Steward Training
December 16, 2009 by ed rosado
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many times there's a delay between
the time a new Shop Steward gets elected,
and his/her Steward's Training.
The University of North Texas
Labor Education Program
hosts this exhaustive website:
which covers a lot of territory;
readings, training,
negotiations, organizing,
and Trades.
in particular is the following helpful
Steward's Tutorial.
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"STEWARD TRAINING
Unions and the Grievance Procedure
Once unions are recognized as the representative of the workers and have successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement, they then have the responsibility to enforce the terms of that agreement. Over time, unions and employers have agreed in the contract to use a grievance procedure to settle disputes while the contract is in effect. Normally, this procedure involves several steps and ends in binding arbitration if the two sides are unable to resolve the problem at any of the steps in the grievance procedure."
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Support Your Dealers
June 27, 2009 by ed rosado
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Beginning two years ago, workers at Bally’s and Caesars voted to form the
UAW/AC Dealers Union. Now, these casinos are refusing to bargain fairly – either stalling contract talks or breaking the law by refusing to negotiate. And while workers saw their hours, wages and benefits cut, CEO Gary Loveman raised his own pay from $15 million in 2007 to $39 million in 2008.
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MLK assassinated April 4, 1968
April 4, 2009 by ed rosado
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Martin Luther King Jr.:
"Our needs are identical with labor's needs: Decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old-age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children, and respect in the community."
February 12th, 1968 saw Black Sanitation Workers
walk-off the job in Memphis Tennessee.
The strike which began as a discrimination grievance
by one of the workers quickly escalated into
a confrontation with the City which soon obtained an
injunction against picketing City property and
against striking the City.
on March 4th the Sanitation Workers were joined by
over 500 white Union Members on a march through Memphis.
tensions mounted. demonstrators were sprayed with mace and arrested.
the community was split, some supported the City,
others supported the Workers. and the strike dragged on.
it was into this hotbed of Labor Struggle that Dr. Martin Luther King
was called so that he could rally support for the unions.
and, Dr. King responded, he came to Memphis to speak
and to call attention to the worker's right to union recognition,
and to demand a just resolution of the strike.
it was while in support of Labor that on April 4th, 1968
that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
shortly after, the strike was settled. the City,
fearing more boycotts, and more violence, recognized the Union,
granted a pay raise,
accepted a dues check off as well as merit promotions.
today Labor remembers Dr. King,
a friend, champion, and martyr to the Cause.
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New York WARN Statute Became Effective Feb 1, 2009
March 5, 2009 by ed rosado
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New York WARN Statute Became Effective Feb 1, 2009
The New York State Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, S. 812, took effect on February 1.
This statute affords greater protections to employees than its federal counterpart. Specifically, it requires employers to provide 90 days' notice prior to a plant closing, mass layoff or relocation occurring on or after the effective date.
Notice must be provided to affected employees and their representatives, the state department of labor, and local workforce investment boards at least 90 days before the event.
Violations are enforceable by the commissioner of labor and are subject to civil penalties and back wages.
The federal statute only requires 60 days of plant closing notice.
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Giant says keep beans
February 24, 2009 by ed rosado
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By now we have all heard the news: Microsoft gave a lay-off to 14,000 of its workers in January 2009, and gave them severance pay.
Shortly afterward the company realized that because of a computer "glitch" workers had been overpaid on the order of $4,000.
So, what does it do?
Microsoft mails out letter to about 25 laid-off employees asking for the money back. Several letters hit the internet and go viral. A red-faced Microsoft changes direction and allows the workers to keep the "overpayment"
Meanwhile back in D.C. legislators have discovered H1-B visas.
In October the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) released a report showing rampant fraud in the H-1B visa program.
Eleven people in six states were detained suspected of H1-b visa fraud on February 11th.
Also an IT services company, Vision Systems Group, has been indicted on ten federal counts including conspiracy and mail fraud.
Amidst all the hoopla Microsoft seeks to distance itself from all the investigations and allegations of fraud, even as it lobbies for a doubling of the yearly cap on H1-b visas.
Yet the fact remains:
Microsoft was the U.S.-based company with the highest number of H1-B Visa Immigrant workers in 2008. How many exactly? Microsoft received approval for 1,037 visas.
Hmmm . . . bring in foreign workers then layoff American workers!
Absolutely no connection whatsoever we are reassured by Microsoft. :-)
Well, we have a suggestion for reassurance to Microsoft’s workers: unionize.
Don’t know where to begin?
Now it is time for them to join a union; this is one place to start as good as any:
WashTech/CWA was formed in 1998 by Microsoft contract employees in Redmond, Washington and quickly affiliated with the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA).
P.S. List of H-1B visa employers for 2008
Search and sort the database of employers who received approval for new H-1B visas
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