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Women of Steel to McCain: Palin wrong choice for working women, families

Pittsburgh - The United Steelworkers (USW) Women of Steel today sent a open letter to Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain expressing disappointment in his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

The letter praises McCain for again putting a woman on the presidential ticket. Geraldine Ferraro was the Democrat nominee for vice president in 1984.

"You chose a female as your running mate, and we applaud your contribution to the progress this represents," the letter states. "Unfortunately, you chose the wrong woman for the wrong job. Governor Palin is a working mother whose achievements should be respected - but due respect for a budding political career doesn't mean she is ready to be vice president - a heart beat away from the presidency. Nor does it change the fact that she's not the best candidate to improve the lives of women and working families in this country."

The letter points out that Palin does little to change McCain's anti-worker, anti-woman agenda that, among other things, opposes giving workers the right to join a union and bargain collectively; erodes the ability of working families to secure quality health care by taxing their employer -provided coverage for both active and retired workers, and does nothing to protect or expand family leave or make it paid.

Click here to view the letter in its entirety.

The USW's Women of Steel are dedicated to increasing working women's activism through the sharing of information and networking. The goal is to impact issues affecting all working women and their families, and to recognize women's leadership development and involvement at work and in the community. Women of Steel are employed in a diverse cross-section of industries including health care, manufacturing and public service.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada employed in the industries of metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and mining. For more information: www.usw.org/.

11-28-07 Novamed/Petrol-Is 14-month dispute in Turkey has been settled.

“In hindsight, the mass petition from Women in Steel set off NGOs and others to do their work on the ground in Antalya. Which they did quite extraordinary! And what’s most significant about Novamed is this is the first recognized union in the 20-year-old Antalya Free Zone. (Congratulations, ICEM affiliate Petrol-Is!) Please pass this good news to all Women in Steel; they played a key role in the International Women’s Day action, this past March, and it truly did deliver a key punch. The ICEM will put a statement out on this great achievement!” - In Unity, Dick Blin

This Week in Toxic Trade, 11/28/07

“[A]n overzealous government that tries to keep all bad products off the market is likely to err by keeping too many good products off the market.”

So warns James A. Dorn of the free-market think-tank the Cato Institute in an editorial entitled Toxic Toys: Congress Risks Making Things Worse, critical of the Sen. Richard Durbin’s (D-IL) proposed Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007 (S. 1847) bill slowly making its rounds in Congress, which would dramatically and incrementally increase funding for the much maligned CPSC and implement stronger repercussions for multinational companies whose products fail to meet safety standards. In typical doublespeak, Dorn actually suggests that the recent outbreak of dangerous toys is a warning that consumers should have little confidence in the ability of regulators and regulatory institutions to ensure the safety of consumer products. The reality, however, as articulated in the Harris poll referenced in last week’s bulletin, is the complete opposite, with a majority of people looking to the CPSC for guidance, with distrust of industry pervasive.

In time for the beginning of the holiday shopping season, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton stepped up to articulate her platform position on the “toxic toy issue,” stressing the need for greater regulation of imports, boosting the funding and staffing levels of the CPSC, increased penalties for companies in violation, and a comprehensive ban on lead in children’s products (read full blog entry here). Curiously absent, however, in both the platform and the statement is any mention to systemic issues related to trade regulation beyond simple monitoring of product safety, any mention to the exploitation of foreign labor, or any relevance to the dangers of open markets beyond accusatory implications directed at faltering and corrupt regulatory practices in China, with only incidental blame applied to the American companies who exploit these loopholes. Officials in China responded, calling Clinton’s remarks ‘slanderous.’

Within the last two months alone, China has prevented over 750 toymakers from exporting entirely, and demanded another 690 companies in manufacturing-heavy Guangzhou, according to a Financial Times article. There is a noticeable political dissonance between American and European reaction, however, as the European Union has decided against a ban on Chinese toy imports (EU: Won’t Ban Chinese Toy Imports On Safety Grounds): In a review of industry in China, the EU reports that Beijing has made "considerable progress ... in taking corrective actions to stop the flow of dangerous goods onto the European market."

On the subject of blaming China, even a contentious ABC News commentary by a toy industry insider, The Myth of Chinese Toys, concedes that:

“Companies manufacture, import and sell products; countries do not. The Consumer Product Safety Commission rightly holds those who order the toys and bring them into the country responsible for the safety of those toys. Equally important is the fact that about 74% of the toys recalled were for design-related issues, not manufacturing-related ones. The designs are the primary responsibility of those who order the toys, not only of those who manufacture them. Let us take responsibility for our actions and not blame others.”

AND

“China is simply the latest country where production has concentrated so that its cheaper labor costs can translate into lower prices to consumers. Toy production started moving out of the United States over 50 years ago, going first to Japan, then to Taiwan and Korea and other Asian countries. It was in the mid-1980s that China began its export of toys.”

Reality is reality: The issue isn’t whether this is the case, only whether it is acceptable. The countries used as cheap-labor pools change, exploitation only moves to new locations, but the core issues (free trade, outsourcing) at the heart of ensuing scandals are always tertiary concerns.

In Canada, a family in Saskatchewan is leading a lawsuit against American toy giant Mattel after toys played with by their children and purchased from Mattel were found to contain unsafe levels of lead. Noting that she’s not interested in money, lead plaintiff Renae Sharp notes:

"I'm doing it because I'm hoping that the toy companies are able to follow much stricter guidelines in the future so that these toys don't get out onto the shelves for our children to play with.”

Concern among Canadians over the toxicity threat is comparable to American levels, with approximately 55% of consumers planning on avoiding Chinese products entirely, and up to 75% monitoring their purchases to coincide with recall warnings, according to a Canadian Press article.

Even if broadly, criticism, and action have been principally symptomatic, both have been revealed to be ineffective in the process. This frustrated blogger laments that in the absence of federal oversight, state governments are left to fight the battle (a la last week’s bulletin’s California lawsuit), such as a lawsuit filed by the New York attorney general’s office which has led to the recall of over 500,000 pieces of children’s jewelry, with one culprit, Big Lots paying a fine of only $1,000. Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, US PIRG reports that despite the recall firestorm, toys with dangerous levels of lead are still on shelves and being sold at retail stores. An extensive Washington Post report (Groups Expose Hidden Toy Hazards) details the continued presence of toxic toys still available to consumers: Oakland, CA’s Center for Environmental Health’s found nine toys with lead levels over the legal limit out of the one-hundred that they purchased in the Bay Area for testing.

There are ideological considerations across the board in identifying the main culprits in the emerging and ever-growing scandal, but where blame transitions into responsibility and culpability, perhaps the issue is summarized most succinctly by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), "You can't say to parents, 'Don't worry. We've asked the Chinese to do a better job.'"

-Please direct questions or comments to Adam Staniszewski (apperception@gmail.com)

Last Week in Toxic Trade, 11/21/07

(Updated List of Product Recalls From the CPSC)

The National Retail Federation (clearly giving a voice to the voiceless in its claim of being the “voice of retail worldwide”) reports that in 2006’s holiday shopping season, retailers pulled in $456.2 billion, or 19.59% of yearly sales within a time period of only six weeks. On its website, the group provides a handy list of “Safe Shopping Tips” to consumers, noting to keep in mind to “be vigilant” for suspicious activity, and of course, to “stay alert … pay attention to your surroundings,” the dangers of your local shopping emporium. Likewise, their top list for “Smart Holiday Shopping” includes recommendations such as “save yourself some wear-n-tear, let the charity group at the mall wrap your gifts for you,” and “wear comfortable shoes.” Unsurprisingly, there is a shocking level of cynicism required to release such irresponsibly shallow advice to consumers: “Be aware of your surroundings” when on November 21^st alone, the CPSC announced at least twelve new lead-related recalls in consumer products for children, “save yourself exhaustion” as you purchase products both potentially lethal and made by people working in conditions more exhausting than is comprehensible.

But polls say that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers posed by lead-based paints: A study performed by market researchers Harris Interactive (full report here) earlier this month reveals that, among other things:

· 91% of Americans are aware of the recalls

· 33% plan to purchase fewer toys this holiday shopping season

· 55% either plan to stop, or have already stopped, purchasing toys produced in China altogether (though 80% of American toys are produced there)

Furthermore, when asked "Which one of the following information sources do you trust most when it comes to information about the safety of toys in the United States?,” the results were indicative of the sinking trust of the public in retailers and manufacturers:

Consumer Product Safety Commission	52%
Media Sources (TV, Newspapers, Magazines)	12%
Pediatricians	9%
Other parents	8%
Internet	3%
Toy Manufacturers	1%
…	…
Stores/retailers	0%

On November 19^th, an LA Times article reports that California state attorney general Jerry Brown filed suit against twenty toy companies and retailers, including giant past-offenders Mattel and Toys R Us, which could potentially include damages of up to $2,500 per recalled item as permitted by the Safe Drinking Water Enforcement Act of 1986. Brown anticipates a potential settlement of the suit with provisions that defendants permit testing for toxicity of products, or independent inspectors in factories. This story, however, should be juxtaposed with the report that as of November 13^th, Wangqui Products, a factory in Shenzhen responsible for producing the AquaDots toys, was still producing toxic toys.

As California takes the important step of an individual state standing up to the dangerous practices of industry, the Federation of State Public Interest Research Groups (US PIRG) released its 22^nd Annual Survey of Toy Safety (full report here: Trouble in Toyland) and joined the choir by being extremely critical of the Bush administration’s continued stripping away of the regulatory power of the CPSC. In response to the report, Massachusetts Congressman Edward Markey (D) has stepped forward to promote a piece of Congressional legislation reforming the CPSC, and posted a full response to the US PIRG report, noting:

“California shouldn’t have to sue toy companies to ensure that the toys on store shelves are safe. Instead, the CPSC should be a robust watchdog safeguarding the safety of American consumers, not an industry lapdog.”

On the grassroots/blog level, organization MomsRising has an ongoing petition campaign to Congress as a part of their Help Stop Toxic Toys campaign, which has active and vocal supporters such as Barack Obama, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (who has written a blog entry that has been posted by the organization). As of the 19^th, famous liberal blog Daily Kos stepped up with a letter-writing campaign as well, and the Nature Moms blog is also ahead of the curve, and has released a full guide to Lead-Free Toys, specifically placing emphasis on domestically manufactured products. (Similar guides are popping up across the web by frustrated and resourceful moms: Saving Christmas! 13 Alternatives to Toxic Toys)

The group W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) has also released its annual report on The Worst Toys of 2007: Unsurprisingly, many toys on this list are uncomfortably familiar.

An editorial from news magazine The Nation (Nancy Nord Likes Business More Than Children) reveals that Bush-appointed CPSC head Nord has opposed reform legislation that would have progressively doubled the agency’s budget and allowed her to hire more inspectors. As the heat continues to rise, Nord has remained as obstinate as ever, refusing to even consider calls for her resignation. It’s not much of a surprise: The White House has actively opposed the same legislation. Authors of the report distributed in last week’s bulletin (Toxic Trade…), the Campaign for America’s Future, have also created a video available on YouTube outlining the threat posed by a CPSC head that is ideologically aligned to the interests of business instead of the interests of consumers. (YouTube video HERE)

But the front continues to expand, beyond the issues of toys, revealing the toxicity therein to be, again, more symptomatic of free markets run amuck than anything else. The AFL-CIO Weblog picked up a report from the Alliance for Retired Americans noting that:

“Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) sent a letter to the CEOs of the 10 largest pharmaceutical firms, requesting information on the extent to which those firms are outsourcing drug manufacturing to suppliers in foreign nations, as well as the level of safety oversight over that production.”

This is spurred by a Washington Post report from June (FDA Scrutiny Scant In India, China as Drugs Pour Into U.S.), stating that while ~40% of active ingredients in American pharmaceuticals are produced in China and India (countries with scant regulatory power), only 7% of facilities are inspected by the FDA annually.

- For questions or comments, email Adam Staniszewski at apperception@gmail.com

Leo Gerard - The Huffington Post: The United Steelworkers and the Empire State Consumer Association are seeking the recall of the Chinese-made, cadmium-laden, possibly-fatal "Sassy Chic" bracelet, sold at Dollar Tree stores. And the USW union is, again, seeking the recall of Nancy Nord, the acting chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, only this time, based on the CPSC's failure to act in this cadmium case, her recall is, at the very least, to be with a public pillorying.Read More: Cadmium, Cadmium Bracelets, Chinese Toy Recall, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Empire State Consumer Association, Nancy Nord, Sassy Chic Bracelet Recall, Toy Safety, United Steelworkers, Breaking Business News

Sweatshop Crucifixes Made in China

By Charles Kernaghan

To view more about the work of Charles Kernaghan and the National Labor Committee visit: http://www.nlcnet.org/

First it was toys, then clothing and sneakers, sporting goods, furniture, and now crucifixes. Crucifixes are being made at the Junxingye Factory in Dongguan, China, by mostly young women—several just 15 and 16 years old—forced to work routine 14 to 15 ½-hour shifts, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 or 11:30 p.m., seven days a week. There are also frequent 17 to 18 hour shifts ending at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. and even monthly all-night 22 ½ to 25-hour shifts before shipments must leave for the U.S. All overtime is mandatory, and anyone missing even a single overtime shift will be docked a full day’s wages. It is common for the workers to be at the factory at least 100 hours a week. Workers are paid just 26 ½ cents an hour, which is half of China’s legal minimum wage (already set at a below-subsistence level) of 55 cents an hour. After fees deducted for room and board, the workers take-home wage can drop to just nine cents an hour. Workers are housed in primitive dorm rooms sleeping on narrow double-level metal bunk beds that line the walls. There is no other furniture, and the rooms reek of perspiration. The walls are filthy, smudged with black, while spider webs cling to the ceiling. The bathrooms are so damp and dirty that moss grows on the floor. Workers describe the soup they are fed as water with a few vegetable leaves and drops of oil floating at the top. Anyone missing a day due to sickness will, as punishment, be docked two-and-a-half day’s wages. Workers fear that they may be handling toxic chemicals, but they are not told the names of the chemicals and paints, let alone their potential health hazards.

Every single labor law in China is very being violated in broad daylight, leaving the young workers trapped in an abusive sweatshop, stripped of their rights, voiceless and with nowhere to turn for help.

Tracking the Sweatshop Crucifixes:

We purchased crucifixes at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and on the Cathedral’s website which appear to match exactly the photographs of crucifixes made at the Junxingye Factory in China, which workers were able to smuggle out of the plant. (Nor are the crucifixes cheap. The crucifix purchased at the Cathedral cost $29.95 while the one purchased from the website cost $27.95.) What was odd though is that neither the crucifixes purchased at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral nor the boxes they came in listed the country of origin. We even, very carefully, separated the figure of Christ from the wooden cross, to see if the country of origin was hidden somewhere, but we found nothing. However, one of the boxes had the word “Singer” on it, which turned out to be the Singer Company, based in Long Island City, across the East River from Manhattan. Singer lists 66 different crucifixes on its website, many exact matches with the crucifixes made in China, but it was the system of serial numbers used by the Singer Company to identify its various crosses that confirmed without a doubt that many of Singer’s crucifixes were made under deplorable sweatshop conditions at the Junxingye Factory. These were some of the crucifixes sold at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity Church. In fact, the two largest New York outlets for Singer crucifixes are Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity Church.

Just the Tip of the Iceberg:

We had stumbled upon the tip of the iceberg. The Singer Company is just one of 2,055 stores and suppliers across the United States that are members of The Association for Christian Retail, which did $4.63 billion in business last year.

Though The Association for Christian Retail says its real mission is, “The spread of God’s word… working together to see lives transformed by God through the power of Christian products sold through the unique and caring environment of Christian Stores,” it appears that The Association for Christian Retail has decided, en masse, to follow Wal-Mart to China, where it can exploit defenseless workers and pay them pennies an hour to produce their religious goods.

Take the Singer Company, for example, which describes itself as “a dominant player in the religious gift industry.” In advertising its religious products, the Singer Company sounds like “Crazy Eddie” or Wal-Mart: “All at the most competitive prices you will find in the industry. Look at our new wall cross and wall crucifix pricing and you will be pleased at our selection and prices. We will not be undersold.”

Mark-ups That Would Make Even Nike Blush:

The Christian Art Gifts Company in Lombard, Illinois, makes its 100 percent polyester “Bible Bags” with “cross pullover” in China. The Bible Bags enter the U.S. from China with a total cost of production of just $1.40 each, which the Christian Art Gifts Company then turns around and retails for $17.99, a $16.59—1,185 percent— mark-up over the $1.40 cost to make the Bible Bags.

More Than a Decade Behind Kathie Lee Gifford:

We searched, but could not find, a single reference by Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity Church, the Singer Company, the Christian Art Gifts Company, or the Association for Christian Retail pledging that their religious products, crucifixes included, would only be made under humane conditions, by workers whose fundamental human rights are respected and who are paid at least a fair wage.

Even the lowest purveyors of cheap sweatshop garments were forced, more than a decade ago, to adopt corporate codes of conduct and factory monitoring schemes—even if just to give lip service—committing to American consumers that any worker, anywhere in the world, who makes their goods would be treated with dignity and their legal rights respected. Evidently, The Association for Christian Retail is more than a decade behind, feeling no need to address respect for even the most fundamental rights of the human beings who make their religious goods.

Something has gone terribly wrong. As things stand now, crucifixes and other religious items are being made in China by young workers who are not only being exploited and paid pennies an hour, but who also have no freedom of religion, no freedom of association, no human or worker rights, and in a country that has no freedom of the press. Following the extension of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China, these crucifixes enter the U.S. duty free.

Especially during the Holiday Season, the American people can help draw a line in the sand, refusing to allow crucifixes and other religious items to be turned into just another cheap sweatshop commodity. It does not have to be this way. Certainly, the combined stature, power and prestige of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity Church can influence the Association for Christian Retail, calling for an end to sweatshop abuses and for concrete steps to guarantee that all religious items are made by workers whose rights and dignity are respected.

The Junxingye Factory in China also produces medallions, pins, key chains and other memorabilia for University of Michigan, Rutgers, Auburn, Washington, Brigham Young and others, along with medallions carrying the insignias of the U.S. Army and Navy, and the PGA.

From: Gerard, Leo
more progress,,, we are making a difference on so many fronts, with little if any help from any other organizations,,,, we should all be very proud of our staff and our members

Consumer Reports testers just identified high levels of lead in a toy blood pressure cuff, part of a Fisher-Price kid's "medical kit."

Every week, stores pull more toys off the shelves for excessive lead: toy garden tools, toy boats, Sesame Street's Elmo, Dora the Explorer, Winnie-the-Pooh play sets and more!

Holiday shopping starts soon, yet we have a long way to go before we can trust the safety of the items we want to buy for our friends and family.

Send a message urging your members of Congress to hold manufacturers, importers and retailers accountable for the safety of their products. More than 20 million toys have been recalled this year, alone! More dangerous, imported products may be sitting on store shelves. Worse yet, in our homes. Come this holiday season, will unsafe toys be caught before they are bought?

Too long, we have relied primarily on recalls to get dangerous products off the market, but shouldn't corporations make sure the toys they manufacture overseas are safe before they arrive in our local stores?
Click here to join us in sending a message urging Congress to keep Americans safe this holiday season.

Once you've sent your letter, please forward this email to your friends and family and ask them to join you and thousands of others!

Thank you for your help in protecting consumers from these dangerous products.

Sincerely,
Jim Guest
President
Consumers Union of the U.S.
101 Truman Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10703

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© Copyright 2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
Consumers Union, 101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, NY 10703

News From Canada

8 NOVEMBER 2007 - Make Products Safer by Making them in Canada: Steelworkers MPs urged to take toxic trade seriously as lead testing campaign kicks off

Ottawa — This holiday shopping season, a rising dollar isn’t the only thing on families’ minds. In response to recalls of two million unsafe toys, the United Steelworkers (USW) today called on MPs to give some teeth to the Throne Speech promise to make imported products safer, starting with importer-paid safety tests at the border.

“When Canada ships good manufacturing jobs abroad and gets unsafe products in return, there’s a problem,” said USW Canadian National Director Ken Neumann. “Toxic toys come from toxic trade, and it’s time Ottawa fixed the dangers of deregulation.”

Neumann said lead is a good example of the problem. Thanks in part to the USW, lead was removed from most North American manufacturing decades ago. But now it’s back, along with antifreeze chemicals in toothpaste, and pesticide ingredients in baby soothers. In response, the government has done nothing.

“So far, there’s a website to check what products are unsafe, but nothing to make sure things are safe to begin with,” Neumann said. “That’s why the first step should be more importer-paid testing at the border so the money saved on wages, material or environmental standards is partially recouped.

Neumann noted that paint with lead is 40 per cent cheaper than paint without.

“Exporting Canadian manufacturing jobs overseas has resulted in toys containing lead being imported into our living rooms,” said Peggy Nash, the NDP’s industry critic. “Years of poorly drafted trade deals have resulted in rush deregulation that threatens Canada’s economy and Canadians’ safety.”

She added her support for a new Toxic Import Protection Act, and said New Democrats would keep pressure on the government for real protection that looks at the whole problem.

“Jobs, health and the environment aren’t separate,” she said. “Any parent whose kid is chewing on a toy connects the dots. The government should, too.”

Neumann said it’s one step towards leveling the field for Canadian companies. More comprehensive measures would include empowering Health Canada to recall products, more stringent regulation of toxins like lead and better import controls of banned substances like lead. That’s all allowed under the WTO.

“For years, we’ve been told unregulated trade solves all problems,” he said. “But 300,000 manufacturing jobs are gone and two million toys have been recalled. With holiday shopping here, it’s time Parliament got to work on basic product security.”

To help, Steelworkers are offering lead testing kits for $3 on www.stoptoxicimports.org. There, families can check recalled items and order lead testers to double-check products about which they are unsure. It’s part of a push across North America to link a manufacturing job crisis to growing unease with products made cheaply overseas.

Earlier on Thursday, a home testing event took place in Ottawa. Steelworkers assisted a local family test toys that were of concern to them. The home-testing session was the first of five such events in Canada.

The Balancing Act - U.S. Legislative addresses key issues:

Paid family leave so no mother has to go back to work days after giving birth,
Public universal pre-school and major investments in child care so having a young child is no longer the top reason American families have "a poverty spell",
After school programs for all kids who need them,
Healthcare for all children,
Benefits for part-time workers, and
Telecommuting incentives so parents have more flexible work options.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey reintroduced this bill in May and very quickly got 65 co-sponsors. Now it needs a fresh wave of support to keep the momentum going. This bill is a large package of reforms. The goal is not necessarily to have the bill pass wholesale on the floor of Congress, but rather to maximize the number of sponsors, so that Rep. Woolsey's office can work with other Representatives in Congress to ensure that key portions are added to bills moving through committee. This is an ongoing effort, and a fresh wave of support is needed now to keep up the momentum. Go to www.momsrising.org/balancingact and email your Rep.

United Steelworkers, Women of Steel

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Union's Calendar of Events:

WOMEN'S ONLY MEETINGS:

(sorry guys!)

I am looking for any women who would be interested in getting together to have meetings just for women. To discuss women's issues, or how we can help one another. There are many things we can do. Any Ideas? How 'bout:

Going out to Lunch
Arts and Crafts
Cocktails
Community Support Activities
Scrap booking
Auto mechanics (I know some of you do your own work!!!)
any others ? So many talented ladies working along side us, I'll bet some of you could put on classes and teach us all your favorite hobbies.

CONTACT ME TO GIVE YOUR INPUT>>>>>>> CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL

Question to the Ladies of the Union: Would anyone be interested in getting together to have political-based discussions? These discussions would be totally UNBIASED. I have been learning so many new and 'uncomfortable' things about people who are representing us in politics that I think we should all be much more knowledgeable about what our government is doing. We are the only ones. who can work toward any changes. This begins with the education of ourselves. You will be EXTREMELY SURPRISED at what is happening inside our government.

If you would like to be part of POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS "Contact Me"

Videos On Women's Issues

Video from the 1st International Women's ConferenceTo Watch Video

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District 12
GONZALEZ, ROSIE, Coordinator

USW District 12 Women's Programs

145 N. Merrill Street

Corona, CA 92882

rgonzalez@usw.org

Bus. Phone: 626-966-6852

Useful Reports and Studies

The following reports, studies, and issue papers contain valuable information on various topics which have been done specifically for and about women and their issues by various organizations and research groups. In most cases these reflect the entire study or executive summary and are listed to the right of the link the topic primarily covered in the report.

Status of Women 2004

Paid Sick Leave

Child Care

Pensions

Medical Coverage

Administration Report Card

Administrative Report Card – Executive Summary

Sexual Harassment

Social Security

Military

Hurricane Hits Women Harder

Gender Wage Gap

Gender Wage Ratio

Social Security

Social Security

Child Care and the Community

The Retirement Gap

A LIFETIME of hard work should brings economic security -- income sufficient to raise a family, and resources to enjoy a retirement earned over many working years. It is troubling that as far off as this goal seems to millions of American men, it is even further off for America 's working women, especially in the area of retirement security.

Even as families become more dependent than ever on second incomes, and the number of women as sole providers grows, women still earn less money than men; women are less likely to have a pension than men; and women are less able to contribute to 401(k)s and similar self-funded plans than men

Women's status today as second-class economic citizens has deep roots. It wasn't until the early 1900s that the doors of opportunity began to open for American women. Pioneers like Mary Lyon, founder of Mt. Holyoke College , blazed pathways for girls in education. Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, founders of Hull House, started the settlement house movement and enabled thousands of women to find permanent and fulfilling employment as social workers. Our circles of opportunity grew wider still as working-class women formed unions to protect their coworkers in textile mills and other factories.

As unions fought for more organized work places, as America 's men marched to war to fight Hitler and Imperial Japan, and as the postwar economic boom transformed our society, more and more women entered the US labor force. The doors of many more professions, including industrial workplaces, were opened to women. Stories like that of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, whose Stanford law degree was viewed by the 1950s legal establishment as an expensive ticket to the typing pool, but who earned a place on the nation's highest bench, became common.

Today, there is no question that working women are in a stronger position professionally and financially than ever before.

Yet women working in and outside the home still have a considerable distance to march. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 69 million women in the workforce; over 10 million of them are the sole wage earner in their household. According to union statistics, women in the United States were paid 76 cents for every dollar men received for comparable work. For working families who are strapped financially, this form of wage discrimination costs them a bundle: $200 billion each year, according to the AFL-CIO.

Women are not only shortchanged when it comes to wages -- their retirement years look less than golden, as well. Lower wages leave women with less to save or contribute to a employer's retirement plan, and only 30 percent of all older women can count on a pension, compared with 47 percent of men. In addition, more than half of all women 65 or older are widowed, divorced or never married. On average, these older women rely on Social Security for 71 percent of their income, compared with 64 percent for men in similar circumstances. And, less than 10 years ago, women working full time raising their children were prohibited from contributing more than $250 into an Individual Retirement Account.

No wonder a recent survey released by the Heinz Family Philanthropies showed that more than 40 percent of women ages 25-55 fear they will live their retirement years at or near the poverty level. Eighty percent of this group is at least somewhat concerned that they will not have enough money to live on. Nearly 50 percent predict they will have to keep working past retirement age just to make ends meet.

From wages to pension security, this is an age of anxiety for working women and their families. America shouldn't be a nation where a lifetime of work can leave a woman poor. It's time for our leaders in the public and the private sector to get to work correcting these disparities. Let's work to close the wage gap by enforcing and strengthening antidiscrimination laws. Let's start focusing on increasing retirement security for all Americans by increasing private savings, pension stability, and protecting Social Security. And let's make it a national priority to start reducing the inequalities and inequities facing working women in the current system.

Working women have made our nation stronger than ever, together we can ensure that they get the security they have earned.

By Teresa Heinz chair of the Heinz Family Philanthropies