May 14, 2009 - Posted by Lauren McGlothlin
Rep. John Conyers, D. Mich., speaking on a panel with representatives from the Inter-Alliance Dialogue at an ad-hoc hearing sponsored by the Congressional Progressive Caucus on May 12, 2009.
Organizations that advocate for working-class Americans, such as the Institute for Policy Studies and Jobs with Justice, recently formed a coalition called the Inter-Alliance Dialogue to address the needs of low-income workers, minorities, domestic workers, day laborers, and other groups most affected by the recession.
In recent months, employers have been eliminating jobs at a rate of about half a million per month, causing many people to lose their homes and healthcare, especially low-income workers and minorities.
The groups that make up the Inter-Alliance Dialogue are urging Congress to address the needs of low-wage workers, by:
- passing the Employee Free Choice Act to expand workers' right to organize and improve working conditions;
- enhancing worker protection laws to prevent wage theft and workplace abuses;
- preventing the lending and credit industries from taking advantage of minorities and low-income people;
- implementing fair immigration reform that protects workers and their families; and
- providing equal opportunities for jobs for all workers in the emerging green economy.
Categories: Poverty & Welfare, Workers' Rights
