If you believe its supporters, the Employee Free Choice Act should have been a done deal a long time ago. With presidential support and Democrats controlling large majorities in both chambers of Congress, it would be easy to assume EFCA was on its way to enactment in the opening days of the 111th Congress. But fortunately for American workers, opposition to EFCA is not the purely partisan matter i... Read more »
The national unemployment rate ticked up to 9.8 percent in September as the U.S. continued to struggle with the worst economic downturn in decades. The job loss is worse than experts had predicted; The New York Times has the grim economic details here: “The American economy shed another 263,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent, reinforcing a broad assumption that man... Read more »
This morning, the U.S. Department of Labor reported a loss of 263,000 jobs in the month of September and an increase in the national unemployment rate to 9.8 percent. Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the top Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement: “Today’s jobs report prompts a very important question: Where are the jobs? Nearly seven months ago, the Amer... Read more »
Predicting the fate of the Employee Free Choice Act has been difficult lately for the act’s supporters. Senate Democrats were once quite confident the act could pass and become law. After all, on paper, they had the 60 votes needed to stop a filibuster of the job-killing bill. Indeed, EFCA’s chances seemed sunny. But then clouds began to appear on the horizon: It turned out that several Democrats ... Read more »
We’re here today to examine economic opportunities for young Americans. Unfortunately, those opportunities seem to be few and far between these days. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that youth unemployment has reached a staggering 25.5 percent. That’s the highest level since we began tracking youth unemployment back in 1948. These figures are daunting. Although not all young people wish to ... Read more »
Proposing an innovative strategy to reward teachers and principals for improving student academic achievement, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) today is introducing legislation to establish the Teacher Incentive Fund to strengthen teacher quality improvement programs. Price is joined by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the top Republican on the Education and Labor Committee, in introducing the legislation. “Too many ... Read more »
The secret ballot is important not only to people in the United States. It’s important around the world, too. In New Zealand, National MP Tau Henare, a former union organizer, recently proposed a bill to make use of the secret ballot the official law in the island nation near Australia. The New Zealand Herald gives details of Henare’s measure here: “Unions will be legally bound to hold a secret ba... Read more »
Republicans today called attention to the importance of effective teachers in improving student academic achievement and highlighted innovative, locally driven strategies to improve overall teacher quality and reward effective educators. Rep. John Kline (R-MN) offered remarks to open a hearing of the House Education and Labor Committee on “Teacher Equity: Effective Teachers for All Children.” Rep.... Read more »
The following op-ed was published online by the Star Tribune on September 30, 2009. As students throughout Minnesota settle into a new school year, area schools, like many around the country, are coping with the stifling effects of the recession. School districts throughout the state are facing multimillion-dollar deficits, and Minnesotans feel the pressure of financial shortfalls on our communiti... Read more »
The month of September marks the beginning of the school year for many localities across the country. And for the next year, the one person who will have more influence and input other than a set of parents into a child’s development will be a teacher. For those with a young child who is entering school for the very first time, you know these are the most crucial years for learning and growth. And... Read more »
