Labor’s 2009 United Way Kickoff

by Stuart Elliott

They also heard Rita Rogers of District 70 announced as the Labor Participation chair for this year’s campaign.

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To drive home the need for a broad-based campaign, this year’s fund raising campaign has the slogan “Give Five” If everyone in Sedgwick County gave one hours pay per month, the United Way would raise $54 million–more than three times the goal. The goal is not impossible, Hanrahan explained. Last year, 51 companies gave 100 percent of their potential and another 115 companies gave between 40 and 99 percent. One hour of pay per month has long been the standard United Way ask.

This year, there is a bit of a change. “Five minutes of pay per day” is what United Way campaigners are asking people to give this year. That consists of 3 minutes plus an extra 2 minutes to make up for those laid off and unable to contribute this year.

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Kansas Gas Service Employees working without contract since June

Despite years of strong profits and the highest level of service by employees, Kansas Gas Service continues to ask workers in Kansas and Oklahoma to sacrifice pay, health care coverage and pension benefits. .

Contract negotiations have broken off between the company, whose parent’s earnings total nearly $1.5 billion over the last four years, and the United Steelworkers, which represents 380 Kansas Gas Service employees in the two states. No new talks have been scheduled

Workers at USW Local 12561 in Overland Park and Topeka, Kansas; Local 13417 in Wichita and Hutchinson, Kansas, and Local 14228 in Pittsburg Kansas and Bartlesville, Oklahoma have extended the current collective bargaining agreement twice since the original expiration of June 30th and are now working day to day

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Labor Day

There was a good turnout, lots of fun and speeches at Wichita's Labor Day picnic.  We've put together a page with a video of Secretary of Labor Jim Garner answering the question "what's the matter with the Kansas unemployment fund" and lots of pictures.

Take a look here. 

Secretary Jim Garner gives State of Labor Address

  Impacts of the national recession have been felt in Kansas since late 2008, but the most dramatic changes to the state’s labor market have occurred since the start of the second quarter of 2009, said Kansas Labor Secretary Jim Garner during his annual State of Labor Address on September 4.

   "Almost 60 percent of the net job losses in our state since the start of the recession have occurred since April," Garner said. "Our labor market has changed quickly and dramatically."

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Follow the AFL-CIO Convention On-line

The AFL-CIO’s 26th Constitutional Convention—for the first time ever—will be webcast live, via Ustream, beginning at 3 p.m. Sept. 13 and running through the closing gavel on Sept. 17. the live feed is featured on the Kansas Workbeat homepage. You can also find it, along with lots of other material from the Pittsburgh meeting at the AFL-CIO  convention site here. http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/convention/2009/

In addition to live webstreaming, AFL-CIO staff  plans to blog, post video clips and photos and updates via Facebook and Twitter. (Follow the AFL-CIO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AFLCIO and Twitter at http://twitter.com/AFLCIO.  They  will use the hashtag #aflcio09 for convention updates.)

Thomas Frank at Watermark on September 16

"What's the Matter with Kansas" author Thomas Frank will make a return visit to Watermark Books on September 16 to promote the paperback release of his follow-up The Wrecking Crew.  Watermark is located at 4701 E. Douglass. His talk will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Hawker Beechcraft, Machinists to discuss future job situation

Hawker Beechcraft Corp. officials have requested a meeting with Machinists union officials to explore ways to mitigate future job losses, representatives from both organizations said Friday.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.

"It's an exploratory effort," said Ron Eldridge, aerospace coordinator for the Machinists. "They've asked us to sit down with them to look at ways — because of the economic conditions — possible ways of trying to save jobs. We'll see where it goes after that."

Two Weeks in Labor History

September 7 Federal employees win the right to receive Workers' Compensation insurance - 1916

September 8 United Farm Workers union begins historic national grape boycott and strike, Delano, Calif. - 1965

September 9 In convention at Topeka, Kansas, delegates create the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of America. The men who repaired the nation's rail cars were paid 10 or 15 cents an hour, working 12 hours a day, often seven days a week - 1890

September 10 Polish, Lithuanian and Slovak miners are gunned down—19 dead, more than 50 wounded—by the Lattimer Mine's sheriff deputies in Hazelton, Pa. Most were shot in the back. The miners were marching peacefully and without weapons for collective bargaining and civil liberty - 1897

September 12 Eugene V. Debs, labor leader and socialist, sentenced to 10 years for opposing World War I. While in jail Debs received 1 million votes for president - 1918

September 14 Gastonia, N.C. textile mill striker and songwriter Ella Mae Wiggins, 29, the mother of nine, is killed when local vigilantes, thugs and a sheriff's deputy force the pickup truck in which she is riding off the road and begin shooting - 1929

September 15 Some 5,000 female cotton workers in and around Pittsburgh, Pa. strike for a 10-hour day. The next day, male trade unionists become the first male auxiliary when they gather to protect the women from police attacks. The strike ultimately failed - 1845

September 19 400,000 to 500,000 unionists converge on Washington D.C. for a Solidarity Day march and rally protesting Republican policies - 1981

September 20 Upton Sinclair, socialist and author of "The Jungle"—published on this day in 1906—born in Baltimore, MD - 1878

In union solidarity,

Stuart Elliott
Webmaster
Kansas Workbeat
Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
3219 W. Central Wichita Kansas 67203  316-941-4061