----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Givel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 04, 2000 7:34 PM Subject: [toeslist] So Why Is Organized Labor Supporting Gore? > -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> > GET A NEXTCARD VISA, in 30 seconds! Get rates > of 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Ongoing APR* and no annual fee! > Apply NOW! > http://click.egroups.com/1/7872/18/_/_/_/968121417/ > ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> > > Study: U.S. prosperity stems partly from more family members working > September 2, 2000 > Web posted at: 12:56 PM EDT (1656 GMT) > > WASHINGTON (AP) -- The prosperity many American families enjoy is due > not only to rising wages but to more family members working -- > especially among black and Hispanic families, a new study says. > > The study by the Economic Policy Institute, a union-supported think > tank, found that an average middle-class family's income rose by 9.2 > percent, after inflation, from 1989 to 1998. But that family also spent > 6.8 percent more time at work to reap it. > > Without increased earnings from wives, the study's authors concluded, > the average middle-class family's income would have risen only 3.6 > percent over the decade. > > Government figures show that while the average full-time worker's work > week has remained fairly steady at about 43 hours, the share of married > women working full-time rose from 41 percent in 1989 to 46 percent in > 1998. > > The EPI study said middle-class black families work an average of 9.4 > hours more per week than their white counterparts. Blacks work more > hours than whites at every income level, said economist Larry Michel, a > co-author. > > "To be black in America is to work more just to keep up," he said. > > The study also found that middle-class Hispanic families work five hours > more per week than their white counterparts. > > Upper-income Hispanic families work the most of any group in any > economic class, putting in 12.9 hours more per week than whites, the > study said. Other ethnic groups were not profiled in the study. > > The statistics, based on Labor Department figures, are part of a > biennial report, "The State of Working America," to be published in > January. > > While advocates for workers portray the extra hours at work as a grim > necessity to keep even, business groups say they more represent pursuit > of the American dream. > > Martin Regalia, chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said > much of the increase in work time is voluntary, as workers choose to > earn more and move up economically. > > "We're not the rats on a treadmill; we're the rats that built the > treadmill," he said. "There's a very, very big difference between making > a choice to run faster today so we can take it easy tomorrow versus > being forced to run faster just to stay even." > > Richard L. Trumka, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, called Regalia's > comment "absolutely ridiculous," saying several recent strikes over > forced overtime show that many Americans want to spend less time on the > job. > > "The American worker wants to spend time with their family," he said. > "They value that time and they're spending more and more time on the > job." > > Labor Secretary Alexis Herman said she has heard many of those same > claims. > > "I hear from working Americans that they're working, often times, longer > and harder," she said. "I hear from working families that they need more > help to balance work and family demands." > > The EPI study also found that: > > -- From 1995 to 1999, average hourly wages grew 2.6 percent per year, > far exceeding annual gains in the previous six years. Wages for workers > in the lowest 10 percent of the work force rose 9.3 percent, while wages > for the top 5 percent of workers rose 8.5 percent. > > -- In 1998, 18.9 percent of American children lived in poverty, down > from 19.6 percent in 1989 but still higher than the 16.4 percent it was > in 1979. > > -- Middle-class families held 2.8 percent of the total growth in stock > market holdings between 1989 and 1998, but accounted for 38.8 percent of > the rise in household debt. > > Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material > may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. > > © 2000 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved. > > FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of > which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright > owner. I am making such material available in an effort to advance > understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, > democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. I believe this > constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided > for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 > U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without > profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the > included information for research and educational purposes. For more > information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you > wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own > that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright > owner. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
