Category: Union

Sitdown Strike Update

No Comments

Ian Walsh of FDL notes that the entire situation with the Republic Windows sit-down strike was likely triggered by the $350 billion stimulus package. Basically, following the receipt of bailout money, banks like Bank of America, which had a $50 million line of credit out to the manufacturer, decided that it made sense to hoard cash so that they could buy other banks, so they cut off Republic Windows, which proceeded to collapse like broccoli cooked in a British boarding school kitchen.

It’s amazing how much damage Hank Paulson and His Evil Minions™ have been doing to the country.

Interestingly enough, it now appears that there is some push-back, with Barack Obama supporting the strikers:

“When it comes to the situation here in Chicago with the workers who are asking for their benefits and payments they have earned, I think they are absolutely right,” Obama said Sunday at a news conference announcing his new Veterans Affairs director. “What’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy.

Additionally, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has ordered all Illinois agencies to stop doing business with Bank of America.

In 1936-7, the workers in Flint had to contend with National Guardsmen and police trying to evict them.

In 2008, not so much.

The Return of the Sit-Down Strike

No Comments

More echos of the 1930s, with workers at the Republic Windows and Doors plant in Chicago occupying the plant, after being given three days notice that the plant was closed.

They are saying that, “They won’t go home without assurances they’ll get severance and vacation pay.”

I don’t think that the governor will call out the national guard, so it will be up to modern day Pinkertons to murder them, my money would be on Blackwater, USA.

FedEx Faces Massive Judgements on Misclassified Employees

No Comments

FedEx has been classifying its drivers as independent contractors for years, despite the fact that it, “tells its ground-service drivers when to work, what to charge customers and what kind of socks and shoes to wear,” and it looks like a federal judge is about to rule against them opening them up to billions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages, and possibly even more in back taxes.

What’s more, it’s likely to see successful unionization efforts once reclassification is completed.

This is an increasing problem nationwide, and one would hope that there will be a crackdown soon.

Received from the SPEEA

No Comments

Not entirely sure how I got on their mailing list, but Boeing appears to be trying to foist off a 401(k) on their employees while sticking with defined benefits for upper managers.

The Goforths Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 10:03 AM

Reply-To: @@@@@@@@@@@@
To: The Goforths

For Immediate Release August 11, 2008

SPEEA demands Boeing disclose funding of executive pensions

SEATTLE – To ensure the pension program relied on by 21,400 technical employees at The Boeing Company is not being secretly used to fund executive retirement benefits, the union representing the employees is demanding the company immediately disclose the extent and funding source of its executive pension plans.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, formally requested the information from Boeing after a recent investigative news report by The Wall Street Journal uncovered U.S. corporations funding executive pensions by funneling funds through regular employee plans. This practice weakens employees’ pensions while allowing corporations to take advantage of huge tax benefits not normally available for executive pension plans.

In the Aug. 4, page-one, report, The Wall Street Journal called the pension maneuvers by corporations a “dubious use of tax law” that “risks harming regular workers.”

Earlier this year, Boeing announced the elimination of pensions for new, non-union employees. The company is seeking to eliminate pensions for union represented employees when new contracts are negotiated.

“Benefits consultants advise companies to keep quiet about these schemes to avoid employee backlash,” said Ray Goforth, SPEEA executive director. “Boeing’s move to eliminate pensions for regular workers is consistent with the pattern uncovered by the Wall Street Journal. SPEEA demands to know if Boeing is sacrificing the pensions of regular workers to benefit executives.”

The Boeing Company Employee Retirement Plan (BCERP) covers employees represented by SPEEA. Management told union leaders it wants to eliminate the long-term liability of the pension plan. The plan, a traditional pension, provides retired employees monthly payments until death. Instead, Boeing proposes making contributions to each employee’s 401k. The contribution is half the value of the present pension contribution. In addition to reducing corporate expense, the plan shifts all risk and maintenance of retirement onto the employee.

In October, SPEEA begins negotiations with Boeing for 21,400 engineers and technical employees in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah and California. The existing contracts expire Dec. 1, and in Kansas, Dec. 5.

SPEEA represents 24,500 aerospace professionals at Boeing and Triumph Composite Systems, Inc., in Spokane, Wash., and at BAE Systems, Inc. in Irving, Texas. SPEEA is an affiliated local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

# # #

UAL Pilot Union Demanding Removal of CEO

No Comments

They are saying that CEO Glenn Tilton has steered the airline, “down a path to poor customer service, employee morale and financial performance.”

I’m not sure if this is a negotiating tactic, or a legitimate concern for the company.

My guess is a bit of both. He’s an oil man, and the requisite skills in that industry are not really producing anything or providing a service, but rather schmoozing people so that you can put holes in their ground.

That skill set does not translate well into any other field of endeavor, see Bush, GW, and Cheney, R.

Adventures in Innovative Labor Organizing

No Comments

The SEIU-UHW has, over the past 10 years, negociated contracts with nearly 200 hospitals and nursing homes in california so that they expire all at the same time.

This means that they can negotiate with all the institutions at once, and that if any one of them cut a contract, they can use it for pattern bargaining, and that in the event of a strike, the institutions in question cannot simply shift resources to institutions that are not struck.

This is a very savvy move.

Full press release follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 11, 2007
CONTACT:
Melanie Myers
mmyers@seiu-uhw.org

WORKERS PREPARE FOR LARGEST COORDINATED HEALTHCARE BARGAINING CAMPAIGN IN HISTORY

Event Bringing Together Caregivers from Several States to be Covered by Blogger

OAKLAND — A delegation of 700 healthcare workers from six states will gather in Oakland on Saturday to plan for a coordinated bargaining campaign in 2008, when contracts at more than 200 hospitals and nursing homes will expire, creating an opportunity for caregivers to achieve unprecedented victories for working people across the United States.

The convention in California, to be hosted by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West, represents the first time that healthcare workers will coordinate their bargaining campaigns on such a massive scale. Caregivers from California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Minnesota and Connecticut will participate in the event.

“This meeting represents an unprecedented opportunity for healthcare workers from around the country to work together for improved standards such as the right to stand up for our patients and residents,” said Sal Rosselli, president of SEIU UHW. “Healthcare workers do the same work everywhere in the country, and it only makes sense that we come together to work toward our common goal.”

Healthcare workers at several SEIU local unions plan to coordinate their bargaining campaigns next year, in order to maximize their ability to improve quality care for their patients, raise industry standards and win a voice on the job. More than 150,000 caregivers will benefit from this coordination by achieving the ability to advocate for improved patient care through their union.

Adding a unique twist to the proceedings will be the presence of netroots blogger Elliott Petty of the progressive online California group Courage Campaign, who plans to post live updates to his site, http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/blog/elliottpetty, as the meeting progresses through the day. He will also post at MyDD and Open Left, two major national political blogs.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to observe, participate, and interact with UHW’s members at this meeting,” Petty said. “The best way to build bridges between labor and the online communities is to engage in actions with each other. Progressives win when we are united, which this effort will help us to be.”

Petty’s participation is an outgrowth of UHW’s involvement with the YearlyKos convention earlier this month, in which UHW leaders met with numerous members of the progressive blogosphere to discuss ways that their online activism can dovetail with the grassroots worker and political organizing of labor unions. The union plans to hold a retreat for progressive bloggers in the fall.

“Our values of member democracy, openness, and dialogue and debate are mirrored by those of the netroots community,” Rosselli said. “We look forward to continuing to work with online activists who share our goals and values.”

Rosselli and several healthcare workers will be available for interview throughout the week and on Saturday.

The 140,000-member SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is the largest hospital and healthcare union in the western United States and represents every type of healthcare worker, including nurses, professional, technical and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high-quality healthcare for all.
###

###

SEIU United Healthcare Workers—West, with more than 152,000 members, is the largest and most powerful hospital and healthcare union in the Western U.S. We represent every type of healthcare worker, including nursing, professional, technical and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high quality healthcare for all.