by Mike Hall, May 18, 2011
The Republican “outrage” machine has been operating in high-dudgeon mode since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint against the Boeing Co. in April.
But as David Madland of the Center for American Progress Action Fund points out, the manufactured Boeing outrage is “part of a long-running, highly orchestrated right-wing campaign against workers and their unions that has now reached a fevered pitch.”
This is not, of course, the conservative movement’s first attempt to prevent the Obama administration from trying to protect workers’ basic rights to join a union and collectively bargain.
Earlier this year, Madland writes, 176 House Republicans (75 percent of the caucus) voted to eliminate all funding for the NLRB and while that failed to pass, a continuing resolution previously passed by the House included a $50 million reduction in the NLRB’s budget and would have forced NLRB staff members to be furloughed for 55 days, causing a backlog of cases to pile up.
Madland points out that congressional Republicans also are fighting to overturn the National Mediation Board’s (NMB’s) new rule that says air and rail union elections should be decided like any other election—including congressional elections—by a majority of votes cast. Previously each worker who did not cast a vote in a representation election was automatically counted as a “No” vote.
Senate Republicans also attempted to attach an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that would have blocked workers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from voting to join a union. Madland writes these congressional actions are in addition to the state attacks on workers’ rights being waged in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states. He says the attacks on the NLRB over the Boeing case are part of the:
conservative movement’s campaign to weaken workers’ rights. Sadly, conservatives have shown they want to eliminate laws protecting workers’ rights to join a union and collectively bargain, and when they can’t get rid of the law, they seek to prevent its enforcement.
Click here for his full article.
Keep in mind that when the NLRB issues a complaint, it’s only the first step in a long process of determining whether the company violated the law, a process in which Boeing will have ample opportunity to present its side of the case.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
$3 Million Training Grant Means Aerospace Jobs for Washington Workers
by Mike Hall, May 18, 2011
Standing over the production line in Renton, Wash., where members of the Machinists (IAM) District 751 build Boeing Co.’s 737s, Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) yesterday announced that the state is investing $3 million to train hundreds of Washington workers to get the skills and certificates they need to work in the aerospace industry.
(Thanks to Kathy Cummings, communications director for the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), for sending along the video.)
The IAM and Boeing worked together, Cummings said, to secure the funding to maintain the high-skilled workforce that makes Washington the best place in the world to build and maintain airplanes. Gregoire said the money will help:
those individuals negatively impacted by the national recession receive training to move toward a stable and good-paying career. And it ensures our aerospace workers have the cutting-edge skills needed to design, build and maintain the aircraft of tomorrow—helping our 650 aerospace companies grow and create new jobs.
IAM District 751 President Tom Wroblewski said:
We at the Machinists union know that workforce training and education are key to maintaining and growing our industry. This complex industry of aerospace requires these kinds of investment.
Standing over the production line in Renton, Wash., where members of the Machinists (IAM) District 751 build Boeing Co.’s 737s, Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) yesterday announced that the state is investing $3 million to train hundreds of Washington workers to get the skills and certificates they need to work in the aerospace industry.
(Thanks to Kathy Cummings, communications director for the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), for sending along the video.)
The IAM and Boeing worked together, Cummings said, to secure the funding to maintain the high-skilled workforce that makes Washington the best place in the world to build and maintain airplanes. Gregoire said the money will help:
those individuals negatively impacted by the national recession receive training to move toward a stable and good-paying career. And it ensures our aerospace workers have the cutting-edge skills needed to design, build and maintain the aircraft of tomorrow—helping our 650 aerospace companies grow and create new jobs.
IAM District 751 President Tom Wroblewski said:
We at the Machinists union know that workforce training and education are key to maintaining and growing our industry. This complex industry of aerospace requires these kinds of investment.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
U.S. Steps Up Pressure on Guatemala to Enforce Labor Laws
by Mike Hall, May 17, 2011
The Obama administration announced yesterday that because Guatemala has not taken sufficient steps to effectively enforce its labor laws, as required under the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), it is requesting a meeting of the Free Trade Commission.
The meeting would be the second step in the process outlined under the DR-CAFTA, to compel a nation to enforce its labor obligations under the agreement. In July, the U.S. requested consultations with Guatemala. But as U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk says:
We have identified a significant number of apparent failures by the government of Guatemala to enforce its labor laws. While Guatemala has taken some positive steps over the past several months, its actions and proposals have been insufficient to address what we view as systemic failures.
Kirk says Guatemala has failed to enforce labor laws regarding the right of association, the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively, and acceptable working conditions.
In 2008, the AFL-CIO and six Guatemalan unions filed a complaint with the Labor Department outlining the systemic failure of the government of Guatemala to enforce its own labor laws or to take reasonable action to prevent violence against trade unionists.
In 2009, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) named Guatemala the second most dangerous country for trade unionists. Colombia was first.
A 2009 report by the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center noted that in addition to the brutal repression of workers’ freedoms, Guatemala’s laws hinder workers from exercising their basic rights in many ways. Some laws criminalize legitimate union activity. Efforts to strengthen labor laws have been rolled back in recent years. Click here to read the report.
Last year, when the Obama administration took its first action against Guatemala, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said:
If consultations fail, however, we call upon our government to prosecute this case vigorously through the dispute settlement process.
If workers cannot exercise their rights under the law without fear of violence, labor law enforcement means little, and trade agreements cannot deliver the promised widely shared benefits.
The Obama administration announced yesterday that because Guatemala has not taken sufficient steps to effectively enforce its labor laws, as required under the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), it is requesting a meeting of the Free Trade Commission.
The meeting would be the second step in the process outlined under the DR-CAFTA, to compel a nation to enforce its labor obligations under the agreement. In July, the U.S. requested consultations with Guatemala. But as U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk says:
We have identified a significant number of apparent failures by the government of Guatemala to enforce its labor laws. While Guatemala has taken some positive steps over the past several months, its actions and proposals have been insufficient to address what we view as systemic failures.
Kirk says Guatemala has failed to enforce labor laws regarding the right of association, the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively, and acceptable working conditions.
In 2008, the AFL-CIO and six Guatemalan unions filed a complaint with the Labor Department outlining the systemic failure of the government of Guatemala to enforce its own labor laws or to take reasonable action to prevent violence against trade unionists.
In 2009, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) named Guatemala the second most dangerous country for trade unionists. Colombia was first.
A 2009 report by the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center noted that in addition to the brutal repression of workers’ freedoms, Guatemala’s laws hinder workers from exercising their basic rights in many ways. Some laws criminalize legitimate union activity. Efforts to strengthen labor laws have been rolled back in recent years. Click here to read the report.
Last year, when the Obama administration took its first action against Guatemala, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said:
If consultations fail, however, we call upon our government to prosecute this case vigorously through the dispute settlement process.
If workers cannot exercise their rights under the law without fear of violence, labor law enforcement means little, and trade agreements cannot deliver the promised widely shared benefits.
Wis. Voter ID Bill is Voter Suppression in Disguise
by Mike Hall, May 17, 2011
Not satisfied with attacking the collective bargaining rights of public employees, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Republican legislators have set their sights on voting rights with a so-called “Voter ID” bill that opponents call voter suppression.
The bill was passed by the state Assembly last week and the state Senate is expected to approve it today. Both chambers have a Republican majority. The legislation will make it much more difficult for many Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote due to confusing and onerous obstacles, such as the most restrictive photo ID requirement in the country.
In addition, the bill’s estimated cost is some $7.5 million at the time when Republicans claim the state is in dire financial strait. Says state Rep. Jennifer Shilling (D) of La Crosse:
This bill will not prevent fraud or the recent election mismanagement errors that we have seen. As we continue to make drastic cuts to our schools, libraries, health programs and public safety services, the Voter Suppression Bill will force deeper cuts with no real benefit.
The Wisconsin League of Women Voters says the bill is an
expensive proposal that would create barriers to voting for thousands of citizens in an effort to “fix” a problem that does not exist.
Its backers claim the bill is designed to combat voter fraud. But as the Wausau Daily Herald writes in an editorial against the bill:
The case for a voter ID law would be different if there were reason to believe that widespread voter fraud were corrupting Wisconsin’s elections. There isn’t. There is no data to back up the notion that widespread vote fraud exists here.
There are large numbers of people who do not have the state issued photo I.D. the bill requires. According to a recent UW-Milwaukee study, those without state-issued photo ID who would need to obtain one to vote under the Voter ID Bill include:
• 23 percent of Wisconsinites over the age of 65.
• 17 percent of white men and women.
• 55 percent of African American males and 49percent of African American women.
• 46 percent of Hispanic men and 59percent of Hispanic women.
• 78 percent of African American males age 18-24 and 66 percent of African American women age 18-24.
The Interfaith Council of Greater Milwaukee says the photo ID requirement
would be an unnecessary impediment to many low-income people along with elderly or disabled people who live in their own homes. And the restrictions it places on the use of college IDs for voting would unfairly disenfranchise many students.
Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt says the reason for this legislation is
political power and to suppress turnout among constituencies who may tend to vote Democratic—not to address a manufactured problem of voter fraud.
Not satisfied with attacking the collective bargaining rights of public employees, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Republican legislators have set their sights on voting rights with a so-called “Voter ID” bill that opponents call voter suppression.
The bill was passed by the state Assembly last week and the state Senate is expected to approve it today. Both chambers have a Republican majority. The legislation will make it much more difficult for many Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote due to confusing and onerous obstacles, such as the most restrictive photo ID requirement in the country.
In addition, the bill’s estimated cost is some $7.5 million at the time when Republicans claim the state is in dire financial strait. Says state Rep. Jennifer Shilling (D) of La Crosse:
This bill will not prevent fraud or the recent election mismanagement errors that we have seen. As we continue to make drastic cuts to our schools, libraries, health programs and public safety services, the Voter Suppression Bill will force deeper cuts with no real benefit.
The Wisconsin League of Women Voters says the bill is an
expensive proposal that would create barriers to voting for thousands of citizens in an effort to “fix” a problem that does not exist.
Its backers claim the bill is designed to combat voter fraud. But as the Wausau Daily Herald writes in an editorial against the bill:
The case for a voter ID law would be different if there were reason to believe that widespread voter fraud were corrupting Wisconsin’s elections. There isn’t. There is no data to back up the notion that widespread vote fraud exists here.
There are large numbers of people who do not have the state issued photo I.D. the bill requires. According to a recent UW-Milwaukee study, those without state-issued photo ID who would need to obtain one to vote under the Voter ID Bill include:
• 23 percent of Wisconsinites over the age of 65.
• 17 percent of white men and women.
• 55 percent of African American males and 49percent of African American women.
• 46 percent of Hispanic men and 59percent of Hispanic women.
• 78 percent of African American males age 18-24 and 66 percent of African American women age 18-24.
The Interfaith Council of Greater Milwaukee says the photo ID requirement
would be an unnecessary impediment to many low-income people along with elderly or disabled people who live in their own homes. And the restrictions it places on the use of college IDs for voting would unfairly disenfranchise many students.
Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt says the reason for this legislation is
political power and to suppress turnout among constituencies who may tend to vote Democratic—not to address a manufactured problem of voter fraud.
White House Says No Trade Deals Until TAA Strengthened
by Mike Hall, May 17, 2011
Until Congress acts on renewing an enhanced Trade Adjustment Assistance Act (TAA) for workers who have lost their jobs because of outsourcing, offshoring and unfair trade deals, the Obama administration will not submit three pending trade deals to Congress, the White House announced yesterday.
In February, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) refused to hold a vote on extending the TAA. Because of Boehner’s blockade, the TAA program that been strengthened in 2009, reverted back to its 2002 version that covers fewer workers and offers lower benefits and fewer opportunities for displaced workers.
Capitol Hill observers said Boehner and Republicans held the TAA extension hostage to force a commitment from the Obama administration to send three pending trade deals— Korea, Panama and Colombia—to Congress.
The AFL-CIO has long-backed TAA. In February, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called it a “lifeline for working people trying to get the skills necessary to change careers after their lives have been turned upside down.”
But the AFL-CIO remains firmly opposed to the Colombia, Korea and Panama free trade agreements.
Until Congress acts on renewing an enhanced Trade Adjustment Assistance Act (TAA) for workers who have lost their jobs because of outsourcing, offshoring and unfair trade deals, the Obama administration will not submit three pending trade deals to Congress, the White House announced yesterday.
In February, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) refused to hold a vote on extending the TAA. Because of Boehner’s blockade, the TAA program that been strengthened in 2009, reverted back to its 2002 version that covers fewer workers and offers lower benefits and fewer opportunities for displaced workers.
Capitol Hill observers said Boehner and Republicans held the TAA extension hostage to force a commitment from the Obama administration to send three pending trade deals— Korea, Panama and Colombia—to Congress.
The AFL-CIO has long-backed TAA. In February, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called it a “lifeline for working people trying to get the skills necessary to change careers after their lives have been turned upside down.”
But the AFL-CIO remains firmly opposed to the Colombia, Korea and Panama free trade agreements.
Fact and Fiction in the Boeing Complaint
Tue. May 17, 2011
Right-wing lawmakers and conservative commentators continue to promote the notion that the Boeing Company and certain southern states should not be required to observe federal labor law, and that the federal agency charged with enforcing that law should be defunded and dismantled.
What began as a straightforward and well-documented case of illegal retaliation by Boeing against its workforce has ballooned into an anti-government crusade by extremists who are trying to make the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) the next victim in the GOP’s nationwide campaign against collective bargaining rights.
“Workers have a constitutional right to free speech and freedom of association that does not vanish at the South Carolina state line, or any other state where officials are so eager to promote their anti-union views,” said IAM General Vice President Rich Michalski. “The NLRB has both the right and the responsibility to enforce federal labor law equally in all 50 states.”
Among the distortions being promoted is that the NLRB’s complaint is an attack on states with right-to-work laws. This is nonsense. The Board’s complaint has nothing to do with such laws. It seeks to remedy Boeing’s retaliation against its workers in Washington by bringing their work back to Washington. The violation of law would be the same wherever Boeing had moved that work. It has no effect on South Carolina’s or any other states’ right-to-work law whatsoever.
Another claim cited by conservative commentators is that the Federal government is trying to tell a company where to put its work. This is false. The National Labor Relations Act does not restrict the placement of work unless a company does so for an illegal reason. And no matter how much Boeing’s allies in this case may wish it were not so, retaliating against workers for engaging in lawful concerted activity is illegal.
Voting Begins for Flight Attendants at United Airlines
Tue. May 17, 2011
The National Mediation Board (NMB) is mailing voting instructions this week to more than 24,000 United, Continental and Continental Micronesia Flight Attendants, who will have until June 29 to choose the union that can best produce a single contract for the combined group. Flight Attendants can vote by phone by dialing 1-877-NMB-VOTE or online at www.nmb.gov after receiving their voting instructions.
The IAM currently represents approximately 9,400 Flight Attendants at Continental, where they recently negotiated a contract that secured comprehensive work rules, a defined benefit pension and a range of health care choices, in addition to the highest wages in the industry. The IAM also represents the Flight Attendants of Continental Micronesia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Continental.
By contrast, the over 15,000 Flight Attendants at United Airlines, who are represented by another union, are still working under a restrictive contract with a top pay rate that is $13,035.60 less than the rate the IAM negotiated for Continental Flight Attendants.
"Greater resources, bargaining experience and higher levels of democracy and transparency are just some of the reasons why many Flight Attendants at United Airlines are anxious to secure IAM representation, and why Continental and Continental Micronesia Flight Attendants want to preserve what they have," said General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr.
For the latest election information, visit www.iamnow.org.
‘Going Back on the Deal’
Tue. May 17, 2011
An op-ed published in the New York Times this week reveals GOP attempts to double-cross American voters – particularly, the unemployed.
“Last year, Republicans refused to renew unemployment benefits unless the high-end Bush-era tax cuts were preserved,” reads the article. “After the White House agreed to keep the tax cuts through 2012, they agreed to extend federal jobless benefits through 2011. Now, they want to renege.”
The editorial cites a bill, recently passed by the House Ways and Means Committee, giving states permission to use federal unemployment benefit funds for other purposes, including tax cuts for businesses.
“This is a very bad idea at a time when the national jobless rate is 9 percent, and higher than that in 22 states,” reads the editorial. “The $31 billion in yet to be paid federal benefits is desperately needed.
“Republicans, however, aren’t looking to restore the funds to long-term solvency; they want to cut taxes no matter what the cost. And their business constituents — who have resisted paying unemployment taxes in good times as well as bad — don’t want to pay more taxes into the system, even after the economy has recovered. There are better ways to help the states and bolster business during tough times. Reducing unemployment benefits is the wrong choice.”
The House bill would also require an unemployed person have at least a high school diploma or GED in order to receive benefits. The bill now heads to the House floor for a full vote.
email share print rate: Tags: UCubed, unemployed, jobs
Bill Targets ‘Rogue Websites’ that Kill Jobs, Steal Wages
by Mike Hall, May 16, 2011
The Internet is a major source for intellectual property theft and a major marketplace for counterfeit goods. But new legislation would crack down on “rogue websites” that offer anything from pirated copies of Hollywood blockbusters and popular music to counterfeit brand-name prescription drugs and airplane parts.
The bipartisan PROTECT IP Act [Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act] would allow authorities to move more quickly to shut down the sites, impose tougher penalties and sanctions and create stronger intellectual property rights. Says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:
The economic well-being of workers in the United States—jobs, income, and benefits—turns more and more on our protecting the creativity and innovation that yield world-class entertainment, cutting-edge and sustainable manufacturing and construction, and disease-ending pharmaceuticals. In a tough economic time, the PROTECT IP Act will help to protect U.S. workers and consumers against digital thieves and counterfeit scammers.
The bill was introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Conn.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (D-Iowa). Says Grassley:
The online distribution and sale of pirated content and counterfeit goods imposes a huge cost on the American economy in terms of lost jobs, lost sales, lost innovation and lost income. Piracy and counterfeiting can also present serious health and safety problems for consumers. This legislation will add another tool to the toolbox for going after these criminals and protecting the American public.
Nine of the 23 unions in the AFL-CIO Department of Professional Employees (DPE) represent 400,000 creative professionals and other workers in the arts, entertainment, and media industries. Those workers, says DPE President Paul Almeida, are
actors, stage employees and technicians, musicians, writers, editors, and many others. Digital theft costs the arts, entertainment, and media industries billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs. For these skilled professionals, online infringement is wage theft.
Click here for more information.
‘DREAMERS’ Keep It Alive
by Mike Hall, May 16, 2011
Last week the DREAM Act—which would give conditional legal status and eventual citizenship to undocumented students who meet a series of stringent criteria—was reintroduced in Congress.
Click here to read Dissent Magazine’s Daniel Altschuler’s detailed look at how young “DREAMERS” built a movement that has played a key role in keeping the DREAM alive since the bill was first introduced in 2002.
Last week the DREAM Act—which would give conditional legal status and eventual citizenship to undocumented students who meet a series of stringent criteria—was reintroduced in Congress.
Click here to read Dissent Magazine’s Daniel Altschuler’s detailed look at how young “DREAMERS” built a movement that has played a key role in keeping the DREAM alive since the bill was first introduced in 2002.
IAM Ratifies Pact with Army Fleet Support—and More Bargaining News
by Belinda Boyce, May 16, 2011
The Machinists (IAM) approved a new contract with Army Fleet Support, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,300 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
IAM, Army Fleet Support: Members of Machinists (IAM) Local 2003 at Ft. Rucker, Ala., ratified a new three-year contract with Army Fleet Support earlier this month. The 3,800 IAM members are trainers, test pilots and mechanics at the Army’s largest helicopter base.
WORK STOPPAGES & LEGAL ACTIONS
Multiple, American Red Cross: A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative law judge ruled that the American Red Cross Great Lakes Blood Services Region and mid-Michigan Chapter violated labor law in the ongoing dispute with Teamsters (IBT) Local 580 and Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 459. The Red Cross has more than 30 expired collective bargaining agreements across the country and is facing similar unfair labor practice charges in other regions.
BCTGM, Roquette America: Workers locked out more than six months ago by Roquette America in Keokuk, Iowa, participated in a “Monster Picket,” last Friday the 13th. Last September, the 237 members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 48G rejected a “last and final” offer proposed by the company after only two weeks of bargaining.
NEGOTIATIONS
Multiple, State of Connecticut: Unions representing 45,000 Connecticut state workers have reached a tentative four-year deal that guarantees no layoffs (those announced last week will be rescinded) while saving the state $1.6 billion. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), comprised of the 15 unions that represent state workers, and the Gov. Daniel P. Malloy (D) administration agreed to not publicize details of the deal until members have been briefed.
TWU, American Airlines: Negotiators for the Transport Workers (TWU) rejected an offer from American Airlines, saying the proposal was worse than one rejected by the mechanics and store clerks bargaining units last summer. TWU said its request to be released from mediation was denied by the federal mediator.
AFA-CWA, US Airways: The Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and US Airways will begin federal mediation this week, after five years of negotiations have failed to result in a deal. AFA-CWA hopes the involvement of a federal mediator will improve the pace of bargaining.
CWA, Cincinnati Bell Inc.: Communications Workers of America (CWA) locals 4400 and 4401 in Ohio have reached a tentative 39-month agreement with Cincinnati Bell Inc. The deal covers 1,000 workers and includes a commitment by the company to keep jobs in Cincinnati.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided for your information only. As it is compiled from published news reports, not from individual unions, we cannot vouch for either its completeness or accuracy; readers who desire further information should directly contact the union involved.
The Machinists (IAM) approved a new contract with Army Fleet Support, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,300 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
IAM, Army Fleet Support: Members of Machinists (IAM) Local 2003 at Ft. Rucker, Ala., ratified a new three-year contract with Army Fleet Support earlier this month. The 3,800 IAM members are trainers, test pilots and mechanics at the Army’s largest helicopter base.
WORK STOPPAGES & LEGAL ACTIONS
Multiple, American Red Cross: A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative law judge ruled that the American Red Cross Great Lakes Blood Services Region and mid-Michigan Chapter violated labor law in the ongoing dispute with Teamsters (IBT) Local 580 and Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 459. The Red Cross has more than 30 expired collective bargaining agreements across the country and is facing similar unfair labor practice charges in other regions.
BCTGM, Roquette America: Workers locked out more than six months ago by Roquette America in Keokuk, Iowa, participated in a “Monster Picket,” last Friday the 13th. Last September, the 237 members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 48G rejected a “last and final” offer proposed by the company after only two weeks of bargaining.
NEGOTIATIONS
Multiple, State of Connecticut: Unions representing 45,000 Connecticut state workers have reached a tentative four-year deal that guarantees no layoffs (those announced last week will be rescinded) while saving the state $1.6 billion. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), comprised of the 15 unions that represent state workers, and the Gov. Daniel P. Malloy (D) administration agreed to not publicize details of the deal until members have been briefed.
TWU, American Airlines: Negotiators for the Transport Workers (TWU) rejected an offer from American Airlines, saying the proposal was worse than one rejected by the mechanics and store clerks bargaining units last summer. TWU said its request to be released from mediation was denied by the federal mediator.
AFA-CWA, US Airways: The Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and US Airways will begin federal mediation this week, after five years of negotiations have failed to result in a deal. AFA-CWA hopes the involvement of a federal mediator will improve the pace of bargaining.
CWA, Cincinnati Bell Inc.: Communications Workers of America (CWA) locals 4400 and 4401 in Ohio have reached a tentative 39-month agreement with Cincinnati Bell Inc. The deal covers 1,000 workers and includes a commitment by the company to keep jobs in Cincinnati.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided for your information only. As it is compiled from published news reports, not from individual unions, we cannot vouch for either its completeness or accuracy; readers who desire further information should directly contact the union involved.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Illinois Education Reform Bill Passes With Union Support, For The Most Part
Joy Resmovits
Joy.resmovits@huffingtonpost.com
First Posted: 05/13/11 05:36 PM ET Updated: 05/13/11 05:41 PM ET
What’s next for Illinois teachers?
Following the passage of sweeping education reform, advocates, lawmakers and teachers unions are breathing a tempered sigh of relief, while also working to tie up some loose ends.
On late Thursday, a bill that drastically overhauls the teaching profession cleared the state’s House.
The bill, which now needs only the signature of Gov. Pat Quinn (D), a supporter, to pass into law, would make tenure contingent on student achievement, make it harder for teachers to call a strike and allow Chicago’s Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel to lengthen his city’s school day. The bill makes it easier to dismiss teachers deemed ineffective based on student achievement. They would be rated on quality instead of years spent in the classroom.
The bill is one of many such measures sweeping state legislatures this year, as more local governments seek to tie teacher tenure to student scores.
But unlike similar bills in Wisconsin or Indiana, the teachers unions helped craft it.
While the end product isn’t entirely complete, Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said he was proud of the process. “Everywhere else around the country, it’s reform done to teachers, not with teachers,” he told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. “This is different. We had serious, serious input on how this law works on every page of it.”
The general cooperation of teacher unions, Montgomery said, led to some concessions in their favor. “Here’s a big one: They wanted to end collective bargaining and the right to strike,” Montgomery said. “We got rid of that. It would have grotesquely ended negotiations, effectively ending teachers’ ability to advocate for kids. “
“It sends a good message in a year where there’s been a fair amount of polarization,” said Jonah Edelman, CEO and founder of advocacy-group Stand for Children. “You can achieve monumental breakthroughs without a monumental battle.”
Stand for Children, an education-reform advocacy group, helped set the stage with coalition building and a widely adapted “Illinois Performance Counts” agenda. Edelman interviewed 18 state candidates and supported nine with donations totaling $650,000.
“The Illinois breakthrough is very significant nationally,” Edelman said. “In a state with traditionally the most powerful … unions that typically have been very effective at shutting down any significant reforms, to move this forward with a significant amount of union cooperation is just amazing.”
But it wasn’t smooth sailing the entire way through.
Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis is a union hand involved in crafting the bill, but she said she only agreed to participate in order to prevent more severe outcomes. “There’s Wisconsin, there’s Indiana, there’s Pennsylvania, Ohio. This is going nationwide,” she told WBEZ radio. “We’re trying to ameliorate some of the worst parts of what that bill had.”
And two unions, the CTU and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, backed out at the last second in response to a provision they said last week they found had been added. They took issue with a provision that would affect an ongoing lawsuit and also make it harder for them to call a strike, Montgomery said.
"We are disappointed that the House didn't wait until we could finalize language that will fix the problems with the bill," Montgomery said in a statement. "We are currently working with all the stakeholders to finish a follow-up bill, and we believe we are making progress.”
Montgomery was referring to a “trailer bill,” which, if passed, would be tacked on to alter some of the initial bill's technicalities.
But Edelman said the union dispute was just politics. “The rhetoric about seeing things slipped in is just a joke. That’s just baloney,” he said, adding that the unions saw the final draft, but may have missed the offending passage. “But the desire for technical fixes like the fair share numbers is legitimate.”
Montgomery shot back: “He wouldn’t know, he wasn’t there. I was.”
The trailer bill would aim to clarify the number of teachers required to call a strike: As it stands, the bill could be interpreted to mean that 75 percent of all teachers, including all “fair share” members -- those who opt out and have no vote -- must vote to call a strike. According to Edelman, the denominator intended to point to 75 percent of all bargaining units. “To not include the fair share members makes some sense,” he said.
Edelman added he’s not sure if the bill would ultimately bring CTU back into the fold. “We’ve agreed to certain technical fixes, but we don’t know if it’ll result in the Chicago Teachers Union getting back on board,” Edelman said.
CTU did not return requests for comment.
Labor Dept. App Helps Workers Track Wages, Hours
by James Parks, May 15, 2011
Want to make sure you’re getting paid what you’re due? Now there’s an app for that. The U.S. Labor Department announced last week its first application for smartphones: a time sheet to help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed.
Available in English and Spanish, workers can use the application to conveniently track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers. Contact information and materials about wage laws are easily accessible through links to the webpages of the department’s Wage and Hour Division.
Rather than relying on their employers’ records, workers now can keep their own. Workers also will be able to add comments on any information related to work hours and see a summary of work hours for the day, week or month and e-mail a summary of hours and pay as an attachment. This information could prove invaluable during a Wage and Hour Division investigation when an employer has failed to maintain accurate employment records.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis says:
I am pleased that my department is able to leverage increasingly popular and available technology to ensure that workers receive the wages to which they are entitled. This app will help empower workers to understand and stand up for their rights when employers have denied their hard-earned pay.
The free app is currently compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch. The Labor Department is exploring updates that could work on other smartphone platforms, such as Android and BlackBerry. It also is looking into other pay features not currently provided for, such as tips, commissions, bonuses, deductions, holiday pay, weekend pay, shift differentials and pay for regular days of rest.
For workers without a smartphone, the Wage and Hour Division has a printable work hours calendar in English and Spanish to track rate of pay, work start and stop times, and arrival and departure times. The calendar also includes easy-to-understand information about workers’ rights and how to file a wage violation complaint.
Both the app and the calendar can be downloaded from the Wage and Hour Division’s website at www.dol.gov/whd. For more information about federal wage laws or to order a calendar by mail, call the division’s helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243).
Workers Come Out Strong At End of Missouri Legislative Session
by Tula Connell, May 14, 2011
Missouri AFL-CIO President Hugh McVey and Secretary-Treasurer Herb Johnson wrap up the outcome of the state’s legislative session.
The first session of the 95th General Assembly of Missouri ended at 6 p.m., May 13. The session began with the emotional fervor of the majority Republican party proclaiming great changes they would make in the state during the upcoming legislative session.
Among those issues were those that were political in nature, bills that would produce no employment and create no economic gains for our state. Those bills were simply meant to reduce the capacity of labor unions to advocate for our members and so reduce the participation of working people in the political process in our state.
SB 1, a so-called Right to Work bill, would have produced not one job but would have ultimately created a lower standard of living for all. Fortunately, the bill lacked the support of the more learned and prudent members of the Missouri Senate and even less support in the Missouri House of Representatives and did not pass.
SB 202, a so-called paycheck protection bill, would have singled out labor union members requiring their annual written authorization for payroll deduction to the union political pact. No other entity would have been required to do so because employers would have been provided a loophole in the bill to avoid its limitations. The bill failed to gain the necessary support, and did not pass.
HJR 6, a bill that would have required an election for union representation even if a majority of employees had signed a petition for representation and even if the employer had voluntarily recognized and accepted their petition, failed to gain the necessary support in the General Assembly did not pass.
HB 473, a bill that would have expanded charter schools at the expense of the public school system and threatened to eliminate teacher tenure (seniority and due process), did not pass.
SB 175, a bill that would have eliminated project labor agreements that provides our building trades with good quality work, was not considered.
SB176, HB 828, and HB 138, bills that would have eliminated and or restricted prevailing wage, did not pass.
We also opposed an attempt to eliminate Missouri’s Minimum Wage and a bill that would that would have allowed employers to escape their rightful liabilities for exposure to occupational health hazards such as asbestosis, mesotheleoma and others. We are grateful these bills failed to obtain the necessary support and therefore did not pass.
In addition, Governor Nixon vetoed SB 188. This bill would have severely reduced human rights in the Missouri workplace.
It is unfortunate that some Missouri Business interest’s prevented the passage of legislation to replenish the workers compensation second injury fund, which pays benefits awarded to injured workers and their families. The failure to act leaves more than a thousand Missouri families without income and our state potentially liable, for those court ordered benefits.
To the extent we were successful in defending our rights and privileges under Missouri law it is due to the solidarity of the trade union movement of our state and also to the support of the members of the House and Senate from both parties, who stood with us on behalf of working families. It is a privilege to represent the labor movement in the Democratic process of the state of Missouri.
Missouri AFL-CIO President Hugh McVey and Secretary-Treasurer Herb Johnson wrap up the outcome of the state’s legislative session.
The first session of the 95th General Assembly of Missouri ended at 6 p.m., May 13. The session began with the emotional fervor of the majority Republican party proclaiming great changes they would make in the state during the upcoming legislative session.
Among those issues were those that were political in nature, bills that would produce no employment and create no economic gains for our state. Those bills were simply meant to reduce the capacity of labor unions to advocate for our members and so reduce the participation of working people in the political process in our state.
SB 1, a so-called Right to Work bill, would have produced not one job but would have ultimately created a lower standard of living for all. Fortunately, the bill lacked the support of the more learned and prudent members of the Missouri Senate and even less support in the Missouri House of Representatives and did not pass.
SB 202, a so-called paycheck protection bill, would have singled out labor union members requiring their annual written authorization for payroll deduction to the union political pact. No other entity would have been required to do so because employers would have been provided a loophole in the bill to avoid its limitations. The bill failed to gain the necessary support, and did not pass.
HJR 6, a bill that would have required an election for union representation even if a majority of employees had signed a petition for representation and even if the employer had voluntarily recognized and accepted their petition, failed to gain the necessary support in the General Assembly did not pass.
HB 473, a bill that would have expanded charter schools at the expense of the public school system and threatened to eliminate teacher tenure (seniority and due process), did not pass.
SB 175, a bill that would have eliminated project labor agreements that provides our building trades with good quality work, was not considered.
SB176, HB 828, and HB 138, bills that would have eliminated and or restricted prevailing wage, did not pass.
We also opposed an attempt to eliminate Missouri’s Minimum Wage and a bill that would that would have allowed employers to escape their rightful liabilities for exposure to occupational health hazards such as asbestosis, mesotheleoma and others. We are grateful these bills failed to obtain the necessary support and therefore did not pass.
In addition, Governor Nixon vetoed SB 188. This bill would have severely reduced human rights in the Missouri workplace.
It is unfortunate that some Missouri Business interest’s prevented the passage of legislation to replenish the workers compensation second injury fund, which pays benefits awarded to injured workers and their families. The failure to act leaves more than a thousand Missouri families without income and our state potentially liable, for those court ordered benefits.
To the extent we were successful in defending our rights and privileges under Missouri law it is due to the solidarity of the trade union movement of our state and also to the support of the members of the House and Senate from both parties, who stood with us on behalf of working families. It is a privilege to represent the labor movement in the Democratic process of the state of Missouri.
UCS Sponsors ‘Unions Now, More Than Ever’ Contest
by Mike Hall, May 14, 2011
We all know that with the ongoing assault on the middle class and on workers’ rights, people need unions now more than ever. Now you have a chance to say why and pocket a bit of much-needed cash in this time of high unemployment, stagnant wages and rising prices.
Union Communication Services (UCS) is holding a “Unions Now, More Than Ever” contest with $2,500 in prizes for videos, graphics, cartoons and songs speaking to that theme. UCS publisher David Prosten says:
We keep hearing that unions really aren’t necessary anymore. But in the current economic climate and with increasing attacks on workers and their unions, it’s clear that workers need unions now, more than ever.
Tell the tens of thousands of workers killed or injured on the job last year that they don’t need a union, or the dozens of immigrants found locked into a Los Angeles factory compound, forced to spend 16 hours a day virtually chained to sewing machines. Tell the hundreds of thousands of retail workers bullied into working off the clock they don’t need the voice at work a union provides.
Submissions can be made in three categories:
•VIDEO—2-minute maximum length, must be posted on YouTube;
•GRAPHIC/CARTOON— jpg format, 300 DPI;
•SONG—3-minute maximum length in MP3 format.
All entries must include the tagline, “Unions Now, More Than Ever” and must be English-language. Send e-mail entries to contest@unionist.com. Deadline for entries is Aug. 1; winners in each category will be announced the week before Labor Day. A total of $2,500 in prizes will be awarded: three 1st prizes of $500 (one in each category) and four 2nd prizes of $250 (at least one in each category).
Winners will be featured by UCS— www.unionist.com—which has been providing information and ammunition for union activists since 1981. UCS is the Annapolis, Md.-based publisher of communications and educational tools for labor leaders and members and publishes the Union Steward’s Complete Guide, Steward Update Newsletter, a catalog of hard-hitting books for union activists, weekly news and graphics services for union communicators and more, including online steward training.
Fifth Wisconsin University Faculty Votes for Union
by James Parks, May 13, 2011
Despite the ongoing attacks on workers’ rights in the state, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) faculty today voted 117– 2 for representation by AFT. This is the fifth UW campus to do so since Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to eliminate public employee bargaining was introduced.
Although Walker’s anti-worker bill now is being challenged in court, Republican lawmakers have said they intend to include its anti-collective bargaining provisions in the state budget, which already calls for drastic funding cuts to the University of Wisconsin system.
Aeron Haynie, an associate professor of English and humanities, says the faculty vote ties in to the burgeoning labor movement in Wisconsin. The movement has gained incredible momentum since the announcement of Walker’s anti-union bill in February, she says.
I’m proud to vote for a faculty union at UWGB. As we have seen this past year in Wisconsin, it is vital that working people join together and fight for our rights—our right to make decisions which affect the quality of education here in our state, and our right to decent benefits. Working together, as a union, makes our voices stronger.
University of Wisconsin faculty and academic staff were extended the right to collectively bargain in June 2009. Since then, faculty at six other campuses—UW-Eau Claire, UW-Superior, UW-La Crosse, UW-Stout, UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point—have voted in favor of collective bargaining representation. UW-Superior academic staff will vote on union representation next week.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
After Three Years, Reynolds Agrees to Meet with Tobacco Workers
by James Parks, May 13, 2011
In a major turnaround, officials of Reynolds American, who have refused for three years to meet with representatives of tobacco workers, agreed last week to look into the labor practices in their supply chain and work with other parties, including the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) to ensure they are not complicit with human rights violations.
More than 50 FLOC members entered the Reynolds American shareholders’ meeting last week in Winston-Salem, N.C., to deliver a report on the horrible conditions in the fields. Nearly 100,000 immigrant tobacco workers in North Carolina are paid sub-minimum wages and are exposed to dangerous conditions in the fields.
The FLOC representatives pressed company executives to ensure that this new stance is more than just words and is backed up with serious action, including meeting with farmworkers and their representatives. No date for a meeting has yet been set.
In a statement, FLOC said:
While this represents a vindication of the past three years of struggle, the campaign will continue until real progress is made in the supply chain of tobacco giant Reynolds American.
Late last month, the workers gained another major victory when executives of British American Tobacco (BAT), which owns 42 percent of Reynolds American, agreed to meet with FLOC later this month. This is the first time any corporation with close ties to Reynolds American has agreed to meet with workers.
Farm workers, union members and members of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) also protested at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., and at British consulates in nine cities in support of the tobacco workers.
GOP Attack on NLRB Goes Viral
Thu. May 12, 2011
The right-wing screech-fest over the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) complaint against Boeing is reaching circus-like proportions, with conservative commentators and Republican presidential candidates competing to see who can make the most outrageous and incendiary remarks about the case.
The always reliable anti-union demagogue from South Carolina, Republican Senator James DeMint, blasted the complaint against Boeing as “thuggery” and “ something you would expect in a Third World country, not in America.” Meanwhile, South Carolina Republican Governor and Tea Party darling Nikki Haley describes the complaint as nothing less than an attack on the American free-enterprise system, a sentiment echoed by Boeing CEO James McNerney in a Wall Street Journal editorial.
It was left to Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin to restore sanity to the controversy with a statement describing what he called the GOP’s mission of misinformation.
“This overly dramatic response and the disturbing misinformation they are peddling has needlessly complicated the legal process and distorted the public discussion of this case,” said Harkin. “Unions are one of the few voices left in our society speaking up for the little guy, and if we let powerful CEOs trample all over these rights without consequences, we might as well give up on having a middle class altogether.”
Sen. Harkin, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, also held a hearing this week where he grilled Boeing’s General Counsel about the unprecedented and virulent opposition among Republican lawmakers against the NLRB. A video of the hearing is available here: http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=bf9cac77-5056-9502-5d75-3499b6f85bd2
Boeing Exec Says $3.7 Mil Not Enough
Boeing Co. Executive Vice President and General Counsel Michael Luttig pulled in $3.7 million in compensation in 2009. That’s a whopping 34 percent increase from 2008—and it came during a major recession.
Meanwhile, as Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) pointed out during a hearing yesterday (see video) on the shrinking American middle class, Boeing’s workers have seen just a 3 percent increase in their average compensation over the past 20 years!
Harkin, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wanted to know that if things were going so swimmingly for Boeing that Luttig could pocket a 34 percent pay hike,
Why shouldn’t employees have a share of that? I’m just asking about fairness for workers.
Luttig turned to the old let’s-duck-the-question-with-a-little-humor dodge. But his lame attempt at humor just showed how out of touch he is with the real-life, middle-class problem of stagnant wages.
Mr. Chairman, my compensation is a matter of public record. I have to say, at this very instant, I have the sense that maybe it’s not enough.
Tell that to Boeing’s workers.
BTW, Boeing CEO W. James McNerney Jr. isn’t doing too bad either. He made $19.7 million in compensation in 2010. By comparison, the median Boeing worker made $33,190 in 2010. McNerney Jr. made 594 times the median worker’s pay. Check out more on CEO pay at the AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch website.
Continental Micronesia Flight Attendants Ready for Election
Thu. May 12, 2011
An enthusiastic group of IAM-Continental Micronesia Flight Attendants visited the IAM's Education and Technology Center in Southern Maryland to help coordinate resources for the upcoming representation election. The group discussed key issues surrounding the campaign and the importance of maintaining their IAM contract.
“We’ve worked so hard to obtain the best contract for us,” said Guam-based Continental Micronesia Flight Attendant Cynthia Iverson. “Of the three carriers, I believe our contract stands out as the best, hands down. To compromise any of that is absolutely unacceptable.”
“As a single mother, I was able to put my children through college, while at the same time earning my Master’s degree,” said Continental Micronesia Flight Attendant Barbara Tudela. “I was able to buy a house. I could not have done that with the United contract. I feel my quality of life is being threatened. If CWA-AFA wins, my life will be turned upside down.”
The Flight Attendants say one of their key concerns is the preservation of a secure pension. Continental Micronesia Flight Attendants voted five years ago to participate in the IAM National Pension Plan, a guaranteed, defined benefit plan that is 105 percent funded.
44 Million Could Lose Health Coverage Under Republican Budget
by Mike Hall, May 12, 2011
The House Republican budget plan would throw as many as 44 million low-income adults and children out of Medicaid over the next 10 years and likely leave them with no health care coverage, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Under the House Republican budget plan developed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Medicaid would be converted to a block grant program and the new health care reform law—the Affordable Care Act—would be repealed. That, says the study,
would trigger major reductions in program spending and enrollment compared to current projections, a shift with big implications for states, hospitals and tens of millions of low-income Americans who likely would become uninsured.
Currently, the federal government provides states with about 60 percent of the cost for the low-income health care program. Under the Republican budget, the spending reductions and block grants would cut the federal share to states by about 44 percent.
This reduction could result in large reductions in payments to providers and enrollment. In turn, these reductions would likely worsen the problem of the uninsured and strain the nation’s safety net.
Diane Rowland, executive director of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, says the Republican budget plan would “substantially reduce states’ ability to provide coverage to low-income Americans.”
The repeal of the [Affordable Care Act], combined with the adoption of the Medicaid block grant, would add millions more to the number of uninsured Americans and compromise Medicaid’s role as the health safety net in the next recession.”
Click here for the full study and here for a fact sheet on the Republican budget plan.
In addition to funding the cuts, the Republican budget lifts current federal Medicaid standards states must meet and would allow each state to design its own program. The result would be a confusing array of 50 different Medicaid programs with varying eligibility requirements and benefit standards.
The House Republican budget plan would throw as many as 44 million low-income adults and children out of Medicaid over the next 10 years and likely leave them with no health care coverage, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Under the House Republican budget plan developed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Medicaid would be converted to a block grant program and the new health care reform law—the Affordable Care Act—would be repealed. That, says the study,
would trigger major reductions in program spending and enrollment compared to current projections, a shift with big implications for states, hospitals and tens of millions of low-income Americans who likely would become uninsured.
Currently, the federal government provides states with about 60 percent of the cost for the low-income health care program. Under the Republican budget, the spending reductions and block grants would cut the federal share to states by about 44 percent.
This reduction could result in large reductions in payments to providers and enrollment. In turn, these reductions would likely worsen the problem of the uninsured and strain the nation’s safety net.
Diane Rowland, executive director of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, says the Republican budget plan would “substantially reduce states’ ability to provide coverage to low-income Americans.”
The repeal of the [Affordable Care Act], combined with the adoption of the Medicaid block grant, would add millions more to the number of uninsured Americans and compromise Medicaid’s role as the health safety net in the next recession.”
Click here for the full study and here for a fact sheet on the Republican budget plan.
In addition to funding the cuts, the Republican budget lifts current federal Medicaid standards states must meet and would allow each state to design its own program. The result would be a confusing array of 50 different Medicaid programs with varying eligibility requirements and benefit standards.
Deadline Extended for Photo, Newsletter and Website Contests
Thu. May 12, 2011
The deadline for the IAM Photo Contest and the Newsletter and Website Contest has been extended to June 13, 2011. The 2011 IAM Newsletter and Website Contest is open to all local and district lodges that publish an official newsletter or website. The contest is also open to TCU lodges. Click here for the official call, contest rules and entry forms.
The IAM also holds an annual photo contest that showcases IAM members and the many jobs they do. Photos should be of IAM or TCU members in good standing and taken by an IAM or TCU member in good standing. Click here for the official call, contest rules and entry forms. Click here to see the winners of the 2010 photo contest.
Postal Workers Ratify New Contract
by James Parks, May 12, 2011
By a margin of more than three-to-one, members of the Postal Workers (APWU) ratified a new four-and-one-half-year contract with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that calls for increasing wages by 3.5 percent over term, creates new positions and provides job security.
APWU President Cliff Guffey said that as a result of the new contract, the Postal Service will begin hiring again for the first time in many years. In addition, he said, the union was “able to retain protection against layoffs, bring back thousands of jobs in each craft, and limit excessing.”
New positions for non-career postal support employees will be created under the agreement, Guffey said. These employees will have the opportunity to join the permanent, career workforce by seniority, he said, explaining that they will be part of the APWU bargaining unit and will receive regular salary raises, health benefits, and leave.
The agreement also includes protections against layoffs for career employees on the rolls as of Nov. 20, 2010, and calls for 1,100 call center jobs that had been contracted out to return to the APWU bargaining unit.
New contracting out provisions will give the union the opportunity to develop proposals to compete with contractors for work. If APWU-represented employees can perform the work less expensively than contractors, the work must be performed by the APWU-represented employees, according to the union’s summary of the contract.
The contract covers some 176,000 USPS employees. More than 90,000 APWU members returned mail ballots in the month-long vote.
WWW Center Hosts Largest Ever Spanish Leadership I Class
Thu. May 12, 2011
This week the William W. Winpisinger Center is hosting the largest Spanish Leadership I class since the program was initiated four years ago, underscoring the growth that the Spanish Leadership programs have achieved. IAM members from every Territory are participating in the program and are taking another step towards activism and involvement in their union.
“As we continue to organize and negotiate top-notch contracts, there will continue to be the need for this kind of training,” said IAMAW International President Tom Buffenbarger. “We are committed to making the educational opportunities at the Winpisinger Center available to all IAM members.”
Chris Wagoner, Director of the Winpisinger Center added, “The Spanish Leadership programs are a culmination of a lot of hard work and outreach, and my hat goes off to the members of the Spanish Leadership Working Group, whose time and efforts made these programs a success.”
There are still opportunities for Locals and Districts that would like to enroll Spanish-speaking members in the 2011 Leadership programs. A second Spanish Leadership I class will take place on September 25th – 30th, and the Spanish Leadership II program is scheduled for November 13th – 18th. Enroll early to save a seat!
Any member who has taken Leadership I, in either Spanish or English, is eligible to take Spanish Leadership II. Spaces are still available for the Spanish Leadership II class scheduled for June 21st – 26th .
Enrollments in both the Spanish Leadership I and Leadership II programs do not count against a lodge's regular leadership program allotment. Click here for the enrollment forms or contact Pam Kinney at 301-373-8820.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Manufacturing Decline Puts Economic, National Security at Risk
by Mike Hall, May 11, 2011
The nation “must dig in and redouble our efforts to ‘Make It In America‘,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) at Senate hearing this afternoon on reviving the nation’s manufacturing base.
Testifying on behalf of the AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo W. Gerard told the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee:
American manufacturing is in dire circumstances and its future is in jeopardy. Our economic and national security is at risk. Despite the small uptick in manufacturing employment and production, it occurs against a backdrop of long-term decline and devastation.
He outlined several steps that must be taken to rebuild manufacturing and create jobs including:
•Aggressively enforce our trade laws and addressing China’s trade violations;
•Invest in infrastructure from roads to rail to clean energy technology, along with strong Buy American requirements;
•Eliminate tax breaks and loopholes that encourage companies to offshore and outsource jobs and enact tax incentives that encourage domestic manufacturing;
•Maintain strong intellectual property protections so that innovations and research and development breakthroughs result in American manufacturing jobs; and
•Increase training and education funds for worker so they will be equipped to be part of a high-skills workforce protected by strong labor laws
Click here for Gerard’s full testimony.
Rockefeller warned that calls for drastic federal budget cuts “have broad, and often troubling, implications for some of the hardest working Americans.”
Infrastructure investment is essential to promoting growth and creating jobs. There is no substitute for education and workforce training programs, or for helping small manufacturers and exporters find new markets.
Indiscriminate and unthinking budget cuts seeking a short term improvement in our deficit will leave our country’s economy at the mercy of the rest of the world’s economic power. It will hurt this country for years to come.
Trumka: Until DREAM Act Is Passed, Stop Deporting Our Future
by James Parks, May 11, 2011
Our elected leaders should act quickly to protect the interests of our nation’s youth and working people by enacting the DREAM Act and by bringing relief to these young people who continue to be jailed and deported, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said.
Trumka commended President Obama for pushing for the DREAM Act and called on the White House to grant deferred action and other measures to DREAM Act-eligible youth—”so we can stop deporting our nation’s future doctors, engineers and teachers.”
As DREAMer Gaby Pacheco says:
We know President Obama supports immigration reform. We know he supports the DREAM Act. That’s not in question. We need him to use his executive power to stop deportations of youths eligible for the DREAM Act, keeping families together until Congress is able to put its differences aside and acknowledge that we are part of the future of our great country.
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) today introduced the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which would give conditional legal status and eventual citizenship to undocumented students who graduate from U.S. high schools, are of good moral character, arrived in the United States as minors and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill’s enactment.
“With the DREAM Act, these college educated workers or military veterans will be given the opportunity to contribute to our nation’s economy and local communities instead of being thrown out of them,” Trumka said in a statement.
We urge Republicans in Congress to put aside their partisan agenda, recognize the plight of these young Americans and take the moral path for our country and for our economy.
Read Trumka’s full statement here.
The House passed the DREAM Act last December, but Republicans sidelined the bill in the Senate.
N.H. Gov. Lynch Vetoes Right to Work
by Mike Hall, May 11, 2011
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) vetoed a so-called right to work bill today, saying that “There is no evidence that this legislation will offer any benefits to New Hampshire’s economy or workers.”
Earlier this month, the bill passed the state Senate by a veto-proof majority but fell short of a super majority in the House, where a close override fight is expected.
In his veto message, Lynch says New Hampshire has a lower unemployment rate and a stronger economy than most states with so-called right to work laws. He also points out that in states with “right to work” for less laws, workers on average have a lower standard of living, bring home less in their paychecks and go without health insurance more frequently.
In my time as a CEO, in my years spent in the private sector turning around companies, and in my seven years as governor, I have never seen the so-called right-to-work law serve as a valuable economic development tool.
He also says that the push for “right to work” in New Hampshire is being driven by ”national outside interest groups and is not a result of problems facing New Hampshire businesses or workers.”
Click here for his full veto message.
Workers Show Union Spirit Helping Tornado Survivors
by James Parks, May 11, 2011
After the worst tornadoes in recent U.S. history tore through Alabama and across the southern United States last month, union members by the hundreds immediately began to do what we do best—mobilizing and organizing to help people in need.
Within hours of the storms, local union halls began setting up to become relief centers for the entire community. Large numbers of building trades union volunteers from throughout the region showed up to perform cleanup, support and relief work.
And despite the fragile economy, union members are digging deep into their pockets to help others. United Steelworkers (USW) locals in Fairfield, Ala., collected more than $30,000 at factory gates to help the tornado survivors.You can help working families and their communities recover from the tornadoes by donating money by:
•Visiting www.uwca.org.
•Texting “Union” to 50555. This will contribute $10 to the fund on your phone bill. Normal texting charges will apply.
•Sending a check payable to “United Way Union Tornado Relief Fund” to United Way Union Tornado Relief Fund, P.O. Box 320189, Birmingham, AL 35232. You can designate the checks to “Regional Fund,” “Alabama Fund” or “Central Alabama Fund” if you wish.
Terry Davis, the AFL-CIO Community Services liaison for Central Alabama, reports that the day after the tornados struck, USW members from Fairfield were on the ground collecting supplies, providing ice and manpower to help in the Pleasant Grove/Concord area. USW Local 2122 also opened its union hall to the community. AFT locals gathered and brought supplies into the impacted area. Communications Workers of America (CWA) members volunteered to man phones and assist in delivering food to survivors. Food and Commercial Workers ( UFCW) members were there also as part of their ”Feeding the Hungry” program.
As one observer said, “you could truly see the face of labor—one worker helping another.”
Electrical Workers (IBEW) members are cooking food and delivering it throughout the area, in addition to collecting donations for the victims. USW and Mineworkers (UMWA) members are transporting food and supplies and providing meals for emergency responders and victims in Tuscaloosa and other areas. Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) members were in Pratt City cooking and providing food.
Over the past weekend, the union spirit was really on display as more than 150 union volunteers showed up with a back hoe, a boom truck, chain saws, axes and strong backs to help clean up the damage. Davis says:
I’ve been in the labor movement since 1998 and seeing more than 150 of my union brothers and sister come together to help one another and their communities is the proudest moment of my union life and one of the proudest of my life.
Reid Blasts Republican Intimidation Tactics Against NLRB in Boeing Case
by Mike Hall, May 11, 2011
“Disgraceful and dangerous” is how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) today described attempts by Republican senators and state attorneys general to intimidate the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They are demanding the NLRB drop its complaint against the Boeing Co.
In April, the nonpartisan, independent NLRB issued a complaint against Boeing for moving a planned production line for its 787 Dreamliner from its unionized Puget Sound, Wash., plant to a nonunion facility in South Carolina. The complaint says the move was in retaliation against the Puget Sound workers for having previously exercised their federally guaranteed right to strike against Boeing and to prevent these workers from striking in the future.
In a videotaped interview with The Seattle Times, a senior Boeing executive said “the overriding factor” in the company’s decision to move the line wasn’t “the business climate. And it wasn’t the wages we’re paying today.” It was, he said, to avoid strikes. That is illegal. (For more information, check the NLRB’s fact sheet on the complaint against Boeing.)
The complaint set off a barrage of near hysterical criticism from Republicans and the right-wing media. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) went so far as to call the NLRB “thugs” and accused the agency of bullying Boeing.
But the criticism crossed the line to what Reid called “intimidation” when all 10 Republicans on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee signed a letter to the NLRB acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon, urging him to drop the complaint and, says Reid, linking their demand to Solomon’s pending nomination as general counsel.
In addition, eight Republican state attorneys general also signed a letter to Solomon calling on him to withdraw the complaint against Boeing.
This kind of interference is inappropriate. It is disgraceful and dangerous. We wouldn’t allow threats to prosecutors or U.S. Attorneys, trying to stop them from moving forward with charges they see fit to bring to the courts. And we shouldn’t stand for this. It may not be illegal, but it’s no better than the retaliation and intimidation that is the fundamental question in this case. It should stop.
Reid also pointed to the deep anti-union bias most Republican lawmakers hold.
We all know Republicans dislike organized labor. We know they disdain unions because unions demand fairness and equality from the Big Businesses Republicans so often shield at all costs.
And let’s be honest: Republicans are threatened by unions. They’re threatened because when a large, organized group is so concerned with workers’ rights, the members of that group vote in large numbers. And because Republicans and the Big Businesses they defend so often try to take away workers’ rights, workers don’t often vote Republican.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) assailed the Republicans’ “disturbing misinformation” campaign against the NLRB and said,
What we are really witnessing here is another example of the Republican assault on the middle class that has been echoing across the country for months now. Just as people are rising up in states across the country to tell governors and other elected leaders not to destroy their rights, we in this body also need to stand up and tell powerful and politically connected corporate CEOs that they are not above our nation’s laws.
Powerful corporate interests are pressuring members of this body to interfere with an independent agency, rather than let justice run its course. And we should not tolerate this interference.
In a remedial civics lesson for Republicans, Reid said that just as there is a system of checks and balances among the three branches of government and the NLRB serves as a check and balance between workers and employers. He also pointed out that the case is far from decided and Republicans should not prejudge the outcome.
We need agencies like the NLRB to be able to operate freely and without political pressures. We need to keep our independent agencies independent. This case is for them to decide, not us.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
IAM Issues Tornado Aid Request
Tue. May 10, 2011
The barrage of F5 tornados that tore across several southern states on April 27 may be receding from the public’s attention, but the work to repair those communities is only beginning. In Alabama alone, more than 170 people were killed, thousands injured and entire neighborhoods destroyed.
The IAM is issuing an appeal for donations to the IAM Disaster Relief Fund, which will be distributed directly to IAM families on the basis of need. Sadly, at least one IAM member suffered the loss of a family member during the storms.
Checks in any amount should be made payable to the IAM Disaster Relief Fund and sent to the IAM Retirees, Community & Membership Services Department, 9000 Machinists Place, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. Any questions can be directed to Charlie Micallef, Director of the IAM Retirees, Community & Membership Services Department at 301-967-3433 or email at cmicallef@iamaw.org.
Keep Social Security Out of Deficit Talks
by Mike Hall, May 10, 2011
When they’re not busy trying to privatize Social Security, Congressional Republicans clamor to cut Social Security in the name of deficit reduction. Today, pointing out that “Social Security is not responsible for the deficits we face,” Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Social Security should not be on the table in upcoming budget deficit talks.
In a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Baucus, the committee chairman, said the Social Security Trust Fund has a $2.6 trillion surplus and will pay full benefits through 2037 and “even after that, payroll tax revenues will be able to pay 78 percent of benefits.”
This is not a crisis. It is a long-term issue. It is an issue that should be addressed sooner, rather than later, to give workers time to plan for any changes. But the current situation does not necessitate rushed or severe action.
Click here for his full statement. Nancy Altman, co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security, Don’t Cut it coalition told the committee, said “the law is clear. Social Security shall not be counted for purposes of the federal budget.”
The injection of Social Security into the broader deficit debate obscures the fact that by law, Social Security lacks the authority to add to the federal deficit. Social Security lacks the legal authority to deficit-spend, and so, cannot run a deficit. Because it cannot run a deficit, it cannot add to the federal deficit
Read her entire testimony here and click here to watch an archived video of the hearing.
When they’re not busy trying to privatize Social Security, Congressional Republicans clamor to cut Social Security in the name of deficit reduction. Today, pointing out that “Social Security is not responsible for the deficits we face,” Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Social Security should not be on the table in upcoming budget deficit talks.
In a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Baucus, the committee chairman, said the Social Security Trust Fund has a $2.6 trillion surplus and will pay full benefits through 2037 and “even after that, payroll tax revenues will be able to pay 78 percent of benefits.”
This is not a crisis. It is a long-term issue. It is an issue that should be addressed sooner, rather than later, to give workers time to plan for any changes. But the current situation does not necessitate rushed or severe action.
Click here for his full statement. Nancy Altman, co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security, Don’t Cut it coalition told the committee, said “the law is clear. Social Security shall not be counted for purposes of the federal budget.”
The injection of Social Security into the broader deficit debate obscures the fact that by law, Social Security lacks the authority to add to the federal deficit. Social Security lacks the legal authority to deficit-spend, and so, cannot run a deficit. Because it cannot run a deficit, it cannot add to the federal deficit
Read her entire testimony here and click here to watch an archived video of the hearing.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Koch Brothers Exposed in Brave New Video
by Mike Hall, May 10, 2011
For years, billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch flew under the radar as they financed right-wing campaigns and extreme conservative think tanks to overturn financial regulations, corporate rules, environmental standards, workers’ rights and the entire litany of “evils” on the radical right agenda.
But their cover was blown in a New Yorker article last year and further shredded when their connections to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his attack on public service workers and workers’ rights were exposed.
Now, our friends at the Brave New Foundation—the same folks who bring us Brave New Films—are making the spotlight on the Kochs even brighter with a series of new videos in their new Koch Brothers Exposed campaign.
In the first video (above) they take us to five of the Koch’s multimillion-dollar mansions around the country. Three seniors who rely on Social Security go to David’s $37 million Palm Beach, Fla., estate to ask why the Kochs want to destroy Social Security.
Pushing the intercom at the $18 million Koch South Hampton beach estate, a Brave New filmmaker asks the Kochs why they are “financing all these organizations designed to smash the American worker.”
He gets the same answer—nothing—at the luxurious $15 million Aspen, Colo., getaway when he asks why they are “spending millions of dollars to destroy American unions.”
Click here for more and you can follow the Koch Brothers Exposed on Facebook and Twitter.
NLRB Moves to Protect Workers’ Rights in Arizona
Tue. May 10, 2011
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona for its illegal attempt to mandate the use of secret ballot-only union elections.
The NLRB says the Arizona law violates federal law, in place now for 76 years.
Arizona voters recently approved a state constitutional amendment requiring secret ballot elections in circumstances where federal law permits private-sector employees to express their choice of union representation.
But under the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, private-sector employees have two ways to choose a union: They may vote in a secret-ballot election conducted by the NLRB, or they may persuade an employer to voluntarily recognize a union after showing majority support by signed authorization cards or other means. The NLRB says the Arizona law conflicts with federal law by stripping away workers’ rights to gain union representation via voluntary employer recognition.
The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution deems as invalid any state law that conflicts with federal law.
The NLRB is expected to file a second complaint against South Dakota for a similar state constitutional amendment. South Carolina and Utah have also passed similar legislation.
Complaint Against Boeing Riles Anti-Union Zealots
Tue. May 10, 2011
The recent NLRB complaint against the Boeing Company is quickly becoming a cause célèbre among right-to-work zealots who are calling for extreme measures to “reign in” the federal agency charged with protecting U.S. labor laws.
Behind a fog of misinformation, the right-wing media echo chamber is reverberating with claims that the NLRB is undertaking an “unprecedented” campaign against right-to-work states while attempting to tell a large corporation where they can and cannot locate their operations.
The actual complaint, issued by the NLRB on April 20, does not seek to have Boeing’s South Carolina facility closed, nor does it address right-to-work legislation in any state. Rather, it seeks to halt the transfer of a specific piece of production work due to allegations that the transfer was unlawfully motivated.
In an article published in the Huffington Post, IAM General Counsel Chris Corson rejects the effort to cast the dispute as anything other than a matter of facts, evidence and the law.
“Commentators cry that this case is just a Democratic administration favoring labor. But the rights at stake in this case belong to workers in every state, regardless of their politics and even regardless of whether they are unionized,” said Corson. “Retaliation against workers for exercising protected rights is as unlawful in South Carolina as it is in Washington. The NLRB should enforce the law whenever and wherever retaliation against workers takes place.”
AFL-CIO, NNU Back New Universal Health Care Bill
by Mike Hall, May 10, 2011
Last year, when Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, it was a “historic milestone on our path toward a more just society,” says AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker, “But we also know that much work is left to be done.”
That work includes moving to a single-payer, universal health care model as called for by the AFL-CIO Convention in 2009 and today in the America Health Security Act, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.).
Speaking at a Capitol Hill press conference, Holt Baker said:
We in the labor movement have long insisted that health care is a fundamental human right and an important measure of social justice. And for more than 100 years, we have fought for universal health care coverage based on a social insurance model, an approach that has proven to be cost-effective and efficient in countries across the globe and in this country to provide health security for seniors.
Jean Ross, R.N., and co-president of National Nurses United (NNU), says the bill will “create a more just health care system.”
Providing a single standard of high-quality care for all is a priority for registered nurses who have seen their abilities to act as patient advocates made more difficult as for-profit interests control more patient care decisions.
Sanders says the fight for universal health care “is the civil rights battle of our time.”
The legislation establishes a national health care program that requires each participating state to set up and administer comprehensive health care services as an entitlement for all through a progressively financed, single-payer system, as administered by the states. Benefits emphasize primary and preventive care, and free choice of providers. Private health insurance sold by for-profit companies continues in the form of supplemental coverage only. Says McDermott:
If an insurance company’s objective is to make a profit rather than deliver health care, a patient’s best interests may not always be in the forefront of their thinking. Decisions are made by accountants and actuaries, not necessarily on the basis of what’s best for the patient.
The program will be progressively financed, including a surcharge on high-income individuals and a tax on securities and other financial transactions.
“Let’s face it,” says Sanders in a guest column in the Guardian:
until we put patients over profits, our system will not work for ordinary Americans.
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