The Worker Thread

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Vrede too
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Coronavirus job losses hit these 10 states the hardest

The number of jobs lost due to the coronavirus shutdown continue to mount, with the latest weekly total of Americans applying for unemployment benefits topping 5.24 million.

The latest swath of applications brings the total amount of jobless claims to 22 million over the last four weeks, more than wiping out the 20 million jobs added over the last decade.

But some states have been feeling the impact of job losses more than others. A Yahoo Finance review of jobless claims data from the U.S. Department of Labor reveals that Michigan and the South has been particularly hard hit since the coronavirus pandemic brought the country’s economy to a grinding halt.

Comparing each state’s average weekly jobless claims totals over the last three weeks to the week before shutdowns started occurring, reveals Michigan, Georgia, and Alabama to be the top states showing the largest percentage spike in citizens applying for unemployment benefits. Each state saw jobless claims spike more than 5,000% versus the week ending March 14.

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Indiana, New Hampshire, and Virginia also saw sustained jobless claims over the past month, all averaging a more than 4,000% increase to unemployment claims compared to the week ended March 14. If it’s any consolation, all of the top six states that were hit the hardest showed a decline in jobless claims in the latest report compared to the week prior.

North Carolina, Kentucky, and Louisiana rounded out the top 10 states enduring the sharpest percentage spike in jobless claims over the period analyzed....
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Interesting data - and very sad. But I don't understand why so many reports compare this period of unemployment to other times in the past. Other than just a count of people out of work, this situation isn't remotely anything at all like anything previous. Previously, jobs were lost due to economic turndown, i.e., nobody's buying the product, so the business has to lay off/terminate people. Now, there was plenty of business, but businesses closed all at once from the SIYFH orders. It's not surprise that hundreds of thousands of people are filing unemployment claims - they all got dumped about the same time. I guess it's just a way to show the enormity of it, though, when there is no real comparison. Sorta like saying the tornado "sounded like a freight train."

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Re: The Worker Thread

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Let’s block this proposed wage cut for farmworkers

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Target: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Farmworkers are risking their health to keep our food system going without adequate health, safety, and financial protection in the midst of COVID-19. Meanwhile, this administration proposed slashing minimum wages for farmworkers on guest worker visas as “aid” to industrial agriculture.

Join us in calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to block this proposed wage cut for farmworkers.
I've had some demanding jobs, but I can't even imagine working all day bent over like that. Pay them more!
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Why would I send an email to the very same people who built an open door for the bankers and big corporations to gobble all of this money up?

Ruth's Chris is getting 20 million for 83 restaurants to help them develop takeout strategies. Their employees get nothing except virus exposure.

And on top of it all - thanks dems - same as last time - the bankers are only writing the big loans because that's where the big buck 10% finders fee commissions are. So hello Richie Rich and fuck you, you troublesome, time consuming Mom and Pop.
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Re: The Worker Thread

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billy.pilgrim wrote:
Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:46 pm
Why would I send an email to the very same people who built an open door for the bankers and big corporations to gobble all of this money up? ...
Living in purple states as we do, it's hard to tell which issues the Repugs MIGHT get swayed on.
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Vrede too wrote:
Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:58 pm
billy.pilgrim wrote:
Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:46 pm
Why would I send an email to the very same people who built an open door for the bankers and big corporations to gobble all of this money up? ...
Living in purple states as we do, it's hard to tell which issues the Repugs MIGHT get swayed on.
I'm talking about the dems. They seemed believably surprised last time at the banks taking huge commissions on tarp funds and only making huge loans because the commissions were bigger.

So why is this happening again?

Bye bye Mom and Pop, you are in the way of feudalism again.
Trump: “We had the safest border in the history of our country - or at least recorded history. I guess maybe a thousand years ago it was even better.”

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Re: The Worker Thread

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billy.pilgrim wrote:
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:34 pm
I'm talking about the dems. They seemed believably surprised last time at the banks taking huge commissions on tarp funds and only making huge loans because the commissions were bigger.

So why is this happening again?

Bye bye Mom and Pop, you are in the way of feudalism again.
Idk exactly what went into the political horsetrading that got the Dems the larger stimulus. We have seen that PINO has said 'FU' to some oversight and has fired some overseers. I guess the courts will have to resolve that.

We can tell them we expect better:
Tell Congress: No stimulus without helping people in need

Petition to Congress:
I urge you to oppose any stimulus bill that does not include critical measures to protect working people and our democracy. The current stimulus bill has left out essential items that have to be included, such as more money for the unemployed, money for the USPS, strong rules to provide voters with an option to vote by mail, aid for states and cities, a freeze on rents, mortgages, and utility shutoffs, requirements that large companies maintain their payrolls, health care for those who don’t have insurance, and an Essential Worker Bill of Rights. We urge you to publicly oppose and vote against any stimulus bill lacking those critical items.
Sign on to Demand ALL States include Undocumented Workers in Coronavirus Response!
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Re: The Worker Thread

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Coronavirus job losses hit these 5 states the hardest

... Michigan and the South have been particularly hard hit since the coronavirus pandemic brought the country’s economy to a grinding halt.

Comparing each state’s average weekly jobless claims totals over the last four weeks to the week before shutdowns started occurring, reveals Georgia, Michigan, and Alabama to be the top states showing the largest percentage spike in citizens applying for unemployment benefits. Each state saw jobless claims spike nearly 5,000% versus the week ending March 14.

Image

Indiana and New Hampshire also saw sustained jobless claims over the past month, both averaging a more than 4,000% increase to unemployment claims compared to the week ended March 14. If it’s any consolation, all of the top five states that were hit the hardest showed a decline in jobless claims for the second consecutive week compared to the week prior.

Florida, however, bucked that trend, showing a noteworthy surge of more than 400,000 jobless claims in the latest report. That would serve to indicate job losses in the state are far from seeing a peak.

Virginia, Louisiana, and Kentucky rounded out the top 10 states enduring the sharpest percentage spike in jobless claims over the period analyzed....
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Coronavirus job losses hit these 7 states hardest

The number of jobs lost due to the coronavirus shutdown continue to mount, with the latest weekly total of Americans applying for unemployment benefits nearly topping 4 million yet again.

The latest swath of applications brings the total amount of jobless claims to about 30 million over the past six weeks, more than wiping out the 20 million jobs added over the last decade.

But some states have been feeling the impact of job losses more than others. A Yahoo Finance review of jobless claims data from the U.S. Department of Labor reveals that Michigan and the South have been particularly hard hit since the coronavirus pandemic brought the country’s economy to a grinding halt.

Comparing each state’s average weekly jobless claims totals over the past five weeks to the week before shutdowns started occurring, reveals Georgia, Florida, and Alabama to be the states showing the largest percentage spike in people applying for unemployment benefits. Each state saw jobless claims spike nearly 5,000% versus the week ending March 14.

Interestingly, Florida surged from seventh in last week’s reading to second place now due to another 432,000 unemployment claims being filed last week. The state was among the last in the nation to implement a stay-at-home order and thus is experiencing a later spike in unemployment claims.

Image

Michigan also saw sustained jobless claims over the past month, averaging a more than 4,100% increase to unemployment claims compared to the week ended March 14. New Hampshire also posted a noteworthy jump at a more than 3,800% increase in jobless claims over the same period.

Indiana and Kentucky rounded out the top seven states enduring the sharpest percentage spike in jobless claims over the period analyzed.

Economists expect more unemployment claims in weeks to come despite lockdown orders being lifted in certain states. Making matters worse last week, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was put in place to help businesses keep employees on their payrolls, sat idle after exhausting the $349 billion it was originally allocated after just 13 days. Some, including Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran, have critiqued the program for not allocating funds efficiently to businesses in need.
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Re: The Worker Thread

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O Really wrote:
Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:03 pm
...
I have a question that might be right up your alley.
Say that a person works for government, the feds for argument's sake.
Then, say s/he works at a busy, cramped work site, call it the White House.
Imagine that there's a necessary piece of safety equipment like a mask, for instance, and that the employer even has well publicized standards recommending that the safety equipment be used.
However, use of this safety equipment is actively discouraged at this work site for weeks or months.

If an employee gets sick, is s/he eligible for Workers' Comp?
Are there other benefits available for death?
Does the negligence rise to the level of a tort?
Does the negligence rise to the level of criminality?

Any chance your firm will give me a finder's fee?
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Vrede too wrote:
Tue May 12, 2020 12:27 am
O Really wrote:
Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:03 pm
...
I have a question that might be right up your alley.
Say that a person works for government, the feds for argument's sake.
Then, say s/he works at a busy, cramped work site, call it the White House.
Imagine that there's a necessary piece of safety equipment like a mask, for instance, and that the employer even has well publicized standards recommending that the safety equipment be used.
However, use of this safety equipment is actively discouraged at this work site for weeks or months.

If an employee gets sick, is s/he eligible for Workers' Comp?
Yes, but for illness, as compared to injury, it's harder to show you really got it at the workplace.
Are there other benefits available for death?
Yes, if it's caused by the workplace - DC is a little different (shock!) in calculating payments to eligible survivors, rather than the more common lump sum, but there is a death benefit.
Does the negligence rise to the level of a tort?
No, although employer's failure to comply with OSHA (and maybe CDC) requirements can make it easier to show job relatedness as result in a stiff fine for the employer.
Does the negligence rise to the level of criminality?
Nowhere close.

Any chance your firm will give me a finder's fee?
Ummmm, No. :lol:

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Re: The Worker Thread

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O Really wrote:
Tue May 12, 2020 12:44 am
Vrede too wrote:
Tue May 12, 2020 12:27 am
I have a question that might be right up your alley.
Say that a person works for government, the feds for argument's sake.
Then, say s/he works at a busy, cramped work site, call it the White House.
Imagine that there's a necessary piece of safety equipment like a mask, for instance, and that the employer even has well publicized standards recommending that the safety equipment be used.
However, use of this safety equipment is actively discouraged at this work site for weeks or months.

If an employee gets sick, is s/he eligible for Workers' Comp?
Yes, but for illness, as compared to injury, it's harder to show you really got it at the workplace.
Been there, pink eye, missed several days of work since it looked so bad, could only have gotten it at work. The hospital politely said, 'Prove it.'
Are there other benefits available for death?
Yes, if it's caused by the workplace - DC is a little different (shock!) in calculating payments to eligible survivors, rather than the more common lump sum, but there is a death benefit.
Does the negligence rise to the level of a tort?
No, although employer's failure to comply with OSHA (and maybe CDC) requirements can make it easier to show job relatedness as result in a stiff fine for the employer.
So, the feds would fine themselves.
Does the negligence rise to the level of criminality?
Nowhere close.

Any chance your firm will give me a finder's fee?
Ummmm, No. :lol:
Crap.
Thanks.
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Re: The Worker Thread

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Re: The Worker Thread

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As businesses reopen and shoppers return, coronavirus is rebounding, but government isn't tracking retail-based outbreaks

Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and acting OSHA chief Loren Sweatt have difficult jobs competing with Matthew Albence, Alex Azar, Barr, David L. Bernhardt, Jim Bridenstine, Ben Carson, Ken Cuccinelli, Louis DeJoy, DeVos, Stephen Dickson, Gina Haspel, Neil Jacobs, Kathy Kraninger, Larry Kudlow, Joseph Maguire, Mnuchin, Mark Morgan, Robert O’Brien, Ajit Pai, William Pendley, Sonny Perdue, Pompeo, Wilbur Ross and Andrew R. Wheeler for WORST agency head.
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Re: The Worker Thread

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In the "maybe ask a real lawyer before you do somea thing that will screw yourself" category, a couple of years or so ago, the California legislature passed a revision to the state labor laws that defined the difference in "independent contractor" and "employee" tighter than the federal FLSA does. Essentially, if you don't have a business licence, and other accoutrements of running a real business, then you're an employee. A lot of people howled over this, particularly delivery drivers, Uber, etc. Uber and Lyft whined that they'd have to leave the state if they couldn't take advantage of drivers and deny them normal employment benefits like workers' comp, etc. Lots of driver sorts of people were out everywhere getting signatures on referendum petitions to change it. On one occasion, I engaged one of those in conversation, explaining that if they were employees, they'd get discrimination protection, workers comp, could join a union if they wanted, be assured of overtime, etc. As contractors they get none of that, plus have to pay all their social security and have the IRS looking hard at them because so many "contractors" cheat. He was having none of it. Accused me of being some lawyer or something equally sleazy.

So fast forward a year, and the referendum passed, exempting drivers from the "employee" requirement. Is everybody happy? Well Uber/Lyft are, and so are some of the food/grocery delivery people, because they don't have to follow minimum wage or overtime law; don't have to provide any benefits, and don't have to pay taxes on these people. The drivers? Ummmm, maybe not. The grocery chains (among others) are firing all the drivers they had hired for the increase in delivery business and contracting with Instacard, et. al.

Be careful what you wish for - or at least make sure you know what it is you're wishing for.

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Re: The Worker Thread

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A few months ago I was bumping around town and just happened to drop into the workplace of a former employer, in order to talk to a friend of mine there who had sold me his vertical milling machine the previous year (now languishing in my workshop).

The employer is made up of two very conservative gents who used to work at a much bigger company (name escapes me at the moment). Anyway, it was in the middle of the Pandemic and I noticed that nobody but my friend was wearing a face mask. I asked one of the owners why not, and he said with a smug face, "We're conservative here". I didn't argue and beat a hasty retreat.

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Re: The Worker Thread

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O Really wrote:
Sat Jan 16, 2021 12:33 am
In the "maybe ask a real lawyer before you do somea thing that will screw yourself" category, a couple of years or so ago, the California legislature passed a revision to the state labor laws that defined the difference in "independent contractor" and "employee" tighter than the federal FLSA does. Essentially, if you don't have a business licence, and other accoutrements of running a real business, then you're an employee. A lot of people howled over this, particularly delivery drivers, Uber, etc. Uber and Lyft whined that they'd have to leave the state if they couldn't take advantage of drivers and deny them normal employment benefits like workers' comp, etc. Lots of driver sorts of people were out everywhere getting signatures on referendum petitions to change it. On one occasion, I engaged one of those in conversation, explaining that if they were employees, they'd get discrimination protection, workers comp, could join a union if they wanted, be assured of overtime, etc. As contractors they get none of that, plus have to pay all their social security and have the IRS looking hard at them because so many "contractors" cheat. He was having none of it. Accused me of being some lawyer or something equally sleazy.

So fast forward a year, and the referendum passed, exempting drivers from the "employee" requirement. Is everybody happy? Well Uber/Lyft are, and so are some of the food/grocery delivery people, because they don't have to follow minimum wage or overtime law; don't have to provide any benefits, and don't have to pay taxes on these people. The drivers? Ummmm, maybe not. The grocery chains (among others) are firing all the drivers they had hired for the increase in delivery business and contracting with Instacard, et. al.

Be careful what you wish for - or at least make sure you know what it is you're wishing for.
I've followed the changes to the definition of employee, the most consistent question I've had is why don't these rules and definitions penetrate the property insurance industry. There may be no bigger gig employer in the country. Their practices tic every employee box in the employee vs independent question.
Too big to need no stinking rules.
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Re: The Worker Thread

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billy.pilgrim wrote:
Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:56 am

I've followed the changes to the definition of employee, the most consistent question I've had is why don't these rules and definitions penetrate the property insurance industry. There may be no bigger gig employer in the country. Their practices tic every employee box in the employee vs independent question.
Too big to need no stinking rules.
I don't know specifics since I never had to deal with that job issue, but given the nature of the work it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to establish oneself as a bonafide indepedent contractor. On the other hand, just because it's possible to be a legitimate IC, doesn't mean everybody in the job really does qualify.

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