Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2012)
Circuit judge overturns portions of Wisconsin’s anti-union bargaining law A Wisconsin circuit court judge has struck down parts of the law that led to nationwide protests and a weeks-long occupation of the State Capitol in Madison last year, and an unsuccessful recall election of Gov. Scott Walker ear- lier this year. The law stripped public employees of all meaningful collective bargaining rights, but arguments in lawsuits filed by two public employee unions per- suaded Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colás that it violates the Wisconsin Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. In his Sept. 14 ruling, Colás wrote that the law imposes “significant and burdensome restrictions on employees who choose to associate in a labor or- ganization,” and thus violates their con- stitutional rights to free speech, free- dom of association, and right to equal treatment under the law. The suit was filed by Laborers Local ...Fundraiser fires CWA faithful (From Page 3) vene. And Arthur Towers, political di- rector for Service Employees Local 503, says he’s less inclined to work with OSPIRG and declined a request for help on something. “We’ve not cut off all communica- tion with OSPIRG, but we’ve tried to make the point,” Towers said, “you’ve got to treat your workers better.” Towers himself was a door-to-door canvasser in 1977 in Rhode Island, and he and his co-workers tried unsuccess- fully to unionize. Elder praised members for determi- nation, and for their courage: So far, each time a bargaining team member is fired, Elder says, another worker has stepped forward to serve, and workers have continued to help with the union effort even after being fired. Elder said the union presented a complete contract proposal the day bar- gaining began, and the Fund has yet to respond to all of it in 10 months of meeting for two three-hour sessions a month with Wood, who flies out from Boston. The changes workers are pro- posing are pretty modest: They want to extend the ultimatum two weeks, so that a longtime experienced caller would have to have four rotten weeks before being sacked. And to reduce paycheck volatility, workers want no more than a $2 hour an hour pay cut per pay period. 61, which represents public employees at the City of Milwaukee, and the Madison Teachers Inc. of the Madison Metropolitan School District teachers union. Because state employees were not a party to the lawsuit, the ruling only affects municipal and school dis- trict employees. Under the law, union-represented employees are barred from receiving wage increases greater than the cost of living, but nothing prevents govern- ment managers from giving raises greater than that to nonunion employ- ees. The law prohibits employer collec- tion of union dues for most public em- ployees, but not public safety and transit unions. The law also violates the Wisconsin Constitution’s Home Rule Amendment, under which municipali- ties may establish their own practices, and it runs afoul of the state constitu- tion’s prohibition against impairment of contracts. Wisconsin’s Republican attorney general said the ruling will be appealed. Likely it will end up before the Wiscon- sin Supreme Court. That body, major- ity-Republican, already restored the law once before in a court case last year on separate grounds, after a different cir- cuit court judge found it had passed in violation of Wisconsin legislative rules. Unions form Maritime Labor Alliance Presidents of six maritime unions announced Sept. 13 the formation of the Maritime Labor Alliance. The unions include the American Radio Association, Inlandboatmen’s Union, International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), International Long- shore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Associ- ation, and the International Organiza- tion of Masters, Mates & Pilots. The union leaders said the alliance was created to protect working condi- tions, labor rights, and jurisdictions on the waterfront. ILA currently is in federally-medi- ated contract negotiations with the EE R F United States Maritime Alliance, and ILWU recently opened bargaining with the Pacific Northwest Grain Han- dlers Association. The current ILU contract expires Sept. 30, with a strike by workers potentially beginning on Oct. 1. At the signing ceremony creating the Alliance, union leaders heard a re- port from International Transport Workers Federation President Paddy Crumlin regarding a global strategy “to ensure that the rights and livelihoods of maritime workers are protected in the efforts to automate maritime work- places as a means of union busting.” BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published A UTOMOTIVE Who’s On Our Side? By Tom Chamberlain T he United States’ alphabet soup of trade agreements have a his- tory of weak labor standards. Prior to the election of President Obama, there was little enforcement of few standards included in our trade agree- ments. The Obama Administration has fought and won sanctions against countries that have violated our trade agreements, but often the tools they have are not enough. Take Colombia: Colombia has a long history of violence against union leaders and organizers. Over the last two decades, over 2,800 union leaders and organizers have been murdered. Despite the prejudice and violence against unionists, the United States signed the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement last year. It included a la- bor action plan designed to help pro- tect workers once the FTA went into effect. If our nation is going to freely trade with Colombia, it is crucial to ensure that workers’ rights and safety are being upheld in both our coun- tries. But the labor action plan isn’t working. A group of more than 68 former GM employees in Colombia suffer from occupational injuries and ill- nesses. Their ailments are directly re- lated to overwork and to working PAGE 6 conditions that are beyond what is permitted by labor law, or by medical and humanitarian standards. The ma- jority of the injuries these workers have contracted are back-related. They leave the workers unable to per- form their jobs or any other job, and unable to provide for themselves when their positions are terminated. After a group of these workers camped outside of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota for over a year without see- ing any results. they decided it was time to take their struggle to the next level, and they went on a hunger strike, going so far as sewing their mouths closed. These workers feel that they have nothing to lose by dy- ing of malnutrition, as they are al- ready dying of workplace injuries with no access to health care and waiting at the mercy of GM. Thirty-three percent of General Motors is owned by United States taxpayers, and another 10 percent is owned by members of United Auto Workers. After mounting interna- tional pressure was put on GM Col- motores (Colombian GM), they en- tered mediation, where they almost immediately walked away from the table — and the workers went back on a hunger strike, sewing their ’79 caMaro Z28 (t-tops), lots of extras, over $20,000 invested, sacrifice at $12,500. 503-667- 5209 charcoal colored aluminum insulated canopy for long box small pickup, 92”x60”, off 1980s Isuza, good condition, $165. 503-798-6517 F OR THE H OME mouths closed. After more intense international pressure, GM returned to the table and ended up offering a one-time monetary payment — with no access to health care for workers. The work- ers rightly said “no deal,” as their in- juries require lifetime access to health care. After the workers declined the offer, GM again left the table. The workers are now on a hunger strike again. While GM may be a good union employer in the U.S., in Colombia they are not on our side. There’s still more we can do, though. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), holds a key position on the subcom- mittee on trade and has the power to help sway action to enforcing the la- bor action plan to ensure that these workers see justice. We encourage you to contact Sen. Wyden and encourage him to enforce the labor action plan — and to remind GM whose side they should be on. Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS MInI blInds (3) 69.5” wide, 28”deep w/mounting brackets, $25 each obo.. 503-753-1714 H OUSING lIncoln cIty vacation rental, 3 bdrm, 2 bath, sleeps 8, wi-fi, 2 blks to beach, 3 blks to casino. 503-804-7976 rockaway ocean front 503-777-5076 http://home.comcast.net/~rockaway.beach 5 bdrm, 2 bath, fishermens special rockaway beach rental, 3bdrm, 2bth, slps10, Jacuzzi, 5min to beach/shops. 503- 236-7004,vacationhomerentals.com/ 43026 old woodworkIng tools, planes, levels, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, fold- ing rulers, leather tools, tool chests. 503-659-0009 collector pays cash for older toys, older oil paintings and older american art pottery. 503 703-5952 u.s., german, Japanese military uniforms, aviation, hats, helmets, swords, daggers, bayonets, rifles, pistols. 503-852-6791 buyIng u.s. & world coins to add to collection, paying fairly, any amount welcome. 503-939-8835 Motorcycles, boats, trailers, quads, lawn- mowers, musical instruments, cars, trucks, cash paid, will pick up. 503-880-8183 Low Prices! M ISCELLANEOUS kIng sIZe bedfraMe, convectional mi- crowave, oil lamps, 2 sets of lamps, other items also. call or text 503 735 5792 Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 S PORTING G OODS bushnell telescope, new in box, deep space 420X series, $75. 503-665-9297 2000 aMerIcan cruIser, 20ft, fully contained, owners non smokers, 6,800 miles, $25,000. 503- 577-1209 1985 honda elIte 150 scooter, only 4,900 miles, always stored inside and maintained, $1,400 or trade for ?. 503-539-0288 W ANTED cash paId old fishing tackle, wood plugs, reels, creels, salmon fishing photos, derby items, hunt- ing knives, game calls, etc. 503-775-4166 SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
