American Road Leads Off a Cliff

Excerpt from article by Holly Sklar at Providence Journal (Rhode Isalnd)

The hourly wages of average workers are 11 percent lower than they were back in 1973 (adjusted for inflation), despite rising worker productivity. CEO pay, by contrast, has skyrocketed -- up a median 30 percent in 2004 alone, in the Corporate Library survey of 2000 large companies.

Median household income has fallen an unprecedented five years in a row. It would be even lower if not for increased household work hours. Americans work over 200 hours more a year on average than workers in other rich industrialized countries.

We are breaking records we don't want to break. Record numbers of Americans have no health insurance. The share of national income going to wages and salaries is the lowest since 1929. Middle-class households are a medical crisis, an outsourced job, or a busted pension away from bankruptcy.

OSHA to Interior Workers: "Drop Dead"

Democrats to Bait Voters With a Proposed Minimum Wage Hike

A minimum wage hike would be no great accomplishment. It would only count for the tiniest progress in reversing the pervassive inequities of the current corporate oligarchy. A mere hike in minimum wage is the least that must be done. The people should not be content to leave the Democrats confidently riding into office on such campaign bait as a proposed hike in minimum wage, since, after all, the Democrats are almost as violent toward economic equity and labor rights as the Republicans. Instead, the people should take the opportunity to build a movement that can push for far greater equity and mount a challenge to Democrats and Republicans alike.

Republicans to Let More Americans Freeze to Death

From Joe at America Blog: Link

Favorable Opinions of Wal-Mart Drop Rapidly, Poll Shows

Excerpt from NYT article:

The poll showed that a majority, 58 percent, viewed Wal-Mart favorably, but the figure was down from 76 percent in January. Wake Up Wal-Mart said that was proof that its message against the company's low-price business model is hitting its intended target -- the average Wal-Mart shopper.

How long will it be before this drop leads to a drop in consumption? Mick Arran at The Resistance offers his observations which suggest it's already down, contrary to media myths of record consumption on Black Friday.

SEIU Organizes 5000 Janitors in Houston

Good news by way of the The Resistance (formerly Dispatch from the Trenches).