Lots to Say

by Tula Connell, Oct 21, 2006

Recently, we noted that more than two dozen labor organizations in Mexico, the United States and Canada filed a case against the United States under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), the labor side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The case charges that North Carolina and the United States are violating NAALC and international labor commitments by denying 650,000 public employees in the state the freedom to engage in collective bargaining.

The item is of interest, writes Robert Trimnal Jr., from Gaffney, S.C.:

I am looking for news in South Carolina that should concern workers. The NAFTA article is of interest. Our home office is located in Salsbury. I am not sure who’s influence Food Lion is under, I assumed it was a Delhaise bubble that has skipped across the Wal-Marts and other retailers I am familiar with. We can spend that money better than they can. It is of more value to us.

Diana Richard in Concord, N.H., reports on some great work she’s doing to improve the wages of state employees—who rank just below Wal-Mart and Dunkin’ Donut workers in salary levels.

After spending my August 2006 vacation at home everyday because I didn’t have money to go anywhere or do anything, spent my week with absolutely no phone (landline or cellular) because I didn’t have enough money to pay the bill, I went to my union office after requesting a meeting and told them something has to change! With the assistance and guidance of union staff and committee members, I formed the Livable Wage Committee in the SEA/SEIU Local 1984 union. 

Now that I have been appointed a position on our next contract negotiating master bargaining unit, I will see, first hand, my work in progress….In a meeting with the governor of New Hampshire last December, the subject of state employees having to go to the other side of the counter at the end of the day and apply for the very benefits we offer our residents is totally absurd. He was surprised to know that the state was #3 on the list of underpaid workers. I believe that Wal-Mart and Dunkin Donuts were first and second, respectively.

…[I]ncreasing wages to alleviate the financial burden on our employees is top on my list.  I look forward to fighting for a contract that will do our members justice!

Maria Kunstadter Kansas City, Mo., sends us the following info on the nonprofit group Buying Influence Inc., an organization seeking to influence publicly-traded corporations to make more socially responsible business decisions.

Buying Influence evaluates and then grades publicly traded corporations and posts its data here.

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