News & Blog

August 2013 Newsletter

 


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Labor Links

Here are some stories from our Facebook and Twitter feeds. Follow us for regular reports on working conditions for Americans today:

FPC Board Chair Chris Breiseth discusses the importance of Frances Perkins (MPBN)

Detroit police, firemen don’t qualify for Social Security & may lose retirement pensions (Detroit News)

USPS launches “Made in America” stamps featuring historic labor photos (ABC)

Laura Fortman on the 20th anniversary of FMLA (DoL)

“Where’s the Beef“: Obama, Jobs, and Executive Orders (Roosevelt Inst.)

Social Security

Social Security’s 78th anniversary (SSA)

Social Security Administration still without permanent leader (Balt. Sun)

Social Security: A Maine snapshot (NCPSSM)

This month in history

On August 21, 1987, the movie Dirty Dancing was released in theaters. The main character “Baby” (played by Jennifer Grey) is named after Frances Perkins and also plans to attend Perkins’ alma mater, Mount Holyoke. Screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein based much of the plot on her own life; Bergstein and her sister were named after Perkins and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Our docent Libby is displaying a new Frances Perkins Golden Halo mug from Lent Madness! Mugs are available for sale on the Forward Movement website.
 
The mission of the Frances Perkins Center is to fulfill the legacy of Frances Perkins, principal architect of the New Deal, by continuing her work for social and economic justice and preserving for future generations her nationally significant family homestead.

Happy 78th Anniversary, Social Security!


Four Descendants of New Dealers prepare to cut the Social Security birthday cake.
100 people joined the Frances Perkins Center to celebrate Social Security at our 5th Annual Garden Party at the Perkins Homestead on August 14th. Board Chair Christopher Breiseth presented Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquerella with the Open Door Award. Perkins biographer Kirstin Downey then moderated a discussion with Prof. William Leuchtenburg, Charles Wyzanski, and Samuel Eliot. More pictures from the event are available on our Facebook page. Video footage will be posted to our YouTube channel shortly.
The Frances Perkins Center and Mount Holyoke College are pleased to announce the launch of a new endowed internship fund. The purpose of the paid internship is to provide opportunities for current Mount Holyoke students to obtain meaningful hands-on experience working in professional fields, including museum/archival work, social policy, or other areas. The fund is launching with an anonymous $25,000 grant. Please donate NOW to allow the fund to support its first student in 2014.

Rediscovering Government: Making People Matter
On October 4, 2013 in Portland, Maine, Frances Perkins Center Award recipients Ai-jen Poo and Sally Greenberg will join Roosevelt Institute Fellow Jeff Madrick for a free conversation on Rediscovering Government. This initiative cultivates a new narrative to counter the anti-government language, attitudes, and policies that have dominated American politics for a generation. The program provides a progressive framework around the evolving role of government, depicting the ways in which government has fueled innovation, supported social justice, and improved quality of life in America. A reception with refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will follow the event. Reserve your free tickets.
 

Perkins Homestead Tour

Our final tour of the year will be held on Sept. 15th. This will be your last chance to see Frances Perkins’ home, complete with personal photos and objects, until the summer of 2014, so get your tickets today!

The Real Cost of Fast Food

On Thursday, August 29th, fast food workers across the country will strike in support of a higher minimum wage. Labor advocacy groups and unions are calling for an increase from $7.25 to $15 an hour. Research shows that higher wages will not cost jobs and will especially benefit women. Even McDonald’s, in a widely ridiculed budgeting app, admits its workers cannot live on their wages.

If you support this increase in the minimum wage, you can sign a petition sponsored by ROCUnited. If you’d like to learn more, CBS News and the LA Times recently wrote stories about why workers are striking.

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