Mar
2011 21
2011 21
“If you’re looking for a one word description that gets at the heart of the problem, it’s not jobs but wages.”
Daily Kos contributor David Mizner published a compelling argument for more focus on wages in a blog published Saturday. Mizner begins by citing a recent Harold Meyerson column, one that highlights the discrepancy between productivity and wage growth… Productivity increased 5.2 percent from the recovery’s start in mid-2009 to the end...
Mar
2011 21
2011 21
BLOCKSTEP: Iowa Conservatives Likely to Hold Up Legislation That Exposes Wage Malpractice
The Des Moines Register reported this weekend that “complaints about unpaid wages among Latinos in central Iowa have sharply increased in the past four months” and that over $80,000 in unpaid wages have been recouped from 11 employers since October. The article, Growing Number of Latino Workers Report They Aren’t Paid Wages,...
Mar
2011 21
2011 21
IBEW-Trained Activist Forges Follow-Up to Last Week’s “Keep the Promise” Rally in Maryland
The Young Trade Unionists, headed by IBEW-trained chairman Cory McCray, are looking to capitalize on a wildly successful statehouse rally last Monday with another rally this evening. WHERE: Annapolis, MD — Lawyer’s Mall in front of the Maryland State Capitol WHEN: Monday, March 21st, 2011 — 6PM – 9PM The Washington Post...
Mar
2011 20
2011 20
3.21.11 — HBO Will Air “Triangle: Remembering the Fire” Shirtwaist Factory Documentary
Monday, March 21st at 9PM, HBO will premiere their documentary, Triangle: Remembering the Fire, about 146 garment workers killed when they were trapped in a factory in 1911. The trailer is below, more information from HBO is HERE. In a Washington Post article, U.S. Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, provides some background on the tragedy: ...
Mar
2011 20
2011 20
With Kasich, SB5 Turning Ohioans Off, Talk of Revising the Bill Amplifies. Will This All Help Obama?
Public Policy Polling, which the Wall Street Journal ranked one of the best swing-state pollsters in the country in 2008, released a buyer’s remorse study about Ohio Governor John Kasich in the wake of the passing of anti-bargaining bill, SB5. Their study, titled Brutal Numbers for Kasich, SB5, suggests little love for the Governor and ...
Mar
2011 18
2011 18
“We’re well on the way to creating a permanent underclass of the jobless. Why doesn’t Washington care?”
It might not be so bad if the jobless could expect to find new employment fairly soon. But unemployment has become a trap, one that’s very difficult to escape. There are almost five times as many unemployed workers as there are job openings; the average unemployed worker has been jobless for 37 weeks, a post-World ...
Mar
2011 18
2011 18
HOW TO FACEBOOK: Discover the Power That Social Networking Holds for the Labor Movement
Recently, the creator of We Party Patriots had the honor of giving a presentation to the Building Trades leaders of Massachusetts about the value of Facebook for the labor movement. We have decided to publish a portion of the presentation here as a web resource. If this interests you, you might also consider our HOW ...
Mar
2011 17
2011 17
“It should not take a tragedy to build a bridge this fast in America.”
Yesterday, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa, District 1) questioned witnesses at a project labor agreement hearing at the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Iowa’s governor, Terry Branstad, recently signed Executive Order #69 to ban the use of PLAs on state-funded projects. The Master Builders of Iowa, an anti-union group, admit to having...
Mar
2011 17
2011 17
PHILIPS TO SHUT DOWN TN PLANT: “We don’t know what we’re gonna do, or what’s gonna happen.”
The IBEW has ramped up its efforts to keep a Philips plant in Sparta, Tennessee from shutting down this summer. The Netherlands-based company has threatened to move its operation to Mexico in a classic job-shipping move. The IBEW’s petition asks the obvious question: Why? Philips has not given a reason. Perhaps CEO Gerard Kleisterlee thinks ...
Mar
2011 17
2011 17
5,000 Converge on Michigan’s Capitol
Protesters carried signs calling for Snyder’s recall and worse. They chanted slogans made popular in Wisconsin’s union protests, including: “What’s disgusting? Union busting.” The Detroit Free Press reports that 5,000 people rallied in Lansing yesterday, with video of the state capitol protest (below) bearing...
Mar
2011 16
2011 16
Must-See Chart Puts Class War In Simple Terms
This chart original appeared last month at the Center for American Progress site. According to CAP: “The chart compares the 10 safety-net programs slated for deep cuts with the cost of the tax breaks that should also be considered for reduction or elimination to bring the budget into balance.” The chart gained extra reach when ...
Mar
2011 16
2011 16
WE ARE ONE Campaign to Support Embattled Workers Kicks off Solidarity Week on April 4
The AFL-CIO has launched a national campaign to make April 4th, the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., a national day of solidarity for workers in states battling anti-worker measures. The celebration hopes to kick off a week of rallies around the country. Huffington Post made note of the campaign last week. ...
