Lots to Say

by Tula Connell, Apr 27, 2006

Here’s more great input from you at AFL-CIO Now.

Remember, if you have news or comments, send it to us at: blognews@aflcio.org.

Early this month, auto parts maker Delphi, which filed for bankruptcy last December, asked the bankruptcy court to allow it to cancel its contract agreements with its employees. The company also announced a restructuring plan to sell or close 25 of 33 U.S. plants, affecting 23,000 workers. Some 21 of 29 unionized plants are included, covering 10,000 workers in Michigan.

Delphi Corp.’s bankruptcy filing raises troubling questions. First, Delphi proposed rewarding executives who oversaw the company’s financial failures with lavish pay increases and bonuses. Now Delphi is exploiting the current law by excluding profitable overseas operations and investments from consideration in the bankruptcy process.

Lauren Asplen, communications director of IUE-CWA, urges everyone who cares about justice at America’s workplaces to sign a petition and “Put the Brakes on Delphi.” Writes Asplen:

Thousands of workers, retirees and community activists are signing on an e-mail petition to “Put the Brakes on Delphi” as the IUE-CWA and other unions fight to stop the company from using a bankruptcy court to void contracts. The link to the petition is: www.unionvoice.org/campaign/brakesondelphi.

We urge everyone to sign the petition.

Three weeks ago, we released the AFL-CIO’s annual Executive PayWatch, which revealed the excessive pay and retirement packages of the nation’s richest CEOs—some of whom are trying to gut Social Security.

William Madden writes to share a few more stark statistics pointing to the nation’s growing income gap, including one showing there are more U.S. millionaires than ever—a record 8.3 million American households with a net worth of $1 million or more in 2005, an increase of 800,000 or 11 percent from 2004.

Meanwhile, poverty is on the rise.

Writes Madden:

Who is our economy benefiting? We should try the float to the top theory, instead of the trickle down theory. Too many people are dying from thirst.

John Haugen sends us info on a critical issue for all of us. Some members of Congress are seeking to create two separate Internet highways—one for wealthy companies that can pay premiums for high-speed access to consumers and one for the rest of us. For those who couldn’t pay the proposed new fees, Internet traffic would be routed through a small and slower Internet pipeline.

Such legislation would end the current “net neutrality” that gives equal access to all on the Internet highway—and be a big financial boon to the telecom industry.

The AFL-CIO supports net neutrality and is working with affiliated unions and allies to stop proposed two-tier Internet service.

As Haugen writes:

Internet Freedom is under attack….Your local library shouldn’t have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to have its Website open quickly on your computer. Net Neutrality allows everyone to compete on a level playing field and is the reason that the Internet is a force for economic innovation, civic participation and free speech. If the public doesn’t speak up now, Congress will cave to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by telephone and cable companies that want to decide what you do, where you go, and what you watch online.

This isn’t just speculation—we’ve already seen what happens elsewhere when the Internet’s gatekeepers get too much control. Last year, Canada’s version of AT&T, Telus, blocked their Internet customers from visiting a Website sympathetic to workers with whom Telus was negotiating.

Let your U.S. Representatives know that our freedom of speech on the Internet or anywhere else is not for sale.  Join the non-partisan lobbying group that is waging war for your rights, go to: www.savetheinternet.com/=coalition.

Our First Amendment rights are being attacked, and it affects you.…Read the following taken from www.savetheinternet.com/.