Grassroots Newswire

19 June, 2013UE members and supporters at the June 17 Moral Mondays protest. Director of Organization Kingsley is fourth from the right.Raleigh

In the seven weeks to date of weekly “Moral Monday” protests and civil disobedience at the North Carolina state legislature, thousands of people have participated and 485 have been arrested, including 84 on June 17. This week’s arrestees were charged with failure to disperse, criminal trespass, and violating General Assembly rules that prohibit singing, loud talking, and holding signs. It took five department of corrections buses to haul away the protestors. UE Local 150 members were present at this Monday’s event as they’ve been since the movement started, and UE Director of Organization Bob Kingsley spoke at the gathering. 

The protests have been organized by the state NAACP and its charismatic leader, Rev. William Barber, a strong supporter of UE Local 150 and worker rights. Barber says the protests are directed against “the mean-spirited quadruple attack” on working people and the poor by the  extremist Republican majority in control of the legislature and the governor’s office. So far this year these right-wingers have cut unemployment benefits, cut Medicaid, raised taxes on the poor so they could give a tax cut to 23 of the state’s wealthiest families. They’re now advancing bills to limit the right to vote, cut public education, and prohibit voluntary payroll dues collection for public sector union members.

At the May 13 action, the arrestees included Larsene Taylor, member of the UE General Executive Board, healthcare technician at Cherry State Hospital, Local 150 vice president and of the union’s council of department of health and human services workers; state worker and Local 150 President Angaza Laughinghouse, UE activist Charlie Daniels, and retired UE International Rep. Saladin Muhammad. More than 200 people participated in that action, and 49 were arrested. The protests grow week by week and are receiving more and more attention, including national media coverage in MSNBC, NPR and other outlets.

“UE salutes the courage and vision of the Rev. Dr. Barber and of the hundreds who have submitted themselves to arrest,” Kingsley told the June 17 gathering, “and the thousands who have come out like you have to stand up and be counted. We are proud that members of my union, UE, have been part of the Moral Mondays civil disobedience crew since the beginning.”

Larsene Taylor has expressed pride in her participation in the Moral Mondays movement and her arrest for the cause of justice. “It was awesome. We were singing while we were arrested and on the bus on the way to jail.” Taylor said she had been considering retirement, but the growing resistance movement in her state has changed her mind. “We’re in a war in North Carolina.”

Date:  Fri, 06/28/2013 - 5:00pm More Info: 

18 June, 2013Erie, PA

A new bargaining bulletin from Local 506 reports on a proposal the union presented to GE yesterday. Local 506 negotiators Wayne Burnett, Scott Duke, Mike Hayes and Mike Ferritto were joined by UE General President Bruce Klipple for the June 17 session, as well as International Rep. Gene Elk. The bulletin (which you can download from the link below) says in part:

"On Monday, the UE Local 506 Negotiating Committee met with GE and submitted a detailed proposal. UE proposed that the Company retain all 950 jobs in Erie and keep Ft. Worth as an overflow plant to produce locomotives and OHV wheels only when Erie is producing at capacity. Union bargainers submitted a detailed list of cost savings under which GE can save more than $20 million per year in 2013 and 2014. Savings will be achieved by correcting the parts-flow issue in the plant, reducing absenteeism, rearranging the break schedule, and eliminating costly severance and retraining costs that would be caused by the job cutbacks which GE proposed on April 9. The Union’s proposal requires the Company to guarantee that none of the 950 jobs can be moved prior to June 21,2015, when the UE-GE National Agreement expires."

The union update goes on to say that the local also proposed a  new investment for the off-highway vehicle (OHV ) business in a state-of-the-art machining center in Building 12. GE’s investment for the new machining center would be matched by government funds

June 18 Bulletin.pdf

A Call to Action from Our Partners at Rising Tide Vermont

Tell Public Service Commissioner Chris Recchia to say NO to the VT Gas Pipeline
It's time to rise up for the climate!

Call Department of Public Service Commissioner Chris Recchia (802-828-4071) and tell him to say NO to the Addison Natural Gas Project/Vermont Gas Pipeline.

Fracking is practically a household term these days. We hear stories every week about flaming faucets, increased climate-wrecking methane emissions, and pipeline explosions.

Please take just two minutes to call Department of Public Service Commissioner Christopher Recchia at 802-828-4071 to tell him to say NO WAY to the Addison Natural Gas Project/Vermont Gas Pipeline. A sample message is below:

"Hello, my name is __________, and I am from (your town). I am calling to tell you to support our right to a healthy environment and livable planet and take a stand against the Addison Natural Gas Project. The Department of Public Service must protect the public by saying no to false climate solutions like fracked gas."

NOTE: You will probably be directed to his answering machine.  Feel free to leave your phone number so he can call you back. And if he answers, you can still stick to the above message!

As the Public Service Board moves forward with the permitting process for the Vermont Gas Pipeline – a project that would transport fracked gas from Alberta, Canada through Chittenden and Addison counties, and underneath Lake Champlain to International Paper's Ticonderoga pulp mill – they need to hear from people like you who know that building more fossil fuel pipelines is a major step backward on climate change. 

Your call can make a HUGE difference! The Department of Public Service has no formal mechanisms for soliciting public input, and they are supposed to be representing our interests in front of the Public Service Board!

Please let Rising Tide Vermont know after you've called, by emailing risingtidevermont@gmail.com

For more information and updates from the Campaign to Stop the Vermont Gas Pipeline, visit: stopthevermontgaspipeline.org

Rising Tide Vermont
Rising Tide Vermont organizes and takes direct action to confront the root causes of climate change and to facilitate a just transition to resilient and equitable land-based communities. 

Stop the Vermont Gas Pipeline
The Campaign to Stop the Vermont Gas Pipeline is working with impacted landowners, youth and concerned Vermonters across the state to build grassroots opposition and power to stop the Vermont Gas Pipeline.

Story Type:  Blog Story Author:  NNIRR

Urgent Action Needed Today to Stop HR 2278, the 'SAFE' Act

read more

From the Directors #2

Here is the latest clip From the Directors! In it, co-directors, Ife Kilimanjaro and Diana Copeland talk about why modeling shared leadership in EMEAC's organization model is so important.

14 June, 2013Local 506 officers Business Agent Wayne Burnett, President Scott Duke, and Chief Plant Steward Mike Hayes.Erie, PA

Local 506 today issue a news update on bargaining sessions with GE over the company's plans to move work out of Erie. You can download the complete bulletin at the link below.

The union update begins:

"After 15 bargaining sessions with the Company about its proposal to transfer 950 union jobs, GE made its first proposal to UE yesterday. In its proposal, GE left no stone unturned and proposed what can only be termed as a “wish list” of attacks against our wage and cost-of-living increases and piecework system. In addition to going after wage increases, GE has demanded that the union agree to mandatory overtime, a new round of code consolidation, and restrictions on job bidding and movement. GE has also demanded a two-tier 'competitive wage,' even though it admits that they will not achieve any cost savings, because no new hiring is expected."

The bulletin goes on to announce that the union bargaining committee will be meeting over the next few days with the full Local 506 executive board to develop a response to the company's proposals. Talks with the company are scheduled to continue next week.

June14_Bulletin.pdf

14 June, 2013Local 1166 bargaining committee Alfredo Saldierna, Bobby Space and Bessie Abbott.Hodgkins, IL

The 100 members of Local 1166 work hard every day to make the APL warehouse run smoothly. The warehouse stocks after-market locomotive parts for Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), now owned by Caterpillar. Members voted on May 2, by a two-to one margin, to ratify a new contract with the company which includes pay raises and some gains they had tried to get for years.

“We accomplished some of our goals, we got a pay increase and we got some beneficial language changes”, said Local 1166 President Bobby Space. “Convincing the members was hard but at the end, the package was improved by members stepping into action”, he added.

The local met with management 16 times, and had members voted down an earlier “final offer.” In mid-March, workers “blew the whistle” on management’s demands for givebacks and lump sums instead of wage increases.

“We purchased whistles and made stickers, and got them to everyone through our contract support committee” (CSC), said Alfredo Saldierna, chief steward and member of the bargaining committee. “Management got the point that we were in no mood to take their lump sums and healthcare takebacks”, he added. “In the end, we had three rallies, meetings with the members over the status of the negotiations, and multiple stickers targeting the things we need. This helped push us to where we got”.

In one of the final days of bargaining the CSC sprang into action, and 15 minutes before the morning break, decided to organize a rally, and workers marched on the boss’s office.”We shook management, they got the message when 60 people showed up right outside their offices”, Space added.

The contract is for three years and provides a 40 cent hourly raise each year, in addition to a $375 lump sum signing bonus. The bargaining committee fought hard but was not successful in eliminating the two-tier wage structure which they believe will haunt them in future negotiations. A second rotation list for overtime was established, which will provide more overtime opportunities for all members. They secured solid “successors and assigns” language that provides better job security. Members will get more flexibility to use their PTO when they need it, and the local added Martin Luther King Day and Good Friday as unscheduled days, with flexible scheduling around them so people can have the day off. After a tough fight by the union, management succeeded in eliminating the attendance bonus.

“In the end, there were some small take-backs, but we got decent raises, and the members were involved like never before. I am proud that we brought people together”, said Space.

The union negotiating committee included President Bobby Space, Chief Steward Alfredo Saldierna, and Bessie Abbott. They were assisted by UE Field Organizer J Burger.

 

14 June, 2013Wolcott, CT

The educational paraprofessionals and security aides employed by the Wolcott Board of Education (BOE) waged a year-and-a-half-long struggle to defend their pension, and their unity and persistence resulted in a new four-year contract that provides 12 percent in pay raises, improved grievance language, and the preservation of the defined benefit pension.

The expiration date of the old contract was June 30, 2011, and bargaining sessions began in the spring of that year. From the beginning, the BOE made it clear that it was committed to eliminating the defined benefit pension for this bargaining unit, as it had done with every other bargaining unit of Wolcott school employees that had negotiated earlier. During the long battle that ensued, union members worked under the terms of the old contract.

The Wolcott paras and security aides, represented by Sub-local 84 of UE Local 222, worked for wages that were significantly lower than those earned by paras and security aides in surrounding towns, and most members of our unit were not eligible for employer-provided medical insurance. But what they did have was a defined benefit pension, which provides retirement income equal to 50 percent of their annual earnings at the time of retirement for employees with 20 years service. Members decided early in negotiations that their defined benefit pension was the most valuable employment benefit that had, and that it was worth fighting for.

The union presented a list of proposals to increase to wages and benefits, bringing them closer to the levels of neighboring towns. An additional reason for significant improvements in wages was the new educational certification that the Wolcott BOE had instituted, which required paraprofessionals to pass a state assessment or to hold a degree in order to maintain their positions.

The BOE refused to even consider many of the union’s proposals. They told the union committee to give them the union’s top five issues, because they were unwilling to consider any more than that.  But when the  union listed its top five issues, with the pension and wage increases topping the list, the employer still refused to budge. After more than a year of largely unproductive bargaining, the parties reached impasse and proceeded to mediation, as provided under Connecticut’s public sector bargaining law.

But meetings between the parties with a state mediator present also failed to yield progress toward an agreement.

The members stood firm and supported their elected bargaining committee in fighting back against the board’s assault on their pension. The membership voted to take the contract dispute to binding interest arbitration, which in Connecticut public employee bargaining law is the only way to resolve deadlocked negotiations. The state prohibits public employees striking.

The parties went into arbitration with a whopping list of 38 issues in dispute. The sessions were to be held in the evening – the BOE refused to have the process impact the workday. In the first and, as it turned out, the only arbitration hearing session, the BOE representative said they wanted the hearing to proceed as quickly as possible, adding that they that they the hearing could be completed in just three sessions. The hearing got underway with the BOE presenting its argument and evidence that it was unable to pay the wages and benefits the union was seeking.

UE’s main representative in the hearing, International Representative Gene Elk, gave  an opening statement that outlined the comparisons on which the union intended to present evidence, to show that the workers were underpaid compared to similar workers in neighboring districts. By the end of the first scheduled hearing, the parties had not finished presenting their arguments on the issue of the BOE’s ability to pay, and had not even begun to address the 38 disputed issues. It appeared that the hearings might drag on for weeks or months.

The BOE representatives suddenly started showing serious interest in reaching a negotiated settlement. By the end of the night, the parties had reached a complete  tentative agreement, which included maintaining the defined benefit pension

The new four-year contract, retroactive to July 2011, provides a signing bonus and no general wage increase in the first year. But effective July 1, 2012, workers receive general wage increases of 2 percent each July and each January, which means that the first increase included back pay to last July 1. These increases will total 12 percent by the end of the contract.

The union also maintained the current insurance plan and premium share for those members who were eligible to receive it for the life of the contract. Grievance language was strengthened to give the union the right to file grievances when there is an issue which no individual grievant wishes to pursue.

Union President Christine Fitzpatrick was very pleased with the outcome. “We kept our defined benefit pension! We never could have done it without the support of this union. My committee had to keep this important benefit for our members. UE stood with us to fight, and we won!”

The negotiating committee included President Christine Fitzpatrick, Vice President Kathy Dibona, Barbara Semeraro, Shirley Johnson, Carol Gugliotti and Nancy Cuifalo. They were assisted by International Representative Gene Elk and Field Organizer Colleen Ezzo. Additional assistance was provided by UE International Representative John Woodruff, Research Director Karl Zimmerman, Associate General Counsel Margot Nikitas, Field Organizers Annie MacDonald and Mike Lewis, and UE Local 222 Administrative Secretary Deb Brigada.

The debate on whether to bring the F-35 war plane to be based at Burlington Airport has often had proponents focusing on the fact that this new technology is the only way to have a future for the Vermont National Guard once the F-16 is phased out. Recent media reports indicate that there is good reason to think that this has been the focus in order to use patriotism and the public support for the Guard to push through a broader agenda that includes major airport expansion. (see Harper's article and WPTZ TV coverage).

However, it's time we had a bigger debate about what does it make sense for our communities for the future of the Vermont National Guard and what should national security really focus on. As we wrote in our statement "Why stationing F-35 war planes in Vermont is incompatible with human rights" its clear the enormous resources proposed to be spent on these war planes should redirected "toward the public goods that help meet the significant unmet needs in our communities, such as healthcare, housing, jobs, education, food, and social security."

But its becoming soberingly clear, the greatest security risk that our communities face is climate change and the growing ecological crisis. The Vermont National Guard did extraordinary work for our communities in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, and its far more likely that the most dangerous attacks coming to our region in the future will be extreme weather events of this sort.

War planes like the F-35's make the world more dangerous on many levels, and we need to retool national security to preparing our communities for climate change and helping people recover from extreme weather events. Vermont National Guard should be focused on helping Vermont lead the way in response to extreme weather, building resilient healthy communities and transitioning to systems for a healthier way to live.

There is a petition at the Stop the F-35 Coalition website where people can add their voice and also get info on weighing in during public comment period on basing F-35's in Burlington which ends July 15th. 

13 June, 2013Members celebrate after ratifying their new contract.Woodbridge, CT

UE Local 222’s Sub-local 80 – representing secretaries, custodians and food service workers in the Woodbridge public schools – has negotiated a three-year contract that includes major increases in wages. The new agreement goes a long ways toward the union’s goal of reducing wage disparities with workers on comparable jobs in neighboring school districts.

The union’s gains in negotiations build upon a major union victory in November 2011 at the Connecticut state labor board, which concluded a two-year battle with the board of education (BOE) over its illegal outsourcing of custodians’ jobs. 

In the new agreement, custodians hired since the labor board decision will receive a 32 percent increase in wages over the term of the agreement. School secretaries and administrator/accounts payable secretaries will get wage increases of 18 to 21 percent. A wage “bump” is also applied to food service personnel with three or more years of service, providing one member with a 15 percent wage increase, as well as a later step raise for each employee.

Employees not included in the above-listed wage adjustments will each receive a 2.5 percent wage increase in the first year, 3 percent in the second year, and 3.5 percent in the third year. All wage increases will be retroactive to July 1, 2012.

Union members worked hard to achieve these wage gains. Before sitting down at the bargaining table with the BOE’s negotiators, the union leaders and membership had decided that in these negotiations, they needed to address the vast disparity between their wages and workers performing the same work in other school districts. They collected more than a dozen contracts covering school workers in surrounding towns, most of which indicated that they were greatly underpaid.

The union bargaining committee also fought hard to keep the health insurance plan intact. Although there will be some increases in co-pays, employees’ share of the premium will increase only .5 percent a year (non-retroactive). The union also succeeded in decreasing the cost differential between individual and family coverage from 40 percent to 30 percent.

For food service workers, the new contract increases the accumulated sick leave payout from seven to 11.25 days. The amount of sick leave available to all employees for family illness was increased from two to five days. Another language change will permit food service workers to use all of their $150 allowance for work clothing to purchase work shoes, previously they could not use more than $75 for shoes. The agreement also increases the time limit for filing a grievance from 5 to 10 days, providing the union more time to investigate.

The BOE pushed to eliminate contract language on "fill-ins” which provided that fill-in workers must become members of the union after 120 days. The new compromise language says that fill-in workers must become union members after 90 workdays (excluding weekends and other non-workdays).

TWO-YEAR FIGHT STRENGTHENED UNION

In December 2009 – soon after negotiating the previous contract with the union – the BOE suspended four custodians on disciplinary charges – half the custodial workforce – and then outsourced their work to a private custodial company. The union filed a grievance as well as complaints with the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations. The state labor board held four hearings in which several courageous union members testified, and on November 15, 2011 the labor board issued a decision that was a sweeping win for the union. The Woodbridge BOE was forced to post and fill full-time custodial positions, and to provide back pay to a union member who had been denied the opportunity to bid into a full-time custodial job.

That long, difficult battle and the resulting victory made Sub-local 80 stronger than ever, and the unity developed during the privatization fight had a decisive impact on these negotiations.

Custodian Kory Cook (a 15-month employee) is pleased with the new contract “I appreciate the hard work of the committee. Their hard work and dedication provided us with a great contract, with wage increases that will help to support my family.” School Secretary Judy Silva also commended the committee. “Thanks for all your hard work and persistence. You provided us with a great contract!”

The negotiating committee consisted of President Vito Esparo (custodian), Vice President Lola Johnson (administrative secretary and also statewide vice president of Local 222), and Mina Stiber (food service). They were assisted by Field Organizer Colleen Ezzo.

 

13 June, 2013Wilmerding, PA

On May 1, members of UE Local 610 ratified a new three-year contract that improves wages, maintains the defined benefit pension for eligible employees, preserves the existing health plan with some changes, and makes other improvements. The company had sought to freeze the pension plan for tier 1 employees, and pushed that issue until late in negotiations.

Workers hired since October 2004 on a lower pay scale will receive annual raises of 67 cents an hour in order to reduce the gap in wages. Other members will receive annual hourly raises of 53 cents. All members receive signing bonuses on May 1 of each year in the amounts of $500 in 2013, $250 in 2014 and $250 in 2015. The night shift hourly pay premium is increased from 60 cents to 85 cents. New language will protect the wage rates of post-2004 (MSO) employees with at least five years service in cases if they are involuntarily placed in lower-paid job classifications. 

The 80/20 health insurance plan was maintained, but employee’s monthly contributions are increased each year. By the third year the employee contributions will be $70/employee only, $80/employee and child, $105/employee and spouse, and $120/family. A new alternative 70/30 plan will be offered with significantly lower employee contributions. Life insurance coverage is increased in each year of the contract, from the previous level of $34,000 to $42,000 by the third year. Weekly short-term disability pay will increase from $370 to $410 by the third year.

A floating holiday and personal day were converted to sick/emergency days, with one additional paid day off added per year. A language change will better protect workers’ eligibility for holiday pay. The annual allowances for prescription safety glasses and for safety shoes were each increased from $125 to $145.

“It’s interesting, and sad, to see a corporation like Wabtec that’s made record profits every quarter still act like their employees don’t deserve little more,” said Local President Antwon Gibson. “But with what we achieved, we got a lot of positive feedback from the members. We extended the contact for 24 hours so we could present the best possible agreement to the members. It wasn’t all that we needed or wanted, but we got some important language changes, and a decent raise across the board.”

Chief Steward Kris Kovel says, “Our biggest fights were healthcare, wages and the pension. The pension was a fight right down to the last hour. The company wanted to put everyone in the 401(k). We were unwilling to give that up, but I think that’s going to be a continuing fight. But I think we did pretty good.” Kovel credits the members for their active support, which included wearing orange T-shirts, union buttons and rallying at work. “The last day (April 30) everybody wore their orange T-shirts at both plants, and at break times they went out in a peaceful protest, the rubber plant people went out and gathered in the parking lot, and in Wilmerding they walked out to the flagpole, said the pledge of allegiance and then walked back in.”

Local 610’s 285 members manufacture air brake systems for the railroad industry and have been represented by UE for more than 75 years. Their customers include the GE locomotive plant in Erie represented by Local 506.  

The bargaining committee consisted of President Antwon Gibson, Chief Steward Kris Kovel, Second Shift Chief Steward Dave Lersch, Vice President Ray Sash, Business Agent Jim Naser, and Salaried Unit Chief Steward Tim Rohad. They were assisted by UE International Representative Marion Washington.

13 June, 2013Members rallied at the plant gate on May 31.Erie, PA

In a bulletin issued to members June 7, Local 506’s bargaining committee wrote: “After three meetings last week and two bargaining sessions this week (June 3 and 4), we regret having to inform you that there has been no real progress in our efforts to save the 950 jobs. At every bargaining session, your officers and the national union have repeatedly asked the Company for proposals to save jobs. As of yesterday (June 4), GE made no proposals and has not offered any concrete ideas to save even one job.”

(Click on the link below to download the bulletin as a PDF file.)

Rather than offer proposals to keep jobs in Erie, the company has made proposals to change work rules, which it says will make the plant “more efficient.” But it offers no retention of jobs if it gets its way on issues such as attendance, parking rules, use of cell phones or the issuance of employee badges. And the company rejected UE’s proposal to extend bargaining to July 1. (The contract requires 60 days of bargaining over a job transfer decision, and despite the lack of any substantive bargaining by GE, that timeline will soon expire.)

Meanwhile Local 506’s workplace and community campaign to “Keep It Made in Erie” continues, as does the legal action brought against UE before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by UE’s legal department in Pittsburgh, charging GE with bad-faith bargaining and other illegal behaviour.

June7Sup.pdf

12 June, 2013Local 506 members rally for jobs.Erie, PA

May 31 was a national “Day of Action” by UE members in support of the ongoing fight by Local 506 members to keep their work and good-paying union jobs in Erie, Pennsylvania – a community that has made GE profitable for more than 100 years.

At its May 16-17 meeting, the UE General Executive Board adopted a “Statement of Solidarity” with Local 506 that called for support from all UE locals, starting with a day of action on May 31 in all three UE regions.

In the Northeast Region, dozens of demonstrators rallied at GE’s corporate headquarters in Fairfield, CT. Petitions with more than 10,000 signatures were presented to a GE representative outside the guarded entrance, along with a “Keep It Made in Erie” T-shirt for GE CEO Jeff Immelt. Participants came from UE Locals 203, 243, 274, 279, four sub-locals of Local 222, and included a Local 332 contingent who arrived by motorcycle from the GE plant in Fort Edward, NY. UE Local 506 members Lee Singleton and Terry Gigax came from Erie to help lead the Fairfield picket, and leaders of several UE locals spoke, as did Director of Organization Bob Kingsley and Northeast Region President Peter Knowlton.

Also on May 31, 40 people rallied at the headquarters of GE Transportation in Downtown Chicago, including members of Local 896, 1103, 1166, 1177, Warehouse Workers for Justice, Chicago Teachers Union, Workers United and Jobs with Justice. Two Local 506 members, Bill Bane and Joe Bradney participated, as did UE Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker. A delegation of four went inside and met with a human resources manager and delivered petitions with thousands of signatures.

ERIE: THREE RALLIES IN ONE DAY

The Day of Action in Erie was three actions, as members participated in plant gate shift rallies at 7:00 a.m., 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. Combined turnout for the three events was in the thousands. GE workers were joined by members of other UE locals and other unions, and the rallies were chaired by Eastern Region President Deb Gornall. “We need to tell this company, ‘You stole our work, bring it back!” UE General President Bruce Klipple told members, and he added, “We’re in the fight of our lives, and your national union will do whatever is needed to help you.”

UE International Rep. Gene Elk is the secretary of the UE-GE Conference board and is assisting Local 506’s officers in bargaining with the company. Elk blasted the company’s illegal movement work to Texas before giving the union notice, and for showing no interest at the bargaining table in saving jobs. “We’ve met with them 10 times now, and we’ve wasted time” discussing such things as the attendance policy, even though the company admits that if it got the changes it wants in attendance rules, it would save no jobs.

“Every day we’re in negotiations we ask them how we’re going to save jobs,” Elk continued. “And this company has not put forward a proposal to save even a single job.” Elk said the union suspects that the company would try to squeeze union members and take back the wage increase that is due on June 24. He asked members for their answer to that, and each time the crowd roared, “No!”

Jim Harvey, a 39-year-member, told a story that illustrates how UE members support the community. After thieves stole $3,500 worth of equipment from a BMX track on the West Side of Erie, members donated more than $4,000 in less than 24 hours to restore the recreation of the affected kids. “If we make you aware of an injustice in your community, you just open up your wallets to help. That’s what UE is all about. This union has donated millions of dollars over the years. I’ve never been so proud of this union.”

At the afternoon rally for first shift workers, Karen Anderson, the president of UE Local 618, the Erie plant salary workers, also spoke. She reminded members of the thousands of jobs GE had eliminated in Erie through the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, and that each time the company had been dishonest about its intentions. Other UE locals that participated were Local 642 and 684, and Kevin Luke of Local 684 spoke at the final afternoon rally.

Local 506 President Scott Duke delivered the final speech at each of the three rallies, with a very forceful message. “The community has embraced this local like I’ve never seen before,” he said. “When I walk in a store with a UE shirt on, strangers come up and tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘Thank you, we’re with you.’” Duke explained why the union had gone to the news media and exposed GE’s refusal to offer any proposals to save jobs, and then he described the union’s position. “Our proposal is to keep these 950 jobs. That’s our proposal! Anything else ain’t gonna happen. Wage freeze? Not going to happen. We earned those wages and we fought for those wages. They’re union wages. Be proud of that, and don’t ever forget it.”

 

Eastside: The Future and BackAn Intersection of Histories, Memories, & Places in San Antonio’s Eastside


Centro Por la Justicia (The Centro) provides cultural and educational opportunities in the community through a variety of outlets and programs. A large part of The Centro’s work and programming takes place in a community space known as the Movement Gallery, which was developed to create opportunities for local artists and cultural workers to share their voice and integrate their practices into a larger social justice framework. Using a cultural organizing model, The Movement Gallery fosters artistic and cultural expression to serve as a vehicle for representation, participation, critical analysis, and action in the immediate community and beyond. It is home to a series of rotating projects, art openings, community classes and meetings, as well as the permanent installation- La Biblioteca Clandestina/The Underground Library.This summer Centro Por La Justicia, with support from The City of San Antonio Department for Culture and Creative Development, will develop a multimedia installation in the Movement Gallery focused on the theme of local history and storytelling. This new project will collect past Eastside neighborhood stories and connect them with the voices of the people and places coming into the changing neighborhood. These stories will focus on iconic places of memory in the neighborhood, current and past representations of Eastside identity, and the formation of new communities as people migrate in and out of the area. The installation will bring these personal and collective stories to life using audio, photography, video, and other digital and interactive art forms. Centro Por La Justicia is currently seeking 3 high school or college age youth interns to help guide this storytelling, art, and media making process. This project will require local research, preparatory interviews, and meetings between community members, community organizers, and artists in order to have multigenerational conversations that have not before taken place. The project artistic director will work with the interns through the research and preparatory phases, and guide them through the exploration of several media and art forms that will be used to tell the stories. The gallery opening on Saturday, September 7 will showcase the installation and will be open to the public. Youth interns will: ·      Gain community research and organizing experience, as well as interviewing and storytelling skills ·      Build their artistic skill set and portfolio, and learn to develop their voice and point of view through storytelling and media production·      Learn about local history and communities, and work with professional artists, community leaders, and community organizers ·      Earn a small stipend
Who is eligible?·      Youth of high school and college age with an interest in art and media production and working with community members·      Youth committed to fully participating, and available to work on the project 4-8 hours/week beginning in late June and wrapping up in late August (hours are flexible)
Interested youth should submit the application below to laura@swunion.org or in person at 1416 E. Commerce by June 20. For more information please call Laura at 210-299-2666. Centro Por La Justicia is committed to equity and representation and encourages youth of color, women, and LGBTQ youth to apply.


NAME: DATE OF BIRTH: ADDRESS: PHONE: EMAIL:
High school, college or university you are attending:
Describe yourself in one sentence, highlighting your talents, history, experience, or interests.


What do you hope to accomplish during this project? What do you hope to gain?



Tell us about a neighborhood or community you belong to, and why it is important to you.




Please share any community engagement, arts, or media experience you have.


What programs do you have experience with (e.g. InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro, Word)?


Do you have any other commitments that will limit your participation in this project? 

I’m motivated to fight against this deportation by all the support from my farmworker community, my friends and our allies. By working to stop one deportation, we are demonstrating that we can stop more while we fight to win immigration reform. –Danilo Lopez, Migrant Justice





Last week, Migrant Justice celebrated two years of hard work and dedication when S.38, the bill that makes it possible for all people in Vermont to get drivers' licenses, was signed into law. It was a bittersweet moment for the human rights movement we are building together. On the same day, Danilo Lopez – a human rights leader and friend to many – got news that he is facing deportation on July 5.


Stop Danilo's deportation by signing this petition now!



The Obama Administration is deporting 1,100 people every day. Many of them, like Danilo, would qualify for legal status if immigration reform passes. Read a recent news article on Danilo here.



Migrant Justice is leading a public campaign to stop this injustice. Together we call on the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use "prosecutorial discretion" to stop this deportation. Not only has Danilo worked tirelessly to make Vermont a better place for everyone, he would very likely qualify under immigration reform. 

With the drivers' license victory under our belts, let’s send a strong message together to stop deportations that tear apart families and communities, across the country and right here in Vermont!



Take Urgent Action



We have less than a month to stop this deportation. Here are some urgent steps you can take:

1. SIGN and SHARE this petition to ICE Director John Morton.
2. CALL ICE Director John Morton at 202-732-3000. Phone calls have a great impact in demonstrating our support for Danilo. (Daniel is his birth name and Danilo his nickname). Tell him: “Please use prosecutorial discretion to halt the deportation of Daniel Alejandro Lopez Santiago (A089-088-623). Daniel is a civic leader and human rights organizer who has worked tirelessly to make Vermont a better place for everyone. He’s a vital part of our community.”
3. WRITE a letter of support by Friday June 12, especially if you know Danilo personally or have been directly involved with Migrant Justice campaigns. See samples from last year here. Email your letter to info@migrantjustice.net or mail it to Migrant Justice / Attn: Danilo’s campaign / 294 N. Winooski Ave, Suite 130 / Burlington, VT 05401.
4. VOLUNTEER! Migrant Justice needs volunteers for phone banking, or who can organize their union, place of worship, or other organization to take action in support of Danilo and an end to deportations. Call MJ at 802-658-6770 or email info@migrantjustice.net.

Please stay tuned for more information. Follow Migrant Justice on Facebook or join MJ's email list for updates straight from the source.

11 June, 2013Washingtonby Chris Townsend, UE Political Action Director

Why do government spying and surveillance revelations matter to working people? First, let's consider that it is now confirmed that Big Brother -- and Big Business -- routinely spy-on your daily phone and internet activities, and the entire population apparently. The bottom line of the June 6 revelations by the Washington Post newspaper and the U.K. based Guardian paper confirms this outrageous fact. Reporting by these two newspapers for the first time revealed the existence of the PRISM program; a top-secret government and corporate apparatus to electronically spy-on the daily activities of the population -- at minimum.  PRISM enables multiple government spy agencies and countless private companies to record and archive the private phone calls, internet activities, and e-mail traffic of everyone who uses any of these services. Renegade corporate operative John Snowden has been confirmed as one source for much of the PRISM disclosures. He was employed -- until being fired on June 10 -- as a private contractor for the Booz Allen Hamiton consulting firm, where he was assigned to conduct the work of the National Security Agency (NSA) at the "Threat Operations Center" in Hawaii.  Snowden was last seen publicly in Hong Kong on June 10.

Political and corporate apologists have gone into overdrive to justify and defend PRISM -- and denounce critics of this repressive scheme. The program was initiated under the Bush-Cheney regime, and it continued to grow and develop with the support of the current Obama-Biden White House. Less than a dozen Members of Congress apparently knew of PRISM, as that the vast majority of "intelligence" functions in Congress are also kept secret. The growing list of corporate contractors now exposed as participants are largely silent, presumably hoping that the controversy will blow-over and the flow of enormous profits from these contracts will not be impaired as a result. The PRISM program scandal has also generated curiousity about the growing  number of privately-held or controlled corporations owned by the 16 public U.S. intelligence agencies. Several hundred companies are now apparently owned, or dominated by one or another agency of the U.S. intelligence community. The growth of corporate involvement in spying and other intelligence and repressive activities has been enormous, with the Washington Post having reported in 2010 that almost 2,000 private companies conduct various spying activities in more than 10,000 locations in the U.S. alone. The current news reports would indicate that this privatized spy world continues to expand far beyond what was reported just three years ago. Exact details of the corporate participation in domestic surveillance and spying are also secret -- like most things that private companies do.

Since the launching of the boundaryless "war on terror" by the Bush-Cheney regime, our nation has compiled an overseas record of massive spying and surveillance, secret detention, imprisonment without trial, torture, unlimited use of contractor and mercenary military units, and increasingly murder-by-drone-strike. Everything is justified by the need to stop "the bad guys" in "the long war against terror." Congress continues to fund this undeclared and endless war, with only the most minimal oversight. Both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for this situation, with only minuscule numbers from either party resisting at any point as our enormous security and military machinery has been steadily expanded and funded. The new PRISM exposure should give most working people pause to question whether or not our objectionable and frequently illegal overseas practices are now coming home for domestic application and consumption; it appears that at least some of the "war on terror" chickens are coming home to roost.

UE has historically resisted and denounced the destructive role that unaccountable and secret government agencies and their conduct always have on the Constitutional and union rights of working people. During the repressive McCarthyite period UE stood strong against the political and security hysteria of the day. Countless UE leaders, members and their families were victimized in the "dirty decade" of the 1950's, and today all credible observers will confess that we were correct to resist even under the difficult conditions of that time. Sound union principles again led our union to confront runaway state power only one week after the horrific 9-11 attacks. In 2001, delegates to the the 66th UE National Convention went on record to caution that, "...there is a heightened danger that politicians will cynically use the legitimate anger and anxiety of the American people to seek new curtailment of our civil liberties."  At the time UE was virtually alone among unions in our criticism of what grew into the "Homeland Security" frenzy, but looking back our caution was -- if anything -- reserved and understated. Our union has spoken out on this critical issue repeatedly since then, sounding the alarm bell for all of organized labor. The 72nd UE National Convention held in September 2011 likewise resolved that our civil liberties must not be lost in the security stampede drummed-up by politicians and corporations, and we warned that surveillance tools given to the government can, and will, be used against law abiding working people.

The new scandalous spying and surveillance revelations are a sobering moment; our sacred Constitutional rights and civil liberties have been massively invaded and violated, with almost no Congressional action -- yet -- to rein-in the state security agencies and companies. As reported, the state security forces now apparently consider everyone in the U.S. with some degree of suspicion. This is a quantum leap into repressive territory. The role of enormous numbers of private companies in the current situation is barely being questioned or studied at all. Nor is the fact that U.S. government agencies now own, or control, growing numbers of private companies. By their very nature these companies are not accountable to anyone but the few who own them, and they provide ample means for additional abuses of the population. They have a vested interest in maintaining their own profitable status, a totally different motivation than securing our population from actual terroristic threats and dangers. In this situation who determines what is a "threat"? When working people and our unions peacefully demonstrate are we also a "threat"? Who is going to determine this? Some invisible private company somewhere? Based on what? What assurances do the U.S. people have that our most private information about our lives is not being sold or traded among the private corporate participants for even greater profitable returns?  What guarantees do working people have that this information is not being sold to -- or shared with -- our employers? Can my boss buy information that PRISM has gathered on me? What guarantees do we have that we will not be set-up or entrapped by private companies that now profit from the "security" system? The questions go on and on and on. And there are few answers forthcoming, so far.

All of this also begs a larger question; "What else are the government and the private companies doing that is yet to be discovered?" What was considered impossible, incredible, or even far fetched just a few years ago now seems to be commonplace behavior for our U.S. government and its corporate allies. This is an ominous moment for our beleaguered democratic experiment in the United States of America. The revolutionary Founding Fathers would observe these current events in great distress, as our own path to freedom and national independence from the despotic King of England would never have succeeded had the political "leadership" of today been in charge at that time. These are the reasons -- and then some -- why government spying and surveillance revelations matter to working people. If we are stripped of our remaining Constitutional rights, working people will have no means by which to resist the imposition of government and corporate power onto our lives and communities. That's a bleak future best avoided if at all possible.

For more information as these events play-out, visit the web page of Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a staunch defender of the civil liberties and rights of working people and unions. Also visit the web pages of the Defending Dissent Foundation and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee for updates. The coming 73rd UE National Convention will once again take up discussion of these events as part of our historic committment to defending our democratic rights. Regaining our freedoms and liberties from the government agencies and corporations who have usurped them will take individual and collective action by all of us. Spending the time to investigate the extent of these crimes must be the order of the day for all working people, and a willingness to challenge the politicians and corporations who have allowed -- or condoned -- this assault on our democracy looms ahead as a necessary task.

 

From the Directors #1

 Welcome to From the Directors!

 In an effort to more consistently communicate with members, supporters and allies, my fellow EMEAC co-director, Diana Copeland and I, are creating a space in which to share our thoughts and analyses on a variety of issues that intersect our work, as well as provide updates on new initiatives, collaborations and other organization-wide efforts.

 The video you see here is a short clip from a longer conversation that Diana and I had about the transition to shared leadership. In it, I speak to what led me to EMEAC. Moving forward, we will be posting write ups and/or videos three times per month.

 Please stay tuned for the next From the Director vlog, where Diana and I will discuss the importance of the "shared leadership" model in Detroit organizing!

 Sincerely, Ife Kilimanjaro EMEAC Co-Director

Less than one week before the end of the school year, UChicago dining workers continue to face uncertainty about their employment in the fall. The University plans to close down Pierce Hall for renovations at the end of this school year, but has not told Pierce’s workers whether or not they’ll have a job when they come back in the fall. Campus workers are the backbone of this University, and depend on these jobs to support their families and make ends meet.

On May 21st students held a letter delegation demanding that ARAMARK meet with Teamsters Local 743, who represent Pierce dining hall workers. Although the company agreed to meet with the union, the meeting did not end in a guarantee of no layoffs of UChicago Dining Staff, or result in significant concrete information about the effects of the closure on individual workers.

The UChicago Housing Office has been able to promise that no facilities or residential services permanent staff will be laid off, including those subcontracted to other employers. We see no reason why ARAMARK and UChicago Dining, which purport not to intend any layoffs, should not be able to make the same guarantee.

Send a message to President Robert Zimmer and Dining Director Richard Mason: ARAMARK must work with the union and guarantee no layoffs!

ARAMARK has not done an impressive job of earning students’ trust this year. For this reason, nothing short of a guarantee will assure students of ARMARK’s commitment to retaining a large enough dining staff to adequately serve the higher number of students, or the company’s honest intention to work in good faith with the Union.

CPA Welcomes the 2013 Eva Lowe Fellows

CPA is excited to welcome the 4th cohort of the Eva Lowe Fellowship for Social Justice. This year, CPA is hosting 6 fellows with experience in organizing around workers rights, immigration reform and immigrant rights, and student and community issues.

Meet the 2013 Fellows

Image Thumbnail:  Date:  Mon, 06/10/2013

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