Frank and all who are supporting the Rich,
It's so frustrating to try to discuss opportunity with Bob(not
Hatchey)on the ACB Chat list,
Despite all of the evidence to the contrary, he believes that
Americans have "equal opportunity". Such nonsense goes hand in hand
with the politicians who say, "My decisions are not influenced by
money". What it really is saying is, "You're so stupid that I can
tell you anything I choose."
Enough! My energy level is below half full, and I sat here dozing
off. Guess that's a message.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/3/18, Frank Ventura <frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl, Roger and all, it is like that everywhere. Even here in MA. My
bargaining unit has been working without a contract for about a year. The
governor is so generously offering a pay freeze for three years which may or
may not guarantee a pay cut and a modest increase in health care costs to
about 2x what it is now. To pour salt into the wound the agency I work for
tells folks in my bargaining unit that we need to pay for our own training
time and equipment. Last year it cost me $18k out of my own pocket, about
1/3 my salary, and we still don't get reimbursed for equipment bought for
our clients. Last month my union president was forced to resign by the Baker
administration leaving us without any representation at this time. Labor
busting is alive and well
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, March 2, 2018 11:16 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Labor Briefing for March 2018: West Virginia
teachers strike
While it's true that West Virginia's public school teachers are the third
lowest paid in the nation, we need to remember that every state's teachers
struggle with inadequate salaries, health care, pensions, teaching supplies
and decent classrooms in most inner cities. It is not just a matter of
teachers being pushed down into the ranks of the Working Poor, it is the
deliberate neglect of the entire public school system that is dividing our
nation into a widening gap between the Elite and the Working Class. Wealthy
families afford the latest in teaching tools, and in the top teacher
graduates. Wealth does have its privileges, enabling parents to send their
children to expensive, well staffed and equipped colleges. Not only do
these children receive the best of the best in education, they graduate
without the burden of student loans. Our public education is in as bad of
shape as is our infrastructure. We are headed for a major national melt
down.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/2/18, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
https://socialistaction.org/2018/03/01/labor-briefing-for-march-2018-t
eachers-strike-in-west-virginia/
Labor Briefing for March 2018: West Virginia teachers strike
/ 20 hours ago
West Virginia Teachers Walkout
Hundreds of teachers and school personnel rally at the capitol
building in Charleston, W.V., on Feb. 27. (Craig Hudson / Charleston
Gazette-Mail)
By BILL ONASCH
West Virginia “Wildcats”—Technically, public sector collective
bargaining is illegal in West Virginia. But practically, governors
have negotiated in the past with teachers—and school service employees
including bus drivers, cafeteria, clerical, and maintenance
workers—for salary and benefit packages passed by the legislature.
While perhaps better than nothing, the teachers have been falling behind.
School employees (20,000 teachers and 15,000 other workers) last got a
raise four years ago, and West Virginia ranks 48th among state teacher
salaries. If that weren’t bad enough, their health insurance benefits
have been woefully underfunded, forcing them to pay more out of pocket.
When the governor told them this year he could offer no more than a
one percent raise, they turned to traditional trade-union tactics.
Thousands of teachers, school service employees and supporters rallied
at West Virginia’s capitol in Charleston on Feb. 16 demanding that the
legislature restore their drained health fund—and give them a raise.
National officers of the American Federation of Teachers and National
Education Association spoke, as did representatives from the state
AFL-CIO, United Mine Workers, and the union representing state troopers.
Following the rally, it was announced that if no agreement could be
reached, a strike would shut down every public school in West Virginia
the following Thursday. That “illegal” strike lasted four school
days—plus one “cooling off day”—before a tentative deal was made with
the governor.
The agreement included a five percent raise in school employee
salaries and creation of a “task force” to recommend improvements in
health insurance for all state workers. The one-time Democrat turned
Republican governor managed to sell the settlement to the
GOP-controlled legislature, which voted 98 to one to approve it. The
bill also included a 3% pay raise for other state workers.
Union leaders urged a “yes” vote on the proposed contract, and
everyone expected a quick ratification by teachers. But that didn’t
happen. Union locals in 50 of the 55 counties rejected the deal that
many observers had believed was a big victory.
The ranks were generally satisfied with the wages but considered
soaring health-care costs to be more important. The governor said that
he would freeze health insurance premiums for at least a year, and
that a task force would be appointed to look more closely at the
issue. But many teachers said that the offer was still too limited.
They want action, not another study. As we go to press, the “wildcat”
strike continues.
Labor Board Reverses Itself—A previous Labor Briefing reported a
December decision by the new Republican majority on the National Labor
Relations Board to reverse the Browning Ferris ruling made late during
the Obama administration. That ruling, establishing joint
responsibility of corporations with their contractors and franchises
in collective bargaining, had the potential to become a game-changer
for efforts of fast food workers, port drivers, and others who had
fallen through some cracks in red-letter labor law.
But this reprieve for the likes of McDonald’s and the Port of Los
Angeles didn’t last long. It was discovered a new Trump appointee had
a business stake in the outcome of that action and should have recused
himself. Without his vote, the Board was tied and Browning Ferris was
reinstated.
Sanctuary Through Solidarity—The New York Daily News reported:
“Worried about federal immigration policies, a New York labor
organization is taking steps to protect its own. Across Long Island
and throughout the city, some 120,000 Teamsters are getting prepped to
become a ‘sanctuary union.’ In 27 shops, business agents, supervisors
and front-line workers are getting schooled on their rights under U.S.
law — and when and how to challenge federal immigration agents who
show up to search their work sites. The training is complex and
technical—hinging on specific types of warrants and the definition of
a raid. But in fundamental labor terms, it follows one simple rule:
Union solidarity first, immigration status second.”
They Move Chicago—After two years of contentious austerity
negotiations, and mobilization of public support by the unions, 9000
Chicago Transit Authority ATU train and bus workers have a new
contract through arbitration that will expire next year. It includes
$45 million in both retroactive and forward wage increases and
maintains the same level of employee health-care contributions. The
CTA has said it will not raise fares. The Chicago Tribune quotes the
ATU Local 241 bus division president as saying it was “probably the
best agreement we’ve had in decades.”
Go Fund the Boss?—The Associated Press reported: “Southwest Airlines
appears to be backing down from a demand to get credit for money
donated to a fired employee’s GoFundMe account. The change of heart
comes after a union accused Southwest of abusing the generosity of the
man’s co-workers.
“Southwest fired Dallas mechanic Ken Hackett a year ago and accused
him of helping organize a boycott of overtime assignments. In
December, an arbitrator ordered the airline to reinstate Hackett with
back pay minus any income he earned from other sources.
“Southwest originally considered the $25,000 raised on GoFundMe to be
outside income, reducing the amount it owed Hackett. Southwest earned
$3.5 billion last year.”
Putting Movement Back In the Labor Movement—That’s one of the slogans
of Labor Notes, a useful monthly publication that covers labor
struggles, and movements for union democracy that are given scant
attention by the boss media. Every two years, they sponsor
well-attended educational conferences. This year it’s expected that
2000 labor activists from across North America—and dozens from other
continents—will be at the Labor Notes Conference in Chicago, April
6-8. Details can be found online at: labornotes.org/2018.
If you have a suggestion for Labor Briefing, please contact:
billonasch@xxxxxxxxxxx
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March 1, 2018 in Labor.
Related posts
Fast food workers walked out on Labor Day 2017
Chicago Teachers Union sets Oct. 11 strike date
Labor Briefing for September 2017
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