AFT Identifies Companies that Profit from Family Separation Policies
One of the most heartbreaking news stories of 2018 is the Trump administration's decision to separate undocumented immigrant families that enter the United States.The AFL-CIO, the AFT and other advocates for working people have condemned this policy and called for families to be reunited. As part of this effort, the AFT has issued a new report to inform pension trustees and the working people they represent about companies that are profiting off of family separation and mass incarceration.
First, there are the companies that directly profit from the family separation policy. They build and operate the facilities used to detain immigrants or provide support services to those facilities. These companies include:
- CoreCivic: Formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, the nation's largest private prison company owns and operates eight immigration detention centers.
- GEO Group: A company that operates private prisons and operates family detention centers.
- General Dynamics: A top defense contractor, the company provides case management services at youth detention centers.
Second, there are the companies that provide financing to CoreCivic and GEO Group. These companies include:
- BlackRock
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Wells Fargo
These companies may hold direct shares in the companies that profit from the policy, or they may have indirect investments in those companies through index, private equity or hedge funds.
AFT will issue a follow-up report that identifies individual investment managers who profit from private prisons and the mass incarceration of people of color.
Read the full report to learn more.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 08/17/2018 - 13:57Do They Care? What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
A. Philip Randolph Institute:
Our president is one of the greatest! https://t.co/x2AkDm28fe
— APRI National (DC) (@APRI_National) August 15, 2018Actors' Equity Association:
This week’s #EquityWorks highlight is of @AmericanPlayers. Read a quick overview of the current LORT Agreement here - https://t.co/sZsub3QPqi pic.twitter.com/Pe31fLA2zC
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) August 16, 2018AFGE:
California AFGE members visited their state legislators yesterday to pass #AJR51 and send a message to Washington: #EOHellNO. pic.twitter.com/jHCJR4zgik
— AFGE (@AFGENational) August 17, 2018AFSCME:
Republican state legislator in Maine admits he was wrong about public-sector unions https://t.co/fxAsD1CtOx via @AFSCME93 #1u #union
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) August 17, 2018AFT:
"@rweingarten, president of the AFT (the parent union of the @OhioNursesAssoc) issued a statement calling the move a 'cruel, callous move that will hurt the Youngstown community.'" More on the closing of Northside Regional Medical Center in Youngstown: https://t.co/Xbp1hgBoFh
— AFT (@AFTunion) August 17, 2018Air Line Pilots:
Aviation Industry Urges U.S. Senate Leadership to Pass a Long-Term @FAANews Reauthorization: https://t.co/8UtoSB37aD @GAManufacturers
— ALPA (@WeAreALPA) August 15, 2018Alliance for Retired Americans:
Judge Kavanaugh is a threat to our healthcare and he is dangerous for working and older Americans. Call your Senator now at 866-828-4162 and tell them to reject his nomination! https://t.co/j0dZlsCOAq #SaveACA #1u #ForThePeople pic.twitter.com/nR8xfotCoW
— Alliance Retirees (@ActiveRetirees) August 16, 2018Amalgamated Transit Union:
Metro must pay $82 million in wage increases to thousands of workers, arbitration panel says https://t.co/ywhRNX0aoQ #1u #publictransit #transit
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) August 16, 2018Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:
APALA San Francisco Chapter hosted a press conference with partners (@AnakbayanUSA and others) last week after a successful action to pressure community festival, Pistahan, to disassociate itself with anti-worker company, NutriAsia. https://t.co/9HxxsMMQaE
— APALA (@APALAnational) August 13, 2018Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Today, we remember the six crew members, 147 passengers and two people killed on the ground after Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport on August 16, 1987. https://t.co/lXXwNXMx4H pic.twitter.com/qPpvCw7ZN5
— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) August 16, 2018BCTGM:
From the Convention floor: All Resolutions submitted by the BCTGM General Executive Board have been adopted. Go here to read the full text of the Resolutions: https://t.co/vdzBkakxfY | #BCTGM2018
— BCTGM International (@BCTGM) August 14, 2018Boilermakers:
MT @GovernorBullock called #Boilermakers L-D239 lockout a "unicorn," bc the state hasn't had a union lockout since the 80s. Even more reason to #standwiththreeforks. Thank you for standing w/ L-D239, Governor! #MTnews, @mtaflcio, @bobfunk https://t.co/dFJwEPxNp5 pic.twitter.com/0XaYXmneL3
— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) August 15, 2018Bricklayers:
Please sign this petition to expose unsafe working conditions & the lack of Local labor at Cornell University: https://t.co/carm926YAv #DoesCornellCare #1u #construction @CornellUnivers pic.twitter.com/6YCpdUsXlX
— Bricklayers Union (@IUBAC) August 17, 2018Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:
Children yet to be born will inherit royalty: the Queen of Soul. #arethafranklin #RESPECT pic.twitter.com/6vlLv2aYqL
— CBTU (@CBTU72) August 16, 2018Communications Workers of America:
CWAers at @verizon & at Verizon Connected Solutions voted to ratify a 4yr extension of their contracts. The extensions provide for additional wage increases and enhanced retirement benefits for over 34k Verizon workers. RT to congratulate the workers! #1u https://t.co/b6lFVYBml5
— CWA (@CWAUnion) August 17, 2018Department for Professional Employees:
Nonprofit professionals see
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Rich Cordray
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Ohio gubernatorial candidate Rich Cordray.
Here are some of the key reasons why Cordray is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
- He has a record of fighting for working people. When he was attorney general of Ohio, he worked to recover more than $2 billion for teachers and retirees who were victims of fraud.
- Cordray served as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was created to protect families against corporate and Wall Street abuse. Under his leadership, financial institutions were forced to pay back nearly $12 billion to more than 30 million Americans.
- While attorney general, he launched programs to help working families plan for their retirement goals.
- Cordray is a proponent of Medicaid expansion.
- His "Reduced Costs, Reliable Coverage" plan will increase transparency and accountability in the state's health care system.
- Cordray’s infrastructure plan will repair roads and bridges and invest in public transportation, broadband and clean water projects. These investments also will create jobs.
- His workforce development plan will ensure every Ohioan has the skills they need to support their families by strengthening two- and four-year college degree programs, vocational school, apprenticeships, certifications and other types of skills training.
- To improve the economy for Ohio workers, he is focused on supporting homegrown small businesses as well as attracting out-of-state companies.
- Cordray stands firmly against "right to work" laws.
- As attorney general, he went after bad employers who routinely misclassified their workers.
Learn more about Cordray at his website.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 08/16/2018 - 15:13Tags: Elections 2018
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Andy Levin
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are going to take a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Michigan congressional candidate Andy Levin.
Here are some of the key reasons why Levin is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
- Levin wants to make increasing living standards a part of all trade deals.
- He favors raising the minimum wage.
- Levin said he wants to focus on restoring the freedom of working people to organize and bargain collectively.
- He wants to expand paid family leave.
- Levin will fight for equal pay and benefits for all women, particularly women of color.
- In Michigan, he became the state's first chief workforce officer and created a program, "No Worker Left Behind," which helped more than 162,000 Michiganders get workforce training and another 120,000 get new jobs.
- He will fight Republican attempts to undermine and privatize Social Security.
- Levin advocates for universal public education under local control with well-compensated teachers.
- He wants to create a comprehensive, long-term program to invest in roads, bridges, sewers, mass transit and other infrastructure.
- In Congress, he will stand up for trade policies that protect the rights of working people and raise the standard of living for workers in all countries that are involved.
- He said he wants to change tax policies to stop incentivizing outsourcing.
- Levin will vote to increase investment in job training and apprenticeships.
- He wants Congress to pass legislation barring discrimination against LGBTQ-plus people in employment, housing and other aspects of American life.
- Levin said he wants the United States to move away from the prison industrial complex and favors other criminal justice reforms that diminish the oppression of people of color.
- He wants comprehensive immigration reform with a clear pathway to citizenship and wants to end family separations at the border.
- Levin will work to protect the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau so it can continue to protect families that are treated poorly by banks, payday lenders, check cashing stores and others.
- He wants to ensure access to affordable health care for all Americans by passing Medicare for All and taking on the high cost of prescription drugs.
- Levin wants to embrace postal banking as a way to give Americans easy access to banking services from a trustworthy source.
- He supports a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United in order to bring full disclosure of all money donated to influence elections.
Learn more about Levin at his website.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 08/16/2018 - 09:15Tags: Elections 2018
A Huge Win: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s this week’s Working People Weekly List.
A Huge Win for Organized Labor in Missouri: "'The defeat of this poisonous anti-worker legislation is a victory for all workers across the country,' declared AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka as the results came in Tuesday night. 'The message sent by every single person who worked to defeat Prop. A is clear: When we see an opportunity to use our political voice to give workers a more level playing field, we will seize it with overwhelming passion and determination. Tonight is the latest act of working people changing a rigged system that for decades has been favoring corporations, the mega wealthy and the privileged few.'"
Unions Triumph at the Ballot Box: "Something is happening in America. Missouri, riding a nationwide wave of victories for working people, on Tuesday became the first state in history to overturn a so-called right-to-work law by popular vote. It was an incredible display of the labor movement’s capacity to win change."
Giving 'Hope to Workers Across the Nation,' Missouri Votes to Repeal GOP Attack on Unions: "'Brothers and sisters, tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow we must get back to work,' declared Missouri AFL-CIO President Mike Louis in a speech following Tuesday's victory. 'Tomorrow we must continue to organize. Together, we made history. Together, we must continue to fight for working families.'"
Ethical Camping Essentials: "Ah, the great outdoors. The fresh air, the sounds of nature, the s’mores! That’s right. When you’re planning an outdoor vacation during the final weeks of summer, you’ll need a bunch of supplies, both fun and practical. Whether you’re protecting against the elements or putting together a decadent fireside treat, Labor 411 reminds you to shop for ethical American-made brands manufactured by companies that treat their workers fairly. Enjoy the outdoors, and together we’ll camp our way to a stronger America."
Hard Work Pays Off in Missouri: In the States Roundup: "It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states."
Support Locked-Out Boilermakers in Montana: "On Aug. 2, Imerys locked out members of the Boilermakers (IBB) and brought in replacements at its talc plant in Three Forks, Montana. The lockout comes after Imerys consistently has refused to back down from its anti-worker contract proposal. The proposed contract would eliminate retiree health insurance, seniority, overtime over eight hours, double-time pay for overtime and the current defined contribution 401(k) plan, and would freeze the defined pension plan."
Missouri's Working People Overwhelmingly Reject Right to Work: "Last night was historic for working people in Missouri. Wealthy corporate interests tried to use their money to rig the system in favor of the 1%. But Missourians rejected the cynical power grab by an overwhelming 2-1 majority. Something big is happening with America’s working people—something that will bring change—and last night was just the latest evidence of this groundswell."
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 08/13/2018 - 11:14Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Stacey Abrams
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are going to take a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Here are some of the key reasons why Abrams is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
- She is the only gubernatorial candidate to propose a detailed jobs plan.
- Abrams introduced Georgia's Advanced Energy Jobs Plan to deliver tens of thousands of high-wage jobs.
- In a visit to Ironworkers Local 709, she noted that her jobs program would increase registered apprenticeships in the state from 8,000 to 22,000 by 2022.
- As co-founder of financial services firm NOW Account and other small businesses, she has helped create and retain jobs in the state.
- Abrams wants to use old buildings to turn the city of Macon into a hub for renewable energy such as hydro, biomass, wind and solar.
- She received the Friend of Labor award for her support of working families.
- While minority leader, she led the charge to stop the practice of employee misclassification.
- She said she wants to be the public education governor and fought an undemocratic takeover of schools that would've shifted power to un-elected officials only answerable to the governor.
- Abrams would help small businesses access capital, skilled labor and critical infrastructure.
- She would prioritize economic mobility to make sure hardworking families have a chance to succeed.
- To do this, Abrams would establish a state earned income tax credit, focus on tax breaks for working families rather than the richest individuals and corporations and expand access to child care tax credits and subsidies.
- In her agenda, she demands workplaces never discriminate based on a person’s race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, disability or immigration status.
- Abrams would promote policies to ensure pay equity.
- She wants to expand paid sick leave.
- Abrams favors the state requiring a living wage in every county.
- As a legislator, she co-sponsored legislation to prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
- She supports a Georgia civil rights bill to protect the LGBTQ-plus community, immigrants, people of color, and people of faith from discrimination in housing, public accommodation, and the workplace.
- Abrams wants to end abusive on-call scheduling, so that families can have predictable workweeks and paychecks.
- She has called for investment in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transit, water and sewer systems, ports, broadband, and clean energy.
- Abrams wants public projects to utilize more Georgia workers and products.
- She opposes legislation that bans project labor agreements on public works projects.
Learn more about Abrams at her website.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 08/13/2018 - 09:12Tags: Elections 2018
Ethical Camping Essentials
Ah, the great outdoors. The fresh air, the sounds of nature, the s’mores! That’s right. When you’re planning an outdoor vacation during the final weeks of summer, you’ll need a bunch of supplies, both fun and practical. Whether you’re protecting against the elements or putting together a decadent fireside treat, Labor 411 reminds you to shop for ethical American-made brands manufactured by companies that treat their workers fairly. Enjoy the outdoors, and together we’ll camp our way to a stronger America.
S’mores
- Campfire marshmallows
- Chocolate – Ghirardelli, Hershey, Cadbury
- Honey Maid graham crackers
Grill
- Weber
Hammocks
- Algoma Net
Outdoor Clothing
- AFL-CIO union-made gear
- All American Clothing Co.
- Carhartt
Coffee
- Eight O’Clock coffee
- Folgers
- Maxwell House
- Millstone coffee
- USA Coffee Company
Hot Cocoa
- Ghirardelli
- Swiss Miss
Coolers
- Rubbermaid
Sunscreen
- Bain de Soleil
- Coppertone
This post originally appeared at Labor 411.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 08/09/2018 - 14:12Tags: Union Made
Hard Work Pays Off In Missouri: In the States Roundup
It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on Twitter.
Alabama AFL-CIO:
The Alabama AFL-CIO held its endorsement convention on August 2-3, 2018 at the Embassy Suites, in Montgomery, Alabama.https://t.co/YJHKRJ3h7r
— Alabama AFL-CIO (@AlabamaAFLCIO) August 6, 2018Arizona AFL-CIO:
Some are calling this the "Missouri Miracle." Nonsense. This victory was no miracle; it was hard work by dedicated Missouri union members with the help of our brothers and sisters from all over the U.S. including Arizona. https://t.co/CvZySyNTZH
— Arizona AFL-CIO (@ArizonaAFLCIO) August 8, 2018Arkansas AFL-CIO:
"The November election has been tailored to delight the business lobby, with the exception of one proposal that would upset its legislative apple cart. Working men and women beware." -Ark Times https://t.co/upuxIzj9KI
^JH #arklabor #NoOn1 #protectarfamilies @ARlaborradio
California Labor Federation:
"Don’t let the billionaires privatize and destroy public education in our state. Keep our public schools free, funded and public."@Dartaft on why we MUST vote @TonyThurmond for Supt. of Public Instruction
Support Locked-Out Boilermakers in Montana
On Aug. 2, Imerys locked out members of the Boilermakers (IBB) and brought in replacements at its talc plant in Three Forks, Montana. The lockout comes after Imerys consistently has refused to back down from its anti-worker contract proposal. The proposed contract would eliminate retiree health insurance, seniority, overtime over eight hours, double-time pay for overtime and the current defined contribution 401(k) plan, and would freeze the defined pension plan.
The Three Forks plant is French-owned Imerys’ most profitable site, generating more than $1 million profit monthly. Despite this, the company wants to gut the workers’ contract. These working people fought back, and Imerys locked them out.
Here are six ways you can help the locked-out workers:
1. Join the picket line: Our union brothers and sisters and their friends and neighbors will be picketing every day at the Imerys talc plant at 2150 Bench Road in Three Forks.
2. Call and tell Imerys to end the lockout: The phone number is (406) 404-0422.
3. Give Imerys a one-star review on Facebook for its anti-worker attitude: Let Imerys know you support IBB by giving the company a low rating on the social media site for its poor labor practices.
4. Write a letter to the editor: Let the community know you support the workers by submitting a letter to the editor of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
5. Spread the word: Talk about the story on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #StandWithThreeForks.
6. Support IBB: A GoFundMe account has been set up to support the locked-out workers.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 08/08/2018 - 12:49Missouri's Working People Overwhelmingly Reject Right to Work
Last night was historic for working people in Missouri. Wealthy corporate interests tried to use their money to rig the system in favor of the 1%. But Missourians rejected the cynical power grab by an overwhelming 2-1 majority. Something big is happening with America’s working people—something that will bring change—and last night was just the latest evidence of this groundswell.
Missouri AFL-CIO President Mike Louis said:
Working people made our voices heard at the ballot box today and overturned “right to work.” It’s a truly historic moment. Thousands of hardworking men and women in Missouri talked to their neighbors, friends and co-workers. We owe them this victory. Together, we knocked on more than 800,000 doors, made more than 1 million phone calls and talked to working people on more than 1,000 different job sites across the state. Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow we’re getting back to work. We’re going to take this energy and momentum and build more power for working people in Missouri.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said:
Missouri is the latest sign of a true groundswell, and working people are just getting started. The defeat of this poisonous anti-worker legislation is a victory for all workers across the country. The message sent by every single person who worked to defeat Prop. A is clear: When we see an opportunity to use our political voice to give workers a more level playing field, we will seize it with overwhelming passion and determination. Tonight is the latest act of working people changing a rigged system that for decades has been favoring corporations, the mega-wealthy and the privileged few.
The victory in Missouri follows a national wave of inspiring activism that is leading to life-changing collective bargaining agreements and electoral triumphs that remind America the path to power runs through the labor movement. From statehouses and city councils to the halls of Congress, working people are fighting back, and this November, we will elect our allies and retire our enemies. Working people across Missouri made this transformational moment possible, and we are following their lead to changing the world.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 08/08/2018 - 12:14What You Need to Know About the Vote on Missouri's Prop. A Today
While Missourians are headed to the polls today, working people are mobilizing across the Show-Me State in a massive final push to defeat Prop. A.
Both major newspapers in Missouri have come out in opposition to Prop. A. From The Kansas City Star's editorial:
A no vote on Tuesday would repeal the "right to work" law. A yes vote would make Missouri a "right to work" state, which would be a costly mistake....
Workplace policies that protect employees and boost middle-class incomes are what Missouri needs most.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Missouri voters should vote no and reject this blatant attempt to weaken labor bargaining rights.
Support for Prop A can only weaken workers’ bargaining rights for higher pay.
Prop A asks workers to give up too many collective bargaining rights in a Hail Mary attempt to improve Missouri’s business climate. Don’t buy proponents’ assertions. Vote no.
Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger explained further:
It suggests that Proposition A, which Missourians will vote on Aug. 7, will protect workers from out-of-control union bosses. The mailer is an attempt to confuse voters, and when it comes to Proposition A, it’s easy to get confused, because the initiative’s route to the ballot was circuitous.
It started in 2017 when the Missouri Legislature passed a law that would make Missouri a “right-to-work” state like most southern states and some Republican-leaning states in the Midwest—like Indiana and Oklahoma. Such laws make it illegal for companies to collect fair-share fees from nonunion members in companies in which a union has negotiated a contract through collective bargaining.
In other words, the law, if passed, would make it easier for Missourians to be free riders. Accept all the benefits of working for a union shop—such as higher pay and rules protecting seniority—without any of the cost.
These prominent newspapers join other voices speaking out against Prop. A. From SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris and Missouri native John Goodman to union members from every community and sector, the labor movement is flexing its full organizing power.
We have previously covered Prop. A and all the problems with pursuing this particular law. Most notably, Prop. A. is not what it seems, it will drive down wages for Missouri families, it won't create jobs and it will weaken unions. You also can learn more about "right to work" in general.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 08/07/2018 - 08:48Vote 'No' on Prop. A: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s this week’s Working People Weekly List.
He Will Vote No on Proposition A: "In our next election we will be able to vote no or yes to Proposition A, 'Right to Work.' I sure hope voters will give it a lot of thought in which way they are going to vote. In right-to-work states you don’t have to belong to the union where you work. But I’m sure that when the union negotiates a new contract, those nonunion members will get the same raise, the same new benefits as union members."
Messenger: Dishonest Campaign Tries to Pit Union Workers Against the Middle Class: "It suggests that Proposition A, which Missourians will vote on Aug. 7, will protect workers from out-of-control union bosses. The mailer is an attempt to confuse voters, and when it comes to Proposition A, it’s easy to get confused, because the initiative’s route to the ballot was circuitous."
We Are Stronger with Our Allies: What Working People Are Doing This Week: "Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week."
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Tina Smith: "This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are going to take a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota."
One Week Left in Missouri: “In just one week, working people in Missouri will have the opportunity to reject 'right to work' at the ballot box."
Historic Victory at Telemundo: Worker Wins: "Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a breakthrough contract for Spanish-speaking performers at Telemundo and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life."
Guaranteeing Our Fundamental Dignity: "Signing Medicare and Medicaid into law 53 years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson cited an innate human tradition calling on us to build a more just society: 'It calls upon us never to be indifferent toward despair. It commands us never to turn away from helplessness. It directs us never to ignore or to spurn those who suffer untended in a land that is bursting with abundance.'"
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Mahlon Mitchell: "This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are going to take a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mahlon Mitchell."
Trumka Says that Trump's Tariffs Have Gone Too Far: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who has previously praised tariff measures implemented by President Trump, told CBS News that he believes protectionist actions 'should be taken with a rifle and not a shotgun.' 'There were far too many countries, and so it lessens the effectiveness of tariffs as a way to enforce trade agreements,' Trumka said about Mr. Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum.'"
AFL-CIO Leader Richard Trumka Offers Qualified Support for Trump's Trade Policies: "The head of the country’s largest federation of labor unions offered qualified praise Wednesday for President Donald Trump’s trade policies but questioned the administration’s approach to levying tariffs. 'I think he’s going in the right direction on trade,' said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO."
With Eye on Midterms, Unions Push to Win Back Trump's Blue-Collar Voters: "'It’s not true that in rural districts you have to be conservative, or in the middle of the road,' Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, told news reporters Wednesday at a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor. He said that in Pennsylvania’s suburban/rural 18th District, 'Conor Lamb spoke of our issues. He spoke of collective bargaining, he spoke of joining a union, he spoke of protecting Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. And he got elected in a district that was computer-designed so that no Democrat could ever win. A computer said no Democrat could ever win this district, and he did.'"
Nan Aron, Walt Auvil: Brett Kavanaugh Is a Company Man: "West Virginia has a tragic history of big business putting profit above worker rights and safety. West Virginians depend on our legal system to protect them against corporate negligence, incompetence and cutting corners. That is why President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court is such a threat. West Virginia’s senators owe it to their constituents to reject Kavanaugh’s nomination."
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 08/03/2018 - 12:11Economy Gains 157,000 Jobs in July; Unemployment Little Changed at 3.9%
The U.S. economy gained 157,000 jobs in July, and unemployment was little changed at 3.9%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since the labor market continues to recover at only a tempered pace, the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee did the right thing to hold off on further rate hikes. It would be well-advised to continue on that cautious path.
In response to the July jobs numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
Job growth is modest at 157,000 jobs in July but unemployment rate edges down to 3.9 percent. Broadest measure of labor slack U-6, including part-time wanting full-time work and discouraged workers falls to 7.5 percent. All below pre-Recession levels. @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) August 3, 2018Year over year, average hourly earnings rose 2.7%. With modest job growth, confirms it was a good idea for the @federalreserve to pause on raising interest rates this week. #JobsReport @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) August 3, 2018Sign that there is still labor slack, despite modest job growth this month, prime age employment to population ratio rose from 79.3 to 79.5% in July. Good thing the @federalreserve held rates constant rather than continue to push rate hikes until they wreck job growth @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) August 3, 2018The employment success of prime age Black women is from their return to the labor force, which has grown much faster than for other prime age workers. @AFLCIO @WSJ #JobsReport @SistahScholar @cbtu @HarinContractor @dchometownboy pic.twitter.com/VeblqFBzo6
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) August 3, 2018A reason to believe we aren't seeing skills mismatch is the dramatic year over year drop in unemployment rates for construction & mining and production and transportation related occupations relative to higher skilled workers. #JobsReport @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/JAK7CI3Ojv
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) August 3, 2018We won't see a full recovery in the labor market, or the economy, until we pick up state and local investment and public sector hiring. Big drop in local government employment (this is seasonally adjusted to acknowledge summer and school is out) is a bad sign. @AFSCME #JobsReport pic.twitter.com/ZX9HhsGrIB
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) August 3, 2018Last month’s biggest job gains were in professional and business services (51,000), manufacturing (37,000), health care and social assistance (34,000), food services and drinking places (26,000), construction (19,000) and retail trade (7,000). Employment showed little or no change over the month in other major industries, including mining, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities and government.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates declined for adult men (3.4%) and whites (3.4%), while the rates for teenagers (13.1%), blacks (6.6%), Hispanics (4.5%), adult women (3.7%) and Asians (3.1%) showed little or no change in July.
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged in July and accounted for 22.7% of the unemployed.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 08/03/2018 - 10:41Trumka: 'Working People Are Taking Matters into Our Own Hands'
AFL‑CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) spoke to reporters Wednesday at The Christian Science Monitor breakfast, highlighting the wave of collective action sweeping the country. “We’re living through the kind of defining moment that can leave its mark for a generation,” he said. “A moment that will determine what kind of economy we work in and what kind of society we live in.”
Working people aren’t backing down from the challenges we face; we’re surging to collective action. Working people are rising to the moment, and if you want to see the evidence, look to the streets. That was AFL‑CIO President Richard Trumka’s message to a gaggle of reporters. Here are a few highlights from his remarks:
-
The fact is working people are taking matters into our own hands. We’re looking inward to position ourselves to shape the future of work and the labor movement. We’re organizing. We’re mobilizing. And we’re winning.
-
Our job this election season is to secure that promise for even more working people by filling the halls of power with genuine champions of collective bargaining....We’re unleashing the largest and most strategic member-to-member political program in our history, sparking change by doing what organizers do best: talking to each other.
-
If you want to see that power on full display, just look at what’s going on in Missouri right now....Working people took matters into our own hands. We were tasked with getting 100,000 signatures to put [“right to work”] to a statewide vote. You know what we did? We organized and turned in more than 300,000 signatures. The election is Tuesday. And let me tell you something: We’re going to win.
Here are excerpts from some of the coverage of the Christian Science Monitor breakfast:
Voters in Missouri will repeal right-to-work legislation when they vote in the state’s primary next week, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka predicted Aug. 1.
“We’re going to win on August 7th because the people of Missouri and the rest of the country don’t want to go in that direction,” Trumka said at a media event in Washington.
“Working people expect the Supreme Court to be the most-fair branch of our government. Does anybody believe that’s true any more?” he asked. And a Supreme Court tilt, Trumka warned, “does a tremendous disservice to the country.”
Trumka blasted the Kavanaugh nomination at an August 1 breakfast with reporters, hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Other topics of his talk included the coming mid-term elections, NAFTA talks and what labor hopes to see from them and increased worker activism nationwide.
“The Supreme Court shouldn’t be a Republican Supreme Court or a Democratic Supreme Court,” he told People’s World afterwards.
International trade is a vital part of the U.S. economy, but powerful corporate interests and secret negotiations have led to trade rules that “stacked the deck” for large corporations at the expense of working people, Trumka told reporters at a breakfast roundtable sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor.
“It’s time to rewrite those laws,” Trumka said, adding that Trump “understands that’s what needs to be done.”
Tariffs are a legitimate tool against enforcing trade agreements, but should be used selectively “like rifles” against countries that are breaking the rules, not against Canada, Trumka said.
“I don't think that Canada has violated the rules,” he said.
Trumka spelled out why over the course of an hour-long breakfast with reporters on Wednesday. To hear Trumka tell it, Trump is too scattershot on trade – and on other issues, his administration is taking aim directly at American workers.
Sure, Trump made a lot of promises to working people during his 2016 campaign, but apart from his promise to rewrite America's trade deals, “nearly all of those promises are broken or unfulfilled," Trumka said.
That being said, Trumka gave the president high marks for at least trying to cut better trade deals for American workers.
"I am going to make a prediction: We are going to win," Trumka told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "It will be proof positive that we are not ceding an inch in the wake of the Janus decision." [...]
Unions, by contrast, have been organized and effective. After the state legislature passed the law last year, they got the 300,000 signatures they needed from voters supporting a public vote on rolling back the law.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 08/03/2018 - 08:09We Are Stronger with Our Allies: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
A. Philip Randolph Institute:
#ICYMI @APRI_National Prez Clayola Brown was a guest on @MachinistsUnion #ActivateLive https://t.co/97LoT4oJO5
— APRI National (DC) (@APRI_National) July 20, 2018Actors' Equity:
We are currently accepting nominations for the #PaulRobeson Award! But did you know that between Equity and @ActorsEquityFdn, we have over a dozen other awards? Visit our website to find out more! https://t.co/OeRhnaQMmK
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) July 30, 2018AFGE:
We're sending a huge THANK YOU to the union members, lawmakers, and countless others who wore their #RedForFeds last week. This is what solidarity looks like! #1u pic.twitter.com/H9HHAVXFZ9
— AFGE (@AFGENational) July 30, 2018AFSCME:
“The knowledge that the union is working for me allows me to concentrate on my history duties. Who could ask for more?” says Terry Kraus, the agency historian at the Federal Aviation Administration, and a winner of AFSCME’s Never Quit Service Award. https://t.co/KcfEJmIgGh
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) July 30, 2018AFT:
ICYMI: @amprnet delegates voted to ratify affiliation with AFT. When we stand together, we win! #IamAFT #BastaYahttps://t.co/YDkHJT5ngI
— AFT (@AFTunion) July 31, 2018Air Line Pilots Association:
ALPA Aeromedical and Human Performance Specialist Marque Malan is leading the first ever ALPA #Pilot Support Program training session. pic.twitter.com/Bs54ZuUE9n
— ALPA (@WeAreALPA) July 30, 2018Alliance for Retired Americans:
The economy is recovering -- even thriving -- but many older, educated workers are still struggling to make ends meet. https://t.co/a3zJAPOxMy pic.twitter.com/ixn4SEgPIu
— Alliance Retirees (@ActiveRetirees) July 30, 2018Amalgamated Transit Union:
Bus drivers with @RideMCTS caught on camera driving with kindness https://t.co/NgOw3wGC8I #transit #publictransit #1u
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) July 30, 2018American Federation of Musicians:
297 to 114 voted to reject sweeping cuts to the NEA budget! #SaveTheNEA #GrothmanAmendment pic.twitter.com/p1cOXJBuBS
— Amer. Fed. Musicians (@The_AFM) July 18, 2018American Postal Workers Union:
“When you ignore or evade social justice issues, you are making a decision to allow the injustices continue.” – Sec-Treas Liz Powell #LaborMovement #1U #APWUnited #FightingForJustice #FightingTodayForABetterTomorrow #NoJusticeNoPeace https://t.co/8X9FJKBSE1
— APWU National (@APWUnational) July 31, 2018Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:
Living off tips alone is no living at all for too many women and people of color. @councilofdc @MayorBowser, will you uphold the will of the voters? #WeWant77 for #1FairWage for ALL workers in DC #BetterWagesBetterTips
— APALA (@APALAnational) July 31, 2018Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
ICYMI: This wk, we joined @AFGENational & other labor unions to stand up against 3 executive orders issued by the Administration that seek to cripple the AFGE’s ability to represent union members & roll-back workplace protections. #RedForFeds #1u #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/ThGShy80NF
— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) July 29, 2018Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:
BCTGM Intl. Pres. @DavidBDurkee is on Capital Hill this week meeting with Congressional leaders about how to fix the pension funding crisis facing multiemployer plans. #ProtectOurPensions https://t.co/RgY3fnmMC6 pic.twitter.com/ugkfwoopgV
— BCTGM International (@BCTGM) July 26, 2018Boilermakers:
A decade ago members of Local 108 played a key role in the development of a new alloy welding rod designed specifically for use in the power generation industry. #ThrowbackThursday #BoilermakersUnion https://t.co/8J7K38U40N
— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) July 26, 2018Bricklayers:
We heard that today is #NationalAvocadoDay. Watch and learn how to cut, peel, and prep avocados for cooking or serving from @UFCW member Maia Dubar: https://t.co/m3WzxnTOZW #1u #UnionStrong
— Bricklayers Union (@IUBAC) July 31, 2018Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:
We are heartbroken by the news of the death of Ron Dellum, one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus and a legendary advocate for unions and black workers. ://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/07/30/report-former-oakland-mayor-congressman-ron-dellum-dies/ #1u
— CBTU (@CBTU72) July 30, 2018Communications Workers of America:
During a Reversing Runaway Inequality training @CWA1298 members dug into the roots of income inequality & how to fight it. They then called their legislators to discuss important issues like demanding an end to tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas! #cwastrong pic.twitter.com/noW6SPJCNi
— CWA (@CWAUnion) July 29, 2018Department for Professional Employees:
Here's another case that demonstrates why Judge Brett Kavanaugh is wrong for #SCOTUS. #StopKavanaugh #1u https://t.co/XPskQibZde
— DPE (@DPEaflcio) July 31, 2018Electrical Workers:
(VIDEO) The #IBEW and @MilwaukeeTool partner to help Puerto Rico https://t.co/my7dAZ8BPC
— IBEW (@IBEW) July 30, 2018Fire Fighters:
In solidarity, Rhode Island fire fighters join nurses on picket line #unionstrong https://t.co/nuGBlA368M
— IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) July 31, 2018Heat and Frost Insulators:
The union insulation industry provides the highest-skilled instructors, so you are receiving quality training. By starting a career with us, you will get trained and placed in a 5-year apprenticeship where you can start your career! https://t.co/9j9gPG2Jjz
— Insulators Union (@InsulatorsUnion) July 31, 2018International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers:
IFPTE has been fighting for the rights of #professionals in the #Federal, #Public, #Private, and #NonProfit sectors of the United States and Canada for 100 years, and we aren't slowing down! We're not just strong, we're #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/d101sKdbwT
— IFPTE (@IFPTE) July 18, 2018International Labor Communications Association:
REMINDER: the deadline for the 2018 ILCA Labor Media Contest has been extended to Monday August 6th! You still have one week to submit. Don’t delay, enter today! https://t.co/0vYJIJliy2 pic.twitter.com/UopljDXbO8
— Labor Communications (@ILCAonline) July 30, 2018Ironworkers:
"The jobs program would include increasing the number of registered apprenticeships in Georgia from the current 8,000 to 22,000 by the year 2022." https://t.co/TVcMg0tSht #ApprenticeshipWorks
— Ironworkers. (@TheIronworkers) July 27, 2018Jobs With Justice:
There are a lot of great ways to pay for #paidleave. Stealing from the elderly is not one of them. https://t.co/sJxmGcqGRU
— Jobs With Justice (@jwjnational) July 31, 2018Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:
The latest The LCLAA Daily ! https://t.co/c4qodmRqhV Thanks to @RunGomez @TNGLocal10 @jim_mochuk #p2 #ctl
— LCLAA (@LCLAA) July 31, 2018Laborers:
The POWER of union SOLIDARITY - "Unions out-raise" #RightToWork forces in Missouri #WeFightWeWin https://t.co/UyHrhOuqkM
— LIUNA (@LIUNA) July 31, 2018Longshoremen:
ILA Children's Fund Golf Tournament 2018 https://t.co/7LVVyJ2xuM via @YouTube
— Int'l LongshoreAssoc (@ILAUnion) July 24, 2018Machinists:
The fight to save jobs at Red River Army Depot continues! https://t.co/qsZldvxhEb via @ktbs
— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) July 31, 2018Metal Trades Department:
Unions are hoping for a quick decision as well, as some agencies with open collective bargaining agreements have started to enforce specific pieces of the EOs. The SSA and HUD have given union representatives deadlines for leaving federal property. https://t.co/sEfqhd2l8a
— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) July 31, 2018Mine Workers:
A great rally outside the OH Statehouse yesterday to #fightforourpensions! @Teamsters @BCTGM @steelworkers #savepensionssavelives #theyearnedit pic.twitter.com/gLvUaQHLXx
— United Mine Workers (@MineWorkers) July 14, 2018North America's Building Trades Unions:
"We already have a shortage of construction workers in Michigan, and I don't see how lowering worker wages will help."
It's an epidemic, y'all.https://t.co/KqJ5MOXVlH
National Air Traffic Controllers Association:
As part of EAA #OSH18 AirVenture last week, passionate female aviators focused on steering women toward careers as pilots. Fewer than seven percent of pilots in the U.S. are women. https://t.co/8cV5V1tPos
— NATCA (@NATCA) July 31, 2018National Association of Letter Carriers:
"Heroic letter carrier helps save 16-year-old human trafficking victim" https://t.co/BXOjEGEUlL #NALC #hero #lettercarriers
— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) July 31, 2018National Domestic Workers Alliance:
Our #MondayMotivation is inspired by Seattle Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (@CMTMosqueda), who spearheaded the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Learn more about her work: https://t.co/hxeD8Gbg02 pic.twitter.com/XZc2pqFs8Q
— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) July 30, 2018National Federation of Federal Employees:
Here is the video of our president, Randy Erwin, speaking at the #RedForFeds rally in Washington, D.C. last week.https://t.co/80dKitJ1X5
— NFFE (@NFFE_Union) July 31, 2018National Nurses United:
Nurses know that traumatic separation of children from their families will impact their health for a lifetime. NNU is in solidarity with hunger strikers demanding that families be reunited and released.
More info: https://t.co/MMLtUamwlt #Hungry4Justice #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/oGTZzkOZ9u
National Taxi Workers Alliance:
City Council has announced first-time legislation to CAP the for-hire-vehicles flooding our streets, cap for-hire-vehicle expenses and authorize a health fund for drivers in every sector. NYTWA members made this happen! OUR STATEMENT: https://t.co/G4X2Xi6JCL
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) July 27, 2018News Guild-CWA, The:
Lots of reasons for this decline that may be out of people's control. But one thing that would help is getting rid of greedy, uncaring newspaper owners. We must protect the #Right2Report. https://t.co/BRrRdjnYT8
— NewsGuild (@news_guild) July 31, 2018NFL Players Association:
Let's talk about suicide. #YourHealth
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Tina Smith
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are going to take a look at the best candidates for working people. Today we feature Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota.
Here are some of the key reasons why Smith is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
- While working with Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, Smith has helped bring down the state's unemployment rate to one of the lowest in the country. Their policies also helped close the racial economic gap.
- She strongly supports expanding paid family and medical leave.
- Smith has introduced legislation to develop local partnerships that train and provide skills for people seeking jobs or career advancement.
- She has helped develop programs that give young people career paths outside the traditional four-year college.
- While serving as lieutenant governor, she has helped expand MinnesotaCare to provide access to quality, affordable health care throughout the state.
- Smith is working with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) to reduce the burden of student debt so graduates who join the workforce don't come out of the gate already in a hole.
- She supports programs that train veterans and help them find the work opportunities they deserve for serving our country.
- Smith supports a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and opposes the Trump administration’s efforts to separate families and deport political refugees.
- Continuing her past efforts, she will work to strengthen the freedom of working people to organize and bargain to improve our working conditions, pay and benefits.
- Smith serves on a bipartisan committee to protect the pensions of tens of thousands of retired Minnesotans. She believes that working people who have paid into our retirement plans our whole lives shouldn't have to worry about supporting ourselves in retirement.
- She supports trade measures that support working people and she pressed the administration to combat illegal foreign steel imports that harm Americans.
- As an advocate for public education, she has helped establish all-day kindergarten in Minnesota’s public schools, improving access to education and allowing parents to save on child care expenses.
The Minnesota AFL-CIO supported Smith's original appointment to the Senate and has endorsed her election to the seat. The state federation's message of support said:
For the last seven years, Tina Smith has been Governor Dayton’s partner in building a better Minnesota. Be it raising the minimum wage, strengthening our state’s infrastructure, or expanding working people’s freedom to join together in union, Lt. Governor Smith has been there to help get key legislation across the finish line. She’s has been a leader on reducing healthcare costs and combating Minnesota’s opioid crisis; expertise that she will carry to the Senate.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 08/01/2018 - 11:00One Week Left in Missouri
In just one week, working people in Missouri will have the opportunity to reject “right to work” at the ballot box.
Driving an all-hands-on-deck effort to defeat Prop. A, working people are tirelessly knocking on doors, making phone calls and doing everything in our power to win hearts and minds and turn out the vote.
Right to work is a direct attack on working families and our unions. So when politicians in Missouri rammed through this legislation last year, the labor movement immediately sprang into action to place a veto referendum on the ballot.
With one week left in this campaign, we’re keeping up the momentum in the fight to defend workers’ values and stand up to corporate greed.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. In states with right to work, wages are lower, schools are worse off and workplaces are more dangerous.
Working people in Missouri are fired up about this vote and more committed than ever to defeating the out-of-state corporate interests driving this wrongheaded law.
Working people are united in the effort to protect our freedoms and rights on the job. This is a defining fight for our movement, so do your part and join with your brothers and sisters in Missouri!
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/31/2018 - 14:08Historic Victory at Telemundo: Worker Wins
Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a breakthrough contract for Spanish-speaking performers at Telemundo and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Spanish-Language Performers at Telemundo Win Historic First Contract: Spanish-language performers for Telemundo Television Studios tentatively agreed to their first contract after 15 months of negotiations. Pablo Azar, a performer and negotiating committee chair, said, "We applaud Telemundo for working together with us to achieve this agreement. I am so proud to be part of the team that helped establish our first union contract with its health benefits, residuals, and other protections. This agreement reaffirms that a strong union contract goes hand in hand with successful programming."
Fast Company Voluntarily Recognizes Employee Union: Working people at Fast Company had their organizing efforts rewarded when the magazine's management voluntarily recognized Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), as the representative for the newly formed unit. WGAE Executive Director Lowell Peterson said: "We welcome the editorial and photo staff at Fast Company to the movement for collective bargaining in digital media, and we look forward to building a productive relationship with the employer. Unionizing and negotiating will give these hardworking employees a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their work lives."
New Contract at The Intercept Contains Historic Diversity Provision: Editorial staff at The Intercept, a digital investigative journalism news site, unanimously ratified their first contract since joining WGAE. The new contract contains a historic diversity provision that requires any job that is open to the public will include at least two candidates from groups traditionally underrepresented in journalism (women, people of color, those identifying as LGBTQ). The contract also includes real gains in pay, paid leave and transparency and fairness in hiring and promotion.
New Yorker Editorial Staff Overwhelmingly Vote to Join The NewsGuild: Six weeks after they launched an organizing drive, editorial employees at The New Yorker overwhelmingly voted to join the The NewsGuild-CWA. In response to more than 90% of staff voting for the union, management at Condé Nast voluntarily recognized the union. The New Yorker becomes the first unionized editorial staff at Condé Nast.
University of Michigan Lecturers Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract: Members of the Lecturers' Employee Organization, an affiliate of the AFT, voted 98% in favor of a new contract that will raise wages, improve health care and boost job security for 1,700 lecturers at the university. LEO President Ian Robinson said: "Our members said they wanted a new kind of contract that would change how lecturers are paid and create the conditions for quality education for our students. The agreement approved in this week’s voting is transformative. It recognizes fundamental changes in the nature of academic labor."
NLRB Rejects Station Casinos' Legal Challenges to Organizing Victory: Station Casinos, the third largest employer in Nevada, has been delaying the recognition of an overwhelming vote to join the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165, but the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that the union elections, won by a vote of nearly 80%, is valid and Station has to negotiate in good faith with the unions. Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, said: "We are disappointed that Station Casinos chose to litigate their baseless legal challenges instead of honoring the federal election results as they have always promised to do so. We urge Station Casinos to recognize their workers’ voices and votes at Green Valley Ranch and the Palms, and begin contract negotiations in good faith immediately."
Seattle Mayor Signs Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Bill: Seattle became the first city to establish a Domestic Workers Standards Board when Mayor Jenny Durkan signs the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights, which was sponsored by City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. Mariana Viturro, deputy director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, said: "As one of the most innovative and forward-thinking legislations of its kind, the Seattle Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights shows what is possible when the workers who are most vulnerable and often invisible become the center of our solutions. This victory paves the path for expanding rights for all domestic workers, including at the federal level."
New York Insurance Board Rules That Uber Drivers Are Employees: Despite Uber's attempts to misclassify its employees, the New York State Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board ruled that drivers for Uber and similar companies are employees and are eligible for unemployment insurance. Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the National Taxi Workers Alliance (NTWA), said: "This decision gives drivers a safety net, and one that Uber has to pay for, challenging Uber's business model of low pay and lower retention. Uber treats drivers as if they are expendable, and up until now, it's never had to come at a risk or cost to the company."
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/31/2018 - 13:34Tags: Organizing
Guaranteeing Our Fundamental Dignity
Signing Medicare and Medicaid into law 53 years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson cited an innate human tradition calling on us to build a more just society: “It calls upon us never to be indifferent toward despair. It commands us never to turn away from helplessness. It directs us never to ignore or to spurn those who suffer untended in a land that is bursting with abundance.”
In the half century since Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law, countless Americans have been guaranteed the health care and fundamental dignity that we deserve.
Yet, corporate-backed members of Congress are pushing to gut these transformational programs, proposing to:
-
Cut Medicare by $537 billion to create a privatized system of health insurance plans.
-
Cut Medicaid by $1.5 trillion, imposing new benefit caps.
These proposals are only more outrageous in the wake of a $1.5 trillion corporate tax giveaway. Working people aren’t going to stand for such blatant mistreatment from politicians. That’s why we’re mobilizing across the country and preparing to make our voices heard on Election Day.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/30/2018 - 14:10Best Candidates for Working People 2018: Mahlon Mitchell
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are going to take a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mahlon Mitchell.
Here are some of the key reasons Mitchell is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
- When Gov. Scott Walker stripped Wisconsin public employees of their rights, Mitchell led firefighters in a march on the state Capitol, even though they were exempted from the bill that took away the rights of other working people.
- Mitchell wants to restore the prevailing wage for state construction projects so that Wisconsinites have access to jobs that pay a fair wage.
- He wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, so that Wisconsin's working people can make ends meet and not have to work two or three jobs to support their family.
- Mitchell wants to invest in Wisconsin's infrastructure. Not only is he going to fix Wisconsin's roads, which are ranked second worst in the nation, he's going to support investment in smart rail.
- As part of his education plan, Mitchell wants to adequately fund public schools and reverse massive cuts to state universities and technical colleges. He wants to reduce class sizes and make sure that teachers have the resources they need.
- He will increase funding for apprenticeship programs so that students can prepare for highly skilled jobs that are in high demand.
- Mitchell has long been a champion of working people. He not only serves as the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, he is a member of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Executive Board.
These are just some of the reasons why Mahlon Mitchell is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018. To learn more, visit his website.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/30/2018 - 09:48Tags: Elections 2018
