tagged w/ Party Politics
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Palestinians rallied in Gaza in support of jailed Islamic Jihad leader Khader Adnan, who is on the 62nd day of a hunger strike to protest against his detention by Israel.Palestinians rallied in Gaza in support of jailed Islamic Jihad leader Khader Adnan,... more
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If organized labor were to list the three worst things that could happen to it, one of them would surely be having the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board, established in 1935) close up shop. While the NLRB hasn't always performed to labor's satisfaction (indeed, its reluctance to act has been the source of consternation and heartburn), it has, nonetheless, proven itself indispensable.
When companies purposely sabotage union elections, or when they refuse to recognize a legal vote to join or form a union, or when they fail to enter into the collective bargaining process in good faith, or when they violate federal labor law by firing employees engaged in union membership drives, it's the Labor Board who hears the complaint. Without the NLRB, none of these ULPs (Unfair Labor Practices) can be addressed.
Yet, as critically important as the NLRB is, there's a chance it will be put out of business come the first of the year. Due to a 2010 ruling by the Supreme Court, unless the 5-member NLRB has a quorum (i.e., a minimum of three members), it is illegal for it to hand down decisions. In other words, unless there are at least three members present, the NLRB has no power to stop management from violating federal labor law. They can violate it with impunity. Without the NLRB, employees could vote overwhelmingly to join a union, and the company could simply ignore them. Who's to stop them?
Here's how it stands. Republicans have not only steadfastly refused to confirm President Obama's appointees (leaving the Board without a quorum), but they have threatened to strip the Board of its operating budget, basically wiping it out. No money, no NLRB. Incredibly, with the whole country watching from the sidelines -- with unemployment still high and the gap between rich and poor continuing to widen -- the Republican Party has audaciously and fearlessly declared war on America's working class.
As gutless as President Obama has been in regard to labor (e.g., backing away from the EFCA, abandoning striker replacement legislation, failing to respond to attacks on the teachers' union, et al), he's been caught in the middle of this NLRB deal. On the one hand, by nominating solidly pro-union people to the Board he has appeased organized labor, but on the other hand, he has mobilized Republican opposition.
In truth, that's a bit of a false dichotomy. It is Obama's job to behave like a traditional, pro-labor Democrat, and, if anything, he has been woefully derelict in that regard. Also, despite the Republican's hysterical smear campaign, we shouldn't pretend that the people Obama has nominated are "radicals." In the 1960s and 1970s these same folks would have been considered "enlightened centrists," plain and simple. In the 1940s, they would've been considered "pro-business."
Unfortunately, some nominal "pro-labor" activists have publicly criticized Obama for not being more accommodating, for not being more pragmatic, more practical. They've criticized him for failing to appoint Board members who would automatically appeal to the Republicans, as if it were Obama's job to abandon America's working class in order to please John Boehner and his corporate sponsors.
But let's be honest. If the Republican Party had its way, there would be no NLRB, no OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), and, very likely, no Department of Labor. What prevented the elimination of those agencies was America's political landscape. But the contour of that landscape has changed dramatically.
In the 1970s the Republican Party wouldn't have dared suggest, not in its wildest dreams, that the NLRB and OSHA be dismantled. After all, it was a Republican administration that created OSHA. Considering the country's mood at the time, organized labor's influence, and, arguably, the respect working people still enjoyed, eliminating the Labor Board would have been considered, among other things, "unpatriotic." How things have changed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-macaray/republicans-declare-war-o_1_b_1158394.html?view=print&comm_ref=falseIf organized labor were to list the three worst things that could happen to it, one of... more
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G20 Protests Seoul. The Korean People's G20 Response Action Rally and March (14.00-18.00) commencing at Seoul Railway Station Plaza.G20 Protests Seoul. The Korean People's G20 Response Action Rally and March... more
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Police stopped protests and dispersed a small group of individuals this morning from central Seoul. The demonstration by Labour Union JEI against the G20 was quickly broken up by police and people were moved on. Seoul, South Korea. 10/11/2010Police stopped protests and dispersed a small group of individuals this morning from... more
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The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is a national trade union centre officially established in 1995. Its predecessor was the National Council of Trade Unions (NCTU), established in 1990 as an independent alternative to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions. With 682,418 members in 2007, the KCTU accounted for 40.6% of trade union members in South Korea.
In 2008, during massive "mad cow protests" the KCTU declared a general strike to protest the import of US beef on grounds that consuming the allegedly tainted beef could damage worker productivity
The KCTU has more than 1,200 affiliated enterprise-level trade unions. It is the second largest trade union national center in South Korea, following the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU). On 1 April 2009, KCTU delegates at a special session elected Lim Seong-kyu as President. Of the two, the KCTU is generally considered to be the more militant.
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Candlelight Cultural Event with international activists and representatives at Boshingak, Jongno street.The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is a national trade union centre... more
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Voters in El Salvador will decide whether or not to elect a political party that once waged guerilla war against the government. The former guerilla group, FMLN, has a candidate for the presidency, Mauricio Funes. He is up against a right-leaning party, ARENA, and their candidate Rodrigo Avila. ARENA has held the presidency for twenty years.Voters in El Salvador will decide whether or not to elect a political party that once... more
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One day after getting ROOTED in West Virginia, a race where the exit polls showed race was a significant factor in Hillary's win--John Edwards is expected to endorse his former opponent Barack Obama, Edwards got 7% of the vote in WV... will this 15 minute endorsement put an end to Hillary's electibility argument? One day after getting ROOTED in West Virginia, a race where the exit polls showed race... more
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