West Coast Longshoremen and shippers reach tentative 6 year agreement, full coverage continues with pact

Haven't written much about this, but I'm glad a tentative agreement has been reached

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Labor Notes

West Coast dockworkers reach tentative 6-year deal with shippers International Herald Tribune, France - 16 hours ago The International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced a six-year agreement Monday after lengthy weekend negotiations with Pacific Maritime Association. ... Tentative Agreement Reached Covering 25000 Workers at 29 West ... FOXBusiness Union, shippers reach accord on contract San Francisco Chronicle Dockworkers Reach Tentative Deal Wall Street Journal Reuters - Los Angeles Business Journal (subscription) all 272 news articles »

West Coast dockworkers reach deal with shippers The Associated Press - 8 hours ago The union previously reached an agreement with shippers on a health care plan expected to cost about $500 million this year. The union had sought to retain ...

Wall Street Journal

US West Coast dockworkers talks go past deadline Reuters UK, UK - Jul 1, 2008 A six-year contract covering dockworkers up and down the West Coast expired at 5 pm (0000 GMT) on Tuesday but representatives for employers and for the ... Ports labor talks still amicable Long Beach Press-Telegram West Coast shippers, union still bargaining Philadelphia Inquirer Clock ticks down on US West Coast dockworkers contract Reuters UK all 129 news articles »

Here's an article that explains more, from Patrick Burnson, the Executive Editor of Logistics Managment, "Ocean cargo: ILWU and PMA reach tentative agreement on contract" (7/29/08):

SAN FRANCISCO—Following what has been described as “marathon weekend bargaining session,” leaders from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) announced a preliminary agreement on terms for a new six year contract covering more than 25,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports. The leaders shook hands in San Francisco over the proposed agreement late yesterday.

Shippers, who had been hoping that a contract would be signed before the last one expired on July 1, welcomed the news nonetheless.

“We are just happy that this (bargaining session) is through,” said Joel Anderson, president of the International Warehouse and Logistics Association (IWLA).“Now we can get back to the business of moving freight.”

The agreement is subject to ratification by the ILWU and PMA membership. The ILWU and PMA have agreed to extend the previous agreement and resume normal port operations.

ILWU president Bob McEllrath and PMA president Jim McKenna said the proposed agreement meets the needs of both workers and the industry. It allows West Coast ports to be competitive and provides the good jobs that workers and communities need.

The parties have agreed not to discuss details of the agreement until the ILWU a nd PMA leadership teams have communicated with their respective membership.

The West Coast longshoremen are the highest-paid blue-collar workers in America. Average full-time wages for fully registered workers exceed $136,000. ILWU members also enjoy fully employer-paid health benefits, with no premiums or deductibles and 100 percent coverage for standard medical benefits. Based on a tentative agreement, those fully-paid benefits would continue.

At the same time, the PMA has reminded shippers that West Coast ports generate almost $1.3 trillion in domestic business impacts – representing 11 percent of total U.S. gross domestic product – and support more than 8 million direct and indirect U.S. jobs.

Hope it works out OK for all parties.

It was massive, several thousand CWA and IBEW members rallied outside Verizon headquarters, one main objective, stop subcontracting their work

UPDATE to-> CWA plans massive Verizon worker rally in New York, IBEW sending members, as contract negotiations continue with Aug.2nd deadline (7/22/08):

I would have been there in support, but I was attending a rally for New York's 13th Congressional district seat candidate Michael McMahon, who is running for the spot vacated by Vito Fossella. McMahon is a staunch labor supporter, from a NYS AFL-CIO press release (7/1/08):

Upon receiving the New York State AFL-CIO's endorsement, Michael McMahon stated, "I am honored to have the support of the AFL-CIO. As Councilman, I worked every day to improve the lives of the working men and women in my district. As Congressman, I will continue to fight for working families by creating good paying jobs, lowering taxes on the middle class and ensuring that Brooklyn and Staten Island receive our fair share of education, healthcare and transportation funding."

Saturdays Verizon rally in NYC
A Sea of CWA red

From The New York Times article "Unions Rally, Vowing Strike at Verizon" by By Javier C. Hernandez (7/27/08):

The unions representing 65,000 Verizon workers on Saturday resounded a pledge to strike if demands for higher wages, caps on health care payments and limits on outsourcing jobs are not honored.

Joe's Union Review staunchly supports the workers stance against outsourcing, on many occasions Verizon has had low standards on who they use as subcontractors. The Times continues

With one week to go before a contract expires, several thousand telephone workers affiliated with the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers gathered at Verizon headquarters in Lower Manhattan.

They chastised Verizon executives for proposing sharp increases in health care payments and reductions in coverage for retirees. Some held signs reading “Hands Off Our Benefits,” vowing to take to the picket line on Aug. 3 if the two sides did not reach a settlement.

Joe Connolly, president of Local 1101 of the C.W.A., said that the union was pushing for a 5 percent annual wage increase, larger pensions and expanded medical benefits. “Right now, employees have to make a choice: Are they going to eat or get benefits?” Mr. Connolly said.

In light of the slow pace of negotiations, a strike was likely, he said. “There’s been nothing resolved on any level at this point.”

A major point of contention between the unions and Verizon is the outsourcing and subcontracting of jobs. Union members have said that work like telephone technical support and laying new wires should go to union laborers. But Verizon has said that awarding some jobs to outside firms gives the company the flexibility to create, for instance, a new call center on the spot, or to quickly find laborers for a one-time construction job.

Verizon's use of undocumented workers via subcontractors seems to be wide spread

Flexibility, sure, just pick them up from the corners of 65th. Street in Brooklyn.

Verizon is a scum corporation that puts profits over people every single step of the way. In February I wrote of one such Verizon subcontractor who was breaking every labor law on the books and found themselves fined and a possible jail term in the article "Claiming ignorance, Verizon tolerated illegal alien work force through a subcontractor"

"One worker told agents B&B paid him $100 per day for a 12-hour shift minus $60 a week for housing and utilities, according to records. Some said they were put up in a house off Oceana Boulevard in Virginia Beach."

Just last month a group of undocumented day laborers was protesting against Verizon in the same exact location over unpaid wages from a Verizon subcontractor. ABC news picked up the story on June 24th. in the article entitled "Day Laborers Rally Against Verizon for Unpaid Work"

"We're here today to demand that Verizon pay us," said Nerbin Rodriguez.

Rodriquez, an immigrant from El Salvador, says a Verizon sub-contractor owes him for two months of work, all 10-hour days. "We have the right to recover our money for the work that we've performed," he said.

"Verizon needs to tell the subcontractors to quit cheating the people out of their money in this way," said Carlos Ortiz..

"We certainly don't agree that anyone should do a hard day's work and not get paid for it," said Sandra Arnette with Verizon.

Verizon says they promise to investigate but says it's the responsibility of the contractor or sub-contractor and not Verizon to pay the workers.

When ABC 7 reporter Andrea McCarren tried to ask one of the day laborers protesting if they were in the country illegally or if the subcontractors were hiring illegally, she was interrupted by a CASA de Maryland lawyer. They said McCarren couldn't ask the question.

"We would hope that people are hiring workers that are documented, that can actually do the work and they're not doing it illegally," said Arnette.

Some of the laborers allege they haven't been paid for jobs completed as far back as three years ago. Some workers at the demonstration actually won judgments in federal court against Verizon sub-contractors, totaling more than $200,000.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm in Brooklyn and according to a former shop steward friend of mine at Verizon, in NYC, the company hasn't hired a single street mechanic for the last 6 years, guess they want to take advantage of all the day laborers they can muster up to install FIOS around the area. Yeah I'm still waiting.

Verizon, screwing the public and workers every chance it can.

CWA plans massive Verizon worker rally in New York, IBEW sending members, as contract negotiations continue with Aug.2nd deadline

UPDATED ->It was massive, several thousand CWA and IBEW members rallied outside Verizon headquarters, one main objective, stop subcontracting (7/27/08)

Verizon, who has been screwing it's wireless and business workers who want to join unions, who has taken down a veterans flag which was flown over Iraq and Afghanistan from it's Verizon business office, and has allowed subcontractors who enslaved undocumented workers to do Verizons work, is playing hard ball with it's 65,000 union workers on the East Coast, but these workers have been preemptive and are geared to storm New York with a contigent of workers from all around the East coast tomorrow at Verizon's headquarters.

Verizon, where should I start, first off I gave them the goodbye when they sent their tech support to India for their DSL services in favor of services from Optimum Online, which is also staunchly anti-union, but at least the tech support workers are here in Long Island, New York. Both companies are terrible when it comes to workers rights. In fact Verizon business has been so terrified of union organizing, when union leaflets were making their way around the cubicles and onto the common wall of their office up in Massachusetts, the word came down to remove everything from the walls. One of those items was an American flag, a flag that was flown over Iraq and Afghanistan by employee and Air National Guardsman, Terry Skiest. A co-worker of Skiest's reported that a local manager said that the American flag "could be considered to be propaganda" and "might be offensive to some workers."

AT&T is the only wireless company that is completely unionized

Unfortunately before I knew all this and how staunchly anti-union the company was I was already locked into one of their cell phone plans, that will change in a few months when I switch to AT&T, who when taken over by Cingular, continued with the American Free Choice like card check system of getting union representation, if the workers want to be union, all they need is 50+1% of the workforce to sign cards. Now that's a company for working people, they even have a discounts for union members, from the Union Plus website:

"For union families, AT&T is the clear choice for wireless service. AT&T is the only wireless company that is completely unionized, and that believes that fair treatment of employees is good for business and good for customers.

We urge every union member to make AT&T their wireless provider."

— Larry Cohen, president, Communications Workers of America

The scoop, as far as I've been reading

Verizon and the unions, including CWA and IBEW were in early negotiations as far back as about 1 year ago, the company wouldn't budge on health care issues and the CWA walked out until recently, members have on more than one occasion held preemptive pickets in many areas on the North-East, but according to some updates I've scanned through, there does not seem to be too much progress as of yet and according to Crain's New York, 91% of workers voted to authorize a strike if the negotiations fail. More at IBEW LU 2222

A little note, while awaiting the approval of the city of New York to alow inner city people to get FiOS, a high speed fiber optic system capable of delivering faster internet and a wide array of television programming, being the newest crap that Verizon wants to sling at us. Verizon has neglected their core landline and DSL customers to the point that we have all went on to bigger and better ventures, such as VOiP, the cable system phone service and eliminating the landline in favor of cell service. According to a friend and shop steward in my area, Verizon has not hired a single street utility worker in the last 6 years. Can't wait for FiOS, that should take around=, um, forever.

The Rally in New York

Many CWA workers from around the East coast along with affected IBEW member will gather in New York City at Verizon's headquarters to tell them thay will not back down and settle for less than what they deserve.

From PR Newswire:

Workers to Rally at Verizon Headquarters for Fair Contract

Media Advisory for Saturday, July 26

NEW YORK, July 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A mass rally outside Verizon Communications headquarters on Saturday, July 26 will bring thousands of Verizon workers and supporters to lower Manhattan, pressing Verizon to negotiate a fair contract. CWA President Larry Cohen, Vice Presidents Chris Shelton, District 1; Ron Collins, District 2 and Ed Mooney, District 13, among other speakers, will join the call for fairness for Verizon workers.

Contract negotiations between the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Verizon are continuing; the contract covering 60,000 workers expires at 12:01 am, Aug. 3.

CWA members from New England to Virginia will join the rally, traveling to show their support for the union bargaining team's determination to achieve workers' goals of quality jobs and quality benefits.

What: Rally to support a fair contract at Verizon

When and Where: Saturday, July 26, at 1 pm, 140 West Street, lower Manhattan.

SOURCE Communications Workers of America

More rally information and pictures from IBEW LU 2222:

Members Rallied at the Allens Ave. Garage in Providence, RI on July 24, 2008 as part of our series of "rolling rallies". Rallies will be held on Saturday July 26 in New York City, and will conclude with a massive rally on Thursday July 31 in Boston (185 Franklin Street, 6 PM)

Good luck CWA and IBEW members,
In solidarity
Joe

2nd. Largest Teamsters union, UPS workers in Chicago vote to strike July 31st. if necessary

Members of IBT Local 705 have voted to strike when contract expires if company does not raise starting wages among other issues at hand.

From WIN Radio (Workers Independent News - 7/22/08):

Big Chicago Teamsters Local Ready To Strike UPS If Necessary - 07/22/08

By Doug Cunningham

Teamsters Local 705 in Chicago – second largest in the nation - has authorized a strike against UPS with a deadline of midnight July 31st. Job security and working conditions are among the issues. Joe Balkis is a Teamsters Local 705 worker.

[Balkis]: “The companies keep on getting’ richer and the working classes keep on getting’ poorer. Enough is enough! It’s time we draw a line in the sand. We can’t take it anymore. The starting pay alone has only been increased once since I’ve been workin’ here for twenty years. We deserve better. Payin’ people $8.50 - $9.50 an hour to start is immoral.”

Juan Campos is Recording Secretary for Local 705.

[Campos]: “This is a company that’s made – since 1997 ‘til today over twenty billion dollars profit. This is not a company that’s crying for money or needs money or needs flexibility or needs concessions. This is a company that needs to get back to the membership.”

Campos says Local 705 doesn’t want to strike but his guts tells him the union may have to.

[Campos]: “I am very hopeful. I’m looking forward to settle this. But my gut tells me their arrogance won’t allow them to address the issues that we need to be addressed.”

I'm usually in the business of pushing UPS along with the US Postal Service and DHL as union delivery options for us union folks, it would be unfortunate if there isn't a raise for starting employees, I recently learned that here in NY new hires take a long time to get past their initial try out before union members, it definitely is a hard working job, I see those guys and girls breaking their asses off in Manhattan every day. Joe Balkis hit the nail on the head, read that again

“The companies keep on getting’ richer and the working classes keep on getting’ poorer. Enough is enough! It’s time we draw a line in the sand. We can’t take it anymore. The starting pay alone has only been increased once since I’ve been workin’ here for twenty years. We deserve better. Payin’ people $8.50 - $9.50 an hour to start is immoral.”

Joe, they would pay us a dirt sandwich if they had their way, its not just UPS, it's all workers worldwide, I know a lot of readers will come here just for the UPS info, but why not take a look around, I have stories about working people from all walks of life just struggling and getting screwed in every direction, from computer programmers to pipefitters to grocery store clerks. The huge corporations are working together to 3rd worlditize our nation and drag the entire planet down to a lowest bidder labor force, even the doctors are finding it hard to make ends meet, unbeknown to many there are many doctors who now belong to unions.

Doctors have recently taken on the health care insurance industry in more ways than one, they are supporting the "single-payer" health bill (United States National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676), as mentioned in another recent article here, and they have come forward to tell the world how workman's compensation insurance companies have coerced them into mistreat and undertreating injured workers. We as working people must rally behind those that dare to fight the corrupt system that, like I stated wouldn't care if our families, our American families, ate dirt for dinner. Look at Levi's Straus, that American Jean Company, their factories now reside in such high labor standard places as Haiti, where recently they were rioting because of lack of food, and some families are eating dirt just to not hurt from the pain of hunger, and to places like Bangladesh, where even the cops and teachers must wait on lines with thousands of people just to buy government subsidized rice.

Thats what they want for us, thats what they want for the U.S.!

So while you are here, sign the Employee Free Choice Act petition on the upper right hand side of the site, or read about why its necessary first, but do something for yourself, for your children for your friends and neighbors, learn about it and what is important for working Americans, take a step and educate yourself and those you are close to about what the dangers we will face if we don't take action now.

Note about the picture above:

The picture above is from lolcars.com, I noticed a story about how UPS was adding more natural gas powered vehicles to their fleet, it's pretty interesting, especially since the trucks can drive indoors due to the lower emissions, according to Jalopnik (4/4/08):

In a courageous example of marketing, UPS has distributed another 167 compressed natural gas vehicles to its fleets in Texas, Georgia, and California. This brings the total number of CNG vehicles deployed to around 950, and the total green fleet number to 1692 in their army of over 88,000 ground vehicles. While painting this as an integral part of their environmental strategy, the truth is probably more that CNG vehicles are allowed freer reign to operate inside enclosed structures and aren't as often subject to special permits for operation inside of factories and warehouses like gasoline or diesel trucks.

There has to be some reasoning why? Usually it's not for the public at large, probably got some tax write offs for doing it. Check out the Jalopnik site, they have some funny comments in that thread.

Bloomingdales flagship store in New York gets 4 year deal

A little late news on my part, sorry people. Bloomingdales and RWDSU Local 3 now have 4 year agreement.

From UNI Global Union (5/6/08) :

New York flagship department store gets four year collective agreement

Workers at Bloomingdales, New York's upmarket department store, have achieved a four year collective agreement. The deal came after difficult and drawn out negotiations, where the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union finally was forced to announce a strike on behalf of the 2,000 Bloomingdales workers.

The new contract will give workers an hourly average pay raise of 2,15 USD over the four year period. There is also a productivity bonus of 30 cents, which will depend on the department store's performance. Other benefits include better possibilities for part time workers to get full time contracts.

Ida Torres, President of Local 3 RWDSU was satisfied with the result:

- Our members work hard and deserve all of the benefits of a good contract. We're pleased to have negotiated a new collective agreement with Bloomingdale’s that provides for many improvements and protections including a guaranteed wage increase in each of the 4 years of the contract. I am proud of our members and their resilience and determination to secure a contract that is right for them.

Late last year, RWDSU organised over 1,000 shop workers at leading global fashion retailer H&M after more than 90 per cent of participating employees cast their votes for union representation.

Bloomingdales flagship store in New York gets 4 year deal

A little late news on my part, sorry people. Bloomingdales and RWDSU Local 3 now have 4 year agreement.

From UNI Global Union (5/6/08) :

New York flagship department store gets four year collective agreement

Workers at Bloomingdales, New York's upmarket department store, have achieved a four year collective agreement. The deal came after difficult and drawn out negotiations, where the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union finally was forced to announce a strike on behalf of the 2,000 Bloomingdales workers.

The new contract will give workers an hourly average pay raise of 2,15 USD over the four year period. There is also a productivity bonus of 30 cents, which will depend on the department store's performance. Other benefits include better possibilities for part time workers to get full time contracts.

Ida Torres, President of Local 3 RWDSU was satisfied with the result:

- Our members work hard and deserve all of the benefits of a good contract. We're pleased to have negotiated a new collective agreement with Bloomingdale’s that provides for many improvements and protections including a guaranteed wage increase in each of the 4 years of the contract. I am proud of our members and their resilience and determination to secure a contract that is right for them.

Late last year, RWDSU organised over 1,000 shop workers at leading global fashion retailer H&M after more than 90 per cent of participating employees cast their votes for union representation.

NY: Bloomingdales and RWDSU continue negotiations for 2 more weeks

According to Womans Wear daily (4/30/08):

NEW YORK – The management of Bloomingdale’s and leaders of Local 3 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union have reached a tentative agreement, the retailer said this morning.

The two sides failed to reach an agreement on one issue – health care – and will continue to negotiate that point for two more weeks.

Stuart Applebaum, president of the RWDSU, this morning confirmed that a tentative settlement has been reached. It is subject to ratification by the union membership on Thursday. The union's previous contract expired on March 1, but talks had been extended through tonight. The union had authorized a strike if an agreement couldn't be reached by 6 p.m. Bloomingdale's said the agreement "eliminates any possibility of a strike being called against the retailer."

Original Story (4/27/08)
Read Full Story

NY: Bloomingdale's flagship store, workers authorize strike

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*Update-> NY: Bloomingtons and RWDSU continue negotiations for 2 more weeks (4/30/08)

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RWDSU, The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, workers have voted to authorize a strike if the negotiations have not come to an agreeable contract offer by Thursday. Nearly 2,000 workers will walk out at any time after the deadline, the union is still at odds with Bloomingdale's over health care and wage increases.

The RWDSU is affiliated with the UFCW, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and has recently had a large membership increase with with workers in the union friendly H&M clothing stores sign up. The H&M labor friendly policy was actually what would be expected if there was a passing of the Employee Free Choice Act. They agreed to respect their workers wishes to form a union by a card check, From RWDSU press release (11/20/07) :

Under the terms of an agreement negotiated earlier this year, H & M agreed to a process called “card check recognition” which required the company to respect the decision of employees to have representation once a majority signed cards affirming their support for the union. The company also pledged not to interfere with the workers’ efforts to organize.

“By respecting the right of employees to join our union, H & M is setting an example other retailers should follow,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, adding that he expects the National Labor Relations to certify the union as the workers’ collective bargaining agent.

Bloomingdale's

From NY1 (4/26/08) :

	Bloomingdale's Workers May Go On Strike

April 26, 2008

Workers may hit the picket lines at Bloomingdale’s flagship store on the Upper East Side as early as next weekend.

The famous department store’s employees said they will strike if a contract agreement is not reached by the time their current deal expires on Thursday.

Negotiations between the company's Executive Board and the local chapter of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union have been lasting for more than two months.

A union spokesperson said that negotiations will continue, but nearly 2,000 workers at the store have authorized a walkout. The union said the date for the strike has not been set.

The group is fighting for a general wage increase and to protect the employees' current health coverage.

This would be the first time the store has been shut down by a strike in 43 years.

Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut, 3500 workers say Union Yes, Mickey D's next, BK and Wendy's negotiations later this year

Holy Crap! 3,500 workers in Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut nationwide said "Union Yes!"

Restaurant Brands (Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut) Get A Collective Voice


I didn't even know they were being organized, but the fact remains, all these workers across the nation decided their lives would be better if they joined as a collective body, according to NZ Herald (4/12/08) :

...Union membership has more than doubled to nearly two thousand in Restaurant Brands stores after a union employment agreement was reached last week covering 3500 workers in Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut nationwide.

How did this all come about? How has life changed for the new union members at the collective "Restaurant Brands", parent of the 3 chain stores above?

"We have now reached between 50 per cent and 100 per cent membership density in most fast food stores, which is an extraordinary result considering four years ago membership in the sector was less than a paltry one per cent and the union is still growing."

Wage rates moved for Restaurant Brands workers by 75 cents and $2.25 per hour (6.75 per cent - 21.37 per cent), meaning 90 per cent of members wages increased by more than a $1 an hour.

Restaurant Brands says it now pays between 50 cents and $3.00 more an hour for their long-serving and experienced employees than their competitors.

McDonald's is next, Burger King and Wendy's negotiations take place later this year.



From: Unite - Union Of Workers (4/7/08)

However, Unite and McDonalds are currently in negotiations and Burger King and Wendys negotiations take place later in the year.

“Unite is pleased that Restaurant Brands is leading the way in moving wage rates and by recognising the importance of these kinds of union agreements to workers.

“The entire fast food industry is made up of casual workers. Restaurant Brands has recognised this and has agreed to provisions that work towards more secure hours for their employees, including the formation of a joint union-employer working party to oversee this.

“Youth rates have also been completely removed, which will have a huge effect as over half of the workforce is under the age of 20 years.

“Three years ago Unite launched the Supersizemypay.com (*now defunct URL-Joe) campaign to achieve $12 an hour, end youth wages and win more secure hours. We are proud to announce that this has been achieved.” McCarten concluded.

Achieving $12 an hour, ending youth wages and winning more secure hours!

How did this news miss the Main Stream? Because it's not in the United States, it's in New Zealand.

Four years ago, there were less than 1% of workers in the fast food industry, in NZ., who were in a union, today there are 50% with more on the way, workers immediately got a 6.75-21.3% raise.

Burger King Still The Worst Of The Lot



As with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers campaign here in the states, which is trying to end the slave like conditions of tomato workers here in Florida, Burger King is remaining the leader of anti-worker practices, even in New Zealand, where according to the Socialist Party Of Australia (12/06/07) :

“Burger King, whose employees are largely young workers, has agreed to shift the youth rate next year from $8.35 to $9.00 - an increase of 7.8 per cent. Adult crew workers will receive a 7.3 per cent increase.

“Burger King’s wage proposal is well below Restaurant Brands ($9.23) and McDonald’s ($9.50 after six months) and is not an offer Unite is willing to accept. We will continue to negotiate with Burger King to improve this offer and settle the last remaining issues so we can sign a collective agreement. Hopefully this will occur before Christmas.

“In the meantime we will be conducting a public campaign to put pressure on Burger King to join the other fast food companies in settling a collective agreement.

As Omaha Steve, who posted this story at Democratic Underground, expressed:

If New Zealand can do this, so can the US!

I couldn't agree more, unfortunately here in the States you can't even get Burger King to pay 1 cents a lb. more for tomatoes, to give the slave farmers in Florida a better living. Which would bring up an entire new story, something along the lines of: "40 Years After Death Of MLK, Multi-National Corporations like their slave class", but slavery has been abolished, there's no slaves in the United States!

MD/DC: Safeway and Giant getting scabs ready for possible strike

Safeway and Giant have over 20,000 union workers who are getting ready to be on strike. While the workers had given concessions in their last contract, including a higher copay for new hires, the company is now going for the jugular, stating they cannot compete with Non-Union stores such as Target and Wal-Mart, they have even been interviewing temp workers for the possibility of a strike, I would say this is an aggressive stance. According to the UFCW, ‘‘Strike preparations have gone very well and will be completely in place by Wednesday, March 26,”

UnionGal's Blog (3/24/08)

They're Called SCABS

They are not "replacement" workers and they are not "Temporary" workers. They are scabs and Safeway and Giant advertising in the store AND in the local media for scabs is beyond the pale.



I just wish Fox 5 News could have called a scab a scab.

From the UFCW site (2/24/08):

UFCW members of Locals 400 and 27 are standing together for a fair contract--and UFCW members nationwide are standing with them. Members last week wore stickers to show their support for locals, who are currently bargaining with Giant and Safeway. Their employers have so far been unwilling to agree to a fair contract for their workers, one that shares the success with those employees that made it possible.

Members are signing pledges to fight for a fair contract with wages that pay the bills and affordable health care. Their pledge also includes signing up to pass out info to consumers outside their stores, with info about the negotiations and a request that shoppers support them with their shopping dollars if the company won't settle a fair contract.

In addition, UFCW members will be asking for support from members and supporters nationwide, in telling the companies that they need to offer Baltimore/DC workers a fair contract now.

Recently the 2 companies have ran ad's for Scab's, according to Gazette.net (3/24/08):

Safeway recently ran advertisements in The Washington Post seeking applications for temporary employees ‘‘in preparation for a possible labor dispute,” while Giant ran a similar ad without mentioning labor issues, according to published reports.

Giant, the region’s top grocer, has about 13,400 employees in Maryland, and the company ranked fifth in the number of employees in Maryland among private companies, according to a survey released last year by the state Department of Business and Economic Development.

Safeway ranked ninth in the number of employees in Maryland with 8,680, according to the state survey.

What can we do to stand in solidarity with the workers? Stop shopping in Target, CVS and Wal-Mart.

Boston Verizon union members proactive in upcoming negotiations.

Attention: Updated (7/25/08)->CWA plans massive Verizon worker rally in New York, IBEW sending members, as contract negotiations continue with Aug.2nd deadline

Update To-> Boston: Stand with IBEW and CWA on March 13th in a practice picket against Verizon

Verizon workers have been proactive in their road to contract negotiations in the coming months, I admire their campaign. Heres some updates and views from their March 13th. practice picketing. From IBEW Local 2222:

On March 6 and 13, telephone workers took to the streets in front of many Verizon facilities to engage in "practice picketing" in preparation for upcoming negotiations with Verizon management for a new labor agreement. IBEW and CWA members are demanding that Verizon honor its existing contract with the unions and "tear down the wall" that is dividing union members in the core telecom business from workers in the Verizon Wireless and Verizon Business subsidiaries.

This is the first of many more Mobilization activities that will be taking place as we approach our contract deadline of August 2, 2008. To view more photos please click HERE.

Boston: Stand with IBEW and CWA on March 13th in a practice picket against Verizon

"I'd rather die on my feet, than live on my knees"
Lyrics from Ballot's Not Bullet's - 24-7 Spyz



In 143 days the Verizon contract with IBEW Local 2222 workers is set to expire, with the recent misdeeds towards Verizon worker in that area, Verizon's union employees are expecting the worst.

Need we remind you of the returning veteran Terry Skiest flag incident. You know the one where Verizon who was terrified of labor organizers literature being hung in a non-union workplace, that they took three time vet Mr.Skiest's USA and Massachusetts's flag down from the public area and a manager claimed that it "could be considered to be propaganda" and "might be offensive to some workers.". I have wrote on this already and you can read more and take action at PutUpTheFlag.org, this just three months ago, two National Labor Relations Board regional directors charged Verizon Business with "interfering with, restraining and coercing employees in the exercise of the rights" to join a union.

Needless to say Verizon is not a friend of the worker, so in preparation of hard fighting negotiation's leading to the contract expiration on Aug. 2nd 2008, The joint IBEW/CWA T6 Mobilization Team is hitting the streets this Thursday March 13th. in a practice picket. You can read about it and download the PDF flyer at IBEW local 2222's Website: Verizon - You Will Hear Us Now

Big thanks to the AFL-CIO's Communications Coordinator, Rand Wilson for bring us (UnionReview,AFL-CIO Weblog,etc.) news of this and all communication matters that deal with workers and communities.

Other Links of interest

• Free Choice At Verizon - Site listing Verizon misdeeds
• American rights at Work report: Verizon Violates Workers' Freedom to Form Unions, Abandons Customers 10-22-07
  

Blogs

• Union Review:Verizon management boasts about creating new jobs while it is eliminating hundreds of jobs 3-11-08
  
• IBEW LU 2222: New Jobs at VZ ??? 3-11-08 - blog story for link on report above
  
• American Rights At Work: Verizon's Broken Promises 10-22-07
• Union Review: Stories on Verizon
• Joe's Union Review: Claiming ignorance, Verizon tolerated illegal alien work force through a subcontractor 2-24-08
• The Bay Ridge Rover: Parents march on Verizon cell store, employees baffled 3-07-08
  

Writers Guild of America agrees to resume talks, withdraws proposals seeking jurisdiction over animation and reality television shows

From: Bloomberg.com

Striking Writers Agree to Resume Talks With Studios (Update1)

By Michael White

Striking film and television writers agreed to discuss ground rules for new negotiations with Hollywood studios, a step that could lead to resolution of the 11-week-old strike.

The Writers Guild of America withdrew proposals seeking jurisdiction over animation and reality television shows, the union said today in an e-mailed statement.

The discussions will be the first since Dec. 7, when negotiations broke down over pay for the use of work on the Internet, as well as writers' demands regarding reality and animation shows. The studios agreed last week to pay directors more for Web distribution of content, helping to clear the way for renewed talks with the writers. That agreement, reached in one week, followed three weeks of preliminary discussions.

The Writers Guild has made new media the focal point of the strike, arguing that the Internet and mobile devices will become an increasingly important method for distributing content. They walked off the job on Nov. 5.

The studios also must negotiate separate labor agreements with the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represents singers, dancers, announcers and some news personnel who work in TV and radio.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael White in Los Angeles at Mwhite8@bloomberg.net

Heres the letter to the membership from the WGAE site:

WGA Joint Presidents' Letter on Start of Informal Talks

WGAE
January 23, 2008

To Our Fellow Members,

We have responded favorably to the invitation from the AMPTP to enter into informal talks that will help establish a reasonable basis for returning to negotiations. During this period we have agreed to a complete news blackout. We are grateful for this opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion with industry leaders that we hope will lead to a contract. We ask that all members exercise restraint in their public statements during this critical period.

In order to make absolutely clear our commitment to bringing a speedy conclusion to negotiations we have decided to withdraw our proposals on reality and animation. Our organizing efforts to achieve Guild representation in these genres for writers will continue. You will hear more about this in the next two weeks.

On another issue, the Writers Guild, West Board of Directors has voted not to picket the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) face many of the same issues concerning compensation in new media that we do. In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW Board felt that this gesture should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in AFM and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).

Best,

Michael Winship
President
Writers Guild of America, East

Patric M. Verrone
President
Writers Guild of America, West