Challenging Times for USPS – National Consumers League

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By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director

Last week I had the opportunity to hear the Postmaster General speak at the National Press Club here in Washington, DC. *John Potter took the time at the luncheon address to lay out the challenges facing the United States Postal Service (USPS) and offer possible solutions. NCL has a long history of working with USPS to disseminate information to consumers about changes in postal service and or new services being offered. Postal service remains very important to consumers today, despite the alternative ways of communicating.

I learned a lot of new information about USPS a few weeks back when I met at their L’Enfant Plaza headquarters:

  • For one, they don’t receive taxpayer subsidies. The Postal Service is a self-funded government entity and gets no financial assistance from Congress. I had thought USPS was supported in part by our taxes. It is not, but it also under Congressional mandate to provide a lot of specific services. So it suffers from a kind of Catch-22 – it gets no financial support from Congress but has to do what Congress mandates.
  • I also learned that with 650,000 workers, the Postal Service is America’s third-largest employer, after Wal-Mart and the Defense Department. It has the nation’s biggest vehicle fleet — and high gas prices cost it $500 million last year.
  • I didn’t know you could get your passport renewed through the Post Office.
  • I learned that USPS has a recycling program, providing bags that seal up and can be mailed, allowing consumers to send – free of charge – small electronics to a site that will dispose of any harmful chemicals and recycle the parts. USPS is a leader in green technology and sustainability. Earlier this month, USPS won the first Environmental Achievement of the Year award presented by *Postal Technology International magazine, thanks to several sustainable initiatives including a recycling program, green facilities, and a fuel-efficient vehicle program. The Postal Service’s mail recycling program is currently in 16,000 Post Offices and has diverted an estimated 24,000 tons of recyclable paper from landfills. The Postal Service is also transitioning to fuel-efficient vehicles, with a goal to reduce its petroleum use by 20 percent by 2015.

But USPS is also facing steep reductions in the number of pieces of mail it handles because of email, fax, and other technologies. The Postal Service predicts that mail volume will plunge to 180 billion pieces by the end of fiscal year 2009, from 212 billion pieces as recently as 2007. That means reduced revenue.

On the table for reducing the deficits USPS faces is ending Saturday delivery and closing a number of the smaller post offices. USPS estimates that ending Saturday deliveries could result in annual savings of $3.5 billion. The requirement for six-day delivery service was mandated by Congress in 1983 when technology and consumer access were much different than they are today. Among the other strategies for reducing USPS’ deficit are these:

  • New processes for evaluating and adjusting city delivery routes
  • Reduction of employee work hours and overtime by pursuing even greater efficiencies throughout the organization
  • Halting construction of new postal facilities and directing funds to the sites with the most critical needs (i.e., buildings badly damaged or destroyed by natural disasters)
  • Improved fleet management and delivery routing to reduce fuel usage
  • Expanded energy efficiency to reduce energy use throughout Postal Service facilities
  • Reductions in employee travel budgets through the use of Web and video technology to conduct meetings and conferences
  • Renegotiations of supplier contracts to reflect reduced needs

A February 2009 USA TODAY/Gallup Poll indicated that most consumers support cutting back mail services — closing post offices, trimming deliveries from six days a week to five — rather than raising stamp prices or using taxpayers’ money for a bailout.

I appreciated the Postmaster General’s remarks, which were upbeat and positive but grounded in the real financial challenges USPS faces. He also spoke highly of the postal workers and the positive relationships the Post Office maintains with the unions. The Postal Service is very important to American consumers. NCL looks forward to working with USPS as it confronts some very difficult challenges that lie ahead.

 

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

Former Child Farmworker Advocating for Change – National Consumers League

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By Reid Maki, Child Labor Coalition Coordinator

Norma Flores (left) speaks with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis at the 2009 Trumpeter Awards Dinner.

At the National Consumers League‘s (NCL) annual Trumpeter awards dinner earlier this month, I watched a young women with a surprising background mesmerize nearly 500 people with her story. We heard terrific speeches by award recipients U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, CBS News’ Steve Kroft, and California Business Reporter Lynn Jimenez, but the most surprising speech to me was from Norma Flores Lopez, who spoke about her childhood harvesting fruits and vegetables in American fields.

Norma, who is now in her mid-20s, was one of the hundreds of thousands of farmworker children who toil daily in American fields to feed us consumers. She began working with her four sisters in the fields when she was only 12 because of loopholes in United States child labor law that allow children working in agriculture to work at younger ages than children in other industries.

“I can still remember waking up at four in the morning, sitting at the edge of my bed, lacing up my muddy boots, grabbing my hoe and walking towards the old school bus waiting for us in the [migrant] camp parking lot,” said Norma. Because of the heavy morning dews, she often started work in a raincoat. A few hours later, the blazing sun made her sweat like crazy.

“I hated it,” said Norma. “I hated to work in the fields.  I hated getting sweaty and dirty. I hated getting blisters and cuts and sunburns. I hated finishing my row of work only to see there was no water to drink at the end. I hated to have to walk half a mile to go to a dirty portable toilet. I hated how the work affected me outside of the fields. I hated having to enroll in school late every year, to have to make up months of assignments and have to fight to get my school credits. More than anything, I hated knowing my parents needed me out there to make ends meet, because it meant I couldn’t say no. Even though I was only a kid, I knew I didn’t belong there. I knew I could do more than hoe weeds for 70 hours a week.”

“Child labor in agriculture wears you down emotionally and physically, and is one of the most dangerous occupations,” added Norma, who now works on the Children in the Fields Campaign for the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs based in Washington, DC. NCL and the Child Labor Coalition, which NCL co-chairs, are partners on the campaign, which seeks to remove the loopholes that allow children like Norma and her sisters to work at very young ages in the fields.

An estimated 400,000 children help harvest our food. Norma is aware she is one of the lucky survivors of the years of hard work. She worked hard to get into a prestigious high school in Texas, did well, and went on to graduate from college. Many farmworker kids are not so lucky. Advocates believe the school dropout rate for migrant children is between 50 and 80 percent.

Norma worries about the kids left to work with their families, and she urged her attentive audience to help pass the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment, a bill introduced by Representative Lucille Royball-Allard of California this September. The CARE Act will address the inequities and harsh conditions faced by children currently employed in agriculture in the United States by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to remove the exemptions that allow children in agriculture to work at younger ages than other industries — unless they are working on their family’s farm, noted Norma. It will also increase the penalties for violators of the child labor laws and require greater data collection from the Department of Labor.

With Secretary of Labor Solis listening on, Norma thanked the cabinet member for her co-sponsorship of an earlier version of CARE when she was in Congress, as well as her work on behalf of farmworkers.

“Although I am married now and working in DC, thousands of miles away from the fields I grew up working in, I am still very connected to the migrant farmworker community, said Norma. “My parents are currently working in Iowa’s corn fields, and my two younger sisters continue to help them by working by their sides. I continue to see the problems that have plagued the farmworker communities—from the housing conditions, to the working conditions, to the plight of child labor in agriculture.”

“Changes need to be made now to ensure all children have a healthy childhood and access to quality education,” Norma urged.

Anyone interested in being placed on a listserve to get updates about the Children in the Fields Campaign and the progress of the CARE Act should email NCL at reidm@nclnet.org.

Consumerist.com Honored With Consumer Education Leadership Award – National Consumers League

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Consumerist.com's Ben Popken and Meghann Marco, recipients of this year's Parker Award.

By John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud

Last Thursday, NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg and I traveled to the Riverside Church in New York City for the 27th Annual Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and Reception.  The event, organized by the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc. in collaboration with the Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC), which is now part of NCL, honors those individuals and organizations that have promoted the public interest in telecommunications and broadcasting.

We were excited this year to honor Ben Popken and Meghann Marco, the co-executive editors of Consumerist.com, the Internet’s preeminent consumer blog.  Consumerist, now owned by Consumers Union, is one of the top 25 blogs on the Internet, and its 375,000 daily visitors outnumber the daily circulation of the Denver Post, Newsday, and the Boston Globe.

Sally Greenberg’s remarks put the impact of the Consumerist best when she said:

“The Consumer Education Leadership Award, was created out of the belief that media advocacy and an informed and educated public go hand in hand. … Consumerist has been a catalyst for pro-consumer changes.  Ben Popken and Meghann Marco” represent the ever evolving nature of consumer journalism.  Through their contributions as Co-Executive Editors at The Consumerist blog, they have given consumers a powerful new voice.  We honor Ben and Meghann for helping consumers tilt the balance of power in the marketplace back in their favor.”

Ben and Meghann summed up what Consumerist has meant to the wider world of consumer journalism in their remarks:

“We see Consumerist’s role as bringing the awesome power of the internet to bear on important consumer issues of the day and expose them to the spotlight of the over 2 million people who read us each month. We seek to create awareness, by unorthodox means if necessary.”

“The playing field is leveling. Consumers are forcing transparency on companies simply by connecting with each other. When consumers can easily compare notes, patterns emerge, which can then be acted on. These conversations are the first steps towards real change. In our 25 new stories each day, it is our privilege to try to help facilitate these discussions.”

The nation faces a critical moment. Consumers are strapped and seeking solutions. Desperate times invent desperate measures. In this environment, scams can take out super bowl ads and hide behind the skirt of their fine print, simply because they have the cash to burn.”

To view a complete video of Ben and Meghann’s acceptance speech, click here.

We were also excited that long-time NCL Board Member and TRAC Founder Sam Simon received the Donald C. McGannon Award at the Parker event.  The McGannon Award recognizes those who have played a significant role in advancing the role of minorities in the communications and broadcasting industries.

Making Sense of Food Scares – National Consumers League

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By Courtney Brein, NCL Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow

While the recent outbreaks of foodborne illness from contaminated peanuts, cookie dough, and spinach have increased concern about the failings of the food safety system in the United States, two high-profile news articles published this week have shed light on the extent of the problem, calling into question the safety of a much broader range of foods that Americans routinely purchase and consume.

The New York Times exposé of the flaws in the beef inspection system published this past Sunday highlights the problematic nature of USDA’s responsibility to both the industry’s interests and the public’s health. Due to resistance from the meat industry, the agency does not require meat processors to test the trimmings that they receive from suppliers and use to manufacture ground beef. While a few big ground beef producers, such as Costco, test their meat for E. coli before grinding it, most do not, testing only the final product. This practice both decreases the likelihood of detection and increases the difficulty of finding the source of contamination should an outbreak occur, due to the industry practice of combining meat from multiple sources in the creation of ground beef. While most individuals who consume ground beef do so without ever becoming ill, for those unlucky enough to eat a hamburger tainted with E. coli, the experience can be deadly.

Following on the heels of the Times article, the Center for Science in the Public Interest released a report on Tuesday that names the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the FDA. This group contains healthy products most Americans eat on a regular basis, such as eggs, tuna, potatoes, cheese, berries, and leafy greens. Combined, these items have caused tens of thousands of reported cases of illness, in addition to many of the countless cases that go unreported each year.

These articles reveal very real problems with the food safety system in the United States.

So, what is the consumer to do?

It is imperative that consumers push for more comprehensive USDA testing requirements and contact their senators to urge them to vote for improved FDA oversight of the food safety system. The National Consumers League, as a member of the Make Our Food Safe Coalition, has joined other consumer groups, public health organizations, and victims’ groups in calling for the passage of legislation reforming the FDA side of the food safety system by the end of this year – a message we brought to senators and their staff members yesterday, during our Food Safety Action Day.

In the meantime, however, consumers should take measures to improve food safety in their homes. The following practices can help individuals to protect themselves and their families from foodborne illness:

  • Instead of buying ground beef, purchase a piece of meat and have your local butcher or grocery store grind it for you
  • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing or consuming food
  • Use a meat thermometer, and ensure that meat is cooked to the following temperatures:
  • Ground Beef: 160°F. Many people assume that when a hamburger turns brown in the middle, it is done, but this is not the case. 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before reaching an internal temperature of 160°F. Always use a meat thermometer!
  • Steaks and Roasts: 145°F
  • Fish: 145°F
  • Pork: 160°F
  • Egg Dishes: 160°F
  • Chicken Breasts: 165°F
  • Whole Poultry: 165°F
  • Avoid cross-contamination between cooked and raw food in the refrigerator:
  • Store food in clean, non-toxic, washable containers
  • Properly cover all food
  • Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods
  • Follow other smart kitchen practices:
  • After preparing raw foods for cooking, thoroughly wash hands, utensils, cutting boards, countertops, and any other equipment you have used
  • Sanitize cutting boards with a solution of two teaspoons bleach per quart of water
  • Equipment used to prepare raw foods that will not be cooked should be washing thoroughly both before and after use
  • Keep hot food hot and cold food cold; do not consume any foods that have been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours
  • If you have any doubts about raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables, boil them, cook them, peel them, or choose not to eat them

Trumpeter Awards a Success – National Consumers League

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Last week’s Trumpeter Awards Dinner and Reception, where NCL honored CBS News’ Steve Kroft and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis with its highest honor, was a great success. Pictured here, from left to right, are Kroft, NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg, and Solis. Stay tuned for more about the dinner!

NCL Honoring Kroft, Solis with Trumpeter Award – National Consumers League

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Tonight the National Consumers League will honor Steve Kroft, Co-Editor and Correspondent, 60 Minutes and United States Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis with its highest honor, the Trumpeter Award, on Capitol Hill. Each year, NCL’s Trumpeter Awards Dinner and Reception brings together a diverse group of representatives of labor unions, advocates, legislators, organizations, to celebrate the achievements of consumer and worker advocates.

NCL’s first ever Trumpeter recipient was Senator Edward Kennedy, in 1973. Since then, NCL has recognized leaders who are not afraid to speak out for social justice and for the rights of consumers and workers with the Trumpeter. *Other past recipients include Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, author Barbara Ehrenreich, former NCL President Linda Golodner, Senator Paul Wellstone, Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, and other esteemed consumer and worker advocates.

In his decades of investigative journalism, *Steve Kroft has earned a reputation — and numerous Emmy and Peabody awards — for groundbreaking reporting on an array of pressing issues ranging from credit default swaps to nuclear safety. His forceful reporting, which has attracted worldwide attention and resulted in real changes for consumers, includes profiles of a Madoff whistleblower and a teenage stock manipulator, as well as an undercover investigation on the rolling back of odometers by car wholesalers, which triggered a federal grand jury investigation and five convictions.

*Hilda L. Solis was confirmed as Secretary of Labor in February, after representing the 32nd Congressional District in California for eight years. The daughter of a battery recycling plant worker and Teamsters Union organizer in the San Gabriel Valley, as a young child she walked in picket lines with workers seeking improved health care. Throughout her career, Solis has advocated for low-wage workers, women, immigrants’ rights, better access to health care, a livable minimum wage, and strong support for the right to organize.

NCL will also honor *Lynn Jimenez, of San Francisco’s KGO Radio, with its Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award, named for NCL’s first general secretary. Jimenez is a journalist dedicated to consumer and small business education. Author of a bilingual consumer education book, ¿Se Habla Dinero? The Everyday Guide to Financial Success, and host of “Your Money,” Jimenez has served the Bay Area since 1990. Before joining KGO, Jimenez helped create the first California statewide Hispanic AIDS Education Telenovela and telephone hotline. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Associated Press Bill Stout Memorial Award for Enterprise Reporting and the Northern California Radio and Television News Directors’ Association award for a series on privacy.

 

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

Preventive Care – A Luxury We Should All Be Afforded – National Consumers League

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by Mimi Johnson, NCL Health Policy Associate

Taking center stage in Washington, DC and across the country these days is health reform, which presents an opportunity to afford all Americans access to preventive services. With its largest supporter now absent, Senator Kennedy’s legacy as a champion for a healthier America will be felt as discussions ensue. Senator Kennedy, and the HELP Committee he led for so many years, produced the first health reform bill earlier this summer, packed with expanded preventive services and opportunities for health promotion – including resources for public-private partnerships to help educate consumers about health and safety issues.

Senator Kennedy felt all Americans had a right to health care. He increased access to care by creating and improving such important programs as Medicare and Medicaid, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Kennedy advocated that everyone have the opportunity to use the same government insurance he was afforded as a Member of Congress.

While I do not have access to the same insurance Senator Kennedy had, I am fortunate enough to have coverage. In fact, I recently had the luxury of visiting my primary care physician, something millions of Americans go without year after year. Because I am afforded the opportunity for an annual well-visit, I see it as my duty to go. I am, however, in the minority. A study by the University of Pittsburgh and RAND found that only 1/5th of the US population receive an annual preventive health exam.

The importance of primary care and prevention to our overall health, and the sustainability of our health care system, is too great to put a price tag on. In fact, just look back at our recent post about the free medical clinic in LA; the long lines show that people recognize the need to check-in and get a check-up. It is very important that we not only have access to a check-up, but that we all have the ability to check-in with a health care professional who can talk with us about our life – ranging from our diet and exercise, to stress, and the medications we are on or allergies we have.

If you are lucky enough to have insurance – take advantage of it and schedule your annual check-up and check-in with your health professional.

And thanks to Senator Kennedy for all of his hard work to make this country a healthier place.

2009 Trumpeter Awards: National Consumers League to honor Labor Secretary Solis, CBS News’ Kroft for careers in service – National Consumers League

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September 29, 2009

Contact: 202-835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, D.C.—The National Consumers League will honor United States Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and award-winning journalist Steve Kroft with its highest honor, the Trumpeter Award, this week on Capitol Hill. The Trumpeter Awards Dinner and Reception will bring together a diverse group of representatives of labor unions, advocates, legislators, organizations, and industries touched by the two advocates’ esteemed careers. The advocacy organization, which honored Senator Edward Kennedy with its first Trumpeter award in 1973, has recognized leaders who are not afraid to speak out for social justice and for the rights of consumers and workers for more than 30 years.

“The Trumpeter Award is NCL’s highest honor, given to leaders who are not afraid to speak out for social justice and for the rights of consumers. No one fits that description better than Hilda Solis and Steve Kroft,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Solis’ dedication to improving the quality of life for workers in the United States, and Kroft’s dedication to consumer-minded investigative journalism have earned them this year’s Trumpeter Award.”

NCL will also celebrate the career of San Francisco business journalist Lynn Jimenez with its Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award, an honor named for NCL’s first general secretary that is given to grassroots leaders in consumer education.

The Trumpeter event will feature a reception, dinner, and speaking appearances by the three honorees, as well as:

Larry Cohen, President, Communications Workers of America 
Herb Weisbaum, past Trumpeter recipient and The “ConsumerMan” on MSNBC.com
Michelle Singletary, past Trumpeter recipient and syndicated columnist
Jane King, NCL Board of Directors, Chair
Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director

Event Details

What: National Consumers League’s 2009 Trumpeter Awards Dinner

When: Thursday, October 1, 2009, 6 p.m. Reception, 7 p.m. Dinner

Where: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC.

Questions or to RSVP: Larry Bostian, National Consumers League 202-835-3323

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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 group to honor media leaders with ethics in telecommunications awards – National Consumers League

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September 29, 2009

Contact: 202-835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, D.C.— Media advocates who work daily to empower individuals and promote diversity and democracy in media will gather at The Riverside Church in New York City on Sept. 30 to examine ethics in telecommunications. The 27th annual Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and Awards, featuring the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.A., brings together media advocates from across the country and honors individuals whose work embodies the principles and values of advocating for the public interest through social communications.

MEDIA ADVISORY

What: The 27th Annual Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and

Awards Reception

When: September 30, 2009, 3:30 PM

Where: The Riverside Church New York City, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027

Why: To honor excellence in media ethics and consumer reporting.

This year’s honorees include:

Patti Miller, Vice President of Public Policy, Sesame Workshop, recipient of the Parker Award.  Sesame Workshop is devoted to developing innovative and educational content for television, radio, print, and interactive media that makes a meaningful difference in children’s development.  The award is given in recognition of an individual whose work embodies the principles and values of the public interest in telecommunications.

Sam Simon, Chairman, Amplify Public Affairs; Fellow, Intersections; and Founder and Former President, TRAC, recipient of the Donald H. McGannon Award.  Simon is being honored for his lifetime of media advocacy work on behalf of minority consumers. The McGannon Award is given in recognition of special contributions in advancing the roles of women and persons of color in the media.

Ben Popken and Meghann Marco, Co-Executive Editors of the popular blog “The Consumerist.” This award is given in recognition of efforts to educate and enable consumers to use technology as a toll of empowerment.

The event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested.  Online registration is available here or for more information, contact Jeff Woodar at woodardj@ucc.org.

The Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture was created in 1982 to recognize OC, Inc. founder the Rev. Dr. Everett C. Parker and his pioneering work as an advocate for the public’s rights in broadcasting. It is the only lecture in the country to examine telecommunications and the digital age from an ethical perspective. Past speakers include network presidents, Congressional leaders, FCC chairs and commissioners, as well as academics, cable and telephone executives and journalists. It is funded by the communications industry, particularly broadcasters, along with the communication offices of major faith groups. The Parker Lecture is sponsored by the United Church of Christ’s Office of Communication (OC, Inc.) and the Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC), a program of the National Consumers League.

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About the National Consumers League and TRAC

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.

The Telecommunications Research & Action Center is a non-profit education and advocacy organization for residential and small business communications consumers. TRAC produces consumer guides, comparison charts, brochures, and online content dedicated to helping consumers navigate the often complex world of communications devices and services. TRAC is based in Washington, DC

Swine Flu 2.0 – Are You Prepared? – National Consumers League

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As the new school year is well underway, *the second wave of swine flu (H1N1 virus) has become a major concern for health officials, school administrators, teachers, and parents.  It was at the end of the previous academic year that the flu first struck with vengeance, and caused schools across the country to shut their doors as they tried to quell its spread.

The biggest fear and danger with the H1N1 virus is that it has hit school-aged children the hardest.  So, what can you and your children do to stave off the flu?

Practice Good Hygiene

  • Wash Hands (and send kids with bottles of sanitizer in addition to their other office supplies)
  • Cover Coughs & Sneezes (NOT with your hand, but with a tissue or arm)

Stay Home if Sick

  • Keep kids home if they are sick, ESPECIALLY with a high fever, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Ensure kids are fever-free for at least 24 hours (WITHOUT medication) before returning to school
  • Do NOT go to the emergency room if you think you or your child has a case of the flu (you are likely to catch it while at the ER); call your doctor or a health hotline

Immunize

  • Get kids immunized against the seasonal flu as soon as the vaccine becomes available this fall
  • Keep your eyes and ears open about the H1N1 vaccination, which is currently being tested

Check with your local health officials and health care professionals should you have any questions or concerns about the H1N1 flu in your community.

 

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.