...Instead, the city council voted to hire a lawyer and seek a worker vote supervised by the State Board of Mediation to determine whether a majority of the workers want to be represented by a union. That lawyer, Terry Kilroy of Kansas City, is the chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group of a large Kansas City law firm, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, whose company’s areas of specialization include labor law.
On its company web site, the firm reports that “we have an enviable track record in representing employers faced with labor union organizing campaigns. We provide preventative labor relations training for our clients to assist them in attempting to avoid union campaigns.”
HARD LABOR
Real Union. Real Working America.
October 22, 2008
Union Organizing in St. Robert, MO
October 21, 2008
USPS Offering Early Retirement
"...I don't think a lot of employees are going to be interested in taking it," she said. For one reason, no incentives are attached. For another, postal workers are no longer civil-service employees. Their money for the future goes into the Federal Employee Retirement System, which rides the crests of the stock market.
While the union would like to see incentives attached to the early retirement, "the postal service has adamantly said no," Meade said. William Burrus, president of the American Postal Workers Union, has forcefully told his membership not to go.
IAM, Boeing to Resume Talks
The Machinist union says negotiations to end a 45-day strike by Boeing Co. production workers will resume Thursday. A statement issued by Machinists District Lodge 751 in Seattle says the talks will be held with a federal mediator in Washington, D.C.
October 18, 2008
American Standard Workers on Strike
...That's when American Standard Brands made what company spokesman Tracy Benson Kirker called its last, best and final contract offer, which included a 5 percent wage reduction, a reduction to 401K contributions to a 75 percent match up to 6 percent of pay and an increase in health care contributions to 25 percent, along with the addition of a profit-sharing plan.
How the Race Card Really Works, Part 2
From the October newsletter of the Chaffey County Republican Women, Federated in San Bernardino County, California:
Obama talks about all those presidents that got their names on bills. If elected, what bill would he be on????? Food Stamps, what else!
Club President Diane Fedele denied racism. You be the judge.
October 16, 2008
GM to Lay Off 1600 Workers
The notice of pending December layoffs is just the latest in a cascade of layoff announcements from the struggling automaker. GM announced on Monday plans to close its Janesville plant on Dec. 23 — more than a year before originally scheduled — and new plans to close its Grand Rapids stamping plant by December of next year. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to accelerate the closure of its Moraine, Ohio, assembly plant by more than a year. That plant will also close on Dec. 23.
Analysts expect GM to announce more production cuts and plant closures.
Wal-Mart Closes Only North American Unionized Shop
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, said it closed a unionized Quebec tire and lubrication shop because of costs tied to the first labor agreement imposed at any of its North American locations.
Wal-Mart stock responded by jumping nearly 10% on the news.
October 14, 2008
How to Watch a Political Debate
While I normally attempt to keep this blog focused on current events dealing with the exploitation, oppression, and despair experienced by working Americans - that which we have come to expect during the last eight years under the Bush Administration - the recent double digit poll lead by Senator Obama has me a little giddy and, I have to admit, this is simply too funny to pass up:
IAM, Boeing Talks Collapse
Talks aimed at ending a monthlong strike by union machinists at Boeing Co. collapsed Monday after the company and union were unable to agree on the union's demands for greater job security.
People on both sides of the dispute said that no new talks have been scheduled, raising the likelihood that the strike could last several more weeks. Before the Sept. 6 strike began, Boeing's assembly lines had been cranking out more than 40 airplanes a month.
October 13, 2008
NATCA President Named to Obama's Transportation Policy Committee
Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, AFL-CIO, has been named to Senator Obama's Transportation Policy Committee which is currently in the process of identifying policies and positions on transportation issues that affect our nation. "This work," according to Forrey, "will constitute the basis for transitioning to an Obama administration if he wins the Presidency on November 4th."
NATCA represents all of the air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration as well as a number of other aviation-related bargaining units in both the public and private sectors.
IAM and Boeing Meet with Federal Mediator
Boeing and the union have had an uneasy relationship for almost a decade as the company has made sweeping changes to the way it makes airplanes, including using suppliers to build bigger and bigger pieces of each jetliner. At the same time, Boeing has pushed to phase out traditional pension compensation and health insurance plans in favor of 401(k)-type savings plans and having its employees pay a greater share of their medical expenses.
Meanwhile Boeing CEO James McNerney's compensation package fell 7.6% in 2007 - due to a decline in value of his stock awards - to a mere $19 million.
October 11, 2008
Survey Suggests Colorado Voters Oppose "Right to Work (for Less)" Initiative
The survey may provide bad news for supporters of Amendment 47, the so-called right-to-work ballot initiative that would stop organized labor from collecting mandatory dues from unionized workplaces if approved by voters in November. Unions strongly oppose Amendment 47, which is reportedly showing lagging support in many polls.
October 09, 2008
Judge Orders Michigan Teachers Back to Work
Union spokeswoman Melissa Sortman said the teachers will comply with the court order, and "the teachers look forward to returning to the classroom." The two sides had resumed talks Thursday afternoon.
Sortman said parents and students have supported the teachers, speaking at school board meetings and joining them on the picket line.
"We believe that the parents of the community have spoken out," she said. "The school board is the employer here. They need to deal with class size and settle this contract with the teachers."
"All That Harms Labor is Treason to America" - Abe Lincoln
Is it any coincidence that with the decline of Labor Unions in America, so declines the economic stability of this great Nation? Along with the declining economy, we see an ever more collapse in the social integrity that we could always count on to guide our great country through good times and bad. Obviously, "we are a hurting now," at least those of us in labor, union or not.
October 08, 2008
UAW Vote Saves Plant
Arvin-Meritor, which announced last year it would close 13 plants, will remain in Heath at least another four years.
The Troy, Mich.-based company acknowledged Wednesday the United Auto Workers Local 1037 approved a four-year contract, saving about 350 jobs. It was welcome news following Tuesday's announcement of Holophane cutting 300 jobs.
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