ECONOMIC NOTES: NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCHASSOCIATION
ECONOMIC NOTES: NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org or http://www.lraonline.org April 25, 2002 Commentary Corporations Profiting From Dead Employees. Where Will It End? (Apr. 24, 2002) How much are you really worth to your employer? The answer to that question may depend on whether you're alive or dead. http://www.lraonline.org/story.php?id=191 Organizing Neutrality, Card-Check Agreements With Cingular Yield Victories for Communications Workers Union (Apr. 23, 2002) Supported by neutrality and card-check agreements, nearly 4,000 workers at cellular-technology provider Cingular Wireless have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in the last four months. http://www.lraonline.org/story.php?id=189 Campaigns Hundreds Rally in New York City for Justice at Coca-Cola (Apr. 17, 2002) Hundreds of union members, human rights activists, and others joined Teamsters General President James Hoffa at a rally in New York City today to demand justice for Coca-Cola workers around the world. http://www.lraonline.org/story.php?id=188 LABOR NEWS Visit LRA Online ( http://www.lraonline.org ) to find links to the latest labor news from around the nation. Stories this week include: New York City Transit Workers Rally in Manhattan - Newsday (Apr. 25, 2002) Hershey Workers Reject Arbitration, Strike Seen Likely - Dow Jones (Apr. 25, 2002) Canadian Labor Leader Predicts Tough Auto Talks - Reuters (Apr. 25, 2002) Investor Activism in Unions Rises - AP (Apr. 25, 2002) Income Gap Widens Between Rich and Poor in 5 States and Narrows in 1 - New York Times (Apr. 24, 2002) Ramp Workers, United Near Settlement - AP (Apr. 23, 2002) Yale, Worker Relations Fraying - Hartford Courant (Apr. 23, 2002) Thousands of unemployed New York workers not qualifying for Sept. 11 charities - AP (Apr. 23, 2002) United Airlines Labor Talks Resume - Reuters (Apr. 22, 2002) AFL-CIO Files Lawsuit Against Campaign Finance Law - AP (Apr. 22, 2002) Employers Test Ruling on Immigrants - Los Angeles Times (Apr. 22, 2002) Politics of Pension Reform: Workers Like 401(k)'s, but Do They Understand the Risks? - Orlando Sentinel (Apr. 21, 2002) Starbucks Settles Suit on Overtime - Los Angeles Times (Apr. 20, 2002) LABOR EVENT Workersí Memorial Day 2002: ìMourn for the Dead, Fight for the Livingî The annual Workersí Memorial Day commemoration will take place on Friday, April 26, 2002 in lower Manhattan. This yearís events will honor the workers killed on September 11 and all workers who have died as a result of workplace injuries and illnesses, but it will also highlight the fight for the living ñ a continued push for safe and healthy workplaces and the freedom to organize a union. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am at Trinity Church near the World Trade Center, followed by a procession to the WTC. At the WTC site, the program will include a Minute of Silence at noon. Date: Friday, April 26 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Trinity Church Broadway/Wall St. For More Information: Jeff Hyman 212.604.9552 _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com http://www.lraphotography.com
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org or http://www.lraonline.org Jan. 29, 2002 Labor Law U.S. Appeals Court Upholds NLRB Decision on Illegal Videotaping of Union Activities (Feb 15, 2002) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld on February 4 a decision by the National Labor Relations Board finding that a company's restriction and videotaping of employees handing out union literature at the plant gates were an unfair labor practices. Report Employer Snooping: What Rights Do Workers Really Have? (Feb. 13, 2002) In the modern private-sector workplace, surveillance is quickly becoming the norm. Going to work is feeling more and more like 8-hours in a state penitentiary. And in most cases it's all legal. Unions, however, can help workers fight back and regain some degree of privacy and control on the job. >>Labor Headlines From Around the Web > Britain's Revived Labor Movement Is Spoiling for a Fight - New York Times (Feb. 15, 2002) http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/15/international/europe/15BRIT.html Steelworkers to Launch Drive for Tariffs on Foreign Steel Imports - The Patriot-News (Feb. 15, 2002) http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=printnews&doc_id=NR200202141180.3_7404000edac2e67f Debating the Future of 401(k) Pension Plans After Enron - San Francisco Chronicle ( Feb. 15, 2002) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/02/14/BU176564.DTL United, Union Ask Government Not to Intervene in Talks - Washington Post (Feb. 14, 2002) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7286-2002Feb13.html Unions Unleash Their Power in Florida Governor's Race - Miami Herald (Feb. 14, 2002) http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=printnews&doc_id=NR20020280.3_3deb00812b8ce195 Court Overturns NLRB's Bargaining Orders Against Overnite, Despite Company's Labor Law Violations - Richmond Times-Dispatch (Feb. 14, 2002) http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=printnews&doc_id=NR200202121180.3_ba04000de33c99a3 Op-Ed: Health Insurance for All - Washington Post (Feb. 13, 2002) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60625-2002Feb11.html _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com =
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org or http://www.lraonline.org Jan. 29, 2002 Pensions Lack of Pension Coverage a Reality for More Than Half of U.S. Workers (Jan. 29, 2002) The Enron collapse starkly exposed the risks that workers face when their retirement plans are loaded with company stock, especially stock that has been inflated by illegal and deceptive accounting practices. But beyond Enron there is another pension crisis in America: the fact that the majority of workers in the United States are not covered by a pension. http://www.lraonline.org/story.php?id=95 Wages Workers' Real Wages Are Up, According to the Government. But That Does Not Mean Big Raises (Jan. 24, 2002) Although the recently announced 2.9% annual increase in real weekly earnings sounds like good news for American workers, it may mean just the opposite. As the economy slows to a recession, the lowest earning workers are laid off and those remaining in the labor force earn, on average, higher real wages. And for the hundreds of thousands of laid-off temps and other lower-wage workers, there are fewer benefits to help them stay afloat during a recession. http://www.lraonline.org/story.php?id=94 >>Labor Headlines From Around the Web > Oil Workers Union Begins Negotiations for New Contract - Beaumont Enterprise (Jan. 29, 2002) http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=printnews&doc_id=NR200201281180.3_37e0003043f11dc4 United Acts To Avert Strike But Outcome In Question - Airline Financial News (Jan. 29, 2002) http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=printnews&doc_id=NR200201291675.1.1_608800313ba60e68 UPS, Teamsters union to begin talks after quarterly earnings - Reuters (Jan. 29, 2002) http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/020128/n28149938_1.html Recession hitting young job seekers hard - USA Today (Jan. 28, 2002) http://www.usatoday.com/money/mlead.htm Immigrants in Las Vegas fighting for wages - Las Vegas Review-Journal (Jan. 27, 2002) http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jan-27-Sun-2002/news/17854166.html Enron Directors Shouldn't Serve on Other Boards, AFL-CIO Says - Bloomberg (Jan. 26, 2002) http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?mnu=news&ptitle=Technology%20UK&tp=ad_uknews&T=news_storypage99.ht&ad=uktechnology&s=APFHOJxUPRW5yb24g _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com ===
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org Nov. 15, 2001 Editorial 'Invisible Hand' Not a Solution; Laid-Off Workers Need More Protection (Nov. 15, 2001) In freshman economics classes, students learn that in a free-market economy such as the United States there is an "invisible hand" guiding how much gets produced, how much it costs, how much workers should get paid, etc. But when the economy starts to decline, and millions of workers lose their jobs, the invisible hand stops delivering. http://www.laborresearch.org/story.php?id=13 Photo Essay Workers at Ground Zero (Nov. 15, 2001) Since Sept. 11, LRA photographer Sam Hollenshead has focused on documenting the role of union members who are working hard to clear the rubble, recover the dead, and rebuild New York City. Sam has been down at Ground Zero photographing ironworkers, teamsters, laborers, operating engineers, firefighters, policeman Red Cross volunteers and others as they continue the work of recovery and rebuilding. The following photographs tell the story of Ground Zero as seen by Sam. http://www.lra-ny.com/wtcweb/wtc.index.html **ANNOUNCEMENT** A Cornell University Union Leadership Series Workshop Developing A Web Page for Your Local Union Thursday and Friday, December 6 - 7///9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Location: FISC/Cornell Theory Center, 55 Broad Street (at Beaver Street), 3rd floor, Manhattan (The Cornell Theory Center is a state-of-the-art computer training facility in lower Manhattan.) Workshop Fee: $250. (includes breakfast, lunch and all workshop materials) Overview: As working people gain Internet access, cyberspace is becoming a fast way to reach union members. Effective union web sites inform union members about meetings, contract issues, and health and safety concerns; promote the ìunion messageî; approach and attract potential new members; and build solidarity. You donít need a huge budget to build a web site for your local union. This workshop will focus on the hands-on skills you need to set it up. What You Will Learn: Elements of a successful web page Creating a union web page using moderately-priced software Using web toolsñgraphics, tables, colors, hyperlinks and moreñto get your message out Basic rules for web-page design and web-site navigation Publishing your web page to the World Wide Web Who Will Benefit? Who Should Attend? Union staff and officers who want hands-on training Prerequisites: This is a basic hands-on workshop. Students must know how to use an Internet browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator). Instructors: Donna Schulman directs the Cornell ILR Schoolís Lenz Library in NYC, is a NE Union Womenís Summer Institute faculty member, and has taught many seminars on using the Internet. Ron Bigler is a website developer for the New York City-based Labor Research Association, a non-profit labor union advocacy organization. Please make check payable to ìCornell-ILR Schoolî and mail with this form to: Gene Carroll, Union Leadership Workshop Series, 16 East 34th Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10016. To register by phone and pay at the door call 212-340-2853, or fax this form to 340-2822, or send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com =
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org Oct. 25, 2001 Trade and the Global Economy As the U.S. government wages a global war on terrorism, the global assault on workers' rights and the environment continues (Oct. 25, 2001) The Bush administration and corporate elites are hoping to push ahead with a trade agenda that will lead to job losses at home and further weaken labor and environmental standards around the world. Unions and other opponents of the corporate trade agenda, however, are fighting hard to defeat them. http://www.laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?fastrack_jobs.txt Report U.S. Businesses Exploiting Cheap Labor Imported Under State Department Cultural Exchange Visa Program (Oct. 24, 2001) There's nothing surprising about a company desiring cheap labor. The goal of any business is to cut costs and increase profits. And employers typically complain that labor is one of the biggest expenses, so they're always looking for ways to pay workers less. That's why a Houston-based non-union electrical contractor, Integrated Electrical Services (IES), must have been excited to learn about USA International Training (USA-IT), a Maryland-based international staffing and personnel management company advertising highly-skilled, hardworking foreign electricians for $15 per hour. But as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) found out, these foreign electricians were being exploited under a US cultural exchange program that was being used as a pipeline for importing cheap labor. http://www.laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?j1abuse.txt = A Cornell University-ILR School Breakfast Round Table for Union Officers, Staff, Stewards, Organizers and Activists: "The New Faces of American Workers and the Future of Organized Labor" Friday, November 9 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Cornell ILR School 16 East 34th Street, NYC cost: $10.00 (Make checks payable to "Cornell-ILR School." Includes coffee, tea, juice and bagels.) Please join us to explore the ramifications of the demographic trends revealed by our nation's latest census. What does the census data tell us about the current and future shape of the American political and economic landscape? What are the repercussions for organized laborÌs drive to rebuild, revitalize and attract new members? The forum will be organized around a panel comprised of three presenters: 1. Maria Echaveste will speak on Immigration Policy Today. Maria is a former Clinton Administration Deputy White House Chief of Staff and Director of the U.S. Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division. 2. Juan Gonzalez will address The Latino Upsurge. Juan is a longtime New York DAILY NEWS columnist, the author of several books and a labor and community social justice activist who chairs the NEWS' Newspaper Guild unit. 3. Greg Tarpinian will discuss The Makeup of Today's Working Class. Greg is the Executive Director of the New York City-based Labor Research Association. Please RSVP to 212-340-2856 or to [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org Sep. 24, 2001 Hotel Workers' Union Facing Massive Layoffs; Seeks Relief Package (Sep. 24, 2001) With U.S. airlines having laid off nearly 100,000 workers following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, hotels that rely on air-traveling tourists to fill rooms are now laying off thousands of workers. Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) President John Wilhelm has said that up to half of his union's 265,000 members could face layoffs as a result of the dramatic drop in air travel and tourism in the aftermath of the attacks. Full Story: http://laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?hotels.txt _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com =
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org Sep. 17, 2001 As the nation comes to terms with the horrendous events that took place on September 11, one of the areas that is falling under intense scrutiny is airport security. What has been clear to experts for a long time is that the private airline industry has not taken airport security seriously. This summer LRA's Howard Padwa researched the private security industry. Our focus was on how an industry that is supposed to protect lives and guarantee public safety was being run like a fast food chain: low wages, high turnover, and little training. What follows is his report, written before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. >>What's Wrong With the "Security" Industry in the U.S. (Sep 17, 2001) By Howard Padwa While the U.S. economy was booming in the 1990's and dot-com mania was creating the illusions of new wealth, other parts of the low-wage economy were experiencing high rates of growth. One such industry that has exploded in recent years is private security. There are an estimated one million to two million workers in some 13,000 private security companies today, and some say that there are twice as many private security workers as police officers. The number of workers in the industry has grown nearly 20% in the last ten years, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it will increase another 21-35% by 2008 as companies beef up security to allay fears of crime, vandalism, and terrorism. These guards, however, are not policemen. Instead, they are uniformed watchmen, usually unarmed, who patrol airports, shopping malls, private businesses, and college campuses. As companies downsize, they often have their security personnel -- typically provided by third-party contractors -- perform two jobs at once. These "guards" also double as receptionists or customer service workers. Even the government, in efforts to cut costs, sometimes subcontracts security in prisons and federal buildings to private security companies. http://laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?security.txt Copyright © 2001, Labor Research Association
ECONOMIC NOTES
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org Sep. 09, 2001 Unions Have the Resources for Growth in Major Metropolitan Areas (Sep. 9, 2001) As U.S. labor unions confront the challenge of renewing strength in the face of declining union density and rapidly growing non-union industries, one of the keys to their future success will be the leveraging of existing members and resources to organize new members. And that means the logical starting place is where unions continue to have higher density, greater market share, and real political clout. http://laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?metro_density.txt Broad Coalition Unites to Abolish Sweatshops (Sep. 6, 2001) A coalition of anti-sweatshop groups have launched an unprecedented international campaign to support workers' struggles for improved wages and working conditions in garment factories around the world. The "Behind-the-Label" campaign is the first to bring together anti-sweatshop activists from every corner of society, including labor organizations, religious communities, college campuses, and civil rights groups. http://laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?behind.txt Union Busting Watch New LRA Online Feature Keeps Tabs on Union Campaigns Against Employers Who Trample Workers' Rights (Sep. 06, 2001) Read the latest news on flight attendants challenging union busting at Delta Airlines, plus other news and reports about workers' battles to win unions in the workplace. http://laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?unionbust1.txt Copyright © 2001, Labor Research Association Visit the LRA Consulting Web site at http://www.lraconsulting.com or call (212) 714-1677 to find out more about LRA's services. IF YOUR UNION OR ORGANIZATION HAS ANY NEWS OR INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE ECONOMIC NOTES TO COVER, LET US KNOW: http://www.laborresearch.org/contactlra.html TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE LRA LIST SERVE, SEND AN E-MAIL MESSAGE TO: [EMAIL PROTECTED] IN THE FIRST LINE OF THE MESSAGE TYPE: unsubscribe econotes NOTE: DO NOT USE ANY PUNCTUATION AND LEAVE THE SUBJECT LINE BLANK. ANY PROBLEMS, SEND A MESSAGE TO: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ ___ Labor Research Association 330 West 42nd St., 13th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 714-1677, Fax: (212) 714-1674 E-mail: Internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laborresearch.org http://www.lraconsulting.com =
Economic Notes
ECONOMIC NOTES NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION http://www.LaborResearch.org March 29, 2001 UNION TRENDS >>Number of Major Strikes Doubled in 2000 (Mar. 29, 2001) Rebounding from a record low in 1999, the number of strikes involving more than a 1,000 workers doubled last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In its annual strike activity report, the DOL recorded 39 work stoppages last year involving at least 1,000 workers, compared with only 17 in 1999. http://www.laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?strike00.txt WAGE TRENDS >>Real Wages on the Downswing Again (March 23, 2001) One thing the lords of the U.S. economy hate to see is workers getting bigger paychecks. Because higher wages cut into corporate profits. That's a major reason why Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan pushed up interest rates last year to slow the economy and loosen the tight labor market. Greenspan wanted to make sure that the people who produce the nation's wealth didn't get the idea that the economic boom should benefit them too. And as recent wage data from the Labor Department show, workers are getting what Greenspan orderedóa kick in the face. http://www.laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?real_wage.txt COURTING THE LABOR VOTE >>Democratic Candidates for New York City Mayor Jockey for Working Families Party's Support (March 20, 2001) What are you going to do for the millions of New York City residents who've been left behind during the city's lopsided boom? That was among the questions more than 1,000 supporters of the Working Families Party (WFP) put before the four Democratic mayoral candidates at a March 15 forum in New York City. http://www.laborresearch.org/dis.shtml?wfp.txt Copyright © 2001, Labor Research Association * Visit the LRA Consulting Web site at http://www.lraconsulting.com or call (212) 714-1677 to find out more about LRA's services. IF YOUR UNION OR ORGANIZATION HAS ANY NEWS OR INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE ECONOMIC NOTES TO COVER, LET US KNOW: http://www.laborresearch.org/contactlra.html
