Calpine Workers Petition for Union Election; Documents Delivered to NLRB in San Francisco
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This is a cross-post from Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245.
Five Calpine employees delivered authorization cards to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in San Francisco on Dec. 1, the latest step in a campaign to gain union representation for workers at Calpine’s power plants in Northern California.
The Calpine employees were joined by about 50 supporters for a brief rally in front of the NLRB on San Francisco’s Market Street. Several Bay Area labor leaders offered words of encouragement to the Calpine organizers.
“We’re not asking for anything in particular. We’re not asking for better wages, better benefits,” said Mike Farmer, a long-time Calpine employee with decades of service in the industry. “What we want is a voice and some representation. We’re asking Calpine to allow us to have a free and fair election.”
With Pretzel Logic, Restaurant Owners Attack San Francisco Health Care Law
Talk about twisted logic. A group of San Francisco restaurant owners wants the U.S. Supreme Court to block the city’s pioneering health care program because it somehow threatens national health care reform. On top of that, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association cites the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to back up its claims.
The San Francisco health care ordinance, which was passed by the city and county Board of Supervisors in July 2006, has been in effect for more than a year. It provides coverage for 80,000 mostly low-wage workers. The program offers comprehensive health care services to uninsured San Franciscans and their employers at a reasonable cost, with subsidies for small- and medium-size businesses and low- and moderate-income individuals. It splits the costs among employers, employees and the city.
