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February 9, 2009 |
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Monday, February 9, 2009
Propagandists
mask Free Choice Act facts
(Op-ed by Beth Thew of the Spokane Regional Labor
Council) -- Notoriously anti-union companies like
Wal-Mart and Home Depot want you to believe you need their protection from
the Employee Free Choice Act and from jack-booted union thugs that will come
crashing through your front window to take your money. When are we
going to stand up for our rights, and stop listening to this disingenuous,
self-serving propaganda from multinational corporations? Read
more.
► In today's LA Times -- Weighing the Employee Free Choice Act (column) -- For big business, democracy in the workplace is generally compared to a horrific disease, like herpes or socialism. So it's surprising to hear the U.S. Chamber of Commerce talking as though the future of the republic hinges on preserving the secret ballot for employees deciding whether to unionize. The Chamber believes workers should be thankful that labor law tilts the field against unions, because employers are better at looking out for their interests.
Legislative
news:
► From AP -- Farmers, labor clash over foreign workers -- The Washington Farm Bureau wants the state to push Congress for a new, nonimmigrant visa class for "essential workers." The state would then create its own essential worker program to bring in foreign workers. (This article fails to mention that this program would also order the state to recruit, import and TRAIN workers in not just agriculture, but also construction, retail, restaurants and more. Learn more about it.)
► In Saturday's Olympian -- Union takes governor to court -- Gregoire's decision to shelve the contracts she negotiated in September leaves the Washington Federation of State Employees (and other unions) without a way to negotiate a new deal, and the Legislature without a way to address the contracts, says the union. Gregoire's team said they could renegotiate now.
► In today's Olympian -- State owes pension plans -- The taxpayers owe them $5.9 billion. Or how much was owed before world markets crashed and the state investment fund for pensions lost $15.6 billion in value. Now the unfunded liability is bigger, but no one knows exactly much.
► In today's Seattle P-I -- Waterfront tunnel plan faces tax hurdle -- Speaker Chopp says there are questions about how to pay for possible cost overruns, among other things, but for the moment he's focused on the state budget and won't say how insistent he'll be about his rival plan.
► In today's Daily News -- Naselle braces for youth camp's closure -- As part of an effort to fill a nearly $6 billion gap, Gov. Chris Gregoire has recommended closing Naselle Youth Camp, a corrections facility for juvenile offenders and the Naselle area’s largest employer. If approved, the Jan. 1, 2010, shutdown would strip southern Pacific County of 115 jobs. The area's business owners fear the trickle-down effect of lost wages and purchasing power.
► In Sunday's Olympian -- Health plan that covers all would be right direction (editorial) -- A system that covers everyone will improve health care, and in the long run, it will save the system money.
► At Crosscut -- Ferry workers' wage freeze: Mostly smoke and mirrors (by EFF writer) -- They scored a photo-op, but the reality is they just postponed receipt (with interest) of increases.
Local news:
► In Saturday's Seattle P-I -- Virgin founder blasts Boeing -- Sir Richard Branson, founder of airline conglomerate the Virgin Group, says: "If union leaders and management can't get their act together to avoid strikes, we're not going to come back here again. We're already thinking, 'Would we ever risk putting another order with Boeing?' It's that serious."
Federal economic stimulus news:
► Today from AP -- Stimulus package faces Senate procedural vote today -- The package is poised to move forward in the Senate today. The $827 billion package seems assured to clear a key procedural hurdle, but not by much. Just three Republicans are expected to join Democrats in supporting the package, barely giving it the 60 votes needed.
► From AP -- President seeks grassroots support for stimulus -- Trips Monday and Tuesday to cities hurting under the economic meltdown and a prime-time news conference Monday night show that Obama and his advisers are worried about a looming Senate vote on the stimulus bill.
National news:
► At AFL-CIO Now -- Obama overturns Bush executive order on PLAs -- The order overturns Bush's project labor agreement ban on federal and federally funded construction. The ban was one of the first orders former President Bush signed when he took office in 2001.
► From AP -- Obama executive order favors union labor -- The order encourages federal agencies to have construction contractors and subcontractors enter project labor agreements.
► In today's LA Times -- Valero strikes tentative pact with steelworkers -- The largest U.S. oil refiner says it has a tentative labor pact with the steelworkers union at its biggest facility.
► In today's NY Times -- Trade group meets to curb protectionism -- World Trade Organization members gather in Geneva to assess how far the financial crisis has encouraged protectionism.
► In today's Tennesean -- Unions find signs of hope -- The pressures created by the recession are pushing against rising interest in unionization and a new political alignment in Washington, D.C., that could prove to be the friendliest to labor organizations in decades.
► From AP -- Nissan to slash 20,000 jobs, sees annual loss -- (Is this the unions' fault, too?)
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 9, 2009
Propagandists mask facts on Free Choice Act
The following guest column by Beth Thew, Secretary-Treasurer of the Spokane Regional Labor Council, AFL-CIO, appeared in Sunday's edition of the (Spokane) Spokesman-Review:
Propagandists Mask the Facts on the Employee Free Choice Act
By Beth Thew
Secretary-Treasurer, Spokane Regional Labor Council, AFL-CIOThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls it “Armageddon.”
Home Depot’s CEO called it “the demise of a civilization,” and said his fellow corporate executives who didn’t contribute big bucks to defeat it “should be shot, should be thrown out of their (expletive) jobs.”
What has Corporate America so apoplectic with fear and anger? A fatal epidemic? A terrorist nuclear threat? A new Michael Moore movie?
It’s legislation before Congress called the Employee Free Choice Act. It would increase fines and penalties against employers that refuse to negotiate union contracts or that illegally threaten or fire workers who support forming unions.
But the provision that strikes fear in the heart of Corporate America is allowing the workers to decide for themselves whether they want to form a union through the traditional government-supervised ballot election or by signing authorization cards.
It doesn’t eliminate “secret ballot elections,” as you’ve been told. It lets the workers decide if they want one, instead of letting the boss decide, as he now does.
Here is the sad truth. If you support forming a union in America, your employer can – and often will – harass, demote or fire you. It doesn’t matter that it’s illegal. Federal labor laws are so weak, and so weakly enforced, that it could take years of litigation just to prove you were unlawfully fired. Even then, the fines are minuscule.
We, as Americans, should be ashamed. This country, which prides itself for protecting the freedom of association, is listed by Human Rights Watch alongside Third-World dictatorships as a violator of basic human rights on this issue.
Today, the illegal suppression of unions is a simple cost of doing business. It’s seen as cheaper than granting your employees a union contract with higher wages, better benefits and a voice on the job.
Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than non-union workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are 59 percent more likely to have employer- provided health coverage and 72 percent more likely to have pensions.
Corporations know this. They don’t want their employees to unionize. And right now, they have the system rigged.
That’s why they so aggressively oppose attempts to reform labor laws to make it easier to form unions. And that’s why, as you read this, they are spending millions to convince you the EFCA will take away your sacred right to “secret ballot” election and lead to intimidation by union thugs like me.
They are lying to you. The EFCA doesn’t eliminate the secret ballot, it lets workers choose if they want one.
As for union thugs on your doorstep, union-authorization cards have always been a part of the election process established by the National Labor Relations Act. In the 70 years that labor organizers have been seeking card signatures, there have been fewer than 50 cases of union misconduct or coercion documented by the National Labor Relations Board. That’s less than one case per year.
Compare that to 29,559 cases in 2007 alone of workers receiving back pay in cases where employers were charged with violating workers’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
We have example after example of companies right here in Eastern Washington where workers have reached out to union organizations asking for representation. The results have been intimidation and threats by the employers; fear mongering from the employers to the point of retreat from employees. This doesn’t sound like the America or the community that I know and love.
Notoriously anti-union companies like Wal-Mart and Home Depot want you to believe you need their protection from the Employee Free Choice Act and from jack-booted union thugs that will come crashing through your front window to take your money.
When are we going to stand up for our rights, and stop listening to this disingenuous, self-serving propaganda from multinational corporations?
Copyright © 2009 -- Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO