Archive for unions

House GOP leadership rammed through bill that would have effectively put National Labor Relations Board out of business

labor unions brought us

Yesterday I posted this: “Reince Priebus confirms GOP’s not really serious about reinventing itself; Paul Ryan aids and abets.”

One of our astute readers brought one more thing to my attention, something I missed, one more thing that proves that Republicans are all show and no go. While they’re busy screaming about freedom and democracy, House Republicans made it clear that they don’t want working Americans to have a voice.

 

Via the AFL-CIO:

House Republican leadership rammed through a bill (H.R. 1120) earlier today that would effectively put the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) out of business. 

The NLRB enforces rules established under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which protects the rights of workers to form unions, bargain collectively and have a voice on the job. 

All Democrats, along with 10 Republicans—Reps. Rodney Davis (Ill.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Michael Grimm (N.Y.), David Joyce (Ohio), Peter  King (N.Y.), David  McKinley (W.Va.), Pat Meehan (Pa.), Tom Reed (N.Y.) and Don Young (Alaska)—voted to stop this blatant attack on workers’ rights. In the end, after much arm-twisting by Republican leadership, the measure squeaked by on a vote of 219-209. [...]

Fortunately, this bill will not be taken up by the Senate, but it is symbolic of the right-wing’s anti-worker agenda

outreach my ass reach out inclusive

You can read the AFL-CIO letter opposing H.R. 1120 here.

VIDEO: “Dignity… That was the message of the signs [the restaurant workers] carried: I am a man, I am a woman.”

strike restaurant workers i am a man woman

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Yesterday’s Doonesbury: “Lack of paid sick days for workers causes what? Rich owners.” #FastFoodFwd nailed it.

So did Chris Hayes:

All successful social movements are built and all social progress is built out of multitude of tiny miracles just like we saw in New York City.

A single person… a union of thousands or millions who decide against the odds against great risk with no protection to do something courageous, to speak up for their dignity, to proclaim themselves fully human and that was what the fast food workers did today. That was the message of the signs they carried: I am a man, I am a woman.

And this sign  should ring a bell, because it’s a sign we have seen at a major labor strike before. At this labor strike, in the city of Memphis in 1968, these sanitation workers were being paid so little that many of them, even working full time, needed welfare just to feed their families.

Their jobs were not just astonishingly low wage, they were also incredibly dangerous. The strike  got started after two workers were killed, crushed in a sanitation truck’s compactor.

Supporting that strike is what Martin Luther King Jr. was doing in Memphis in 1968 when he was assassinated 45 years ago today. He was there to support those sanitation workers in their strike and in their struggle.

This coverage made me tear up. To see people standing up for their rights, risking their jobs, organizing, demanding to be treated with dignity, to be treated as human beings…

Such a minimal request, such a fundamental demand should never have to be made. Treating people equally and with respect is what this country should be all about. And nobody should have to beg for that.

martin luther king we are people strike workers

Doonesbury: “Lack of paid sick days for workers causes what? Rich owners.” #FastFoodFwd

strike fast food workers Richard Trumka restaurantsRichard Trumka joins the line in Midtown

doonesbury restaurant workers

Garry Trudeau is covering an important topic here. So important, in fact, that tonight a representative (likely the director) of the New York Communities for Change will be talking about today’s fast food strike (which could be the largest in the industry’s history) on Chris’s new show All In with Chris Hayes.

Set your DVRs.

Via MSNBC’s Historic fast food strike draws lessons from MLK’s last campaign:

Thursday morning, hundreds of fast food workers in New York City walked off the job in what could be the largest strike in the fast food industry’s history. This is the second major labor action in a long-term campaign by fast food employees, the community organizing group New York Communities for Change, and community allies. The first day-long strike came in late November 2012, when the organizing workers first announced themselves to the world and demanded higher wages and union recognition.

The date of this second strike is not a coincidence: April 4 is also the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. [...]

Though the fast food strike does not take place in a post-Jim Crow South, it does also reflect the racial stratification of a major American industry. Whereas the striking sanitation workers were African-Americans struggling against racial discrimination, modern people of color are disproportionately employed in low-wage service jobs, such as fast food service.

Doonesbury– New restaurant managers slogan: “Attention workers! It could be worse!”

union pay difference food industrydoonesbury workers rights

Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury, food stamps, restaurant workers, restaurant managers, snarkitude, commentary on the state of workers’ rights, the economy, food stamps … all in one, concise four-panel comic strip. What more could we ask for?

Well, we could ask for income equality, guaranteed collective bargaining, support for and appreciation of labor unions, humane treatment of employees, decent health care, fair pay, equal pay for women, and more quality comic strips like this one, I suppose.

What a difference a union can make!

unions right to work for less cartoon gopVia.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, so these must be worth millions (keep scrolling to see who wants to destroy unions and why):

labor unions brought usunions gave usunions make more money infographic via moveon

We are also cross-posting this new graphic with permission:

union pay difference food industry

This is the union difference for our members working in the food service industry. Reblog if you agree food workers deserve a good wage AND paid sick days!

Of course Republicans are doing their level best to crush unions, because organized labor is a major source of support and donations to Democrats, although no match for big corporations:

chart maddow unions v corps campaign spending smaller

For example, Michigan Dictator, er, Gov. Snyder is no fan of unions, nor is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. But at least, after “Right to Work”, Snyder’s popularity plummeted. By the way, Michigan’s “Right to Work” law contains verbatim language from an ALEC model bill.

And don’t get me started on how they’re trying to do away with the USPS. Psst! “It’s called the U.S. Postal Service because it is a service, not a corporation.”

Did I mention Sen. Rand Paul submitted a national “right to work” (for less) bill? Or how emails linked the Jeb Bush foundation, corporations, ALEC, and education officials? Guess who benefits? Corporate funders.

And then there’s this post about Reince Priebus who thinks the Republican platform is just dandy, it’s the way they talk about it that needs fixing. He’d love to see unions go away.

Oh, and “Right to work” is a lie.

And finally, courtesy of Daily Kos’s TheNewDeal00Follow, Thank a Union: 36 Ways Unions Have Improved Your Life:

36 Reasons Why You Should Thank a Union

Weekends
All Breaks at Work, including your Lunch Breaks
Paid Vacation
FMLA
Sick Leave
Social Security
Minimum Wage
Civil Rights Act/Title VII (Prohibits Employer Discrimination)
8-Hour Work Day
Overtime Pay
Child Labor Laws
Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
40 Hour Work Week
Worker’s Compensation (Worker’s Comp)
Unemployment Insurance
Pensions
Workplace Safety Standards and Regulations
Employer Health Care Insurance
Collective Bargaining Rights for Employees
Wrongful Termination Laws
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
Whistleblower Protection Laws
Employee Polygraph Protect Act (Prohibits Employer from using a lie detector test on an employee)
Veteran’s Employment and Training Services (VETS)
Compensation increases and Evaluations (Raises)
Sexual Harassment Laws
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Holiday Pay
Employer Dental, Life, and Vision Insurance
Privacy Rights
Pregnancy and Parental Leave
Military Leave
The Right to Strike
Public Education for Children
Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 (Requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work)
Laws Ending Sweatshops in the United States

I could go on about union busting, but I’m trying to keep my lunch down. I knew you’d understand.

MI Dictator, er, Gov. Snyder declares financial emergency in Detroit, will appoint emergency manager to take over

glitter crown

Let’s recap what exactly the king dictator governor of Michigan has been up to.

King Ricky’s appalling financial martial law was, and apparently will continue to be, the legislation that allows one person (the emergency manager) to dictate all kinds of things without any input from voters. It renders local officials and voters powerless. For example:

  • He could do away with unions, with police officers, mayorships, you name it. You voted for someone and they won? Doesn’t matter. OUT.
  • You like that school your kid goes to? Nevermind. GONE.
  • You cherish democracy and thought it would always be The American way? TOO BAD.

Then there’s the GOP’s ongoing goal of crushing unions as a way of denying Democrats their political funding which would lead to eventual single party rule.

Governor Rick Snyder said that union busting is “pro-workers! It’s a good thing! This is a positive thing for unions!” Then the union busting “Right-to-work for work for less” measure was signed it into law. It’s important to remember that Michigan’s “Right to Work” law contains verbatim language from ALEC model bill.

But back to Financial Martial Law. It’s ba-a-ack. Bloomberg:

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder plans to name an emergency manager to handle Detroit’s fiscal crisis, stripping power from local officials [...]

His decision may inflame opponents, as the administration of a white Republican seizes control of a place that is predominantly black and Democratic. [...]

Detroit… would be the sixth Michigan city put under state control [...]

Opponents say state takeovers disenfranchise voters by stripping elected officials of their power over municipalities or school districts, and may protect bondholders at the expense of employees, services and taxpayers… Some have said a takeover is racist because, along with Detroit, cities where almost half of Michigan’s black residents live would be under state control. Managers are already in charge in Allen Park, Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Flint and Pontiac.

Take a look at this segment of The Rachel Maddow Show from January 2012:

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what's the matter with michigan

VIDEO: “We worked hard to fight for queer youth.”

Randi Weingarten equality

Earlier this month The Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership held it’s 4th annual national educator conference focusing on LGBTQIA youth. Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, released this powerful message for the CESCaL educators and counselors at the conference:

 

She covers a lot of vitally important topics. Please watch the whole video. It’s incredibly important to see leaders like Randi standing up for these issues.

The labor movement has done a lot for the LGBT community. We need to see more leaders like Weingarten reaching out and making statements like these:

We worked hard to fight for queer youth. We believe that all schools should be safe spaces for every child to grow and express themselves.

“We’ve even led the way with bullying campaigns…”

“Today, I could get married in the United States.”

“[But] we still live in a country that tells us that our love is unequal.”