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Progress on Medicaid Means Real Coverage for Real Families—Roadblocks Remain
blog.workingamerica.orgIn Arizona, 300,000 people will get the health care coverage they need, thanks to Gov. Jan Brewer’s change of heart on a key program of the Affordable Care Act. Brewer signed a bill into law accepting federal funds to cover low-income families under Medicaid—a bill that she had to fight against members of her own party in the state legislature to get passed in a special session she called.
It was a hard fight, but one we’re glad to see turned out the right way. The Medicaid provision was one of the key components of the ACA, but it was put at risk by a Supreme Court decision that left it up to the states to accept or decline the funds. Many states have—but others, like Texas, are refusing, leaving millions without coverage.
In other states, the process is still unfolding:
- About half a million people are waiting on the Michigan state Senate, who should vote this week on a state House-passed proposal to accept expanded Medicaid funds. Gov. Rick Snyder has promised to sign the bill into law.
- As the state legislature in Ohio debates accepting expanded funds, a new poll shows 63 percent of Ohioans want the expansion, which would cover an estimated 275,000 people.
- In Virginia, a commission to study accepting expanded Medicaid funds had its first meeting this week. The next meeting will take place in August.
- In New Hampshire, the state House—which supports accepting expanded funds—is working to craft a measure that will be able to get through the Republican-controlled Senate. This may mean a commission will be created to review the issue.
- Unfortunately, in Maine, Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a measure to accept expanded funds. The bill, which would cover 60,000 people, passed by strong but not quite veto-proof margins, so the fate of Medicaid in Maine remains unclear.
2012 Alvin E. Heaps Memorial Scholarship
Apply for the 2012 Alvin E. Heaps Memorial Scholarship. RWDSU members & their children are eligible! Read more and download the application!
Dear David: Bully Bosses
blog.workingamerica.org
Question:
The managers and directors at my office threaten to fire employees for things that are personal and non-work-related. I’ve been called stupid and had something thrown at me by my boss. The president of the company travels 99% of the time, so these higher-ups do not have to answer to anyone. I’ve looked up workplace bullying to find that it does not fall under Title VII, nor is it acknowledged at all. How can employees defend themselves against these threats? Why is bullying not allowed in schools but is allowed in the workplace? What gives managers and directors the right to viciously attack employees? Can you help? Thanks so much.
— Standing Up, Connecticut
Answer:
Hey, before you read my answer to this week’s question, I want to highlight the release of our new two-tiered website, FixMyJob.com and OrganizeWith.US. I’ve previewed the site in this column before, but now we’re officially up and running. Check it out and let me know what you think. And send the link to that friend or neighbor who you know is dealing with a problem right now, because he or she doesn’t have to go it alone.
It’s astonishing to me whenever I see adults who haven’t outgrown bullying. For some people, the whole reason to have a position of power is that you can mistreat people under you. When it’s the person who sets your schedule, your assignments or your pay, it’s especially intimidating.
No one deserves this treatment. Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far or long to find other examples of this far-too-common problem. Judging from the number of submissions on this topic as well as what I’ve found just talking to workers directly, it feels like workplace bullying is practically an epidemic. According to a 2010 survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute:
35% of the U.S. workforce (an estimated 53.5 million Americans) report being bullied at work; an additional 15% witness it. Half of all Americans have directly experienced it. Simultaneously, 50% report neither experiencing nor witnessing bullying. Hence, a “silent epidemic.”
You’re correct that Title VII—the federal anti-discrimination law—does not outlaw bullying or harassment in general, only harassment that is based on characteristics like the employee’s race, gender or religion, among others. However, that does not mean it is legal for employers to treat employees this way. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes that workers have a right to a workplace free of violence, and that workplace violence includes both physical and verbal abuse. In some states there’s a growing push to stop this kind of abusethrough legislation.
The important thing to remember is that you’re not alone. From the sound of it, you’re far from the only person getting this mistreatment, so it’s worth thinking about talking with other employees about what they’re experiencing. And it’s not a bad idea to keep detailed notes of what’s happening and who witnessed it. The biggest advantage a bully can have is the belief that his or her victim will keep quiet.
Don’t forget, most employees in the private sector have the right under the National Labor Relations Act to join together in demanding a stop to this abuse. And you can start by visiting FixMyJob.com.
Let's Not Forget Who the Real Bullies in Michigan Are
Update, 3:41pm: Some people believe the video linked to below was staged.
Update, 3:54pm: I don’t think this was staged.
Predictably, right wing lap dogs are very busy on Twitter today labeling union protestors as “thugs,” “mobs,” and “goons.” The idea, of course, is to deflect attention away from the injustice being perpetrated on them and paint unionists as irrational bullies. As I write this, the right-wing propagandists over at Americans for Prosperity (AFP) are feverishly retweeting a video showing union supporters that use the word “fuck” and proceed to pull down a tent that supposedly belonged to AFP.
Well, guess what? When you threaten millions of people economically, things tend to get a little overheated. America itself was born from the crucible of a violent revolution started because colonists felt they were getting the shaft from the governing overlords. What the protestors in Michigan are doing is not only a natural reaction to an unprovoked attacked, it’s downright American.
Furthermore, people don’t take to the streets because they are bullies; they take to the streets because they are largely powerless and are ready to try anything to put a stop the bullshit being inflicted upon them by the people who do have power. And, yes, when you get a lot of pissed off people in the streets, sometimes a little hell breaks loose.
And so, to all my right wing friends out there, I deliver a special warning near and dear to your own hearts: DON’T TREAD ON US!
