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

by Mike Hall, Mar 25, 2010

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

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

Holt Baker: 'We Want Our Jobs Back'

Arlene Holt Baker, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President

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

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

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

Community to Rally for Laid-off Whirlpool Workers

by James Parks, Mar 24, 2010

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

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

Trade Deficit Costs Jobs in Every Congressional District

by James Parks, Mar 23, 2010

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

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

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

by James Parks, Mar 23, 2010

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

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

Shuler: Young Workers Need Voice More Than Ever

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

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

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

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

British Airways Strike Enters 3rd and Busiest Day

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

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

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

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

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

Southwest Airlines 4Q Lobbying Cost $180,000

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

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

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

Delta, US Airways Revise Offer for 'Slot' Swaps at D.C., N.Y. Airports

By Dan Reed, USA TODAY

Delta Air Lines and US Airways made the Federal Aviation Administration a counteroffer Monday in hopes of getting approval for their blockbuster swap of assets at New York's LaGuardia and Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National airports.
But the two carriers' offer falls short of the demands made last month by FAA officials. The FAA has jurisdiction over the assets swap because it involves transferring ownership of "slots," which are time-specific landing and take off rights, at two of the USA's most congested airports. Only a handful of U.S. airports are slot-limited.