by Mike Hall, Dec 2, 2008

Despite the best efforts of corporate-backed anti-union groups, the Bush White House and anti-worker politicians demonizing unions on the campaign trail, most Americans continue to approve of unions, as they have for the past seven decades.

The latest update from Gallup on union support shows 59 percent of those surveyed back unions, while 29 percent disapprove of them. According to Gallup:

Americans have generally held a favorable view of unions for decades—with no less than 55 percent of Americans saying they approve of labor unions in Gallup polls conducted from 1936 to 2008.

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by James Parks, Dec 2, 2008

In a final-days attack on workers’ rights, President Bush yesterday issued an executive order that denies collective bargaining rights to about 8,600 federal employees who work in national security, law enforcement and intelligence.

Nearly 1,000 of the workers currently are represented by a union, and some have been for more than 30 years. The biggest group affected by the order is the 5,000 employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is now part of the Justice Department.

Peter Winch, national organizer for AFGE, the largest federal employee union, says the union is determined to fight the executive order.

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by Mike Hall, Dec 2, 2008

Early in his tenure, President Bush announced plans to eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers and hand them over to private corporations.

Bush's goal to turn over the work of the government to corporate contractors "has made history," according a recent two-part-series by NPR's Daniel Zwerdling, who reports:

"Since President Bush took office, the government has doubled the amount of contracts with industry. The administration paid corporations more than $400 billion last year to work for everybody from the Forest Service to the CIA.

"The administration has given the majority of that contract money to companies that didn't have to compete to get it—or faced only limited competition."

Since 2001, according to Zwerdling, the Bush administration has spent more than $2.2 trillion on contracts with private industry for

...corporations to perform the kinds of services that federal employees normally do.

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by Seth Michaels, Dec 2, 2008

Georgia voters head to the polls today in the runoff election for the U.S. Senate. It’s a close race between incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Bush ally and opponent of working families, and AFL-CIO endorsed Jim Martin, who’s putting up a strong pro-worker challenge.

If Martin wins today, he’ll be the 59th pro-worker elected to the Senate this year to help break the grip of obstruction that has blocked important legislation on health care, the economy and the freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life. Chambliss is the embodiment of that obstruction, voting against working family-friendly legislation—from veterans benefits to children’s health care and the Employee Free Choice Act.

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by Mike Hall, Dec 1, 2008

How's this for change in Washington? Instead of listening exclusively to the heath insurance industry and other corporate interests, as the Bush administration did for eight painful years, the soon-to-be Obama administration wants to hear from you on how the nation's health care system can be reformed to provide health care for all.

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team last week launched the online health care reform discussion. In a video introduction, Dora Hughes, a transition team health care adviser, says:

A critical part of our health reform efforts is making sure that every American voice is heard.

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by Seth Michaels, Dec 1, 2008

In tomorrow’s runoff election between Jim Martin and Sen. Saxby Chambliss for Georgia’s seat in the U.S. Senate, there’s a clear difference on the issues that matter to veterans and their families.

Chambliss has voted to undermine veterans health care, and he continually has voted with President Bush on key economic issues that affect the lives of veterans, from retirement security to trade. Martin, a Vietnam veteran, has pledged to fight on behalf of working families and America’s veterans.

In a message to union veterans, Mark Ayers, chairman of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council and president of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department, pointed out the differences between Martin and Chambliss on veterans issues. The message was co-signed by Ann Converso, president of the United American Nurses, and J. David Cox, secretary-treasurer of AFGE. Converso and Cox serve as vice chairs of the Union Veterans Council.

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by Mike Hall, Dec 1, 2008

The nation's voters may have cast their ballots overwhelmingly for change Nov. 4, but the Bush administration's drive to weaken worker safety laws and reward its corporate friends is far from dead.

In November, we reported on the Bush administration's last-minute assault on the public with a slew of end-of-term, no congressional-approval-needed regulations that could roll back or weaken rules on job safety, family leave, airline safety and pollution.

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by Seth Michaels, Dec 1, 2008

Tomorrow, Georgia voters go to the polls to vote in the runoff election for U.S. Senate. AFL-CIO-endorsed Jim Martin is in a close contest with anti-worker incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss in a race that could determine the ability to pass a pro-working family agenda in 2009 and beyond.

Union volunteers are putting in long hours and mobilizing around the state to get out the vote in the Senate runoff. If Martin wins, he’ll be the 59th pro-worker vote in the Senate, providing a critical voice for policies that will rebuild America's middle class and strengthen the economy. Chambliss would continue to stand in the way of progress on health care, job creation and the Employee Free Choice Act.

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by James Parks, Dec 1, 2008

A total of 91 trade unionists were murdered for fighting for workers’ rights worldwide in 2007, according to the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC's) Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights, released late last month.

Colombia, where 39 union members were killed in 2007, again tops the list of most dangerous countries to be a union member. While there was a slight reduction in killings in Colombia compared with the previous year, ITUC says many attempts to kill Colombian unionists failed, and there was a notable increase in forced removals, arbitrary arrests, illegal raids and threats, especially in agriculture, health and education.

In Guinea, 30 unionists were murdered. ITUC says the regime of President Lansana Conte was directly responsible for the killing of 30 unionists during the brutal repression of union-organized public demonstrations against corruption and violations of fundamental rights.

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by James Parks, Nov 30, 2008

Six workers at the Mongibello flower plantation just outside of Bogotá, Colombia, were illegally fired earlier this month for trying to form a union. The actions, which are illegal under Colombian law, are just another example of the lax enforcement of labor laws in that country that must be addressed before a free trade agreement with Colombia can be considered.

All six workers—José Alexander Montenegro, José Abel Rincón, Samuel Rico, Juan Bautista López, Milton Páez and Sergio Fabián Bossa—had worked on the flower plantation for more than 15 years each. The workers decided to contact one of Colombia's labor federations, the CUT, to talk about organizing a union. When management at the plantation discovered their plans, the six workers were immediately fired.

You can take action now to help these workers. Click here to tell management of the Mongibello plantation that illegal firings are unacceptable and to respect the labor rights of all workers employed by their company.

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