Category: Labor

Solidarity Works. Unions Get It, But the Democrats Don’t

No Comments

SEIU Local 99 in Los Angeles, representing teachers and other school workers, has fired Chris Lehane because he took a job consulting for the producers, and against the writers, with regard to the writers’ strike.

I think that this sort of solidarity is what Democrats lack. FWIW, I will not support any primary candidate who employs Mr. Lahane. He is a strike breaker.

If we want our control of congress, and hopefully the White House in a year and a month, to mean anything, then we have to impress upon the national Democratic party that solidarity means something.

Clinton Aids Hired to Break Writers’ Strike

No Comments

Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has hired Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane to hit back on PR against the writers. Yep….While working for Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination, a party that is supposed to be pro labor, they are working to crush labor in Hollywood.

Seriously, Hillary Clinton makes my head hurt. Her campaign has amazing message discipline, they keep the press in line (they got Bob Novak to back down), and she actually votes when something controversial hits the floor, unlike the distinguished gentleman from Illinois.

And then she goes and surrounds herself to people who whore themselves out to strike breakers, and management in labor disputes.

Hollywood Writers Strike

No Comments

I know that there are doubtless a lot of people who think that they shouldn’t even be in a union, or strike, but half of these guy’s income is residuals, and the studios are proposing nothing as an amount.

The fact is that the writers should be given a cut of revenues regardless of channel, and there is no risk if they get a percentage.

The fact is that the studios have never, ever, taken a risk on new media. It’s always been someone else shelling out to the for the privilege of seeing if a media will fly or sink. There is no reason for the studios to freeze these guys out.

Chrysler Workers are on Strike

No Comments

45,000 members of the UAW at Chrysler went on strike today.

As I’ve said earlier, given that there already was a model for a contract as a result of the one signed with GM, this means that either the circumstances (far fewer retirees at Chrysler) or the culture (Cerberus is a private equity firm, and perhaps they are looking at pumping and dumping) that is driving this.

My guess is that Cerberus is not an auto firm, and are not interested in being one. They want to resell Chrysler at a later time, and are pushing hard for concessions so that they can generate a quick sale or go public and reap the rewards.

A Strike Deadline is Set For Chrysler

No Comments

This Wednesday.

This highly irregular. Normally, the contract negotiated with the target firm is adopted across the industry.

I can think of two potential things driving this, either the differences between GM and Chrysler are driving significantly different contracts, or Cerberus Capital Management is coming from a very different philosophy on running the company.

If it’s the latter, it means that the private equity firm is intending to flip and flee, which is beyond even the incompetent and crony laden management at GM.

I think that it’s the latter, and that Cerberus wants to treat Chrysler like a chop shop treats a stolen car.

Sounds Like the UAW Strike is On.

No Comments

Sounds like they are expecting that there will be a strike, but perhaps it’s posturing, sometimes the rhetoric ratchets up just before a settlement.

UAW shocked by GM’s failure to recognize worker contributions; sets strike deadline for 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24

The UAW announced today that due to the failure of General Motors to address job security and other mandatory issues of bargaining, the union has set a firm strike deadline for 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24.

“We’re shocked and disappointed that General Motors has failed to recognize and appreciate what our membership has contributed during the past four years,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “Since 2003 our members have made extraordinary efforts every time the company came to us with a problem: the corporate restructuring, the attrition plan, the Delphi bankruptcy, the 2005 health care agreement. In every case, our members went the extra mile to find reasonable solutions.

“Throughout this time period,” said Gettelfinger, “it has been the dedication of UAW members that has helped GM set new standards for safety, quality and productivity in their manufacturing facilities. And in this current round of bargaining, we did everything possible to negotiate a new contract, including an unprecedented agreement to stay at the bargaining table nine days past the expiration of the previous agreement.”

“This is our reward: a complete failure by GM to address the reasonable needs and concerns of our members,” said UAW Vice President Cal Rapson, director of the union’s GM Department. “Instead, in 2007 company executives continued to award themselves bonuses while demanding that our members accept a reduced standard of living.

“The company’s disregard for our members has forced our bargaining committee to take this course of action,” said Rapson. “Unless UAW members hear otherwise between now and the deadline, we will be on a national strike against GM at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 24th.”

The UAW negotiating team will remain at the bargaining table, Rapson said, throughout the night and up until the 11 a.m. deadline.

Nothing yet on CNN about a strike starting, though.

Update: it appears that the balloon has gone up. The UAW is now on strike against GM.

Why We Need an Agressive and Competent Labor Bureaucracy.

No Comments

It appears that Universal Media Group has been cheating its employees out of overtime pay.

Luckily for them, this has occurred in California, because, “the employees will receive 25 per cent of fines rewarded”.

The department permits these exemptions for computer systems analysts, computer programmers, software engineers, and other similarly-skilled workers in the computer field. Under California regulations, an exempt IT employee must primarily perform work that is “intellectual or creative and requires the exercise of discretion and independent judgment.” In addition, the employee must earn over $41 per hour.

The UMG workers, who are employed as “IT Support Engineers,” claim the company has illegally classified them as exempt to skip out of paying overtime. The employees are seeking back wages and civil penalties under California’s Private Attorney Act. Under the Private Attorney Act, employees can sue an employer for fines based on labor law on behalf of the state of California. If successful, the employees will receive 25 per cent of fines rewarded, while California will receive the rest.

Note that this is a private lawsuit. Here’s why:

The Law Offices of Michael Tracy, the firm representing the employees….. said the employees had previously filed the overtime complaint with California’s Labor & Workforce Development Agency, but the organization refused to investigate. In response, the employees are suing for the labor fines.

My guess is that Arnold was the reason that they refused to investigate.

Never Will You Find a More Retched Hive of Scum and Villany

No Comments

Here is an interesting story aboutMark Penn, Hillary Clinton’s main political strategist.

Penn is CEO of the global PR firm Burson-Marsteller, which has a union busting division.

It also turns out that he’s done extensive work for the Tobacco industry and the Nuclear Industry, among other unsavory characters, and his work for tobacco has continued since he has been advising Hillary on her senate campaigns.

You judge politicians by the company they keep, and this guy is bad news, perhaps as bad as the dope dealer and his racist father on the Guiliani campaign.

US Firms Commit Premeditated Murder.

No Comments

Here’s hoping that the people involved, up to the top eventually see the inside of a Columbian prison.

They asked for these guys to be murdered. This is the unavoidable consequence of targeting labor activists by right wing militias in Latin America.

Trial begins for killing of 3 union leaders

By Seattle Times news services

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jury selection began Monday for a civil trial in which U.S. coal company Drummond is accused of paying right-wing paramilitary gunmen to kill union leaders at a mine it operates in a war-torn corner of northern Colombia.

The civil case is believed to be the first to come to trial under a seldom-used U.S. law that dates back nearly two centuries, which lets foreigners sue U.S. corporations for their conduct abroad.

Drummond has denied involvement in the deaths of the three union leaders in 2001 near the sprawling open-pit mine it operates in Colombia.

The federal lawsuit was filed by the International Labor Rights Fund and Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers union in March 2002 and seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the dead union leaders’ families.

The union leaders, Valmore Locarno, Victor Orcasita and Gustavo Soler had argued with Drummond about wage and safety issues.

Four witnesses have come forward claiming Drummond gave cash and cars to paramilitary fighters in exchange for killing the men.

…