#Regulated Daily Wage Workers

[navinsamachar]

उत्तराखंड उच्च न्यायालय का महत्वपूर्ण निर्णय, विनियमित दैनिक वेतनभोगी कर्मियों को पेंशन और देयकों में मिलेगा पूर्व की सेवाओं का लाभ

नवीन समाचार, नैनीताल, 21 अगस्त 2024 (UK High Court on Regulated Daily Wage Workers)। उत्तराखंड उच्च डच्च न्यायालय ने बुधवार को एक बड़ा निर्णय देते हुए विनियमित हुए दैनिक वेतनभोगी कर्मियों को बड़ी राहत देते हुए उनकी विनियमितीकरण से पूर्व की सेवा को पेंशन और अन्य देयकों में जोड़ने का आदेश दिया है। यानी अब विनियमित हुए दैनिक कर्मियों को उनकी पिछली सेवा से पेंशन और अन्य लाभ मिलेंगे। इससे प्रदेश के…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Housing is a labor issue

There's a reason Reagan declared war on unions before he declared war on everything else – environmental protection, health care, consumer rights, financial regulation. Unions are how working people fight for a better world for all of us. They're how everyday people come together to resist oligarchy, extraction and exploitation.

Take the 2019 LA teachers' strike. As Jane McAlevey writes in A Collective Bargain, the LA teachers didn't just win higher pay for their members! They also demanded (and got) an end to immigration sweeps of parents waiting for their kids at the school gate; a guarantee of green space near every public school in the city; and on-site immigration counselors in LA schools:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Unionization is enjoying an historic renaissance. The Hot Labor Summer transitioned to an Eternal Labor September, and it's still going strong, with UAW president Shawn Fain celebrating his members victory over the Big Three automakers by calling for a 2028 general strike:

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/uaw-general-strike-no-class

The rising labor movement has powerful allies in the Biden Administration. NLRB general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo is systematically gutting the "union avoidance" playbook. She's banned the use of temp-work app blacklists that force workers to cross picket lines:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

She's changed the penalty for bosses who violate labor law during union drives. It used to be the boss would pay a fine, which was an easy price to pay in exchange for killing your workers' union. Now, the penalty is automatic recognition of the union:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/06/goons-ginks-and-company-finks/#if-blood-be-the-price-of-your-cursed-wealth

And while the law doesn't allow Abruzzo to impose a contract on companies that refuse to bargain their unions, she's set to force those companies to honor other employers' union contracts until they agree to a contract with their own workers:

https://onlabor.org/gc-abruzzo-just-asked-the-nlrb-to-overturn-ex-cell-o-heres-why-that-matters/

She's also nuking TRAPs, the deals that force workers to repay their employers for their "training expenses" if they have the audacity to quit and get a better job somewhere else:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

(As with every aspect of the Biden White House, its labor policy is contradictory and self-defeating, with other Biden appointees working to smash worker power, including when Biden broke the railworkers' strike:)

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/18/co-determination/#now-make-me-do-it

A surging labor movement opens up all kinds of possibilities for a better world. Writing for the Law and Political Economy Project, UNITE Here attorney Zoe Tucker makes the case for unions as a way out of America's brutal housing crisis:

https://lpeproject.org/blog/why-unions-should-join-the-housing-fight/

She describes how low-waged LA hotel workers have been pushed out of neighborhoods close to their jobs, with UNITE Here members commuting three hours in each direction, starting their work-days at 3AM in order to clock in on time:

https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1669088899769987079

UNITE Here members are striking against 50 hotels in LA and Orange County, and their demands include significant cost-of-living raises. But more money won't give them back the time they give up to those bruising daily commutes. For that, unions need to make housing itself a demand.

As Tucker writes, most workers are tenants and vice-versa. What's more, bad landlords are apt to be bad bosses, too. Stepan Kazaryan, the same guy who owns the strip club whose conditions were so bad that it prompted the creation of Equity Strippers NoHo, the first strippers' union in a generation, is also a shitty landlord whose tenants went on a rent-strike:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/20/the-missing-links/#plunderphonics

So it was only natural that Kazaryan's tenants walked the picket line with the Equity Stripper Noho workers:

https://twitter.com/glendaletenants/status/1733290276599570736?s=46

While scumbag bosses/evil landlords like Kazaryan deal out misery retail, one apartment building at a time, the wholesale destruction of workers' lives comes from private equity giants who are the most prolific source of TRAPs, robo-scabbing apps, illegal union busting, and indefinite contract delays – and these are the very same PE firms that are buying up millions of single-family homes and turning them into slums:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/08/wall-street-landlords/#the-new-slumlords

Tucker's point is that when a worker clocks out of their bad job, commutes home for three hours, and gets back to their black-mold-saturated, overpriced apartment to find a notice of a new junk fee (like a surcharge for paying your rent in cash, by check, or by direct payment), they're fighting the very same corporations.

Unions who defend their workers' right to shelter do every tenant a service. A coalition of LA unions succeeded in passing Measure ULA, which uses a surcharge on real estate transactions over $5m to fund "the largest municipal housing program in the country":

https://unitedtohousela.com/app/uploads/2022/05/LA_City_Affordable_Housing_Petition_H.pdf

LA unions are fighting for rules to limit Airbnbs and other platforms that transform the city's rental stock into illegal, unlicensed hotels:

https://upgo.lab.mcgill.ca/publication/strs-in-los-angeles-2022/Wachsmuth_LA_2022.pdf

And the hotel workers organized under UNITE Here are fighting their own employers: the hoteliers who are aggressively buying up residences, evicting their long-term tenants, tearing down the building and putting up a luxury hotel. They got LA council to pass a law requiring hotels to build new housing to replace any residences they displace:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-28/airbnb-operators-would-need-police-permit-in-l-a-under-proposed-law

UNITE Here is bargaining for a per-room hotel surcharge to fund housing specifically for hotel workers, so the people who change the sheets and clean the toilets don't have to waste six hours a day commuting to do so.

Labor unions and tenant unions have a long history of collaboration in the USA. NYC's first housing coop was midwifed by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in 1927. The Penn South coop was created by the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union. The 1949 Federal Housing Act passed after American unions pushed hard for it:

http://www.peterdreier.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Labors-Love-Lost.pdf

It goes both ways. Strong unions can create sound housing – and precarious housing makes unions weaker. Remember during the Hollywood writers' strike, when an anonymous studio ghoul told the press the plans was to "allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses?"

Vienna has the most successful housing in any major city in the world. It's the city where people of every income and background live in comfort without being rent-burdened and without worry about eviction, mold, or leaks. That's the legacy of Red Vienna, the Austrian period of Social Democratic Workers' Party rule and built vast tracts of high-quality public housing. The system was so robust that it rebounded after World War II and continues to this day:

https://www.politico.eu/article/vienna-social-housing-architecture-austria-stigma/

Today, the rest of the world is mired in a terrible housing crisis. It's not merely that the rent's too damned high (though it is) – housing precarity is driving dangerous political instability:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/06/the-rents-too-damned-high/

Turning the human necessity of shelter into a market commodity is a failure. The economic orthodoxy that insists that public housing, rent control, and high-density zoning will lead to less housing has failed. rent control works:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/16/mortgages-are-rent-control/#housing-is-a-human-right-not-an-asset

Leaving housing to the market only produces losers. If you have the bad luck to invest everything you have into a home in a city that contracts, you're wiped out. If you have the bad luck into invest everything into a home in a "superstar city" where prices go up, you also lose, because your city becomes uninhabitable and your children can't afford to live there:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/27/lethal-dysfunction/#yimby

A strong labor movement is the best chance we have for breaking the housing deadlock. And housing is just for starters. Labor is the key to opening every frozen-in-place dysfunction. Take care work: the aging, increasingly chronically ill American population is being tortured and murdered by private equity hospices, long-term care facilities and health services that have been rolled up by the same private equity firms that destroyed work and housing:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/26/death-panels/#what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-CMS

In her interview with Capital & Main's Jessica Goodheart, National Domestic Workers Alliance president Ai-jen Poo describes how making things better for care workers will make things better for everyone:

https://prospect.org/labor/2023-12-13-labor-leader-ai-jen-poo-interview/

Care work is a "triple dignity investment": first, it makes life better for the worker (most often a woman of color), then, it allows family members of people who need care to move into higher paid work; and of course, it makes life better for people who need care: "It delivers human potential and agency. It delivers a future workforce. It delivers quality of life."

The failure to fund care work is a massive driver of inequality. America's sole federal public provision for care is Medicaid, which only kicks in after a family it totally impoverished. Funding care with tax increases polls high with both Democrats and Republicans, making it good politics:

https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2021/4/7/voters-support-investing-in-the-care-economy

Congress stripped many of the care provisions from Build Back Better, missing a chance for an "unprecedented, transformational investment in care." But the administrative agencies picked up where Congress failed, following a detailed executive order that identifies existing, previously unused powers to improve care in America. The EO "expands access to care, supports family caregivers and improves wages and conditions for the workforce":

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/04/18/executive-order-on-increasing-access-to-high-quality-care-and-supporting-caregivers/

States are also filling the void. Washington just created a long-term care benefit:

https://apnews.com/article/washington-long-term-care-tax-disability-cb54b04b025223dbdba7199db1d254e4

New Mexicans passed a ballot initiative that establishes permanent funding for child care:

https://www.cwla.org/new-mexico-votes-for-child-care/

New York care workers won a $3/hour across the board raise:

https://inequality.org/great-divide/new-york-budget-fair-pay-home-care/

The fight is being led by women of color, and they're kicking ass – and they're doing it through their unions. Worker power is the foundation that we build a better world upon, and it's surging.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/13/i-want-a-roof-over-my-head/#and-bread-on-the-table

[cherryblossomshadow]

No (Federal) Taxes on Tips

No Tax on Tips by the Daily Show ft Desi Lydic

Desi Lydic: It's weird he's even talking about sending teachers to the gulag, because Trump has more popular policies, like his proposal to end taxes on tips, which is so popular that Kamala Harris now says that SHE supports it. And Trump is not happy about that … Look, to be fair, Kamala did copy Trump's no tax on tips idea,

which would make it the first time in history that a woman got credit for repeating a man's idea.

We did it, girls. And she didn't stop there. Kamala also completely ripped off his idea to lead in the polls by 3 points against a rapidly deteriorating candidate. That was his thing. That was his thing.

.

Harris v. Trump on Taxing Tips by Robert Reich

Kamala Harris, Saturday, in Las Vegas: Raise the minimum wage. And eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers Donald Trump, at Mar-A-Lago: We’re gonna have no tax on tips. Very simple

Ali Velshi from MSNBC: The Trump plan sounds like it's for regular people, but it could easily be a backdoor way to give big tax breaks to rich people who can reclassify their commission income as tips

Robert Reich: You betcha. In fact, we are going to see all kinds of things reclassified as tips. You can bet that private equity managers and hedge fund managers, who are now in the seven or eight digit classification, suddenly a lot of what they earn will become tips. At least under Donald Trump's proposal, because it's not — there are no guardrails. There's no limits to who can declare what as tips Ali Velshi from MSNBC: The key difference in Kamala Harris’ no taxes on tips proposal is that it's only for service and hospitality workers RR: I think it could be helpful if combined, as Kamala Harris wants to do, with a minimum wage hike. And also limit it so that Wall Street commission professionals can't sort of reclassify their income as tips. By the way, let me just say one further thing about this, and that is that the Labor Department under Donald Trump DID change the regulations to allow employers to take the tipped incomes of their employees and use it for their profits.. I mean, it's quite rich that Donald Trump has jumped on this one

.

Americans For Tax Fairness (@/4TaxFairness)

"No taxes on tips" isn't the win you think it is. Most tipped workers wouldn't get much of a tax cut at all. But you know who would? Corporations that employ tipped workers and the wealthy who can relabel their income as "tips" at will. Pass.

(Title of the above image is Table 1: The No Tax on Tips Act would provide no or paltry tax cuts to many tipped employees – far less than restoring American Rescue Plan tax credits)

.

Robert Reich (@/RBReich) quote-retweeted with:

Trump keeps touting plans to not tax tips. But estimates show that a majority of tipped workers wouldn't benefit.  Who would benefit? Big earners like hedge fund managers who could convert their fees into "tips" and get big tax breaks. It's another Trump tax scam.

.

Why Trump's and Harris' proposals to end federal taxes on tips would be difficult to enact

By Dee-Ann Durbin | The Associated Press

Quotes:

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris agree on one thing, at least: Both say they want to eliminate federal taxes on workers’ tips.

But experts say there’s a reason Congress hasn’t made such a change already. It would be complicated, not to mention enormously costly to the federal government, to enact. It would encourage many higher-paid workers to restructure their compensation to classify some of it as “tips” and thereby avoid taxes. And, in the end, it likely wouldn’t help millions of low-income workers.

“There’s no way that it wouldn’t be a mess,” said James Hines Jr., a professor of law and economics and the research director of the Office of Tax Policy Research at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Both candidates unveiled their plans in Nevada, a state with one of the highest concentrations of tipped service workers in the country. Trump announced a proposal to exclude tips from federal taxes on June 9. Harris announced a similar proposal on Aug. 10.

.

Harris’ campaign has said she would work with Congress to draft a proposal that would include an income limit and other provisions to prevent abuses by wealthy individuals who might seek to structure their compensation to classify certain fees as tips.

Her campaign said these requirements, which it did not specify, would be intended “to prevent hedge fund managers and lawyers from structuring their compensation in ways to try to take advantage of the policy.” Trump's campaign has not said whether its proposal would include any such requirements.

Even so, Hines suggested that millions of workers — not just wealthy ones — would seek to change their compensation to include tips, and could even do so legally. For example, he said, a company might set up a separate entity that would reward its employees with tips instead of year-end bonuses.

“You will have taxpayers pushing their attorneys to try to characterize their wage and salary income as tips,” Hines said. “And some would be successful, inevitably, because it’s impossible to write foolproof rules that will cover every situation."

.

Though supporters say the measures are designed to help low-wage workers, many experts say that making tips tax-free would provide only limited help to those workers.

The Budget Lab at Yale, a non-partisan policy research center, estimates that there were 4 million U.S. workers in tipped occupations in 2023. That amounted to about 2.5% of all employees, including restaurant servers and beauticians. Tipped workers tend to be younger, with an average age of 31, and of lower income. The Budget Lab said the median weekly pay for tipped workers in 2023 was $538, compared with roughly $1,000 for non-tipped workers.

As a result, many tipped workers already bear a lower income-tax burden. In 2022, 37% of tipped workers had incomes low enough that they paid no federal income tax at all, The Budget Lab said.

“If the issue is you’re concerned about low-income taxpayers, there are a lot better ways to address that problem, like expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit or changing tax rates or changing deductions,” Hines said.

In her speech in Nevada, Harris also called for raising the federal minimum wage. (The platform on Trump’s campaign site doesn’t mention the minimum wage.)

Changing federal tax policy on tips would also be costly. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-partisan group, estimates that exempting all tip income from federal income and payroll taxes would reduce revenue by $150 billion to $250 billion between 2026 and 2035. And it said that amount could rise significantly if the policy changed behavior and more people declared tip income.

Whether Trump or Harris wins the presidential election, tax policy will be high on Congress’ agenda in 2025. That’s because Trump-era tax cuts, passed in 2017, are set to expire. But Hines said he thinks Congress will be in no hurry to add “vast amounts of complexity” to the tax code.

“A presidential candidate can say whatever they want, but it's the House and Senate that have to do it,” he said.

[maidenson88-two]

THE GYN WORLD

Far away from the Milky Way there is a mysterious World, a World where Women rule and are first class citizens; While their males remain being a second class citizens.

According to the legend at beginning on this World Women and males were equal in almost everything, however in an uncertain point the World became Gynarchic more and more, until they finally reached the Gynarchic Illumination.

Female Supremacy along with some of the Gynarchy Protocols and Values are the fundamental pillars of the Femocracy, a place where Women rule over males.

Here, it'll be explain how this unpopular and unique Femocratic World works on its daily basis; The Gyn World it's supposed to be hundred of thousands of light years away so don't afraid to read.

Gynarchal & Matriarchal Government

The Gyn World is no longer divided by countries, all of Gyn World is under the jurisdiction of the Wise Women's Council, and the Empress. The Wise Women's Council is composed of 42 councilWomen, each with a province that they represent. Every 5 years, all 21+ Women are eligible to vote for a councilWoman in their province; The Matriarch enjoys terms of 10 years, both councilWomen and the Empress are determined by instant-runoff voting (where voters rank their preference). The Wise Women's High Court has 42 Female judges, one appointed by each councilWoman, and an arbiter appointed by the Empress who settles decisions in the event of a tie. Female judges and arbiters come and go with the Woman who appointed them. The Empress holds executive power, the Wise Women's Council holds legislative, and the Wise Women's High Court judicial. Politics at the global scale is concerned primarily with space exploration, education standards, and intelligence and security of the Gyn World. Establishment of extraterrestrial colonies operates at the global level for obvious reasons. Female Supremacy education is standardized across the Gyn World so that there is no discrepancy in the quality of Female Supremacy education between provinces. And while it is the duty of every Female citizen and male slave, upholding the power and stability of the Matriarchy is centralized to ensure efficient communication and information exchange at the global level.  A province’s councilWoman appoints Her cabinet, delegating important tasks to ministers. The provincial government generally focuses on infrastructure projects, healthcare provision, industry regulation, establishment of Feminist police, and funding/creating town hall centers. Provinces can have no town halls or upwards of a few hundred, it depends on how the councilWoman and Her cabinet want to run their province. 

Gynarchal & Matriarchal Economy

Industry is primarily powered by male slave labor. Women are guaranteed “comfortable living conditions and at least two male slaves,” by the constitution of the Matriarchy; provinces often provide further benefits for Women but this is the global minimum standard. This is made possible by the advancements in genetic engineering, and the mass industrial production of male babies. Entrepreneurial Women who build up corporations enjoy the monetary benefits, as well as Women in administrative positions, or those who occupy the academic/scientific sector, etc. These Women make a sizable surplus on top of the state provided benefits. Other Women will often send their male slaves off to work for the corporations as laborers, or workers in the service industry, and are paid a wage depending on how many males they contribute. Wealth is redistributed by a needs basis. The amount of money needed to “live comfortably” is re-calculated annually, and any Woman earning less than that threshold, or if She has less than two slaves, will be provided with what She is missing. This guarantee is mostly just a formality, and acts as a safety net for abnormal circumstance, as the earnings that two male laborers generate is usually enough to meet that standard without intervention. 

Gynarchal & Matriarchal Society, Family & Education

Far away from prying eyes… Working males are on the underground trains (maletoriums) from the moment they wake up (generally 6-7 in the morning) until they come home (5-6 in the evening), so they are by and large not seen by the general populace out on the city town. A strict expectation of obedience, diligence, and humility is both formally and informally enforced on every male creature. On these places males are seen as silent, expendable, but useful worker drones that are naturally predisposed to follow a regimen set by their Female superiors. However, there is a small but noteworthy population of males that are personal servants for higher status Women on the Gyn World, the Women who can afford to buy and maintain a large collection of males harem. These so called “muses” are good looking, white, blue eyes, blonde, affectionate, and no less obedient or devoted than their worker counterparts. They are at the feet of their Mistress owner most of the time, dedicating their lives to a more personal form of servitude, they cook, clean, and submit to the sexual wills of their Mistress owner, marriage doesn't exist on the Gyn World, while also acting as a confidant and occasionally earn some affection from their Mistress owner (but once these males reach 30-35 years old, they are put to work without exemptions). A member of the Female political class, an industrial tycoon, leading scientist, etc usually take on one bright “protege” that they guide and groom to take their place, and they will often own anywhere from 40 - 300 male drones, and 2 - 4 personal servants. While the typical household consists of one Woman, 1 - 2 Daughters, and 2 - 5 male slaves who are workers but also perform tasks such as cooking and cleaning.

Since males are factory created by advanced genetic engineering and considered property, their familial ties are of little concern. Male slaves are referred to in a context similar to household appliances. Due to the roughly 10:1 ratio of male to Female, men are generally not given names, often recognized using their owner’s name (e.g: “the black haired one in the middle is Lina’s third slave”). This contributes further to the devaluing and dehumanization of male slaves. Once a male is produced at the factory of male babies, he is taken to a male training institution. These complexes operate underground and far away from preying eyes, and all Female administrators are highly specialized. These Women nurse the boys to live off of small portions, along with genetic engineering, the cost of male maintenance is being brought down steadily with time. They train these young males to immediately recognize Female authority, and instill an ethic of hard work, and complete devotion to their Female superiors. The young males are isolated from their peers socially, and are exposed in early life to the constant reality of a sea of males performing menial tasks while a few authoritative Women oversee them. 99.9% of males are trained sufficiently and at minuscule to zero risk of defection, the 0.1% that show signs of rebellion are written up and later on executed by hanging by the Female executrixes. Very few male rebels against and they usually make it through the system, and the ones that do are always eventually apprehended by the authorities and hanged. The training period of a male’s life is 12 years, average years of productivity is currently around 50, the period where males produce profit 1.5 times or more the amount of their cost. Beyond that, the males are generally placed in a male retirement program by their owners, and euthanized humanely by their Female Guardians with the help of some Female program administrators.

Girls are usually conceived by artificial insemination means, but nursed and brought up by a biological Mother. Girls attend Female Supremacy schools, where they are taught a wide variety of subjects. Feminism, math, science, Female supremacy, Female superiority, Female history, Female Supremacy literature, politics, are all taught there. A general sense of innate superiority is both implicitly and explicitly taught to the young Girls. Girls finish “basic schooling” by age of 14 where they dabble superficially in a broad range of academic subjects. The important thing to leave basic schooling with is an understanding that Women are in their rights to subjugate males even their own daddies, and that their fellow Women are important and valuable to society. Beyond this point, Women enter a six year period where they are given increasingly longer, and more specific courses in Female Supremacy and beyond so that they will have to choose what areas they would like to specialize in. Once a Woman is 20 and has completed Her “higher schooling,” She is no longer the responsibility of Her Mother. She can choose to pursue university and specialize, enter the entrepreneurial world, or postpone/forgo a career and live off from the male labor She can sell, or even focus on raising Daughters of Her own.

[dwellordream]

“For American working women, World War I brought an unprecedented boon in employment opportunities. As men enlisted in the armed forces or were drafted, they left behind jobs in industry and business that had never previously been open to women. The departure of the regular workers, combined with the enormous Allied demand for munitions and war support materials, helped to produce a labor vacuum that women rushed to fill. Tens of thousands of new jobs opened up. Iron and steel mills, munitions factories, chemical and electrical industries all sought women workers.

Women happily shifted from traditional women’s jobs in domestic service and unskilled factory labor to the more demanding and better paying wartime jobs. A number of women were joining the paid labor force for the first time, but most of the growth in women’s work took place among those who were already working for wages. At one point during the war, women comprised 20 percent or more of all workers manufacturing airplanes, electrical machinery, leather and rubber goods, food, and printed materials. Women in industry ran presses and drills, lathes, welding tools, and milling machines; a few even operated cranes.

…For many African-Americans, the war brought geographical changes as well as changes in employment. During the Great Migration of 1915 to 1920, some 500,000 Southern black men and women left for Northern cities, where industrial labor shortages caused by the call-up of white men had created unheard-of opportunities. As white women replaced white men in industry and business, black women were able to move into jobs that the white women had vacated. The wages were especially attractive: a cook or laundress could earn in a day what she had in a week in the South; in industry she could earn $3 a day, compared to 50 cents for picking cotton. Domestic service paid twice what it did in the South. Railroads hired black women as cleaners and yard workers and paid government-regulated wages.

Despite these advantages, the persistence of racism in the North meant that many black women were paid 10 to 60 cents less than white women doing similar work and that they were always assigned to the hottest, dirtiest, and most disagreeable tasks available. Although African-American women increased their participation in Northern industry by 100 percent, they remained less than 7 percent of the women’s industrial labor force.

…In the course of the 1916 election campaign both the Republican and Democratic parties had endorsed woman suffrage but left the decision up to the individual states. Once safely reelected, Wilson let the subject of woman suffrage drop. During his first address to Congress after the election, Wilson pretended to ignore a large banner unfurled from the gallery by Alice Paul and members of the National Woman’s Party, the radical faction of the suffrage movement. The banner read, “Mr. President, What Will You Do for Woman Suffrage?” A few weeks later, in early 1917, the National Woman’s Party began systematically to picket the White House, and on Wilson’s inaugural day a thousand women marched solemnly around and around outside the heavy iron fence.

No one, including the President, would be able to ignore woman suffrage much longer. The campaign was receiving front page coverage in newspapers all over the country; it was featured prominently in popular magazines; the national environment was growing daily more supportive; and 4 million women in 11 states could now vote. If they could add one large Eastern state, women would have enough political power to push toward the amendment and to unseat congressmen and senators who refused to convert to the cause. With 2 million members, NAWSA itself was now the largest women’s voluntary organization in the country. As their cause made increasingly visible progress and their work intensified, suffragists grew more and more exhilarated.

…In June 1919, after a string of negative votes, the Senate finally approved the suffrage measure. Scarcely pausing for breath, suffragists fanned out across the country to help secure the needed ratification by three-quarters of the states. In less than a year, 35 of the necessary 36 states had ratified the amendment. National attention then focused on Tennessee, the only remaining state in which anti-suffrage was not so firmly entrenched as to make ratification impossible. Still, the opposition was fierce, and representatives of the anti-suffrage interests poured into the state capital of Nashville, alternatively threatening the legislators and plying them with liquor.

On the last day of the special session, the vote came down to a single undecided representative, 24-year-old Harry Burn, the youngest member of the legislature. Just hours before the vote, Burn had received a letter from his mother, a suffrage supporter, urging him to “be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt put ‘Rat’ in Ratification.” Burn voted “Yes,” and the amendment passed. A few days later, on August 26, 1920, the Secretary of State issued a formal proclamation declaring the elective franchise to be the right of every adult woman citizen of the United States. It had been 72 years, one month, and one week since the meeting in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19, 1848, when American women had first convened to demand their “sacred right” to vote.”

- Karen Manners Smith, “Women in War and Peace.” in New Paths to Power: American Women, 1890-1920

[nicklloydnow]

“In 1926, the havoc wreaked by rail strikes led to the federal government passing the Railway Labor Act to give itself the power to impose labor settlements on the rail industry. The Biden administration used this authority to broker a tentative labor agreement that would ensure a 24 percent pay increase by 2024, annual $1,000 bonuses and a freeze on rising health care costs. But workers would be permitted only one paid personal day and no paid sick leave. Of 12 unions voting on the deal, four of them — representing 56 percent of union membership in the industry — refused to ratify it. Biden signed the legislation into law on Friday.

The railroad barons refuse to permit sick days because they have stripped the railroads down to skeleton crews in a process known as precision scheduled railroading, or PSR. In essence, no spare labor is available, which is why the reduced labor force is subjected to such punishingly short periods of time off and onerous working conditions.

Class struggle defines human history. We are dominated by a seemingly omnipotent corporate elite. Hostile to our most basic rights, this elite is disemboweling the nation; destroying basic institutions that foster the common good, including public schools, the postal service and health care; and is incapable of reforming itself. The only weapon left to thwart this ongoing pillage is the strike. Workers have the collective power to slash profits and cripple industry, which is why the ruling class has gone to such lengths to defang unions and outlaw strikes. A rail freight strike, it is estimated, would cost the U.S. economy $2 billion a day, with daily losses increasing the longer a strike continued.

The few unions that remain — only 10.7 percent of the workforce is unionized — have been largely domesticated, demoted into obsequious junior partners in the capitalist system. As of January 2022, private-sector unionization stood at its lowest point since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. And yet, 48 percent of U.S. workers say they would like to belong to a union.

(…)

“We Americans are not usually thought to be a submissive people, but of course we are,” Wendell Berry wrote. “Why else would we allow our country to be destroyed? Why else would we be rewarding its destroyers? Why else would we all — by proxies we have given to greedy corporations and corrupt politicians — be participating in its destruction? Most of us are still too sane to piss in our own cistern, but we allow others to do so, and we reward them for it. We reward them so well, in fact, that those who piss in our cistern are wealthier than the rest of us. How do we submit? By not being radical enough. Or by not being thorough enough, which is the same thing.”

All the advances we made in the early 20th century through union strikes, government regulation, the New Deal, a fair tax code, the courts, an alternative press and mass movements have been reversed. The oligarchs are turning American workers — as they did in the 19th century steel and textile factories — into serfs, kept in check by onerous anti-union laws, militarized police, the world’s largest prison system, an electoral system dominated by corporate money and the most pervasive security and surveillance apparatus in human history.

The rich, throughout history, have subjugated and re-subjugated the populations they control. And the public, throughout history, has awakened to the class war waged by the oligarchs and plutocrats and revolted. Let us hope that defying Congress, freight railroad workers carry out a strike. A strike will at least expose the fangs of the ruling class, the courts, law enforcement and the National Guard, much as they did during labor unrest in the 20th century, and broadcast a very public message about whose interests they serve. Besides, a strike might work. Nothing else will.”

“The conditions faced by workers in the retail, retail support and logistics industries are harsh and often punishing during the holidays, as they are expected to work long shifts, extra hours and face expectations of fast turnaround. Public facing retail workers are also at risk of abuse and even assault from customers, who find themselves frustrated when problems with supply chains and understaffing lead to less-than-optimal customer service.

In addition, most workers do not have adequate pay. And all this, while many workers in non-unionized sectors lack a voice at work and may be paid as little as $7.25 an hour, the federal minimum wage. While large employers like Amazon set a $15 minimum wage that pressured other employers to raise their wages, many retail workers in the U.S. still make less than $15/hour, including the majority of big box and discount retail workers, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute. These low wages continue despite the difficulties that employers face in recruiting and retaining workers in our tight labor market.

(…)

Workers face challenges to creating a more humane system during the holidays, but they are not solely victims. In fact, workers continue to fight back through organizing, job actions, coalitions with community groups and work with unions.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) has worked to strengthen the bargaining position of workers in the broader retail industry through various organizing projects. This includes the international day of action, Make Amazon Pay, during which workers in Amazon warehouses all over the world engaged in actions ranging from walkouts to protests. Eighty unions in 32 countries (including many European countries where workers have better protections) participated in actions targeting Amazon. Workers organized another dozen actions in the United States, including protests in front of Jeff Bezos’s penthouse in New York City, and a picket line at the Bessemer, Alabama, facility.

In addition, RWDSU continues to work with community groups and workers centers to improve the lives of warehouse and other non-unionized workers, through efforts such as New York State’s Warehouse Workers Protection Act, which passed the state legislature in June 2022. This historic legislation would create baseline workplace protections and safety standards for all larger warehouse employers. As Chelsea Connor, director of communications from RWDSU told Truthout, “RWDSU has a long history of working to protect non-unionized workers. We have been working and we continue to work with community groups to improve the conditions for all workers.”

(…)

While Teamsters and other unionized workers enjoy protections under their contracts, this has not necessarily trickled through the industry. UPS drivers, who are Teamsters members, have gained many protections for themselves over the years, including the right to opt out of forced overtime. Unionized workers can freely speak up at work, push back against speed ups, and voice concerns about health and safety. But this is not the case across the industry. As Rand Wilson, a longtime organizer with TDU, told Truthout, “Workers with pretty identical conditions at an Amazon facility, without a union contract … they do what they are told or they can get fired.””

“Outside the south entrance of the hospital, nurses held a press conference, speaking out against their employer after their paid-leave benefits for bereavement, jury duty, and military service were terminated.

(…)

According to a Maine State Nurses Association release, no other employees at the hospital lost these benefits. A spokesperson for Maine Medical Center confirmed no changes to paid time off, including leaves, were made for employees not covered by the union's collective bargaining agreement.

(…)

Many speakers at the event said the decision to terminate their benefits was "illegal" as it related to labor laws.

(…)

This news comes as the capacity at Maine Medical Center is almost full. One factor is a lack of beds at long-term care facilities in Maine, meaning patients stay at the hospital waiting for a bed. The hospital spokesperson said there are about 70 patients waiting for discharge to a long-term facility on any given day.”

[gatekeeperwatchman]

Daily Devotionals for December 4, 2022

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living Devotional Scripture: Proverbs 29:19-21 (KJV): 19 A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understands he will not answer. 20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. 21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

Proverbs 29:19-21 (AMP): 19 A servant will not be corrected by words alone; for though he understands, he will not answer (the master who mistreats him). 20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a (self-confident) fool than for him. 21 He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him expecting the rights of a son afterward.

  Thought for the Day

Verse 20 - There is more hope for a self-confident fool to learn wisdom than a man who is hasty with his words. As we have seen, a wise man controls himself and is careful about what he says, because rash words can lead to his ruin.

Verses 19 and 21 - Employees who scorn company rules cannot be corrected by mere words but must be dealt with by disciplinary action. However, before such action, the possibility of a valid grievance should not be ruled out. Employers must treat employees fairly. People generally respond to an employer according to their treatment. Negative treatment discourages employees from doing their best. However, just because an employee follows an employer's instructions does not mean that he respects them.

An employee who is treated like part of the employer's family will eventually expect the privileges of a son. If he is selfish, he will be lazy, expect long vacations, consider himself exempt from company regulations, keep his hours, and be indignant at a reprimand. On the other hand, if he is a person of good character, he could end up running the company, if the owner has no heir. Ephesians 6:5-9 gives instructions to both employees and employers. Employees are to remember that they are God's servants and work unto Him. We can determine what kind of employee we are in God's eyes by asking ourselves these questions: "Do I take shortcuts on the job? "Do I cost others time or money by hiding my mistakes? "Do I gossip about my employer when I have a problem with him instead of communicating properly? "Do I steal? "Am I disciplined? "Do I avoid slothful habits such as tardiness? "Do I lie about my qualifications? "Do I quit a job without giving proper notification?"

Employers are instructed to treat their employees in the way that they wish to be treated. They can determine what kind of servants they are in God's eyes by asking themselves these questions: "Do I compensate each of my employees with fair and just wages and benefits? "Do I unfairly terminate employees to save money? "Do I observe and give a Sabbath rest for all employees? "Do I treat all workers fairly? "Am I furnishing good, safe working conditions for my employees? "When correction is necessary, do I correct with kindness and grace?"

These lists are by no means complete, but they will help us examine ourselves to see if we are living a Christian life on the job. Unless people allow Jesus to change their nature, the conditions and morals of workplaces will continue to deteriorate. Christians should be examples in demonstrating good work ethics. Sadly, many behave no better than the world. Prayer Devotional for the Day Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for instructing us in our business relationships. Lord, may we serve one another in love, regardless of our position. If we are working, serving our employer, may we be the best employee we can be, by realizing that our service to them is also our service to You? If we serve in the capacity of a boss, then may we be just, fair and honest in all of our ways, treating our employees with kindness and respect. Lord, we invite You into our workplaces and businesses. May our work be holy because You are there. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

From: Steven P. Miller CEO/ Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA. @ParkermillerQ, @GatekeeperWatchman1,

GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller

[simansitara]

The History and Cultural Significance of Beer

Beer is one of the oldest and most widely consumed beverages in human history, dating back thousands of years. Its rich history, cultural significance, and economic impact have made it more than just a drink—beer is a symbol of human creativity, ingenuity, and social cohesion.

The Origins of Beer

Beer’s origins trace back to ancient Mesopotamia, where evidence suggests that early forms of beer were brewed around 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. The Sumerians, often credited with creating one of the earliest forms of writing, also left behind recipes and hymns dedicated to beer, highlighting its importance in daily life. Archaeological findings from China, Egypt, and other ancient civilizations further suggest that beer was independently developed across multiple regions, with each culture adopting its unique brewing techniques and ingredients.

Beer and Religion

In many early societies, beer was not just a recreational beverage but also played a significant role in religious and ceremonial practices. In ancient Egypt, beer was used as offerings to the gods and given as wages to workers, including those who built the pyramids. In Mesopotamia, the goddess Ninkasi was revered as the deity of brewing, and her hymn is one of the earliest known beer recipes.

The Evolution of Brewing Techniques

As societies advanced, so did brewing techniques. Medieval Europe saw the rise of monasteries as key centers for brewing, where monks developed more refined methods and introduced ingredients like hops to preserve the beer and enhance its flavor. By the 16th century, the German Beer Purity Law, or Reinheitsgebot, established regulations about what could legally be included in beer—water, barley, and hops—laying the foundation for modern beer brewing.

Beer’s Role in Society

Throughout history, beer has been more than a beverage—it has been a social lubricant, a source of nutrition, and even a form of currency. In medieval Europe, alehouses and taverns became essential social hubs where people from all walks of life would gather to share news, conduct business, and enjoy community. Beer also played a pivotal role in early American history, with many of the founding fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, being avid brewers.

The Craft Beer Movement

In the 20th century, the rise of industrialization led to the mass production of beer, which made it more accessible to the average person. However, by the late 20th century, a resurgence of small-scale, artisanal brewing known as the craft beer movement began. Craft brewers emphasized quality, innovation, and traditional brewing methods, often incorporating unique flavors and ingredients into their products. This movement transformed the beer industry, giving rise to thousands of independent breweries across the world and reigniting an appreciation for beer as a complex, flavorful, and culturally significant beverage.

Conclusion

Beer is more than just an alcoholic drink; it’s a product deeply intertwined with human history and culture. From its humble beginnings in ancient Mesopotamia to the modern craft beer movement, beer has continually evolved, reflecting changes in technology, society, and human taste. It serves as a reminder of how an everyday beverage can influence and shape civilizations, connect people across time and space, and remain a beloved staple in cultures worldwide.

[isocertificationinegypt]

SA 8000 Certification in Bangalore: Promoting Ethical Workplaces

In today’s global marketplace, businesses are increasingly evaluated not only on their products and services but also on their commitment to  ethical practices. The SA 8000 certification is a globally recognized standard for social accountability that ensures organizations meet high standards in labor practices. In Bangalore, a city known for its rapid industrial growth, obtaining SA 8000 certification in Bangalore can be a significant step toward promoting ethical workplaces and demonstrating responsibility toward employees, stakeholders, and the community.

Achieve SA 8000 Certification in Bangalore: Ensuring Social Accountability

Achieving SA 8000 certification in Bangalore is an important milestone for businesses aiming to create a socially responsible work environment. The certification is based on internationally accepted standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and conventions from the International Labour Organization (ILO). By obtaining this certification, companies in Bangalore can ensure that their labor policies comply with stringent regulations on issues like child labor, forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association, and fair wages. In turn, this builds trust with both local and global partners.

SA 8000 Certification in Bangalore: A Path to Ethical Business Practices

SA 8000 certification in Bangalore provides a clear framework for companies to follow, helping them integrate ethical principles into their daily operations. This is particularly valuable for organizations in Bangalore’s competitive business environment, where reputation and corporate responsibility can greatly influence customer and investor decisions. SA 8000 not only outlines labor practices but also ensures that businesses engage in continuous improvement by establishing procedures for audits and corrective actions. Thus, it leads to long-term ethical business practices and sustainable growth.

How SA 8000 Certification in Bangalore Enhances Workplace Standards

For businesses in Bangalore, SA 8000 certification directly enhances workplace standards by focusing on employee well-being and rights. Companies that adopt this standard see improvements in areas such as worker safety, working hours, and fair compensation. These improvements not only foster a positive working environment but also contribute to increased productivity and employee satisfaction. By prioritizing ethical labor practices, businesses position themselves as industry leaders committed to high-quality standards both internally and externally.

Strengthen Social Responsibility with SA 8000 Certification in Bangalore

In a rapidly growing business hub like Bangalore, companies need to demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility. SA 8000 certification provides a comprehensive approach to ensuring that social accountability is at the forefront of a company’s values. By adhering to this standard, businesses strengthen their social responsibility, improve their brand image, and gain a competitive edge. Furthermore, SA 8000-certified companies in Bangalore can inspire others in their industry to adopt similar practices, contributing to a more responsible and ethical business ecosystem. In conclusion, SA 8000 certification in Bangalore offers a transformative path for organizations in Bangalore to elevate their labor practices and demonstrate their commitment to social accountability. Through this certification, companies can build more ethical workplaces, enhance their brand image, and ensure long-term success while contributing positively to the well-being of their employees and the broader community.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Rent control works

This Saturday (May 20), I’ll be at the GAITHERSBURG Book Festival with my novel Red Team Blues; then on May 22, I’m keynoting Public Knowledge’s Emerging Tech conference in DC.

On May 23, I’ll be in TORONTO for a book launch that’s part of WEPFest, a benefit for the West End Phoenix, onstage with Dave Bidini (The Rheostatics), Ron Diebert (Citizen Lab) and the whistleblower Dr Nancy Olivieri.

David Roth memorably described the job of neoliberal economists as finding “new ways to say ‘actually, your boss is right.’” Not just your boss: for decades, economists have formed a bulwark against seemingly obvious responses to the most painful parts of our daily lives, from wages to education to health to shelter:

https://popula.com/2023/04/30/yakkin-about-chatgpt-with-david-roth/

How can we solve the student debt crisis? Well, we could cancel student debt and regulate the price of education, either directly or through free state college.

How can we solve America’s heath-debt crisis? We could cancel health debt and create Medicare For All.

How can we solve America’s homelessness crisis? We could build houses and let homeless people live in them.

How can we solve America’s wage-stagnation crisis? We could raise the minimum wage and/or create a federal jobs guarantee.

How can we solve America’s workplace abuse crisis? We could allow workers to unionize.

How can we solve America’s price-gouging greedflation crisis? With price controls and/or windfall taxes.

How can we solve America’s inequality crisis? We could tax billionaires.

How can we solve America’s monopoly crisis? We could break up monopolies.

How can we solve America’s traffic crisis? We could build public transit.

How can we solve America’s carbon crisis? We can regulate carbon emissions.

These answers make sense to everyone except neoliberal economists and people in their thrall. Rather than doing the thing we want, neoliberal economists insist we must unleash “markets” to solve the problems, by “creating incentives.” That may sound like a recipe for a small state, but in practice, “creating incentives” often involves building huge bureaucracies to “keep the incentives aligned” (that is, to prevent private firms from ripping off public agencies).

This is how we get “solutions” that fail catastrophically, like:

Public Service Loan Forgiveness instead of debt cancellation and free college:

https://studentloansherpa.com/likely-ineligible/

The gig economy instead of unions and minimum wages:

https://www.newswise.com/articles/research-reveals-majority-of-gig-economy-workers-are-earning-below-minimum-wage

Interest rate hikes instead of price caps and windfall taxes:

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/03/1173371788/the-fed-raises-interest-rates-again-in-what-could-be-its-final-attack-on-inflati

Tax breaks for billionaire philanthropists instead of taxing billionaires:

https://memex.craphound.com/2018/11/10/winners-take-all-modern-philanthropy-means-that-giving-some-away-is-more-important-than-how-you-got-it/

Subsidizing Uber instead of building mass transit:

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/cities-turn-uber-instead-buses-trains/

Fraud-riddled carbon trading instead of emissions limits:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/27/voluntary-carbon-market/#trust-me

As infuriating as all of this “actually, your boss is right” nonsense is, the most immediate and continuously frustrating aspect of it is the housing crisis, which has engulfed cities all over the world, to the detriment of nearly everyone.

America led the way on screwing up housing. There were two major New Deal/post-war policies that created broad (but imperfect and racially biased) prosperity in America: housing subsidies and labor unions. Of the two, labor unions were the most broadly inclusive, most available across racial and gender lines, and most engaged with civil rights struggles and other progressive causes.

So America declared war on labor unions and told working people that their only path to intergenerational wealth was to buy a home, wait for it to “appreciate,” and sell it on for a profit. This is a disaster. Without unions to provide countervailing force, every part of American life has worsened, with stagnating wages lagging behind skyrocketing expenses for education, health, retirement, and long-term care. For nearly every homeowner, this means that their “most valuable asset” — the roof over their head — must be liquidated to cover debts. Meanwhile, their kids, burdened with six-figure student debt — will have little or nothing left from the sale of the family home with which to cover a downpayment in a hyperinflated market:

https://gen.medium.com/the-rents-too-damned-high-520f958d5ec5

Meanwhile, rent inflation is screaming ahead of other forms of inflation, burdening working people beyond any ability to pay. Giant Wall Street firms have bought up huge swathes of the country’s housing stock, transforming it into overpriced, undermaintained slums that you can be evicted from at the drop of a hat:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/08/wall-street-landlords/#the-new-slumlords

Transforming housing from a human right to an “asset” was always going to end in a failure to build new housing stock and regulate the rental market. It’s reaching a breaking point. “Superstar cities” like New York and San Francisco have long been priced out of the reach of working people, but now they’re becoming unattainable for double-income, childless, college-educated adults in their prime working years:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/05/15/upshot/migrations-college-super-cities.html

A city that you can’t live in is a failure. A system that can’t provide decent housing is a failure. The “your boss is right, actually” crowd won: we don’t build public housing, we don’t regulate rents, and it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

Maybe we could try doing things instead of “aligning incentives?”

Like, how about rent control.

God, you can already hear them squealing! “Price controls artificially distort well-functioning markets, resulting in a mismatch between supply and demand and the creation of the dreaded deadweight loss triangle!”

Rent control “causes widespread shortages, leaving would-be renters high and dry while screwing landlords (the road to hell, so says the orthodox economist, is paved with good intentions).”

That’s been the received wisdom for decades, fed to us by Chicago School economists who are so besotted with their own mathematical models that any mismatch between the models’ predictions and the real world is chalked up to errors in the real world, not the models. It’s pure economism: “If economists wished to study the horse, they wouldn’t go and look at horses. They’d sit in their studies and say to themselves, ‘What would I do if I were a horse?’”

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/27/economism/#what-would-i-do-if-i-were-a-horse

But, as Mark Paul writes for The American Prospect, rent control works:

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/housing/2023-05-16-economists-hate-rent-control/

Rent control doesn’t constrain housing supply:

https://dornsife.usc.edu/pere/rent-matters

At least some of the time, rent control expands housing supply:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2007.00334.x

The real risk of rent control is landlords exploiting badly written laws to kick out tenants and convert their units to condos — that’s not a problem with rent control, it’s a problem with eviction law:

https://web.stanford.edu/~diamondr/DMQ.pdf

Meanwhile, removing rent control doesn’t trigger the predicted increases in housing supply:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119006000635

Rent control might create winners (tenants) and losers (landlords), but it certainly doesn’t make everyone worse off — as the neoliberal doctrine insists it must. Instead, tenants who benefit from rent control have extra money in their pockets to spend on groceries, debt service, vacations, and child-care.

Those happier, more prosperous people, in turn, increase the value of their landlords’ properties, by creating happy, prosperous neighborhoods. Rent control means that when people in a neighborhood increase its value, their landlords can’t kick them out and rent to richer people, capturing all the value the old tenants created.

What is life like under rent control? It’s great. You and your family get to stay put until you’re ready to move on, as do your neighbors. Your kids don’t have to change schools and find new friends. Old people aren’t torn away from communities who care for them:

https://ideas.repec.org/a/uwp/landec/v58y1982i1p109-117.html

In Massachusetts, tenants with rent control pay half the rent that their non-rent-controlled neighbors pay:

https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publications/housing%20market%202014.pdf

Rent control doesn’t just make tenants better off, it makes society better off. Rather than money flowing from a neighborhood to landlords, rent control allows the people in a community to invest it there: opening and patronizing businesses.

Anything that can’t go on forever will eventually stop. As the housing crisis worsens, states are finally bringing back rent control. New York has strengthened rent control for the first time in 40 years:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/nyregion/rent-regulation-laws-new-york.html

California has a new statewide rent control law:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/business/economy/california-rent-control.html

They’re battling against anti-rent-control state laws pushed by ALEC, the right-wing architects of model legislation banning action on climate change, broadband access, and abortion:

https://www.nmhc.org/research-insight/analysis-and-guidance/rent-control-laws-by-state/

But rent control has broad, democratic support. Strong majorities of likely voters support rent control:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/07/metro/new-statewide-poll-shows-strong-support-rent-control/

And there’s a kind of rent control that has near unanimous support: the 30-year fixed mortgage. For the 67% of Americans who live in owner-occupied homes, the existence of the federally-backed (and thus federally subsidized) fixed mortgage means that your monthly shelter costs are fixed for life. What’s more, these costs go down the longer you pay them, as mortgage borrowers refinance when interest rates dip.

We have a two-tier system: if you own a home, then the longer you stay put, the cheaper your “rent” gets. If you rent a home, the longer you stay put, the more expensive your home gets over time.

America needs a shit-ton more housing — regular housing for working people. Mr Market doesn’t want to build it, no matter how many “incentives” we dangle. Maybe it’s time we just did stuff instead of building elaborate Rube Goldberg machines in the hopes of luring the market’s animal sentiments into doing it for us.

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Toronto, DC, Gaithersburg, Oxford, Hay, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/16/mortgages-are-rent-control/#housing-is-a-human-right-not-an-asset

[Image ID: A beautifully laid dining room table in a luxury flat. Outside of the windows looms a rotting shanty town with storm-clouds overhead.]

Image: ozz13x (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shanty_Town_Hong_Kong_China_March_2013.jpg

Matt Brown (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dining_room_in_Centre_Point_penthouse.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

[syedaitzaz]

Comprehensive Guide to Hiring a House Maid in the UAE: Tadbeer Maid Services Explained

1. Introduction

The Growing Demand for Maid Services in the UAE

As one of the world's most rapidly growing urban environments, the UAE, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has seen a massive rise in the demand for maid services. With expatriates making up a significant portion of the population, managing a work-life balance while maintaining a home can be challenging. This has led to an increasing reliance on professional maid services to help manage household tasks.

Overview of House Maid Services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Maid services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become essential for many families. The availability of both full-time and part-time services allows residents to choose according to their needs. Agencies such as Tadbeer ensure that all legal requirements are met, providing peace of mind to employers while securing fair treatment for maids.

2. Types of Maid Services in the UAE

Part-Time vs. Full-Time Maid Services

In the UAE, you have the option of hiring either part-time or full-time maid services. Part-time services are typically ideal for families who need help on an occasional basis. Full-time maids, on the other hand, live with the employer and take care of daily household chores. Deciding which service is right for you depends on your lifestyle and household needs.

Tadbeer Excellence Center and Governmental Regulations

Tadbeer centers in the UAE offer a government-regulated framework for hiring domestic workers. This ensures that both employers and maids comply with the law, safeguarding rights and responsibilities on both sides.

3. Benefits of Hiring a Maid in the UAE

Convenience and Time-Saving

Hiring a maid allows you to focus on your professional and personal life without being overwhelmed by daily chores. From cleaning to cooking and childcare, professional maids take care of your household needs, providing much-needed relief and convenience.

Professional Cleaning and Maintenance Services

Maid services ensure a high level of cleanliness and maintenance in your home. Professional maids are trained in cleaning, hygiene, and organization, making sure your home remains in perfect condition.

4. How to Find a House Maid in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Trusted Agencies vs. Independent Search

When looking for a maid in the UAE, you can either go through a trusted agency like Tadbeer or conduct an independent search. While agencies provide a more secure and legally compliant process, some prefer to find maids through personal recommendations or online platforms.

Tips for Selecting the Right Maid Service

Consider the reputation of the agency, the services offered, and your specific household needs when choosing a maid service. Tadbeer, for example, offers vetted maids who are trained and qualified under UAE regulations.

5. Full-Time Housemaids: What to Expect

Contracts, Salaries, and Legal Considerations

Hiring a full-time housemaid involves entering into a formal contract, which includes salary, working hours, and other legal considerations. The UAE government sets minimum wage guidelines and enforces labor laws to ensure fair treatment of domestic workers.

Tadbeer: Ensuring Legal Hiring

Tadbeer offers a secure and legal route to hiring full-time housemaids in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Through Tadbeer, you can be assured that all legal requirements are met, protecting both the employer and the maid.

6. Understanding the Tadbeer Excellence Center

Services Offered by Tadbeer

Tadbeer centers provide a wide range of services including recruitment, training, and visa processing for domestic workers. They also ensure that all maids are registered and legally authorized to work in the UAE.

Why Tadbeer is the Preferred Agency in the UAE

Tadbeer is favored for its transparency, legal compliance, and commitment to protecting the rights of both employers and workers. By choosing Tadbeer, you ensure a smooth and hassle-free hiring experience.

7. The Hiring Process Through Tadbeer

Steps to Hire a Maid through Tadbeer

Hiring through Tadbeer involves several steps: selecting a candidate, completing the necessary documentation, and processing the visa. Tadbeer simplifies this process, ensuring that all legalities are handled efficiently.

Required Documentation and Fees

To hire a maid through Tadbeer, you will need to provide identification documents, proof of residence, and a contract agreement. There are also agency fees and visa processing costs to consider.

8. House Maid Salaries in the UAE

Standard Pay Ranges for Housemaids

Salaries for housemaids in the UAE can vary based on factors such as experience, nationality, and duties. On average, full-time housemaids in Dubai and Abu Dhabi earn between AED 1,500 and AED 3,000 per month. However, rates can be higher depending on the maid’s skills and the family’s specific requirements.

Factors Influencing Salary Rates

Several factors influence a housemaid’s salary in the UAE. Experience is a key factor, with more experienced maids typically commanding higher wages. The type of duties, including childcare, cooking, and elderly care, also play a role in determining pay. Additionally, the nationality of the maid can sometimes influence salary expectations.

9. Legal Considerations When Hiring a Maid

UAE Labor Laws on Domestic Workers

The UAE has strict labor laws to ensure that domestic workers are treated fairly. These laws cover working hours, rest days, and contract terms. Under the law, maids are entitled to at least one day off per week, and their employers are required to provide suitable accommodation, healthcare, and annual leave.

Employer Responsibilities and Obligations

As an employer, it is essential to comply with UAE labor laws, ensuring that your housemaid is treated ethically and fairly. This includes providing a written contract, paying the agreed salary on time, and covering medical expenses. Failure to adhere to these laws can result in legal consequences.

10. Maintaining a Healthy Employer-Maid Relationship

Setting Expectations and Boundaries

To maintain a healthy working relationship, it’s important to establish clear expectations from the start. Outline your household rules, duties, and boundaries. Transparency helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that both you and the maid are on the same page.

Communication and Conflict Resolution

Open and respectful communication is key to avoiding conflicts. If issues arise, address them calmly and respectfully. Providing regular feedback, both positive and constructive, can help improve the working relationship and overall performance.

11. Challenges and Solutions

Cultural and Language Barriers

Given the diverse nationalities of maids in the UAE, cultural and language barriers are common challenges. Misunderstandings can arise due to differences in customs and communication styles. Learning some basic phrases in your maid’s native language and being culturally sensitive can help overcome these barriers.

Solutions for Common Problems

Many employers face issues such as unmet expectations or inconsistent performance. To address this, it’s helpful to provide detailed instructions and training on your specific preferences. Regular check-ins and mutual feedback can also resolve any problems before they escalate.

12. Practical Tips for Home Maid Services

Keeping Your Home Organized Between Visits

Even with regular maid services, keeping your home tidy between visits can help maintain cleanliness. Establishing a routine where everyone in the household pitches in with minor tasks will reduce the workload for the maid and ensure a consistently clean environment.

Delegating Tasks to Your Maid

Effective delegation is essential to get the most out of your maid’s services. Prioritize the tasks that are most important to you and communicate these clearly. This ensures that your maid focuses on what matters most, and avoids confusion.

13. Case Studies: Real Experiences

Families Successfully Using Maid Services in Dubai

Many families in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have successfully integrated maid services into their daily lives. For example, one expatriate family found that hiring a full-time housemaid through Tadbeer allowed them to better manage their work commitments while ensuring their home was well-maintained.

Challenges Faced by Expats and Solutions Found

Some expatriates report initial challenges with communication or differences in expectations. One family resolved this by setting up a detailed routine and checklist for their maid, which helped to establish consistency and improved performance.

14. Emerging Trends in Maid Services

The Rise of On-Demand Cleaning Services

On-demand cleaning services are growing in popularity across the UAE. Apps and online platforms allow residents to book cleaning services as and when they need them, providing flexibility and convenience without the commitment of hiring a full-time maid.

Technology’s Role in Housekeeping

Technology is increasingly playing a role in housekeeping, from smart home devices that automate tasks to apps that streamline booking and communication between maids and employers. These tools are enhancing the efficiency of maid services in the UAE.

15. Conclusion

Final Thoughts on Hiring a Maid in the UAE

Hiring a maid in the UAE, whether part-time or full-time, can significantly improve your quality of life by easing the burden of household chores. By choosing a reputable agency like Tadbeer, you ensure that the process is smooth, legal, and stress-free. With the right approach, a housemaid can become a valuable part of your household, allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your life.

Call-to-Action: Finding Your Ideal Maid Service

If you are looking for a housemaid in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, consider exploring Tadbeer’s services. With their rigorous selection process, legal compliance, and dedication to quality, Tadbeer can help you find the perfect fit for your home.

16. FAQs

How Do I Choose Between Part-Time and Full-Time?

Deciding between part-time and full-time maid services depends on your household’s needs. If you require daily assistance with cleaning, cooking, or childcare, a full-time maid may be the best option. For occasional cleaning, a part-time service might suffice.

Is Tadbeer the Best Choice for Finding a Maid?

Yes, Tadbeer is one of the most trusted agencies in the UAE for hiring domestic workers. Their government-regulated services ensure legal compliance and a fair process for both employers and maids.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Maid in Dubai?

The cost of hiring a maid in Dubai can range from AED 1,500 to AED 3,000 per month, depending on the maid’s experience, duties, and the agency fees. It’s important to budget for additional expenses such as visa processing and healthcare.

[safety-at-workplace]

What Happens When Workplace Safety Is Ignored 

In today's dynamic business landscape, it's tempting to prioritize deadlines and profits. Yet, workplace safety is a vital concern that must not be ignored. It involves more than just protective gear; it's about safeguarding lives, securing careers, and preventing extensive negative impacts. 

Current State of Workplace Safety 

The current statistics are concerning. In 2022, the U.S. saw 227,039 preventable deaths and 63 million injuries, costing $1,283.5 billion (National Safety Council). In France, workplace incidents result in two deaths daily and 600,000 annual injuries, highlighting the need for increased awareness and preventive actions. 

Despite OSHA regulations, hazards such as slips, falls, exposure to dangerous substances, equipment accidents, and ergonomic issues persist. Many workplaces still overlook safety. 

Direct Implications for Employees 

Neglecting safety directly harms employees, causing anything from minor injuries to life-threatening conditions and even death. Beyond physical harm, severe accidents can lead to stress, anxiety, or PTSD, diminishing overall quality of life. 

Injured workers often face career setbacks, missed promotions, and in some cases, permanent departure from their profession. This neglect can shatter career aspirations, which is deeply disheartening. 

Business Implications 

Ignoring workplace safety poses significant risks for businesses. The financial burden is substantial; in 2022, U.S. work injuries cost $167.0 billion, including lost wages, medical expenses, and administrative costs. Furthermore, non-compliance with safety regulations can lead to hefty fines and legal issues, exemplified by Ellwood Engineered Castings' $145,000 fine after a preventable worker fatality. 

High injury rates also cause employee turnover, leading to talent loss and increased hiring costs, which negatively impact businesses. 

Societal Implications 

The repercussions of poor safety at the workplace extend beyond businesses, straining healthcare systems and overwhelming workers' compensation. In certain industries, neglecting safety can result in environmental pollution and hazardous material release, affecting entire communities. 

Widespread safety issues also diminish public trust in businesses and industries, leading to stricter regulations and increased scrutiny, with broad economic and social impacts. 

The Role of Workplace Safety Management 

Effective safety management is essential for preventing serious issues. This includes risk assessments, proper training, open communication, equipment maintenance, and continuous improvement. Investing in safety training offers returns of 40% to 60%. 

Technological solutions like YOUFactors improve safety management by encouraging safe behaviors through micro-learning and digital nudges, making safety instinctive and reducing accidents. 

Overcoming Barriers to Workplace Safety 

Common reasons for neglecting safety include cost and time constraints. However, the losses from neglect far outweigh the costs of safety measures. Overcoming these barriers requires a mindset shift across all organizational levels, viewing safety as an investment in people, the most valuable asset. 

Employee engagement is also key. When workers see that management prioritizes their well-being, they are more likely to participate in safety programs and report hazards. 

Conclusion 

Neglecting workplace safety has severe consequences for employees, businesses, and society. Investing in safety protects employees and enhances business success, with a $4 to $6 return for every $1 spent on safety programs. 

Giving importance to safety at the workplace is crucial for long-term success. Developing a safety culture, using modern tools, and treating safety as an investment are vital steps. The choice is clear: prioritize safety at work now or face severe consequences later. 

[tempodjakarta]

Update #008

Newspaper on the Rise (12 December 1943

Newspaper on the Rise

The November issue of Harian Kompas has become the latest hit in town, with large A2 sized posters of the paper posted in walls of alleyways and buildings. The newspaper has 5 columns, here is what it looks like:

"Voices of a Nation: Navigating the Political Terrain In the dynamic political landscape of Japanese-occupied Java, voices from all corners of society are being heard, from the common worker to high-ranking Japanese administrators and local governors. The concerns of the working class, who strive for better labor conditions and fair wages, resonate deeply with the nationalist spirit. At the same time, Japanese administrators emphasize the importance of stability and cooperation for the greater good. Governors across the island are tasked with balancing these perspectives, aiming to foster unity and progress amidst the occupation. This confluence of voices highlights the complexity of political alignments, urging a collaborative approach to navigate these turbulent times.

ECONOMY: Agriculture and Trade: The Lifeblood of Java Agricultural production remains the backbone of Java's economy. Recent reports indicate significant strides in food production and distribution across Java and Sumatra, ensuring sustenance for the population despite challenging conditions. Trade routes in Southeast Asia are bustling with activity, connecting our fertile lands with neighboring regions. Foreign reports highlight the strategic importance of these routes, not only for economic gain but also for fostering regional alliances. As we continue to bolster our agricultural output, it is crucial to maintain efficient distribution networks and explore new markets to sustain our economic resilience.

SPORTS: The Spirit of Sportsmanship: Unity Through Competition Sports continue to be a unifying force in Java, bringing communities together through friendly competition. Recent games have showcased the talent and dedication of our athletes, inspiring a sense of pride and camaraderie. Discussions are underway for the formation of sports consortiums, aiming to standardize regulations and promote organized competitions across various regions. These consortiums will provide a platform for athletes to hone their skills and represent Java on a broader stage. As we celebrate the achievements of our sportsmen and women, we look forward to a future where sports play a pivotal role in our national identity. 

CULTURE: Celebrating Our Heritage: A Tapestry of Javanese Culture Java's rich cultural tapestry is a source of immense pride and fascination. Each day, Harian Kompas will introduce readers to unique cultural practices from different regions, highlighting the diversity that defines our island. From traditional dances and music to local culinary delights, we aim to preserve and promote our cultural heritage. Fun facts and intriguing stories will provide readers with a deeper appreciation of the customs and traditions that make Java so vibrant. In embracing our cultural identity, we strengthen the bonds that unite us as a community. 

LANGUAGE: Language Lessons: Bridging Communication Gaps Language is the key to understanding and unity. In this column, we introduce daily vocabulary and grammar lessons in the Javanese language, accompanied by Japanese translations. These lessons aim to bridge communication gaps, fostering mutual understanding between Javanese people and Japanese administrators. By learning each other's languages, we can enhance cooperation and build a foundation of respect and camaraderie. Whether you are a native speaker or a learner, these lessons will enrich your linguistic skills and contribute to a more harmonious coexistence."

[delicatestudentanchor]

Managing HR Challenges: Understanding Essential Human Resources Terminologies

The business world of today moves quickly, and HR professionals regularly face obstacles that they have to overcome effectively for the smooth working of the organisation. Managing a diverse staff, adjusting to new technology and legal changes are just a few of the HR challenges that professionals need to keep up with.

Understanding the common human resource terminologies is crucial for effectively addressing these challenges. In this article, we will go into several important terms, such as leave encashment in HRMS and HRMS attendance, that can help HR professionals.

Challenges HR Professionals Face on a Daily Basis

Any organisation's core is its human resources (HR) department, which makes sure that employees are happy, productive, and committed to the organisation's objectives. However, HR teams encounter a range of challenges, including:

1. Talent Acquisition and Retention: It's never easy to find and retain skilled employees. Because there is great competition for qualified professionals, it is necessary to provide a combination of competitive pay, chances for professional growth, and a nice work environment in order to keep them on board.

2. Regulation Compliance: HR departments have to negotiate a complicated web of labour laws and compliances. Maintaining compliance is necessary to stay out of legal trouble and guarantee that workers are treated fairly.

3. Employee Engagement: Productivity depends on keeping your staff engaged and motivated. HR needs to come up with creative strategies to keep employee engagement levels high, particularly in remote or hybrid work settings.

4. Technological Integration: Simplifying procedures and boosting productivity need the use of HR technology, such as Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS). It can be difficult to integrate these technologies, though, and it calls for ongoing training and updates.

Important Terminologies in Human Resources

It's essential to comprehend particular human resources terminologies in order to solve these issues. Let's discuss two key terms: HRMS attendance and leave encashment.

Leave Encashment in HRMS

The procedure by which workers can exchange their unused vacation days for cash is known as "leave encashment." This is especially important for companies trying to strike a balance between employee happiness and their financial commitments. Digital management of leave encashment is possible with an HRMS software, which offers the following advantages:

Automated Calculations: HRMS has the ability to compute the encashment amount automatically, taking into account both the employee's pay scale and corporate policies.

Transparency: The technology allows employees to examine their leave balance and encashment options directly, which promotes confidence and transparency.

Compliance: Ensures that leave encashment procedures abide by business policy and labour laws, lowering the possibility of disagreements.

HRMS Attendance

HRMS attendance refers to the tracking and administration of employee attendance using a digital system. Payroll, performance reviews, and compliance all depend on accurate attendance tracking. HRMS attendance systems' salient characteristics include:

Real-time Tracking: Employees can use web portals, mobile apps, or biometric systems to clock in and leave, enabling real-time tracking of attendance.

Leave Management: To ensure accurate records and reporting, HRMS can handle a variety of absences, including vacation, sick leave, and remote work.

Payroll Integration: Reduces human error and ensures timely payroll processing by automating the attendance-based wage calculation.

Conclusion

Using technology effectively and having a thorough understanding of HR terminologies are essential for navigating HR challenges. HR professionals may increase productivity, guarantee compliance, and boost employee happiness by utilising HRMS for procedures like leave encashment and attendance tracking. The key to success in human resource management is being aware and flexible as the corporate landscape changes.

If you are an organisation looking to implement HRMS software to streamline your human resources operations, you can check out Opportune HR. They are two time award winners for their work in the field of HR. Their services include payroll software and HRMS software. Additionally, they can tailor the HRMS software according to business requirements. Visit their website to learn more about their services.

[freemanattorney]

Houston Injury Attorney: Your Trusted Help for Personal Injury Cases

When accidents happen, they can leave you with severe injuries, mounting medical bills, and a maze of legal complexities. In such distressing times, Gary M. Freeman, Injury Trial Attorney, stands as a beacon of hope and justice. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive legal support for victims of personal injuries in Houston. Our team of experienced attorneys ensures that you receive the compensation you deserve while you focus on recovery.

Why Choose Gary M. Freeman as Your Houston Injury Attorney?

Expertise in Personal Injury Law

Navigating the legal system can be daunting, especially when you're recovering from an injury. At Gary M. Freeman, Houston Injury Attorney, we specialize in personal injury law, offering expert guidance and representation. Our extensive knowledge and experience enable us to handle a wide range of personal injury cases, ensuring that our clients receive the best possible outcome.

Personalized Legal Support

Every personal injury case is unique, and we believe that each client deserves personalized attention. Our team takes the time to understand the specifics of your case, tailoring our legal strategy to meet your individual needs. We are committed to providing compassionate and effective legal support, treating each client with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Proven Track Record of Success

Our success is built on a foundation of dedication, hard work, and a relentless pursuit of justice. We have a proven track record of securing significant settlements and verdicts for our clients. By choosing Gary M. Freeman, Injury Trial Attorney, you are partnering with a firm that has a history of achieving favorable outcomes in complex personal injury cases.

Oil Field Accident Attorneys in Houston: Specialized Legal Representation

Understanding Oil Field Accidents

Oil fields are some of the most hazardous workplaces, with workers facing numerous risks daily. Accidents in these environments can lead to severe injuries or even fatalities. Common causes of oil field accidents include equipment failure, explosions, and falls. Victims of such accidents often require specialized legal representation to navigate the complexities of their cases.

Expertise in Oil Field Accident Cases

Gary M. Freeman, Injury Trial Attorney, has a deep understanding of the unique challenges associated with Oil Field Accident Attorneys Houston. Our team of skilled attorneys is well-versed in the regulations and safety standards governing the oil industry. We leverage this expertise to build strong cases for our clients, ensuring they receive the compensation needed for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.

Comprehensive Legal Services

From the initial consultation to the final settlement or trial, we provide comprehensive legal services for victims of oil field accidents. Our attorneys conduct thorough investigations, gather critical evidence, and work with industry experts to strengthen your case. We are committed to holding negligent parties accountable and securing maximum compensation for our clients.

The Process of Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Houston

Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation

The journey to justice begins with a free initial consultation. During this meeting, we evaluate the details of your case, discuss your legal options, and outline the next steps. Our goal is to provide you with a clear understanding of the process and what to expect.

Investigation and Evidence Gathering

A thorough investigation is crucial for building a strong personal injury case. Our team collects all relevant evidence, including medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and expert opinions. We leave no stone unturned in our quest to establish liability and prove the extent of your injuries.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts to injury victims. Our experienced negotiators engage with these companies on your behalf, advocating for fair compensation. We have the skills and knowledge to counter lowball offers and ensure that your rights are protected.

Litigation and Trial

If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we are prepared to take your case to court. Our trial attorneys have extensive courtroom experience and a track record of success. We present a compelling case to the judge and jury, fighting tirelessly for the justice and compensation you deserve.

Common Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Car Accidents

Car accidents are a leading cause of personal injuries in Houston. Whether you are dealing with a minor fender-bender or a catastrophic collision, our attorneys can help you navigate the complexities of your case. We handle all aspects, from dealing with insurance companies to representing you in court if necessary.

Truck Accidents

Truck accidents often result in severe injuries due to the size and weight of commercial vehicles. Our firm has extensive experience handling truck accident cases, ensuring that victims receive adequate compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, and other losses.

Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries can occur in any industry, but they are particularly common in high-risk environments like construction sites and oil fields. We represent workers who have been injured on the job, helping them secure workers' compensation benefits and pursue additional claims if third-party negligence is involved.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice cases involve complex legal and medical issues. Our attorneys work with medical experts to establish negligence and secure compensation for victims of medical errors, misdiagnosis, surgical mistakes, and other forms of malpractice.

Product Liability

Defective products can cause serious injuries or even death. We represent clients who have been harmed by dangerous or faulty products, holding manufacturers and distributors accountable for their negligence.

Conclusion

At Gary M. Freeman, Injury Trial Attorney, we are dedicated to providing top-tier legal representation for personal injury victims in Houston. Our commitment to excellence, personalized approach, and proven track record make us the go-to choice for those seeking justice and compensation. If you or a loved one has been injured, contact us today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step towards recovery.