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Voice@Work Update June
28, 2006 Workers Anticipate
Devastation of "Kentucky River" Decisions from Labor
Board The decisions are collectively called the "Kentucky River" decisions. At issue is a revised definition of "supervisor" that could potentially affect workers in a wide range of industries, including health care, building and construction, energy, broadcast and port shipping. Unlike other employees, supervisors do not have protected rights under the National Labor Relations Act to form and join unions, and employers often try to classify workers as supervisors in order to deny them the right to union representation and collective bargaining. In anticipation
of what could be the biggest assault on worker We're asking every union member nationwide to contact his or her member of Congress to put pressure on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hear oral arguments on these cases. Unwilling to hear the voices of working people, the Bush Labor Board has not granted oral arguments since 2001. Call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-244-3121 to get in touch with your member of Congress. Workers in 18
cities will take to the streets the week of July 10 in a
national week of action dedicated to bringing the anti-worker
trends of the Labor Board to light. Contact your local Central Labor Council to
find out about actions near you. Then bring your family and friends out to
support every American's right to organize. American Rights at Work:
Recent Labor Board Decisions Suggest Dangerous
Trend Some workers who have created collective
bargaining units at their workplaces will see their eligibility
status switched, according to the group's "Editorial
Memo: Workers Anticipate Reversal of Rights from Bush-Appointed
Labor Board." Others who
are currently coming together in unions will see options for
organizing eliminated, the memo says. These NLRB rulings come at a time of significant
worker organizing activity, with thousands of vigorous worker
campaigns across the country and a national campaign to restore
workers' freedom to form unions. To read the full text of American Rights at
Work's "Editorial Memo," go to www.americanrightsatwork.org/press/press.cfm?pressReleaseID Unionists Killed, Jailed for Defending Workers'
Rights Nearly 10,000
workers were fired because of union activity in 2005, and almost
1,700 were detained, the report says. The ICFTU, which
represents 155 million workers in 154 countries and territories,
says Latin America remains the most dangerous region for trade
unionists. Colombia, where 70 unionists were killed last year,
leads the world infamously in murders, intimidation and death
threats. For the entire
story, go to http://blog.aflcio.org/?p=797 Got a Bad Boss? Working America Wants to
Know Working
America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO for workers who
don't have the benefit of a union, launched its My Bad Boss
Contest on June 14 looking for the worst of the worst in bad
bossdom. If that's your boss, you could win a weeklong vacation
in a resort
condominium courtesy of Union Privilege and $1,000 for
airfare. Working
America's My Bad Boss Contest is an opportunity for workers to
speak out about the difficulties they face every day on the
job. All you need
to do is submit
your tale about a current or former evil boss. Each week
through Aug. 10, visitors to Working America's My Bad Boss
website will vote for the worst of the week. Prizes will be
awarded each week, and the grand prize vacation will go to the
worst of the worst chosen from the five finalists'
stories. During the
contest, several celebrities—including author, comedian
and Air
America Radio host Al Franken, author Barbara
Ehrenreich and populist commentator Jim
Hightower—will share horror stories about some of
their bad bosses. Maybe your
boss is a screamer, a tyrant, a bully. Or someone who
demanded 16 hours on the job and then refused to pay because you
worked "off the clock." Or responded
with a pink slip when you called in
sick. A boss about
whom, after you'd had a drink or two after work, you
conjured up fantasies that made those in the film "Nine to Five"
look tame. Now you can
get a little revenge, plus that week's
vacation. Go ahead,
share your story. Click
here to see the guidelines for Working America's My Bad Boss
Contest. Four More Groups Endorse Employee Free Choice
Act The Campaign for America's Future is challenging the big-money corporate agenda by encouraging Americans to speak up—to discuss and debate a new vision of an economy and a future that works for everyone. More information is available at: http://home.ourfuture.org Progressive Maryland is a grassroots organization of thousands of members strengthened by 50 religious, community and labor groups. Through research, public education and direct political action, it strives to improve the lives of working families in Maryland. For more information, visit: http://progressivemaryland.org The Progressive Jewish Alliance was founded in 1999 by
Jewish Angelenos seeking to assert an authentic progressive
Jewish presence in the campaigns for social justice in Southern
California, home to the nation's second-largest city and
second-largest Jewish community. The group educates, advocates
and organizes on issues of peace, equality, diversity and
justice, as a progressive voice in the Jewish community and a
Jewish voice in the progressive community. For more information,
go to: http://www.pjalliance.org
"Cingular Bucks Anti-Union Trend,"
CNN Money.com Cingular gets recognition for its
cooperative relationship with
CWA. http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/05/news/companies/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm Daniele and Steve Baxtor, who are co-presidents of
the Foster Parents Association of Washington State, continue a
union organizing drive for foster parents and say that almost 95
percent of people sign up when visited. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Foster_Parents_Union.html back to
top - AFL-CIO
Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka on China's violations of
international trade law. (Read more here.)
In solidarity, |
