Al Franken on Jobs

DFL Jr Senator (MN)

2005: Fined $25,000 for failing to insure workers

On Franken's miscues on tax payments, "Franken Faces Penalties for Lack of Workers' Insurance," screamed a Minneapolis Star Tribune headline on March 5. Franken owed a twenty-five thousand dollar penalty to the New York State Workers' Compensation Board for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for employees of his corporation from 2002 to 2005.

News reports said the Workers' Compensation Board began sending notices to Franken as early as April 2005 after discovering that the insurance hadn't been paid for nearly three years. Penalty notices went unanswered and unpaid. The candidate for the working man wasn't paying his worker's comp insurance, the bloggers screeched. This man wants to be a senator?

Source: This Is Not Florida, by Jay Weiner, p. 71 , Sep 16, 2010

Preserve occupational safety and prevailing wage laws

Not only will I vote for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), I’ll proudly co-sponsor it. This bill would make it easier for employees who want to organize to do so without harassment or intimidation, and would reform a labor relations system currently dominated by corporate interests. I’ll fight to preserve the integrity of our occupational safety and prevailing wage laws. Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, www.AlFranken.com, “Issues” , May 14, 2008

I’m a member of four unions

The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA), the Directors’ Guild of America (DGA), the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG), and the American Federation of Television and Radio Actors (AFTRA). My family and I get our health benefits from AFTRA, and our prescription drugs through the WGA. I’m also an associate member of the Steelworkers. Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, www.AlFranken.com, “Issues” , May 14, 2008

A hard day’s work should earn a decent day’s pay

Minnesota’s working families got a much-needed raise this year when the Democratic Congress followed through on its promise to raise the minimum wage. But life continues to grow riskier for middle-class families. Organized labor is one of the last defenders of America’s working class; we must support workers’ right to organize. Even as we work to provide economic security for today’s working families, we should act now to ensure that a lifetime of hard work earns a secure & comfortable retirement. Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, www.AlFranken.com, “Issues” , May 14, 2008

Form unions by card-check instead of secret ballot.

Franken signed H.R.1409&S.560

Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative (card-check) and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit.

discharged or otherwise discriminated against an employee to encourage or discourage membership in the labor organization;
threatened to discharge or to otherwise discriminate against an employee in order to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of guaranteed self-organization or collective bardaining rights; or

engaged in any unfair labor practice that significantly interferes with, restrains, or coerces employees in the exercise of such guaranteed rights. Source: Employee Free Choice Act 09-HR1409 on Mar 10, 2009

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Page last updated: Apr 21, 2013