Read it here. In my post last week, I optimistically discussed the fact that against a sea of red on Election Day, five states—Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota—had enacted legislation increasing the minimum wage, and another, Massachusetts, had become the third state in the Union to provide for paid sick leave. With 20/20…
Read it here. Veterans Day is a federal holiday to honor all people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Formerly Armistice Day, it is held on November 11 each year, to recognize the official end of World War I, reached on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918,…
Read it here. True confessions time. I admit it, I’m a political junkie. Not much of a confession really. Those who know me undoubtedly already know this, and anyone who reads this blog probably already has figured it out. I’ve been a junkie ever since I was a young boy. My history teachers encouraged me….
Read it here. Some think he’s patriot, others think he’s a traitor – Edward Snowden, that is. Like him or not, he has given the world convincing evidence that the NSA collects communications data on us all. This so-called metadata includes information on telephone calls, e-mails, text messages and internet activity. It is stored in…
Read it here. I’m leaving tomorrow to attend Parent’s Weekend at my daughter’s college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This is the fourth or fifth time I’ve gone there, and every time I go, the old Billy Joel tune “Allentown” starts running through my head. I never was much of a Billy Joel fan, but I can’t…
Read it here. In a debate last week among the Maine gubernatorial candidates, Governor Paul LePage stated that Mainers making $100,000 were “not that rich.” Following the debate, Democratic candidate Mike Michaud pounced on the Governor’s remark, emailing supporters about Governor LePage’s statement. News reports and columnists, including Bill Nemitz at the Portland Press Herald,…
Read it here. Last Friday, I attended the Disability Rights Center’s annual dinner in Freeport, where Bates College was presented with the DRC’s 2014 Business Award for actively recruiting individuals with disabilities to the workforce. Bates, which employs more than 750 Maine people, worked with the Maine Department of Labor to develop a systemic approach…
Read it here. Quick. What’s the fastest growing occupation in America? IT programmer? Nope. Hospitality worker? Nope. Ready to cry uncle? Ok, I’ll give you a clue. These folks work with aging baby boomers and the chronically ill. If you said health care professional, you’re getting hot. Actually, it’s home health care aide. Now guess…
Read it here. This past Saturday, October 11, 2014 was the 26th National Coming Out Day, an annual civil awareness day, now internationally observed on October 11 to promote awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues and to celebrate the LGBTQ – “Q” for “queer” or “questioning” – community. “It’s a day to be…
Read it here. Earlier this week my colleague Roberta de Araujo and I gave an overview of federal and state labor and employment laws to a group of union shop stewards. There were a lot of laws to discuss, including the National Labor Relations Act, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, the Age…