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Iowaafl-Cio News there Is s In UnIty trength RATION O DE F E L F A B A O W R O AFL-CIO I AFL-CIO D e a s ow Moines I NEWS IOWAVolume 13, Issue 3 Official Publication of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO December 2013 S u ppor t O u R V e t S By Jan Laue, President Iowa ARA benefits to over 9 million veterans – at age 65 would receive a benefit cut Veterans should be assured that the We are eternally grateful to our about 4 in 10 veterans today – and of $588 at age 75 and $1,025 at age benefits will be there for them and veterans every day of the year, but 35 percent of adult Social Security 85. By age 95, when Social Security their families. Most americans re- on Veterans Day, in particular, we may be needed ceiving Va benefits live modestly recognize and thank the veterans in the most, that and cannot afford to have their our communities who gave their all veteran would benefits reduced. instead, Social in service and sacrifice for our coun- lose $1,450 – a Security and Va benefits should be try. the least we can do in return is reduction of 9.2 adjusted by a formula that more ac- to make sure they receive every ben- percent.* curately reflects the true cost of liv- efit they deserve. the situa- ing of seniors, veterans and those Politicians in Washington are tion would be with disabilities. the cPi-e, for ex- proposing to balance the budget by even worse for ample, takes into account the actual cutting benefits for veterans and So- the veterans expenses of an elderly or disabled cial Security beneficiaries by reduc- who have been population, accounting for higher ing their cost of living adjustment injured in the health care expenditures, and it through a formula change known line of duty. a would keep benefits from eroding as the “chained cPi.” this cut af- disabled veter- over time. fects not only beneficiaries of Social an who started Veterans Day 2013 marks a day Security, but also veterans and their Ron Montgomery, Iowa ARA Board Member. (Photo receiving Va of remembrance for all who served. families who receive Military re- by Lance Coles) disability ben- We should show our honor and ap- tirement pay, Veterans Pension ben- efits at age 30 in preciation for those who fought for efits, Veterans Disability compen- beneficiaries are veterans or their 2012 would have his or her benefits and helped build this country by sation, Subsistence allowance for family members. reduced by $1,425 at age 45, $2,341 preserving the basic programs that veterans in vocational rehabilitation The average benefit for a vet- at age 55 and $ 3,231 at age 65.* ensure americans a decent quality and employment programs, survi- eran receiving Social Security was Military men and women contrib- of life and make our country great. vor annuities for veterans’ families $15,768 in 2012. implementing the ute to Social Security just like other (*Source: Strengthen Social Secu- and more. Because of the number chained cPi would significantly working americans, from their first rity fact sheet. Social Security and VA of programs that would be subject reduce those benefits. a veteran paycheck at boot camp, to their last COLA Cuts Will Have a Big Effect on to the chained cPi, veterans would with average earnings who retires paycheck at the end of their career. Veterans and their Families, 2013.) receive double, triple or more hits from the chained cPi. It is simply immoral to balance the budget on the backs of american soldiers who already sacrificed for Center For Worker Justice Grows us in iraq, afghanistan and count- By Robin Clark Bennett growing job opportunities have dignity for all workers both on the less other wars, or the widows, wid- After Omer arrived in Iowa City been concentrated in sectors with job and in their communities. owers and children who have lost from Sudan, he first found work low unionization rates and pov- Established in 2012 with strong their family members defending through a temp agency working on erty wages. in these sectors, un- support from local labor unions our country. a fast-paced production line at a local and churches, cWJ’s core Social Security currently pays factory. Instead of giving him a pay- membership has grown check, the agency assigned him a debit to include nearly 300 low- card and promised to deposit his wages wage workers. its mem- c. onto the card on each payday. After he bers come from at least 18 In rg. left the factory, Omer realized that he countries of origin; most o had been shorted nearly a full week of are recent immigrants of tage S wages. He tried for months to recover latin american and afri- PAID his pay, unsuccessfully, until activ- can origin. at its core, cWJ -Profit ort Mail, N S ists from the Center for Worker Justice shares the labor move- U.S. Po No (CWJ) knocked on his door as part of ment’s belief that work- Pre a neighborhood education campaign. ers themselves must lead CWJ worked with Omer to send a let- any meaningful efforts to ter to his employer demanding his pay, improve their lives. Just signed by dozens of labor and com- CWJ members at a training session. as cWJ’s diverse mem- munity allies. Within a week, the em- bership represents a new ployer paid the full wages he was owed. derfunded enforcement agencies alliance among low-wage workers, Since then, Omer has remained active provide very little protection from cWJ’s network of organizational af- in CWJ, to help other workers who face abuse, and employers increasingly filiates is a powerful new coalition similar abuses. evade unionization and workplace between unions, churches, afford- The center for Worker Justice of laws by shifting to temporary work able housing groups, university eastern iowa (cWJ) is iowa’s first arrangements and misclassifying staff and students, and immigrant “workers’ center” – a non-profit, workers as “independent contrac- advocacy organizations that had community-based organization tors.” the result is a “wild west” en- not previously worked together. where low-wage workers can come vironment, in which workers’ most the group’s new meeting space re- together, learn about their civil and basic rights are routinely violated. flects this exciting collaboration – in workplace rights, and take action cWJ and other workers’ centers use october 2013 cWJ opened a new, with support from local unions, grassroots, community organizing shared meeting space with the iowa churches, and community groups. strategies to shine a public spotlight city federation of labor and the for decades, many of the fastest- on employer abuses, and demand continued on page 8 Iowa AFL-CIO News Iowa AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, Iowa A St., Suite 2000 Walker 50317 Des Moines, Iowa Page 2 IOWA AFL-CIO NEWS December 2013 Courts Matter Why? By Lance Coles, Many of these vacancies have do with the balance of powers of the Southern District of iowa, wrote an Communications Director gone on over 1,200 days. iowa cur- branches of government. op-ed in the Des Moines Register, Senate Democrats had enough of rently does not have any District The remaining three vacancies where he expressed his concerns. the Senate republicans continuing court vacancies. are in a bitter debate, including one “While congress has averted the to block President obama’s nomi- The Senate republicans filibus- seat that has been vacant since 2005. worst-case scenario it so perilously nees to courts, and changed the Sen- tered almost all the judge nomina- center for american Progress ac- approached this week, it will very ate rules on filibusters and blocking tions, rather than letting them come tion fund President, tom Perriello likely find itself in the same posi- presidential nominations, specifi- to a vote. Senator grassley, rank- issued a statement that read: “the tion come January and the courts cally judicial nominations. ing Member of the Senate Judiciary function of our federal courts should will once again suffer from its in- According to courtsmatter.org in committee, led that charge. depend on the rule of law, not po- decision. the judicial branch, while the last year alone, more than 195 Federal courts play a vital role litical games. the unprecedented seemingly independent of the other million americans – nearly 65% of in democracy and make rulings on decision by Senate republicans two, cannot do its work without the the U.S. population – lived in a com- virtually every issue that is impor- to filibuster all three of President support of the other two branches munity with a federal courtroom tant to the american public. Barack obama’s current nominees of government. Without effective vacancy. the result is a backlog of The normal process to fill a va- cases that undermines our system of cancy is: first, the White House con- justice and makes it difficult for most sults with the home state senators. americans to have their cases heard there are numerous investigations in a timely manner. thousands of and multiple interviews. once this is cases go unheard every day, deny- done, the nominee is in the hands of ing americans their day in court. the Senate Judiciary committee. The Senate Judiciary committee In UnIty there Is strength has the nominee fill out a question- RATION O DE F E L F A B A O W R naire, and they send “blue slips” to O AFL-CIO I AFL-CIO home senators for approval of com- D e a s ow Moines I NEWS IOWA Official Publication of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO mittee consideration.
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