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Job Openings [Pictured Right: APWU 2255 hosts an informational picket to highlight the impending loss of postal jobs in the Elmira region] Walk for Dan Maloney! All Labor members are encouraged to participate! Please join us for Labor to Labor efforts on Saturday, October 31, 2009. We'll be speaking Labor member to Labor member about candidates for public office who best support Labor's legislative agenda. Next week's priority will be Dan Maloney (Town of Greece, Supervisor). To sign up, please contact Dan Mulligan, (585) 263-2650. October 31, 2009, 9:30am, 2300 West Ridge Road, Rochester, NY 14625 [Across from Greece Ridge Mall] Labor to Labor Phone Banks: Continuing Through Election Day! Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO retirees and volunteers will begin Labor to Labor calls in support of Labor's 2009 candidates from the NYSUT Conference Center, 30 North Union Street, Rochester, NY. Please sign up today! Next week's dates: Monday, October 26, 2-8pm; Tuesday, October 27, 12-3pm; Wednesday, October 28, 2-8pm; Thursday, October 28, 2-8pm; Friday, October 29, 2-8pm. To sign up, please call Freddi Macek (585) -263-2650. Should you have time beyond the Labor Walk on Oct 31st, and Labor Phone Banks (as listed above), please consider helping one of Labor's endorsed candidates: State Supreme Court Justice (7th Judicial District) - Paloma Capanna (D) Monroe County Sheriff – Patrick O'Flynn (R) Monroe County Court Judge – Brian McCarthy (D) Monroe County Legislature: District 2 – Sheldon Myers (D) District 4 – Frank Muscato (D) District 13 – Michael Condello (D) District 14 – Travis Heider (D) District 18 – Nora Bredes (D) District 19 – Jo Maleca-Voigt (D) District 21 – Carrie Andrews (D) District 23 – Paul Haney (D) District 24 – Harry Bronson (D) District 25 – Calvin Lee (D) District 28 – Cynthia Kaleh (D) City of Rochester, Council: Tom Brennan (D); Carolee Conklin (D); Matt Haag (D) Town of Brighton: Supervisor, Sandra Frankel (D) Town of Chili: Supervisor, Sue Vandervoort (D); Council, Heath Miller (D) Town of Greece: Supervisor, Dan Maloney (D); 1st Ward, Karen Lee-Byfield (D) Town of Webster: Supervisor, Patrick Christopher (D); Council, Tammie Garowski (D)  Dinner and Annual Meeting: Save the
Dates!Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO Annual Delegates Awards Dinner: Thursday, December 10, 2009 Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Annual Meeting: Saturday, March 27, 2010 [Pictured Left: BENTE-AFSCME addresses the Rochester City School Board regarding management decisions about school lunches] Cuomo Announcement at UR Medical Center: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will be making a major announcement on Tuesday, October 27th at 12:30pm at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Class of 1962 Auditorium. Located at 415 Elmwood Ave. Rochester, NY 14642. Parking is available in the Kornberg Lot, 415 Elmwood Avenue (near the School of Medicine and Dentistry). Please call 1.800.996.4630 with any questions or to RSVP. Thank you! Healthcare Forum: Progressive Democrats of Genesee Valley Foundation, Inc. is holding a Health Justice Forum on November 15th 2009, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. This forum will feature Rep. John Conyers, Jr., Chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and Rep. Eric Massa, Chairman of the House Single Payer Caucus. Other confirmed speakers include: Donna Smith, Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate for California Nurses Association Tim Carpenter, National Director for Progressive Democrats of America Jeff Cohen, Director, Park Center for Independent Media/Associate Professor of Journalism at Ithaca College Emily Queenan, MD, Finger Lakes Chapter Physicians for a National Health Program We would like to offer your organization the opportunity to sponsor this special event at one of the levels indicated below. Deadline for sponsorship is Friday, October 23rd.  Elmira Postal
Service Reduction: Five years ago, the
Elmira Post Office had the canceling operations taken out of the
facility. And now, this attempt to consolidate Elmira with
Rochester is not going to improve the "service". The Elmira
facility currently covers an area of 3200 square miles, which
includes a total of 79 offices other than Elmira, so it will
have a direct effect on all those local communities. This issue
alone will result in a larger decline in customer service not
ony to the public but to all area businesses as well. Our local
customers and communities should be provided with the best
possible service and the United States Postal Service is taking
that service away. In the Elmira area, the Postal Service is
planning to close the Southside and Westside Stations, which
would have an especially detrimental effect on senior citizens,
the physically challenged, and residents who rely on public
transportation. Services are being cut at the customers expense,
so the Post Office can say, "they can save money." Our Local is
currently contacting all local town, village and city offices to
insure that they are up to date with the current plans of the
United States Postal Service, and how this will effect their
communities as well. With 55 jobs to be effected, the Local has
not been notified as to where those employees will be excessed
out of the Elmira area. -John Dahl - President and Vicky Shaban
- VP, APWU Local 2255.[Pictured Right: Steuben/Livingston Labor Council, AFL-CIO hosts a Meet and Greet for local poltical activists and labor union members to interact about today's issues] Message from Jesse Lenney on the Passing of Reverend Roy Hedman: "Reverend Roy Hedman passed away earlier this week. Roy has stood by our union and the workers at the Rochester Plaza from the very beginning of this fight. His support for all those involved has been steadfast. There has been no one better or more committed to Justice in our community. His work has touched so many people and he will be dearly missed. Please join me in mourning such a loss to our community and our union. Services are planned for this Monday and details are as follows: Reverend Roy Hedman's wake will be held on Monday the 26th of October. It will be at the Antioch Baptist Church starting around 6pm. The doors will be open. Antioch Baptist Church, 144 Baden St, Rochester" Patronize Vernon Downs & Tioga Downs: Recently the Rochester Regional Joint Board, Workers United, SEIU organized and won a contract with almost 400 gaming workers in upstate New York. Workers United reminds our brothers and sisters in Labor to hold their meetings and patronize both Vernon Downs and Tioga Downs. For more information, please contact Workers United (585) 473-3280. Labor on the Move - Trumka Announce Staff Picks: As reported by Union City: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (l) made his first public announcement of new top staff appointments yesterday. “My new appointees reflect the commitments I have made to strengthen and broaden the AFL-CIO at this pivotal time for working women and men,” said Trumka. “  We will deepen our policy work, emphasize
diversity, ramp up our grassroots action, reach out beyond our
base, coordinate our work in ways that are both strategic and
efficient and hold ourselves to budget standards that are
rigorous and transparent. The bottom line for all our work
is improving the lives of working families.” Jonathan
Hiatt will serve as Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to
President Trumka; Paul Lemmon: Assistant to the President and
National Program Operations Manager; Thea Lee: Deputy Chief of
Staff; Rich Barchiesi: Special Assistant to the President. Other
staff announcements included: Ana Avendano as Assistant to the
President for Immigration and Community Action; Kirk Brungard as
Executive Assistant to Secretary Treasurer Shuler; Lynn
Rhinehart as General Counsel; Damon Silvers as Director of
Policy and Special Counsel; Terry Stapleton as Chief Budget
Officer; Jane McDonald, Executive Assistant to Executive Vice
President Holt Baker, will continue in her current job.
Click here for biographical sketches on each of these
staffers. –
photo: at the October 8 teacher's Rally for
Respect outside the
DC City Council; photo by Chris
Garlock"Foodbank Donations Being Collected: Foodbank Collections Begin for Fall and Winter Seasons: IBEW Local 86 has asked members to donate canned/non-perishable goods and will continue collecting donations throughout the winter. Please remember to bring your donation to the next RLC Delegates meeting. Union Made Vehicles: For those who want to drive union-made wheels, here's a list of 2010 vehicles made by UAW and CAW members in the US and Canada: http://www.uaw.org/news/newsarticle.cfm?ArtId=565 Press release here: http://www.uaw.org/uawmade/auto/2010/index.cfm EPI Reports: Deficit-financed public investments: Generational theft or shared opportunity? Deficit spending, when directed toward positive investment, can generate important returns for future generations – a key concept explored in the report, Generational Theft, Thrift, or Investment, released today by the Economic Policy Institute. In the report, EPI researcher Alexander Hertel-Fernandez offers examples of positive deficit-financed public investments that also enrich future generations. For instance, public spending on infrastructure; including highways, airports, and rail lines; and human capital; including high quality education and maintaining healthy populations. Moreover, Hertel-Fernandez shows there is a lack of research evidence to support claims that social insurance programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, pit the young against the elderly. "Deficit spending, when directed towards positive investments, can generate important returns for future generations, particularly during a recession. Truly equitable generational policy ought to share risks broadly across all generations," said Hertel-Fernandez. Senate health insurance tax would affect one-third of plans The 40% excise tax proposed by the Senate Finance Committee as a way to pay for health reform has a good chance of making it into the final Senate health reform legislation. But Elise Gould, EPI’s Director of Health Policy Research, warns that this proposal is not what it seems. "Far from a tax on a small number of very-high-quality, high-cost health plans, this proposed tax could actually affect one-third of all health plans in the near future," said Gould. "Health plans are expensive for many reasons other than the comprehensiveness of the coverage they provide. For instance, small businesses pay high premiums because they have high administrative costs and include too few employees to pool the risk that would lower their premiums." 401(k) tax breaks net grossly unequal results: To encourage working people to build their retirement nest egg by participating in 401(k)-style plans, the government provides generous tax breaks. The problem is: Because the size of each tax break is tied to the individual’s tax rate and, thus, to the size of his/her income, the highest earners are walking away with the lion’s share of this benefit. In this week’s Economic Policy Institute Snapshot, retirement policy expert Monique Morrissey maps the money trail created by these upside-down tax breaks.Senate Republican stand on unemployment insurance makes no sense: By Ross Eisenbrey, vice president Economic Policy Institute. Senate Republicans are reportedly planning to block legislation (as per the New York Times) that would extend unemployment insurance benefits for the 1.5 million people who have been out of work so long they will have exhausted their eligibility -- unless the extension is paid for with funds already devoted to saving or creating jobs. This is a bewildering position to take. Paying for additional unemployment compensation with funds intended to prevent more people from losing their jobs or to spur job creation, is a truly extraordinary example of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Helping the unemployed today while adding more to their ranks tomorrow is a choice no public servant should ever make.Tax credit would cost-effectively generate millions of new jobs: Today, the Economic Policy Institute announces its proposal for a tax credit for new job creation over the next two years. The proposal will complement other policy initiatives already enacted and proposed. Labor market experts Timothy J. Bartik at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and John H. Bishop at Cornell University, outline the details of the policy initiative in two papers: The job creation tax credit and Complementing recovery policies with a jobs creation tax credit. In two companion pieces, EPI presents a five-part approach to large-scale job creation, and also examines the underlying causes and solutions of the current unemployment crisis.Labor Film Series: 2009 Labor Film Series: All films shown at the Eastman House Dryden Theater, 900 East Avenue. This year's series will screen nine films on Fridays from September 4 through October 30. Ticket Information: Sponsoring organizations receive complimentary tickets. Other admission is by GEH pass or tickets at the box office. Friday, October 23, 7:00 p.m. — Pre-Code Double Feature! Two films for one regular admission price THREE CORNERED MOON (Elliot Nugent, US 1933, 77 min.) Perhaps the first genuine “screwball comedy,” Three-Cornered Moon shows what happens when a previously well-off family (including daughter Claudette Colbert) faces the depression and are forced to (gasp) work! MILLS OF THE GODS, 8:30 p.m. (Roy William Neill, US 1934, 66 min.) Plow factory owner and matriarch May Robson finds that her trust fund kids just don’t give a darn as her business goes bust. As rioting workers battle police, her granddaughter (Fay Wray) finds solidarity and love with a union leader (Victor Jory). Friday, October 30, 8:00 p.m. LAILA'S BIRTHDAY (EID MILAD LAILA) (Rashid Masharawi, Palestine 2008, 75 min., Arabic with subtitles) A former Palestinian judge (the excellent Mohamed Bakri) is forced to make a living working as a taxi driver in occupied Ramallah when the government runs out of funds to pay his salary. On his daughter’ seventh birthday, the judge faces all kinds of obstacles on his simple mission to bring home a cake and presents. Wonderfully compelling and eye-opening in its episodic storytelling, Laila’s Birthday reveals the frustrating daily existence for an average, politically moderate citizen of Palestine. NYS AFL-CIO Legislative Alert: NYS AFL-CIO Legislative Department: http://www.nysaflcio.org/index.cfm?zone=view_page.cfm&page=Legislative20Issues Other Significant Topics: Hundreds Protest as Health Insurance Lobby Plots to Kill Reform http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/y1a2q4d1qj_W/ Dancing with Jay and Daisy http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/U7a2q4d1qj_6/ New Mine Safety Chief: The Change We Needed http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/ypa2q4d1qj_u/ Live Coverage of Today's Health Care Rally http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/y7a2q4d1qj_7/ Health Care News http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/h1a2q4d1qj_j/ Government Grows the Economy http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Vpa2q4d1qBSa/ State-by-State Unemployment Data Show Economy Still Hurting http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Z7a2q4d1qaAV/ Wall Street to Main Street: Lick My Versaces http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/V7a2q4d1qBSq/ Join Us Thursday to Rally Against Insurance Company Abuses http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Z1a2q4d1qaAK/ Trumka: Retirement Security Promise Must Be Kept http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Vda2q4d1qBS1/ Shameless: Christie Ad Features Obama--Even Though Obama Supports Corzine http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Zda2q4d1qaAZ/ 14 Senators Urge Unemployment Extension http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Tda2q4d11jAI/ Join Us Thursday to Rally Against Insurance Company Abuses http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Hda2q4d11jAm/ Big Rallies to Protest Humana's Scare Tactics, and More Health Care News http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/H1a2q4d11jAj/ America Wants a Public Option--Will Senators Listen Now? http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Tpa2q4d11jAu/ Nurses Will Strike for Flu Safety http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/U1a2q4d11a_7/ The Missing Link in Clean-Energy Policy http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/U7a2q4d11a_j/ Today in Health Care http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/y1a2q4d11a_E/ Christie: I 'Plead Guilty' to Strong Support of Bush http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Epa2q4d11a_I/ Trumka to Law Students: We Need Your Help to Fight for Workers http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/yda2q4d11a_U/ 1,800 Boeing Workers Ratify Pact with Pay Increases--and More Bargaining News http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/E7a2q4d11a_W/ Kyl and Hatch Block Unemployment Aid for Tens of Thousands of America's Jobless http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Apa2q4d1Cj1l/ Public Option: The Contest http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/M7a2q4d1Cj1P/ Jobs Crisis Will Affect Young Workers for a Lifetime, More Recovery Aid Needed http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/A7a2q4d1Cj1o/ Nurses Back Franken Bill to Eliminate Heavy Lifting http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Mda2q4d1Cj1p/ Settlement of 20-Year-Old Anti-Union Hiring Cases Shows Need for Employee Choice http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Nda2q4d1Cj1Y/ Chamber Pot of Commerce http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Ada2q4d1Cj19/ Wisconsin Soldier Answers the Call http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/N7a2q4d1Cj1T/ Root: 'Office Space' Taps Universal Frustration with Workplace http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/N1a2q4d1Cj1R/ Union Plus: Green Programs Give You Back Some 'Green' http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Npa2q4d1Cj1H/ A Robust Public Option Creates Competition http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Cpa2q4d1Zj1f/ Union Movement Rallies in Solidarity with Puerto Rican Workers http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/a1a2q4d1Zj1I/ Shuler: Young People Must Take Lead in Building a New Economy http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/qda2q4d1Zj16/ AFSCME Members Make 'House Calls for Health Care' http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/1da2q4d1Zj15/ Proposed Health Care 'Excise Tax' a Tax on the Middle Class http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/q1a2q4d1Zj1b/ The Chamber of Commerce's Jobs Deception Campaign http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/qpa2q4d1Zj1W/ Dorgan: Financial Regulation Not a Four-Letter Word http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/17a2q4d1Zj1t/ Symposium to Tackle Challenge of Putting America Back to Work http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/q7a2q4d1Zj1O/ Live Coverage of Liz Shuler at A Better Deal 2009 http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/1pa2q4d1Zj1g/ Democrat & Chronicle, Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - "Marchers Seek Justice for Mom Slain Two Years Ago" http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090930/NEWS01/909300335/Marchers+seek+justice+for+mom+slain+two+years+ago&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL Rochester Business Journal Daily Report, Friday, September, 25, 2009 - "Unshackle Upstate Proposals Receive Strong Support" http://www.rbj.net/fullarticle.cfm?sdid=80166 Democrat & Chronicle, Saturday, August 8, 2009 - "Council Blew It On RenSquare" http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/80458/pid/38068 Irondequoit Post, Thursday, August 6, 2009 - "Apprenticeship Programs Are Good for Irondequiot" http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/80459/pid/38068 RNews, Thursday, July 2, 2009 - "Out-of-Work Group Challenges Rochester Mayor" http://www.rnews.com/content/top_stories/476145/out-of-work-group-challenges-rochester-mayor/?RegionCookie=2004 National News Stories: CNNMoney, Monday, September 28, 2009 - "5 Most Overpaid CEO's" http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/news/0909/gallery.highest_paid_worst_CEOs/index.html Manufacturethis.org, Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - "China Is Dumping Solar Panels in US Market" http://www.manufacturethis.org/2009/08/26/china-is-dumping-solar-panels-in-us-market/ www.rollcall.com, Friday, August 14, 2009, 2009 - "Specter to Support Cloture on Card Check" http://www.rollcall.com/news/37775-1.html?ET=rollcall:e5342:80076554a:&st=email Manufacturethis.org, Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - "Chinese Tire Emissary Rolls Into DC" SouthCoastToday.com, Saturday, August 8, 2009 - "Your View: Non-union Contractors Never Shut Out" http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/80460/pid/38068 Irene Jay Liu, Timesunion.com - June 5, 2009: Unions Joining Gay [Rights] Fight http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=807215&category=REGION October 19 The J.P. Stevens textile company is forced to sign its first union contract after a 17-year struggle in North Carolina and other southern states - 1980
Death of Merle Travis, songwriter and performer who wrote "Sixteen Tons" & "Dark as a Dungeon" - 1983 October 22 October 23
John Sweeney, president of the Service
Employees Intl. Union, elected president of AFL-CIO -
1995 October 24 The first U.S. federal minimum wage – 25 cents an hour – takes effect, thanks to enactment of the Depression-era Fair Labor Standards Act. The law required an increase to 30 cents an hour one year from this date, and to 40 cents an hour on this date in 1945. The FLSA also established the 40-hour work week and forbade child labor in factories - 1938 AFL-CIO readmits Teamsters union to the labor federation, ending a 30-year expulsion for corruption. In 2005 the Teamsters again parted company with the AFL-CIO – along with a half-dozen other unions – over differences of approach on organizing and politics - 1987. October 25 Bruce Popper, Vice-President, 1199SEIU, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Remarks http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/d/Articles/pid/38068 Jim Bertolone, President, R&GV Area Labor Federation, It's Wrong to Blast Union Release Time http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/74642 Jim Bertolone, President, R&GV Area Labor Federation, Make US Healthier & Wealthier http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/72105 Bruce Popper, Vice-President, 1199SEIU, Labor Day Remarks http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/72270 Jim Bertolone, President, R&GV Area Labor Federation, Stewardship Is Key http://www.rgvalf.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/71361 Upcoming Labor Council Meetings: Steuben/Livingston Labor Council, COPE: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 6pm, CSEA, Corning, NY Steuben/Livingston Labor Council, General Meeting: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7pm, CSEA, Corning NY Next Generation United, General Meeting: Thursady, November 10, 2009, 5:30pm, NYSUT, Rochester, NY For More Calendar Updates or to register for events, please visit www.rgvalf.org and select "Events" Cornell ILR Classes: For detailed listings of announced seminars & classes, please visit www.rgvalf.org Finger Lakes Occupational Health & Safety: http://www2.envmed.rochester.edu/envmed/occmed/fingerlakeswelcome.html Job Openings: For detailed job postings, please visit www.rgvalf.org Do you know someone NOT currently receiving the Mobilizer? Have them visit our new website www.rgvalf.org and sign up. Published by the Rochester
& Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, an AFL-CIO "Union
Cities" Area Labor Federation whose 300 affiliated union locals
represent 100,000 union members in the Rochester & Finger
Lakes region of New York State. JAMES V. BERTOLONE,
PRESIDENT. |
October 20 
