(Happy to have these posted here. Thanks Scott! – promoted by eli_beckerman)

The AFL-CIO sent its 2012 candidate questionnaire to me on June 8, asking for responses by June 29.

The text that is in blocks is the text of the questionnaire.

My answers and comments are outside of the blocks in italics.

My campaign responds to all questionnaires and publishes all answers sent.

Candidate Name:

Lee Scott Laugenour                          

Running for House in District:

Fourth Berkshire                          

Campaign Address:

PO Box 612 / Lenox MA  01240                                      

Campaign Phone:

413 5519222                                      

Campaign Website:    www.scottlaugenour.org                                  

Campaign Contact Name and Email:

Kalin Jordan hq@scottlaugenour.org                      

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO endorses candidates for public office who stand with working families on our key issues and support our core values. This questionnaire evaluates your degree of support for labor unions and the working families for whom we advocate. Please complete this questionnaire, including the Pledge found in Appendix A, and affirm your responses with an official signature and date. All of these components are necessary for the questionnaire to be considered official. Your responses will also be retained to maintain a record of your positions on the vital issues covered in this questionnaire. Our core values can be achieved with policies that fall under the following categories:

   Right to Organize and Collectively Bargain

   Wages and Prevailing Wage

   Health Care     Quality, Affordability and Accessibility

   Pensions and Retirement Security

   Education

   Occupational Safety and Health

   Economic Safety Net

   Revenues and Tax System Fairness

   Public Safety

   High Quality, Worker-Focused Economic and Workforce Development

If you require more information we can provide a Policy Guide at your request.

Right to Organize and Collectively Bargain

1. RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN:     Do you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation protecting  the right of workers to organize into unions and bargain collectively to the fullest extent allowable under federal and state law in an  environment free of interference, coercion, harassment, reprisals or  delay?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken the right of workers to organize into unions or to limit the scope of workers’ collective bargaining rights?

YES

2. CAPTIVE AUDIENCE MEETINGS:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation to     prohibit mandatory attendance at employer-sponsored meetings regarding religious, political, or union activity, as well as bar     disciplinary action against employees for not attending these types of meetings?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to subject workers to the pressures of captive audience meetings?

YES

3. PROPER EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS & NO STATE SUBSIDIES OF UNION  BUSTING:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that     ensures that funds are spent solely on the services for which government has contracted and never spent on union-busting consultants and law firms?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to allow the expenditure of public funds on union busting?

YES

4. EMPLOYER NEUTRALITY TOWARDS UNIONIZATION:     Would     you publicly and privately urge employers to remain neutral and     respect their employees’ legal and human rights to form a union     during organizing drives, including recognizing a union voluntarily     when a majority of workers choose to form one?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to protect employer interference in organizing decisions by workers?

YES

5. SCOPE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS:     Do you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation to ensure that wages, benefits (including health care and pension/retirement benefits) and working conditions are included as right, proper and legally protected subjects of collective bargaining under M.G.L. Chapters 150A and 150E for both public and private sector employees?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken or remove any currently protected subjects of collective bargaining for all workers?

YES

6. YOUR     SUPPORTIVE ACTIONS OF WORKERS ON ORGANIZING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING:     Please     detail any efforts, whether public or private, you have made to     support workers seeking to organize a union, ensure that a     construction project be built with union labor, or during a strike     or other collective action to secure a fair contract from their     employers:

I stood with striking Verizon workers in Pittsfield at least five times in the summer of 2011, holding picket signs.

I blogged on May 2, 2011 about the travesty of the bill on Beacon Hill, which passed with my opponent’s support, that removed health care benefits from collective bargaining for municipal unions.  Please see WE ARE ALL WISCONSIN.

7. ORGANIZING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PLEDGE:     Appendix A at the end of this questionnaire seeks to affirm your     support for all facets of the right to organize and collectively     bargain covered in this section. Please check all boxes you agree     with and affirm your support with a signature and date.

Wages and Prevailing Wage

8.  MINIMUM WAGE:     Do you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation to raise the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour and then index minimum wage raises to inflation thereafter?

(I am supportive of a meaningful miminum wage and of developing a living wage social contract.  I would need more information and background research before committing to a specific amount for a minimum wage.)

Will you oppose all legislation to weaken minimum wage laws?

YES

9. ENSURING PROPER AND TIMELY PAYMENT OF WAGES:     Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken the ability to enforce the Massachusetts basic wage laws and legislation that seeks to weaken workers’ rights to treble damages when they prove in court that they have not been properly paid?

YES

10. PREVAILING  WAGE:     Do     you support  and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks  to protect and improve our Commonwealth’s prevailing wage laws, including aggressive enforcement of prevailing wage laws, strengthening the contractor certification process and debarring  contractors from bidding on public work when found guilty of prevailing wage law violations?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken prevailing wage laws?

YES

Will you support legislation to add apprenticeship contributions to the calculation of the state prevailing wage?

YES

Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that requires the payment of prevailing wages on projects funded through public financing mechanisms such as Tax Increment Financing, Mass Development and Economic Development agency grants and programs, and Cultural Facilities grants?

YES

Health Care Quality, Affordability and Accessibility

11. MAINTAINING THE EMPLOYER ROLE IN HEALTH CARE:     Would you oppose all legislation that further shifts the burden of health insurance costs onto individuals and families, including legislation that would end employer assessments for those employers who fit the Massachusetts requirement (more than 11 employees) but not the pending federal requirement in 2014 (less than 50 employees)?

YES (However, I do not wish to ‘maintain the employer role in health care.’  I support a single payer public not-for-profit health insurance system that would provide relief to employers.)

12. COST  REDUCTION VERSUS COST SHIFTING:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation limiting copays, deductibles and other out of pocket costs for Commonwealth     Connector subscribers?

YES

13. HEALTH CARE QUALITY – PATIENT SAFETY:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks to institute a reasonable nurse-patient ratio and legislation to prohibit the dangerous practice of mandatory overtime in hospitals?

YES

14. STATE EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH CARE:     Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to alter the current premium splits in a manner that increases the amount paid by state employees?

YES

15. EMPLOYEE  REPRESENTATION ON THE GROUP INSURANCE COMMISSION (GIC):     Would  you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that would increase the number of seats on the GIC for worker representatives?

YES

16. RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES:     Would you oppose all legislation that seeks to decrease the availability, affordability and quality of retiree health insurance for retired public employees?

YES

17. STATE  LEADERSHIP ON HEALTH CARE – PROCUREMENT POLICIES:  Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that requires all firms that do business with the state to provide health insurance to its employees?

NO  (I support single payer health care, quality medicare for all.  I will not advocate to perpetuate the current system of mandates to purchase private health insurance, nor support legislation that is premised on such a system’s perpetuation.  There is already too much of a burden on both individuals and businesses.  I will strongly advocate for public provision of quality health insurance in Massachusetts that is funded by fair progressive taxes, which will remove the burden on businesses to provide private health insurance.)

Pensions and Retirement Security

18. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES PENSION LAWS:     Will you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that continues to guarantee defined benefit pensions for public employees as prescribed by law in M.G.L. Chapter 32 and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation to protect defined benefit pensions for public employees?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken defined benefit pensions for public employees?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that attempts to change current public employee retirement law to a defined contribution retirement plan for newly hired public employees?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to raid pension funds and contributions?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to change pension calculations from the current “high-5” average, which will diminish pensions for public employees?

YES

Will you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that increases a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for retired public employees’ pensions?

YES

Education

19. “STAND FOR CHILDREN” BALLOT INITIATIVE: Will you openly oppose the “Stand for Children” initiative petition which appears on the ballot in November 2012?

YES

20. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN EDUCATION: Will you support legislation that will restore all collective bargaining rights and all other rights taken from unions and school department employees in the most recent comprehensive education legislation?

YES (The bill in question is the Education Act of 2009, also known as An Act Relative To The Achievement Gap, which my opponent (Rep. Pignatelli) voted YES on.  Section 3 of the Act permits the commissioner for elementary and secondary education to suspend, revoke or change of collective bargaining agreements rights in ‘underperforming’ schools, regardless of the reason that the schools are underperforming.)

21. MCAS: Would  you oppose all legislation that would seek to make MCAS the sole requirement for receiving a high school diploma?

YES

22. CHARTER SCHOOLS: Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that  amends the Commonwealth charter school funding formula to have the state pay for all charter school costs, rather than burdening localities?

YES

Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation or other governmental action that would call for a comprehensive review and analysis of charter school performance and impact on school districts?

YES

23. STUDENTS WHO SPEAK OTHER LANGUAGES:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks to construct more effective education support systems for students with limited English proficiency?

YES

24. PUBLIC EDUCATION FINANCING:  Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that improves the K-12 public school funding formula to provide adequate funding for the Commonwealth’s education challenges?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to decrease funding for our public school system?

YES

25. EARLY     EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that expands     early education opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds?

YES

Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that increases state funding to make high quality early education and child care available to all working families?

YES

Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that provides state funding to increase reimbursement rates to raise the wages of early educators?

(I am an ardent support of strong high-quality public education systems that are financed by fair progressive taxes.  I will need to understand the current formula and see specific proposals before answering this question.)

Would you support, sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that allows early education providers to organize and collectively bargain with the state over wages, benefits, working conditions and worker input to ensure high quality in early education?

YES

Would you support, sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that allows child care providers to organize and collectively bargain with the state over wages, benefits, working conditions and worker input to ensure high quality in child care?

YES

26. HIGHER     EDUCATION:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that increases     funding for public higher education to a level that will at least     equal the average per capita spending in the United States?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to decrease funding for our public institutions of higher education?

YES

27. HIGHER EDUCATION WORKERS:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks to fund the contracts with the Commonwealth that these workers bargain     collectively through their union?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that denies funding for these contracts, which essentially nullifies the contracts that are reached by collective bargaining?

YES

28. PUBLIC     LIBRARIES:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that provides     adequate state funding for local public libraries?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that decreases funding for or seeks to close our public libraries?

YES

29. LABOR HISTORY:  Would you support, sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation or pursue regulations to develop labor history curriculum to be taught in our public schools?

(I am not against the idea, but I would not limit it to the labor movement history.  Howard Zinn’s writings often illustrated about how people’s movements in general have not been covered very well in public school history curricula.  I would support such curriculum changes to include fair and critical analysis of all movements that have had an impact on our history and politics.)

Occupational Safety and Health

30. SAFER     ALTERNATIVES TO TOXIC CHEMICALS:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks to     replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives where they exist and     can be implemented with negligible cost, as well as legislation that     encourages the further development of new safer alternatives?

YES

31. AN  ACT REFORMING EMPLOYMENT AGENCY LAWS AND PROVIDING BASIC RIGHTS TO     TEMPORARY WORKERS: Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks to provide temporary workers with basic information before they are assigned to a job, takes unfair and illegal practices out of competition, and brings temp agencies out of the shadows allowing the Attorney General and the Department of Labor Standards to protect workers and the state’s revenues by focusing on bad agencies?

YES

Will you oppose all attempts to deny temporary workers basic information about the terms and conditions of their work and efforts to prevent modernization of the laws and procedures that govern employing and staffing agencies?

YES

32. PUBLIC SECTOR “OSHA” PROTECTIONS:     Would you support and  will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that will provide protections to public employees similar to those provided by     OSHA to private sector workers?

YES

Economic Safety Net

33. EARNED SICK TIME: Would you  support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation establishing an earned sick time labor standard that allows workers to earn  one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 hours per year?

NO  (The practice in this country has been, with benefits legislation such as sick time, to mandate that businesses absorb the cost.  Not all workers benefit because.  I believe it is time to begin shifting such benefits into a public social security program, such as what is seen in successful social democracies around the world.   I would rather introduce legislation for a publicly administered sick day fund in Massachusetts.  Please read a blog I wrote a couple years ago on paternity leave benefits.)

34. UNEMPLOYMENT     INSURANCE BENEFITS:     Would     you oppose     legislation that seeks to reduce UI benefits or the duration of UI     benefits in any way?

YES

35. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TRUST FUND: Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that ensures the solvency of the UI Trust Fund by increasing and indexing the taxable wage base and by maintaining statutory UI tax schedules at the necessary level?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to override the statutory experience schedule by freezing or decreasing the payments made by employers towards the UI Trust Fund, unless such decrease in the experience level is accompanied by an increased, indexed taxable wage base that is designed, along with the experience rate, to ensure the future solvency of the UI Trust Fund?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that would result in the inability of the UI Trust Fund to pay out benefits for less than a year during a recession?

YES

36. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY:  Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation or other governmental action that would expand eligibility and access to UI  benefits for workers who work multiple jobs, lose a higher paying job and are laid off from a lower paying job, or who otherwise meet monetary eligibility tests but have had fluctuating wages?

YES

37. UNEMPLOYMENT     INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY FOR WORKERS WHO WORK FOR TEMPORARY AGENCIES:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that would     repeal this unnecessary law that creates “permatemps” out of all     workers who take a temporary job?

YES

38. UNEMPLOYMENT     INSURANCE FRAUD:     Would     you oppose     all     legislation that seeks to change the law to focus on alleged     claimant fraud without procedures to safeguard those claimants who     had no fraudulent intent and that fail to address the more egregious     problem of employer fraud and unregulated employer agents?

YES

Would you support legislation and other efforts to ensure that employers and their agents responsibly provide accurate and timely information to the Department of Unemployment Assistance in response to a claim for UI?

YES

39. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS:  Would you support and  will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that restores the maximum benefit for injured workers from 60% to 66-2/3% of the statewide average weekly wage?

(I would need more information before deciding specifically what the maximum benefit should be.)

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken Workers’ Compensation laws?

YES

40. SOCIAL WELFARE:  Would     you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that ensures adequate funding to meet the basic needs of the state’s most vulnerable residents and their families?

YES

Revenues and Tax System Fairness

41. SALES TAX ROLLBACKS: Would you oppose legislation that would cut the state sales tax unless an amount of revenue equal to what would be lost is replaced by a corresponding and fairer tax increase of another kind?

YES

42. INCOME     AND INVESTMENT TAXES:     Would     you support,     sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation raising the income tax     from 5.25% to 5.95% (its rate in the 1990s) while increasing the     personal exemption to hold down increases for low and middle income     families? (This change would bring in more than $700 million in new     revenue.)

(I would need to know specifically what exemption amount this question presumes.  I already am on record as supporting instituting a progressive income tax that would exempt the first $46,000 in wage and investment income.  The tax for wage and investment income above the exemption would be 8.3%.  This would bring in an additional $1.5 billion.  It is also important when discussing taxes to discuss the budget and the value that taxpayers get from their taxes, such as public health insurance and education that do not bankrupt them.  Please visit my web site for more discussion on fair taxes and budgets.)

Would you support, sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation raising the tax rate for investment income (long term capital gains and dividends and interest income), which are primarily earned by the wealthiest taxpayers, if it included an exemption for low and middle income seniors? (This change would bring in more than $800 million in new revenue.)

(I would need to know specifically what level of exemption is being presumed.  Generally, I believe that if a tax rate and exemption is set to ensure a progressive tax system, then the terms under which investment income is taxed can be the same as that for wage income, such as what I am on record as supporting already (see footnote to previous question)).

Will you oppose all attempts to further cut the state personal income tax and tax on investment income?

NO  (Those earning less than $90,000 should have their taxes lowered.  My proposal offers that.)

43. CORPORATE TAXES:  Would  you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that seeks to establish more parity between the role played by individual taxpayers versus corporations and employers, including closing     corporate tax loopholes and continually monitoring and addressing corporate tax avoidance schemes?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to further decrease the role played by corporations and employers in paying their fair share of taxes, including but not limited to cuts to the corporate income tax rate?

YES

44. INDEPENDENT  CONTRACTOR LAW:     Will     you oppose     all legislation that seeks to weaken the Massachusetts independent contractor law?

Yes. However, the current health care and Workers Compensation system is unsustainable and puts too much burden on the employer.  I will strongly support expanded medicare for all to reform and improve how our workers are insured.

45. PRIVATIZATION: Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that supports the intent of the Taxpayer Protection Act and extends it to state authorities not currently covered?

(My understanding is that Massport is the only state authority not covered by the Taxpayer Protection Act.  I will need to do further research before taking a position on this question.)

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken the impacts of the Taxpayer Protection Act?

YES

Public Safety

46. POLICE EDUCATION INCENTIVES – QUINN BILL:     Would  you support  and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that fully  funds and reinstates the state’s share of the Quinn Bill?

(I do not wish to see a return to the situation in the 1970’s that brought about the Quinn Bill, but I would need more information  before committing to the restoration of full funding.  I believe in making quality education and training more accessible and affordable to everyone.)

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to weaken the incentives provided by the Quinn Bill or lower the funding available to pay for it?

(See notes above.)

47. PUBLIC     SAFETY ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS:     Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that supports collectively bargained police details on construction projects on our public roads?

(I do not believe that all construction projects on public road require police details, as this question seems to imply.)

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to remove police details as a subject of collective bargaining for unions representing police?

YES

48. SAFE STAFFING FOR FIRE FIGHTERS:  Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that makes safe staffing levels a subject of collective bargaining?

YES

49.  SANCTITY     OF BINDING ARBITRATION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS:  Will  you oppose all legislation that seeks to compromise, weaken or otherwise lessen  the dispute resolution process that includes binding arbitration for police and fire fighters?

YES

High Quality, Worker-Focused Economic and Workforce Development

50. DISLOCATED     WORKER RAPID RESPONSE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Would you support and will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that ensures the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Rapid Response program continues and is adequately funded?

(I will need to research the program before coming to a position on its funding.)

Will you oppose all legislation that seeks to end or cut funding for the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Rapid Response program?

(I will need to research the program before coming to a position on its funding.)

51.  LANGUAGE     SKILLS:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that     adequately funds ESOL programs?

Will you oppose all legislation that cuts current levels of funding for ESOL programs?

YES

52. ADULT     BASIC EDUCATION (ABE):     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that provides     adequate funding for Adult Basic Education programs?

YES

Will you oppose all legislation that cuts current levels of funding for ABE programs?

YES

53. WORKFORCE     TRAINING FUND (WTF):     Will     you oppose     all     legislation that seeks to end or cut funding for the Workforce     Training Fund or eventually a Workforce Training Trust?

(I am an ardent supporter of workforce training, but I would need to learn more about the specifics of the Workforce Training Fund before answering this question.)

54. WORKFORCE     COMPETIVENESS TRUST FUND (WCTF):     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that ensures     the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund continues and is adequately     funded?

(I am an ardent supporter of workforce training, but I would need to learn more about the specifics of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund before answering this question.)

55. MIDDLE     SKILLS SOLUTIONS:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for the Middle Skills     Solutions Act to provide workers with less than four year degrees     the skills training needed to attain secure employment in the     ever-changing new economy?

(My understanding of this act is that it would be funded through the Workforce Competitive Trust Fund.  As with my response to question 54 I would need more information before committing to this specific Act, although I am very supportive of its stated goals.)

56. APPRENTICESHIP     PROGRAMS:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that     strengthens the state’s ability to ensure that contractors’     apprenticeship programs meet the standards set by the state in order     to bid on public work?

YES

57. PROJECT     LABOR AGREEMENTS (PLA):     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that     encourages the use of Project Labor Agreements, where appropriate,     on public projects?

YES

58. TAX     INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) – CLAWBACK PROVISIONS:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that requires     Clawback Provisions for all state TIF agreements?

YES

59. RESPONSIBLE     EMPLOYER LAWS:     Would     you support     and     will you sponsor, co-sponsor and vote for legislation that     establishes a Responsible Employer law for contractors in the     Commonwealth as a condition for using state funds?

No. The reform that is needed to protect workers and to reduce the cost burdens on small employers is expanded medicare for all.