Mark Gruenberg, writer and editor for Press Associates Union spoke with America’s Work Force on July 1 to discuss his takeaways on what was said during the Democratic debates in the last week of June.
Gruenberg first spoke about the Supreme Court and their recent decision on a gerrymandering case in Ohio and other legislation surrounding the issues caused by gerrymandering. He then discussed the Democratic debates from the end of June and spoke about what he liked and did not like regarding the topics that were discussed. On the topic of the new NAFTA agreements, the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, Gruenberg said that before it gets voted on he wants it to be enforceable with a strong presence of worker rights written and explained thoroughly for all to understand them. Lastly, he talked about CEO compensation and how unbalanced it is compared to other workers at the same company.
Sue McConnell, president of the Better Business Bureau in Cleveland, spoke with AWF about scams to be on the lookout for during the summer. She talked about the website healthyandbeauty.com and how they claim to be selling brand name beauty supplies for an incredible discounted price, then when a person purchases from them, they never send a product. The second scam that McConnell discussed is about was a door-to-door DNA testing company who claims they provide a free DNA background examination as long as a medical card is provided, with which the scammers will steal the information off of. A third scam she said to be cautious of is a roofing company saying they will repair your roof for free, but they actually are offering a free consultation, not a free roof. Lastly, McConnell talked about a social security scam where a scammer will use a phone call spoofing method to pose as a social security worker and retrieve a persons sensitive information.
AWF host Ed “Flash” Ferenc spoke about the Youngstown Vindicator newspaper being shut down after being in publication for over 150 years.
The first scam involves trying to sell your timeshare. McConnell said that there are companies that will tell someone they can help them sell their timeshares, and end up charging their victim ridiculously high fees for their services. The second scam that McConnell talked about was counterfeit goods online. She warned consumers to be careful when purchasing online, especially from China, because they sell counterfeit products and will scam the consumer out of their money. Lastly, McConnell addressed door-to-door magazine subscription scammers. She said that women will go door to door asking consumers to subscribe to a magazine because the money they make from the subscriptions will help them get their kids back from child services.
Gruenberg spoke about the list of potential candidates for the upcoming 2020 presidential election. He discussed Joe Biden being incredibly high up on the polls for not even having announced his candidacy yet. Gruenberg then went on and discussed Michelle Obama’s book tour and how she has not been using union laborers to set up her stage production. He said that this is a big problem because of her husband, Barack, positive stance on unions and union workers. Gruenberg also talked about labor law reform along with equal work for equal pay laws being put into place.
Sue McConnell, president of the Better Business Bureau, spoke with America’s Work Force on April 1 about new scams that people have been falling into. One of the scams regards bitcoin where a scammer would pose as someone from the IRS or a utility company and tell you that you have to make a payment as soon as possible or you will suffer a consequence. The scammer then sends the victim a QR code that they scan at a bitcoin kiosk linked to the scammer’s account and wire money to the scammer in order to prevent whatever the fraudulent consequence was. A second scam that McConnell discussed was a kidnapping scam where a scammer would call a victim and tell them that their loved one has been kidnapped and they will let them go if they pay off their ransom.
Gruenberg discussed pro-worker legislation being one of the main targets in the progressive agenda for the year. He said that the pro-worker legislation will include legislation on equal pay for equal work and workers freedom to negotiate act. Gruenberg also touched on the Green New Deal and how some Republicans are in favor of using alternative energy sources over fossil fuels. To wrap up his interview, Gruenberg discussed the long term effects of the government shutdown, such as huge financial hits on government workers who had to dip into their savings and 401k’s because they were not receiving pay during the shutdown.
Sue McConnell, president of the Cleveland Better Business Bureau, discussed a variety of scams for students to be on the lookout for during spring break season. She explained the importance of researching housing accomodations thoroughly before booking and paying for them, and to also look up the address to make sure that it is valid. McConnell also talked about “car wrap” scams and “friends and family” scams.
McConnell, during her Dec. 3 AWF appearance, listed a number of scams to look out for while shopping during the upcoming Christmas season. One scam that motorists and anyone else using a gas or kerosene pump should be aware of is a credit card skimmer at the pumps. She said people’s credit card information is being stolen through the use of card skimmers and explained the steps to take if you fall victim to it. She stressed the importance of checking the validity of websites before making an online purchase. This is especially important on big-ticket items to ensure the company is legitimate so you do not get ripped off. Finally, McConnell talked about doing research and meeting in person before buying a puppy as a gift. By doing so, shoppers will be able to make sure the dog is as described, healthy and gives you the ability to ask any questions about the animal.
Labor writer Mark Gruenberg joined America’s Work Force Radio and discussed the new congress, which will have the ability to rewrite existing labor laws to make them more worker friendly, especially for those who want to organize. He also talked about potential problems that could arise by privatizing the U.S. Postal Service. Gruenberg though, thinks privatization will not happen.