BREAKING NEWS: The National Labor Relations Board Doing Its Job: GOP Upset

by Russell Bannan

The National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Boeing for violating sections of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).   In its complaint, the board said that Boeing’s decision to move a production line to South Carolina was illegal retaliation against union workers for a previous strike and would discourage employees from striking again in the future (employees went out on a 58-day strike in 2008 over a contract dispute).

The board explained that Boeing officials had clearly, in both interoffice communications and in a news interview, stated that the move to South Carolina was to avoid potential work stoppages.  According to the NLRA, it is illegal for employers to retaliate against workers for striking or for engaging in protected concerted activity.

The GOP quickly began defending the corporation by verbally attacking the board for holding Boeing accountable to the law.  South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley stated several times that the board is “bullying” employers. “The administration, I believe, is acting like thugs that you might see in a third-world country, trying to bully and intimidate employers,” stated Senator Jim Demint (dictionary.com defines “bully” as “a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates”).

Also now Senator Lindsey Graham is threatening to defund the NLRB.  Why? He doesn’t agree with the board’s complaint against Boeing.  Sen. Graham’s threat to defund the board would be like someone threatening to defund the Supreme Court because they did not agree with a decision made.  South Carolina politicians have a history of staging flamboyant political theatre when they do not get their way.¹

The GOP’s recent bullying has made one thing crystal clear:  they will stand to defend corporations; not working people.

¹ Senator Strom Thurmond has the record for the longest filibuster, speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes in a failed effort to stop the Civil Rights Act of 1957. More recently Joe Wilson continued the tradition by yelling “You Lie!” at President Obama.

The title for this article came from the Mario Solis-Marich show in the interview below.
Listen to AM 760's Mario Solis-Marich interview with Russell Bannan about the GOP's attack on the NLRB

Wisconsin: The Implications

by Russell Bannan

originally published in the Colorado Labor Advocate

Wisconsin public sector unions face a sobering truth after nine weeks of over 100,000 activists in the streets --- no contracts.

Wisconsin Republicans with the leadership of Governor Scott Walker railroaded through the “budget repair” bill on March 9, which will strip many public sector unions of almost all of their collective bargaining rights.  Although it is currently tied up in the legal process many expect the bill to eventually take effect.

This may seem like a statement we should be depressed about, but it is not.  It is a statement we should be proud of.  Out of the nine week struggle came forth a realization that all of us, together, must fight back.  Out of the nine week struggle rose up unprecedented solidarity across the country speaking out loud enough that a sleeping giant awoke---the labor movement.

The implications of what has already taken place in Wisconsin are now being felt across the country. Governors are using the budget crisis to justify cutting resources to public programs and blaming teachers, firefighters, and nurses who exercise their right to collectively speak together to advocate for safety and economic democracy as the problem.  Why? Politicians receive financial contributions from the same individuals and corporations that are not contributing to the community by paying their fair share in taxes.

Dennis Kucinich, U.S. representative from Ohio, stated it best at a rally in Wisconsin:

This attack on our workers, this attack in Washington on working people that results in wealth being accelerated to the top, that results in tax cuts going to the rich, that results in energy policy turned over to the oil companies, that results in defense policy turned over to the arms manufacturers, that results in endless war, that results in the National security State, it's all a part of the same thing, and it's up to us to FIGHT BACK!

So now working people are being asked to bear the budget on their backs. The question is: Will we?

Over 40 Actions Across the U.S. target Rite Aid

40+ nationwide events – including one in Denver – target Rite Aid drugstores on Wed. for “corporate greed” & employee disrespect

Zack Mischo, Colorado JWJ activist, with concerned

community members outside

of Rite Aid in

Denver.

Rite Aid workers, union activists and community supporters mobilized for a national "Day of Action" on Wednesday, December 15th that focused attention on the company's culture of corporate greed and disrespect for workers’ rights.

Colorado Jobs with Justice Activists took to the streets outside a Rite Aid on the 16^th Street Mall in downtown Denver as a part of a National Day of Action for Dignity & Respect against Rite Aid’s “corporate greed” & employee disrespect. Dozens of other events took place at Rite Aid stores in California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia. Support actions by 500 employees inside the company’s giant Southwest Regional Distribution Center in Lancaster, CA also took place on Wednesday.

"Rite Aid management is driving this company in the wrong direction," said Craig Merrilees, spokesperson for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union that is helping 500 Rite Aid warehouse workers in Lancaster, CA win their fight for respect and a union contract. “Rite Aid executives are taking millions of dollars for themselves – then telling employees to pay for management’s mistakes by gouging workers for health insurance. This kind of corporate greed is wrong; it’s ruining Rite Aid and wrecking America. Citizens across the country are volunteering to help Rite Aid workers stand up and fight back against corporate greed."

“If you can’t get a decent salary and affordable benefits for hard working families, wherever it may be, and if you can’t go to work with the dignity you are due as a human being…how in the hell do we ever expect to lift ourselves out of this [financial] crisis,” said Russell Bannan, activist with Colorado Jobs with Justice, who helped organize the event in Colorado. “In this community, we are saying this type of behavior is unacceptable and it is time Rite Aid is held accountable.”

The nationwide actions are being sparked by a rash of poor decisions by Rite Aid officials across the country:

• In Cleveland, OH, executives are trying to dramatically increase employee health care costs. The company announced plans to impose higher costs on Jan. 1 that could possibly lead to a strike.

• In Lancaster, CA, Rite Aid executives stalled talks with 500 warehouse employees for nearly two years. Now officials are proposing to gouge employees by "marking-up" the cost of health insurance 28 times over the increases charged by insurers.

• In Rome, NY, Rite Aid is closing a distribution facility that pays family-sustaining wages and benefits and provides workers with a voice on the job. Work is being shifted to a nearby location that pays low wages with few benefits and no job rights.

• In Pennsylvania, thousands of Rite Aid workers are trying to reach a fair settlement.

The December 15 "National Day of Action" was organized by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the AFL-CIO, Jobs with Justice and United Students Against Sweatshops.

For a complete list of the actions taking place nationwide on Dec. 15, please contact Amy Willis at 415-517-4958 amy.willis@ilwu.org # # #

Denver supporters of Philadelphia Longshoremen and City Council members send message on Nov. 22:

"Del Monte is undermining the fundamental pillars of the work force in America!"

-November 23, 2010

On Monday evening, in a show of support and solidarity for 200 longshoremen from the Port of Philadelphia, community, clergy and labor advocates in Colorado met as a delegation in front of the Denver City and County Building to pressure City Council to take a stand against global giant Del Monte’s decision to cut over 200 good paying, quality jobs.

“When you have corporate aggression of this type that strips out a families abilities to provide for their children, not only do we have the immediate destabilization of families, but this has long term ripple effects in our communities,” stated Denver School Board Director Andrea Merida. “When we do not set up our children to be successful then we are weakening our democracy.”

Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez met the delegation outside in 28-degree weather and stated, “It’s a cold day and a cold night but this is an action of solidarity. We are here because what Del Monte is doing is undermining the fundamental pillars of the work force in America. They are taking us back to the 1920s.”

Councilman Lopez continued, “I personally will boycott Del Monte products until this issue is resolved and in a few moments we will be getting signatures from Denver City Council on a letter to the head of Del Monte.”

The delegation was part of a Nov. 22 National Day of Action called by the Friends and Families of International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Local 1291 in response to the Del Monte Fresh Produce cut of over 200 union jobs at the Port of Philadelphia. The corporation did this after demanding and getting over $5 million dollars in wage and other benefit concessions from the local union.

“In Philadelphia this morning, hundreds came out in the streets and blocked traffic including the 3-year old daughter of one of the longshoremen that lost his job. She was wearing a sign that read, “Del Monte ruined my Christmas,” said Russell Bannan with the American Federation of Teachers in Colorado. "The reality is Del Monte also ruined her college education and her father’s ability to provide a future for his family."