Hello everybody and welcome to Labor Diary Rescue. Diaries are below the fold.
As you guys know, this is DK Greenroots week and I've been asked to show the alliances between labor and environmental groups. Tonight's group is The Apollo Alliance.
The Apollo Alliance, like the Blue Green Alliance, is a group of unions and environmentalists to create new advances in clean energy. From their website:
The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs. Inspired by the Apollo space program, we promote investments in energy efficiency, clean power, mass transit, next-generation vehicles, and emerging technology, as well as in education and training. Working together, we will reduce carbon emissions and oil imports, spur domestic job growth, and position America to thrive in the 21st century economy.
Now, onto the diaries.....
The LDR is done every Monday and Thursday evening, barring a bad internet connection, my insane work schedule, or what my union contract refers to as "Acts of God". In order to get rescued, you must have a pro-union diary with less than one hundred comments, have the words "union" or "labor" in the tag line, and not have made the rec list or any front page diary rescue.
Rjones2818 writes about the corporate media doing what they do best when it comes to reporting on unions in What is behind the media’s venomous attack on striking Toronto city workers.
The only way to fight the bosses, the bankster frauds and the oligarchs is to stand together and fight them through united labor action. Solidarity is the key to standing up to the bosses. We've seen this time and time again. When workers stand together, they help make for better working conditions and fairer wages for their fellow workers. When they knuckle under to the bosses, their wages get cut and their workload increases. Learn this lesson. Stand in solidarity with the workers in Toronto and wherever strikes about takebacks are occurring.
Canada really has gotten anti-labor all of a sudden. Our second diary on the subject details Wal-Mart successfully busting another union in Canadian court rescinds Weyburn Wal-Mart workers' union certification
Workers in Saskatchewan, Canada first voted for union representation over four years ago, and Wal-Mart stalled and threw up every road block they could to keep the workers from getting a fair deal. And now, a Canadian judge has essentially ruled that because labor laws have changed since the Weyburn Wal-Mart workers legally won union representation, these workers are no longer represented by a union. According to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, the UFCW applied for union certification in 2004 after a majority of workers in the proposed bargaining unit signed union cards. A vote by secret ballot was not required under labor laws in effect at that time. Changes to provincial labor law implemented in May 2008 now require a vote by secret ballot to certify a union--and Justice Peter Foley ruled this past week that the labor relations board erred in certifying the union at the Wayburn Wal-Mart.
All union workers get demonized by asshole right-wingers. That is the way it is. It doesn't matter if you're a firefighter, auto worker, or school-teacher. Dougbob shows the latest example of this in San Diego Newspaper Lists City Employee Salaries
The San Diego daily newspaper makes no bones about its position on labor unions and public employees. A casual reading of the Union Tribune will reveal an anti-union bias that harks back to the early days of the trade union movement.
This week the paper has been presenting a "special three part Watchdog Report" about city employees in San Diego. Never mind that the report’s numbers are skewed by the fact that the reporters chose to use a Calendar year in stead of the City’s fiscal year to make their comparisons. Or that city employees received pay in 2007 and 2008 resulting from labor disputes in previous years.
TomP writes about the need to end the dispute between Workers United and UNITE-HERE in Workers: Dispute Between Unions Is Harming Us.
Several labor leaders have asked the unions to submit to binding arbitration if they cannot find a settlement. They include George Tedeschi, President, Graphic Communications Conference/IBT, President Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers, UAW President Ron Gettlefinger and James Clancy, President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).
Speaking of Workers United, their union helped save over three thousand jobs at a suit factory in Chicago. Two diaries have been written on it by Elana Levin.
The first is Celebrating the Workers of Hartmarx
The workers are the real heroes in this story. They persevered through trying times and in a climate where too often they are left behind.
But we also need to thank several other folks who instrumental in this story.
First, our own Progress Illinois who has been tirelessly covering this story.
Second, the SEIU Illinois State Council and Workers United unions fought to make sure the voices of the workers of Hartmarx were heard loud and clear.
Finally, we cannot forget the efforts of my friends Congressman Phil Hare and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
Without their leadership, we wouldn't be able to share the good news reported today in Chicago.
The second diary is Workers United Saves Three Thousand Five Hundred Jobs
Determined to protect good, North American manufacturing jobs, Hart Schaffner & Marx employees and labor activists fought for and saved the suit maker's factories from threats of liquidation by TARP infused creditor Wells Fargo.
If you are interested in environmental issues, please join DK GreenRoots, a new environmental advocacy group created by Meteor Blades. DK GreenRoots is comprised of bloggers at Daily Kos and eco-advocates from other sites. We focus on a broad range of issues. We alert each other to important eco-stories in the mainstream media and on the Internet, promote bloggers at one site to readers at other sites and discuss crucial eco-issues. We are in exciting times now because for the first time in years, significant environmental legislation will be passed by Congress. DK GreenRoots can also be used to apprise members of discussions and strategy sessions happening in Meteor Blade’s Green Diary Rescue thread, which is also our workroom. |
Schedule for DK GreenRoots - yesterday, today and tomorrow
All listed times are PDT. Full week’s schedule can be found here.
Thursday July 2:
11 am: My Lake has Singing Sands by Muskegon Critic
3 pm: Poverty Near the "High Hazard" Coal Ash Sites by Bruce Nilles
5 pm: boatsie on social networking
7 pm: rb137 on blood minerals
9 pm: Jill Richardson on food
afternoon/evening: Meteor Blades (whenever he’s ready)
Thursday Series:
Morning Feature: Wolves and Predators by NCrissieB
Labor Diary Rescue by djtyg
Considered Forthwith by Casual Wednesday
Thursday Night Health Care by TheFatLadySings
Top Comments by Elise
Write On! by SensibleShoes
Overnight News Digest by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
Green Diary Rescue by Meteor Blades
Friday July 3:
9am: Turkana on beef (and more)
11 am: Meteor Blades
3 pm: TXsharon
7 pm: Spirit of Brash Optimism by Land of Enchantment
Friday Series:
Morning Feature by NCrissieB
Mojo Friday by rbutters
Frugal Fridays by sarahnity
Friday Night at the Movies by Land of Enchantment
Overnight News Digest by Oke
Green Diary Rescue by Meteor Blades
Plus there'll be music on environmental themes in jotter's High Impact Diaries every morning, along with schedule updates. We can make more slots as needed - anyone who has an environmentally-related story they want to post this week, we’ll create a place on the schedule for you.