Tuesday’s paean in praise of Jacob Riis’ photography (google images of his work here , wiki article here)and 1880’s discovery of How The Other Half Lives, was given contemporary life by the report of NYS’s Labor Department which has discovered that employers are unlawfully exploiting their workers by not paying them, by paying less than minimum wage, by not paying disability and unemployment compensation etc. Ms.M. Patricia Smith, the Labor Commissioner, who set a bold course as chief of the AG’s Labor Bureau, continues to light fires. “I wouldn’t doubt that 10 percent of the state’s workers are either misclassified as independent contractors or work off the books,” Ms. Smith said. (Jonathon Tasini’s take here )

I see illegal employment everywhere: construction workers, off-the-books domestic workers, delivery people and supermarket baggers. They are working without fair pay in every neighborhood. Have you ever seen any? Will it come as a shock to you that many of those victimized are men and women of color?

As my family has been active in labor unions for several generations, I continue to be a strong fan of them and of expanding employee rights. For links to the lyrics of the song and a YouTube of Pete Seeger & the Weavers singing it, go to the end.

Tuesday, the US Senate, it is said, will vote on the Employee Free Choice Act, a union sponsored bill which, if enacted, would ease unions’ ability to organize workers.

UPDATE: On a cloture motion, Senators favoring the Employee Free Choice Act gained 51 votes -- a majority of Senators but --not enough to cut off debate. (60 needed).
2nd UPDATE: Every single GOP Senator (except for Arlen Spector,PA) voted against the bill. Every Democratic Senator (and right leaning Leiberman and left-leaning Sanders) voted for it. Evict more GOP Senators. Remember this issue if ever someone says to you it makes no difference which party is in control

For a person like me, who came of age in the course of the civil rights movement of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it was a perfect left-wing storm: Blacks, Asians, Jews, clergy, labor united, demanding dignity and workers' rights. Your chance to march with them is Saturday June 9, 2007. More about that after the jump.

Demanding enactment of a NYS “Domestic Workers Bill of Rights” hundreds of domestic workers – largely, it seemed, West Indian and Asian, packed into the Sanctuary of Judson Memorial Church, listened to their leaders, AFL-CIO president John Sweeny, socialist-author-blogger, Barbara Ehrenreich, State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith and leaders of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ). There was, by the way, lots of great food.