MySpace is paying off: Why union members have a responsibility to register to vote

Wow, after a week, the MySpace thing is paying off, I got a bulletin with a great message, from a Teamster in Local 170, Sherri, here's what she had to say

Will you...........
We all have a responsibility as citizens, as parents, family members and as friends. It is our chosen position to take ownership of what belongs to us and defend what needs to be defended. Without hesitation we will come to the aid of our children and care for our parents. We will get up at 4 am to reach those early bird specials the day after Thanksgiving. We will go to extreme measures to save a dime and waste not a minute to reach out for that impulsive purchase.

We will ignore those in need, mistreated by the corporations they work so hard for. We will make excuses that Wal-mart is cheaper and we have to be able to support our families before we worry about the economy of our country. We will not take any opportunities given us to learn who the law breakers of labor are, because as humans we are selfish and absorbed in our own lives. We can justify it, because it is a sinking economy that is responsible. And while we long for easier times, we will choose not to assist in making it happen.

We must all realize that the economy suffers because of an irresponsible government. From unemployment to the rising costs of health care, we have become prisoners in this land of the free. Until we admit our responsibilities and live up to them, we will continue to suffer along with the future of our children and grandchildren.

Register to vote and ask your family members to register to vote.

If we can come together, we can make a difference. Every vote does count, especially yours.

Will you help us? Take one for the team, ask a neighbor to GET OUT AND VOTE!!! Save some time in line and vote early!

Sherri H****
Teamsters Local 170

I challenge every Union Member to express yourselves and ask your my space friends to register and vote early! How can we possibly ask others what we will not do ourselves! Union Members all over the world are the examples of Unity and we must share our knowledge and encourage others to stand up and fight for a better tomorrow.

In Solidarity, brothers and sisters everywhere!!!

Sphere: Related Content

Video and Music: History of Solidarity Forever, Anne Feeney and my favorite labor song

In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold,
Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold.
We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old
For the union makes us strong.

From YouTube

Solidarity Forever sung by Pete Seeger & The Weavers, with old photographs of the labor movement in US History.This is a tribute to all the workers who sacrificed to make a better world for their children and grand children.

The history of this song can be found at Wikipedia,

"Solidarity Forever", written by Ralph Chaplin in 1915, is perhaps the most famous union anthem after The Internationale. It is sung to the tune of "John Brown's Body" and is inspired by the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Although it was written as a song for the Industrial Workers of the World, other union movements, such as the AFL-CIO, have adopted the song as their own. The song is still performed by musicians such as Utah Phillips, and was redone by Emcee Lynx. It is still commonly sung at union meetings and rallies in Australia and Canada, and has also been sung at conferences of the Australian Labor Party and the Canadian New Democratic Party. The use of the originally patriotic tune for a progressive and left-wing cause also inspired the anthem of the consumer cooperative movement, "The Battle Hymn of Cooperation."

heres a new verse I didn't know existed

They say our day is over; they say our time is through,
They say you need no union if your collar isn't blue,
Well that is just another lie the boss is telling you,
For the Union makes us strong!
(Chorus)

They divide us by our color; they divide us by our tongue,
They divide us men and women,; they divide us old and young,
But they'll tremble at our voices, when they hear these verses sung,
For the Union makes us strong!
(Chorus)

Anne Feeney: War On The Workers, my favorite labor song

Copy and pasted from my new Joe's Union Review MySpace account
Speaking of Anne Feeney, heres a clip from the 2002 G8 protest in Calgary with Chris Chandler

Sphere: Related Content

Solidarity shown for Atlantic City casino dealers to get a fair contract, a year after winning representation

Another reason for the Employee Free Choice Act, if enacted, when workers vote to join a union, and they win representation, the company must negotiate a contract with the union, not stonewall for over a year, or 11 years, like the workers in the Goya Foods factory, who finally got a contract this year.

Pictures and story directly from The Union Of Rutgers Administrators, AFT (6/21/08):

URA-AFT Supports A Fair Deal

Dealers in Atlantic City casinos organized last year with the United Automobile Workers. While the casinos are bringing in massive profits, dealers are being left behind and lack adequate benefits without a contract. Union members and concerned community members boarded the buses and headed to Atlantic City to show support for the workers.

Rally attendees heard from workers, union leaders and politicians about the situation and marched down Atlantic, stopping at the casinos along the way to demand a contract.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger (center, light blue shirt)	NJAFLCIO President Charlie Wowkanech (yellow)	Rally stage across from Showboat
AFT: Union of Rutgers Administrators, HPAE, AAUP/AFT		A dealer calls on the casinos to negotiate fairly
March down Atlantic	AFSCME
	Poppy from Temple University	UAW
United Food and Commercial Workers sports AFT shirt
Anthony from Rutgers and Ray Stevers from NJ Industrial Union Council	Communications Workers of America	Holly from AFT
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers LU#3 from NYC		Laborers International Union of North America
Philadelphia Central Labor Council (Liz McElroy center)	Mauro Camporeale (left) Bergen County CLC
	National Writer's Union	(photo credit: J. Sagi)
Scott from Rutgers AAUP/AFT	URA-AFT (from left): Darlene, Theresa, Lucye and Joyce	Theresa and Nat (photo credit: J. Sagi)
Transport Workers Union	UAW members from PA	United Food and Commercial Workers banner
UFCW for Obama	Solidarity	Transport Workers Union bus

Huge thanks to Nat Bender for pointing these out

Sphere: Related Content

NY: Workers Memorial Day construction mass

From 1010 Wins radio (4/28/08)

Construction Workers Hold Mass for Dead Colleagues. Construction workers killed on the job are being remembered at St. Patrick's Cathedral as New York City sharpens its focus on the dangers of their work.

Construction Workers Hold Mass for Dead Colleagues

NEW YORK (AP) -- Holding hard hats high to salute helmets on empty chairs in St. Patrick's Cathedral, thousands of city construction workers Monday paid tribute to their colleagues killed in a growing number of deadly accidents this year.

1010 WINS AUDIO: Al Jones Reports

Construction workers held an unprecedented Mass to remember fallen workers, joined by the families of victims in a March crane collapse and several other high-profile accidents in the city. Many came straight from construction sites in work boots and jeans after several contractors closed down jobs early.

Bells rang as labor officials recited the names of 26 union and nonunion laborers who died in the city in the past year. The dead include six of seven victims of the March 15 crane collapse, a window washer who fell off a Manhattan skyscraper and a man who plunged 40 stories to his death off a Donald Trump tower.

``They didn't die in vain,'' said Father Brian Jordan, who served as a chaplain at ground zero. ``They upheld the dignity of human labor.''

The ceremony was on Workers Memorial Day, which is held annually to commemorate the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act. But city construction workers have not held a Mass this large before and many said the crane collapse called greater attention to the high risks of their industry.

``I went to three funerals in a week'' after the collapse, said Ralph DiDonato, a senior superintendent at Bovis Lend Lease. ``Construction workers are the tightest crew when it comes for caring for people.''

The number of deaths cited at the service does not match the city Buildings Department, which also lists non-construction worker deaths and has said fewer people have died: 13 this year, 12 last year.

Organizers couldn't immediately explain the discrepancy, although federal agencies compile different data for construction-related deaths, sometimes using criteria that include a wider range of projects.

The city's buildings commissioner resigned last week, days after disclosing at a hearing that the building under construction before the crane collapse had improperly received construction permits. The city's acting commissioner, who attended Monday's service, ordered a review of high-risk construction practices, including crane and concrete pouring operations.

Several times the workers raised their hats to nine empty chairs, each with a different colored hard hat and roses or daffodils on the seats. Eight referred to the union construction workers who lost their lives in the past year, while the ninth represented the 18 who died in nonunion jobs, Jordan said.

The workers held a moment of silence after OSHA officials Richard Mendelson and Janet Kenny finished reading the names. Edward Malloy, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council, said prayers are always said on sites when they learn a worker has died.

No one will forget the fallen workers, Malloy said, because ``the legacy of all construction workers ... is the skyline of New York.'

Sphere: Related Content

MA: Firefighters call for unity rally prior to Memorial ceremony and lobby day

At last year's Lobby Day President McCarthy read the names of our members who died during 2006 of occupationally related illness and injury.

With recent concerns of the under-staffing and the recent attack on their profession in the media, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts is calling on all non-working members in the area to attend their 3rd annual "PFFM Lobby Day, Unity Rally & Workers Memorial April 29th". Heres the story from the PFFM web site:

April 29th at 10AM will be the PFFM's 3rd Annual Lobby Day, Unity Rally and Worker's Memorial at the State House on Beacon Hill.

To: PFFM Locals and membership

From: Bob McCarthy, President & The PFFM Executive Board

Subj: Unity rally prior to Workers Memorial and PFFM Lobby Day. 04/29/08

All off duty firefighters are requested to attend a "UNITY RALLY' on Tuesday morning April 29, 2008 on the Boston Common in front of the State House. Formation at the corner of Charles St. and Beacon St. at 10:00am. Uniform of the day is Red Shirt and fire helmet. The Clinton Fire Local 3189 clothing van will be at the Unity Rally at 9:00AM at Charles and Beacon Streets meeting place. They will have the Red Shirts on hand available to purchase. Call 508-380-9606 and ask for Paul if anyone wants to pre-order some Red Shirts so that they can have their size on hand at the Rally.

This rally will be a display of solidarity. The print and news media have attacked our profession unmercifully over the past six months and it has become quite clear that they are attacking our benefits. This unity rally will demonstrate that we will not sit still for their vilification and the malice towards us, our profession and our benefits.

We will respond as proud union members who will fight as "ONE" against any and all attacks on our profession. We will stand proud in support of our local union officers our statewide union officers and our International union officers.

Let us pass the word and make this the best attended rally in our 63
year history.

After the rally we will join our Union Brothers and Sisters at a memorial for all the departed union members who have passed away from an on duty accident, injury or occupational disease at a "Workers Memorial Day Ceremony". We will then visit our respective State Senators and State Representatives to lobby for our legislative agenda.

click here for a copy of the PFFM Do's & Don'ts of Lobbying

I hope some of our firefighter friends in the area will get us some pictures, good luck

Sphere: Related Content

More than 40 North American labor unions file charges against North Carolina's anti-union policies

I have been following this story for a while at UnionReview, heres the original "North Carolina Violates NAFTA ?? - Right to Freely Associate/Organize/Bargain Collectively" from 11/08

North Carolina is guilty of breaking a NAFTA side agreement which covers labor rights. One of those rights is freedom to form a union. North Carolina has not been in compliance. Now 40+ labor groups in the continent have filed suit against the US and North Carolina.

The complaint charges that the state of North Carolina and the United States are violating the NAFTA, by denying 650,000 public employees the right to engage in collective bargaining.

From Canada's NUPGE - National Union of Public and General Employees (4/22/08):

Labour groups charge U.S. with violating NAFTA labour standards

NUPGE one of 40 Canadian, U.S., and Mexican labour bodies filing formal charge under side agreement to international trade deal Ottawa (22 April 2008) – The 340,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), along with more than 40 other labour organizations in Canada, the United States and Mexico, will file a charge Wednesday against the U.S. under the North American Agreement for Labour Cooperation (NAALC), the labour side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The complaint will be lodged formally in Ottawa on Wednesday on behalf of the labour groups by members of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers /Association canadienne des avocats du mouvement syndical (CALL/ACAMS). (Participating organizations are listed below.)

James Clancy

The complaint charges that the state of North Carolina and the United States are violating the NAALC by denying 650,000 public employees the right to engage in collective bargaining.

The agreement requires the United States, Mexico and Canada to provide for “high labour standards” in their laws, and lists freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining among its core principles.

Labour ministers meeting

The complaint is being filed on the eve of a high-level political meeting in Ottawa between the labour ministers for the three countries. Members of the CALL/ACAMS will deliver the message personally to the ministers when they gather in Ottawa on Thursday April 24 for a luncheon to discuss the NAALC.

Susan Philpott, an executive board member of CALL/ACAMS, says all three NAFTA countries must take the complaint seriously.

“It is deeply troubling that the U.S. is willfully violating NAFTA labour standards,” says Philpott. “The Canadian government must seek to ensure its fellow NAFTA members honour their commitments and the rule of law, otherwise the integrity of NAFTA and the NAALC will be seriously compromised.”

NUPGE national president James Clancy is calling on Canada’s Labour Minister to step in personally and to forcefully remind his U.S. counterpart of their obligations under NAFTA.

“The government of North Carolina is trampling on NAFTA labour standards which Canada, the U.S and Mexico are obliged to respect and uphold,” says Clancy. “The Canadian government can’t turn a blind eye to such flagrant abuses. Canada must respond vigorously and at the highest levels.”

The North Carolina public employees are represented by the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union. The union, Local 150 of the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE), represents state and municipal employees across North Carolina. It has been pressuring the North Carolina government to respect workers’ human rights and allow public employees to bargain collectively.

'International disgrace'

Local 150 President Angaza Laughinghouse has expressed his union’s gratitude for the showing of international support.

“We are very pleased with the solidarity being extended to North Carolina public employees by unions from across the three NAFTA countries and around the globe. This shows that North Carolina’s continued denial of basic worker rights is an international disgrace. It’s an injustice and an embarrassment to this state that our elected officials must correct,” he said.

The NAALC complaint is being filed with the National Administrative Office (NAO) within Canada’s federal ministry of labour. Under NAFTA’s terms, the U.S., Canada and Mexico each established an NAO to act on complaints of violations of the NAALC.

The petitioners are asking the Canadian NAO to investigate North Carolina’s labour rights violations, and issue a report and recommendations for action. The actions requested by the labour organizations include North Carolina immediately repealing General Statute 95-98, replacing it with legislation that will guarantee public sector workers the right to organize, bargain collectively, and full freedom of association.

A similar complaint regarding the North Carolina bargaining ban was filed in October 2006 by a Mexican union, the Frente Auténtico del Trabajo (Authentic Labour Front or FAT) along with 53 other labour organizations, mostly from Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.

In October 2007 Mexico’s NAO accepted the complaint and launched an investigation. Mexico and Canada are North Carolina’s largest international trading partners. North Carolina’s combined annual exports to Canada and Mexico total $6.5 billion. NUPGE

Check out the NUPGE site to read more, and view a list of organizations involved in the suit

Sphere: Related Content

NY: Workers Memorial Day, construction unions and construction managment to stand together in Construction Workers Memorial Mass at St. Pats

From The planning Committee for the Construction Workers’ Memorial Day Mass:

Dear friends of the BCTC and the BTEA,

Greetings, April 28 is Workers’ Memorial Day and in light of the terrible tragedy of March 15 in the East Side of Manhattan, members both from construction worker unions and construction company management have come together to sponsor a special Construction Workers’ Memorial Mass on that same day. The Mass will begin sharply at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 28th in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st.

All construction workers, union members and construction management personnel are most welcome to attend. Not only will we solemnly remember the six construction workers who were called home to God on March 15 but also the other Workers who died on the worksite since last year’s April Workers’ Memorial Day.


We respectfully request that all construction workers who are attending the Mass as a Sign of solidarity among construction workers in New York City, be by St Patrick’s Cathedral by no later than 1:30 p.m. We will have the New York Police Department coordinate a procession route on 5th Avenue and adjoining streets in which participating construction workers WEARING HARDHATS will process into St. Patrick’s Cathedral where you will be seated by the ushers.


Please bring your hardhats for this procession. You will take them off after the opening prayer! Management is encouraged to join in the procession wearing hardhats as well. Those not wearing hardhats should not process but just enter through the side doors of the church.

HARDHATS ARE MANDATORY!

All family members of our deceased brethren will be up in the front of the church previously seated. All family members should be in the Cathedral by no later than 1:45 p.m. Please identify yourselves to both the ushers and the union representatives who will greet you and escort you to the front of the church of your assigned seating.

The Memorial Mass will include appropriate music performed by the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Music Ministry, readings and the general intercessions to be read by family members. There will be a special ritual of remembrance in which family members, select union officials and management officials will participate to honor our loved ones. Along with the homily, there will be some brief reflections about the solemnity of Workers’ Memorial Day. The Memorial Mass should conclude between 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Besides the deceased, we will also remember those injured on the worksite this past year.

This Memorial Mass will also serves as a spiritual sign of solidarity among construction workers in our city. This noble profession of construction work poses greater risks than the NYPD or FDNY. Construction workers are more liable to death and injury than most other professions in this great city, THEREFORE, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT ALL UNION CONSTRUCTION WORKERS MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE PRESENT AND PRAY FOR OUR CO-WORKERS AND SHOW SOLIDARITY!

Thank you ---The planning Committee for the Construction Workers’ Memorial Day Mass.

The committee has also made preparations for St. Pats' to waiver the no hat ruling in the church, through dispensation, I have been trying to get this e-mail forwarded to me, I finally found it on Local 157 Blogspot, thanks John

Sphere: Related Content

Support working mothers this Mother's Day

By U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project:



Show your love for working mothers this Mother’s Day!

Instead of getting your mom chocolates or flowers again this year, think about making a donation in her name to support the basic rights of working mothers in Latin America. The US Labor Education in the America Project (USLEAP) has designed two beautiful Mother’s Day cards, each featuring a photo of a Colombian flower worker and her child. In exchange for a $25 donation to USLEAP’s Flower Worker Economic Justice Campaign, your mother will receive a card in the mail, with a personalized message from you inside.

On the back of the card, she can read about women who work in the flower industry in Colombia, which ships nearly all of its flowers to the United States. About 60% of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from Colombia, and the majority of workers on Colombian flower plantations are women.

In the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day, flower workers are often required to work 12-15 hour days with few breaks and are subjected to increased productivity quotas. Flower workers routinely undergo repetitive stress injuries, health problems related to over-exposure to pesticides, and humiliating and degrading treatment by management. Workers seeking to form a union in Colombia face bureaucratic hurdles, violence, and harassment, and as a result there are currently no contracts held by independent unions in the flower sector.

Sending this card will say to your mom that you care about her, but also that you care about the rights of all mothers.

Place your Mother’s Day Card order now at: http://www.usleap.org/mothers_day_card

With your donation, USLEAP will be able to continue our support for flower workers in Colombia, where women are subjected to labor rights violations as well as violations of their rights as women. To read more about our flower campaign, please visit our website:

www.USLEAP.org

The U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP) is an independent non-profit organization that supports workers who are fighting for a better life for their families and to overcome poverty in Latin America.

Sphere: Related Content

CA: LA Labor Federation poised for April 15th. march from Hollywood to the Docks

"All along the route marchers will be talking the talk by walking the walk, talking to all of L.A. about the fight for middle class jobs, the battle to organize workers and the importance of voting in order to win the 2008 Fight for Good Jobs."

This is huge, From the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:

The March from Hollywood to the Docks

350,000 Workers Fighting for Good Jobs in 2008

20,000 longshore workers fighting for good jobs	8,000 janitors fighting for good jobs	58,000 actors fighting for good jobs

The March from “Hollywood to the Docks”

On April 15th to the 17th, actors, janitors, longshore workers, and many other workers along with members of the community will march 28 miles from Hollywood to the docks of San Pedro. These individuals will symbolize over 350,000 workers who, this year, will be fighting to stay in the middle class or move themselves out of poverty.

All along the route marchers will be talking the talk by walking the walk, talking to all of L.A. about the fight for middle class jobs, the battle to organize workers and the importance of voting in order to win the 2008 Fight for Good Jobs. Marchers will also be talking with voters about the issues facing the L.A. County Board of Supervisors Second District.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

Security officer campaign escalates; 17 arrested in act of civil disobedience

From Workday Minnesota (3/21/08)

Inside the lobby of U.S. Bancorp Center (above), a group of 17 linked arms and sat down in an act of non-violent civil disobedience. Javier Morillo-Alicea addressed the crowd outside the IDS Center: "We are here to protect and defend community standards..."

Minneapolis - Security officers and community allies filled the lobby of U.S. Bancorp Center in downtown Minneapolis late Thursday afternoon to support a fair contract and 17 were arrested in an act of civil disobedience. U.S. Bancorp was targeted by Service Employees International Union Local 26, which is seeking a new contract for 800 private security officers who work for five security contractors. Members voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to reject a contract offer because it failed to include affordable health insurance.

Katherine Blauvelt, Workers Interfaith Network (left) and Lisa Amman, ISAIAH, continued chanting after being handcuffed.

The employers' contract offer would have made health insurance even more expensive than the current contract.

"We are here today to protect and defend community standards and say people who protect multi-million dollar real estate ought to be able to provide for their families," said Javier Morillo-Alicea, addressing a crowd of about 100 union members and supporters outside the IDS Center at about 4:30 p.m.

The group marched across the street and rushed into the lobby of U.S. Bancorp Center, chanting, "What do we want? Health care. When do we want it? Now!"

A group of 17 sat down and linked arms. The crowd continued chanting. Police arrived within minutes. When the seated protestors refused to leave at the request of police, they were arrested. All arrested cooperated with police by presenting their wrists for handcuffing and by walking out of the building.

Outside, the crowd continued chanting while those arrested sat on the edge of a planter, awaiting police vehicles that soon would take them away.

"U.S. Bank, do the right thing!" the crowd chanted. Members of the group arrested also continued chanting.

The security officers' contract expired Jan. 1.

SEIU Local 26 staged a one-day strike Feb. 25 to put pressure on the employers to settle the contract.

"On that one-day strike, we said if it has to get bigger, it has to get bigger," Local 26 president Morillo-Alicea told the crowd Thursday.

The employers group termed the contract that was rejected as th