Consumer group laments court ruling over constitutionality of Obama NLRB appointments – National Consumers League

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January 25, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) today expressed disappointment in the ruling issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit that President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) were unconstitutional. The Justice Department has indicated that the Administration will appeal the decision by three conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“With only three current seats filled on the five-member NLRB, and two of those seats filled with members appointed under the questioned recess appointments, the Court is trying to shut down the cop on the beat charged with safeguarding employees’ rights to organize and addressing unfair labor practices,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL.

“We disagree with this decision, but note that all the appointees will remain in their jobs, not just at the NLRB but also Richard Cordray at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and will remain open for business. We urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm nominees to both the NLRB and the CFPB and allow these agencies to get on with carrying out the people’s business.”

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.

NCL expresses concern over new Apple child labor revelations – National Consumers League

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January 25, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—Apple Inc. announced today that its internal audits had found more than 106 underage employees at 11 different locations in its supply chain; it found another 70 “historical” cases of child labor. The company also said that it had terminated contracts with a Chinese supplier, Guangdong Real Faith Pingzhuou Electronics, which employed 74 workers under age 16. Auditors found eight facilities with “bonded labor,” cases in which workers were compelled to labor to pay off excessive recruiting fees.

The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization with a long history of working to reduce child labor in the U.S. and abroad, applauds the termination of supplier contracts that rely on the work of child labor. “After much criticism, it appears that Apple has finally stepped up auditing of its supply chain. We urge the company to continue on that path as aggressively as possible. With 1.5 million workers in 14 countries, the 106 children found working may be the tip of the iceberg,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg, who is a co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition, which represents 28 organizations, trying to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.

“Children should not be working in electronics manufacturing–with its accompanying dangers. They should be in school and allowed to realize their full potential,” said Greenberg. “Given Apple’s enormous profitability, it’s essential the company does everything in its power to stamp out child labor. Other electronics companies should take warning, and conduct rigorous audits of their supply chains.”

Apple suppliers in China, including the manufacturing behemoth FoxConn, have been criticized for poor working conditions and safety standards. Conditions were so bad, FoxConn felt compelled to install suicide nets to stop employees from plunging to their deaths off company rooftops. According to analyst Steven Millwood of TechAsia, Apple’s new  “supplier responsibility” report “details the same grim scene” for workers depicted in prior reports.

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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.

NCL commends DOL for new rule to strengthen mine health and safety measures – National Consumers League

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January 22, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) today is commending the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for releasing a new rule on January 17, to strengthen mine safety measures across the country. The new rule seeks to ensure that mine operators address and monitor the most hazardous safety problems in their mines and reinforces the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) authority to respond to dangerous mining conditions and improve safety and health for miners.

“After the Upper Big Branch Mine tragedy in 2010, when 29 miners lost their lives due to management’s brazen disregard for health and safety, as well as for the law, it is gratifying to have MSHA tighten its reigns on mine operators and hold them accountable,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. NCL is the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy group, advocating for improved mine safety since the 1930s.

In 2010, NCL called on MSHA to improve mine safety in order to protect the lives of workers by beefing up safety regulations, assigning higher fines for violators, and expediting processes for forcing mines with safety violations to address the hazards.

The new DOL rule comes in response to several recommendations from a September 2010 report from the department’s Office of Inspector General, which recommended that MSHA re-evaluate pattern of violations (POV) regulations; seek stakeholders input in developing new, transparent POV criteria; and re-evaluate the standard for timely completion of laboratory tests. The new rule better positions the agency to identify operators who blatantly ignore the health and safety of their miners and are unresponsive to other enforcement measures.

“We hope this new rule gives MSHA the authority it needs to regulate rogue operators, better protect miners, and prevent another mine disaster from occurring,” said Greenberg.

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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.

The National Consumers League adopts historic policy in support of immigration reform – National Consumers League

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January 17, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The Board of the National Consumers League (NCL), established in 1899 to seek social and economic justice for workers and consumers, has adopted for the first time in its history a policy statement in support of broad immigration reforms. “We adopted this policy because when we reflected on NCL’s long history of fighting for the rights of workers and consumers and our ongoing work today, we realize that immigrants have been, and continue to be, the greatest targets of workplace and marketplace abuses,” said Esther Lopez,  an NCL board member representing the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

NCL’s policy allows the organization to support many aspects of the immigration reform efforts embraced by many members of Congress and the Obama Administration.

Since its founding at the turn of the 20th Century, the National Consumers League has championed the interests of both consumers and workers. Many of NCL’s first successes focused on rights for workers, including minimum wage laws for women and child labor restrictions, and many of those workers were immigrants.  Many suffered from extreme poverty and immigrant children were often employed working long hours in dangerous conditions. NCL’s first leader, Florence Kelley once wrote, “We are infinitely cruel to the immigrants themselves in Lawrence, Little Falls, Pittsburg, Chicago, and the East Side, to say nothing of all the mines… Never in all history was anything more cruel than what we do about young immigrant girls.”

“Immigrants today in the US are exploited in the labor force and denied access to jobs, education and housing. Immigrants tend to be more frequent victims of wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and in some states in particular, oppressed by anti-immigrant laws and that puts them and their families in constant fear of deportation.  They also fall prey to consumer scams and frauds, and often bear the brunt of exploitive consumer policies in interactions with institutions like banks and insurance companies,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director.

NCL’s Board Chair, Anna Flores, noted, “America has always been a nation of immigrants.  NCL mission supports the creation of a modern, 21st century legal immigration system that reflects our legacy. Our policy in support of immigration reform is in keeping with that legacy.”

NCL’s Policy Statement is below:

  • NCL supports a principled, comprehensive immigration reform that treats all immigrants with respect and dignity, no matter their legal status in the United States.  NCL’s policy is below:
  • Renews our commitment to citizenship that fully integrates undocumented immigrants into our way of life, affirming our shared rights, protections and responsibilities  by providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans.
  • Protects the sanctity of family by reducing the backlogs and keeping spouses, parents and children together.
  • Attracts the best and brightest skilled professionals to strengthen our economy,  create jobs, and build on the success of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and incorporates DREAMers,  young immigrants who are Americans but for a piece of paper, into mainstream life through a path to citizenship so that America benefits from their scholastic achievements and military service.
  • Ensures smart and effective enforcement that protects our borders, fosters commerce, and promotes the safe and legitimate movement of people and goods at our ports of entry.
  • Ends the exploitation of U.S. and immigrant workers by providing safe and legal avenues for foreign workers to fill legitimate workforce needs, and establishes a workable employment verification system that prevents unlawful employment.

NCL supports comprehensive immigration reform that reflects both the League’s  history and legacy  in support of workers and consumers, and our interest and values as Americans,  and is consistent with our nation’s commitment to fairness and equality.

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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.

Survey: Consumers support improved conditions for restaurant workers – National Consumers League

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January 16, 2013

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—American consumers overwhelmingly support better conditions for restaurant workers, according to a new survey conducted by ORC International for the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneer consumer organization. In an industry that is commonly characterized by anti-worker policies, including incidents of wage theft, a lack of paid sick days, and a poverty-level minimum wage that hasn’t increased in more than 20 years, restaurant workers—and what they experience behind the scenes—are, in fact, a concern for dining patrons.

“Consumers have spoken very clearly in overwhelming support for workers who serve them at dining establishments, how much they are earning, and whether they are forced to come to work when sick,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “And they should. It’s not just a matter of compassion; it’s a matter of public health.”

At an event in Washington, DC today, NCL released the survey’s findings and, teaming up with ROC United and ROC United DC, convened a discussion with restaurant workers and restaurant owners to shine a light on the conditions, pay, and benefits of restaurant workers and showcase the successful business models of restaurateurs who do provide a more fair and equitable workplace.

Restaurant workers from the Washington, DC area gave an insider’s view on the industry and how workers are often exploited. Local DC area restaurant owners and chefs, including Andy Shallal of Busboys & Poets and Chef Tate of Inspire BBQ, shared insights about how management can provide a livable wage and healthy environment while being commercially successful.

“We’re very grateful to the National Consumers League and consumers in general for appreciating the struggles of restaurant workers and wanting to see change in this industry,” said Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder of ROC United. “Together, workers, consumers, and responsible employers can produce a better restaurant industry and dining experience for everyone.”

Survey findings: Paid sick days

Consumers overwhelmingly (92 percent) believe that it’s very important or important that the servers and cooks in the restaurants they frequent do not cook or serve while sick. Given 2011 research by ROC that found that 90 percent of restaurant workers reported not having paid sick days, there is a major disconnect between consumer expectations and industry realities. Among those surveyed by NCL, more than half (57 percent) believe that it’s very important or important that the restaurant they frequent provide workers with paid sick days.

“Without having the benefit of paid sick days, restaurant workers can’t afford to be sick and are forced to come to work—and handle consumers’ food—when they should be at home resting,” said Michell K. McIntyre, Project Director of NCL’s Project on Wage Theft. “Providing paid sick days is very clearly in the interest of consumers and the workers who handle their food. This is especially critical now that a serious flu epidemic is sweeping the country.”

Survey findings: Servers’ wages

More than three-quarters of those surveyed (78 percent) agreed that it’s very important or important that the restaurants they eat in pay their workers fairly for the wages that they are owed. When leaving a tip, expectations are that all the money goes to the server, not to the restaurant. According to the survey, 82 percent of consumers believe that it’s very important or important that the full tip they leave for their server goes to the person who served them.

Many consumers are not aware that leaving credit card tips may result in servers not getting the full amount. It is a rarely reported reality that some restaurants withhold a percentage of servers’ tips from credit card payments. The practice recently resulted in celebrity chef / restaurant owner Mario Batali and his business partners settling a tip skimming class action lawsuit for $5.25 million. In fact, 66 percent of those surveyed said they did not know that their server might not receive the full tip if they left it on their credit card. With that knowledge, 89 percent of consumers said they were more likely to leave their tip in cash if they knew that restaurant management might take a portion of tips left on credit cards.

Survey findings: The tipped minimum wage

Times are tighter than ever for those working in the restaurant industry. According to ROC United, the median wage for restaurant workers is $8.90 an hour, just below the poverty line for a family of three. It has been 22 years since the federal tipped minimum wage, currently $2.13 an hour, was increased. According to the new NCL survey, 87 percent of consumers agree that the federal tipped minimum wage should be increased.

“Many consumers are not aware that restaurant servers actually depend on tips. With their base pay—the federal tipped minimum wage—remaining at a paltry $2.13 an hour for more than two decades, as inflation and the cost of living have skyrocketed, and Americans have suffered from recessions, servers are in dire need of increased wages,” said Greenberg. “And they’re not currently getting them.”

See NCL’s full survey and results.

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Methodology

These results are based on 1,024 telephone interviews among a random sample of US adults 18 years old and older. Interviews were conducted over the period December 13-16, 2012, utilizing both landline and cell telephones. Results among total sample have an error margin of +/- 3%. Interviewing was conducted on behalf of National Consumers League using ORC International’s CARAVAN® survey.

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.

NCL praises departing Secretary of Labor Solis for contributions to America’s working families – National Consumers League

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January 9, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneer consumer advocacy organization, expresses its gratitude for the service of Department of Labor Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who resigned from her position today.

“Secretary Solis worked mightily to protect the American worker during her tenure as the Secretary of Labor,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “We were so impressed with her work on behalf of the nation’s most vulnerable workers, we honored her with NCL’s 2009 Trumpeter Award.”

“She made immediate improvements at the Department of Labor,” said Greenberg. “One of her first acts involved significantly increasing the number of Wage and Hour inspectors, working to protect the average worker from labor abuses. NCL operates programs to protect employees from wage theft and to safeguard children from exploitative child labor and teens from work-related injuries and illnesses. Secretary Solis was a great ally in these efforts. Her attempt to protect children working on farms through implementing occupational safeguards was especially appreciated, although ultimately it fell victim to election year politics.”

“We are grateful for Secretary Solis’ commitment and dedication to protecting America’s working families, especially as the nation battled a severe economic recession in recent years,” said Greenberg. “She will be missed at the DOL.”

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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.

NCL: Kudos to FDA for releasing ‘essential rules’ to transform food safety system – National Consumers League

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January 4, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization, is today congratulating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its release of two long-anticipated proposed rules. These rules, which address standards for produce safety and preventive controls for human food, will help implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was signed into law by President Obama two years ago.

“We are pleased that FDA has released these essential rules,” said Teresa Green, NCL’s Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow. “These rules are an integral part of truly realizing the goals of FSMA. When fully implemented, this law will transform our food safety system from one that focuses on response to foodborne illness outbreaks to one that works to prevent these outbreaks from ever occurring.”

“We congratulate FDA for taking this step and look forward to reading the complete rules and commenting on their contents. NCL urges the federal government to release other pending food safety rules so that FDA can continue its important work enacting other important aspects of FSMA.”

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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 applauds David Sunflower Seeds for reversing deceptive sodium labeling practices – National Consumers League

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December 19, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization founded in 1899 to protect and promote the rights of consumers and workers, today sent a letter to David Sunflower Seeds, a subsidiary of ConAgra congratulating it for discontinuing misleading sodium labeling in its David Sunflower Seeds products.

NCL originally wrote to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about David Sunflower Seeds in July of 2011, raising concerns about the misleading sodium values listed on its labels. While the instructions on the package told consumers to pop the entire seed in their mouth in order to crack it open, the sodium content listed was for only the actual kernel and not the salt on the shell.  In its letter, NCL emphasized that this labeling was deceptive and misleading to consumers.

Today, NCL is congratulating David Sunflower Seeds for making a change to their labels so that they now reflect the total sodium content of the product. The government recommends that consumers take in no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. But for many consumers, including those over 51, African Americans, and those with certain diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, the recommended amount is just 1,500 mg per day. Excessive consumption of sodium can result in serious health consequences, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.  With the rates of these diseases increasing worldwide, it is especially important for consumers to moderate their sodium intake if they hope to maintain their health.  Eating one bag of David Sunflower Seeds, which contains two and a half quarter cup servings, would account for 132 percent of one’s daily sodium intake.

“We are so pleased that David Sunflower Seeds has chosen to label its products more accurately,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “Consumers deserve and need the ability to make healthy decisions about what they eat. For those with specific health problems, being able to control the amount of sodium in their diet is particularly important. Before this change, the packaging on these sunflower seeds was extremely deceptive; while the package said that a serving had about 6 percent of your daily sodium, the actual amount was closer to 53 percent.”

New labels on the product reflect the levels of sodium for both the seed consumed on its own and the salt on the shell of the seed. “We are glad that this company has chosen to do the right thing and create a label that is much more consumer friendly,” said Greenberg. “We hope other companies will follow their lead and put a halt to deceptive labeling.”

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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.

NCL statement on the passing of Senator Inouye – National Consumers League

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December 19, 2012

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League is saddened to learn of the death of Senator Daniel Inouye, the senior senator from Hawaii and the president pro-tempore of the Senate. We salute him for his distinguished service to the nation.

Senator Inouye represented Hawaii in Congress — first as a representative, from 1959 to 1963, when Hawaii first bccame a state,  and then as a senator. As a high-school student, Inouye witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Inouye was always among the first to speak out against injustice, whether interned Japanese Americans, Filipino World War II veterans, Native Americans and Native Hawaii.

Senator Inouye was injured in battle during World War II  and had his arm amputated without anesthetic, as doctors were concerned that drugs  would drive his blood pressure too low.

Inouye studied law at George Washington University, returned to Hawaii, and became a member of the U.S. House on August 21, 1959, the day it became a state. While in Congress, he served on the Senate Watergate Committee and later a special committee on the Iran-Contra scandal as well. He also gave the keynote speech at the chaotic 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. He was asked recently how he wished to be remembered. “I represented the people of Hawaii and this nation honestly and to the best of my ability. I think I did OK,” he said.

The story of Senator Dan Inouye is the story of modern Hawaii. During his eight decades of public service, the Senator helped build and shape Hawaii.

When the Democrats regained control in the 2006 elections, Inouye became chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, a Committee with which NCL frequently works. He left that post two years later to become chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Inouye became president pro-tem of the Senate in 2010, when Senator Robert Byrd died. Byrd is the only senator to serve longer than Inouye (51 years, 5 months, and 26 days versus 49 years, 349 days). He had intended to run for reelection in 2016, at age 92. His last words were “Aloha.”

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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.

NCL statement on the Location Privacy Protection Act of 2011 – National Consumers League

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December 14, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League:

“The National Consumers League applauds today’s vote to report S.1223, the Location Privacy Protection Act of 2011, out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This action represents an important first step towards better protecting consumers’ sensitive geolocation data. These data are collected and used in a largely hidden marketplace over which consumers have little information and almost no control. The profileration of location tracking technology in smartphones and other devices and applications has made it clear that more needs to be done to protect this data from misuse. We strongly believe that it is in the public interest for consumers to be made aware of how their geolocation data will be used by companies.

Today’s vote shows that protection consumers’ location data is an issue with bipartisan appeal. We applaud the leadership of Senator Franken and the bill’s co-sponsors as well as the dedicated coalition of advocates from the consumer rights, privacy, and domestic violence prevention communities for this victory. We look forward to continuing to support this bill as it moves forward in Congress.”

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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.