By John Hrabe

Goodwill Industries is the worst charity in America. Yes, the same Goodwill that you just gave all of your old clothing to. Yes, the same Goodwill where you bargain-hunt on the weekends. Yes, the same Goodwill that Beyoncé is encouraging her fans to support with “donation drives at her North American concerts.”

In a recent investigation for Watchdog.org, I reported that a majority of Goodwill entities in the United States pay people with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, while these same Goodwills simultaneously spend tens of millions of dollars per year on executive compensation and travel-related expenses.

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The nationwide flood of labor uprisings in the fast food industry hit Milwaukee, Wis., on Wednesday morning when workers at several major fast food and retail chains commenced a day-long strike.

As in other cities where similar strikes have occurred, Milwaukee-based employees at companies such as McDonald’s and TJ Maxx are demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour and the right to form a union. Organizers estimate that by the end of the day, between 150 and 200 workers may have joined the work stoppage.

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By David Macaray

For decades there has been an outcry from conservative lobbyists (e.g., U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, etc.) and their Republican minions, demanding repeal of the minimum wage, arguing that it impedes growth, contributes to unemployment, and results in hundreds of small businesses–the backbone of the U.S. economy–going belly-up each year. While that claim makes for good propaganda, the numbers don’t support it.

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As Mother’s Day approached, Charlene Fletcher, mother of two, found herself occupied with the needs of other families, attending to the crush of shoppers last week at the Walmart in Duarte, Calif., where she works.

On Mother’s Day itself, she would be in the store, making sure shoppers had one last chance to pick up a heart pendant or a personalized mug for mom. For the past four years, Fletcher has had to work every Mother’s Day, along with every New Year’s Eve, and nearly every weekend.

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President Obama on Thursday declared that the nation is “poised for progress” but called on Congress to help strengthen the middle class by promoting economic polices he proposed in his State of the Union address in February.

In a 20-minute speech at a technology school outside of Austin, Texas, Obama — who has been focused on the gun control and immigration debates in recent days — promoted his idea of raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour, as well as increasing spending on education, worker training programs and manufacturing-innovation centers.

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