[Educationforall] spam con huevos labor news, views and concerns, 1.25.12-II

Thu Jan 26 07:29:07 UTC 2012

Union Radio Ad Assails Romney in Spanish A talk on China's construction industry THIS Friday; correction to previous announcement‏Part One: Migration - a Product of Free-Market Reforms  Trumka to Justice Dept.: Investigate Banks‏ Virtual March for Women's Rights This Week!‏Unions losing influence?  Longhore Protests in Longview; Tentative Settlement Reached‏ President Obama: Hold Big Banks and Mortgage Fraudsters Accountable‏The booklet every worker should have.‏   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Union Radio Ad Assails Romney in SpanishBy STEVEN GREENHOUSEA powerful union takes on Mitt Romney over his stances on immigration.
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 Leadership Schools · Workshops · Research Reports · Publications  UC Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies presents: BUILDING CHINAMigrant workers in China’s construction industry A talk with SARAH SWIDER (Wayne State University Department of Sociology) on the working and living conditions of migrant workers in the informal sector of China’s construction industry. Professor Swider will discuss three distinct employment arrangements found among migrant workers, how each is linked with specific mechanisms that channel migrants into a segmented informal labor market, and how these employment arrangements in the informal labor market shape workers’ lives on and off the jobsite. Discussant: Katie Quan, Associate Chair, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education Free and open to the public • Wheelchair accessibleFor more information, please contact ccs at berkeley.edu, 510-643-6321 This event is co-sponsored by the UC Berkeley Institute of East Asian Studies and the UC Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies. Please note that this event will not take place at the IRLE Building.  Fri., Jan. 27, 20124:00-6:00 p.m. Institute of East Asian Studies IEAS Conference Room2223 Fulton Street, 6th FloorBerkeley, CA  PODCAST: Sunday’s New York Times article about how the U.S. lost out on iPhone manufacturing jobs received much attention. Listen to Katie Quan on last week’s Forum, Working Conditions at Apple Suppliers, on labor conditions in China.  CORRECTION TO AN EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT: Wed., Feb. 1, 2012: The authors of California Workers’ Rights will be on the program Your Legal Rights on the SF local public radio station KALW 91.7FM at 7:00 p.m.   Stay connected to the Labor Center DonateJoin our mailing listFollow usBecome a fan Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley2521 Channing Way # 5555 · Berkeley, CA 94720-5555 · TEL (510) 642-0323 · FAX (510) 642-6432 If you do not wish to receive occasional emails from the UC Berkeley Labor Center, please reply to clre_unsubscribe at berkeley.edu and place UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
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Part One: Migration - a Product of Free-Market ReformsDavid Bacon, Americas Program: "A political alliance is developing between countries with a labor export policy and the corporations who use that labor in the global north. Many countries sending migrants to the developed world depend on remittances to finance social services and keep the lid on social discontent over poverty and joblessness, while continuing to make huge debt payments. Corporations using that displaced labor share a growing interest with those countries' governments in regulating the system that supplies it." Read the Article 

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Jan. 24, 2012
Without health care reform,
2.5 million young adults would have no health coverage. And that’s not all.The Justice Department must hold banks accountable for the fraudulent practices that brought about the worst economic crisis since the Depression, says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. The department “must lead a comprehensive investigation with state Attorneys General to prevent banks from engaging in future unlawful and deceptive practices that could exploit homeowners and put the economy further at risk.”
Got comments? Post them at blog.aflcio.org. Affordable Care Act Helps Real People in Real Ways Indiana Senate Passes RTW Despite Broad Public Opposition USW Oil Workers Set Stage to Bargain for Safe Refineries, Good Jobs Paid Family Leave Good for Business and the Economy Vote for Vale as World’s Worst Multinational Phoenix Councilman Targets Workers in Fraudulent Crusade How, Exactly, Does Trade Bring Prosperity?Read more important news of the day on the issues working families care about.Follow the AFL-CIO:
            Take the next step. Become a mobile activist
by joining the AFL-CIO Rapid Action Text Team.
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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  Dear Carlos,The National Nurses United is joining the first-ever "Trust Women Week," an online mass mobilization for women’s lives and rights this week through Friday. This unique collaborative campaign is working with MoveOn.org and more than 50 organizations nationwide.In this collaborative online action, messages from “virtual marchers,” as participants are known, will be packaged and delivered directly to members of Congress, governors and state legislators to underscore that Americans trust women to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives.NNU participants click here to join the virtual march and select a message to Congress.You will not be added to any new mailing lists by participating in this campaign. These links are for NNU members only. You will have a chance to share a generic link on Facebook and other social networks after you participate.

Trust Women Week overlaps the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and reasserts our firm commitment to reclaiming the future of reproductive decision-making in 2012.We have already sent over 70,000 messages to members of Congress, governors and state legislators, to support reproductive justice, reproductive health and reproductive rights. Please add your name here.Thank you,National Nurses United
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 1100
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.NationalNursesUnited.orgUNSUBSCRIBE | www.NationalNursesUnited.org | www.MainStreetContract.org

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Unions losing influence?
By Ryan LillisLabor unions, historically a powerful interest group at Sacramento City Hall, are suddenly at a crossroads. - Read Mor
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Longshore Union, Occupy Poised to Greet Grain Ship
by Eduardo Soriano-Castillo
Labor Notes
January 23, 2012

http://labornotes.org/2012/01/longshore-union-occupy-poised-greet-grain-ship

Conflict is looming over a grain exporter's attempt to
use scab labor to load a freighter in Longview,
Washington. Occupiers and Longshore unionists-who
blocked a train in September-expect a heavily armed
police presence, but their own friction is adding
difficulties. 

Waiting somewhere in the Columbia River is a freighter.
The transnational grain exporter EGT wants to use scab
labor to load it at the small Washington state port of
Longview and send it to Asia.

It won't be easy. Hundreds of Occupiers and Longshore
union (ILWU) members in the Northwest have vowed to
protest when the freighter attempts to dock and load.
ILWU members have stood together in Longview since
June, halting trains, dumping the grain they carry, and
invading the port terminal to stop scab work.

Their campaign of nonviolent resistance has been met
with escalating police action and 130 arrests, some so
aggressive they have sent ILWU allies to the hospital.

The stakes are higher this time. A Coast Guard escort
will join the grain ship as it attempts to dock. Dan
Coffman, president of ILWU Local 21 in Longview,
expects vessels with mounted .50 caliber machine guns,
armed Coast Guardsmen on the grain ship, and a big law
enforcement presence bristling with weaponry.

"They're taking taxpayer money to come and break a
union," said an outraged Coffman.

Portland-based EGT is owned by a grain cartel composed
of St. Louis-based Bunge North America, Korean shipper
Pan Ocean STX, and Japan-based Itochu Corporation.

Although only 50 jobs are immediately at stake in
Longview, if EGT wins this fight the door is kicked
open for other union-busters-and the ILWU could lose
the grain work that accounts for 20 percent of the
financing of its pension and welfare funds.

Coffman says the union is also at risk under the
PATRIOT Act and more recently the National Defense
Authorization Act, saying protesters may be labeled
"terrorists."

He added that members' Transportation Worker
Identification Credential, a federally mandated
security document for port personnel, could be revoked
under Coast Guard regulations. Fines and federal
injunctions have already cost the union more than
$300,000 for its disruptions.

Still, in a January 3 letter to all locals titled
"Prepare to take action when EGT vessel arrives," ILWU
President Bob McEllrath blasted out a call for mass
member action in Longview. Union members know the
risks.

"Me and my fellow longshoremen have been here before,"
said a Seattle member who participated in last summer's
dump of grain on the Longview railroad tracks, when 800
members mobilized. "We're ready to go when the call
goes out."

Blocking the ship is "something that we're going to
have to consider," Coffman said. "It's kind of
uncharted waters."

EGT is responding with ruses and false starts. A vessel
headed for Longview January 11 was diverted to Portland
at the last minute. The union maintains a 24-hour
picket line.

Continuing difficulties between some ILWU locals,
members, and Occupy participants are also muddying the
waters.

"We keep stressing to everybody we talk to it's
nonviolent disobedience," Coffman said. "If you're
going to plan on tearing stuff up, stay home."

99% PROBLEMS

Occupy and the ILWU have vastly different
organizational and cultural orientations, making it
understandable why their relationship has had growing
pains.

The strain grew around Occupy's call for a shutdown of
West Coast ports December 12 as a protest against the
1%. The ILWU questioned why Occupy failed to consult
with the union, when its members would be most
affected.

Occupy members interpreted the union's distancing
itself from the action as, at best, a legal safeguard
against the fines that could result from a work
stoppage, which would violate the ILWU contract's ban
on strikes. At worst, they thought it demonstrated the
union movement's timidity.

When Occupiers blocked port work in Oakland, Seattle,
and Portland, they declared solidarity with ILWU
members in Longview as one of their goals.

Now both groups are mobilizing to protest when the ship
tries to dock, but ILWU officials are wary of Occupy's
support, fearing unsanctioned actions in Longview and
even attempts to block ports again in other West Coast
cities. Occupy has not called for such actions
directly, though Occupy Oakland asked that those who
"cannot physically join the community blockade in
Longview, Washington, mobilize in solidarity through
direct action in their communities."

McEllrath told locals to make sure enough members
remain behind to work the ports, while mobilizing the
rest to get to Longview. He raised the specter of an
injunction, citing "the Taft-Hartley Act that
criminalizes worker solidarity," and warned that the
union must "cut a narrow path," presumably to avoid
being charged with violating that law's ban on sympathy
strikes.

BREAKING RANKS

The tension between the ILWU and Occupy was on display
in all its ugly honesty in Seattle January 6. Occupy
Seattle, Portland, and Oakland had planned a panel
discussion to promote the Longview convergence,
featuring several members of ILWU.

Retiree Jack Heyman from Oakland noted that the union
had not asked members to endorse the December port
shutdown but argued that members "voted with their
feet" by refusing to work.

A group of Seattle ILWU members and officers
interrupted Heyman, questioning what authority he had
at the gathering. A heated exchange including some
pushing and shoving ensued. Six days later, members of
Seattle's Local 19 passed a resolution that pledged
members to withhold support for Occupy and demanded an
apology.

"The `Occupy' movement has tried to substitute
themselves for the membership in our struggle with EGT,
and has attempted to subvert the ILWU," the local
concluded.

In his call to action, McEllrath had advised members to
"take extreme caution when dealing with supporters of
non-ILWU sanctioned calls to action relative to EGT."

While some Occupy participants claim the union is
divided between members and headquarters bureaucrats,
Coffman said Local 21 is looking to the international
for a lead.

"The international is in control and will be
directing," he said. "That's why we elect those
positions."

Coffman said the union is contacting unionists who have
sent letters of solidarity and attended rallies
throughout the months of protest. The Cowlitz County,
Washington state, and San Francisco labor councils are
all helping to spread the word.

Cowlitz's Central Labor Council, which covers the
Longview area, invited "all friends of labor and the
`99%' everywhere to come to the aid of ILWU Local 21."

PROTEST TOO MUCH

Paul Nipper, an organizer with Occupy Longview, said
the tension is overblown.

"ILWU does support us," he said. "However, publicly
speaking on our behalf, and being involved with the
planning, is not in their best interest. What good are
we doing for them if we cost them more money in court?"

He advised that Occupiers focus on the real problem-
EGT.

"This transnational giant EGT came into our town, lied
to the residents, bought political influence, took away
jobs from our community, and uses our port as a way to
extract wealth from this town," Nipper said. "What does
Occupy stand for if it doesn't stand up to EGT?"

Occupiers in Oakland are busy making preparations for
the convergence in Longview, 13 hours north. At a
recent Occupy labor solidarity meeting, planners gave
reports on housing, legal support, and caravan
preparations. To date more than 100 community
supporters have signed up to head to Longview.

"We're out there doing the hard and tedious work of
recruiting people," said Moises Montoya of Oakland's
labor solidarity committee.

"This struggle has reinvigorated old-timers like
myself," he said. "I'm hopeful that as Occupy and labor
learn more about each other we will mature and build a
deeper, respectful strategic relationship for the long
fight ahead."

In Longview, logistics are coming together. Nipper said
activists are using the inter-Occupy conference call
system, email groups, phone trees, and social
networking to do the planning.

They coordinated a nonviolent resistance training and
are working with church allies to find enough beds in
town. Planners want a lot of cushion. They're
anticipating big numbers.

Evan Rohar contributed to this article.

(2)
ILWU, EGT Reach Tentative Deal in Longview Labor
Dispute
By Erik Olson
The Daily News
January 23, 2012

http://tdn.com/news/local/ilwu-egt-reach-settlement-in-longview-labor-dispute/article_f004ec6c-4606-11e1-ab81-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1kLWmRgMn

Union dock workers and EGT Development have reached a
tentative agreement to end their year-long labor
dispute at the Port of Longview, though final details
still are being hashed out, Gov. Chris Gregoire
annnounced Monday.

The announcement ushers in labor peace at the $200
million grain terminal where two incoming grain trains
were blocked, dozens of protesters were arrested and
hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines was levied
against the union. The agreement also appears to head
off a mass protest of EGT's first inbound grain ship,
expected within weeks.

"It brought tears to my eyes. Gov. Gregoire must be an
angel. That's the only thing I can figure out.
Everybody tried, but she got it done," said Darold
Dietz, a Port of Longview commissioner and retired
longshoreman, on when he heard the news.

Gregoire met as a mediator with EGT and ILWU leaders
about a dozen times since August, said Karina Sharen,
the governor's spokeswoman.

"Both parties should be commended for their willingness
to work together and compromise. This framework
reflects considerable effort to put the interests of
the Longview community and the entire Columbia River
basin first. I am confident an agreement can be reached
that will satisfy both parties and allow the new grain
terminal to become fully operational," Gregoire said in
a written statement.

Added Robert McEllrath, president of the San Francisco-
based International Longshore and Warehouse Union,
"This is a win for the ILWU, EGT and the Longview
community."

Union officials have cautioned that a final staffing
agreement of the terminal has not been reached, and it
must be approved by a vote of rank-and-file dock
workers.

Contract talks between EGT and the ILWU broke off a
year ago, and union protests heated up over the summer.
In July, EGT officials announced they would instead
hire to a five-year contract Federal Way-based General
Construction, which employed union operating engineers
for the 25 to 35 jobs inside the terminal.

The fate of the International Union of Operating
Engineers Local 701 at the EGT terminal is unclear. A
representative of General did not return a message
seeking comment, and union officials said they would
stay with the contractor.

"Local 701 members will continue to work for General
Construction as we have done for almost 90 years
whether at the EGT facility or somewhere else. Our
labor contract is with General Construction. We have
never had and still don't have a relationship or
contract with EGT," said Mark Holliday, Local 701
business manager, in a written statement.

In a written statement, EGT CEO Larry Clarke did not
address the company's contract with General
Construction, but he expressed optimism about reaching
a final agreement with the ILWU.

"While the parties are still working to finalize
certain conditions over the next several days, we are
optimistic we can resolve the dispute and get on with
the business of operating the facility. From the
beginning, we had two core goals - to operate this
21st-century facility safely and efficiently and to
ensure the entire Longview community shares in the
economic benefits this facility will provide," Clarke
said.

For more on this story, check tdn.com for updates and
see Tuesday's print edition of The Daily News.

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  President Obama has a choice to make: let Big Banks and mortgage fraudsters off the hook with a slap on the wrist—or fight for real accountability for working families.

Sign our petition: Urge President Obama to fight for what’s right.

Sometime very soon, President Obama has a decision to make. The consequences will impact the lives of millions of underwater homeowners and the future of our economy.

Settlement talks with the Big Banks that caused our mortgage crisis are ongoing. And the Obama administration is a big part of those talks. The President and administration officials can either let Big Banks and mortgage fraudsters off the hook with a slap on the wrist—or push for real accountability.

Sign our petition to President Obama urging him to side with working families.

Big Banks and mortgage fraudsters have a lot to answer for. They abused and defrauded consumers—and their greed and recklessness caused a devastating financial crisis. There are 7.5 million homes that have entered the foreclosure process, with another 4.8 million homeowners at risk. 

Now, it’s time to set things right. The Obama administration should reject any weak settlement that amounts to a slap on the wrist for bankers and fraudsters and push for a robust settlement that provides relief to millions of underwater homeowners.

Tell President Obama: It’s critical that the Department of Justice lead a comprehensive investigation. We need you to fight to hold Big Banks and mortgage fraudsters accountable and keep millions of Americans in their homes.

State Attorneys General from coast to coast have been investigating bank fraud. And a group of them—including New York’s Eric Schneiderman and Delaware's Beau Biden—have stood up for working families by working for a robust settlement that provides real accountability and has the potential to keep millions of underwater Americans in their homes.

This work must not be undermined by a premature and inadequate settlement. Wrongdoing was committed on a massive scale. That’s why it’s time for the Obama administration and the Justice Department to lead a full investigation—and work with the bravest state Attorneys General like Schneiderman and Biden to fight for real accountability and a tough settlement. 

Tell President Obama: We need a settlement strong enough to ensure that this never happens again.

A key to getting our economy moving again is providing relief to underwater homeowners and making sure this kind of abuse never happens again. President Obama has to get this right. Let’s help him do the right thing.

Thank you for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,

Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIOTo find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.
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 Leadership Schools · Workshops · Research Reports · Publications The booklet every worker should have. “Hey, the Boss Just Called Me Into the Office!”The Weingarten Decision and the Right to Representation on the Job New Fourth Edition! Updated in Fall 2011 by David Rosenfeld, Caren Sencer, and Jannah V. Manansala. What should workers do when they are threatened with or actually subjected to investigations, interrogations, and discipline and discharge? This booklet provides explicit guidance and advice for workers and those that represent them in dealing with these situations. Written and updated by labor lawyers, “Hey the Boss” reviews the law on the workers’ right to representation on the job and provides concrete details on how those rights can be implemented. A “must have” booklet for workers, shop stewards, labor lawyers, and anyone else concerned about workers’ rights.  To buy this booklet or to view other publications for sale, please visit our website.  TUNE IN: Wed., January 25: The authors of California Workers’ Rights will be on the programYour Legal Rights on the SF local public radio station KALW 91.7FM  OTHER LABOR CENTER PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE: California Workers' Rights: A Manual of Job Rights, Protections and Remedies
New and up-to-date fourth edition by David A. Rosenfeld, Miles E. Locker, and Nina G. Fendel. A basic overview of the legal protections for workers under California and federal law, written in understandable language, designed for use by workers and those who represent them. "One of the most useful books California workers will ever encounter...Union stewards, advocates, leaders and working people will find the answers to hundreds of burning questions. California Workers' Rights always reminds me of how hard we fought for these rights, and why we must continue to defend them." -Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Order your copy of California Workers’ Rights by visiting us online.  Eyes on the Fries (DVD)Young Workers in the Service Economy

Low wages, erratic schedules, no health care, work-school conflicts. This film looks beyond the stereotypes of carefree and undeserving youth to uncover a reality that millions of young working people know all too well: no matter how hard you work and how well you do in school, it can be difficult to stay afloat when you're coming of age in a "McJob" economy. But there are ways to improve things — and young people are taking the lead. A film by CASEY PEEK and JEREMY BLASI

Produced by the UC Berkeley Labor Center in association with Peek Media.
Running Time: 21 minutes

The video comes with a free accompanying curriculum guide with numerous participatory exercises on the economy.  Winning at Work: English for Workers' Rights
By Warren Mar and Alison Webber, 2003

"Winning at Work: English for Worker's Rights" is a curriculum guide for English as a Second Language instructors in both community college and union settings. It combines language learning with a detailed discussion of legal protections at work, focusing on wage and hour laws, and exercises on how to protect those rights.  TRADE SECRETS: The Hidden Costs of the FTAA (DVD)

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) would have extended NAFTA to the rest of the Western Hemisphere, except for Cuba, including 31 more countries and another 400 million people. It was scheduled for completion by 2005, but faltered in the last round of negotiations in November 2003. Had it passed, it would have been the most far-reaching free trade agreement ever negotiated. The 16-minute documentary Trade Secrets examines in clear, concise language how NAFTA has impacted workers' rights, the environment, and our democracy, and how the FTAA would have multiplied these effects.  To order any of the above publications, please visit us online.  Stay connected to the Labor Center DonateJoin our mailing listFollow usBecome a fan Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley2521 Channing Way # 5555 · Berkeley, CA 94720-5555 · TEL (510) 642-0323 · FAX (510) 642-6432  @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 

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

Listen to Native Voice One http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/nv1/ppr/index.shtml

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