:: rawblogXport ::
union news / workers rights / construction / safety / irony...
 |
|||||||
| carpentersunionbc.com | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| google news | |||||||
recent posts: | |||||||
| BlogRolling: | |||||||
blogs that link here  
    
  implementation: email d@ve2300 this weblog is the work of dave livingston, a union carpenter in nelson bc canada 
|
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of labor and economic issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 Chapter 1 Sec.107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. | ||||||
 | |||||||
|
"The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people." Cesar Chavez |
:: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 ::
Land of opportunity - How Studebaker lured black families north in search of a better life By MAY LEE JOHNSON
According to Glen Evans, a former Studebaker employee, between 1940 and 1970, a lot of black men left their homes in the South and moved here looking for better lives.
The migration, dating to the Great Depression of the 1930s, included white and black men. But blacks weren't always treated equally by northern employers.
This migration resulted in one of the biggest population shifts in U.S. history, known to historians and many blacks in this area as the Great Migration.------------------------------------------- posted 9:05 PM :: reference link ::
0 comments ::
Union under investigation for misappropriation of funds katu.com/news
CORVALLIS, ORE. - The Corvallis branch of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners is under investigation for misappropriation of union funds.
'There is money missing, and a lot of it,' said Michael V. Draper, the union's western region vice president, speaking by phone Monday from his office in Bend.
Based on preliminary information from an ongoing audit and investigation, union officials believe that tens of thousands of dollars in dues has been siphoned from the local's accounts.
Carpenters union General President Douglas McCarron declared an 'emergency situation' and placed Corvallis Local 1094 under the parent organization's direct supervision.-------------------------------------------
Plant managers meeting hears OSHA's 'top ten' violation list The Tullahoma News
Construction scaffolding and the lack of training on the handling of hazardous materials are the two most common OSHA violations nationwide, Coffee County Plant Managers Association was told this week.
Stone presented a chart of the 10 most common safety and health violations reported to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for 2003: 1. Scaffolding/construction, 8,804 cases reported; 2. Hazard communication, 6,800; 3. Fall protection/construction, 5,544; 4. Lockout/tagout, 4,506; 5. Respiratory protection, 3,939; 6. Machine guarding, 3,400; 7. Electrical wiring, 3,112; 8. Powered industrial trucks, 2,774; 9. Bloodborne pathogens, 2,354; 10. electrical systems, 2,233.
U.S. Shelves Nuke Safety Rules Proposal By NANCY ZUCKERBROD, AP
The government shelved a proposal Monday that would have let contractors at federal nuclear facilities pick which safety rules they should follow.
The idea had come under fire from lawmakers, a government safety board and even some contractors themselves.
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in a letter to John Conway, chairman of independent Defense Nuclear Safety Board, that he was suspending the drafting of new regulations for implementing the proposal to get more suggestions.
Abraham said he was "deeply concerned by the perception" that the rule proposed by the agency two months ago would have endangered workers.-------------------------------------------
Carpenters To Recruit southbaynews
The Empire State Carpenters Apprenticeship Committee will conduct recruitment through August 31 for five apprentices, State Labor Commissioner Linda Angello announced.
Applications will be available in person only, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1 pm to 4 pm at 270 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge.
Building Industry Launches Public Campaign BUSINESS WIRE
OAKLAND, Calif. Major contractors and union carpenters in Northern California have joined together to promote the benefits of using union labor. The campaign launches this week on various Northern California radio stations and touts 'An Organized Approach to Jobs and Community.'-------------------------------------------
DOE admits toxic screw-up By STEVE TETREAULT
DOE estimates between 1,200 and 1,500 individuals were involved in carving a five-mile exploratory tunnel into Yucca Mountain or participating in experiments to determine its suitability for nuclear waste storage. The department has initiated a screening program to identify how many might have been exposed to toxic levels of silica or other cancer-causing fibers.
Chu's remarks came in a letter sent Tuesday to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., in the wake of reports that some former Yucca Mountain workers have contracted silicosis and other lung ailments they believe stemmed from their work at the site.
Former workers said even when worn, masks were ill fitting and of little use against the clouds of dust kicked up during drilling, which was conducted "dry" so as not to interfere with experiments.
Lack of Safety Is Charged in Nuclear Site Cleanup By SARAH KERSHAW and MATTHEW L. WALD, NY Times
Tom Peterson, 51, an ironworker rigger who has worked at Hanford for 25 years, is one of 21 workers with chronic beryllium disease, an illness unknown at the height of the cold war. Dr. Takaro said 84 more have been 'sensitized,' to beryllium, which means they are at high risk of contracting the full-blown disease.
'I went to work out there figuring I was going to support my family,' Mr. Peterson said. 'I didn't expect to go out there and be poisoned and nobody fess up to anything. If they would have told me ahead of time what I was getting into, maybe I wouldn't have taken the job.'
Electricians, a group not generally thought at high risk, are among those showing symptoms of exposure to asbestos and other hazards, as well as health physics technicians, who help monitor workers' radiation exposure.-------------------------------------------
:: Monday, February 23, 2004 ::New life: salvaging old wood from buildings a growing industry By NICK GEVOCK, Boseman Chronicle
The most important element of any building is a good set of corners, because the timbers themselves can be cut to reshape the building. For example, a fireplace and chimney or windows can lengthen a side, which allows an architect to stretch a building.
And the corners reveal some of the best of Montana's historic craftsmanship. The Scandinavian, German and Dutch immigrants who settled Big Sky country brought their Old World woodworking skills with them.
They found the fir and pine here easy to work with, and chiseled out quality dove tailed corners, Hern said.
'Some of those guys were better carpenters than we'll ever be,' he said. 'You can hardly get a piece of paper through (the corners), and they made them with hand tools.'
Hidden, hungry invader threatens city of Mardi Gras CNN.com
Known as 'super-termites' for their ability to quickly destroy massive amounts of wood, experts think the bugs arrived in New Orleans aboard a military transport ship returning from Asia after World War II. From a mere four colonies in the 1960's, the termites have now expanded to dozens of colonies all over the Southeast -- often traveling inside recycled wood from old railroad ties.
The massive Formosan colonies pose a more formidable threat than other varieties. They are hard to find because their tunnels can stretch more than 300 feet -- over three times longer than the typical termite tunnel -- and they can chew through an entire building with military precision.-------------------------------------------
Absent Without Leave By Matt Hutaff, Canon Fodder
Last time I checked, contrasting Bush’s hawkish take on foreign affairs with his shoddy ability to participate in them is an extremely telling thing, particularly when Bush’s current agenda includes widening the “War on Terror” to Syria and Iran. Should we condemn the obvious irony that the leader of the military should have been kicked out of the National Guard were it not for his parents’ connections?-------------------------------------------
Men Who Sleep With Wolves: Conspiracy or Stupidity? ufcw.net MfD
If you run with a pack of wolves, are you destined to eventually become one yourself?
If you are a labour leader, can rubbing shoulders with anti-labour corporate gurus affect your perspective or your integrity? Do you start thinking like one of the big boys once you've been hanging out with them long enough? And once you are thinking like them, do you start acting like them?
These are questions that need to be addressed in relation to the leaders of Canada's mainstream labour movement before they piss away all our money and propel us into a future that resembles the 19th century.
In 1872 the government of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald introduced the Trade Unions Act. Canada's first piece of pro-worker legislation, the Act recognized that when workers banded together to fight for better conditions, their actions were not to be considered an illegal conspiracy.-------------------------------------------
Borosage Defends Teachers From White House Attack; Bush Administration Calls Teachers Group 'Terrorist Organization' IAF, U.S. Newswire
-- STATEMENT OF ROBERT BOROSAGE
I know President Bush wants to run as a wartime president, but this is ridiculous. Our public school teachers protect millions of children from the terrors a lack of education brings. They are not terrorists.
American Federation of Teachers Statement on Sec. Paige Comments Calling the National Education Association a 'Terrorist Organization' AFT, U.S. Newswire
At a time when our nation faces the very real threat of terrorism, it is both unconscionable and irresponsible for any public figure, let alone a U.S. cabinet member, to undertake this kind of name-calling. There is no excuse for such crude and inflammatory hate speech.-------------------------------------------
Union rat makes appearance on Excelsior Ave. By JIM KINNEY, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Union plumbers brought out their 12-foot-tall inflatable rat Wednesday to show their dissatisfaction that nonunion plumbers are working on the 146-room Courtyard Marriott hotel on Excelsior Avenue.
'The people in Saratoga Springs will have to deal with the effects of this project, both good and bad,' said Larry S. Bulman, business manager of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 773 in South Glens Falls. 'It's only right that they should benefit from the jobs.'-------------------------------------------
Former teachers' union boss begins sentence at Kentucky prison hospital BY LARRY LEBOWITZ
Pat Tornillo, the one-time political dynamo who led the Miami-Dade teachers union for four decades, only to have his legacy tarnished by greed and fraud, surrendered this morning to begin his sentence at a federal prison hospital in Lexington, Ky.
Based on his declining condition and the length of the sentence, the 78-year-old union boss will likely spend the rest of his life in the 2,000-bed prison hospital, according to his own doctors and lawyers.-------------------------------------------
Union approves deal to end strike at Falconbridge operations in Sudbury, Ont Canadian Press
More than 1,000 workers walked out on Feb. 1. Union leaders and the nickel giant reached the accord late Saturday. Of those who voted Sunday, 93.5 per cent were in favour of the agreement, said Canadian Auto Workers local 598 president Rick Grylls. major issue driving the strike was the company's position on contracting the development of its Nickel Rim South project out to non-union workers.-------------------------------------------
Charleston, S.C., Bridge Builders Hit Milestone By Jessica Vanegeren, Post and Courier
It was a bridge construction milestone as crews raced each other toward completion of the first land-to-land roadway connection over Town Creek, half the length of the bridge.
'It's kind of like we beat out all the other work crews to win the Super Bowl,' said Robert Eman, a crew foreman with Palmetto Bridge Constructors, the primary contractor for the $632 million bridge. 'You have to be competitive out here. It's the ironworker's way.'
As Logan's crane held the girder steady, coworkers hustled 80 feet above the water to twist and tighten about 160 bolts into place. The lofty height did not slow down the crew, Eman said.
'We're kind of like the daredevils of the construction industry,' he said. 'Fear is not a factor.'-------------------------------------------
Tool Can Now Cut Holes Faster, Easier for Metal Outlets, Octagon Boxes, Recessed Lights PRNewswire
Feb. 16 -- Python Tools today announced new templates for its one-of-a-kind Python Perfect Cutter electrical-hole cutting tool. Now, commercial electricians can use the tool to more easily and quickly install metal electrical boxes, recessed lighting and more.
The company's patented Python Perfect Cutter electrical-hole cutting tool was designed by electrician Greg Tillemans, an IBEW member with more than 30 years experience.-------------------------------------------
Shifting Gears By Matt Thompson, TAP
After LeAnn Rimes sang the national anthem, the crowd above the grandstands started cheering; those below booed.
Then Bush's motorcade drove by. One middle finger went up in the crowd, then another, and soon they were everywhere.
As the crowd scattered to their seats, one of the few black fans I spotted at the racetrack ran by and saw me scribbling in my notepad. 'Writing for a newspaper?' she asked. Before I could respond, she shouted, 'Tell them Bush sucks!' Then she disappeared back into the fray.-------------------------------------------
:: Sunday, February 22, 2004 ::Survey: Anger against Bush growing louder Salon.com
Political analysts say the intensity of the anti-Bush sentiment could translate into higher turnout by mobilizing the Democratic base. The possible pitfall for Democrats, however, is that strident anti-Bush rhetoric could turn off swing and independent voters who like Bush personally but might be convinced through reasoned argument that his policies are wrongheaded.-------------------------------------------
AFL-CIO for Kerry: Unions represent 13 million workers By Kirk Semple, NY Times
Labor unions have skirmished for months over which Democratic candidate to support for president, and the candidates have tried to strike the necessary chords to appeal to the unions' call for a candidate who will protect American jobs and industry.
But no union endorsement is potentially as influential as that of the 13 million-member AFL-CIO, which is often credited with having the nation's most effective get-out-the-vote operation.-------------------------------------------
Canadian official touts trade / Foreign minister says new leadership to keep up U.S. ties By David Armstrong, SF Chronicle
Graham expressed frustration with a long-running trade dispute over Canadian softwood exports. Washington says Canada's forests are illegally subsidized by that country's provinces. Canada denies the charge.
Graham said the softwood spat has gone before trade regulatory bodies 10 times so far. "We spent $50 million in legal fees on the last round alone,'' he said. Graham expressed frustration with a long-running trade dispute over Canadian softwood exports. Washington says Canada's forests are illegally subsidized by that country's provinces. Canada denies the charge.
Graham said the softwood spat has gone before trade regulatory bodies 10 times so far. 'We spent $50 million in legal fees on the last round alone,'' he said.-------------------------------------------
Developing Workers' Autonomy: An Anarchist Look At Flying Squads By Jeff Shantz, Punching Out Collective (NEFAC-Toronto)
Recently much interest and discussion has been generated by the emergence of union flying squads in Ontario. Flying squads -- rapid response networks of workers that can be mobilized for strike support, demonstrations, direct action and working class defense of immigrants, poor people, and unemployed workers -- present a potentially significant development in revitalizing organized labor activism and rank-and-file militancy.
Here are organizations with rank-and-file participation working to build solidarity across unions and locals and alongside community groups, engaging in direct action while striving to democratize their own unions. No wonder then that the re-appearance of flying squads in Ontario, in a context of halting resistance to a vicious neoliberal attack, notably among some sectors of the labor movement, has been cause for much excitement.-------------------------------------------
Hundreds Attend Funeral of Rail Worker By Emma Gunby, The Scotsman
Two rail workers had failed in a desperate bid to stop the runaway wagon involved in the accident.
One of the men was injured as he ran after the 17-ton trailer and held on to it with his bare hands, while the other worker tried to push rails from the vehicle in a desperate bid to block its path.
Details of the rescue attempt were included in a report by Network Rail safety director John Abbott, which also confirmed that the trailer had been secured by wood.
Health and safety experts said yesterday that brakes fitted to the trailer which killed the railway workers were not functional.-------------------------------------------
Ashcroft's Subpoena Blitz By Noah Leavitt, FindLaw.com
In the 1950s and 60s, similar types of 'fishing expedition' subpoenas, as well as the threat of grand juries, were often used to harass political dissenters and their lawyers, as well as to threaten people with jail terms or other penalties if they did not act as an informer on their colleagues. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin commented about the Drake situation, 'I don't like the smell of it...It reminds me too much of Vietnam when war protestors were rounded up, when grand juries were convened to investigate people who were protesting the war.'-------------------------------------------
Union Organizers Visit Northrop Grumman Newport News, Va., Shipyard By Peter Dujardin
Organizers from the United Steelworkers of America took to the gates outside Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard Friday morning, passing out blank union cards and urging more shipyard workers to sign up.
"Come on, guys, power up," said Mike Lee, a yard worker and union organizing committee member, handing the cards near the corner of 46th Street and Washington Avenue as streams of shipbuilders filed past at about 6:15 a.m. "Sign up a friend today, and help us out."-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, February 21, 2004 ::Builders hurt by strike start layoffs By Mary Vorsino, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Ron Taketa, Hawaii Carpenters Union financial secretary and business representative, has said he expects to see 'massive layoffs' beginning next week, with as many as 1,000 of the state's 5,500 active carpenters losing their jobs.-------------------------------------------
His teeth were there: Was he? Doonesbury@Slate
If you personally witnessed George W. Bush reporting for drills at Dannelly Air National Guard Base between the months of May and November of 1972 we want to hear about it. Help Mr. Bush put this partisan assault on his character behind him, so he can focus on more serious issues like jobs, the deficit and the coming civil war in Iraq. Just contact us below with the salient details. If we think you're a possible winner, we'll get back to you pronto. Good luck to all contestants!
GW Bush's 1973 National Guard dental health record Michael Moore.com-------------------------------------------
I.M.P.A.C.T. with Union Ironworkers; A Conversation with Eric Waterman an Advisory from Industrialinfo.com
Iron work has long been perceived as a Rust Belt industry and IMPACT is using their recently developed Web site (www.impact-net.org) to dispel that image and to promote themselves to industry professionals, such as architects, designers, engineers, and even general contractors. One notable feature available to the local unions exclusively is IMPACT Trac Project Tracking System, which helps the locals partner with signatory contractors and fabrication shops, as well as providing sophisticated reporting, which might otherwise be cost prohibitive and thus out of reach to the individual locals.-------------------------------------------
President's National Hire Veterans Committee Announced U.S. Newswire
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today named the members of the President's National Hire Veterans Committee, which will focus on efforts to raise the awareness of the value of hiring veterans. The committee will meet Feb. 25 in Washington, D.C.
... and Andris J. Silins, general secretary-treasurer of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.-------------------------------------------
Chevrolet Nomad Gets Prelim. Green Light The Car Connection
The Nomad takes its cues from a memorable, if difficult-to-describe, concept vehicle that first appeared 50 years ago at the legendary GM Autorama traveling road show. The newest model shares the basic, wagon-like exterior, integrating elements of both a sports car and an SUV.-------------------------------------------
Appeals Court Doubts Workers 'Liked' Racial Slurs NBC5.com
CHICAGO -- A federal appeals court in Chicago has rejected a company's argument that its employees 'liked' being referred to with racial slurs.
The Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered a judge in Indianapolis to allow a class-action lawsuit by 350 black employees. They're suing International Truck and Engine Corporation, which is a part of Navistar that used to be International Harvester.
The appeals court contends the company's claim that employees liked the slurs and laughed at cartoons about lynchings 'strained credibility.' The opinion was handed down Friday.-------------------------------------------
Labor Leaders' Salaries: Who Made What in 2002 By Darren McKewen, WSJ
Other union presidents reporting lower salaries were John Wilhelm of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees, whose earnings fell from $273,120 in the 2001 reporting year to $245,809 in 2002, and Douglas McCarron of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. Mr. McCarron reported a salary of $320,000 in 2002, down from $336,745 in 2001. His salary had increased nearly 49% from 2000 to 2001, according to the LM-2 forms. The Carpenters didn't return calls from BNA seeking comment.-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, February 20, 2004 ::Remaking America In Wal-Mart's Image By Black Commentator
Let’s make it plain: The problem is not that there is too much competition in the retail food business, even of the cutthroat, Wal-Mart kind. Rather, the chains have loaded themselves down with debt to eliminate the previously existing competition, and there are not enough customers with enough income to buy enough goods to pay off creditors and satisfy the ever more ravenous demands of investors at the same time. So they decided to cut labor costs by forcing a strike and lockout of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) members throughout southern California. Wal-Mart provided the excuse to do what comes naturally to the corporate class in George Bush’s America. Wal-Mart is leader of the pack, but they are all wolves.-------------------------------------------
An Air That Kills, a Review By JOHN HOLT, CounterPunch
Greed, Apathy, Dead People
An Air That Kills: How the Asbestos Poisoning of Libby, Montana, Uncovered a National Scandal is about small-town Montana and the devastating horrors visited on it by a vermiculite mine owned by those fun-loving corporate bastards at W.R. Grace & Co, and the Zonolite Company before it. The mining of vermiculite, used in products ranging from insulation to potting soil, led to exposure to asbestos that caused and is causing the deaths of hundreds of Libby residents. Grace knew of the dangers, but didn't tell the workers or their families of the deadly dangers associated with living in an environment where more than two and a half tons of asbestos were released into the town's air every day, when One heavy exposure or even one tiny fiber can inaugurate the downward spiral to the grave.-------------------------------------------
New York City - Worker Dies in Building Fall By Lindsay Faber
According to building officials, Brown was climbing down a ladder leaning precariously against a residential building he was working on at 1180 Jackson Ave. A 12-foot stationary scaffold was positioned six feet away from the building itself, and the ladder was angled against the scaffold pointed towards the roof, Buildings Department spokeswoman Ilyse Fink said.
'The weight of the worker and the angle of the ladder pried the scaffold away from the building and the worker fell three stories,' Fink said.-------------------------------------------
Thousands face job loss as Victoria reallocates timber By Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun
'You are going to end up with gypsy crews going from contract to contract,' said Darrell Wong, president of the coastal local of the Industrial, Wood & Allied Workers of Canada. 'Instead of people living in good homes in our resource towns, all you will see is a lot of pick-ups parked down at the local motel.'-------------------------------------------
Authorities investigate Sikorsky Bridge accident By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
The crane operator killed in Tuesday's accident at the Sikorsky Memorial Bridge had been having mechanical problems with his crane and was so upset by the carelessness of new employees that he considered quitting, his sister told The Associated Press Wednesday.
She said when her brother returned to work he complained there were new employees who were careless and incompetent. He had called home a day before the accident to say he planned to talk to his boss about his concerns as soon as he could, his sister said.
"He was real upset -- told my mom he was just about ready to pack up and come home," Etheridge said. "He said he'd come closer than ever to packing up and coming home. It was that bad."
Jordan, the divorced father of three children, planned to retire in two years, his sister said. He was very safety conscious, once refusing to work on a job because of high winds, she said.
"He was the best heavy equipment operator in the world," Etheridge said. "He always said safety was his main thing, particularly for others."-------------------------------------------
Bush team makes case for recovery By KATHIE DURBIN, Columbian
Labor union protesters, including members of Clark County Carpenters Local 1715, staked out the entrance to the suburban Portland campus on Wednesday with picket signs and banners that said "Stop Corporate Greed." Monte Frazier, an unemployed carpenter from Vancouver, said he opposed cuts in unemployment benefits and the export of American jobs overseas.
"Bush's job recovery isn't getting it done for working people," said Jerry Auvil, organizer for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. "His rules on overtime are really hurting the working class."-------------------------------------------
Beer Nazis? By Newt Briggs, Las Vegas Mercury
Union utters the H-word in battle with Hofbrauhaus
On Friday afternoon, more than a dozen union carpenters and organizers gathered at the Hofbrauhaus, the newly opened Bavarian beer hall across from the Hard Rock Hotel. The group, however, wasn't there to wet their whistles on Bavaria's finest lagers or to dine on the region's famous schnitzels and wursts. Instead, they spread out along the sidewalk in front of the building and distributed tabloid-style leaflets that claimed to offer "The secret history that Hofbrauhaus doesn't want you to know" and mock drink coasters that declared, "Welcome to the Hofbrauhaus, where the Nazi party got its start."
According to Daniel O'Shea, senior organizer for the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, the union's sudden historical concern was inspired by Hofbrauhaus' failure to meet area wage and benefit standards during the construction of the new building.-------------------------------------------
Kiss, make up, clean dam by Keila Szpaller
The loosely organized Blue-Green movement has seen more recent collaboration, too. Home improvement chain Lowe's, says Schwan, had considered contracting with a metal company with a bad labor record. The Blue-Greens jointly signed a letter welcoming Lowe's into the community and asking the company to at least pay union wages.
"They wouldn't expect the environmental community to come out and say, 'We want you to build this union,'" says Schwan. Lowe's eventually contracted union labor from Missoula's Quality Supply, Inc.
But not everyone is excited about the emerging Blue-Green flirtation.
"The extreme lefts have marginalized themselves," says Dennis Daneke with Regional Council of Carpenters. "The extreme rights have marginalized themselves."-------------------------------------------
UK : National Work your Proper Hours Day! union-network.org
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the United Kingdom have set Friday February 27th as the day that all workers should work their proper hours. Research has found that the average person gives their employer extra hours every week. This has been added up and basically the average worker works for free for 40 days a year. The TUC says this results in lost income for the individuals as well as giving you added stress and fatigue which reduces productivity.-------------------------------------------
Standing Up For Workers' Rights By Stewart Acuff, FPIF
"The boss said he would sell the company or burn it down before he would see a union at Sterling." To the cheers of a responsive Washington, DC audience on December 10, 2003, Sterling Laundry worker Evelyn Thomas vowed to continue the battle for the freedom to form a union at her workplace, in spite of fierce employer opposition.
Thomas' tale was just one of the dozens of horror stories told by workers who rallied on International Human Rights Day to call attention to the widespread abuse of the rights of workers. In 90 events in 37 states, tens of thousands of workers and their allies campaigned to restore the freedom to form a union guaranteed under American law and international human rights codes, but sadly eroded in our country today.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, February 19, 2004 ::Realtor seeks to avoid testimony By Lorell Fleming
HAMMOND - A real estate agent facing federal charges wants to invoke the Fifth Amendment - his right to not testify on the grounds of possibly self-incrimination.
But it isn't his case he wants to keep mum about.
Carl Paul Ihle Jr. had been served with a subpoena from the U.S. attorney's office to testify in the case of an alleged kickback scam involving the carpenters union's questionable Coffee Creek land investment deal.-------------------------------------------
Deadly '99 blast is safety lesson By Romy Varghese, Of The Morning Call
The crater is gone. The hazardous chemicals are cleaned up.
New buildings on the site just north of Allentown give no hint of the destruction, the showering of debris over homes of frightened residents, the loss of five lives.
But the explosion five years ago today at Concept Sciences Inc. in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, has left a legacy that can be felt from Hanover to Harrisburg to beyond.
It spurred tougher state reporting rules for companies that work with large amounts of hazardous materials. It galvanized county emergency officials to create a special rescue team and streamline radio communications. It led the township to make sure it knows all about the chemicals local manufacturers use.
The disaster also inspired creation of a local chemical industry group that meets regularly to share information on safety and new rules.-------------------------------------------
Improper Practices, Gear Cited in Fatal Falls
BY BRUCE TAYLOR SEEMAN, Newhouse News Service
In every fatal fall, experts say, death could have been avoided. Today's safety equipment includes netting, harnesses, and warning lines that alert workers who are nearing disaster.
But none of the safeguards can nullify human mistakes -- by workers who develop bad habits, employers who skimp on safety or tell crews to cut corners.
'You give a guy a harness with a lanyard,' says Daniel Paine, a safety consultant. 'What you've given him is part of the solution. How's he going to use this thing? Is there an anchor he can tie to? You need to make sure that from the time he steps off terra firma to the time he comes back down, he has fall protection.'
Government reports show the limitless ways workers can die:-------------------------------------------
Kerry Gets AFL-CIO Nod, Calls Bush 'Fuzzy' on Jobs By Patricia Wilson, Wired News
White House advisers have distanced themselves from their own forecast that the country would add 2.6 million jobs by the end of the year.
'Well, ladies and gentlemen, it just doesn't take a lot of fuzzy math to count to zero,' Kerry said. 'We're not asking George Bush to count the jobs, we're asking George Bush to create the jobs and fight for working people.'-------------------------------------------
Coming Soon to a Location Near You: Union Busting, Federal Style By Jordan Barab, Confined Space
And make no mistake about it, the Department of Defense labor plan, combined with the attacks on union rights for Department of Homeland Security employees, are just the precursor of their plans for the entire federal government labor force. And as we experienced more than 20 years ago with PATCO, private industry tends to take their labor-relations cue from the federal government. Although, in this case, government may be taking its cue from private sector union busters.-------------------------------------------
Killing the Messenger, AFL-CIO's Attack on Harry Kelber By Mike Griffin, CounterPunch
One might wonder what dire threat a ninety-year-old writer and labor educator might be to the mighty AFL-CIO. As a labor reporter with press credentials, Harry had access to AFL-CIO Executive Council meetings and conventions, a seat in the press box and an uncanny understanding of the workings of labor's hierarchy. From that understanding and inside information, Harry was able to offer legitimate criticism and even dared to offer alternative solutions to ease labor's woes. Most damming, Harry wrote about union corruption, in particular, the ULLICO scandal involving Morton Bahr, CWA President. What made the assault on Harry difficult were his impeccable credentials, his honesty and integrity. Decades of service to the labor movement, including years of educational service to the New York AFL-CIO, made it difficult to discredit the often-chiding senior statesman of the rank and file. They stooped to use a past due dues payment to remove his union membership even though he sought to pay them. Will Harry Kelber be allowed to return to the AFL-CIO press box? I think not.-------------------------------------------
NBC's Conan O'Brien Issues 'Apology' to Quebec Reuters
Late-night comedian Conan O'Brien sought to defuse a flap over a recent segment poking fun at the French-Canadian province of Quebec by issuing a self-deprecating 'apology' on Tuesday in French.
'People of Quebec, I'm sorry,' the host of NBC's 'Late Night' show said in English, as a translator recited in French, with English subtitles, 'People of Quebec, I'm an albino jackass.'-------------------------------------------
Union members ratify agreement with Suncor Energy PRNewswire
This joint release was issued by Suncor Energy Inc. and Communications Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union Local 707
'Members of Communications Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union Local 707 in Fort McMurray have voted in favour of a new three-year agreement with Suncor Energy Inc. The agreement includes a 9.5 per cent wage increase over three years.
Contract talks underway for employees on Nfld's Terra Nova offshore platform CP Atlantic Regional News
The Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers union presented its opening proposal to the employer Tuesday. More talks will be held Wednesday. They're trying to get a first contract for the 90 employees who voted to join the union last year.
Over at Hibernia the effort to get a first contract for some 420 workers isn't going so smoothly.-------------------------------------------
Fourth crane crash victim dies AP
Investigators searching for cause of collapse
TOLEDO -- A construction worker died Wednesday from injuries he suffered when a crane collapsed earlier this week on an interstate bridge project and killed three other workers.
Ironworkers mourn three comrades lost in Toledo tragedy Catherine Gabe and Molly Kavanaugh
'See the red there,' he said, pointing to a stained portion of a concrete pillar. 'That's his blood up there.'
Schiewe described a worker dangling from the machinery until he was delivered into the arms of ironworkers, who carried the dead and injured to ambulances.
'That meant a lot to us,' Blaze said of that step in the healing process. 'We dispatched them to the project, and it's important we take them home.'
A communitywide memorial service has been planned for 5 p.m. Sunday at St. Stephen Catholic Church, near the bridge.
Tuesday, a bar maid at Consaul's Tavern, in the same neighborhood, consoled weeping ironworkers. She pointed toward the ceiling, where a can of beer was safely tucked. 'We saved a beer for Bubba,' she said.-------------------------------------------
'Wobblies' live on at TV station By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News
At Free Speech Television, workers organize union with a view to the past
BOULDER - Free Speech Television bills itself as the 'antidote to Fox News,' broadcasting anti-war rallies and documentaries about global labor struggles.
So when workers at the nonprofit, Boulder-based satellite station wanted a union, they rejected conventional labor organizations. Instead, they chose the Industrial Workers of the World, a group that offered a socialist alternative to men who toiled 12 hours a day in Colorado mines a century ago.-------------------------------------------
Lead dust prompts DIA tests on trains By Jeffrey Leib, Denver Post
The tests found that lead on the lunchroom floor at the maintenance center exceeded the guideline for public areas, Gagnon said.
The surveys also found that employees working in the train tunnels 'had low levels of lead dust around them,' the report said. Two employees doing preventive maintenance on the trains were exposed to lead levels slightly below 'action levels' set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Gagnon said.-------------------------------------------
:: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 ::Laborer's union protests USA Remediation By Dusty Smith
Armed with protest signs, a bullhorn and a 15-foot inflatable rat, a regional laborers union protested contractor USA Remediation of Warrenton as that company conducted work on Fauquier Hospital.
A small group of representatives for the Laborers Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Coalition said the protest was in no way directed at the hospital, but rather intended to bring their concerns about USA Remediation to the hospital's attention.
'(USA Remediation is) involved in a criminal case right now,' said Erin Hutson, a research analyst for the coalition. 'We're just concerned about the safety of the workers.'-------------------------------------------
Courts rule BC Carpenters Union need not useUBCJAnamesake By Josh Coles, Provincial Organizer
After a hearing and consideration on the matter, the BCLRB overruled the employer and granted the application to proceed without any reference to the UBCJA. The BCLRB ruled that "the objections raised by the employer have more to do with internal union matters and not with the bargaining relationship." The decision went on to say that "Local 2736 [the Millwrights] is a valid British Columbia trade union entitled to represent its members employed at the employer."
In short, the BCPCC and/or its Local Unions need not mark themselves as part of the UBCJA.
This is another spike in the long railroad that the BC Carpenters Union have been traveling on in our battle for independence from the UBCJA.
Our union's autonomy movement picked up steam in 1996 when the UBCJA General President, Doug McCarron, demanded arbitrary internal union restructuring that amounted to nothing more than a centralization of union power from BC to Washington DC.
Since 1996, BC members have voted for autonomy from UBCJA in numerous referendums and elections. Last year members voted over 82% to join a Canadian union that supports the political and operational independence of the BCPCC.
The February 6 BCLRB ruling flows from previous decisions at the BCLRB that have established the UBCJA simply as a club that the BCPCC and its members belong to.-------------------------------------------
Michael Moore, You Used to Be My Hero By Glenn Sacks
Spending every day hanging by my hook belt off the side of a rebar skeleton 50 feet up in the air, my life seemed to be out of a Michael Moore documentary. Our electricians often had to work near live wires because the company refused to bear the expense of shutting down part of the plant so we could work safely. As an apprentice, one of my main jobs was to stand 10 feet behind these men as they worked, holding a rope attached to a harness they'd put themselves in. If they hit a live wire and started to fry, it was my job to pull them out and save their lives.-------------------------------------------
Crane collapse kills 3 By JOE MAHR and CHRISTINA HALL, ToledoBlade
Disaster leaves 5 injured, shuts down busy highway
In the Toledo area’s worst construction accident in decades, three ironworkers died and five other workers were injured yesterday after a 2-million-pound crane collapsed at the southern end of the new I-280 bridge in East Toledo.
Rescue crews spent four hours recovering the dead as fellow construction workers held vigil in 20-degree weather and onlookers stood stunned at a construction project touted for its engineering ingenuity and safety record.
"They were very experienced ironworkers. None of them were rookies. They were very good, top men," said Joe Blaze, business manager of Ironworkers Local 55 in Toledo. "This is just a tragic day for the ironworkers and their families."
Worker Killed in Conn. Bridge Accident By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, AP
The cranes, working on removing the old bridge, were lifting a girder when one crane fell off its barge and into the river and the boom of the other crane snapped, said Chris Cooper, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.-------------------------------------------
Puppet's rant filters south of border CURTIS RUSH, THESTAR
The crying over Conan was heard across the 49th parallel as well.
American newspapers weighed in on the debate over Late Night with Conan O'Brien's lampooning of Quebec but to a much lesser extent.
In weekend editions, most stuck to reporting the outrage over Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, but no less an authority than the New York Times called the remarks about Quebec 'crass.'
Under the headline 'An insolent puppet roils Canadian politics,' the Times wrote about the issue in yesterday's editions.
'Conan O'Brien came to Toronto last week and he nearly started a civil war. Just kidding, sort of,' the Times wrote.
Canada called terrorist haven By Jim Bronskill, CP
U.S. report cites liberal values as threat to security
The report notes the recent co-operation between Canadian and U.S. officials in fighting terrorism. It also acknowledges Canadian steps to toughen anti-terrorism and immigration laws, but casts doubt on whether they go far enough, saying Canada's 'liberal democratic identity' may limit adoption of sterner measures.-------------------------------------------
Lack of Information Deters American Workers from Retirement Planning, Nationwide(R) Survey Reveals PR Newswire
Among workers surveyed who have access to a 401(k) plan but choose not to participate:
- More than one in six say they will never stop working and don't plan to retire (17 percent).
- Almost 30 percent say they're counting on Social Security to be the largest source of funding for their retirement, and 20 percent will use "other personal savings".
- Four in ten (42 percent) say they do not contribute to a 401(k) plan because they cannot afford it, and 12 percent say they have more pressing saving priorities. Twenty-two percent say they plan to invest, but haven't gotten around to it yet.-------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart foes detail costs to community / Public subsidizes workers, study says By Charles Burress, SF Chronicle
Miller released a 22-page report by the Democratic staff of his House committee detailing how nonunionized Wal-Mart, the largest employer in both the United States and Mexico, allegedly imposes financial burdens on local governments. A certain percentage of its workers must turn to subsidized medical care, free school lunches, housing subsidies and other taxpayer- supported welfare services, Miller said.
A typical Wal-Mart store with 200 employees would cost taxpayers $420,750 per year, according to the report. Its employees were paid an average of $8.23 an hour in 2001, compared with $10.35 for a supermarket worker, the report said.
Wal-Mart's chief spokeswoman, Mona Williams, called Miller's attack irresponsible and his figures 'pure fantasy.'
'His so-called study is clearly aimed at pleasing the labor unions who make up such a large part of his financial support,' Williams said by phone Monday from the company headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.-------------------------------------------
:: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 ::Two transportation bills stall in House By Deanna Wrenn
Unless Indiana passes the open container bill, the state must shift more than $13 million in federal road construction money to safety funds, and will lose $1.3 million outright. Indiana could lose nearly $115 million over the next six years if the state doesn't pass a federally compliant open container law and if a federal funding bill currently before Congress passes.
Bill supporters, who have not received a hearing for such legislation in the House since 1994, say the state needs the money.
Bill Livvix, a lobbyist with the Indiana Regional Council of Carpenters, said the construction jobs paid for by the federal dollars are an important reason to pass the bill.
''We need them a lot more than we need to be able to drink a beer in the back seat on the way to a ball game,'' he said.-------------------------------------------
CWA President, Stung by Kelber's Criticism, Expelled Him From Union Without a Hearing
There are reasons why Bahr would like to damage Harry Kelber's reputation. It was Harry, who was the first labor journalist to expose a scandal involving 27 current and former national union officers, including Bahr, who, as directors of Union Labor Life Insurance Co. (ULLICO), approved an insiders' stock trading scheme in which many of them profited for a total of more than $7 million. Bahr, under pressure, had to return more than $24,000 in profits to the insurance company.
Kelber has ridiculed Bahr's defense of the AFL-CIO's undemocratic convention voting rules, by which incumbent members of the federation's executive council are re-elected again and again, without opposition. Bahr, the AFL-CIO's point man on this issue, repeatedly argues that the current voting procedures are fair and representative, while opposing the democratic "one delegate, one vote" rule. "As my student, Morty Bahr learned very little from my lectures on union democracy," Harry says.
But what really angered Bahr and other AFL-CIO leaders was Kelber's publication of a new pamphlet, "10 Ways to Reform an Undemocratic AFL-CIO." Here, for the first time, was not only criticism of the AFL-CIO leadership, which they never bothered to respond to, but a plan for reform which it was hard to ignore.
Many union members see Bahr's decision as a crude attempt to banish Kelber from the labor movement in the hope that as an "outsider," his influence as a critic of the AFL-CIO leadership would diminish. If the expulsion stands, it will certainly have a chilling effect on rank-and-file activists, they say.-------------------------------------------
charges filed by UBC against local98.com owner local98.com a non UBC site
What do you do when The Truth hurts?
Well if you are afraid of The Truth, then you do your best to cover it up with lies and illegal procedures. It seems that is exactly what a high ranking official of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters did today at an executive board meeting in Spokane. Charges of causing dissension among the members of the United Brotherhood were brought against the owner of local98.com for telling the truth and assisting his Union brothers and sisters here at local98.com.
This official is also intimately involved with the pension fund of the Washington, Idaho, Montana Carpenters-Employers Retirement Trust and under his reign, pension rates have dropped to an all-time low of $11.00/month for each 1,500 hour year worked. Under this official's guidance, it now takes a Spokane area carpenter 25 years to receive a pension of $250.00 per month. That amount is horrendous and it is not surprising that anyone remotely responsible for this disgraceful act would want to keep it a secret, especially if they were corrupt. Fortunately, The Truth can be had here at local98.com and the exercise of our free speech rights is a daily occurrence.-------------------------------------------
Vigilance goes long way toward preventing workplace violence By Kathy Gurchiek, Salt Lake Tribune
Threatening e-mails, verbal taunts, even fistfights. Workplace violence is a safety issue often leading to increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. When it results in death, employers and co-workers often are left wondering what ignited the fuse and how it could have been prevented.-------------------------------------------
Labor pains By Mark Shields, CNN
Gerald W. McEntee, president of the 1.5 million member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME) is the kind of guy who could single-handedly give opportunism a bad name.
But let it be known that he is the exception, that there are many in labor for whom their word is their bond and for whom loyalty -- especially when the going gets tough -- remains their guiding value.-------------------------------------------
Workforce shortages prompt conference By Robert Howk, Alaska Journal of Commerce
'It's a combination of baby boomers who are retiring, out-of-state workers who are taking construction jobs and young people who are not interested in jobs in the industry,' Andrews said.
The prime reason for the conference, he said, was to get the myriad agencies, employers and educators and others affected by the issue to begin taking a 'comprehensive' approach in thinking about the future.
'We all have to work together - government, industry, organized labor, apprenticeship training programs, community-based programs and Alaska Native organizations,' he said.-------------------------------------------
EPA Cuts Funding For Cleanup of Asbestos-Contaminated Libby, MT posted by Jordan Barab, Confined Space
And to add insult to injury
In another slap at Libby last month, cleanup workers learned at 4 in the afternoon that their hourly wages would be cut starting the next day, from a minimum of $24 to $14. With workers complaining, the EPA now is considering raising their pay back to $19 an hour. Still, residents are afraid the pay cut will damage morale and undermine the quality of the cleanup.
At the peak of the cleanup last summer, 120 people were working for EPA contractors in Libby, and these were some of the best jobs in the economically depressed town.
“We have a very dedicated workforce,” Sullivan says. “These are people who really give a hoot. Why is the EPA hurting their pride?”-------------------------------------------
:: Monday, February 16, 2004 ::US: Protesters accuse Coke in Colombian violence source: just-drinks.com
Families of union members who have been murdered are suing locally owned Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia for using paramilitaries to intimidate union members with a terror campaign.
But Coca-Cola said in a statement on Friday: 'Colombian labor union SINALTRAINAL's oft-repeated allegations against the Coca-Cola Co. and its Colombian bottling partners are completely false.-------------------------------------------
How the White House Shelved MTBE Ban By PETE YOST, AP
The Bush administration quietly shelved a proposal to ban a gasoline additive that contaminates drinking water in many communities, helping an industry that has donated more than $1 million to Republicans.
The Environmental Protection Agency's decision had its origin in the early days of President Bush's tenure when his administration decided not to move ahead with a Clinton-era regulatory effort to ban the clean-air additive MTBE.
The proposed regulation said the environmental harm of the additive leaching into ground water overshadowed its beneficial effects to the air.-------------------------------------------
Union Members Protest Downtown Development TheSanDiegoChannel
SAN DIEGO -- Angry union carpenters protested Monday in the downtown streets of San Diego, 10News reported.
The protesters are angry because nonunion workers have taken over a major redevelopment site at First and Island avenues.
The union members believe the work is being done below their standards.
Arvin workers won’t receive extra benefits By SCOTT HALL, Johnson County Daily Journal, IN
“The decision was made not to move anything to Mexico,” Hanley said. “It’s just going to get rerouted to U.S. facilities.”
The decision was bad news, though not totally unexpected, said William Whited, president of Local 2993 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
Employees were awaiting the decision on the additional benefits and had not yet received any official word, he said. The uncertainty was frustrating to those who were debating whether to seek new manufacturing jobs as soon as possible or wait for additional benefits that would help them prepare for a more promising career in another field.-------------------------------------------
Twenty tons of death By PHIL CARDY, TheSun, UK
Last night a fellow railworker said grimly: “It hit them like 20 tons of death out of the dark. They would have had no idea it was coming.”-------------------------------------------
Hispanics gaining more jobs By GREG REEVES, Kansas City Star
Hispanics — only 5 percent of the area's population — now make up 31 percent of roofers.
That is just part of the influx of Hispanic workers into the building and construction trades here and nationally, according to recently released census figures. To some extent, the growth reflects the growth in the Hispanic population.
In Kansas City, the share of Hispanic carpenters tripled from 2 percent in 1990 to 6 percent in 2000. Nationwide, 15 percent of carpenters are Hispanic.
The proportion of plumbers and pipefitters in the area who are Hispanic grew from 4 percent in 1990 to 5 percent in 2002, but up to 12 percent nationwide.-------------------------------------------
Disastrous death of trades and apprenticeship program NUPGE.CA
B.C. Liberals kill program that trained 4,000 students a year
Victoria - Gordon Campbell's Liberal government has dealt a final blow to the Industry Trades and Apprenticeship program by issuing final layoff notices to the people who staff ITAC offices in communities around the province.
A total of approximately 100 B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) members will have lost their jobs when all ITAC offices are closed for good on March 31, 2003.
These ITAC workers ensured the 4,000 students annually enrolled in trades training programs received the highest standard certifications, and supervised the worksite placements of 16,500 apprentices throughout their four-year terms.
“The elimination of ITAC is a major betrayal of young men and women who are seeking essential job skills,” says BCGEU president George Heyman.-------------------------------------------
Special Report: Jobs in an evolving economy By GREG BARRETT, MarionStar
To the lowest bidder go the lowest paying jobs
'Sad thing is that I can remember when we used to put a label on the boxes and on the bikes that said something like, 'Made Proudly in America,'' said Larry Stelzer, a former Huffy accountant who now works as Mercer County's director of economic development.
The American label used to be a powerful marketing tool, he said.
'Now it has just been thrown out the window.'-------------------------------------------
Victims of job exodus in Wisconsin place blame on Bush BY DICK POLMAN, Phladelphia Inquirer
MANITOWOC, Wis. - It was dusk in the old factory town, the dying sun was sending shafts of light across the floor of the deserted union hall, and the bells of St. Boniface Church were poised to begin a mournful tune. That's when the phone jangled.
Gary Miller, a former union official, clad in a steelworkers sweatshirt and nursing a Mountain Dew, gave it a glance. He said it was probably his wife, since nobody called about union business anymore. He checked his Green Bay Packers wristwatch, hoisted the receiver, and found himself talking to an organizer from the John Kerry campaign. The guy was looking for labor help and figured the steelworkers local was a good place to start.
But Miller cut him off: 'OK, you should know that our local went out of existence. (Pause) Yup, a few months ago. (Pause) The company we worked at is gone, took all the jobs to China and Mexico. We have no members now. We do nothing. (Pause) Wish I could help you more, sorry.' He hung up, and started to stew.-------------------------------------------
County to evaluate minority contracting policies By Virginia Terhune
Jurisdictions began doing disparity studies following a landmark court case in which the J.A. Croson contracting firm sued Virginia in 1983, because Richmond had required that non-minority prime contractors set aside at least 30 percent of the contract amount for minority subcontractors.
The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in 1989 that the practice violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution's 14th Amendment, resulting in a setback for minority hiring.
Jurisdictions have the authority to set goals to prevent discrimination in their spending, but they need to do a study to find out what percentage minority firms make up of the total vendor community.
Since then, disparity studies have become commonplace, often replacing goals set based on population rather than available vendors.-------------------------------------------
Move Bush! Get out the way! Get out the way! By Buddy Grizzard, Guerrilla News Network
The cacophony that greeted the President and sustained itself for the duration of his wreath-laying ceremony was impressive to experience. The chant of the day was "Move Bush! Get out the way! Get out the way! Get out the way," an adaptation of a tune by local product Ludacris (what y'all know about that ATL style?). The protest itself was beautifully diverse, and carried a communal vibe that was a pure joy to be a part of. I was proud to be from Atlanta. For some reason, Atlanta Police decided not to imitate police in Miami and Portland, where freedom of speech and assembly, two of the fundamental rights which make us Americans, apparently no longer exist. And Bush, a man who came to office through the electronic disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of mostly black voters in Florida, was shown that he could not pull off a cheap photo-op here in the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. There'd be no plastic turkey moments in our town that day, we made sure of it.-------------------------------------------
:: Sunday, February 15, 2004 ::1971 Photo of Kerry Doctored By Michael Rothfeld, Newsday
As a 20-year-old photographer documenting the country's struggle over the Vietnam War, Ken Light snapped the picture of John Kerry at a peace rally in Mineola. It captured the future senator alone at a podium, squinting into the sun.
Light did not photograph Jane Fonda on that warm June Sunday in 1971. The actress, who is reviled by many Vietnam veterans for her vocal stance against the war, did not even attend.
But when opponents of the Democratic presidential hopeful began e-mailing Light's picture to one another four days ago, it depicted Fonda standing by Kerry's side. The photo had been doctored.
"I'm horrified," said Light, 52, who grew up in East Meadow and now heads the graduate photojournalism program at the University of California at Berkeley. "I think this kind of alteration is probably one of the scariest forms of trickery, particularly when it's done against a political candidate."
1971 Photo of Kerry Doctored Infoshop News
Doctored photo found on FreeRepublic.com - compared with original-------------------------------------------
DIY harm hits home By KANE YOUNG, The Mercury, AU
DO-IT-YOURSELF home renovation disasters are leaving a trail of bruised and battered bodies across Tasmania.
The Royal Hobart Hospital's accident and emergency department is copping the brunt of home makeovers gone wrong with staff treating an unprecedented number of serious injuries caused by nail guns, grinders and power saws.
The rash of handyman injuries has prompted a warning to renovators from the hospital's emergency medicine director Alastair Meyer to adhere strictly to safety procedures for power tool and ladders.
And the Royal Australian Institute of Architects also has weighed in with advice, calling on amateur builders to remain alcohol-free on the worksite.-------------------------------------------
Smelter workers escape unharmed from steam Trail Times
Several Teck Cominco workers escaped from a lunchroom on a fire ladder Wednesday after their plant filled with steam.
The incident began with the "sudden decompression" of a vessel in the lead and zinc smelter's pressure leaching plant, Teck spokeswoman Carol Vanelli said. "This caused a large amount of steam to vent into the plant."
None of the workers in the plant at the time was injured.
"It was not a fire, it was not an explosion. It was nothing like what we experienced last week at the lead smelter," Vanelli said. "It wasn't routine but we do have upsets in our plants from time to time."
Last week's explosion in a waste-heat boiler in the lead smelter is also still under investigation.-------------------------------------------
We're acting like doggone wussies By VINAY MENON, TheStar
Conan O'Brien is probably glad to be leaving Canada.
And, really, who can blame him?
After bringing his late-night show to Toronto this week — something no American television host had previously done — the gangly host with a sense of the absurd was treated to the ultimate absurdity: A nation deeply enraged by a hand puppet.
Oh, Canada.-------------------------------------------
U.S. firms seek bigger wood duty By Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun
In a new subsidy investigation into Canadian softwood lumber, the U.S. Department of Commerce has targeted Canadian research and aid programs provided to forest companies and workers.
The action, part of the on-going lumber dispute, is being described in Canada as harassment while the American lumber industry described it as a logical legal step in the absence of a negotiated settlement.
"This is what litigation is. Litigation isn't necessarily the most sensible way to solve all problems because it goes on and on and on," said John Ragosta, of the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports.-------------------------------------------
Kerry promised AFL-CIO endorsement, Clark’s backing By DAVID ESPO, AP
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney scheduled a meeting of the federation’s general board for next Thursday “to officially endorse” Kerry, according to the memo obtained by The Associated Press.
AFL-CIO spokeswoman Lane Windham confirmed that Sweeney would recommend the move. “But we’re a democratic organization and it is ultimately up to the general board to decide who they will endorse,” said spokeswoman Lane Windham.
The AFL-CIO, with a membership of 13 million is one of the key pillars of the Democratic Party, and an endorsement of Kerry signals the groups desire to unite behind a challenger to begin the campaign against President Bush this fall.-------------------------------------------
Walk on wild side atop new bridge / Raffle winners experience natural high from 430 feet By Michael Cabanatuan, The Chronicle
The bridge -- the world's newest suspension span and the first such bridge built in the United States in three decades -- opened to traffic after a festive opening celebration that featured a parade, bridge-walk and fireworks. The span is named for Alfred Zampa, a Bay Area ironworker who lived in Crockett, helped build several transbay bridges and is best known for falling from the Golden Gate Bridge during construction and surviving, thanks to safety nets in use for the first time. He died in 2000 at the age of 95.-------------------------------------------
Minnesota unionists back Utah miners BY BECKY ELLIS, The Militant
ST. PAUL, Minnesota—“Where I come from, there was a big dividing line between the coal miners and the mine owners. The owners were merciless in trying to take advantage of us. And we had to do what was necessary to defend ourselves against them. That’s what my daddy taught me. He was involved in three different strikes in other towns. So it was easy for me to understand what the Co-Op miners have been going through and to understand how important it is to come to their defense. They are facing the same problems as I was facing and my family was facing in Virginia in the mining area we were living in.”
This was what Ben Miller, an organizer and field agent for the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of the Carpenters and Joiners union, told the audience of 55 unionists and supporters at a February 6 meeting here to back coal miners on strike at the Co-Op mine in Huntington, Utah. The event was hosted by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 789 at its union hall.-------------------------------------------
Labor Department sues union trustees By Rachel Brand, Rocky Mountain News
The department's suit says trustees of Sheet Metal Workers No. 9 Health and Welfare Fund as well as those of Operating Engineers Health and Welfare Trust Fund violated ERISA laws by investing plan assets in risky private placements managed by Capital Consultants, including loans to Wilshire.
The trustees also violated fund rules by investing in collateralized notes, the suit says.
Collateralized notes are loans whose collateral consists of the borrowers' potential revenue from future sales, and the notes were prohibited by the fund's investment policy.-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, February 14, 2004 ::Carpenters group to open new training facility Business Journal of Phoenix
With plans to elevate the level of training in the Arizona construction industry, the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters will open a $12 million, 140,000-square-foot headquarters and training facility in Phoenix next week.
Media Offered Sneak Peek of Massive $12 Million Carpenters Training Center Opening in Phoenix BUSINESS WIRE
Phoenix Carpenters Union Is Protesting By Angela D. Wagner, Arizona Indymedia
A Phoenix carpenters union is protesting some East Valley contractors, saying they pay low wages and don’t provide health insurance for the workers’ families.
Carpenters Local 1506 union members are displaying signs and distributing literature outside construction sites and at companies that employ the contractors.-------------------------------------------
Some not-so-sweets for your sweet by Thomas Y. Hobart, New York Teacher
For Valentine's Day, M&Ms/Mars makes a really cute pink cane filled with, naturally, M&Ms. Kids love them, although the candy might not taste so sweet if we thought about where the chocolate came from.
While American children are gobbling up green and yellow and red and blue M&Ms, hundreds of thousands of African children are being forced by economic hardship to pick the cocoa leaves to make the chocolate that goes inside. Even worse, more than 12,000 of those children are actual slaves, separated from their families, denied basic human rights and needs, and destined to live lives devoid of any freedom.
More than two-thirds of the world's cocoa is harvested by children in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Ivory Coast. If they had the time or inclination to think about it, Valentine's Day would seem ironic: child labor being used to produce the sweet taste of Cupid's holiday. But there's no irony, only tragedy.-------------------------------------------
Canadian Labour Congress hit by picket lines as 110 staff members strike CBC News
About 110 workers hit the bricks over issues including pensions, job security and contract concessions sought by the CLC. 'We want to negotiate an agreement without concessions and are firm in our resolve to reach a settlement that respects the principles of the labour movement,' stated Bob Huget, a vice-president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, which represents 60 professionals at the labour congress.
CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS STAFF ON STRIKE CEP Media Release-------------------------------------------
"Dishonest Dubya" Lying Action Figure Doll - George W. Bush flash animation-------------------------------------------
Hawaiian Cement, union still at odds By Mary Vorsino
Ron Taketa, financial secretary and business representative with the Hawaii Carpenters Union, said yesterday that as many as 1,000 carpenters could be laid off if strikes drag on for another week.
'Our contractors have been doing everything possible to keep our carpenters employed,' Taketa said. '(But) there's only so far the contractors can go.'
He said more than 75 of his union's carpenters have already been laid off because of the concrete strikes, and more will follow if the work stoppages continue. Within the next two weeks, 600 to 700 carpenters working on residential properties in the Ewa Plains and about 300 carpenters employed at the Wal-Mart project near Ala Moana Center could be laid off because of the strikes, he said.
'Just when we see the light at the end of the tunnel,' Taketa said, alluding to the recently ended recession in the construction industry, 'and all of a sudden there's no concrete.'-------------------------------------------
'Jobs & growth' bus tour will tout Bush policies; Dems angry By DAVID AMMONS, AP
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Three top Bush administration officials and the head of the Small Business Administration will roll through Washington and Oregon on a "Jobs and Growth" bus tour next week, touting the administration's economic policies.
Democratic Gov. Gary Locke and Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe plan a counteroffensive, with speeches in Spokane and Seattle to excoriate the administration's policies.
'We find it ironic they are coming to our state to tout their economic `successes.''-------------------------------------------
Discouraged job searchers giving up Stephanie Armour USA Today
About 4.7 million Americans want jobs but are not looking for work, up from 4.6 million in January of 2003, according to the Department of Labor. There are a variety of reasons they may be unable to look for work. They may be unable to job hunt because they don't have a car or can't find child care.
But some aren't looking because they believe there are no jobs out there: More than 400,000 workers are so discouraged by the job market that they've given up looking for work. More and more workers are jumping out of the game. The January labor force participation rate was 66.1 percent, up slightly from a 12-year low in December when 66 percent of working age people were working or seeking work.
While some are trying to develop new skills or make career changes, others are so demoralized that they're doing nothing.-------------------------------------------
4 suspected of using lions in a murder By Michael Wines NYT, IHT
JOHANNESBURG Violence is no stranger to South Africa, whose major cities suffer some of the highest homicide rates anywhere. But police officers and ordinary citizens alike are reeling this week in the wake of a report by the police that an angry employer may have literally thrown a disgruntled former worker to the lions.
In Limpopo Province in the country's northeast, a wild, hardscrabble region abutting Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the police have jailed four men while they investigate the apparent death of Nelson Shisane, 38, a former worker for a construction company.-------------------------------------------
Landmark Employment Case Voids One-Sided Worker Arbitration Agreements SAN JOSE, CA - MARKET WIRE
The Juniper arbitration clause required employees to arbitrate all possible claims against their employer, while permitting the company to go to court to enforce employees' violations of their obligations to preserve company secrets. The court held that 'because illegality and unconscionability permeate the agreement -- its objectionable terms cannot be severed. As a result, the entire arbitration agreement is void and unenforceable.'(1)-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, February 13, 2004 ::Photo of U.S. Hiroshima Victim in Display By GARY SCHAEFER
Long bailed out of his B-24 bomber as it was shot down near Hiroshima days before the Aug. 6, 1945 bombing. The 27-year-old steelworker from New Castle, Pa., was among at least 10 American POWs killed in the attack.
The flier's picture provides one of the few hints at Hiroshima's Peace Park of a tale that was unpublicized for decades.-------------------------------------------
O'Brien puppet takes aim at Quebec GREG BONNELL, CP
Late Night With Conan O'Brien set its satirical sights on Quebec during Thursday's broadcast, skewering everything from poutine to sovereignty as Toronto fans cheered wildly.
"There's one Canadian province people here have some issues with and vice versa -- that's Quebec," O'Brien said to boos from the crowd. To "investigate" the matter, the NBC-TV talk-show host introduced an eight minute pre-taped segment featuring canine correspondent Triumph -- a cigar-smoking, insult-comic hand-puppet that was sent to Quebec City for Winter Carnival.
Canada Condemns 'Racist' Conan O'Brien TV Show By David Ljunggren, Reuters
At one point in the show, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog -- a hand puppet that is a regular on the show -- said to a Quebecer: 'You're French, you're obnoxious and you no speekay English.' It told another: 'I can smell your crotch from here.'
Triumph tops Cherry in insulting Quebecers By VINAY MENON, TheStar
If the Official Languages Commissioner found it necessary to launch an investigation into Don Cherry, they may well issue a fatwa on Triumph. The dog's virulent assault made Cherry's hockey visor rant seem like a Mary Poppins song about raindrops and kittens.
When actor and comedian Adam Sandler was asked how he felt about being the only non-Canadian guest this week, he mumbled, 'I am Canadian.'
Building on the laugh, he then fused American pop culture with Canadian geography and claimed to have grown up in 'Sasquatchenan' and 'Fat Albert-a.'
He was asked, 'Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?' His response: Prime Minister Labatts.-------------------------------------------
Workers, students bond against Calif. company for better pay, benefits By EMILY BINGHAM
It's not every day that students in the Union are handed fliers from a man wearing a giant chicken head.
The man behind the beak was William Kramer, a union organizer from a Dart Container Corporation plant in Corona, Calif. Kramer spent Monday afternoon distributing leaflets on campus in an effort to pressure the company into hastening union negotiations.
"This is my second time here - and my second time as a chicken," Kramer said.-------------------------------------------
Majority of Americans Doubt Bush's WMD Claims By Richard Morin and Dana Milbank, Washington Post
Most Americans believe President Bush either lied or deliberately exaggerated evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in order to justify war, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Bush Acknowledges Problem of Jobs Going Overseas By Jennifer Loven, AP
On Monday, Gregory Mankiw, chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, said such 'outsourcing' by U.S. companies is 'just a new way of doing international trade.'-------------------------------------------
Outsourcing boycott raises some local eyebrows By Mary Ellen Godin, Record-Journal
Thousands of large and small businesses in the country may be surprised when they receive a letter asking them to explain their outsourcing and immigrant worker policies.
They may even be more surprised when told that unless they stop, they will be placed on a published list of companies to boycott.
There are already two such lists online, and a growing backlash against offshoring promises to make it a steamy campaign issue in the upcoming presidential campaign.-------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart and China: the ultimate joint venture by Jim Lobe, rabble news
Make it quick, make it flexible, make it cheap
Wal-Mart and other major global retailers in the apparel and food industries are driving down working conditions for millions of mostly women workers worldwide, according to a new report by the British-based international development agency, Oxfam.
Despite the retailers' claims that they demand their contractors comply with basic labour standards, their demands for ever-quicker and cheaper goods are making compliance impossible in many cases, according to the report, Trading Away Our Rights.-------------------------------------------
World's biggest sawmill opens in central B.C. AP, Seattle Post Intelligencer
Analysts said U.S. duties on Canadian softwood have added pressure on industry giants such as Canfor and Weyerhaeuser Co. to use economies of scale to cut the cost of producing dimension lumber.
Weyerhaeuser spokeswoman Sarah Goodman would not comment on reports that the company based in Federal Way is planning a super sawmill in Kamloops, but said the trend in the province is 'scaling up.'-------------------------------------------
United Steelworkers of America Endorses Senator John Kerry for President USWA, BusinessWire
The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) today endorsed Democrat John Kerry for President, expressing confidence that Senator Kerry would 'take immediate action as President to reverse the devastating decline in manufacturing jobs and the debilitating increases in the nation's trade and budget deficits.
'The Bush Administration's recent claim that 'outsourcing' U.S. jobs is 'good' for America,' said Steelworker president Leo W. Gerard, 'leaves little doubt that this White House is either totally out of touch with reality, or completely indifferent to the suffering that its policies have caused the great majority of Americans who don't have six- or seven-figure incomes.'
Jane Fonda defends Kerry By MARLON MANUEL, AJC
Radio commentators and Internet posters circulated a 34-year-old photo of Kerry attending an anti-war rally while seated near actress Jane Fonda. (Fonda's trip to Hanoi in 1972 and her opposition to the Vietnam War made her a vilified figure among many veterans.)-------------------------------------------
Strike Hurting Other Construction Workers TheHawaiiChannel
HONOLULU -- With no end in sight for the concrete workers strike, more construction companies are starting to lay off workers. One local contractor expects to lay off half of his company Wednesday.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, February 12, 2004 ::Fred Gaboury, dean of labor writers, 78 By Tim Wheeler, People's Weekly World
Fred Gaboury, a logger from the Pacific Northwest, had Paul Bunyan-sized hands so big he couldn’t make his fingers hit the right typewriter keys. Yet in 30 years as a peerless labor writer, he interviewed hundreds of workers – first as editor of Labor Today and then as a writer for People’s Weekly World. His stories from the front lines of the class struggle prompted many to call him the “Dean of American Labor Journalists.”
Gaboury died of cancer in Chicago Jan. 29. He was 78. Loyalty was his strong suit. He lived the PWW’s proud slogan, “We take sides … Yours!” He was a member of both the PWW Editorial Board and the National Committee of the Communist Party USA. Until the end he participated in PWW story meetings, venting his pithy and profane opinions about George W. Bush and urging wider coverage of the effort to oust him next November. He was honored as a hero of the labor movement at a PWW banquet in Chicago last fall.-------------------------------------------
Building & Construction Trades Dept. Unites Behind U.S. Senator John Kerry for President BCTD release, PRNewswire Feb. 10
Building & Construction Trades Department President Edward C. Sullivan today announced the Building Trades' support for the presidential candidacy of U.S. Senator John Kerry. The Building Trades Governing Board of Presidents met this morning and voted with no objections to officially support Senator Kerry's candidacy.-------------------------------------------
Feds probe C&S contractor work site safety By JUSTIN MASON
The New England Regional Council of Carpenters claims this is 'a colossal worker exploitation case.'
'It would appear to anyone arriving to meet these workers that they are obviously under age,' union representative Tim Craw said. 'Not only do Coast to Coast Installers need to be held accountable, C&S Wholesale needs to take a hard look at what they have allowed to happen to these kids on their property.'-------------------------------------------
No bail for accused in lions' den drama Independent Online
'Why should employers feed troublesome farmworkers to the lions?' said labour spokesperson Snuki Zikalala. 'The labour laws do not allow that employers may harm their workers at all'.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it was shocked and appalled by the reports.
'While this incident is exceptionally brutal, the trade unions know that abuse of workers, ten years after the democratic breakthrough, is still rife. Many farmers still treat their workers as badly as under apartheid,' a statement by Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said.-------------------------------------------
Few seek nuclear ailment compensation By Annette Cary
A program to compensate Hanford workers for ailments related to working at the nuclear reservation is finding far fewer takers than expected.
U.S. Department of Labor officials are mystified by the low number of applications for a program that pays $150,000 in compensation to those who developed cancer or certain lung diseases from working at the nuclear reservation. Current and former workers and surviving family members are eligible.-------------------------------------------
Erasing a Skeletal Reminder of 9/11 By DAVID W. DUNLAP, NYTimes
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Fiterman Hall has stood like a ravaged ghost, its skeleton alarmingly visible. Increasingly incongruous amid the scenes of revival playing out around it, it is a dispiriting reminder of a day its neighbors long to put behind them.-------------------------------------------
Children badly injured when crib wall collapses ADRIAN MALLOCH/The Daily News, NZ
While it was unknown whether the concrete block retaining wall, topped by several rows of decorative concrete blocks, was built by professionals, the accident has implications for all home handymen.
'That wall collapse, whether it was built under this building act or earlier legislation, reinforces why authorities are looking at having home handymen's work supervised or approved by a tradesman to stop that sort of accident occurring in the future.
'It's part of the New Zealand do-it-yourself ethos that occasionally comes back and tragically injures people.'-------------------------------------------
Aztar Results Down Press Release, Gaming News
Disruption to Operations from Construction Accident
Operating results in the fourth quarter of 2003 were significantly impacted by the decline in revenue caused by the disruption that followed the tragic accident that occurred on October 30, 2003 at the site of the expansion of the Tropicana Atlantic City.-------------------------------------------
AFL-CIO Unions Uniting Behind Kerry LaborTalk by Harry Kelber
By mid-March, a unified labor movement, committed to defeating President Bush, will be preparing to supply Kerry with legions of volunteers and bundles of cash. But what role will organized labor play in his election campaign?
Will the Democratic Party platform contain policy positions favored by unions? Will labor have a voice in choosing Kerry's running mate? Will union leaders be included among the top-level strategists of the campaign?
These are not exorbitant demands, considering that Kerry would find it virtually impossible to be elected president without the support of the labor movement. In the 2000 elections, the votes of union households represented more than 30% of the total votes cast.
If unions do not assert their rights, it is inevitable that Kerry will move to the right, in the belief that he has the labor vote in his pocket. He will tend to downplay labor issues, such as freedom to join unions, in order to avoid the Republican charge that he is the 'captive of Big Labor.'
Kerry has had his differences with the Teamsters and construction unions over his opposition to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has yet to speak out publicly in favor of Senator Edward Kennedy's Employee Free Choice Act or discuss workplace issues like health and safety and the elimination of overtime pay for millions of workers.
It is imperative that unions and their members do everything they can to defeat President Bush, but they also are entitled to at least some benefits that come with victory.-------------------------------------------
US: Behind the AFL-CIO's call for a "a new labor code for Iraq" By Jamie Chapman, World Socialist
For an organization that purports to represent American workers to come to the defense of the embattled Iraqi working class would clearly be appropriate. Such a gesture is hardly characteristic, however, of the AFL-CIO officialdom, which usually spends its energies fulminating against foreign workers for “stealing” American jobs.
A closer reading of Sweeney’s statement suggests that something other than solidarity is motivating the AFL-CIO. He condemns neither the occupation nor the war itself, nor even the deplorable conditions of life and work in Iraq. Rather, he singles out the policy of CPA administrator Paul Bremer in enforcing a 1987 law passed under Saddam Hussein prohibiting the organization of trade unions in the public sector, which encompasses the large majority of the Iraqi workforce.-------------------------------------------
:: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 ::Judge lifts Drake gag order in probe of anti-war protest By JEFF ECKHOFF and MARK SIEBERT, DesMoinesRegister
Federal authorities retreated Tuesday in their investigation of an Iowa anti-war demonstration, withdrawing grand jury subpoenas delivered last week to four peace activists and Drake University.
The shift came as the investigation drew nationwide condemnation from civil liberties advocates, politicians and peace activists.-------------------------------------------
Janusz Zurakowski, 89
Globe and Mail Update
Jan Zurakowski, first test pilot of Avro Arrow aircraft, dies at age 89
BARRY'S BAY, Ont. (CP) - Janusz Zurakowski, the first test pilot of the revolutionary Avro Arrow aircraft, has died at age 89 more than four decades after the legendary plane's inaugural flight and its controversial cancellation soon after.
Zurakowski died Monday evening in this eastern Ontario town in Renfrew County's Madawaska Valley after a two-year battle with leukemia, his family said Tuesday.
THE CF-105 AVRO ARROW: 1958-1959
One of the finest achievements in Canadian aviation history, the delta wing Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was never allowed to fulfill its mission. The Arrow weapons platform along with the Iroquois engine was cancelled by the Conservative Diefenbaker government February 20, 1959, less then 3 weeks before the MK2 Arrow was to take flight.
Black Friday
Black Friday, Feb 20th, 1959 was the day of epiphany for the Avro Arrow. At 11:00 a.m., Prime Minister John Diefenbaker announced before the House of Commons the decision, reached behind closed doors, to terminate the Arrow and Iroquois programs.
That day 14,525 workers were to leave the Avro plant unemployed. A small percentage were rehired later, but the vast majority were cast into the job market. The employees at Avro found out pretty quickly that their jobs were on the line when a loudspeaker announced the PM’s decision at 11:20 a.m. They were at first told to keep working until further notice. That came later in the day, after several meetings by the management. All paid employees were to be immediately laid off.
The Avro Arrow: Canada's Broken Dream CBC Archives
Shock. Disbelief. Anger. Despair. These are the reactions of the 14,525 Avro workers who found themselves unemployed en masse on Black Friday. CBC Radio's Bill Beatty is at the plant to witness "a funeral procession" of hundreds of cars, lined up bumper-to-bumper, carrying toolmakers, engineers and office workers from the plant for the last time. Many of them offer Beatty their parting shots.
• Before noon on Feb. 20, 1959, the Department of Defence production told Avro executives that the Arrow and Iroquois programs were cancelled and that all work on the projects must cease that day. At 4:00 p.m. an announcement was made over the plant loudspeaker that all employees were laid off immediately. Later on, a small number of workers were called back to the plant to work on other projects, and a compensation package was offered.
• At the time of the cancellation of the Arrow, Avro was the third-largest corporation in Canada. The Arrow program employed more than 40,000 people at Avro and related suppliers. The Malton and Brampton suburbs of Toronto were hardest hit. About a quarter of Brampton's workers were employed at Avro.
• On Black Friday, chief engineer Robert Lindley asked Avro executives if he could fly the Iroquois-equipped RL-206 just one time, but his request was rejected.
To the horror of Avro employees, an order comes from the Ministry of Defence Production to erase all traces of the Avro Arrow. Complete planes and those in production are chopped into pieces, as are all models, tools and the entire production line. Blueprints, pictures and film are destroyed. The remains of the mighty plane are sold to a Hamilton scrap metal dealer and melted down to make pots and pans.-------------------------------------------
Teck Cominco’s Kivcet furnace expected to resume production in second half of March Teck Cominco News Release # 04-06-TC
Vancouver, B.C. -- A preliminary internal inspection of the KIVCET lead furnace and boiler systems at the company’s Trail Operations, which incurred damage as a result of an explosion on Monday, February 2, 2004, has resulted in an estimated schedule of repair that will see the furnace resume operation in the second half of March.
The full investigation into the cause of the explosion continues. The cost of repair and the cause of the incident will not be known until such time as this investigation has been completed. The company’s operations, research and safety staff, as well as safety representatives from the United Steelworkers of America Local 480, the Workers Compensation Board and the provincial boiler inspection office are participating in the investigation. The explosion did not result in any injuries to employees.-------------------------------------------
UFCW.net Members for Democracy - FRONT PAGE Is the media biased against unions or is there no good news to report?
Ominously, the trend appears to be spreading from the mainstream to the alternative media. Here's Harry Kelber, a well known labor activist and proponent of union democracy saying a lot of very negative things about mainstream unions and their leaders on The Labor Educator. Now that's some real heavy duty negativity there Harry. Haven't you heard that expression, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?
AFL-CIO Critic Expelled from Union - discussion
Posting from Toronto:
"Harry is actually quite unique and I think that it's remarkable that he is with us today and continuing his efforts on behalf of working people. Most of his contemporaries (maybe pretty much all of them) from the pre-WW2 era, are either dead, long since retired or were co-opted into the system long ago. It's almost like he's a blast from the past come to shake things up in the year 2004 with ideas about unionism that are a valid and empowering today as they were 50 years ago."-------------------------------------------
Vit plant construction progresses By Annette Cary
Over the past 33 years, ironworker Ed Smith of Walla Walla has worked on projects from the Alaska pipeline to a San Francisco high-rise.
But, he said, among the most interesting jobs he's had is the one he's been working on for the last five months.
Wednesday, he was welding iron on the largest construction project in the nation this year, Hanford's waste vitrification plant.
'It gives us the opportunity to do the best we can,' he said. 'They want quality work.'
The vit plant is being built to treat highly radioactive waste generated from producing plutonium at Hanford from 1944 to 1989. It's been sitting in underground tanks that were intended for temporary use.-------------------------------------------
Meet the big cheese By ERICH LUENING
Hegarty is awaiting the arrival of a 12-foot inflatable rat his office purchased for $5,000 through a private fund-raising effort. The air-filled rat will attend parades and other local events to increase public awareness of his rodent control program.
'We get it in six weeks. Just in time for the Fourth of July parade,' said Hegarty gleefully. 'We actually had it in 2002. It brought a lot of enjoyment during that parade. We borrowed it from the Carpenters Union of Brockton.'-------------------------------------------
GOP, carpenters union find things in common to discuss By Peter Kinder
AFL-CIO president John Sweeney has taken his union in an increasingly loony, hard-left direction, demonizing all Republicans and stressing wacky environmental extremism and leftist positions on a host of social issues that -- according to McCarron and his carpenters -- have next to nothing to do with the interests of working people.
Are McCarron and the union he leads ready to throw in with Republicans 100 percent?
Far from it. He has given $1.2 million to Democratic U.S. senators to help them keep the U.S. Senate in this year's pivotal races, saying the certain national Republican senate leaders 'scare the living bejesus out of my members.'
Still, McCarron says, 'I think we've got a better chance working with this president than dissing him all the time.'-------------------------------------------
Lawsuit on land deal may expand By Steve Walsh
The carpenters union lawsuit against its former executive secretary may eventually extend to Lake Erie Land Co. and others, as the pension overseers try to retrieve the money it lost.
More than four years after Lake Erie sold 55 acres in Coffee Creek to the carpenters union pension fund for $10 million, the pension fund remains by far the largest land buyer at the 640-acre development, where sales have been lackluster.
For now, the Indiana Regional Council of Carpenters has filed a civil suit only against Gerry Nannenga, its former executive secretary and former pension board member, who has pleaded guilty for accepting $65,465 in bribes for his role in convincing the pension board to buy the land from Lake Erie Land Co.-------------------------------------------
Harder than steel - Defending the ‘workplace rule of law’ By Jack Schierenbeck , UFT
The suits in the suites, business schools, editorial boardrooms and, yes, City Hall and the Tweed Courthouse, hate work rules. Why shouldn't they? Ever since the first shop steward waved a copy of the contract in a supervisor's face and declared, 'It says here you can't do that!' management has longed for a return to the days when, as they like to say, 'managers managed and workers worked.'
But if work rules were management's devil's bargain, they were a godsend to workers like Johnny Metzgar, Jack's father. To the elder Metzgar, a mill hand and union shop steward at the Johnston Works of U.S. Steel during the glory years of American steel, work rules meant getting out from under 'arbitrary authority and all the indignities, the humiliation, and the fear that come with being directly subject to the unlimited authority of another human being.'-------------------------------------------
:: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 ::Spain police fire rubber bullets at strikers Reuters AlertNet
'About 3,000 workers were using the roadblocks as a way to draw attention to their protest and their plight. The police were trying to stop them and there were violent clashes,' said Ramon Diaz, head of the main metalworkers' union of Andalusia."-------------------------------------------
Fired worker fed to lions, court told AFP, Herald Sun
A South African game farmer and three of his employees appeared before a magistrate's court yesterday on murder charges for allegedly feeding a fired worker to lions.-------------------------------------------
Giant defence fund seeks aid from labour CBC North
Labour organizers in the N.W.T. are working to try to raise one last pot of money to help workers facing legal bills because of the Giant mine civil suit.
While the league raised money to help workers facing their initial lawyer's bills, legal costs have mounted while the Workers Compensation Board lawsuit dragged on.
The Board is suing for millions of dollars in damages after a deadly strike a decade ago.
Ottawa to freeze Giant Mine's toxic dust CBC News
After four years of study, the federal government has decided that the best way to clean up the contaminated Giant gold mine in Yellowknife is to freeze 60 years' worth of highly toxic arsenic dust and leave it stored underground.
'We feel the frozen block alternative is the most robust, the most secure way of managing the arsenic trioxide,' said Bill Mitchell, who manages the cleanup team for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.-------------------------------------------
Member-Organizers Shape Bottom-up Campaign by Dave Coker, Labor Notes
Public support was shown in the form of pins, buttons, lanyards, and bright yellow CWA hats. On any given day during the drive, 80 to 90 percent of the workforce showed management and their fellow workers that they supported the union all the way. This support was also shown when every forklift in the plant ended up with a new CWA keychain in the ignition.
During the campaign, workers organized their own network of literature distribution at the plant gates as well as in break rooms and restrooms. Not only did workers hand out literature given to them by CWA organizers, they also wrote and distributed leaflets that organizers never saw until after the campaign was won.-------------------------------------------
Remarks by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney at Press Conference on DOD New Labor Relations Plan AFL-CIO release
The plan is outrageous and flies in the face of basic American values concerning democracy and freedom. This is especially unconscionable considering that these workers have been supporting our brave men and women in Iraq.
Clearly, the Bush Administration would like to dictate that federal workers have no more options and rights than the typical WalMart worker — they plan to drive down working standards to the lowest level possible, and they’ve put the workers’ union in their sights to do it.
Unions step up opposition to Defense personnel overhaul By David McGlinchey
If the plan were put into place, Defense civilian employees could continue to join unions, but an alternative system also would be established under which employees could contract with a union to represent them in certain situations for a fee. Some Defense employees -- including accountants, intelligence officials and attorneys -- would not be allowed to join unions. Defense managers also would have the right to waive collective bargaining during national security emergencies.
Union representatives said Pentagon officials would simply declare emergencies when it was convenient for them.-------------------------------------------
Employees run into unwritten rule of the workplace: urinate on demand By Adam Geller, AP
Employers conduct about 45 million drug tests each year, the vast majority by collecting a urine sample. Some workers object, but inability to fill a specimen cup is rarely the issue.
Then there are people like Smith, who says he was fired from his job at a Caterpillar Inc. generator plant in Griffin, Ga., last fall because his failure to provide a urine specimen was labeled a refusal to take the test.
Workers laced with pesticides By ALEX PULASKI
Nine out of 10 Northwest orchard workers -- and nearly as many of their children -- carry measurable levels of pesticides in their bodies, new research shows.-------------------------------------------
Kiewit employee dies after 25-foot fall from bridge By JAIME POWELL AND VENESSA SANTOS-GARZA
Pipefitter's aide's harness was not hooked up
An employee at Kiewit Offshore Services Ltd. died Monday night after falling 25 feet from a piece of a bridge he was working on, the company's president said.
Man survives 30-foot plunge By PEARCE ADAMS
According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there were 15 construction-related deaths recorded in Georgia between Oct. 1, 2002 and Sept. 30, 2003. Thirty deaths were reported between Oct. 1, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2002.
A spokesman said accidents such as Barrett's are not reviewed unless a complaint is made. He said OSHA investigators are sent to sites when three or more are hospitalized or in case of a death.-------------------------------------------
:: Monday, February 09, 2004 ::Talk about a lack of vision editorial, Wilmington Star-News
The orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, which has been sending us pictures of the beginning of the universe, could go prematurely blind in a few years. If it does, the reason probably will have been politics.
To finance an election-year plan to send astronauts to Mars some day, President Bush told NASA to hack $11 billion out of its existing programs in the next five years.
Hubble's fans rally to its rescue USATODAY-------------------------------------------
A worldwide scoop! Tuesday, 10-Feb-2004 03:47:47 GMT
Radio LabourStart is the first to break the news that the Iraqi Governing Council has finally recognized the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU). The statement of the IFTU, just released moments ago, is already being listened to by Radio LabourStart's audience in 29 countries.-------------------------------------------
No Sweat Shopping By Jeff Ballinger, counterpunch
I'll never forget watching Johnny Carson as a kid and, whenever unions were mentioned, Doc Severinsen's band would strike up, 'Look for The Union Label'. This wasn't some ditty that was penned by a sympathetic do--gooder -- it was from Madison Avenue. Similarly, when Sally Field won the Academy Award for her portrayal of the J.P. Stevens sweatshop worker, the ACTWU hired a professional agency to get the REAL Norma Rae (Crystal Lee Sutton) booked onto local TV talk shows across the nation. But, as membership dwindled (I was in the Organizing Dept. of the Textile Workers when the union was losing 4,000 members per month), less money could be devoted to these tactics. By the time Harvard Business Review was lauding Phil Knight's 'hollow corporation' model in the mid--80s, things had hit bottom in the U.S.-------------------------------------------
Job Targeting Prevention By David S Farkas
It’s no secret that union contractors have a hard time competing with merit shop contractors. (There’s a reason why the United States construction industry today is less than 20% union). Merit shop Contractors generally enjoy more employment opportunities than union contractors, thus enabling them to grow and thrive. Faced with such a reality, union contractors have been forced to employ creative strategies, including the notorious “job targeting” programs.
Justice for Labor Foundation
Martin Jay Levitt, author of 'Confessions of a Union Buster,' is the only former Union Buster who now dedicates his life to ORGANIZED LABOR by advising and educating Unions on how to: Successfully EXPOSE EMPLOYER TERRORISM and BUST UNION BUSTERS.-------------------------------------------
Kelber, AFL-CIO Critic, Expelled from Union In Explicit Violation of CWA Constitution
Kelber is convinced that his illegal expulsion from the printers union is a vengeful response to his constructive criticism of the AFL-CIO leadership and its undemocratic practices. “I have a special feeling of loyalty for Typographical Union No. 6, which had an important influence on my life as a labor activist,” he said. Kelber wrote a book about Local 6’s struggles, “Union Printers and Controlled Automation,” published by The Free Press in 1967.
“After devoting 70 years to the labor movement as an educator, organizer, pamphleteer and journalist, I shall fight the vindictive efforts to deny me my union membership,” Kelber vows, “and I hope that union members who believe in the right of dissent will join me in this fight.”
more about Harry Kelber-------------------------------------------
Exam scandal prompts calls for inquiry CBC News
Bond says her ministry officials will hold a review. But B.C. Fed president Jim Sinclair says a public inquiry is necessary to rebuild confidence in the program.
'Asking Shirley Bond to investigate that, to investigate apprenticeships is ridiculous. It's like asking the fox to investigate the dead chickens. It doesn't work,' he says.
Sinclair says the manager boosted marks because too many students were failing their Red Seal exams.
He says students weren't doing well because government cuts had eliminated most of the apprenticeship trainers and replaced them with a 1-800 number.-------------------------------------------
Telus union chiefs accept arbitration By Laura Severs, Business Edge
All this has contributed to create what Angus calls a “poisonous relationship. You don’t see any other phone companies where the union is saying that the service is bad and management holding meetings with analysts and saying the union is in the 19th century.”
A series of ads launched by the union, which spoof Telus’s whimsical campaign that uses animals as a backdrop to pitch the company’s products, is an example of what Angus is talking about.
The union versions, also using animals, focus on Telus’s service record and recommend that “fed-up customers can contact the CRTC.”
In response, Telus went to court to prevent the union ads from airing, and last week, the Supreme Court of B.C. granted an injunction precluding the TWU from infringing on the company’s copyrighted works, which includes forcing the union to remove the ads from its website.
-------------------------------------------
As tech jobs go offshore, Teamsters devise new strategies By Mark Gruenberg
The unions aren't the only ones who realize the potential of enlisting the IT workers. So does one job exporter: IBM. In a conference call last March involving its human resources people, obtained by WashTech and Alliance@IBM, the company's Director of Global Employee Relations, Tom Lynch, was blunt.
'Those of us who track union campaigns realize unions rarely have success in saying you need to unionize to get more money,' Lynch said. 'Issues like dignity and justice and fairness, those sort of gut issues, tend to raise or strike an emotional chord... Being told that it's not that your job is going away, but that it's moving and you're going to be put out of work as a result of that certainly raises those kind of dignity issues.'-------------------------------------------
SaskPower union talks short circuited CBC Saskatchewan
Gord Gunoff, business manager for IBEW, says whenever the union tries to discuss an issue that involves money, SaskPower says it has no mandate to do that.
'I'm asking who we're bargaining with, SaskPower, or ghosts, or the government? Bring the decision makers to the table, so I can find out what we're doing. So I'm being a little frustrated,' he said.-------------------------------------------
Panel faults OSHA over chemical safety AP
Although more than 100 workers have died in industrial chemical accidents over the past two decades, the Bush administration has failed to seek expanded safety requirements, an independent government agency said Thursday.
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's response to its recommendations was 'unacceptable.'-------------------------------------------
:: Sunday, February 08, 2004 ::Workshop celebrates labor’s victories By Leslie Jones McCloud
Calumet Township Trustee, Mary Elgin was also honored for her role in labor. She worked for at least 30 years at Ispat Inland and as member of United Steelworkers Union of America Local 1010.
She was a backer of the Equal Rights Amendment and worked to help women obtain maternity leave.
“When I change things for myself, I help everyone else,” she said.
The three-day event wasn’t well attended.
“The labor movement is crying out for workers,” said Ruth Needleman, professor of Labor Studies at Indiana University Northwest.
“Unions lost their way. ... and African-Americans have sat down. Younger people no longer see union as an expression of needs,” she said after a workshop.-------------------------------------------
Teck Waiting for Furnace to Cool to Inspect Damage MoneySense.ca
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A survey of damage caused by an explosion at Teck Cominco Ltd.'s Trail, British Columbia, lead facility may not get under way until the weekend, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.
Crews were waiting for the furnace area of the lead processing facility too cool enough for them to get inside, and the initial results of the investigation are not expected until early next week, Carol Vanelli said.
The cause of Monday's explosion remains unknown, but the company believes it occurred inside the Kivcet furnace. As the blast force exited the furnace it damaged a boiler system that generates steam from waste heat.
A union official told Trail's newspaper that there was extensive visible damage to the boiler, with bent steam lines and I-beams.-------------------------------------------
YOUNGSTOWN In early 1900s, blacks flocked By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR, The VINDICATOR
Reports say that even though blacks held the most dangerous and dirtiest jobs, they were paid the least. Blacks in the 1930s were paid between 37 cents and 40 cents per hour, while other workers were paid between 62 cents and 78 cents per hour.
Union improvements
Formation of the United Steel Workers of America union in the early 1940s is said to have improved working conditions for both black and white steelworkers. Of particular interest to the black steelworker was wording in the union constitution, such as 'regardless of race, creed, color or nationality.'
Racism still reared its head in the union and steel industry for years, reports say.
Gary contractors push jobs, training By Tim Zorn
Unions have helped workers, several contractors said, but they also have sometimes kept jobs from blacks.
“I’ve seen the injustices, and I’ve seen the great things that were done,” Charles Prewitt, a contractor and 33-year Carpenters Union member, said. “All unions have some making up to do.”
He suggested contractors work together to make suggestions to the council.-------------------------------------------
New Anger-Powered Cars May Revolutionize The Way We Drive The Onion, satire
'By drawing a significant percentage of its motive power from the unbridled temper of the American motorist, the new anger-powered car will change, or at least take mechanical advantage of, the way Americans drive,' General Motors vice-chairman Robert A. Lutz said. 'We plan to have these furiously efficient machines careening down America's highways, byways, and sidewalks within two years.'-------------------------------------------
Radio LabourStart, the new online radio station brought to you by LabourStart.
Labor Paeans By Jody Kolodzey, In These Times
Today, Local 1000’s membership roster reads like a who’s who of the political folk world, from stalwarts such as Joe Glazer, U. Utah Phillips and Pete Seeger to relative newcomers such as Ani DiFranco, Pat Humphries, Joe Jencks and Laura Love.
In some ways, McCutcheon says, Local 1000 is “the most telling thing that’s happening in labor music today. I mean, everybody that’s involved in labor music, number one, is a member, and at least as important is the difference it has made in people who never knew or thought about labor unions at all, and all of a sudden are passionate about the AFM.
Labor Arts Collections
Description: LABOR ARTS is a virtual museum; we gather, identify and display images of the cultural artifacts of working people and their organizations. Our mission is to present powerful images that help us understand the past and present lives of working people.-------------------------------------------
U.S. Delegation: Canadian Government Should 'Stay the Course' On Softwood Lumber, Letting International Challenges Prove Canada's Case Source: American Consumers for Affordable Homes
Bobby Rayburn, President of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), asserted that its members continue to support free trade in softwood lumber between the U.S. and Canada. 'NAHB opposes tariffs, quotas, and other restrictive border measures because they cause artificial price increases and volatile swings in the lumber market, both of which hurt housing affordability,' he said. 'Lumber is the biggest, single materials cost for producing new homes, and is critical to the price of a home, as well as remodeling costs and costs for other lumber using processes.'
'We have historically had to import at least a third of our domestic lumber needs from Canada in order to have the quality and quantity of lumber required for home construction or remodeling,' said Don DeGroot, NLBMDA board member who is president of R.E. Sweeney Lumber Company in Fort Worth, Texas. 'We are deeply concerned that new quotas would only add to price instability in the market and restrict access to Canadian softwood which is demanded by our customers,' he added. 'A quota is just another word for tax, and our dealers must pass this unfair tax on to our customers, American home builders and buyers.'
Lumber tariffs have resulted in higher lumber costs in the U.S., reflecting what amounts to a 27 percent tax on consumers. It is estimated that these tariffs could add as much as $1,000 (U.S.) to the price of a new home, thus excluding as many as 300,000 U.S. households from mortgage eligibility. This is especially harmful to first-time homebuyers.-------------------------------------------
Christian soldier Bush swears by the Lord By Lawrence Martin, AxisofLogic/ Canada
Though it wasn't publicized at the time, Prime Minister Paul Martin got a sense of that sanctimony when he met with Mr. Bush in early January in Mexico. Mr. Bush let the Prime Minister know that he believed himself to be on the side of God and tending to God's mission.
The Canadian side, while aware of the President's penchant for religiosity, had been expecting to talk more about softwood lumber than the Ten Commandments. The Canadians didn't expect the morality play. Nor did they expect that, almost in the same breath, Mr. Bush would be filling the air with the f-word and other saucy expletives of the type that would surely leave the Lord perturbed. Nor did they anticipate a pointed attack on French President 'Jack Cheerack,' as Mr. Bush called him, for his views on the Middle East.-------------------------------------------
Union quits Labour over rival party links By MURDO MACLEOD, Scotsman.com
ONE of the UK’s biggest unions yesterday severed its links with the Labour party, ending an alliance that had lasted more than a century and signalling one of the biggest rifts in the movement for decades.
The Rail, Maritime & Transport Union (RMT) refused to back down in a row with Labour over allowing its branches to affiliate to other political parties, including the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP).
Teamsters' Rail Victory in Canada Adds 2,800 Trainmen, Builds Unity PRNewswire, IBT
International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa today hailed an election victory that adds 2,800 trainmen to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference while preserving 1,700 engineers who were the target of a raid by another union.-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, February 07, 2004 ::Rebuilt head of unidentified N.B. corpse yields tantalizing clues By CHRIS MORRIS
One news organization received a tip advising that the reconstructed head looks a lot like former U.S. union leader Jimmy Hoffa, who vanished in Michigan in 1975.
Hoffa was declared dead in 1983, but no trace of his body has ever been found.
Although the reconstruction does bear a resemblance to the controversial Teamsters leader, Blinn dismissed the suggestion.
'It's not Hoffa,' he said.-------------------------------------------
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers! By SUE MONTGOMERY, Montreal Gazette
Bravo to the workers at Wal-Mart in Jonquire, north of Quebec City, who have chosen to go head-to-head with the world's largest company in their bid to unionize. If successful, they'll be the only card-carrying Wal-Mart union members on the continent, although, unfortunately, I think they'd have a better chance of improving their lives if they pooled their measly pay cheques and bought lottery tickets.-------------------------------------------
eBay item 3271217373 (Ends Feb-07-04 19:47:01 PST) - 1930's union machinist oak tool box 7 drawer
current bid $108.50
eBay item 3658585159 (Ends Feb-08-04 12:40:30 PST) - 1940'S PIN BACK "Employment for Labor - A Full Dinner Bucket"
current bid $26.00
eBay item 2594043509 (Ends Feb-07-04 23:42:08 PST) - *UNION YES*HAT PIN*
starting bid $2.95
Ron has more Millwright Pins are available at Millwright.com-------------------------------------------
Building & Construction Trades Dept. President Edward Sullivan Calls on All Fifteen Affiliated Trades Unions to Unite Behind U.S. Senator John Kerry's Candidacy PRNewswire
In a letter delivered to each General President, Sullivan stated, "Until now, I deliberately avoided taking any position on behalf of the Building Trades because there were several candidates garnering labor support and no early unanimity had been reached ... There were several solid candidates whom we respect and admire for their support of union issues. But, I believe it is now clear that one candidate, U.S. Senator John Kerry, has emerged as the strongest and best equipped to secure both the Democratic nomination and the Presidency of the United States."-------------------------------------------
So far, labor's a shrinking giant By Lawrence M. O'Rourke
'Labor leaders have less influence as their members become more independent,' said Jack Holmes, a political scientist at Hope College in Holland, Mich. 'But they're united in wanting to get Bush out of the White House, and they know that the Democratic candidate has to carry Michigan to win the election.'
One of Kerry's strongest labor supporters, Harold Schaitberger, president of the 265,000-member firefighters union, predicted that AFL-CIO leaders would by next month throw their support behind Kerry's candidacy and would work until November for his election.-------------------------------------------
Voting for President — who will win Canada? by Kaj Hasselriis, rabble news
U.S. Senator John Kerry is steamrolling through the Democratic primaries, winning almost every state — but can he win Canada?
This Sunday, he'll find out. Democrats living north of the border will pick their man at the Canadian caucus in Toronto and send up to two delegates to the Democratic National Convention in July. In total, Democrats living outside the United States get nine votes at the convention.
Joe Green, the chair of Democrats Abroad Canada, says the early favourite is “ABB — Anyone but Bush.”-------------------------------------------
'Electability Factor' Enables Kerry to Win LaborTalk, By Harry Kelber
Kerry's Iowa victory gave him the momentum to win in New Hampshire and establish himself as the front-runner for the nomination.
The 700,000-member Communications Workers of America has endorsed Kerry, and it is quite likely that many of the forty international unions that have thus far made no endorsements will jump on the Kerry bandwagon.
Unlike Dean, Kerry has not emphasized labor issues or said much about unions, nor does he share labor's views on trade. AFL-CIO leaders have not had as close an association with him as they had with Gephardt.
However, labor is united on one goal: to oust George Bush from the White House, and Kerry appears the most likely candidate to do so.-------------------------------------------
Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Contemplating Presidential Candidate Endorsement Source: Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights
Walter R. Mabry, Executive Secretary/Treasurer, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC) stated today that the MRCC is not, at this time, endorsing any candidate for the 2004 Presidential election in November. However, Mr. Mabry contends that he has not yet given up on President George W. Bush.
'There are many different views among the members of the MRCC on the issue of Presidential endorsement,' stated Mabry. 'Any decision on the Presidential campaign will occur at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in Washington, D.C.'
Candidates woo, unions listen as campaign dust settles By John Nichols
Kerry has also earned backing from a number of powerful union groupings in Michigan, where caucuses will be held Saturday. The 157,000-member Michigan Education Association is for him, as are United Auto Workers union Region 1D, the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and the West Michigan Building Trades Association.
Unions begin to back Kerry By Tom Ramstack, Washington Times
However, other organized labor representatives see weaknesses in the difference of opinions.
"I don't think the [AFL-CIO] has been firing on all eight cylinders," said Rich Bond, a lobbyist for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. "Right now, they lack punch."-------------------------------------------
Bush orders panel to study prewar intelligence BY RAFAEL LORENTE
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, for example, apparently did not read footnotes in an intelligence report that cast doubt on allegations about Hussein's nuclear weapons program.
And Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in September 2002 said Hussein had 'amassed large clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons.' But the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's own intelligence arm, had said that very month that there was ' no reliable information on whether Iraq (was) producing and stockpiling chemical weapons.'
Asked about it this week, Rumsfeld told the Senate: 'I'm sure I never saw that piece of intelligence.'-------------------------------------------
Trade unions rip Bush policies By Tom Ramstack, Washington Times
Union leaders said, however, that the plan is a revamped version of long-standing Bush administration policies intended to improve his image but doing little to retain American jobs.
"It was more duct tape," said Mr. Trumka, during a speech at the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat and House Minority leader, said, "The best way to create jobs is simple, to fire George Bush as president."-------------------------------------------
Home Depot Teams Up with AARP for Workers By Karen Jacobs, Reuters
Home Depot Inc. said on Friday it was teaming up with AARP, a membership group for Americans 50 and older, to recruit workers for full- and part-time jobs.
Atlanta-based Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, has more than 1,700 stores and plans to hire about 35,000 workers this year.
Under the program, AARP would train workers and help them apply for Home Depot positions in plumbing, landscaping, kitchen and bath and other areas.-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, February 06, 2004 ::Gaming company enhances its offer By Martin Van Der Werf
A rowdy group of supporters, many of them members of the carpenters union, held signs and cheered loudly for the Pinnacle project.
'We want work,' said Terry Nelson, the executive secretary of the Carpenters Council of Greater St. Louis & Vicinity. 'This particular Pinnacle proposal will generate millions of man-hours for my members.'
The Pinnacle plan picked up the support of state Rep. Pat Yaeger, D-South County. She said the casino would have an annual economic impact of about $28 million and would clean up the badly polluted area.-------------------------------------------
Spying, training to fight the union By Bloomberg News
Wal-Mart is so concerned about the union that it assigns a Union Probability Index, or U.P.I., to each store based on an anonymous survey of employees, says Stan Fortune, 47, a 17-year Wal-Mart veteran who now works for the UFCW's Wal-Mart team.
Williams says U.P.I. actually stands for Unresolved People Issues. If the U.P.I. gets high enough, Wal-Mart sends in a special team to root out the union, Fortune says. He spent three months on a similar assignment in Las Vegas in 1997, he says.
Williams says that Wal-Mart has an 'HR team' of about 10 people that flies around the country. Its purpose is to teach employees about labor law and how to abide by it, she says.
Jon Lehman, a former store manager who's with the union now, says Wal-Mart has a 60-foot-by-60-foot room at its headquarters in which two dozen people with headsets monitor calls and e-mails from stores to see whether anyone is talking about union organizing.-------------------------------------------
Store Worker Finds Box of Human Skulls By THOMAS J. SHEERAN, AP
Human skulls encased in ceramic have been found among clay pots, baseballs and other items purchased at auction by an Ohio discount store chain.
The trail of the 12 skulls has led to Florida and Peru.
A warehouse employee of the Marc's chain found them while looking through a box purchased at auction Jan. 15 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A figurine fell and broke, disclosing a skull enshrouded in ceramic.-------------------------------------------
Federation Calls for a Public Inquiry into Trades Training Scandal BC Fed news release
"The new Safety Standards Act regulations throws the door wide open for non-skilled and semi-skilled workers to do the work of compulsory trades. The new system will not allow for verification of qualifications of workers on the job by municipal and provincial inspectors," said Sinclair.
When the new regulations come into effect April 1, 2004, the responsibility for ensuring that properly qualified trades people are working on job sites will be solely in the hands of the employer and no longer in the hands of our government, he noted.
Fudged apprenticeship marks … and more put worker and public safety at risk CUPE BC
BURNABY – The president of BC’s largest union is calling for a Public Inquiry into scandals surrounding the once-proud BC Apprenticeship Program and the new Safety Standards Act in light of the firing of Phil Turpin, manager of the Industry Training Centre in Burnaby, for allegedly inflating marks of apprenticeship program participants.
In addition, Barry O’Neill says, “It is pretty clear that the government’s plans to put new training and safety systems in place are going off the rails.”
O’Neill insists that there is much more to investigate. Why are so many employers, construction associations and municipalities opposed to these new programs? Is worker access to apprenticeship programs being restricted because of recent changes and how can we change that? “We need answers and we need a Public Inquiry.” says O’Neill.-------------------------------------------
Hey Harry, Get Out the Dead Worker Template Again Confined Space
(Name) or 'An unidentified worker' (age __) was killed today when a (x foot deep) trench collapsed on top of him. The worker was dead when rescue personnel arrived.
(Name), owner of (company) said he couldn't be more sad about the death of (name). 'My workers are like family to me. This is just a terrible loss, and terrible shock.' He added that he couldn't figure out for the life of him how this could have happened. (Supervisor) said that (dead worker) was told not to go down into that trench. 'I don't know what made him go down there,' (supervisor) said.
(Mayor's name) praised the local fire and rescue department for their swift response. 'It's just too bad that they were too late.' He added, however, that during his administration, the fire and rescue department was able to purchase (name of equipment) and (name of equipment) which it has utilized in several other local trench tragedies this year.
(Dead Worker) had (number) children. His co-workers considered him to be (choose adjective: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean or reverent). 'He was the greatest, most loving guy,' said (co-worker). 'We're really going to miss him.'"-------------------------------------------
Articles about the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) By Mike Pesa
I am a senior history major at Kent State with a passion for labor justice. In Fall 2003, I participated in an internship through the New York City UnionSemester program, which temporarily places students with an NYC labor union from 9 to 5 (or in my case 8 to 4) and also includes evening classes on U.S. Labor History, Contemporary Labor Issues, and a credit-optional class on New York City Culture and Politics. I was placed with the New York City District Council of Carpenters, a unit representing ten locals affiliated with the national ( some Canadians) United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC). Apparently the Carpenters wanted me because they needed someone with writing abilities to work on their magazine. While I did that, and many other miscellaneous tasks, I took in everything I could about the union and how it functioned. I didn't like a lot of what I saw, but I also found plenty of potential for positive change. Below are some documents I wrote about the Carpenters, based on my first hand knowledge, as well as the testimony of some dissident members from Carpenters for a Democratic Union and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the latter of which I am a member. I hope that student labor activists, frustrated workers, and union reformers find this information useful. Despite my use of satire and humor throughout much of my writing, I want to emphasize that this is not a website for armchair radicals to get off on and do nothing about it. The words that follow are intended for people who take the rank and file workers of the building trades seriously and want to struggle side by side with them as equals.
In time, I hope to expand this site to include be a much more extensive labor website, with the Carpenters page being only one part of it. I also hope to use this site to start building a project I am working on for the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), that I call 'Labor and the Environment'. Please check back every so often for updates, and email me at mpesa@kent.edu if you have any comments or ideas.
In Solidarity,
Mike Pesa, Feb. 03, 2004-------------------------------------------
PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD By William G. Krizan, McGraw-Hill Construction | ENR
Industry Sounds Warnings Over Corrosive Effect on Steel
Health concerns that started over the use of wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) on playgrounds has triggered a revolution in wood treatment. As of Jan. 1, CCA-treated wood only will be allowed for certain industrial uses. In its place are no fewer than four substitute treatments that use other chemicals. But some wood experts now are concerned that builders, specifiers and purchasers are unaware of the higher corrosive properties of some treated wood when selecting metal connectors and fasteners.-------------------------------------------
Toxic Metal Detected at Uranium Plant by NANCY ZUCKERBROD, AP
The toxic metal beryllium has been detected in everyday production equipment at one of two government uranium plants, and it could be sickening plant workers, Energy Department officials said Thursday.
The beryllium was discovered last month in aluminum blades used to produce enriched uranium at the plant in Piketon, Ohio, said William Murphie, the Energy Department official who oversees cleanup efforts at the Ohio nuclear facility and a plant in Paducah, Ky.-------------------------------------------
Alleged Union-Buster Expands in South By Marty Logan, IPS
Dogged by allegations that it persecutes its workers who back labour unions in Canada and overseas, one of North America's largest shirt-makers is set to expand its Latin American and Caribbean workforce by 50 percent by 2008.
Montreal-based Gildan Activewear unveiled the plans at its annual shareholders meeting Wednesday, just days after agreeing to an independent audit of a Honduras plant where labour activists say more than 100 workers have been fired for unionising activities.-------------------------------------------
Minnesota union officer visits striking Utah miners BY ANNE CARROLL, The Militant
HUNTINGTON, Utah—Two important solidarity events for the Utah miners on strike here against CW Mining will take place the first weekend of February. One is a February 6 benefit for the miners in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 789 union hall. The next day, a labor rally and other activities will take place here.
The St. Paul meeting will feature a report back from Ben Miller, organizer and field agent for the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of the Carpenters and Joiners union. Miller visited Utah at the end of January to get a firsthand feel for the four-and-a-half-month union-organizing struggle of the Co-Op coal miners.-------------------------------------------
Union excluded from death inquiry panel By AMY WIMMER SCHWARB
CRYSTAL RIVER - The union that represents 1,900 Progress Energy Florida workers will not have a seat on a company committee that is investigating last week's death of a power plant employee.
W.O. 'Butch' Enyard, a manager with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Crystal River, said the union is usually included in such in-house inquiries. While workers who witnessed or had some other role in the accident will be interviewed by the investigative committee, the union will not have an official role in Progress Energy Florida's probe into the death of Bill Bowers.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, February 05, 2004 ::2004 OSHA Outlook for Small Business: More Workplace Injuries, New Mandatory Forms PRNewswire
Workplace safety and labor law experts at G.Neil Corp. advise U.S. small businesses to expect more employee injuries in 2004, and to make sure they are using the legally correct OSHA forms for recording them.
Smaller firms must be prepared, says Christopher Lindekugel, G.Neil's compliance director, or run the risk of OSHA fines, employee medical bills and workers' compensation costs.
'When workers are well-trained and know what they're doing, the injury rate is lower because their knowledge and experience reduce the risk of danger,' he explained. 'As the economy grows, there will be more and more people performing unfamiliar jobs, so the risk of accidents and injuries will be much greater.'-------------------------------------------
Work casualties spur plan for safety group on safety By CHIP MARTIN, London Free Press
Alarmed at a sharp increase in construction worker deaths and at workplace dangers in Ontario, Labour Minister Chris Bentley moved yesterday to create a health and safety action group. The group will find and implement best workplace practices in a bid to reduce deaths and injuries, Bentley said. He is consulting representatives of government, labour, business and safety organizations.-------------------------------------------
This Little Piggy Whores for Markets by Nick Schou, ORANGE COUNTY WEEKLY
Except for several hundred striking grocery workers and a few dozen police officers, the parking lot of the Vons supermarket near Long Beach’s Traffic Circle was empty on Jan. 28. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union protest featured music, speeches and chants of "One Day Longer, One Day Stronger!" Nonetheless, more than a dozen strikers and union officials prostrated themselves on the pavement in front of the store entrance—fists clenched in the air—until police carted them off to jail.
No shopper attempted to cross the picket line. And unless you were a striker or a cop, you probably haven’t heard about the protest until now.
The next day’s Los Angeles Times carried nary a word about the demonstration. Instead, Times editors that day ran a joint editorial by Brian P. Simpson, an assistant professor at San Diego’s National University, and Elan Journo, a writer with the rabidly anti-union Ayn Rand Institute.
Under the headline "Union Packs Unfair Punch in Grocery Strike," Journo and Simpson blamed the strike on a U.S. labor law that allows workers the right to strike against their employers. "Why can’t the stores fire the strikers and end the dispute?" the article asked. "Because they are forced by law to deal with the union. That coercive power of the union is a gross violation of the employers’ and workers’ rights."-------------------------------------------
Canadians to Bush: Hope You Lose, Eh By JONATHON GATEHOUSE, Macleans
According to a new poll, only 15 per cent of us would vote for the President
MAYBE IT'S THAT SMUG LITTLE SMILE. His penchant for fantastically expensive military photo-ops. Or the swaggering, belt-hitching walk that cries out for a pair of swinging saloon doors. And though, God knows, we have too many of our own syntactically challenged politicians to be casting stones, shouldn't the leader of the free world know that 'misunderestimate' isn't a word? Yes, we're cavilling, but clearly there is something about George W. Bush that gets under the skin of Canadians. After all, vehemently disagreeing with the policies of American presidents is almost a national pastime. There has to be another explanation for our extreme reaction, the desire afoot in the land to see him turfed from office. That and the unprintable sentiment about him and the horse he rode in on.-------------------------------------------
The Secretary of Labor Is the Enemy of Labor by David Moberg
By law, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is required "to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States." Given her record, American workers might want to make a symbolic citizens' arrest of the secretary for breaking the law.
At the moment, Chao's prime offense is promotion of changes in overtime pay rules. They would deprive an estimated 8 million workers - such as secretaries, sales representatives, and medical or legal workers - of their right to time-and-a-half premium pay when they work more than 40 hours a week. Last month, Chao testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee that only 644,000 workers would lose that protection. But Economic Policy Institute economist Jared Bernstein explained how the Labor Department ignored large groups of affected workers to come up with its inaccurate, low-ball number.-------------------------------------------
Advanced education minister’s haste to dismantle trades training system has damaged B.C.’s national reputation bcgeu.ca release
(Vancouver) The leader of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union said today that the firing of the acting manager of the Industry Training Centre for allegedly upgrading individuals’ marks on trades certification tests signals a significant deterioration in the apprenticeship training system, under the helm of Advanced Education Minister Shirley Bond.
BCGEU President George Heyman charged that Bond’s “poorly thought-out agenda” for dismantling the former Industry Training and Apprenticeship Commission had already caused “discomfort at a national level” and uncertainty about whether B.C. could maintain good standing for national Red Seal trades qualification and safety standards.
“This latest development gravely affects B.C.’s national credibility when it comes to guaranteeing the professional level of trades training that allows workers to get jobs in other provinces,” said Heyman.-------------------------------------------
Efforts launched to help builders, others 'go green' Source: Journal of Business; Spokane
Skilled trades
Although WSU-Spokane is graduating 30 to 40 architecture and engineering students a year who've had exposure to sustainable design and construction, it won't do the region much good if the building industry can't execute those designs, Wavada says.
That's the reasoning behind a new training program that will be launched in the spring by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, a regional organization that has a chapter here. Using a $10,000 grant from Spokane's Foundation Northwest, the guild will devise short training sessions in green-building techniques and technologies, such as how to install a radiant-heat floor system, that will be offered to plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and others, Wavada says.
'We'll work with community colleges and union apprenticeship programs to integrate (the new programs) into their existing training,' he says.-------------------------------------------
Human error cited in fatal crane accident By Pervaiz Shallwani
OSHA did not issue citations in the accident, but cited violations, including failure to keep a 10-foot separation from power lines, lack of proper warnings on equipment and no engineering survey for the project.
Throughout the United States in 2001, 14 crane and tower operators died on the job, according to the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2002, 128 workers died from contact with overhead power lines.-------------------------------------------
:: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 ::New Overtime Rules Mean Price Drop for Shows at Philadelphia Convention Center By Marcia Gelbart, The Philadelphia Inquirer
So far, anecdotes from unions, building officials and association planners suggest that there are conflicting views about whether the agreement is improving Philadelphia's image as a labor-friendly town.
Behaviorial issues remain, from one or two fistfights that have broken out in recent months among the workers, to a private meeting that had to be held just last week between the center's chief executive officer and carpenters' union officials about who decides which individual workers are assigned to conventions.
Ed Coryell Sr., business manger for the carpenters' union -- the last holdouts to the agreement -- would not comment for this story.-------------------------------------------
Migrants in floating Buick reported sent back to Cuba, car sunk BY VANESSA BAUZA
HAVANA - Three Cuban families' hopes of puttering to South Florida in a green, 1959 propeller-powered Buick were dashed Wednesday when the tail-finned, floating car was sunk, just like their first ingeniously engineered amphibious vessel, a 1951 Chevy truck rigged to a pontoon of 55-gallon drums, an exile source said.
Photos of '59 Buick 4-dr hard-top (with original V-8)-------------------------------------------
Teck Cominco News Release
An explosion inside the KIVCET lead furnace at the company's Trail Operations at 6:45 pm, Monday, February 2, 2004 did not result in any injuries to employees.
The explosion has caused extensive damage to the boiler system however the lead furnace appears to be intact. An estimate of the extent of the damage, cost of repair and the time required for repair will not be available for several days, until a full investigation has been completed.-------------------------------------------
AFL-CIO Refuses to “Clear the Air” on Foreign Policy, Operations By Kim Scipes, LaborNotes
A report now circulating on the results of an October 14, 2003 meeting in Oakland between the California State AFL-CIO and AFL-CIO International Affairs leaders shows that national AFL-CIO leaders have not accepted a California labor initiative to reveal the federation's role in past and current foreign operations.
This meeting was the outcome of a process that began in 1998 with an effort by labor activists in the San Jose, California area to demand that the AFL-CIO 'clear the air' about its involvement in events leading up to a 1973 coup that overthrew the elected government of Chile.-------------------------------------------
Union jobs tough to find in building trades By MICHAEL E. KANELL, AJC
Manual labor for residential housing, which has boomed right through the economic downturn, is generally done by lower-paid, nonunion workers. The higher-paid organized workers depend on big projects -- commercial, industrial and government work.
That type of construction has dropped roughly 20 percent nationally, according to the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.
No question, organized labor costs more. That is compensation, they argue, for doing sometimes dangerous work, for careers often shortened by wear and tear.-------------------------------------------
OLMSTED DAM PROJECT TO CREATE 250 JOBS BY KEVIN MCKELVEY
The Olmsted Locks and Dam construction project is set to hire about 250 local operators, carpenters, iron workers and laborers, as work begins on the construction of the dam itself.
After the first year, the project will need only 50 to 75 craftsmen. Many of the jobs will be seasonal, since work can only be done in the river during the low-water months, June to November.
The Army Corps of Engineers recently awarded the $564 million contract to build the dam to the Washington Group of Boise, Idaho and to Alberici Construction of St. Louis. The entire project, including the demolition of Locks and Dam 52 and 53, is expected to be finished by 2014.-------------------------------------------
Foundry castoffs at crossroads By Sherry Slater, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
About 75 union members were thrown out of work when Cognati, formerly known as Sterling Casting Corp., closed in late September. Twenty more workers who were already on layoff lost hope they would be called back to the foundry, which manufactured gray iron manifold castings for the boating industry.
Many of the workers don't have health insurance, some have chronic diseases, and many don't have high school diplomas.-------------------------------------------
Michigan Set to Review New Standards That Will Reduce Electrical Fires PRNewswire/ National Association of State Fire Marshals
In the past year, a strong coalition of local groups including the Michigan Chapters of Electrical Inspectors and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), along with numerous fire service organizations, have blocked previous attempts by the Michigan Homebuilders Association to remove AFCIs from the new codes. State and national fire experts agree that AFCIs will prevent many of the 73,000 residential electrical fires that occur annually in the United States and reduce the risk to life and property.-------------------------------------------
CWA Gives $100,000 to Support Striking California Grocery Workers PRNewswire/ The Communications Workers of America
"Their fight is our fight," CWA President Morton Bahr said. "The grocery chains are among many profitable companies that are slashing health benefits for working families across the country. There's no question that health care costs are rising, but simply shifting more costs to workers does nothing to fix the problem."
State AG sues grocery chains over aid pact Sacramento Business Journal
The suit includes claims against Food 4 Less, a chain owned by Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co., which is not embroiled in the Southern California labor fight that began in October but was a part of the Mutual Strike Assistance Agreement.
It also accuses the Kroger-owned Ralphs chain, Albertson's Inc. of Boise, Idaho, and Pleasanton-based Safeway Inc. -- which owns Vons and Pavilions stores -- of antitrust violations.-------------------------------------------
:: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 ::Federal-Mogul sends shivers through Greenville By Cami Reister, Grand Rapids Press
'They are asking us for significant concessions in health care, wages, retirement and prescription drugs,' said Gary Christensen, president of United Auto Workers Local 1158, one of two UAW unions representing the Greenville workers.-------------------------------------------
Plumbing the Depths by Tom Robbins, The Village Voice
Plumbing is a tough and crucial trade, and those who master it and hold a union card can earn some $42 an hour. But despite their standing in labor's aristocracy, for the past year the 5,800 members of the union representing New York City's plumbers have been on the defensive and in turmoil as a result of a bribery scandal and a widening investigation.
The scandal stems from the arrests last June of three plumbers' union officials who were charged with taking bribes from a contractor working at Staten Island University Hospital. The officials allegedly collected more than $60,000 in bribes in exchange for allowing the builder to save more than $1 million by not making payments to the union's benefit funds. The arrests came at the same time that investigators from the state attorney general's office were probing corruption allegations surrounding the purchase and construction of a multimillion-dollar training center built by the union in Long Island City.-------------------------------------------
Union Leader Paid Like a Corporate Boss posted: Infoshop News
The phenomenon of overripe compensation at the UFCW starts with International President Douglas Dority, whose $329,792 made him the best-paid president among the AFL-CIO's 64 member unions in 2002. That's the case even though the UFCW is only the fifth-biggest union in the AFL-CIO and its members, whose dues provide the funds for its lavish payroll, are generally part-time hourly workers in a low-paying industry.
The UFCW bureaucracy is so well-treated that Icaza, the top-earning local president among the seven Southland leaders involved in the supermarket dispute, collected a better salary in 2002 than did the international presidents of the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, Communications Workers of America and Teamsters unions.-------------------------------------------
Leave No Worker Behind By Ruth Rosen, San Francisco Chronicle
'It's a race to the bottom,' said Hernandez, as she wheeled her sleeping daughter in her stroller. 'If we 70,000 workers don't get decent wages and health-care benefits, some of us will end up on welfare and most of us will use the public-health-care system. And who's going to pay for all these public services? The taxpayers, of course! Well, I don't want to live like that. Why shouldn't our employer pay a living wage and health benefits so that we can retain our dignity as workers?'-------------------------------------------
Alcan CEO calls on unionized workers to open dialogue over seized plant By DAVID PADDON, CP
The head of Alcan Inc. said Monday he's concerned about safety at one of the company's Quebec aluminum smelters, which has been taken over by unionized workers.
"You have to remember these are facilities that use very, very high levels of power, millions of amperes of electricity, molten metal," Travis Engen said after a speech to a Toronto business lunch.
While the unionized workers have done well operating the smelter at Jonquiere, Que., on their own since taking it over last week to protest plans to close it this spring, affecting 550 jobs, Alcan management is still responsible for the facility, he said.
Falconbridge CEO eyes provincial help to settle strike in Sudbury, Ont. By STEVE ERWIN, CP
In a message posted on the CAW local's website, the union said the company's stance on contracting work at Nickel Rim is 'meant to lull the membership into a sense of security.
'The language they propose is wide open for abuse, and this company has shown over the past three years that they have no problem abusing the language in the collective agreement,' the union said.-------------------------------------------
Y-NH union alters resignation policy By Mary E. O’Leary
John Cotter, spokesman for the Hartford office of the National Labor Relations Board, said the union’s policy requiring members to explain their request to a union committee, was illegal.
Cotter said union members have a right "to resign at will," and only have to serve notice of their decision to the leadership.-------------------------------------------
Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on the Bush Administration's 2005 Budget Proposal
In order to pay for these tax giveaways to millionaires, the Bush budget cuts funding for worker protection and safety training programs, severely underfunds highway and mass transit projects that could stimulate job growth and fails to provide meaningful solutions to the continuing loss of good jobs.-------------------------------------------
:: Monday, February 02, 2004 ::Sweeney Calls for Worker Rights in Iraq By Harry Kelber, Labor Educator
AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney reaffirmed 'the need for a multilateral approach for the reconstruction of Iraq and its transition to democratic rule' after a meeting with U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan on Jan. 22, attended by leaders of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).
'The rebuilding of Iraq and the introduction of democratic self-rule will only succeed if the Iraqi people themselves have a major role and responsibility in the reconstruction process rather than being alienated from it,' Sweeney said.-------------------------------------------
Union Representative Access to Employer Property I Labor and the Law, IRRA
In Lechmere, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the union organizers had no legal right to enter an employer’s property to talk with workers about unionization. Recent cases suggest this is not a blanket prohibition. Rather, its dimension depends on the property laws of the state where the jobsite is and the status of the union representatives.
In a recent case, a non-union general contractor hired a union subcontractor whose collective bargaining agreement contained a union-access clause. When union representatives went to the jobsite, the general contractor's superintendent ordered them to leave. The general contractor contended that its property interests let it exclude the union representatives. However, the Court of Appeals held that the contractor could not interfere with the union representatives’ protected activity relating to the union subcontractor and its employees in the name of private property interests. The court held that union access was necessary so the subcontractor's employees could enjoy the benefit of their collective bargaining agreement and their rights to representation guaranteed by the NLRA. Wolgast Corp. v. NLRB, ___ F.3d ___ (6th Cir. 2003)-------------------------------------------
SHIPYARDS OF DEATH The Advertiser, Australia
As an apprentice Geoff Pope used to have 'snowball' fights with his mates using handfuls of asbestos as they worked in the BHP shipyards at Whyalla.
Now he has inoperable lung cancer and relies on morphine to quell the pain in his chest. Some of his mates have already died.
They are among the hundreds of shipbuilders who are dead or seriously ill after years of exposure to asbestos in the former shipyards.-------------------------------------------
His Family Tree Is Built With Metal By Jessica DuLong, Newsday
Peddle explains the hierarchy: 'Ironworkers like to think we're the elite of construction workers. The raising gang is the elite of the ironworkers, and the connector is the elite of the raising gang.' He worries this might come off as cocky but confesses cockiness is part of the tradition. It keeps ironworkers striving to do their best.
Because they erect the structures upon which all other work takes place, the raising gang sets the pace of a job.
'Because of the connector, the bolter-up has work, the electrician has work. ... All the other trades are working on what I built,' Peddle says.-------------------------------------------
Employers Put Workers First, Succeed By CECIL JOHNSON, The Ledger
Among the worker benefits at SAS: an on-site, subsidized Montessori day-care program for employees' children, flexible work hours, unlimited sick days, 'kids' days' off to attend to sick children or important events, a seven-hour workday, a cafeteria with booster seats and high chairs and a round-the-clock free health center with 11 familynurse practitioners, three familypractice physicians, two nutritionists, 10 nurses, a psychotherapist and two physical therapists.
Price of doing business with Wal-Mart is high By Dan Gillmor, Mercury News
Let me say it up front: I don't like Wal-Mart.
The virulently anti-union retailer pays low wages and offers poor benefits for a company of its size and profitability. When employees who can't afford its health insurance have serious health problems, the public ends up footing the bill for their care, the Los Angeles Times reported in a recent series about Wal-Mart's oversize impact. In effect, our taxes subsidize the Wal-Marts of our nation.-------------------------------------------
IT'S WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION (OR LOOTERS) By LINDA STASI, Op/Ed - New York Post
So, let me get this straight: WMD doesn't stand for weapons of mass destruction, as some have suggested, but for weapons of mass deception?
No, insists National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. She suggested last week that it may in fact be the Iraqi looters who were to blame for the WMD's disappearance.
Blair and Bush up for Nobel prize BBC NEWS
Tony Blair and George Bush have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for waging war on Saddam Hussein.
The pair have been put forward by a Norwegian politician who said toppling the Iraqi dictator had reduced the threat of weapons of mass destruction.-------------------------------------------
:: Sunday, February 01, 2004 ::Safeway may oust CEO By Michael Liedtke, AP
SAN FRANCISCO -- Safeway Inc. chairman Steve Burd, a strong-willed chief executive who once ordered his supermarket workers to be cheerful, has little to smile about.
His slumping company is embroiled in a costly 3-month-old grocery strike in Southern California, where he is vilified by labor leaders, and his support is slipping on Wall Street. Nearly two-thirds of Safeway's market value has evaporated in the past three years, wiping out more than $20 billion in shareholder wealth.-------------------------------------------
Ferraris, golf trips and fat pensions By DOUGLAS FEIDEN, nydailynews
Sleazy labor leaders live high on hog as members struggle to earn a weekly wage
'Two words: It stinks,' said Jim McGough, director of the dissident Laborers for Justice. 'Honest, hardworking members pay their dues straight into the pockets of crooks.'
The Carpenters, whose last four leaders faced corruption charges, lavish Forde with $216,442 in annual wages, up 15% since his indictment in 2000. Several outraged members told the Daily News that union brass requested donations of $25 to $500 to fund his criminal defense.
'It's called coercion when the people who control if you work or not ask you to give them money,' said Gene Clark, a Bronx carpenter, union insurgent and member of Carpenters Local 608 for 45 years.
While 24 of his co-defendants have pleaded guilty, Forde, 49, has maintained his innocence; after lengthy delays, a tentative trial date of Feb. 26 has been set.-------------------------------------------
Labor Secretary Has Her Hours Cut The Onion, satire
'I sorta knew what was up when President Bush called me into the Oval Office, and Chief Brownnose was standing there beside him with this bogus sad look on his face,' said Chao, referring to Card by the derogatory nickname reportedly used by the members of the White House staff. 'The president said he was real sorry, but he either had to cut my hours or let me go. What could I do? I need the job.'
Chao inhaled on her cigarette and added: 'God, and I'm still making payments on that stupid rear-projection television.'-------------------------------------------
Labour Website of the Year LabourStart
Voting for the 7th annual Labour Website of the Year has ended.
In this year's competition, 5,533 votes were cast for 468 trade union websites around the world.
The winning site belongs to CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, with 688 votes. Our congratulations to CUPE, which is the first Canadian site ever to win the Labour Website of the Year.-------------------------------------------
California Measure Would Align Building Rules With Feng Shui By PATRICIA LEIGH BROWN
SAN FRANCISCO — With a budget deficit of about $14 billion, California could use a major infusion of positive energy.
So it may be appropriate timing that in this most Asian of mainland American regions, State Assemblyman Leland Y. Yee, Democrat of San Francisco, has introduced a resolution that urges the California Building Standards Commission to adopt standards that would aid feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of promoting health, harmony and prosperity through the environment.-------------------------------------------
Looking out for the working man By Kathy Heicher, Vail Daily
In this valley, where the trend seems to be that any person who can swing a hammer can declare themselves a carpenter, trade unions aren't a dominant factor on the labor scene.
Still, there have been labor activists in the valley for decades, and trade unions do have a historical presence, particularly on larger commercial and public projects. During the building boom of the 1970s, union leaders say, they could man a big commercial job in the valley with all local union hands. Jim Gleason, president of the Mountain West Regional Council of Carpenters, says he remembers a time when there were four or five different carpenter's unions on the Western Slope; and 30 to 40 percent of the carpenters working in the area were union affiliated.-------------------------------------------
The worst cars of all time By Dan Lienert, Forbes - MSNBC
A look at the lemons before the automaking revolution
Douglas J. McCarron, the Edsel of Organized Labor cartoon
-------------------------------------------
Transfer of case involving alleged kickbacks is sought Indy Star
Ihle was charged last week with creating phony records for Olympic Services, which prosecutors said was a bogus business that laundered kickback money from the Northwest Indiana District Council of Carpenters' 1999 purchase of 55 acres for a development in Chesterton.
Ihle is a business partner of Kevin Pastrick, who is charged with receiving a $600,000 commission from the sale and paying kickbacks to Manous, who was an attorney for the union, and Gerry Nannenga, the union's former executive secretary.-------------------------------------------
Lots unknown as B.C. embarks on market-based timber pricing, industry says By STEVE MERTL , CP
Major coastal producers logged only about half their allowable cut last year and as many as two-thirds of the coastal work force was unemployed at times.
"The previous stumpage system, combined with high operating costs and the softwood duties, resulted in a significant under-harvest and chronic downtime on the Coast," says Sarah Goodman, spokeswoman for Weyerhaeuser Canada.
"So we believe this new system's going to help put some people back to work as we start to address the other challenges."
Logger seeks bargaining rights for woods workers By JERRY HARKAVY, MaineToday
Although precise figures are rare, an estimated 2,500 loggers work in the Maine woods, according to a state Department of Labor figure taking in bonded Canadians but excluding independent contractors. Annual pay is roughly $25,000 to $30,000.
But fewer young people today appear willing to accept such low-wage, often dangerous work, which could set the stage for a potential labor shortage in the woods, said Andrew Egan, a University of Maine forestry professor who has studied trends in industry employment.-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, January 31, 2004 ::Benefit for striking coal miners Workday Minnesota: Events Calendar
A benefit will be held Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at the UFCW Local 789 hall, 266 Hardman Ave., South St. Paul, for some 75 miners on strike at the C.W. Mining Co. mine in Huntington, Utah.
The workers went on strike Sept. 22 after management disciplined one worker for trying to organize a union at the mine. Although they do not have official union representation, the workers have garnered support from the United Mine Workers of America and other unions.
The local benefit is being organized by Ben Miller of the Lakes & Plains Regional Council of Carpenters and Bernie Hesse of UFCW Local 789.-------------------------------------------
Political football Editorials / Boston Globe
TOO BAD the fine new MoveOn.org TV ad attacking the deficit created by President Bush won't be seen on the CBS broadcast of the Super Bowl this Sunday. It belongs there -- as does the opposing view.
What better place for a contest of ideologies than in this annual extravaganza of excess that is as much about selling commercial images as it is about the guts and grit of football. CBS would provide a much needed public service at the start of this presidential year by selling some Super Bowl air time to opposing political advocates who, with spots as clever as any for a razor or a computer, might jolt blase voters into caring.-------------------------------------------
The Dean Scream: The version of reality that we didn't see on TV By ABC News/WABC/abc12
It was the scream Howard Dean says became famous after the media played it nearly 700 times in a few days. Not only that, his camp adds, what we heard on the air was not a reflection of the way it sounded in the room.-------------------------------------------
Falconbridge prepares for pickets CBC News: Sudbury, Ont.
Local union president Rick Grylls says the union didn't go along with concessions back then, and it won't agree to them this time around.
'If they want to go from $300 million to $305 million in profits, they're not going to do that by taking it away in benefits,' he said. 'And we're not going to lose jobs so these guys can put some money in their pockets.'
Grylls says the union rejected the company offer presented on Thursday because it contained too many concessions, including reductions in health and pension benefits.-------------------------------------------
Fate of American labor movement likely tied to Arkansas By Wesley Brown
LITTLE ROCK - If the epitaph of organized labor is written within the next few years, the slayers of the movement may be located in Northwest Arkansas.
Many experts say the fate of unions as a social and political force in the 21st Century could well depend on current battles with Tyson Foods and Wal-Mart Stores - the world's largest meat company and retailer, respectively.
The umbrella of America's unions, the AFL-CIO, now has more than 13 million of America's workers in 64 member unions working in virtually every part of the economy.
But the group hardly has won any major victories lately, has lost much of its political punch and can no longer guarantee the vote of America's working middle class.-------------------------------------------
South Carolina carefully eyes Democrats By Patrik Jonsson, csmonitor
On a 100-mile journey here from the low country near Lake Marion, through the state's hard-hit midlands, to the edge of textile territory with its rolling hills – that uphill battle was in motion in the days before Tuesday's key primary. In conversations with farmers, lawyers, nannies, and laid-off plant workers, a deepening frustration and soul searching was clear—not just over the economy and the war, but in a genuine search for the country's next steps and a tarnished American dream.
"It just seems we've lost something in this country, and frankly it's upsetting," says Glenn Costenbader, a laid-off plant worker and union boss in hardscrabble Winnsboro, S.C.-------------------------------------------
Union Membership (Annual) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
UNION MEMBERS IN 2003
In 2003, 12.9 percent of wage and salary workers were union members, down from 13.3 percent in 2002, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau ofLabor Statistics reported today. The number of persons belonging to a union fell by 369,000 over the year to 15.8 million in 2003. The union membership rate has steadily declined from a high of 20.1 percent in 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available. Some
highlights from the 2003 data are:
--Men were more likely to be union members than women.
--Blacks were more likely to be union members than were whites, Asians, and Hispanics or Latinos.
--Nearly 4 in 10 government workers were union members in 2003, compared with less than 1 in 10 workers in private-sector industries.-------------------------------------------
Telus union agrees to binding arbitration a day after announcing strike vote CBC News
Union members, including about 10,000 workers in British Columbia and Alberta, voted more than 86 per cent in favour of a strike.
A federally mandated cooling off period expired Friday.
On Thursday, the union was ordered by a B.C. Supreme Court judge to stop airing commercials that spoofed the company's signature advertisements using cute animals.-------------------------------------------
Be prepared for OSHA, not surprised YOUR BUSINESS: Brian L. Champion
An employer may require the OSHA inspector to obtain a search warrant before allowing him or her onto the premises. No warrant is necessary, however, when the violation conditions are in plain view. Typically, all that will be gained by insisting that an inspector obtain a warrant is a delay of one or two days, and it will usually infuriate the inspector so that the inspection becomes much more focused.
Agencies Urged to Reduce Injuries and Workers' Comp Claims By Stephen Barr, washingtonpost
In an executive order this month, President Bush established the Safety, Health and Return-to- Employment Initiative and directed Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao to measure the progress of federal agencies in reducing workplace injury and illness cases. In a letter to agencies, Chao asked them to send by today their plans for cutting injury rates.-------------------------------------------
Unions aren't defeated yet, lawyers say By IRWIN BLOCK, Montreal Gazette
It is far from certain that a Supreme Court ruling allowing Place des Arts to stop offering technical services will open the door to firms getting rid of troublesome unions, say two veteran labour lawyers.
Georges Marceau, who has represented unions for 25 years, said yesterday the ruling appears to be anti-union because it justifies Place des Arts' controversial decision to no longer supply stagehands, carpenters, lighting and sound technicians to those who lease its halls.-------------------------------------------
General Motors' Saturn losing identity - report Auto News from just-auto.com
Associated Press said the union also agreed to a transition to the national labour agreement with GM that would allow the company to lay off employees for the first time in its history - workers approved the contract 2,953 to 317.-------------------------------------------
The Trouble With Wal-Mart Letter, washingtonpost
Instead of pumping millions into image building, Wal-Mart should invest in doing what it says it does: creating 'good jobs' that support families and their communities.
CHRISTINE OWENS
Director of Public Policy
AFL-CIO-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, January 30, 2004 ::Carpenter's Union Members Plan to Clean Up Graveyard By John Chambliss, The Ledger
From 1927 to 1976, union members came to Carpenter's Home in Lakeland from all over the nation to retire. The union dues paid for their rooms, food and a burial plot when they died.
At one time, up to 370 men lived there.
"It was the only place to retire for us," said Frank Hyjek, a representative from the carpenter's union in Tampa. "You would take a guy from Wisconsin who would retire, and he would come down here and share war stories with his brothers (union members)."-------------------------------------------
2004 Ice Palace - Saint Paul Winter Carnival
(scroll top bar for construction photos link)
Live Webcam of the 2004 Ice Palace
Stillwater residents volunteer time and expertise to make ice palace a reality By CRAIG DIRKES
Builders had aimed to begin work on the palace on Dec. 10, but couldn’t begin harvesting ice until St. Paul’s Lake Phalen froze to a depth of 12 inches. That didn’t happen until Jan. 2.
The late-freeze setback forced electrical personnel to work in three-shift days right behind construction workers. But by working together, the problem was solved.
“The IBEW really pulled this project together,” Deeg said. “It’s a real brotherhood. It’s amazing to see how you can count on these guys.”
Behind schedule at noon on Monday, Deeg learned that electricians were needed to work through the night. “By 2:30 p.m., we had nine volunteers,” he said.
Ice Palace lights up St. Paul Workday Minnesota: Photos by Michael Kuchta
New Richmond volunteers help build Winter Carnival ice palace
New Richmond residents played a significant role in building the new St. Paul Winter Carnival ice palace. Candy Lund and Rob Ennis, both of whom are union carpenters who belong to Local 87 in St. Paul, worked on the project along with retired carpenter Ron Leier.
Lund decided to help out at the invitation of union officials who asked the members for help. They were responsible for cutting blocks of ice on Lake Phelan, transporting them to the construction site on Kellogg Boulevard and assembling the palace.
'I worked all day Thursday, (Jan. 22), just before the palace was supposed to open,' she said. 'We had to get it done, and it was cold!'-------------------------------------------
Victims memorialized at site of A.C. casino garage collapse By BRIDGET MURPHY
ATLANTIC CITY - The wives of two of the four construction workers killed in the Tropicana garage collapse in October returned to the site Friday to memorialize their husbands' deaths exactly three months later.
Minutes after they departed, leaving behind a smattering of flowers, balloons, notes and a painting of two ironworkers at the Pearly Gates, police reopened most of the closed portion of Pacific Avenue - from Iowa to Morris avenues - to traffic for the first time since the collapse.-------------------------------------------
Union's anti-Telus ads poison phone company's image, lawyer tells hearing By STEVE MERTL, CBC
In an affidavit for the hearing, union president Rod Hiebert defends the TWU ads. They don't sell any products and are intended only to give the union's opinion in an entertaining way.
While the union's ads are intended to create viewer recognition that the subject relates to Telus, they differ from Telus's commercials because the union's animals talk and an announcer voices the overall message.
They also make it clear these are criticisms of Telus, not ads for the phone company, and the final image includes a large TWU logo, Hiebert says.
Union lawyer Jim Carpick said outside court he will challenge Telus's claim that the elements of the ads can be copyrighted.
'Even if we are copying their ads, tough luck,' he said.
Telus workers vote to strike; company hopes for arbitration: By Doug Ward, with files from Amy O'Brian
A cooling-off period ordered by the CIRB expires today. Picket lines could go up early next week.-------------------------------------------
... a little primer on Labor and Labor history in the U.S. randomWalks
Labor History
* Philip Sheldon Foner's books
* History of the U.S. Labor Movement, Resource Guide
* Haymarket Riot (1886)" (more)
* Formation of the American Federation of Labor (1886)
* Homestead Strike (1892) (more)
* Pullman Strike (1894) (more)
* Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911) (more)
* Ludlow Massacre (1914) (more)
* The Wobblies (The IWW today)
* Seattle General Strike (1919)
and more...-------------------------------------------
Asbestos Costs Sink Halliburton's Profit By KRISTEN HAYS, AP
Halliburton inherited the asbestos claims when the conglomerate, while under Cheney's leadership, bought Dresser Industries Inc. for $7.7 billion. Cheney left Halliburton in 2000 to be President Bush's running mate.
Asbestos Adds to Binion's Woes By Rod Smith
Remediation experts said the asbestos problem is typical of older casinos in downtown Las Vegas and on the Strip, especially in properties built before 1980.
Asbestos problems, such as those in the Horseshoe, are a disaster waiting to happen that the city, county and state are just ducking, they said.
'This town has a lot of hotels that are older and noncompliant, and the state is just looking the other way,' Headrick said. 'All it'd take is one worker's claim, but the state doesn't want to do anything about it. And (for operators) fines are less that the cleanups.'
Workers dig up asbestos dump By Stefanie Balogh, The Australian
ABOUT 40 workers constructing a massive gas pipeline in remote Western Australia were undergoing medical tests after stumbling across a hidden asbestos dump, their union said yesterday.
The discovery in the Pilbara has prompted the Australian Workers Union to call on former mining industry workers to become whistleblowers and reveal the location of possible toxic chemical waste sites across Australia.-------------------------------------------
Cartoonist calls Condi Rice 'murderer' – again By Paul Sperry, WorldNetDaily
WASHINGTON – He did it again, but this time on national TV.
Aaron McGruder, a black syndicated cartoonist who's getting his own prime-time TV series on Fox, called National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice "a murderer" for her role in the Iraq war.
The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder
US ADMITS INTELLIGENCE FLAWS SBS - The World News
'I think that what we have is evidence that there are differences between what we knew going in and what we found on the ground,' said Ms Rice.
But she brushed aside calls for an independent inquiry into the intelligence ahead of the invasion of Iraq last March.
'When you are dealing with secretive regimes that want to deceive, you're never going to be able to be positive,' Ms Rice told NBC.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, January 29, 2004 ::Terry Haddock (NHRA Funny Car Drag Racer) and Barrett Enterprises embark on Only in America Tour eDragRacer press release
Barrett Enterprises, Inc. of Fox Lake, Ill. was established in 1986 and specializes in the installation of siding on all new construction single and multi-family homes. Barrett Enterprises, Inc. is now the largest employer of union carpenters installing residential siding in the Chicago area. Owner, Bill Barrett is the fifth generation carpenter in his family and was taught by his father, Alex Barrett. Proud of being a union carpenter for 35 years, Barrett knows the advantages of union membership. He works closely with the union to train and recruit members. Barrett Enterprises, Inc. currently has 125 employees and is looking to double in size this year with the help of Haddock and the Barrett Enterprises Funny Car.
Gibbs Racing Sponsor Accused of Sweatshop Activities insiderracingnews (scroll down page)
Cintas, noted sponsor of NASCAR and Joe Gibbs Racing faces accusations of utilizing Chicago area sweatshops to produce their products. Cintas is the nation’s largest industrial uniform supplier, and a degree of fingering pointing is emerging in regard to treatment of workers. “No fares for sweatshop wear” emblazon signs being raised by Cintas workers in Chicago, as they gathered at the Metra commuter rail line offices.-------------------------------------------
Saturday deadline:
Vote for the Labour Website of the Year 2003 LabourStart
2003 Koufax Award Finalists Best Single Issue Blog
More Shameless Self Promotion: Confined Space Makes The Finals posted by Jordan Barab, Confined Space
But with your help, Confined Space can become theHoward DeanSeabiscuit of the Blogosphere.
So, if you want to strike a blow for truth, justice, workplace safety, worker empowerment and everything else worth fighting for, forget those other elections happening this year, take a moment and click HERE. Then go to the 'Comment' section at the bottom, and tell them what you think.-------------------------------------------
Ford to lay off 1,000 workers in St. Louis
Third shift at Ford (Canada) plant threatened
Ford, GM to Increase Investments and Production in Venezuela
Celebrate Black History at Henry Ford Museum
Ford Motor Wants Sheriff To Return Pickup Truck-------------------------------------------
Some resentment lingers between union and AK By David Benson
MANSFIELD, OHIO - 'The international helped us out a lot during the lockout and supported us financially, but they left five guys hanging out to dry. It could have been any one of us,' Carroll said.
Local 169 President Ron Davis said although the lockout is over and most union members are back at work, the operation isn't what it used to be.
'(AK Steel) has closed down half the plant, and we've lost half our membership,' he said.
Steelworkers ratify contract at Teck Cominco's Highland Valley copper mine Canadian Press
VANCOUVER - Members of the United Steelworkers have ratified a contract at the Teck Cominco Ltd. Highland Valley copper mine, averting a strike with what the union declared to be "the best union contract in the B.C. mining industry for the last 15 years."
Jobs threatened as steel giant Stelco obtains bankruptcy-court protection By STEVE ERWIN, CP
The United Steelworkers, which represents roughly 75 per cent of Stelco's Ontario workforce, said that attrition rate should be enough to avoid layoffs.
'I'm optimistic that at the end of the day, a restructuring can be done with a lot less people (at Stelco) for sure, but hopefully just through retirements,' said Wayne Fraser, the Steelworkers' Ontario/Atlantic director.
'We don't expect the restructuring plan to put the brunt of this on the backs of our membership or our retirees.'-------------------------------------------
Statement by AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney on A New Labor Code for Iraq AFL-CIO press release
In the meantime, the AFL-CIO calls on the CPA and the Iraqi Governing Council to allow Iraqi workers to associate together and participate collectively in rebuilding the economy. Training and other kinds of support from the international trade union movement should be encouraged, especially through the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). Such initial steps would go a long way toward the development of a modern industrial relations system in Iraq that would address worker grievances and promote respect for workers’ rights.
Chao Inaugurates Grand Opening of Baghdad Employment and Training Center U.S. Newswire
U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao began a two-day trip to Iraq to highlight continuing democratization efforts by the Iraqi people. Her first visit was to inaugurate the opening of the Baghdad Employment and Training Center. The center is operated by the restored Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and provides services and benefits to Iraq's most vulnerable citizens. Under the former regime of Saddam Hussein, the Ministry operated the prison system. Now, for the first time, the Ministry is establishing employment and training centers throughout Iraq, charged with providing services to displaced workers in the nation's largest populated cities.-------------------------------------------
Working the System By Dave Lindorff, In These Times
When the Bush administration announced plans last year for a controversial “reform” of New Deal-era wage and hour regulations, it assured Congress and labor unions that the proposal would make overtime pay available to some 1.3 million low-paid workers—even as it removed many high-paid employees from overtime protection.
It now turns out that the administration’s Department of Labor (DOL), in a little-noticed report on the proposed regulations published in the Federal Register, actually was offering alert employers a set of instructions on how to avoid paying overtime to many of those long-suffering low-paid workers.-------------------------------------------