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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Labor Headlines 9-29-01 |
Current rating: 0 |
by Peter Miller
Email: peterm (nospam) shout.net (unverified!)
Phone: (217) 359-9338 |
29 Sep 2001
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Headlines as broadcast during the Illinois Labor Hour, Saturdays at 11 a.m. on WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign. Announcements of a few events are at the bottom. (Don't forget it's the WEFT pledge drive!) |
Pakistani Union Leader Addresses US Response to S11
The leader of Pakistan's federation of trade unions has expressed frustration with the US response to the September eleventh tragedies. In a written statement, Gulzar Chaudhary of the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation condemned the acts of terrorism and expressed sympathy with the victims and their families. The union leader then denounced the US threats of attacking Afghanistan without holding an impartial inquiry, noting that, quote, "the whole Afghani Nation is not terrorist," unquote. Chaudhary also urged the American government to analyze its foreign policies which, he claimed, led to the attacks on the US. Chaudhary will elaborate on the Pakistani workers' response during an international labor conference in Paris on November 8, which is during the upcoming meeting of the World Trade Organization.
(Send email to peterm (at) shout.net for the full text of the announcement)
Fast Track Being Pursued, Fought
The Teamsters are circulating a letter calling their members to action. Nineteen labor, religious, environmental, and human rights organizations have sent a letter to the speaker of the house, urging him to slow down. The ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee says he is offended by the opportunism exhibited by the President and his agents in the wake of the September eleventh attacks. The issue that all of these are addressing is the fast track negotiating bill, which, if approved, would give the president authority to negotiate and begin to implement new trade deals with minimal congressional input. It was a top priority of the Bush administration before the September eleventh attacks, and within two days after the attacks, conservatives were pushing the bill again. On Thursday, Fast Track supporters stepped up their efforts when the White House declared that they want congress to approve the trade bill by the end of the fall session, and they're going to argue that it's necessary as part of a post-attack economic stimulus package. But Charles Rangel on the House Ways and Means Committee quickly issued a statement in response saying that quote, "it's unfair to wrap a trade promotion authority bill in the flag." unquote. Rangel said that to have the president's agents attack the patriotism of Americans for their failure to support an unwritten, undisclosed bill demands a public apology. Organizers who have been mobilizing support against the fast track bill point out that the bill needs to be addressed in a thoughtful way since it will set our trade and investment policies for the next five to ten years. Because of that, it shouldn't be approved in a rush. The AFL-CIO held an emergency meeting with representatives of several different unions last week, and they have resumed the labor push to stop fast track. More information about fast track and the efforts to stop it are available at the AFL-CIO website, www.aflcio.org.
Airline Bailout Neglects Workers
Last weekend, Congress approved a $15 billion bailout of the airline industry. On Monday, President Bush signed the bill into law, and by Wednesday, some of the nation's biggest corporations were getting their government checks. Executives at the world's largest airline, American, wouldn't disclose how much it received, but Delta received $330 million, and America West received $60 million in their first installments. The bailout package passed with fifty four members of congress disapproving because the bailout only protects the corporations, not the people who work for them or the thousands of smaller businesses likely to be forced out of existence by the attacks. During the House debate on the bailout package, Democratic Rep. Jay Inslee spoke out against the package. Inslee's district includes the huge Boeing plant in Washington where nearly 20,000 workers have been laid off. On the floor of congress, Inslee shouted out, quote "Why in this chamber do the big dogs always eat first?" unquote. Thus far, 130,000 employees have been laid off or fired as a direct result of the attacks. Locally, U.S. Representative Tim Johnson was asked at a Thursday press conference why he voted for a bailout that doesn't provide continued health insurance, job training, or other cushions for the laid off workers. Johnson responded that the workers' problems were "collateral problems" that other committees would take up in coming weeks. But members of both parties are commenting that the handouts will not continue, as dozens of industry groups line up for their own handouts. The New York Times reports that the insurance industry is next in line, followed by hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, oil and gas, steel, and consumer products. They are asking for tax cuts, direct aid, and support for new security measures. The fifty-thousand member Association of Flight Attendants urged congress to vote against the airline bailout package.
Nurses Group Rallies Over Staffing Woes
On Wednesday, members of the Illinois Nurses Association rallied outside the Thompson Center in Chicago. The nurses urged lawmakers to set minimum staffing levels in hospitals and involve nurses in decision making on staffing levels. They also called for an end to mandatory overtime. Representatives of the INA, in testimony before the Illinois House Registration and Regulation Committee, said such moves would improve working conditions for nurses and ease the nursing shortage. Hospital administrators attributed the shortage to the inadequacy of funding for nurse recruitment and nursing scholarships, while the INA claims poor working conditions are responsible. This June in Minneapolis, 1350 nurses struck at thirteen hospitals to address the same issues.
GM Nearly Finalizes Purchase of Daewoo
A week ago Friday, General Motors Corporation signed a deal to take over Daewoo Motors of South Korea, nearly finalizing a deal that South Korean workers have struggled against for many months due to the expectation that mass layoff will follow once the US corporation buys the Korean manufacturing plants. The worker response was immediate. As soon as the deal was signed, about 100 workers scuffled with riot police outside a government building where the accord was signed. Three were arrested. Then, last Wednesday, workers organized a much larger protest attended by six hundred workers, who faced two thousand riot police. Financial analysts believe that GM's purchase of Daewoo will help GM penetrate the South Korean market and advance into China, a key target for future growth of American automakers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Anne Feeney in Bloomington-Normal on 10/8 at Bone Student Center at ~8 p.m.
Anne Feeney at Urbana IMC on 10/9 at 8 p.m.
*****
GEO Rally for Recognition!
Thursday, October 4th, 3pm
South Side of the Henry Admin Building
Come out and rally with graduate employees working for democracy in
the workplace. Come listen to some labor tunes and hear faculty,
students, and community members speak.
The Henry Administration Building is located off of Wright Street,
just south of Green St. (on the main UI Quadrangle). Metered parking
is generally available on Wright and Sixth St. just north of Green St.
Need more info? Contact us at geo (at) shout.net or 344-8283.
Hope to see you there!
*******
Lecture Monday on effects of three Central Illinois strikes
EDITORS NOTE: Stephen Franklin will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Oct. 1 (Monday) to discuss the future of organized labor in Illinois. The news conference will be at the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, 504 E. Armory Ave., Champaign.
Stephen Franklin will deliver a lecture Monday (Oct. 1) at the University of Illinois on the impact of three Central Illinois strikes on union workers.
His talk, based on his new book, "Three Strikes: Labor's Heartland Losses and What They Mean for Working Americans," will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Wagner Education Center in the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, 504 E. Armory Ave., Champaign.
http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/01/0926franklintalk.htm
For more news, visit the UI News Bureau at http://www.news.uiuc.edu
If you would like to receive campus news as it is released, please e-mail news (at) uiuc.edu.
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