[Educationforall] spam con huevos labor news, views and concerns, 2.27.12-I

Tue Feb 28 05:48:14 UTC 2012

Auto Workers Tap Network for ObamaCSU Faculty Considering Vote to Authorize General Strike‏FOCUS: The War on Labor‏ Corporate Margins and Profits are Increasing, But Workers' Wages Aren't  Bill Maher: If You're a Working-Class Person Who Still Votes Republican... You're Stupid  Up to 2 Million Jobs in the Fourth Quarter Were Related to the Obama Stimulus  Historic General Strike in India, February 28‏ Labor Exchange Seminar to Cuba April 21 to May 5, 2012 Two Weeks‏Participate in a: V Union Meeting " Nuestra America" at Mexico city, Mexico- May 19 to May 27, 2012‏Chris Hedges on Income Inequality"Nader to Occupy: Help Raise the Minimum Wage"

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Auto Workers Tap Network for ObamaBy JEREMY W. PETERSThe United Automobile Workers, a beneficiary of President Obama's automaker rescue, is trying to return the favor in an election both parties say could depend on working-class Midwestern votes.  Video: The Caucus | Voices of Union Voters
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CSU Faculty Considering Vote to Authorize General
Strike

By Sarah Rohrs
Posted on the Times-Herald online 02/26/2012 01:01:56
AM PST

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_20048698

If faculty contract talks remain unsuccessful, the
California State University faculty union could vote to
hold a one-day or general strike on all campuses.
If that vote prevails, teachers at California Maritime
Academy in Vallejo, one of 23 CSU campuses, would
participate.

Teachers already participated in a one-day strike in
November at CSU-East Bay and CSU-Dominiguez Hills.

Cal Maritime faculty members not scheduled to teach
that day joined their counterparts on these campuses.

The chief complaints are centered on contract talks and
teachers being without an agreement for more than a
year, Cal-Maritime teacher Peter Hayes said.

Hayes, the local CFA chapter secretary, said the push
to strike has been building as negotiations continue to
break down.

A Cal Maritime spokesman painted a different picture,
saying that university officials are bargaining in good
faith and hope for a settlement, although negotiations
have been going on for 18 months.

Hayes said, however, that the CFA board decided this
week to hold a strike authorization vote in the coming
weeks.

In dispute are proposals that would increase benefit
costs or deny wage increases for teachers. The union
also is seeking limits on class sizes and more faculty
rights.

Hayes said CSU administrators come to the table
unprepared and unwilling to consider proposals teachers
bring.

"They are more interested in union-busting," Hayes
said. Striking, he said, "seems to be the oNLY WAY TO
GET MANAGEMENT TO WAKE UP."

However, CSU Media Relations Manager Erik Fallis said
management is not proposing any reductions in salary
and no changes to health or pension benefits.

Contract talks are still in mediation, one step beyond
negotiations and one step from fact-finding, Fallis
said.

The mediation process should be completed first before
a strike vote takes place, which indicates teachers may
be acting prematurely.

Fallis denied management is trying to bust the union.
"We've met with the union and continue to negotiate in
good faith," he said.

The union represents about 23,000 professors,
lecturers, coaches, counselors and librarians.

____________________________________________

PortsideLabor aims to provide material of interest to
people on the left that will help them to interpret the
world and to change it.
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 http://www.readersupportednews.org/ Reader Supported News | 26 February 12It's Live on the HomePage Now: 
Reader Supported NewsFOCUS: The War on Labor 

Jack Random, CounterPunch 
Excerpt: "Adopted in twenty-three states, right-to-work laws effectively ban labor unions by prohibiting workers from gaining union representation by a majority vote. The Right to Work is the right of a worker to refuse to pay union dues. Because unions gain power by representing workers as a united front in negotiations with management, right-to-work laws negate that power." 
READ MORELive Coverage: Occupy Worldwide 
Reader Supported News Special Coverage 
The seed planted on September 17th in New York City has grown into a national and international movement. Occupy Wall Street has branched out with hundreds of groups organizing Occupy protests in their own communities. Reader Supported News highlights some of the more significant actions from around the country here. Share this page with your friends and associates and check back often for the latest developments. 
READ MORE
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Corporate Margins and Profits are Increasing, But Workers' Wages Aren'tPat Garofalo, ThinkProgress: "Corporate profits have made it back to their pre-recession heights (even if corporate tax revenue hasn't followed suit). In fact, in 2011, corporate profits hit their highest level since 1950. But as Bloomberg News noted today, this hasn't translated into wage growth or more purchasing power for workers.... Between 2009 and 2011, 88 percent of national income growth went to corporate profits, while just 1 percent went to wages." Read the Article 

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Bill Maher: If You're a Working-Class Person Who Still Votes Republican... You're Stupid
Read the Article at The Blue State Post

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Up to 2 Million Jobs in the Fourth Quarter Were Related to the Obama Stimulus
Read the Article at AOL

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(1) Background on the Strike

All Trade Unions to Strike Work on Tuesday
The Hindu
February 25, 2012

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2932593.ece

In an unprecedented show of unity, all trade unions in the country
have come together on the same platform and given a call for a general
strike on February 28.

This is the first time since Independence that trade unions, cutting
across ideological and political affiliations, have joined hands to
register their protest on a wide range of issues arising out of the
liberalisation policy.

"The liberalisation and new economic policies unveiled since 1991 have
undermined the interests of workers to such an extent that trade
unions representing the Left, Right and Centrist parties have been
forced to come together. Such unity was not witnessed even during or
after Emergency," All India Trade Union Congress general secretary
Gurudas Dasgupta told The Hindu.

Workers of all 11 recognised unions (to be recognised, a union has to
have four lakh members) and 5,000 un-affiliated unions will strike
work, affecting banking, postal, port and government operations.

The unions have come together on a five-point charter, which seeks
strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or
exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation; a universal
social security cover for unorganised sector workers without any
restriction and creation of a National Social Security Fund.

According to the convener of the coordinating committee of the unions
and president of the Congress-affiliated INTUC, G. Sanjeeva Reddy, and
CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, things have come to such a pass in
some States that even registration of new trade unions is not being
allowed.

The charter seeks stoppage of disinvestment in profit-making Central
and State public sector units. Disinvestment is paving the way for
privatisation of the PSUs, say the unions.

The trade unions want the government to step in against
contractorisation of permanent/perennial work, and payment of wages
and benefits to contract workers at the same rate as are available to
regular workers. Other demands include amendment of the Minimum Wages
Act to ensure universal coverage, irrespective of the schedules, and
fixation of the statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs. 10,000,
removal of all ceilings on payment of and eligibility for bonus,
Provident Fund, increase in the quantum of gratuity and assured
pension for all.

Mr. Gupta said that despite several representations in the last few
months, the government was unmoved on the major concerns of the
working people.

At the annual Indian Labour Conference on February 14 and 15, in the
presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he articulated most of the
demands and conveyed to him why workers were compelled to take
recourse to a strike. However, there was no response from either Dr.
Singh or the Labour Minister.

(2) Details on the Issues, written by the head of CITU (Centre of Indian 
Trade Unions), one of the largest union federations in India, and 
affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Indian Working Class Prepares for the Historic General Strike
by A. K. Padmanabhan
Ganashakti
February 6, 2012

http://ganashakti.com/comments/comments-single-view/article/indian-working-class-prepares-for-the-historic-generalstrike.html

Working people in the country by now, is all set to go on a day's
historic General Strike on 28th February. All sections of workers,
from every corner of the country, has been preparing for this united
action for the last three months.

The decision to go on a day's strike, as is well known, was taken in a
National Convention of Central Trade Unions and Industrial Federations
in New Delhi, on 7th September, 2011. All the Central Trade unions, as
recognised by the Govt. of India, was on a joint platform for the
first time in the history of independent India to declare a day's
General Strike pressing for an agreed charter of demands, which
included policy issues as well as immediate demands of workers, both
in the organised and unorganised sectors.

This call was fully endorsed by various independent federations in
sectors like state and central govt. employees and teachers, bank,
insurance, defence production, telecommunication, petroleum and
natural gas, electricity etc.

Hectic preparations by all organisations had begun during December
2011 and joint meeting and campaigns started by the end of that month.

Central leaders of all CTUs decided to go to various state centres and
also to attend sectoral meetings at national level to prepare for the
strike.

A meeting at Mumbai on 30th December saw the national leaders of CTUs
and also state level leaders planning joint initiatives. Leaders of
Bharatiya Kamgar Sena were also approached and they also participated.
Various sections of employees and workers also participated in the
meeting.

State Level Conventions

State level conventions in the country began with a very successful
and massive convention in Hyderabad on 5th January, with more than
2500 representatives from all over the state attending the same.

Dr. Sanjiva Reddy, President, INTUC, B.N.Rai, General Secretary, BMS,
Gurudas Dasgupta, General Secretary, AITUC, Tapan Sen, General
Secretary, CITU and other Central leaders along with state leaders
addressed the convention. Leaders of Telugunadu Trade Union Council
(TNTUC) also attended the convention.

9th January, saw an open air massive convention of all sections of
workers in Kolkata, calling upon the workers of West Bengal to make
the strike a big success. National and State leaders of all CTUs
attended the convention.

In Kerala, a massive convention was organised on 17th January in which
18 organisations, CTUs and also various state level organisations,
were represented. State leaders of these organisations addressed the
convention and also approved a detailed programme of campaigns all
over the state and also sectoral programmes. This included district
conventions, dharnas, vehicle jathas etc.

A mass meeting on 01st February at Kochi was addressed by Central
leaders including Gurudas Dasgupta (AITUC), Saji Narayan (BMS),
A.K.Padmanabhan (CITU), Chandrasekhar (INTUC) and others.

State level conventions were also held in Haryana, Maharashtra,
Orissa, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar and
Tamilnadu. All these conventions were well attended and top level CTU
leaders and also state leaders addressed these conventions.

Reports received from various states show that District level and
regional/local level conventions are being organised in every part of
the country, where workers from various unions are participating with
much enthusiasm.

SECTORAL PREPARATIONS

One important development this time is the huge preparations going on
at various sectoral levels.

The convention of Central Public Sector Unions at Bangalore on 13th
January was called by all the Central Trade Unions and saw
participation from unions all over the country. This was the first
time, such a convention was being organised and addressed by leaders
of all Central Trade Unions. Among those who addressed were Dr.
Sanjeeva Reddy, B.N.Rai, Gurudas Dasgupta, Tapan Sen, R.A.Mittal
(HMS), M.Shanmugan (LPF) and also leaders of Joint Action Forum of
Bangalore PSUs and Co-ordination Committee of Hyderabad PSUs.

A declaration, calling for massive participation of PSU workers in the
strike was adopted and is being circulated among PSU workers in large
numbers.

This successful initiative has prompted various sections of PSUs like
coal, petroleum and natural gas, NTPC, powergrid, telecom, coming
together in conventions and issuing joint appeals signed by national
leaders of industrial federations or representatives in national level
negotiating bodies.

A national convention of Oil and Natural Gas PSU Workers was held in
Delhi on 4th February organised by All India Petroleum Workers
Federation, National Federation of Petroleum Workers and Petroleum and
Gas workers Federation of India and a joint strike notice was served
on the managements of all PSEs in Oil and Gas industries. Countrywide
campaigns have been planned.

All the five federations in the post and dock sector, including HMS,
CITU, INTUC and AITUC have issued a joint statement followed by joint
preparations for the success of the strike on 28th February.

Leaders of National Federations in Road Transport Sector, both state
and private transport met at New Delhi and have issued joint
statement. Regional and Zonal level preparations are also made. CITU,
AITUC, BMS, INTUC and AICCTU organisations have issued the joint
appeal in this sector.

In the Defence Production Sector, AIDEF and INTUC and BMS affiliated
federations are jointly organising campaigns all over the country for
the success of the strike.

In the Telecom Sector all the unions representing employees including
BSNLEU, NFTE and FNTO have come together to make the strike complete
and countrywide campaigns have been planned.

Sectoral conventions and meetings are also being held in various
states. In Kerala, a massive convention of unions in Central and State
PSUs was held on 2nd February at Kochi, where state level campaigns
were planned. Such meetings are planned in other states also.

Financial Sector

As has been the practice, all the unions in banking sector and
insurance will participate in the strike en masse. Countrywide
campaign meetings are being held in these sectors, to make the strike
complete success.

Govt. Employers

The national conference of All India State Government Employees'
Federation, the largest organisation of state government employees in
the country, held in Hisar in December, unanimously decided to
participate in the strike. Its leadership at all levels in making all
the necessary preparations for a successful strike.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers,
representing all sections of central government employees including
postal employees has also called for turning the strike into a massive
action of protest. The Confederation leadership has chalked out a
countrywide tour programme for the campaign to ensure that the message
and demands of the strike are taken down to the central government
employees at all levels.

The recent united struggle of postal employees against the threat of
closure of RMS and Post Offices in the country, achieved success when
the government was forced to give a written assurance not to close any
office for at least the next three years, due to which the proposed
indefinite strike was withdrawn. Now the postal employees' unions are
fully involved in the preparations for the success of the 28th
February all India general strike. NFPE, FNPO and GDS union leadership
have jointly decided to go on a countrywide campaign among the postal
employees to ensure complete strike in the postal department.

Railway Employees

A meeting of unions in Southern railway including DREU (CITU), SRES
(INTUC), DRKS (BMS), AISMA, AILRSA, SRLU, SREF and others had decided
to conduct campaign meeting in Divisional HQs in the Zone and also
extensive campaign among the workers and passengers on the demands.
Demonstrations will be held in all the divisional centres on 28th
February and all workers will wear badges on that day.

CITU Preparations

After the meeting of the All India Secretariat, all state committees
of CITU have held their meetings and extensive campaigns have been
planned by CITU Unions and committees. State level federations and
unions in unorganised and organised sectors are preparing well for the
strike.

Various All India Federations and All India Co-ordination Committees
have met and directed state committees or affiliates of the federation
to go for extensive campaigns.

All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, Electricity
Employees Federation of India, LIC Agents Organisation of India, All
India Road Transport Workers Federation and others have held National,
Zonal and State level meetings.

CITU Secretariat members at the centre have been attending various
meetings, conventions and seminars in connection with the strike.

Pamphlets and Handbills

CITU centre has bought out a booklet on the strike in English and
Hindi and various state committees are publishing the same in local
languages. Here also, never before such efforts were made with Andhra
Pradesh CITU publishing 2.56 lakhs of the booklet in Telugu. It is
also being published in Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada
in large numbers.

Millions of handbills have already been circulated and more are being
brought out along with posters. Wall writings are being done in
various parts of the country.

Sectoral rallies like that of the brick klin workers in Hissar, in
Haryana are also being planned by state committees.

On the whole, with more reports pouring in from different states, on
the massive preparations for the strike, it can surely be said - The
strike on 28th February will be of unprecedented participation and men
and women workers in the country will make it a historic one in all
aspects. The united working class is on the move and will be out on
the streets to challenge the policies of the ruling classes.

____________________________________________

PortsideLabor aims to provide material of interest to
people on the left that will help them to interpret the
world and to change it.
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Labor Exchange Seminar to Cuba April 21 to May 5, 2012 Two Weeks 21th anniversary of the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange.Please replay to US/Cuba Labor Exchange  P.O. Box 39188 Redford, MI 48239 Phone/Fax:(254) 229 1485  E-mail: laborexchange at aol.comhttp://laborexchange.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html Join the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange to participate in the Cuban Labor Seminar to Cuba Saturday April 21to Saturday May 5, 2012 (one week $1,250) Two week of Cuba Labor Seminar-On Cuban education Uniting America's Working Class and Increasing its InfluencePromote people to people contact73 Anniversary of the CTC Central Workers of Cuba53 Anniversary of the Cuban RevolutionThis delegation will be in Havana, Cuba from Saturday April 23 to Thursday May 5, 2011 Our hosts will be the CTC Confederation of Cuban Workers. We will visit hospitals, schools, and worker centers and participate at the May day celebrationThe price of the trip will include: round trip airfare (from Cancun, Mexico to Havana, Cuba to Cancun, Mexico) hotel (double occupancy), 2 meals per day (breakfast and dinner), internal transportation to and from the program, translation, visas and the program.* The price of $1,650 for two weeks. is good until the end of March, The price may increase for any application made after that date.  A group of trade unionists and workers are exercising their constitutional right to travel to Cuba, to gather educational information and to have an exchange of ideas with other workers of the world. These rights are guaranteed by the US Constitution and by the International Human Rights declaration of the United Nations."...one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Rev. Martin Luther King Jr."Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental. The freedom to learn. Has been bought by bitter sacrifice. And whatever we may think of the curtailment of other civil rights, we should fight to the last ditch to keep open the right to learn." - W.E.B. DuBois, "The Freedom to Learn." (1949)All questions MUST be completed. PLEASE PRINT neatly and/or type. The original application must be submitted, with a copy of your passport attached and $300 deposit made payable to the Labor Exchange. All information will be kept confidential Legal Name (as it appears on the passport):_____________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State ______________________ Zip Code___________ Phone/Fax _____________________________e-mail: ____________________________________ Union/Organization__________________________________________________________ How/from whom did you learn about the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange ___________________________ Passport#_________________________________ Expiration Date_________________ Date of birth__________________________ Place of birth __________________ _______________ Please mail your application ?to: US/Cuba Labor Exchange P.O. Box 39188 Redford, MI 48239 Phone/Fax:(254) 229 1485 Emailto:laborexchange at aol.com  All of the work we do is volunteer run, consider making a donation to support us. 
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Participate in a: V Union Meeting " Nuestra America" at Mexico city, Mexico- May 19 to May 27,  2012.
Please replay to US/Cuba Labor Exchange 

P.O. Box 39188 Redford, MI 48239 Phone/Fax: ((254) 229 1485 E-mail:  laborexchange @ aol.com 

Join the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange to participate in a: V Union Meeting " Nuestra America" at Mexico City - Uniting America’s Working Class and Increasing its Influence
Raising the level of struggle and Unity of the Worker Movements 

A  Labor delegation to Mexico City, from Saturday May 19 to Sunday May 27, 2012 
Labor Seminar-United for a New America, We will participate in V Union Meeting " Nuestra America" The price of the trip will include: round trip International airfare  (Los Angeles, California to Mexico City), hotel (double occupancy), breakfast, Dinner, internal transportation to and from the program, translation, and the program.* The price of $1,350 is good until  the end of March, The price may  increase for any application made after that date. 

A group of trade unionists and workers are exercising their constitutional right to travel to Mexico, to gather educational information and to have an exchange of ideas with other workers of the world. These rights are guaranteed by the US Constitution and by the International Human Rights declaration of the United Nations.

All questions MUST be completed. PLEASE PRINT neatly and/or type. 
The  original application must be submitted, with a copy of your passport attached  and $300 USDollars
deposit made payable to the Labor Exchange. All information  will be kept confidential 

Legal Name (as it appears on passport):_____________________________________________ 
Address:__________________________________________________________________________ 
City_______________________________ State ______________________ Zip  Code___________ 
Phone/Fax _____________________________e-mail:  ____________________________________ 
Union/Organization__________________________________________________________________ 
How/from whom did you learn about the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange ___________________________ 

Passport#_________________________________  Expiration Date_________________ 
Date of  birth__________________________ Place of birth __________________ _______________ 

Please mail your application  to: 
US/Cuba Labor  Exchange 
P.O. Box  39188 
Redford, MI  48239 
Phone/Fax: (254) 229 1485Email to:laborexchange @ aol.com
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Chris Hedges on Income Inequality
"Nader to Occupy: Help Raise the Minimum Wage" -- Nader believes that the call to raise the minimum wage has the potential to divide the Republican Party, which has not been split on any major issue in Congress since Obama took office. 

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Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. This is in accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. section 107..
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

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