NEWS
-AFL-CIO Convention Update
The 2009 AFL-CIO Convention was convened in Pittsburgh on Sunday September 13 and adjourned Thursday the 17^th. 43 percent of AFL-CIO union delegates his year were women, people of color and LGBT. They elected Richard Trumka president, Liz Shuler, secretary-treasurer, and re-elected Arlene Holt Baker executive vice president. It’s the first time the top leadership of the AFL-CIO includes two women, and Shuler, 39, is the youngest-ever unionist to hold so high a position in the labor movement. The event was covered in depth at their website.  Videos of the speakers, all Executive Council Reports, the final text of all Constitutional and Convention Resolutions and daily narrative reports, and more are all available on the net.  The gateway to all of this information is http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/index.cfm

There were many resolutions passed and each can be read at the AFL CIO website. We call your attention to Resolution 34 “The Social Insurance Model for Health Care Reform”. http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/upload/res_34.pdf.  Mike Keenan, President of the Troy Area Labor Council, led three rounds of hand billing of Convention Delegates on the health insurance issues facing this nation and participated in the debate on Resolution 34 which passed unanimously. Resolution 34 sets forth the union’s position on all significant health insurance elements being debated in our country and the Congress.

-How Did Labor Get Here? How Do We Rebuild?
Bill Moyers Journal - September 18, 2009 - http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09182009/profile.html

The AFL-CIO held its convention the week of September 14, 2009, in a time of uncertainty. A new Gallup poll showed support for unions at the lowest level since they began posing the question in 1936. And, although there was an up tick in membership in 2008, the percentage of American workers represented by a union is down to about 12 percent from more than 25 percent in 1950.

But, there is also a new AFL-CIO leader, a new president in the White House and a Secretary of Labor who support some of organized labor's priorities like the Employee Free Choice Act.  Bill Moyers talked with experts Bill Fletcher, co-author of SOLIDARITY DIVIDED: THE CRISIS IN ORGANIZED LABOR AND A NEW PATH TOWARD SOCIAL JUSTICE and Michael Zweig, director of the Center for the Study of Working Class Life at SUNY Stony Brook, about the state of organized labor and what it needs to do face the challenges of the 21st-century economy.

"Organized labor remains in a crisis...Right now the question for organized labor is whether or not it actually can become a class movement. A movement of workers. And not simply unions representing people in different workplaces." -Bill Fletcher

"I don't think that the labor movement can successfully organize in particular places without a context of a broad social movement that addresses the power of capital. Not just in the particular workplace, but in the society as a whole." -Michael Zweig

Visit PBS here to read/watch the entire thought provoking program!

Watch Video
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09182009/watch2.html
Read Transcript
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09182009/transcript2.html

-AFL-CIO President on CNBC and MSNBC
Immediately following the convention, the new leadership began a tour around the country. President Trumka's first stop was Wall Street. For those of you who weren't able to catch President Trumka on CNBC in front of Wall Street - as well as his appearance LIVE on the Rachel Maddow show - here are the clips.

 http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?stationid=155&DateTime=09%2F22%2F2009+11%3A41%3A14&mediapreload=14&playclip=true
CNBC 

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=205&DateTime=9%2F21%2F2009+11%3A50%3A29+PM&LineNumber=&MediaStationID=205&playclip=True&RefPage=
Rachel Maddow - MSNBC

-Toyota To Close Only Unionized U.S. Plant
“A FACTORY LIKE A CITY”
By David Bacon, TruthOut 9/16/09
http://www.truthout.org/091609A?n

Last month Toyota announced it would close the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) plant in Fremont, California, after General Motors announced it was withdrawing from the partnership under which the plant has operated for over two decades.  The plant employs 4500 workers directly, and the jobs of another 30,000 throughout northern California are dependent on its continued operation.  Taking families into account, the threatened closure will eliminate the income of over 100,000 people.

Read article in its entirety here: http://www.truthout.org/091609A?n

Action Alerts!
-Support Workers Striking at the Holiday Inn Express-Latham
WHEN: Every Wednesday from 4pm to 6pm
WHERE: Holiday Inn Express, Latham, 400 Old Loudon Road, Latham
For more information about the campaign, visit www.shameonjimmorrell.com
On April 22nd, employees at the Holiday Inn Express in Latham met with Workers United Local 471 because they wanted to improve their jobs and the working standards of all hotel employees in the Capital District. The next day, they notified their employer of their desire to form a union and within 24 hours, half of the organizing committee was unlawfully fired. Both the terminated workers, and colleagues from within the hotel, have come out on the picket line on strike. They are striking for the reinstatement of all the terminated workers with full back pay. Please join us on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd from 4pm to 6pm outside the Holiday Inn Express, Latham (400 Old Loudon Road, Latham)

-Volunteers to Help Jeff Stark
We helped Jeff Stark win the primary. It is on to the regular election! Please volunteer by contacting Kathleen Scales at kathleen@cdalf or 452-0404 or Frank Natalie at FNATALIE@nycap.rr.com

Upcoming Events

-Pride At Work Re-organizational Meeting
WHAT:    Pride At Work Re-organizational Meeting

WHEN:    Wednesday, September 30th at 5:30 pm
WHERE:  CSEA Headquarters,  143 Washington Ave,  Albany
RSVP by Friday, September 25, 2009 to Kathleen@cdalf.org or call Capital District ALF @ 452-0404

-Labor Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Join the Albany/Capital District Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) at the Albany Main Public Library, 161 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12210 for the following events:

Octorber 3rd, Children’s Craft Activity and Bilingual Story time 1 pm – 3 pm  (Children’s Section)

October 5th, Film Showing of the Documentary CALLE 54   6 pm – 8 pm (Main Auditorium)

October 12th, Film Showing and Discussion of the Documentary MADE IN LA   6 pm – 8 pm (Main Auditorium)   

-Capital District Area Labor Council Meetings  
Central Labor Councils are the grassroots organizations that work for justice in each of our communities; they are an important way for inter-union cooperation and understanding to occur, as well as being the eyes and ears of the Labor movement in our county legislative bodies.

• Albany: 1st Wednesday of every month, 890 Third Street at 6:30pm
• Greater Glens Falls: 2nd Thursday of every month, UA Local 773 Hall, 30 Bluebird Road, South Glens Falls at 7pm
• Saratoga: 2nd Wednesday of every month at Elks Club Lane, Saratoga Springs at 6pm
• Schenectady: 2nd Monday of every month, VFW Union Street, Schenectady at 6:30pm, except October meeting which will be October 5th. Endorsements will be considered at this meeting.
• Troy: 3rd Wednesday of every month, 24 4th Street at 7pm, except this month's meeting is tonight, September 23rd.  

-CDALF Executive Board Meeting
October 6th, Capital District Area Labor Federation's Executive Board meeting, 4:30 pm at the CDALF office, 302 Centre Drive, Albany.