Politicians take note: Wall Street protests reflect popular sentiment – National Consumers League

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By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director 

NCL has joined with consumer and labor groups over the last few years on measures to reign in the egregious executive compensation provided to heads of American corporations. Since the 1970’s, executive pay has more than quadrupled while the salaries earned by average workers has fallen by 10 percent. The Dodd-Frank Act passed in 2010 included provisions requiring companies to report the spread between the highest and lowest paid employees.

I’ve often been surprised at the lack of public outrage when CEO pay hits these ridiculous levels – rising well beyond $10 million in many companies. But now we are finally seeing public outrage in the form of the “Occupy Wall Street” protests about the excesses of too many banks and corporations – including getting bailed out with taxpayer funds, as they were several years ago, and then distributing generous bonuses and benefit packages to executives.

To their credit, the anti-Wall Street protests are going far beyond executive compensation and bailouts. They are tapping into what the Washington Post’s polling shows is widespread anger and mistrust of Wall Street: 68 percent of independents and 60 percent of Republicans have an unfavorable view of big financial institutions. Polls also show that 65 percent or so of Americans believe that millionaires should pay higher taxes – and the same number supports the President’s jobs plan.

I don’t know whether these anti-Wall Street demonstrators have begun a movement that will last – I hope they have – but I think the leadership in the House and the minority in the Senate, which has blocked the higher tax on millionaires and the Obama jobs plan, should take notice of this movement that is spreading to cities, not only in America, but across the globe. They ignore these protests at their peril.

NCL statement in support of the Wireless Tax Fairness Act – National Consumers League

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November 4, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC-Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League, issued this statement in support of the Wireless Tax Fairness Act HR 1002, which will be voted on by the US House of Representatives this evening.

“The National Consumers League supports HR 1002, the Wireless Tax Fairness Action of 2011, because it will slow the exploding number of taxes imposed on consumers and users of wireless phones and other services. Consumers in 46 states now pay wireless taxes, fees, and government charges that exceed the retail sales tax rate.

For millions of Americans, cell phones have replaced landlines in providing phone services. The millions of consumers who receive a cell phone bill each month- and many of these customers are middle and lower middle income Americans- with taxes imposed that they don’t understand – in some states a gross receipts tax is imposed on top of a sales tax –are paying taxes that add significantly to their overall bill. Unfortunately, without this legislation, there appears to be no end in sight; state and local governments will continue treat consumers who use wireless devices as a “cash cow” for local projects.

The NCL understands that state and local governments need to raise revenues to pay for essential services – fire and ambulance, schools and hospitals, roads and infrastructure -and we support their right to do so through a democratic process, which includes the passage of tax laws that are supported by the citizens. The ever-increasing taxes imposed on consumers who use wireless services are the wrong approach, however, and have reached unacceptable levels. This bill’s moratorium will give state and local governments the opportunity to join with consumers and others in an effort to reform communications taxes, an effort that is long overdue.”

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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.

Lessons from the Listeria outbreak – National Consumers League

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By Teresa Green, NCL’s Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow

The recent outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in Jensen Farms cantaloupes has sickened 139 and claimed at least 29 lives. Because of its long incubation period, these numbers may continue to rise for the next several weeks. Here are some things this outbreak has reinforced and taught us.

  • Like all foodborne illnesses, Listeria is especially dangerous for vulnerable populations. This includes the elderly, young children, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant women. In this outbreak, the median age of those who have passed away is 84 and four pregnant women have been affected.
  • The most unique feature of this outbreak is that it is the first time there has been an outbreak of Listeria in cantaloupe. This reiterates that while some bacteria are more common in some types of food, no food can be said to be completely safe from a given pathogen. This only makes robust safety practices that much more important.
  • While only one brand of cantaloupe has been implicated in the recent outbreak, the recall has nonetheless impacted the entire industry. This is due to the fact that in many cases, consumers do not differentiate between brands and are avoiding cantaloupe altogether. At the moment, cantaloupe growers in Arizona and California are losing millions of dollars and in some cases not even bothering to harvest their produce. The devastating impact of an outbreak and subsequent recall emphasizes the need for a focus on preventative safety measures as part of good business.
  • One of the most startling aspects of the Jensen Farm outbreak is that it received high marks in an independent audit less than a month before the start of the outbreak. Jensen Farms’ 96 out of 100 rating highlights the variability possible in third party audits and the fact that a good “grade” does not necessarily mean a firm has achieved the highest level of safety.
  • The FDA report on the cause of the outbreak cited several unsanitary conditions at the packing plant as likely causes of the Listeria outbreak. These included pooling water on the floor of the plant and machinery that was difficult to clean. The root cause investigation revealed that simple changes to the sanitary practices at the plant could have gone a long way towards preventing an outbreak.
  • The biggest takeaway from this tragic outbreak is that the produce industry needs clear regulations regarding safety practices. As part of the recently passed Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the FDA will have to establish “mandatory, science-based, minimum standards” for the production of fruits and vegetables. These standards will clarify expectations around safety practices and ensure a safer supply for consumers. For those impacted by this outbreak, these standards will come too late. For the rest of us, they can’t come soon enough.

This outbreak of Listeria has taught us many things about foodborne illness, but the most important takeaway is that good food safety practices play a vital role in preventing contamination. Only when we make food safety a priority can we hope to avoid future outbreaks.

Surgeon General joins Baltimore launch of national Script Your Future campaign to highlight importance of taking medication as directed – National Consumers League

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November 2, 2011

Contact: Kerry O’Neill, (410) 902-5035, koneill@mghus.com

Baltimore, MD—While most Americans recognize the importance of taking prescribed medication as directed, people who skip or forget doses are less likely to understand the health consequences of medication non-adherence, according to a new survey released this morning by the National Consumers League (NCL) as part of its national Script Your Future campaign. At today’s Baltimore launch of the multi-year national Script Your Future campaign, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin encouraged patients with chronic conditions to speak with their health care professionals about their medication.

Poor medication adherence is a growing public health concern, and addressing the problem is especially critical as the number of Americans affected by at least one chronic condition requiring medication therapy is expected to grow from 133 to 157 million by 2020.  Nearly three out of four Americans report that they do not always take their medication as directed, a problem that causes more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations, nearly 125,000 deaths in the United States each year, and adds $290 billion in avoidable costs to the health care system annually.

“Our national challenge is to prevent poor health outcomes and to become a healthy and fit nation.  One way is for the health care community and patients to come together to address medication non-adherence, which is a major public health problem,” said Dr. Benjamin.  “Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals can help prevent many serious health complications by initiating conversations with their patients about the importance of taking medication as directed.  This is especially important for people with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure, who may have a number of medicines to take each day.”

Script Your Future brings together Baltimore area stakeholders in health care, business and government to offer practical tools for patients to help them better adhere to their medication, and to help health care professionals  better communicate with patients.  Baltimore is one of six regional target markets in which the campaign will pilot interventions, outreach activities, research and advertising.  The local coalition includes more than a dozen Baltimore-based health care stakeholders including University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the Maryland Pharmacists Association, and Pfizer.  Today’s event is also an official stop on the AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour, which provides mobile health tests to communities across the country.

The consumer survey results released today show that nationally and in Baltimore, those patients who do not always take their medication as directed are less likely to have received a full explanation of the consequences of their condition, and are less convinced of the importance of adherence. Communication between patients and their health care professionals is one key factor. More than three quarters (79 percent) of patients in Baltimore say they are very willing to raise questions or concerns about prescribed medicines with their health care professional, but only 55 percent say their doctor routinely asks about problems taking medication.  Among less adherent patients, communication with health care professionals is even less frequent.

“There are many reasons why people don’t take their medicine as directed, from concerns about side effects to the out-of-pocket costs of prescriptions, but the more a patient understands the impact medication has on their health, the more likely they are to keep up with their medication.  Script Your Future is working in Baltimore and communities across the country to encourage more conversations about the health consequences of non-adherence and to provide patients and their health care professionals with a range of online tools and resources to help improve adherence among patients with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma,” said Rebecca Burkholder, Vice President of Health Policy for the NCL.

The survey, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, also found that patients view automatic refills, reduced co-pays and pill boxes as useful tools for improving adherence.  In particular, three quarters of Baltimore patients find a list of questions for their healthcare professional to be a helpful tool.

“As we launch the campaign locally, the research reinforces the need to make medication adherence a priority in Baltimore, where 14 percent of residents are living with diabetes and 1 in 3 with high blood pressure,” said Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD., CGP, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy. “Our local efforts are aimed at raising awareness and making tools for adherence more accessible to consumers.”

Script Your Future tools include free text message reminders, sample questions for patients to ask health care practitioners, medication lists, condition management sheets, and fact sheets on common chronic conditions.  All of these materials can be found on the campaign website, www.ScriptYourFuture.org.

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Script Your Future is a campaign of the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org.  For more information on NCL, please visit www.nclnet.org.

Another attempt by the House Majority to slash workers rights – National Consumers League

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By Michell K. McIntyre, Project Director of NCL’s Special Project on Wage Theft 

Last week, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s Jobs Agenda, which he designed to end numerous regulations he termed “job killing,” pushed H.R. 3094, or the “Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act,” which passed the House Committee on Education and Workforce by a party line vote of 23 for the majority and 16 for the minority. Rep. John Kline admittedly designed H.R. 3094 to roll back decisions made by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after they ruled against Boeing for its unfair treatment of union workers in Washington State.

H.R. 3094 would be better named the ‘Union Election Prevention Act’ as it seeks to delay and ultimately prevent union representation elections from happening, thus denying workers the opportunity to have a voice at work. The bill would interfere with the elections process and flood the NLRB with hundreds of appeals from companies designed to hold up elections.

In the mark-up session this week, the House majority continuously batted down any and all amendments offered by the minority, including a plan to create employment opportunities for Americans by investing in the crumbling infrastructure of America’s schools. This amendment, offered by Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), would have meant immediate jobs for teachers, construction workers, electricians, and countless others across the country.

In a toxic environment, with one side not even willing to listen to the other, partisan rhetoric was deeply troubling. At this point, there is no way that this current committee will come together to create a bipartisan and meaningful jobs bill. H.R. 3094 will surely pass the House of Representatives with a party line vote and move on to the Senate. With any hope, the Senate will simply sit on this terrible bill and never let it become law.

Advocates mourn passing of Virginia Knauer – National Consumers League

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October 31, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League mourns the death this month of Virginia Knauer, who served as head of the Office of Consumer Affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Knauer was a friend and colleague of the League, and she spoke out on a range of consumer issues that are as important today as they were in 1969 when she was appointed.

“Ginny Knauer was an important ally in the fight for consumer protection. She called for consumers to have the right to bring class-action suits, not just in states, but in federal courts; she argued for a comprehensive system of product safety standards and simpler language in product warranties,” said Jane King, NCL’s Board Chair. “She was ahead of her time.”

Anna Flores, who serves on NCL’s Board of Directors and worked with the staff at the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, said about Knauer: “She used the bully pulpit on behalf of consumers in speeches around the country—including her observation that ‘the consumer is getting fed up with shoddy material, poor quality, unsafe products, bad service, weak warranties, lack of adequate information’. Her voice on behalf of consumers was very important; indeed, this is a voice that is sorely missing in today’s political discourse.”

Knauer called herself a “pipeline to the President for consumers”  and she certainly was. She served as spokeswoman for consumer rights and protections during an important period in American history. While NCL is saddened by the passing of Virginia Knauer, the League gratefully acknowledges Knauer’s unflinching advocacy on behalf of consumers.

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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.

Nixon-era consumer advocate dies – National Consumers League

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By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director

This week a consumer advocate who I admired greatly and who often attended heavily Democratic consumer conferences—even though she had worked for Richard Nixon—died. Her name was Virginia Knauer, and I regarded her as a friend and colleague. She was appointed to the post of Office of Consumer Affairs under President Richard Nixon in 1969, filling in a slot created by Nixon’s predecessor Lyndon Johnson. I introduced her a few times when I was on panels at consumer conferences and few in the audience remembered her.

Knauer won over critics and advocated for things consumers support now but that, sadly, no Republican in Congress today would ever support: she wanted consumers to have the right to bring class-action suits, not just in state, but in federal courts; she argued for a comprehensive system of product safety standards and simpler language in product warranties.

Knauer spoke her mind with her more conservative colleagues. She insisted that the fat content of hot dogs not exceed 30 percent, rather than 33 percent. Nixon took her side because, as he told her, “I’m on a low-cholesterol diet myself!”

In her day she was regarded by Ralph Nader and Senator Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT) as without clout or power. They were right that she couldn’t make many of the legislative changes they sought, but her use of the bully pulpit on behalf of consumers in speeches around the country—including her common refrain that “the consumer is getting fed up with shoddy material, poor quality, unsafe products, bad service, weak warranties, lack of adequate information…” was very important; indeed, this is a voice that is sorely missing in today’s in political discourse.

Ginny Knauer helped to create the Federal Consumer Information Center to distribute low-cost consumer publications, a program that goes on today and that NCL uses to get our materials out.

Knauer called herself a “pipeline to the President for consumers.” We could use more of those people today. If only our own President Obama would appoint someone to the post Ginny Knauer held! The world would be a better place for consumers.

Stock up on worker-friendly treats this Halloween – National Consumers League

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October 28, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (2020 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The nation’s oldest consumer and worker advocacy organization is calling on parents stocking up on Halloween treats this weekend to make worker-friendly purchases. The National Consumers League, the Washington, DC-based consumer and worker’s rights organization, has announced an effort to fill trick-or-treaters’ bags with union-made candy.

“In just a few days, children across the country will cheerfully announce their presence at doorways hoping to receive sweet treats. While Halloween certainly belongs to kids, we adults, get to make some decisions too. This year, we’re calling on parents to be smart about the candy they purchase and hand out, find out if it’s made by unionized workers who are paid a fair wage,” said Michell K. McIntyre, Director of NCL’s Special Project on Wage Theft.

A few labor-friendly candy manufactures include Nestle, Ghiradelli Chocolates, Hershey, Gimbals Fine Candies, Just Born, Necco, Nabisco, and Keebler. One fly in the ointment is Hershey, which was many union workers but had more than its fair share of wage violations this year. From the exploitation of foreign J-1 visa student workers in its packing facility to the second class-action lawsuit being filed against the company for failing to pay its employees for overtime, Hershey’s domestic labor problems are not the company’s only issue.

Hershey has also been criticized by child labor advocates who have organized a “No Hershey’s Halloween,” because the company sources cocoa to make chocolate from West Africa where there are up to two million children working under conditions considered to be among the “worst forms of child labor.” While many chocolate companies have taken steps to trace their cocoa purchasing to reduce child labor from their supply chains, the Hershey Company lags behind its competitors.

At Union Plus, a Web site established by the AFL-CIO to provide consumer benefits to members and retirees of participating labor unions, consumers can view a list of approved candy choices provided by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM); snack foods by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); or fruit and nuts from members of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

“NCL is happy to join with union allies and working families to encourage consumers to vote with their pocketbooks and support worker-friendly candy manufacturers this Halloween,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director.

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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.

Buy worker-friendly treats this Halloween – National Consumers League

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Trick or treat? Soon children all across the country will cheerfully announce their presence at doorways hoping to receive sweet treats. While Halloween certainly belongs to kids, we adults, get to make some decisions too – costumes being weather- and age-appropriate and what kind of candy to stock for the big night. For costume decisions, we base it on weather conditions (how cold and wet will it be?) and the age of the kids (is a five-year-old too young to go as Snooki or Charlie Sheen?). But for candy, what should we look for?

This year, consumers can check out this list of union-made candy to rest assured that the majority of the companies listed are paying their workers a fair wage and decent benefits.

Unfortunately, one major union-made candy producer is, of late, not treating their workers so well. The Hershey Company has had more than its fair share of wage violations this year. Ranging from the exploitation of J-1 visa student workers from overseas working in its packing facility to the second class-action lawsuit being filed against the company for failing to pay its employees for overtime, Hershey has engaged in unethical and possibly illegal examples of wage theft.

With the economy still struggling to recover and Americans trying to keep their heads above water, advocates are urging consumers to make worker-friendly choices when spending money on candy for Halloween celebrations.

A good day for workers rights in California – National Consumers League

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By Michell K. McIntyre, NCL’s Special Project on Wage Theft

October 9 was not only a good day in California history, but also a good day in labor history, for Governor Jerry Brown signed some great workers’ rights bills into law. He signed the Wage Theft Prevention Act (AB 469), the Employee Classification Act (SB 459), a farm workers’ right bill (AB 243) and many others. These laws represent huge steps forward in the battle to protect workers’ rights in a difficult political climate.

While the majority in House of Representatives is looking to erode workers’ rights in favor of corporate interests, often under the mantle of ending “job killing regulations,” it’s encouraging to see three workers’ rights bills become law in a state that, in 2009, was the world’s eighth largest economy.

These laws strive to prevent wage theft, strengthen existing laws protecting workers’ rights and increase penalties on employers caught cheating their employees. Some of the main points of each of the new laws:

The Wage Theft Prevention Act (AB 469):

  • Employers are to provide workers, at the time they’re hired, a written disclosure of their basic terms of employment – the pay rate, the pay day & the name and address of the legal employer
  • Strengthens misdemeanor criminal penalties for employers who willfully fail to pay wages due in 90 days after final judgment
  • Allows a worker to recover attorney’s fees to enforce a court judgment for unpaid wages

The Employee Classification Act (SB 459):

  • Makes it unlawful for any person or employer to engage in willful employee misclassification – classifying an employee as an independent contractor rather than an employee
  • Makes it unlawful to charge any fees or make any deductions in a worker’s paycheck for expenses such as space rental, services, repairs, goods or materials, where such deductions would have been unlawful had the worker been classified as an employee
  • Increases penalties that can be assessed against any employer for willful employee misclassification.
  • Requires employers who have been found to have committed employee misclassification to display a notice to its employees and the general public on their website and/or each location where it occurred

One of many farm workers’ rights bills signed into law was Assembly Bill 243 that requires farm labor contractors to disclose on workers’ pay stubs the name and address of the legal entity that secured the farm labor contractor’s services. Many farm workers do not know who their legal employer is nor whom they should be addressing with employment and payment issues.

These three laws are good practical examples of what can happen on a state level since the federal government is slower to move and faces larger lobbying efforts by big business and industry. Other state governments should take notice of these workers’ rights victories and try passing similar laws in their states.