Greed, Not Need, Drives Health Insurance Costs Up

by James Parks, Mar 3, 2010

As members of Congress continue to debate health care reform, they should read a new report that shows insurance companies have nearly doubled the cost of premiums over the past eight years. That’s twice the rate of medical inflation and more than three times faster than wages in the same time period.

Solis: Let's Roll Up Our Sleeves and Work Together to Get America Back to Work

by James Parks, Mar 3, 2010

Creating good jobs that offer affordable health care and retirement security is the Obama administration’s top priority, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis today told members of the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Solis, who met with some of the workers who spoke at a forum Monday night, said:

I wake up every morning worried about the millions of Americans out of work-about the millions of Americans who have given up even looking for the jobs that aren’t there. None of us expected this and we did not create this crisis-but each and everyone one of us is called to do more.

Jobless Benefits Extended After Sen. Bunning Relents

by James Parks, Mar 3, 2010

The U.S. Senate passed a desperately needed extension of unemployment insurance (UI) and COBRA health care benefits last night after Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) ended his one-man roadblock to the legislation.

Bunning began a filibuster last Friday that halted a UI extension for millions of America’s jobless workers. By blocking the UI bill, Bunning caused the furlough of 2,000 transportation workers, halted construction on 41 economic recovery projects in 17 states, forced doctors to take big cuts in Medicare payments and left 200,000 jobless Americans without COBRA.

Hindu Holy Man and British Airways Flight Attendant Arrested Over Prostitution Ring

Published: 7:28AM GMT 01 Mar 2010

Indian authorities claim that Shiv Myra Dwivedi, a self-styled holy man, ran a brothel from his temple in south Delhi, providing up to 200 prostitutes to clients in luxury hotels.

Police said Mr Dwivedi, who boasts a religious following of more than 100,000, was arrested with another alleged pimp and six prostitutes, including one BA flight attendant, the Times reports.

United Airlines Announces Schedule for First-Ever Service to Africa

Press Release Source: United Airlines On Tuesday March 2, 2010, 3:00 pm EST

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA - News) announced the schedule for the airline’s first-ever nonstop service to the African continent, with once-daily service linking Washington with Accra, the capital of Ghana, beginning June 20.

To celebrate the new service to Africa, United is offering special fares for travel between June 20 and August 29, 2010. Sample discounted fares to Accra are each-way based on a required roundtrip purchase and tickets must be purchased no later than March 22, 2010. Additional taxes and fees apply.

Kevin Smith's Plight with Southwest Airlines...Oversized Travelers

"Too wide for the sky?" With that angry Twitter post and a slew of unprintable other tweets and blog posts, indie film director Kevin Smith renewed a big, fat controversy over how airlines should handle passengers who can’t squeeze into a coach seat.

British Airways Worker Arrested in Terror-Funding Investigation

By Steve Rothwell and Lindsay Fortado

March 3 (Bloomberg) -- A British Airways Plc worker has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the funding of terrorism, according to U.K. police.

The 30-year-old man, who worked at the airline’s office in Newcastle upon Tyne, north-east England, was arrested on Feb. 25, according to a Metropolitan Police spokesman who declined to be identified, citing the force’s policy. The BA office and the man’s residence were searched.

US Airways Says Storms Cost $30M in Lost Sales

On Wednesday March 3, 2010, 9:18 am EST

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- US Airways Group Inc. said Wednesday that severe winter storms on the East Coast in February cost it $30 million in lost sales as the carrier had to cancel thousands of flights and suspend operations for six days at three major airports.

The airline said it canceled 7.1 percent of its flights last month because of the storms -- the highest cancellation rate since it was acquired by America West in 2005.

US Airways Traffic Drops

Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 9:55am EST

US Airways Group Inc. reports a 6.1 percent decrease in the number of passenger enplanements last month.

Some 3.61 million individuals boarded US Airways’ planes in February, down from 3.84 million in the same month last year.

The airline, which operates its largest hub at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, flew 3.85 billion revenue passenger miles last month, down 4.7 percent from the year-earlier period.

Capt. Sully to Retire From US Airways

US Airways Group Inc.'s high-profile captain who guided Flight 1549 to an emergency water landing in January 2009 with no loss of life is retiring, the company said.

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, 59 years old, is retiring Wednesday after 30 years with US Airways and a predecessor company. Doreen Welsh, 59, one of the flight attendants on board who helped the 150 passengers evacuate the sinking plane, also is retiring Wednesday after 39 years with the airline, US Airways said.

HPWO Partnerships

“We like to think that, as a union, we are smart enough to recognize the need for change, and to make change work for us,” stated IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger in describing the IAM’s proactive response to globalization—the High Performance Work Organization (HPWO) Partnerships process.

The global market place affects the way companies, nations, and entire blocks of nations engage in international trade. These pressures also affect the way we work. That is why the IAM has developed an alternative process to traditional labor-management practices to help save and create jobs and grow workplaces where IAM members are employed.

Book Salon: 'Can They Do That? Retaking Our Fundamental Rights in the Workplace'

by Tula Connell, Mar 3, 2010

Lynn Gobbell was fired because her boss didn’t like the John Kerry bumper sticker on her car.

In Colorado, teacher Meg Spohn got the pink slip from DeVry University for complaining about her job on her personal blog.

At Best Lock Company in Indiana, workers are axed for social drinking because the company president believes it’s a sin.

Chavez-Thompson Wins Texas Lt. Governor Primary

by James Parks, Mar 3, 2010

Congratulations to AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Emerita Linda Chavez-Thompson, who yesterday won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor of Texas. Chavez-Thompson won with 53 percent of the vote.

Sign the Bunning Petition: Throw The Bum Out!

On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Kentucky GOP Senator Jim Bunning declared aloud it was “tough sh*t” if Senators disagreed with his efforts to block an extension of unemployment benefits for jobless Americans.

New Push to Organize the South Focuses on Jobs

Steve Stallone is president of International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) and secretary/editor of the California Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521.

Leaders of the South Carolina union movement unveiled a bold new initiative, “Jobs with Rights Now,” to bring employment and union membership to their state and the South. The announcement came last Friday at the 10-year anniversary of the campaign to free the Charleston Five.

Executive Council: Central Falls Students Deserve Better Than Mass Teacher Firing

by James Parks, Mar 2, 2010

The AFL-CIO Executive Council today condemned the firings of the entire education staff at Central Falls (R.I.) High School and called on the Obama administration and the local school superintendent to work together with the teachers to create an environment that allows students and teachers to succeed.

(You can tell the Central Falls school administration that the students deserve better and to work with teachers to build on improvements at the high school by signing an AFT petition here.)

Boland, Smith Join Executive Council

by James Parks, Mar 2, 2010

Far left, Bruce Smith and at left James Boland.


The AFL-CIO Executive Council welcomed two new members at its meeting in Orlando today: Bricklayers (BAC President James Boland and Bruce Smith, president of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers (GMP).

The council also honored retiring council members John Ryan,, John Flynn and UAW Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn.

New council member Boland served as BAC’s secretary-treasurer before taking over from Flynn, who recently retired. In its statement honoring Flynn’s service, the council says;

Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2009 Edition)

U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
September 2009
Report 1018 (PDF, 101 printed pages)

Links to PDF files of individual sections and tables from the report are listed below.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Pregnancy discrimination involves treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth.