Worker Rights and Consumer Rights

ALEC's Efforts to Limit Worker and Consumer Rights The bills on this page represent ALEC corporations' efforts to keep workers from exercising their rights under law, to drain labor unions of resources, and to limit their political influence. Bills here also attack consumer protection laws, favor big bank fees, and support slumlords and predatory lenders. These anti-worker and anti-consumer "model bills" are drafted at American Legislative Exchange Council conventions with input from, and approval by, Big Business, then introduced in state legislatures to erode the rights of working Americans. Politicians are elected to represent the people, not corporations; through ALEC, corporations have both a VOICE and a VOTE on specific state laws. Do you?

READ the "Model Bills" HERE Click here for a zip file of Worker's Rights, Trade, Pensions & Privatization bills Click here for a zip file of Banking, Consumer Rights & Housing bills Click here for a zip file of Property/Auto Insurance & Transportation bills Click here for a zip file of Telecommunications & IT bills For a full list of bills from this section, click here For descriptions of some of these bills, scroll down or click here.

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Learn MORE about the "Model Bills" ALEC Corporations Are Backing to Rewrite YOUR Rights The Center for Media and Democracy analyzed the bills ALEC politicians and corporations voted for. More analysis is available below and also at ALEC Exposed's sister sites, PRWatch and SourceWatch.

How are corporations attacking worker rights in these bills? These bills aim to erode the rights of workers in favor of corporate interests by: (click the link to download the bill) Pushing union-busting 'right to work' and paycheck protection legislation Giving employers access to employees' medical records on worker’s compensation claims Weakening the political power of unions through, for example: Limiting dues deduction from paychecks, or Segregating political spending from payroll deductions, or Prohibiting payroll dues deductions for public employees, or Allowing unrepresented members to opt-out of dues payment (also here) Repealing the prevailing wage paid for government projects, which will lower wage standards, undermine the competitive position of union contractors, and damage the quality of public projects. Eliminating defined benefit pension plans for public employees in favor of defined contribution plans, and placing management of those funds in the hands of private sector management. Deterring injured employees from making worker’s compensation claims through: "Fraud warnings" and Giving employers standing to challenge worker's comp claims (also here). Opposing release time for public employee union activities Privatizing government services through: The "Council on Efficient Government Act" that outsources public services and weakens public employee unions. The "Competitive Contracting of Public Services Act" and "Public-Private Fair Competition Act", bills that require agencies to consider whether services can be provided by private entities at lower cost, with consideration driven by economic concerns rather than what is in the public interest. These are but a few of the bills that attack worker rights. To see a full list of bills in this section and send them to your computer individually, click here. Some of this Corporate Agenda Has Already Become Law Wisconsin Governor (and ALEC alum) Scott Walker took a cue from the ALEC corporate wish list and introduced a radical bill in February 2011 to cripple public employee unions. Wisconsin Act 10 inspired months of protests and has been subjected to a series of legal challenges. There is no ALEC bill that mirrors Walker's proposal, but the Wisconsin bill does comport with ALEC's sweeping anti-union agenda, which includes decades of support for "Right to Work" and "Paycheck Protection" legislation and other measures to disempower and defund unions. On collective bargaining, ALEC's "Public Employee Freedom Act" declares that "an employee should be able to contract on their own terms" and "mandatory collective bargaining laws violate this freedom." This ALEC bill and the "Public Employer Payroll Deduction Act" prohibit automatic payroll deductions for union dues, a key aspect of the Walker bill. To learn more about this story, click here (PLACEHOLDER) (Have any of these bills been introduced or enacted in YOUR state? If so, please add that information to the ALEC Exposed page on your state by searching for your state's name in the search engine at the top of this page.) More Helpful Resources Additional resources on ALEC's corporate agenda: ALEC Funding, PRWatch (2011) American Legislative Exchange Council and other related articles, SourceWatch (2011) Ghostwriting the Law for Corporate America, American Association for Justice (2010) Climate Denial Report on ALEC and Exxon Funding for ALEC, Greenpeace (2011) Governing the Nation from the Statehouses, Progressive States Network (2006) Wolves in Sheep's Clothing, Common Cause (2006) Prison Economics Help Drive Ariz. Immigration Law, NPR (2010) Exposing ALEC, blogging group, Daily KOS (2011) ALEC: The Voice of Corporate Special Interests In State Legislatures, People for the American Way (2011) Corporate America's Trojan Horse in the States, Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council (2002) The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law, Commonwealth Institute (2003) Wisconsin's Cronon Affair: The Power of a Simple Fact, The Nation Magazine (2011) Ghostwriting the Law, Mother Jones (2002) ALEC Behind Voter Disenfranchisement Efforts, Center for American Progress (2011) ALEC Report, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (2011) ALEC Exposed: Business Domination Inc., The Nation Magazine (2011)

How are corporations attacking consumer rights in these bills? These bills restrict the rights of consumers in favor of the big banks, predatory lenders, and other corporate interests by: (click the link to download the bill) Supporting astronomical credit card rates, and opposing efforts to limit Americans’ credit card debt Supporting unfair ATM fees, and opposing restrictions on those charges Opposing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, created by Elizabeth Warren to police Wall Street Opposing Socially Conscious Investments Supporting the right of insurance companies to participate in discriminatory and unconstitutional "redlining" (the practice of charging people of color significantly higher insurance rates because they are "riskier") by rebranding the practice as "territorial rating" Promoting predatory lending through: Authorizing short-term, high-interest loans backed by the borrower’s car title, placing working persons in the position of losing their vehicle Prohibiting local governments from regulating unfair lending practices in favor of more centralized state control Limiting the ability to develop smart transportation policy through a state Constitutional Amendment requiring that revenues from gas taxes and vehicle-related fees be used for highways, rather than investment in less fossil-fuel dependent rail transit or bike lanes. Attacking housing rights through, for example: Eliminating building and maintenance codes for affordable housing under the guise of "increasing the construction of low-income housing," but likely paving the way for a regulation-free housing market Privatizing public housing by contracting with private-sector tenant management organizations and enacting "right to buy" laws At the height of the housing bubble, encouraging greater housing deregulation in order to promote even more construction, and blaming high housing prices on regulation (rather than speculation) Encouraging pension fund investment in real estate before the housing bubble developed These are but a few of the bills that attack consumer rights. To see a full list of bills in this section and download them individually, click here. Did You Know about this Bill? Authorizing "Car Title Pledges" for Predatory Lenders One "model bill" from ALEC corporations would authorize a form of short-term lending that many states have recognized as unfair and predatory to low-income consumers. Specifically, it authorizes lending companies to give short-term, 30-day renewable loans backed by the borrower's car title, loans which usually have high rates of interest. Consumer groups have opposed this type of lending not only because the high interest rates and short-term repayment period can trap consumers in a cycle of debt, but also because it places a working person in the position of risking their vehicle (an asset usually necessary in order to work and maintain a living). The bill also provides few consumer protections, for example failing to include a private right of action with strong remedies, and requiring that all claims be brought within one year. This provides little deterrence for predatory lenders, and because the budgets and resources of regulatory agencies are often limited, the state cannot adequately crack-down on abusive lenders. The Consumer Federation of America, USPIRG, and the Center for Responsible Lending sent a letter to ALEC opposing this model legislation in November 2005, noting these concerns and referring to many examples of predatory title lending, and also pointing out that title lenders have been generous campaign contributors. "Title Pledge Acts" have become law in states such as Mississippi and Tennessee, and in 2011, Wisconsin rolled-back its ban on the practice. Is a local legislator who was elected to represent YOU actually protecting the profits of corporate interests?

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