8,000 Ohio Child Care Workers Unionize with AFSCME

Taken from AFL-CIO Now blog news, with thanks to Clyde Weiss of AFSCME

Gov. Ted Strickland (center) signed the executive order that gave Ohio child care providers the right to vote to join a union.

Photo credit: Joe Weidner

More than 8,000 in-home Ohio child care providers voted overwhelmingly for a voice on the job through Child Care Providers Together (CCPT)/AFSCME Ohio Council 8.

"This is a great day for Ohio’s child care providers," exclaimed Veronica Flowers, who works 14-hour days caring for six children in Cincinnati. "We finally have a voice to improve our working conditions so we can take care of our own families and, at the same time, continue to provide the quality child care working people need. Everyone wins with a union."

Gov. Ted Strickland (D) signed an executive order in February that laid the framework for this victory. Says Ohio Council 8 President John Lyall:

"This victory is good news both for the parents who depend on quality, home-based child care and the professionals who work to provide it. By improving the lives of these providers, we can help assure that they can afford to stay in the profession and get the added training many of them want, but can’t afford."

Child care workers around the country have been fighting for a voice at work. In May last year, 60,000 New York home-based child care providers won bargaining rights, as did 40,000 Michigan workers in December 2006. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) signed a similar executive order in August 2007.  

 

TAKING A TOLL:
The Effects of Recession on Women

As the economy slides into recession, how are women faring? The latest facts are alarming. Women “are facing new and heightened risk in this uncertain economy,” reveals a report released on April 18 by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Key findings:

• Unemployment among adult women workers has gone up more rapidly than for men over the past year, —rising from 3.8% in March 2007 to 4.6% in March 2008, an increase of 20%, compared to a 17% increase among adult men.
• The downturn has caused women’s wages to fall, and this decline is already much worse than what men have suffered. In 2007, the real median wage for adult women workers dropped 3%; wages for adult male workers dropped by 0.5% over the same period.
• Women are also more at risk in the current foreclosure crisis, since women are 32% more likely than men to have subprime mortgages.
• The fact that women already earn less than men makes the economic strain on women and on households run by women much worse.
• Women have fewer savings to fall back on in a time of economic hardship. Single women have a net worth of little more than half that of single men, and women are less likely than men to benefit from employer-sponsored retirement savings programs.

 “These findings demonstrate the severe and disproportionate impact of this recession on women and their families,” said Kennedy. “We need to act immediately to restore women’s right to fair pay, provide workers with paid sick days, and shore up programs that help workers and families endure hard times.”

 

Republicans block vote on Fair Pay Act

The week after Senator Kennedy released a report on the hardship the recession is imposing on women, the Senate tried to take up  the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that the House passed the previous July. The bill is designed to correct an outrageous Supreme Court ruling that denies justice to women who’ve been discriminated against for years or decades. If a person who's being illegally underpaid doesn’t realize that others are paid more for the same work and sue against the discrimination when it was first imposed, the Court says there's nothing she can do about continuing discrimination.

Republican minority kept Senate from voting for pay fairness

On April 23, a minority kept the Senate from considering the bill -- the cloture vote to stop endless debate failed to get the 60 votes needed. While all Democrats and one independent tried to bring the bill to the Senate floor (including both Senators Clinton and Obama), only 6 Republicans voted to do so. John McCain didn't vote.

Find out how your Senator voted on the CLUW website. Democrats might try again, and CLUW urges voters to "let your Senators know that you are paying attention to these key votes."

 

Building a Home for Organizers

June 29 - July 2: NOA Gathering VI

"These times require that our campaigns amount to something larger than the goals of a particular issue. Campaigns should build the infrastructure to support a broader movement and provide a home for organizers to learn, to love, and to grow as human beings. . ."

With that goal in mind, the National Organizers' Alliance invites organizers to Gathering VI, held at the National labor College in Silver Springs, Md. Organizers will share insights and experiences from across the decades -- as far back as the historic year 1968 to the present-day -- with an eye to the future.

The NOA tells potential delegates to expect that : "you will have many discussions about every facet of organizing and wish you had more time. New music will reach you. You will see someone who you want to take aside and meet and grab a bit of their wisdom and swap your wise thoughts. You will see long time organizers sit with younger colleagues, together discussing the craft."

Gatherings started in '94 

The NAO held its first gathering in 1994 in Washington state. The founding ideas were that community and labor organizers who work for change need an association, that organizers are accountable to the communities and constituencies they serve, and that they need a safe space to share experiences and reflect on their work. While activities include music, art and film, NOA has shown the ability to welcome tough discussions as well.

NOA Gatherings provide a chance for members to roll out and test new ideas and try to model a new culture of organizing.

More information and registration is on the NOA web site, www. noacentral.org.

 

'Women's Ways of Organizing' project roundtable

Thurs. May 1, 6 - 8 p.m. in New York City

How do women workers organize? Are there particular tactics and strategies that are more effective? What are organizations doing to develop woman’s leadership on the ground?

Celebrate International Workers Day by attending the first (of four) roundtable discussions of the Women's Ways of Organizing project of Cornell University's ILR School. This first roundtable features organizers from the United Federation of Teacher's (UFT) and Home Based Child Care Worker's Campaign.

Each roundtable will feature an in-depth examination of one woman-centered organizing campaign.  The intent of the project is to develop new ideas and draw out new strategies and analysis in an effort to help unions increase their success in organizing.

When/Where:

Time: Thursday, May 1st (International Workers Day) from 6 - 8 p.m.
Place: 6th Floor, 16 East 34th Street,, NYC
RSVP: Contact Pam Whitefield (pw39@cornell.edu or 212-.340-2847)

 

Sisters on the Frontline forum in NYC May 15:

Organizing immigrant workers

Last December, just as workers at online grocer FreshDirect's Long Island, N.Y. warehouse were getting ready to vote on joining the Teamsters’ union (IBEW), the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) launched an audit of the workforce. More than 100 workers were fired or suspended or scared into leaving. When only about 500 of the warehouse's more than 900 workers voted, the union lost.

Looking back at FreshDirect campaign

On May 15, a panel of women leaders and experts will present and debate the outcome of that organizing drive, the implications of employer sanctions, and model labor/community organizing efforts. People who pre-register will get readings and background information. Women organizers, union elected officials, activists, scholars and students, policy decision makers, and interested individuals and organizations are all invited.

Speakers & sponsors

Speakers include Sandy Pope , President of IBEW Local 805, Joann Lo Enlace and Amy Sugimori of La Fuente, The New York Civic Participation Project.

This launches a series of “Sisters on the Frontline” forums highlighting the challenges and opportunities women face organizing workers in today’s global economy and culture. It’s sponsored by Cornell University, Institute for Women & Work, ILR School, in collaboration With Cornell programs in New York City and The Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies, CUNY.

Time, place & registration

Time: Thursday, May 15, 2008 5:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Place: Cornell Conference Center, 6th Floor, 16 East 34th Street
Registration: Please email jp326@cornell.edu or call Jo-Ann Perkins @ (212) 340-2867 no later than May 13.

 

In 1000 U.S. counties

Life expectancy for women drops for first time since 1918

For the first time since the flu epidemic of 1918, life expectancy is falling for large numbers of American women.

In 1,000 counties across the U.S., where one out of eight American women live, they can expect to live fewer years than in the early 1980s, reveals a prestigious study published on April 22 in the journal PLoS Medicine, a publication of the Public Library of Science. That's a turnaround from the 1961 to 1983 years, when no county in the nation saw a drop in life expectancy..

The steepest recent drops in life expectancy -- with an average loss of 1.3 years for women -- happened in 180 counties. Yet men suffered comparable drops in just 11 counties. The decline was the worst in low-income and rural areas of the Deep South and Lower Midwest.

If you include counties where life expectancy rose only slightly, nearly 1 in 5 American women can no longer expect to live longer than past generations.

"I think this is a harbinger," warned Christopher J.L. Murray, a physician at the University of Washington who led the study. "This is not going to be isolated to this set of counties, is my guess."

What happened?

The study blames high blood pressure, poor diets, lack of exercise, and smoking -- and poverty is clearly a culprit in such lifestyles.

Other government research confirms "large and growing" disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans. While in 1980-82, the richest Americans could expect to live 2.8 years longer than the most deprived group (75.8 versus 73 years), by 1998-2000, the gap in life expectancy had grown to 4.5 years (79.2 versus 74.7 years), and it continues to grow. The loss of good union jobs has fueled that inequality.

 

National Women's Health Week is May 11-17

A chance to raise health concerns in union campaigns

Helping women get better access to health resources is one of the many ways that unions can show their value to prospective members. The Coalition of Labor Union Women encourages women unionists to celebrate National Women's Health Week with these ideas:

• Write articles for union and community papers and web sites and show the union's involvement with health and wellness.
• Publicize web health resources linked to on the CLUW web site, CLUW’s Cervical Cancer Prevention Works, and My Health Test Reminder.
• Put on a health fair or hold a health seminar.
• Bring in speakers on health to meetings, including community meetings.
• Sponsor a wellness walk

If you do sponsor an event, be sure to add it to the national calendar of events for Women's Health Week. The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, which sponsors the health week, offers more information about observing it . 

Promote Monday, May 12, National Women’s Check-Up Day

Ways that you and other women can participate in Women's Check-Up Day:

• Contact your health care provider or participating provider to schedule check-ups and screening services on National Women's Check-up Day.
• During the check-up, encourage women to discuss with health care professionals which of the tests are right for them, when they should have them, and how often.
• Prepare for check-ups with "A Checklist for Your Next Check-up," developed by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

See also: How health issues can help organize women

 

D.C. security guards win 4-year campaign with SEIU, get contract

First union win for private D.C. security guards

32BJ President Mike Fishman joined D.C. security officers and city council members to announce the historic victory.

www.seiu32bj.org

SEIU won a contract in April with big gains for about 1,500 security guards working in Washington D.C. office buildings. The agreemen was signed with Admiral Security, AlliedBarton, Guardsmark and Secritas, and is the first union contract for private security guards working in commercial buildings in the District. It covers around three out of four office building security guard workers.

The security guards will earn at least $12.40 per hour, with raises for higher paid workers, and all full-time guards will get company-paid health insurance. Even part-time officers will get family employer-paid benefits such as prescription drugs, dental care, vision care and life insurance.

A new law set minimum wage for security workers

The agreement caps a four-year organizing effort by SEIU Local 32BJ, which represents more than 100,000 workers in six states. The union had succeeded in getting the D.C. Council to pass a law setting the minimum wage for security workers at $11.51 per hour and benefits at $3.16 per hour. The law went into effect the same day as the contract, and gave the union extra leverage in its negotiations.

"By requiring fair wages, we are taking an important step to address our City's staggering poverty rate," council member Phil Mendelson (D), the lead sponsor of the act, said in a statement. Even Todd Carroll, a senior vice president with Admiral Security Services, agreed that "it is good for the industry. There are a lot of companies that don't give the wages and benefits they should to their officers."

See personal story in Huffington Post by Raquel Mack, a single mom who's one of the security guards who organized.

 

Nurses rallied at the state capitol

NLRB tells Detroit Medical Center: Stop anti-union actions against nurses!

Detroit leaders call on DMC to honor nurses' right to choose

Clergy and other Detroit-area leaders joined a rally at two Detroit Medical Center hospitals on April 24 to support the right of nearly 2,000 Registered Nurses to be represented by the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA). They hailed a new pact with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) requiring the hospitals, which had claimed to be neutral, to stop harassing and intimidating nurses who want to unionize. 

DMC, one of Detroit’s biggest employers, agreed to cease and desist anti-union activities. It has to post notices pledging to behave and affirming the rights of nurses to form a union. Nurses who were disciplined for union activities will have those charges expunged from their personnel records.

Community backs nurses' call for better patient care

Nurses have won community support partly because one of their main issues is the quality of care. "We work at DMC because we believe it’s the best hospital to serve the Detroit community. We want a voice in the decision making process that affects patient care and our practice," says the association on its web site.

Carol Stark, who recently rallied in front of Harper University Hospital with other nurses, told the media that in her more than 30 years at the DMC, she has served on committee after committee to improve patient care and have her voice be heard. "I've gotten nowhere," she said.

Community leaders are also appalled that DMC diverted public funds away from patient care to hire the anti union consultant, IRI. Hospital CEO Mike Duggan has also threatened to use a National Labor Relations Board decision that allows the company to thwart organizing by categorizing the nurses as supervisors.

In October, Auto workers rallied en masse to support the nurses and protest unfair tactics by the hospital, and later that month community leaders joined nurses in a candle light vigil for patient care . In December, Jobs with Justice joined a nurse rally to celebrate International Human Rights Day and call on DMC to sign a Fair Election Agreement. And more than 30 leading clergy in the Metro Detroit Area signed an Open Letter to the DMC and delivered it as a delegation in February.

The Michigan Nurses Association is part of United American Nurses, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. In Michigan, about one in four employed RN's are represented by unions.

 

On Equal Pay Day, a reminder:

Unions help close pay gap

Excerpted from article in South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com by Mary Beth Maxwell

With the observance of Equal Pay Day on April 24, we mark how far into each year a woman must work to earn as much as a man did in the previous year. Recent wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not give cause for celebration.

Mary Beth Maxwell

In 2007, women earned only 80 cents for every dollar a man earned. This pay gap was substantially greater for minorities, with African-American women making only 70 cents and Hispanic women making only 62 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.

Although women can't always rely on their employer to give them equal pay for an equal day's work, they can count on union representation to help close the gap. That's a dirty little secret most employers don't want their workers to know — just ask educators at the Ithaca City School District in Ithaca, N.Y.

Teaching aides & assistants got 50% raise

In 2002, hundreds of teaching assistants and teacher aides, 90 percent of them female, had a starting pay of only $6.72 an hour. Putting pressure on the school district to end these poverty wages, the educators organized a union and bargained a contract, receiving a 50 percent raise in starting salary to $10.05 an hour. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' most recent data indicates that when women are members of unions, they make the same pay as men who are not, a clear indication of the benefits unions can provide in helping improve the financial security of women.

At a time when union membership presents us with a chance to narrow the wage gap and move toward greater equality, passage of the Employee Free Choice Act is vital. Set to be reintroduced in Congress next year, the bill will give workers a more direct path to freely and fairly form a union if they so choose...

Union retail workers get 31% more & twice the benefits

The wages of many working women have already improved thanks to union membership, but even more women stand to gain ground if this proposal is passed. For example, in the retail food industry, union members earn 31 percent more than non-union employees. Overall, the employer contribution to health insurance premiums and pension coverage is more than twice as high for union members as for non-union members.. . .

As the cost of rent, gas, health care and other necessities continues to rise, women who often are the sole breadwinners for their families can't afford another stalemate of this critical bill in Congress next year.

Mary Beth Maxwell is executive director of American Rights at Work.
Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Click to read full article.

 

CWA & German union launch new union to organize T-Mobile

Taken from PAI articles

The Communications Workers and Germany’s biggest union established a jointly run trans-Atlantic group—a separate union called T Union. Billed as the first U.S.-European union, its goal is to organize and represent T-Mobile workers.

T-Mobile, the third-largest U.S. cell phone company, is aggressively anti-union. But its German parent firm, Deutsche Telekom, is unionized and, by law, has unionists on its board who can exert influence for the U.S. organizing drive.

“Through this new union, we will contribute to working conditions for workers in both countries,” said  Lothar Schroder, chief of ver.di’s telecommunications sector, in a joint announcement on April 3 with CWA President Larry Cohen. “Management must get used to the idea that we are representing the interests not only of German workers but of American workers as well. This is the right response to globalization.”

 

5000 Los Angeles workers joined 28-mile march for union rights

Taken from WIN radio news service

Union actor Anthony Cistaro participated in the event.

Janitors, iron workers, teachers, healthcare workers, and actors recently took part in "Hollywood to the Docks" a 28-mile walk from South LA to the Port of Los Angeles. More than 5000 union members and supporters took part in the march.

The goal was to highlight the contract negotiations about to start for more than 350,000 Los Angeles County workers, spanning 300 local unions. The three-day series of events was also part of a citywide effort to strengthen ties among workers and garner support from the community for unionization.

"The efforts that the labor unions have made in raising their own working conditions help working conditions for everybody," said actor Anthony Cistaro.

This year, say organizers, over 30,000 workers will continue their struggle to join a union.

 

Library workers & union: mutual Appreciation Day

Photo by Angel Clark from UNION CITY

During National Library Week this year, Tuesday, April 15 was declared Library of Congress Staff Appreciation Day by the two locals representing those workers, AFSCME Locals 2477 and 2910.

As communities across the nation honored the contributions of the people who make libraries happen, the union locals set up tables during lunchtime, distributed "fun tokens of appreciation," and held a free raffle. Non-members who joined the Employees Union or the Guild received an instant $50 cash rebate on their dues.

The appreciation was mutual: the unions signed up 22 new members.

 

AFT shows film 'Women Organize!'

Videos by & about women available from 'Women Make Movies'

As part of the D.C. Labor FilmFest, the American Federation of Teachers recently screened a 30-minute video billed as an inspirational portrayal of "women organizers across the U.S. who are involved in the global struggles for racial, social, and economic justice." It shows five women organizers and explores the diverse campaigns they wage.

This one of many films available on the "Women make Movies" web site. Click here for more commentary and ordering information.