African American Delegation Arriving Now in Alabama
Brenda Loya in AFL-CIO Media Affairs sends us this from Alabama, where she will report on the delegation of African American labor and civil rights leaders as they investigate Alabama’s recently passed anti-immigrant law. Follow the delegation here.
With the passage of H.B. 56, Alabama has taken a huge step backward, into the 1950s. Today, an African American delegation of labor and civil rights leaders traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to help shed a light on what is seen as one of the harshest immigration laws in the country and how it invokes inhumanity reminiscent of the Jim Crow South.
The delegation will investigate first-hand the impact of Alabama’s H.B. 56 on the lives of Latino working families. National, state and local leaders will hear from the families directly impacted by the law, document the impact of the law on Latino communities, acquire a better understanding of the civil rights implications of the legislation and assess the impact of the law on workers and businesses.
Daggett Elected President of Longshoremen
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Delegates to the Longshoremen’s (ILA‘s) quadrennial convention last week in Hollywood, Fla., elected Harold Daggett as president of the union. Daggett succeeds Richard Hughes, who did not seek re-election.
For the past four years, Daggett has served as ILA’s executive vice president. He has also worked as assistant general organizer for the union and once headed Local 1804-1, representing general maintenance workers throughout the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Delegates also elected Benny Holland from Galveston, Texas, to replace Daggett as executive vice president and chose Stephen Knott of New Jersey as vice president. Secretary-Treasurer Robert Gleason was re-elected as were General Organizer Gerald Owens and Assistant General Organizer John Baker.
Workers, Supporters Protest Del Monte’s Greed
When Fresh Del Monte Produce moved its port operations from Camden, N.J., to Gloucester, N.J., it said goodbye to a 22-year relationship with Longshoremen (ILA) Local 1291 and left 200 workers without a job. In Gloucester, they hired members of an independent union and now pay cheaper wages and provide few, if any, benefits.
Yesterday, hundreds of ILA members and supporters joined in a Day of Action with rallies and protests in Philadelphia, Galveston, Texas and at Del Monte’s North American headquarters in Coral Gables, Fla. Carrying signs that proclaimed ” Protect Good-Paying American Jobs”, they protested what they called the company’s corporate greed.
What makes Del Monte’s move so cynical is the way the company left Camden. It gave the workers only four days notice about the move after pushing them to approve $5 million in givebacks. The employees agreed to the givebacks even though they have not had a wage increase in 19 years and had the lowest pension plan in the industry, according to Local 1291.
South Florida Unions Kick Off Early Voting
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Ignoring a driving rain this morning, several hundred Florida union activists kicked off the two-week early-voting window for the state’s primary election with a rally and march for working family candidates in Miami.
Following the rally at the Miami offices of Longshoremen (ILA) Local 1416, marchers—clad in ponchos and carrying umbrellas—headed to the Miami-Dade County Government Center to cast their ballots.
Union Plus Will Match Your Haiti Relief Donation
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You can double the power of your contribution to Haiti relief. Click here and Union Plus will automatically match your contribution to the Solidarity Center’s AFL-CIO Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers’ Campaign. You do not need to use a Union Plus credit card for the matching donation.
You also can take action now to help the Haitian survivors by clicking on the AFL-CIO Haitian Disaster Relief site here.
Union Plus has committed $100,000 through this dollar-for-dollar donation match to help Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Says Union Plus President Leslie Tolf:
Despite the millions of dollars raised already, the people of Haiti continue to have an ongoing need for our help. That’s why we are committing $100,000 to double the donations made by union members to the Solidarity Center.
Flight Attendants Donate Services to Haiti Relief Flight
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Members of the Flight Attendants-CWA working for United Airlines donated their services on a Haiti relief flight to call attention to the efforts of the American Red Cross. You can take action now to help the Haitian survivors by clicking on the AFL-CIO Haitian Disaster Relief site here.
Five Chicago-based United flight attendants helped usher aid workers and supplies to Haiti and returned last night with some of the earthquake survivors.
The United Airlines Foundation announced it will match up to a total of $50,000 to the American Red Cross when donations are made by United employees or passengers. To make a donation with the matching funds, click here.
UAW Donates $500,000 to Haiti Relief as Unions Continue Strong Aid Efforts
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Despite the impact of one of the worse recessions in U.S. history, union members continue to generously support efforts to help survivors of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. You can take action now to help the Haitian survivors by clicking on the AFL-CIO Haitian Disaster Relief site here.
The UAW yesterday announced it is donating $500,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation to help victims of the earthquake. Says UAW President Ron Gettelfinger:
The people of Haiti desperately need food, water, medical care and hope. The women and men of the UAW stand with thousands of other organizations and ordinary citizens in their desire to help the Haitian people meet their basic human needs.
Report: Security Screening Process Flawed, Leaves Dockworkers Jobless
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Thousands of longshore workers, truck drivers and other workers at ports across the nation are out of work, not because of a staggering economy, but because they are caught up in a backlogged, inefficient and often inaccurate screening process for background security checks.
According to a new report from the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the federal Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) post-Sept. 11 port worker background checks have put thousands of otherwise qualified and experienced port workers on the streets instead of the docks until they gain their security clearance.
Most of the workers caught in this bureaucratic limbo are members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Longshoremen (ILA) and Teamsters (IBT).
