Stand UP! Fight BACK! Rally Photos

Egypt: Old and New Unions Split on Morsy's Power Grab

Union Law Decree May Mean Government Interference, New Egyptian Unions Say [Solidarity Center] 2012-12-01

Mubarak-era state-run trade unions backs Morsy’s declaration [Daily News Egypt] 2012-12-01

Workers march against Morsy [Mena Solidarity Network] 2012-12-01

Independent union federation rejects president’s power grab [MENA Solidarity Network] 2012-12-01

New Egyptian trade unions issue demands regarding proposed IMF loans [ITUC] 2012-11-21

It has been fairly widely reported that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has accommodated the military, I  hadn't known that they have apparently made a deal with the corrupt and ineffective state-controlled Mubarak unions.


Also, check out LabourStart's  outstanding Eygpt labor news page.

Complete run of Labor Action on-line

Workers' Liberty reports

David Walters has announced the completion of a major milestone for the Left Opposition Digitization Project for the Marxist Internet Archive: the complete run of Labor Action, the newspaper of the Workers Party (U.S.) and Independent Socialist League from 1940 through the Autum of 1958.

Writers for this paper included, among others, Max Shachtman, James T. Farrell, C.L.R. James, Raya Dunayevskaya, Hal Draper, and Irving Howe. The 19 years of Labor Action represents approx. 1,000 issues published, over half of which are full broadsheet in size. Presented in beautifylly digitaly optimized PDFs, the work was a joint project between the Riazanov Library Project and the Holt Labor Libary. Walters says: "We encourage the free and widespread distribution of this historic archive".

Click here to visit the archive.

Wage theft in Philadelphia -- and elsewhere

 My write-up on two articles by Jake Blumgart on wage theft and low wage workers in Philadelphia appeared on Talking Union and Teamster Nation.

                                                                                 by Stuart Elliott

Talking Union contributor Jake Blumgart has written a couple of outstanding articles on low-wage workers and wage theft.  In an interesting cover story  on wage theft in Philadelphia’s City Paper. He portrays some victims of wage theft: an undocumented carpenter, a waitress forced to share tips with her manager, and a coffee shop worker who wasn’t paid overtime despite working every day for two weeks. He also places the problems of low wage workers in historical perspective with some surprising facts.

In the past, unionization was a strong option for workers who wanted to defend against employer abuses. During the 1950s, within the now theft-wracked restaurant industry, 25 percent of America’s waitresses were unionized. Today, just 1.5 percent of food-service workers are organized. There are few remaining unionized independent restaurants in greater Philadelphia: the stadium-adjacent McFadden’s, Hymie’s Deli in Lower Merion and the Pen and Pencil Club, for example. Now, organizers tend to focus their efforts on the industry’s biggest employers, like food-services provider Aramark.

Nontraditional worker organizations provide an alternative to unions, but in Philadelphia there are only two options: the Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania and the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), which is barely a year old.

A recent report from the Progressive States Network gives Pennsylvania an F for its anti-wage theft efforts and shows why they are so inadequate.

They are alternatives, Blumgart notes.

The fact is, legislative models do exist. In recent years, Seattle and Miami passed anti-wage-theft ordinances, while Madison, the District of Columbia and San Francisco have bulked up enforcement. 

The wage-theft law passed in Florida’s Miami-Dade County in 2010 is one of the nation’s most compelling. It allows workers to contact the Department of Small Business Development with wage-theft complaints, and requires employers to answer those complaints with documentation. If the case cannot be settled, it goes to an administrative hearing. If the employer is found guilty, he or she must pay back the original wages and damages worth twice the original amount to the employee and administrative costs to the county.

In another article (“Want to Fight Poverty, Philly? Start at the Bottom, With the Low-Wage Jobs“) in the Next American City, Blumgart notes

Manufacturing isn’t intrinsically remunerative work: Workers, citizens and legislators faced challenges through the years to eventually turn those jobs into potential gateways to the middle class. 

Now that the economy has changed dramatically, these battles are being fought on new ground. Security guards in the office towers of Center City are organizing with the gargantuan Service Workers International Union, while their counterparts at the Art Museum and the University of Pennsylvania have formed an independent, locally based union.

Labor Journalist Mike Elk at WSU SLAP

In These Times staff writer Mike Elk spoke to a meeting of the Wichita Sate Universtity Student Labor Project and Young Democratic Socialists on February 16, 2012. Elk is a prolific reporter who has broken many important stories.

Verizon Mobilization Wichita

45,000 CWA and IBEW members are on strike against Verizon. It has been called the "private sector's Wisconsin."  The striking workers are on the East Coast, but CWA is organizing information and solidarty actions at Verizon stores all across the country .

Yesterday afteroon, Paul Hendrix and myself from the APWU joined members of Wichita's CWA 6402 local outside the Verizon store on North Rock Road.  The temperature here in Wichita peaked at 105.

Here are a few photos from the mobilization. (If the slideshow, doesn't play automatically, hover over the lower left corner and click on the arrow.)



Please take a moment and sign the CWA's petition

Despite record profits, Verizon is refusing to bargain and is demanding that its workers add to those profits from their own pockets. In the last four years alone, Verizon made more than $19 billion in profits and compensated their top five executives more than a quarter of a billion dollars. But apparently that’s not enough.

Now they’re refusing to bargain. Starting on June 22 Verizon pushed proposals that would let them outsource more jobs, including sending jobs overseas, slash sick days, eliminate benefits for workers who get hurt on the job and cut the healthcare benefits they promised retirees. And they haven’t budged.

KOSE Executive Director Jane Carter Responds to Administration’s Proposed Voluntary Retirement Incentive

I am quite disappointed by the Administration’s announcement of the Voluntary Retirement Incentive proposal. To be very clear, KOSE (Kansas Organization of State Employees) is not opposed to voluntary retirement plans in general. However, it is essential that all factors be considered before enacting a Voluntary Retirement Incentive. The State has not, at this point, considered those factors nor met its legal obligations to KOSE. 

KOSE heard rumors of a proposed early retirement incentive weeks ago, and promptly requested meet and confer over the incentive. The State indicated it would meet and confer with KOSE prior to rolling out the Voluntary Retirement Incentive. By mutual agreement, the first meet and confer session was scheduled for August 10, 2011. The State never informed KOSE that a planned rollout was scheduled for the first week of August, nor did the State ever indicate that an earlier meet and confer date would be required, or suggested. The State's rollout of this program, one week in advance of the scheduled meet and confer session, violates both the State's agreement to meet and confer and the legal requirement to meet and confer.

Secretary Taylor's contention that this is not an issue which must be discussed with KOSE is blatantly untrue. Under the Kansas Public Employee/Employer Relations Act, the State is required to meet and confer in good faith with the Union regarding terms and conditions of employment. The statute defines "meet and confer in good faith" as the process where the representative of the public agency and the representative of the employee organization to meet personally and exchange information, opinions, and proposals to try and reach agreement on conditions of employment. K.S.A. 75-4322(m). The statute goes on to define "conditions of employment", in part, as salaries, wages, hours of work, vacation allowances, sick and injury leave, number of holidays, retirement benefits, insurance benefits..." K.S.A. 75-4322(t).

The Voluntary Retirement Program involves both retirement benefits and insurance benefits, two items that by law are subject to meet and confer. Meet and confer is particularly important on this issue because of the potential impact of the Voluntary Retirement Program on State employees, the citizens of Kansas, and the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The Voluntary Retirement Program, as announced today, contains no limit or cap on how many employees will be allowed to accept the retirement incentive. Some departments across the State, already crippled by budget cuts, are so understaffed employees are working shifts of sixteen hours or more, multiple times during a work week. Removing more employees from the system would create an even greater strain, and endanger the ability of these workers to deliver the services that many citizens depend on every day.

KOSE had hoped to discuss some of these very real concerns with the State during meet and confer, with the objective of developing a program that could meet the State's objectives while also ensuring employees, citizens, and KPERS were not negatively impacted. KOSE has not yet decided how to respond to this early rollout, but we are meeting with our attorneys to discuss all available options.

- # # # -

The Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) is the largest certified, State recognized employee organization for state employees in the executive branch, representing more than 11,000 state employees.

Who Needs a Pension When You Can Have a Pizza Party?

Why Is Everyone So Down on Child Labor?

Negotiating Like It's 1999

The AFL-CIO has a new, informative, clever website on Collective Bargaining. It features three entertaining, funny videos by director/writer Negin Farsad, producer Justin Krebs, writer Lee Camp and punchup artist Katie Halper of Vaguely Qualified productions. Here's  the first one.  Others will follow in coming days.

Conference of new independent union federation in Egypt

Music for Labor Day: Four takes on Work Song

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, one of the most influential blues-and-beyond groups of the 1960s, recorded Nat Adderly's "Work Song" on their landmark "East-West" album.  It was also a staple of their life performances. 

This is a version from San Francisco's "Winterland" Sept 30, 1966. It is from the fantastic Wolfgang's Vault website.


And here's a version by the Cannonball Adderly Quintet.




That clip was on a show hosted by Oscar Brown, Jr. who wrote lyrics to the tune.  Here's the link to his take.



And here's Nina Simone.




Both the Butterfield and Adderly bands were notable for being integrated, something that was rare and brave in the 1960s, and is still rare today.

Eliseo Medina, SEIU VP, on immigration and civil rights at Netroots Nation

Eliseo Medina, international vice president of the Service Employees International Union, spoke at a panel on “civil rights in the modern era” at the just concluded Netroots Nation convention in Las Vegas.  Medina reviewed the impact of Arizona’s SB 1070.

Eliseo Medina at Netroots Nation: Unite to Defeat anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic movements from Talking Union on Vimeo.

LabourStart Global Solidarity Conference

LabourStart, the international union news and campaigning site, held its first-ever public conference last weekend in Hamilton, Ontario. More than 200 participants from about 30 countries attended. The AFL-CIO blog had apre-conference round up, Working In These Times had a post conference report, and another report was here.

Here is the plenary talk from LabourStart's founding editor, Eric Lee.

June 8: Global Day of Remembrance for Victims of Foxconn

It’s been dubbed the “suicide express” by Chinese media. Twelve workers, all between 18 and 24 years old, have committed suicide, at the production facilities of Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwan-owned enterprise based in Shenzhen, southern China. Foxconn is a key supplier to various leading brands including Apple.

SACOM (Students & Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior) and labor organizations based in Hong Kong and Taiwan, is calling for a Global Day of Remembrance for Victims of Foxconn for June 8th, to coincide with Apple’s global launch of its fourth-generation iPhone. The Democratic Socialists of America has endorsed the Global Day of Remembrance.

They are also appealing for a one-month June boycott of Foxconn’s products (Foxconn supplies major electronic products not only for Apple, but for Nokia, HP, Dell, Sony, Erikson, Motorola and others).
Update:  Apple has announced that the new iPhone 4G is scheduled for release on June 24. This would be an excellent day for a small symbolic action.
Here are some ideas on how you can support the Global Day of Remembrance:

• Sign the LabourStart email campaign, which will go to officials at Apple and Foxconn.

• Sign the on-line petition from SACOM.

• Link to the SACOM petition on your website with this code Online petition – 強烈要求富士康停產整頓  倡議6月8日為「全球悼念富士康自殺工人日」 June 8th: Global Day of Remembrance for Victims of Foxconn

• Observe a minute of silence at your next union or political meeting.

• Include the Foxconn victims in prayers if you are active in a religious group.

• Organize a few people to hold a respectful, non-disruptive remembrance outside an Apple or ATT store. (It doesn’t have to be on June 8.)

• Farhad Manjoo suggests

Next time you visit an Apple Store, ask an employee about where the iPad is made. Ask about the suicides there, and if Apple has pressed Foxconn to improve conditions at the plant. Are you an Apple shareholder? Attend the company’s annual meeting and ask executives whether their production practices are sustainable over the long term.

Better, ask to talk to the store manager. Better yet, take a small group of people with you and talk to the manager.

Ks. Sec. of Labor Jim Garner on Two Programs That Work

Kansas Secretary of Labor Jim Garner made some timely remarks on the importance of OSHA and unemployment compensation at the 2010 Workers' Memorial Day observance in Wichita, Kansas. The event was sponsored by the Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Federation.

Garner points out that the unemployment benefits program has pumped $1 billion into the Kansas economy in the last year.. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, has led to a remarkable decline in deaths and injuries on the job.

Union Label Chili Feed

I have no idea why my Flickr account suddenly is in Portuguese. Regardless, hereis a slideshow from the Feb 13 Union Label chili and hobo stew feed in Wichita.

Secretary of Labor Jim Garner on Getting Benefit of Stimulus Program

Kansas Secretary of Labor Jim Garner addresses the Labor Caucus on the state Democratic Party during Washington Days on February 28, 2009. He addressed the need to take full advantage of the potential benefits of the Obama stimulus program.

Garner strongly advocated that the state can gain $68 million for the state's unemployment fund by modernizing the state's system for determining eligibility for unemployment. Kansas does not currenlty count the most recent quarter of earnings to decide if a unemployed worker can get unemployment.

Garner also said is it long overdue to increase the pitiful $250,000 limit for worker's compensation and the disgraceful $2.65 an hour Kansas minimum wage.

KC Rally "Save Our Jobs" Sunday February 8

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and other elected officials will join the United Auto Workers and the Automobile Dealers Association at a “Save Our Jobs” rally at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, in the gymnasium of Penn Valley Community College. 3200 Southwest Tfwy, In Kansas City.
Thousands of residents from both sides of the state line will convene in the 3,000-seat gym to stress the impact auto manufacturing has on the region.

“The global financial crisis is crippling the availability of credit for the automakers, their suppliers, their dealers and consumers,” said Cleaver. “As our local auto plants extend their work stoppages, it is quite possible one or more of the domestic automakers could collapse.

“No one can afford American automakers going bankrupt, least of all the 7,200 men and women who work at the Fairfax and Claycomo plants, the thousands who work for the auto dealers in the area or the tens of thousands of retirees,” Cleaver continued. “Those are our neighbors, friends and family and they are in trouble.”

Other elected officials expected to attend the rally—which is scheduled to last one hour—include Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond, and U.S. Rep Dennis Moore of Kansas. Kansas City, Kansas Mayor/CEO Joe Reardon also will attend.

Kansas House and Senate Democrats Launch Pro-Worker Agenda

On January 22, members of the House and Senate Democratic Caucuses joined together to unveil a collaborative series of bills and priorities, all crafted specifically with the Kansas worker in mind. The Democrats for Working Kansans agenda addresses a number of important issues facing the everyday people who contribute and invest in the State of Kansas, including: improved worker benefits, fair wages, promoting Kansas-made products, guaranteeing health and safety in the workplace, implementing new immigration reform, and expanding educational and training opportunities.

“Democrats in the House and Senate are committed to Kansas workers, families and business owners,” said House Democratic Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence. “These people are counting on us in 2009 and we have a responsibility to offer them the help they need.”

“In the last year alone, 2.6 million Americans lost their jobs, the highest number of job losses our country has seen since the end of World War II. During this difficult economic time, working Kansas families have born the brunt of this heavy burden,” €? said Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka. “As large corporations such as Boeing, Cessna, and the General Motors Assembly Plant -- continue to scale back or go out of business, many more workers will be forced to cut back their hours, work for lower wages, or lose their jobs altogether.”

“Kansas will recover from this recession, but if we don’t protect our hardworking Kansas families now, the long-term impact of this economic downturn will be much more far reaching and have much more damaging consequences to the future of our state,” Davis continued. “That’s why we’ve joined here today -- to stand up for the people of Kansas by enacting responsible, proactive policies.”

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