Tag: Supreme Court

Amazon Employees are Feeling Underpaid and Overtimed

Amazon employees are feeling underpaid and overtimed so much so that a lawsuit against the company is being heard at the Supreme Court. What is happening is that Amazon has a security checkpoint for workers leaving their warehouse that ensures no one is stealing items. However, according to the employees, if you are in the back of the line it can take up to 25 minutes to get through the security checkpoint. The employees claim they should be paid for it. The company claims it isn’t integral to their job so overtime pay is not required based on previous laws on the books.

I see it differently. If you are requiring an hourly employee to stay at work with no control over their leaving, then they should be paid for it. However, there is a limit. If I am an employee who works in a call center and my employer requires me to be logged onto my computer and ready to take calls at my scheduled start time I have no problem with it. Or if I am expected to put on a uniform after arriving to work, I have no problem with that. In both cases I can control how soon or late I show up to work to be on time. When that control is put in the hands of the company I work for and the time becomes egregious, then I have an issue and then it makes the task integral to the job. 5-10 minutes is the maximum any company should keep you from leaving through security checks. To their credit Amazon has said they have increased their security and the flow of egress has improved.

While I think Amazon was in the wrong in this case, I don’t think this should open up the floodgates, as some have predicted, that all non specific work activities should be paid for. Guess it depends on how the Supreme Court rules and writes their decision.

October 17, 2014
Democrats and Justice Roberts

The Cartoonist Studio Editorial Cartoon Contest continues and I made it to week THREE! Thanks to all for voting. Click the image above or here to go to the voting. You should do a search of “Bearman” and my cartoon will come up front and center and then vote. Some people were clicking the link and then accidentally voting on the first thing that popped up. Unfortunately no way to direct link to my cartoon. Again, as long as I stay in the contest, there will be two editorial cartoons a week to vote on – Mondays and Thursdays. Oh and you can vote multiple times in each round if you want (resets every six hours) until EOD Tuesday.

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Today’s editorial cartoon is in honor of Chief Justice John Roberts. Seems ever since he has been nominated to the Supreme Court, Democrats have chastised Roberts for being a right winger. There was even speculation during President Obama’s Inauguration that Roberts purposefully flubbed the lines Obama was reciting during his Oath of Office.

Well last week Justice Roberts shocked both sides of the spectrum when he joined his more liberal justices in upholding what is affectionately been known as ObamaCare. Now Democrats are going to have to reevaluate their thoughts on the Chief.

July 2, 2012
All Bow to the Great and Powerful BEARMAN

So last week I said that the far right was taking the wrong tactic with Judge Sotomayor. Here was my suggestion (very Tongue in Cheek) again for those that missed it.

Well it seems like Rush Limbaugh is a closet fan of mine because new reports show he might actually be for the Judge’s confirmation because…wait for it…of her religion.

“I can see a possibility of supporting this nomination if I can be convinced that she does have a sensibility toward life in a legal sense,” Limbaugh said during his show.

In justifying his flip, Limbaugh pointed out that Sotomayor is Catholic and “doesn’t have a clear record on abortion.”

Hinting that Sotomayor could possibly support overturning Roe v. Wade, Limbaugh said “whoa, it would be huge.”

Now if I could only predict the stock market.

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June 4, 2009
Bearman Cartoon: Sonia Sotomayor SCOTUS Nom

On this side of the pond, the Supreme Court of the United States is down a judge. When that happens, the President nominates a person to become the new Justice and Congress must approve the nominee. Of course depending on who is in power, the other side will never like the person (even if they do, they have to pound their fist so their constiuents will be proud).

So President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor and charges from the far right are already coming out that she is a racist because of a speech she gave and her part in a ruling. Now I personally don’t care where you come down on whether or not she is or not. But really? This is the best strategy of opposing her??

I hate the political pundits and talking heads on both sides. Used to watch ’em but now I can’t stomach it. But Rachel Maddow from MSNBC had an interesting point. (hat tip to Chris Johnson for the video of it I saw) She said,

The question is why do this? And that’s a calculation about political capital. If you think you spend political capital by attacking the judicial nominee, it doesn’t seem like much use to waste that capital on someone who everybody thinks is going to get confirmed anyway. If on the other hand you think that you build up your political capital…you increase your political power by attacking a nominee then it makes sense to come after a Sonia Sotomayor with both political barrels. And, then it makes sense to ask what kind of Republican party and what kind of Conservative Movement is this fight building?

Personally I think the Conservatives are focusing on the wrong thing. Their best strategy is summed up in my latest editorial cartoon. They should be telling Liberals that they are excited about the nominee and especially the fact that she is Roman Catholic in hopes that she will rule to overturn Roe vs Wade (ie abortion laws). Then watch the far left stumble over themselves to make sure to find out where she stands on abortion.

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May 28, 2009