Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time

Work Till 70? Yes, if Boehner and Republicans Have Their Way

Raising the retirement age to 70 doesn’t make any sense. If there is rampant unemployment how does keeping people in the workforce longer help the younger generation of workers?

This seemed to be fitting, go check out Struggles of Young Workers

I suppose at 35 I no longer qualify as a young worker, but my fellow Gen Xers are in a similar boat. Possibly even worse off, as we can easily get edged out of the market at both ends. Want someone with experience? Hire the Boomer! Want someone young? Hire the Millennial! And Gen X is sidelined again.

I think the recession will hurt workers in many ways, but the biggest is seen as a result of the shift away from defined benefit pensions to the defined contribution 401k and the market crash. Those without pensions are forced to stay in the workforce, which means less advancement opportunities for Gen Xers, which in turn hurts the Millennials.

The threat of reduced social security or raised retirement age doesn’t help either.

Today is Blog Action Day and the theme this year is water.

There are a ton of issues related to water, but one issue that is closest to home right now in NY is the debate over hydrofracking.
Check out Clean Water Not Dirty Drilling for more info.

Check out the Job Tracker.

Search by Zip Code to find out which companies in your area are exporting jobs, laying off workers, endangering workers’ health or involved in cases of violations of workers’ rights.

Don’t Blame Tenure for Bad Teachers

I hate when tenure is used as an excuse by management. It is all too easy to blame tenure, or the union, or the worker, but is that really where the blame should lie? Tenure isn’t automatically granted upon hire. Where was management before tenure was granted? Unions, tenure, and workers in general are not the bogey-man set out to terrorize managers. Everyone needs to work together to find common ground based on mutual respect.

This is What Class Warfare Looks Like

It has been said that managers do things right and leaders do the right thing. Unfortunately, the administration of SUNY has failed to do either by giving three top administrators lavish raises and bonuses in a time when the rank and file are being asked to take cuts. This would have been a great example of leadership and would have inspired many had these administrators turned down these payments or took a more modest raise. Remember how angry people were that the rank and file were getting a 4% raise? These raises are between 10.5%-13.6% not to mention the additional housing bonus of up to $60,000. This sad example is made even more disheartening since we are dealing with a public institution of higher education, not some for profit corporation.

Here’s something interesting to read/watch:

The Enthusiasm Gap or He’s Just a President

I am not surprised by the attacks on Obama by the right, but what the hell democrats ease up on the guy. The fact that those on the left tend to have unrealistic expectations and demand instantaneous rather than incremental change is only going to hurt us at election time this year. While the teabaggers are overtaking the right and getting out the vote, the left seems to be giving a collective “meh” and writing off all of the accomplishments that have been made because the world didn’t instantly turn into a land of unicorns and rainbows.

This edition of Worker Wednesday I thought I’d highlight this statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (source):

Brothers and sisters, our vision for America is on the line. It’s a vision of a better, stronger future, a renewal of the American Dream—the dream that all of us can earn a fair portion of the good things in life, time with our families, an education for our children, a voice on the job, a comfortable retirement—even if we’re not rich.

The American Dream. Along similar lines was the suggestion that $75,000 is the perfect salary for happiness. Having the means to earn a living wage, whatever that may be, is the American Dream. It’s not the amount per se, but the fact that there is a point at which one no longer has to worry about covering essential bills and other costs and can start saving money and even *gasp* going on vacation.

As the rich hoard more and more wealth for themselves we must join together to ensure that the rest of us can attain a big enough piece of the pie to sustain ourselves. As far as I’m concerned, the rich can stay rich, just be a little less rich so the rest of us can not have to worry about how we are going to pay our bills.

I cast the 89th ballot on primary night tonight.

Results can be found online at: Chautauqua Votes