This week, Maryland became the first state to enact a "living wage" law, HB 430, requiring government contractors to pay their employees a decent wage, in the bill ranging from $8.50 an hour in rural areas to $11.30 an hour in areas of the state with higher costs of living.  Maryland follows the 120 local governments around the country that have required that public money go to companies that pay their workers above the poverty line.

"It doesn't make them rich," said Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, chairman of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee. "We're just lifting them a little bit more out ... of poverty."

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The big corporate talking point against the Employee Free Choice Act is that it allows card check approval of unions rather than mandating secret ballot elections. But check out today's headline after workers at Trump's Plaza casino voted by 2-1 to join the United Auto Workers:

Trump Challenges Dealers Union Vote

Trump is delaying recognizing the union by trying to get the NLRB to throw out the election results-- a typical move which is part of the usual endless delays that thrawt unions even when a vote happens.

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