Consumer/worker group praises NLRB action regarding claims about Walmart retaliation towards workers – National Consumers League

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November 20, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy group today is applauding the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for authorizing the filing of complaints against Walmart for violating workers’ rights. The set of charges includes unlawfully threatening employees with retaliation for engaging in strikes and protests on last year’s Black Friday and unlawfully threatening, disciplining, and/or terminating employees for having engaged in legally-protected strikes and protests.

“It is high time that Walmart be held accountable for its unlawful actions and violations against associates,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “This set of complaints focuses on the threat of – and actual – retaliation used to keep workers in line and as a weapon against workers who are trying to stand up for their rights.”

Under the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which the NLRB enforces, employees (whether or not they are unionized) are protected from retaliation for engaging in certain activities including protesting and organizing for better wages or working conditions. The NLRB Office of General Counsel found merit to alleged violations of the NLRA against Walmart for the following:

  • During two national television news broadcasts and in statements to employees at Walmart stores in California and Texas, Walmart unlawfully threatened employees with reprisal if they engaged in strikes and protests on November 22, 2012.
  • Walmart stores in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Washington unlawfully threatened, disciplined, and/or terminated employees for having engaged in legally protected strikes and protests.
  • Walmart stores in California, Florida, Missouri and Texas unlawfully threatened, surveilled, disciplined, and/or terminated employees in anticipation of or in response to employees’ other protected concerted activities.

“In order to silence its employees, Walmart has used the threat of discipline and termination. They even used their spokesman in two national television news broadcasts to threaten workers who were planning on striking and protesting,” said Michell K. McIntyre, NCL’s Outreach Director on Labor & Worker Rights. “Walmart doesn’t make empty threats – at least 43 workers were disciplined and as least 23 were fired.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Another nominee for the US Court of Appeals in DC needlessly blocked – National Consumers League

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By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director
The US Senate has rejected President Obama’s pick to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia yet again. The nominee, Georgetown Professor Cornelia Pillard, is a highly qualified lawyer who has very strong credentials and a very moderate record.

Senate was not able to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP procedural blockade as the measure failed by a vote of 56 to 41. Two Republican women Senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted to support the nominee. Nina – the name Professor Pillard goes by – is a friend of consumers and a personal acquaintance. I know her to be moderate in every way.

Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that he believes the minority in the Senate doesn’t want women on the Court. “Women are grossly underrepresented in our federal courts. So what kind of message are Senate Republicans sending by refusing to even allow a vote on three of the most qualified female attorneys in this country?” When I say Pillard is a moderate, I’m talking about the fact that she worked twice in the administration of President Bill Clinton — at the solicitor general’s office, which handles Supreme Court cases, and later in the Justice Department.

Democratic White Houses in the last 30 years, and democratic DOJs, in my experience, don’t hire anything but moderates or moderate liberals. Republican administrations, by contrast, tend to hire people far more on the right wing side of the spectrum than democrats hire on the left. For whatever reason, that is the reality. Yes, Professor Pillard supports a woman’s right to choose, a position held by the majority of Americans, but it doesn’t make her a radical of any description. She is utterly moderate in every way.

Nina also worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and has argued nine cases before the Supreme Court.  How many lawyers can say they even argued one case before the Supreme Court? And several were cases in support of consumer’s access to the courts. Senator Dick Durbin, a member of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Leahy, the chair are now saying the time has come to change the rules, perhaps requiring only a majority vote for confirmation. That has its pitfalls for the Democrats if they were to lose the Senate.

In the meantime, there are 18 vacancies in the US Courts of Appeals nationally and 74 vacancies in US District Courts that need to be filled. Holding up nominees for no good reason – they are all highly qualified and all are moderates who embody the President’s vision – could cause a showdown in the coming weeks. I hope the minority in the Senate comes to its senses and approves these qualified candidates.

National Consumers League statement on introduction of Cruise Vessel Consumer Confidence Act – National Consumers League

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November 15, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League, America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today applauded Congressman John Garamendi for introducing H.R. 3475, the Cruise Vessel Consumer Confidence Act. The bill would empower the Federal Maritime Commission to protect travelers purchasing cruise vacations from deceptive practices and anticompetitive practices by cruise line operators.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“Consumers often save for months or years to pay for a cruise vacation.  Cruises can create lasting memories that help consumers take a break from the daily grind and enjoy a break on the high seas. Unfortunately, consumers are all too familiar with horror stories stemming from cruise ship breakdowns, including poor sanitation, lack of food and water and poor after-incident responses from the cruise lines. Consumers deserve to know the track record of a particular ship while they are shopping for tickets.   This bill is long overdue and will do much to restore consumer confidence in the cruise industry by putting a dedicated advocate – the Federal Maritime Commission – in their corner.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on wireless device unlocking – National Consumers League

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November 15, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League today applauded FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler for calling on the wireless industry to swiftly enact pro-consumer policies regarding mobile device unlocking.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“Consumers will benefit from policies that make it easier to unlock the mobile devices that they own. Chairman Wheeler’s letter makes it clear that the FCC is focused on ensuring that consumers have the freedom to easily take their own devices with them when they switch wireless carriers. This change is low-hanging fruit that will promote competition in the wireless industry and benefit millions of users.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Consumer groups call on Congress to defend country of origin labeling law in Farm Bill from efforts to weaken it – National Consumers League

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November 13, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, D.C.- Today, the National Consumers League (NCL), along with the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Food & Water Watch and Public Citizen, are calling on the Representatives and Senators responsible for finalizing the Farm Bill to dissuade them from changing the current U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law.  The current COOL law, put in place by the 2008 Farm Bill, covers a variety of foods ranging from meat and poultry to fish, vegetables, and many nuts.  Advocates argue that country-of-origin labeling is popular among consumers who are interested in knowing from where their foods are coming.

“Country-of-origin Labeling empowers consumers through education and supports American cattlemen and businesses owners,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL.  “Repealing or weakening this broadly supported law would be damaging to consumer’s purchasing rights. We, along with our fellow consumer groups, hope members of Congress keep in mind the broad support of this protective law when deliberating the Farm Bill.”

To read the full letter, click here (PDF).

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Understanding ‘sell by’ dates – National Consumers League

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The amount of food wasted in America is disturbingly high. Around 40 percent of the U.S. food supply is thrown away unused every year due, in part, to confusing food date labeling. More than 90 percent of Americans have thrown out food prior to its actual expiration date. Recently, a push has been made to reduce the amount of food that grocery stores are disposing of by repurposing it in cheap prepared meals or donating it to food banks. At home, consumers can reduce food waste by learning the truth about “use by” date labeling.

According to a Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic study on waste associated with food date labeling, food dating emerged in the 1970s due to consumer demand. Americans were starting to produce less of their own food and purchasing more processed grocery store products, but there were no standards for indicating how long the food products could be safely consumed. Consumers pushed for a uniform, regulated food-dating system.

Unfortunately, food date labeling was never a priority to Congress, which failed to pass federally regulated guidelines indicating an expiration date for various foods. It was decided that food dating wasn’t an issue of public health and thus didn’t need to be federally regulated. Instead, states took this issue into their own hands, providing Americans with a patchwork quilt of laws across the United States that engaged dating terms such as “use by,” “best by,” and “sell by.” Today, food dating regulations exist mainly at the state level, with some at the local level, in 41 states. Baby formula remains the only federally-regulated food dated product because necessary nutrients and potency are lost as time progresses.

Not only are the current regulations confusing and incongruent, but their purpose is overwhelmingly misunderstood and assumed to be an “expiration date.” In reality, the purpose of food date labels is to ensure that products are eaten at their peak quality, not to determine when the product is no longer safe to consume. Therein originates the problem of food waste. It’s actually quite uncommon to get sick from foods that are past their use by/sell by dates, as it is not a measure of food safety but instead a measure of peak freshness. In most cases, smell and sight are good indicators that a food has turned. If you’re still not sure, the Internet has some great resources (like foodsafety.gov), which could aid in the decision-making process.

Both “use by” and “best by” dates are intended for consumer use to specify a time at which the peak freshness of a product begins to deteriorate. These dates say nothing about whether the food is safe to eat or not; they are created by the manufacturer strictly for food quality purposes. “Sell by” dates are a tool for manufacturers and sellers to determine proper turnover of a product. At one time, “sell by” dates were coded so the consumer didn’t know what the label meant, but when the movement for better labeling began in the 1970’s many grocers voluntarily adopted the practice of transparently labeling “sell by” dates because it was what consumers wanted.

Today “sell by” dates can prove to be more confusing than helpful, causing unnecessary food waste as many consumers assume foods past the “sell by” date have gone bad. A need for federally regulated food expiration dates still exists, but, in the meantime, consumers should know that their own senses and some light Internet research might be the best determinant of whether foods are fit to eat or if they really do need to be tossed.

Free webinar: Improving communication between patients and health care professionals – National Consumers League

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Dr. Ira Wilson of Brown University will lead the webinar “Medication Adherence in Practice” on November 19. Three out of four Americans do not take their medications as prescribed. Open communication between health care professionals and their patients can be a powerful tool for improving rates of medication adherence.

Health care professionals including nurses, doctors, and pharmacists can inform patients about the importance of taking their medicines as directed in order to improve overall health outcomes. Often, it is difficult to know the right questions to ask for both the patient and health care professional.

NCL’s Script Your Future campaign is holding its first-ever free webinar for health care professionals to learn how to talk with patients about taking medication as directed.  This webinar, on November 19 at 12noon Eastern, is a part of ongoing efforts to provide resources to both patients and health care professionals about medication adherence and how to improve communication in the health care setting. There are many reasons why people don’t take their medicine as directed, including forgetfulness, side effects, not sure they need medicine, and cost. Having that conversation to understand the patients’ concerns can help health care professionals provide better care.

Featuring Dr. Ira Wilson from Brown University, the webinar will present health care professionals with tools to communicate effectively with patients. Dr. Wilson will include real-world examples and solutions that he has developed over the years to establish trust with his patients and improve care.

This webinar is a must-attend for any professional who is looking to improve their skills.Join this free webinar today by registering here. Bring your questions to this exciting and interactive event! What: Webinar for health care professionals – doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, etc. When: Tuesday, November 19, 12noon – 1 pm Eastern Contact Ayanna Johnson at ayannaj@nclnet.org with any questions. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org.

Statement on the passing of filmmaker, photographer, child labor advocate U. Roberto Romano – National Consumers League

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November 12, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) is deeply saddened to learn of the death of U. Roberto Romano—Robin—to his many friends. Robin passed away on November 1st, after a brief illness and a longer battle against Lyme disease. Robin was a distinguished filmmaker and photographer who captured images of child labor that were used by advocacy groups around the world, including the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), which is co-chaired by NCL.

Robin’s films child labor films include “Stolen Childhoods” (co-directed by fellow CLC member Len Morris), a film that highlighted the worst forms of child labor around the world, “The Darker Side of Chocolate” and “Shady Chocolate” (both co-directed by Miki Mistrati), which unmasked child slavery and child trafficking in West Africa’s cocoa farms, and “The Harvest/La Cosecha,” a deeply emotional film revealing the plight of child farmworkers in the United States. His impressive body of film work, coupled with the thousands of child labor photographs he took, provided the child labor advocacy community with great tools to raise awareness about child labor within the U.S. and abroad.

“Robin Romano cannot be replaced. His contributions to child labor advocacy have made a profound difference in the Child Labor Coalition’s work; he also worked collaboratively with several CLC members—groups like GoodWeave, the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, and the International Labor Rights Forum—fighting to protect children from the worst forms of child labor around the world,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL and CLC co-chair.

“I had the pleasure of helping Robin on a film shoot and have worked with him for over a decade,” said CLC Coordinator Reid Maki. “He was indefatigable—a whirlwind of activity, shooting video and stills with several cameras around his neck, determined to capture perfect images. Robin was also an active and passionate participant in our CLC strategy sessions aimed at reducing the worst forms of child labor. His wonderful sense of humor combined with focused outrage to made him a formidable warrior in the fight to protect children. It is hard to imagine how we will move forward without him.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.

About the Child Labor Coalition

The Child Labor Coalition is comprised of 30 organizations, representing consumers, labor unions, educators, human rights and labor rights groups, child advocacy groups, and religious groups. It was established in 1989, and is co-chaired by the National Consumers League and the American Federation of Teachers. Its mission is to protect working youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad. For more information, please call CLC Coordinator Reid Maki at (202) 207-2820 [reidm@nclnet.org].

New report might make you think twice about spicing up your food – National Consumers League

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kelsey By Kelsey Albright, Linda Golodner Food Safety & Nutrition Fellow Insect parts, rodent hairs and salmonella.  According to a report recently released by the FDA, spices are twice as likely to be adulterated with these dangerous contaminants than other imported foods.  With 12% of spices containing rodent hairs, whole or partial insects and “other things” (i.e. rodent feces), as well as rates of salmonella being as high as 7%, Americans have reason to be wary of their spices. 

The problem causing such high contamination rates are the way in which spices are farmed and stored.  Spices often come from very small farms that engage in older processes such as hand harvesting and drying the spices out the in sun.  Another problem is that spices are frequently stored in warehouses for years, increasing their chances of exposure to insects and rodents.  The study found that spices imported from Mexico and India had the highest rates of contamination.  With one quarter of the world’s spices coming from India, such findings are great cause for concern.

80 different types of salmonella, the most disturbing among these contaminants, were identified throughout the three year study.  While fewer than 2,000 people had salmonella related illnesses directly connected to spices between 1973 and 2010, it’s unclear how high these numbers could actually be as many people forget to report eating spices when recalling which foods may have sickened them. The good news is that the Food Safety Modernization Act will likely clean up overseas practices for companies importing their goods to this country.  It’s a constant battle to see that these new regulations are implemented in a timely manner and comprehensively address all importation issues but the fact that change is on its way is something we, as consumers, should applaud.

Consumer group praises FDA determination on trans fat – National Consumers League

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November 8, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC- The nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization is praising this week’s announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its intent to no longer qualify partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of artificial trans fat, as a safe additive for use in processed foods. FDA plans to require approval for PHO additives, making foods with unapproved PHO additives illegal.

“Consumers deserve to feel that the food they’re buying is safe and healthy,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. “We have known for years that trans fats are not healthy, and many food manufacturers and consumers have taken steps to reduce the amount we consume. However, it’s time to make it official, and we are pleased to see the FDA take such definitive action to remove this harmful product from the marketplace.”

Trans fat originating from PHOs is currently found in a variety of processed foods, including frozen pizza, coffee creamer, microwave popcorn, and margarine.

In 1990, a surgeon general’s report publicized the harmful effects of trans fat, which prompted food manufacturers to use less trans fat in food. According to an FDA report, American consumers reduced their trans fat consumption from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to about a gram a day in 2012. The current intake, however, remains a concern. A report by the Centers for Disease Control states that further reduction in the amount of trans fat Americans consume could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease annually. The Institute of Medicine concluded that there is no safe level of artificial trans fat consumption.

Should the new determination by FDA be finalized, it would cover only partially hydrogenated oils, not naturally occurring trans fats in meat and dairy products. The FDA has opened a 60-day comment period after which it will review submitted comments and finalize its preliminary determination. Once finalized, this determination will take great steps toward the elimination of artificial trans fat.

“This action by FDA is a victory for consumers who seek a more healthful diet,” said Greenberg. “Eliminating unhealthy trans fats will ensure that even those consumers who aren’t aware of its dangers no longer have access to something that shouldn’t be a part of their diets.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.