STOP UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK ON TEACHERS AND STUDENTS!

Florida’s parents have long voiced serious concerns over the over-reliance on the FCAT and other standardized tools in our education system because this “one size fits all approach” often leaves many students behind. Over the years, we have forced our children into tighter and tighter boxes ignoring the fact that every student is special and that there are many approaches that can be employed by our teachers to maximize each student’s potential.

Obama Lauds Passage of Education Reform

(Credit: CBS)


March 30, 2010 11:53 AM
Posted by Brian Montopoli

President Obama signed the health care reconciliation bill into law Tuesday morning, taking the opportunity to focus not on health care reform but on the other major element of the legislation: education reform.


Mr. Obama hailed passage of education reforms that he said are "finally making our student loan system work for students and our families."

Democrat Joins Calls for Health Care Repeal

March 30, 2010 12:09 PM
Posted by Stephanie Condon

At least one of the 34 House Democrats who voted against President Obama's comprehensive health care overhaul is now calling for its repeal, joining a chorus of Republicans intent on making the new set of laws an election issue.

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) said he would be in favor of repealing the entire bill, WECT reports.

"If we had the opportunity to vote on it, I would," McIntyre reportedly said. "But I don't think the votes are there right now. So now (the) question is, it'll have to be addressed by the judicial branch."

Holding Back Job Growth? Workers' Awesome Output

By Neil Irwin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

When workers become more efficient, it's normally a good thing. But lately, it has acted as a powerful brake on job creation. And the question of whether the recent surge in productivity has run its course is the key to whether job growth is finally poised to take off.

One of the great surprises of the economic downturn that began 27 months ago is this: Businesses are producing only 3 percent fewer goods and services than they were at the end of 2007, yet Americans are working nearly 10 percent fewer hours because of a mix of layoffs and cutbacks in the workweek.

British Airways Will Fly Majority of Routes as Strike Concludes

March 30, 2010, 8:37 PM EDT

By Steve Rothwell

March 31 (Bloomberg) -- British Airways Plc, Europe’s third-largest airline, will operate the “vast majority” of the carrier’s flights from its London Heathrow base today after a second walkout by cabin crew ended at midnight.

The carrier canceled hundreds of trips when flight attendants followed a three-day strike that began March 20 with a further four-day stoppage. British Airways faces the threat of further industrial action next month if it can’t forge a resolution to the dispute with 12,000 workers over pay and staffing levels.

Jacksonville City, School Leaders Hear 'No Silver Bullet’ in Education Reform

By Mary Kelli Palka

The difference between how students learn is essentially how well they've been taught, what they've been taught and how much time they're taught.

That's part of the message the Jacksonville City Council heard Tuesday from a national school reform expert when members accepted an invitation from the Duval County School Board to discuss the debate over an elected versus appointed school board.

The Jacksonville Charter Revision Commission has recommended that voters be allowed to decide if the mayor should appoint the board, which has seven elected members.

Sink: Jacksonville's Ports are an Example of What Works for Florida Economy

Alex Sink, Florida Chief Financial Officer and Democractic gubernatorial candidate

As the GOP bashes her for supporting health care reform, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate concentrates on job growth

Posted: March 30, 2010 - 4:40pm

By David Hunt
Jacksonville's logistics muscle became part of the Democrats' counterattack today as Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink toured the port system, ignoring the health care debate to preach the need for job growth.

This came a day after the state GOP unveiled an advertising campaign calling Sink "one of them" for supporting health care reform and a Mason-Dixon poll showed she had fallen 15 percentage points behind Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Florida gubernatorial race.

Dispute Over Impact of British Airways Strike

AFP – Demonstrators take part in a protest on an open top bus during the third day of a four-day strike by...

Mon Mar 29, 3:34 pm ET

LONDON (AFP) – British Airways management and union leaders clashed again Monday over the impact of a cabin crew strike, as the industrial action caused disruption for a third straight day.

The airline said it had operated 83 percent of long-haul flights over the weekend, up from 78 percent during a three-day strike the previous weekend, as well as 67 percent of short-haul flights -- up from 50 percent a week earlier.

The company also said it had leased only half as many non-BA aircraft with crews -- 11 compared to 22.

United Air Sees ‘Real Signs of Recovery’ in Pacific

By Bloomberg News

March 29 (Bloomberg) --UAL Corp.’s United Airlines said it’s seeing a rebound in bookings for flights across the Pacific, the carrier’s largest region by passenger traffic outside the U.S.

“There are real signs of recovery,” Chief Executive Officer Glenn Tilton said in Beijing today. “The Pacific is showing its traditional strength. It’s moving at a higher level compared to our other international markets.”

United is “very encouraged” by demand for trans-Pacific flights for the first quarter and beyond, Tilton said at a signing ceremony for a service agreement with Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Corp., a joint venture between Air China Ltd. and United alliance partner Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

US Airways to Equip A321 Fleet with Gogo Inteernet

Tuesday March 30, 2010

US Airways announced the launch of Aircell's Gogo inflight Internet on five A321s and plans to offer the service onboard all 51 A321s by June 1. A Wi-Fi symbol on the outside of the aircraft will alert passengers that Gogo is available, US said, and beginning in late June passengers will be able to check service availability when booking travel on the carrier's website.

Southwest Airlines - Most Passengers '09

12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 30, 2010

By TERRY MAXON / The Dallas Morning News
tmaxon@dallasnews.com

For the third straight year, Southwest Airlines Co. carried more passengers than any other U.S. carrier, while American Airlines Inc. carried the most international passengers, the government said Monday.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which released its annual traffic summary for airlines and airports Monday, also said Atlanta Hartsfield remains the nation's busiest airport by a comfortable margin over No. 2 Chicago O'Hare.

Health Care Reform: A Campaign Trail 'What If’

Posted: March 29, 2010 - 6:56pm
By David Hunt

Voters may need a score card to keep track of who said what about whom regarding health care on the Florida campaign trail.
In less than two weeks, there has been a bombardment of news about a lawsuit, whether that lawsuit is legal, whether that lawsuit is a political ploy, whether the people saying it's a political ploy are bad for public office - the list goes on and on.

Healthcare Industry Needs Accountability Before Dollars

Just Bad Patient Care In A System Full Of Errors
I thought about writing about different issues in healthcare that persist today. I even went so far as to send my last posting to a Senator and to Congress. I expect nothing but don't we have a right, an obligation to voice out opinions? Shouldn't each and every individual that breathes and is a citizen standup and demand healthcare change today. After all, we are the recipients of healthcare's services good or bad. I am just another name in the ocean of people that make up our wonderful country.

Will Military Benefits be Affected?

What impact will the health care bill have on TRICARE for retired military personnel?

Peyton Looks to Delay Finding True Cost of Pension

Posted: March 24, 2010 - 4:15pm
By Matt Galnor

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton wants to put off a study that would determine how much the city owes its pension fund - a move that will save the city millions in a tight budget year.

To make the change, Peyton will need a two-thirds vote from the City Council to waive city policy that requires an annual actuarial study. A bill was introduced Tuesday night and a vote is expected next month.

If the city did the study this year, it would without question be on the hook for more than the $30 million it pays to the pensions for all employees except police officers and firefighters, said Mickey Miller, the city's chief financial officer.

New Report: Unions Raise Immigrant Workers’ Wages, Benefits

by James Parks, Mar 26, 2010

Immigrant workers who belong to unions have a large wage and benefit advantage over their nonunion counterparts, according to a new study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).

The report, released yesterday, shows that, on average, joining a union raises immigrants’ wages by 17 percent—about $2 per hour—compared with nonunion immigrant workers. In addition, immigrant workers in unions were much more likely to have health insurance benefits and a pension plan.

UNITEHERE! Calls for Boycott of 7 Hotels

by James Parks, Mar 26, 2010

Fed up with their employer paying off its high debt on the backs of workers, employees of Columbia Sussex Corp. rallied around the country this week and called on customers to boycott seven hotels owned by the company.

In the past few years, workers represented by UNITEHERE! at four hotels owned by Columbia Sussex have been laid off, seen their benefits reduced and their pay frozen and been forced to pay higher health care premiums as the company scrambles to pay off more than $1 billion in debt in securities it borrowed to buy 14 hotels in 2005.

(Publisher Note: See the rest of hotels owned by Columbia Sussex - http://www.columbiasussex.com/cscbybrand.lasso)

British Airways to Fly 75% of Flights in Looming Strike

Mar 26, 2010

LONDON (AFP) – Troubled British Airways said Friday it would fly more than three quarters of its customers during a four-day strike by cabin staff which starts this weekend.

The country's biggest trade union, Unite, staged a similar strike last week in a long-running dispute over changes to pay and working conditions.

"British Airways will fly more than 75 percent of customers booked to travel between tomorrow and March 30, despite these four days being targeted for strikes by Unite," the airline said in a statement on Friday.

Southwest Airlines Named Official Airline of National Hispanic PR Conference

Press Release Source: Southwest Airlines On Thursday March 25, 2010, 11:00 am EDT

DALLAS, March 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV - News) has been named Official Airline of the National Hispanic PR Conference to be held May 10-13 in Dallas. The gathering of more than 400 public relations professionals hopes to foster discussion of new trends and common needs of Hispanic audiences

US Airways Puts Ads on Boarding Passes

by Dawn Gilbertson - Mar. 26, 2010 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic US Airways passengers who check in online will now find more than a seat assignment and group number on their boarding passes.

In time for the spring-break travel rush, the Tempe-based airline started including advertisements, weather and other tourist information on the boarding documents. Several of its major competitors already do so.

United Airlines Applauds U.S. and European Union Negotiators on Historic Agreement

Source: United Airlines On Thursday March 25, 2010, 3:55 pm EDT

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Airlines applauds United States and European Union negotiators for concluding an historic agreement today that will further liberalize the transatlantic market and enable airlines and their alliance partners greater commercial flexibility to better serve their customers.

February Unemployment Climbed Locally and Statewide

Posted: March 26, 2010 - 10:26am
By Kevin Turner

Jacksonville’s adjusted unemployment rate climbed nearly three-tenths of a percent to 10.85 percent in February, The Local Economic Indicators Project at the University of North Florida’s Coggin College of Business reported today.


University of North Florida economist Paul Mason said the center’s adjusted unemployment figure for January, originally posted at 10.4 percent, has been revised to 10.57 percent. State-released unadjusted unemployment figures for the Jacksonville metro area were 12.1 percent for both January and February, but they were revised to different figures due to differing local employment market conditions in those months.

Working People in Boston, Detroit Tell Big Banks: ‘Good Jobs NOW!’

by Tula Connell, Mar 26, 2010

More than 200 union members and community activists gathered outside the Boston headquarters of Bank of America this week to call on Bank of America and other bailed-out Wall Street investment banks to pay their fair share to restore the jobs destroyed by their reckless actions and to stop their selfish obstruction of needed financial reforms.

Union, Community Rallies for Whirlpool Workers Punching Clock for the Last Time

Doris Nevill, a Whirlpool worker, says she cried all day about losing her job at the Evansville plant.

by Mike Hall, Mar 26, 2010

Braving a chilly and dreary rain yesterday, several dozen union and community activists rallied outside the gates of Whirlpool’s Evansville, Ind., plant. They were there to show their support for the nearly 500 second shift workers on their way to clock in for their last shift on the line.

Whirlpool is closing the refrigerator plant, laying off 1,100 people and moving jobs to Mexico. Eliminating the second shift is the first blow, the other jobs end in June.

Ruling a Major Win for UAW American Axle Workers

by James Parks, Mar 26, 2010

An arbitrator has ruled that American Axle and Manufacturing violated the job security clause in its agreement with the UAW and must make whole the workers affected by its decision last year to move work to Mexico.

The ruling, issued earlier this week by umpire Paul Glendon, found the company violated the terms of its 2008 National Agreement with the union when it moved its 8.25 axle production away from its plant in Detroit to a plant in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Senate Republican Coburn Blocks Aid to America's Jobless

Tom Coburn, (R-OK)

by Tula Connell, Mar 26, 2010

The Party of “No” gets ready to strike once more against working families.

As Congress considers much-needed relief for America’s jobless workers and debates proposals to jump-start the economy, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) blocked a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, saying its $9 billion cost should not be added to the national debt. Coburn’s block means the Senate, which goes on a two-week recess today, won’t consider helping jobless workers until at least April 12.

Blanche Lincoln: Takes Working Familie's Money and Runs

Blanche Lincoln, (D-AR)

Justin Nickels, AFSCME’s state coordinator, is working with the Arkansas AFL-CIO for a few weeks and reports that the state’s working families are outraged over Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s latest attack on them.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s campaign yesterday began a telephone survey asking constituents how they felt about her primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, “accepting money from labor unions.” It was an underhanded, negative attack the Democratic senator from Arkansas hoped would distance herself from her opponent and it seems working families. Lincoln doesn’t seem to want to talk about how much money she’s received from labor unions. Her career donations from labor PACs total $576,900.

Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform, University of Iowa Field House, Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa Fieldhouse, Iowa City, Iowa 3/25/10

1:08 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Iowa! (Applause.) Are you fired up? (Applause.) Oh, it is good to be back in Iowa. (Applause.) I got to take off my jacket when I'm in Iowa. (Applause.) It is good to be back in Iowa. It’s a little colder than it is in D.C., I got to admit. (Laughter.) But I can feel spring coming.

I want to make a couple of acknowledgements. First of all, University of Iowa President Dr. Sally Mason and the entire Hawkeye community, thanks for hosting us. (Applause.) The outstanding governor of the great state of Iowa, Chet Culver and First Lady Mari Culver. (Applause.) There he is back there.

Jacksonville City Hall Ends Talks with Two More Unions

Posted: March 24, 2010 - 6:52pm
By Matt Galnor

The chances of Jacksonville City Hall getting labor agreements at the bargaining table dimmed significantly this week as the city moved to cut off talks with two more unions.
The city declared an impasse Tuesday with the union that represents 1,900 full-time clerical, administrative and technical workers, and on Wednesday it did the same another for about 600 communications professionals.
The main issues that couldn't be resolved with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Communications Workers of America are mostly the same big-ticket items stalling talks with the city's other four unions: salary cuts, pension reform and an increased employee share of health insurance costs.

Florida Senate Passes Overhaul of Teacher Contracts

Posted: March 24, 2010 - 7:09pm
By Brandon Larrabee

TALLAHASSEE - A broad overhaul of teacher contracts and pay narrowly passed the Senate on Wednesday, with Republicans saying the plan would prove to be a draw for teachers and Democrats saying the bill "ends the teaching profession."

The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, passed the upper chamber 21-17. Four Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Paula Dockery of Lakeland, broke with their party to oppose the measure.

Nuclear Power Plants Vulnerable to Attack, Former CIA Officer Says

Submitted by FCGOA on March 25, 2010 - 10:44pm

By Matthew Harwood
03/16/2010 - The United States is woefully unprepared to protect its nuclear power plants from a terrorist attack, a former CIA officer divulged on CNN.com yesterday.

Charles S. Faddis, the former head of the CIA's unit on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, writes that he investigated security measures at many U.S. nuclear power plants during research for a book on the state of U.S homeland security. He found them wanting. His call to secure these sites comes after President Barack Obama guaranteed $8 billion in government loans to a company to construct two new nuclear power plants in Georgia.

Machinists, Spirit AeroSystems Explore New Partnereship

IAM President Tom Buffenbarger (left), Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner (center) and former Missouri Representative and current Spirit Board Member Dick Gephart (right) take questions from union and company representatives at a meeting in Wichita, KS.

Tue. March 23, 2010

In a meeting with the potential to redefine labor-management relations in the U.S. aerospace industry, IAM President Tom Buffenbarger, former Congressman Dick Gephardt and Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. CEO Jeff Turner met this week with managers and union stewards to discuss the state of the industry and the upcoming contract negotiations for 6,000 IAM members at Spirit.

AFL-CIO Backs NLRB in Supreme Court Case - Seat Obama Nominees Now

by Mike Hall, Mar 25, 2010

Last July, President Obama nominated three attorneys to fill the five-member National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But Republican senators have blocked action on nominees to the board, which has been operating with just two members since 2008.

Since then, the NLRB has issued nearly 600 rulings and five federal appeals courts have ruled that cases decided by the two current members—one a Republican and the other a Democrat—are valid.

Shuler: Unions Must Change to Reach Young Workers

Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer

by James Parks, Mar 25, 2010

Unlike the young people on the TV show “The Real World” who live in a $5 million mansion and spend their time mired in reality TV drama, today’s young workers are living more like the folks on “Survivor,” AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler said.

Delivering the Philip Murray Memorial Labor Lecture yesterday at Pennsylvania State University, Shuler said the reality is that young workers are hurting and the best way to get off that “Survivor” island is a union card.

Senate Ok's Health Care Fixes Bill, One More Hurdle in House

by Mike Hall, Mar 25, 2010

The health care reconciliation bill that corrects flaws in the overall health care bill passed Sunday by the U.S. House and signed by President Obama on Tuesday, won Senate approval (56-43) this afternoon and is awaiting a House vote as soon as this evening.

Before the final vote was taken, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called for a moment of silence in honor of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) who made enacting comprehensive quality health care reform the centerpiece of his 47 years in the Senate.

Holt Baker: 'We Want Our Jobs Back'

Arlene Holt Baker, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President

Shouting, “We want our jobs back,” union members and community allies rallied and marched in Cincinnati yesterday to send Morgan Stanley the message that if it can thrive on taxpayer bailout money, it needs to make sure the community prospers as well. The action was part of the AFL-CIO’s more than 200 “Make Wall Street Pay” events taking place through the end of this week.

California Working Families Out in Force to 'Make Wall Street Pay'

The nationwide grassroots campaign to make Wall Street pay to help rebuild our economy is on full display in California this week, as working families gather outside big Wall Street banks in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego and Orange County. Hundreds of working people are taking part in the protests statewide, along with AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, who will be speaking at the Bank of America action in San Diego on Friday.

Community to Rally for Laid-off Whirlpool Workers

by James Parks, Mar 24, 2010

Members of the Evansville, Ind., community will come together Thursday afternoon to support the first group of laid-off Whirlpool workers. Some 500 of the workers will walk out of the plant Friday for the last time and head to the unemployment line as their jobs are shipped away to Mexico.

Just as they did last month, union members and community and religious activists will rally behind the workers to show that the layoffs will have serious consequences for the entire area.

Trade Deficit Costs Jobs in Every Congressional District

by James Parks, Mar 23, 2010

Members of Congress, listen up: The nation’s huge trade deficit, mainly with China, has cost jobs in every congressional district, according to a report issued today by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Contrary to conventional wisdom, high-tech industries are losing jobs faster than any other sector of the economy.

Since 2001, some 2.4 million jobs have been lost or displaced in this country as a result of the massive trade deficit with China, the report says. More than one-quarter—26 percent or about 628,000 jobs—displaced by trade between 2001 and 2008 are in computer, electronic equipment and parts industries. Last year alone, China was responsible for more than 80 percent of our total, nonoil trade deficit in goods.

Help Match $100,000 Donation to Haiti from Union Plus

by James Parks, Mar 23, 2010

The union movement is working to bring relief to workers in Haiti affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake and to build a long-term strategy to move the country away from a sweatshop
economy to one that provides good jobs.

The first priority has been to respond to urgent needs for food, water, medical attention and dry shelter. If you haven’t yet had a chance to help, or wish to donate again to relief efforts, Union Plus has pledged to match up to $100,000 in individual donations to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center’s Earthquake Relief Fund. Already, Union Plus has matched $80,000 and needs just $20,000 more to reach that goal.

Shuler: Young Workers Need Voice More Than Ever

Liz Shuler, newly elected Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO

Susan Phillips of the Berger-Marks Foundation reports on a speech by AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler at a recent women’s organizing conference.

Young workers need a collective voice more than ever, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler told a group of women activists last week in New Orleans.

The youngest person ever elected to a top AFL-CIO office, Shuler keynoted a luncheon during a women-only summit sponsored by the Berger-Marks Foundation. The “Women Organizing Women: Social Networks, Social Justice, Social Change” summit is a ground-breaking gathering of women activists from across the United States and Canada to discuss inter-generational issues relating to their advocacy work. Participants ranged in age from 23 to 65. The organization will release a report later this year on the recommendations from this summit.

British Airways Strike Enters 3rd and Busiest Day

AP – Protestors on the picket line gesture as a British Airways plane comes in to land at Heathrow Airport

By JANE WARDELL, AP Business Writer – Mon Mar 22, 5:35 pm ET

LONDON – British Airways and the union representing its cabin crew were no closer to resolving a dispute over pay and conditions Monday as a strike that has grounded thousands of flights entered its third — and busiest — day.

Operations at the airline were put under more strain Monday than over the weekend as there are far more flights packed in to normal scheduling.

The airline said it operated 273, or 78 percent, of its long-haul flights and 442, or 50 percent, of its short-haul flights over the first two days of the strikes. It is yet to release details for Monday.

Southwest Airlines 4Q Lobbying Cost $180,000

On Monday March 22, 2010, 5:31 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Southwest Airlines Co. spent $180,000 to lobby in the fourth quarter on issues including legislation to prohibit pilots from using personal wireless devices and laptop computers during flights, according to a recent disclosure report.

The use of such devices in the cockpit drew national attention last year after a Northwest Airlines crew explained that they overshot Minneapolis by more than 100 miles because they were on their laptops and having a discussion about crew schedules.