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Passing it Along / FYI |
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Greetings,
Greetings,
Top of the News - March 9, 2009
Southwest Airlines-and its unions-fly into Minnesota
Whether you're listening to Minnesota Public Radio or WCCO
AM, you'll be hearing good things about Southwest Airlines this
week. Transit Workers Union Local 556, representing Southwest
Flight Attendants, is proudly informing listeners that Southwest
is the most unionized airline in the industry, as well as the
most profitable. And that's good news. (See related story on
Workday Minnesota- http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3959
Changing times
The AFL-CIO Executive Council met in Miami
last week and pledged to continue efforts to reunify the
nation's labor movement. And in another break with the recent
past, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Vice-President Joe
Biden both attended the AFL-CIO's meeting. The Executive Council
also invited Minnesota's senator elect Al Franken to that Miami
meeting.
At the Capitol
Workplace safety: it's not a priority for
the Pawlenty administration
Two MAPE members, former state OSHA inspectors, told an
important state Senate committee that they were forced to resign
last year after filing whistleblower suits. Terry Swanson,
Babbitt, and Douglas Crosby, Bemidji, told the Senate Economic
Development and Housing Budget Division, chaired by Sen. Dave
Tomassoni, that they were forced to quit their jobs last year
after filing separate whistleblower lawsuits the year
before.
They told the committee that:
-Changes have been made to final OSHA inspection reports
even
after the OSHA inspector has signed the
report;
-Documents have been removed from inspection files;
-Inspectors have been pressured to not find violations
against MNSTAR companies or issue citations to them.
...a talking point on the state economy
Public employee
layoffs will compound our state's economic problems: every time
a worker is laid off, a main street business loses a
shopper.
In the News
Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME
Council 5, and Pat Anderson, former Commissioner of Employee
Relations, now the president of the Minnesota Free Market
Institute went head to head on KSTP-TV's At Issue, Sunday.
The topics: the state budget deficit and the possibility of
cutting state jobs.
Go to http://kstp.com/article/89/
to see it. SE ALC President Laura Askelin and Minnesota AFL-CIO
Secretary Treasurer Steve Hunter have been speaking up for
working
Employment Specialist Position Open at
WomenVenture
WomenVenture has an opening for an Employment
Specialist within their Women Can Do It! program posted on the
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits website. See the description and
details from this link: http://www.mncn.org/jobs/user_detail.asp?jobID=27304
. Application Deadline is 3/17/09. Questions? Contact Kelly
Coughlan at KCoughlan@womenventure.org.
Fare For All Express is back
Save up to 50 percent on
your monthly groceries! Fare For All Express is open to
everyone. There are no income-based requirements for
participation. Come to 411 Main St. in St. Paul from 11 AM-1 PM
on Tuesday, Mar. 24 to purchase Fare For All Express packages.
Purchase packages with cash, EBT, credit or debit cards. Return
on April 21 (same time) for more great food at a great
price!
Machinists 1833 members take the plunge!
Eleven members
braved the icy waters on Feb. 28th and raised over $3,000 for
the Special Olympics! Congratulations to Patrick Sullivan, Ken
Hooker, Jim McGinn, Lee Largent, Dan McCurdy, Kip Hedges, Arthur
Hay, Mary Sansom, Jeff Yohn, Matthew Johannsen and Mark Buscher.
Stephanie Stodieck had been at work and arrived late and was not
allowed to Plunge, but she did raise $275 dollars on behalf of
Special Olympics Minnesota.
Quote of the Week
State Economist: Raising Revenue Better
Than Layoffs Speaking before the Senate Finance Committee last
week, State Economist Tom Stinson told legislators that it is
better for a struggling economy to raise taxes than it is to lay
people off via budget cuts. "In terms of the impact on economic
activity," Stinson said, you would have...a greater (negative)
impact by cutting jobs than by raising taxes."
Short subjects...
The virulently anti-union Associated
Builders and Contractors(ABC) has launched a new website,
TheTruthAboutEFCA.com. The website is part of a nationwide
corporate campaign aimed at killing the Employee Free Choice
Act... Gov. Teflon Tim Pawlenty's approval ratings are falling.
SurveyUSA reports that its Feb. 20-22 poll found that only 48
percent of those surveyed approve of the Governor's performance
while 44 percent disapprove.
Save the Dates
Town Hall Meetings
Shoreview: 6:30-8:30
PM, Tues., Mar. 10-Shoreview Public
Library, 4570 N. Victoria
(Sen. Chaudhary)
Columbia Heights: 6:30-8:30 PM, Weds., Mar.
11-Puerto Del Sol,
3800 Central NE, (Sen. Chaudhary)
St.
Cloud: 9-10:30 AM, Sat., Mar. 14-Whitney Senior Center,
1527
Norway Dr. (Rep. Clark)
Montevideo: 8:30-10 AM, Sat.,
Mar. 14-Trailways Cafe, 605 W.
Hwy. 212 (Sen.
Kubly)
Winthrop: 1-2 PM, Sat., Mar. 14-Veterans Club, 206 S.
Main St.
(Sen. Sheran)
N. Mankato: 3:30-4:30 PM, Sat.,
Mar. 14-Christy's Cafe, 229 Belgrade Ave.
Sunday, March 29
Show your support for workers at the new
Delta,
Sunday, Mar. 29th, 3:30-6:30 PM at the Eagles Club
#3209, 9152 Old Cedar Ave. in Bloomington. Complimentary food
and beverages!
Legislators and union leaders will speak in
support of an organized workforce at the new Delta!
Apr. 22-24
MN Union Women's Leadership
Retreat
Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge Brainerd, MN
See Calendar
Link on web site for details
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