Archive for January, 2007
We’re All the Deciders Under Labor Board Decision—Brainstorming Session Set
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| AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff in joined hundreds of Tennessee union and civil rights members to protest the decision by Bush’s NLRB. | |
When the Republican-dominated National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) voted along party lines last fall to slash long-time federal labor laws protecting workers’ freedom to form unions, it opened the door for employers to take away union protection for as many as 8 million workers in nearly every profession. Under federal labor law, supervisors are prohibited from forming unions.
The board’s new definition essentially enables employers to make a supervisor out of any worker who has the authority to assign or direct another and uses independent judgment. Amazingly, the board also ruled that a worker can be classified as a supervisor if he or she spends as little as 10 percent to 15 percent of his or her time overseeing the work of others.
On Feb. 7, the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees (DPE) is bringing together elected officials, organizers, lawyers and union leaders to discuss the impact of the NLRB decisions on workers and brainstorm on what to do next to reverse the decisions. To register for the DPE conference, email Leandra Kennedy (lkennedy@dpeaflcio.org) by Thursday, Feb. 1.
Air Traffic Controllers Honored for Saving Lives
Ten air traffic controllers whose skill and on-the-spot actions helped avert what could have been deadly accidents are winners of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) Archie League Medal of Safety awards.
The 10 are credited with nine “saves” in 2006—meaning they assisted pilots to land safely, avoid collisions or overcome instrument failures.
Rutgers Won’t Interfere with Workers’ Freedom to Join a Union
When workers at Rutgers University began to exercise their freedom to join a union, they picked up strong support from elected officials—including the governor, a U.S. senator and key state legislators—and community, religious and union groups.
But one key group didn’t support them: Rutgers top management. So, supporters wrote letters and held rallies to send the message to school officials that the workers deserve a chance to make a better living by forming a union. And last week they got the message. Rutgers President Richard McCormick, who had waged a prolonged effort to prevent his employees from freely deciding to join a union, signed a neutrality agreement pledging the school will remain neutral in the workers’ effort to gain a voice on the job.
Message to Comcast: ‘We’re Not Going Away’
A year ago, Comcast fired a worker in Oakland, Calif., for exposing the company’s anti-union tactics. Will Goodo says he was fired last year soon after testifying before the Oakland City Council about the cable company’s anti-worker actions (see video).
Goodo is not represented by a union, but he is backing the efforts of his former co-workers at Comcast to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The Employee Free Choice Act, supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would level the playing field for workers and employers and help rebuild America’s middle class and restore the freedom of workers such as Goodo to choose a union.
Bill Would Ban Sale of Products Made in Sweatshops
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| Workers in a factory in Jordan hold pictures of products they make for export to U.S. retailers. | |
For some companies, “free trade” means finding the cheapest labor, forcing people to work long hours for little or nothing in sweatshops to produce products that are exported to department stores in the United States and around the world.
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) wants to stop this exploitation of workers by taking away the sweatshop owners’ profits. He has introduced legislation that would ban the U.S. sale of imported products made in sweatshop factories.
In an innovative enforcement twist, the legislation not only would impose a $10,000 fine for violating the ban, but also would give those who sell legitimately produced products the right to sue to recover damages from violators of the ban.
Bargaining Digest Weekly
The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 800 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
The Goodyear fight seems to have set the bar for 2007 negotiations. General Motors Corp. (GM) has taken notice. GM’s CEO Richard Wagoner says they have more than a passing interest in the Goodyear VEBA trust health care fund example. Meanwhile, the UAW local leaders at GM and Delphi plants are meeting this week in Detroit to gear up for negotiations that begin in July. The UAW has a near record high $874 million strike fund. The fund includes $60 million set aside for organizing, but none of this money will be spent until the auto contracts are settled.
Iowa Gets a Raise: Guv Gets Birthday Gift
This is how you start your tenure as governor. In Des Moines on Thursday, newly elected Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) signed his very first bill—a minimum wage increase. The bill, which was backed by unions and community and religious, groups raises the Hawkeye state’s minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 in two steps.
Some 260,000 Iowans are expected to see their pay grow because of the new wage floor, says Culver—who signed the bill on his birthday:
This is a real improvement in the quality of life for many Iowans…and this is quite a birthday present…I can’t think of a better gift.
Florida Charter School Teachers Choose a Union
For the first time, charter school teachers in Florida have voted to join a union. Charter school teachers, guidance counselors and other professional staff in the southeast Florida city of Pembroke Pines on Jan. 24 chose the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) to make a better life for their families and to have a voice in educating their students. Calling the vote “an historic day for Florida and the union movement in our county, state and country,” BTU President Pat Santeramo said:
From the very beginning, this campaign was driven by charter school teachers because they recognize the value of having union representation, a contract, job security and a voice in their schools.
Outrage, Part 2: Kennedy Blasts Senate Republican Minimum Wage Delays
With their amendments and delays, Republican senators this week have tied up a minimum wage increase in more knots than you can find in a scouting handbook.
Maybe what they’re telling minimum wage workers is, “Don’t get pushy, it’s just $2.10 and you’ve waited 10 years. What’s another few weeks or months while we try to find a few extra billion for your bosses.”
Lots to Say
Next week, we’ll launch a comment feature at AFL-CIO Now that will enable you to post comments and share discussions. In the meantime, here are a few of your recent comments.
Responding to Bush’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, an AFL-CIO Now visitor writes:
How is it we can discuss issues affecting the American working family and yet have forgotten our family effected by Katrina as the government obviously had. State of the Union and not even a mention. This is not the same America I once knew. I’m ashamed of what we are doing to each other. The Bush regime is not what America is about so let’s start really speaking up for the true Americans the middle class and below. Remember we are the heart and strength of America.
