There's something fishy going on

[BT]

GOP hits Pelosi's 'hypocrisy' on wage bill
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published January 12, 2007

House Republicans yesterday declared "something fishy" about the major tuna company in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district being exempted from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved this week.
    "I am shocked," said Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican and his party's chief deputy whip, noting that Mrs. Pelosi campaigned heavily on promises of honest government. "Now we find out that she is exempting hometown companies from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats."
    On Wednesday, the House voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour.
    The bill also extends for the first time the federal minimum wage to the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. However, it exempts American Samoa, another Pacific island territory that would become the only U.S. territory not subject to federal minimum-wage laws.
    One of the biggest opponents of the federal minimum wage in Samoa is StarKist Tuna, which owns one of the two packing plants that together employ more than 5,000 Samoans, or nearly 75 percent of the island's work force. StarKist's parent company, Del Monte Corp., has headquarters in San Francisco, which is represented by Mrs. Pelosi. The other plant belongs to California-based Chicken of the Sea.      "There's something fishy going on here," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican.
    During the House debate yesterday on stem-cell research, Mr. McHenry raised a parliamentary inquiry as to whether an amendment could be offered that would exempt American Samoa from stem-cell research, "just as it was for the minimum-wage bill."
    A clearly perturbed Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who was presiding, cut off Mr. McHenry and shouted, "No, it would not be."
    "So, the chair is saying I may not offer an amendment exempting American Samoa?" Mr. McHenry pressed.
    "The gentleman is making a speech and will sustain," Mr. Frank shouted as he slammed his large wooden gavel against the rostrum.
    Some Republicans who voted in favor of the minimum-wage bill were particularly irritated to learn yesterday -- after their vote -- that the legislation did not include American Samoa.
    "I was troubled to learn of this exemption," said Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois Republican. "My intention was to raise the minimum wage for everyone. We shouldn't permit any special favors or exemptions that are not widely discussed in Congress. This is the problem with rushing legislation through without full debate."
    A spokeswoman for Mrs. Pelosi said Wednesday that the speaker has not been lobbied in any way by StarKist or Del Monte.

http://washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20070112-120720-2734r

[Lanya]

That's wrong.  Those people have very hard jobs that give them injuries and they don't even get the new minimum wage?  WRONG.

[BT]

That's wrong.  Those people have very hard jobs that give them injuries and they don't even get the new minimum wage?  WRONG.

Be sure to write your representative decrying this injustice. Might as well let Pelosi know your displeasure also.

[Lanya]

I will.  I hope they know that their majority could be very short-lived indeed. People are much too cranky, have had too much crap served to them for too long to take it any more. 

[Plane]

I will.  I hope they know that their majority could be very short-lived indeed. People are much too cranky, have had too much crap served to them for too long to take it any more. 

Oh nonononono!

You must not hold Democratsto a high standard.

This has never been done nd its sudden introduction cold be very destructie.

[Brassmask]

Foot in ass.

That's what they're going to get.

[Brassmask]

Ok, so after a little reading at Kos to see what the defence is, I found an unrecommended diary on the whole thing and it turns out that the minimum wage in American Samoa is set by a special committee in the Department of Labor.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), applies generally to employment within American Samoa as it does to employment within the United States. The minimum wage rates for American Samoa are set by a special industry committee (29 U.S.C. 205, 29 C.F.R. Part 511) appointed by the U.S. Department of Labor, as required by the Act. The rates are set for particular industries, not for an employee's particular occupation. The rates are minimum rates (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(3)); an employer may choose to pay an employee at a rate higher than the rate(s) for its industry.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/americanSamoa/ASminwage.htm

The issue still stands that the minimum wage should be the same everywhere, even AS.  As far as I'm concerned, the corporation is as much at fault as the US Congress due to the last line there I bolded.  If the law applies to people who work for Starkist in WA state, then that company falls under the laws of the US federal and it should be forced to pay the federally set minimum wage.

Pelosi should introduce a bill immediately stating this.

[BT]

Pelosi should introduce a bill immediately stating this.

Yes she should.

[Plane]

Ok, so after a little reading at Kos to see what the defence is, I found an unrecommended diary on the whole thing and it turns out that the minimum wage in American Samoa is set by a special committee in the Department of Labor.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), applies generally to employment within American Samoa as it does to employment within the United States. The minimum wage rates for American Samoa are set by a special industry committee (29 U.S.C. 205, 29 C.F.R. Part 511) appointed by the U.S. Department of Labor, as required by the Act. The rates are set for particular industries, not for an employee's particular occupation. The rates are minimum rates (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(3)); an employer may choose to pay an employee at a rate higher than the rate(s) for its industry.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/americanSamoa/ASminwage.htm

The issue still stands that the minimum wage should be the same everywhere, even AS.  As far as I'm concerned, the corporation is as much at fault as the US Congress due to the last line there I bolded.  If the law applies to people who work for Starkist in WA state, then that company falls under the laws of the US federal and it should be forced to pay the federally set minimum wage.

Pelosi should introduce a bill immediately stating this.

Even if this cases harm to the people of American Samoa?

[Lanya]

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=177117


Democrats pledge to extend federal minimum wage to all U.S. territories
By Associated Press
Sunday, January 14, 2007 - Updated: 08:08 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Fending off charges of favoritism, House Democrats say a just-passed minimum wage bill will be changed to cover all U.S. territories - including American Samoa - before it reaches President Bush’s desk.
     House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters she has instructed the House Education and Labor Committee to help get the bill changed to “make sure that all of the territories have to comply with the U.S. law on minimum wage.”
[................]

[Plane]

Large scale fireing  in Sipan and American Samoa.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Samoa

[BT]

Glad she corrected the mistake when it was brouht to her attention. How did it get past her scrutiny the first go round?

[Brassmask]

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=177117


Democrats pledge to extend federal minimum wage to all U.S. territories
By Associated Press
Sunday, January 14, 2007 - Updated: 08:08 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Fending off charges of favoritism, House Democrats say a just-passed minimum wage bill will be changed to cover all U.S. territories - including American Samoa - before it reaches President Bush’s desk.
     House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters she has instructed the House Education and Labor Committee to help get the bill changed to “make sure that all of the territories have to comply with the U.S. law on minimum wage.”
[................]

Holy crap!  That's action, baby.


Let's hope it doesn't cause the American Samoans any "harm" as Plane seems to be concerned with.  I thought the whole point was for the citizens to have more money in their pockets?  Oh, wait, that's Starkist's money, isn't it?  Wah.

[Amianthus]

Let's hope it doesn't cause the American Samoans any "harm" as Plane seems to be concerned with.  I thought the whole point was for the citizens to have more money in their pockets?  Oh, wait, that's Starkist's money, isn't it?  Wah.

Watch the unemployment rates after the law takes effect.

[Brassmask]

Watch the unemployment rates after the law takes effect.

Yeah, I know what you mean.  It's going to be great as unemployment lowers.   Isn't it?