Another Organizing Victory in the South: IBEW at Atlanta Gas Light

Last week, working people scored another notable victory in the South, when 700 working people at Atlanta Gas Light voted to join the Electrical Workers (IBEW). Here is what organizers on the ground said about the victory.

Jimmy Flynn, 5th District professional and industrial lead organizer for IBEW:

The men and women of Atlanta Gas Light have made the decision to collectively bargain and have a voice in the workplace. When the campaign began, the message was simple and true: Without a contract, you have no protection, no seat at the table and no just cause. When AGL became part of the Southern Co. and those employees looked at their co-workers, they knew the IBEW was the right choice for them.

Katie Foster, executive director of the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council:

Wednesday, April 19 was a wonderful morning! Affiliates of the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council stood with IBEW brothers and sisters as Atlanta Gas Light workers came into work that morning. The response from the workers was a true indicator of how ready the workers were to vote for union representation. They honked, waved and even talked with us as they were driving by. As a part of the council, I was extremely proud of other council affiliates who came out in support of IBEW. The labor movement in the South is alive!

Eric Richardson, political director for Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 3204 and an Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council delegate:

We at the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council were asked to assist IBEW in their organizing effort at Atlanta Gas Light. I am happy to report their campaign was successful. CWA Local 3204 was represented. I thank my local president, Ed Barlow, for giving me the opportunity to participate in the spirit of trade unionism, as what affects one affects all in the labor movement. I appreciate my brother affiliates and constituent groups that also participated in this and other actions, like the expungement event with Fulton County Solicitor General Keith Gammage, co-sponsored with the council. Congrats to IBEW!

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/27/2018 - 10:03

Death on the Job: The Working People Weekly List AFL-CIO

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.

15 Things You Need to Know from the 2018 Death on the Job Report: "For the 27th year in a row, the AFL-CIO has produced Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. The report gathers evidence on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers. Passed in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act has saved the lives of more than 559,000 working people. President Barack Obama had a strong record of improving working conditions by strengthening enforcement, issuing key safety and health standards, and improving anti-retaliation and other protections for workers. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has moved aggressively on his deregulatory agenda, repealing and delaying job safety and other rules, and proposing deep cuts to the budget and the elimination of worker safety and health training programs."

‘They Have Forgotten the Lessons of Rana Plaza’: "Following the Rana Plaza collapse in which 1,134 garment workers were killed and thousands more injured in Bangladesh, the horror of the incident spurred international action and resulted in significant safety improvements in many of the country’s 3,000 garment factories."

Left with the Bill: "While President Donald Trump continues to tout his massive tax giveaway to corporations, working people aren’t buying it. Gallup found that a majority of Americans disapprove of the law, and it’s easy to understand why: We know we’re being left with a bill for $1.5 trillion."

New Jersey: Labor Makes History with Signing of Equal Pay Bill: "Today, a historic milestone was reached in the fight for women’s equality and universal workplace justice as Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) signed the Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act into law. This legislative effort, which was spearheaded by organized labor in New Jersey, represents years of hard work, testimony, meetings, campaigning, outreach and coordination with stakeholders all around the state."

DC LaborFest: We're in the Same Boat: "The fifth annual DC LaborFest—anchored by the 18th DC Labor FilmFest—runs May 1-31 in Washington, D.C. Check out the complete festival schedule, including event descriptions, film trailers and links to RSVP or buy tickets. The essay below, by Working America’s Karen Nussbaum, is featured in the LaborFest’s 2018 program guide."

Big Week for Workers as More Than 10,000 Working People Join Together in Union in One Week: "This past week alone, more than 10,000 working people chose to join together in union for the freedom to negotiate a fair return on their hard work. From flight attendants to graduate students, each day more working people are gaining the power to change an economy rigged against us."

Celebrate Working People This Earth Day: "Earth Day is an annual event that celebrates our planet’s natural beauty and calls for the protection of our natural treasures and mitigation of the damage human activity can inflict on our planet. Across the country, working people are a key part of those efforts. Here are some key examples of how working people are making our world a cleaner, safer place every day."

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/26/2018 - 11:38

15 Things You Need to Know from the 2018 Death on the Job Report AFL-CIO

For the 27th year in a row, the AFL-CIO has produced Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. The report gathers evidence on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers. 

Passed in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act has saved the lives of more than 559,000 working people. President Barack Obama had a strong record of improving working conditions by strengthening enforcement, issuing key safety and health standards, and improving anti-retaliation and other protections for workers. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has moved aggressively on his deregulatory agenda, repealing and delaying job safety and other rules, and proposing deep cuts to the budget and the elimination of worker safety and health training programs. 

These are challenging times for working people and their unions, and the prospects for worker safety and health protections are uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the toll of workplace injury, illness and death remains too high, and too many workers remain at serious risk. There is much more work to be done. Here are 15 key things you need to know from this year’s report, which primarily covers data from 2016.

1. 150 workers died each day from hazardous working conditions.

2. 5,190 workers were killed on the job in the United States—an increase from 4,836 deaths the previous year.

3. An additional 50,000 to 60,000 workers died from occupational diseases.

4. The job fatality rate increased to 3.6 per 100,000 workers from 3.4 per 100,000 workers. 

5. Service-providing industries saw the largest increase in the job fatality rate. The rate declined in manufacturing and mining and was unchanged in construction—all industries that receive the greatest oversight from OSHA or the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

6. Employers reported nearly 3.7 million work-related injuries and illnesses.

7. Underreporting is widespread—the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is 7.4 million to 11.1 million each year. 

8. The states with the highest job fatality rates were Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota.

9. Workplace violence deaths increased significantly. The 866 worker deaths caused by violence in 2016 made it the second-leading cause of workplace death. Violence also was responsible for more than 27,000 lost-time injuries.

10. Women are at greater risk than men; they suffered two-thirds of the lost-time injuries related to workplace violence.

11. There is no federal OSHA standard to protect workers from workplace violence; the Trump administration has sidelined an OSHA workplace violence standard. 

12. Latino and immigrant workers’ safety and health has improved, but the risk to these workers still is greater than other workers.

13. Older workers are at high risk, with 36% of all worker fatalities occurring among those ages 55 or older.

14. The industries with the most deaths were construction, transportation, agriculture, and mining and extraction.

15. The cost of job injuries and illnesses is enormous—estimated at $250 billion to $360 billion a year. 

The Trump administration and the Republican majority in Congress have launched a major assault on regulatory protections and are moving aggressively to roll back regulations, block new protections, and put agency budgets and programs on the chopping block. The data in this year’s Death on the Job report shows that now is a time when workers need more job safety and health protection, not less.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/26/2018 - 11:03

‘They Have Forgotten the Lessons of Rana Plaza’ Solidarity Center

Following the Rana Plaza collapse in which 1,134 garment workers were killed and thousands more injured in Bangladesh, the horror of the incident spurred international action and resulted in significant safety improvements in many of the country’s 3,000 garment factories.

But five years after the April 24, 2013, disaster, Bangladesh garment worker-organizers say employers often are not following through to ensure worksites remain safe, and the government is doing little to ensure garment workers have the freedom to form unions to achieve safe working conditions. Since the Tazreen Factory fire that killed 112 garment workers in 2012, some 1,303 garment workers have been killed and 3,875 injured in fire-related incidents, according to Solidarity Center data.

“Pressure from the buyers and international organizations forced many changes," said Tomiza Sultana, a garment worker-organizer with the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF), among them less interference by police and factory management.

“We organized trade unions, recorded complaints and trained many workers. But five years after the tragedy, the police and local leaders are supporting the factory owners and harassing us and anyone who wishes to come to us. They have forgotten the lessons of the disaster,” she said.

A Disaster that ‘Cannot Be Described in Words’

“I can vividly recall that day. I can still see the faces of families who were looking for the bodies of their loved ones by only holding their photo ID,” said BIGUF President Nomita Nath. “This disaster cannot be described in words.” The multistory Rana Plaza building, which housed five garment factories outside Dhaka, pancaked from structural defects that had been identified the day before, prompting building engineers to urge the building be closed. Garment workers who survived the collapse say factory managers threatened their jobs if they did not return to work.

Ziasmin Sultana, a garment worker who survived the collapse, recalls managers telling workers on the morning of April 24 the building was safe, even though “the previous day we had seen cracks [in the building] form right in front of our eyes.” Shortly after starting work, the electricity went out and the building began to violently shake.

After packing into a crowded stairwell to escape, Ziasmin said she found herself falling: “Everything happened in an instant, and it was dark everywhere. When I came to my senses, I realized that three of us have survived and everyone else around us was dead.”

“The world saw how much our lives meant to the owners of these factories,” Nath said. “They did not care about our lives. They only cared about meeting production targets.”

In the wake of Rana Plaza, which occurred months after a deadly factory fire at Tazreen Fashions killed 112 mostly female garment workers, global outrage spurred several international efforts to prevent deaths and injuries due to fire or structural failures. Safety measures were instituted at more than 1,600 factories.

Hundreds of brands and companies signed the five-year, binding Bangladesh Accord on Building and Fire Safety, which mandated that brands and the companies they source from fix building and fire hazards and include workers in the process. Many of the signatories recently have signed on to the renewed three-year agreement that takes effect in May. Extending the accord guarantees that hundreds of additional factories will be inspected and renovated.

Workers Still Struggle to Achieve Safe Workplaces

In a recent series of Solidarity Center interviews, garment worker-organizers from several national unions applaud the significant safety improvements but warn that employers are backsliding. And workers seeking to improve safety in their factories often face employer intimidation, threats, physical violence, loss of jobs and government-imposed barriers to union registration.

“The accord contributed to ensuring the safety of the factories, but there is a lot of other work that needs to be done,” said Khadiza Akhter, vice president of the Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF). She and others interviewed said factories are not regularly inspected, employers do not ensure fire extinguishers and other safety equipment are properly maintained, and safety committees sometimes only exist on paper.

“We are now working in this area for maintaining the standard of fire safety. This is a big task in the coming future,” Akhter said.

The Solidarity Center, which, over the past two decades in Bangladesh, jump-started the process to end child labor in garment factories and served as a catalyst in the resurgence of workers forming unions, in recent years has trained more than 6,000 union leaders and workers in fire safety. Factory-floor–level workers learn to monitor for hazardous working conditions and are empowered to demand that safety violations be corrected. Many workers, in turn, share their knowledge with their co-workers.

Bangladesh at a Crossroads

Accounting for 81% of the country’s total export earnings, Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry is the country’s biggest export earner. Yet wages are the lowest among major garment-manufacturing nations, while the cost of living in Dhaka is equivalent to that of Luxembourg and Montreal.

“The workers can barely survive with such low wages, as their house rents and even food prices have risen,” said Momotaz Begum, who has worked as a garment worker organizer with the Awaj Foundation since 2008.

Without a union, garment workers often are harassed or fired when they ask their employer to fix workplace hazards or seek living wages. Worker advocates say Bangladesh is at a crossroads—and they hope the government and employers choose a future in which Bangladesh workers are partners in the country’s economic success and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

But even in the face of severe employer harassment and government indifference, worker-organizers like Tomiza, Nath, Akhter and Begum, all of whom began working in garment factories as children or young teens, are helping workers join together and insist on their rights at work. Today, 445 factories with more than 216,000 workers have unions to represent their interests and protect their rights.

“I believe that the workers must be aware of their rights and they must be united to achieve them,” said Shamima Akhter, an organizer with the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers’ Federation. “We train them to let them know what they deserve, and we empower them so that they can claim their rights from the factory owners.”

In Bangladesh, the Solidarity Center implements the Workers Empowerment Program—Components 1 and 2—which provides training and rights education to garment workers and organizers with the support of USAID.

Iztiak, an intern in the Solidarity Center Bangladesh office, conducted the interviews in Dhaka. This post originally appeared at the Solidarity Center.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/24/2018 - 16:57

Tags: Bangladesh

Left with the Bill

While President Donald Trump continues to tout his massive tax giveaway to corporations, working people aren’t buying it. Gallup found that a majority of Americans disapprove of the law, and it’s easy to understand why: We know we’re being left with a bill for $1.5 trillion.

The Gallup poll is the most recent in a string of surveys finding that Americans are rejecting the new tax law. Even the law’s own backers are starting to run away from their handiwork.

While corporations are pocketing billions in tax cuts, most working people aren’t seeing a cent. In fact, 82% of Americans say they haven’t seen any difference in their taxes—or that they’ve even gone up.

A report this week from the Joint Committee on Taxation found that one provision alone funnels $17.4 billion to people making at least $1 million per year.

What’s more, despite promises that corporate tax cuts would lead to higher wages and more bonuses, working people are being left empty-handed.

In fact, less than 0.0015% of U.S. businesses have followed through and shared anything with their employees.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/24/2018 - 15:56

New Jersey: Labor Makes History with Signing of Equal Pay Bill New Jersey AFL-CIO

Today, a historic milestone was reached in the fight for women’s equality and universal workplace justice as Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) signed the Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act into law. This legislative effort, which was spearheaded by organized labor in New Jersey, represents years of hard work, testimony, meetings, campaigning, outreach and coordination with stakeholders all around the state.

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO was proud to work hand in hand with the prime sponsors of this bill, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D) and Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D), and recognizes their tireless work that enabled this historic victory. We further thank state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D) for making this issue a top priority and ensuring a prompt vote on this pressing matter that has been allowed to persist for far too long.

“No organization has been on the frontlines longer or done more to address the gender wage gap than organized labor,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Laurel Brennan. “A union contract has long guaranteed equal pay for equal work to women and all demographic groups. It is thanks to this model, along with labor’s commitment to pay equity as a universal right, that we celebrate this historic moment for all New Jersey working families today.”

“With the strongest equal pay law in the nation, our labor movement and our state can stand proud in recognition of the progress we have achieved,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech. “This is a fight for which organized labor will continue to bear the torch until all working people around the country are ensured equal pay for equal work.”

Once again, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO recognizes the enormous efforts of our affiliates, community allies and elected officials, along with Gov. Murphy and his administration, for the extraordinary teamwork that made this victory possible. We know that the benefits of this law to women, families, businesses and working people across all demographic groups signal a new direction for our state and a future that represents our shared values of progress, economic fairness and workplace justice.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/24/2018 - 12:27

DC LaborFest: We're in the Same Boat DC LaborFest

The fifth annual DC LaborFest—anchored by the 18th DC Labor FilmFest runs May 1-31 in Washington, D.C. Check out the complete festival schedule, including event descriptions, film trailers and links to RSVP or buy tickets. The essay below, by Working America’s Karen Nussbaum, is featured in the LaborFest’s 2018 program guide. 

My favorite moment this awards season was when Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton came out on stage together at the Emmys. The stars of “9 to 5” conversationally used the most famous words in the 1980 smash hit—“sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot”—and got a prolonged standing ovation. “How cool,” I thought, “to be associated with an iconic movie.”

The movie about turning the tables on a boorish boss was inspired by 9to5, the national organization of women office workers I helped organize in 1973. And it was a hit because it reflected the hidden truths of an invisible workforce, 20 million women office workers. Fonda and the writers spent hours talking with our members. The movie changed the national debate about women and work because there was an organized national movement ready to turn the popular farce into action.

“9 to 5” may not be “Battleship Potemkin” or another of Sergei Eisenstein’s great works, “Strike,” which is one of the many exciting films featured in this year’s DC Labor FilmFest. The festival also celebrates the 200th birthday of Karl Marx, swinging from “Swing Shift,” another film about working women with a great cast to “The Young Karl Marx,” which may have you tearing up at the dramatic reading of "The Communist Manifesto" at the end. (OK, I did.) You’ll have the opportunity to see a score of movies that touch on many facets of working people’s fights over the past century.

But “9 to 5” (shown at the DC Labor FilmFest in 2005, when Jane Fonda was presented with the festival’s Labor Arts Award) has particular resonance, and it’s not just #MeToo.  

9to5, the organization, captured a moment when working-class and middle-class women found themselves co-workers in offices across the nation, and their common cause across class and race was explosive. The surge of women into the workforce in the 1970s hit the wall of few job opportunities for women. Nearly 25% of women worked as clericals. The next biggest occupation, nurses, trailed at 9%, followed by teachers and cashiers at only 5% each.

And that’s how it felt. If you were a college graduate, you might become a nurse or a teacher, but you were more likely to get an office job alongside of high school graduates. As organizers at 9to5, we knew how important this was. So we fostered common cause among the lifelong insurance workers who trained men to be their own supervisors and the publishing house employees who weren’t allowed anywhere near a book.

By the mid-1980s, employers caved. In the face of organizing, lawsuits and popular opinion (thanks, at least in part, to the “9 to 5” movie) they opened professional and managerial jobs to college-educated women—women like their daughters. The women’s workforce settled into a class structure that looked like that of men. Inequities still abound—women still earn only 80% of what men earn, and the pay gap is nearly twice as great for Latina and African American women. And as we know from #MeToo, sexual harassment is still pervasive.

Changes in jobs and working conditions are creating common cause across class and race again today. Since the 1970s, employers have put a lid on wages and cut way back on benefits. When I started working I earned minimum wage, but I had five days of vacation and five paid sick days—and that was common. Today, only about half of private-sector employees have paid sick or leave time. Employers have abandoned this responsibility to such a degree that voters are turning to city and state legislation to require paid leave. More than 60% of workers had pensions in the 1970s—today only 23% have a pension and the benefits are only half as valuable. And we know health care remains unaffordable for too many.

Working America sees it when we talk to people at the doors. "I used to think of myself as middle class, but I guess you'd have to say I'm working class," is a common comment. "I have a middle-class job, but I can't afford a middle-class house or car," one man told me. "I'll never be able to afford to retire," older members worry. I may be drawing more from E.P. Thompson than the young Karl Marx, but it looks to me like economic conditions are changing class consciousness.

So, as Dolly sings in the song, “You're in the same boat with a lotta your friends,” and the next big blockbuster will reflect a resurgent workers’ movement that builds common cause across class and race on economic issues. In the meantime, have fun at the movies!

Karen Nussbaum is a co-founder of 9to5, and a board member of Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/24/2018 - 12:22

Big Week for Workers as More Than 10,000 Working People Join Together in Union in One Week AFL-CIO

This past week alone, more than 10,000 working people chose to join together in union for the freedom to negotiate a fair return on their hard work. From flight attendants to graduate students, each day more working people are gaining the power to change an economy rigged against us.

In response to the wave of victories, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said:

We’re living in a profound moment of change. By joining together in a union, working people are joining, fighting and winning together for the dignity that we’ve earned. Despite rigged rules and aggressive corporate attacks, 260,000 new union members joined our ranks last year, and three-quarters of new union members are under the age of 34. As we gain density, we gain power. As we grow in numbers, we grow in influence. That’s how we start to build the America working people need.

Nearly 5,000 JetBlue in-flight crew members will have the freedom to negotiate with the airline’s management after they overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining the Transport Workers (TWU) on Tuesday. Larry Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, said:

At a time when our economy favors the rich and powerful, today’s victory by JetBlue’s inflight crewmembers to join the Transport Workers Union demonstrates the power working people have when they come together.

JetBlue’s 5,000 inflight crewmembers want nothing more than a share in the profits they make possible, a say in workplace policies and procedures, and a seat at the table. Having a powerful union voice evens the playing field and ensures these hardworking, dedicated employees receive the dignity and respect they deserve.

In a historical victory for graduate teaching and research assistants at universities who have been fighting for a fair return on their work, more than 5,000 Harvard University teaching and research assistants decided Thursday to join UAW. Julie Kushner, director of UAW Region 9A, said:

I want to congratulate Harvard’s student workers on their incredibly hard work and welcome them to the UAW. They overcame obstacle after obstacle to win a union for themselves and their peers. We look forward to supporting them as they move into bargaining a contract. We have a history of successfully bargaining with NYU, UConn, UMass and, most recently, The New School and are looking forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with Harvard. Today’s victory is a crucial moment in the growing student worker movement—it signals that the appointment of an anti-union NLRB will not stop the thousands who are fighting for their unions. We stand with them.

The labor movement is growing in Southern states, as evidenced Thursday when 700 working people at Atlanta Gas Light, in Atlanta, voted to join the Electrical Workers (IBEW). Lonnie Stephenson, international president of IBEW, thanked the new members:

On Thursday, 2,000 personal support workers and 400 registered nurses at Spectrum Health Care in the greater Toronto area joined the Machinists (IAM). International President Robert Martinez of IAM said:

This victory for Spectrum workers is the best example yet that the IAM’s new strategic growth plan is working. Across our union, we are thinking of new ways to bring dignity and justice on the job to working families who deserve representation at work. Our power at the negotiating table is growing by the day—and that’s good news for IAM members of today and tomorrow.

In Pleasanton, California, 400 registered nurses from Stanford Health Care’s ValleyCare Medical Center will join National Nurses United (NNU) after a majority of them voted to join the union. NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN, said:

Congratulations to the ValleyCare RNs. Your vote to join with your CNA colleagues across the Bay Area and throughout California will have an enormous impact on your patients, your neighbors and your colleagues. We are proud of your decision.

In Marlborough, Massachusetts, 220 working people from nurses to clerical staff at UMass Memorial-Marlborough Hospital decided to join the State Healthcare and Research Employees Union, an affiliate of AFSCME.

The wave of working people in newsrooms who join together in labor unions continues to grow. Last week, an overwhelming majority of editorial employees of the New Republic have signed on to a union organizing effort and have asked management to recognize The NewsGuild of New York/TNG-CWA Local 31003 as their local union. Grant Glickson, president of Local 31003, said:

At a time when our industry needs unions, we are excited to see the staff of this 100-year-old publication demand a seat at the table and a say in the future of the publication. We look forward to working with management in these shared goals.

On Friday, hundreds of working people at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, voted to be represented by the New England Joint Board of UNITE HERE. Warren Pepicelli, manager of the New England Joint Board, said:

[These] workers sent a strong message of unity by voting yes today. We’re hopeful that Foxwoods will respect the workers’ decision and schedule negotiations as soon as possible. We look forward to negotiating in good faith with Foxwoods to address the many concerns that workers have.

At a time when powerful corporations and special interests continue to use a rigged system to their benefit, this kind of momentum proves that working people are standing up to defend the freedom to join together in union.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/24/2018 - 09:55

Celebrate Working People This Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual event that celebrates our planet’s natural beauty and calls for the protection of our natural treasures and mitigation of the damage human activity can inflict on our planet. Across the country, working people are a key part of those efforts. Here are some key examples of how working people are making our world a cleaner, safer place every day.

• AFGE represents workers at the Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service and the Department of the Interior.

• Transport Workers (TWU) represents members at various observatories and zoos.

• At NASA, Machinists (IAM) members build and launch the satellites and rockets that explore Earth from above. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) represents the scientists and engineers at NASA.

• A large percentage of U.S. Forest Service workers are represented by IAM-NFFE.

• AFSCME represents water quality workers, solid waste and sewage treatment plant processors who keep the Earth clean. Also represented by AFSCME are parks and recreation employees throughout the country, as well as city/county/state parks workers, including those who monitor fishing and game licenses, animal control, watershed rangers, vehicle emissions testers, public transportation and port workers.

• Communications Workers of America (CWA) represents working people at state and municipal parks who maintain our natural treasures and make sure they are accessible to the public.

• Transit and other workers who are part of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) provide cheaper and more planet-friendly travel options to millions of Americans.

• Members of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) are farm workers throughout the country who harvest our food and get it to our tables.

• Among the working people represented by the Utility Workers (UWUA) are those who clean the water in St. Louis for Mid-American Water, city recycling workers, arborists who save trees and parks employees.

• International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) members not only produce the energy-efficient air and heating systems that keep homes and business healthy and comfortable, they manufacture electric buses and team up with various groups to make buildings more environmentally friendly.

• Electrical Workers (IBEW) are at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, particularly in the growth of wind and solar energy and managing the electrical grid to accommodate more clean energy production.

• UAW members produce electric cars, lithium battery packs, fuel cells and autonomous vehicles. Members also work at places such as Sierra Club headquarters and Lansing, Michigan’s Forestry Division and Potter Park Zoo.

• Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) union members install wind turbines and solar panels, and operate the best training programs for renewables installation.

• Heat and Frost Insulators improve energy efficiency in thousands of buildings large and small.

• Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) members install high efficiency HVAC systems that reduce emissions, and assembled 400 volunteers to change water lines and faucets in Flint, Michigan.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to working people working at jobs that are friendly to our planet. Did we miss something? Email us at website@aflcio.org and we’ll add to this list!

Kenneth Quinnell Sat, 04/21/2018 - 11:12

From a Whisper to a Roar: 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.

 

Andrew Pallotta: A National Lesson in Unionism: “You can hear it building: A movement growing from a quiet whisper to a full roar. In West Virginia and Oklahoma—and in Kentucky and Arizona—teachers are finding their voices. They are standing with their unions to use that collective voice to improve their lives and their communities.”

Arizona Teachers Vote to Strike, Sparking First-Ever Statewide Walkout: “Teachers in Arizona held a strike vote on Thursday that launched a first-ever statewide walkout and turned down a proposed pay raise—instead demanding increased school funding. The Arizona Education Association and the grassroots group the Arizona Educators United announced that teachers will walk off the job April 26.”

Trump’s SEC Proposes Obama-Era Broker Conflict Rules Rewrite: “And on Twitter, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka panned the SEC’s action, calling it ‘insufficient to hold Wall Street accountable.’ ‘We won’t stop fighting,’ Trumka wrote.”

I’m an Undocumented Immigrant. I Pay My Taxes Every Year: “As a young boy, I remember accompanying my parents to visit their accountant and seeing them turn over large folders, neatly organized, with all of their tax forms and corresponding documents. My mother would tell me her priority was to show the government our family was contributing, so that when it came time to become legal permanent residents, and later U.S. citizens, there would be no questions about our contributions to the country.”

Senate Bill to Curtail Labor Rights on Tribal Land Falls Short: “The AFL-CIO said passage of the measure, the subject of several years of tribal lobbying, would have amounted to the most aggressive erosion of labor protections since 1940s. A package of bills containing the measure fell five votes short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster.”

Paid Summer Breaks and Other Common Myths About Teachers: “As teachers in several states across the United States protest for higher pay and more funding for public education, lawmakers and onlookers are debating whether teachers deserve more money. But many of the arguments against teachers’ demands are based on misconceptions about the teaching profession and how they’re compensated.”

Increase Wages, But Also Restore Rights: “As the United States, Mexico and Canada renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, there is a lot of room for improvement. No improvement is more needed, however, than a new labor system in Mexico that secures for all workers the freedom to form and join free and independent unions, so that working people can act democratically and responsibly together to improve their wages and working conditions.”

New Rule on Investment Advice Leaves Working People Vulnerable: “Workers depend on investments in the financial markets to finance our retirements and grow our other long-term savings. That means we need sound investment advice, provided by experts who are looking out for our best interests. While it seems obvious that the people whom we rely on to provide this advice should be required to act in our best interest and not line their own pockets, that is not always the case under current rules. Research shows that, as a result, many working people lose more than one-fourth of their potential retirement paychecks to corrupt financial advice.”

Ten Years Later: Worker Wins: “Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a victory 10 years in the making and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.”

JetBlue In-Flight Crew Members Overwhelmingly Vote to Join TWU: “In-flight crew members at JetBlue overwhelmingly voted to join the Transport Workers (TWU). With more than 86% of eligible employees participating in the vote, more than two-thirds voted in favor of joining TWU.”

12 Things We’ve Learned About the GOP Tax Bill: “President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans rushed to pass the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017, leaving very little time for public scrutiny or debate. Here are a few things we have learned since the GOP tax bill passed.”

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/20/2018 - 13:08

Increase Wages, But Also Restore Rights

As the United States, Mexico and Canada renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, there is a lot of room for improvement. No improvement is more needed, however, than a new labor system in Mexico that secures for all workers the freedom to form and join free and independent unions, so that working people can act democratically and responsibly together to improve their wages and working conditions.

If Mexico’s corrupt labor system does not change, the rest of the NAFTA renegotiation won’t be worth much. Mexico will continue to be a haven for worker exploitation and abuse, and a popular outsourcing destination for greedy CEOs who seek to increase their bottom lines while their employees live in dire conditions. In this , Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, president of Mexico’s Mineworkers Union, compellingly argues that North America’s working families have a shared interest in Mexico’s labor rights regime (translated from Spanish):

There has been a lot of talk about the possibility of using the NAFTA renegotiation as an impulse to increase wages in Mexico, since the increase in Mexican workers’ income would eliminate the pretext mentioned by Donald Trump to complicate the treaty, arguing that low wages favor Mexican companies to the detriment of those of the United States and Canada....

But the increases are not so valuable when they are granted without accompanying democratic rights with which workers can defend their gains. In recent years, the Mineworkers Union has achieved an average increase in salaries and benefits above 12%, that is, two or three times higher than those obtained by employer-dominated unions. This success is mainly due to the willingness and ability of our members to mobilize together with their communities, to democratically and responsibly exercise the right to strike to make the union grow with new investment projects, and to organize new members.

It would be a mistake to think that the increases by themselves could solve the deficit of democratic rights that persists in the Mexican labor world. As many experts have observed, Mexican wages in large industries are lower compared with those in other countries, not because of lack of productivity, but because of a diabolical pact between politicians, businessmen and employer-dominated unions to use the legal structure to systematically rob the workers, dividing the booty among themselves.

The most recent example of this alliance is the legislation to implement constitutional reforms in labor matters, which is to be debated in the Senate this week. As many lawyers, academics and trade union leaders have warned, the bill aims to consolidate control of the institutions of labor justice by corrupt unions, complicit officials and companies associated with them, closing off all spaces for workers to attempt to organize in democratic unions and thus negotiate collective agreements that guarantee good salaries, workplace health and safety, the profit sharing to which they are legally and fairly entitled, and the possibility of a dignified retirement....

The only effective strategy to revert the control of large companies and their corrupt union lackeys is to defeat this false bill and approve one that faithfully implements constitutional norms and international agreements signed by Mexico that protect the rights of workers.

This has been the main demand of the international trade unions of Canada, Europe and the United States in their letters addressed to the senators of Mexico. It is another cruel irony that they worry more about the rights of Mexican workers than our own government and, of course, the corrupt trade unionists.

Read the full text of the op-ed (in Spanish).

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/20/2018 - 13:01

Macy’s Workers Unite Across the Country DC Jobs With Justice

Macy’s workers and their supporters held three rallies on Thursday, one as far away as Seattle, as United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) locals 400 and 21 gear up to negotiate their next union contracts with the company.

Workers want “better pay, better hours, better schedules, better everything,” UFCW 400 member Bianca Morris said on Thursday’s “Your Rights at Work” show on WPFW.

“Negotiations are slow going, but we’ve made it very clear to Macy’s that our goal is to take the time to get the deal that our members have earned,” said UFCW 400 mobilization director Alan Hanson, who joined Morris on the show.

UFCW 400 coordinated with Seattle sister local 21, which also represents hundreds of Macy’s associates, to hold simultaneous rallies Thursday. “We are really excited to be joining forces with our sisters and brothers in the Pacific Northwest,” Hanson said. “We have made a commitment to negotiate together to win the contract we deserve.”

This post originally appeared at Metro Washington (D.C.) Council AFL-CIO.

 

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/20/2018 - 11:04

New Rule on Investment Advice Leaves Working People Vulnerable

Workers depend on investments in the financial markets to finance our retirements and grow our other long-term savings. That means we need sound investment advice, provided by experts who are looking out for our best interests. While it seems obvious that the people whom we rely on to provide this advice should be required to act in our best interest and not line their own pockets, that is not always the case under current rules. Research shows that, as a result, many working people lose more than one-fourth of their potential retirement paychecks to corrupt financial advice.

Investor advocates have been fighting for decades to close this egregious loophole. On Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a rule called Regulation Best Interest. And while any movement in this area could be viewed as a positive sign, the proposal as is appears to be inadequate.

The devil is in the details, which will take some time to fully understand. The standard of conduct required of brokers appears to fall short of a clear and unambiguous requirement that brokers recommend the best available investment options.

Democratic SEC Commissioner Kara Stein said:

Does this proposal require financial professionals to put their customers’ interests first, and fully and fairly disclose any conflicting interests? No. Does this proposal require all financial professionals who make investment recommendations related to retail customers to do so as fiduciaries? No. Does this proposal require financial professionals to provide retail customers with the best available options? No. 

Could we have proposed a best-interest standard? Yes, we could have proposed such a standard. Unfortunately, we did not.

Commissioner Robert J. Jackson Jr., also a Democratic SEC commissioner, said:

The standard set forth in Regulation Best Interest is far too ambiguous about a question on which there should be no confusion: the duty that investors are owed by those who are entrusted with ordinary families’ economic futures. Americans deserve a clear best-interest rule that places the client’s needs ahead of the broker’s. Period.

The commissioners’ statements say it all. The SEC should have proposed a rule that would stop people who provide investment advice from skimming our savings. The proposal does not do that.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/19/2018 - 11:59

Ten Years Later: Worker Wins OPEIU Local 459

Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a victory 10 years in the making and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.

OPEIU Workers Win Historic 10-Year Fight at American Red Cross: After a decade-long battle, workig people at American Red Cross in Michigan have won a new contract. They also came to resolution of an unfair labor practice charge that will repay workers more than $1.6 million in lost benefits.

A Growing Wave of Campaigns Are Organizing: In advance of the 2018 midterm elections, nine Democratic campaigns have come together in union. Additionally, Revolution Messaging, a digital communications firm, also has unionized. The newly organized campaign workers are represented by The Campaign Workers Guild, which is assisting in negotiations with dozens of other campaigns. The nine campaigns that have organized so far are: for the U.S. House of Representatives—Randy Bryce (Wis.), Brian Flynn (N.Y.), Dan Haberman (Mich.), Jess King (Pa.), Marie Newman (Ill.), Andy Thorburn (Calif.); attorney general—Renato Mariotti (Ill.); governor—Erin Murphy (Minn.); and County Council—Chris Wilhelm (Montgomery County, Md.).

Restaurant Workers Win Protection for Their Tips: Restaurant workers across the country won big with legislation that codifies protections for tipped workers against employers taking any portion of their tips. "Today represents a historic victory for restaurant workers. The National Restaurant Association wanted to steal workers’ tips, but the workers said no—and they won. The fact that hundreds of thousands of workers stood up and said no to employers taking their tips, and that congressional leadership listened and acted, is a testament to the power of workers standing up together," said Saru Jayaraman, president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.

California Nurses Want New Safety Rules Made National: The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) pushed for and got new safety regulations, as the rate of nonfatal violence against nurses is three times higher than against other industries. Now the nurses are pushing for the same rules to be established nationally. "What works for health care facilities should be extended to all workplaces. Our patients and their families are then also at risk because violence impacts everyone in the vicinity. We know that the frequency and severity of these violent attacks can be drastically reduced through workplace violence prevention plans that are specific to the needs of each facility and unit and are created with the expertise and input of nurses and other workers," said NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo.

Onion Staff Request Formal Recognition of Union: The overwhelming majority of staff at satirical website The Onion have signed cards expressing their desire to be represented by the Writers Guild of America, East, (WGAE) and asked management to voluntarily recognize the union. The unit would represent all of the creative staff at The Onion and related websites.

Aviation Workers at FAA Join PASS: Working people at the Federal Aviation Administration's Eastern, Central and Western Service Centers voted by an overwhelming majority of 89% to be represented by the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS). "This is a big win for PASS, of course," said PASS National President Mike Perrone, "but more importantly, it’s a big win for these dedicated federal employees. They will soon be able to enjoy the workplace benefits of a collective bargaining agreement."

Facebook Cafeteria Workers Win Major Improvements: Food service workers at Facebook's offices in Menlo Park, California, ratified their first union contract. "We’re glad to have negotiated this first contract; it’s a big step forward for cafeteria workers in Silicon Valley. We still have work to do, and we’re not going to stop until all the food service jobs have the job standards and security that people need to live a decent life," said Enrique Fernandez of UNITE HERE Local 19.

New Republic Employees Continue Trend of Editorial Organizing: Editorial staff at The New Republic, which has been published for more than 100 years, have joined The NewsGuild of New York, joining a growing trend of editorial organizing, which includes publications like the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and Mic.com. "We all work for TNR because we love it here, but all workers need the protection of a union. We believe that unionizing is the best way to strengthen our workplace, not just for ourselves but for future generations of journalists. By organizing, we're simply affirming our commitment to The New Republic's progressive values. We're also affirming our commitment to each other," said Sarah Jones, staff writer.

California Virtual Educators Agree to First Union Contract: Teachers who work for California Virtual Academies, one of the largest online public charter schools, reached an agreement on their first union contract. "Organizing teachers in a workplace—where we don’t see our peers and where the bargaining unit stretches across a state as large as California—isn’t easy, and it also isn’t easy establishing a precedent-setting agreement. We are so proud of the hard work and commitment our teachers made in ensuring that our core values on work status, caseloads and workload were recognized....Our schools here in California and other online schools have had very little input from the teachers on the front line. This agreement will change that and allow those who work most closely with students a greater say in shaping the curriculum and school policies."

NLRB Regional Director Certifies Green Valley Ranch Employees' Election to Join Culinary Workers: Despite a history of telling employees that it would respect the results of their union election, Station Casinos challenged the election where a super majority of 78% of Green Valley Ranch's working people voted in favor of the union. The NLRB regional director rejected the challenge and certified the election, finding no objectionable conduct by union organizers.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/18/2018 - 13:38

Ending a Rigged System: 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 and central labor councils on Twitter.

Alaska AFL-CIO:

#TaxDayProtest pic.twitter.com/bDl4juYQLR

— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) April 17, 2018

Arkansas AFL-CIO:

Tough weather did not stop AFSCME Local 965! #1u #afscme #livingwage https://t.co/ZyIiiWGKRs

— Arkansas AFL-CIO (@ArkansasAFLCIO) April 9, 2018

California Labor Federation:

⚡️Women standing strong together to end a rigged system⚡️ "Uber whistleblower Susan Fowler backs California legislation to end forced arbitration" Must read from @Cookie and @jonrussell on #AB3080

Your Union-Made Snack Guide! AFL-CIO

You like snacks, right? Everybody does! Did you know that your snack choices can reflect your values and show support for working people? That's right, when you choose these snacks made by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), you not only have fun, you use the power of your wallet to make the world a better place. Here's a handy guide to let you know which snacks are union-made!

Chips and Pretzels: You have lots of options here (all made by BCTGM), including: Rold Gold pretzels made in Canton, Ohio (Local 19); UTZ pretzels made in Reading, Pennsylvania (Local 6); Frito-Lay products made in Topeka, Kansas (Local 218) and Vancouver, Washington (Local 364); Pirate's Booty and Keystone Foods products made in Easton, Pennsylvania (Local 6); Mikesell’s potato chips made in Dayton, Ohio (Local 57); Happy’s potato chips made in St. Paul, Minnesota (Local 22); and Bugles made in West Chicago, Illinois (Local 316G).

Ice Cream Toppings: If you love ice cream and want some special toppings, get those made by BCTGM at the Masterson Company of Milwaukee (Local 244).

Sweet Goods: Prefer your desserts baked? Try out Safeway's bakery goods made by BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Oregon), Local 118 (Washington, D.C.), Local 68 (Baltimore) or Hostess Brands, including Ding Dongs, Twinkies, SnoBalls, made from either the Indianapolis (Local 1) or Columbus, Georgia (Local 42) bakeries. 

Bread and Rolls: The following products are made by various BCTGM locals: Bimbo, SB Thomas, Sara Lee, Nature’s Harvest, Earthgrains, Freihofer, Colonial, Metz, Arnold, Brownberry, Oroweat, Entenmann’s, Ball Park, Marinela, Maier’s, Beefsteak, D’Italiano, J.J. Nissen, Boboli, Mrs. Baird’s, Heiner’s, Tia Rosa tortillas and Stroehmann.

Candy: If you want candy, your options are mind-expandingly plentiful. Here are some of the companies where BCTGM members make the candy you need:

• Annabelle Candy Company: Rocky Road, Abba-Zaba, Look, Big Hunk and U-No made by Local 125 in Oakland, California.
• Boyer Candy: Mallo Cups, Peanut Butter Cups, Smoothie Cups, Triple Twist Pretzels and Dark Chocolate Mallo Cups made by Local 19 in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Brown & Haley: Almond Roca, Cashew Roca and Mocha Roca made by Local 9 in Seattle.
• Concord Confections/Tootsie Roll Industries: All Tootise Roll brand products (made by BCTGM Local 1 in Chicago) and Double Bubble Bubble Gum (made by Local 264 in Toronto).
• Frankford Candy & Chocolate: Gums, jellies, hard candy, molded filled, hollow and solid chocolate (made by Local 6 in Philadelphia).
• Ghirardelli Chocolate: Pumpkin Spice Caramel Squares, Solid Milk, Milk & Caramel, Solid 60% Cacao Dark and Dark & Sea Salt Caramel and all varieties of chocolates (made by Local 125 in Oakland, California).
• Hershey: Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars, Hershey Milk Chocolate with Almond Bars, Cookies 'N’ Creme Bars (snack, extra-large and giant sizes only), Hershey Kisses (Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Special Dark, Cookies 'N’ Creme), Rolo and Hershey Nuggets (made by Local 464 in Hershey, Pennsylvania). 
• Jelly Belly: Candy Corn, Jelly Belly Disney Villains bags, Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Harry Potter Jelly Slugs, Jelly Belly BeanBoozled, Gummi Rats, Gummi Tarantulas and other jelly beans (made by Local 125 in Oakland, California).
• Nestlé Chocolate: Laffy Taffy, Rope Taffy, Tangy Taffy, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, BB's, Pearson's Nips, Nestlé, Peanut Butter Cups and Minis, Nestlé Crunch Bars, Skinny Cow Candy and Sno Caps (made by Local 342 in Bloomington, Illinois, and Local 1 in Chicago).
• New England Confectionery Company (NECCO): Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, Mary Jane Original, Clark Jr., Skybar Zombie Food, Bat Wings, Mummy Hearts, NECCO Jr. Wafers (made by Local 348 in Framingham, Massachusetts).
• Pearson’s Candy Company: Tins, bagged and chocolate mints, including The Nut Goodie Bar, Salted Nut Roll and Pearson's Mint Patties (made by Local 22 in Twin Cities, Minnesota).
• Sconza Candy Company: Chocolate Jordanetts, Boston Baked Beans, Yogurt Raisins, Lemoncello Almonds, Chocolate/Yogurt Fruit & Raisins and other products (made by Local 125 in San Leandro, California).
• See's Candies: Chocolates, nuts and chews, truffles, lollipops, brittles and toffees (made by Local 125 in San Leandro).

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/18/2018 - 12:49

Tags: Union Made

JetBlue In-Flight Crew Members Overwhelmingly Vote to Join TWU TWU

In-flight crew members at JetBlue overwhelmingly voted to join the Transport Workers (TWU). With more than 86% of eligible employees participating in the vote, more than two-thirds voted in favor of joining TWU.

TWU President John Samuelsen said:

This historic victory is yet another example of the tide turning in America as workers continue to lock arms and fight back to defend their livelihoods. The TWU intends to immediately commence contract bargaining with JetBlue. It is our sincerest wish that the company comes to the table and bargains a fair and just contract with the workers they employ....If JetBlue refuses to bargain in good faith, this union is prepared to engage in a fightback campaign that will continue until a contract is secured and the in-flight crew members are protected.

JetBlue said it respects the outcome of the election. Once the National Mediation Board authorizes TWU as the representative for the in-flight crew members, contract negotiations will begin.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka applauded the victory:

Powerful, congrats! #1u https://t.co/pKWdDrpny5

— Richard L. Trumka (@RichardTrumka) April 17, 2018

New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said:

On behalf of the 2.5 million members of the New York State AFL-CIO, I congratulate the Transport Workers Union and their president, John Samuelsen, on today’s overwhelming vote to unionize JetBlue flight attendants. We are a stronger movement today as we continue to fight back against those who seek to diminish organized labor. Working people understand that by standing shoulder to shoulder and speaking with one voice, we raise the standard of living and quality of life for all working men and women.

Larry I. Willis, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, said:

At a time when our economy favors the rich and powerful, today’s victory by JetBlue’s in-flight crew members to join the Transport Workers Union demonstrates the power working people have when they come together. JetBlue’s 5,000 in-flight crew members want nothing more than a share in the profits they make possible, a say in workplace policies and procedures, and a seat at the table. Having a powerful union voice evens the playing field and ensures these hardworking, dedicated employees receive the dignity and respect they deserve. I congratulate JetBlue’s in-flight crew members on their hard-earned victory and welcome them to the transportation labor family.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/18/2018 - 10:14

12 Things We've Learned About the GOP Tax Bill

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans rushed to pass the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017, leaving very little time for public scrutiny or debate. Here are a few things we have learned since the GOP tax bill passed.

1. It Will Encourage Outsourcing: An April 2018 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms that two "provisions [of the GOP tax bill] may increase corporations’ incentive to locate tangible assets abroad."

2. It Has Not Boosted Corporate Investment: The rate of investment growth has stayed pretty much the same as before the GOP tax bill passed.

3. Few Workers Are Benefiting: Only 4.3% of workers are getting a one-time bonus or wage increase this year, according to Americans for Tax Fairness.

4. Corporations Are Keeping the Windfall: Americans for Tax Fairness calculates that corporations are receiving nine times as much in tax cuts as they are giving to workers in one-time bonuses and wage increases.

5. Corporations Are Using the Windfall to Buy Back Stocks: Corporations are spending 37 times as much on stock buybacks, which overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy, as on one-time bonuses and wage increases for workers, according to Americans for Tax Fairness.

6. Corporations Are Laying Off Workers: Americans for Tax Fairness calculates that 183 private-sector businesses have announced 94,296 layoffs since Congress passed the tax bill.

7. It Costs More Than We Thought: The GOP tax bill will eventually cost $1.9 trillion by 2028, according to an April 2018 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. And we know some Republicans will call for cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to pay for it.

8. We’ve Fallen Behind When It Comes to Corporate Tax Revenue: Thanks to the GOP tax bill, corporate tax revenue (as a share of the economy) will be lower in the United States than in any other developed country, according to an April 2018 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

9. Extending the Individual Tax Cuts Would Benefit the Wealthy: The GOP tax bill’s temporary tax cuts for individuals expires by 2025, and some Republicans are now proposing to extend them.  An April 2018 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that 61% of the benefit from these extending individual tax cuts would go to the richest one-fifth of taxpayers.

10. It Is Shoddy Work: In March 2018, a leading tax expert concluded that the GOP tax bill’s new rules for pass-through businesses "achieved a rare and unenviable trifecta, by making the tax system less efficient, less fair and more complicated. It lacked any coherent (or even clearly articulated) underlying principle, was shoddily executed and ought to be promptly repealed."

11. It Is Still Unpopular: The GOP tax bill polls poorly, with a clear majority disapproving.

12. The Outsourcing Incentives Can Be Fixed: In February 2018, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) introduced the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act, which would eliminate the GOP tax bill’s incentives for outsourcing by equalizing tax rates on domestic profits and foreign profits.

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/16/2018 - 10:26

Make It in the USA: The Working People Weekly List BuildBuyUSA

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.

There's No Reason Not to Enter the BuildBuyUSA Video Contest: "Did you know that BuildBuyUSA is sponsoring a 'Make It in the USA' video contest? The competition offers four chances for you to win $5,000 by creating a short video about using your individual buying power to reward pro-union employers for recognizing working people's right to come together in union."

Southern Labor Leaders Unite Around a Common Strategy to Build Worker Power: "'Collective action is alive and well here in the South,' said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler to more than 300 labor leaders gathered in New Orleans this week. Southern union leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia joined together to unite around a common strategy to build worker power in their states."

Texas AFL-CIO Takes Next Step to Expand Union Participation in Citizenship Drives: "In January, delegates to the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention unanimously approved a far-reaching resolution calling for the state federation and affiliates to conduct citizenship drives across the state, with the long-term intent of registering new voters and changing the political environment."

11 Things You Need to Know on Equal Pay Day: "Equal Pay Day calls attention to the persistent moral and economic injustice working women face. For a woman to earn as much as a man, she has to work a full year, plus more than a hundred extra days, all the way to April 10. The problem is even worse for women of color, LGBTQ women and part-time workers."

No Bargaining, No Justice: 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."

Economy Gains 103,000 Jobs in March; Unemployment Unchanged at 4.1%: "The U.S. economy gained 103,000 jobs in March, and unemployment was unchanged at 4.1%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."

At State Labor Convention, Unions Confront Uncertain Future by Embracing Diversity, Technology: "National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, a Greene County native who worked in coal mines before rising through the labor ranks, attended to swear in new delegates and take part in a panel discussion on automation's effect on jobs. Mr. Trumka said unions on a local level could bargain over the effects of technology, requiring companies to provide training to obtain new skills or wage insurance packages to find other careers. 'We're not shying away from the advances of automation,' he said. 'But we are using our voice to make sure working people are not left behind.'"

Trump Weighs Rejoining Trans-Pacific Partnership Amid Trade Dispute with China: "'TPP was killed because it failed America’s workers and it should remain dead,' Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, wrote on Twitter. 'There is no conceivable way to revive it without totally betraying working people.'"

Equal Pay Day: How Does Your State Stack Up on Pay Equity for Women?: "Equal Pay Day arrives Tuesday, marking the day on the calendar when the average woman’s earnings finally catch up to what a male peer earned in 2017. It took three more months and 10 days. The notion of bringing home 80 cents for every dollar pocketed by a man on a national basis is unsettling enough. But it's even more startling when those lost wages are added up."

Teachers Union Threatens to Cut Ties with Wells Fargo Over NRA Support: "AFT President Randi Weingarten has been in talks with Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan about the partnerships, according to the release. The group praised other companies, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and REI, that cut ties with the NRA or changed their policies on gun sales in the wake of the mass shooting at a Florida high school in February. 'We’re issuing Wells Fargo an ultimatum—they can have a mortgage market that includes America’s teachers, or they can continue to do business with the NRA and gun manufacturers,' Weingarten said in the statement. 'They can’t do both.'"

Want to Carry on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Work? Join a Union: "Fifty years ago this week, Martin Luther King Jr. went to Memphis, Tennessee, to march with the city’s striking black sanitation workers. Wages were bad, and conditions were so unsafe that workers were seriously injured or even killed while using the trash compactors of their trucks. The city of Memphis, their employer, refused to do better; city officials refused to act to improve their wages or safety. So they took matters into their own hands and went on strike, demanding basic dignity and civil rights on the job."

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/13/2018 - 13:20

Southern Labor Leaders Unite Around a Common Strategy to Build Worker Power AFL-CIO

“Collective action is alive and well here in the South,” said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler to more than 300 labor leaders gathered in New Orleans this week. Southern union leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia joined together to unite around a common strategy to build worker power in their states.

“Today we are going to focus on ways our unions can accelerate change, be bold, and meet the challenges of our time.” @lizshuler addresses over 300 Southern labor leaders in New Orleans #1u pic.twitter.com/neMrzVr0Ux

— AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) April 10, 2018

Shuler acknowledged recent victories in the South and the importance of building on that momentum. Those wins include:

• Across the South, union members mobilized to elect champions for working people, such as Ralph Northam in Virginia, Doug Jones in Alabama, Linda Belcher in Kentucky and Braxton Winston in North Carolina.
• In New Orleans, workers at the city’s largest hotel formed a union with UNITE HERE.
• In Tennessee, the labor movement stopped a corporate-backed effort to privatize maintenance and management at most state-run facilities.
• In Arkansas, we saw the addition of 15,000 new union members last year, reaching the highest level of union membership in the state since 2008.
• Teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky walked out and demanded higher salaries and more school funding.
• Workers at Disney World rejected the company’s lowball contract offer and continue to stand together for better pay and working conditions.  

“Our test of 2018 and beyond will be to build on these successes,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a video address to attendees. Two panels dove further into the achievements and challenges we face in the states and featured state federation presidents from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas State Federation leaders talk about the opportunities to create worker power in their states #1u #organizethesouth pic.twitter.com/zGHchB1KGI

— AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) April 10, 2018

 

State federation leaders from Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky lead a discussion with over 300 Southern labor leaders to talk how they’re building power for working people in their states #1u pic.twitter.com/7jAVu38rLb

— AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) April 10, 2018

Breakout sessions gave participants the tools they need to build a stronger labor movement in the South. Sessions focused on internal organizing, using issues to engage our members and allies, building a program to elect union members to political office, and using data and technology to break new ground in politics and organizing.

Participants left feeling energized and ready to increase worker power. Attendee Cheryl Eliano, national vice president of AFGE District 10, said, “Too often we work in silos, so I wanted to see how we can work more collaboratively as a labor movement. We need a change of course. If we leave here with a new mindset and put what we learned to action, we’ll be a stronger labor movement.”

The AFL-CIO Southern District meeting was the sixth and final district meeting of 2018.

Check out the photo album on Facebook.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/13/2018 - 10:13