Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalD.C. Council Passes Living Wage Bill on First Vote
The D.C. Council on Wednesday gave its initial approval to a bill that would raise the minimum wage of workers at large retaile stores from the ordinary District minimum of $8.25 an hour to $12.50. The Large Retailer Accountability Act passed on an 8-5 vote after a nearly hour-long debate.
The bill has the strong backing of the city's labor unions and economic advocacy organizations, and was met with stiff, though not insurmountable, opposition from business groups and retail companies. In particular, the bill has been seen a jab at Wal-Mart Inc., which is in the process of opening six stores in D.C. over the next few years.
"The District government has an obligation not just to encourage the development and growth of jobs, but to encourage the development and growth of quality jobs," D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said before the vote, according to Housing Complex. Joining Mendelson in supporting the bill were Vincent Orange (D-At Large), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), David Grosso (I-At Large), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Kenyan MacDuffie (D-Ward 5), and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8).
A few of the Council members who opposed the bill—Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7)—represent parts of D.C. where Walmart locations are set to open in the coming years. Bowser and Wells are also candidates in next year's mayoral election, and their opposition was not lost on their fellow mayoral candidate, Evans.
http://dcist.com/2013/06/dc_council_passes_living_wage_bill.php
The Digital Skeptic: You Could Have a 110 MPG Vehicle Right Now
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Doug Pelmear may have patented the final auto-industry solution -- a working, 400-horsepower, big-block V8 engine that really does get 110 miles per gallon.
But he's running on fumes.
"I have seen a lot of things. Was it ugly? Yeah," he told me over the phone last week. "But you learn to see what you have. And you don't cry about what you don't have."
This sober Pelmear is a faint echo of the sparkplug of an entrepreneur I met three years back. The then-successful Napoleon, Ohio, speedshop owner had combined a 19th century engine technology called the Stirling with rotating-fire cylinders and in-piston magnets to dynamically alter the horsepower and fuel consumption of traditional V-block motors.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11958479/1/the-digital-skeptic-you-could-have-a-110-mpg-vehicle-right-now.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO
How Bosses Are Ruining Family Vacations
Vacations are supposed to be a time for workers to unwind and unplug from the daily routine, just don’t tell that to your boss. New research has found that more and more bosses are expecting their employees to work while on vacation.
Overall, 54 percent of workers say their boss expects them to work while on vacation.
That trend has some serious consequences for workers. Namely, it is affecting the health and personal lives of employees. Workers who are not able to relax while on vacation risk suffering burnout, not to mention problems at home.
snip:
"It seems employees are actually working harder when they're on vacation than when they're in the office," Campbell said. "This means both employers and employees end up paying the price of working vacations, and it doesn't have to be this way. It shouldn't be this way. Either we manage our technology or it manages us."
http://news.yahoo.com/bosses-ruining-family-vacations-100930656.html
Kroger Makes Progress Towards Zero Waste
CINCINNATI — Kroger here committed to moving retail locations toward "zero waste" and sourcing 100% certified sustainable palm oil as it published its seventh annual sustainability report.
Kroger said it is moving toward the Environmental Protection Agency’s zero waste threshold of 90% in all Kroger retail locations. To get there, Kroger will increase the diversion rate to 65% for all stores by the end of 2013, and to 70% by the end of 2015. Today, the company diverts 58% of waste.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/kroger-co/kroger-makes-progress-towards-zero-waste#ixzz2XPnDG6Bi
Ellisville city council approves new Walmart but Mayor Paul plans to fight
(KMOV) – On Tuesday, Ellisville City Council gave the final approval to the tax break plan which would bring a new Walmart to the area although the mayor was not happy.
The mayor vowed to fight the Walmart until the doors opened after the close 4-3 vote approved the $11 million in tax breaks to build the super center.
The attorney for Sansone Developers faced the council and laid out the consequences if they didn’t issue the tax break money for the Walmart development right across Manchester Road from City Hall.
“Anytime someone is leveling substantial individual lawsuits and you’re an elected official, that doesn’t pass the smell test for me,” Paul added.
http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Ellisville-Council-approves-new-Walmart-but-Mayor-Paul-plans-to-fight--213249921.html
Here's a Bright Idea: Let's Expand Social Security
In a Progressive Leaders Forum Town Hall meeting that will air Wednesday on SiriusXM 127's "The Agenda" radio show, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) joined Nancy Altman of Social Security Works, Edward Coyle of the Alliance for Retired Americans and host Ari Rabin-Havt to discuss the future of Social Security, including Harkin's proposed legislation that would expand Social Security benefits. The Strengthening Social Security Act of 2013 (S. 567) would raise the monthly Social Security benefit by about $65 and would measure inflation not with the chained CPI (a benefit cut), but using a more accurate measure of inflation for seniors (the CPI-E). The CPI-E would increase COLAs. The bill also would eliminate the Social Security tax cap so the wealthiest people would pay the same rate the rest of us pay. Under this bill, Social Security would be able to pay out full benefits to the year 2049.
Social Security should not be part of any deficit reduction debate, says Harkin. But Republicans are injecting Social Security into those debates because they want to cut the program—even though Social Security adds nothing to the deficit.
Nothing contributes more to keeping the middle class out of poverty than Social Security, Harkin says. The real solution to strengthen Social Security funding for the long term is to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share. The future projected Social Security shortfall is very manageable, Altman says, but an enormous amount of money is being spent in an effort to privatize the program so Wall Street bankers can profit from seniors' retirement funds.
http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Economy/Here-s-a-Bright-Idea-Let-s-Expand-Social-Security
Man About To Drown Refuses Help To Keep Rescuer Safe
UNION, MO (KTVI) – He was in trouble on the Bourbeuse River Tuesday afternoon. When his 18-year-old friend extended a hand to save him, the man struggling to stay above water refused to hold on.
Apparently the man who was struggling to stay above water feared he would pull his friend in as well.
Jim Strube is the father of that 18-year-old who tried to rescue the man in his 30`s. Strube says the man wondered into water that was too deep.
“My son saw him going under and then spring boarding off the bottom, coming back up and trying to gasp a breath of air,” said Strube.
http://kplr11.com/2013/06/25/man-about-to-drown-refuses-help-to-keep-rescuer-safe/
Food Waste Diversion 'Significant Challenge' for Retailers
Food waste at the retail level tends to consist of finished products that may be suitable for donation, but numerous locations and diverse product offerings make food waste diversion a significant logistical challenge for many retailers. That's one of the main conclusions from the industry's first-ever analysis of food waste data collected directly from food manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers.
The study was conducted by consulting firm BSR and commissioned by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA), a cross-sector industry initiative led by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA).
“The findings uncovered by BSR are encouraging, but it’s clear we can and must do better when it comes to reducing food waste,” said Michael Hewett, director of environmental and sustainability programs, Publix Super Markets Inc. and co-chair of the FWRA. “It’s important to find more ways to keep food and food waste out of landfills, identify the challenges that prevent us from doing so, and develop responsible policies to assist in these efforts.”
http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/national-supermarket-chains/id39382/food-waste-diversion-significant-challenge-for-retailers/?icid=homepage
NLRB to Hear Trade Fair Dispute
NEW YORK — An ongoing tangle between Trade Fair supermarkets and its union-represented butchers could be headed for a hearing before the National Labor Relations Board.
The NLRB has issued a complaint against the Queens supermarket, finding there was sufficient merit in allegations of improper surveillance, interrogation, suspensions and terminations of employees engaged in union activities, among other charges, according to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 342.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/laws-amp-regulations/nlrb-hear-trade-fair-dispute#ixzz2XJEpXMut
June 26, 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act
The Federal Credit Union Act is an Act of Congress[1] enacted in 1934. The purpose of the law was to make credit available and promote thrift through a national system of nonprofit, cooperative credit unions. This Act established the federal credit union system and created the Bureau of Federal Credit Unions, the predecessor to the National Credit Union Administration, to charter and oversee federal credit unions. The general provisions in the Federal Act were based on the Massachusetts Credit Union Act of 1909,[2] and became the basis of many other state credit union laws. Under the provisions of the Federal Credit Union Act, a credit union may be chartered under either federal or state law, a system known as dual chartering, which is still in existence today.
Credit union law in the U.S. built on earlier legislation such as that developed by Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch in Germany and Alphonse Desjardins in Canada. Among the individuals responsible for formulating credit union legislation in the United States were Edward Filene, Pierre Jay and Roy Bergengren.
The Act is amended periodically to evolve and remain a modern credit union law. This contemporary law, coupled with the NCUA Board's commitment to reduce regulatory burden, enables federal credit unions to offer a variety of services to meet the financial needs of their members. For example, in addition to basic passbook share savings accounts, many federal credit unions offer share drafts, share certificates, credit cards.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Credit_Union_Act
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