Civil Rights News: Labor Secretary Nominee Tom Perez Heads to Full Senate Vote; More Professionals Looking to Join Unions; AZ Sheriff Arpaio Facing Backlash

Posted on May 17, 2013 by admin

Compiled by Claire Ross, a Summer 2013 Leadership Conference Intern

“Labor Secretary Nominee Perez Clears Early Hurdle in Confirmation”- Washington Post-May 16th, 2013

Thomas Perez’s nomination to become the next U.S. Secretary of Labor has been cleared to reach the Senate Floor for a vote in the upcoming weeks. Washington Post reporter Josh Hicks noted that The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee vote of 12-10 along party lines depicts the partisan manner of this particular nomination. Democrats in the Senate, such as Senator Harkin, D., Iowa, applauded Perez on his intellect and leadership in ensuring that labor laws are effectively implemented and “that every American has a fair opportunity to pursue the American dream.” However, many Republican members have been vehemently opposed to his nomination and have taken strides to block his confirmation, following a pattern obstruction against many Obama administration cabinet and judicial appointments.

“White-collar Workers are turning to Labor Unions”- Los Angeles Times- May 16th, 2013

Labor unions are seeing an increase in membership coming from white-collar professionals, ranging from lawyers to insurance agents to paralegals who share a mutual determination to obtain workers’ rights and greater representation within their fields of work. Los Angeles Times reporter Alana Semuels discusses how in recent years these white-collar workers have dealt with lower salaries, longer hours, and frequent layoffs as a result of the staggering economy. These factors, like never before, have prompted many unions to rebrand themselves and tailor their methods to address the problems white-collar professionals are facing.

Driver’s Seat- Op-Ed from The New York Times- May 15th, 2013

Controversial Arizona Sheriff Arpaio is now experiencing a backlash because of his extreme position on immigration, and could possibly be on the verge of facing a recall, if recent fundraising letters are any indication. One recipient of these letters was New York Times contributor Linda Greenhouse, who finds humor in these turn of events, given that  has been an opponent of these extreme anti-immigration laws. Greenhouse notes the hopeful change in attitudes and tone of immigration reform at both the federal and state level and attributes this change to “the rising power of the Latino vote.”

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Understanding the Importance of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Ron

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rule on a case challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which protects voters by requiring covered states and localities to get preapproval of their voting changes from the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal court in D.C. to insure that the changes aren’t discriminatory.

Watch the short video below to understand how Section 5 works and why it is still an important tool to protect the right to vote.

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Sierra Club Supports Immigration Reform that Includes a Chance for U.S. Citizenship

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Ron

In a blog post today, “A Path to the Future,” Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and President Alice Chin explain the environmental group’s decision to come out in support of legislation that would provide a means for millions of undocumented immigrants to eventually become U.S. citizens. Brune and Chin link the issue to the principle that we should all enjoy the ability to live and work in a safe and clean environment.  As they note,  many undocumented immigrants “work in jobs that expose them to dangerous conditions, chemicals and pesticides, and many more live in areas with disproportionate levels of toxic air and water pollution.”

And while it may not seem apparent for an environment group to take up the cause of immigration reform, Brune and Chin explain how the issue aligns with the organization’s mission:

For the Sierra Club and the environmental movement to protect our wild America, defend clean air and water, and win the fight against climate disruption, we must ensure that the people who are the most disenfranchised and the most affected by pollution have the voice to fight polluters and advocate for climate solutions without fear.

This isn’t the first time that the Sierra Club has taken a stand on a critical issue. In 1993, the Club opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement, a controversial position, but one that has proven to be the right choice. We did not think it would be good for workers or the environment, and it hasn’t been. In fact, NAFTA has been a major driver of undocumented immigration into the U.S. from Mexico and Central America.

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As Senate Considers Legislation, Immigrant Advocates Continue the Drumbeat for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Avril

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, April 10, urging Congress to introduce comprehensive immigration reform that includes a clear pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America today. Those same immigration advocates are now waiting with bated breath to see whether the Senate will pass an immigration reform bill that protects the rights of citizens and immigrants alike.

During the Rally for Citizenship, civil rights, faith, labor and immigrant rights leaders addressed the crowd as immigration reform activists waved signs with phrases such as “Ya Basta de Deportaciones!” or “Enough Deportations!” and shouted “Si se puede!” while standing or marching under the hot sun. The people at the rally truly represented the diversity of this nation – Black, White, Asian, and Latino Americans all stood together to demand a change to the current immigration system. Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, delivered the keynote address. “Now is the time to fix our nation’s broken immigration system,” he said. Jealous emphasized that immigrants come from many different backgrounds, and that our communities across the nation rely on the contributions of hard working aspiring citizens.

The rally was hosted by local organizations CASA de Maryland and SEIU 32BJ and supported by prominent local and national organizations including the Alliance for Citizenship and the Center for Community Change. It was part of a week of action in which dozens of events were held in communities across the country to urge immediate action to address the nation’s immigration crisis.  Many people took action with The Leadership Conference staff at the rally by taking pictures holding signs explaining why they believe now is the time for immigration reform, and continuing the conversation online via #timeisnow on Twitter.

Now that the “Gang of Eight”  – a bipartisan group of senators working together to draft legislation that at least 60 members would support — has introduced legislation, and  the Senate Judiciary Committee has held a hearing on the bill, the civil rights community remains hopeful that this reform would eventually put undocumented immigrants on the road to citizenship, address the use of racial profiling, and promote alternatives to cruel and expensive detention policies. A growing number of supporters across the country are calling for immigration reform by signing a pledge to support a comprehensive immigration reform bill that ensures a roadmap to citizenship and upholds the civil and human rights of every person in the United States.

“Our immigration laws are unjust, outdated, and unworkable,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in a press release. “By any standard, it is simply untenable to have 11 million people living outside of the scope and protections of our laws and society. That’s why all Americans deserve a common sense immigration process that includes a roadmap for people who aspire to be citizens.”

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Perez Confirmation Hearing Highlights Qualifications and Broad Support

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Avril

By Scott Genzink

On the morning of April 18th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee convened a hearing to examine the nomination of Tom Perez for the U.S. Secretary of Labor position.  Perez is the current Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice and he has previously served as the Secretary of Labor for the state of Maryland.

A supremely qualified candidate for the position, Perez enjoys bipartisan support from a broad range of stakeholders including 82 civil and human rights organizations, a bipartisan group of attorneys general, and from members of the education community.  Perez also receives support from both the business and labor communities, a rare feat and a testament to his great work as the Maryland Secretary of Labor.

During his testimony, Perez clearly laid out the approach to leadership that made him such a successful Secretary of Labor at the state level.  “I’ve always tried to listen more than I talk; to approach contentious issues with an open mind and basic respect; to build broad coalitions of business leaders, labor unions and others in pursuit of constructive solutions to tough problems and to disagree without being disagreeable,” he said. This contemplative and consensus-building approach is what has allowed Perez to have such a successful and impressive career up to this point.

Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, has spoken in strong support of Perez’ nomination, saying, “Tom Perez’s outstanding career in public service makes him eminently qualified to take on the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of our nation’s workforce.”  Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO has also come out in support of Perez’ nomination: “At a time when our politics tilts so heavily toward corporations and the very wealthy, our country needs leaders like Tom Perez to champion the cause of ordinary working people. And working families need and deserve a strong advocate as their Secretary of Labor.”

Up next in the confirmation process for Perez is an executive session scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 25th where the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee will deliberate and vote on his nomination. Should the committee approve his nomination, Perez will then be considered by the full Senate where a majority vote, if allowed to proceed, would make him our nation’s next Secretary of Labor.

For updates on Tom Perez’s confirmation and to find out who supports him, visit confirmperez.org.

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A Coalition of Celebrities and Civil Rights Activists Fight Against Mass Incarceration

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Avril

By Monica We, a Spring 2013 Leadership Conference Education Fund Intern

On April 9, the civil rights community embraced a formidable coalition of more than 175 entertainers, athletes, elected officials and other notable figures who organized a rallying cry against mass incarceration and the War on Drugs in favor of prevention and rehabilitation. In a letter to President Obama spearheaded by hip-hop legend Russell Simmons, the coalition thanked his administration for directing more funds toward drug prevention  and  local re-entry grants and made recommendations for combating the problems that drive the vicious cycle of “incarceration, broken families, juvenile delinquency, violence and poverty.”

In a press statement, the Drug Policy Alliance said the coalition is urging President Obama to “extend the Fair Sentencing Act to all inmates who were sentenced under the 100-to-1 crack/powder disparity, support the principles of the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013 (which allows judges to set aside mandatory minimum sentences when they deem appropriate), and supporting the Youth PROMISE Act” (Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act), which confronts violence and gang intervention and prevention work.

Statistics show that almost half of the prison population is made up of drug offenders. According to The Sentencing Project, of those incarcerated for drugs, two thirds are Blacks and other minoritieseven though rates of drug use are comparable among racial groups. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, one in nine Black children have at least one incarcerated parent while one in 57 White children find themselves in that situation. These children not only suffer from the absence of their parent(s) at a basic human needs level, they are also at a higher risk of eventually falling into the juvenile delinquency or criminal justice system.

Over the past forty years, the War on Drugs has not decreased the rate of drug offenses in this country, according to Robert Rooks, director of the NAACP Criminal Justice Program.  Although the drug wars affects a many different communities, law enforcement particularly targets and criminalizes the Black community. This prevalence of racial discrimination as well as the broader ineffectiveness of current drug policies is why the coalition appealed to the president to take action.

Included among the members of the coalition are: Russell Simmons, Dr. Boyce Watkins, Sir Richard Branson, Will Smith, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Scarlett Johansson, Ron Howard, Jennifer Hudson, Demi Moore, Eva Longoria, Michael Moore, Mark Wahlberg, Harry Belafonte, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cameron Diaz, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Chris Rock, Russell Brand, John Legend, DJ Pauly D, Mike Tyson, Rick Ross, Jon Hamm, Natalie Maines, Ludacris.

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Equal Pay Day: Gender Wage Gap Means Women Lose $11,000 Per Year

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Avril

Congratulations ladies, on April 9th, you will have finally earned as much as your male counterparts did last year!

April 9th is Equal Pay Day because on average it takes women more than an additional three full months of hard work into 2013  to make up the difference in salary between themselves and what their male colleagues earned in 2012.

Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women still make an average 77 cents compared to men, and for women of color the disparity is worse. It’s clear that workplace discrimination is a problem when the National Women’s Law Center reports that in 2011, African-American women only earned approximately 64 cents and Latinas only 55 cents for each dollar earned by a White man.

The Leadership Conference sent a letter to President Obama asking him to sign an executive order  combating pay discrimination by prohibiting federal contractors retaliation against employees of for discussing or asking about their wages. The Leadership Conference also joined the ACLU and more than 100 organizations in a separate letter making the same request.

The Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA) was first introduced in 2009 in an effort to close the loopholes of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially the same work. PFA would prohibit employer retaliation against employees who disclose or discuss their salaries while also allowing individuals to compare themselves to similarly situated employees to determine whether wage discrimination exists.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D. Md., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D. Conn., reintroduced the bill in January 2013, specifying that employers should be required to prove that “the pay disparity is truly related to job-performance – not gender.”

Civil rights activists, women’s rights advocates, and economic justice organizations continue to push lawmakers to take action, despite Congress’ failure to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act on two occasions.

“In today’s economic climate, women’s wages are even more critical components of working families’ struggle to make ends meet,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Yet women are often forced to raise their families on incomes lower than male colleagues performing the same jobs. These senators have sent the message to American women that they should be ineligible for an honest day’s pay to perform an honest day’s work. What could be more antithetical to the American Dream than that?”

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