[Educationforall] spam con huevos labor news, views and concerns, 4.18.12‏‏‏‏-I‏‏

Fri Apr 20 05:49:19 UTC 2012

UTLA Action Alert - Senate Bill 1530 (Padilla) CWA Newsletter: Workers Rally to Protect T-Mobile Call Center Jobs‏ Bipartisan Political Elite Implicated in For-Profit Education Fraud    Two-Paycheck Couples, Working Because They Must  CEO Pay and The 99%‏ Is one CEO really worth 380 workers?‏ What If the Greedy Rich Paid Their Share? 8 Things to Know About Wealth and Poverty in the US  Some Details - Examples of Recent General Strikes: 1) Argentina & 2) Greece‏ ZAPATA VIVE - PERO LA PESADILLA GRINGA SIGUE ~ Migrants Paid $11.2 Billion In Taxes While GE Paid Nothing‏   
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UTLA Action Alert - Senate Bill 1530 (Padilla)(corrected version) Have you read the latest UTLA Action Alert-Senate Bill 1530 (Padilla)? Well, if you have not, I would recommend that you read it.  I am attaching a copy of what I received on my email for your own convenience. First, let me remind you that just a couple of weeks ago, I circulated a document  where I indicated that UTLA should not support any presidential  election farce. Unfortunately, only a handful of teachers and union members shared comments with regard to the circulated document. However, I would like to remind  you how important it is that we remain vigilant and alert of what our union leaders are doing to cover up  for  corrupt politicians who claim to be  “friendly” to teachers.  If you pay careful attention to the attached document, you will realize that UTLA attempts to dissuade us from actually knowing who, in fact, is   (State Senator) Padilla.   If you read the document (UTLA Action Alert) in its entirety, you will find his full name only once.  That is not a mere mistake, as you would think. Well, sometimes the best way to hide something, is when you leave it in plain sight.  I am not going to go and discuss techniques on how to deceive people because I am not a deceiver.  The point is that  we all know that Senate Bill 1530 is bad for teachers because it will take away educator’s rights to hearings, eliminate  educator’s opportunity  to respond to charges, allow districts  to summarily dismiss educators, etc. Senator  Padilla is actually Mr. Alex Padilla of Pacoima, California.  This individual is a Democrat. Yes, if you did not know, now you do. Is that the reason why our union attempts to conceal his full name on this document?  Surely so and for a good reason. Actually read the following statement: “Contact Senator Padilla and urge him to change his bill – Senate Bill 1530 -- into a measure that teachers can support.  Let Senator Padilla know the bill is both unfair and detrimental to the best interests of students and educators.”   In both instances he is  referred to as Senator Padilla. As you can see, his last name is presented to us throughout the document many different times. His full name only once. Is there a reason for that? Yes, there is a good reason and I will discuss it subsequently. However, this document  is telling us to take actions that would clearly correspond to PACE  and the UTLA as an institution. We have a political "action" committee that collects many hundreds of thousands of dollars from members. Those funds ultimately end up in the hands of a lot of Democrat politicians. So, if PACE collects and spends these many thousands of dollars to elect politicians, Why can't they use thousands of dollars to start a real campaign of mobilization of members AGAINST all the  Senator Padilla types  and their  reactionary bills ?   Well, the reasons are  obvious: Senator Padilla is a Democrat,  he also  received campaign funding from the California Teachers Association (CTA) and in June 8th, 2010, UTLA recommended the election of Senator Alex Padilla.  Are you surprised? PACE recommended “open endorsement”. In a press release in March 30th, 2006, Padilla stated the following, “I will fight to ensure our students and teachers have the resources they need for success at school”. Has he kept his promises? .NO, he has not.  Why can’t the Union admit that?  Well, because they want to continue playing their dishonest game of giving away our dues money to all these Democrat  politicians  who later turn their guns against us. Mr. Padilla's case is just one example of that. Numerous other elected Democrats have joined the GOP's Corporate led assaults on teachers and Public Education   and  yet are STILL raking in piles of your Union PACE  dollars! Mr. Padilla  is a member of the Democratic Party. As  long as those who attack our teachers are Democrats, our union leaders and PACE  will keep their mouth shut and will continue to support them at the expense of many of our fellow teachers livelihoods . This latest UTLA  document is only one more example of how our  union tries to deceive their own membership to cover up for politicians such as Mr. Alex Padilla and others more who are our enemies. Shame on you  UTLA, and the PACE Committee for using  our dues money to support politicians such as Mr. Alex Padilla and many other Democrats who have joined up with the Republicans to continually attack and destroy our profession. (See Attachment). This adds insult to injury of all members!    UTLA Action Alert 
- Senate Bill 1530 (Padilla) -Call right away as hearing is Wednesday, April 18thSenator Padilla's Opposed Dismissal Bill Takes Away Your Rights and Does Nothing to Protect Children. The Los Angeles Unified School District failed to protect students at Miramonte Elementary school. Instead of using their powers immediately to remove and fire a teacher who breaks the law, the LAUSD is deflecting responsibility and supporting changes to the teacher dismissal law for all educators.Senator Padilla has introduced SB 1530 to make changes in teacher dismissal law.  Senator Padilla should instead be calling for an investigation of why LAUSD management failed to use its powers that current law provides.Senator Alex Padilla has told the L.A. Times that he wants to work with CTA to make SB 1530, into something more useful. But he's also told a Sacramento reporter that he thinks school boards should have the right to get rid of a teacher as soon as district officials come to believe that a teacher has committed a firing offense.This bill would eliminate constitutional due process rights for teachers and enable local school districts to fire a teacher regardless of the facts.  Let's take a closer look at what SB 1530 would do:Take away educators' rights to a hearing.Eliminate educators' opportunity to respond to charges.Allow districts to summarily dismiss educators for almost any type of misconduct, whether it be minor offenses (such as smoking cigarettes in a personal car on school grounds or wearing open toed shoes in a shop class) or major offenses.  It treats all misconduct the same way.And raise district costs by providing an automatic appeal to superior court. Current law avoids that cost.  These changes would raise district costs needlessly at a time classrooms desperately need more money.CALL TODAY as SB 1530 (Padilla) is slated for a hearing on Wednesday, April 18, in the Senate Education Committee.Contact Senator Padilla and urge him to change his bill – Senate Bill 1530 -- into a measure that teachers can support.  Let Senator Padilla know the bill is both unfair and detrimental to the best interests of students and educators.Contact Senator Padilla at his Capitol office:  Phone: (916) 651-4020. 
Identify your name and that you are a LAUSD teacher or educator.  If you live and/or work in the Senator's District 20, you should note this.  If you get a recording, please leave a message.
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April 19, 2012Workers Rally to Protect T-Mobile Call Center JobsNext CWA Town Hall MeetingAgents Fight Back, Union Election to be ScheduledCWA Activists Rally Around 99 Percent Spring/Challenging Corporate PowerCWA Members Plan Protests for Verizon Shareholder MeetingCWAers Join Nationwide Protest Against Corporate Tax DodgersGrassroots Support Boosts Citizens United AmendmentsAFL-CIO Launches 'CEO Pay and the 99%'Remember the Fallen on Workers Memorial Day, April 28IUE-CWA’s Jim Clark Recognized by White HouseApply Now for Morton Bahr Online Scholarship at Empire State CollegeWorkers Rally to Protect T-Mobile Call Center JobsT-Mobile workers, CWAers and labor activists rally at T-Mobile USA corporate headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. Below, activists carried banners with messages from workers at the seven call centers T-Mobile wants to close in June.T-Mobile USA workers on Monday sent a loud, clear message to their CEO Philipp Humm: Keep good call center jobs in America and bring back the thousands you've shipped overseas.More than 100  CWA members, along with other union and community supporters, delivered the 100,000-signature petition -- criticizing the company's decision to close seven US call centers and lay off 3,300 workers in June -- to T-Mobile headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. Protesters demanded that Humm return 6,000 overseas jobs, which have been moved to countries like Honduras and the Philippines, and ensure that workers can freely choose union representation without fear of retaliation.The rally included workers from call centers slated to close in Allentown, Pa., and Frisco, Texas."We want T-Mobile to know about our struggle," said Jamone Ross, a worker from Frisco. "We've all given a lot. A lot of us have given up weekends, so we can have decent schedules to have a small glimpse of our families during the week. I'm always saying, 'Hey I might not be able to go to church' or 'I can't go to that party Saturday night since I don't get off until midnight.' We all sacrifice a lot to maintain our jobs. The loyalty is very one sided."Blake Poindexter, another worker from Frisco, was enraged by the company's abuse of taxpayer dollars. In four of the seven communities where call centers are slated to close, T-Mobile received a total of $14.2 million in taxpayer dollars from state and local economic development subsidies. Poindexter's community awarded the company $3.7 million alone."Our state gave T-Mobile millions of dollars to create jobs and what did they do in return? They took the money and now they're turning their backs on me, my co-workers and our whole community," he said. "T-Mobile is putting profit ahead of its workers and costing thousands of workers their jobs."Watch a video of the Bellevue protest here.CWA activists are now working to spotlight this abuse of taxpayer dollars and a new bipartisan bill that penalizes American companies for sending call center jobs overseas. They've launched an online ad campaign to urge support for the call center bill, which now has 110 House sponsors, and are working with elected officials to keep open all seven if the call centers set to close in Allentown; Frisco; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Brownsville, Texas; Thornton, Colo.; Redmond, Ore.; and Lenexa, Kan.Check out all the action at www.weworkbettertogether.com and on Facebook.Next CWA Town Hall MeetingMake sure to join the next CWA telephone town hall, set for Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 pm EDT. Go tohttp://cwa-union.org/pages/union_hall_call_thursday_april_26 to register.Agents Fight Back, Union Election to be ScheduledPassenger service agents at American Airlines were hit with a devastating reorganization plan yesterday that will affect nearly 10,000 agents. Agents face layoffs, outsourcing, the loss of wages and benefits, being forced to work from home for no benefits, and likely even more cuts in the future as they are the only major workgroup at the airline without union representation.But now agents will have the opportunity to get that union voice. The National Mediation Board has determined that American Airlines agents are entitled to a representation election; dates for the voting process are still to be set. CWA has been working with agents who want a union voice and had filed for an election last December."Once again we are being told what will happen to us and we are given no voice in the process," said Bryan Wall, a Sacramento-based agent. "Other employees have options because they are represented by unions and will negotiate. We don't know where or when this will end, but we will fight back through our Ad Hoc Committee and our union after we win the election. It's time for us to demand the respect we deserve.""I work at one of the stations targeted for outsourcing. I am personally worried about my health insurance," said Jutta Fitzgerald, a Columbus, Ohio based agent. "I see what is being done to the employees and I believe this is why we need a strong union. I have never seen a company treat its employees how American Airlines treats us. The agents need to go union, now more than ever."American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protections last year, despite having $4 billion in the bank. CWA was successful in winning recognition for the agents' Ad Hoc committee by the federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy.Activists are organizing and fighting back, and the next opportunity to make a stand is the April 25 bankruptcy court hearing in New York City. "This is our chance to be represented alongside the high-priced attorneys, consultants and investment advisors, and we encourage everyone to come out," agents said.Keep up with the latest at www.apsa6001.org.CWA Activists Rally Around 99 Percent Spring/Challenging Corporate PowerTens of thousands of progressive activists nationwide joined 99 Percent Spring / Challenging Corporate Power trainings last week, laying the foundation for a series of non-violent, direct actions this spring.Participants told stories about what made them part of the 99 percent, discovered the roots of America's economic collapse and learned how to fight back.At the CWA headquarters training, CWA President Larry Cohen choked back tears as he described T-Mobile's recent decision to close seven call centers and lay off 3,300 workers. "I'm tired, I'm angry, I'm distressed from seeing how hard our members fight these battles only to go backwards," he said. "The only way we can fight this is together."John Smith, who hosted a 60-person session at CWA Local 4320, said a lot of contact information was exchanged among the participants. This week CWA members banded together with Jobs with Justice and other activists for a Tax Day protest.More national demonstrations are being planned, including a protest at the Verizon Communications shareholder meeting on May 3. Keep an eye on www.the99spring.com for future actions.CWA Members Plan Protests for Verizon Shareholder MeetingTaking a stand against corporate greed, CWA activists plan to protest Verizon's annual shareholder meeting on May 3.The gathering starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Von Braun Center, an arena located in downtown Huntsville, Ala. Shareholders will be voting on nine proposals, including an AFSCME and CWA General Fund proposition requiring Verizon to publically disclose its federal- and state-level lobbying.At the same time, across the country, CWA members will be rallying against Verizon's decision to send thousands of American jobs overseas and the company's plans to gut pensions, charge more for health benefits and cut disability. Despite raking in billions of dollars in profits, Verizon has stiffed workers while tripling the compensation of its CEO, Lowell McAdam to $23.1 million.Next month's shareholder meeting protest is an extension of the 99 Percent Spring/Challenging Corporate Power's "Shareholder Spring." After training in direct, non-violent action, activists are now preparing demonstrations and actions at shareholder meetings of Chevron, Bank of America, Walmart and Wells Fargo.More information will be available at www.unityatverizon.com.CWAers Join Nationwide Protest Against Corporate Tax DodgersCWAers in Racine, Wisx., members of Local 4611, demonstrate on Tax Day.On April 17, Tax Day, across the country, activists from CWA and other unions, the AFL-CIO, Move On and other members of the 99% Spring coalition called on corporations and the 1% to pay their fair share in taxes.In Washington, D.C., CWA activists joined a Tax Day march on the IRS. Joining Jobs with Justice, SEIU, AFL-CIO and others, the protesters drew attention to the inequality in the tax system that forces most Americans to pay more taxes than General Electric, Boeing, DuPont, Wells Fargo and Verizon Communications put together. Afterward, they continued to raise awareness about the wealthiest 1 percent’s loopholes and tax breaks at a "Billionaire Block Party" at John Marshall Park.In White Plains, N.Y., members of CWA Local 1103 spotlight how Verizon’s stiffs workers and taxpayers.Twenty-six major corporations paid no federal income tax, despite raking in billions of dollars in profits, between 2008 and 2011, according to a new report by Citizens for Tax Justice.  In fact, these companies actually made more money after taxes than before taxes over the past four years, thanks to IRS rebate payments.Wells Fargo was the most profitable tax evader, grossing $21.6 billion in tax subsidies during the four-year period, according to the non-partisan, non-profit research study. GE came in second with $10.6 billion, and Verizon placed third by pulling in $7.7 billion. They were followed by Boeing, which garnered $6 million in tax subsidies.In fact, few firms actually pay the full 35 percent corporate tax rate. Last year, another study by the Citizens for Tax Justice and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy  found that 280 corporations paid on average only half that amount.Grassroots Support Boosts Citizens United AmendmentsA growing grassroots movement has energized the movement for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday.Speaking at a summit, Congressional sponsors of amendment efforts -- along with local and state elected officials, national advocacy organizations and activists -- lambasted the Supreme Court decision, which gave corporations the same rights as people, opening the floodgates to unlimited amounts of corporate money in politics. And they showcased how their longshot attempt has suddenly gone mainstream.CWA Legislative Director Shane Larson told the summit that workers will stand and fight the corrosive influence of money in politics."We cannot make real change for our members until Citizens United is undone," he said. Check out this tweetand another one from the summit.Check out CWA's live tweeting of #Democracy4Sale here.Hawaii and New Mexico have passed resolutions calling on Congress to overturn Citizens United, while resolutions are pending in 17 other states, according to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). In addition, more than 147 cities -- such as Portland, Maine and Boulder, Colo. -- have passed resolutions, and attorneys general from 11 states recently added their support."We are fighting for grassroots democracy and we're going to win this fight because you're going to help us at the grassroots level, and most importantly because the people of the United States understand that by allowing big-money interests to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns is not what people fought and died for to maintain this great country and our democracy," said Sanders, chief Senate sponsor of the Saving American Democracy Amendment. Read more here.Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), sponsor of a similar constitutional amendment in the House, said groundswell is proof that the movement is moving forward. "This amendment process is about a ground game," he said.At least 11 members of Congress gathered in the Capitol Visitor Center hearing room, including Democratic Reps. John Conyers (Mich.), Donna Edwards (Md.), Keith Ellison (Minn.), Rush Holt (N.J.), John Sarbanes (Md.), Betty Sutton (Ohio), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Hank Johnson (Ga.), Peter Welch (Vt.), and David Cicilline (R.I.).CWA, Public Citizen, Common Cause, People for the American Way and Move to Amend, all joining the summit, are working together to end the unfettered influence of corporate money.AFL-CIO Launches 'CEO Pay and the 99%'The AFL-CIO revamped its executive pay watch website today, adding new shareable infographics and data on the business world's wealthiest 1 percent.The renamed site "CEO Pay and the 99%" gives users a look inside CEO salaries in a database sortable by industry, state and the top 100 highest paid executives. It features data on corporate cash hoarders, the CEO-to-worker pay gap, the growing influence of mutual funds on pay issues and the world of private equity.Did you know it would take a worker 11,000 years to earn the equivalent of Apple's CEO salary? Were you aware that over the past five years, Verizon Communications cut 41,100 jobs, but still stockpiled $14 billion and paid its CEO $23.1 million last year?Companies are increasingly under fire for out-of-control CEO pay. On Tax Day, Citibank shareholders voted against extravagant compensation for the bank's top executives, including CEO Vikram Pandit's $15 million pay package.  It was the first time a Wall Street firm faced such a stinging rebuke.Visit www.paywatch.org to write the Securities and Exchange Commission and urge the agency to implement the Dodd-Frank Act's requirement that public companies disclose their ratio of CEO-to-worker pay.Remember the Fallen on Workers Memorial Day, April 28Click on the above to view for information and materials for Workers’ Memorial Day.CWA members will join workers around the nation next Saturday in remembering those who've died or been seriously injured on the job.Across the country, events highlighting workplace safety will mark Workers Memorial Day, which coincides with the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's founding on April 28. Workers will hold memorial services for those who have lost their lives and call on elected officials for strong workplace protections.CWAers will participate in events that include: http://www.coshnetwork.org/workers-memorial-day*	Just before Workers Memorial Day, Senate Democrats are expected to call a hearing about strengthening OSHA with resources, dollars and personnel, said CWA OSHA Director Dave LeGrande.*	NYCOSH will award its 2012 Karen Silkwood honor to John Gentile, vice president of CWA Local 1103. Named for the union activist, who died under mysterious circumstances after investigating health and safety issues at her plutonium processing plant, the award acknowledges courageous individuals who tell the truth about workers' rights. "It's well deserved," said LeGrande. "John is the most ardent supporter of CWA efforts concerning health and safety. He's not concerned about asking the hard questions and doing the hard work."*	In California, SoCalCOSH, together with more than 250 community members, will gather at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center and bring attention to the tragic death of UPTE-CWA Local 9119 member Sheri Sangji, a 23-year-old UCLA research associate who suffered extensive burns in a horrific lab fire in 2009. Just last week, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted a final request to delay the arraignment of her chemistry professor and the UC Board of Regents. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/arraignment-delayed-again-in-fatal-ucla-lab-fire.html*	MassCOSH, Massachusetts AFL-CIO and Greater Boston Labor Council will issue a report on workplace fatalities in the state outside the Massachusetts State House.Click here for a fact sheet and more information on events you can organize for Workers' Memorial Day.In 2009, 4,340 workers died on the job -- at an average of 12 workers every day -- and about 50,000 were killed by occupational diseases, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.But the BLS's report of more than 4.1 million work-related injuries and illnesses is far from an accurate record of workplace hazards. Many workers fail to file reports with their facilities, while management persuades employees that their injuries are just not worth reporting, according to the 2011 edition of the AFL-CIO report,"Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect."  Researchers estimate the true injury and illness toll is two to three times greater -- 8 million to 12 million each year.IUE-CWA’s Jim Clark Recognized by White HouseIUE-CWA President Jim Clark was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change” for his advocacy of energy efficiency opportunities that improve green manufacturing, performance and competiveness. Clark was one of eight individuals recognized by the program, which was created as a part of President Barack Obama’s Winning the Future initiative.Apply Now for Morton Bahr Online Scholarship at Empire State CollegeNew York's Empire State College is accepting applications for Morton Bahr Online Learning Scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. The deadline to apply is May 15 and winners will be announced by the end of June for the fall semester.The scholarship honors CWA President Emeritus Morton Bahr and his lifelong commitment to expanding education and opportunity for working people. The program enables students to study online through Empire State's Center for Distance Learning and earn an associate or bachelors degree.Union members, their families and domestic partners are eligible to apply for the scholarships, which include undergraduate tuition and fees.Click for more information and to download the "Bahr application book," which includes the application and other information.You have received this message through your subscription to a Communications Workers of America e-mail list.  If you did not subscribe or would like to unsubscribe click here.Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC. All Rights Reserved.
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http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/8589-bipartisan-political-elite-implicated-in-for-profit-education-fraud

Bipartisan Political Elite Implicated in For-Profit Education Fraud Danny Weil, Truthout: "The only way to describe $89,000 for a four-year degree with non-transferable credits from a non-academic college is as a fraud and a swindle, and that characterization possibly fails to convey the frustration and downright victimization students like Washington must feel. Like subprime mortgages, for-profit colleges are a scam driven by payment of commissions to sales staff known as recruiters. The payment of commissions to high-pressure salespeople is so central to the scam that the umbrella trade group for for-profits, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), has sued the federal government to overturn its ban on incentive pay." Read the Article 

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/two-paycheck-couples-are-quickly-becoming-the-norm/2012/04/18/gIQALSzlRT_story.html?hpid=z2

Two-Paycheck Couples, Working Because They Must
Read the Article at The Washington Post

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  HOW DO YOU STACK UP TO NEXT A CEO?Millions of workers remain unemployed. But that didn’t stop S&P 500 companies from raising CEO pay by almost 14 percent in 2011—to nearly $13 million on average—while shipping jobs overseas.

Want to learn more about the deplorable practices of the 1% and see how your pay stacks up next to the richest CEOs in your state?

Go to www.PayWatch.org now.
   I wanted to give you a chance to be one of the first people to check out the new AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch website—this year’s version is called CEO Pay and the 99%. It’s your one-stop shop for the most recent information on out-of-control CEO pay and what you can do to stop it.

Go to www.PayWatch.org now to search through our updated database on CEO pay, compare your pay with CEOs in your state and across the country and share the shocking results with your friends and family.

At www.PayWatch.org, we highlight both the unbelievable overall statistics and examples of corporate greed run amok, like Verizon.  

>From 2007 to 2011, Verizon’s cash holdings and short-term investments grew to $14 billion, a more than 300 percent increase since before the financial crisis at the end of 2007. Meanwhile, Verizon thinned its employee rolls by 17.5 percent.

Go to www.PayWatch.org to check out some of the worst examples of CEO pay gone wild and help spread the word.

Here are some truly shocking facts:

•    The average CEO now makes an astonishing 380 times what the average worker makes. That ratio used to be 42 times in 1980. 

•    The average CEO of an S&P 500 company got a nearly 14 percent increase last year. They now make an average of almost $13 million—while millions of jobless workers spent countless hours searching for work. Many jobs were shipped overseas, and people fortunate enough to keep a job were lucky to get a basic cost-of-living increase.

•    S&P 500 companies last year had more than $1 trillion amassed in cash. That’s enough money to create a living-wage job, for a year, for every single American who is unemployed, underemployed or has stopped looking for work.

It’s hard to believe. Click here to see for yourself and share the astonishing facts with your friends and family.

Runaway CEO pay isn’t just bad for our economy, it’s bad for the morale of working families, too. All workers, from the executive suite down to the shop floor, contribute to making a company successful. But these corporations are buying into the myth that the success of a corporation is the result of its CEO alone.  

Without the painter, office assistant, welder, electrician and hundreds of millions of workers who work every day to support their families and keep our economy going, our society could not work.

We hope you will visit www.PayWatch.org to help us shine a light on the egregious practices of only rewarding CEOs for the work of many.

America can continue with failed policies that offer increasing rewards to corporate profiteers who cut jobs and load up their own pockets—like Mitt Romney did when he was at Bain Capital (1)—or we can work together to make our economy work for everyone. A simple place to start is getting CEO pay under control.

Thank you for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

(1) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204331304577140850713493694.htmlTo find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.

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April 19, 2012
Union members and retirees at Whirlpool urged shareholders at the company’s annual meeting to rein in “golden coffins” and quizzed CEO Jeff Fettig about retiree pension and health benefits and plant closures.Thought you knew enough about CEO pay? Check out our brand-new AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch—CEO Pay and the 99%. Last year S&P 500 Index CEOs saw an average 14 percent pay boost—to $12.9 million. Compare that to the average 2.8 percent raise for workers lucky enough to have a job. On the searchable site, find out about the shady world of private equity where Mitt Romney is the new poster boy, cash-hoarding corporations, the role mutual funds play in CEO pay and more. Read more and comment.  Workers Challenge Whirlpool’s ‘Golden Coffins’ Wal-Mart: One More Reason Why We Need Equal Pay ALEC Disbands Key Task Force as More Corporations Sever Ties Public Investment Best Engine for Economic Growth Speakers Oppose ‘Blunt Instrument of Program Consolidation’ at Job Training Hearing Scott Walker’s No Abe LincolnRead more important news of the day on the issues working families care about.Follow the AFL-CIO:
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Text NEWS to AFLCIO (235246) to receive action alerts and more.
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To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.Click here to unsubscribe.

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http://www.alternet.org/story/155025/what_if_the_greedy_rich_paid_their_share_8_things_to_know_about_wealth_and_poverty_in_the_us?akid=8614.16102.o0_3U7&rd=1&t=5
What If the Greedy Rich Paid Their Share? 8 Things to Know About Wealth and Poverty in the USWe're far from poor -- we just have a wildly lopsided distribution of wealth that makes us seem poor. READ MORELes Leopold / AlterNet
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1) argentina: http://sonic.net/~figgins/generalstrike/southamerica/argentina.html (late 1990's - on...)and...1-Day General Strike Cripples ArgentinaJune 14, 1986|WILLIAM D. MONTALBANO | Times Staff WriterBUENOS AIRES — Peronist-led trade unions crippled Argentina on Friday with a peaceful general strike protesting government austerity policies.The 24-hour strike, marking the first anniversary of a campaign against inflation, highlighted a bitter dispute between leaders of the General Confederation of Labor and the government of President Raul Alfonsin. The confederation is the backbone of the late President Juan D. Peron's political movement, which today forms the main opposition to Alfonsin's ruling Radical Civic Union in Congress.Labor says that inflation has been reduced at the cost of a 20% lower living standard for workers. The government says that one of the successes of its Austral Plan, imposed a year ago today, has been its protection of purchasing power.No Changes ForeseenThe strike was a clear rebuff to Alfonsin, but there seemed little chance that it would trigger any dramatic changes in his economic program, which has drawn international praise.Industrial workers walked off their jobs across the country Friday. Argentine news services reported strong support for the strike in most provinces. Scattered minor incidents were reported, most of them against owner-drivers of buses defying the strike.In Buenos Aires, many government offices, banks, financial markets and businesses functioned with reduced staffs. But most shops and restaurants operated normally, downtown and in residential areas.State-owned railroads, which carry a million passengers a day in this metropolitan area of 10 million people, were idle. Airports were open but delays were common. Subways offered about half the usual service, and only about one-fifth of the city's privately owned buses were running. Private autos flooded the city, causing mammoth traffic jams.Labor Claims SuccessAldo Serrano, one of the labor confederation's leaders, called the strike overwhelmingly successful. Police estimated absenteeism in the capital at 90% in industry, 70% in commerce and 80% among public school teachers.Friday's strike was the confederation's sixth against Alfonsin, who led the return of elected government to Argentina in December, 1983, after nearly eight years of military dictatorship. Alfonsin's government imposed the Austral Plan to brake inflation, which had reached a level of 1,700% a year.The plan froze prices and wages, promised to reduce the government deficit, and replaced the peso with a new unit of currency, the austral.Under the plan, the cost of living has increased 43% in the past year, a minimal figure compared to triple-digit inflation that had become the norm. Real wages have been maintained, the government says, and purchasing power should increase in the course of this year.'Absolutely Negative'At a press conference earlier this week, Alfonsin denounced Friday's strike as "political, infantile and absolutely negative." Responding to Alfonsin at a press conference of his own, Saul Ubaldini, the confederation leader, blamed the Austral Plan for "low wages, lack of economic growth, dependence on international usury, escalating unemployment and hunger."The government, seeking to transform into growth the economic stability that the Austral Plan has created, now pledges structural reforms that it hopes will include a more efficient public sector, the sale of government-owned enterprises that are losing money, and incentives to increase agricultural and industrial exports.It is also pursuing support overseas for eased payment terms on $50 billion in debt and development capital under the so-called Baker Plan, a U.S. initiative proposed by Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III to generate growth in debtor nations.But the labor and political branches of Peronism, traditionally ultranationalistic in outlook, demand a break with Argentina's creditors and a redistribution of income to favor disadvantaged sectors. The unions threaten another national strike and mass demonstrations by the end of the month.2) greece:http://www.forumdesalternatives.org/en/new-very-successful-general-strike-in-greeceand...General strike brings Greece to a surprisingly calm haltWidespread action to mark second anniversary of eurozone crisis passes off with little violence or unrestHelena Smith in Athensguardian.co.uk, Thursday 1 December 2011 15.55 ESTArticle historyGreek protesters from the Communist-affiliated trade union Pame march in front of the parliament in Athens Photograph: Yiorgos Karahalis/ReutersA crippling general strike and street protests by hundreds of thousands of Greeks marked the second anniversary of the eurozone debt crisis on Thursday.For the prime minister, Lucas Papademos, who is facing his first test since his interim administration assumed power less than a month ago, the mass demonstrations were unusually peaceful and, therefore, a huge success: in a nation used to street violence, not a single shot was fired as riot police refrained from lobbing tear gas into the crowds and stone-throwing anarchists stayed away.But beneath the apparent calm the anger was still palpable. Trade unionists representing civil servants and private-sector workers said that Papademos, a former vice-president of the European Central Bank (ECB), should expect "sustained battle" against cutbacks that are widely seen as unfair. Hit by a barrage of tax increases and salary cuts, poorer Greeks have seen their purchasing power slashed by up to 70% since the crisis erupted."The government may have changed but the policies it is intent on pursuing are totally unjust and do nothing to relieve recession, create development or improve the economy," said Yiannis Panagopoulos, who heads the Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), as he attended a rally. "For this reason, alone, the government should expect sustained battle. We will resist. We will not desist."Further belt-tightening, outlined in an austerity budget that has been drawn up for 2012, prompted mass participation in a general strike that paralysed Greece, with teachers, tax inspectors, doctors, lawyers, civil servants, transport workers, customs officials and rubbish collectors walking off the job. Prime archaeological sites were closed and ferries that ply the routes to the islands were also kept in port as dockside workers joined in the industrial action, the seventh mass stoppage this year. Flights were similarly disrupted."People should not be afraid to rise up and go on the attack," said Aleka Papariga, leader of the increasingly popular KKE Communist party. "To do otherwise will mean we will all end up living a tragedy. These inhuman, barbaric measures have to be stopped."Vowing to step up the protests, the militant labour group Pame, which is aligned to the Communist party, announced it would stage mass demonstrations next week outside branches of the country's national electricity company, DEH, "in every town and in every part of Greece" in a bid to stop a deeply unpopular property tax being levied on households through electricity bills.Exacerbating the explosive mix is an unemployment rate at 18% – and nearly 43% among youth – the highest in the eurozone after Spain. With over half a million families affected by joblessness as a result of reforms demanded in return from loans by the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF), there are growing fears that society is at a tipping point, with unions, leftwing politicians, analysts and economists predicting that the country is poised for a social explosion.Next year's budget, which aims to push the deficit down to 6.7% of GDP from over 9% this year, was worse than any of the bailout terms agreed by Greece so far, said Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary of Adedy, which represents 800,000 employees in the public sector. "Firing thousands from the public sector, abolishing collective labour agreements, introducing new wage cuts and at the same time asking people to pay more taxes is not just outrageous. It's absurd," he said.The rising wave of popular resentment has added to the immense pressure on Papademos, who must now walk a political tightrope in meeting the stringent demands of creditors, if Athens is to remain in the EU, while attempting to appease the populace. The economist has managed to persuade fellow EU leaders to release a long-overdue €8bn (£6.8bn) tranche of aid – a lifeline without which the country would have gone bankrupt – but still faces the huge challenges of negotiating a new bailout agreement with international lenders, passing the budget with a majority vote and concluding a debt reduction deal, outlined in the latest €130bn rescue programme for the nation, in the coming weeks. The bond swap will wipe off an estimated €100bn from Greece's debt once complex negotiations are completed with private investors."The Greek people recognise the need for a major economic and institutional transformation and they overwhelmingly support euro area membership, which they perceive as crucial for the success of this effort," Papademos said in a letter to the EU, ECB and IMF released by his office."The government is determined to continue the process of fiscal consolidation and structural reform in order to secure sound public finances and improve the country's international competitiveness," he wrote. "Participation in the euro area ensures the preservation of price stability, promotes financial and economic stability and facilitates the implementation of the deep and broad reforms required for the revival of the economy."• This article was amended on 2 December 2011. The original said that the bond swap will wipe off an estimated €200bn from Greece's debt. This has been corrected.
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http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/04/23/176576/immigrants-taxes-general-electric/?mobile=nc
Undocumented Immigrants Paid $11.2 Billion In Taxes While GE Paid NothingBy Guest Blogger on Apr 23, 2011 at 10:23 amOur guest blogger is Mike Elk, a freelance labor journalist and third generation union organizer based in Washington, D.C. You can follow him for more updates on twitter at @MikeElk.This past month, there was much outrage over the fact that General Electric, despite making $14.2 billion in profits, paid zero U.S. taxes in 2010. General Electric actually received tax credits of $3.2 billion from American taxpayers.At the same time that General Electric was not paying taxes, many undocumented immigrants, who are typically accused of taking advantage of the system while not contributing to it by many on the right, paid $11.2 billion in taxes. A new study by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy shows that undocumented immigrants paid $8.4 billion in sales taxes, $1.6 billion in property taxes, and $1.2 billion in personal income taxes last year. The study also estimates that nearly half of all undocumented immigrants pay income taxes.ITEP bases its figures of what immigrants pay taxes based on the following factors:Sales tax is automatic, so it is assumed that unauthorized residents would pay sales tax at similar rates to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants with similar income levels.Similar to sales tax, property taxes are hard to avoid, and unauthorized immigrants are assumed to pay the same property taxes as others with the same income level. ITEP assumes that most unauthorized immigrants are renters, and only calculates the taxes paid by renters.Income tax contributions by the unauthorized population are less comparable to other populations because many unauthorized immigrants work “off the books” and income taxes are not automatically withheld from their paychecks. ITEP conservatively estimates that 50 percent of unauthorized immigrants are paying income taxes.While it’s impossible to estimate exactly how much in taxes undocumented immigrants paid, it is clear that undocumented immigrants are paying more taxes than General Electric, which paid absolutely nothing. This raises the question of who really is leaching off the American system: undocumented immigrants who pay their taxes and are typically too afraid of being deported to receive public assistance or corporations that pay nothing while receiving billions in credits.Tags: Taxes  PREVIOUS IN TP SECURITYNEXT IN TP SECURITY  By clicking and submitting a comment I acknowledge the ThinkProgress Privacy Policy and agree to the ThinkProgress Terms of Use. I understand that my comments are also being governed by Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policies as applicable, which can be found here. 

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/04/23/176576/immigrants-taxes-general-electric/

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