ensure that such data are more available in the future, the Affordable Care Act required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a set of uniform data collection standards for national population health surveys. These standards were published in 2011.
“It is clear that more needs to be done to address the gaps and to better assist Americans disproportionately impacted by the burden of poor health,” said Chesley Richards, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Office of Public Health Scientific Services, which produced the report. “We hope that this report will lead to interventions that will allow all Americans, particularly those most harmed by health inequalities, to live healthier and more productive lives.”
The full "CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2013" and related information on the individual chapters is available at http://www.cdc.gov/DisparitiesAnalytics .
The Affordable Care Act can help to reduce health disparities in the United States. Through the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will qualify to get health care coverage that fits their needs and budget, including important preventive services that are covered with no additional costs. Reducing disparities in health insurance coverage and access to care will contribute to health equity and is a key strategy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. For those enrolled by December 15, 2013, coverage starts as early as January 1, 2014.
Friday, November 9, 2012
INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING ON PROTECTING VULNERABLE WORKERS
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| Photo: Migrant Worker. Credit: Wikimedia. |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
PROTECTING FARM WORKERS
All workers in the United States have the right to clean, safe working conditions and fair pay, and protecting the rights of vulnerable workers is a priority for the department. Representatives from the department's Wage and Hour Division and other government agencies met with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights last week to discuss government efforts to protect the rights of farmworkers. Addressing about 50 IACHR and government representatives, Wage and Hour Division Assistant Administrator for Policy Michael Hancock described steps the division and other agencies have taken to ensure compliance with employment standards and expand educational outreach. Representatives from the Employment and Training Administration, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also attended.
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