Distribution workers at Levi Strauss & Co. facilities in the U.S. and Canada voted overwhelmingly in favor of a three-year, North America-wide contract providing wage increases, defined benefit pensions and health insurance. More than 1,250 workers will be covered by the new contract.

Levi's aren't the only jeans made by union members. The GAP's 1969 "Real Straight" jeans sporting the "Made in Canada" label are made by Workers United/SEIU members. In the 1990's, consumer outrage forced the GAP to address sweatshop conditions at their factories overseas. Ten years later, the GAP's turnaround includes improved environmental practices, a vender compliance program that monitors overseas factories, and a commitment to manufacturing, in part, at union shops in North America.

At $69, the "Real Straight" low rise jeans are a recessionista alternative to high fashion (and high price) designer jeans. But the GAP didn't skimp on style or quality to bring you their jeans at this reasonable price--the "Real Straight" low rise jeans are slim and forgiving. (I should know, I own a pair of my own!) They're a great union-quality product that's well worth the price--perfect to catwalk your next picket line or protest in.

After months and months of publicly insisting furloughs would save the state millions, Schwarzenegger admits that thinking was....wrong.

Gov. Schwarzenegger's private lawyers admitted yesterday in court papers that more than 1,000 workers at five state agencies were furloughed, despite achieving no economic gains for the state - a clear abuse of power. More at www.seiu1000.org.

(Left to right from back row: Jose Rios, Mack Middleton, Etric Betts, David Etheridge -- Director of City of Dallas Human Resources Department, Elaee Thompson, Joe Jimenez, Rene Alcantar, (next row) Maria Arroyo, Mireya Cossio, Steve Jackson, Leon Hobbs).

Members advocating to protect their jobs and get a 2% base pay increase pays off for Dallas SEIU members.

In the worst economy since the Great Depression, and one of the City's worst budget years ever, the City of Dallas announced that there would be sweeping layoffs of over 800 civilian employees and no civilian pay increases, even for performance. However, despite the economy, SEIU members advocated for eight months to raise the standards for four SEIU job classifications, with a 2% base pay increase and to protect their jobs.

The result: No layoffs of SEIU members! Employees within the following SEIU job classifications also received a 2% base pay increase on October 1st: Crew Leaders, Equipment Operators, Laborers, and Truck Drivers.

This victory can be traced back to March meeting with City Manager Mary Suhm, during which she met with SEIU members and leaders to discuss possible ways to raise the compensation standards for the four job classifications mentioned above. In the following months, the SEIU Team continued to advocate for the raise for several months--ultimately making the case for the base pay increase.

To date, SEIU members have been able to make positive improvements in two out of two past budgets. They're now preparing for the new budget, for which they'll begin advocating this coming January for compensating employees for their years of service.

Calling all Texans: SEIU members in Dallas are organizing for positive change every day. Now's the time for all Dallas city employees to join the winning team! Click here to download the membership card to become a member of SEIU Texas. Once you have completed the form, call 214.823.1409 to have somebody pick up your completed membership card.

To learn more about this year's 2% pay increase, plans for next year, and how to attend SEIU Texas's last general membership meeting of 2009, visit www.seiutx.org

Bank workers across the world have been hit from all angles as a result of the financial crisis. That's why a recent victory for workers in one of SEIU's partner unions is such good news.

Following a ten-day strike, Brazilian bank workers have won an increase in wage and improvements in their working conditions, as a result of a wage accord between union leaders and banks October 9. The workers are members of Confederaçao Nacional dos Trabalhadores no Ramo Financeiro (CONTRAF).

In the settlement, workers accepted a 6 percent wage hike offered by the banks. The banks also will extend maternity leave for workers to 180 days, increase profit-sharing payments, and will offer other benefits. The workers asked for a 10 percent wage hike, while banks originally offered only 4.5 percent.

The Brazilian bank workers were confronted daily with anti-union practices imposed by the financial institutions operating in the country, suppressing the legitimate actions of workers in their national wage campaign. During the strike, one of CONTRAF's union leaders was violently taken to the district police in an attempt by lawyers to forcefully open a bank branch.

The strike left many consumers, especially in big cities, without key banking services. However, the strike had little effect on financial markets, which rely heavily on electronic systems.

Bank workers--in Brazil and worldwide--have been pressured by their employers to "sell, sell, sell," rather than to advise their customers. Then they are hit by massive job cuts and put out of work. Bank workers can sometimes be harassed by customers, who may blame them for the mess that big banks have made of their finances.

A delegation from SEIU, including Rocio Saenz, president of SEIU Local 615 in Boston, will be visiting Brazil the week of November 5 to visit with bank workers, celebrate their victory and learn about the country's ongoing banks campaign.

CONTRAFS is a member of the CUT (Central Unica dos Trabalhadores), with whom SEIU has partnered since 2005.

We already knew that nearly 50 percent of workers who get sick are forced to choose between their health and their paycheck. For low-income workers, 76 percent find themselves without something many of us take for granted:--the right to a "sick day."

For millions of workers, losing a day's wages if they stay home sick is not even the worst-case scenario. Because as New York Times columnist Jim Dyer reminds us, many workers are actually forced to choose between their health and their job. Factory worker Alda Valdez, a mother of four, was fired for catching a cold:

"I asked the boss for permission to go to the hospital. She said, 'It's fine, go - but you don't have a job anymore.' "

If passed, the Paid Sick Days bill introduced August 20 by Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) would vastly improve the lives of 1.2 million workers in New York by requiring all businesses in New York City to provide their employees between five and nine paid sick days (depending on the size of the business). With support from healthcare oranizations and unions including1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and SEIU 32BJ, Intro 1059 faces opposition from business groups such business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who argue that added costs might force some businesses to cut back on hiring.

The vast majority of Americans may not agree on much, but the importance of this healthcare issue is one issue Americans come together on. A nationwide poll conducted last year by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center showed that a whopping 86 percent of Americans believe that employers should be required by law to provide paid sick days to workers.

Put things even more in perspective by reading the Jim Dwyer column in the NY Times: Health Care? Not if You Can't Leave Work to Get It.

L ast night MSNBC's Rachel Maddow took on the radical right-wingers seeking to silence working families by attacking progressive community organizations. As part of that segment, she discussed with Peter Dreier, professor of politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles, why they're trying to target the SEIU next.

Watch the clip here:

You can watch the entire segment right here.

With Labor Day right around the corner, we wanted to catch you up on what SEIU and our allies have been up to over the last few weeks. From opposition groups confusing their Congressmen to new studies and reports from the states, keep reading for a full recess round-up on Employee Free Choice.

Note to Michigan Anti-Free Choice Group: Next Time, Try Wikipedia? The Jackson Patriot, a local Michigan paper, reported in August about an interesting situation that the Michigan Manufacturers recently found themselves in. "Recently, a billboard went up along Boardman Road, visible from I-94, to urge Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson to vote against the Employee Free Choice Act. Some smart guy realized that even though Peterson represents the 7th Congressional District, this is Michigan, and painted over the last two letters in his name. So now it urges U.S. Rep. Gary Peters to vote no. Right state this time, still the wrong Congressman. Eventually, I'm guessing the Michigan Manufacturers Association will want the billboard it paid for to urge U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, who represents Michigan's 7th Congressional District, to vote against the union-backed legislation."

New York Times: Low Wage Workers Are Often Cheated, Study Says. A new study, "Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers" based on a survey of workers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, shows that low-wage workers are routinely denied proper overtime pay and are often paid less than the minimum wage. Furthermore, "One in five workers reported having lodged a complaint about wages to their employer or trying to form a union in the previous year, and 43 percent of them said they had experienced some form of illegal retaliation, like firing or suspension, the study said." Read the full article here.

Exposed: MT Hair Salons Denying Workers A Right To A Union Before They Are Formed. As reported in both the Great Falls Tribune and The New York Times, a former manager of a hair salon in Great Falls came forward with her story about Regis Corporation asking its employees to sign documents nullifying any union cards they may sign in a future organizing campaign. While Regis claims the cards are being circulated to protect workers' rights to a secret ballot election, the former manager, Keri Gorder said, "I thought it was taking our right away before we ever exercised that right." And a leading labor expert described this tactic as illegal. Read more about it here: and here.

Labor Day List: Partnerships That Work. This week, ARAW released their yearly showcase of employers who "walk the walk when it comes to respecting their own workers' rights, and now they are going a step further by standing up on behalf of all U.S. workers. Every business profiled herein has spoken out on the need for meaningful labor law reform to ensure men and women have decent opportunities and their rights protected." These businesses include: American Income Life Insurance Company, Ivory Leathers, Inc, McGuire Scenic, Morton Williams Supermarkets, Print and Copy Center, Raymond's Painting and Decorating, West Sheet Metal Company, and Wisconsin Vision, Inc. See the full list of employers that have a successful relationships with their employee's labor unions.

No Coercion in Majority Sign-up. In their "Economic Snapshot" for the week of August 19th, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) focused in on a lack of evidence of how majority sign-up or "card check" leads to coercion. Although Employee Free Choice opponents argue that unions will coerce employees to sign authorization cards or obtain a majority through fraud, a recent report, however, "suggests that this claim is frivolous." In fact, "a study of four states--Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, and New York--that have had majority sign-up for public sector employees for many years failed to turn up a single meritorious case of coercion or fraud in more than 1,000 majority sign-up campaigns involving 34,000 employees between 2003 and 2009." More here.

Young Workers: A Lost Decade. In a new nationwide survey of young workers released earlier this week, the AFL-CIO found that more than one in three young workers say they are currently living at home with their parents, 31 percent of young workers reports being uninsured, up from 24 percent without health insurance coverage 10 years ago, and one-third of young workers cannot pay the bills and seven in 10 do not have enough saved to cover two months of living expenses. Full report here; read more about the survey here.

ARAW Employee Free Choice Lobby Day. Next week, over 200 progressive activists from 15 states--including small business owners, faith leaders, veterans, farmers and students will travel to Washington and meet with their members of Congress to discuss the reasons we need to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

If you would like more information about next week's lobby day, please let us know.

Paul Begala has an incredibly powerful and persuasive op-ed in Politico today making the case for the Employee Free Choice Act. After introducing nightmare hypothetical scenarios of workers getting fired for trying to organize, Begala pulls back the curtain and reveals the stories are about real workers who were fighting for better jobs.

All of these stories are absolutely true. The stories of Trish Miechur, the CNA, and Corey Kresse, the metalworker, are replicated in boardrooms and factories across America. The story of Ken Lewis, Bank of America's CEO? Well, that's a familiar one, too. So here's the question: Why are their experiences so different? Whom do we want our economic policies to benefit?

For eight years under the GOP, economic policy gave CEOs such as Ken Lewis the gold mine, while giving hardworking, middle-class Americans such as Trish and Corey the shaft. President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress were elected to change that, and protecting employees from corporate abuses is part of the change we need. That's what the Employee Free Choice Act will do.

Corporate lobbyists say the phrase "Employee Free Choice Act" as though it were a curse. But for Trish and Corey, it's a blessing. The point of the Employee Free Choice Act is to say that we've had enough of an economy that works for Ken Lewis -- and Bernie Madoff, for that matter. We want an economy that works for Trish Miechur and Corey Kresse.

The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers an opportunity to bargain with their employers for better job security, wages and health care at a time of astounding corporate greed. The legislation has three main parts: 1) It says that when a majority of workers want to form a union, a real path is provided for them to do so -- a path chosen by workers, not corporate special interests; 2) it penalizes employers who try to fire or harass workers for attempting to form a union; and 3) it says that once workers have voted for a union, employers have to come to agreement with workers on a contract. Simple stuff, right?

So why are corporate interests squealing like a pig stuck under a gate? Maybe because they're the only ones who prospered under the Bush-Lewis-Madoff policies.

But legislative delays don't diminish the moral and economic imperative for sweeping labor reform and as a result, we must continue to call on Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act with majority sign-up. As Begala notes, this popular piece of legislation will get America's economy moving again, so we have no time to lose.

On Saturday, 2,000 security officers who guard Kaiser Permanente facilities ratified a three-year contract with the largest security company in the world, Securitas. The victory by officers at Kaiser holds historic national significance--it is the first-ever national contract for private security officers. Officers will now have family healthcare and a wage increase of 40 cents per hour each year of the contract.

Among the gains officers have won as a result of this contract:

• Healthcare: Officers will now have healthcare with no deductibles, no cost for hospitalization, and $10 co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions.
  
• Wages: New minimum wage rates set for all regions. Hourly wage increase of $.40 per year over life of the three year contract--so $1.20 total over the three years.
  
• Paid leave: Officers will receive two days per year of paid sick leave, and two days paid bereavement leave. A total of seven days per year will be granted for paid holidays.
  
• Job protections: Security officers stationed at Kaiser will be protected by a grievance procedure that prevents their employer from unfair and arbitrary treatment--providing a realm of job security that will truly make a difference in the guards' working environment.

Three years without seeing a doctor? Not anymore
"Now that we have this new health care, I feel secure that if I get sick, or my kids get sick, I won't be afraid to take them to the doctor," said Dale Brown, a SEIU Local 24/7 member who works at Kaiser's South Sacramento hospital. "I haven't seen a doctor in almost three years, but now I can get all my necessary doctor visits and be comfortable about it," rejoiced Brown, who is the working mother of a 14-year-old daughter and a 20-year old son in college.

1,600 of the 2,000 officers who protect Kaiser Permanente facilities nationwide work at facilities in California. Other Securitas workers employed at facilities throughout four other states (including the DC metro area and Denver) are expected to vote on the proposed contract this week.

Starting on July 24, the Federal minimum wage is increasing from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour, the last part of the 2007 minimum wage legislation passed by Congress. A recent Economic Policy Institute study found that the increase will generate an economic stimulus in the form of $5.5 billion in additional consumer spending over the next 12 months. "Unlike tax cuts for the wealthy, a higher minimum wage increases consumer spending on local businesses, which is good for everyone," points out Rep. George Miller, the lead sponsor of the bill in the House (Sen. Kennedy was the chief sponsor in the Senate).

"Tomorrow's minimum wage increase is an important step in strengthening our economy by putting $1,400 a year in the pockets of 13 million hardworking Americans who make the Federal minimum wage," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "But when we can give the very banks that tanked our economy more than $24 trillion in bailout funds and other guarantees, which amounts to almost $80,000 for every American, we must do more to help working families." (Read our statement on the wage increase here).

Workers in 31 states will see the numbers in their paychecks go up as a result of the raise in the minimum wage going into effect Friday. For the The remaining states already have state minimum wage rates the same or higher than Friday's new federal rate. The states that will see an increase are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Just in case you prefer visuals to lists, here's a map from the Department of Labor explaining how the wage increase will (or won't) affect each state:

The minimum wage increase will strengthen America's economy - but we need to do more to help working families. Add your name to the petition for Employee Free Choice.

Today, a new UC Berkeley report was released advance, granting further proof that the "union advantage" is substantial. The report, authored by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the Labor Project for Working Families, found that companies with more unionized workers are more likely to pay for family health insurance premiums, embrace paid leave, and allow the use of personal leave to care for a sick child.

The economic crisis our nation is experiencing has been particularly devastating for workers, giving the need to pass legislation that will help ease the burden on working families a renewed urgency. Our economy is going full-throttle down a devastating path that's shrinking the middle class--but unions can help. Why? It's simple - unions raise wages and benefits for all workers, reduce worker turnover, protect our retirement, and lift up the economy by increasing the purchasing power of hard-working Americans.

"Today's report underscores that, at a time when many greedy corporations are cruelly cutting wages, healthcare and retirement security, unionized workplaces continue to promote family-friendly policies that build a strong middle-class," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger.

A few of the report's key findings:

Study authors Jenifer MacGillvary of the Labor Center at the University of California-Berkeley and Netsy Firestein of the Labor Project for Working Families also note union members are more likely to have access to resources like child care referrals, education assistance, vacation days and wellness programs. "As a mother, I know that millions of women struggle to raise a healthy, happy family while their employers refuse to allow them to care for a sick child, or to provide affordable healthcare," said Anna Burger. "Passing the Employee Free Choice Act, critical legislation that would allow workers to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits, would have ripple effects across the economy."

No matter what else we do to turn around America's economy and rebuild the middle class, we will not have broadly shared prosperity until we restore workers' free choice to bargain with their companies for a better life--without corporate intimidation. Read the full report: "Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?"

For the first time in the 63-year history of our nation's School Lunch Program, front-line food service workers are on Capitol Hill today to petition their government to strengthen the program that serves food to more than 30 million children every day.

Because of the current economic crisis, more and more families are relying on school food programs to provide their children with a complete and well-balanced meal. Last month, USA Today reported that "nearly 20 million children now receive free or reduced-price lunches in the nation's schools, an all-time high" and that "many school districts are struggling to cover their share of the meals' rising costs.

On Capitol Hill, the 80 food service workers - members of Service Workers United, and from all over the country - are advocating for stronger USDA Child Nutrition Programs that will:

• Improve food safety, nutrition, health and wellness, and customer service by raising workplace standards and providing living wages, benefits, paid sick leave, and training for all school food service workers.
• Increase federal reimbursement rates for meals to enable schools to cover the rising costs of meeting dietary guidelines and to purchase fresh, healthy foods.
• Reach more struggling families by relaxing eligibility requirements, streamlining application processes, and allowing for regional variations in cost of living in determining eligibility.

These 80 food service workers are representative of the more than 420,000 workers employed in school cafeterias throughout the country. Although these workers' mission is to fight poverty and hunger work, some of them are paid as low as $6.55 an hour with no benefits.

Do your part by signing on to tell Congress we need an improved Child Nutrition Act: http://action.seiu.org/page/speakout/nutritionact

In a move that "could have a major effect on public school food service workers' wages," the New Jersey State Legislature is considering a new bill that would make sure that workers are paid the prevailing wage, according to business magazine NJBIZ.

The bill would allow food service workers to enter the middle class and "reduce their dependence on the government for health care and other support." It would also mandate sick leave, which would alleviate workers of the burden of choosing between a day's pay or coming to work while sick.

SEIU's Kevin Brown, an area director for Local 32BJ is quoted in the article as saying that the bill will "allow people to give back in taxes and spending," which would also help the economy.

The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Fred Madden (D-Washington) says the bill will save the state money "by reducing workers' needs for social services." Currently, the food service industry, according to NJBIZ, "has the highest percentage of workers using state-funded NJ FamilyCare healthcare." Sen. Madden hopes that the bill can be voted on in the fall.

Read the full article here.

You can also help to lend your support for workers' sick days by signing our official petition here: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/swusickdays

Fernando Cruz puts in 40 hour weeks at the Con Ed power plant at 14th St. and Avenue C in NYC. For his hard work, the father of two is paid $8.50 an hour, with no real health care and benefits. This results in a weekly take-home pay of around $300--not nearly enough pay his bills and support his family.

Fernando is one of more than 28 million people--about a quarter of the working-age workforce--who work full time yet still earn less than the income that marks the federal poverty line for a family of four: $9.04 per hour, a full-time salary of $18,800 a year. Although the 40-hour week is still considered the benchmark in American work culture, the fact is that working "9-to-5" for millions of low-wage workers doesn't result in financial compensation equaling that of a living wage...and so every day, workers like Fernando fall farther and farther behind.

Right now, the cleaning contractors Con Ed uses at its plants, offices and electrical substations across the city are Nelson Services, Apple Maintenance, T&T Cleaning and Janitorial, Accent Maintenance and Martinez Cleaning. SEIU 32BJ is demanding that Con Ed CEO Kevin Burke hire cleaning contractors that provide workers the wages and benefits they need to support their families. "What Con Ed is doing by not assuming responsibility [for the workers their contractors is promoting hunger wages," says 32BJ secretary-treasurer Héctor Figueroa.

Figueroa said the union has met with a VP of Con Ed to discuss the matter of contractors hired by the energy company not giving employees health benefits, sick leave or pensions, along with paying them only $8.50/hour. Their efforts were met with a "tough luck" response from the VP. "He told us that he was 'very sorry,' but that because these workers were not their employees, he didn't think this was Con Ed's problem," Figueroa reported to NY Daily News.

Two years ago, President Barack Obama walked a day in the shoes of SEIU home care worker Pauline Beck.

Today, Pauline and home care workers across California face pay cuts of up to 33% -- from $12.10 an hour down to $8.

Governor Schwarzenegger's belief that solving the state's fiscal problems on the backs of those who take care of the most fragile among us is an absolute disgrace.

Please send a message to the Governor telling him you strongly disagree with his misguided priorities: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/homecare

We're not going to let this happen without a fight.

Starting today, we're running TV ads in California featuring President Obama's day in the shoes of SEIU home care worker Pauline Beck. We also have a new print ad running in today's LA Times, featuring a letter from Pauline to President Obama asking for his help:

[...] I understand that these are challenging times, but these cuts hurt California. They put vulnerable residents at risk of losing their independence and force hard working people like me into poverty.

I know you are a good man and I am proud of the job you are doing. I hope you and the Governor can work together to help Mr. John, me and the 750,000 of Californians just like us. It would make such a difference in our lives.

We need to rally the state to stop these cuts: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/homecare

Make no mistake about it, SEIU will aggressively organize against this unjust and poorly thought-out policy decision.

Caring for others. It's probably the most important thing your mother ever taught you. But it's a lesson Gov. Schwarzenegger seems to have forgotten, because on May 14th the governor released a preview of his revised budget, which seeks to implement deeper cuts to the in-home care program by slicing the state's contribution toward home care worker wages by a staggering 20 to 30 percent.

If implemented, these budget cuts would drastically affect the state's hundred of thousands In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) workers and the 440,000 seniors and people with disabilities who rely on IHSS for daily care. The cuts would:

• Lower the State's maximum participation in IHSS wages from $11.50/hr to just $8.00 (minimum wage).
• Eliminate certain hours of care that will place home care recipients at risk.
• Limit IHSS Share-Of-Cost buyout to only the most impaired seniors and people with disabilities.

Join SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina and thousands of Californians at a rally tomorrow, May 22 at noon (PST) in Los Angeles to send a loud and clear message to Sacramento to stop the cuts to home care. (More rally info here).

Take action now to stop cuts to home care in California: Gov. Schwarzenegger's belief that solving the state's fiscal problems on the backs of those who take care of the most fragile among us is an absolute disgrace--please write him a message telling him you strongly disagree with his misguided priorities.

In a town hall meeting today in New Mexico, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to passing the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would allow workers to bargain with their employers for better job security, wages and benefits.

Watch it:

"What a difference a President makes," said SEIU International President Andy Stern. "For hard-working families who suffered for eight long years under George Bush's extreme anti-worker policies, President Obama's and Vice President Biden's leadership on behalf of the middle class is a breath of long-needed fresh air. We consider the President and Vice President steadfast partners in our fight to give working people a voice on the job in the face of the most challenging economic times since the Great Depression--and we look forward to seeing them at the signing ceremony of the Employee Free Choice Act."

Text of Obama's full remarks below the fold.

Since the economy has started tanking, we have seen an exponential increase in wage theft, which is when workers do not receive a final paycheck upon leaving a job. Unfortunately, this issue is not a small or isolated problem of a few bad employers--but rather a systematic theft of wages from untold millions of the nation's workers.

This week, the TPM Café Book Club is addressing the hosting a running discussion of Kim Bobo's book, Wage Theft in America: Why Millions of Working Americans Are Not Getting Paid --And What We Can Do About It. Bobo, who is the director for Interfaith Worker Justice , calls wage theft an "an epidemic" in the nation, especially in the low-wage labor market. Here's an excerpt from the book:

In what has been described as "the crime wave no one talks about," billions of dollars worth of wages are stolen from millions of workers in the United States every year--a grand theft that exceeds every other larceny category on record annually. Between two and three million workers are paid less than the legal minimum wage...Even the Economic Policy Foundation, a business-funded think tank, estimated that companies annually steal $19 billion in unpaid overtime.

Commenting on the issue of wage theft at TPM Café are a plethora of respected progressive voices. NY Times' Steven Greenhouse addresses the prevalence of wage theft at Wal-Mart and other well-known corporations. Nathan Newman writes about the hypocrisy of rightwing politicians largely dismissing the problem and opposing laws to increase enforcement of wage laws--while simultaneously attacking undocumented immigrants as undermining wage standards for native workers. Dean Baker writes about recognizing the problem as one of law enforcement, and Liza Featherstone talks about whether Hilda Solis will be able to force wage theft onto the political agenda.

Visit TPM Cafe's forum at http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/tpmcafe-book-club/

It took nearly four years, but unionized workers at a Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec Wal-Mart store have finally won their first collective agreement. Although Wal-Mart has 1.4 million employees, the workers at this store are the only Wal-Mart employees in North America to be represented by a union.

The employees first voted to certify the union in 2005, only to encounter years of resistance in the form of legal challenges, negotiations, and mediation.

"It's time for Wal-Mart to start walking the talk. It describes itself as a socially responsible company committed to environmental sustainability and helping people to 'live better'. Those are important things, but so are workers' rights," said Wayne Hanley, national president of UFCW Canada. "The St-Hyacinthe contract challenges Wal-Mart to truly demonstrate that it's serious about being a community partner and a positive force in Canada and the world."

Today, the Change to Win federation and AFL-CIO unions unveiled a unified framework for comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

The proposal endorses legalizing the status of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S., and opposes the adoption of employers' incentive to hire undocumented workers rather than U.S. workers. The accord recognizes that if these immigrants are not given adequate incentive to "come out of the shadows" to adjust their status, our country will continue to have a large pool of unauthorized workers--allowing employers to continue to live above the law and exploit workers in order to drive down wages and working conditions, to the detriment of all workers.

The joint announcement and proposal is a critical sign of support for the Administration and Congress to address immigration reform and to ensure that it remains a priority on the legislative calendar. It is also an important sign that immigration reform is a comprehensive part of economic recovery. In a statement, Eliseo Medina spoke on the need to overhaul our broken immigration system:

As we face the most serious recession since the Great Depression--as healthcare costs skyrocket, income disparity grows, and the middle class continues to shrink--the American public wants fundamental reform of economic and social policies that have benefited the few at the expense of the working majority. Immigration reform is no exception. Today's unified agreement is a major step forward that will, combined with the continued leadership of President Obama, Vice President Biden and bipartisan leadership in Congress, profoundly improve the future of all workers and build a stronger American economy for our children and grandchildren.

The framework for comprehensive reform and a national commission to regulate future immigration was developed with the guidance of former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Key components of the proposal call for:

• An independent commission to assess and manage the flow of future immigration workers, based on labor market shortages that are determined on the basis of actual need
  
• A secure and effective worker authorization mechanism
  
• Rational operational control of the border
  
• Adjustment of status for the current undocumented population; and
  
• Improvement, not expansion, of temporary worker programs, limited to temporary or seasonal, not permanent, jobs.

"This framework is a roadmap toward real reform--reform that addresses the needs of our nation's workers, families and communities," said Change to Win's Hansen. "We are a nation that respects hard work, family and the pursuit of the American Dream. Our immigration system must hold true to these principles."

Read the AFL-CIO and Change to Win's "Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform."