 NEWS ITEMS concerning collective bargaining and unions' rights and benefits: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear MoveOn member, We could be on the verge of losing in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin 14—the brave Democratic state senators who left the state to stop the Republican attacks on workers—are under increasing pressure to return to Wisconsin. Governor Walker is even threatening to lay off thousands of state workers to blackmail Democrats into coming back.1 And as soon as just one Democratic senator returns, Republicans will be able to jam through their terrible bill. Unfortunately, over the last 24 hours there have been credible reports from blogs and local news reporters that this is imminent.2 These senators have been away from their homes and families for almost two weeks now, at great personal cost. Their bravery has made this whole fight possible, and it can't be easy. That's why we need to show them that they have the support of millions of progressives nationwide—and that as long as they stay strong, we'll stand with them. Will you add your name to our emergency statement of support? We'll deliver your signatures and comments electronically, throughout the day, to the senators or their staffs, so they can see how much support they have. The statement of support says: "I support the Wisconsin 14 and will stand with them in their brave opposition to Governor Walker's radical attacks on workers." Thanks for all you do. –Daniel, Lenore, Peter, Julia, and the rest of the team Sources: 1.
"Wisconsin Gov. Walker threatens to trigger layoffs for thousands of
public workers," The Washington Post, February 26, 2011 2.
"Some Wisconsin Democratic senators looking to return, recalls loom
(Updated)," Daily Kos, March 1, 2011 "Senate
leader meets with some missing Democrats," Associated Press, March 1, 2011
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NBC/WSJ poll: 62% against stripping public employees' bargaining rightsMark Murray writes:Strong majorities of Americans say they are comfortable with states requiring their employees to pay more for their retirement and health care to balance state budget deficits, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. But the public is adamantly against eliminating public employees' collective-bargaining rights -- as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is pursuing. In the poll, a whopping 68 percent find it acceptable requiring public employees to contribute more of their pay for retirement benefits; 63 percent are fine with requiring these employees to pay more for their health-care benefits; and 58 percent are OK with freezing public employees' salaries for one year. But just 33 percent say it's acceptable -- and 62 percent say it's unacceptable -- to eliminate these employees' collective-bargaining rights as way to deal with state budget deficits. In addition, 77 percent believe that public employees have the same collective-bargaining rights (when it comes to health care, pensions, and other benefits) that union employees who work for private companies have.
The entire poll -- which
was conducted Feb. 24-28, and which has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1
percentage points -- will be released at 6:30 pm ET ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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I was "raised union." My mother, who immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua, worked the 3 p.m. to midnight shift at a toy factory after the birth of my younger twin sisters. She was a member of the United Rubber Workers, which later merged with the Steelworkers Union. My father worked at a battery recycling plant and was a shop steward there for the Teamsters Union. His plant went on strike several times when I was a kid. During those times, he explained to my mother, my six brothers and sisters, and me that it would be tough. Although the union paid a small part of his wages when they were on strike, it was a hardship. But we understood that we had to make sacrifices. And we did. When I was in ninth grade, my dad would come home at the end of the day and ask me to sit with him at our kitchen table. From his pockets, he would pull pieces of paper with writing in Spanish on them - notes given to him by his co-workers. There were all sorts of things scribbled on them: concerns about health and safety practices at the plant, questions about paychecks that didn't add up, and ideas about how to improve the efficiency and productivity of the line. He'd ask me to translate them into English for him. The first time, I didn't understand what they were. When I asked, he explained: "They are the voice of the workers." He said that the paper scraps started a conversation between the union and management. He told me it was a way to get them together "at the table." After that, I understood. My dad told that story to President Obama when they met. He said, with obvious pride: "Hilda has been doing this sort of work for a very long time. She still understands." I do. And since then, for my entire adult life, I have honored, respected and celebrated the voice of workers, which can only be guaranteed when they have the right to organize and bargain collectively. That's important to remember, particularly now, as states and cities grapple with enormous fiscal challenges, and everyone must sacrifice to meet those challenges. The public employees who are critical to our communities - from nurses to teachers to firefighters and police officers - have made and will continue to make sacrifices to help close budget gaps. But some state leaders have gone too far in the process. Budget sacrifices are one thing; demanding that workers give up their rights as union members - to take away their voice - is another. For me, it's not lofty rhetoric. During my two years as labor secretary, I've seen firsthand time and time again how unions make remarkable contributions to the strength and prosperity of our nation. In workplaces from my home state of California to Washington, D.C., where I spend most of my time now, and everywhere in between, organized labor is helping businesses improve their bottom line, make workplaces safer and more productive, and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to achieve the middle class. Organized labor does the same for state and local government "business," too. I'm talking about the men and women who care for our neighbors, teach our children, keep our communities safe and clean, and run into burning buildings when others run out of them. These dedicated public servants - many of them union members - do their important work with little fanfare or recognition. Through their unions, they have a voice in their workplace, in their future . . . and most importantly, in our future. They've made sacrifices, too - particularly in the past decade - and have worked closely with state and local leaders to help the public sector do what it is supposed to do. Their participation in our civil society is paramount to its success. Their collective voice gives them the opportunity and the right to actually improve public education, public heath, and public safety and security. They deserve the right to have their voices heard when they speak out for job security and safe workplaces. Unions fight for better wages and benefits, not just for their members, but for everyone. They advocate for quality jobs that build a strong middle class. In hard times, we all understand the need for sacrifices. Scapegoating teachers, firefighters and bus drivers by taking away their basic rights is not going to solve any problems. This is a time to find ways to work together and forge compromise. Neither side will get everything it wants, and everyone should share in the sacrifice. Collective bargaining - what my dad called sitting "at the table"--is a cornerstone of our democracy and our middle class. It shouldn't be cast aside in hard times. It can and should be part of the solution. Just as my dad explained to me with those paper scraps at our kitchen table, the best solutions come from people sitting down at the table together. Follow Sec. Hilda Solis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HildaSolisDOL_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Feb 27, 2011
Wisconsin Police Have Joined Protest Inside State Capitolhttp://understory.ran.org/2011/02/25/breaking-wisconsin-police-have-joined-protest-inside-state-capitol/
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