It’s simple: Working women are the experts on the challenges working women face at work, at home and getting by in a tough economy. And if you want to know something, the best thing to do is ask an expert.
That’s what Working America and the AFL-CIO are doing with the 2010 Ask a Working Woman survey, and they could use your help.
If you’re a working woman (whether you work outside or inside your home), please take seven minutes to complete the survey. This is your chance to share how you feel about your job, how the recession has affected your family and what you hope and worry the next five years will bring.
For more than 12 years now, Working America and the AFL-CIO have been surveying women every two years or so, asking about their concerns and experiences, the challenges they face and the hopes they hold. You can be sure decision makers and the media will hear what you and tens of thousands of other women have to say. Please, take the survey now.
Working families recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law protecting workers’ right to form or join a union and engage in collective bargaining.
Thanks to the NLRA, unions have built America’s middle class and lifted million of workers from poverty to prosperity. Still, too many naysayers claim that given our nation’s current economic predicament, we cannot afford to have unions.
Seriously?
As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said when he signed the Act into law on July, 5, 1935, the NLRA will help us achieve “common justice and economic advance.” This is exactly what the NLRA has done, despite the numerous obstacles Big Business and other anti-union forces keep throwing in its way.
Without organized labor, many of the things we take for granted – things workers in other nations can only dream of – would not exist. The eight-hour work day, the 40-hour week, safety and health regulations, pensions, vacation and sick days were all won through the power of collective bargaining. Do our detractors think employers provided these benefits out of simple generosity?
“Working people were able to share in the gains of their productivity and labor and management together forged creative solutions to create the powerful engine of the American economy we all are proud of.”
To really jumpstart our economy, we must rescue the middle class and help it grow. This is why AFSCME also supports initiatives such as the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would make it easier for millions of workers to join unions and stiffen penalties to employers who violate their right to do so.
Now – when our country needs it most – is time to fulfill the promise of the National Labor Relations Act and give workers the chance of a better tomorrow.
AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka today addressed the 5,000 delegates, alternates and guests at AFSCME’s 39th International Convention.
Trumka recognized the success of AFSCME’s organizing program, saying, “Of all the unions of the AFL-CIO, AFSCME is the largest and fastest-growing. Even in the face of an economic crisis, large-scale layoffs, and the scapegoating of public employees by politicians from both parties, more than 145,000 workers have organized with AFSCME over the past four years.”
He spoke of the “triple whammy” state and local governments are up against. “With the severe recession and soaring unemployment, tax revenues are taking a dive. The financial crisis and the busted bubbles from Wall Street’s shenanigans are taking a big bite out of pension funds. And now as always, when hard times hit, the demand for public services actually increases — from unemployment compensation to job training, public assistance, and mental health care.”
And he defended public service workers:
“It’s bad enough that public employees are being made the fall guys for the economic crisis. But now politicians and pundits are trying to make you out as fat cats… I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that, if you want to get rich in America today, you’ve got to work for the government…
“Even with all the woes on Wall Street, I don’t think you’ve found many hedge fund managers taking jobs as hospital workers or highway workers, or many stockbrokers changing careers to become social workers or sanitation workers, or many bankers who are becoming bus drivers or bridge and tunnel inspectors…
“Because, when you come down to it, almost everyone understands that you don’t become a public employee to become wealthy, you do it to be of service to your fellow citizens.”
Have you heard the bad news? It turns out that the facility that makes Mott’s delicious applesauce, juice and other products was bought a couple of years ago by a company that is now attacking its workers. Talk about family unfriendly!
The Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) is thriving:
Last year, DPS made $555 million in net profit.
DPS has been profitable for the last five years.
The CEO’s salary has doubled in recent years.
Executives have received bonuses and increases.
When a company is doing well financially, workers should be rewarded to build long-term value. But that apparently isn’t enough for some corporate honchos. Instead they’ve decided to try to suck every last penny out of the workers of the Mott’s facility in Williamson, N.Y.
This year when contract negotiations started, DPS attacked its workers, demanding outrageous wage and benefit cuts. That is short-sighted. While DPS is raking in the money, it is foolishly taking advantage of the recession to treat its hard working employees like commodities. These are people with families, not apples to be squeezed for every drop. That’s just wrong.
Successful family-friendly brands are not created by companies that treat their workers badly. If DPS persists in its anti-worker actions, it will become clear to consumers and investors that it is not interested in negotiating a reasonable contract or preserving Mott’s as a family friendly brand. That’s not the recipe for long-term value.
The workers at Mott’s in Williamson want a fair and equitable contract. The 1.6 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, are proud to stand with them and their union, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union/UFCW Local 220.
It’s no mystery that some lawmakers are completely oblivious to the problems faced by working Americans. Take, for example, the three county commissioners in Pueblo County, Colo. Not content with enacting furloughs for county employees, they recently produced a video poking fun at the situation.
“A video of county commissioners working in an empty county building and making fun of furloughs has county employees upset. In the more than 4 and 1/2 minute YouTube video all three county commissioners are seen doing various tasks around the county building.”
Watch the full story:
It’s tempting to tell the Pueblo County commissioners that when it comes to creating comedy videos, they should keep their day jobs. The problem is, they don’t seem to be faring too well on that front either.
According to an AFSCME Council 76 report, the furloughs amount “to approximately a 4.6 percent across-the-board pay cut to Pueblo County employees.” This, in spite of the fact that Pueblo County workers receive on average a full 15 percent less in salary than similar employees in other jurisdictions.
The video was originally shown at a southern Colorado Press Association event. It also includes “jokes” about how commissioners are trying to find a way to extend furloughs to 365 days a year.
Pueblo County commissioner Anthony Nunez has claimed that the video was misconstrued and that it wasn’t intended to make light of the difficulties faced by county employees. Perhaps the misunderstanding could have been avoided if the commissioners had devoted their energy to finding solutions for Pueblo’s budget crisis. After all, it’s the community and workers who are bearing the brunt of these misguided measures. No matter how you look at it, that’s not funny.
The miners’ deaths are a sobering reminder of the importance of workplace safety regulations. On this Workers Memorial Day, we should take a moment to honor these women and men, and re-dedicate ourselves to the achievable goal of safe and healthy workplaces.
Workers Memorial Day was first observed in 1989. April 28 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1970. While there have been improvements since then, disasters like the gas explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine force us to recognize that there’s much more to do. Injuries and deaths can be prevented when safety is a higher priority than profits.
AFSCME continues to lead the fight for workplace safety. In Kentucky, for instance, state employees who are members of Council 62 are lobbying the Legislature to fully fund the “Boni Bill,” named for a social service aide who was killed in 2006 during a home visit. The law, intended to hire more social workers and increase security, was passed in 2007 but has not been adequately funded.
Learn about workplace safety in the 2010 edition of the AFL-CIO’s Death on the Job or download the complete 2010 report (PDF). The report shows that there were a total of 5,214 fatal workplace injuries in 2008 — and because workplace-related injuries and illnesses are persistently underreported, the real toll is estimated to be as many as three times the 4.6 million reported incidents.
Also, urge your lawmakers to co-sponsor the Protecting America’s Workers Act (S. 1580 and H.R. 2067), which expands OSHA coverage to federal, state and local government employees, increases OSHA civil and criminal penalties for job safety violations and improves whistleblower protection for employees who report unsafe working conditions.
For over a year, AFSCME Local 3145 (Council 4) members employed by the American Red Cross (ARC) in Connecticut have been working without a contract. Who would have thought that an organization with the ARC’s history would treat its workers so poorly?
And yet, the problem faced by our AFSCME brothers and sisters – nurses, laboratory technicians, phlebotomists, drivers and others employed at the organization’s offices in Farmington, Conn. – is only the latest in a series of unfair labor practices involving the organization.
ARC’s most aggressive anti-worker policies have been directed at more than 3,000 employees who are represented by unions. Between 1996 and 2007, more than 200 unfair labor practice charges were filed against ARC with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
ARC has also exhibited a troubling pattern of understaffing blood drives and downgrading its staff by eliminating the most experienced, licensed medical personnel. This has fostered high turnover and increased the risk of blood safety errors on the job.
The consequences of these practices speak for themselves: Since 2003, the Federal Food and Drug Administration has fined ARC nearly $21 million for repeated safety failures.
AFSCME members know this too well.
“There are blood drives that go out without licensed medical personnel,” Local 3145 president Christine Holschlag, a phlebotomist, told the New Britain Herald.
This is why Local 3145 members have formed a national coalition of unionized Red Cross employees, community groups and blood safety organizations to fight for better working conditions and ensure the safety of donors. They also voted in favor of joining a national strike if Red Cross workers decide to take that action. Along with this AFSCME local, eight other local unions nationwide have expired labor contracts with ARC. Eight more contracts are set to expire by the end of June 2010.
Local 3145 is still in contract negotiations with the Red Cross. But members are not wavering in their fight to gain respect. To help raise awareness of the ARC’s anti-worker, anti-safety stance, they’ve held numerous public actions, including informational leafleting and rallies in Washington, DC, and Farmington. The local’s members are also pursuing state legislation that would require a licensed, trained nurse to oversee blood drives.
It’s time for the Red Cross to honor its history and start protecting donors, keeping blood safe and respecting workers.
The non-union mine in West Virginia where at least 25 workers died in a horrific explosion Monday, has been cited for what the Washington Post calls a “litany of safety violations.”
Massey Energy Co., the owner of the West Virginia mine, is actively contesting millions of dollars of fines for safety violations, according to Think Progress. It has been cited for over 3,000 violations by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), 638 since 2009.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, a former Mine Workers (UMWA) president and third generation coal miner, says, “The thoughts and prayers of America’s workers are with the families” of those killed and for the safety of the “courageous” rescue teams. He adds:
However, this incident isn’t just a matter of happenstance, but rather the inevitable result of a profit-driven system and reckless corporate conduct. Many mining companies have given too little attention to safety over the years and too much to the bottom line.
Doug Moore, executive director of UDW, the Homecare Providers Union, and an International vice-president of AFSCME helped lead a demonstration last week as part of the March for California’s Future.
The march is a 48-day, 260-mile trek to call attention to the urgent need for California’s elected officials to rebuild a government and economy that work for all. AFSCME and its allies are working to reclaim a fair and equitable tax system that invests in the future of the state.
“I stood among many dozens of marchers and supporters who congregated there, some holding signs and shouting slogans, others singing or praying, to highlight how budget cuts are eroding our state parks and quality of life. Standing on a site rich with a legacy of hope for a better future and a fairer society, we called for the governor and legislature to restore public service and public education funding and services for all Californians.”
Participants in the March for California’s Future
The demonstration occurred at what is now Allensworth State Park, formerly the site of the first California town built, inhabited, governed and financed entirely by African Americans.
“It is in our hands now to make sure that Allensworth – both the park and the legacy – will survive. It is up to us to assure that this important chapter in our history is left for the next generation to visit and appreciate.
Stand up for historic parks like Allensworth. Fight for quality public services and public education.”
Doug Moore, UDW Executive Director and AFSCME IVP has a message for California politicians: “The status quo is over.”
The future of California is at stake and nobody knows this better than public workers in the Golden State. That’s why AFSCME members are stepping out to raise awareness of the vital services state and local employees provide to keep their communities strong.
UDW, The Homecare Providers Union, and AFSCME Local 625 member Irene González are spearheading a 260-mile march from Bakersfield to Sacramento.
González, a senior investigator aide for Los Angeles County, was recently joined by AFSCME members, other public employees, and hundreds of supporters, well-wishers and members of the media to launch the March for California’s Future in Bakersfield, Calif.
Their message was clear: For too long, legislators have tried to balance the state budget on the backs of working families. Not anymore.
“To those politicians in Sacramento who like the status quo and who resist change, we have a message: ‘The status quo is over,’” said Doug Moore, executive director of UDW and an International vice-president of AFSCME. “You either deliver on your promises and meet the needs of your constituents, or we will put you in the unemployment line so you can see how the other half lives!”
The core marchers working to support public services and dedicated to walking 260 miles include a Los Angeles probation officer, a San Diego community college professor, a teacher and community organizer from Watsonville, a retired Berkeley adult educator, and two Los Angeles teachers. They have been joined along the way by hundreds of others.
After 63 miles of marching, participants, AFSCME members and allies held a major rally Wednesday at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park to highlight how budget cuts have forced the closure of state parks and severely curtailed services and operating hours. The park is located at the site of a town once founded and governed by African-Americans. It was established to commemorate the achievements and contributions of African-Americans to the development of California.
Californians want and deserve a public education; they want and deserve safe streets and workplaces; they want and deserve affordable, accessible health care; they want and deserve access to public parks and libraries; and they want and deserve clean water. Unfortunately, community services are slashed year after year. Elected officials need to fight for the public’s interest now.
Polls routinely show that a majority of California voters support public services and want to see programs like education, environmental protections, child care, health care, job training, and mental health services adequately funded. Californians are marching want to promote fairness and equality in our public policies.
“California has always been seen as a place where anything was possible, if you worked hard enough. Unfortunately, equality of opportunity in the Golden State has diminished,” said González. “We want fair taxes. We want better education. We want to be able to live the American Dream for not only ourselves but for the future for our kids.”
Watch television coverage of the March kick-off in Bakersfield:
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Who we are
AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME is the voice of the dedicated workers who take care of America, and is a leading advocate for all working families.
Doug Moore, UDW Executive Director and AFSCME IVP has a message for California politicians: “The status quo is over.”
