Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalIncome inequality last year rose in 15 states
The nation became more unequal last year.
The Gini Index, a measure of income inequality, was higher, in a statistically significant way, in 2013 than in 2012, rising from 0.476 to 0.481, according to a new Census Bureau report. A score of zero suggests perfect equality where all households have equal income, while a score of one suggests perfect inequality, where one household has it all, and the rest have none.
Alaska was the only state to see its Gini Index score decline, while 15 states posted increases. D.C. and the remaining 34 states saw no change. The 15 states that saw income inequality rise last year were: Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
Those results reflect a multi-year trend: Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve reported that “[o]nly families at the very top of the income distribution saw widespread income gains between 2010 and 2013.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/18/income-inequality-last-year-rose-in-15-states/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost
Governor: Montana can cut carbon, keep jobs
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Gov. Steve Bullock said Friday that Montana can meet the Obama administration's goal of reducing climate pollution while protecting energy-related jobs and avoiding the closure of coal plants that generate the bulk of the state's emissions.
The White House plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 has generated a backlash in many coal-dependent states.
Republicans in Montana have sought to capitalize on the issue ahead of November's election, asserting the climate plan amounts to a war on coal.
With Friday's announcement, Bullock, a Democrat, moved to blunt such criticisms with alternatives that cut emissions but don't shut down coal plants. Those include the huge Colstrip Steam Electric Station run by PPL Montana, a 2,400-megawatt facility that churns out about 15 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, or about half the state's total.
http://www.timesunion.com/business/energy/article/Governor-Mont-can-cut-carbon-keep-energy-jobs-5767210.php
September 21
September 21: International Banana Festival & National Pecan Cookie Day, 
A time to share with family & friends! 
Labor Files Ethics Complaint Against NJ Governor Over Pension Investments
The New Jersey AFL-CIO on September 12 filed a complaint with the state’s Ethics Commission charging that investments from state pension funds were steered toward investment firms that made big campaign contributions to Republican Gov. Chris Christie and his allies.
“Despite clear boundaries created to shield pension investments from the influence of politics, it appears that the State Investment Council under Robert Grady’s direction and the Christie administration’s leadership clearly violated those rules,” said Charles Wowkanech, president of the state’s AFL-CIO. “We urge the State Ethics Commission to investigate this pay-to-play scheme on behalf of taxpayers who are footing the bill for this abuse and pensioners being shortchanged of their retirement funds.”
Grady, Managing Director of Cheyenne Capital as well as Chairman of the New Jersey State Investment Council, was a prominent executive of the Carlyle Group until 2009.
The Investment Council advises and make recommendations regarding investments to the state’s pension funds.
http://leftlaborreporter.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/labor-files-ethics-complaint-against-nj-governor-over-pension-investments/
A People’s Climate Movement: Indigenous, Labor, Faith Groups Prepare for Historic March
New York City is set to host what could be the largest climate change protest in history. Organizers expect more than 100,000 people to converge for a People’s Climate March on Sunday. Some 2,000 solidarity events are scheduled around the world this weekend ahead of Tuesday’s United Nations climate summit. We spend the hour with four participants representing the labor, indigenous, faith and climate justice communities: Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is the president of Union Theological Seminary, which recently voted to divest from fossil fuels; Lidy Nacpil is a member of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice; Clayton Thomas-Muller is co-director of the Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign in Canada and a member of the Idle No More campaign; and Estela Vázquez is executive vice president of 1199 SEIU, which is expected to bring thousands of union members to the march.
Democracy Now! will broadcast live from the People’s Climate March on Sunday, September 21. Click here to watch the special livestream from 10:30am to 1:30pm ET.
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/9/19/a_peoples_climate_movement_indigenous_labor
U.S. Port Labor Talks Turn on Automation Cutting Workers
West Coast shippers and dockworkers are struggling to reach a labor agreement as terminal operators replace as many as half of laborers at some ports with robots in the largest technological change in half a century.
The two sides are discussing how to retrain and preserve jobs for dockworkers as automation reduces the number of positions at one Los Angeles terminal by 40 percent to 50 percent after changes are completed in 2016, according to a Harbor Department report released in April.
“In the U.S., the extent to which automation of container terminals affects the number of longshoremen’s jobs depends on negotiations between the employers and unions,” Neil Davidson, a senior analyst at Drewry Maritime Research in London, said by e-mail. “Employers aren’t simply free to decide to reduce jobs. In addition, it depends on the nature of the automation.”
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-19/port-labor-talks-turn-on-automation-cutting-dock-workers
Santa Monica Beach Bathroom Workers Demand Union Recognition
As a volunteer organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), I am proud to announce that a supermajority of the 11 "as needed" beach maintenance workers in Santa Monica just signed Industrial Workers of the World petitions to collectively bargain with the city of Santa Monica for permanent employment. This is a big deal, considering the degree of past exploitation of "as needed" which is a term for "temporary" employment, even when the employment is not temporary. In essence these workers are fighting for rights long denied in a city with a reputation for progressive policies.
Some of these workers, six African Americans, five Latinos, who clean the bathrooms and lifeguard stations, sort recyclables, and hose down walkways have worked full time, 5 days a week, 40 hours a week, for up to ten years without city benefits (health care, sick pay, holidays, vacation, etc.) or due process rights -- amid constant rumors of being outsourced to avoid city implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which requires cities to provide health care to employees working 30 hours a week or more. (Look for cities around the state to lay off workers before next year, when the ACA requirements take effect for municipalities.)
The Santa Monica beach bathroom workers, who proudly say "I love my job," recently submitted a letter requesting card check verification, and upon verification, the initiation of collective bargaining negotiations for immediate permanent-with-benefits employment for all eleven who work so hard to protect the public health. Also on the list of demands: establish a fair and equitable hiring process that makes clear the criteria for employment, prepares future employees for civil service exams, and discourages cronyism, where friends of friends get hired over those more experienced.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcy-winograd/santa-monica-beach-bathro_b_5841044.html
Bloomingfoods Workers Hold Rally For More Union Support
Employees at the Bloomington food co-op Bloomingfoods say they have enough signatures to move forward with forming a union, but they want to first gain more community support. The workers held a rally yesterday to drum up support.
Dozens of Bloomingfoods employees, friends and local union workers gathered outside of the Bloomingfoods west side location on Kirkwood.
Their goal? To raise support and gather more signatures to form a labor union.
http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/bloomingfoods-workers-hold-rally-union-support-72153/
Iconic Pabst Beer Brands Sold To Russian Company
The iconic American Pabst Blue Ribbon brand will soon be owned by a Russian company under a deal to sell the Los Angeles-based brewer for an undisclosed sum.
Pabst Brewing Co., with such beer brands as Colt 45, Old Milwaukee and Schlitz, was acquired four years ago by C. Metropoulos & Co. It's now being sold to Russia's Oasis Beverages and private-equity firm TSG Consumer Partners LLC. The price tag for Pabst is thought to be between $700 million and $750 million, The Wall Street Journal reports.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/09/19/349868640/iconic-pabst-beer-brands-sold-to-russian-company
September 20
National Rum Punch
Day 
and International Eat An Apple Day!
Please enjoy the day!
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