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.