Consumer group praises Obama proposal to streamline fed’s role in food safety – National Consumers League

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February 3, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC – America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy group is praising President Obama’s new proposal for the creation of a new federal agency solely focused on food safety in his Fiscal Year 2016 Budget. The announcement comes on the heels of similar legislation proposed by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) last week called The Safe Food Act of 2015.  Both seek to consolidate parts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration, ultimately streamlining inspections and eliminating unnecessary overlap. 

“Our current food systems are redundant and fragmented,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League.  “Consolidating USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service and FDA’s food safety oversight will ensure cohesive practices and superior response times in the event of an outbreak, ultimately keeping consumers and our food supply safer.  We urge Congress to support the creation of a new food safety agency.”

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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 responds to introduction of asbestos legislation, HR 526 – National Consumers League

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January 29, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC—Upon the reintroduction of the Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 526, which purports to reduce fraud in the asbestos bankruptcy trust system through increased transparency, National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg has issued the following statement:

“The FACT Act of 2015 is a misguided attempt to derail the important work of the asbestos bankruptcy fund. This bill, if passed, would put the burden on some of the most vulnerable Americans—victims of asbestos-related illnesses—in their quest to achieve fair settlements for harms made against them. The FACT Act would unfairly give insurers the upper hand regarding asbestos claims and that is wrong. We urge Congress to stop this bill in its tracks.” 

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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 partners with Intuit Tax & Financial Center, Technology Policy Institute, and The Atlantic to examine consumer impact of tax identity theft – National Consumers League

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January 29, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, in partnership with The Atlantic, Intuit Tax & Financial Center, and the Technology Policy Institute will today convene a gathering of leading experts in Washington to discuss the harm that tax identity fraud wreaks on consumers nationwide every year.

The event, “The Fight Against Fraud: Solving a $5 Billion Tax Challenge,” comes on the heels of a Federal Trade Commission report that tax-related identity theft was the most common form of identity theft reported to Commission in 2014. It also follows an earlier NCL analysis of FTC complaint data that found government documents or benefits fraud is by far the largest and fastest-growing category of identity theft complaints, increasing from 19.2% of identity theft complaints in 2010 to 46.4% in 2012. Tax or wage-related fraud complaints made up 93.5% of this category, up from 81.3% in 2010.

“Tax identity fraud is a particularly pernicious scam, since its victims often don’t realize that they’ve fallen prey to the scammers until well after the fraud is committed,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “While consumers can take steps to better protect their personal information, it is critical that the IRS, industry, and consumers work together to reduce the startling increase in this type of fraud.”

The event is open to the public. Speakers include Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Mike Enzi (R-WV), Mary Louise Kelly, Contributing Editor of The Atlantic, Diana Leyden, Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Tax Clinic, University of Connecticut School of Law, Dean Silverman, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, and Paul Weinstein, Director of the Graduate Program in Public Management, The Johns Hopkins University

For more information about the event, click here or contact Jessica Spiegel at jspiegel@theatlantic.com.

Where: The Newseum – Knight Broadcast Center
555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC, 20001
When: Thursday, January 29, 2015
Guest Registration: 8:30 a.m.
Program: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

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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 applauds introduction of paid parental leave, a ‘common-sense’ worker protection – National Consumers League

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January 27, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, applauds the introduction of the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act, which would provide six weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers. The current federal government policy gives workers 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave and workers can choose to substitute paid sick or annual leave if they want.

“The United States is the only developed nation that does not provide its labor force paid parental leave, and that’s an embarrassment,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Following the birth of a child, workers should not be forced to choose between a paycheck and caring for their newborn. The federal government, as the nation’s largest employer, can lead the way and set an example for private companies that mandatory paid parental leave is a common-sense worker protection.”

In his 2015 State of the Union address on January 20, President Obama said, “Today, we’re the only advanced nation on Earth that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave or maternity leave to our workers.”

Seizing on the momentum from the State of the Union address, a group of Democratic representatives, led by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), introduced the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act. This legislation was twice passed in the House in 2008 and 2009, receiving bi-partisan support. In 2008, 50 Republicans supported the measure, and 24 did so in 2009.

Currently, only 13 percent of American workers have access to paid family leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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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.

Move to ban youth work in Virginia tobacco fields welcome by advocates – National Consumers League

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January 21, 2015

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

Washington, DC—Last week’s introduction of a bill in the Virginia state legislature to prohibit children under the age of 18 from working in direct contact with tobacco is a hopeful sign in the continued fight to eradicate the practice of youth work in American tobacco fields.

The bill, HB1906, was introduced by Delegate Alfonso Lopez (Democrat-Arlington) and would include an exemption for family farms. If passed, HB1906 would be the first legislation of its kind in a state that harvests tobacco. In Virginia, it would preempt some of the outdated Fair Labor Standards Act provisions that allow children as young as 12 to work unlimited hours on farms performing the dangerous work.

“Children picking tobacco regularly suffer nicotine poisoning, toxic pesticide exposure, and work at dangerous heights,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League (NCL) and co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), which NCL co-founded 25 years ago. “We are encouraged by Delegate Lopez’ introduction of HB1906, and we hope this is a sign of things to come. We urge Virginia lawmakers to support this bill, and other tobacco-producing states to follow suit to protect America’s most vulnerable workers—children in tobacco fields.”

In the last year, advocates from NCL, the CLC, and its member organizations, have sought to raise public awareness on youth harvesting tobacco. More than 50 groups have signed onto a series of letters to Congress, industry, and the Obama Administration. In September, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) circulated a sign-on letter to House members asking the Department of Labor to take narrowly-focused regulatory action to protect children from dangerous tobacco fields. In December, Phillip Morris USA’s parent company Altria, the largest U.S. tobacco manufacturer, announced that it would require its suppliers to prohibit children under 16 years of age from working in their tobacco fields. NCL praised the company for taking a leadership role on this important issue and called on others to follow. 

“Because our laws are not currently protecting them from this dangerous work, children who harvest tobacco have no choice but to try to protect themselves, wearing garbage bags to minimize skin contact with harmful residues,” said Reid Maki, NCL’s director of child labor advocacy and the coordinator of the CLC. “We applaud Delegate Lopez for taking this first step in Virginia to protect these vulnerable child workers. We encourage his colleagues to stand with him, against the pressure of big agriculture and some in the tobacco industry, for the sake of these young workers.” 

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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.

Coalition of consumer organizations request release of data on FINRA arbitration system – National Consumers League

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January 21, 2015

The National Consumers League joined with a coalition or organizations including: Americans for Financial Reform, Alliance for Justice, Center for Justice and Democracy, Consumers Union, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG to request that FINRA Dispute Resolution Task Force release the research and data that addresses the resolution of disputes in the FINRA arbitration system between investors and brokerage firms or investment advisers.

Read the letter here.

Top ten scams report finds rising rate of ‘phantom debt’ scams – National Consumers League

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January 20, 2015

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

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today released its annual compilation of the top ten scams reported to Fraud.org, NCL’s flagship project for reporting and tracking scams. Based on an analysis of more than 10,000 consumer complaints submitted in 2014, NCL is warning consumers to be on the lookout for so-called “refund and recovery” scams, also known as “phantom debt” scams.

The predominant version of the “refund and recovery” scams involved a fraudster contacting consumers claiming to be collecting unpaid debts. If consumers questioned the debt, they reported frequently being threatened with jail time, legal action, or other consequences. In 2013, this was the fastest-growing type of telemarketing scam reported to NCL’s Fraud.org campaign. This trend continued in 2014, as the “refund and recovery” scams jumped by 6.23 percentage points, rising to #4 on the overall complaint list.

Fake check scams, which were at the top of the Top Ten Scams list in 2013, dropped to the #3 spot in 2014, down more than 7 percentage points. Topping the list in 2014 were two other perennially frequent frauds—Internet merchandise scams and bogus prizes/sweepstakes scams, ranked #1 and #2 respectively. 

“Fraud remains one of the most pernicious threats facing consumers today,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “We are particularly concerned about scammers increasingly relying on the ‘old-fashioned’ telephone as a way to reach millions of potentially vulnerable consumers.”

The telephone was reported by 42.85% of complainants as the way that they were first contacted by a scammer, ahead of the Web (30.97%), email (15.71%) and postal mail (6.92%). The telephone was the top method of first contact in 2013 and increased even more in 2014 (6.49 percentage point increase).

A positive trend in the 2014 report is the shift in how victims reported sending money to con artists. Previously, wire transfer had been the most popular payment method reported to Fraud.org. In 2014, nearly half (48%) of all victims reported paying by credit card when they lost money to a scam—continuing a trend first noted in 2013 (35%). Victims who pay with credit cards can more easily recover lost funds than those who pay via wire transfer service when they promptly report the suspicious charges to their banks or credit card companies.

“Credit card transactions are a safer way for consumers to pay for products since they can dispute fraudulent charges with their credit card company,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “Unfortunately, when a fraud victim sends money via wire transfer or prepaid debit card, the chances of getting their money back are much lower.”

Read the full 2014 top ten scams report here.

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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.

2015 Consumer Policy Agenda – National Consumers League

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January 13, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Consumer Action • Consumer Federation of America • Consumers Union • Association of Consumer Advocates • National Consumers League • National Consumer Law Center • Public Citizen • U.S. Public Interest Research Group

Consumer Groups Urge President, Congress to Support “Robust Agenda” for Consumers in 2015 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With a new session of Congress underway, eight of the nation’s leading consumer organizations are calling on President Obama and lawmakers to help “level the playing field for consumers” by supporting a comprehensive agenda for consumer rights. In letters to the President and members of the House and Senate, the organizations wrote, “American consumers want and deserve a fair shake in the marketplace.  The safety of the food we eat, the products we buy, the healthcare we receive and the financial services we choose depend upon it.  Yet too often, the scales are tipped in favor of industry.  As the financial crisis made brutally clear, unchecked abuses in the marketplace can wreak havoc on individuals, families and the economy at large.  Now more than ever, consumers need the strong support of the Administration and Congress to defend existing consumer protections and promote further improvements where needed. The groups presented a list of priorities and concerns for the 114th Congress entitled “A Robust Agenda for Consumers.”  The priorities include:

  • Ensuring financial security for consumers
  • Making health care affordable, accessible and safe
  • Protecting regulatory safeguards
  • Making sure our food, products and cars are safe
  • Building on environmental progress
  • Ensuring the Internet remains affordable and accessible
  • Keeping legal avenues open to all consumers
  • Working for greater competition and consumer choice
  • Promoting fair trade
  • Reducing the influence of money in politics

The letters were signed by presidents and chief executive officers of Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Consumers League, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), Public Citizen and U.S. Public Interest Research Group. “By working together and helping consumers make more informed decisions, we want to build an influential consumer movement that will be a force for change,” the groups wrote. Available online are the agenda and the letters to the President, the Senate, and the House.

National Consumers League statement on Obama Administration action on data security – National Consumers League

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January 13, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today applauded the Obama Administration’s efforts to better protect consumers from the threat of cyber attacks. In a speech yesterday at the Federal Trade Commission, the President proposed a new Personal Data Notification and Protection Act that would set a 30-day national data breach notification standard.

NCL has supported a strong national data breach notification standard, modeled after state law in California, which would set a national floor for breach notification without preempting stronger state laws. NCL has also called on Congress to strengthen civil and criminal penalties for malicious hacking and welcomes the recent announcement that the President’s proposal addresses this by criminalizing the overseas trade in stolen identities.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director:

“The threat of criminal hacking is eroding consumers’ faith in our interconnected digital economy. We must not allow the immense benefits of our information revolution to fall victim to those who would steal consumers’ personal data for their own gain. The President’s proposal for a national data breach notification standard is an important step forward in giving consumers more control over their data, but there is much more to do. We look forward to learning more about the Administration’s proposal so that consumers will benefit from the strongest possible protections.”

As part of the #DataInsecurity Project, NCL has called on the new Congress to enact a range of reforms to better protect consumers’ data. In addition to data breach notification, NCL has called on Congress to create national data security standards, strengthen the Federal Trade Commission’s civil penalty authority; promote the growth of cyber insurance underwriting standards; increase criminal and civil penalties for malicious hacking; and strengthen international anti-cybercrime partnerships.

For more information on NCL’s 2015 Congressional Data Security Agenda, click here.

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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.

Group praises Marlboro move to ban child work under 16 – National Consumers League

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December 17, 2014

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League, benk@nclnet.org, (202) 835-3323

Washington, DC – In a major step towards eliminating child labor in American tobacco production, the largest tobacco company in the United States announced that it will require its suppliers to prohibit children under 16 years of age from working in their tobacco fields. The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, is praising Altria, the parent company of Phillip Morris USA and makers of Marlboro cigarettes, for taking a leadership role on this important issue. These changes will be implemented in 2015.

“This decision by Altria is a significant step towards protecting American children in our tobacco fields,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of NCL. “The negative health consequences for children working in these fields are well documented. Thousands of children routinely suffer from vomiting, dizziness, and headaches symptoms consistent with acute nicotine poisoning. Other tobacco companies including R.J. Reynolds, America’s second-largest tobacco producer, must follow Altria’s lead.”

“We believe that no one under 18 should work in tobacco fields in the United States or abroad,” said Greenberg. “While we applaud this step forward, Altria has a lot of work to do to ensure that its suppliers enact the policy effectively. We’d love to see a detailed plan from the company on how it hopes to carry out this difficult task.”

Under US law, children as young as 12 can legally work unlimited hours in agriculture if that work does not interfere with school. It is time we close the loopholes that allow these glaring injustices.

The Child Labor Coalition, a group of more than 35 organizations working together to end child labor domestically and abroad, was founded and has been co-chaired by NCL since 1989. 

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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.