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Commentaries:
· Acceptance Speech to the 26th AFL-CIO convention by President Richard Trumka
· Acceptance Speech to the 26th AFL-CIO convention by Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler
· Acceptance Speech to the 26th AFL-CIO convention by Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker
· Speech to the 26th AFL-CIO convention by President Barack Obama
· Why Labor Day Matters by Kent Wong.
Reports:
· 2010 Auto Union Buying Guide
· Partnerships that Work
October 2009, Vol. 41 No. 10
News From the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO reported its newly elected leadership team embarked on a post-convention tour Sept. 20 "to stand with working families to fight for jobs, health care and financial reform." President Richard Trumka, Secretary -Treasurer Liz Shuler and Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker began their tour in Cleveland where they traveled across the state to meet with students, union members, community activists and public officials. They later went to Atlanta where they joined a rally outside Wachovia. Trumka condemned predatory financial practices, including foreclosures. Their last stop was in New York City where they participated in a news event outside Wall Street. Trumka called on Congress to pass strong financial reform legislation and control runaway executive pay.
Organizing and health care reform were the major focus of AFL-CIO convention delegates who also elected new officers to lead the nation's largest labor federation. Convention was held in Pittsburgh last month. New officers of the federation are President Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker. John Sweeney retired as president after serving 14 years. Shuler is the first convention-elected woman secretary-treasurer of the federation, which is considered the "Number 2" office. Delegates also approved 70 resolutions including a call for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, labor unity, support for single-payer health care reform and a demand for a "national strategy" to create good jobs. Delegates called for a halt to new trade agreements "until we review the record of existing trade agreements and build a comprehensive new trade policy that will support the creation of good jobs at home."
"We'll grow our middle class by building a strong labor movement," said President Barack Obama in an electrifying speech Sept. 15 to AFL-CIO convention delegates. He praised organized labor while defending his economic policies and proposed health care reform plans. Among the pro-labor policies of his administration, Obama cited the selection of Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor, his reversal of old anti-union Executive Orders and his support for the Employee Free Choice Act. He also reminded delegates "whether we're in good economic times or bad, labor is not the problem - labor is part of the solution." But Obama focused mostly on the need for health care reform and called on labor to continued a strong role in the debate. "Few have fought for this cause harder, and few have championed it longer than you, our brothers and sisters in organized labor," he said.
AFL-CIO reported per capita payments on 8,374, 000 members during 2008-09, compared to 12,976,000 million members in 2004-05. According to the Membership Report to the 26th AFL-CIO convention, "the totals do not include the membership numbers related to affiliates' associate members, for which the affiliates pay a reduced monthly per capita tax. Neither do they include the 3 million members of our community affiliate Working America, or the 3.9 million retired union members represented by the Alliance for Retired Americans." Among the top unions reporting membership on which they paid per capita were the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, 1,378,000; American Federation of Teachers, 1,111,000; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, 617,000.
Tens of thousands of union members, friends, family and support groups participated in Labor Day events around the nation last month. According to the AFL-CIO, there were more than 180 Labor Day weekend parades, picnics, rallies and public meetings. Pres. Obama attended the Cincinnati AFL-CIO's 23rd Annual Labor Day picnic, one of the largest events of its kind in the country, while Vice President Joseph Biden joined Pittsburgh's Labor Day parade, sponsored by the Allegheny County Labor Council. "Labor Day marks the beginning of the final push for Congress to consider key major working family issues, including health care and labor law reform. All hands are needed on deck to make sure Congress understands they must seize the moment to make real changes in both arenas," said then-AFL-CIO Pres. John Sweeney
New AFL-CIO survey released Sept. 1 found that 24 percent of workers under age 35 make less than they need to pay their monthly bills, up 14 percentage points from one in 10 workers a decade ago. Report was unveiled by the AFL-CIO's three top officers during the federation's annual Labor Day briefing. "Young workers are significantly less likely to have health care or economic security than they were 10 years ago," said then-AFL-CIO Secy.-Treas. Richard L. Trumka. "Unless we change it, their economic standards are going to define a new norm-a norm of lower job and living standards," he added. According to Trumka, 10 years of opportunity have been lost as young workers are "struggling to keep their heads above water and often not succeeding. They've put off adulthood-put off having kids, put off education-and a full 34 percent of workers under 35 live with their parents for financial reasons," he said.
In August, then-AFL-CIO President John Sweeney joined Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), community leaders and hundreds of supporters in Los Angeles where they rallied in support of carwash workers who are fighting to join a union. Rally was organized by the LA County Federation of Labor, the CLEAN Carwash Campaign and the California Labor Federation. Event was scheduled to coincide with the opening of a new billboard near Vermont Hand Wash, urging carwash customers to "Wash Away Injustice: Support Carwash Workers." But the sign was pulled at the last minute by CBS Outdoor Group due to pressure from carwash owners. "Our message to the owners of Vermont Hand Wash and every carwash owner in Los Angeles is clear," said Sweeney. "Here in Los Angeles we will stand together, and fight together, until we have won together, and we have washed away injustice from the carwash industry."
International labor News
In a message delivered to leaders of the Group of 20 industrialized nations at their summit meeting in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25, International Labor Organization Director-General Juan Somavia said measures taken by governments in response to the global economic crisis have created or preserved between seven million and 11 million jobs worldwide. These policies, he said, along with social protections will have reduced global unemployment among G-20 countries by an estimated 29 percent to 43 percent in the first half of 2009. Without these actions, ILO estimated that unemployment in G20 nations would have mushroomed to 32-36 million in the first half of this year, instead of the current 25 million job losses. He warned government leaders against pulling back too quickly on their stimulus actions. "If the special measures taken are unwound or withdrawn too early, the jobs crisis may worsen even further," Somavia declared.
National and Political News
Slowdown in wage growth for workers who kept their jobs during the current recession likely will continue for the next year, according to a report released Sept. 4 by the Economic Policy Institute. "The implosion of wage growth goes far beyond what we've seen in other recessions over the last 30 years or so," EPI President Larry Mishel told news media. He predicted economic recovery will be "much longer and slower" than it was following previous recessions. With the unemployment rate expected to rise from 9.4 percent currently to more than 10 percent by early next year, downward pressure on wage growth will continue, EPI said. Wages and salaries of private sector workers rose 1.3 percent at an annual rate in the first half of 2009, less than half the 3.4 percent rate of wage growth in the first six months of last year.
Labor mourned death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) of a brain tumor Aug. 26. "Ted Kennedy was not just a senator for Massachusetts; he was our senator-a senator for working people, for poor people, for the old and the vulnerable. For all those who needed a champion, he was our champion," said then-AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. Considered one of the greatest U.S. Senators in history, Kennedy helped co-write and introduced the Employee Free Choice Act. He was noted for having friends across the political spectrum, despite being vilified by right-wing fund-raisers as a "liberal."
If current trends continue unchanged, average premium for family coverage would increase from $12,298 in 2008 to $23,842 by 2020, said the Commonwealth Fund. Despite cost increases paid by both employers and employees from 2000 to 2008, health care premiums also bought fewer benefits, the report also found. Report, "Paying the Price: How Health Insurance Premiums Are Eating Up Middle-Class Incomes," predicted trends will continue unless health care legislation brings significant changes. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased 119 percent between 1999 and 2008 and are projected to nearly double again by 2020, the report said. "We hope the report focuses the attention of people across the country in every state ... on making insurance markets work more in the public interest," said Cathy Schoen, senior vice president for research and evaluation at the Commonwealth Fund and lead author of the report.
Employers routinely deny proper overtime and often pay less than the minimum wage to low-wage workers, reported a new study based on a comprehensive review of wage-law violations. In surveying 4,387 workers in various low-wage industries, including apparel manufacturing, child care and discount retailing, researchers found that 68 percent of those interviewed had experienced at least one pay-related violation in the previous work week. "We were all surprised by the high prevalence rate," said Ruth Milkman, one of the study's authors and a sociology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the City University of New York. Study found that 26 percent of the workers had been paid less than the minimum wage the week before being surveyed and that one in seven had worked off the clock the previous week.
News From Around the Labor Movement
Change to Win federation and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions signed an agreement Aug. 26 in Beijing, China, to develop an on-going dialogue about issues of common concern, improved communications between leadership and continuation of top leadership exchanges. The agreement was signed by CTW Chairwoman Anna Burger and ACFTU Vice President Sun Chunlan. Pact reaffirms "both parties' commitment to further exchanges, cooperation, and communication in the changing global economy" and "build[s] a new generation of solidarity that lifts labor standards, supports workers' interests, and holds corporations accountable," said CTW statement. "This historic visit brings together two great union federations that share a common vision of advancing workers' interests in China and around the world," said Burger said.
Washington-based Federal Reserve Board of Governors renamed New York State Federation of Labor President Denis Hughes as chairman of the New York Federal Reserve Bank's board of directors in 2010. Regional Fed banks' boards of directors offer anecdotal information on business trends and recommendations on Fed policy, but have no policy-making powers. New York Fed named AFL-CIO's Hughes as chair of its board of directors in August for the remainder of 2009, filling a vacancy created when the previous chairman, Stephen Friedman, stepped down amid questions about his holdings of Goldman Sachs shares. Regional Fed bank chairmen are designated annually. The Fed, U.S. central bank, is comprised of a seven-member Board of Governors and 12 regional Fed banks.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters members Sept. 13 ratified first contract with Amerijet International covering about 60 pilots, ending a two-week strike. Strike began Aug. 27 after a National Mediation Board-imposed 30-day cooling off period expired. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based cargo airline and the Teamsters reached an impasse in negotiations this summer despite federal mediation during the past two years of talks, which had begun in 2004. "This contract is a major step forward for the pilots, who first voted for Teamster representation more than five years ago," IBT President James Hoffa said. According to Hoffa, pact improves wages, benefits, and working conditions and protects workers against unilateral wage and benefit cuts.
Real-life "Norma Rae," Crystal Lee Sutton died Sept. 11 of a brain tumor in Burlington, N.C., according to her family. She was 68. The 1980 movie character Norma Rae was based on her life as a union organizer in 1973 at a J.P. Stevens textile plant in North Carolina. "The fact that Crystal was a woman in the '70s, leading a struggle of thousands of other textile workers against very powerful, virulently anti-union mill companies, inspired a whole generation of people…," said Bruce Raynor, now president of Workers United and executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, who organized with Sutton.
Writers Guild of America, West elected John Wells as President. Wells, who served as president of the union from 1999-2001, defeated Elias Davis by a 53-to-47 percent margin. Davis, formerly secretary-treasurer, was endorsed by outgoing President Patric M. Verrone, who led the union during a 100-day strike that ended last year. Wells, considered a powerful figure in the television industry who is described as a "moderate" in the union, was executive producer of the hit TV shows "ER" and "The West Wing." Tom Schulman was elected vice president and David Weiss was elected secretary-treasurer, both of whom ran with Davis.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified five-year collective bargaining agreement covering some 5,000 locomotive engineers at CSX Transportation Inc., union announced Sept. 11. Contract, which is a continuation of an agreement ratified in April 2007, covers years 2010-2014. General wage increases will total 16 percent. "This agreement represents an acknowledgment by [CSX] of the contributions of locomotive engineers to [CSX]'s shippers, as well as a recognition of the carrier's profitability in these difficult economic times," BLET President Ed Rodzwicz said.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee convention delegates voted unanimously to endorse and join a new 150,000-member union of registered nurses, union announced Sept. 10. New union, National Nurses United, will merge the memberships of the CNA/NNOC, which represents 80,000 RNs; the United American Nurses, which represents 45,000 RNs; and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents 23,000 RNs. MNA is expected to approve the merger Oct. 1 at its convention while UAN will vote at its National Labor Assembly Nov. 2-3. Founding convention is scheduled for Dec. 7-8 in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Let it be known this was a unanimous vote by the House of Delegates. This is truly a historic moment and I hope it sends chills down the backs of those employers who would want to keep us down," said CNA/NNOC Co-President Deborah Burger.
In the Public Sector
American Postal Workers Union and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Aug. 25 agreed with the U.S. Postal Service to near-identical $15,000 deals to offer buyout incentives for up to 30,000 workers who retire or resign by Nov. 30. USPS said similar offers were not extended to National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association because letter carriers' work continues to grow as the number of addresses increases by 1.5 million each year. According to APWU President William Burrus, Postal Service's statutory obligation to pre-fund retiree health insurance "has caused tremendous deficits" forcing the agency to apply disproportionate budget cuts to bargaining unit employees. If the maximum 30,000 postal workers accept the buyout offer, the Postal Service could save as much as $500 million next year.
NLRB Rulings and Significant Court Decisions
Two-member National Labor Relations Board upheld Aug. 27 administrative law judge's finding that Fremont Medical Center & Rideout Memorial Hospital in Yuba City and Marysville, Calif., illegally withdrew recognition from the California Nurses Association for about 450 registered nurses. Members Schaumber and Chairman Liebman further adopted the judge's order to the hospital to bargain with the union. NLRB found that CNA still retained majority support among bargaining unit members and the company unlawfully made unilateral changes to wages, benefits and past practice of providing union access to the facilities. Case arose when the hospital delayed bargaining on a first contract for nearly 10 months before receiving a decertification petition signed by a majority of workers. The ALJ later upheld the union's claim it retained majority status because several employees had revoked their signatures.
Richard Trumka, President
AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention Acceptance Speech
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Before anything there's someone I need to thank - someone I think all of us need to thank.
He's renewed our commitment to organizing.
He's restored our voice in government.
And, in the process, he rekindled the hopes of millions of American workers.
And he did something else, too: he reminded us that organized labor isn't just an institution; we are a movement.
John, you've walked us through some of our toughest times.
Now, before too long, you'll be able to walk your granddaughter to school!
John, this movement - and this nation - will forever, forever be in your debt!
There are a lot of special people here today, but the most important are right over there: my family.
You've always been the core of my life, my greatest joy, and my shelter from the storm - you taught me family values and what solidarity is all about.
And I will never be able to thank you enough for always being there for me.
And then there's my extended family: my brother Cecil Roberts and the men and women of the United Mine Workers of America.
From my first day working in a coal mine to my last day as its International president, I have been in awe of the courage and compassion - and the unbreakable solidarity -- of my UMWA brothers and sisters.
And I want you to know that just as you have always stood with me, I will always stand with you.
Of course there are some other people I'd like to thank - and I'm looking at them.
It's you.
You're the men and women who bargain the contracts.
Who lead the organizing drives.
Who mobilize our members to elect good candidates - and to hold them accountable after we do.
You do the heaviest lifting and the deepest thinking.
But as grueling as it can get, still, you get up the next morning and do it all over again.
You know, it's easy for people who work in Washington to fall into the trap of believing that, maybe they're a cut above everyone else.
Well, I want to tell you right now that Arlene and Liz and I know better than that.
Because we understand that we're not the American labor movement; you are!
And the AFL-CIO doesn't belong to us; it belongs to you!
I'm assuming that, by now, a lot of you have been able to make your way around Pittsburgh.
And with the G20 Summit coming here next week the local business community has really been laying it on a little thick about the city's economic transformation.
And those of us who grew up in southwest Pennsylvania know that much of it is true.
But the other day I read something on a website promoting the G20 summit that really caught my eye.
It was intended to be a brief description of this area's history and it said, "The 'Golden Triangle' as it's called, has drawn generations of people from around the world to form its diverse neighborhoods."
Now, that's true, but they left out the reason why people were drawn here.
It was that, long before anyone ever talked about a Golden Triangle, there was another Pittsburgh.
It was a place where the whistle of the coal trains pierced the night.
It was a place where men with names like Esposito, and Kowalski, and O'Hara and Friedman worked 12-hour days standing in the glow of molten steel.
Where black men worked in the coke ovens doing the dirtiest, most dangerous jobs of all.
And where women washed other people's laundry and cleaned other people's homes and cooked other people's meals - anything to have enough money so their kids wouldn't have to work.
They spoke Polish and Italian and English and Yiddish and Spanish and more.
Most of the time they couldn't understand a word of what the other was saying - but they all spoke the language of hope.
The hope of better lives, good lives, for themselves and their families.
The chance to own a home and to give their kids something more - something better - than they ever had.
And they also knew that there was only one way they'd ever be able to make that happen.
It wasn't by pleading for it, or begging for it, or praying for it.
No! It was by joining together and fighting for it.
It was by mobilizing, together!
Organizing, together!
Standing tall and proud and union together!
And telling the companies in one, clear, strong voice that you may own the iron,
you may own the coal,
you may own the banks,
and the newspapers, and the politicians -
but you don't own me, you don't own my family, and you will never, ever own my union!
It was organized labor!
That's who built the middle-class in this city, this state, and across this country.
And, today, our message to America is that just as unions built the middle-class once before, if you give us the chance, we can build it again!
Now, we all know, a lot's changed since those early days.
Today our members work in every profession and every workplace imaginable.
We're Seafarers facing down pirates in the Indian Ocean …
And we're CWA members battling corporate pirates at Verizon.
We're Teachers - members of the AFT - and classifieds working to rebuild the school system in St. Louis.
And we're the skilled tradesmen and women who built this incredible convention center.
But even though the face of the American labor movement has changed, one thing hasn't:
It's that the surest, the fastest, most effective way to lift workers and our families into the middle-class is with the strength, that can only, only come with a union contract!
And, sisters and brothers, that fundamental truth hasn't been more critical to the future of this country than it is right now because, today, the American middle-class isn't being squeezed … we are being crushed!
The mirage of prosperity through borrowed money has dissolved-and now we're left with the reality of a hollowed-out economy and a broken financial system.
And middle-class people who once hoped of living the American Dream are today living in chaos.
We're losing health care!
We're losing our pensions!
We're losing our jobs!
And we are losing our patience!
Well, I'll tell you something, it wasn't organized labor that was calling the shots at Bear- Stearns, and Lehman Brothers
I can tell you for a fact that no one at AIG ever picked up the phone to ask our advice ...
But, even though it wasn't the labor movement that got us into this mess, we are the people who are going to lead America out of it!
But we can only do it if we seize this moment - we can only do it if we act now - we can only do it if we provide the leadership working Americans are demanding!
Well, today I'm telling you that we will seize this moment!
We will act, we will lead, and, by God, we will win!
The American labor movement can turn our country around - and together that's exactly what we're going to do!
But to do it, we need a new kind of labor movement - one shaped to meet the needs of Americans in a changing economy.
We need a labor movement that's not afraid of new ideas - and understands that nostalgia for the past is no strategy for the future!
We need a unionism that makes sense to the next generation - young women and men who either don't have the money to go to college; or are almost penniless by the time they come out.
And what happens when they enter the job market?
They're trapped in the twilight world of the contingent economy.
They're working as temps, as contractors, and as on-call labor.
They're telecommuters.
They're in every industry and there are more of them every year.
Women and men who are walking a lifelong tightrope without a net.
Low wages.
No health care.
Forget job security.
And pensions? Many don't even know what they are!
These women and men need a strong voice.
But when they look at unions they don't see themselves, only a grainy, faded picture from another time.
That's not the way it has to be.
The labor movement can't ask the next generation of workers to change how they earn their living to fit our model of trade unionism.
No! We have to change our approach to organizing and representation to better meet their needs.
And we will!
By the end of the first quarter of 2010, we will organize a summit of these new generation workers to discuss their struggles and craft an action agenda that responds to their needs not ours.
What kind of labor movement do we need to become?
A movement that's mobilized to create the jobs our members need, and that the future demands.
We know that a $500 billion dollar investment in a renewable energy economy can create 5 million new jobs.
This isn't a pipe dream.
Talk to the IBEW members in Nevada who helped install the largest photo-voltaic power system in North America.
Talk to the Steelworkers who are building wind turbines right here in Pennsylvania.
Sisters and brothers, it's high time to debunk the myth that we have to make a choice between good jobs and a clean environment; because the truth is we can have both!
And if we build an alliance with the environmental movement we will!
What kind of labor movement do we need?
A labor movement that understands that, in a global economy, we have no alternative but to build truly global unions.
Unions with the ability to confront corporate power wherever it rears its head.
Whether it's a call center in Bangalore.
A shoe factory in Vietnam.
Or a coal mine in Colombia.
Brothers and sisters, the corporate agenda doesn't end at the water's edge - and neither can ours!
And we need a labor movement that doesn't only win strong labor laws, but that knows how to take advantage of them once we do.
We've been working hard to win the Employee Free Choice Act - and I swear to you that, come hell or high water, we will win.
But that's not enough: we need to hit the ground running with a strike force of 1,000 professional organizers whose only goal is to see that every worker who wants a union contract gets a union contract!
And I'm not only talking about the private sector.
Right now, 40,000 TSA employees are on the verge of winning their collective bargaining rights.
Our sisters and brothers in AFGE are going to organize them and, John Gage, I want you to know that the AFL-CIO is ready to back you up!
And it doesn't end there.
Today, there are 7 million Americans working in state and local government who don't have the legal right to collective bargaining.
They're teachers and firefighters.
Social workers and sanitation workers.
They truly do make America happen (note: this is AFSCME's new slogan).
Sisters and brothers, first-rate public employees aren't second-class citizens - they deserve the right to organize and we're going to fight to see they get it!
But, you know, the question we face isn't just where we organize; it's who.
And I want to talk about that for a moment.
We need to finally come to terms with the fact that union halls that should have been meeting grounds for understanding have often been breeding grounds for bigotry.
And millions of people of color - and millions of women - have paid a staggering price.
We have a moral responsibility to take the benefits of union representation to those who the labor movement turned its back on in the past.
That means organizing poverty-wage African-American, Latino and Asian workers.
It means reaching out to women: women are 50 percent of the workforce … they earn only 77 percent of what men do … and it's time we made a 100 percent commitment to organizing them!
And it means something else, too: organizing immigrants.
I know there are always going to be some people who are going to buy the line that immigrants are coming over here and stealing everyone's jobs.
To read Richard Trumka's entire speech, click here.
Liz Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer
AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention Acceptance Speech
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Brothers and sisters, delegates to the 26th convention of the AFL-CIO, I humbly thank you for this incredible opportunity.
I especially want to thank Rich Trumka for asking me to join his team.
I am succeeding a Secretary-Treasurer who was, and is, a model for any labor leader today.
But frankly, I have to tell you, some things you've become accustomed to in your Secretary-Treasurer are going to change.
I am totally committed to never, never, never grow a moustache.
But I do plan to build on Rich's success.
I would like to thank Arlene Holt Baker for her leadership and friendship over many years.
Above all, it's been a privilege to serve my brothers and sisters in the IBEW. And especially to work with President Ed Hill, who, in addition to being a visionary leader, has been an inspiration, a mentor and a friend to me for the past 11 years.
There are so many more in the IBEW to thank. Lindell Lee, Larry Neidig and all the officers and staff. Former IBEW political director Rick Diegel, who brought me to work in Washington. And my brothers and sisters of my home local, local 125 in Portland, Oregon -- especially former business manager bill miller who broke with union tradition and gave me my first opportunity so many years ago.
It's been quite a journey with the IBEW. Starting in Portland, and all throughout the United States and Canada, we have organized together, walked picket lines together, rallied together and lobbied together. You will always be my union family.
I was fortunate to have local 125 in my life even before I went to work there. My father lance was a lineman working out of that Local and my late mother Joyce spearheaded a drive to organize office employees at the same utility.
She was incredibly talented and supportive and, like so many hard-working American moms, made every sacrifice so her children could prosper.
My father believes that with hard work and determination, you can do anything, a principle that has guided me throughout my life. He set a standard of union workmanship that is a model for what our movement needs to communicate to a new generation of workers.
Thanks also to my sister Anna and her family, who are here - Anna you've always been my cheerleader and the one I turn to for sage advice and I appreciate you so much.
My aunt and uncle, Donna and Stephen Bower, who have been a wonderful source of support over the years, are also here. Thank you, Donna, for being such an incredible role model for me as a professional woman.
I'd also like to thank my mother- and father-in-law, Jean and Bob Herbst, for joining us here in Pittsburgh today.
And of course, my loving husband, David Herbst. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful, supportive partner to go on this journey with me.
Okay, before this starts to sound like a speech at the academy awards, let's get down to business.
My first priority is to manage the finances of the federation with complete accountability and transparency.
Every dollar that comes into the AFL-CIO originates from rank and file union members - the working mom who has to watch every penny to raise her kids - the lineman who risks life and limb on a daily basis to provide us with electricity - the brothers and sisters who do the jobs, large and small, that make America work.
It's their money, and not a day will go by that I don't respect that fact.
Our affiliated unions, state federations, area labor federations and central labor councils are facing hard choices and making sacrifices every day. You have tightened your belts. And so will we, because the AFL-CIO is not immune to that pain.
The federation has already made some difficult cuts. As the finance report will show, the budget will be back in the black this year, but the need for prudent measures remains great. We will do what is necessary to maintain fiscal responsibility - but we will not dilute our mission or sacrifice our principles.
Financial responsibility is critical, but the job demands more, namely, to help establish priorities for our movement.
We need to revitalize and unify labor at every level. We need to reach out to unorganized workers -especially those under 35 -- who, for whatever reason, don't see us as the answer to the economic problems they face.
It's not that today's young people don't like unions; it's just that they really don't know about us. Their images come from the movies and corporate America. And that's our fault.
Our message needs to resonate across generational lines. For the first time in history, we have four generations in our movement as active and retired workers, ranging from those whose lives were shaped by the great depression and world war ii, to the well-documented baby boomers, to generation x, and to the millennials, those born in the 1980s and later.
There is a world of difference in their life experiences. As we saw in the report on younger workers issued by the AFL-CIO last week, one in three worries about finding a permanent full-time job with benefits. And an equal number are still living with their parents. How many of you can relate?
To read Liz Shuler's entire speech, click here.
Arlene Holt Baker, Executive Vice President
AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention Acceptance Speech
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I stand before this great body of union delegates to the twenty-sixth convention of the AFL-CIO today humbled and honored.
I thank you for giving me the honor of serving as Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO.
And on this historic day, when the diversity that is our goal at all levels of the Federation is exemplified in our highest offices, I'm humbled that you have elected me to continue serving as Executive Vice President. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
When I look back on the journey that has brought me to this history-making day in our movement, I feel compelled to first thank my union, AFSCME, for the many opportunities you've given me to make a difference in workers' lives and in the broader community.
And I thank you, John Sweeney, for having the confidence in me to fill out the term of Linda Chavez Thompson, whose historic footprint is indelibly marked in our movement's journey forward.
To my partners, Rich Trumka and Liz Shuler, I congratulate you on your election today as President and Secretary Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. Rich, I thank you for the opportunity to serve this great Federation, along with you and Liz.
To my family I want to say thank you for being there for me - supporting me in all that I do - but most of all - for loving this movement and the quest for social and economic justice - as much as I do. Thank you Willie, Angela and Chad for representing all of our family on this day.
My family means everything to me. Like most Americans, I'm driven to protect and care for them. To me, that's what our movement is really about.
We're not just concerned about labor's family. Our fight is really about ensuring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all families.
As we engage that pursuit, our themes may change, but our mission remains steadfast.
From Samuel Gompers to Richard Trumka, the mission of our movement has been to improve the economic conditions for workers - and by doing so we strengthen our communities, our nation and our world.
As Gompers once said, "our movement is of the working people, for the working people, by the working people". Richard Trumka has always led by that abiding principle.
The challenges that we face today are not unlike the challenges our movement faced in the past. They struggled as we do against corporate greed and reckless profiteering. Their self-serving corporate model stands in stark contrast to our commitment to shared prosperity.
We are reminded of this by a statement made by Lee Scott, the former CEO of Wal-Mart, who demonized Employee Free Choice to a group of his peers.
"It'll be generations in the impact it has on this country. And it won't be positive," he railed. "I guarantee you that. But for Wal-Mart..we're going to run this business. We like driving the car, and we're not going to give the steering wheel to anybody…."
Well, for Lee Scott and other CEOs like him, they can be assured that when we pass Employee Free Choice, employers are going to have to share the wheel with their workers - and that day can't come fast enough.
I believe with every fiber in my body that our movement must keep on ensuring that millions of workers in this country have the dignity and respect they deserve. That means good wages, decent pensions, affordable health care and continuous job training. If we don't fight for these securities, who will?
To read Arlene Holt Baker's entire speech, click here.
President Barack Obama
AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention Remarks
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
You know, the White House is pretty nice, but there's nothing like being back in the House of Labor. Let me begin by recognizing a man who came to Washington to fight for the working men and women of Pennsylvania and who has a distinguished record doing just that, Arlen Specter.
I also want to give my thanks, and the thanks of our nation, to one of the great labor leaders of our time, a man whose entire life has been devoted to working people, who brought new life to a movement, who worked tirelessly on behalf of organized labor, and who will be stepping down tomorrow, your President John Sweeney. John, I know Maureen's looking forward to seeing a little more of you, and your granddaughter Kennedy's about to get a whole lot more spoiled by her grandfather.
I know it's bad luck to congratulate someone before they are officially elected, but I'm willing to take my chances and congratulate the man who will pick up John's mantle, a son and grandson of Pennsylvania coal miners, a man who worked his way through college to lead the United Mine Workers, my friend, and a fiery advocate for America's ideals, Rich Trumka. I also want to congratulate the officers coming in with Rich: Arlene, who will be continuing her service, and Liz, who will be making history as the first woman elected Secretary-Treasurer. I'm looking forward to working with all of you.
Being here with all of you is a reminder of what we're trying to do in Washington and why I'm there in the first place. Because one of the fundamental reasons I ran for President was to stand up for hardworking families; to ease the struggles, lift the hopes, and make possible the dreams of middle class Americans.
Your stories are what drive me each and every day in the White House. Stories I read about in letters, hear about at town halls, and remember from the campaign trail. Stories like the one told by Steve Skvara, a proud member of the United Steelworkers in Indiana. Steve spent 34 years at LTV Steel, until a car accident left him with a disability, and forced him to retire. When the company went broke a couple years later, Steve lost his pension, and his family lost their health care.
Rising to ask a question at the AFL-CIO debate during the campaign, Steve said - and I quote - "Every day of my life, I sit at the kitchen table across from the woman who devoted 36 years of her life to my family, and I can't afford to pay for her health care." And as he said this, he got choked up, and his voice started to crack.
Brothers and sisters, this isn't just about Steve; it's about all of us. Because when hardworking Americans like Steve succeed - that's when organized labor succeeds. And when organized labor succeeds - that's when our middle class succeeds. And when our middle class succeeds - that's when the United States of America succeeds.
For over half a century, the success of America has been built on the success of our middle class. It was the creation of the middle class that lifted this nation up in the wake of a great depression. It was the expansion of the middle class that opened the doors of opportunity to millions more. It was a strong middle class that powered American industries, propelled America's economy, and made the 20th Century the first American Century.
And the fundamental test of our time is whether we will heed this lesson; whether we will let America become a nation of the very rich and the very poor, of the haves and the have-nots; or whether we will remain true to the promise of this country and build a future where the success of all of us is built on the success of each of us.
That's the future I want to build. That's the future the AFL-CIO wants to build. That's the future the American people want to build. And that's the future we've been working to build from the moment I took office.
At the time, folks were fearing the collapse of our entire financial system. Our economy was shedding about 700,000 jobs a month. Our credit market was frozen and folks couldn't get the home loans, car loans, and student loans they needed. What was a deep recession threatened to become a Great Depression.
That's why we acted boldly and swiftly to pass an unprecedented economic Recovery Act. It's a plan that didn't include any of the usual Washington earmarks or pork-barrel spending. But what it did include was a guarantee to uphold Davis Bacon and pay prevailing wages. Because of the Recovery Act, we're keeping a campaign promise I made by giving 95% of working Americans a tax cut - a tax cut that will benefit nearly 5 million families in Pennsylvania. We increased and extended unemployment insurance to 12 million Americans - including hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. And we are putting Americans to work across this country rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, and waterways with the largest investment in our infrastructure since Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. All in all, many middle class families will see their incomes go up by about $3,000 because of the Recovery Act, helping them get back much of what they may have lost due to this recession.
So, while I know times are still tough for working people, while I know too many folks are still looking for work or worried they'll be the next ones let go, the Recovery Act is making a difference. We have stopped our economic freefall. That is something everyone can agree on. But the fact is, the problems in our economy preceded this economic crisis. Just last week, a Census report came out showing that in 2008, before this downturn, family income fell to its lowest point in over a decade; and more families slid into poverty. That is unacceptable. And I refuse to let America go back to the culture of irresponsibility that made it possible; back to an economy with soaring CEO salaries and shrinking middle class incomes; back to the days when banks made reckless decisions that hurt Wall Street and Main Street alike. Going back to those days would be bad for unions, bad for the middle class, and bad for the United States of America.
We cannot afford to go back - we must move forward. That's why we need to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. By creating the jobs of the future. By reforming our health care system. By laying down tough rules of the road to protect consumers from abuse; let markets function fairly and freely; and ensure that we never experience another crisis like this again.
That's how we'll build an economy that works for working Americans. That's how we'll help our children climb higher than we did. And that's how we'll grow our great American middle class.
We'll grow our middle class with policies that benefit you, the American worker - and I've set up a Middle Class Task Force to do just that, run by my outstanding Vice President, that scrappy kid from Scranton, Joe Biden.
We'll grow our middle class by building a strong labor movement. That's why I named Hilda Solis, the daughter of union members, as our new Labor Secretary. Hilda and I know that whether we're in good economic times or bad, labor is not the problem - labor is part of the solution. That's why we've begun reversing and replacing old anti-labor Executive Orders and policies with ones that protect your benefits; protect your safety; and protect your rights to organizing and collective bargaining. That's why the very first bill I signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Act to uphold the basic principle of equal pay for equal work. And that's why I stand behind the Employee Free Choice Act - because if a majority of workers want a union, they should get a union.
We'll grow our middle class by creating jobs for Americans who want one - not just any jobs, but jobs with good wages, jobs with good benefits. Jobs that give a person the satisfaction of knowing they'll meet their responsibilities to themselves and their families. Jobs that are not just a source of income, but a source of self-respect. Every American deserves that much.
Earlier today, I visited a GM plant in Youngstown, Ohio that is rehiring about 1,000 workers to make the cars of tomorrow. That's a sign of life in our auto industry, and I'm pleased to see it. But I don't just want to see jobs returning to our auto industry, I want to see them being created across this country. That's why we're investing in a clean energy economy that will free America from the grip of foreign oil and create millions of new green jobs that can't be outsourced. And that's why I've named a new point person to jumpstart American manufacturing so that we can make "Made in America" not just a saying, but a reality.
We'll grow our middle class by doing a better job educating our sons and daughters. It was the GI Bill that helped strengthen the middle class in the 20th century, and our generation deserves the same kind of commitment. That's why we've begun improving standards, holding ourselves more accountable, making college and advanced training more affordable, and offering students a complete and competitive education, from the cradle to the classroom, from college through a career. That's how we'll prepare every child in America to outcompete any worker in the world. And we'll grow our middle class by finally providing quality, affordable health insurance in this country. Few have fought for this cause harder, and few have championed it longer than you, our brothers and sisters in organized labor. You're making phone calls, knocking on doors, and showing up at rallies - because you know why this is so important. You know this isn't just about the millions of Americans who don't have health insurance, it's about the hundreds of millions more who do; Americans who worry that they'll lose their insurance if they lose their job; who fear their coverage will be denied because of a pre-existing condition; who know that one accident or illness could mean financial ruin.
To read President Obama's entire speech, click here.
Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, says this Labor Day provides an opportunity for progressives to join together to rebuild the economy and reinvigorate the fight for social and economic justice.
Labor Day is a time to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of working people throughout the generations. American workers are among the most productive in the world. Labor unions have been a positive social force that helped to build the American middle class, to improve wages and working conditions, to provide for health care and retirement benefits, and to ensure that the wealth generated by working people is fairly distributed.
But Labor Day 2009 finds the U.S. economy in the worst recession in decades. Bank failures, corporate downsizing, the mortgage crisis and tremendous economic insecurity are signs of the times. The United States has lost more than 6 million jobs, and more than 45 million Americans are without health care.
The economic policies of the Bush administration brought us to where we are today. I would summarize the policies of the Bush administration as the "three D's"-deregulation, deindustrialization and deunionization.
Conservatives love to attack government regulation, and the Bush administration led the charge. Regulations were slashed and burned; the free market went wild; corporate executives lined their pockets with billions; and the banks, financial institutions, stock market and housing sector crashed. The policies of deregulation led to the economic crisis we are facing today.
Conservatives also love free trade at any expense. Corporations have been given free reign to transcend national boundaries, and to maximize profits at all costs. Plant shutdowns, capital flight and deindustrialization have been the consequence. Large-scale manufacturing in this country, which helped to build our middle class, has virtually disappeared.
Finally, conservatives have attacked unions. High-wage, unionized manufacturing jobs have been replaced by low-wage, nonunion service jobs. Wal-Mart, the largest corporation in the country, is aggressively anti-union. Union density is low, and corporations abuse worker rights with virtual impunity. Our bankrupt labor laws prohibit workers from exercising their most basic and fundamental right to form and join unions. But in the midst of this crisis, there is opportunity. With the help of labor unions, Barack Obama was elected president as a leader representing hope and change. He is advocating an agenda that supports working people. But he can't do it alone. Unions are a critical partner to ensure that these dreams of hope and change become a reality.
The battle for the hearts and minds of the people of this country is unfolding. Conservatives are attacking health care reform, corporations are spending millions to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act and nativists are blaming the economic crisis on immigrants. But now is the time for the American labor movement to stand together, to fight for social and economic justice, and to rebuild our economy to lift up all working people.
On this Labor Day, let us work together for health care reform, for the Employee Free Choice Act and for immigration reform. Let us turn the corner, revive our economy and honor and cherish the working men and women who are instrumental in building America's future.
This guide is prepared by the UAW to provide information for consumers who want to purchase vehicles produced by workers who enjoy the benefits and protections of a union contract.
All these vehicles are made in the United States or Canada by members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) or Canadian Auto Workers (CAW).
Because of the integration of U.S. and Canadian vehicle production, all these vehicles include significant UAW-made content and support the jobs of UAW members.
However, the vehicles marked with a single asterisk (*) are produced in the United States and another country. Light-duty (LD) crew cab models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, marked with a double asterisk (**), are only manufactured in Mexico. Other models are made in the United States.
When purchasing one of these vehicles, check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
A VIN beginning with "1", "4" or "5" identifies a U.S.-made vehicle; "'2:' identifies a Canadian-made vehicle.
Not all vehicles made in the United States or Canada are built by union-represented workers. Vehicles not listed here, even if produced in the United States or Canada, are not union-made vehicles.
See full report here.
In the American Rights at Work Education Fund's fifth annual Labor Day List: Partnerships that Work, we recognize successful partnerships between employers and their employees’ labor unions that are working well in an uncertain global economy.
Employers showcased in this year's report walk the walk when it comes to respecting their own workers’ rights, and now they are going a step further by standing up on behalf of all U.S. workers. Every business profiled herein has spoken out on the need for meaningful labor law reform to ensure men and women have decent opportunities and their rights protected. Through their support of the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation making it easier for workers to choose to form a union, a new generation of visionary employers is laying the foundation for the financial well-being of workers and businesses alike.
View the full PDF of the report
