Working America Says: Ask A Lawyer

Can my boss really do that? How many of us find ourselves asking that very question on a weekly, if not daily basis? Well now we just may get the answers we seek. Because Working America, the 1.6 million-member community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, who provides a voice for those of us denied the right to union membership on the job, has started their "Ask-A-Lawyer" program.

First of all, who benefits from Working America? Well, only those of us who don't have stock options in Haliburton or stay up nights uncontollably excited about the next day's bank merger. The silenced majority, if you will.

Working America very simply provides its members, who are located everywhere from Ohio to Oregon, Missouri to Minnesota, essential information on "good jobs, a just economy, affordable health care, quality education, retirement security and globalization." And interestly enough, the majority of Working America members identify themselves as politically moderate or conservative, as one-third are "born again" Christians and one-third own guns. Sorry to disappoint, Mr. Limbaugh.

So it is only logical that the country's fastest growing progressive organization would pioneer a new frontier in providing information to workers about their rights, by providing a "free online service to help workers understand their rights and determine whether the boss can really do that--or not." Questions may range from "can I be fired for something I put on my blog"--(probably, unless you are writing about politics) to "can I be fired for being a smoker even if I don't smoke at work"--(yes, in 21 states). Or you may be interested in more everyday subjects such as workers' compensation, pay and benefits or discrimination at the workplace.

To the chagrin of corporate-jet executives everywhere, Working America's "Ask-A-Lawyer" program can and will answer these and other general questions that arise at the workplace. So find out what your rights are, and enjoy the benefits of an organization that helped defeat tax initiatives that would have hurt working familes in Oregon, assisted in getting a Family and Medical Leave act passed in Washington state and fought to get a fair hearing for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Unless of course you come from the school of exploiting your workers. Then you had better prepare yourself. Because Working America is on the job day in and day out, to make sure your day comes to an end.

Full Disclosure: I am being sponsored by Working America, a community affiliate of the AFL-CIO. More disclosure, I could not be more passionate about this project.