Dirt Diggers Network: Digest No. 7
June 10, 2002
Editor: Philip Mattera
1. SEC now providing real-time access to EDGAR filings
2. California report on insurance companies and the slavery era
3. U.S. Dept. of Labor puts LM-2's on web
4. Restaurant industry monitoring site on food safety groups and progressive funders
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1. SEC providing real-time access to EDGAR filings
The SEC announced recently that its website <www.sec.gov> now
provides real-time access to new corporate filings added to the EDGAR
database. Previously, EDGAR filings did not appear on the SEC's site
for at least 24 hours -- long after they appeared on commercial sites
that have advertising or charge subscription fees.
The SEC press release, which also describes other improvements to the
EDGAR search engine, can be found at http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2002-75.htm
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2. California report on insurance companies and the slavery era
The California Department of Insurance recently released a report on
the insurance industry and the slavery era. The report, which can be
found at <http://www.insurance.ca.gov/docs/FS-SEIR.htm>, provides
information on the involvement of eight insurance companies (and their
predecessors) in writing insurance policies on slaves. The site also
includes a database of slaveowners and the slaves on whom policies
were written.
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3. Union disclosure forms now on the web
Iain Gold writes to report that the U.S. Department of Labor
has begun to put labor union disclosure forms (LM-2s, etc) on the web. These
annual reports provide financial information on international unions, local unions and
union bodies such as the AFL-CIO.
You can search for reports by parent or local union name at:
http://www.dol-union-reports.gov/olmsWeb/docs/formspg.html
Warning from the moderator to Dirt Diggers who work for unions: The existence
of the LM-2's online makes it easy to find out how much your boss makes, but
it also lets the world know your salary.
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4. Restaurant industry site monitors food safety groups and progressive funders
An industry front group called the Center for Consumer Freedom <www.consumerfreedom.com>
has a website called ActivistCash.com <www.activistcash.com> that tracks which
funders are giving money to groups that the Center calls "anti-consumer," by which
they mean organizations that promote food safety and oppose practices such as food
irradiation, factory farming and agricultural biotechnology.
The Center does not attempt to hide its origins. It describes itself as "a coaltion
of restaurant operators and concerned individuals working together to defend
your right to a full and varied menu of dining options."
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Philip Mattera
pmattera@goodjobsfirst.org