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"The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people." Cesar Chavez |
:: Sunday, November 30, 2003 ::
Back to Child Labor in North America by Bill Tielman
Believe it or not, Premier Gordon Campbell and the B.C. Liberals are about to bring child labour back to British Columbia after it had been banned by the province since the Depression years of the 1930s.
In early December, the Liberals will put in place regulations filling in the details of Bill 37, legislation passed in October that amends the Employment Standards Act to allow children as young as 12 years to work full-time.
These regulations are, appropriately, being implemented as our thoughts turn back to the time of Charles Dickens, who not only penned A Christmas Carol but also wrote about the terrible conditions of child labour in the time of the Industrial Revolution in England.------------------------------------------- posted 7:58 PM :: reference link ::
0 comments ::
Buy American? It takes effort By Gary Gosselin
Buying gifts stamped MADE in USA, however, may not be easy. More than 50 percent of all manufactured goods sold in this country are imported.
Unions, however, are trying to make the process easier, publicizing Buy Union Week, Nov. 29 through Dec. 7 with ads, promotions and resources, such as Web sites www.nosweatshop.com and www.justiceclothing.com, which list companies that offer American-made products.
'You can fill 10 shopping carts with union-made gifts through these companies,' said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in a statement kicking off the event. 'You could shop all day at any mall in the U.S. and have problems filling even one cart with U.S. union-made goods. That's an indication of how bad the economy is for U.S. workers, but here is a chance for us to start turning things around.'
Take the Sweat(shop) Out of Holiday Shopping AFL-CIO
Buy Union Buy Canadian British Columbia Union Label Trades Council
'I am a union worker and I shall not undermine the welfare of my fellow brothers and sisters. Canadian working people laboured too long and too hard for me to destroy their gains by purchasing non-union.'
'I am a trade unionist and refuse to reward those who have opposed my existence and way of life. I will not permit my union-earned dollars to penetrate the walls of those establishments where a union card is the same as a 'No Vacancy' or 'Not Welcome'. As a person who believes in the dignity and rights of people, before I buy I shall look for the Union Label, Shop Card or Service Button. In so doing I will strengthen the security of men and women who believe as I do in the goals of a free labour movement. Buy Union Buy Canadian.'
'I am a union family person who has been blessed with a decent living. I have come to enjoy better things because of the devotion, dedication and the desire of those before me who laboured to provide a standard of living unparalleled in the world. I shall not destroy all their efforts and render helpless all the causes they so earnestly fought to win for workers.'
'I am a member of organized labour and will never forget I would not be able to purchase the amount of products I do without a union job and, therefore, common sense and a deep commitment to the ideals of our movement and demand that I purchase those products which will further our cause.'
'I will support and strengthen my fellow brothers and sisters by using a simple tool -- The Label Golden Rule -- Buy Union Products and Use Union Services as You Would Have Union Wages Paid Unto You!'-------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart gives, and Wal-Mart takes away By ABIGAIL GOLDMAN and NANCY CLEEL
By squeezing suppliers to cut wholesale costs, the company has hastened the flight of U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas. By scouring the globe for the cheapest goods, it has driven factory jobs from one poor nation to another.
Wal-Mart's penny-pinching extends to its own 1.2 million U.S. employees, none of them unionized. By the company's own admission, a full-time worker might not be able to support a family on a Wal-Mart paycheck.-------------------------------------------
Union leader returns from sunny vacation to name calling, strike By Michael Smyth
Forestry union leader Dave Haggard returns from a two-week vacation in the sun this week to the cold reality of 10,000 workers freezing on the picket lines in the brutal coastal forestry strike.
Haggard, president of the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers, will face several cold fronts after his toasty-warm Grand Cayman Island getaway: Critics from both inside and outside his once-powerful union are slamming his leadership.-------------------------------------------
Dems race divides allegiances of union members By John M. Glionna / Los Angeles Times
Worried over factory closings and loss of jobs, 21 industrial unions across America are backing Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, who is known as labor's man in Washington. Workers in overalls and hard hats want to show their continued loyalty to a politician who has amassed a near perfect voting record in favor of their causes.-------------------------------------------
EPA talks with B.C. smelter end on sour note By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, AP
The company's lead and zinc smelter at Trail, B.C., is considered the prime culprit in the pollution of the lake, which is the portion of the Columbia River behind Grand Coulee Dam.
Teck wants federal help with EPA By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun
Teck's Trail smelter discharged about 400 tonnes per day of heavy metal-laden slag into the Columbia, about 15 kilometres north of the border, for 90 years until a major cleanup effort in 1994.-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, November 29, 2003 ::After the big U.S. steel meltdown By Greg Keenan
Stripped down to its essentials, the model involves:
Eliminating the huge legacy costs of pensions and retiree health care that helped push Acme, Bethlehem, LTV and a host of other steel makers into bankruptcy protection;
Drastically reducing management ranks;
Making steel with fewer unionized employees, streamlined contracts and compensation that relies more on incentives and bonuses.
Irony And Steel By By George F. Will
Once upon a time, Democrats understood that when Republicans protected, as they did for decades, American industry from the inconvenience of price competition from abroad, the result was higher prices -- a hidden tax -- paid by consumers. Today Democrats advocate protectionism, which they call 'fair trade,' in the name of protecting what tariffs actually destroy: American jobs. The steel tariffs are, for example, a $100 tax on every new American car and on the creation of jobs for autoworkers.
Bush imposed the tariffs to court steelworkers. There are 124,000 of them nationwide.-------------------------------------------
Voice of the People By KATHLEEN PACULA, letter to editor
As the proud wife of a union ironworker with Local 350, I was horrified by the comments made by Joseph Milano in the Nov. 2 story, "Collapse at Tropicana/Home's where the clothes are, not the family."
Milano, who had been forced out of his house because of the collapse at the Trop, complained about having to wear dirty clothes and said, "Work at the World Trade Center was 24 hours a day. But these guys have to have their weekends off."
Let me enlighten you, sir.
Have you ever had to wait for more than an hour to see if a family member was alive? We did. Have you ever had to wait to see if a union member could be found? I think not, or your insensitive remarks would have never been spoken.
You see, Mr. Milano, while you were complaining about your clothes, there were people with far more tragic things going on in their lives. We have children without fathers, wives without husbands and parents without sons. We have men dealing with the stress of what they saw and others who are still hospitalized.
Instead of whining about your dirty clothes, why don't you donate your time or money to the Salvation Army, the Red Cross (which was outstanding) or the victims' fund?
As for the police, firefighters and all the other workers, they put in ungodly hours and did not take the weekend off. My husband and his union brothers worked 30 hours straight through Friday. They were back again on Saturday and Sunday with three shifts going on.
I can only conclude that Milano must have very little regard for human life, as do the store owners who complained about losing money.
KATHLEEN PACULA-------------------------------------------
Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on Miami Police Conduct During FTAA Ministerial Meeting Protests
The AFL-CIO is deeply disturbed by the unwarranted and unjustifiable use of intimidation and force by police against peaceful protesters during the FTAA ministerial meeting.-------------------------------------------
The New Unity Partnership: Sweeney critics would bureaucratize to organize By Herman Benson, Union Democracy Review
In 1995, the Carpenters and UNITE both voted the old guard against Sweeney the reformer. The other three backed Sweeney. When McCarron pulled the Carpenters out of the AFL-CIO, Sweeney announced that Carpenter locals would be barred from AFL-CIO state and city federations. In a serious rebuff, an unusual coupling of the building trades and the New Unity Partnership defeated Sweeney and blocked his move.
Wilhelm and O'Sullivan head two unions once heavily infiltrated by organized crime. Their unions, at least at the national level, were freed from organized crime, not by internal insurgency and reform, but by the U.S. Department of Justice. Wilhelm and Stern, who have both earned reputations as modern, progressive leaders, are allied with McCarron who exchanges mutual public expressions of admiration with President Bush.-------------------------------------------
Rescue workers say trench lacked safety features By ANNE MILLER
According to OSHA guidelines, excavation trenches deeper than 7 feet must have sloping sides, bracing on the walls or a type of cage to keep workers safe, all of which can prevent mudslides.
Last year, 92 workers died at construction sites for residential homes, according to the national Bureau of Labor Statistics. The statistics did not include information on incidents related to excavation trenches.
There were no safety measures in the trench where Koons died, said village of Colonie Fire Chief Ed Sim.-------------------------------------------
The human factor - Update on OSHA's ambitious ergonomic undertaking Author: Jane Sleeth, Canadian Occupational Safety magazine
Ergonomics is not a science in the way that occupational hygiene is. We are not at a point where we can state that 'so many parts per million of exposure to a hazard will result in a specific injury or illness.' In my experience and opinion, the best and most effective route is to work closely with compensation boards, employers and unions as well as consultants and research experts to provide employers and unions with appropriate and well researched guidelines. Of course, the very best method still seems to be educating employers about the cost savings associated with good design and the application of these guidelines at all points in the process. This always motivates employers to move forward in the development of ergonomic processes and design which positively impact all stakeholders. After all, money talks.-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, November 28, 2003 ::Cancerous Complacence By Matt Bivens, The Nation
Three years ago, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer came out with a startling investigative report. It began: "Millions of brakes on cars and trucks -- and millions more waiting on parts-shop shelves nationwide -- contain asbestos fibers that can kill mechanics." The report found broad acknowledgment of health risks to some 750,000 car mechanics across America –- because changing brake shoes or even changing tires can send up clouds of carcinogenic asbestos dust. It documented that federal officials had done less and less each year to police asbestos in brakes; while everyone from the mechanics to cancer researchers to government regulators seemed to have assumed asbestos brakes were long ago banned.
They weren't.-------------------------------------------
Carpenters break away from international union By Pavlina Napastiuk, Prince Rupert
Ken Lippett, president of the local carpenters union, says he supports the B.C. Carpenters Union's move to "sever ties" with their international parent, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
According to Lippett, 83 per cent of B.C. members voted last week to tear away from the Washington, D.C.-based union.
"Right now we're in a fight with those guys," said Lippett. "We've had it with those guys. They're continuously interfering with Canadian affairs. They're totally unwilling to grant us autonomy. They've never really played a positive role in our relationship with them."-------------------------------------------
Labour renews call for general strike canada.com
VANCOUVER (CP) - B.C. labour activists renewed their call for a general strike Wednesday and are initiating an action plan to defeat the provincial Liberals.-------------------------------------------
Quebec unions demonstrate against proposed labour code changes CBC News
QUEBEC CITY - Since he announced plans to 're-engineer the state' Quebec Premier Jean Charest has been the target of almost weekly demonstrations by labour unions, denouncing his plans to amend the provincial labour code to allow for contracting out.-------------------------------------------
Contractor Negligence, Defective Supports among Charges in Wrongful Death Civil Action Filed on Tropicana Garage Collapse U.S. Newswire
This was a huge, high-stakes construction project that was built like a flimsy house of cards," added Mongeluzzi. "Industry experts will testify and the record will show that those responsible for this project and the safety of the workers were more interested in getting the job done quickly than doing it safely, violating accepted industry standards, and risking people's lives."
Widows sue over collapse of A.C. casino garage By Jennifer Moroz
In a complaint filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Nancy Wittland and Joleen Bigelow allege that negligence on the part of the companies caused the Oct. 30 construction-site accident that killed ironworkers Michael Wittland, 53, of Pleasantville, N.J., and James Bigelow Sr., 29, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
Two concrete workers were also killed and two dozen other workers were injured when the top five decks of what was to become a 10-floor, 2,400-space parking garage suddenly gave way as concrete was being poured on the top floor.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, November 27, 2003 ::HELPING AMERICA WORK: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century Workforce By Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao
I am pleased to have so many representatives of organized labor at this Summit. In my meetings with union leaders as Secretary of Labor, we are finding a number of issues where there is common ground to strengthen America's workforce.
For example: Doug McCarron, President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. Doug and I have talked at length about workforce training as the future of his union.
And Cecil Roberts of the UMW is also here with us. I've had similar conversations with him, John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO, and John Wilhelm of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union.
But this issue doesn't just matter to unions. It matters to business as well. It matters to our country.-------------------------------------------
LaborTalk for November 26, 2003 By Harry Kelber
You’d never believe it, unless you were there and saw it with your own eyes. And it happened, in all places, the AFL-CIO’s 2001 convention in Las Vegas.
Sitting in the convention hall were the 22 delegates from the Service Employees International Union, each entitled to cast 57,887 votes. Not far away was the delegate from the California Labor Federation, representing 2.1 million members from 1100 local unions. He was limited to only one vote.
Each of the 9 delegates of the Laborers’ International Union had 34,000 votes, while the delegate from the New York Central Labor Council, representing 1.2 million members in 400 local unions was allotted one vote.-------------------------------------------
Air Canada Service Staff Get Burger-Coupon Bonus Reuters>Oddly Enough
MONTREAL - Pleased with workers who scored top marks on customer service, Air Canada recently picked 100 at random to give them a bonus -- a $3.78 hamburger coupon that expires in five weeks.-------------------------------------------
The bad boy of Alberta labour By Alan Kellogg
Not bad for a union that's been suspended from the umbrella Alberta Federation of Labour and the national Canadian Labour Congress for raiding members from other unions. Apparently being turned out of the House of Labour leads to even nicer digs, at least in the shifting sands of Alberta.-------------------------------------------
Every Day Is Workers Memorial Day By Jordan Barab, Confined Space
This is a workplace health and safety site and I write frequently about workers dying on the job, almost always from causes that could have been prevented by simple compliance with common OSHA standards. But we talk too often in terms of statistics, or names, or snippets from newspaper articles. Then the people are forgotten and we move on until all-too-soon, it happens again.-------------------------------------------
Union workers' anger may give Gephardt a boost By Matt Stearns
In Des Moines, contract talks between the United Steelworkers and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. collapsed partly because of the company's resistance to making capital improvements to the plant, said Dennis Green, the union local's vice president. Green suspects the company wants the plant to 'die on the vine.'
One big union backing Gephardt is the Teamsters, whose Cedar Rapids local has lost about 500 jobs to NAFTA, said Ron Hunt, the local's secretary-treasurer.
'Jimmy's made no bones about it,' said Hunt, referring to Teamsters International President James P. Hoffa. 'We're going balls to the wall for Gephardt. This is what I look at: Who's gonna take care of my people? He's battin' 1.000 with us.'-------------------------------------------
AUD's 'Best Rank-and-File Website' Contest - Using the Internet to Organize for Democracy and Power
deadline for entry is 12/30/03
Overview: The theme of AUD's 'Best Rank-and-File Website' contest is using the internet to organize for democracy and power. There are now hundreds of independent rank-and-file websites in North America operated by individual union members or reform groups. By holding this contest we hope to accomplish three things: 1) to spotlight the great work that rank-and-file webstewards are doing and make their work known to a broader audience, 2) to promote the use of the internet as an organizing tool for union reformers, and 3) to encourage discussion among rank-and-file webstewards about what works and what doesn't -- both technically and in terms of organizing -- so we can all be more effective.-------------------------------------------
:: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 ::Mountain Area prepares for influx of workers at Yosemite National Park By Jan Jarvis
Workers are being paid Davis Bacon wages, which means they receive union scale and would have to be paid for their time during at least one leg of the shuttle journey. During winter months, workers will be expected to use their own transportation to get to Yosemite Valley. In the summer, when there is more tourist traffic in the park, worker parking may be designated at a staging area which would mean a shorter shuttle ride to the work site.-------------------------------------------
AFL-CIO’s Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy Expects 4 More Years at 2005 Convention By Harry Kelber
LaborTalk for November 26, 2003
You’d never believe it, unless you were there and saw it with your own eyes. And it happened, in all places, the AFL-CIO’s 2001 convention in Las Vegas.
Sitting in the convention hall were the 22 delegates from the Service Employees International Union, each entitled to cast 57,887 votes. Not far away was the delegate from the California Labor Federation, representing 2.1 million members from 1100 local unions. He was limited to only one vote.
Each of the 9 delegates of the Laborers’ International Union had 34,000 votes, while the delegate from the New York Central Labor Council, representing 1.2 million members in 400 local unions was allotted one vote.-------------------------------------------
BC Carpenters Free At Last UFCW Members for Democracy forum
After years of fighting oppression within their union, BC Carpenters are free at last. According to a media release issued late last week, members of the BC Carpenters Union voted overwhelmingly to give the UBCJA International Union the boot.
discussion, posted by liacatsplit:
This is tremendous news for the advocates of One Member - One Vote ! There is no better way to democratize existing internationals! Take away the delegate voting system, which is an excellent example of injustice, and give it back to the members! This is just the beginning and I see these large internationals succumbing to the member's desire to have a voice in "their" union!
Congratulations to the BC Carpenters who are blazing the trail for the rest of us, and good luck with the new alliance with CEP. You definitely have my support!-------------------------------------------
Bucket of concrete injures workers By LESLIE FERENC
Four men laying bricks on the outside of an uptown condominium likely didn't see a 5-tonne bucket of concrete as it came hurtling down on the scaffold where they were working, sending them plunging to the ground 15 metres below, a worker says.
The accident happened at about 11:10 a.m. yesterday at the Minto Gardens condominium under construction at 45 Sheppard Ave. E., near Yonge St.
The men, believed to be members of the Universal Workers Union, Labourers' International Union of North America, Local 183, were working on a tarpaulin-covered scaffold when the massive bucket fell as it was being hoisted by a crane to the 21st floor. It snapped their platform in half like a Popsicle stick, police said.-------------------------------------------
Labor agency reversal / Wage, hour rules pulled from Web to return to site Jenny Strasburg
'The opinion letters are what's controversial here,' said Tom Rankin, president of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, in an interview before the labor agency's about-face. 'It sounds like they don't like what's in the opinion letters, so they decided to remove them from public view. It's very strange for an administration that's supposed to be interested in open government.'-------------------------------------------
USWA Calls for Congressional Investigation into Police-State Assaults in Miami USWA Media Release
"Last week, the fundamental rights of thousands of Americans … were blatantly violated, sometimes violently, by the Miami police, who systematically repressed our Constitutional right to free assembly with massive force, riot gear and armaments," said Leo W. Gerard, USWA international president, in a letter to Congressional leaders.-------------------------------------------
US House panel urges further probe of Ullico deals By Peter Szekely (Oct 28th)
In its report of the scandal, the Republican-controlled House Education and Workforce Committee said it was 'deeply concerned' that the board members' dealings may have violated federal labor and pension laws.
'We are hopeful that the Department of Labor sheds light on these unanswered questions because American workers deserve to know whether Ullico directors violated the law and made millions at the expense of the rank-and-file union members they represent,' panel Chairman John Boehner said in a statement.-------------------------------------------
:: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 ::Protests mark Bush's first visit to Las Vegas as president By KEN RITTER, AP
Many demonstrators carried signs reading 'No Nuke Dump in Nevada.' Others brought handmade signs referring to broken promises and issues including the Iraq war, union policies, Medicare, abortion policy, and the Patriot Act.
Opponents of Yucca Mountain say Bush broke a campaign pledge to let 'sound science' decide if the nation's nuclear repository should open 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.-------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart's War on Workers: Frontline Report from Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nevada UFCW Press Release
In the same case Wal-Mart was found guilty on eight charges of interfering with and suppressing workers right to support union organizing efforts including:
-- Spying on employees.
-- Coercively interrogating an employee concerning the union sympathies and support of other employees.
-- Transferring anti-union employees into the voting unit to dilute union support.
-- Transferring a union support out of the voting unit to undermine union support.-------------------------------------------
Georgetti urges public-private union solidarity CBC
In a reflection of the ongoing tension between private and public sector unions, many of the delegates refused to stand and applaud at the end of his speech.-------------------------------------------
Confined Space blog posted by Jordan Barab
They'll sure think twice about killing any more of their employees...
The wrath of big government again...
"InChem Corp. at 800 Cel-River Road was recently fined $350 by state regulators for serious safety violations.
The state [South Carolina] Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the fine after an investigation that started after contract employee Emerson Sturgil was killed at the InChem plant in June. The 70-year-old Fountain Inn resident was an employee of Operatos Unlimited, a firm that hires out wastewater operators.
According to the OSHA report, Sturgil was standing on a ladder that was leaning on an over-pressurized carbon filtration canister, which exploded. Sturgil was thrown head-first into a concrete wall and killed, the report stated.
The employer knew, or should have known, that the equipment could be operated at unsafe pressure levels, the report stated.
The company has since installed pressure-relief devices on the equipment, the report stated.
InChem officials were not available for comment Wednesday.
Sturgil's death was the third fatal incident in six years at InChem, which makes chemicals used in coatings in hot-melt adhesives. Since 1995, the company has been fined about $54,000 by OSHA for safety violations."
Hey, it was only the third person they've killed in three years. If they don't watch out, the next person they kill might cost them $500.-------------------------------------------
Carpenter Dictatorship Institute Mind Control In Delegate Training!! By Mike Griffin, From The WarZone
When 83% of the British Columbian Carpenters voted to withdraw from the UBC I was shocked; but when McCarron said in an LA Times interview that they were communists, I understood why they wanted to leave. Those damn Commies always want something. They are all over this country and a majority of the UBC members are commies, wanting the right to vote. So are the rest of the unions and that is why the UBC withdrew from the AFL-CIO and why our friend Doug McCarron is trying to form a new kind of union where we won't have to worry about members interfering with his strong leadership. I sure hope the international leadership can keep them under control; you know, stifle dissent, punish them; the same agenda our friend in the White House has. Now I know why it is important for McCarron to fly around on Air Force One, invite Bush to labor gatherings; after all, George W said we were his kind of union! I was concerned when I saw a picture of Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, in the new training center in Las Vegas. Though he is reviled in Illinois by organized labor and was considered our most anti-union legislator, I am sure McCarron will turn him around. Still, I hope there was a good reason why he was learning how to use a screw gun.-------------------------------------------
Framing a Bay-Window Roof by Scott McBride, Fine Homebuilding
For as long as architects have been drawing bay windows, carpenters have been scratching their heads about framing the roofs.-------------------------------------------
USWA officials seek ouster of CSB leader By Lisa A. Abraham and John Higgins
Officials from the union that represents Akron-area rubber workers appeared before the Summit County Council on Monday calling for the ouster of Children Services Executive Director Joe White Jr.
They were angry about comments that White made about rubber workers in a letter he sent last week to several thousand supporters of Children Services.
In the letter, White explains the agency's position on its negotiations with striking members of Communications Workers of America Local 4546. White calls the local ``inflexible and unwilling to adapt to changing times,'' and goes on to state, ``It is this type of rigid, backward thinking and a failure to collaborate that drove the rubber industry from our city.''-------------------------------------------
:: Monday, November 24, 2003 ::Ft. Benning, GA, 23 November By Anne Feeney
I saw some protesters engage in the sort of mischief that in the 50's or 60's would have precipitated an outraged 'I'll make sure your parents hear about this!' from a cop or a neighbor. In 2003 the response is chemical weapons.
A fairly highly placed AFL-CIO official told me that the march route was unilaterally changed by the Miami police on the day of the march in complete contravention of the negotiated route. Compliant union members simply capitulated and marched the police-dictated route... out of the sight of the public. An AFL-CIO marshal confiscates my coffee cup 'for my protection.'
Fort Benning was even sadder.
Miami reporter unclear why she was arrested at FTAA protest AP
Delgado was charged with two misdemeanors, failure to obey a legal command and resisting arrest without violence. The charges were dropped Friday and she was released.
Protesters and officials from the AFL-CIO, which organized a Thursday march against the FTAA, have accused the police of overreacting, saying officers attacked and arrested peaceful protesters along with those who were violent.
FTAA protesters believe deeply in their causes By ''What the FTAA will do is it won't help people in other countries. It will misuse and abuse them and take jobs away from us here,'' said Joy Randolph, a West Virginia steelworker. ''The workers in other countries are not our enemies. We need to bring their standards up instead of lowering ours.''-------------------------------------------
A NEW ORGANIZING STRATEGY By Harry Kelber
This is the third of eight articles on union organizing.
The standard organizing method that unions use has built-in disadvantages. It calls for playing by the rules that are blatantly stacked in the employer’s favor.
The workplace that the union is trying to organize is the employer’s fortress, a terrain where he wields total control. He exercises his “free speech” rights to denounce the union, hinting that he’d sooner shut down and relocate than recognize an “outside party.” His supervisors are on the lookout for any signs of pro-union activity and hold frequent one-on-one meetings with his workers, pressuring them to have nothing to do with the union.
At “captive audience” meetings, called whenever he wants to, the employer subjects his entire work force to a barrage of antiunion speeches and videos. And if these efforts fail, he relies on his ultimate weapon: firing pro-union workers, just so everyone else on the job gets the message.-------------------------------------------
Forestry union readies proposal By PETER KENNEDY
Both union and industry officials said the strike comes at a time when the forest sector is being hit not only by labour strife, but also by punitive U.S. duties on softwood lumber and spiralling costs that the industry has said are among the highest in North America.-------------------------------------------
Insurance premiums hammer construction By SCOTT WYLAND
Aside from charging more, insurers often impose restrictions on the type of work contractors can do.
Carriers are especially spooked about multifamily housing, because a lawyer can rally tenants into filing a suit, Erwin said.
To remodel apartments, he must pay an additional $10,000 a year for the coverage.
Alan Mullins, owner of Capitol Gutter Service, said his insurance policy puts multifamily housing off limits.
He can't install gutters on apartments, Mullins said. Nor can he work in subdivisions where two or more houses are built on speculation, because insurers consider those projects as multi-family, Mullins said.-------------------------------------------
:: Sunday, November 23, 2003 ::Asbestos makeover reignites old battle By PETER GORRIE
The jolt of fright came at the bottom of an information sheet sent to reporters:
"This press release is printed on chrysotile paper."
Why should that simple statement lead to nervous tremors?
Because chrysotile is not just any old ingredient in paper. It's a form of asbestos. And asbestos is a convicted mass-killer, one of the most feared substances on Earth.
Over the past century, it has caused millions of deaths, and the annual toll is still at least 100,000.
Asbestos is so lethal that most uses have been abandoned, and it is banned outright in more than 20 countries. It isn't outlawed here. But it has been so effectively cast into utter darkness that most Canadians could be excused for complacently believing it's an issue of the past.
U.S. Senate puts asbestos bill off until next year Reuters AlertNet
Labor unions have said that at least $153.8 billion would be needed to pay the claims of people with asbestos-related diseases.
Google News Search: asbestos other current asbestos news articles-------------------------------------------
Arresting the Future by Tom Hayden, Alternet
The police force continued operating with the brains and appetite of a carnivorous shark today as city officials kept demonstrating 'the Miami model' of suppression even as protestors and trade ministers were leaving the city in droves.
At a Friday afternoon press conference, Thea Lee, the chief international economist of the AFL-CIO, spoke of feeling terrified Thursday as police fired pepper gas and plastic bullets at peaceful marchers. Other labor leaders, including AFL-CIO president John Sweeney expressed 'outrage' over the police blocking of a permitted gathering, and cited specific abuses such as a union retiree being denied necessary medication after an arbitrary arrest.-------------------------------------------
Foes of Bush OT Rules Abandon Effort By ALAN FRAM, AP
WASHINGTON - Foes of the Bush administration's proposed rules changing which workers would qualify for overtime pay abandoned their fight on Friday in the face of unrelenting pressure from the White House and the House.-------------------------------------------
IWA, industry trade insults By Lindsay Kines, Times Colonist
'It's a sad day for B.C.'s labour movement, because it doesn't only affect us, it affects all the labour movements in B.C.,' said Sucha Hayer, who has worked 34 years at the Weyerhaeuser mill in Chemainus.
'I was really, really shocked to hear that ruling went against us, but nevertheless, when you've got a government like we've got in Victoria -- anti-labour -- and you've got a union-bashing company like Weyerhaeuser . . . this is the result.'-------------------------------------------
FBI scrutinizing anti-war protesters By Eric Lichtblau NYT
The memorandum urged local law enforcement officials 'to be alert to these possible indicators of protest activity and report any potentially illegal acts' to counterterrorism task forces run by the FBI. It warned about an array of threats, including homemade bombs and the formation of human chains.
The memorandum also discussed 'innovative strategies' used by demonstrators, like the videotaping of arrests as a means of 'intimidation' against the police. And it noted that protesters 'often use the Internet to recruit, raise funds and coordinate their activities prior to demonstrations.'-------------------------------------------
Mike Flugennock's Poster Art Calendar This calendar contains 24 of the Collective's favorite posters that until now have only been seen on the lamp-posts of Washington, DC and this Web site. It exposes Mike Flugennock's razor-sharp political wit to a wider audience and stimulates people's minds from a grassroots left perspective.-------------------------------------------
Hundreds protest Fort Benning school By MIA TAYLOR
Thousands of autoworkers, students, Quakers, nuns, priests and others marched to the entrance of the Army's Fort Benning on Saturday to protest the post's training school for Latin American soldiers.
There, they met patriotic music blaring from the fort's gates. The music, from loudspeakers set up just a few feet behind the stage from which protesters sang and spoke, often drowned out what was being said during the 14th annual demonstration against the Defense Department training facility formerly known as the School of the Americas.-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, November 22, 2003 ::Union workers picket downtown By BRENDAN McGARRY
'It's not a union thing or a non-union thing,' said Tomas Graveley of the Empire State Regional Council of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. 'It's to protect all carpenters to make sure they get area standards established by the council.'
Standing next to an oversized inflatable gray rat facing Broadway traffic, Graveley accused the company of paying its employees far below the area prevailing wage rate of $30 per hour for carpenters. He said the company misclassifies rates for carpentry and labor work.
Suburban Couple Charged With Defrauding Carpenters Union WBBM 780
A suburban couple were indicted Friday on charges of defrauding the Chicago and Northeast Illinois District Council of Carpenters out of more than $500,000 in benefit payments for union members.
Richard Zerth, 60, and Barbara Zerth, 56, both of Palos Park, were indicted late Friday with two counts each of mail fraud and making false statements. The Zerths owned Roof Right Roofing and Insulation, at 14045 S. Cleveland in Posen, which employed roofing shinglers, siders and insulators, and agreed to be bound by collective bargaining agreements with the union, according to the indictment.-------------------------------------------
Construction, Maintenance and Allied Workers Media Release
NEW ALLIANCES IN CONSTRUCTION
Construction, Maintenance and Allied Workers Bargaining Council formed
Vancouver — The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada and the BC Provincial Council of Carpenters today announced the formation of a joint council between the two unions.
The announcement follows the decision by BC carpenters in a referendum vote to sever relations with their former international union.
“This Council represents the solidarity between CEP and BC Carpenters. It is the beginning of a new relationship that will fulfill the long-held aspiration of carpenters in BC for a progressive, Canadian union,” said CEP President Brian Payne.
“BC Carpenters have now voted democratically and without any involvement by CEP or others to chart a new course for their membership,” said Payne.
“This partnership can mean more job security and employment opportunities for our members, said BC Carpenters Union president Len Embree. “It will help us address the growing problem of non-union contractors and gate hires doing construction and maintenance work in large industrial plants. It will also promote more solidarity and co-operation between our Industrial and School Board sectors.”
“It’s a win-win for both unions,” said Embree. “This alliance makes both unions stronger.”
CEP represents 150,000 Canadian trade union members across Canada, including many tradespersons in the forest industry, energy industries and other sectors.
The BC Provincial Council of Carpenters represents about 8,000 carpenters, industrial, school board employees and other workers in BC.-------------------------------------------
Seeger highlights rally singers BY BRAD BARNES
Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger's coming, and he's bringing some friends.
Some 10 musicians and bands are scheduled to perform Saturday during the six-hour rally held by the SOA Watch at the gates of Fort Benning.
Augmenting folk staples like Anne Feeney, David Rovics and the Prince Myshkins duo are hip-hop artists and performance dance groups.-------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart takes its lumps By PATTI BOND
The bash-Wal-Mart bandwagon is on a roll -- with monster-truck tires.
Facing an illegal worker scandal, a simmering discrimination lawsuit and community backlash against new stores, the world's largest retailer has discovered that life as a corporate superpower has its downside.
Wal-Mart kicked off the year in the business media as the nation's 'most admired company,' but it looks like it will wrap up 2003 as the 'beast of Bentonville,' as one recent magazine cover story put it.-------------------------------------------
Union calls coastwide strike after labour board upholds contract By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER (CP) - Thousands of coastal B.C. forest workers were officially on strike Friday night, just hours after the provincial labour relations board upheld a contract that imposed cost-cutting employment terms.
'Operations are going down as we speak,' David Tones, national secretary of the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada, told reporters.
The labour board rejected an IWA complaint that Forest Industrial Relations, which bargains for 45 coastal employers, acted illegally when it imposed the contract.-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, November 21, 2003 ::CAW picks up 4,600 new members in merger with union in Quebec Canadian Press
The Canadian Auto Workers have gained more than 4,600 new members after those employees agreed to leave an aluminum-workers union in Quebec to join the country's largest private-sector union.
The CAW said Thursday that it will gain 28 new bargaining units representing 4,646 members of the Federation des syndicats du secteur aluminium (FSSA) agreed to merge with the CAW, known in Quebec as TCA. Most of the workers are from units of aluminum giant Alcan Inc., while others are from Quebec's Norsk Hydro.-------------------------------------------
British Columbia Provincial Council of Carpenters
Media Release November 21, 2003
BC Carpenters vote to leave International
British Columbia Carpenters Union members have voted decisively to sever ties with their International parent in Washington DC.
In a referendum, members voted overwhelmingly to cease their affiliation with the Washington dominated United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and seek an alliance with a Canadian Union.
“Our members are clearly demanding freedom from American control,” said BC Carpenters Union president Len Embree in a statement issued today. The ballot mailed to members asked “Do you wish to transfer the affiliation of the British Columbia Provincial Council of Carpenters and its affiliated Local Unions from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America to a Canadian Union?” The membership voted 83 per cent in favour.
BC Carpenters Union president Len Embree said, “This is the clearest demonstration yet that the members of the BC Carpenters Union are determined to control their own destiny. They demand the right to elect their own officers and representatives and to vote on decisions that affect their livelihoods.”
Reacting to numerous American takeover attempts, BC Carpenters have indicated in several referenda that they will not tolerate American interference in their elections of officers and business representatives or the merging of Local Unions or negotiating collective agreements. Embree said that those collective rights have been fought for over generations and “We are not going to hand that over now, or ever.”
Embree continued, “Only as a free and autonomous organization will we be able to make the changes necessary to grow and properly represent Canadian workers.” For further information contact: President Len Embree or Secretary-treasurer Dave Flynn 604 437-0471 fax 604 437-1110
Backgrounder attached-------------------------------------------
U.S. balks at free trade in softwood TheStar.com editorial excerpt
It would be easy to write off Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's prediction that Canada will never have free trade with the United States in softwood lumber as simply his excuse for failing to reach a deal.
But that would be a mistake.
The sorry history of the dispute goes back far beyond Chrétien's decade in power and his bleak assessment rings true. Instead we should take his declaration as the starting point for a new strategy in the costly dispute, one based on the realization that Canada is being played the fool by an American industry that has no economic reason to conclude negotiations.
In an interview, the outgoing prime minister said the Americans always have been and always will be protectionist on wood and have no interest in allowing Canadian producers to have more than 30-35 per cent of the U.S. market.-------------------------------------------
Governor honors those who aided rescue at Tropicana garage By WILLIAM H. SOKOLIC
The ironworkers lost two members in the collapse: Michael Wittland, 53, and James Bigelow Sr., 29. Also killed were concrete workers Scott N. Pietrosante, 21, and Robert A. Tartaglio Jr., 42.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has yet to launch the physical inspection of the site, said spokeswoman, Kate Dugan. That element of the investigation still awaits insuring the safety of the area. Most of a concrete wall left standing after the accident, as well as two columns, have come down.-------------------------------------------
Some clashes between police and protesters Thursday; police stay prepared for Friday despite early end to conference BY TERE FIGUERAS, SARA OLKON AND MARTIN MERZER
Sporadic clashes between rolling squads of protesters and a muscular task force of police flared Thursday through the heart of Miami, but the vast majority of demonstrators found peaceful ways to express their grievances against a proposed free-trade pact.
''We accomplished what we set out to do,'' said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, which sponsored the main event of the day -- a nonviolent march by thousands of union members and others who snaked through the city center.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, November 20, 2003 ::Rumblings of walkout hit NASSCO By Michael Kinsman
Union workers threatened yesterday to strike San Diego shipbuilder NASSCO after 10 months of labor talks failed to reach agreement on a new contract.
An estimated 300 members of the Shipyard Workers Union rallied at the end of their shift after the union's executive board voted to strike 'at any time.' The union represents 1,700 workers, or about 57 percent of shipyard employees.
'We will strike when it is most advantageous for us to do so,' said Robert Godinez, union president. 'The company doesn't respect us. They are willing to pay more to bring people from other states than pay us a higher wage.'-------------------------------------------
BC Carpenters Union votes for Canadian autonomy unofficial results of autonomy vote: of ballots cast 82.9% vote yes! - official results Friday
-------------------------------------------
Miami Vice By Tom Hayden, AlterNet
MIAMI – Protestors seemed to skirmish with heavily armored Miami police outside the Riande Hotel Thursday morning, but nothing is at it seems this week. These "anarchists" were undercover police officers whose mission was to provoke a confrontation.
The crowd predictably panicked, television cameras moved in, the police lines parted, and I watched through a nearby hotel window as two undercover officers disguised as "anarchists," thinking they were invisible, hugged each other. They excitedly pulled tasers and other weapons out of their camouflage cargo pants, and slipped away in an unmarked police van.-------------------------------------------
Stop FTAA: Steelworkers Launch First Day of Miami Actions AFLCIO
More than 2,000 cheering Steelworkers—many of them wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “No More NAFTAs”—kicked off Stop FTAA events in Miami yesterday with a rousing conference on FTAA’s potential impact on U.S. jobs.-------------------------------------------
Union "dot orgs" come of age ILO
"Am I being paid what I should be, for the work I'm doing?" is a question many people ask but often find difficult to answer. Now, Internet sites dedicated to workplace issues can resolve this and other queries. Writer Andrew Bibby examines how workers and employers are navigating the information highway on bread and butter issues.
//syndikat, an on-line trade union organization which links IT professionals in the notoriously individualistic new technology sector, encourages both members and would-be members to check for themselves how their pay compares with the industry average, by using "Salary Checker" software on its Web site. The service is free, the principle - as with shareware software - being that users can make a voluntary donation.-------------------------------------------
Suggest a book LabourStart is assembling an online bookshelf for trade unionists -- a list of the books that every trade unionist should own.
Please help us by adding your suggestions here. LabourStart's editors will make a selection from the books you nominate and the top 30 will appear on our online bookshelf at Powells.com.
Powell's Books These are titles suggested by LabourStart readers from around the world. By buying these books from Powells.com you are supporting the first unionized bookshop on the web -- and LabourStart . Thanks!-------------------------------------------
:: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 ::Reflections in Septads by Harry Kelber
The septad is a poetic form I created, somewhat similar to the Japanese haiku. It consists of 28 syllables, arranged in seven staggered lines. It can employ rhyme, rhythm, alliteration and assonance. It can compress a range of ideas and emotions into snapshots, establishing quick, intimate contact with the reader.
Killers teach us strange place names.
Without their butchery,
how else would we know
Hiroshima,
Vietnam,
Auschwitz,
Hell?-------------------------------------------
LaborTalk for November 19, 2003 By Harry Kelber
Can Labor Win Campaign on Freedom to Join a Union?
A bill that would sweep away the obstacles that prevent workers from joining unions was unveiled by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) at a press conference on Nov. 13. Titled the “Employee Free Choice Act” the measure, if enacted, would make it considerably easier for unions to recruit millions of unorganized workers in their efforts to regain their former strength.
The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Cal.), contains pro-worker provisions that union organizers could only dream about:-------------------------------------------
Worker plunges 7 stories By Joe Hughes
'I heard this loud crashing sound and then saw the scaffolding falling down the side of the building,' said Daniel Gomez, who was working on another portion of the building. 'I knew guys were up there when it happened.'
Officials did not know how many workers were on the scaffolding at the time.
'Our first concern was finding trapped workers,' Jondall said. 'We sent units from the ground floor and the rooftop, in each direction through the stairwells.'
Investigations into the accident are under way. Some workers suggested the scaffolding may have been overloaded with materials.-------------------------------------------
Ullico workers bound for Silver Spring Washington Business Journal
Ullico, an insurance firm for organized laborers, plans to move more than 300 employees from its Washington headquarters to Silver Spring by early next year, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development said Monday.-------------------------------------------
Two probes looking at gangway accident BY PIERRE-YVES ROGER
Prosecutor Pierre-Marie Block said the investigations were centering on 'multiple technical causes.' One possible cause was that the gangway was overloaded.
Another theory was that the walkway was hastily installed. Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the builder of the QM2, had ordered a walkway 4.5 feet wide so visitors could access the ship. But Endel, the company that has furnished such structures for the vessel since 2002, delivered a 3.3-foot-wide one instead, Block said. Another one was quickly ordered and installed Friday to accommodate a weekend visit.
Endel, a unit of French water and energy conglomerate Suez, said Monday that it is cooperating with the prosecutor's investigation, which could lead to manslaughter charges.-------------------------------------------
:: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 ::
Forest union calls for calm after some workers walk out of coastal operations By STEVE MERTL CBC
'We believe the industry has violated the collective agreement,' union financial secretary David Tons said in an interview.
'They don't have the right to impose their own terms and conditions of employment on our membership.'
Tons, worried the walkouts could escalate, said he hoped the board would move quickly.
'Our local unions were working pretty hard yesterday and today convincing our guys that it makes sense at this time to go to the board,' he said.
Forest Industrial Relations, which bargains for 45 coastal logging and mill operators, announced Monday it was unilaterally imposing the terms of its last contract offer, tabled Nov. 11, because the union did not come back to bargaining last week.-------------------------------------------
No. 1 exporter Canfor wins cut in U.S. countervailing duty on softwood lumber CJAD 800 : News
Canfor Corp. of Vancouver said it received a preliminary ruling Tuesday from the department's expedited review of countervailing duties that reduces the rate Canfor pays to 12.24 per cent from 18.78 per cent. The countervailing duty and an anti-dumping duty were imposed in May 2002 on most Canadian exporters after complaints by U.S. lumber producers. They claimed all Canadian softwood exports were subsidized by provincial forest policies, especially low Crown stumpage fees, and selling in the U.S. market at below production costs or Canadian prices.-------------------------------------------
The Wal-Mart You Don't Know By Charles Fishman
The giant retailer's low prices often come with a high cost. Wal-Mart's relentless pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. Are we shopping our way straight to the unemployment line?-------------------------------------------
Workers walk out at B.C. lumber mills cnews.canoe.ca
VANCOUVER (CP) Walkouts hit two B.C. coastal lumber mills Tuesday, less than a day after the industry decided to impose new cost-cutting employment terms and conditions on workers.
B.C. forest companies impose contract on workers CBC News
Forest Industrial Relations (FIR), which bargains for 45 companies, said Monday that it will put in place its last offer to the Industrial Wood and Allied Workers of Canada (IWA) on Tuesday.
That contract includes some increases for workers, but also cuts shift premiums for weekends and pay for time spent travelling to logging sites.
The IWA said it will seek a cease-and-desist order from the Labour Relations Board.-------------------------------------------
Ex-union official pleads guilty By Lorell Fleming
HAMMOND — First, Gerry Nannenga was indicted in a kickback scam involving former Democratic state chairman Peter Manous, and Kevin Pastrick — son of East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick.
Now, Nannenga — a former secretary and treasurer of the Indiana Regional Council of Carpenters — is likely to become a star witness for federal prosecutors in the case.
Nannenga pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy and two counts of accepting payoffs in exchange for currying a favorable vote from his union’s pension board regarding a $10 million land deal investment.-------------------------------------------
Ban on raw log exports illegal: experts By JEFF NAGEL
Even before NAFTA was signed nearly 10 years ago, log export restrictions were touchy.
They were technically permitted under the original 1989 Canada-U.S. free trade agreement. But even with that allowance, the U.S. used our log export restrictions as an excuse to slap countervailing duties on B.C. lumber.
It’s easy to understand the motives of those who want to block the flow of logs south.
Critics see raw log exports as a drain of logs and jobs to the U.S. While mills here are crippled and closing, American ones are expanding, fed by B.C. logs.
Fair is fair, the export critics say. If the Americans want to use 27 per cent tariffs to keep our lumber out of the U.S., we should add our own hefty tax to log exports and price raw logs out of existence south of the border.
“It would be the start of trying to control the issue a little bit,” says IWA local 2171 president Darrel Wong.
Harris in fight to keep log exports By JEFF NAGEL
Export logs are increasingly being processed at mills in the northwest U.S.
While government officials say 95 per cent of B.C. logs are milled in the province, opponents say exports have increased to the point where the logs leaving B.C. would have employed 3,700 B.C. workers feeding several sawmills.
Unity B.C. leader Chris Delaney says Canada’s position in the softwood lumber dispute is being undermined by the flow of B.C. logs to feed U.S. mills.
“Every log they ship only delays a resolution to the softwood dispute, and creates unemployment and mill closures,” Delaney said. “Either they haven’t got the guts to call the Americans’ bluff, or they are doing this deliberately to appease their big American supporters like Weyerhaeuser, who want to feed large sawmills in the U.S.”
No decision yet on Grande Cache FMA By Nathan Anderson
'We're very pleased that the provincial government is sticking to their position on raw log exportation,' said Jodoin.
First Alberta death
Jodoin called the Grande Cache closure the province's, 'first casualty in the Softwood Lumber dispute.'
Weyerhaeuser announced Nov. 4 that it will close its Grande Cache operation by Feb. 8, 2004, putting 156 hourly and salaried employees out of work. The closure is expected to remove at last $7.5 million in unionized wages from the community, and affect about 300 direct and indirect jobs.-------------------------------------------
Confined Space - Nov. 15, 2003 By Jordan Barab
'Definitely, it could have been prevented'
The only thing that makes me madder than fatal trench collapses are fatal confined space incidents, especially where, as in this case, one of the fatalities was the attempted rescuer.
This was your classic confined space tragedy where one worker goes down into a sewer line without any monitoring or compliance with OSHA's confined space standard. He passes out from hydrogen sufide exposure or oxygen deficiency and is swept down the sewer. A second goes in to rescue him. He also dies. A third worker when down to rescue them. He luckily survived.-------------------------------------------
Bush Puts Out a Contract on the Spotted Owl Jeffrey St. Clair
The genus behind this scheme to privatize the spotted owl recount is Mark Rey, the Paul Wolfowitz of the chainsaw brigades. Rey, once the most feared timber industry lobbyist on the Hill, is now deputy secretary of agriculture overseeing the Forest Service. He has been at war against the owl and its defenders for 20 years: orchestrating numerous industry lawsuits, directing campaign contributions to pro-timber legislators, drafting legislation that exempted logging in owl habitat from compliance with environmental laws.
The owl recount resulted from a 2002 lawsuit that Rey helped concoct with his former clients at the American Forest Resource Council and the Western Council of Industrial Workers, a union under the thumb of the bosses of big timber.
Labor Unions Applaud Senate's Bipartisan Passage Of Healthy Forests Restoration Act PRNewswire
The following statement can be attributed to Michael V Draper, vice president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters' Western Region and chairman, Forest Products Industry National Labor Management Committee:
'The unions of the Forest Products Industry National Labor Management Committee applaud the Senate's passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. Today's action continues to show that a broad, bipartisan group of legislators support active management of America's public forests based on science, not emotions and lawsuits.-------------------------------------------
For women, a day's work doesn't mean the same pay By SHARON LINDSTEDT
Because the census data is derived by comparing 'all wages of all women' against 'all wages of all men,' it doesn't break out the many situations where women make as much, or even more than their male counterparts.
For instance, union contracts generally dictate pay by job title, resulting in equal paychecks for women and men. And there certainly are more a than a few examples of women commanding bigger bucks than their male colleagues.
But, the fact remains that while women now comprise nearly half (46 percent) of the U.S. work force, they still bring up the short end of the pay scale. In Erie County, median pay for women working full-time is $26,510, while median pay for men is $38,703, according to a report, 'Facts About Women in Erie County,' that the women's commission will release next month.-------------------------------------------
:: Monday, November 17, 2003 ::Pay rises conditional on leaving union illegal, says court stuff.co.nz
In the ruling released yesterday, the court found:
* a worker covered by a collective agreement may withdraw from it by resigning from the union;
* a clause in the Herald's collective allowing people to leave the collective while remaining members of the union was inconsistent with the ERA;
* workers cannot withdraw from the collective by signing individual agreements nor giving notice to the union and the employer.
The court also said that any move by the Herald to make a pay rise conditional on a worker leaving the collective agreement would breach the ERA and International Labour Organisation conventions.-------------------------------------------
Depressed thief burns $46,000 By Rajiv Maharaj
A WORKER who stole more than $46,000 in cash from a 'cursed' safe and burned it is free after receiving a suspended jail sentence.-------------------------------------------
Dispatches from Wal-Mart's Front Lines By Stan Cox, AlterNet
"Whenever a union rep comes around to the store we are forbidden to even acknowledge him/her. If we are caught speaking to any one of them we are automatically terminated! They basically put down the reason for dismissal as anything they want, to avoid any publicity about the union or Wal-Mart's fight against one. The store constantly has videos and pamphlets about why we would not want a union and why it is so bad to belong to one."-------------------------------------------
Uncle Sam wants you…on a draft board By ZACHARY AMENDT
The Selective Service is looking for volunteers, but denies warming up for a draft. If you're worried, sing a few bars of 'Alice's Restaurant.'
Did somebody say the 'D' word? By Matt Neznanski
'Shoot-to-kill' demand by US By Martin Bright
Home Secretary David Blunkett has refused to grant diplomatic immunity to armed American special agents and snipers travelling to Britain as part of President Bush's entourage this week.-------------------------------------------
A New Game Plan For Union Organizing (2) By Harry Kelber
This is the second of eight articles on union organizing.
• Employers spend $300 million a year on consultants trained to stop workers from forming unions.
• 10,000 workers are fired each year for attempting to join a union.
• 91% of employers force their employees to attend “captive audience” meetings where they have to listen to anti-union propaganda.
• 75% of employers use supervisors to pressure workers in one-on-one meetings to disown the union when they try to organize.
* In one-third of the cases where workers vote for a union, employers never agree to a first contract.-------------------------------------------
Your very own Real Canadian Sweetheart Union UFCW Members for Democracy
Are you a corrupt sonofabitch who wants to make piles of money by cheating and robbing thousands of vulnerable people without ever having to worry about losing your shirt or spending time in Club Fed?
Set yourself up in a lucrative business that serves up bottom-of-the-barrel crap to a captive market that must keep coming back for more. Run your business any which way you like for as long as you like without ever having to explain yourself to nosey law enforcement agencies or consumer protection types.
What kind of outfit is this? Where and how can you set up shop?
It's a sweetheart union and you can set up shop virtually overnight anywhere in Canada at little or no expense to yourself.-------------------------------------------
A-Channel Strike Page From: Gordon Flett
SUPPORT THE A-CHANNEL WORKERS OF CEP LOCAL 1900 ON STRIKE IN EDMONTON
click for larger scab parking image by d@ve2300-------------------------------------------
Efficient Workers Smithsonian WW2 production posters
'Efficient workers must be helped to attain even greater efficiency. And these objectives must be gained by methods that are in harmony with the principles of a democratic society; they cannot be gained by commanding them; they must be gained by supplying incentives that will induce voluntary action.'
S. D. Warren Company, a paper manufacturer, published a catalog of production-incentive posters in 1942, simultaneously supporting the cause and promoting their products.-------------------------------------------
:: Sunday, November 16, 2003 ::Historic Legislation Launched to Restore Workers' Freedom to Form Unions AFL-CIO
“Labor unions have led the fight for better wages and working conditions for millions of workers in our country. But too many workers who want to form a union are unable to do so. America’s workers deserve better,” said Senator Edward Kennedy. “That is why I am pleased to introduce the Employee Free Choice Act.”
“Behind the closed doors of the workplaces of America, workers face incredible — often ruthless — opposition when they try to come together in a union,” said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO. “This legislation is fundamental and much-needed backing for workers who want to have a real voice on the job.”-------------------------------------------
Toll climbs in Queen Mary 2 shipyard accident CTV.ca News Staff
Tragedy has struck the world's largest, most expensive ocean liner. Sixteen people were killed when the crowded walkway they were traversing to the Queen Mary 2 collapsed, plunging them to the drydock below.
As many as 48 people were crowding the gangway when the structure collapsed, pulling down scaffolding holding it up at one end and sending people plunging to the pavement below.
Victims tumbled 15 metres to the ground amid twisted and broken scaffolding on Saturday afternoon, leaving 13 dead.
13 die in Queen Mary II accident By Rodolphe Landais - Reuters
There for a weekend visit of the luxury liner, more than 40 friends and family members of shipyard workers were walking onto the boat across a gangway when the structure gave way, eyewitnesses said on Saturday.
For each shipyard worker, the construction of a cruise liner is a source of pride to be shared with friends and family," said Philippe Bouquet-Nadeau, the head of human resources for Alstom Marine. "That is why we always authorise these visits. It is a very old tradition."
Queen Mary 2 Gangway Collapse Yahoo! News Photos-------------------------------------------
Safety questions at A.C. parking garage probed By Jennifer Moroz and Amy S. Rosenberg
The apparent lack of any ties securing the garage floors to that wall is one of two main 'suspects' in the collapse, Mongeluzzi said.
'We don't know whether that was by design, or failure to follow design,' Mongeluzzi said.
Jerry Kilby, Atlantic City's chief engineer, said he could not determine what had kept the floors attached to that wall.
'I was curious about that myself,' he said recently.
So were workers.
'The deck collapsed. Everything went straight down,' said Mike Dabundo, an iron worker at the site. 'There was nothing in there for it to tie into.'
Mongeluzzi and Stewart Eisenberg, a lawyer representing three men injured in the collapse, said they also were investigating whether the drying concrete decks were well-enough supported from below. Special poles are used to help hold up decks until they can support themselves.
The lawyers said they were looking into whether those poles were removed too soon before the wet concrete had enough time to dry.
image: The Scene (142K) nynewsday.com
The top five stories of the garage that collapsed at the Tropicana Casino.-------------------------------------------
Zeroing in nature's terrorists: Blame the trees By BRUCE WATSON
Now that devastating fires are annual events, the Bush administration has taken this brilliant new approach to blame. Don't blame global warming. Don't blame the big fat cars helping to pump up record heat waves and droughts. Don't even blame the folks who build their houses in every corner and crevice of every forest out West. Blame the trees!-------------------------------------------
Employees let off steam online By Jennifer LeClaire CSM
But Firebrand publisher Karen Oosterhous says the fact that blogs are recorded in real time gives them reader appeal.
"Cubicle dwellers love to see one of their own get an edge on management; witness the success of the cartoon Dilbert or the movie Office Space," she says. "The humor, the sarcasm, the emotional defense of the common worker is raw and immediate."-------------------------------------------
Pipefitter shortage tied to union dispute CBC
Kiewit Offshore Services, which is building the modules at the Marystown fabrication yard, has been advertising for the tradespeople, saying they are needed immediately.
There is no shortage of pipefitters, but the Marystown yard pays less than they would earn under a construction industry contract. The yard also hasn't been paying housing or travel allowances.
Now, Kiewit manager Frank Smith says the company will ante up more cash.-------------------------------------------
:: Saturday, November 15, 2003 ::Steel union takes deal - Nov. 15 By Zane Wilson
GEORGETOWN - Steelworkers learned Friday that their health insurance will be cut off Nov. 30 under an agreement with Georgetown Steel Co. that is expected to help its chances for a sale or attracting new investors.
Mill seeks relief from its union labor contract - Nov. 1 By Zane Wilson
GEORGETOWN - Nonunion workers would be used in union jobs, health benefits would end Nov. 15 and pension eligibility would be slashed under a request for interim relief from its union labor contract that Georgetown Steel Co. filed Friday.
Saga of Georgetown Steel archive, updates and discussion board-------------------------------------------
Buster & His Friends! Cartoon By Mark Fiore - Village Voice
Making Nuclear Proliferation Fun Again!
Republicans Say Energy Bill Will Boost Economy By Tom Doggett and Chris Baltimore
However, the Teamsters Union criticized the draft bill for failing to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling, which would have created high-paying union jobs.
'First the Republican Congress and White House gave workers a jobless recovery, and now they want to give us a jobless energy package,' said James Hoffa, the union president.
In a victory for environmental groups and many Democrats, the bill does not contain provisions for drilling in ANWR, or government oil reserves off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts where drilling is banned.
=======
archived Hoffa/McCarron quotes:
Charting America's Energy Plan insightmag.com
'We like a lot of things' about the plan, Hoffa told reporters after meeting with Cheney. 'We do believe we need more nuclear plants i [and] refining capacity.' Douglas McCarron, president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, said the Cheney plan 'sounded good.'
Cheney Pitches Energy Policy To Labor Leaders as Jobs Plan IUOE News 05/15/2001
Douglas McCarron, president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, said that what he heard 'sounded good . . . We can build those plants.'
Democrats push 'roadless' plan for parks By Audrey Hudson
'By limiting active management, the legislation will inhibit the Forest Service's ability to control the fire risk in national forests,' Douglas J. McCarron, president of the carpenters union, said in a letter to Congress.
'These acres need active management in order to remain healthy,' Mr. McCarron said.
larger image *Smoke and Mirrors* by d@ve2300
"From drilling in ANWR to logging old growth forests to nuclear proliferation, clowns like these are running your country - and your unions - right into the ground. Don't fall for it."-------------------------------------------
Minutes of the UBCJA General Executive Board Meeting May 12, 2003
It was discussed that in view of the downturn in the economy over the past three years, it appears that an increase in the contribution rate to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Pension fund is necessary for all United States Affiliates to sixteen percent (16%) of gross monthly compensation for each full time officer and representative effective October 1, 2003. It is the hope of the General Executive Board that the increase in the contribution rate will be temporary and that the rate will be lowered once the economy turns around.-------------------------------------------
Nannenga expected to testify about land deal By Michael Puente
Gerry Nannenga, a former top official with a powerful labor union is expected to turn government witness in a public corruption case against former state Democratic chairman Peter Manous and Kevin Pastrick, son of East Chicago Mayor Robert A. Pastrick.
Nannenga, the former secretary and treasurer for the Indiana Regional Council of Carpenters, is scheduled to change his plea of innocent as part of a 16-count federal indictment case.-------------------------------------------
Under the radar By MARINA JIMENEZ
Carlos Pimentel, a spokesman with the Central Ontario Regional Council of Carpenters, said he was 'stunned' to find vast numbers of undocumented trimmers, framers and bricklayers when his union began organizing in these sectors three years ago. Many trimmers came from Mendoza, a wine-growing province in Argentina. Others came from Panama, Central America, Eastern Europe, even Ireland. 'Many have been here for years, not months. It would require an army of immigration officers to track down people,' said Mr. Pimentel, who signed up several hundred.-------------------------------------------
Canada offers softwood proposal By STEVEN CHASE and PETER KENNEDY
Ottawa sent Washington a counterproposal yesterday to settle the long-running Canada-U.S. softwood lumber war, an offer that this country's top negotiator is calling a square deal for both sides.-------------------------------------------
EPA Moves Away From Enforcement By Sherie Winston and Thomas F. Armistead ENR
Construction market can expect downturn unless states take on tougher new standards
A Bush administration decision to back away from enforcing certain air pollution rules that determine when powerplants must install new emission controls not only may harm the environment, but will severely hamper the bottom line of construction firms and engineers who retrofit those plants, say industry officials.-------------------------------------------
Congressional Democrats Seek to Streamline Unionization Process With Card Check Bills By Cynthia Green LRA
Even while the Bush administration focuses on neutering the labor movement and mindlessly rewarding the rich, warriors in Congress are still fighting for hard-working families, striving to make it easier for employees to form unions and bringing the message to the voting public ahead of the November 2004 elections.
Since July, several bills have been introduced that would require the federal government and private employers to recognize card check union organizing. The proposals would also facilitate first-contract negotiation and frustrate employers’ anti-union activities.-------------------------------------------
:: Friday, November 14, 2003 ::Disability Rights Vs. Workers Rights: A Different Perspective by Bob Kafka ZNet
The fight to stop the rebuilding of Laguna Honda, the nation's largest nursing home, brought this little discussed issue to the forefront. It made 'progressive' disability advocates as well as union members take positions that made both feel uncomfortable. What was the position of the union movement in relation to a disabled persons' 'right' to live and receive services in the community became a question asked around the country?-------------------------------------------
Construction Trades Need Skilled Workers Verbatim Script
ORLANDO, Fla. -- In its latest report on area building problems, WESH NewsChannel 2 investigated a potential reason for the problems found in new Central Florida homes.
The Home Builders Association says some problems occur because young men and women are no longer being introduced to the construction trades at a young age. WESH NewsChannel 2 education reporter Kathy Marsh explained why kids today are not interested in shop class.
'Hard work, long hours. Two major reasons why Central Florida's building boom is in crisis,' Marsh said.
'When I do interviews at work, you know, I might interview 80 people in a day. But finding the people that are willing to make it a career or willing to go to school, that's the hardest part,' said Scott Browning, of Tri-City Electric.
Tom Lagomarsino, of the Homebuilders Association of Metro Orlando, puts the blame on public schools, and the silencing of saws in shop class.-------------------------------------------
Republican Lawmakers Seek Delay in New Union Reporting Rules AFL-CIO
Twenty-two Republican U.S. House of Representatives members have asked the Bush administration to delay implementing new union reporting rules that could cost local and national unions as much as $1 billion a year. The new rules were announced Oct. 3, less than 24 hours after the U.S. House of Representatives, spurred by union member lobbying, voted to block the Bush administration attack on overtime pay protections.
The Bush action is “payback for workers’ overtime win” and “yet more evidence of the administration’s blind determination to weaken workers’ organizations,” says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.
Labor Department Finalizes Burdensome New Union Reporting Rules By Cynthia Green LRA
--Bowing to Pressure, DoL Eases a Few Proposed Requirements
Chao has said the objectives of revising the reporting rules are two-fold: to make unions’ finances and operations more transparent to their members, and to deter against "financial misconduct" by union officials.
But labor leaders have said the punitive new rules will tie up unions in mountains of red tape, without necessarily providing any more meaningful financial information to the rank and file. Further, locals already adhere to standard accounting practices in tracking finances, which include reporting budgets, salaries, loans and expenses.-------------------------------------------
Missing Connections to Wall May Have Weakened Garage By Richard Korman - ENR
"A lot of people see that there isn’t any [rebar] there and wonder whether it is a cause of collapse and whether it has become a point of contention," says one source. Poor shoring and other factors at the site may have provided the trigger, while slab-to-wall connections played a secondary role. "Did it exacerbate things? It may well have," he says.
Another contractor who worked on the project claims that no significant rebar ties the wall to the floors. "The wall worked, but there was no connection to the floors," he says.
Missing or inadequate floor-to-wall connections fit the emerging picture of the project as it rushed to meet a March 2004 opening date. The 2,400-car garage was a key part of the $245-million Tropicana expansion, the biggest project in Atlantic City in a decade. The pressure to move faster was felt all over the site, people on the project say, and patience and materials often were in short supply. The big rush came after the heavy winter weather subsided. "The past months were very intense," says one contractor.
Slideshow: Parking Garage Collapses In Atlantic City
image 7 will give pause to those in the trade...-------------------------------------------
A dispute over steel may devastate lumber By Don Whiteley
While both government and industry officials from Canada and the U.S. are exploring ways to restart the moribund softwood lumber talks, the Americans are seriously considering lobbing a trade hand grenade into the room.
Canada's softwood lumber exports may see a significant increase, perhaps retroactively, in the current 27.4-per-cent combined countervailing and anti-dumping duties. It would require payments in the tens of million of dollars, and could nearly double the effective rate of the duties.-------------------------------------------
:: Thursday, November 13, 2003 ::Minnesota to have large presence at FTAA mobilization in Miami By Barb Kucera, editor, workdayminnesota.org
The group from the Gopher State will include scores of manufacturing workers who have seen their jobs wiped out by bad trade deals such as NAFTA, but also public sector, construction and postal employees who are concerned about the effects of proposed trade agreements such as the FTAA. They come from all areas of Minnesota.
“They are members of unions that always opposed the free trade agenda, but they did it out of a sense of solidarity with their manufacturing brothers and sisters whom they saw getting slammed,” said Larry Weiss, coordinator of the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition. “All of a sudden, their jobs are on the line with the new generation of trade deals.”-------------------------------------------
Two hurt when roof of Hoover West School addition collapses By Stephanie Gehring
William Melhorn, a laborer for the masons on the project, said he was going up a ladder at the time of the collapse.
'I heard cracking and popping,' Melhorn said. 'I looked up and saw all the trusses just fall.'
Melhorn said the man with the leg injury was pinned in by some of the trusses and coworkers had to lift them up so the man could free himself.
'He took it really good,' Melhorn said.
Work to resume at Waterfront condo BY DAVID HACKETT
An investigation is continuing into the death last week of a construction supervisor.
Work will resume today on the nine-story Waterfront on Venice Island condominiums, nearly a week after a 44-year-old construction supervisor fell to his death from the eighth floor.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing its investigation into the accident, caused when anchors holding two cables came loose from a support wall, sending William Molinaro falling to his death, police said.
The cables were designed to support 200 pounds, according to Waterfront developer Mike Miller. Molinaro weighed about 220 pounds, family members said.-------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart charged with racketeering AP
Newark, N.J. — Workers recently arrested in federal raids filed a racketeering lawsuit accusing Wal-Mart of conspiring with contractors in a criminal enterprise that violated the civil rights and wage protections of immigrants who cleaned its stores.-------------------------------------------
Anti-Iraq war veterans pulled from parade By J. TAYLOR RUSHING
TALLAHASSEE -- A group of 30 military veterans critical of the war in Iraq hoped to use Tuesday's Veterans Day parade to call attention to the increasingly deadly conflict but instead found themselves fighting for something much more fundamental.
Members of Veterans For Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War were yanked off a downtown Tallahassee street, directly in front of the Old Capitol, while marching in the holiday parade they had legitimately registered in.-------------------------------------------
Building trades workers idled after Tropicana accident By JOHN CURRAN
Now hundreds of building trades workers who had been busy on the Tropicana Casino and Resort expansion project are off the job indefinitely, with construction halted in the wake of the Oct. 30 collapse of a parking garage.
'It means we're going to have unemployment here,' said Jim Kehoe, business manager for Local 322 of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local union. 'We're all waiting to find out when they can make the job safe again and they can go back to work.'-------------------------------------------
Dean appears candidate to beat with labor union endorsements By Steven Thomma
Dean bolstered his claim to front-runner status on Wednesday with the formal endorsements of two of the biggest and most politically active unions in the country, demonstrating that he's broadening his appeal beyond the young, prosperous Internet-wired supporters who got him this far.
'We have a candidate - we have a leader - who represents our values, and I believe, we all believe, can defeat this president, who actually never won,' said Gerald W. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. It endorsed Dean, as did the Service Employees International Union. They are the two biggest members of the AFL-CIO.
Gephardt union coalition airs first ads in Iowa By LEIGH STROPE, AP Labor Writer
A coalition of 16 unions that support Democrat Dick Gephardt for president is launching television ads in Iowa to highlight the impact of international trade pacts on American workers.-------------------------------------------
Labor trends, history work against unions By Bill W. Hornaday
Much of the brinkmanship in labor talks such as Kroger's negotiations with the United Food & Commercial Workers Union has become an increasingly rare art.
That's because labor strikes -- a prime leverage tool for unions -- are becoming a workplace relic.-------------------------------------------
Training Day By Mark Clement TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
Another side effect of intense specialization (or piecing) is that it requires workers to be fast but doesn't demand the older model's comprehensive know-how, contributing to the erosion of skilled workers who learn and grow on the job. 'It's the natural evolution of the industry,' says production framer Michael Davis, president of Framing Square in Albuquerque, N.M. 'It's more task-training now; you don't have to make someone a carpenter, especially on big multifamily projects,' he says.
'The trend in construction is increasing automation,' says Ron Warde, an instructor at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) in Las Vegas. Lockett sees this trend, too, and comments, 'Pre-fab and modularization in the industry have reduced the need for skilled workers.'-------------------------------------------
:: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 ::Ottawa rules out amnesty for illegal immigrants From CANADIAN PRESS
Jim Murphy of the Greater Toronto Home Builders Association, said the problem of illegals exists across the country but is a 'huge issue' for builders in the region.
'If we didn't have them, we wouldn't be able to build houses,' said Murphy.
Carlos Pimentel, an organizer with the carpenters' union, said the current system 'fuels the underground economy' and has to be addressed given that there are as many as 13,000 skilled construction workers who lack status.-------------------------------------------
Scaffolding good practices Occupational Health & Safety Magazine
A recent scaffolding interpretation from OSHA prods general contractors to ensure subcontractors' safe operations.
It's a good idea to monitor OSHA's Standard Interpretations site on a regular basis. You can easily find the site by clicking on the 'interpretations' link right from OSHA's www.osha.gov homepage. Although long periods of inactivity are common there, the site's occasional updates are important guides to the agency's enforcement strategy. Construction gets as much attention as any area under OSHAs jurisdiction.-------------------------------------------
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