tagged w/ Worker Rights
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As we come up on the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, PBS is airing a special tonight on the deadliest workplace accident in New York’s history. By the time the fire burned itself out, 146 people — mainly young immigrant women — had died. Frances Perkins, FDR’s labor secretary, witnessed the fire firsthand on March 25, 1911. It galvanized her and kick-started her tireless work advocating workplace reforms.
The special will air tonight at 9pm, and more information can be found here. Watch the preview:As we come up on the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, PBS is... more
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http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/new-wisc-gop-governor-pushes-hard-for-rolling-back-workers-rights-by-decades.php
http://firedoglake.com/2011/02/11/late-night-the-shock-doctrine-in-wisconsin/#
MADISON, Wis. —
Gov. Scott Walker says the WisconsinNational Guard is prepared to respond wherever is necessary in the wake of his announcement that he wants to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights from state employees.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Scott Walker proposed stripping nearly all government workers of their collective bargaining rights…. Under his plan, which he’ll include in his forthcoming budget proposal, most state workers would no longer be able to negotiate for better pensions or health benefits or anything other than higher salaries, which couldn’t rise at a quicker pace than the Consumer Price Index.
… He also says this plan is non-negotiable — as in, he’s cut off negotiations with prison guards, teachers and other state workers.
Walker said Friday that he hasn't called the Guard into action, but he has briefed them and other state agencies in preparation of any problems that could result in a disruption of state services, like staffing at prisons.
The governor also said the National Guard is at the ready to take control of state prisons if correctional officers strike or take job actions. No union official has endorsed such a job action, but Walker said he was prepared for any contingency.
The Capitol news conference where Walker announced his plan had unusually high security, with four Capitol police offers stationed outside of it and checking on who was attending the event.
Walker says he has every confidence that state employees will continue to show up for work and do their jobs and he's not anticipating any problems.
His plan would require higher pension and health insurance contributions and remove bargaining rights except in a limited way over wages.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-budgetwoes-nation,0,771747.story
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/02/10/1455148/wis-governor-wants-to-cut-union.html
http://www.jsonline.com/polls/115922949.html?results=y&mr=1&oid=3&pid=115922949&cid=8500544
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/111922624.html
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/111561299.html
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/115911379.html
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/111463779.html
http://www.examiner.com/bronx-county-independent-in-new-york/wisconsin-corporations-skate-as-governor-targets-public-employees
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2011/02/11/wisconsin-workers-reeling-from-anti-union-bill/
http://www.thedailypage.com/blaska/article.php?article=32225
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=32223
http://www.thedailypage.com/blaska/article.php?article=32170
http://www.thedailypage.com/emilyspost/article.php?article=32194
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=32231
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/blog/article_33e4f1c0-363b-11e0-9d70-001cc4c03286.html
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_731a787a-3644-11e0-8c16-001cc4c002e0.html
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_7ff37af2-3562-11e0-8ff9-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=storyhttp://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/new-wisc-gop-governor-pushes-hard-for-rollin... more
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Striking Panamanian banana workers rioted this past weekend, after holding four police officers hostage in escalating labor protests that have left one person dead, according to authorities.Striking Panamanian banana workers rioted this past weekend, after holding four police... more
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A mass strike against the French government's plan to raise the retirement age disrupted transport and shut down schools this past week, with unions saying millions of protesters took to the streets.A mass strike against the French government's plan to raise the retirement age... more
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A sharply divided federal appeals court has exposed retail giant Wal-Mart to billions of dollars in legal damages after it ruled that a massive class action lawsuit alleging gender discrimination over pay for female workers can go to trial.A sharply divided federal appeals court has exposed retail giant Wal-Mart to billions... more
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Several thousand demonstrators marched through the New York financial district this past week in a protest led by labor unions. They said Wall Street's biggest banks must account for record profits while average Americans still suffer financially.Several thousand demonstrators marched through the New York financial district this... more
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In 2010, protesters around the world took to the streets to mark May Day, also known as Labor and International Workers' Day.In 2010, protesters around the world took to the streets to mark May Day, also known... more
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Workers Defense Project and community supporters gathered outside Cobra Studios in Austin to protest COBALT COMPANIES for the $20,000.00 in unpaid wages owed to eleven workers who worked on their work site at Cobra Studios Apartments.
In the context of economic downturn, where low-wage workers bear the burden of hard times, Workers Defense Project is calling upon Cobalt Companies to take responsibility for the labor abuses on their work site.
In October and November of 2008, Antonio Melo, Antonio Olvera, Fausto Elias, and 8 other workers worked for a subcontractor of Cobalt Companies to perform masonry work on Cobra Studios Apartments in East Austin. The subcontractor never paid the eleven workers for their work and they are still owed nearly $20,000 in back wages.
The Workers Defense Project has tried to resolve the issue directly with Cobalt Companies and their subcontractors. Cobalt Companies negotiated with PDL and agreed to a payment plan where they would pay $15,000 of wages owed now and $5,000 later. The agreement was drafted, the terms were all agreed upon, and then Cobalt Companies backed out.
Workers, advocates and community supporters urged Cobalt Companies to ensure that Austin development occurs in a way that benefits everyone in the community, including the workers who are building our city.
Cobalt Companies is a local residential and commercial building company that has 30 years of experience working on construction projects in Austin. They specialize in high-end homes, town-homes, and commercial properties that range from half-million to multi-million dollar projects, such as the Cobra Studios.
After much effort and long hours on the part of the Workers Defense Project, ultimately Cobalt Co. lived up to their legal responsibility and made sure the workers were paid their due in a check for $18,000!
This is a Z Graphix Production, Directed by Jason Cato and
Produced by Jeffry Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org
Photography by Jason Cato
Cinematography by Keegan Godsey and Jeffry Zavala
To learn more go to:
http://workersdefense.org
http://buildaustin.orgWorkers Defense Project and community supporters gathered outside Cobra Studios in... more
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Thousands of activists gathered on the south steps of the Capitol on Friday evening and marched to City Hall in support of improving treatment of immigrant workers and the reformation of laws to recognize them as contributing members of American society.
International Workers Day, commonly known as May Day is the annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement over the past century. Activists across the country use this day to call for better treatment of immigrants.
When you work a day, you should get paid a day, said Teresa Parkinson, a volunteer with the Workers Defense Project, an immigrant rights organization.
Parkinson said there are businesses, restaurants and construction companies in Austin that do not pay immigrants for their work. If the workers report these businesses for malpractice, they risk being deported.
I know immigrants are being mistreated, Parkinson said. They have a right as humans to be paid for the work that they do.
Caroline Keating-Guerra, an organizer of Fridays march, summed up the event as a rally for immigrant rights reform, which includes immigrant access to health care and education, a pathway to legalization and ending government raids and family separation.
In a speech prior to the march, Eric Tang, an assistant professor in UTs College of Liberal Arts, described May Day as a celebration of the relationship between humans and the work they do. He said Americans must ensure that the rights people earn for being contributing members of society are respected.
Many times [immigrants] are marginalized, ghettoized and pushed out of the mainstream of American society, Tang said.
Martín Ruiz, a member of the Workers Defense Project, said the government needs to recognize immigrant participation.
[This march] is more than about being Hispanic, Russian, Asian, rich or poor, Ruiz said. Its a day that workers can take to the streets and reclaim a more dignified life for themselves and their families.
This is a Z Graphix Production, Directed by Jason Cato Produced by Jeffry Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org
Photography by Jason Cato
Cinematography by Keegan Godsey and Jeffry Zavala
To learn more go to:
http://workersdefense.org
http://buildaustin.orgThousands of activists gathered on the south steps of the Capitol on Friday evening... more
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Gov. Rick Perry and employees within the state insurance building did not meet the typical sound of 5 p.m. traffic Wednesday.
Instead, some encountered signs adorned with criticism of Perrys policies, drums keeping protestors in rhythm and the voices of construction workers along with members of Austins Workers Defense Project and Californias Laborers International Union of North America chanting, Workers rights are under attack! What do we do? Stand up, fight back!
Project Director Cristina Tzintzún said the defense group organized the event in response to a television interview Perry had at a Construction Expo in late June, in which he stated that [Texas] has enough oversight to keep our citizens safe.
Catherine Frazier, a spokeswoman for the governors office, said the issues scope is wider than Texas alone.
This issue falls under federal jurisdiction and Governor Perry expects the federal government will fulfill its role to keep Texas construction workers safe without burdening Texas employers with duplicative regulations, Frazier said.
According to a recent report by the project titled Building Austin, Building Injustice, 142 construction workers died in Texas in 2007, which is more than any other state in the country. The report also states that 50 percent of workers do not receive overtime pay and that 41 percent go without a rest break.
Tzintzún said that only 77 Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators cover the 10 million workers in Texas. The project states that the International Labor Organization recommended 1,023 investigators be responsible for Texas workers.
Elizabeth Todd, OSHA acting regional director, said the administration will be increasing the number of inspectors in Texas.
We want to raise awareness and reduce the number of construction-related fatalities in the state because we do have a high number of construction-related fatalities, Todd said. If there are unsafe working conditions, we are going to try and go out there and find out.
Tzintzún said the problem lies in construction oversight.
We believe there is a larger problem in Texas of contractors not being held accountable for safe working conditions on the job site, Tzintzún said. Its important that [the Legislature] steps up to the plate by ensuring people dont die needlessly on the job.
The protest also focused on the West Campus construction accident in June at the 21 Rio apartment complex where three construction workers fell to their deaths as a result of a scaffold failure.
Austin Police Department Lt. Mark Spangler said APD obtained a search warrant to investigate the incident.
The areas we are looking at are, Did this accident have a genesis? Spangler said. What caused that equipment to fail? Was it mechanical? Was it human error? Was it an oversight? Thats the full spectrum of what we are looking at.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation and APD will conduct interviews as well as an examination of all equipment used in the scaffolding. The warrant stated negligent homicide as a possibility.
Randy Harris, a member of a laborers union from Illinois, said he was protesting to make the construction worker case a national issue.
Nobody deserves to be hurt or killed at work, Harris said. We want people to be able to go to work, feed their families and go home.
This is a Z Graphix Production, Produced by Jeffry Zavala and Directed by Jason Cato.
http://zgraphix.org
Communications by Selena Fernandez
Cinematography by Jeffry Zavala
Photography by Charlie Lockwood & Jeffry Zavala
To learn more go to,
http://workersdefense.org
http://buildaustin.orgGov. Rick Perry and employees within the state insurance building did not meet the... more
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Watch this video and the one with John Stewart. These two videos of Elizabeth Warren of Law at Harvard will explain what is happening to our middle class, which ties closely to our democracy. Families lives are like now days is nothing like it used to be. She will even discuss what our banks are doing. She explain what should be done. Its too simple. Its wonderful. Enjoy.Watch this video and the one with John Stewart. These two videos of Elizabeth Warren... more
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kivol
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added this
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2 years ago
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