Thursday, August 19, 2004 |
Galesburg Sues to Recover Maytag Tax CutsA prosecutor in the western Illinois town where Maytag Corp. plans to close a major factory is planning to sue the company to recoup property tax breaks. AFL-CIO Condemns Bush on Shipping Jobs OverseasThe lack of good jobs, the record trade deficit and the refusal of foreign nations to eliminate unfair trade practices can be attributed directly to faulty domestic and foreign policies by the Bush Administration, according to a recent AFL-CIO issue brief titled “The Bush Record on Shipping Jobs Overseas.” The brief outlines the dubious record of actions and non-actions by the Bush Administration that have led to a rapidly deteriorating economy and trade landscape for the United States. It examines Bush's refusal to enforce domestic trade laws, to use existing trade laws to address blatant violations of worker's rights and to heed recommendations from his own administration to take action against surges of imports from China and other nations. A laundry list of additional missteps by Bush is also addressed including tax breaks for foreign production and more government contracts and initiatives for companies that destroy American jobs. “The nation's record-setting trade deficit in June, up 58 percent over the same month two years ago, is damning confirmation of the administration's failed trade policies," declared AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney. More Americans Favor Kerry on Economic IssuesA majority of Americans disapprove of the way President Bush is handling the economy and feel Democratic Presidential hopeful John Kerry is better equipped to improve economic conditions, according to a poll released Thursday by The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Two-thirds of respondents rate the national economy as "only fair" or "poor," while 52 percent disapprove of the way Bush is handling the economy. Meanwhile, 52 percent of those polled feel Kerry is more likely to improve the country's economic conditions, compared to only 37 percent for Bush. The poll, which found that Kerry is rated above Bush on all key domestic issues including the economy, health care and education, confirmed the wide-spread belief that there will be very few swing voters in November's presidential election. Only 22 percent of respondents are undecided or say there is a chance they will change their minds. Of those people, 42 percent said that Kerry "cares about people like me," while only 22 percent said the same of Bush. District 98 BR Suffers Loss In IraqTom Santone, Business Representative for District 98, became a part of a growing number of U.S. families that have suffered a loss in the Iraq conflict. Santone’s son-in-law, Army1st Lieutenant Neil Anthony Santoriello, was killed in action when an improvised explosive device detonated near his mounted reconnaissance patrol vehicle on August 13 in Khalidiyah, Iraq. No Jobs, Less PayAfter being adjusted for inflation, workers’ earnings are decreasing across all sectors of the economy, according to a report, "Bush's Jobless, Payless 'Recovery,'" from the Labor Research Association (LRA), which also predicts minimal growth in earnings in 2005. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that during the year ending June 2004, workers' real earnings actually decreased 9 out of 12 months, a statistic that can partially be attributed to the Bush administration's decision to ignore the ongoing high rates of unemployment. The LRA also reports that 60 percent of the jobs created between June 2003 and June 2004 were in low-wage industries paying less than $13.30 an hour. Ten percent of the U.S. workforce remains either unemployed or underemployed, according to the LRA. They provide compelling statistics to show that wages will not rise in 2005 either. Surveys by Mercer, World@Work and The Conference Board all point to minimal increases in worker's wages next year. McKinnon Joins Western Territory StaffBrother Matt McKinnon will join the Western Territory staff as a Special Representative, announced General Vice President Lee Pearson. McKinnon has held several important positions throughout IAM in his 25 years of service including Steward, Executive Board member, Trustee, and Civil Rights Committee member for Local Lodge 685; Business Representative for District 50; and IAM National Planning Committee Member. Brother McKinnon was also assigned to one of the first Political Education classes at the Winpisinger Center, which he used to create grassroots campaigns in San Diego to raise the profile of working family issues. McKinnon worked under Governor Gray Davis on the California Air Resources Board and served as the first Deputy Secretary of Labor for Workforce and Economic Development. McKinnon was awarded the “Labor Visionary of 1998” by the California Labor Federation and “Labor Leader of the Year” awards from the Tri-County Labor Council and the Riverside-San Bernardino Labor Council. IAM Mourns Retired GLR H.C. “Bubba” SummersThe Southern Territory regrets to announce the death of retired Grand Lodge Representative H.C. “Bubba” Summers who died Wednesday, August 18, 2004.
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