LaborTalk (138) February 25, 2011
Surge for Human Rights Is Worldwide;
AFL-CIO Members Are Slow to Protest
By Harry Kelber
It is truly remarkable how the struggle for human rights and decent jobs that pay a living wage has caught fire in countries around the world since the Egyptian rebellion only three weeks ago.
But the reform movement has not touched the AFL-CIO, whose top leaders fervently believe in the status quo. And why not? They can guarantee their own re-election. They control our dues money. They can spend it as they please. It’s quite a sweet deal. And the beauty part of it is that union members are not protesting. Well, maybe they are, in whispers.
The AFL-CIO Executive Council, that adopts policies that affect our economic and political well-being, consists of 43 members, mostly middle-aged to elderly white males, who get re-elected, even though we may have never seen them, know nothing about their record or views or what they say and do behind closed doors in our name.
These sham elections are outrageously undemocratic, depriving us of honest, fair voting and the right to run for high office, In the past 125 years, no officer or member of a State Federation or Central Labor Council has dared to run for a position on the Executive Council and face certain humiliating defeat.
No one believes that a frozen leadership is good for the AFL-CIO's future. So why isn’t there talk about developing young leaders with fresh ideas? Because that could be a threat to the existing leaders. And besides, no one among the labor activists dares to broach the subject without coming under a cloud of suspicion.
No One Talks About the AFL-CIO’s Major Losses
When the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 1,300,000 workers had ended their union affiliation in the past two years, no one, either leaders or rank-and-filers, seemed unduly concerned. There was hardly any mention of it on the AFL-CIO NOW web site. The traumatic news was treated with the same interest as last night’s weather report.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka did not issue any statement of concern, since he gets his six-figure salary, no matter how low the membership drops. And so does Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and Executive Vice President Arlene Holt.
We have been systematically stripped of our basic rights as union members without registering our strong disapproval. They deny us the right to know anything about the AFL-CIO’s financial status, including how our dues money is invested.
And are we angry? Not enough to complain.
They deny us honest elections and the right to run for office. Shouldn’t we raise hell on this issue? But we don’t.
They deny us the right to have an ethical practices committee to prevent abusive treatment and crimes against the union. We could win on this issue, but members will not fight for it.
We want the right of transparency and accountability within the AFL-CIO. Our leaders take extra pains to see that we have neither.
The only right they’ll give us is
The Right to Pay Union Dues
* * * * *
We are proud the way our union members are standing together to fight off the attacks by Republicans and their corporate allies on collective bargaining and other basic rights.
In these struggles a new, young leadership is arising, many of whom will be the AFL-CIO leaders of the future.
Let us hope that our passive acquiescence to the dominance of authoritarian, self-serving leaders is past and that the integrity of the AFL-CIO as a model labor organization will be restored.—Harry Kelber
LaborTalk (139) will be posted here on March 1, 2011
and on our two web sites: www.laboreducator.org and www.laborsvoiceforchange.org.
LaborTalk (137) February 22, 2011
Republicans Conduct Statewide Wars
To Shackle Unions and Worker Rights
By Harry Kelber
For the first time in a century, exulting Republicans, fresh from their victories in the 2010 midterm elections, see their chance of fragmenting organized labor and shredding its power and influence for decades to come. In their efforts to cripple the public employee unions, they are even getting unexpected help from several Democratic governors, including Andrew Cuomo of New York and Jerry Brown of California.
Unable to get a series of anti-labor measures through Congress,
because of opposition of the still-Democratic control of the
Senate and a potential veto by President Obama, G.O.P.
strategists are focusing their attention on state capitols where
many of their newly-elected governors and state legislative
majorities are primed to carry out the Republican Party attacks
on public employee unions.
A showdown battle is being fought in Wisconsin, where the
new Republican governor, Scott Walker, is determined to deny
unions the right to collective bargaining and is prepared to call
in the National Guard to enforce his diktat.
Fortunately, his bullying tactics has outraged not only the
unions, but thousands of citizens of Wisconsin. The rallies
opposing Walker at the state’s capitol in Madison, have
grown steadily each day, both in number and volume,
including residents from all walks of life.
Wisconsin, like virtually all states, is in a budget crisis,
but it is far from the worst. Unions in the state recognize
there are problems and are willing to negotiate with the
authorities, but Walker is determined to downsize the
unions, no matter what it takes.
One of the inspiring effects of the Wisconsin conflict is
how so many union members have become galvanized
by the struggle, after long periods of apathy and
indifference about union affairs.
It is still only a sign, but a hopeful one, that labor can
emerge from its moribund condition and become the powerful
voice for worker rights and social justice it once was.
State Unions Are Fighting Back in a War for Survival
Indiana is a good example of how workers and their unions are
battling a Republican governor and state legislature that is intent
on shackling labor’s political actions and depriving workers of
benefits they’ve earned and had for years.
Indiana’s state AFL-CIO leaders have mobilized thousands
of union members to fight proposed bills that would reduce
jobless benefits, eliminate the prevailing wage, approve a
phony “right-to-work” law, and cut off--the sources of union
revenue—the dues payments of union members.
Moreover, many states are sponsoring legislation that would
make it impossible for unions to engage in political action,
because they would need the written consent of each union
member—annually.
Nancy Guyott, president of the Indiana State AFL-CIO, has
been tracking more than 300 pieces of legislation this session.
She says: “The way I like to describe it [the session]. Are
people going to have enough money to keep a decent roof
over their heads, put food on their tables, help their children
succeed in school and maybe still have enough money for a
pizza and a movie on Friday night?”
Guyout adds:”That’s why we’re here. We’re trying to make
sure those concerns are reflected in public policy.”
* * * * *
We don’t know how the showdown in Wisconsin will turn out,
but one thing is obvious: legislative battles will take place
in at least 15 states, mostly-controlled by Republican governors
but some by Democrats, who will be using their budget problems
to scapegoat public sector unions for their own political advantage.
If the AFL-CIO realizes that the showdown in Wisconsin is a first
test of its fight for survival, it will quickly equip its affiliated state
federations and central labor councils with funds and resources to
mobilize union members to meet the formidable legislative challenges.
In the past, when labor has been under attack, union members, even
passive ones, have been inspired to come to the rescue in the
name of fairness and social justice. It would be an important
step forward for labor if it should happen this time.-- Harry Kelber
LaborTalk (138) will be posted here on February 25, 2011, and on
our two web sites: www.laboreducator.org and www.laborsvoiceforchange.org.
The World of Labor January 9, 2011
By Harry Kelber
ILO Says Economic Crisis Cut Global Wage Growth by Half
The financial and economic crisis has cut wage growth by half in 2008 and 2009 says a new report by the International Labor Organization. (ILO).
Analyzing data from 115 countries and territories, covering 94 percent of the approximately 1.4 billion wage earners worldwide, the “Global Wage Report 2010/11: Wage Policies in Times of Crisis” says globally, growth in average monthly wages slowed from 2.8 percent in 2007, on the eve of the crisis to 1.5 percent in 2008, and 1.6 percent in 2009.
Excluding China from the aggregate, the global average wage rate drops to 0.8 in 2008 and 0.7 in 2009. The report cites considerable variations in wage growth rates across regions, saying that in Asia and Latin America, wage growth remained consistently positive, although other regions, like Eastern Europe and southern Asia experienced a dramatic fall. Advanced economies experienced a drop in the level of real wages, which fell in 12 of 28 countries in 2008 and in seven in 2009.
Israeli Diplomacy at Standstill as Staff Stages Slowdown
Everyone from the President of Russia to Filipino guest workers and new immigrants is being blocked from entering Israel as a work slowdown by the country’s diplomatic corps enters its 11th day.
The slowdown began last summer, as wage talks between the diplomatic corps union and the Foreign Ministry became deadlocked and have become more severe as the months go by. The latest escalation went into effect Dec. 27 and caused Israel a major diplomatic embarrassment this week when Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s president, was forced to cancel a rare visit to Israel on January 16-19.
The diplomats’ slowdown deprives Israel of a voice in international affairs at a time when it is confronted with a host of sensitive issues as well as increasingly hostile world public opinion. Medvedev won’t be visiting Israel on this trip, but he will be meeting with Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah.
Mines Became Death Traps for 105 in 2010
Turkey’s rapid economic growth has brought with it a high number of workplace accidents. in mines, as scores of workers die every year. A total of 105 people died in 61 accidents, due to mine explosions and cave-ins last year, according to data from mining engineers. Among European countries, Turkey ranks at the top in mine fatalities. In terms of global statistics, Turkey ranked third in mining accidents last year, just behind Russia and India, said Mehmet Torun, deputy chairman of the Chamber of Mining Engineers. “As mining is a hard and high-risk profession, serious measures should be taken to improve conditions,” Torun added.
The majority of accidents occur in coal mines, but many fatalities have occurred in marble plants, aluminum facilities, stone quarries, zinc installations and chrome mines.
FIAT Union Head Repeats Call for Jan. 28 Strike
The head of the hard-line Fiom Metal Workers’ Union repeated calls on Jan. 9 for a strike this month against productivity deals agreed to by other unions at Fiat’s Spa’s Italian auto plants. Following a meeting with leaders of the CGIL union federation, the umbrella organization of which Fiat is a part, Maurizio Landini reiterated his union’s opposition to the accords and said strike plans on Jan. 28 would go ahead.
Fiat has signed accords with moderate unions at its plants in Pamigliano, near Naples, and at Mirafion in Turin to increase the number of shifts, cut benefits and limit the right to strike, in exchange for investment commitments by the company,
The Fiat dispute has highlighted the battle to reform industrial practices in Italy and retain a national car industry. It has also exposed deep rifts in the Italian labor movement. Workers are due to vote on the accord. this week. Whatever the outcome of the vote, Fiom has said it will continue to oppose the accord, which it says is a threat to workers’ rights.
Unions Clash with Government over 90-Day Probation
New Zealand’s unions are predicting further clashes with the government over the 90-day employment trial period which comes into law in April. The 90-day trial for new employees was initially limited to firms with 20 or fewer employees, but it was extended to all businesses under a bill passed by Parliament in November.
Unions are predicting more protests this year as the battle
continues over the government’s changes in employment laws, including the trial
period. Latest concerns arise from a State Services Commission letter sent to
all public service chief executives which, unions say, forces the
legislation on all state sector employers.
Brenda Piloit of the Public Service Association says the commission is not giving the employers the ability to “opt out” of the 90-day exemption. So from April on, new workers can be dismissed within the period without being given a reason and without any redress for an unjustifiable discharge.
700,000 Workers in Saudi Arabia Have No Pay Protection
More than 700,000 workers in Saudi Arabia still are not getting their salaries paid into their bank accounts, despite a Jan. 1 deadline for employers to ensure that they do. Introduced in September 2009, the WPS provides a bridge between the Ministry of Labor, employers, banks and money exchange centers to ensure that salaries are paid on time and in full.
Of the four million workers registered at the ministry, 3,300,000 now get WPS pay slips each month. However more than one in six still do not. Big companies have been quicker to join the system and 95 percent of firms that employ more than 100 people have signed up, according to Humaid al Suwaudi, the undersecretary of the ministry. Small firms with fewer than 100 workers have been more reluctant to join the system.
Companies not registered on the Wages Protection System (WPS) can no longer get labor cards for new staff. Within months, they will be subject to financial charges and “black points,” which will make labor cards for them more expensive when they do sign up.
To keep informed about workers and their unions in foreign countries, read our weekly “The World of Labor” or visit our web site: laborsvoiceforchange.org
LaborTalk (111) November 3, 2010
Republicans Gain Control of the House;
G.O.P. Plans to Launch Attacks on Labor
By Harry Kelber
The nation’s voters, angry and frustrated at the failure of President Obama and the Democrats in Congress to solve their persistent economic problems, gave the Republicans control of the House of Representatives. In the wave of popular discontent, as many as 60 long-term, well-known Democrats were swept out of office, defeated by candidates with relatively little political experience
In the U.S. Senate, the Republicans gained at least six seats, but not enough to capture control of the upper house. Harry Reid, the Democratic Majority Leader, won a tightly-fought race in Nevada, but Democrats may have difficulty in holding enough Senators to block the threat of Republican filibusters.
The biggest loser in this midterm election was the U.S. labor movement. Despite spending an estimated $200 million and organizing its best political campaign ever, the AFL-CIO was not as effective as in the 2008 national elections, because many of its members were part of the angry protest movement.
It was now clear that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), for which the AFL-CIO had campaigned for more than three years as its top priority, was virtually dead. The Federation had repeatedly said that it could not organize millions of workers into unions unless Congress passed EFCA, with its “card check “ feature. Without EFCA, what was the AFL-CIO going to do about organizing new members? Or was it reconciled to a diminishing membership and less political influence?
The morning after the election, AFL-CIO President Trumka advised Democrats and President Obama “to do what we’re going to, because beginning today, we’re going to have three priorities: jobs, jobs and more jobs.” Hasn’t the AFL-CIO been talking about jobs throughout the economic crisis? What does Trumka propose that’s different? More talking about jobs?
Republicans Plan to Declare War on Organized Labor
An important goal of Republicans is to cripple the AFL-CIO’s political influence, because the Federation remains a powerful obstacle to corporate domination of the government. The legislation the G.O.P. will be pushing is to bar unions from spending their members’ dues on politics unless the members first “opted in.” Under such a proposed law, a union would require written permission from each member, before spending his or her dues money on politics. And written permission would have to be repeated annually.
If this legislation were passed, it would cost a union millions of dollars to comply, not counting the staff and resources it would require. Clearly, unions would be unable to participate in the political arena with any degree of effectiveness.
The Republicans hope to eliminate the Davis-Bacon Act, a 70-year old law that protects construction workers’ ability to command prevailing wages on government building projects, even if they are not unionized. The G.O. P. is also planning to attack Public Labor Agreements (PLA), which ensure union hiring on federally-funded projects.
John Kline, a Minnesota Republican congressman, is chief sponsor of the Secret Ballot Protection Act, that would bar employers from agreeing to unionization through “card check,” under which a union is certified if a majority of workers in a plant sign its authorization cards. That, Kline believes, should stifle union organizing campaigns.
* * * * *
On November 9, the AFL-CIO Executive Council will meet in Washington to consider what policies the Federation should pursue in light of the midterm election results. Will the Council come up with a plan to organize many of the nation’s major corporations? Will it adopt a plan for fighting the outsourcing of good American jobs? What actions will it take to create government jobs, instead of just talking about them? Will the Council break away from Trumka’s policy of silence and secrecy, and inspire the AFL-CIO rank-and-file to participate in a campaign to defend our unions?
We are facing a crisis of leadership. The AFL-CIO has lost hundreds of thousands of members during the recession. Its very survival is now endangered because its leaders have not shown they know how to respond meaningfully to current problems facing working families. It does not help that far too many union members have become indifferent and inactive in their unions.
During the Great Depression, union members managed to recruit millions of workers into labor organizations and build an extraordinary record of legislative achievements that still benefit today’s workers.
They set an example for us. Do we have the courage, skill and determination to emulate them? Let’s see if we do.—Harry Kelber
The World of Labor July 31, 2010
By Harry Kelber
210,000 South African State Workers Begin Strike
South African government ministers met with public sector workers’ unions to end a wage strike by 210,000 teachers, nurses and other state employees, and prevent it from spreading to other segments of the nation’s workforce. Unions representing 1.3 million workers are demanding an 8.6 percent pay increase and a monthly housing allowance of 1,000 rand ($136), backdated to April 1, 2010.
On July 22, the government made a final offer to raise wages by 6.5 percent and pay 750 rand for monthly housing allowances. Other public sector unions also rejected the government’s pay offer and threatened to go out on strike next month unless their demands are met.
South Africa’s laws ban strikes by certain categories of workers who provide essential services, such as police officers. The government, which has seen its wage bill double to 259 billion rand ($35.3 billion ) in five years, says it must rein in pay increases if it is to improve health, education and other services..
A Coalition to Organize a Global Banking Giant
Bank workers from Brazil, England, Chile, Germany and Uruguay are encouraging American workers to undertake an unprecedented campaign against a common enemy: Grupo Santander, the global banking giant. The largest bank in the Euro-zone, where it is based, Santander is the world’s eighth largest banking company by market capitalization and the fourth largest bank in terms of profits.
The meeting of international labor leaders is focusing on something else: how the bank’s new U.S. branches might become as unionized as branches in Europe and Latin America. Santander bank branches, outside the United States, are, on average75 percent unionized, according to UNI Global Union Finance Director Oliver Roethig, because most other industrialized nations have unionized banking sectors. In the United States, however, less than 1 percent of all front-office bank workers are organized.
Officials of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) met in July to use the clout of global union federations to gain a foothold in organizing the Sovereign Bank, which was taken over by Santander last year.
Nike, under Pressure, Helps Workers in Honduras
Facing pressure from universities and student groups, the apparel maker, Nike, announced on July 26 that it would pay $154 million to help 1,800 workers in Honduras who lost their jobs when two subcontractors closed their factories. Nike agreed to the payment after several universities and a nationwide group, United Students Against Sweatshops, pressed it to pay about $2 million in severance that the two subcontractors had failed to pay.
The University of Wisconsin, Madison, terminated its licensing agreement with Nike over the Honduran dispute, and Cornell warned that it would do the same unless Nike resolved the matter. “This may be a watershed moment,” said Scott Nova, executive director of the Worker Rights Consortium, a group of 186 universities that monitors factories that make college-logo apparel.
A Nike spokeswoman, Kate Meyers, said that the $154 million was for a “worker relief fund” and not for severance. Nike also agreed to provide vocational training and finance health coverage for workers laid off by the two subcontractors.
Cabin Crews at Ireland’s Aer Lingus Take a Strike Vote
Cabin crew staff at Aer Lingus are holding a ballot for industrial action due to an ongoing dispute over revised working hours. The issue has been subject to an unsuccessful arbitration process at the Labor Relations Commission (LRC). Attempts by the union, IMPACT, to resolve the dispute with the company directly have failed.
Christina Carney, a union official, explained: “The company sought an increase up to 850 hours in flight time for cabin crew, which formed part of the agreement that was signed off last March. The details were to be finalized at the LRC. Cabin crew believes that the 850 hours flight target is achievable within the terms of existing agreements,” and the union sees no reason for the company to breach existing contracts to achieve this.
However, the airline has proceeded unilaterally to force changes in the contracts and agreements of cabin crew workers. In response, if the vote is favorable, the union will instruct its members to “work to rule,” within the contract, and withdraw current “flexibility” arrangements.
In a letter accompanying the ballot paper, Ms. Carney told members: “We regret to have to consider the taking of industrial action, but the company’s behavior has left us with no choice. The purpose of the action is to protect cabin crew contracts and to ensure that the contracts are honored and agreements are upheld. Cabin crew have a right to come to work each day as required and to expect that their duty hours and conditions of employment are as they have agreed to and as stipulated in their contract,” she said.
Bangladeshi Garment Unions Accept 80% Pay Raise
Bangladeshi trade unions, representing millions of low-paid garment workers, announced on July 28 their acceptance of a proposed 80 percent increase in their minimum wage. The day before, the government had said it would raise the minimum wage from 1,662 taka ($25) a month, the lowest industrial wage worldwide, to 3,000 takas ($43). The unions had been asking for 5.000 takas (45.97).
Since mid-June, Bangladeshi’s workers have taken to the streets in mass protests, ransacking factories and fighting running battles with riot police. On June 22, hundreds of thousands of workers closed the key Ashulia export hub where they churn out clothes for western international apparel companies.
Workers Uniting, the global union created by Unite in Britain, and the Steelworker in the U.S. and Canada, placed a full-page advertisement in a Bangladeshi daily newspaper that supported the workers’ very modest 5,000 taka demand. Union leaders, in the ad, affirmed that their goal was to “unify workers in the western developed economies with our sister and brothers across Asia, Africa and Latin America."
Pakistani Power-Loom Workers End Strike with Victory
A nine-day strike by power-loom workers in Faisalabad, Pakistan, ended on July 29 with a complete victory for the strikers. Tahir Hussain, the labor commissioner, announced, at a workers’ rally, that all demands of the workers will be met and that they will receive a 17 percent raise The case of the four arrested strike leaders will be withdrawn after an initial inquiry, he said.
The announcement came after 25,000 workers marched to the center of the city, despite heavy rain, and picketed the office of the commissioner. The 12-mile march was entirely peaceful. Neither the authorities nor the employers attempted any provocation.
In Lahore, the National Trade Union Federation had organized a protest camp in front of the Punjab Assembly building. Scores of trade union activists turned up to show their solidarity with the striking workers.
The World of Labor July 10, 2010
By Harry Kelber
'Labour Start' Holds Global Solidarity Conference on July 9-11
Participants from more than 50 countries will hear first-hand reports about the struggles of working people around the world at the July 9-11 conference at the McMaster University’s School of Labor Studies in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The conference is sponsored by Labor Start, the global online labor news service, to promote international labor solidarity.
With the support of its 800 volunteer correspondents across the globe, Labour Start daily publishes links to hundreds of labor stories in 23 languages. Working closely with national and global union federations, Labour Start spearheads action campaigns in multiple languages. It has promoted use of new media through its labor web site photo and video of the year contests.
Eric Lee, the founder of Labour Start, says: “ The conference represents a major step forward for Labour Start in particular and for international labor networking in general. We’ve gone beyond the format of the small invitation-only event and are holding an event that is utterly unique, one that includes rank-and-file activists, trade union staffers and senior elected union officers from all over the world. It promises to be an exciting and important event.”
Steelworkers Ratify 5-Year Agreement with Vale after Long Strike
After a year-long, bitter strike against the Vale mining company, the second largest in the world, the United Steelworkers in Canada reached a 5-year agreement with the Brazilian-based company. USW Local 6500 members in Sudbury voted 75 percent in favor of the contract, while Local 6200 members in Port Colborne ratified the deal by a 74 percent margin.
Under the terms of the agreement, hourly wages will increase by $2.25 to $2.50 during the life of the contract. There were also improvements in the Defined Benefit Pension Plan. The negotiators included the nickel bonus program that will allow employees to earn up to $15,000 annually in addition to their regular earnings.
“Our members have spoken and I believe everyone respects the decisions they have made in extremely difficult circumstances,” said Wayne Fraser, the USW’s District Director for Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Local 6200 President Wayne Rae added: “We congratulate our members for the determination, spirit and solidarity they demonstrated over the last year in their unprecedented struggle against this huge multinational corporation.”
Italian Journalists Strike over Berlusconi Law
Most Italian newspapers and news bulletins closed down for the day as journalists went on strike over government plans to restrict reporting based on material gained from police wiretaps. The issue has galvanized opposition to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at a time when he faces a split in his center-right coalition and a fight to pass a 25 billion euro austerity package aimed at shoring up Italy’s strained public finances.
The government says the wiretap law is needed to protect the privacy of individuals from arbitrary investigation, but critics say it will hamper both the fight against organized crime and weaken reporting on corruption. The bill, due to be voted on in parliament July 29, would tighten conditions under which magistrates can order a wiretap and ban newspapers from using transcripts until preliminary investigations are complete, something which can take years.
FNSI, the main Italian journalists’ union, said the legislation would “severely limit the right of citizens to know how investigations were proceeding, imposing serious limitations on the free circulation of information.” The wiretap issue has sparked widespread protests and deepened the open animosity between Prime Minister Berlusconi and his nominal ally, Gianfranco Fini, Speaker of the lower House.
Indonesia’s Replica Jersey Workers Want A Pay Raise
The jerseys worn by Dutch fans at the Sunday, July 11 final, in Johannesburg, will be orange, but Spain’s red may better describe the feelings of replica soccer kit workers trying to raise wages in Indonesian factories. The workers in a garment factory near the capital, Jakarta, are making the Dutch, English and Australian replica shirts and ties for only $5 a day. Labor activists are trying to double their wages,
Nike, Inc. has contracted production of some of its World Cup jerseys to Jakarta garment manufacturer PT Tuntex. That is where factory workers earn the basic wage of 1.1 million repiah ($121,50) a month. They work eight- or nine-hour shifts, six days a week
In a press statement, Nike said it was committed to working with factories that provide a “fair environment.” It said: “Nike believes that local wage settings is best done by negotiations between workers, labor representatives, employers and the government.”
Organizing Electrolux Workers in Thailand
Officials of IF Metall and the President of the Electrolux Union in Sweden have met with TEAM, a Thai affiliate of the International Metal Workers’ Federation, on a mission to assist in organizing Electrolux plants in Rayong, Thailand. Mission members have met the top management of two Electrolux companies and expressed their need to organize the plants under TEAM.
The workers’ representatives were said to be receptive to the idea of forming a union. Ulf Carlson, the Swedish Electrolux union president, said the company in Sweden was highly unionized. He also emphasized that relations between the union and the company were “positive.”
IF Metall International Secretary Erik Andersson emphasized that “IF Metall will actively engage in organizing Swedish companies around the world, and this is definitely going to be a big challenge for the union." International Metal Workers’ Federation represents the collective interests of 25 million metal workers from more than 200 unions in 100 countries.
Striking Banana Workers in Panama Hold Four Police as Hostages
The banana workers of Panama continued their strike on July 9, while still holding four police as hostages in the western province of Bocas del Toro. One of the policemen was shot in the arm and another was hit in the leg, according to a government spokesman.
The strikers want to exchange the four policemen for the workers detained last Thursday in a clash with the police, when one person was killed and 100 were injured. About 4,000 banana workers and 3,000 independent producers staged the strike for higher salaries and for their dissatisfaction with some restrictive laws.
A local government official estimated that losses, because of the strikes and rioting, could reach $5 million for this sector of the economy. More than 300,000 boxes of bananas had not been exported, and heavy losses had been sustained by many companies and stores. The government has issued a curfew from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., local time, in an effort to quell the violence and looting.
To keep informed about workers and their unions in other countries, read our weekly “The World of Labor,” posted here every weekend, and on our web site: www.laborsvoiceforchange.org
A ‘No-Show’ AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer
Is Paid $238,976 a Year + a 60 % Pension
By Harry Kelber
June 22nd,2010For the past 10 months, Elizabeth Shuler has been AFL-CIO’s secretary-treasurer in name only, after winning the Federation’s No. 2 position in a sham, uncontested election as the hand-picked candidate of the AFL-CIO Executive Council.
There is not a shred of evidence to show that she has performed any of the functions or fulfilled any of the responsibilities of the job, or whether she is competent to do so, for a salary of $238,976 a year plus a 60 percent retirement pension. According to the AFL-CIO Constitution, duties of the secretary-treasurer include the following:
To “be in charge of and preserve all moneys, properties, securities ,and other evidence of investments, books, documents, files and effects of the Federation.”
The Secretary-Treasurer will be furnished “a copy of all official reports issued by such affiliated organizations, together with a statement of their membership in good standing and to furnish such additional statistical data in their possession as may be called for by the Secretary-Treasurer of this Federation.”
“The Secretary-Treasurer shall be required to provide for an annual audit of all books, accounts, records and financial transactions to an independent public accountant.”
Liz Shuler abandoned the job for which she had been elected to make a personal commitment to organize young workers. She helped to arrange the Young Workers Summit and played a leading role during its three-day conference June 10-13. We strongly favor organizing young people into unions, but who is doing the secretary-treasurer’s job? Not Shuler.
Trumka Forced a Rival Candidate to Shuler to Withdraw
A candidate to challenge Shuler for the AFL-CIO’s No. 2 position emerged prior to the AFL-CIO’s 2009 convention, when Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, a man with extensive experience in financial matters, announced his candidacy, Trumka moved quickly to convince Junemann to withdraw at a private meeting between the two. As Junemann explains it, his decision to drop out (if you want to believe it), was based on the Trumka slate’s assurance that it would “address the financial issues” that Junemann had discussed in announcing his candidacy. He added, “But most importantly, we need to come together, to be. one unified House of Labor.”
That’s how a vulnerable Shuler was shielded from having to face a challenging candidate in a real election.
Liz Shuler was born in Portland, Oregon and got her first union position in Portland Local 125 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, rising through the ranks to become the executive assistant to IBEW’s president, Edwin Hill, a powerful member of Trumka’s junta. It was Hill, as Shuler’s mentor, who persuaded the Executive Council to select her for the No. 2 job in the AFL-CIO, even though her experience in financial operations was negligible.
* * * * *
It is widely known that the AFL-CIO’s net assets declined from $66 million in 2000 to a negative of $2.3 million by June 2008. The National Labor College and the George Meany Center have drained $41.8 million of the Fed’s resources since 2004. The AFL-CIO is probably still dripping red ink. What does the Federation have to do to recover financial stability? That, apparently, is not Shuler’s problem.
So whose problem is it? We have elected a secretary-treasurer who simply won’t do--or can’t do--her job. We need to replace her in an honest election, where every AFL-CIO members has the right to compete for the job.—Harry Kelber.
LaborTalk (76) will be posted here on Friday, June 25 and on our two web site: www.laboreducator.org and www.laborsvoiceforchange.org
The World of Labor May 22, 2010
By Harry Kelber
South Africa’s Unions May Strike during World Cup
Unions representing South Africa’s public employees will consider striking during the soccer World Cup, unless an independent mediator helps to end a wage dispute with the government, the Public Servants Association said. Government negotiators offered to raise wages for about one million workers, including nurses and teachers, by 5.3 percent from July 1, increasing its previous offer of 5.2 percent. The unions reduced their pay demand to 10.5 percent from 11 percent. The mediator has 30 days to end the impasse.
The soccer World Cup, the world’s most watched sporting event, is due to kick off on June 11. The government expects about 300,000 international visitors to attend the 32-nation tournament, which is being held in Africa for the first time. South Africa’s state-owned transportation company, Transnet Ltd., has proposed increasing workers’ pay by 11 percent in a bid to end a strike that began on May10.
“If there is no solution of the wage dispute, unions will then ballot their members on whether to strike,” said Manie Clercq, the association’s deputy general manager. “If the strike goes ahead, it will be in the middle of the World Cup.”
Spain’s Unions to Battle Pay Cuts for Civil Servants
Spanish unions promised on May 20 to fight austerity moves in the courts after the socialist government introduced a cut in public sector wages through a royal decree, bypassing parliament. The UGT union, which was already planning a public sector strike on June 8, said it would contest the legality of such budget cuts, estimated at 15 billion euros (US $18.52 billion) that were announced last week.
“We are without doubt going to challenge this royal deree,” said Julio Lacuerda, a representative of Spain’s second largest union, UGT, at a news conference, after meeting government officials to receive the details of the pay reductions. “This is a complete mockery of our legal right to bargain,” added Enrique Foussoul of the Commissiones Obreras, Spain’s largest union.
The government approved the austerity plan at its weekly cabinet meeting. An average 5 percent pay decrease this year will go into effect on June 1. The package of cuts is aimed at accelerating the reduction of the public deficit. Traders have fretted that Spain could enter a debt spiral like Greece, as it grapples with a budget deficit that swelled to 11.2 percent of the nation’s gross national product.
British Unions Gear Up to Defend Safety and Health Standards
Warned by hints in the British media that the new Conservative-Liberal coalition may try to undermine labor legislation, unions will be taking steps to protect safety and health standards. They are being helped by a pro-labor magazine, Hazards, which in its April-June edition, produced a stark new poster, which reads: “We didn’t vote to die at work.” The magazine promises to provide unions and campaigners with “the ammunition” they need to defend workplace safety and health standards.Government figures for 2008/2009 show that 1.2 million people who worked during that year were suffering from an illness (long-standing, as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work. A total of 551,000 were new cases.
In addition, 180 workers were killed on the job during that one year, A total of 29.3 million working days were lost, 24.6 million due to work-related ill health and 4.7 million due to workplace injury.
Protests by Egyptian Workers Continue to Spread
Anger is mounting among Egyptian workers as they take their protests to the steps of parliament and use street theater to dramatize their complaints about unpaid wages. A group of workers from the Amonsito Textile Company, who have not received their back pay for months, tore off their clothes on May 20 in an attempt to gain attention. Meanwhile, workers from a telephone equipment factory organized a mock funeral and lowered an effigy representing Egyptian companies into a grave.About 300 Amonsito workers condemned the lack of action on an agreement signed last month, stipulating that they would receive their severance pay for their lost jobs, but instead they got only half the amount.
Eight workers from the telephone equipment factory have been continuing their hunger strike, demanding their severance pay packages, while hundreds of workers from the Egyptian Copper Company staged a sit-in in Tebbeen, demanding higher wages.
Union Demands State-Control of Arcelor/Mittal’s Algerian Plant
The union at Arcelor/Mittall’s Algerian factory said on May 20 that it would strike unless the firm gives the state a controlling stake in the plant or the government nationalizes it. The Algiers government has been taking an increasingly nationalistic line in its economic policies, including a campaign to take control over the country’s biggest mobile phone operator from Egypt’s Orascom Telecom.Arcelor/Mittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, bought a 70 percent share of the previously state-owned El-Hadjar steel plant in October 2001, with Algerian state-owned steelmaker SIDER retaining a 30 percent share. Smain Kouadria, head of the union that represents most of the 7,200 employees in the plant, said management was not respecting a government recommendation that the workers be given a pay increase of between 13 and 20 percent.
“The first option is to open the capital so that the government can exercise control over management, and if that’s not possible, the second option is to nationalize the plant,” Kouadria said. He added: “We will go on general strike if the firm continues to ignore our demands.”
A Huge Rally in Romanian Capital to Protest Big Pay and Pension Cuts
Some 40,000 Romanians rallied in Bucharest, the nation’s capital, on May 19 to protest pay and pension cuts the government says are needed to shore up the ailing economy. The protesters blew whistles and yelled: “Down with the lying government,” while blocking traffic in the city for two hours. Union leader Iacob Baciu said they would call a general strike on May 31 if the government went ahead with plans to cut public wages by a quarter and pensions by 15 percent.Despite the pandemonium outside his office, Prime Minister Emil Boc said he would ask Parliament to approve the cuts, that would go into effect on June 1, calling them “the only viable solution for the country’s future.” Romania’s economy shrank 7.1 percent last year, and the government was compelled to take out a loan of 20 billion euros (US $24.66 billion), from the International Monetary Fund, European Union and World Bank, to pay state wages.
Romania’s Finance Minister has said that 70,000 of the state’s 1.36 million jobs will have to be eliminated by 2011 in this nation of 22 million where the average monthly wage is about 450 euros (US $575).
Keep informed about workers and their unions in other countries by raiding our weekly “The World of Labor,” posted here and on our web site: www.laboreducator.org
The World of Labor May 8, 2010
By Harry Kelber
U.S. Labor Denounces Arizona Immigration Law
“Arizona’s new immigration law is an affront to American values of fairness and respect for our Constitution. The AFL-CIO joins with people of conscience around the country to condemn the law, which will make racial profiling the norm—if not a requirement—in Arizona and will be impractical, unenforceable and a waste of scarce public resources,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
The law requires a police officer to stop a person and demand proof of immigration status when the officer has “reasonable suspicion” to believe the person is not authorized to be in the United States, regardless of whether he or she is suspected of a crime. The law puts Arizona’s entire Latino population—the great majority of whom are U.S. citizens or legal residents—at risk of arrest. The law was signed by Gov Jan Brewer. It goes into effect in August, 90 days after the Arizona state legislature adjourns.
The harsh law against immigrants has sparked widespread opposition, not only among union members, but also faculty and students at the state’s university, Democratic politicians, human rights advocates and players on professional sports teams. Latino organizations and individuals have called for a boycott of Arizona. The law has triggered a demand that Congress take up the Comprehensive Immigration Act that would offer immigrants a path to citizenship.
British Airway Union Threatens 20-Day Strike
The Unite trade union is considering four waves of five-day strikes amid the possibility that 11,000 of its flight attendants will vote against the airline’s latest contract offer. It is understood that there will be a strong rejection of BA’s offer in the voting on May 8, with strike dates awaiting the approval of Unite’s joint general secretaries, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson. They could announce walkout on May 10.
The relationship between BA and Unite reached a new low after the airline fired one of the most senior union officials, a long-standing member of the airline’s cabin crew. Duncan Holley, 54, was fired after failing to report for duty while carrying out union work as the secretary of Bassa, Unite’s main cabin crew branch. Holley, who plans to appeal against the ending of his 34-years at BA, accused the airline of seeking to “chop the legs off” the Bassa leadership. Three other shop stewards at Bassa and its sister branch, Cabin Crew 89, are facing disciplinary proceedings and dismissal.
A union source said that a sustained walkout was likely because the impact of two shorter strikes in March was blunted by BA contingency plans, including the recruitment of 1,000 temporary flight attendants. A 20-day walkout would affect around 1.8 million passengers. A BA spokesman said: “It is entirely appropriate and reasonable for us to investigate serious allegations of misconduct.”
Young Women in Namibia Are Training for Construction Crafts
An increasing number of young women in Namibia are enrolled in vocational programs that are training them to be plumbers, bricklayers, masons and carpenters at the Windhoek Vocational Training School, thanks to the efforts of Metal & Allied Namibian Workers Union (MANWU), an affiliate of the Building and Wood International (BWI).
The Namibian union has been lobbying to increase the quotas for women, while they are still young, to learn an important occupation for this southwest African country. It collaborates with various institutions on various gender issues. It is currently working closely with the Labor Research Institute, the University of Namibia and Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare.
BWI has affiliates in Angola and Mozambique that will link gender to their decent work agenda, with main interests in health and safety and union organizing. The Namibian population is 2.1 million. The government is a republic Namibians life span averages: about 51 years. More than 80 percent of men and women can read and write.
Dutch Cleaners Reach Agreement after Long Strike
After months of campaigning and a strike that lasted many weeks, Dutch cleaners have reached an agreement negotiated by their union, FNV Bondgenoten, with the employers’ organizations. The cleaners will get a 3.5 percent raise over two years. The union had initially asked for a 4 percent increase; the employers had finally offered a 2.5 percent raise.
In addition, there will be a supplement of up to 500 euros ( US $637) for union members who participated in the strike. It was also agreed that temporary workers will not lose their jobs because of the strike. Large contractors, including Dutch Railways, Schiphol Airport and the UVW employment agency, will sign a covenant on responsible contracting in July.
Ron Meyer of FNV Bondgenoten said: “The longest strike since 1933 has opened peoples’ eyes all over the Netherlands and has inspired people. This is the achievement of the cleaners who are no longer invisible. They achieved what no one thought was possible: to get the largest corporations involved in a better treatment of the cleaners.”
Norway’s Model Approach to Binging Equality to the Board Room
By making it mandatory that women fill 40 percent of the seats on company boards, Norway has become a pioneer in workplace equality, When the law was passed, many criticized it as both impractical and unwise. But now, many countries are rushing to enact similar legislation. Several countries have similar quotas for women, but Norway is the only country in the world that enforces it.
For months, journalists around the world have been interviewing Audun Lysbakken, the head of Norway’s Ministry for Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, to elicit his thoughts on a law that is both novel and controversial. Since 2008, the law has made it mandatory that 40 percent of the supervisory board members of large, publicly-listed companies are women. Companies that fail to comply with the law can face stiff penalties, including being excluded from stock exchanges, which amounts to forced liquidation.
Another criticism in Norway centers on the particular women assuming these positions. One controversial group is the so-called “golden skirts,” a group of 70 women who are spread out onto at least 300 supervisory boards. As people opposed to this distribution see it, this elite clique is abusing the new equality to advance their own careers. In Germany, it is not unusual for men to serve as directors for many companies.
150,000 Workers on River Vessels in Bangladesh Strike for Better Pay
Demanding better pay and the removal of an unfair wage structure, more than 150,000 workers employed on river vessels in Bangladesh, walked off their jobs on May 8. Workers were angered when Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan announced the pay structure (on the day before the strike) that stipulates 100 percent pay raise for cooks and cleaners of coaster tankers, but 50 percent for other vessels.
With the new wage increases, the minimum salary of a worker will be 2,850 taka (about US $41) instead of 5,000 taka (US $71) that the workers had demanded. Mohammad Ibrahim, an on-duty police officer, said that water vessels have not been moving since Friday midnight. “All the ferries have anchored on the other side of the river, Buriganga, the north bank of which Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka stands,” the officer said.
The shipping minister termed the strike as “illogical, unlawful and politically motivated.” He warned of stern action against any attempt to disrupt the water communication in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by about 250 rivers. Over 2,000 ferries ply through the rivers of Bangladesh and transport over 100,000 passengers a day.
To keep informed about workers and their unions in other countries, read our weekly “The World of Labor,” here and on our web site: www.laborsvoiceforchange.org
Nestlé workers in Russia need our help today
Last November, workers at Nestlé Waters Direct near Moscow joined together to do something about eroding real wages and deteriorating working conditions. They formed a union.
Management responding by harassment, discriminatory work assignments, cutting drivers' wages by half and sacking the union vice-chair. The workers are determined to defend their union and win their rights.
Please support them by sending a message to Nestlé.
To learn more about Nestlé's serial violations of workers rights, check out the IUF's Nespressure website and Facebook group.
Turkish trade unionist sentenced to 7 years
A Turkish court has sentenced trade unionist Seher Tümer to seven years in prison, despite world-wide protests by trade unionists. (For full details, click here.)
Over 3,400 of you have already sent out messages of protest.
We need thousands more to participate in this campaign to send a clear message to the Turkish government.
Please take 30 seconds of your time and send a message now.
$80,000 prize for promoting union rights
A Norwegian union (Industri Energi) has announced an award worth more than $80,000 to be given to "a person or organisation for outstanding contributions made to promoting union rights and/or strengthening trade unionship at an international or national level".
The World of Labor March 13, 2010
By Harry Kelber
IBEW Pension Fund Sues Goldman Sachs over Executive Pay
The Pension Fund of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) sued Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., on March 8, accusing the Wall Street investment bank of overpaying its executives. The lawsuit seeks to stop Goldman from allocating roughly 47 percent of 2009 net revenue as compensation to its top executives, saying that such allocations “vastly overcompensate management and constitute corporate waste.”
Goldman has been at the center of a public debate over how much banks should pay their executives in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, after taking billions of dollars of federal bailout money. Last week, Goldman said it would cap 2009 compensation expenses at $16.2 billion, for a 36 percent compensation ratio, despite posting a record profit.
The lawsuit also wants Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and others in management, rather than shareholders, to be responsible for charitable contributions that Goldman is making as an apology for its activities. Goldman spokesman Ed Canaday said “We believe the lawsuit is completely without merit.”
Lockout at Bosch’s Indian Factory to Hit Auto Manufacturers
A lockout at a factory of Bosch Ltd., India’s largest manufacturer of auto parts, may cripple the production of vehicles if the dispute between the company and the union remains unresolved for a few more days, Workers at Bosch’s Naganathapura unit near Bangalore have been on a go-slow protest since Feb. 12, demanding a wage increase of 25 percent. On March 8, the local arm of German parts maker Bosch AG declared a lockout.
The Naganathapura factory supplies critical electrical parts, such as alternators and starter motors, to vehicle manufacturers Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), Hyundai Motor India and Tata Motors. “It’s a precarious situation for the entire automobile industry, and we are very concerned about it,” said a high-ranking auto executive, who insisted on anonymity. He said that inventory from the parts maker has been reduced to 30 percent.
S. Presanna Kumar, president of the workers’ union at the Naganathapura plant, said the Bosch management had offered an average wage increase of Rs3,000 ($275) per worker while the union wanted an interim hike of Rs4,500 ($400). This is the second time in 14 months that Bosch has faced a labor crisis. The firm had declared a lockout at its Jaipur factory in December 2008 in dealing with labor problems.
Steelworkers Reject Vale Inco Offer by 88.7 Percent
Members of Steelworkers Local 6500 voted 88.7 percent in favor of rejecting a contract proposal from Vale Inco on March 11, in line with the unanimous recommendation of the union bargaining committee. John Fera, the local’s president, said, “Our members sent a pretty strong message yesterday. I think that all we’ve ever wanted was a fair deal and the struggle will continue until the company is willing to offer that.”
The key issues that put the union on strike in July 2009 still haven’t been properly dealt with in the latest round of negotiations under a mediator or in the proposed contract. A Vale Inco spokesman, Steve Ball, said the company was disappointed by the rejection of its contract offer.
Ball stated that Vale will continue with its plans to move to full production, using non-striking employees and replacement workers. It is not clear whether negotiations will be renewed with new proposals from either party. The Steelworkers have offered to submit the dispute to binding arbitration, a departure from union principles.
Egyptian Workers to Receive Meany-Kirkland Award
The AFL-CIO Executive Council, meeting in Florida the past week, awarded the Egyptian union movement the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award for 2009. The prestigious U.S. labor award was given to Egyptian workers for taking to the streets and engaging in a wave of strikes and other protests in the early 2000’s. Despite strong repression by the government, more than two million Egyptian workers were involved in 3,000 strikes, demonstrations and sit-ins since 2004. The Egyptian government has responded to the protests with a mixture of red tape and outright violence.; yet Egyptian workers are continuing their struggle.
In presenting the award, the Council stated: “They are leading the most significant social movement in the Arab world since World War II and the largest labor unrest since the late 19th century. Egyptian workers are continuing to challenge their employers, their unions and their nation’s government.”
The AFL-CIO Council also cited the Center for Trade Union and Workers Services, a non-governmental labor support organization that provides important institutional support for Egyptian workers. Established in March 1990, it aims to promote independent trade unionism, defend workers’ right to strike and develop democratic practices in Egypt.:
45 Colombian Union Leaders Were Assassinated in 2009
Amid news reports of human rights abuses in Colombia involving the assassination of union leaders, Canada’s largest labor organization says it is appalled that the Canadian government will try to fast-track approval of a free trade agreement with that country. “I’m deeply saddened by a news report from Colombia’s National Labor School that chronicles the assassination of 45 Colombian trade union leaders in 2009,” says Paul Moist, president of the 600,000-member Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
The victims were women and men killed by right-wing death squads tied to the government, because they were fighting to improve living standards and protect basic rights for Colombian workers. “In the face of these serious, ongoing abuses, it is unacceptable that Ottawa would even be talking to the Colombian government, let alone fast-tracking an agreement,” Moist says.
Meanwhile, recent reports by the United Nations and Amnesty International have raised serious concerns about escalating violence against Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, including murder and forcible displacement. Over four million Colombians have become refugees in their own country, mainly due to ongoing military violence.
700,000 Honduran Workers Earn Less than Minimum Wage
About 736,000 Hondurans continue to receive less than the minimum wage set during the government of President Manuel Zalaya, according to the official figures of the Labor Ministry. Labor Deputy Minister Carlos Gomez insists that 83.6 percent of employees in the business sector are not properly paid.
The Zalaya administration set the minimum wage at 5,500 lempiras ($291) for workers in the urban sector and 4,055 lempiras ($214) for those in rural areas, However, many companies allege problems to pay this amount and have started massive layoffs. Gomez explained that this year 5,000 Hondurans, so far, have been fired and 585 others have presented their resignations.
The secretary of the United Workers Confederation, Israel Sainas, considers that private enterprise has sufficient funds to increase the salaries of their workers. Negotiations between the government and union representatives to work out a salary adjustment were suspended. The government is expected to unilaterally set a new minimum wage.
Keep informed about workers and their unions in other countries by reading our weekly “The World of Labor,” posted here and on our Web site: www.laborsvoiceforchange.org