Posted on March 31st, 2009
President Obama has seemingly signaled that blue-collar contracts are less sacred than bonus contracts for bankers. Is this what we voted for last November?
In watching President Obama’s announcement yesterday concerning the U.S. auto industry, I was disappointed to hear him suggest that UAW employees may be in line for even more forced concessions if the industry is to be saved. I hope that isn’t so. Especially not after hearing members of the administration defend the validity of AIG bonuses under the guise of honoring contracts.
If a contract is a contract, then it should be that way whether you’re an overpaid executive or an assembly line worker struggling to keep his family afloat. I hope President Obama understands that as well.
Watch the President’s address:
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Filed under: politics, poverty and wealth, solidarity, unionism, video
Posted on March 29th, 2009
A memo has surfaced from UPS’ Chicago district that spells out management attitudes most of us have already seen in action. Still, it’s interesting to see these ideas spelled out.
The memo bears the title “March Cost Cutting Initiatives.” It even talks about laying off Article 22.3 Teamsters. Click here to read more about it.
Click here to download the memo.
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Filed under: 2008 contract, Article 22.3, UPS, exposing anti-union propoganda
Posted on March 26th, 2009
Will you tell Arlen Specter to not take part in a tyranny of the minority?
So we learned over the past couple days that Senator Arlen Specter is no friend to the working man, as evidenced by his flip-flop on Employee Free Choice (a bill he once co-sponsored, but now won’t even let come to a vote).
In his speech from the floor of the Senate, Mr. Specter announced he would oppose even allowing the measure to be voted on by his Senate colleagues. By denying his vote for cloture (a measure to end debate in the Senate), Arlen Specter is saying he believes a minority has a right deny the majority their right to vote on a bill. This from a man who doesn’t believe the majority of workers in a workplace should have the right to choose for themselves how they want to join a union. In its own strange way, it makes perfect sense I suppose.
In a post yesterday, I strongly suggested that PA workers let Senator Specter know they don’t appreciate him standing in the way of a vote on Employee Free Choice. Today, I point out a convenient way for all of us to send our message to Senator Specter’s office. Courtesy of Keystone Progress, there’s a simple way to send a message telling Mr. Specter to at least let the EFCA come to a vote. Even if he doesn’t support it, he should allow his fellow senators to cast their votes.
Click here to send that message to Arlen Specter.
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Filed under: politics, rights, unionism
