Wages and Benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis told the House Education and Labor Committee today that the U.S. Department of Labor is both helping the economy recover and improving American workers’ lives by strengthening basic workplace protections, and training workers for new and better jobs.

"Congress was willing to make this affirmation of a fundamental and basic statement, 'You don't get to discriminate against people in their pay, in their work based upon these arbitrary standards of gender or race or ethnicity.'" - Chairman George Miller

One year ago today, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became the first major act of Congress signed into law by President Barack Obama. Recently Lilly Ledbetter and Congressman George Miller sat down to to discuss Ledbetter’s courageous story and what the Act means for working Americans across the country.



The Act clarified that every paycheck or other compensation resulting from an earlier discriminatory pay decision constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act and applies to workers who file claims of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, or disability. It reversed a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that made it more difficult for Americans to pursue such claims. For more information, please visit our informational webpage on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

To commemorate today's anniversary, the Democratic Caucus has a blog post with stats about how many American's lives are better because of this law. Lilly Ledbetter wrote a blog post about her thoughts on this occasion and what a difference a year has made.

Chairman Miller: It yields to the concerns that we have echoed in our Caucus every week as Members come back from their local communities.  Yes, we have a few positive indicators — hopefully they will continue — on unemployment, but we hear in the private analyst community and among many people concerned about unemployment in this country — economists and others — that that could be overwhelmed if we do not do something to support local government.  That we could have a wave of unemployment created by the cuts that they may face because of the fact that they are close to $300 billion underwater in their budgets.  

And this bill makes an effort — I think a good effort — in making sure that we can assure the health and safety of our communities and the education of our children.  We’re watching as every year now as we get the reports from across the country — from thousands and thousands of schools districts and hundreds of thousands of schools — the gains that young people in America are making in terms of the proficiency in reading and mathematics and elsewhere.  We cannot afford to lose that because of unemployment in the school districts.  We cannot afford to lose that because of the downturn in the economy.  Most business leaders will tell you that it’s in this kind of atmosphere where you want to make your investment for the future. We need to continue the investments that we have been making in the education of America’s young children by making sure that we do not lose hundreds of thousands of teachers across the American landscape and then children are put in an environment where they cannot continue to make those kinds of gains.

So this legislation on public service jobs addresses the need — as you heard from our leaders — of the health and safety of our community, the education of young people, and also to provide opportunities in this coming summer for young people who have graduated in many cases from school, are looking for jobs and haven’t been able to find them, but to give them that opportunity to receive training and job opportunities.  I think the mix of this legislation, with the emphasis on infrastructure, jobs, and public service jobs is what we need in our states, in our localities, in our economy, at this time.  And looking forward to a good vote in our Caucus on behalf of Jobs for Main Street bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the followed statement today on President Obama’s White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth.

Washington, DC—Today the House of Representatives passed legislation originally authored by Congressman Tim Bishop (NY-1) to ensure that flight crews are treated fairly and are able to qualify for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ensuring workers have access to paid sick leave can help slow the spread of highly contagious illnesses like the H1N1 flu virus, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. By giving workers access to paid sick leave, employees will not be forced to choose between losing pay and infecting co-workers and the public.

The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing Tuesday, November 17 on how employer paid sick leave policies can help slow the spread of contagious diseases, like the H1N1 flu virus.

At least 50 million American workers currently do not have access to paid sick leave, many in lower-wage industries that have direct contact with the public such as food-service, hospitality industry, schools and health care fields. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that a sick worker will infect one in ten co-workers. As a result, the CDC and other public health officials have advised employers to be flexible when dealing with sick employees and to develop leave policies that will not punish workers for being ill.

On November 3, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, introduced the Emergency Influenza Containment Act (H.R. 3991). The temporary legislation will guarantee up to five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by an employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus.

For more information on the bill, click here.

The Committee has a full schedule this week, including:

November 17: Hearing on how employer paid sick leave policies can help slow the spread of contagious diseases, like the H1N1 flu virus.

November 19: Hearing to review current federal literacy initiatives and explore ways to improve the reading comprehension skills of all children from birth through high school.

Note: The previously-scheduled Committee vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been postponed.

In response to President Obama's declaration of the H1N1 flu as a national emergency and federal health and labor officials urging sick workers to stay home, Rep. George Miller and Rep. Lynn Woolsey introduced the H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill. It would provide five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by their employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus.

Today the Los Angeles Times wrote an excellent article on why this legislation is necessary. As they said, "For many ill with the flu, staying home isn't an option." And they explained it this way:

For now, some feel torn between public health and protecting their jobs. Nationwide, 84% of workers said they felt pressured to come to work sick because of the recession, according to a September poll by Vancouver-based Angus Reid Strategies. The poll also showed that 69% of workers had not been offered vaccines or other precautions from employers.

One in six workers say they or a family member have been fired, suspended, punished or threatened for staying home sick or caring for a sick relative, according to a survey last year by the Washington, D.C.-based Public Welfare Foundation. Many large employers, such as Disney and Wal-Mart, dock workers disciplinary points for staying home even when they are ill.

"We are seeing more and more stories of workers who are infected with the virus but can't afford to stay home because they don't have paid sick leave," Miller said. "This puts both their co-workers and their customers at risk -- and could cost their employers money in lost productivity."

Chairman Miller cited an estimate, based on a 2004 study at Emory University, that the economy loses $180 billion in productivity a year when sick employees show up to work. The H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill covers both full-time and part-time workers (on a pro-rated basis) in businesses with 15 or more workers. Employers that already provide at least 5 days’ paid sick leave are exempt. Additionally, an employer can end paid sick leave at any time by informing the employee that the employer believes they’re well enough to return to work. Providing security for employees who follow their employer’s direction to stay home because of contagious illness, they could not be fired, disciplined or made subject to retaliation for following directions. This bill would take effect 15 days after being signed into law and sunsets after two years.

According to the article, providing sick leave is not only good for the employee, but also beneficial to the bottom line.

Some employers say paid sick leave saves them money in the long run.

"If they're sick and they're getting other employees sick, that's just going to impact our employees more," said April Boduc, a spokeswoman for San Diego-based Sempra Energy, which gives employees 10 paid sick days a year and allows them to bank unused days and donate vacation days to sick co-workers.

Earlier today, Chairman Miller and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, announced emergency temporary legislation today that will guarantee five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by their employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus.

The Wall Street Journal reports, "House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller said his bill would ensure that workers wouldn't miss out on wages if they contract the illness. The employer would be required to pay for the sick leave, and there would be no cost to the taxpayer, Mr. Miller said.

The bill wouldn't oblige employers to pay for workers' time off. It would tell them that, if they intend to send employees who are ill home, they must then pay for them to have up to five days' leave.

Mr. Miller said his panel would hold a hearing on the legislation the week of Nov. 16. If the bill is successfully enacted by Congress, it would take effect 15 days after being signed into law, and expire in two years."

Explaining why this bill is needed, Contra Costa Times quotes Chairman Miller, "Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn’t have to choose between their livelihood, and their co-workers’ or customer’s health. This will not only protect employees, but it will save employers money by ensuring that sick employees don’t spread infection to co-workers and customers, and will relieve the financial burden on our health system swamped by those suffering from H1N1.”

And the next steps according to Reuters are, "Miller said the committee would hold a hearing the week of November 16 and he would press to have a full vote as soon as possible.

Miller said at least 50 million American workers are not paid for time taken off sick, 'many in lower-wage jobs that have direct contact with the public such as the food-service and hospitality industry, schools and health care fields.'"

For more background on who does and doesn't get sick leave, see this post on the New York Times' Economix blog.

WASHNGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, announced emergency temporary legislation today that will guarantee five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by their employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus. The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the legislation the week of November 16.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee released the following statement today after the announcement that GDP rose 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009.

The Wall Street Journal's Blog highlights our hearing from on economic opportunities for young Americans last week.

The unemployment rate for 16 to 19-year-olds hit 25.9% in September, the highest rate recorded since at least 1948 (the earliest data the Labor Department supplies).

Lately, their plight hasn’t been falling on deaf ears. The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing earlier this week to address low unemployment among young people.

“Indeed, because of the horrible economy, younger workers are now competing with more experienced workers for positions traditionally [in] the domain of the young and less experienced,” Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat and the committee chairman, said according to prepared remarks. “Until the economy as a whole turns around, younger workers will continue to be hit the hardest.”

While there are big concerns about unemployment and underemployment for young Americans, there is a silver lining.

At least things don’t appear to be getting worse for the 20-somethings lately. The unemployment rate for 20 to 24-year-olds dropped to a still-high 14.9% in September. It’s the second month the group’s unemployment rate decreased.

We encourage you to read the entire blog post, as well as view the testimony from the hearing, visit the hearing page and view the pictures.

On Thursday, October 1, the House Education and Labor held a hearing to examine the impact on declining rate of youth employment and strategies to ensure that there are economic opportunities available for young Americans.

While the recession has disproportionately impacted young adults, the employment rate among 16 to 24 year-olds has steadily declined by nearly 20 percent over the past decade to its lowest level since World War II. The consequences of reduced work opportunities among young Americans results in fewer long-term employment prospects, less earnings and a decrease in productivity.

Today, the House Education and Labor will eold a hearing to examine the impact on declining rate of youth employment and strategies to ensure that there are economic opportunities available for young Americans.

While the recession has disproportionately impacted young adults, the employment rate among 16 to 24 year-olds has steadily declined by nearly 20 percent over the past decade to its lowest level since World War II. The consequences of reduced work opportunities among young Americans results in fewer long-term employment prospects, less earnings and a decrease in productivity.

The hearing page has a complete list of all witnesses, testimony, statements, videos, photos and an archived webcast.

The Wall Street Journal has an article today about how small 401(k) plans often pay big fees. In an effort to ensure transparency, the Committee passed the 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act of 2009 to the House floor in June of this year. This bill will help small business owners like Mr. Maccani:

Some small employers say that it’s difficult to get a handle on exactly what they pay in fees, and that it often requires digging through documents or calling the various parties involved.

Gordon Maccani, chief executive of Digital Telecommunications Corp., in Van Nuys, Calif., says he thought he was paying only $3,600 a year to a third-party recordkeeper to manage his company’s 15-year-old 401(k) plan, which has about $920,000 in assets and 38 participants.

But Mr. Maccani says he recently started reviewing his annual plan statements from Transamerica Retirement Services and noticed there’s an array of other fees paid out of assets, including a 1.2% “contract asset fee,” $8,500 in “charges and fees” and about $1,400 in partner distribution fees. He originally didn’t get a clear answer, he says, when he called the company to inquire. But Transamerica called Mr. Maccani and gave him a comprehensive fee breakdown after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal. The company is a unit of Transamerica Life Insurance Co., owned by Aegon NV, a multinational Dutch insurance firm.

Transamerica’s recently provided breakdown shows Digital Telecommunications’ 401(k) plan actually paid about $16,300 in fees last year.

We encourage you to read the entire article and learn more about the 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act of 2009.

I am proud to announce that millions of Americans will receive a much-needed pay raise today.

Almost four and a half million workers in 31 states will see a bigger paycheck when the federal minimum wage increases from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour. This is the final of three increases to be implemented under a law enacted by the Democratic Congress in 2007.

This law provided the first minimum wage increase in a decade for our lowest-paid workers and their families. The buying power of the minimum wage had fallen to a 51-year low, and families were struggling with rising housing costs, unpredictable energy bills, and skyrocketing health care premiums.  

We have seen where the low road of low wages and rising inequality leads – to an unbalanced, unhealthy, and unsustainable economy.

Today’s pay raise comes as even more Americans are struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families.

• Three-quarters of those who will benefit from this wage increase are 20 years old or older.
• More than half are families with yearly incomes of less than $35,000.
• Over sixty percent of them are women, and over 400,000 of them are single parents with kids under 18. And over two million children will benefit from this boost in their parents’ wages.
  

The average minimum wage worker brings home the lion-share of their family’s earnings. In fact, about half of all minimum wage workers work full time and another third work between 20 and 34 hours per week. In the wealthiest country in the world, it is an outrage that anyone who works full-time still winds up in poverty.

Unlike tax cuts for the wealthy, a higher minimum wage increases consumer spending on local businesses, which is good for everyone. In fact, a recent study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago found that every dollar increase in the minimum wage leads to an $800 increase in spending per quarter by families with minimum wage workers.

The Economic Policy Institute estimated that this increased purchasing power will boost consumer spending by more than $5.5 billion over the next 12 months. This increase will provide millions of families with about $120 in extra monthly income to help pay their grocery bills or fill up their cars.  

Especially in this economy, Congress will continue to look at solutions that will help all Americans build a better life for themselves and their families.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, July 24, the national minimum wage will increase again by 70 cents – from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour – the final of three increases to take effect under legislation enacted by the Democratic Congress.

U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said today that the increase will help many Americans struggling to cope with the economic downturn. Miller was the lead sponsor of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) was the chief sponsor of the measure in the U.S. Senate.

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. George Miller (D-CA) released the following statement calling on  the House to approve the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, one of President Obama’s top domestic priorities.

“Passage will represent a monumental step forward in our effort to build a vibrant and green economy based on clean energy, less foreign oil, and a reduction in greenhouse gases,” said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee and one of the co-authors of the energy bill. “Californians have led the nation in breaking our dependence on fossil fuels and have always known that the future belongs to clean energy technology jobs.  It is long past time for us to stop sending our national treasure to pay for foreign oil. This bill gives us the opportunity to follow California’s lead and move America in a new energy direction.

WASHINGTON, DC—Witnesses told the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee today that expanding paid family leave and paid sick leave are necessary to help families balance work and family. Currently, only 8 percent of American workers have access to paid family leave, and almost half do not have access to a single day of paid sick leave. 

The House Workforce Protections Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Thursday, June 11 to examine proposals for expanding workers’ access to paid family and sick leave. While more than 80 percent of Americans support having paid sick days, the U.S. is the only country among the 22 nations ranked high in economic and human development that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave to workers.

The FIRST Act, H.R. 2339, provides grants to the states to implement and improve their paid family leave programs.  Healthy Families Act, H.R. 2460, mandates that businesses with 15 or more employees provide up to 7 days of paid sick days to their employees.

The House Workforce Protections Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Thursday, June 11 to examine proposals for expanding workers’ access to paid family and sick leave. While more than 80 percent of Americans support having paid sick days, the U.S. is the only country among the 22 nations ranked high in economic and human development that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave to workers.

The FIRST Act, H.R. 2339, provides grants to the states to implement and improve their paid family leave programs.  Healthy Families Act, H.R. 2460, mandates that businesses with 15 or more employees provide up to 7 days of paid sick days to their employees. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Solutions that will reduce health care costs are critical in order to provide quality and affordable coverage for all Americans, witnesses told the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee today. Congress is currently weighing several options that will meet President Obama’s goal of guaranteeing quality and affordable health care insurance coverage to all Americans. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The current economic crisis has heightened the need for legislation that will provide American workers with clear and complete information about Wall Street fees taken from their 401(k)-style accounts, witness told the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee today.

In today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they highlight the trouble with the current process for forming a union.

If the story of the janitors and groundskeepers at the Carnegie Science Center weren't true, it would seem as if the advocates of the Employee Free Choice Act were making it up.

Those 10 people work for the same employer as the 50 people who clean the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History and the Carnegie Libraries. Yet, because of a quirk of history dating to a time when the individual museums were run as if they were separate organizations, the janitorial staffs at the museums and libraries are unionized. The cleaners at the Science Center are not….

The pay is $7.85 an hour. He is without medical insurance and is not granted days off with pay for sick time or vacation….

The janitors at the Oakland museums and the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh make $10 to $14 an hour and are awarded full benefits, including health insurance, vacation time and sick days, according to Gabe Morgan from the union that represents them.

The Employee Free Choice Act would help those 10 workers get the same wages and benefits as the other 50 janitors within the same organization.

Learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act and how it will benefit workers.

Here is another story worth reading. It highlights how workers in Indiana would be helped by the Employee Free Choice Act.

San Francisco's KGO station ran an excellent story about how artists are benefiting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The recession is affecting artists, dancers and musicians everywhere, including the Bay Area, but hope is on the way. A House committee in Washington is examining how communities everywhere are being affected. $50 million has been set aside to give a boost to the arts and entertainment industry. The arts are big business generating 5.7 million jobs and $166 billion in economic activity each year. The House Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Congressman George Miller (D) of Concord, was told artists are unemployed and need their share of the stimulus package.

Watch the full report here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The government agency responsible for investigating complaints of minimum wage, overtime and child labor violations left workers vulnerable to unscrupulous employers, the U.S. Government Accountability Office told the House Education and Labor Committee today. The GAO’s conclusions were based on the results of an undercover investigation into the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor from July 2008 to March 2009.

“Those most vulnerable to wage theft are likely bearing the brunt of our nation’s economic crisis,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, who requested the investigation. “We owe it to all hard working Americans to ensure that we correct the incompetence of the Bush administration and ensure families are not being cheated out of their wages by unscrupulous employers. This was a massive failure. Former Secretary Chao was absent without leave.”

Corresponding with our committee's hearing today about the GAO’s undercover investigation into wage theft of America’s vulnerable workers, ABC News has an article and corresponding video about how the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour division under the previous administration failed to investigate legitimate complaints by employees. Building upon this investigation the New York Times has an article highlighting the problems with procedures and staff training which cost employees lost wages.

GAO to announce the results of its investigation into the Labor’s complaint intake and enforcement process

The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine the findings of the Government Accountability Office’s undercover investigation into the Labor Department’s ability to enforce and investigate violations of our nation’s minimum wage, overtime and child labor laws.

The committee held a hearing last July that identified failures by the Bush administration to properly protect workers from the problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak enforcement strategies and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division. This agency is responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations. For more information on July’s hearing, click here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A last minute Bush administration regulation could reduce Americans’ retirement security by allowing firms to give conflicted financial advice to workers who participate in their 401(k) plans, witnesses told the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee today. 

The Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25, to examine the findings of the Government Accountability Office’s undercover investigation into the Labor Department’s ability to enforce and investigate violations of our nation’s minimum wage, overtime and child labor laws.

The Committee held a hearing last July that identified failures by the Bush administration to properly protect workers from the problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak enforcement strategies and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division. This agency is responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations. For more information on July’s hearing, click here.

US News and World Reports has an article answering the 8 Questions You May Have About the New COBRA Subsidy. It is a good addendum to our Our Frequently Asked Questions on the COBRA Premium Reduction.

Michelle Andrews wrote:

Anxious readers who had lost their jobs wanted to know how they could apply for the subsidy, which will cover 65 percent of laid-off workers' COBRA health insurance premiums if they choose to continue their health insurance under their former employer's plan. The reason for their concern is no mystery: The federal law known as COBRA that permits them to extend their health insurance also requires them to pay 100 percent of the premium, plus an administrative fee of 2 percent. For people trying to get by on an unemployment insurance check of around $325 a week, shelling out $1,000 or more a month for health insurance is often not feasible. Even a helping hand of 65 percent doesn't make COBRA cheap, but for some the subsidy will at least make coverage affordable.

If you have questions about the COBRA subsidy make sure to visit our FAQ, the article and the Department of Labor's COBRA website.

In today's USA Today, Sandra Block highlights some of the important provisions regarding ensuring continued access to health care for unemployed workers in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

The economic stimulus package signed into law last month seeks to address the high costs by subsidizing COBRA premiums for unemployed workers. Under the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, laid-off workers can continue their former employer's health coverage for up to 18 months, but only if they pay the entire premium, plus a 2% administrative fee. Average COBRA premiums exceed $400 a month for individuals, and more than $1,000 a month for families.

The stimulus package will subsidize 65% of COBRA premiums for employees who were laid off between Sept. 1 and the end of this year. If you delayed signing up for COBRA coverage when you lost your job, you have 60 days to re-enroll after you receive a notice from your employer.

Read the rest of the article for additional important information about eligibility and COBRA expiry.

The hearing will explore how family-friendly policies, such as grants to support state paid leave programs, paid leave, expansions to the Family and Medical Leave Act, and paid sick days make sound economic sense not only in good times, but during recessionary times as well.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, has been invited to speak at a panel on health care at President Obama’s White House summit on fiscal responsibility. The panel also includes Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, among others.

WASHINGTON, DC -- In another harsh blow to workers, yesterday evening the Bush administration issued a new regulation that will lower wages and gut labor protections for agricultural guest workers – changes that will drive down the wages and working conditions for all workers. Today, Democratic lawmakers condemned this latest move and vowed to work with President-Elect Obama to undo a slew of damaging rules the Bush administration is trying to rush through in its final days.

“After eight years of disastrous policies that have steamrolled workers and our economy, this President has done enough harm,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “At a time when too many Americans are seeing their jobs and wages slip away, it’s despicable that this is how the Bush administration is spending its final days. I hope the new administration will work with us to quickly overturn this and other last-minute rules that open the door to more abuse in the guest worker programs and threaten the livelihoods of all workers in this country.”

The American economy could slip into a deeper recession unless immediate action is taken to stem the tide of rising unemployment and falling family incomes, witnesses told the Committee in a hearing today.

Ensuring better access to treatment for people suffering from mental illness, the House of Representatives today passed the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 6983) by a vote of 376 to 47.

The House is expected to vote today, September 23, on the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. This measure will help ensure better access to treatment for people suffering from mental illness by requiring group health insurance plans that cover mental and addiction health benefits to put those benefits on equal footing with physical ailments.

The House is expected to vote today on the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Committee passed the measure on July 24 to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job.  Loopholes created by courts and weak sanctions in the law have allowed many employers to avoid liability for engaging in gender-based pay discrimination. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

On Thursday, July 31, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the growing income equality and its effects on the middle class. Stagnant wages have contributed to income inequality. The rapidly rising costs of food and energy have put additional pressures on families already struggling to make ends meet.  Income inequality has been rising since the late 1970’s when the top 1 percent of wage earners earned less than 10 percent of all income. But since then, these top earners have increasingly accounted for a larger portion of the income pie:  By 2006, the top 1 percent earned more than 20 percent of our nation’s wealth.

“The Growing Income Gap in the American Middle Class”
Thursday, July 31, 2008, 10:00 a.m. EDT

Today, the national minimum wage increases by 70 cents, from $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour.  I am proud to say that this is the second of three increases due to take effect under the Fair Minimum Wage Act, enacted by this Democratic Congress and signed into law on May 25, 2007.

The increase in the minimum wage comes at an important time for the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Real incomes have dropped since 2001, while the costs of gasoline, health insurance, and attending college have skyrocketed. With today’s increase, Americans who most urgently need a pay raise will get a badly needed boost.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), testified at a hearing today that findings from two separate investigations indicate that the U.S. Department of Labor is failing to effectively enforce the nation’s wage and hour laws.  The two investigations found that the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department -– the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations -– is failing to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law.  The GAO calculated that actions initiated by the Department on wage and hour violations have dropped from approximately 47,000 in 1997 to fewer than 30,000 in 2007.  Also, the use of fines that punish repeat or egregious offenders declined by nearly 50 percent from 2001 to 2007. 

The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, July 15 to examine the U.S. Department of Labor's record of enforcing the nation's wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office highlighted the results of two separate investigations requested by the chairman of the committee, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), into the Labor Department’s failures to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law.

Seventy years ago last month, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the landmark Fair Labor Standards Act into law. The law has provided generations of Americans with basic rights to minimum wages, overtime pay, and a ban on oppressive child labor. However, critics say that the Bush administration has failed to protect workers from a growing problem of "wage theft" by adopting weak approaches to enforcement and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division, the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations.

The Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 15 to examine the U.S. Department of Labor’s record of enforcing the nation’s wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office will highlight the results of two separate investigations requested by Chairman George Miller into the Labor Department’s failures to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law. Seventy years ago last month, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the landmark Fair Labor Standards Act into law. The law has provided generations of Americans with basic rights to minimum wages, overtime pay, and a ban on oppressive child labor. However, critics say that the Bush administration has failed to protect workers from a growing problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak approaches to enforcement and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division, the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations.