This should do wonders to promote employment:
In an unprecedented and controversial move, the White House has launched a new program at the Department of Labor which will refer workers who have complaints about their bosses to a toll free number at the American Bar Association, where they can get a lawyer to work on their case on a contingency fee basis.
More than 40,000 workers annually contact the Department of Labor with complaints about their bosses. But Labor can't get to all of them, an estimated 10%, because of budget constraints, the White House says. So the White House has instead launched a program for "unresolved complainants" with the ABA. Workers will now be provided a toll-free number that connects them with ABA lawyers nationwide who are experienced in things like alleged workplace abuses of minimum wage, overtime and family medical leave laws.
The White House in a statement says this is "a new effort between the federal government and private bar to assist complainants" who may need help with "worker rights." In a statement, the ABA calls this new alliance "unprecedented."
But will this create more lawsuits against companies? Will it stymie job creation at the very companies the President says he needs to help lower the high unemployment rate, including small businesses? Will this new program simply make it easier for lawyers to get business they may have garnered anyway?
And since Vice President Joe Biden says the lawyers will be working on a contingency fee basis, and not pro bono, doesn't that pretty much guarantee that the lawyers will be more apt to earn those fees via lawsuits against businesses?
Moreover, will the government set up an ABA referral service at Labor for small businesses and employers who are having trouble with miscreant employees or are being harassed by frivolous lawsuits filed by troublemaking workers?
Small businesses may have cause for further concern, given the controversial, allegedly anti-business history of the officials the Obama administration has nominated to oversee these new programs.
In the mean-time, we have people like John McCain saying this sort of thing about this radical President:
"I think it's pretty clear that the president has really pivoted to a much more centrist position, which I think makes it much more for us easier to work with him."
McCain is an idiot. Anyone who believes that Obama has pivoted to a much more centrist position is an idiot.
God help this country.
Comments (12)
I'm sure the ABA is congrat... (Below threshold)1. Posted by GarandFan | February 5, 2011 10:36 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
I'm sure the ABA is congratulating itself on it's wise use of campaign contributions.
You didn't see any 'tort reform' in the ObamaCare bill did you? This is just more of Barry's "social justice".
1. Posted by GarandFan | February 5, 2011 10:36 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 10:36
2. Posted by Rodney G. Graves | February 5, 2011 11:36 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
I obviously agree with Rick.
Senator McCain, we thank you for your service and urge you to start enjoying your well earned retirement from public life immediately.
2. Posted by Rodney G. Graves | February 5, 2011 11:36 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 11:36
3. Posted by ODA315 | February 5, 2011 12:43 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Is tthis the trade-off for possible health care tort reform? hmmmmmm
btw, shop-floor lawyers now joined by their ABA brethren.....what could go wrong?
3. Posted by ODA315 | February 5, 2011 12:43 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 12:43
4. Posted by GarandFan | February 5, 2011 1:04 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
This goes right along with the EPA's recent ruling that 'milk spills' at dairys are now considered Hazmat - just like oil spills.
Bestest administration evah!
4. Posted by GarandFan | February 5, 2011 1:04 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 13:04
5. Posted by Carol | February 5, 2011 2:19 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
McCAIN IS AN IDIOT!
5. Posted by Carol | February 5, 2011 2:19 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 14:19
6. Posted by Jim Addison | February 5, 2011 3:17 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Wow, lots of McCain hate here (and the topic is Obama's DoL feeding lawyers)!
How many of y'all stayed home or voted third party in 2008? Those who did helped elect the Marxist-in-chief.
McCain is a pretty crafty old fox, actually. By extending the olive branch, welcoming Obama to the "center," and offering to work with him, he sets himself up with credibility when Obama fails to comply - as he surely will.
This has been a public service announcement. We now return you to our thread, "Hating RINOs into Extinction," already in progress.
6. Posted by Jim Addison | February 5, 2011 3:17 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 15:17
7. Posted by TaterSalad | February 5, 2011 3:36 PM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Allen West needs your support and we need his knowledge because Congressman West will become our next President of the United States:
http://allenwest2012.ning.com/
7. Posted by TaterSalad | February 5, 2011 3:36 PM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 15:36
8. Posted by James H | February 5, 2011 4:11 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Unless the gov't is referring callers to pro bono attorneys, I have a problem with this. It's one thing for the government send people to pro bono attorneys if they can't afford legal representation. Referring it to attorneys doing the job for contingency or legal fees is quite another.
8. Posted by James H | February 5, 2011 4:11 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 16:11
9. Posted by eaglewingz08 | February 5, 2011 10:54 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
We dodged a bullet with McCain's loss. He would have torn apart the Repub Party and made us a laughing stock. Gov Palin would have forever damaged her reputation by having to cover for McLame's democrat lite policies. In a bizarre way, God provided for the Repub Party by the 2008 losses, so that it could come back to its core principles and stand in stark contrast to the statists in Washington. It ain't pretty but it was necessary. More may have to be done in 2012 depending on what happens in Congress in the next two years, but we must keep the pressure on.
9. Posted by eaglewingz08 | February 5, 2011 10:54 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 22:54
10. Posted by dunce | February 6, 2011 7:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Years ago ,i had a problem at work with my employers actions and my union admitted that i had a grievance yet declined to pursue it. Failing to get the representation that i had paid for every month with my union dues , i contacted a lawyer who listened politely for sevral minutes and then informed me that they could not help me because i was already represented by my unionn. Hence the result of this will be that only non-union employers will be targeted with govt. sponsered harassment.
10. Posted by dunce | February 6, 2011 7:02 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 6, 2011 07:02
11. Posted by Don L | February 6, 2011 8:26 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Lawsuits "R" Us? It appears the messiah in residence has found his civilian army with which to subdue any and all dissidents(once referred to as citizens) who might speak out against him - their weapons; law degrees and semi-automatic briefcases. Class lawsuits after all, are but the large-magazine clipped assault weapons of the left in their war against capitalism and the constitution.
11. Posted by Don L | February 6, 2011 8:26 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 6, 2011 08:26
12. Posted by Elizabeth Hill | February 7, 2011 6:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Curiously enough, the press release on the ABA's website announcing the ABA Labor Hotline is no longer available...
http://www.americanbar.org/media/youraba/201012/article09.html
12. Posted by Elizabeth Hill | February 7, 2011 6:35 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2011 18:35