Tuesday, July 3, 2007

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Wal-Mart's Dealings With China Driving Job Loss June 29, 2007 - Just how devastating has Wal-Mart’s exploitation of cheap labor in China been?  Since China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, the corporate giant’s trade deficit with China has cost the U.S. nearly 200,000 jobs.

Outsourcing Security In the Air June 28, 2007 - According to the Department of Transportation, a decade ago, airlines outsourced about 10% of their maintenance work.  Today, more than 60% of aircraft repairs is sent overseas.  Some say this is a huge security risk, with no accountability.

With Honors
June 27, 2007 - Last week a group of Machinists from all walks of life fulfilled a life long dream of graduating from college

Fluctuating Gas Prices
June 28, 2007 - For the second straight summer Americans have been faced with steep gas prices at the pump.

Thousands Rally for Employee Free Choice Act
June 21, 2007 - Every twenty three minutes a worker is fired or punished for supporting a union.  That is why thousands rallied in Washington this week to demand the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Saving Energy
June 14, 2007 - How much is your electric bill each month?  What do you pay to fill up your car?  Will your kids have to stop global warming?  Americans are asking both big and small questions about energy and its future.

Senate Takes Up Manufacturing June 8, 2007 - Union leaders, small business owners, corporate CEO's...this is just a partical list of those who gathered to talk about America's Manufacturing Sector and try to to come up with ways to bring back this industry that once ruled the world.

IAM Voices on the Hill June 8, 2007 - No one knows the issues of workers better than the workers themselves.  That's why it's so important for members of organized labor to take their voices to the hill.

On the Machinists Tour
June 6, 2007 - In the last few weeks, the IAM has seen and heard a lot from quite a few of those vying for the democratic presidential nomination.  Take a look at some of the highlights from these Machinists events.

Ralph Fasanella: A Painter of Working Class People
June 4, 2007 - Whether it’s a strike or factory floor, former union organizer Ralph Fasanella devoted his life to painting working men and women.

To Tell The Truth
June 1, 2007 - IAM delegates gathered in Baltimore for this year's Communications Conference.

Obama Talks Politics at CBTU
May 31, 2007 - More than 1,000 people, including Machinists, gathered in Chicago for the 36th Annual Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Convention.  

Tom Buffenbarger: 2007 Day of Action Speech
May 31, 2007 - International President, Tom Buffenbarger addresses thousands at this years Day of Action rally in Washington, D.C.

IAM's Suit Against OPEC
May 29, 2007 -  In 1978, the IAM, led by International President William Winpisinger, filed a lawsuit charging OPEC with price fixing.

'07 On the Hill
May 25, 2007 - Before the 2006 Elections, the Machinists took their message to the people.  Passing out leaflets, phonebanking, knocking on doors, whatever it took to bring some new faces to Congress.  The end result, a tally in the win column for workers.

DL 751 'Flight for Sight' Fundraising Event May 24, 2007 - IAM District Lodge 751 Women's Committee hosted a fundraising event last weekend to benefit the Guide Dogs of America.

Still Standing Still Proud May 24, 2007 - On May 17, 2007, thousands of workers rallied on the National Mall for the Transportation Day of Action.  A day to tell the federal government "Enough is Enough" to practices that put the needs of businesses in front of American workers.

Straight Talk From John Edwards May 9, 2007 - IAM District 751 in Seattle was the backdrop for Machinists and other union members to talk openly with presidential candidate John Edwards about the issues that matter to the middle class and his plan to help organized labor.

Earnings Aren't Stagnant, They're Plummeting!
May 3, 2007 -  With housing and living expenses steadily climbing, it’s no secret many middle class families are struggling with stagnant wages.

Remembering the Fallen May 2, 2007 - May 1st or May Day in an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers around the world.  For the Machinists it was also a day to remember those who have passed.  The IAM honored its own at a ceremony earlier this week.

Making Work Safe May 2, 2007 - On December 29, 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law.  Created to protect workers and the workplace, it cut on the job deaths in half.  But now it needs to be updated because it's not keeping up with the times.

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House Committee Delivers for FedEx Workers

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently voted 51-18 to approve the “Express Carrier Employee Protection” amendment, a measure that would dramatically increase organizing opportunities for employees in the parcel delivery industry.

The amendment, which now becomes part of the FAA Reauthorization bill, would properly place tens of thousands of FedEx delivery workers under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act (NRLA), rather than the Railway Labor Act (RLA).

The distinction is critical. Under the NLRA, employees can organize and bargain locally. However, under the RLA, workers must organize nationally, an enormous challenge in the environment workers find themselves in today.

Earlier legislation, passed in 1996 following an intense corporate lobbying campaign, placed FedEx ground workers under RLA jurisdiction and snuffed out several small but vigorous organizing efforts at individual FedEx locations. The 1996 change allowed an entire company’s workforce to fall under RLA jurisdiction regardless of the employee’s relationship to air or rail transportation.

“The amendment modifying the ‘express carrier’ language in the RLA is long overdue,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “Workers who are directly involved with the aircraft operation portion of those companies would continue to be under the jurisdiction of those RLA, while the remaining and likely larger portion of the workforce would then fall under the NLRA like their peers in the rest of the industry.”

“Today’s vote is the result of a 10-year effort to restore bargaining rights for thousands of workers, including those employees at FedEx who were specifically targeted by the legislation in 1996,” said IAM Legislative Director Tom Trotter following the vote on Jun. 28. “ The amendment also eliminates any unfair competitive advantage a company may enjoy by excluding their employees from the benefits of collective bargaining.”

The amendment now becomes part of the massive four-year FAA Reauthorization bill, which would authorize $50.2 billion for FAA operations, facilities and equipment and $15.8 billion to modernize the nation's air traffic control system. The bill faces well-funded opposition in both the House and Senate in addition to a veto threat from President Bush.

 

Working America Invites You to ‘Ask a Lawyer’

Working America, the 1.6 million member community affiliate of the AFL-CIO is offering a free online service to help workers understand their legal rights on the job. " Ask a Lawyer " is not a substitute for personal legal representation, but a forum where workers can submit questions on work-related topics and get answers from recognized legal experts.

Among the recent topics addressed in the Ask a Lawyer forum are: “Is there anything I can safely write about in a blog for which my employer cannot fire me?” and “Can my employer fire me for what I do on my own time outside of work?” For answers to these and other questions about work-related issues and to learn more about Working America, visit www.workingamerica.org

 

Brehmeyer and Folk Named Sisters of the Month

Cynthia Brehmeyer, a corrections officer and 17-year member of Local W-38 in Shelton, WA, and Valerie Folk, a 35-year retired member of Local 2711 in Penicton, British Columbia have been named the U.S. and Canadian Sisters of the month, respectively.

Brehmeyer serves as a trustee on the Executive Board for Local Lodge W-38, which is affiliated with IAM District Lodge W-1. Active in her local as a Shop Steward and member of the Negotiating Committee, Brehmeyer took on the e-board position when a vacancy occurred.

A corrections officer with the Mason County Sheriff’s Dept., Brehmeyer says one of her biggest challenges is getting members more involved. She encourages everyone to step up and volunteer as a way to become more active. Her own hard work and dedication has won her the respect of her sisters and brothers on the job, where they voted her Officer of the Year in 2000.

Valerie Folk has served on the Executive Board of Local 2711 for the past 30 years. The retired production worker from Moduline Industries clearly understands that “You can retire from your job, but not your union.” She is also very active on the Canadian National Women’s Committee.

Folk first became active by volunteering as a shop steward and later was elected Recording Secretary. Her motivation: she didn’t like the way employees were being treated by the company and felt compelled to act. “I never like to get beat on an issue,” explained Folk, who is very proud of her involvement with the National Women’s Committee Quilt and her work with the Executive Board of her district.

Do you know an IAM woman who serves on her district or local executive board and deserves to be recognized? If so, the IAM Women’s Department wants to hear from you. Simply complete the nomination form and return it to IAM Women’s Department, 9000 Machinists Pl. Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. 

 

President’s Fast Track Trade Authority Expires

President Bush’s fast-track trade authority expired this weekend, stripping the President of power that allowed him to push through faulty trade legislation that led to the continued loss of good U.S. jobs.

Fast-track trade authority gives the President the ability to submit trade pacts to Congress for a straight up-or-down vote, which has helped him get devastating trade deals such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement through Congress.

Now that Bush’s fast track authority has expired, it’s unlikely a Democrat controlled Congress will renew it.

“Our legislative priorities do not include the renewal of fast track authority.  Before that debate can even begin, we must expand the benefits of globalization to all Americans,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other top Democrats said in a statement.

 

Landmark Court Decision in Canada

In a stunning decision, the Supreme Court of Canada has stated that collective bargaining is a protected form of freedom of association under the Charter of Rights in the Canadian Constitution.

In its June 8, 2007 ruling on the “Health Services” case, Canada’s highest court by a 6-1 vote declared unconstitutional several parts of a 2002 British Columbia provincial law, which arbitrarily removed the right of public servants to collectively bargain over sweeping changes in the provincial hospital system. The Court explicitly reversed its long-held former position, which excluded collective bargaining from constitutional protection.

While this is a landmark decision, its impact on workers and the union movement across Canada will only become clear over time, as other legislation which limits collective bargaining is challenged in the courts.

 

Sex Discrimination Case Costs Wal-Mart Nearly $2 Million

A Massachusetts jury awarded nearly $2 million to a former female pharmacy manager at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., finding the retail giant intentionally underpaid and fired her because of her gender.

Cynthia Haddad, who worked at Wal-Mart for 11 years, said that she was consistently paid $1 to $2.50 per hour less than males in the same position and that she had been denied about $7,000 in bonuses paid to males in comparable managerial positions.

The Massachusetts court ruling is just the latest in a series of incidents highlighting Wal-Mart’s shoddy treatment of its employees. The corporate giant faces a separate massive discrimination lawsuit that alleges the company systematically denied more than 1.5 million women the same pay and promotions as male employees. In New York, Wal-Mart is also under scrutiny for possible violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Wal-Mart is also under increased fire for their union-busting techniques. A Human Rights Watch report released earlier this year said that when faced with unionization drives, they often eavesdropped on workers, used security cameras to spy on union sympathizers and planted supervisors alongside pro-union workers to monitor activities.

 

 


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Announcing the IAM Photo Contest
The IAM is repeating its members-only photography contest again this year and you are encouraged to enter. You can download a complete contest entry form by clicking here.

2006 IAM Newsletter & Website Contest Awards
Newsletter Award entries are judged on Layout & Design, Best Feature and General Excellence. Local lodges and Districts are judged separately.


The goal of the USA is to create an outdoor hunting and fishing club exclusively for union members and their families. TRCP Launches Union Sportsmen’s Alliance


IAM members can now purchase union gear online at the IAM Store.


The 2008 Convention website is online.
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