07/14/2008
NFIB visits with Bartlett, Donelson entrepreneurs
Last week, NFIB/Tennessee State Director Jim Brown spoke to members of the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce and Donelson Rotary Club. Brown recapped the successful 2008 session for small business and discussed remaining challenges. Many audience members returned Solutions Start Here healthcare petitions, while others pledged to sign online at www.FixedForAmerica.com. NFIB's national Solutions Start Here campaign is grounded in 10 healthcare principles: Reforms should be universal, private, affordable, unbiased, competitive, portable, transparent, efficient, evidence-based and realistic. Read more about the Solutions Start Here campaign.
Card check a serious threat to your business
One takeaway from the Donelson meeting was how concerned small business owners are about "card check," or the poorly named Employee Free Choice Act. One small business owner, after learning about the card check threat, said he would close his business if the legislation ever passed Congress.
So what is card check? Organized labor is seeking union recognition outside of the current protected private-ballot process. Under a card-check system, a union would gather "authorization cards" signed by workers who supposedly express their desire to unionize. Under current law, an employer may voluntarily recognize unions based on card checks, but it is not required. An employer can always insist upon an election administered by the National Labor Relations Board.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed card check legislation, and the Senate came within a few votes. Learn more about this threat to your business and how you can help stop it.
Clarksville healthcare forum this Friday
NFIB members in Montgomery County are encouraged to sign up today for a panel discussion this Friday on the small business healthcare crisis. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback. The panel includes Sen. Rosalind Kurita and Rep. Joe Pitts from Clarksville, Bonnie Fertig from AARP, Gateway Medical Center CEO Michael Mullins, and NFIB/Tennessee State Director Jim Brown. The forum will be held Friday, July 18, from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Green Bank Community Room, 25 Jefferson St., Clarksville. RSVP today by contacting Valerie Nagoshiner at 615-872-5333.
Tennessean opinion page features healthcare co-ops
The Tennessean recently opined and featured three other opinions about the small group health cooperative bill the Legislature passed in May. The new law aims to help small business owners and their employees have another healthcare option -- pooling to purchase health insurance. Read other opinions from Senate sponsor Sen. Steve Southerland (Morristown), NFIB/Tennessee State Director Jim Brown and guest columnist Jim League.
NFIB member speaks out on inflation
NFIB Leadership Council member Mark White recently interviewed with The Commercial Appeal about the increasing threat of inflation to small business. NFIB thanks Mark for his continued activism for small business in many ways, including his stellar leadership as chairman of NFIB's grassroots Area Action Council in Shelby County. Read last week's article. Read how rising fuel costs are hurting Tennessee's businesses.
Federal minimum wage increasing July 24
Effective Thursday, July 24, the federal minimum wage will be increasing from its current rate of $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour. One year later on July 24, 2009, this rate will increase again to $7.25 per hour. For additional information, please visit the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division Web site or NFIB's federal minimum wage Web page.
Wage and hour laws webinar
The Small Business Legal Center has designed a series of compliance webinars for NFIB members that explain laws impacting your business. The first webinar, "Wage and Hour Laws: What Every Small Business Owner Should Know," is Wednesday, July 16. NFIB Small Business Legal Center attorney Beth Milito will guide you through the basics of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the federal wage and hour law. Topics covered include minimum wage, overtime, child labor restrictions and required posters and records. Register now, and if you're not an NFIB member yet, join now!
Small business news you can use
Knoxville News-Sentinel: Small business ranks problemsBusiness tax event at MTSU July 16Sales tax holiday set for Aug. 1-3The Tennessean: Minimum wage hike comes at tough time for small business
Sincerely,
Jim Brown
NFIB/Tennessee State Director
615-874-5288
Jim.Brown@NFIB.org
