Five months after a severe earthquake devastated parts of Haiti, a Senate report, released June 22, says there are troubling indications that the process of reconstructing the country has "stalled." Related Links: View Report The report, by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Democratic staff, gives a blunt analysis of the situation, saying that "Haiti is at a significant crossroads." It lists "critical issues" to be addressed in 10 key areas, including developing "a feasible, comprehensive rebuilding strategy" and getting the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission fully operational. The committee staff analysis also calls on Haitian President Rene Preval to "take a
As part of an effort to crack down on companies that misclassify employees as independent contractors, the U.S. Dept. of Labor is working on a proposed rule that would set additional record-keeping and notification requirements for employers concerning their workers’ status. Deputy Labor Secretary Seth D. Harris testified during a June 17 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing that some employers deliberately misclassify employees as independent contractors, or “leased” or outsourced workers, and can gain an advantage in the market over law-abiding competitors. Harris said the department’s Wage and Hour Division is mulling a proposed regulation that would
The new administrator of the Occupation Safety and Health Administration spoke out earlier this month against measures that lead workers to hide workplace injuries. “Saying you have zero tolerance for injury is crazy,” said David Michaels, who is an assistant secretary of labor. If workers who report injuries are fired, they are not likely to come forward, he said, noting that because of this, “we don’t know what injury rates really are.” MICHAELS Michaels spoke at a June 16 construction business forum, co-sponsored by ENR and the Construction Users Roundtable, an owners group. More than 200 construction professionals and owners
As part of an effort to tighten up on companies that misclassify employees as independent contractors, the U.S. Dept. of Labor is considering proposing a rule that would set additional record-keeping and notification requirements for employers concerning their workers' status. Deputy Labor Secretary Seth Harris told a Senate hearing on June 17 that some employers deliberately misclassify workers as independent contractors or "leased" or outsourced workers and can gain an advantage in the market over competitors that adhere to the law. Harris said the department's Wage and Hour Division is mulling a proposed regulation that would require companies to carry
As part of an effort to tighten up on companies that misclassify employees as independent contractors, the U.S. Dept. of Labor is considering proposing a rule that would set additional record-keeping and notification requirements for employers concerning their workers' status. Deputy Labor Secretary Seth Harris told a Senate hearing on June 17 that some employers deliberately misclassify workers as independent contractors or "leased" or outsourced workers and can gain an advantage in the market over competitors that adhere to the law. Harris said the department's Wage and Hour Division is mulling a proposed regulation that would require companies to carry
As the Gulf oil-spill disaster worsens, there appears to be growing support in the Senate for a slimmed-down energy bill that would hold BP accountable and may also include many elements of a measure the Energy and Natural and Resources Committee cleared last summer, industry sources say. House Democrats also are working on oil-spill legislation but appear to be leaning toward taking up a series of targeted bills, not a big package. KERRY In the Senate, a key question is whether energy legislation will include climate-change provisions. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) proposed a measure in May
President Obama has directed agencies to dispose of unneeded office space and to take other steps to economize in the federal government's sprawling real-estate portfolio. Related Links: White House Executive Order Memo The goal is to save at least $3 billion by Sept. 30, 2012, said Obama. In an executive order issued on June 10, Obama said, "For decades, the federal government, the largest property owner and energy user in the United States, has managed more real estate than necessary to effectively support its programs and missions. Both taxpayer dollars and energy resources are being wasted to maintain these excess
President Obama has directed agencies to dispose of unneeded office space and to take other steps to economize in the federal government's sprawling real-estate portfolio. Related Links: White House Executive Order Memo The goal is to save at least $3 billion by Sept. 30, 2012, said Obama. In an executive order issued on June 10, Obama said, "For decades, the federal government, the largest property owner and energy user in the United States, has managed more real estate than necessary to effectively support its programs and missions. Both taxpayer dollars and energy resources are being wasted to maintain these excess
In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is pushing for a new, potentially wide-ranging energy bill. Before the accident, legislative handicappers were giving long odds on the Senate’s passing an energy measure this year. The desire in Congress to take action to prevent future offshore oil disasters now has improved those odds. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Brad Penney, the Alliance to Save Energy’s government-relations director, says, “We’ve experienced a national tragedy with the catastrophe in the Gulf, and out of that tragedy there appears to be a positive ... the increased likelihood of the
The fiscal year starting on July 1 will be another tough one for states, with more spending cuts expected. A new survey by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) says one area likely to be trimmed in some states is transportation. The latest biannual NGA-NASBO �Fiscal Survey of the States,� released on June 3, says that, for fiscal 2010, which ends for 46 states on June 30, state general-fund expenditures will fall an estimated 6.8%, to $612.9 billion. For 2011, governors� proposed budgets foresee a 3.6% spending rise, but that still would
