Archive for July, 2006
Miners’ Drive for Union Keeps on Rolling
The coal-fired engine that is the drive by mine workers at Peabody Energy to form a union keeps picking up steam.
Three town councils in Kentucky recently passed resolutions supporting the miners’ efforts to join the Mine Workers (UMWA). The unanimous votes in Morganfield, Uniontown and Sturgis, Ky., brings to 10 the number of local jurisdictions that have publicly stood behind the miners.
Will Congress Vote on Sham Minimum Wage Increase?
Yesterday we reported that pressure was building on House Republican leaders to allow a vote on raising the federal minimum wage. It looks like the pressure gauge is moving into the red.
Billions in Big Oil Profits Mean Some Workers Can’t Afford Gas
Next time you watch your hard-earned dollars roll out of your wallet at the gas pump, imagine how much easier it would be just to hand the cash directly to Big Oil CEOs. That’s pretty much what’s happening anyway, as indicated by Big Oil’s second quarter profits.
Today, ExxonMobil announced it raked in $10.36 billion in the second quarter, the second largest quarterly profit ever recorded by a publicly traded U.S. company. ConocoPhillips CEOs also are smiling: ConocoPhillips’ profits are up 65 percent from a year ago. Meanwhile, BP’s profits rose 30 percent above last year.
In Plea Agreement, Ralphs to Pay $50 Million to Workers Locked Out in Calif. Grocery Strike
In late 2003 and early 2004, some 59,000 California grocery store workers were walking picket lines in a lockout and strike over the major grocery chains’ efforts to slash health care benefits. News stories at the time showed the picket lines were cutting into store sales and that stores deployed managers to staff stores.
Chicago Workers Win Against Wal-Mart
A months-long living wage mobilization by Chicago area unions and community groups paid off yesterday. The Chicago City Council approved an ordinance that requires “Big Box” stories like Wal-Mart and Home Depot to pay their workers at least $10 an hour with benefits.
AFL-CIO Unions Changing to Organize
Summer is the time when most unions hold their annual conventions. This year, as AFL-CIO unions meet to set their priorities for the future, delegates are voting to put their money where their priorities are by allocating millions of dollars to new initiatives to change to organize.
Lots to Say
A rally in Washington, D.C., where members of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA (NABET-CWA) will spotlight their struggle for a fair negotiating process, air traffic controllers saving the day in California and more news you’ve sent to AFL-CIO Now.
Republicans in Reverse: Congress Contemplates Vote on Minimum Wage
Listen carefully. Hear a noise like a car going in reverse? It’s the sound of Republican congressional leaders backing away from their long-standing roadblocks to a minimum wage hike.
Americans Pay a Lot for Health Care, Don’t Get Much in Return
The United States spends more on health care per capita than any other similar country, yet has the largest uninsured population, according to a report released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
Steelworkers Reach Tentative Agreement with BFGoodrich
The USW International Union (USW) has reached a tentative agreement with tire maker BFGoodrich that could be the pattern for new contracts with the entire tire industry. The BFGoodrich agreement, announced last night, covers 4,000 members at three plants—Fort Wayne, Ind., and Tuscaloosa and Opelika, Ala.
