Breaking News Alert: Supreme Court sides with Wal-Mart in major sex-discrimination case
June 20, 2011 10:31:32 AM
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The Supreme Court has ruled for Wal-Mart in its fight to block a massive sex discrimination lawsuit on behalf of women who work there.
The court ruled unanimously Monday that the lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. cannot proceed as a class action, reversing a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The lawsuit could have involved up to 1.6 million women, with Wal-Mart facing potentially billions of dollars in damages.
http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/X109GB/ZBVIEP/72UKLG/63W1PV/RXHBG/FW/h
Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Check Out Our New Collective Bargaining Site
by Mike Hall, Jun 17, 2011
This morning, we launched a new website—Collective Bargaining: Real people. Real Impact—that serves up facts, fun and real-world stories about what the power to bargain means to working people. The site features a trio of videos we produced with Laughing Liberally to convey the importance of collective bargaining with humor, showing just how bad things can get if workers don’t have a voice at the bargaining table. Pay cuts, benefit attacks and “Paid Child Fun Time” are just some of the schemes hatched by bosses who have the table to themselves—and not even a pizza party makes those any easier to swallow.
Until Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Republican politicians in a dozen other states set out to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees, the public didn’t hear much about that bedrock of unionism. Now there is a growing movement to defend this fundamental right, and Collective Bargaining: Real People. Real Impact helps spread the message.
Collective bargaining enables working people who are union members to negotiate with their employers to determine their terms of employment, including pay, benefits, hours, leave, health and safety policies, ways to balance work and family and more. Bottom line: It gives working people a voice at the table.
On the website, working men and women tell what collective bargaining means to them in another series of videos. AFGE member Michael Gravinese says collective bargaining is important because:
It provides a vehicle in the workplace for fairness and equity for all. What I’ve gained from collective bargaining is the ability to have a voice in the workplace, a structured voice. Without that, a collective bargaining agreement, in essence management dictates.
There’s an old saying that says a rising tide lifts all boats and that’s what happens when you have a collective bargaining agreement. All workers, members, nonmembers, they benefit from that collective bargaining agreement, it lifts all of them.
Virgilio Aran and Linda Oalican talk about how collective action can improve the lives of domestic workers and Racine, Wis., firefighter Mike DeGarmo discusses the fight against Walker’s assault on collective bargaining.
The attack on workers and collective bargaining has been so outlandish this year, sometimes it’s hard to figure out if what you are hearing is real or not. Find out with our “Real or Not” quiz.
Click here to explore the new site at CollectiveBargainingFacts.com and be sure to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Until Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Republican politicians in a dozen other states set out to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees, the public didn’t hear much about that bedrock of unionism. Now there is a growing movement to defend this fundamental right, and Collective Bargaining: Real People. Real Impact helps spread the message.
Collective bargaining enables working people who are union members to negotiate with their employers to determine their terms of employment, including pay, benefits, hours, leave, health and safety policies, ways to balance work and family and more. Bottom line: It gives working people a voice at the table.
On the website, working men and women tell what collective bargaining means to them in another series of videos. AFGE member Michael Gravinese says collective bargaining is important because:
It provides a vehicle in the workplace for fairness and equity for all. What I’ve gained from collective bargaining is the ability to have a voice in the workplace, a structured voice. Without that, a collective bargaining agreement, in essence management dictates.
There’s an old saying that says a rising tide lifts all boats and that’s what happens when you have a collective bargaining agreement. All workers, members, nonmembers, they benefit from that collective bargaining agreement, it lifts all of them.
Virgilio Aran and Linda Oalican talk about how collective action can improve the lives of domestic workers and Racine, Wis., firefighter Mike DeGarmo discusses the fight against Walker’s assault on collective bargaining.
The attack on workers and collective bargaining has been so outlandish this year, sometimes it’s hard to figure out if what you are hearing is real or not. Find out with our “Real or Not” quiz.
Click here to explore the new site at CollectiveBargainingFacts.com and be sure to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
IAM Charges GOP Senator with Ethics Violations in Boeing Case
Fri. June 17, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C., June 17, 2011 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today released a letter sent to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics calling for an investigation into South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s conduct and statements regarding the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) pending complaint against the Boeing Company.
The IAM letter cites potentially unethical efforts by Sen. Graham and others to pressure NLRB Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon to drop the law enforcement proceeding against Boeing.
“I believe that prior to the issuance of the Boeing complaint on April 20th, Senator Lindsey Graham communicated with NLRB Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon in one or more attempts to pressure him not to do so,” said IAM General Counsel Chris Corson. “I also believe that these communications included threats that the Senator would seek to defund or otherwise adversely affect the funding of the NLRB if the Boeing complaint were pursued.”
The IAM letter also cites a letter from Sen. Graham to President Obama, in which Graham declares he will pursue sanctions against Solomon and the NLRB even if it turns out that the NLRB’s law enforcement action against Boeing is upheld.
“I don’t believe that a Senator or any other politician should be trying to interfere with and prevent a law enforcement trial,” said Corson, who cited possible violation of Senate Rule 43. “Americans expect law enforcement to be there for them when they are victimized by discrimination or other unlawful behavior. When politicians intervene on behalf of a rich businessman or corporation in order to stop law enforcement from doing its job, our Constitution and rule of law are put in jeopardy.”
To view full text of the IAM letter, click here.
The IAM represents more than 25,000 Boeing workers and is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America, with nearly 700,000 active and retired members in dozens of industries. For more information about the IAM, visit www.goiam.org.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Choose Union: Raise a Glass for the Working Class
by Manny Herrmann, Jun 16, 2011
When you’re out with friends on a beautiful summer Thursday night in Minneapolis, Minn., supporting good union jobs might not be the first thing that comes to mind. At the Netroots Nation Conference, we’re working to change that. One glass of beer at a time.
Here at the conference, all you have to do is take actions that support workers’ rights, like signing up for Working America and taking our Real or Not Quiz, to get free union-made beer to wash down your union-made Pop Tarts (distributed the Alliance for American Manufacturing booth).
Today, I washed down my frosted brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts (made by the United Steelworkers) with two excellent union-made beers: Schnell’s Zommerfest from New Ulm, Minn., a local farming community just under two hours from Minneapolis, and Leinenkugel’s, from Chippawa Falls, Wis.
Wish you were here? Well, soon you’ll soon be able to sign up for Netroots Nation 2012. But until then, I’d recommend you sample these great union-made beers.
When you’re out with friends on a beautiful summer Thursday night in Minneapolis, Minn., supporting good union jobs might not be the first thing that comes to mind. At the Netroots Nation Conference, we’re working to change that. One glass of beer at a time.
Here at the conference, all you have to do is take actions that support workers’ rights, like signing up for Working America and taking our Real or Not Quiz, to get free union-made beer to wash down your union-made Pop Tarts (distributed the Alliance for American Manufacturing booth).
Today, I washed down my frosted brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts (made by the United Steelworkers) with two excellent union-made beers: Schnell’s Zommerfest from New Ulm, Minn., a local farming community just under two hours from Minneapolis, and Leinenkugel’s, from Chippawa Falls, Wis.
Wish you were here? Well, soon you’ll soon be able to sign up for Netroots Nation 2012. But until then, I’d recommend you sample these great union-made beers.
New Jersey Union Members Arrested Protesting Bill to End Collective Bargaining
This is a cross post from the New Jersey State AFL-CIO.
Thousands of working men and women protested the New Jersey Statehouse today against legislation that would effectively eliminate public employee collective bargaining rights over health care benefits. Chanting “Kill the bill” and “Worker rights are human rights,” 25 union members, including New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech and Secretary-Treasurer Laurel Brennan were arrested for disorderly conduct.
“It is with a heavy heart that we even had to be here today to testify against a piece of legislation that would destroy collective bargaining rights for thousands of taxpaying working men and women,” Wowkanech said.
…we had to stand up for the right to collectively bargain, just as we did for project labor agreements, paid family leave, prevailing wage and card check in the public sector.
Only through collective bargaining do workers have a voice – and those who vote for this legislation will be voting to silence the voices of approximately 500,000 workers,” Wowkanech warned the state Senate budget committee as the voices of chanting protesters outside filtered into the hearing room.
“If legislative leadership has the ability to sit down with the governor and negotiate, why shouldn’t we?” he demanded.
Wowkanech noted that the current negative economic conditions were not created by middle class workers. They were created by the greed of Wall Street profiteers, but workers are being blamed.
Click here to read Wowkanech’s testimony and here to view a video of the arrests.
Great Labor Arts Exchange Kicks Off June 17
by James Parks, Jun 16, 2011
Don’t miss the explosion of arts and activism at the 2011 Great Labor Arts Exchange June 17-19 at the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, Md.. The three-day festival brings together union and social justice activists who combine union mobilization and outreach with songs, skits, art, poetry, theater, posters, cartoons and film.
The festival will be topped off Sunday June 19 with a public gala concert with conference participants and national and international artists, such as Anne Feeney, Bev Grant, Pam Parker and Charlie King. Members of four labor choruses—D.C., New York City, Solidarity Notes, and Charm City— and others will perform in the concert in the NLC Auditorium.
Also check out the the Creative Organizing Conference, where activists discuss the best ways to use art to help spread the union message.
For more information on either event, click here.
Sponsored for more than 30 years by the Labor Heritage Foundation, the Great Labor Arts Exchange celebrates the rich cultural heritage of working people and serves as a forum that brings together talented labor artists, activists, cultural workers, educators and students.
New this year is Camp Solidarity, designed to bring the arts and cultures of the union and progressive movements to a new generation.
Don’t miss the explosion of arts and activism at the 2011 Great Labor Arts Exchange June 17-19 at the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, Md.. The three-day festival brings together union and social justice activists who combine union mobilization and outreach with songs, skits, art, poetry, theater, posters, cartoons and film.
The festival will be topped off Sunday June 19 with a public gala concert with conference participants and national and international artists, such as Anne Feeney, Bev Grant, Pam Parker and Charlie King. Members of four labor choruses—D.C., New York City, Solidarity Notes, and Charm City— and others will perform in the concert in the NLC Auditorium.
Also check out the the Creative Organizing Conference, where activists discuss the best ways to use art to help spread the union message.
For more information on either event, click here.
Sponsored for more than 30 years by the Labor Heritage Foundation, the Great Labor Arts Exchange celebrates the rich cultural heritage of working people and serves as a forum that brings together talented labor artists, activists, cultural workers, educators and students.
New this year is Camp Solidarity, designed to bring the arts and cultures of the union and progressive movements to a new generation.
Advice From The Field
Thu. June 16, 2011
As the Largest Union in the defense industry, it was an honor and a privilege for the Machinists to hear from a war hero on their last day in Toronto as part of the National Staff Conference. Click here to watch the video.
As the Largest Union in the defense industry, it was an honor and a privilege for the Machinists to hear from a war hero on their last day in Toronto as part of the National Staff Conference. Click here to watch the video.
Par For The Guide Dogs
Thu. June 16, 2011
It was straight down the fairway for Guide Dogs this year at the 15th Annual Dave Ritchie Golf Invitational. Click here to watch the video.
It was straight down the fairway for Guide Dogs this year at the 15th Annual Dave Ritchie Golf Invitational. Click here to watch the video.
Just The Beginning
Wed. June 15, 2011
These are the voices and ideas of the next generation of Machinists who were brought together here at the National Staff Conference in Toronto. Click here to watch the video.
These are the voices and ideas of the next generation of Machinists who were brought together here at the National Staff Conference in Toronto. Click here to watch the video.
2011 IAM National Staff Confernce Opening Day
Wed. June 15, 2011
Whether the topic is embracing technology, securing pensions, or protecting the next generation of workers. A look at the future is the machine behind this year's National Staff Conference in Toronto. Click here to watch the video.
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