Labor & Economic News Blog
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Delta Pilots OK $280M Concessions Deal
Delta Pilots OK $280M Concessions DealBy By HARRY R. WEBER, AP Business Writer
Delta Air Lines Inc., the nation's third-largest carrier, cleared a hurdle Wednesday when its pilots approved an agreement with the company that calls for $280 million in annual concessions. A bankruptcy court judge will have the final say. The vote by...
Sun Microsystems to Cut Up to 5,000 Jobs
Sun Microsystems to Cut Up to 5,000 JobsComputer server maker Sun Microsystems Inc., whose revenue has declined four years in a row, said Wednesday it planned to cut 4,000 to 5,000 jobs in an effort to return to consistent profitability. The cuts, which will reduce Sun's 37,500-person work...
An improved job market awaits this year's college grads
An improved job market awaits this year's college gradsCorporate America is laying out the welcome mat for the nation's 1.4 million college seniors, creating perhaps the strongest job market for graduates since the dot-com days of the late 1990s.
Benefits a good reason to stick around
Benefits a good reason to stick aroundWhen Katie Buechner returned to Rhode Island after being away at college and began working as a freelance sound designer, it didn't take her long to realize she would need a regular job to supplement her theater and production work.
Handling gaps in work history depends on several factors
Handling gaps in work history depends on several factorsHow to handle gaps in work history is one of the more difficult issues facing job seekers. The approach you use should take in consideration the circumstances, when the gap or gaps occurred and the amount of time between jobs. Demand for your skills and the scarcity of those skills in the employment market should also be considered.
Severing ties to employer becoming more popular
Severing ties to employer becoming more popularGoing the self-employment route can be rewarding financially, recent research by the Federal Reserve suggests. In 2005, roughly 9.51 million people, 6.8 percent of the U.S. work force, took that road.
Growth spurt in Midwest economy (Reuters)
Growth spurt in Midwest economy (Reuters)Reuters - Midwestern U.S. business expanded in May at its fastest rate in seven months, surging at a time many economists had been looking for slower growth, a report showed on Wednesday.
Honda Plant Would Be a Boon for Ohio
Honda Plant Would Be a Boon for OhioBy AP
DAYTON, Ohio -- There is more at stake for Ohio than just 1,500 high-paying jobs in the fight for where Honda Motor Co. will build a new, $400 million auto-assembly plant.
Personnel shake-up at VA over data theft / Analyst whose PC was stolen to be fired -- 2 bosses also out
Personnel shake-up at VA over data theft / Analyst whose PC was stolen to be fired -- 2 bosses also outBy Christopher Lee
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson announced several personnel changes Tuesday that will include the firing of a senior career data analyst who lost the sensitive personal information of millions of veterans. The 60-year-old civil servant, who...
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Buyouts to alter the face of UAW
Buyouts to alter the face of UAWSource: Detroit Free Press
At a Detroit meeting of UAW local leaders from across the country Thursday, a speaker asked how many of those representing General Motors Corp. and Delphi Corp. workers planned to retire or quit their jobs this year.
In Chicago, 'living wage' law is considered for big stores
In Chicago, 'living wage' law is considered for big storesSource: NY Times
Chicago may become the first city in the nation to require "big box" retailers like Wal-Mart or Home Depot to pay employees a "living wage" of at least $10 an hour plus $3 an hour in benefits. So far, 33 of 50 City Council members have signed on to the proposed ordinance — more than enough to pass it, perhaps as soon as next month.
U.S. Supreme Court severely restricts public employees' free speech rights
U.S. Supreme Court severely restricts public employees' free speech rightsSource: NY Times
In a 5-to-4 decision, the court held that public employees' free-speech rights are protected when they speak out as citizens on matters of public concern, but not when they speak out in the course of their official duties.
Teamsters hope to lure FedEx drivers
Teamsters hope to lure FedEx driversSource: NY Times
The FedEx drivers here were growing bitter, with some complaining that management had strained them to the breaking point by assigning them 150 home deliveries a day. Eager to improve matters, they looked to join the Teamsters. But although their numbers are small — just two dozen — the drivers' fight could have tremendous import for two powerhouses: the Teamsters union, which hopes to deliver on its promise to unionize far more workers after breaking away from the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and FedEx, which has millions of dollars at stake in defending its claim that the drivers are independent contractors and have no right to unionize under federal law.
Gas prices make itemizing attractive
Gas prices make itemizing attractiveHigh gas prices this year have souped up a deduction for people who drive personal vehicles on the job and aren't fully reimbursed by their employers.
Immigration bill faces tough foe / Key congressman labels Senate plan 'a nonstarter'
Immigration bill faces tough foe / Key congressman labels Senate plan 'a nonstarter'By Carolyn Lochhead
Like a puppy greeting a snarling pit bull, the Senate's warm overtures of bipartisan good cheer following passage of its immigration bill Thursday night ran headlong Friday into a hostile and aggressive House reception by Rep. James Sensenbrenner. The...
A city that thrives on immigration / Huntington Park offers a base for new arrivals. It's bustling.
A city that thrives on immigration / Huntington Park offers a base for new arrivals. It's bustling.By James Sterngold
To get beyond the emotion and partisanship surrounding the national immigration debate, just walk the few blocks from the bustling shops on Pacific Boulevard in this gritty, inner-city pocket to the equally bustling playground of the Henry T. Gage Middle...
Ex-braceros leery of guest worker plan / They say Senate bill needs assurances on living conditions, pay
Ex-braceros leery of guest worker plan / They say Senate bill needs assurances on living conditions, payBy Tyche Hendricks
Picking beets, cherries and cotton and shoveling manure on farms across the United States as a Mexican guest worker in the 1940s and 1950s, Cecilio Santillana was glad to earn a few dollars a day. He didn't complain about living in horse stalls without...
2 of 3 College Grads Go Into Debt
2 of 3 College Grads Go Into DebtBy By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer
Nearly two of every three undergraduate students are going into debt to go to college, owing an average of more than $19,000, most often to the government. Among a dozen states sampled, New York students averaged the largest loans, while those in...
UC BERKELEY / Janitors say pay dispute is on parity / Their contract gives them less than other campuses' workers
UC BERKELEY / Janitors say pay dispute is on parity / Their contract gives them less than other campuses' workersBy Rick DelVecchio
UC Berkeley may be the finest public university in the nation, but the toilets have to be cleaned the same as anyplace else. The 300 custodians who do the university's scrubbing pointed up this household reality during their recent picketing of...
SACRAMENTO / Governor, legislators act on minimum wage / Small firms' woes, 'indexing' are main points of discussion
SACRAMENTO / Governor, legislators act on minimum wage / Small firms' woes, 'indexing' are main points of discussionBy Matthew Yi
Tanning salon owner Lee Baker isn't against raising his workers' wages, but in a time when rising energy costs are already putting a squeeze on small businesses, increasing the minimum wage could result in eliminating jobs at his shop, he said. "The...
Vietnam's labor strife worsens / Series of strikes, protests over pay, working conditions
Vietnam's labor strife worsens / Series of strikes, protests over pay, working conditionsBy Aaron Glantz, Ngoc Nguyen
At 5 p.m, factory employees at one of Vietnam's largest industrial parks flood into the streets to buy food from vendors camped along a dusty street. Young women, who make up the bulk of the workforce, walk away with plastic bags filled with vegetables, fruit...
State isn't steering doctors into jobs doctoring steers / Government's shortage of veterinarians is also expected to get worse
State isn't steering doctors into jobs doctoring steers / Government's shortage of veterinarians is also expected to get worseBy George Raine
Dr. Robert Cherenson has tendinitis in his left elbow, the result of palpating cows -- reaching his hand into their rectums to examine reproductive tracts. He often examines hundreds during a single day -- what veterinarians call a herd check. He has learned...
Friday, May 26, 2006
Group of TWU workers sue union, MTA for retirement benefits
Group of TWU workers sue union, MTA for retirement benefitsSource: NY1
A full six months after it went on strike, the Transport Workers Union has no contract, and a deeply divided leadership. Now, a group of its own workers says the union worked hand-in-hand with the MTA to misappropriate millions of dollars in health care funds, and they're taking their case to court.
New Orleans to top US wage growth in 2006: study (Reuters)
New Orleans to top US wage growth in 2006: study (Reuters)Reuters - Wage growth in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is expected to far outstrip other U.S. metropolitan areas in 2006 due to a massive increase in construction jobs, according a study released on Friday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Nickel soars over Inco strike threat
Nickel soars over Canada threatIn BBC Business
The price of nickel has shot up 4% on news that union members of Canadian firm Inco could strike.
Air traffic controllers, FAA are at impasse
Air traffic controllers, FAA are at impasseSource: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Air traffic controllers at Sea-Tac Airport handed out leaflets Tuesday about their stalled contract, saying it would lead to pay cuts for incoming employees at a time when many veterans have to retire.
Their union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and the Federal Aviation Administration have been at an impasse since April.
Critics say Wal-Mart grows part-timers to cut benefits
Critics say Wal-Mart grows part-timers to cut benefitsSource: Washington Post
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is shifting a portion of its full-time employees to part-time status, company critics say, which they assert will have the effect of limiting health insurance, even though the company is expanding coverage for its part-time workers.
THE ENRON VERDICT / From white collars to prison blues / Among the tales of success and corporate excess, the actions of Enron leaders -- and others -
THE ENRON VERDICT / From white collars to prison blues / Among the tales of success and corporate excess, the actions of Enron leaders -- and others -- speak volumesBy Carolyn Said
From comfy corner offices, they engaged in chicanery that fleeced shareholders and pensioners. When misconduct was exposed, their company unraveled with breathtaking speed. Now, Enron's Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, found guilty of conspiracy and fraud, face...
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Help for bust United Kingdom pensions increased
Help for bust pensions increasedIn Business
The UK government's pensions White Paper boosts financial help for employees of firms whose schemes have gone bust.
Pensions 'help' for steelworkers
Pensions 'help' for Wales steelworkersBBC
Workers who lost pensions when Allied Steel and Wire collapsed could benefit as part of government proposals to strengthen pension provision in the UK.
Northern Ireland Lecturers taking to picket lines
Lecturers taking to picket linesBBC
Students at Northern Island's 16 further education colleges may be affected by a lecturers' strike over pay.
Jobless claims fall as Puerto Rico back to work (Reuters)
Jobless claims fall as Puerto Rico back to work (Reuters)Reuters - New claims for U.S. jobless aid fell by 40,000 last week as claims from Puerto Rico dropped sharply after the end of a partial government shutdown, a U.S. government report showed on Thursday.
Britain to Increase Retirement Age
Britain to Increase Retirement AgeBy By JANE WARDELL, AP Business Writer
The British government unveiled a major overhaul of the state pensions system Thursday, revealing that it will increase the retirement age and link benefits to earnings to avert a looming funding crisis as people live longer and have fewer children....
In Iowa Meat Plant, Kosher 'Jungle' Breeds Fear, Injury, Short Pay
In Iowa Meat Plant, Kosher 'Jungle' Breeds Fear, Injury, Short PaySource: Forward.com
The animals slaughtered here at the nation's largest kosher meat packing plant have been the object of nationwide sympathy since an animal rights group released videos from the kill floor in December 2004. But a tour of the mobile homes and cramped apartments just outside town, where AgriProcessors' immigrant workers live, quickly shifts a visitor's attention to a more striking concern: the impoverished humans who do the factory's dirty work.
Workers push Pataki for unions in day care
Workers push Pataki for unions in day careSource: NY Times
Hundreds of child care providers rallied outside Gov. George Pataki's Midtown office yesterday to urge the governor to sign legislation allowing them to join a union and to negotiate with the state.
More than 20,000 GM workers accept buyouts: report
More than 20,000 GM workers accept buyouts: reportSource: Washington Post
More than 20,000 blue-collar workers at General Motors Corp. have accepted buyout offers, surpassing the automaker's internal target with a month to go before the deadline, the Detroit News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the situation.
Judge rejects delay in Delphi hearings: GM asked for more negotiating time
Judge rejects delay in Delphi hearings: GM asked for more negotiating timeSource: Washington Post
In a letter that GM declined to make public, the automaker urged Judge Robert D. Drain to adjourn the hearings in New York for up to 60 days so it can use the time to negotiate an out-of-court settlement and avert a threatened strike by Delphi's 33,000 unionized plant workers in this country. The hearings started earlier this month and resumed as scheduled yesterday morning.
Federal worker database has flaws: Federal program could grow to affect every U.S. employer, worker under proposed immigration bill
Federal worker database has flaws: Federal program could grow to affect every U.S. employer, worker under proposed immigration billSource: Washington Post
The program is intended to keep illegal immigrants from working in the United States and to discourage more from entering, but in nearly a decade of small-scale tests, it has had trouble distinguishing between those who are here legally and those who are not. Fixing it and rolling it out nationwide could cost more than $1 billion.
Borders to reopen talks with union
Borders to reopen talks with unionSource: Ann Arbor News
Negotiations are set to restart June 1 after the union at the original Borders Books & Music store in downtown Ann Arbor soundly rejected the company's latest proposal. The offer - which was the first one the 60-member union voted on since its two-year contract expired March 31 - was shot down by a 4-to-1 margin on May 5, said union representative Tom Rekuc, of the union's main office in Madison Heights.
Gray areas complicate sexual harassment cases
Gray areas complicate sexual harassment casesBy Sacha Pfeiffer, Globe Staff
Although most companies have detailed and similar policies against sexual harassment, employers often find themselves in murky territory when it comes to defining, proving, and disciplining sexual harassment in the workplace.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Bangladesh factory rioting ends
Bangladesh factory rioting endsIn Business
Police and security forces are deployed to protect garment factories in Bangladesh after three days of rioting.
AK Steel negotiators make pension pitch
AK Steel negotiators make pension pitchSource: Cincinnati Post
Negotiators for the Armco Employees Independent Federation gave AK Steel a new contract proposal Wednesday that raised the possibility of affiliating with another union, the International Association
Mass. House backs nurses' union plan to require staffing levels in hospitals
Mass. House backs nurses' union plan to require staffing levels in hospitalsSource: Boston Globe
Hospitals would be limited in how many patients they could assign to nurses under a bill backed by House lawmakers Wednesday after nearly a decade of wrangling between the state's hospitals and a union representing registered nurses.
California Teachers union backs California governor's school-friendly budget
Teachers union backs governor's school-friendly budgetSource: SF Chronicle
Leaders of the California Teachers Association took the unexpected step Tuesday of endorsing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget and launching a lobbying effort to ensure its passage.
Workers: Philip Morris fires those who withdraw from company plan
Workers: Philip Morris fires those who withdraw from company planSource: AP
The newspaper reported Wednesday that it confirmed that at least 14 people have been fired at the company's Concord plant. Reasons include taking out hardship withdrawals for homes that were not listed on the initial application or for using the money for something other than buying the home they initially intended to purchase, the newspaper said.
Senate backs job verification for immigrants
Senate backs job verification for immigrantsSource: NY Times
The Senate voted on Tuesday to require employers to use a vast new employment verification system that would allow businesses to distinguish between legal and illegal workers.
Hilton suspends about 75 workers in what organizers say is anti-union action
Hilton suspends about 75 workers in what organizers say is anti-union actionSource: LA City Beat
A recent campaign to unionize hotel workers near Los Angeles International Airport took a much more serious turn in the last week when the LAX Hilton suspended approximately 75 workers, many of them immigrants, and then reinstated them Monday. The workers were indefinitely suspended after they asked to speak with the general manager about a disciplinary action taken against their co-worker, Sergio Reyes.
Day Labor Dilemma
Day Labor DilemmaSource: LA City Beat
Whenever a Home Depot is built in Southern California it attracts groups of men looking for work, men who wander the parking lot trying to find people who need some muscle to help install sprinklers, paint, wash windows … whatever the day has in store for busy homeowners. The crush of prospective employees and employers can get disorganized and messy, which is why Burbank required Home Depot to fund a day laborer center as part of the cost of opening a store in the city.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Ad calls for Wal-Mart to change principles
Ad calls for Wal-Mart to change principlesSource: NYT
One of Wal-Mart's most vocal union-funded critics took out a full-page ad in The New York Times on Tuesday calling on the company to live up to the ''moral responsibilities'' of being the world's largest private employer by improving wages and health insurance.
McClatchy inks deal to sell Philly papers; Unions support deal
McClatchy inks deal to sell Philly papers; Unions support dealSource: NYT
The president of Philadelphia's local newspaper union council, Joe Lyons, came out in support of the sale agreement and said the union was particularly glad to hear the Daily News would stay in business.
Department of Energy To Elminate Worker Protection Office
Department of Energy To Elminate Worker Protection OfficeSource: Confined Space
The Department of Energy has revealed a plan to eliminate its office for environment, safety and health. The office was created 20 years ago to respond to radioactive contamination of workers as a result of cold war weapons production. Most of the office's current worker safety and health functions would be transferred to an office dealing with security.
House girds for debate on contentious nurse union staffing bill
Massachusetts House girds for debate on contentious nurse union staffing billSource: Boston Globe
Hospitals and a union representing the state's registered nurses are again squaring off as House lawmakers prepare to debate a bill Tuesday that would let the Department of Public Health regulate nurse-to-patient staffing levels.
NWA deal cuts pay, vacation, jobs
NWA deal cuts pay, vacation, jobsSource: St. Paul Pioneer Press
Wage cuts of 11.5 percent, fewer holidays and vacation days and reduced pay for sick days are some of the losses faced by Northwest Airlines' baggage handlers and other equipment service employees if they approve a proposed contract with the airline. More than 600 jobs also could be lost.
Northwest sees progress with unions; fuel costs still a challenge
Northwest sees progress with unions; fuel costs still a challengeSource: St. Paul Pioneer Press
Taking it one union at a time, Northwest Airlines Corp. has been nailing down the labor concessions it needs to cut costs and emerge from bankruptcy. But big challenges, including soaring fuel costs, still dog the nation's fourth-largest carrier.
Laborer's to make AFL-CIO break official
Laborer's to make AFL-CIO break officialSource: Chicago Sun-Times
The Laborer's International Union of North America, a member of the breakaway Change to Win labor federation, will disaffiliate from the AFL-CIO as of June 1.
The move
Retired Delta pilots ask court to nix deal
Retired Delta pilots ask court to nix dealSource: NYT
Delta Pilots' Pension Preservation Organization said in its objection that if the agreement reached last month is approved it would set the stage for drastically reducing certain pension benefits of the airline's 5,800 retired pilots.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Mass. State human rights agency plagued by labor problems, faces hearing
Human rights agency plagued by labor problems, faces hearingSource: Boston Globe
--Turmoil is marring the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, which faces a legislative review on allegations of sex discrimination and retaliation by the agency's leadership.
Under New Management: These Workers Act Like Owners (Because They Are)
Under New Management: These Workers Act Like Owners (Because They Are)By WILLIAM C. TAYLOR
Ownership by employees spurs a focus on quality and on innovation.
Give and take across the border / 1 in 7 Mexican workers migrates -- most send money home
Give and take across the border / 1 in 7 Mexican workers migrates -- most send money homeBy Carolyn Lochhead
The current migration of Mexicans and Central Americans to the United States is one of the largest diasporas in modern history, experts say. Roughly 10 percent of Mexico's population of about 107 million is now living in the United States, estimates...
THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE / Effect on economy depends on viewpoint
THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE / Effect on economy depends on viewpointBy Carolyn Said
Does illegal immigration help or hurt the U.S. economy? It sounds like a simple enough question. But, like the classic Japanese movie "Rashomon," in which truth depends entirely on point of view, the answer hinges on where you fit in the economy.
Mexico Works to Bar Non-Natives From Jobs
Mexico Works to Bar Non-Natives From JobsBy By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer
If Arnold Schwarzenegger had migrated to Mexico instead of the United States, he couldn't be a governor. If Argentina native Sergio Villanueva, firefighter hero of the Sept. 11 attacks, had moved to Tecate instead of New York, he wouldn't have been allowed on...
Workers Burn 2 Factories in Bangladesh
Workers Burn 2 Factories in BangladeshTextile workers demanding better pay and one day off per week went on a rampage Monday at an industrial park near the Bangladeshi capital, setting fire to two factories and several buses, a domestic news agency reported. At least 100 people, including...
LAX Hilton takes gloves off against union organizers
LAX Hilton takes gloves off against union organizersSource: LA Weekly
For three months, the hotel workers union, UNITE HERE, and several local nonunionized inns have been engaged in an escalating cold war that abruptly heated up last week. The trouble began Thursday, when the LAX Hilton suspended waiter Sergio Reyes, an organizing activist, over a work-related matter. Soon, 75 co-workers who sought an explanation of the matter from management were also suspended.
Labor woes plague US automakers
Labor woes plague US automakersSource: Forbes
The "Big Three" U.S. automakers (GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler) face a potential labor crisis. Although it is unclear what concessions managers will demand in the round of collective bargaining slated to begin next year, it is clear that they will build on recent cost-cutting measures.
Union asks Disney to increase worker pay
Union asks Disney to increase worker paySource: Orlando Sentinel
The union representing about half the workers at Walt Disney World called on Disney executives Friday to increase wages to combat recent hiring and retention problems.In a letter to Disney, the Services Trade Council cited mandatory overtime, increases in living costs -- such as high gas prices -- and stagnant wages as contributing to "low morale" on the job.
Unionized workers OK Avaya strike
Unionized workers OK Avaya strikeSource: Newark Star-Ledger
Avaya's 2,900 union workers have authorized leaders of the Communications Workers of America to call a strike if their bargaining unit can't reach a contract with the Basking Ridge company. By a 96 percent vote, the members of union authorized a strike, according to Ralph Maly, vice president of the union. The three-year contract expires May 27.
Friday, May 19, 2006
California economy lost 2,600 payroll jobs in April, state say
California economy lost 2,600 payroll jobs in April, state sayBy By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer
California's economy posted a net loss of 2,600 payroll jobs in April, with the construction sector shedding the most jobs over the month, the state Employment Development Department said Friday. In all, more than 14.9 million people in the state held...
Humanizing the debate / Day laborers more concerned with work than politics
Humanizing the debate / Day laborers more concerned with work than politicsBy Pia Sarkar
The mood inside the San Francisco Day Labor Program's center on Cesar Chavez Street was restless. A crowd of about 50 people -- mostly men and many of them undocumented - gathered for their regular weekly meeting to discuss job issues and air...
Bloomberg critical of police union on contract talks
Bloomberg critical of police union on contract talksSource: NY Times
The mayor called the union leaders' position on starting pay for police officers "a little bit duplicitous."
With contract negotiations dragging on, nurses and other medical workers at nine hospitals around New Jersey have authorized strikes
With contract negotiations dragging on, nurses and other medical workers at nine hospitals around New Jersey have authorized strikesSource: Newsday
The top issues in contract talks, which are continuing, include staffing levels, retirement security, and preserving union rights of the charge nurses who coordinate care on their units, according to their union.
AK Steel CEO chastises union on talks
AK Steel CEO chastises union on talksSource: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Steel producer AK Steel Holding Corp. wants an agreement with its locked-out union as soon as possible, but the union has been unrealistic, the company's chief executive told shareholders Friday.
Governor Schwarzenegger seeks $1 minimum wage hike
Governor Schwarzenegger seeks $1 minimum wage hikeSource: LA Times
California's minimum-wage workers would get a $1 raise to $7.75 an hour under a plan announced Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, potentially bypassing Democrats who are pushing for a more generous proposal.The Republican governor wants the Industrial Welfare Commission — an obscure and dormant state board — to increase the minimum wage on its own. As allowed by law, the five-member commission has increased the basic wage several times, most recently in 2001.
Foster parents in state are nation's first to join union
Foster parents in state are nation's first to join unionSource: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Washington state foster parents are the first in the nation to join a labor union, a move that paves the way for them to seek collective bargaining rights with state government. In a letter to the state, the Foster Parents Association of Washington State said it was aligning with state government's largest union, the Washington Federation of State Employees, to improve a foster care system "in crisis."
John Edwards: Labor's darling?
John Edwards: Labor's darling?Source: Washington Post
Edwards has championed two causes close to labor's heart -- the fight against poverty and the need for raising the minimum wage -- and made himself available publicly and privately to state and national leaders of the Service Employees International Union and Unite Here -- a hotel and restaurant workers union -- among others.
Machinists reach agreement with Northwest
Machinists reach agreement with NorthwestSource: Washington Post
Northwest and its union representing baggage handlers and ramp workers reached a tentative agreement early Friday, hours before a bankruptcy judge in New York was to consider whether to allow Northwest to throw out the union contract and impose its own terms. Judge Allan Gropper postponed his decision until next month, pending ratification of the deal.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Companies Slow on Boomers' Desire to Work
Companies Slow on Boomers' Desire to WorkBy By EILEEN ALT POWELL, AP Business Writer
A majority of baby boomers say they want to work in retirement, but U.S. companies are only just beginning to try to figure out how to accommodate that, according to a study released Thursday. A survey conducted for financial services firm Merrill...
Bay Area executives see brighter future / Almost half plan to add employees over next 6 months
Bay Area executives see brighter future / Almost half plan to add employees over next 6 monthsBy Carolyn Said
Bay Area executives plan to pick up the pace of hiring over the next six months, the strongest job outlook since the 2001 dot-com bust, according to a survey to be released today. The quarterly confidence survey of the Bay Area Council, a business-...
Jobless claims jump (Reuters)
Jobless claims jump (Reuters)Reuters - New claims for U.S. jobless aid unexpectedly surged last week by 42,000 as a partial government shutdown in Puerto Rico added 46,000 unadjusted claims, a government report showed on Thursday.
Staffing at famed supermax prison low, union says
Staffing at famed supermax prison low, union saysSource: NYT
The federal prison dubbed the nation's most secure has dangerously low staffing levels, making it more difficult to guard notorious criminals such as Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and the Unabomber, a union representing its guards said Thursday.
Union sees expansion in federal aid for laid-off workers
Union sees expansion in federal aid for laid-off workersSource: AP,via Boston Globe
In a case that union leaders say could set a national precedent, a federal agency has found a closed Vermont printing firm's laid-off workers eligible to seek financial and training help for people whose jobs are lost to overseas competition.
Senate backs fence, guest-worker curbs: Immigration bill gaining conservative support
Senate backs fence, guest-worker curbs: Immigration bill gaining conservative supportSource: Washington Post
On a 83 to 16 vote, the Senate backed an amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to fortify 70 miles of existing fences near San Diego and parts of Arizona and to build 300 miles of additional fencing through the Arizona desert. The amendment would also order the immediate construction of 500 miles of vehicle barriers along frontier lands identified as prime entry points for smugglers and illegal immigrants.
Funding roadblock for DHS performance pay
Funding roadblock for DHS performance paySource: Washington Post
A new pay and personnel system under development at the Department of Homeland Security hit another bump in the road yesterday. The House Appropriations Committee held the line on spending for the new system, called MaxHR. The department had sought $41.7 million for fiscal 2007 for the system, but the committee provided $29.7 million, the same funding provided this fiscal year.
Funding roadblock for DHS performance pay
Funding roadblock for DHS performance paySource: Washington Post
A new pay and personnel system under development at the Department of Homeland Security hit another bump in the road yesterday. The House Appropriations Committee held the line on spending for the new system, called MaxHR. The department had sought $41.7 million for fiscal 2007 for the system, but the committee provided $29.7 million, the same funding provided this fiscal year.
400 immigrant advocates, union members, church, civic leaders crowd Capitol Hill
400 immigrant advocates, union members, church, civic leaders crowd Capitol HillSource: Washington Post
About 400 church, union and civic leaders from 20 states swarmed the U.S. Capitol to press for legalization of all immigrants and express opposition to current proposals, including President Bush's plan to use the National Guard to shield the nation's southern border, according to organizers.
Northwest, baggage handlers talk
Northwest, baggage handlers talkSource: Detroit News
Northwest Airlines Corp. and its baggage handlers plan to resume talks today on wage and benefit cuts before a bankruptcy judge hears final arguments on the carrier's request to void its labor contract.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Gateway to build first U.S. plant in Nashville, hire 300 workers
Gateway to build first U.S. plant in Nashville, hire 300 workersBy By KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer
Computer maker Gateway Inc. announced Wednesday it has picked Nashville for the company's first U.S. manufacturing facility employing 300 people in the first year. The plant will assemble Irvine, Calif.-based Gateway's custom-ordered desktop and...
GM to scale back UK plant, 900 jobs to go
GM to scale back UK plant, 900 jobs to goBy Reuters
ELLESMERE PORT (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) will cut 900 jobs at its plant in northwest England to boost productivity, dealing the latest blow to Britain's carmaking industry.
IWW Branches Out In Bid To Recruit Starbucks Baristas
Dow Jones: IWW Branches Out In Bid To Recruit Starbucks BaristasSource: IWW
The union trying sign up Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) workers sought to give its organizing campaign a jolt by sending union members to more than 100 of the coffee chain's stores in about a dozen cities to persuade more baristas to join the union. The Industrial Workers of the World said it sent organizers to Starbucks stores in Boston, Portland, Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Salt Lake City, among others. IWW members in several cities in Canada and the United Kingdom also participated in the coordinated effort.
Steelworkers vote to OK strike if Alcoa talks fail
Steelworkers vote to OK strike if Alcoa talks failSource: NYT
An overwhelming majority of United Steelworkers (USW) union members at 15 Alcoa Inc. plants voted to authorize strikes if negotiations on a new labor contract fail, the union said on Wednesday.
UAW authorizes strike against Delphi
UAW authorizes strike against DelphiNYT
DETROIT (AP) -- United Auto Workers members have voted to authorize a strike against auto supplier Delphi Corp. if the company fails to honor its labor agreements, an action that could have severe consequences for Delphi and its largest customer, General MotorsCorp.
Guest-worker provisions survive legislative challenge in U.S. Senate
Guest-worker provisions survive legislative challenge in U.S. SenateSource: Washington Post
A fragile Senate coalition backing a broad overhaul of the nation's immigration laws survived its first legislative test yesterday, beating back efforts to gut provisions to grant millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship and hundreds of thousands of foreigners a new guest-worker permit.
Funding equality in tight times: Union says EEOC cuts endanger enforcement
Funding equality in tight times: Union says EEOC cuts endanger enforcementSource: Washington Post
President Bush's 2007 budget request for the agency is $323 million, $4 million less than the current year budget. The EEOC has been under a partial hiring freeze, so employees will be even more strapped when new offices open this year in Las Vegas and Mobile, Ala., union officials said.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
More Americans commuting on two wheels to avoid rising gas prices
More Americans commuting on two wheels to avoid rising gas pricesBy By TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Writer
Fed up with sitting in traffic and paying more than $50 to fill his tank, Scott Morrison ditched his gas-guzzling pickup and started biking to work. Rain or shine, Morrison now bikes the six miles from his home in Fairfield, about 45 miles northeast of...
Mine Safety Bills Introduced In Congress
Mine Safety Bills Introduced In CongressSource: Confined Space
More than five months after the Sago mine disaster, there are legislative rumblings in Congress -- on both sides.Joined by family members of miners killed in the explosion at the Sago Mine, Democratic members of the US House of Representatives today introduced the "Protecting America's Miners Act" to improve safety in the nation's coal mines. They also noted that House Republicans have failed to act on mine safety, even though 26 coal miners have died so far this year, compared with 22 in all of 2005.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Dean cancels speech, won't cross picket line
Dean cancels speech, won't cross picket lineSource: SF Chronicle
Democratic Party leader Howard Dean has canceled his keynote address today at the cap-and-gown ceremony for graduates of UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law because he does not want to cross union picket lines, university officials said Friday.
Honda to Build New North America Plant
Honda to Build New North America PlantBy AP
TOKYO -- Honda Motor Co. plans to build a new automobile factory in North America, according to a news report Tuesday, as the Japanese carmaker tries to bring supply in line with surging sales.
Union Leader Presides Over Painful Changes
Union Leader Presides Over Painful ChangesBy Dale Russakoff
At a time of maximum uncertainty over their future, the United Auto Workers union will gather next month to re-elect its president. Oddly enough, some of his most enthusiastic supporters are the top executives of the U.S. auto industry.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Jobless claims dip but buoyed by Puerto Rico (Reuters)
Jobless claims dip but buoyed by Puerto Rico (Reuters)Reuters - New claims for jobless aid fell by 1,000 last week, but were higher than expected due to a partial government shutdown in Puerto Rico that added about 20,000 claims, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.
Foundry worker complains to state, U.S. over her firing / Stockton woman alleges retaliation for attending rally
Foundry worker complains to state, U.S. over her firing / Stockton woman alleges retaliation for attending rallyBy Bob Egelko
A Stockton woman who said she had her company's approval to miss work May 1 -- and then was fired after taking part in an immigrant-rights march -- filed complaints with state and federal agencies Wednesday, saying her political activity was none of her...
UC Berkeley graduation speaker walks out to honor picket line
UC Berkeley graduation speaker walks out to honor picket lineState Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez refused to cross a picket line to speak at the University of California, Berkeley, commencement, leaving the school's chancellor to deliver the keynote address. Nunez, D-Los Angeles, was scheduled to speak Wednesday...
OAKLAND / Teachers OK contract after 2-year fight / Union president calls agreement 'glass half-full'
OAKLAND / Teachers OK contract after 2-year fight / Union president calls agreement 'glass half-full'By Simone Sebastian
Oakland teachers approved a contract deal Wednesday evening that will end their contentious two-year battle with the school district over a pay hike and health care costs. The contract, which is retroactive to July, gives teachers a 6.25 percent pay...
SAN FRANCISCO / Nonunion firm wins Alcatraz ferry contract
SAN FRANCISCO / Nonunion firm wins Alcatraz ferry contractBy Carl Nolte
Ending a long and bitter dispute, the National Park Service has signed a contract with Hornblower Yachts to operate ferry service to Alcatraz Island, it was announced Wednesday. The Alcatraz ferry run is the busiest and most lucrative operation on the...
SAN FRANCISCO / Workers want pay from Dragon / Back wages claimed as restaurant reopens under new name
SAN FRANCISCO / Workers want pay from Dragon / Back wages claimed as restaurant reopens under new nameBy Vanessa Hua
The Golden Dragon may have roared its last, but the death of this notorious Chinatown restaurant -- the scene of a gang massacre in 1977 -- has left behind trail of lawsuits, and workers are complaining it stiffed them out of a year's worth of unpaid wages.
Cracks in glass ceiling / Hotels are opening doors for women in management
Cracks in glass ceiling / Hotels are opening doors for women in managementBy David Armstrong
When Karima Zaki started in the hotel industry as a management trainee, she knew she wanted to be general manger of a big hotel someday. Not for the money, she says now, and not for the title, but because she "loved the big picture of it." For Anna...
More Americans Know They Need to Save
More Americans Know They Need to SaveBy By EILEEN ALT POWELL, AP Business Writer
A growing number of Americans say they're not putting away as much as they should for retirement, a shift in attitude that experts believe could lead to improved saving practices in the future. A survey released Thursday by Fidelity Investments, the...
Seafood chain accused of discriminating against blacks
Seafood chain accused of discriminating against blacksMcCormick & Schmick's, the operator of about 60 upscale seafood restaurants nationwide, was sued in federal court Thursday for discriminating against black employees and applicants. A black waitress employed at the company and a black bartender denied...
Early strike 'better' for Delphi
Early strike 'better' for DelphiSource: BBC
US car parts maker Delphi has told a bankruptcy court that it would be better for the firm to endure a spate of strikes now, rather than next year. Delphi, which is Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, wants the court to grant it the right to annul labour contracts.
Worker wins her rights but loses hope: Someone told feds she's here illegally
Worker wins her rights but loses hope: Someone told feds she's here illegallySource: SFChronicle
Sonia Cano was happy to win thousands of dollars from the San Francisco taqueria that for two years had paid her less than the city minimum wage. But she may have lost far more when someone anonymously reported her and her husband to immigration authorities.
Good job, lost wages
Good job, lost wagesSource: Boston Globe
Holway has what most of us would consider a good job at good wages. As president of the 45,000-member National Association of Government Employees, Holway made $257,667 last year -- or $8,000 more than Andy Stern made as head of the Service Employees International Union. The key differences: Stern's union has about 33 times the members that Holway's Quincy-based SEIU local has and is in far better financial shape.
New School's labor war
New School's labor warSource: Village Voice
Despite a mail-in vote last month in which a majority of part-time faculty members casting ballots voted to be represented by a division of United Auto Workers, university president and former U.S. senator Bob Kerrey is asking that the results be thrown out, saying the vote wasn't sufficiently representative of employees.
Gov. Schwarzenegger, teachers reach deal
Gov. Schwarzenegger, teachers reach dealSource: NYT
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday announced a plan to repay billions of dollars to public schools, a proposal that could end a lawsuit by the state's largest teachers union.
Detroit grapples with a new era: The not-so-big three
Detroit grapples with a new era: The not-so-big threeSource: NY Times
Fans of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team have booed plenty of opposing teams over the years at Joe Louis Arena, but last month they let loose at another traditional Detroit opponent: Toyota. What set them off was a new Toyota FJ sport utility vehicle that circled the ice during the second intermission of an April 11 game between Detroit and Edmonton.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Court Rules Pork Processor Broke Law in Fighting Union
Court Rules Pork Processor Broke Law in Fighting UnionBy STEVEN GREENHOUSE
A union had accused the Smithfield Packing Company of skewing a 1997 election by intimidating and firing workers at a giant pork-processing plant in Tar Heel, N.C.
Letter From Sweden: An Economy With Safety Features, Sort of Like a Volvo
Letter From Sweden: An Economy With Safety Features, Sort of Like a VolvoBy ALAN COWELL
The question some Europeans are asking is: Would the Nordic model work farther south, in Germany or France, or even Italy?
Whirlpool to Cut 4,500 Jobs, Close Plants
Whirlpool to Cut 4,500 Jobs, Close PlantsWhirlpool Corp. said Wednesday that it will eliminate 4,500 jobs by closing three plants and consolidating corporate offices and other sites following its acquisition of rival appliance maker Maytag Corp. The moves come in the wake of Whirlpool's $1.8...
SAN FRANCISCO / Negro Leagues players' payments upheld
SAN FRANCISCO / Negro Leagues players' payments upheldBy Bob Egelko
Major League Baseball is entitled to pay former Negro Leagues players $10,000 a year and provide medical coverage as compensation for their exclusion from the big leagues, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, rejecting a reverse-discrimination suit from a...
CSU faculty furor over Munitz's rehiring deal / Ex-chancellor given one class, earns more than full professors
CSU faculty furor over Munitz's rehiring deal / Ex-chancellor given one class, earns more than full professorsBy Jim Doyle
An association of California State University faculty members on Tuesday asked the state attorney general to investigate the recent rehiring of a former CSU chancellor to a teaching position at a high salary -- eight years after he quit the university for...
Ford Won't Close Plants in 2009
Ford Won't Close Plants in 2009Ford Motor Co. has no plans to close plants in 2009 as part of its North American restructuring but will close seven plants between 2010 and 2012, the automaker said Tuesday in a regulatory filing. Ford announced in January it would cut up to 30,000...
Labor's lukewarm welcome / Unions divided over guest worker programs
Labor's lukewarm welcome / Unions divided over guest worker programsBy George Raine
The labor movement, founded on the principle of worker solidarity, is seriously divided over the "guest worker" program proposed as part of immigration reform legislation. Guest worker programs allow foreigners to enter the United States temporarily to...
Baseball's union could scrap new drug policy if no labour deal by August
Baseball's union could scrap new drug policy if no labour deal by AugustCanada.com
If players and owners don't agree to a new labour contract by Aug. 1, the union has until Aug. 15 to unilaterally end the new drug policy as of Dec. 19, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. If players terminate the new policy and the sides play 2007 without a labour contract, the 2005 drug rules would be in effect.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Delphi argues for permission to void labor deals
Delphi argues for permission to void labor dealsBy Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bankrupt auto parts maker Delphi Corp. (DPHIQ.PK) on Tuesday argued for permission to void its existing labor contracts with unions, saying it needs the authority to succeed in its efforts to reorganize its money-losing North American operations.
Wagoner: Delphi Strike Can Be Avoided
Wagoner: Delphi Strike Can Be AvoidedBy AP
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said Tuesday that the world's biggest automaker has stockpiled parts in case Delphi Corp. workers go on strike but he believes a strike can be avoided.
Minn. Nuclear Workers Exposed to Radiation
Minn. Nuclear Workers Exposed to RadiationAn accidental release of radioactive gas at a nuclear plant in southeastern Minnesota exposed about 100 workers to low levels of radiation last week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said. The Prairie Island plant was shut down for maintenance and...
REDWOOD CITY / Nurses to strike 2 days next week
REDWOOD CITY / Nurses to strike 2 days next weekBy Marisa Lagos
Nearly 400 nurses plan to walk off their jobs May 17 and 18 to protest stalled contract negotiations with San Mateo County, the state nurses union announced Monday. The two-day strike will include 380 nurses at more than 40 locations, including jails,...
For the first time, non-union immigrants are building Manhattan's high-rise towers
For the first time, non-union immigrants are building Manhattan's high-rise towersSource: Village Voice
There's a nasty little chapter in the national immigration debate playing out along the side streets in the West Twenties in Manhattan these days. There, construction union members, many of them first- and second-generation immigrants themselves, are squared off against a contractor using just-off-the-boat employees willing to work long hours at substandard wages with no benefits.
Business, unions watching court battle over Md.'s Wal-Mart law
Business, unions watching court battle over Md.'s Wal-Mart lawSource: The Hill
Lawmakers and lobbyists are keeping a close watch on the Maryland courts, where the partisan fight over employer-provided health insurance is primed to explode in the coming weeks as a business trade group tries to strike down a state law forcing Wal-Mart to spend more money on healthcare.
Budget spurs strike talk amid 87,000 state workers
Budget spurs strike talk amid 87,000 state workersSource: Inside Bay Area
California state government's largest union is threatening to walk off the job in the first state workers' strike in history if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration doesn't come up with what labor leaders termed an "acceptable" contract offer. Service Employees International Union Local 1000 officials warned of the job action at noontime rally at the Capitol on Monday, where an estimated 2,000 purple-shirted teachers, nurses, clerical staff, administrative workers and others loudly expressed their willingness to walk out.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Europe gets choosier about its newcomers / Talented workers welcomed, low-skill laborers shunned
Europe gets choosier about its newcomers / Talented workers welcomed, low-skill laborers shunnedBy Elizabeth Bryant
Bakari Coulibali held up a half-eaten slice of baguette in his hand, his mouth full of crusty bread and butter. "I thank these Christians," said Coulibali, a Muslim from Mali, as he sat at a church breakfast for the homeless. "Everyone here has a piece...
Job growth weak, but hourly wages are up / Unemployment rate holds at steady 4.7% in April report
Job growth weak, but hourly wages are up / Unemployment rate holds at steady 4.7% in April reportBy Louis Uchitelle
Job growth slackened in April, the government reported Friday, but the hourly wages of ordinary workers jumped, and their pay is finally rising faster than inflation. The nation's employers added only 138,000 jobs, well below the average of 210,000 a...
Paycheck-protection legislation requires union officials to ask their members annually for written permission to spend the members' dues to fund the u
Paycheck-protection legislation requires union officials to ask their members annually for written permission to spend the members' dues to fund the union's political action committee.
Why Florida union members need paycheck protection
Why Florida union members need paycheck protectionSource: Jacksonville Business Journal
Paycheck-protection legislation requires union officials to ask their members annually for written permission to spend the members' dues to fund the union's political action committee.
Immigration debate echoes past: Current concerns about foreign-born workers mirror those of early 20th century
Immigration debate echoes past: Current concerns about foreign-born workers mirror those of early 20th centurySource: Washington Post
The bitter arguments of the past echo loudly these days as Congress debates toughening the nation's immigration laws and immigrants from Latin America and Asia swell the streets of U.S. cities in protest. Most of the concerns voiced today -- that too many immigrants seek economic advantage and fail to understand democracy, that they refuse to learn English, overcrowd homes and overwhelm public services -- were heard a century ago.
Faculty union leaders, state lawmaker, step up criticism of California State University's rehiring of controversial former chancellor
Faculty union leaders, state lawmaker, step up criticism of California State University's rehiring of controversial former chancellorSource: LA Times
Union officials questioned whether Cal State was, as administrators have contended, contractually obligated to provide a "trustee professor" position for Barry Munitz, who headed the CSU system from 1991 to 1998.
Teachers not alone in health care fight
Teachers not alone in health care fightSource: Alameda Times-Star
Unionized workers in nearly every industry — grocery, janitorial, manufacturing, automotive, hotel, security, schools and hospitals — have reached impasses with employers over health care costs in recent years. "As health care costs continue to rise, it puts significant pressure on employers and unions," said Ken Jacobs, deputy chair of the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
A 2003 study by the UC Berkeley Labor Center found that health care was the central issue in at least 50 percent of all work stoppages in California.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Workers declining insurance / Fewer in state opt for employer plans, according to study
Job growth weak, but hourly wages are up / Unemployment rate holds at steady 4.7% in April report
Job growth weak, but hourly wages are up / Unemployment rate holds at steady 4.7% in April reportBy Louis Uchitelle
Job growth slackened in April, the government reported Friday, but the hourly wages of ordinary workers jumped, and their pay is finally rising faster than inflation. The nation's employers added only 138,000 jobs, well below the average of 210,000 a...
Workers Petition Against AFL-CIO Activities in Venezuela, Haiti
Workers Petition Against AFL-CIO Activities in Venezuela, HaitiSource: Bay Area Indy Media
Today, the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center is one of four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, partnering with the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and the Center for International Private Enterprise (Chambers of Commerce). The Solidarity Center is more than 90 per cent funded by the federal government. Most of its funding is from the State Department (via the NED and USAID) and the Department of Labor. Whatever genuine solidarity work the Solidarity Center has done—and it has done some—it does not give it license to advance corporate interests as an arm of US foreign policy by sponsoring politically aligned labor organizations against progressive trade unionists and popular governments.
Hungry labor
Hungry laborSource: Investor's Business Daily
Labor unions once resisted the influx of low-skilled, low-wage workers. Now they push for amnesty. Is this a passion for economic justice or just the survival instinct at work?
Change to Win group has advised its affiliates around the country to stop paying dues to state labor councils controlled by the AFL-CIO
Change to Win group has advised its affiliates around the country to stop paying dues to state labor councils controlled by the AFL-CIO.Sourc: Boston Globe
Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Change to Win Coalition, said the organization has told the heads of AFL-CIO state labor councils that it is recommending that payments be suspended until a farm workers' union has been allowed to sign a solidarity charter permitting it to work with state AFL-CIO labor councils on local issues of concern.
Suit says union violates religious freedom
Suit says union violates religious freedomSource: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Safeway meat department manager is suing the union representing him for allegedly violating his religious freedom by requiring him to pay dues even though the labor organization supports "special rights for homosexuals." The National Right to Work Foundation -- which brings legal challenges around the country against what they call "compulsory unionism abuses" -- is representing Kent Safeway worker Daniel Gautschi in the suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
It's time for national health insurance
It's time for national health insuranceSource: Detroit News Column
A newly released study by the Commonwealth Fund found that slightly more than one in five of all working-age Americans, both uninsured and insured, have medical debt they are paying off over time. Nearly one in four uninsured adults say they had used up all their savings to pay medical bills.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Inside the RNC's union outreach
Inside the RNC's union outreachSource: National Journal
RNC chair Ken Mehlman and other top GOP officials used recent meetings with organized labor to urge them to give to GOPers in key '06 races, bolster or begin contributions to the nat'l party cmtes and cease donations to 527s, according to multiple union sources. A total of 3 meetings were held, in descending order of how friendly the GOPers deemed the unions by a standard of their giving history and what they did in the '04 WH race. WH pol. dir. Sara Taylor attended all three.
Building bridges at work / Students with disabilities get a helping hand matching them with Bay Area employers
Building bridges at work / Students with disabilities get a helping hand matching them with Bay Area employersBy David Armstrong
The odds didn't look good for Ronaile Burton when he applied for a job at Boudin's Market Street cafe a few months back. He was one of 100 applicants for an entry-level position at the San Francisco restaurant, a bustling place popular with the downtown...
FedEx Plans to Add 800 Jobs at Indy Hub
FedEx Plans to Add 800 Jobs at Indy HubBy By ASHLEY M. HEHER, AP Business Writer
A $214 million expansion of FedEx's Indianapolis hub will add 800 mostly part-time jobs, officials from the shipping company said Thursday. The 18-year-old operation, adjacent to the Indianapolis International Airport, is FedEx's second-largest...
Millions rally, march for immigrant rights; virtual strikes in some cities
Millions rally, march for immigrant rights; virtual strikes in some citiesSource: Labor Notes
Millions of Latino
Immigrant workers throughout the United States marched and rallied in March and April to oppose repressive immigration legislation in Congress and to demand just immigration reform. The immigrant demonstrations were largest in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and New York, but there were demonstrations from coast to coast and throughout the Midwest and the South.
Is a comeback for labor in the cards?
Is a comeback for labor in the cards?Source: Labor Notes
Several months ago, the Wall Street Journal described an increase in strikes in the United States. But the modest revival of grassroots activity in the U.S. labor movement at the end of 2005 has largely been missed by the mainstream press.
Unions should break with managed care
Unions should break with managed careSource: Labor Notes
The AFL-CIO helped create this mess. It did so by endorsing the concept of the “health maintenance organization” when it was first proposed by Richard Nixon in 1971, and, over the ensuing decades, by repeatedly endorsing the diagnosis of the health care crisis promoted by HMO advocates (namely, that doctors order too many services and someone has to do the dirty work of telling doctors and patients no).
UAW seeks a strike vote from workers at Delphi
UAW seeks a strike vote from workers at DelphiSource: NYT
The U.A.W. said Wednesday that it had asked its 24,000 workers at Delphi, the auto parts supplier that is operating under bankruptcy protection, to vote by May 14 whether to give union leaders permission to call a strike. If union leaders were to order a walkout, not only would Delphi be severely affected, but so would General Motors, which could itself be forced to file for bankruptcy protection as a result, analysts say.
First Round talks fail between UC, nurses
Talks on first round fail between UC, nursesSource: Sacramento Business Journal
Three more days of collective bargaining between the University of California and the California Nurses Association this week failed to move the two sides closer to an agreement, said representatives from both sides. The first round was held April 17-19 at UC Davis. Talks continued Monday through Wednesday in San Diego. More talks are scheduled May 15-17 in Los Angeles and May 30-June 1 in Irvine. The union represents almost 9,000 nurses at five UC medical centers, including about 2,100 nurses at UC Davis.
Northwest Pact May Avert Strike by Pilots
Northwest Pact May Avert Strike by PilotsSource: New York Times
Pilots at Northwest Airlines ratified a labor contract that would save the airline $358 million a year and avert a possible strike, the union representing the workers said yesterday.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Single-payer healthcare bill gains union backers
Single-payer healthcare bill gains union backersSource: ILCA Online
A bill establishing a government-run Canadian style single-payer health care system for the U.S., built on Medicare, is gaining union backers, coincidentally as “Cover the Uninsured” week ran from May 1-7. The measure, H.R. 676 by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), would eliminate the private for-profit health insurance industry by establishing a government-run system. The “United States National Health Insurance Act” would be funded through the federal budget, says a fact sheet from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which covers health issues and which sponsors the week spotlighting the uninsured.
Decatur City, Illinois unions back call for insurance costs study
City unions back Caulkins' call for insurance costs studySource: Decatur Herald-Review
Union leaders joined Decatur City Councilman Dan Caulkins in calling for a study of swelling health insurance costs for city employees."These costs are a runaway freight train, and someone needs to ask some questions and get some answers," said Adam Ruderman, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 505.
More important than ever that NYU return to bargaining table with GSOC-UAW
More important than ever that NYU return to bargaining table with GSOC-UAWSource: UAW
“Our members, the graduate employees at NYU, have been on strike for nearly six months in response to the university’s refusal to negotiate a second contract with the union,” said Gettelfinger. “We are excited to report that a strong majority of graduate employees at NYU has just publicly reaffirmed their demand for union recognition and a second contract.”
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
UC audit blasts administrators, president's office
UC audit blasts administrators, president's officeBy Tanya Schevitz and Todd Wallack
(05-02) 11:47 PDT OAKLAND - The Bureau of State Audits reported this morning that the University of California's compensation practices are rife with problems, including such mistakes as overpaying one employee by $130,000 and "improperly" boosting retirement...
REPERCUSSION: A backlash could hamper chances for reform
A MILLION SAY: LET US ALL STAY / REPERCUSSION: A backlash could hamper chances for reformBy Carolyn Lochhead
Organizers intended Monday's "A Day Without Immigrants" to prod Congress to allow the nation's more than 11 million illegal immigrants a chance to become citizens. But if anything, the rallies seemed to energize House foes of such a policy and put its...
Across the nation, a rallying call for immigrants
A MILLION SAY: LET US ALL STAY / HISTORIC DAY: Across the nation, a rallying call for immigrantsBy Michael Cabanatuan, Tyche Hendricks, Jason B. Johnson
Demanding reform of U.S. immigration laws, more than a million people took to the nation's streets Monday in what some observers said could herald a new civil rights movement. In the nation's largest coordinated demonstration since the war in Vietnam,...
ZIMBABWE: INFLATION CAPITAL / People with spare cash invest in cornmeal, avoiding banks, as cost of living soars
ZIMBABWE: INFLATION CAPITAL / People with spare cash invest in cornmeal, avoiding banks, as cost of living soarsBy Michael Wines
How bad is inflation in Zimbabwe? Well, consider this: At a supermarket near the center of this tatterdemalion capital, toilet paper costs $417. No, not per roll. Four hundred seventeen Zimbabwean dollars is the value of a single two-ply sheet. A roll...
Soldiers seize Bolivia oil, gas / President's decree gives government a majority control of the energy industry
Soldiers seize Bolivia oil, gas / President's decree gives government a majority control of the energy industryBy John Otis, David Ivanonich
Making good on his main campaign pledge, Bolivian President Evo Morales ordered troops to occupy the country's oil and natural gas fields on Monday and issued a decree giving the government a majority control over the energy industry. "The pillaging of...
Many employers support rallies / Immigrant-rights boycotts concentrated in industries with mainly Latino workforces
Many employers support rallies / Immigrant-rights boycotts concentrated in industries with mainly Latino workforcesBy Ilana DeBare
The McDonald's at 24th and Mission streets shut its doors for the day. At Monterey Bay Bouquet, a Watsonville floral wholesaler, 90 percent of production workers stayed off the job to attend rallies. In San Jose, employees of the Lincoln Glen Manor nursing...
Thousands of people march in solidarity with Mexican migrant workers
Thousands of people march in solidarity with Mexican migrant workers demonstrating for more rights across the border in the USASource: BBC
Demonstrators also called for a total boycott of American products.
The protest by migrant workers in the US was called A day Without Immigrants - in the Mexican capital it was called A Day Without Gringos.
Immigrants flex economic muscle in boycott
Immigrants flex economic muscle in boycottSource: Arab Times
Hundreds of thousands of mostly Hispanic immigrants walked off the job and rallied in cities across the United States on Monday, wielding their economic clout to demand rights for illegal immigrants. Factories closed, day labor jobs went begging, children skipped school and cargo was left on docks in what the organizers called "A Day without Immigrants."
Billed as a boycott, immigrant rallies evolved into protests
Billed as a boycott, immigrant rallies evolved into protestsSource: NY Times
The demonstrations did not bring the nation to a halt as planned by some organizers, though they did cause some disruptions and conveyed in peaceful but sometimes boisterous ways the resolve of those who favor loosening the country's laws on immigration.
Throngs show their potent role in economy
Throngs show their potent role in economySource: LA Times
Immigrant workers powerfully asserted their importance Monday, making clear they are vital to California's economy. Without us, they declared, industries would tremble, jobs go undone and prices rise.Dolls from China, DVD players from Japan and shirts from Malaysia piled up at the ports. Lettuce wasn't picked in Blythe and strawberries languished in Oxnard. On one block of L.A.'s Koreatown, only two out of nine businesses were open. The garment district was nearly deserted.
More than a million people turned out for protest rallies across the country
More than a million people turned out for protest rallies across the countrySource: LA Times
More than a million people turned out for protest rallies across the country Monday, sending a message to lawmakers as Congress continued to wrestle with overhauling the nation's immigration laws.In Chicago, the estimated 400,000 demonstrators included hundreds of people from Asia, Europe and Central America.
NJ Transit plans an alternative for worker pensions
NJ Transit plans an alternative for worker pensionsSource: Newark Star-Ledger
In what could be a first step to wean public employees from costly traditional pension plans, NJ Transit will soon place some newly hired workers into a retirement program known as a 401a.
The agency will make annual contributions equaling 6 percent of each worker's salary per year, but will not be on the hook for payments after the workers retire.
Immigrants flex their economic muscle in boycott
Immigrants flex their economic muscle in boycottSource: AP
With leaders of the national "Day Without Immigrants" calling for an economic boycott, many Hispanic-owned businesses closed for the day in the city's unofficial Latin quarter and throughout California, encouraging employees to participate in the massive protest marches.
Union leader offers Wal-Mart a bit of praise
Union leader offers Wal-Mart a bit of praiseSource: AP
But Andy Stern, the president of the Service Employees International Union, is not about to get carried away. Stern, whose union funds Wal-Mart Watch, a group vociferously opposed to the retailer's employment and business practices, cited Wal-Mart's announcement that it is re-examining its impact on the environment, including looking at the increased use of alternative fuels. He also noted that the company has had some success in diversifying its leadership.
Minor league umpires reject deal
Minor league umpires reject dealSource: NY Times
Striking minor league umpires have rejected a tentative strike settlement by a 2-to-1 ratio.
The umpires, who have been on strike since the start of the minor league season April 6, reached a tentative agreement last Thursday after two days of bargaining assisted by a federal mediator.
"Minor league baseball will continue with replacements," George Yund, a lawyer for management, said after Robert Weaver, a union leader, told him of the vote yesterday. "No further negotiations are scheduled or contemplated."
The proposal called for a $100-a-month salary increase across the salary scale starting in 2006. The umpires say their salaries average $15,000 at Class AAA, $12,000 at Class AA, $10,000 in full-season Class A and $5,500 in rookie leagues. The plan also provided for increased per diem allowances.
Nurses union, hospitals agree on broad outlines of Mass. staffing bill
Nurses union, hospitals agree on broad outlines of Mass. staffing billSource: Boston Globe
The state's hospitals and registered nurses have agreed on the broad outlines of a nurse staffing bill that would let the state Department of Public Health regulate the maximum number of patients a hospital could assign to a single nurse.
Seattle-area garbage strike averted with tentative settlement
Seattle-area garbage strike averted with tentative settlementSource: Seattle Times
A tentative settlement with Waste Management Inc. of Houston was reached late Sunday and will be submitted to a ratification vote in about a week, said Dan Scott, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 174. He said both sides agreed not to discuss terms of the deal before the vote.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Manufacturing performance was robust in April (Reuters)
Manufacturing performance was robust in April (Reuters)Reuters - U.S. manufacturing activity powered ahead in April but soaring energy and metals costs were making factory managers apprehensive, according to an industry report published Monday.
Drifting in on Katrina's wind, laborers alter the streetscape
Drifting in on Katrina's wind, laborers alter the streetscapeSource: LA Times
In other cities, day-labor corners are exclusively Latino. But Lee Circle is an uneasy mix of brown, black and white — like the city itself these days. Before Katrina, "everything was just right," said Israel Douglas, a black day-worker standing at an Exxon station on the circle. "Now the situation is chaotic."
Like recurring illness: Nurses, UC return to contract talks
Like recurring illness: Nurses, UC return to contract talksSource: Sacramento Business Journal
Four months after their last contract agreement -- which took a year of negotiations, a strike vote and court action to nail down -- the University of California is back at the bargaining table with the California Nurses Association. The first round of new talks on wages and other issues for almost 9,000 nurses at the five UC medical centers took place at UC Davis last week. The next session is scheduled Monday through Wednesday in San Diego. Raises and other changes are expected to start July 1. The union represents about 2,100 nurses at UC Davis.
New pay scheme, tied to performance, begins at Dept. of Defense
New pay scheme, tied to performance, begins at Dept. of DefenseSource: Washington Post
About 11,000 Defense Department civil service employees go to work today under a new salary system -- the pioneers in an ambitious effort to more closely link pay raises to occupations, locations and job performance.
Black and Decker Corp. shareholders approve union proposal to tie CEO's compensation to company's performance
Source: Washington PostShares voted at Black & Decker Corp.'s annual meeting in support of a union proposal to tie the chief executive's compensation to the company's performance.
Concerns increase over state pensions
Concerns increase over state pensionsSource: NY Times
CONNECTICUT teachers have rallied throughout the state this year for a constitutional amendment ensuring that the state will pay into their pension fund, which officials say is more than $5 billion short. Teachers want to stop lawmakers from repeatedly failing to pay into the plan at required levels.
But the teachers are not alone in their predicament. Other state pension funds are in the red, causing concern among union leaders and catching the attention of bond rating experts.
Umpire strike ending after 23 days
Umpire strike ending after 23 daysSource: Birmingham News
The 23-day-old minor league umpire strike appears to have ended early Saturday morning, with an agreement coming after two days of mediation in Cincinnati. Federal Mediator Lou Manchise, after hearing arguments, made a recommendation that proved acceptable to both sides of the labor issue.
UM janitors reach agreement with employer and will end strike
UM janitors reach agreement with employer and will end strikeSource: AP
About a quarter of the 425 janitors who work at the university have been on strike since early March. Several weeks after the strike began the university had agreed to raise the minimum wages of its contract employees, but workers continued to strike over alleged unfair labor practices and union representation. The janitors and their employer, Unicco Service Co., agreed to a process Monday by which the janitors can choose whether to form a union. The workers will return to work Wednesday, both sides said.
Maytag lays off 70, but union optimistic
Maytag lays off 70, but union optimisticSource: Des Moines Register
About 70 production workers are being laid off in Newton today at the Maytag washer/dryer factory, now owned by Whirlpool Corp., a union leader confirmed.Ted Johnson, president of United Auto Workers Local 997, said the layoffs were already planned by Maytag management before Whirlpool’s purchase of Maytag became final March 31. The job losses will put the plant’s production work force at about 950 people, Johnson said.
An invisible army of workers strikes for the right to be seen
An invisible army of workers strikes for the right to be seenSource: Sunday Times
US wants it both ways – closed borders and cheap labour
THE best place to witness America’s immigration dilemma is not the US-Mexican border.
Go instead to any suburban school and see the Latino nanny, an illegal immigrant, picking up the children while their middle-class parents are still at work. Or stand outside any office block in the evening, and watch the Mexican janitors go in to scrub out the toilets as the suited workers go home.
Or go to any American meat-packing plant, construction site or tomato field and see the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants employed, at low wages, to do jobs most native-born Americans do not want.
America’s reliance on illegal immigrant labour — to keep the economy buzzing, prices low and the standard of living higher than anywhere else in the world — is the worst-kept secret in the US economy.
His way of life, pension, job all on the line: Mark West's 28 years at plant may end if deal isn't reached by midnight
His way of life, pension, job all on the line: Mark West's 28 years at plant may end if deal isn't reached by midnightSource: Charlotte Observer
For years, Mark West thought his job was safe. He built tires at the Continental Tire plant in south Charlotte for almost three decades. He earned enough to take his family to Myrtle Beach, to the N.C. mountains, sometimes to Walt Disney World. He took them to Chili's for dinner on Saturday nights.
"It's the American dream," said West, 46, wearing a Steelworkers T-shirt at his Rock Hill home. "I'd be devastated to see it yanked from under my feet." Continental, one of Charlotte's largest manufacturers, has been threatening to close its tire plant if workers reject a 35 percent cut in pay and benefits. West and his co-workers have been forced to re-evaluate their lives, which could drastically change if a new contract is not reached by midnight tonight.
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith dies
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith diesSource: Reuters
His most famous work, 1958's "The Affluent Society," became a bestseller. In it he argued that the United States had become rich in consumer goods but poor in social services.
DoD workers seek union status on eve of personnel changes
DoD workers seek union status on eve of personnel changesSource: GovExec
Employees at the Navy's Human Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., asked the Federal Labor Relations Authority to let the American Federation of Government Employees represent them. The performance center workers are part of the group of 11,000 nonbargaining-unit employees the Pentagon has selected to venture into its new pay-for-performance system first.
Union hopes to organize workers at Mercedes plant
Union hopes to organize workers at Mercedes plantSource: Birmingham News
Workers at the $1 billion Mercedes-Benz plant sheltered among the pine trees in this Tuscaloosa County village earn an average of $56,000, not counting overtime. Jeremy Kimbrell, a 28-year-old who works in the plant's paint department, wants something else - a union to offer employees protection in case of a sales downturn and help them get more of a voice in company decisions.
He is backing a drive by the Maryland-based International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers launched last month.
Union, farm contractor have a deal -- now what?
Union, farm contractor have a deal -- now what?Source: Yakima Herald-Republic
In little more than a month, they had accomplished what UFW founder Cesar Chavez attempted some 20 years earlier when he led workers on a march from Grandview to Yakima for better pay. National newspapers, including The New York Times, picked up the story, quoting a jubilant Arturo Rodriguez, UFW president and Chavez's son-in-law. But it's far from clear what the newfound unity means. Many growers and their representatives are scratching their heads over whether the agreement will change the farm-labor economy in Central Washington, easing fears of a shortage while improving the lot of workers.
Let's organise, says US IT union leader
Let's organise, says US IT union leaderSource: Computerworld
"We need to get together" is the word from WashTech boss. Labour unions don’t have much of a presence in the US high-tech industry. Marcus Courtney, president of the Seattle-based Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, or WashTech, says that hurts white-collar American IT workers, who are losing jobs to offshore outsourcing. Courtney talks about issues affecting IT employees.
Protesters target health coverage at Wal-Mart in Houston
Protesters target health coverageSource: Houston Chronicle
Protesters gathered outside a Wal-Mart last Wednesday as part of a national campaign to pressure the retailer to offer employees a better deal on health insurance. The Houston-area effort, in which about 40 union members passed out leaflets, was part of an effort in 35 cities across the country by the new labor federation Change to Win.
Labor & Economic News Blog
-
The Institute for Research on Labor & Employment Library Labor and Economic News (RSS Feeds)
- Blog Home
- Subscribe to Posts
- Organizations Cited
- IRLE Labor Blog Digest
- Archives
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
May 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
September 2011
November 2011
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012
June 2012
July 2012
August 2012
September 2012
October 2012
November 2012
January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
April 2013
May 2013
July 2013
August 2013
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
December 2013
January 2014
February 2014
April 2014
May 2014
June 2014
July 2014
August 2014
September 2014
October 2014
November 2014
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
June 2015
July 2015
August 2015
September 2015
October 2015
November 2015
January 2016
February 2016
Compiled by Janice Kimball and the staff of the IRLE Library
- Send suggestions to: thuwe@library.berkeley.edu
eNews