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Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010 marks 100 days on strike!
Please consider joining the workers on the picket
line any time during the day on Monday, August 30,
2010. Workers will be barbequing throughout the
afternoon. Displays of solidarity through food
donations on Monday for the barbeque, as well as the
means listed below, are greatly encouraged.
For additional Information, please
visit:
www.mottsworkers.org
Mott's Newsletter
MOTT'S STRIKE GARNERS NATIONAL ATTENTION:
The ongoing strike by upstate New York Mott's
workers - first covered by Union City back in early
July and supported from the very beginning by UFCW
400 - is now drawing much-deserved national
attention, including a front-page New York Times
article last week. Mott's is owned by the Dr
Pepper Snapple Group, which is demanding major wage
cuts while posting record profits. "This fight has
implications well beyond these workers," noted
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka earlier this week.
"This greedy company thinks it can take advantage of
a small group in Williamson, New York, while the
rest of the labor movement sits by and watches. If
we allow this to happen in New York, it will spread
to other profitable companies seeking to follow
suit." Supporters are being urged to boycott
products from Mott's, Snapple and Dr. Pepper;
click here for a list.
- photo: outside the Mott's apple
juice plant in Williamson, N.Y., Mike LeBerth,
president of the union local, is picketing against
demands for wage and benefit givebacks; photo by
James Rajotte for The New York Times
[reprinted from The Union City]
Emergency Food Drive:
To Benefit Striking RWDSU Local 220 Workers -
Julie Schmidtke, OPEIU Local 277 member and
President, Next Generation United, explains "300+
Workers have been on a 24/7 strike outside of the
Mott's Plant in Williamson, NY since May 23, 2010.
Please donate non-perishable food items such as
pasta, sauce, cereals, boxed meals, and canned goods
- we will box them up and deliver them. Weekly
Drop-Offs - Thursdays from 2-4pm at the NILICO
office, 1567 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY
14623. NILICO (OPEIU Local 277) has pledged to keep
this drive running until the strike ends - and we
need your support!" For additional information
please contact Julie at
jsschmidtke@nilife.com or (585) 301-1920
Monetary Donations may be sent to: RWDSU Local 200,
PO Box 113, Williamson, NY 14589.
Rumor on the Street:
Sources indicate that management and workers still
inside the plant are actively going out of their way
to stop ordering food and services from local
vendors who have been seen selling products and
services to the RWDSU Local 220 strikers.
Statements by AFL-CIO President, Richard Trumka:
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka
On LIUNA Reaffiliation with the AFL-CIO August 16,
2010: We are very happy that LIUNA is rejoining
the AFL-CIO at a critical moment for working people.
Union members, like all working families, have been
hard hit by a brutal economy and decades of policies
that have undermined the middle class. More than
ever, now is the moment for a unified labor
movement. And as we rebuild and strengthen the labor
movement, we will work together to create good jobs,
restore a middle-class economy, and elect leaders
who stand with working people. Together, brick by
brick, we will build an economy that works for
everyone. LIUNA brings a proud history and
dedication to the union movement and we are
delighted to welcome them back to the AFL-CIO. I
want to personally recognize the president of LIUNA,
Terry O'Sullivan, for his leadership and commitment
to working people.
Rochester Building & Construction Trades Council
Takes Action: "Bad Neighbor Notice! @ NORTHGATE
PLAZA. Widewaters has hired SAMACO Enterprises from
LIVERPOOL, NY to perform demolition work for the new
WAL-MART. Obviously they don't care about the local
community! Call Widewaters today and demand LOCAL
JOBS for LOCAL PEOPLE. Joseph Scuderi, President,
(315) 445-2424 phone, (315) 445-8569 fax,
jscuderi@widewaters.com; William Andris Project
Manager (315) 445-8638.
AFL-CIO Endorsed
Candidates and Political Activity:Rochester Labor
Council, AFL-CIO:
Labor Walk - Saturday, September 11, 2010 for Harry
Bronson (Candidate for State Assembly, District 131)
and Matt Zeller (Candidate for Congress, District
29), Sheet Metal Workers Local 46, 244 Paul Road,
Rochester, NY
Labor Walk - Saturday, September 18, 2010 for Dan
Maffei (Congressional Member, District 25)
Rochester Labor Day Parade: Meetings are
scheduled for this year's parade, themed "Walk with
the Workers Who Make Rochester Run!" If your
organization plans to participate in this year's
parade, please join us for our last planning meeting
of the season: Thursday, September 2. ***Please
return your Parade Recognition Sheets*** For
additional information, and to download a
participation request form, please visit
www.rochesterlabor.org
Democrat and Chronicle Online: The Democrat
and Chronicle reports: "You can get your piece on
DemocratandChronicle.com via our 'Get Published'
feature. These pieces are not held to the length
restrictions of our printed Editorial Page and also
can be accompanied by photos. Click on the 'Get
Published' link on the Opinion section of the
DemocratandChronicle.com to publish your work
online."
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/section/OPINION
Economic Policy Institute (EPI) Reports:
From Bad to Worse: Revised GDP
numbers show even more pronounced slowing of
economic growth:
"Today's revisions to estimates of gross domestic
product (GDP) confirm that the deceleration of
economic growth in the second quarter of 2010 was
even more pronounced than originally thought. In
fact, without the stream of spending provided by the
Recovery Act the economy would have contracted
outright. This is most troubling, as Recovery Act
money is almost spent and will provide no boost to
growth going forward. The case for more action from
policymakers to support the recovery and return the
job-market to health is now overwhelming," said EPI
economist Josh Bivens.
Ten reasons not to raise the
retirement age:
At a time when more Americans are living longer,
raising the retirement age may seem like a good way
to strengthen Social Security. EPI Vice President
Ross Eisenbrey explains why it is not.
Click here for the 10 reasons.
Jobs ... but low pay:
While a lack of jobs is arguably the biggest problem
facing the labor market, another major concern is
the quality of the jobs that are being created.
Today's
Snapshot presents the five fastest growing
occupations between 2006 and 2009 and shows that all
but one of them pays below $15.95 an hour, the
median wage.
Immigration Policy Center:
Truth Held Hostage: Dissecting the
Lies About Kidnapping in Arizona - August 26, 2010 -
Washington, D.C. - In their never-ending attempts to
score cheap political points by demonizing
unauthorized immigrants, proponents of Arizona's
anti-immigration law (SB 1070) never miss an
opportunity to perpetuate the myth that "Phoenix is
the number two kidnapping capital of the world." Not
only is this claim patently untrue, but it ignores
two inconvenient facts. First, unauthorized
immigrants are themselves the primary victims of
kidnappings in Phoenix. And secondly, violent crime
rates in Arizona have been falling for years,
according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In a
new Perspectives piece and corresponding Fact Check,
IPC Senior Research, Walter Ewing, dispels the
kidnapping myth and argues that the root of the
problem is the broken U.S. immigration system, not
unauthorized immigrants.
To read the Perspectives piece, see:
To read the Fact Check, see:
Union Made Vehicles: For those who want to
drive union-made wheels, here's a list of 2010
vehicles made by UAW and CAW members in the US and
Canada:
http://www.uaw.org/news/newsarticle.cfm?ArtId=565
Press release here:
http://www.uaw.org/uawmade/auto/2010/index.cfm
NYS AFL-CIO Legislative Alert:
NYS AFL-CIO Legislative Department:
http://www.nysaflcio.org/index.cfm?zone=view_page.cfm&page=Legislative20Issues
Other Significant Topics:
Follow the AFL-CIO at:
Facebook:
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/c1a2q4d1kB_m/h
Twitter:
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/dda2q4d1kB_7/
YouTube:
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/cda2q4d1kB_E/
Deficit Chair Simpson Rants Against Seniors Again.
Time to Go
Ohio Labor 2010: UAW Retiree--'Volunteer Once,
You'll Do It Again'
Looking for Health Insurance? HealthCare.Gov Can
Help
Florida Labor 2010: Voters Say the State Is NOT for
Sale
Hotel Workers Add 3 Chicago Hyatts to Boycott List
New Report: Recovery Act Created Up to 3.3 Million
Jobs
Don't Raise the Retirement Age
Postal Workers March to Save Saturday Mail Delivery
Colombia's Workers Risk Lives to Gain Their Rights
Iowa Labor 2010: Grassroots Outreach Among Retired
Americans
Manufacturing Policy Key to Economic Recovery
Corporate Scandals No Bar to Campaign Cash for
Whitman
Project Agreements: Best Value for Construction
Dollars
Steve Earle Gives Up Dr. Pepper for Striking
Workers-and More Bargaining News
Deficit Commission's Not So Secret Target-Social
Security
Growing Inequality Threatens Middle Class and
Democracy
IBEW Members in Gulf Coast Rebuilding Lives,
Communities
UAW Joins Blue Green Alliance
OPEIU's Goodwin Calls for 'Back-to-Basics' Unionism
Iowa Labor 2010: Staying Home this Election Not an
Option
Public to Lawmakers: End Tax Cuts for the Rich
Union Plus Offers Discounts on College Test Prep
Courses
Bankruptcies Up. No Work. Need Action Now to Create
Jobs
UAW Chevy Wins Big at Brickyard, Nonunion Toyota
Eats Exhaust
Ukraine Unions Leading the Fight for Quality Health
Care
News Stories:
Farmworkers: Take Our Jobs Please!
AFSCME National Elections
This week in labor history for the week of August
23 to August 29, 2010
August 23
The U.S. Commission on Industrial Relations is
formed by Congress, during a period of great labor
and social unrest. After three years, and hearing
witnesses ranging from Wobblies to capitalists, it
issued an 11-volume report frequently critical of
capitalism. The
New York Herald characterized the
Commission's president, Frank P. Walsh, as "a Mother
Jones in trousers" - 1912; Italian immigrants Nicola
Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, accused of murder and
tried unfairly, were executed on this day. The case
became an international cause and sparked
demonstrations and strikes throughout the world -
1927; Seven merchant seamen crewing the SS Baton
Rouge Victory lost their lives when the ship was
sunk by Viet Cong action en route to Saigon - 1966;
Farm Workers Organizing Committee (to later become
United Farm Workers of America) granted a charter by
the AFL-CIO - 1966;
August 24 The
Mechanics Gazette, believed to be the
first U.S. labor newspaper, is published in
Philadelphia, the outgrowth of a strike by
Carpenters demanding a shorter, 10-hour day. The
strike lost but labor journalism blossomed: within
five years there were 68 labor newspapers across the
country, many of them dailies - 1827; The Gatling
Gun Co. - manufacturers of an early machine gun -
writes to B&O Railroad Co. President John W. Garrett
during a strike, urging their product be purchased
to deal with the "recent riotous disturbances around
the country." Says the company: "Four or five men
only are required to operate (a gun), and one
Gatling ... can clear a street or block and keep it
clear" - 1877; National Association of Letter
Carriers formed - 1889; United Farm Workers Union
begins lettuce strike - 1970;
August 25
Birth of Allan Pinkerton, whose strike-breaking
detectives ("Pinks") gave us the word "fink" - 1819;
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters founded at a
meeting in New York City. A. Philip Randolph became
the union's first organizer - 1925;
August 26 Fannie Sellins and Joseph
Starzeleski are murdered by coal company guards on a
picket line in Brackenridge, Penn. Sellins was a
United Mine Workers of America organizer and
Starzeleski was a miner - 1919; After three-quarters
of the states had ratified the 19th Amendment to the
Constitution, women win their long struggle for the
vote - 1920; With America in the depths of the Great
Depression, the Comptroller of the Currency
announces a temporary halt on foreclosures of first
mortgages - 1932; In what some may consider one of
the many management decisions that was to help
cripple the American auto industry over the
following decades, Ford Motor Co. produces its first
Edsel. Ford dropped the project two years later
after losing approximately $350 million - 1957; More
than 1,300 bus drivers on Oahu, Hawaii begin what is
to become a five week strike - 2003;
August 27 Some 14,000 Chicago
teachers who have gone without pay for several
months finally collect about $1,400 each - 1934;
President Truman orders the U.S. Army to seize all
the nation's railroads to prevent a general strike.
The railroads were not returned to their owners
until two years later - 1950;
August 28 The march for jobs and
freedom-the Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have A Dream"
speech march-is held in Washington, D.C. with
250,000 participating - 1963
August 29 Dancers at San
Francisco's Lusty Lady Club vote 57-15 to be
represented by SEIU Local 790. Their first union
contract, ratified eight months later, guaranteed
work shifts, protection against arbitrary discipline
and termination, automatic hourly wage increases,
sick days, a grievance procedure, and removal of
one-way mirrors from peep show booths - 1996;
Northwest Airlines pilots, after years of
concessions to help the airline, begin what is to
become a two-week strike for higher pay -
1998 Sources:
Toil and Trouble, by Thomas R. Brooks;
American Labor Struggles,
by Samuel Yellen; IWW calendar,
Solidarity Forever;
Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor,
edited by Robert E. Weir and James P. Hanlan;
Southwest Labor History Archives/George Meany
Center; Geov Parrish's Radical History; workday
Minnesota; Andy Richards and Adam Wright,
AFL-CIO Washington DC Metro Council (graphics
research). [Reprinted from
www.unionist.com]
Remarks from Local Labor Leaders:
Jim Bertolone, President, R&GV Area Labor
Federation, AFL-CIO, Rochester Business Journal,
"Union Thinking on Motts Strike and Mayoral Control
of Schools"
Julie Schmidtke, Chair, Next Generation United,
AFL-CIO, The Labor News,
"Be Careful What You Wish For"
Media Releases and National AFL-CIO Commentary:
http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/prsptm/
Jesse Lenney, President, Metro-Jusitce of Rochester,
President's Address at the Metro-Justice of
Rochester Annual Meeting:
http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/83354
Bruce Popper, Vice-President, 1199SEIU, Remarks 29th
Annual Celebration of Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.:
http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/83355
Dan DiClemente, President, BENTE-AFSCME, Democrat &
Chronicle, Guest Essay, "Don't Take Public Out of
Education"
Jim Bertolone, President, R&GV Area Labor
Federation, AFL-CIO, Rochester Business Journal,
"Anti-Union Contractors Profit by Exploiting their
Workers"
Flo Tripi, President, CSEA Region 6, Democrat &
Chronicle, Guest Essay, "Stop Blaming Public
Workers"
Upcoming Labor Council Meetings:
Rochester Labor Council, Labor Day Parade Planning
Meeting: Thursday, September 2, 2010, 5pm, NYSUT,
Rochester, NY
Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO, COPE: Wednesday,
September 8, 2010, 5pm, NYSUT, Rochester, NY
Chemung/Schuyler Labor Assembly, General Meeting:
Wednesday, September, 8, 2010, 6pm, CWA 1111,
Elmira, NY
Rochester Labor Council, Executive Board: Thursday,
September 9, 2010, 5pm, IBEW Local 86, Rochester, NY
Rochester Labor Council, Delegates Meeting:
Thursday, September 9, 2010, 6pm, IBEW Local 86,
Rochester, NY
Finger Lakes Labor Assembly, General Meeting:
Monday, September 13, 2010, 5:30pm, IBEW Local 840,
Geneva, NY
Next Generation United, General Meeting: Monday,
September 20, 2010, 5:30pm, NYSUT, Rochester, NY
Steuben/Livingston Labor Council, AFL-CIO, COPE
Meeting: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 6pm,
Corning, NY
Steuben/Livingston Labor Council, AFL-CIO, General
Meeting: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 7pm, Corning,
NY
For More Calendar Updates or to register for events,
please visit
www.rgvalf.org and select "Events"
Cornell ILR Classes:
On-line Cornell Labor Leadership Skills:
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/laborPrograms/
leadership/laborStudies/onlineWorkshops.html
Advanced Negotiation Skills (LB407) This three week
online workshop is designed to help bargaining
committee members understand the process and
strategies for negotiating a contract. Participants
will conduct mock bargaining sessions and role plays
and will learn from union leaders from across the
country. Some familiarity with collective bargaining
is not required but will be helpful. September 7 -
27, 2010 (Available 24 HOURS)
Running Effective Meetings (LB517) Meetings are an
important way to bring people together and get
things done. Conducted skillfully, the outcome is an
efficient and productive means to solve problems and
complete tasks. This three week online workshop
helps equip participants with the skills and
knowledge needed to help keep meetings productive
and focused, whether leading meetings or just
participating in them. October 4 - 24, 2010
(Available 24 HOURS)
Strategic Action Planning (LB512) This is a
practical, how-to workshop to give union activists
additional skills for political action. Two guest
instructors from the United Steel Workers and United
Auto Workers provide labor and political action
expertise. Exercises are used throughout the
workshop to improve skills and tactics. This
workshop will focus on how to manage political
action activities for labor unions. November 1 - 21,
2020 (Available 24 HOURS)
Grievance Writing (LB419) This three week online
non-credit workshop is designed for stewards or
committee persons needing to refine or improve their
grievance writing skills. The workshop will have an
overview of the rights of stewards/committee persons
in resolving disputes in the workplace. Participants
will learn how to protect the grievance process,
equality principle, seven tests of just cause and
how to simplify grievance writing. Stewards will
have the opportunity to prepare and write multiple
grievances and learn techniques to improve your
chances to protect your members. December 1 -21,
2010 (Available 24 HOURS)
If your union is interested in scheduling a course
or workshop on-site, please call Art Wheaton at
(716) 852-1444 x 116 or e-mail
acw18@cornell.edu
On-line Credit Courses:
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/laborPrograms/leadership/laborStudies/online/index.html
Fall 2010 Classes:
Labor, Government & Politics Working people are
greatly affected by political institutions, but may
be somewhat mystified about how they work, and
somewhat wary about whether they are honorable. In
this course students will explore the political
party system and political campaigns, the role of
"interest groups" and lobbies, and the impact of
news media in shaping public opinion. The emphasis
will be on the relationship between the federal,
state and local government, labor unions, and the
people they represent. Beginning week of September
27 and ending the week of December 6, 2010.
(Available 24 HOURS)
Employment Law Upon entering the workforce,
individuals are typically unaware of the laws
governing the employer/employee relationship and may
think they have rights that don't exist. In this
course students will examine both federal and state
laws governing public and private sector workplaces
and will review examples from industries such as
manufacturing, services, and construction. Among the
laws to be studied are those protecting workers from
discriminatory practices, regulating wages and hours
of work, providing for job safety and health, and
affording benefits to workers who are disabled or
unemployed. The focus will be on the practical
application of laws and their impact on the
workplace and American society. Beginning week of
September 27 and ending the week of December 6,
2010. (Available 24 HOURS)
Finger Lakes Occupational Health & Safety:
http://www2.envmed.rochester.edu/envmed/occmed/fingerlakeswelcome.html
Job Openings: For detailed job postings,
please visit
www.rgvalf.org |
