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Crusader against Obama racism
Richard Trumka is the Secretary Treasurer of AFL-CIO and he has courage.
I say to all of my friends, of all skin colors, you must not tolerate racism in your space. If you want things to change, you must change. You must dig deep for the courage to say how you feel. When you hear a racist comment, or a racist fear, ask for specifics, you must speak your truth. If you do not fear a person because of their color then say that. Why should a racist comment be given more room to breathe and to grow than one that confronts it down?
I know it can be scary, but there are others like you, like us, on the front lines here. And your voice is needed. Listen to Richard Trumka and know that you are not alone in the journey to creating a better America. Richard Trumka is the Secretary Treasurer of AFL-CIO and he has courage. ... more -
Teachers' union wants sex with students to be allowed?
Teachers should not be prosecuted for having sex with pupils over 16, claim union bosses from NASUWT, claiming there should be a clear differentiation between "errors of professional judgement" in consensual relationships, and child abuse.
Intimate relations between teachers and students under 18 were made illegal in 2001, and professionals found guilty may be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for defying the law.
Should a teacher who has a relationship with a 17-year-old student be labelled a sex offender? Teachers should not be prosecuted for having sex with pupils over 16, claim union bosses from NASUWT, claiming there should be a clear... more -
50,000+ WTO Protestors
Director Stuart Townsend ("Battle In Seattle") explains why 50,000+ protestors organized themselves to shut down the 1999 WTO talks in Seattle.
"Battle In Seattle" is in theaters now. Director Stuart Townsend ("Battle In Seattle") explains why 50,000+ protestors organized themselves to shut down the 1999 WT... more -
Arbitrator imposes contract at Canadian Wal-Mart
Employees at a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. outlet in Canada won an arbitrator-imposed contract on Friday, becoming the giant retailer's only location in North America with a collective agreement in place. Employees at a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. outlet in Canada won an arbitrator-imposed contract on Friday, becoming the giant retailer's ... more
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A Message to Undocumented Workers
Celso Mena addresses undocumented workers, saying they must speak out against being mistreated in the workplace.
A year ago, Celso Mena was hurt on a jobsite and denied workers compensation by his employer after they falsely classified him in order to avoid paying for insurance. After a court battle that lasted for several months, Celso Mena finally won a settlement from the company.
The New England Regional Coucil of Carpenters assisted Celso Mena in drawing attention and support for his case. Celso Mena addresses undocumented workers, saying they must speak out against being mistreated in the workplace. ... more -
Wal-Mart Union in China, but not USA
US retail giant Wal-Mart, which has drawn criticism over allegations it is union unfriendly, has reportedly seen staff in China start their first union.
The union was the initiative of some 30 Wal-Mart workers in the south-east province of Fujian, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has 60 stores in China.
In March, the company said it planned to hire an extra 150,000 staff in China over the next five years.
A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart in China said she was unaware about the Fujian union.
Wal-Mart, which started doing business in China in 1996, has previously said that its employees are free to set up unions if they wish and has insisted it conforms with Chinese law.
Wang Zhaoguo, president of All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) - which was established by the ruling Communist Party and claims some 150 million members - has been putting pressure on Wal-Mart.
At the start of July he singled out the firm for failing to establish unions at its stores, while also suggesting it should be compulsory for foreign companies to set up unions for employees.
The Wal-Mart workers were reported to have set up the union in Jinjiang, Quanzhou, in Fujian province.
"One of the major tasks of the ACFTU in 2006 is to push foreign-funded or transnational companies to unionise," Xinhua quoted Xu Deming, the union's vice-president, as saying.
Wal-Mart has attracted criticism in the US and Canada for its perceived anti-union stance, and there have been union pickets outside its North American stores.
Independent trade unions are illegal in China, with all workers belonging to ACFTU.
However, labour analysts say the ACFTU has had a poor record in improving worker rights.
China is a major source of cheap goods for Wal-Mart's US operations, with $18bn of merchandise sourced there in 2004.
But in terms of Chinese outlets it has lagged behind Carrefour of France, which has 78 stores, although there are plans for Wal-Mart China to build 18 to 20 new stores during 2006.
Why haven't people started a Wal-Mart union? I do not even work at Wal-Mart and I want to start an anti-Wal-Mart petition/Wal-Mart Union.
According to the documentary "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices" (2005) it does not seem that Wal-Mart has good standards and is not a good job anywhere.
Are you a Wal-Mart employee? Are you a Sams Club employee?
Do you think a Walmart union will improve their workers job?
Since Walmart claims to provide many jobs to people when they come into a town, could a Walmart union improve the average US working conditions for those without college degrees? (Ones who work in the low wage/store employment) US retail giant Wal-Mart, which has drawn criticism over allegations it is union unfriendly, has reportedly seen staff in China start ... more -
The end of freedom and privacy in the workplace?
Former presidential candidate George McGovern cuts through the BS and deception contained in the ironically named 'Employee Free Choice Act'- proposed legislation that sounds like an effort to impart fairness to unionizing elections but of course it is the opposite. McGovern calls on his fellow Democrats to protect workers' rights to unionize and vote on union matters in privacy:
"As a congressman, senator and one-time Democratic nominee for the presidency, I've participated in my share of vigorous public debates over issues of great consequence. And the public has been free to accept or reject the decisions I made when they walked into a ballot booth, drew the curtain and cast their vote. I didn't always win, but I always respected the process.
Voting is an immense privilege. That is why I am concerned about a new development that could deny this freedom to many Americans. As a longtime friend of labor unions, I must raise my voice against pending legislation I see as a disturbing and undemocratic overreach not in the interest of either management or labor.
The legislation is called the Employee Free Choice Act, and I am sad to say it runs counter to ideals that were once at the core of the labor movement. Instead of providing a voice for the unheard, EFCA risks silencing those who would speak.
The key provision of EFCA is a change in the mechanism by which unions are formed and recognized. Instead of a private election with a secret ballot overseen by an impartial federal board, union organizers would simply need to gather signatures from more than 50% of the employees in a workplace or bargaining unit, a system known as "card-check." There are many documented cases where workers have been pressured, harassed, tricked and intimidated into signing cards that have led to mandatory payment of dues.
Under EFCA, workers could lose the freedom to express their will in private, the right to make a decision without anyone peering over their shoulder, free from fear of reprisal.
There's no question that unions have done much good for this country. Their tenacious efforts have benefited millions of workers and helped build a strong middle class. They gave workers a new voice and pushed for laws that protect individuals from unfair treatment. They have been a friend to the Democratic Party, and so I oppose this legislation respectfully and with care.
To my friends supporting EFCA I say this: We cannot be a party that strips working Americans of the right to a secret-ballot election. We are the party that has always defended the rights of the working class. To fail to ensure the right to vote free of intimidation and coercion from all sides would be a betrayal of what we have always championed.
Some of the most respected Democratic members of Congress -- including Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, George Miller and Pete Stark of California, and Barney Frank of Massachusetts -- have advised that workers in developing countries such as Mexico insist on the secret ballot when voting as to whether or not their workplaces should have a union. We should have no less for employees in our country.
I worry that there has been too little discussion about EFCA's true ramifications, and I think much of the congressional support is based on a desire to give our friends among union leaders what they want. But part of being a good steward of democracy means telling our friends "no" when they press for a course that in the long run may weaken labor and disrupt a tried and trusted method for conducting honest elections.
While it is never pleasant to stand against one's party or one's friends, there are times when such actions are necessary -- as with my early and lonely opposition to the Vietnam War. I hope some of my friends in Congress will re-evaluate their support for this legislation. Because as Americans, we should strive to ensure that all of us enjoy the freedom of expression and freedom from fear that is our ideal and our right." Former presidential candidate George McGovern cuts through the BS and deception contained in the ironically named 'Employee Free ... more -
Wal-Mart tells employees how to vote, attempts to curb unionization
So if that pod the other day about Chevron and the Ecuadorian government got you a bit miffed, here's one about Wal-Mart and their wonderful lobbying and scare tactics!!!
Don't you love it how they fight for the corporation's "life" at the expense of those of its employees??? So if that pod the other day about Chevron and the Ecuadorian government got you a bit miffed, here's one about Wal-Mart and thei... more -
US: Wal-Mart fearful of Democratic win
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the worlds largest corporation, is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies - including Wal-Mart.
In recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.
According to about a dozen Wal-Mart employees who attended such meetings in seven states, Wal-Mart executives claim that employees at unionized stores would have to pay hefty union dues while getting nothing in return, and may have to go on strike without compensation. Also, unionization could mean fewer jobs as labor costs rise.
The actions by Wal-Mart - the nation's largest private employer - reflect a growing concern among big business that a reinvigorated labor movement could reverse years of declining union membership. That could lead to higher payroll and health costs for companies already being hurt by rising fuel and commodities costs and the tough economic climate.
The Wal-Mart human-resources managers who run the meetings don't specifically tell attendees how to vote in November's election, but make it clear that voting for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in, according to Wal-Mart employees who attended gatherings in Maryland, Missouri and other states.
"The meeting leader said, 'I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won't have a vote on whether you want a union,'" said a Wal-Mart customer-service supervisor from Missouri. "I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote," she said.
"If anyone representing Wal-Mart gave the impression we were telling associates how to vote, they were wrong and acting without approval," said David Tovar, Wal-Mart spokesman. Mr. Tovar acknowledged that the meetings were taking place for store managers and supervisors nationwide.
Wal-Mart's worries center on a piece of legislation known as the Employee Free Choice Act, which companies say would enable unions to quickly add millions of new members.
Business-backed organizations are also running ads aimed at building opposition to the bill, including the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which counts several hundred industry associations as members.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has made defeat of the legislation a top priority. In the past six months, it has flown state and local Chamber members to Washington to lobby members of Congress. On Thursday, the Chamber began airing a television ad in Minnesota and plans to run ads in other states as part of a broader campaign.
The bill was crafted by labor as a response to more aggressive opposition by companies to union-organizing activity. The AFL-CIO and individual unions such as the United Food and Commercial Workers have promised to make passage of the new labor law their No. 1 mission after the November election.
The November election could bring that extra support in Congress, as well as the White House if Sen. Obama is elected and Democrats extend their control in the Senate. Sen. Obama co-sponsored the legislation, which also is known as "card check," and has said several times he would sign it into law if elected president. Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, opposes the Employee Free Choice Act and voted against it last year.
Wal-Mart's labor-relations meetings are led by human-resources managers who received training from Wal-Mart on the implications of the Employee Free Choice Act. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the worlds largest corporation, is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country t... more -
Hollywood writers launch "Idol," reality TV protest
Hollywood writers on Wednesday launched a protest against U.S. television's No. 1 show, "American Idol," claiming the Fox network talent contest underpays workers and subjects them to sweatshop conditions.
The move by the Writers Guild of America underscores a long simmering feud between the trade union and producers of many reality TV programs, which unlike scripted dramas and comedies are not covered by WGA contracts.
The WGA claims that the companies making "American Idol" and similar shows force workers to toil nearly around the clock without overtime pay or benefits, in violation of California labor laws.
The union has since 2005 sought to represent reality show employees such as production assistants and editors, arguing that the work they do in creating scenarios and outlines for the shows is tantamount to a form of writing. Hollywood writers on Wednesday launched a protest against U.S. television's No. 1 show, "American Idol," claiming the F... more -
Gays & Union boycott Hotelier over marriage initiative donation.
Gay rights and union advocates have begun boycotting the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego after its owner, Doug Manchester, donated $125,000 to a ballot measure that would end same-sex marriage in California, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The hotelier's contribution to the proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot struck a nerve among supporters of marriage equality.
Fred Karger, an organizer of the boycott, told the Union-Tribune, "This is someone who is giving an exorbitant amount of money to write discrimination into the Constitution for the very first time."
Activists were joined by Unite Here Local 30, which represents 4,500 San Diego-area hotel and restaurant workers.
The Manchester Grand Hyatt is not unionized, the Union-Tribune reported. Gay rights and union advocates have begun boycotting the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego after its owner, Doug Manchester, donated... more -
France launches Med Union with high hopes
French President Nicolas Sarkozy launched a 43-nation Union for the Mediterranean on Sunday with a plea for Middle Eastern countries to emulate Europe's model of reconciliation and integration.
The ceremonial inaugural summit at the lofty iron-and-glass Grand Palais in Paris sealed a new detente between Syria and Europe, with the Syrian and Israeli leaders also sitting at the same table for the first time.
But there was no handshake and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appeared to go out of his way to avoid Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, hiding his face behind his arm as he walked past where the Israeli leader was standing.
"Everyone will have to make an effort, as the Europeans did, to put an end to the deadly spiral of war and violence, that, century after century, repeatedly brought barbarity to the heart of civilisation," Sarkozy said in the keynote speech.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, co-president of the summit, told the leaders they must work together to meet the challenges of food, education and health for their growing populations.
"I am sure that today is a start. I am sure that we have a long way to go and we will go a long way," he said.
On a day rich in political gestures, Sarkozy hosted cordial talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, capped with an effusive triple handshake and a joint news conference.
"The goal of this summit for the Mediterranean, of this Union for the Mediterranean, is that we learn to love each other instead of continuing to hate each other and wage war," Sarkozy said, flanked by Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. French President Nicolas Sarkozy launched a 43-nation Union for the Mediterranean on Sunday with a plea for Middle Eastern countries t... more -
AFL-CIO endorses Obama
The largest U.S. labor federation endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday and promised to launch a huge effort to get union voters to the polls on his behalf in November.
The general board of the AFL-CIO, an umbrella group representing 56 labor unions, voted without opposition to back the Illinois senator in the White House race against Republican John McCain.
"We'll work our hearts out for Barack Obama," said Gerald McEntee, chairman of the AFL-CIO political committee and president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
"Our program is going to be worker to worker and neighbor to neighbor. We're ready to mobilize," said McEntee, who originally supported Obama's Democratic presidential rival Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.
The labor federation has budgeted about $54 million for get-out-the-vote operations on behalf of Obama, and will focus on mobilizing 13 million union members in 24 priority states.
The effort will provide critical grass-roots muscle that could help Obama in blue-collar battleground states, where he had difficulty during the Democratic primaries winning over white working-class voters.
The effort specifically targets the battleground states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the labor group promised to deploy more than 250,000 volunteers for the operation.
All of the unions in the federation expect to spend a total of more than $200 million on behalf of Democratic candidates at all levels of the 2008 election.
The endorsement was no surprise, as the AFL-CIO already had started an information campaign against Arizona Sen. McCain and many of the member unions already had backed Obama -- including unions like AFSCME that had backed Clinton.
The full AFL-CIO declined to make an endorsement in the Democratic race last year, but Clinton's withdrawal earlier this month cleared the way for the move. The group requires the support of union presidents representing two-thirds of the federation's members. The largest U.S. labor federation endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday and promised to launch a huge ef... more -
Actors' strike threatens to bring Hollywood to a standstill
To have one trade union paralyse Hollywood was strange; two doing it in quick succession feels like carelessness. A threatened walkout by actors, which could begin as early as next week, is throwing major film and television studios into chaos.
The contract dispute, this time between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and their white-collar bosses, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), is causing what industry experts have called a "virtual strike".
Production deadlines for dozens of major projects have been scrapped amid growing signs that the SAG, which has 120,000 members, will fail to resolve its dispute before a deadline for industrial action on Tuesday next week.
Most major film shoots are now either being put on hold, or wrapping-up early to avoid disruption. "No one is doing anything that finishes after 30 June, and nobody's starting anything now," one lawyer representing actors told The Hollywood Reporter. "This is the impact of a strike already."
Victims of the crisis include Sir Ridley Scott, who has delayed filming his Robin Hood remake, Nottingham, until late summer. Martin Scorsese, Peter Jackson and Steven Soderbergh are meanwhile rushing to finish their current projects by 1 July. Those films are Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Lovely Bones and The Informant.
Other stars who are likely to have a busy week include Will Ferrell (currently working on Land of the Lost), together with Seth Rogen (Observe and Report), and the James Bond actor Daniel Craig.
The entire cast of High School Musical 3; GI Joe; When in Rome and Disney's Race to Witch Mountain are also racing to complete shoots before any picket lines appear.
At issue in the SAG dispute are almost 70 elements of a proposed new contract with the major studios that is being haggled over at AMPTP's headquarters in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. Bones of contention are said to include payments for film and video clips screened online, the issue that was at the heart of the previous writers' dispute.
Several major projects are planning to suspend actual filming and work on special effects for however long it takes to resolve the dispute. The Transformers sequel is about to begin a planned hiatus, along with Angels & Demons, the follow up to The DaVinci Code.
On television, the autumn season for dozens of network shows, which was already knocked out of schedule by the 100-day writers' crisis, now faces renewed chaos. The hit show Gossip Girl is in the middle of filming its second series. Army Wives, Saving Grace, The Closer and Monk are also mid-production, while 24 has decided not to chance its arm and cancelled an entire year of shows.
The Milken Institute, a Californian economic think- tank, recently estimated that the state would already lose about $2.1bn (£1.07bn) in output as well as 37,000 jobs by the end of the year.
"Even if the actors strike doesn't happen, there is already an economic impact going on which is currently affecting production schedules," said the study's author, Kevin Klowden. "Even a smaller strike would slow down the recovery."
Whatever happens, those worst hit by any disruption will be actors and technical staff. The Actors Fund, a charity that assists film-industry employees who have fallen on hard times, said yesterday that it has received 800 requests for support already this year, more than four times its usual level.
"Usually we give out $250-$350,000 a year in emergency financial assistance in Los Angeles," said a spokesman. "This year, we've already given out $1.2m. If this new strike happens, it will be devastating for people."
The turmoil may also spill over into the political arena. California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger – who is a SAG member – was the subject of a heated editorial in yesterday's Los Angeles Times criticising his failure to intervene in the dispute. "We saw how you handled the writers' strike... It was, frankly, kind of a girlie- man performance," it read. To have one trade union paralyse Hollywood was strange; two doing it in quick succession feels like carelessness. A threatened walkout... more -
Freedom of business speech
Some of the most sensible decisions of the Supreme Court's centrist majority have concerned business law, and yesterday the Justices handed down another good one. The decision will protect the free-speech rights of all parties – companies and unions – during labor negotiations.
At issue in Chamber of Commerce v. Brown was a 2000 California law that prohibited businesses from using state grants or program funds to "assist, promote or deter union organizing." That sounds neutral enough, even fair. However, at the behest of the labor lobby, the law was designed as an elaborate sleight-of-hand to use taxpayer money to prevent businesses from communicating with their employees about labor policies or problems.
In practice, the recordkeeping requirements made it nearly impossible for businesses to certify that they hadn't used state funds for union-related activities. Then it imposed huge compliance and litigation costs. The law also contained broad exemptions to the general spending ban, including allowing state funds to promote certain types of unionization, such as voluntarily recognizing unions without secret ballots, i.e., "card check." How convenient.
Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the 7-2 majority, ruled that California "plainly could not directly regulate noncoercive speech about unionization by means of an express prohibition." So despite the state's legal cunning, its restrictions were pre-empted by Congress's intent in the 1935 Wagner Act (and its subsequent revisions) to leave labor policy neutral.
At least 20 other states have rules similar to California's on the books or plans to pass them. Chamber of Commerce v. Brown should shut down such antibusiness targeting, and the U.S. will be fairer for it. Some of the most sensible decisions of the Supreme Court's centrist majority have concerned business law, and yesterday the Justi... more -
Bonnie Raitt & Dolores Huerta BraveNation.com Video
Interviews worth watching.
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IRB Rugby Sevens Twickenham day one
A trip to the IRB sevens at Twickers on the day when the sun was out and the pimms was flowing!
Tags: IRB,international,rugby,union,sevens,twickenham,sun,pimms, A trip to the IRB sevens at Twickers on the day when the sun was out and the pimms was flowing! ... more -
The ultimate contortionist
One big hairy guy and one tiny plastic ring, how will hairy fit through? it is magic!
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'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' France England Train sing song!
Featuring a sing song on the way home from watching England win the World cup semi final! Plus mayhem from Twickenham Tup when England win the match! Featuring a sing song on the way home from watching England win the World cup semi final! Plus mayhem from Twickenham Tup when England... more
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Union fights for their right to party ...and protest the war
Thousands of dockworkers are expected to walk off their jobs today at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to protest ongoing wars in the Middle East, despite an arbitrator's ruling to ban the action.
Arbitrator John Kagel issued a ruling ordering the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to tell its members that they must report to work, rather than take the day off to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kagel said the union failed to comply with a similar ruling issued last week.
"We're going to approach (today) as a regular day by filing work orders, and the union is obligated to pursue them," said Steve Getzug, a spokesman for the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the West Coast's shippers.
Despite the arbitrator's ruling, ILWU Local 13 sent an automated telephone message to dockworkers, reminding them of the work stoppage.
"I am calling to let you know the entire longshore division will not work the dayside on Thursday, May 1," Joe Cortez, president of ILWU Local 13, said in the prerecorded message.
"We're taking this action to support our troops and call for their immediate and safe return home," Thousands of dockworkers are expected to walk off their jobs today at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to protest ongoing wars ... more
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