Countering the Siege-AFSCME

NYTimes- Countering the Siege-AFSCME
Gerald W. McEntee, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, in his Washington office.
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: April 12, 2011


Perhaps more than any other American, Gerald W. McEntee has surfed the rising tide of public sector unions to success and power. As leader of the largest union of state and local government workers for three decades, he has amassed enormous political influence and a huge campaign war chest that he has not hesitated to use to advance his union’s interests.

Perhaps more than any other American, Gerald W. McEntee has surfed the rising tide of public sector unions to success and power. As leader of the largest union of state and local government workers for three decades, he has amassed enormous political influence and a huge campaign war chest that he has not hesitated to use to advance his union’s interests.

read more here.

Right to Oorganize Trade Unions is a Fundamental Human Right.

"Collective Bargaining -- Essential to Democracy."
by Bruce T. Boccardy in MRZINE. April 11, 2011.


Collective bargaining was an integral component of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act. Prior to the law, employers could literally spy upon union members, interrogate, punish, blacklist, and terminate them without just cause. The Act clearly asserts the rights of collective bargaining in Section 7:

Employees shall have the right to self-organization; to form, join, or assist labor organizations; to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing; and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.

This language was affirmed by Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which identified the right to organize trade unions again as a fundamental human right.

Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Ohio Law is Attack on the American Dream

April 10, 2011.
Opponents of new union law rally in Ohio's capital
Melissa Cropper, a librarian for Georgetown schools in southwestern Ohio, said killing the law "is about saving the middle class and protecting the rights of workers. Corporations are getting all the breaks, and they're trying to balance the budget on the backs of the workers.
Thousands of people seeking to repeal Ohio's new collective bargaining law rallied Saturday at the Statehouse, vowing to get a referendum on the next ballot and promising to remember the political fight over the measure when they choose which candidates to support in future elections.
Preachers and public workers took turns at the microphone on a stage in front of the Statehouse steps, depicting the bill signed recently by first-term Republican Gov. John Kasich as an attack on unions and the American dream.

CUPE BC and the AFL-CIO Support of Wisconsin Labour Unions.

On Saturday, April 2, CUPE BC joined with other BC unions and the AFL-CIO to stage a rally in support of Wisconsin labour unions.
Read all about it here.

Organizing in the Face of the Class War

Now’s the Time: Organizing in the Face of the Class War


Getting thousands to show up for rallies or write letters in the fever of the initial public sector skirmishes hasn’t been that hard. Over the last two months, people have been angry, and they wanted to take action. And while making the drive across the state to be part of a crowd of tens of thousands is a significant commitment of time and energy, it’s also exciting. As the videos showing witty signs and costumes remind us, protesting can be fun and even aerobic.

But now is the time for on the ground organizing, and the work ahead will be less dramatic and in many ways much harder than showing up for a protest or writing a letter. Going door-to-door to get signatures can be thought of as hand-to-hand combat where individuals have to be informed and ready to perform in a sometimes hostile environment. But it’s also essential to the political process, especially given the amount of money corporations and conservative business interests will be spending on political advertising to defeat repeal/recall initiatives.

Read more at Working Class Perspectives.