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The Electronic Newsletter of the Florida AFL-CIO

 

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06/23/04

E Messenger

The Electronic Newsletter of the Florida AFL-CIO

 New Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 1,516
Year to date: 68,092
 

FTAA POLICE BRUTALITY VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE!  HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENDED! 

At the 2004 Legislative Conference we screened a 12 minute video of the police brutality following the 20,000 strong march for fair trade during the Fair Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) ministerial meeting in Miami .  Dozens of labor leaders wanted to secure a copy so that they could spread the word about what happened on the streets of downtown Miami .  The AFL-CIO is continuing to push for accountability in various legal channels but too many people still don’t know what happened and how bad it really was.  Hundreds of union members, students and retirees were victimized by the over 3,000 members of the law enforcement community and we have the video to prove it!  Funding for the massive police build-up was provided by President Bush from the original $87 billion Iraqi war legislation and you should see what your tax dollars paid for.  This video makes a disturbing but powerful statement as to the lengths in which President Bush and his supporters are willing to go to hand control of our nation and our planet to the biggest multi-national corporations.  This is an excellent organizing and mobilization tool that will fire up the troops for the election battles that lie ahead.  This is the footage the corporate media doesn’t want you to know about! 

 COPIES OF THE VIDEO CAN BE ORDERED AT OUR WEBSITE AT www.flaflcio.org.  

 Check out the following article:

 Panel faults police during FTAA
Miami Herald 6/3/2004

 (From the AFL-CIO Work in Progress)  

'POLICE TRAMPLED FTAA MARCHERS' RIGHTS'--Activists who went to Miami Nov. 18-20 to protest the closed-door meetings to finalize the Free Trade Area of the Americas were met by the equivalent of martial law. In some cases, police reacted with an "unrestrained and disproportionate use of force" and "civil rights were trampled," according to a draft report released late last month by the Miami-Dade County Independent Review Panel, which is examining police conduct during the conference. At a public hearing in December, union members, retirees, students and community members described mismanagement by police officials in Miami that led to numerous instances of obstruction, intimidation, harassment and repressive tactics against 20,000 peaceful protestors during a march in downtown Miami Nov. 20. To read a copy of the report, visit http://www.miamidade.gov/irp/Library/5-19-04_FTAA_Exec_sum.pdf .

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Make sure you see this movie!  

Fahrenheit 9/11 sparks controversy
(06/18/2004 © Panama City News Herald)
LOS ANGELES While the White House and the Republican National Committee have taken an official 'no comment' approach to Michael Moore and his new anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, some groups have mobilized a letter-writing campaign and crafted ads that slam the film

 POLITICAL TICKER: Brown gets screen time in Fahrenheit
( 06/21/2004  © Jacksonville - Florida Times Union)
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville is in the movies. Brown said she has gotten word she's in Fahrenheit 9/11, the new Michael Moore movie said to blister President Bush.

Check out this preview clip
http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.fahrenheit911.com/trailer/

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* Click on blue, underlined text to open full article

 STATE NEWS

 Hey, Hey! Great job Harry Brown, Mike Williams, Debbie Booth and everyone else in Orlando !

 It is my distinct pleasure to announce that today, June 21, 2004 , the City of Orlando passed by 5-2 a Responsible Contractor Policy for the City of Orlando .  This provision includes prevailing wage thresholds established by Davis Bacon and include mandatory involvement of either a health care package provided by the employer or a twenty percent increase in the wage if the company is unable to offer healthcare for all construction projects over $100,000.  Additionally, there is an apprenticeship program built into this policy which will be enacted next year.  We are excited about this new policy for our City and thank Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioners for their support.

 Sincerely,
Debra Booth
President
Central Florida AFL-CIO

 Orlando grants trade unions right to 'prevailing wages,' apprentices
--------------------
By Mark Schlueb
Sentinel Staff Writer
June 22, 2004

Trade unions won a victory Monday from Orlando City Hall, which agreed to pay "prevailing wages" to construction workers on its public-works projects. The policy change, which was pushed by some of the same union officials who backed Mayor Buddy Dyer's campaign, also stipulates that contractors on city jobs will be required to use apprentice laborers starting in October 2005.Union leaders and city officials said the new policy would ensure the city gets quality work and provide new opportunities for trade workers. Building-industry representatives
predicted it will drive up the cost of government construction projects. The city will require its contractors to pay workers no less than the "prevailing wage" for a given position, such as carpenter or electrician. The U.S. Department of Labor conducts periodic wage studies
to determine that amount, but city officials say it won't be lower than the "living wage" of $8.50 already required by the city. Contractors also will have to provide their workers with health benefits or pay them 20 percent more so they can buy health coverage. "I think by raising that
floor, we can make it so everybody can at least make a living by working full time," Commissioner Patty Sheehan said. Mike Williams, president of the Florida Building Trades union, said an apprenticeship program gives entry-level workers the ability to climb the career ladder while still moving from job to job. Commissioners Daisy Lynum and Ernest Page, the
council's two black members, expressed concerns that the apprenticeship requirement could leave behind some minorities who otherwise might be able to work on city projects. They ultimately voted for it, saying they would watch new projects closely to see if the policy works. Commissioner Vicki Vargo expressed some of the same concerns, and Commissioner Phil
Diamond worried about the policy's impact on the city budget. Both voted
against the change. Mark Schlueb can be reached at 407-420-5417or
mschlueb@orlandosentinel.com.

 

Florida Election 2004  

Group: Registering poor voters in Tampa area is difficult
(06/20/2004 © Miami Herald)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A field director working on a campaign to register poor and minority voters in the Tampa Bay area has found that many people seem uninterested. 'A lot of people ... have given up a long time ago,' said Lavinia Frank, with the Florida Consumer Action Network Foundation.

 Barbara Revels seeks House District 20 seat
(06/21/2004 © St. Augustine Record)
click photo to enlarge  Barbara Revels Contributed Photo As a moderate Democrat like Rep. Doug Wiles, Barbara Revels said she hopes to cross partisan boundaries to represent all residents in St. Johns, Flagler and Clay counties in her bid for state House District 20.

 Republicans court the faithful
(06/21/2004 © St. Petersburg Times)
TAMPA - As U.S. Senate candidate Mel Martinez discusses his Catholic faith, an adviser passes out cards asking pastors to pray for him or join the Pro-Family Leaders for Mel Martinez Committee. Former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum is introduced at Sunday services at Idlewild Baptist in Tampa

Two more abandon Byrd s campaign
(06/22/2004 © Miami Herald)
TALLAHASSEE - Two more Republican legislators from Miami-Dade have defected from state House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's campaign for the U.S. Senate, citing his inability to make good on promises and underscoring the widespread dislike many have for the outgoing leader of the House of Representatives.

 Harper finds gun in campaign office
(06/22/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
WEST PALM BEACH -- State Rep. James Henry 'Hank' Harper Jr. called police last week to assert he found a handgun in his campaign office the day after firing his campaign manager during a heated argument.

 Deutsch ads woo black voters
( 06/23/2004  © St. Petersburg Times)
TALLAHASSEE - U.S. Senate candidate Peter Deutsch on Tuesday launched a radio ad campaign aimed at African-Americans, who his supporters say could account for one of every four voters in the Aug. 31 Democratic primary.

 

 

Harper says commission race still on
(06/23/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
State Rep. James Henry 'Hank' Harper Jr. says he's committed to running for the Palm Beach County Commission despite a recent fax that said he'd seek reelection to his House seat. The fax, headlined 'Re-Elect Hank Harper Campaign,' was sent by the Florida Democratic Party House Victory

 State of sprawl
( 06/23/2004  © Orlando Sentinel)
The upcoming elections provide an excellent opportunity for a debate on whether or not to fully account for the costs of growth in Florida . Those costs, as in other fast-growing states, have been accumulating for decades and are now impossible to ignore -- suburban sprawl is a white elephant

 Black voters get high level of attention
(06/23/2004 © Miami Herald)
U.S. Senate candidate Peter Deutsch began a radio campaign Tuesday described as one of the largest statewide efforts to attract black voters. The commercials, estimated to cost the Democratic congressman representing Broward and Miami-Dade at least $250,000, will air on urban radio stations continuously over the next 10 weels until the Aug. 31 primary election.

 Will it be stolen?

 Rights leader scolds Bush on felons
(06/22/2004 © Miami Herald)
Hearkening back to the 1960s, when Southern states used poll taxes and intimidation to shut blacks out of elections, the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday accused Florida Gov. Jeb Bush of engaging in ''disenfranchisement schemes'' by asking counties to purge felons from voter rolls.

 Editorial: More rights are restored, but system is unchanged
(06/22/2004 © Palm Beach Post)
As many as 22,000 Floridians will be able to vote, serve on juries or do state-licensed work because Gov. Bush and the state Cabinet restored their civil rights last week. They committed felonies, did their time and deserve to rejoin society.

State shouldn t withhold ex-felons civil rights
( 06/21/2004  © Miami Herald)
Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet returned to thousands of former inmates what a mean-spirited and anachronistic law continues to take away: the right to vote. The state's top officials cut a two-year-old backlog of 60,000 ex-felons's applications to about 8,000.

 Michael Peltier: Voting issues again put Florida in spotlight
( 06/21/2004  © Naples Daily News)
TALLAHASSEE ? Will it be deja vu all over again? The infamously quotable Yogi Berra likely did not have Florida 's election system in mind when he coined the phrase now inseparable with things that happen over and over again.

 No one said democracy would be easy, but should it be so hard?
( 06/21/2004  © St. Petersburg Times)
Buddy Johnson, the Hillsborough County elections supervisor, thought he was doing me a favor. He sent me a flow chart to explain how he'll figure out who's a felon and who's not, and, as a result, who can't vote this year.

 Dade ballot request denied
(06/23/2004 © Miami Herald)
Miami-Dade County initiated legal proceedings Tuesday against the state's Division of Elections after the state said numbers can't be placed next to ballot questions and candidates during the Aug. 31 mayoral elections.

 New disclaimer law spelling confusion
( 06/23/2004  © Ft. Myers News-Press)
Campaign advertising disclaimers are supposed to make it clear to voters who paid for the brochure, sign or ad. A recent election rule passed by the Florida Legislature, however, is causing confusion and frustration for candidates across the state when it comes to this required

 Elections supervisor to add 4 new polling places
(06/23/2004 © Daytona Beach News-Journal)
# PALM COAST -- Already facing a crowded field of candidates in local elections, the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections office is also contending with rising population numbers in the county.

Health Care

 Big Tobacco s poison
( 06/21/2004  © Florida Today)
There's progress in the battle to prevent teens from lighting up. Continuing education campaigns and the rising cost of a pack of cigarettes have contributed to a major drop in the number of teenagers who smoke, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

 Governor in town to tout health plan
(06/21/2004 © Jacksonville - Florida Times Union)
Florida businesses and consumers have another choice for health coverage under recent changes to the law, which state officials say will improve access and cost of insurance.

 Florida s new plan for managing mental illness could be a disaster
( 06/22/2004  © Miami Herald)
Nowhere in Florida is mental-health treatment a bigger issue than it is here in Miami- Dade County . More than 200,000 people, or almost 10 percent of our population, suffer from a mental illness -- the highest rate of any urban county in the nation.

 Patients cant use state laws to sue for denied coverage
( 06/22/2004  © Naples Daily News)
WASHINGTON ? The 130 million Americans who get health coverage through work cannot use state malpractice laws to sue their managed-care plan for refusing to cover treatment their doctor prescribes, the Supreme Court held Monday.

 Education  

Feds flunk schools that pass FCAT
( 06/23/2004  © Jacksonville - Florida Times Union)
Eight Clay County public schools that received the coveted A grade from the Florida Department of Education for 2004 were considered failing for the same time period by the U.S. Department of Education.

 Report Card On Schools Proves Confounding
(06/21/2004 © Tampa Tribune)
WASHINGTON - It's no surprise few people understand the mixed messages from state and federal government about public schools in Florida. State and federal laws, supposedly designed to help students and hold schools accountable to taxpayers, have put classrooms at the center of a political tug

 Payouts could cost millions
(06/22/2004 © Miami Herald)
TALLAHASSEE - Florida's school districts could soon pay out millions each year to administrators, principals and superintendents under a bill now sitting on the desk of Gov. Jeb Bush. With little discussion or dissent, the Legislature this spring repealed a 3-year-old prohibition that bans school districts from handing out ''golden parachutes'' to its retiring or departing administrative

 High-speed rail proponents tout benefits to state
(06/23/2004 © Northwest Florida Daily News)
TALLAHASSEE (AP) - A high-speed train will make money for Florida in the long run, proponents said Tuesday as a panel of state analysts begin looking at a proposal to kill the voter-approved project.

 Till proposes loophole for special education students who failed FCATs
( 06/23/2004  © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Broward school officials created the faint promise of a loophole for thousands of special education students held back a year because they failed the FCAT this month. Admitting that some administrators made mistakes, Superintendent Frank Till told the School Board on Tuesday that he was setting up a compromise.

 2004 Session fallout

 Veto payout bill
( 06/23/2004  © Miami Herald)
Paid sick leave is a hard-fought right with a sensible purpose: to keep workforces healthy. This logic has been distorted into a costly perk in the public sector, where many government employees can accrue unused sick pay for a cash payout at retirement. The incentive, therefore, is to take your germs to work rather than stay home and recover.

 New laws affect businesses
(06/20/2004 © South Florida Business Journal)
Florida recently enacted new workers' compensation insurance laws that will impact most Florida businesses and have specific effects on South Florida companies, particularly those in the construction industry.

 Affordable housing funds siphoned off
( 06/21/2004  © St. Petersburg Times)
HOMOSASSA - There are 15 pictures of Christina Hallinan's three children in her living room. Four hang taped to the wall, surrounding a crucifix,, seemingly symbolizing the single mother's faith that frames will come later.

State-worker stats don t tell whole story
( 06/21/2004  © Tallahassee Democrat)
If you play around with statistics long enough, you can find some that will bolster or refute just about any conclusion. But when you start reading a poll, an insurance table or a government study, the fun comes when you factor in some nonmath things that you know about the subject.  

Bad direction
(06/22/2004 © Orlando Sentinel)
There are plenty of reasons for Gov. Jeb Bush to veto a poorly conceived bill that would vest agricultural interests with sweeping new development opportunities. But the governor's own Department of Community Affairs, which monitors land-use regulations in the state, offers him the most

 Bill Cries Out For Bush s Veto
( 06/22/2004  © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
If ever a piece of legislation cried out for a trip to oblivion, it's SB 1376. Gov. Jeb Bush should veto it without hesitation. The bill would require judges to sentence five-time misdemeanor offenders to a minimum of six months in jail.

 Capital Case Fee Cut Called Tragedy
(06/21/2004 © Tampa Tribune)
TALLAHASSEE - It soon could be harder for murder suspects to find a lawyer because the state is refusing to guarantee private lawyers more than $3,500 for representing low-income defendants facing the death penalty. Currently, the fees are paid by counties, most of which have adopted their own payment schedules, providing higher fees for private lawyers who agree to represent the poor

 Constitutional amendments

 Anti-rail campaigns send diluted messages
(06/20/2004 © Jacksonville Business Journal)
Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher have launched a full fledged disinformation campaign to discredit and defeat the Florida high-speed rail project voted into our constitution in November 2000. and started this month with less than half as much campaign cash left as his GOP rival.  

Property Tax Pickle
( 06/21/2004  © Tampa Tribune)
TALLAHASSEE - He worked for 17 years in Washington and says he has seen firsthand the ``horrible waste'' that goes on in government. ``I don't want to see it grow any bigger,'' said Theodore Melichar, a mobile-home owner in Largo . That antitax sentiment is common in Florida .  

Scripps watch  

Project about roads, not jobs
( 06/21/2004  © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Ex-land-developer Jeb Bush is using $300 million in state funds to anchor Scripps as a biotech magnet in the rural area of northern Palm Beach County . Remarkably, the road extensions required by the Scripps project will also provide a bonanza of windfall profits to land speculators and developers in the path of the area's development.

 Other state news

Crist attends insurance conference
( 06/21/2004  © Bradenton Herald)
SARASOTA - Gathered at the Ritz instead of the Rotunda, insurance agents and industry lobbyists took the chance Sunday to talk business with Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist. Members of the Florida Insurance Council and their families kicked off the trade association's 42nd annual conference Sunday afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Sarasota .  

Inmate populations skew representation
( 06/22/2004  © Miami Herald)
One major player in Florida 's seemingly endless voting rights controversies is the criminal-justice system. Recently, debates have centered around the merits of ex-felon disenfranchisement and finding a fair method of removing ex-felons from voter rolls.

 Nothing will be done without Republican support
(06/21/2004 © Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
I was disappointed that a June 17 news story by Alva James-Johnson and Mark Hollis quoted a source who characterized my letter to Gov. Jeb Bush as 'trying to make a political issue' out of his June 16 visit to Haiti, but did not give me an opportunity to respond.

 Utilities costing state big bucks
( 06/23/2004  © Tallahassee Democrat)
You think you're getting hit with big electric bills this summer? Imagine the plight of state government, which finds itself $1.6 million short for utilities. The Legislative Budget Commission approved the money Tuesday to cover the one week remaining in the fiscal year.

 State starts surprise inspections of youth offender programs
( 06/23/2004  © Bradenton Herald)
MIAMI - The Department of Juvenile has started a practice of conducting unannounced inspections of programs for youth offenders. DJJ Secretary Anthony J. Schembri said four-person "mobile inspection" units will spend at least 12 hours at facilities across the state, and report findings directly to him.

 NATIONAL NEWS  

Election 2004  

Democrats TV spoof targets Harris, others
( 06/21/2004  © Miami Herald)
She's a survivor. Former Secretary of State Katherine Harris plays a starring role in an online spoof created by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that urges partisans to vote their favorite Republican off the island.

 Presidential Campaign Ads More Targeted
(06/20/2004 © Miami Herald)
WASHINGTON - When President Bush visits Cincinnati on Monday, a liberal interest group will air a radio commercial that says 'Ohio's economy was humming along' before Bush took office.

 Kerry Outspends Bush in May by $10 Million
( 06/20/2004  © Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry outspent President Bush by about $10 million in May

 To sway voters, campaigns hit phones, doors
( 06/23/2004  © St. Petersburg Times)
BRANDON - Under the fluorescent lights of a stark strip center office, the Bush-Cheney machine produced a steady babble. 'President Bush has an optimistic vision for America , including strengthening the economy and keeping America safe ...' 'Are you worried about Democrats proposing to raise

 Wage ‘stagnation’ seen as election snag for Bush
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 6/22/2004

 Bush Loses Advantage in War on Terrorism 
Washington Post 6/22/2004

 Union members take it to the street

 WALKING TO VICTORY--Union volunteers continued their drive to call on hundreds of thousands of union members in a series of June precinct walks in key presidential battleground states June 19. The walks began June 12 and culminate with a massive walk June 26 in more than 70 cities. The mobilization is part of the AFL-CIO's Labor 2004 program. The walkers talk with union household members about where the presidential candidates stand on good jobs, health care and other issues. They also distribute literature that compares the failed policies of President George W. Bush with the plans and record of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Your participation is urgently needed--please sign up for the June 26 walks and other Labor 2004 actions by contacting your local union or central labor council or visiting http://www.aflcio.org .

 “Voice at Work” week of action

 Workers and their unions are gearing up to celebrate Independence Day with a Voice@Work national workplace week of action June 28 to July 4. They will declare the freedoms we celebrate on Independence Day must include workers' freedom to form unions and bargain for good contracts. Workers are expected to send tens of thousands of postcards supporting the Employee Free Choice Act to the presidential candidates--thanking Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) for co-sponsoring the legislation and urging President Bush to change his mind and support the bill. The measure would clear many of the unfair obstacles workers face when they try to join together in unions. Activists also will distribute fliers highlighting the differences between Kerry and Bush on the freedom to form unions and bargain good contracts. Unions, state federations and central labor councils are mobilizing for a range of Voice@Work actions. In Oakland , Calif. , the Alameda County Central Labor Council will hold a hearing June 28 in which workers will tell their stories about what happened to them when they tried to form unions. In Seattle , the King County Labor Council is linking the week of action to ongoing organizing campaigns. On June 15, the Chicago Federation of Labor hosted a conference about the obstacles workers face when trying to form unions. Led by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and central labor council President Dennis Gannon, the 500 local activists signed the postcards and took stacks of them to distribute at their worksites. To order materials, call 202-637-5102 or e-mail bboyce@aflcio.org by June 23. Quantities are limited.

 This election…focus on the jobs! 

 KERRY SAYS JOBS EXPORT IS WRONG--"I've met steelworkers and mine workers and autoworkers who are now ex-workers. They've watched their jobs and equipment unbolted before their eyes and shipped overseas--and some have even had to train their foreign replacements. That's wrong. That's dead wrong, and I'm going to change it," Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told a cheering crowd at the New Jersey State AFL-CIO convention June 15. Kerry outlined his plans to stop corporations from shipping jobs overseas, revive the nation's economy to benefit working families, provide affordable, quality health care and improve educational opportunities. He also told delegates at the Atlantic City convention, "It's time once and for all we change the laws so workers can organize when a majority of them wants to, without intimidation and interference from management." Visit http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/politics/nj_remarks.cfm to read the entire speech.

 

HOUSE DEMS' JOB PLAN--A new American Jobs Plan would boost job growth in the United States and help slow the corporate export of American jobs overseas, U.S. House Democratic leaders said June 16. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) said the new jobs plan would counter "the inaction of the Bush administration." The legislation will call for a new business tax credit for newly created U.S. manufacturing jobs and jobs in other industries harmed by outsourcing; the elimination of tax incentives for businesses to operate overseas; reviving the federal extended unemployment insurance program for jobless workers who exhaust their benefits; and increased funding for job training and math and science education. Also, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced legislation (S. 2531) that would eliminate tax deductions and other tax breaks for companies that ship U.S. jobs offshore. Legislatures in 38 states are considering bills to address job exporting. In May, Tennessee passed a law to allow the state to give preferences to companies that do not send work overseas.

 

…and health care

82 MILLION LACKED HEALTH COVERAGE--One of every three people in the United States younger than 65--nearly 82 million--lacked health care coverage for all or part of 2002 and 2003, according to a new study by Families USA. One-quarter of middle-income families went without coverage. The report, One in Three: Non-Elderly Americans Without Health Insurance, 2002-2003, finds more than half of the 81.8 million were uninsured for at least nine months--an increase of 7 million over 2001-2002. Four out of five lived in working families. For more information, visit http://www.familiesusa.org .

A BRIDGE TO ACTION--On June 19, tens of thousands of workers took action to Bridge the Gap for Health Care, participating in historic bridge walks across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York , and in marches and rallies in 163 other cities in the Health Care National Day of Action. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney addressed the Brooklyn Bridge marchers. The events, sponsored by Americans for Health Care, SEIU, Jobs with Justice and Rock the Vote, are a national call to action for quality, affordable health care for all. Eight of every 10 of the 44 million Americans who currently lack health care insurance live in working families. For more information, visit http://www.bridgingthegapforhealthcare.org .

 GET WELL SOON OR ELSE--States are not doing all they should to guarantee paid sick leave to employees, according to a new report from the National Partnership for Women & Families. "Get Well Soon: Americans Can't Afford to Be Sick," released June 15, analyzed laws and regulations governing paid sick leave in the United States and found states and the federal government are doing a poor job of ensuring workers can use paid sick days to care for ailing children and other relatives. A separate study by the Project on Global Working Families at Harvard University finds the United States lags far behind the rest of the developed world in giving workers paid sick days. While 117 nations guarantee their workers paid sick leave, the United States does not. On June 15, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced Senate and House versions of the Healthy Families Act that would require employers to provide full-time workers at least seven paid sick days per year. For more information on the reports, visit http://www.nationalpartnership.org and http://www.globalworkingfamilies.org

Justices Limit Ability to Sue Health Plans
New York Times 6/22/2004

 Drug Card Confusion (Editorial)
Washington Post 6/22/2004

 Turns out we don’t have to privatize social security

 CBO SHOWS SOCIAL SECURITY STRENGTH--Social Security finances are stronger than previously believed, according to new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). CBO estimates Social Security has enough resources to pay full benefits until 2052, a decade longer than was estimated by the program's trustees earlier this year. The report "is more evidence that the sky-is-falling tactics that have been employed for years by those who want to privatize the system for ideological reasons should be rejected," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

If you have suggestions on how we may improve this online publication or have information you would like to see posted please contact our communications director at (850) 224 – 6926 or at rtemplin@flaflcio.org. 

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