Friday banner
Thom's blog
Why don't bosses want us talking about our pay?
Thom plus logo
 
Earlier this month, Senate Republicans unanimously blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act and upheld a boss's right to punish workers for talking about unfair pay practices. And, the corporate masters are happy that their "pay secrecy" rules are still in place. The Paycheck Fairness Act would have protected workers from discussing salaries, and make it easier for them to challenge wage discrimination in court. That legislation would have also shifted the burden of proof to employers, who would have had to "prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons." However, our current system requires a worker to prove that lower pay wasn't legitimate.
 
Many bosses claim that pay secrecy rules protect "trade secrets," and prevent "jealousies and strife among employees." But, keeping workers complacent and obedient is the real reason many corporate bosses love these policies. As Michelle Chen of In These Times Magazine writes, "if workers really knew what their bosses were doing, their anger would start to unravel the complacency." In other words, when workers know they're being cheated, they are empowered to stand up and fight back.
 
Senate Republicans didn't block this legislation to protect jobs or deny the existence of a gender pay gap, they simply voted once again to put corporate interests ahead of the American people. If employees are being paid fairly, bosses should have nothing to fear about them discussing their salaries. The fact that these conversations are prohibited is just another attempt to keep power out of the hands of workers.
 
-Thom
 
(What do you think? Tell us here.)
Stamps/com        Free Speech TV
The Big Picture (small)
Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 9pm... Daryl Johnson, Devin Burghart, and John Amato (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
 
Get your copy of Thom's new book, The Crash of 2016, today and click here for tour dates & events!
 
Watch the video 'Last Hours' narrated by Thom Hartmann about the "time bomb" that is ticking underground, underwater and under ice... frozen methane that is now escaping and could trigger runaway climate change. www.lasthours.org
 
Have a question or comment for Thom? Grab your phone, hit record and send your video to [email protected] and we may air it on "The Big Picture."
 
Big Picture Rumble:
- Hughey Newsome, Project 21 / MoveOnUp.org  Twitter  Twitter
- Christy Setzer, New Heights Communications  Twitter
- Horace Cooper, National Center for Public Policy Research  Twitter
 
Conversations with Great Minds panel:
- Daryl Johnson, DT Analytics / Right-Wing Resurgence: How a Domestic Terrorist Threat is Being Ignored.
- Devin Burghart, Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights  Twitter  Twitter
- John Amato, Crooks and Liars / Over the Cliff: How Obama's Election Drove the American Right Insane  Twitter  Twitter

 GoToMeeting
Thursday's Daily Stack Daily Stack
Hour One: Will conservatives denounce Cliven Bundy over racist remarks?
- Martin Heimbach, Maryland League of the South Twitter
 
The Big Picture
- Nate Sweet, The Big Picture producer
 
Law: "Chinese Exclusion Act", 1882.
Article: "Treaty of Versailles" by Wikipedia (28 June 1919, at the end of World War I).

Hour Two: The right's Cliven Bundy problem
- America's Lawyer Mike Papantonio, Ring of Fire Radio Twitter Twitter
Article: "The world according to Coulter" by Avi Zollman.
Article: "The tea party radio network" by Kenneth P. Vogel and Mackenzie Weinger.
 
PLUS, did the FCC just kill net neutrality?
- John Nichols, The Nation Magazine Twitter Twitter
Article: "Net Neutrality 101".
 
Article: "The tea party radio network" by Kenneth P. Vogel and Mackenzie Weinger.
Article: "Telecommunications Act of 1996" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Workers' Memorial Day" (April 28) by Wikipedia.
 
Talk Radio News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief Twitter
Article: "TRNS News Notes - 4/24/14" by Victoria Jones.
Article: "TRNS News Notes - 4/25/14" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: The Obamacare death panels are coming...WHAT?!
- C. Edmund Wright, WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again Twitter
Article: "The Freedom of Information Act" (FOIA), 1966.
 
Book: "Unequal Protection: How Corporations Became "People" - And How You Can Fight Back" by Thom Hartmann - new updated version out now!
Angie's List ad   ITM Trading banner 200 x 200
Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 3-6pm ET 
 
Hour Two: It's Anything Goes on Townhall Friday
 
Hour Three: It's Anything Goes on Townhall Friday
 
And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...
 
The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...
Best of Thom Hartmann audio
Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 3-6pm ET 
We'll have the best of the rest of the news...all the latest news & information you won't be hearing from the corporate owned news media...
 
And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...
 
The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"
 
And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...
Order the new "Unequal Protection" now!
Thank you for being part of our ever growing community for News, Debate and Opinion on the Thom Hartmann Program.
 
Click here to subscribe to the Thom Hartmann Newsletter.
 
Sincerely,
The Thom Hartmann Program
On the Road Again
On the road
May 1 - Seattle, WA 730pm:
Crash of 2016 booksigning, Seattle Town Hall. details
 
May 2 - Portland, OR 7pm:
Crash of 2016 booksigning, First Unitarian Church. details
 
May 3 - Portland, OR:
Thom's TEDX talk - SOLD OUT.
 
May 10 - Northampton, MA 7pm:
Crash of 2016 booksigning, The Parlor Room. Free, but sign up at whmp.com
Thom's Poll
Should right-wing militia groups be considered domestic terrorists?

Vote here!
Carbonite ad
Thom Hartmann app
Thom Hartmann Reader
Edison Factor
Subscribe to Thom Hartmann on YouTube
Watch & Listen to Thom

Watch the Full "Big Picture" Show...

Full Show 4/24/14: Rancher Goes Racist
Full Show 4/24/14: Rancher Goes Racist

Thom discusses Cliven Bundy's racist comments with Attorney and Radio Host Mike Papantonio and the new FCC ruling on net neutrality with Common Cause's Stephen Spaulding and Public Citizen's Craig Holman. Thom takes viewer video questions and phone calls in "Your Take, My Take Live" and in tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses how a guaranteed minimum income would end poverty.


Obamacare 'death panels' are coming.... WHAT?!?!
Obamacare "death panels" are coming.... WHAT?!?!

Love affair.. right wing media & Cliven Bundy
Love affair.. right wing media & Cliven Bundy

Will the Right wing dump Cliven Bundy now?
Will the Right wing dump Cliven Bundy now?

Did the FCC just kill net neutrality?
Did the FCC just kill net neutrality?

The Thom Hartmann Program - April 24, 2014
The Thom Hartmann Program - April 24, 2014

Why does the FCC want to make internet freedom complicated?
Why does the FCC want to make internet freedom complicated?
Podcast Banner ad 120
Thom TV
Show Info
Call Thom on the show at 1-866-987-THOM (8466) (0870 974 9686 from the UK).

Sign up for Thom's podcasts.

Come on over to the free chat room, where Thom hangs out during the show.

Join in the discussions on Thom's free message board.

Blog or upload videos or audios at Thom's community.
Listen Live

Social Networks...
Salem Children's Village child meditating by lakeWould you like to help give a child with a very troubled background this feeling of peace?

Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV) in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow. Can you help? Now on Facebook.