NELP Press Releases

Labor Day 2003: More Layoffs, More Unemployment and Fewer Benefits.  Latest economic data show that millions of unemployed American workers are worse off this Labor Day than last and that there are more jobless and unemployment claims now than a year ago.

Job Market Shows No Signs of Improving While Long-Term Joblessness Reaches Record Levels.  Today’s Department of Labor report shows that American workers continue to battle a stagnated labor market. While the overall unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.2% from its peak level of 6.4% in June, figures showing the growing length of unemployment underscore how long the nation has been mired in a jobless recovery. Over 21.7% of jobless workers are out of work for more than six months, giving the nation its longest stretch of long-term unemployment in two decades. (August 1, 2003)

Day Laborers and Temporary Workers Bring Fight for Workplace Justice to the Capitol
Day laborers and temporary workers constitute a growing segment of the U.S.economy’s labor force. The short-term nature of employment and desperate need to work make day and temporary laborers more vulnerable to workplace abuses. The Day Labor Fairness and Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill), is landmark legislation that ensures their basic workplace protections. (July 24, 2003)

Delivery Workers Win Ruling Against Duane Reade.  Southern District Court of New York ruled in January that more than 200 African immigrant deliverymen who were paid less than $3 an hour working for Duane Reade stores in Manhattan were employees, not independent contractors, and therefore were entitled to at least $5.15 an hour, the federal minimum wage, and overtime pay.(February 4, 2003)

home | login | my profile | join our network | about us | contact us | forums | site map