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News :: Labor |
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Labor Headlines 4-5-03 |
Current rating: 0 |
by Peter Miller
(No verified email address) |
05 Apr 2003
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Headlines broadcast during the Illinois Labor Hour, Saturdays at 11 am on WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign. War--ILO Statement, Privatization of War Profits Already Underway, AFL-CIO President Calls for Return of Ullico Profits, Home-Care Workers Rally at Capitol for Pay Raise, Unions Vie for Airline Mechanics, Donnelley to Settle Worker Discrimination Suits, Who's fighting the war? Not the rich... |
War--ILO Statement
On March 20, the United Nations' agency that promotes workers' rights issued a statement regarding the invasion of Iraq. The statement reads as follows:
The Workers' Group of the ILO Governing Body meeting in Geneva on Thursday 20th March deplores the decision to launch a war, thus putting an end to the diplomatic efforts made to resolve the multinational dispute with Iraq.
The Workers' Group of the ILO Governing Body comprises trade union leaders from all regions of the world who all believe in the basic ILO credo of Peace, democracy and social justice and are still convinced that such values cannot be promoted through war. The group considers that this war should be brought to an end as a matter of urgency.
The war will inevitably have severe economic and social consequences for Iraq itself and for the international community and will increase international instability, poverty and unemployment.
The Workers' Group considers that everything should be done to rebuild confidence in the authority of the UN and that reconstruction in Iraq should be undertaken under a United Nations mandate.
That the ILO must stand ready to assist in the rehabilitation and social reconstruction initiatives, which should follow the armed conflict. The Governing body should place all of its available resources into the effort to restore peace, to reduce human suffering, to reinfuse the human spirit and dignity of the affected Iraqi people.
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The International Labor Organization encourages UN member states to endorse a set of eight fundamental statements regarding forced labor, child labor, freedom of association, and discrimination. 87 countries have ratified all eight conventions. The United States is among six countries that have ratified two or less of the statements.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actrav/new/wg/warstatement.htm
http://webfusion.ilo.org/public/db/standards/normes/appl/appl-ratif8conv.cfm?Lang=EN
Privatization of War Profits Already Underway
The fighting is not completely over in the Iraqi city of Umm Qasr, but the Bush Administration is rushing ahead with plans to reopen that key Persian Gulf port. The Corporate Research Project reported that on Monday night, the U.S. Agency for International Development awarded an American company a $5 million contract to manage the seaport. The contractor chosen is Stevedoring Services of America, the Seattle-based port operator that played a leading role in the fall 2002 lockout of longshore workers up and down the west coast of the United States. George Bush threatened to use the US military as replacement workers in the ports before a contract settlement was reached. War planners believe that Umm Qasr is essential to the invasion of Iraq because food, medicine and other supplies can be delivered through the port. Stevedoring Services of America has never worked in a war zone before. The Corporate Research Project is following the privatization of the spoils of war, and their reports can be found at www.corp-research.org
http://www.corp-research.org/archives.htm
AFL-CIO President Calls for Return of Ullico Profits
On Thursday, the president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O, John J. Sweeney, called on the officers and directors of Ullico, the embattled union-owned insurance company, to return the more than $6 million in profits they made during insider trading Ullico stock. Sweeney made this recommendation the day after The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that a long-secret report prepared by a special counsel said many Ullico directors had violated their fiduciary duties and should give up their profits. Sweeney, who quit the board of Ullico last December because he was upset that the board was not dealing with the charges openly or honestly said, quote, "When the labor movement is fighting as never before to protect workers' retirement savings, Ullico must live up to the standards we ask others to meet," unquote. Ullico's lawyers issued a statement disagreeing with Sweeney's statement. Andrew L. Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, called for Ullico's top managers, including Mr. Georgine--the head of the AFL-CIO's building and construction trades department--to step down. Not only has Ullico been rocked by accusations of insider trading by its directors, but it also faces a financial crisis because of operating losses and because insurance rating companies have downgraded the company. Martin Maddaloni, president of the plumbers union, made $420,000 in pre-tax profits by trading Ullico stock. Maldoni said that Sweeney and Stern should stop speaking publicly about the problems at Ullico.
Home-Care Workers Rally at Capitol for Pay Raise
About 400 home-care workers, who are members of SEIU Local 880, rallied on April 3 in the capitol rotunda in Springfield in support of a $1 an hour wage increase. Bill 1179, which provides for an increase to $8 an hour on July 1 of this year, and $9 in January 2004, has passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate, where previous proposals have died. With the new Democratic majority in the Senate, supporters are hopeful that it will pass, especially since Gov. Blagojevich has issued an executive order granting collective bargaining rights to home-care workers.
State Journal-Register, April 4, 2003, p 13
Unions Vie for Airline Mechanics
This summer a decertification election will be held to determine whether mechanics at United Airlines, who are currently represented by International Association of Machinists District 141-M, will remain with the IAM or be represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. AMFA, which is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO, is organized along craft lines and represents machinists at Northwest Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and American Trans Air. AMFA was able to increase the wages of Northwest mechanics by 30%, but IAM officials say that seniority rights were given away in exchange. A previous decertification attempt by AMFA at United lost by only a few hundred votes.
Donnelley to Settle Worker Discrimination Suits
In a filing last month with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the publisher R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. stated that it intended to settle race and age discrimination suits pending against the company out of court for $21 million. The suits date back to 1993 when Donnelley closed a plant in Chicago after losing the Sears catalog contract. Older workers sued the company alleging that the closing was used to force older, higher-paid workers into retirement. Black workers also sued, claiming that they were unfairly treated in the shutdown. Black workers said that the company found alternative jobs for 31% of the laid-off white workers but only 1% of the black workers. The age discrimination case was rejected by a jury in 2002; however, a judge found that Donnelley had incorrectly calculated the amount of benefits due laid-off workers. The race discrimination suit is still in litigation. Any settlement must be approved by a court, and a hearing is scheduled for March 31.
Extra:
Who's fighting the war? Not the rich...
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/international/worldspecial/30DEMO.html?ex=1049605200&en=137a9b0131f64877&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE
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See also:
http://www.labourstart.org
http://www.ilir.uiuc.edu/lii/
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