Labor bloggers to promote Employee Free Choice Act at NYC Labor Day parade? Strike updates, got a Joe's MySpace, and HR676 US National Health Care Act

Firstly, Labor Day 2008 in New York, trying to promote the Employee Free Choice Act

Myself, Richard from Union Review and Kirsten from Uniongal, the Women, Unions and Our Stories blog, are looking for sponsors to get some Employee Free Choice Act shirts, with our sites listed as supporters, to be given away at this years Labor Day Parade in New York, if all goes well we will have a major labor union donation to help us get our message out there, we are hoping that all our readers, and some people who are not as active out there in the streets will get educated on the Bill and spread the word of the facts on this legislation. It is possibly the most important bill in my lifetime.

Many law firms stand to lose a tremendous cash cow if The Employee Free Choice Act is enacted

Usually, unless the company agrees to a card check vote, when a MAJORITY of workers signs cards to be in a union there is a wait time, usually over a month later, when the employees get a chance to vote via "secret ballot" to be in a union. That's where the Lawyers and Union Avoidance law firms come into play, they make multi-billions in figuring ways to turn workers against the idea of being in a union, turning workers against one another and using any means , such as unlawful firing. . These law firms thrive on fear. They make companies whose workers are engaged in organizing drives terrified of a collective voice , which unfortunately in today's day and age is really not looking at the facts at all.

Many companies could stand to gain a great deal if they mimicked the business practices of COSTCO, who has a hands off policy and allows their workers to join a union by a simple MAJORITY card signing, some stores sign up and some do not, but their employees all benefit from not being denied that basic right. Consider how disgruntled almost every Home Depot employee is, it's a down right shame, they don't care about their shit job one bit, give them a fairs day wage, nice pension to worry about keeping, and decent medical and they would likely make the Home Depot experiance a much better one for customers and would most likely raise their share value far beyond just the next quarter. Corporations however usually do not think like that, you can learn more at "The Corporation- 23 chapters in YouTube playlist form", but let's get back to the facts in this matter.

What employers and law firms do to keep workers from joining unions and who's on their side, why America needs the Employee Free Choice Act

FACT: Many companies have closed door meetings with employees without their own pro-union workers in attendance, brain washing them to fear being in a union and in fact fear to even mention the word. In one recent article I wrote about a construction contractor here in New York, whose MAJORITY of employees signed cards to be in a union, were sent to another jobsite for a closed door meeting, were told they would get a $5 an hour raise if they voted against joining a union and in fact a former supervisor, who stood to gain nothing testifying, in an affidavit to Federal labor officials, stated when he asked his boss about the union:"He said he had about six guns on the job, and he had people there who would do whatever needed to be done. He said that he could dig a hole and put me in it and make the records showing I worked for the company disappear.", the workers fearing reprisal and thinking they were going to get a raise wound up voting overwhelmingly against the union. From: "High-Cost Condos, Low-Cost Labor—and Threats of Violence to Union Organizers"- Village Voice (6/24/08)

Last November, the NLRB ordered Auringer to post a notice promising not to make such threats. A new vote was canceled after Auringer fired 10 pro-union employees on the election's eve.

This is a good reason that America needs the Employee Free Choice Act. They sign the cards, they get into a union. No guns, no threats, no bullshit propaganda.

More reasons that the current NLRB "secret ballot' hurts working Americans

FACT: 30% of pro union employees are fired during an organizing drive, even though it is against the law, they just don't care as the NLRB has been battered by lobbyist and mega-corporations to the point of intellectuality. This is in no small part due to President Bush's appointment as NLRB Chairman, Robert Battista who just recently declined the reappointment to join a union avoidence and union busting law firm, from American Rights at Work, which I first published here on 5/5 in a story, titled "Former Bush NLRB Chairman Robert Battista, joins union avoidance law firm" which highlights the deterioration of the rights of workers during his tenure at the NLRB:

For years I've been writing that Robert Battista, former chair of the National Labor Relations Board, has been doing the bidding of anti-union employers by dismantling protections for workers under the law. Apparently, he's now going to be doing the bidding of anti-union employers and making a lot more money at notorious unionbusting firm Littler Mendelson (see a sample of their unionbusting strategies: Littler Mendelson’s Dos & Don’ts).

Battista asked Bush to withdraw his nomination as Labor Board chair, which was going nowhere, and joined the firm that John Logan of the London School of Economics called one of the "nation’s first law firms to conduct aggressive union avoidance campaigns."

Now Battista can make money telling employers how to exploit the law he helped to weaken in order to prevent their workers from organizing.

Battista is not alone, spin-doctor lawyer and lobbyist Rick Berman, the self proclaimed "Dr.Evil", corporate lobbyist for Big tobacco and the liquor industry among others, and creator of such fun filled sites as The Center for Union Facts is working hard on getting the American public against the Employee Free Choice Act, by advertising on local networks against the bill, using that d1ckhead who played Johnny Sachs in the Sopranos (probably a rank-and-file SAG member like Ronald Reagan, except a hell of a lot less talented), to scare people into thinking that if the Bill is

passed that their Democracy will be erased by ending 'secret ballot'. It's more like it will end

Mr.Berman's and other lawyers cash cow. Lawyers, corrupt politicians and corporations are the modern day gangsters, I'm starting that when they went after the Mafia they really wanted to eliminate their competition.

The commercial shows a gangster over the card signers shoulder, yeah maybe it should show a corporate lawyer counting money if this doesn't get passed

**Click the image to add your name to the petition that will wind up on the desk of the next US President

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Strike News and Job Loss
UA LU 699, IBT 282 NY Concrete drivers, American Axle updates

Lots of news going on, I've been trying to contact the Business Manager for UA Local 699 Sprinklerfitters to see if I can get any more info on the strike in Seattle Washington, last night I sent him an e-mail, still waiting for a response, I'm sure the guy is busy.

I have read that the New York concrete truck Teamsters Local 282 have gone back to the negotiating table as of yesterday, the NY Times reports that there is some progress.

Also received news of American Axle, who I recently wrote is gearing up to destroy the environment, is now looking to get rid of 400 white collar workers in the United States, now that they are escaping the land of labor rights to distant shores. What a disgrace, maybe they can rename the company to "3rd. World Nation Axle"

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Health Care For All, supported by doctors and now the Mayors Council

Big news, the single payer health care bill is being endorsed by the US Conference of Mayors(The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a nonpartisan organization of mayors representing cities with a population of 30,000 or more. It currently has about 1,100 members.), this is a bill that would get health insurance for all Americans and is strongly endorsed by a whopping 59% of American doctors, here's the text of the resolution in support of the United States National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676:

Submitted By:
The Honorable Lois J. Frankel, Mayor of West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Honorable Wayne J. Hall Sr., Mayor of Mayor of Hempstead, N.Y.
The Honorable Carolyn K. Peterson, Mayor of Ithaca, N.Y.
The Honorable John E. Marks, III, Mayor of Tallahassee, Fla.
The Honorable Sheila Dixon, Mayor of Baltimore, Md.
The Honorable Becky Tooley, Mayor of Coconut Creek, Fla.
The Honorable Ryan Coonerty, Mayor of Santa Cruz, Calif.

WHEREAS, every person deserves access to affordable quality health care; and

WHEREAS, the number of Americans without health insurance now exceeds 47 million; and

WHEREAS, millions with insurance have coverage so inadequate that a major illness would lead to financial ruin, and medical illness and bills contribute to one-half of all bankruptcies; and

WHEREAS, proposals for “consumer directed health care” such as Health Savings Accounts or Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) would only worsen this situation by penalizing the sick, discouraging prevention and saddling many working families with huge medical bills; and

WHEREAS, managed care and other market-based reforms have failed to contain health care costs, which now threaten the international competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers; and

WHEREAS, administrative waste stemming from our reliance on private insurers consumes one-third of private health spending while the single payer Medicare system has administrative costs of less than 5 percent; and

WHEREAS, U.S. hospitals spend 24.3 percent of their budgets on billing and administration while hospitals under Canada’s single payer system spend only 12.9 percent; and

WHEREAS, Harvard researchers estimate that more than $300 billion could be recovered by replacing private insurance companies with a single public payer, enough to cover the uninsured and to improve coverage for all those who now have only partial coverage; and

WHEREAS, entrusting care to profit-oriented firms diverts billions of dollars to outrageous incomes for CEOs and threatens the quality of care; and

WHEREAS, The United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676) would assure universal coverage of all medically necessary services, contain costs by slashing bureaucracy, protect the doctor patient relationship, assure patients a completely free choice of doctors, and allow physicians a free choice of practice settings; and

WHEREAS, most polls show that the majority of Americans support universal health care; and

WHEREAS, as of the date of this resolution, the majority of American physicians (59 percent) believe that Single Payer is the best method of securing universal health care; and

WHEREAS, The United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676) will guarantee every mayor that all residents and employees of his/her city will be fully covered for health care and save millions of taxpayer dollars now spent on premiums to provide less than full health insurance coverage for government employees; and

NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors expresses its support for The United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676), and calls upon federal legislators to work towards its immediate enactment and further urges the adoption of a process to insure that health care providers justify any increase in health care costs.

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Got the MySpace up, and a shoutbox. Next we will change the layout here.

Finally did it, got a dedicated Joe's Union Review MySpace account that mirrors the blog here into the MySpace social network, it's how I met Richard at union review, theres a whole lot more to that story, but in a nutshell, I'm looking to meet more Richard's, Joe's and Kirsten's.

I also added a "shoutbox' to this site, you can easily add messages onto the site by entering text into the box and submitting it, try it out, it's right under the title "Say something even if it's wrong"

Seriously thinking of updating the site, I have been working with a layout that has more features, like having just the story introduction on the front page, with a read more lnk, ala Union review and the Building Bridges Radio blog i have been working on, let me know what you think.

Working behind the scenes a bit lately, a great win for the future of New York's labor solidarity was achieved yesterday, I'm waiting for a press release to write on it, stay tuned, and finally I leave you with...

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TX, MO: Western Union screwing 640 CWA union workers in favor of non-union, Mexican and overseas operations

"Western Union is an American icon. Today, it has turned its back on the very employees who built the company into a multinational enterprise,"

A corporation is legally bound by law to show a profit to its investors at any cost. Western Union is now joining the group of corporate scum who are moving operations to the lowest bidder, who have subverted U.S. and/or Canadian wages, in favor of areas and countries with lower or almost absent labor conditions, this group includes Carhartt, Red Wing boots, Hersheys, Mens Wearhouse and so many others.

Found this on CWA Local 6377 website (3/21/08):

CWA Slams Western Union Plan to Close U.S. Facilities

CWA is condemning Western Union Financial Services Inc., for its announced plans to close three facilities in Missouri and Texas and shift that work to non-union and overseas operations.

Some 640 workers in Dallas, Texas, and Bridgeton and St. Charles, Missouri, members of CWA Locals 6377 and 6178, were told they will lose their jobs over the next five months.

"It's apparent to me that Western Union has determined that it would prefer to operate as a union-free enterprise," said District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn.

"CWA will do everything legally possible to stop these centers from closing and stop Western Union from moving our work to non-union operations, both in the United States and overseas," said CWA Staff Representative Mike Neumann, who heads the Western Union bargaining team.

Last month, CWA Local 6377 filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Western Union, charging that company managers have tried to coerce union members and subvert the bargaining process. The local also charged that earlier layoffs announced by Western Union – of 150 workers in Bridgeton and Dallas – were an act of retaliation against the workers and the union for refusing to engage in concessionary early bargaining.

Western Union said it plans to transfer the work to non-union locations including Denver and offshore facilities in Costa Rica, Manila, Mexico City and Mexicali, Mexico.

"Western Union is an American icon. Today, it has turned its back on the very employees who built the company into a multinational enterprise," said Earline Jones, president of CWA Local 6377.

Olivia Espinosa, president of CWA Local 6178 in Dallas, said "Western Union is a greedy, profitable company that doesn't seem to care about the excellent customer service our CWA members now provide. And that's bad news for customers."

Thats bad news for American Workers

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Scab truck driver and local police lead to arrest of 3 American Axle picketers and the BIG 3 not meeting the needs of our future mandatory vehicle

GM stands to gain in hard fought strike, "When its plants began to shut down because of parts shortages, the auto giant gave its full support to AAM’s decision to inflict a decisive defeat on its workers."

Video Above(please check site if video isn't showing via E-Mail)Several striking auto workers in Detroit were arrested on the picket line at American Axle and Manufacturing on Friday morning, March 14, as the company moved a number of semis through the picket lines. Local police and the local media outlets had been mobilized in force in an obvious, orchestrated effort to provoke a confrontation and force an end to the strike. For more information visit www.wsws.org.

From: World Socialist Web Site 3-15-08

Auto workers on strike at American Axle and Manufacturing (AAM) in Detroit and New York are facing a sharp escalation of attacks in their struggle to prevent the company from carrying through a brutal two-thirds reduction in their wages and benefits. The 3,650 AAM workers organized in the United Auto Workers union walked out more than two weeks ago.

On Friday morning, March 14, the company executed what appeared to be a carefully orchestrated effort at the company’s main production facility in Detroit, involving local police and news media to provoke a confrontation and force an end to the strike.

Approximately a dozen squad cars and twice as many uniformed officers accompanied by vans and plain-clothes cops were mobilized when the company moved large semi-trailers through the St. Aubin Street gate of the huge American Axle complex. Three picketers were arrested, charged with disorderly conduct, handcuffed and taken away in police vans.

Soon after the arrests, reporters from the World Socialist Web Site visited the picket lines and interviewed strikers. A witness to the incident reported that one of the truck drivers got out of his vehicle and approached the pickets in an apparent deliberate effort to cause a provocation.

The police then escorted the scab back to his truck while other officers arrested and handcuffed three of the pickets. As the witness reported, “They didn’t take him to jail, but they took three of our guys to jail that were just standing in the way. Now what’s up with that?” he asked. “To me, that’s illegal.”

Local media outlets responded with breaking-news reports of violence and arrests on the picket lines and video images of strikers being hauled away in handcuffs. As an example, in a story headlined “Strikers Handcuffed During Scuffle,” the web site for Channel 4, the local NBC affiliate, wrote, “Detroit police were called to the St. Aubin strike location Friday morning to control a situation that turned violent.”

According to eyewitnesses, the only violence was carried out by a lone scab truck driver supported by a large number of police. The provocative character of the incident and the inflated and inflammatory response to it in the local media are aimed at intimidating the strikers in preparation for the UAW’s move to end the strike.

As the union has become increasingly integrated into the financial and management structure of the corporations where its members work, it has become common practice for the UAW to move to shut down a strike at the very moment when the workers’ struggle begins to exercise its greatest economic impact. Such is the current danger at American Axle.

General Motors, AAM’s principal client receiving 80 percent of parts produced by company, has a large stake in the current conflict. When its plants began to shut down because of parts shortages, the auto giant gave its full support to AAM’s decision to inflict a decisive defeat on its workers. Presumably, short-term losses were seen as a necessary sacrifice to insure the extension of the auto industry pattern of brutal cuts in wages and benefits.

However, the published reports this week of a statement by GM Chairman Rick Wagoner that the strike will hurt GM’s first-quarter financial results is a sign that pressure is building in corporate boardrooms to bring the strike to a speedy end. Parts shortages from the strike have forced GM to close all or part of 28 plants, affecting more than 37,000 hourly workers.

In line with these demands, the UAW international union has now taken control of negotiations in the strike in an effort to impose a contract on striking workers. The Associated Press reported on Friday that the international dismissed local union representatives from negotiations on Monday, while declaring that the company had not shifted its demands for sweeping concessions in wages and benefits.

“The union sent its local bargainers back to their factories on Monday and reported that the company wasn’t budging from its earlier proposals,” wrote Tom Krisher for the AP, who went on to report that talks resumed Thursday with “top negotiators for American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. and the United Auto Workers.”

Workers on the picket lines explained the decisive character of their struggle and their dismay at the conduct of the union. “It’s all about looking good on Wall Street,” said Lia. “I may never walk in these doors again if the contract involves cuts.”

Scott said, “The UAW is supposed to be democratic, but we can’t even vote for our own president. Our pay scale has been incorporated into an international contract. They know if we vote the contract down here at this plant, then there are four other plants—some of which are threatened with closure—that they can pressure to accept the deal.”

“I started working here 14 years ago, after leaving the military,” said Steve. “We started at $12.55 an hour. We have had pay increases since then. Now they want to send us back to $14.50? After inflation, that would mean that we would be earning less than we made when we started. This is all about greed, corporate greed. They want to make more money.”
Read Full Story

From Future Of The Unions 3-15-08

Police said the picketers were blocking the path of trucks trying to enter an American Axle plant on the company’s campus. They were arrested at around 10 a.m. at the intersection of St. Aubin and Denton on the Hamtramck-Detroit border, police said.

The company said Friday that during the work stoppage, it has had parts trucked to customers out of its plants. Some of those parts come from the company’s inventory made before the strike and some are being made by salaried workers, Rogers said. “We are trying to meet our customers’ needs to the best of our ability,” she said. “We are doing this in order to help us retain business and the jobs that business provides.”

Adrian King, president of UAW Local 235, said he suspects that the trucks were brought in to rile up strikers.

The incident was the strikers’ first significant confrontation with police since the strike started nearly three weeks ago. “We have been peaceful,” King said. “We have been getting positive feedback from the community and the public.”

Where's my American made Hybrid? Continued downward spiral expected if the BIG 3 don't start making dependable, "mandatory hybrid vehicles"

But what of GM, who has in it's own right, dropped the ball on the American car, failing to see the need of Hybrid vehicles, GM has a few but has hardly advertised them at all. Now, allegedly, workers in Texas are going to lose their jobs. All this while GM is still being trumpeted as huge victors of the 2007 UAW/GM strike. Why bother to build a safe, working hybrid, which is actually a mandated vehicle in New York for all Taxi's by 2012. Where's my American made Hybrid? Not all the workers affected are union members, and the American Axle strike is screwing them too.

From the E-Mail

Even here everything seems to be "Slanted" , take the newest stories talking about the "thousands of GM workers laid-off a because of American Axle". Screw GM what about the hundred thousand or so non-GM workers that are laid-off, at least the "Real" GM workers can draw strike benefits. The rest of us are panicking over how to pay bills on the grossly inadequate unemployment payments.

To make matters worse some of us (Including me) will be permanently laid-off next month due to GM's "De-rate" . Which I can't understand at all, yes sales are dropping but I've seen only two ads for the Tahoe Hybrid both are as weak as the anti-worker ads GM ran just before the contact talks and are rarely played on TV anyhow . You have to really look hard and online for any info on the new GMC truck Hybrid. Half the people I work with had no idea they're making one. My point is these and the "Gas" Tahoe are all made at the Texas plant, but the Janesville plant only makes "Gas" models let people know they can still have the over sized useless monsters who's headlights blind anyone not driving one themselves, and get almost good gas mileage. I'm sure they'll sell and the de-rate can be put off at least until the gas hits $4.00 a gallon. And no one needs to be "kicked to the curb" with "Oops sorry, guess you have find a new job". And yes that pathetic reply was what I was told by my UAW rep when I asked why they weren't doing anything to fight this.

GM, it's not the union workers that are screwing the American car industry, with failure to reinvent the American automobile into a high gas mileage alternative in which many jurisdictions are mandating, the only blame for this mess lies in the mirrors of the upper management. Be completive, create what is wanted to be purchased. This strike is killing a lot of workers here in North America. American Axle's hard line in these negotiations is a major reason. GM not being creative and innovative to the needs of the Governing bodies and that of the people is their own mess, which will hurt everyone in the long run.

Even when I was looking for a US/Canada union made vehicle, I was horrified by the selection. Only Saturn had a hybrid, and the only car which I wanted that was fabricated here with 90% of US parts in the engine and transmission, which had decent gas mileage was what I got, a Chevy Impala. Everything else was the lowest grade car or some monster SUV thing. What a disaster. Also I noticed that New York Taxi's which were predominantly Ford's, Chrysler's and Chevy's are now being restocked as Toyota's. Shame on Ford, GM and Chrysler. Continually blaming the over-priced workers, when in fact their short-sightedness and lower quality designs are to blame for the mess they are in now. The future is bleak to say the least.

Latest News from Google on "American Axle strike"

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If you work in the USA, voting for McCain is a vote against your own interests

While I dislike all the candidates which the Main Stream Media picked for us, I certainly wouldn't vote for this vehemently anti-labor turd.

Came across this at Broadcast Union News, who made a quick breakdown from the AFL-CIO's recently launched McCain Revealed page, of the important reasons why John McCain is not a choice for any worker.

From Working Families Vote 2008

Working Families Vote 2008 > John McCain Revealed

FACTS are FACTS

McCAIN WILL NOT PROTECT OUR RIGHTS

Sen. John McCain is clearly not a fan of workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for better wages and benefits. He has spoken out against unions and consistently voted against collective bargaining rights for workers. Union members know the right to bargain is essential to preserving good jobs with good wages and benefits.

McCAIN DOESN’T LIKE UNIONS

McCain: Unions Have Played ‘Important Role’ But Have ‘Serious Excesses.’ When asked if unions are good for America, McCain responded, “I think the unions have played a very important role in the history of this country to improve the plight and conditions of laboring Americans. I think that like many other monopolies, in some cases they have then serious excesses.” [GOP Dearborn Debate, MSNBC, 10/9/07]

• McCain: Teachers’ Unions Serve Unions’ Interest, NOT Children’s Interest. McCain has repeatedly attacked teachers’ unions. “It’s time to break the grip of the education monopoly that serves the union bosses at the expense of our children,” he said. [The New York Times, 2/11/00]

McCain Says Government Workers Are ‘Crippled’ by Union Contracts. In his speech to the Oklahoma State Legislature, McCain said, “We must streamline our workforce, demand high standards of behavior, promote excellence at every level based on merit and accountability, and not let good workers be crippled by the fine print of the latest union contract…. The civil service has strayed from its reformist roots and has mutated into a no-accountability zone, where employment is treated as an entitlement, good performance as an option, and accountability as someone else’s problem.” [Address to the Oklahoma State Legislature, 5/21/07]

McCAIN OPPOSES OUR FREEDOM TO FORM UNIONS

McCain Voted for a National Right-to-Work for Less Law.

McCain voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, which would level the playing field for workers trying to form unions. He voted for a National Right-to-Work for Less law that would attempt to eliminate unions altogether. [H.R. 800, Vote #227, 6/26/07; S. 1788 Vote #188, 7/10/96]

McCain Crossed a Writers Guild Picket Line to Appear on ‘The Tonight Show.’

McCain crossed the picket line of the Writers Guild of America to appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” [Think Progress, accessed 2/27/08]

McCain Voted to Allow Employers to Hire Permanent Replacements During a Strike. McCain voted against ending debate on a bill that would bar employers from hiring permanent replacements for striking workers. [S. 55,Vote #189, 7/13/94]

McCain Voted Against Collective Bargaining Rights for State and Local Police and Firefighters. [H.R. 3061, Vote #323, 11/6/01]

McCain Did NOT Co-Sponsor the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. McCain did not co-sponsor S. 2123, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, legislation to grant fire fighters and police officers minimum collective bargaining rights. [S. 2123, 10/1/07; IAFF]

McCain Voted Against Collective Bargaining Rights for TSA Screeners. McCain voted against a measure to grant Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners limited collective bargaining rights. The measure would not have allowed them to strike or negotiate for higher pay. [S. 4, Vote #64, 3/7/07]

Copyright © 2008 AFL-CIO | American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations

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G.M. to shut 7th plant after American Axle strike

From the NY Times 3-05-08

By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Published: March 5, 2008

DETROIT (Reuters) — The General Motors Corporation said Tuesday that it would close a seventh plant next week because of a strike against a supplier, American Axle and Manufacturing.

A G.M. spokesman said in a recorded call that the company’s transmission plant in Toledo, Ohio, was expected to close Monday because of the strike by the United Automobile Workers.

The latest announcement will affect 1,300 hourly employees, G.M. said. All the closings mean that about 15,000 workers, or almost 19 percent of the blue-collar work force in G.M.’s North American manufacturing facilities, could be laid off because of the strike.

About 3,600 U.A.W.-represented workers in Michigan and New York went on strike last Tuesday against American Axle, and a spokeswoman for the supplier said talks between the sides have not resumed.

“We’re ready to talk when they’re ready to come back to the table,” the spokeswoman, Renee Rogers, said. U.A.W. officials were not available to comment.

American Axle relies on G.M. for almost 80 percent of its sales, and the layoffs show that the impact of the strike-related shutdown is starting to spread across G.M.’s product line.

American Axle, which was spun off from G.M. in 1994, said it needed the U.A.W. to accept steep concessions on wages and benefits to keep production in the United States.

The chief executive of G.M., Rick Wagoner, said on Tuesday at the Geneva auto show that he hoped American Axle and the union could resolve their dispute.

He said that G.M. had been able to continue some production on the vehicles that have parts supplied by American Axle and that inventories still remained a little high on the vehicles.

Analysts have said a short work stoppage could allow G.M. to run down inventories of trucks and sport utility vehicles, but have cautioned that a longer disruption could be costly.

Sales at G.M. tumbled 16 percent in February after adjusting for the number of sales days, according to data released on Monday. Sales were down 20 percent for G.M.’s trucks, the area of its lineup where exposure to American Axle is highest.

Mr. Wagoner said that American auto sales were weak in the first two months of the year, but had not approached the extremes of some forecasts.

“It is fair to say that it has been a little better than some of the doomsday people are thinking,” he said.

Settlement in Canada

The TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation, the auto-safety equipment maker, said Tuesday that it reached an agreement to end a strike in Ontario that forced Chrysler to idle a minivan plant.

About 170 workers at a TRW plant near Windsor, Ontario, who walked out Feb. 28 will return to work, the company’s spokesman, Manley Ford, said.

The strike caused Chrysler to shut its Windsor minivan factory on Feb. 29.

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American Axle story response, what is it going to take? to get things back on track in this country?

700 page hits today, a new record for Joe's Union Review, we had OSHA visit checking out the petition and the stories that point to it, we had HealthNet checking out the story about how they lost $9 million to a woman they cut off with cancer, but heres one of the most important ones.

Found a link to my site regarding the American Axle strike, followed it and found some people's reactions to whats going on with the workers, firstly I was kinda pissed to see so much anti-union stuff around the net which portrayed these workers as $70 an hour workers. As far as I can tell they mad $23-$24 at top pay. The $60-70 is something to do with benefit packages., that is in line with the health care industry doubling the rates of insurance within the past few years. So the story I came across had a fellow named mrsleeve and he asked a question in his disgust of what is happening to us here in this country. So I registered and had to say something, something that has been on my mind for a while. Here goes from The Diesel Place:

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsleeve What is it going to take??? to get things back on track in this country???? I hate news like this.

Hi. MrSleeve, and everyone else for that matter.

It takes people who are so pissed off that all the dreams of ALL American workers, union, nonunion, blue collar, white collar, bus drivers, pilots, mechanics, soup kitchen workers, teachers, bank tellers, truck drivers, computer programmers, Wall Street workers, etc., are fading away. It's time to to realize that there is a War on the American worker. Once we realize that we are all in jeopardy, once we realize that we are all just one step away from being broke, once we realize that these multi-national corporations have the politicians in their pockets, have the media as one of its own, give us our choices on who we can vote for. When we realize all of this, we can overcome our separatist ways which are further beaten into us through divisions between race, language, citizenship, politics, etc, we then can focus on what make us similar, what makes us all the opponents on this very War against the American worker i speak of. When together we can focus our energies onto corporate and political responsibility, holding those that poison us, get corporate welfare and using our tax monies for their dire means, and flourish above the laws of our nation and all of mankind for the lowest price and the highest profits for such a small few. That my friend is what it is going to take. If we do not band together before it is to late, even I fear the worst.

For now I just have a website, please feel free to say hello.

Joe from Joe's Union Review - The Anti-Union Blogspot

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