On Today’s Program:
The Employment Policy Research Network is a one-stop shop for all all things employment related: research on wages, collective bargaining, unemployment, labor unions, and on and on. Their mission is economic justice based on sound research and good-faith negotiations. Two researchers involved in this experiment of ideas, Tom Kochan and David Lewin, join Bob today for a wide-ranging substantive discussion of employment policy in the 21st century. The issues EPRN studies are ones that affect the basic rights of workers. Just this weekend, janitors across the country took to the streets to mark the 21st year of the Justice for Janitors campaign. This movement began in 1990 after janitors striking in Los Angeles had their wages cut in half, no health insurance, and were attempting to form a union. Two decades later, Justice for Janitors has helped many low-wage workers gain social and economic justice. But the campaign continues, and building cleaners across the country are still seeking fair wages, quality affordable healthcare and good full-time jobs. What is economic justice? Among other things, it’s yearly check-ups with a doctor, health care for your child, and having a full-time job that pays enough that you don’t still qualify for food stamps.
Andalusia, the home of American author Flannery O'Connor in Milledgeville, Georgia, is also proud to be on the Southern Literary Trail. We encourage everyone to take the time to visit http://www.southernliterarytrail.org and discover the historic sites and literary landmarks on the Trail in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, homes of some of the best writers in America.