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Union News

May 18, 2012

California Labor Calls For Elimination of Wasteful Corporate Tax Breaks Before Cutting Services

This week, Governor Brown released the annual May Revise of the state budget, proposing yet another round of painful cuts to workers, seniors, low-income families and those with disabilities.

“These cuts are the result of a failed system that protects tax giveaways for the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of California’s most vulnerable,” said California Labor Federation leader Art Pulaski. “We call for an immediate review of every corporate tax break that’s currently lacking a sunset provision before a single cut to essential services is made. If these tax breaks aren’t doing what they intended, they should be abolished and those funds should instead go to restoring programs California families rely upon.”

Learn more.

New Report Reveals Staggering Rate of Injury Among Pomona Dining Hall Workers

Food service workers at Pomona College suffered work-related injuries at nearly twice the rate of other cafeteria workers in 2010, according to a new study by UNITE HERE and Workers for Justice. The report also investigated the causes, and found that 71% of Pomona’s kitchen and dining hall workers have never been trained by managers in the safe use of machinery and equipment, and 73% have received no training on how to avoid getting injured or sick at work. And while nearly 80% of those surveyed say they’ve experienced work-related pain or injury, due to fear of reprisal, just one-third have actually reported it to a supervisor.

“Too many of my coworkers have been injured at work. Pomona College must choose a different course,” said Rolado Araiza, who has worked as a cook at Pomona for six years. “We should feel empowered and protected at work. We should feel like we can report injuries without fear.”

Learn more.

Tesoro Refinery Workers Ramp Up Fight for Fair Contract

Workers at Tesoro oil refineries belonging to four locals of the United Steelworkers, including L.A.’s USW Local 675, have been in negotiations with Tesoro for several months. The company is trying to force union members to waive some of their basic collective bargaining rights and slash retirement security. The United Steelworkers has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Tesoro and will vote next week on whether to go on strike.

“Tesoro represents the 1%. If we go on strike, we are going to picket Tesoro service stations across L.A. County including Shell and U.S.A. Gasoline stations,” says Dave Campbell, Secretary-Treasurer of USW Local 675. “We are going to need the support of the public and all of our sisters and brothers in L.A. Labor on the picket lines in this battle of the 99% versus the 1%.”

Learn more.

Take Action to Save Thousands of Jobs at T-Mobile

Last month, T-Mobile announced that 3,300 customer service reps, bilingual reps and tech support specialists will lose their jobs at the end of June if the company follows through on its plan to shut down seven U.S. call centers. Just this week, the company announced plans to lay off hundreds more.

Now is the time to put pressure on the management at T-Mobile to keep these call center jobs here in the US, instead of shipping them overseas. Join the fight for quality customer service and good jobs at T-Mobile by sending a message to CEO Phillipp Humm today, urging him to keep the call centers open.

Take action.

This Week on “Labor’s Edge”

AFL-CIO’s Mike Hall announced the tentative agreement between Kaiser and its 100,000 union employees.

UFCW 5’s Mike Henneberry posted a preview of the massive day of action and bus tour to support northern California grocery workers.

Pomona College cook Rolado Araiza detailed the new report exposing the shocking rate of injury among Pomona food service workers.

Dick Meister argued that workers’ rights to form and join unions ought to be protected under the Civil Rights Act.

SAG-AFTRA member and professional dancer Cassidy Noblett shared his first-hand account of the third-world working conditions for dancers on music video shoots.

04/25/12

President Pierce: Time to show our colors

http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5266

By Dennis R. Pierce
BLET National President

(Editor's Note: This message originally appeared in the February 2012
issue of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen News)

CLEVELAND, April 24 - In my January message, I asked all members to join me this year in an effort to mount a defense against the attacks targeting
BLET members and the working class. For far too long, working Americans, and their unions, have been blamed for what ails this country. Nothing
could be further from the truth, but the only way we can correct the political narrative in this country is to stand up and be heard, in
unison. Organized labor, along with non-union working class Americans, must mobilize as the working class backbone of our great nation and let
those who would harm the working class know that we will not allow their attacks to go unchallenged.

Some have told me that it's too late to awaken America to what is really going on in the working middle class, but I disagree. Some have thrown in
the towel and feel that we must accept government that works for corporate America at the expense of the working class, but I disagree. I believe
that the opposite is true - that if all hard working union men and women stand together, and refuse to succumb to these attacks on the working
class, others will join us. We must lead by example, and we cannot afford to idly sit by and hope that someone else will protect our interests.

To overcome this singular challenge of our time, we must continue to unite internally. Since becoming your National President, I have worked to
foster unity and to promote a mobilized and participating membership. I have travelled to Union meetings of all kinds all across this great land
to ask our proud membership to get involved in fighting for their own future. The message that comes back to me loud and clear at every one of
those meetings is that BLET members want a union that will lead on the key issues of the day. The membership wants a union that they can be proud to
be part of.

To that end, the BLET National Division kicked off a new PROUD TO BE AMERICAN, PROUD TO BE UNION campaign in February. We started that campaign with my letter to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), which was reproduced in the Winter 2011 edition of the Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen Journal.
That letter made it very clear to all who would listen that this Union will not sit back and allow the rights of the working class to be
destroyed. As Union members, we are not only proud Americans; we are the backbone of the middle class that made this nation the great country that
it is.

Now, I am proud to tell you that in the coming weeks all BLET members will be issued new membership cards that will reflect their years of
membership. Our retired members, who led the way for us for decades, will also receive a new retired member card in appreciation for their service.
This may seem like a minor step, but it's part of a bigger effort this year to reinvigorate our members and strengthen their ties to our union.
On the heels of the new membership cards, we will also be announcing a new line of BLET logo gear. Our goal is to get as many members as possible to
proudly wear their union "colors" wherever they go; to Little League games, to Memorial Day and July Fourth parades, and even to the grocery
store. The message that we can send as a proud united membership is a powerful one: we are standing up for all working class Americans, and we
are the first line of defense against the corporate effort to distribute even more of this country's wealth to the 1% at the expense of the 99%.
Not only must Union officers lead by example, but the full membership must set an example for the rest of the American society to see.

I know that there will be naysayers inside and outside our union that will try to diminish our effort. There will be those who continue their
negative representations about unions, but you should ask yourself who these union attackers actually serve. Whether it be political candidates,
or political pundits, we must look beyond attractive sound bites and, instead, look at whose interests the politician or pundit actually serves.
We must all be wary of those who claim to side with us on a social or moral issue, while they work to enact policies that undermine the middle
class of this country. As I stated the following in my address to the delegates at our 2010 BLET National Convention:

". . . I am the officer who was elected to lead the work of this great Brotherhood to improve the economic condition of our members and their
families, to secure their health and welfare, to protect their pensions, and to do everything within my power to make sure that BLET members return
to their families safe and sound after every day's work. . . .

"The yardstick we apply when we review candidates for election to political office is whether their deeds match their words in supporting
our position on the issues pertinent to our representation of BLET members. What this means is that we may endorse someone for office who
supports the BLET's agenda over an opponent that has personal values on social issues that are more in line with ours.

"If our endorsements were based on social values alone, ignoring the issues that are important to the BLET's purpose as a union, then we would
be unfaithful to our obligation to you as officers."

My comments from 2010 are still relevant today; our ability to meet our membership's expectations is directly affected by the politicians that we
collectively elect. Join me, get involved in your union and by get involved in our effort to elect those will truly work to advance the cause
of the BLET and the American working class.

Railroads reach ratification agreement with 13 unions, says NCCC
Contract negotiations between U.S. railroads and rail workers reached a milestone as the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division became the 13th and final union to ratify new contracts, according to the National Carriers' Conference Committee. "The completion of this final agreement underscores the continuing vitality of national collective bargaining in our industry and the effectiveness of the Railway Labor Act processes in helping the parties reach voluntary agreements," said NCCC Chairman A. Kenneth Gradia. ProgressiveRailroading.com (4/24)

03/30/12
BNSF rescinds challenged medical information rule

http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5260

CLEVELAND, March 30 - The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
and nine other rail unions were informed by BNSF Railway late yesterday
afternoon that the railroad was reversing its decision to implement a new,
highly-invasive medical information rule.

Earlier this year the unions protested directly to the company and then,
when the company refused to reconsider, filed uniform charges of systemic
discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on
behalf of affected members.

Apparently, the specter of having to come up with a legal justification
for its challenged action brought the carrier to its senses. BNSF is
immediately suspending enforcement of its new rule, and is expected to
announce reversion to its former policy some time next week, according to
information provided to the general chairmen and each union's counsel.

BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce was pleased with this
development. "I want to thank our officers, as well as General Counsel
Mike Wolly and his partner Margo Pave, for stepping up in defense of BLET
members, and that BNSF has reconsidered its ill-advised actions," Pierce
said. "This shows the power we have when rail labor unions work together
toward a common goal, and I am proud to have been part of the coalition
that fought for this victory."

02/26/12

America’s last hope: A strong labor movement
Friday, February 24, 2012

UP and BLET Reach Tentative Agreement

Feb. 24, 2012 | 3:00 p.m. CST

Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have reached a tentative agreement covering wages and work rules for the UP system. The agreement is subject to a ratification vote by all UP employees represented by the BLET. The employees have previously ratified the healthcare provisions of the national agreement.

The BLET's six general chairmen will be distributing details of the agreement to employees as part of the ratification process. Consistent with past practice, UP will not share details until the agreement has been ratified.

BLET / UPRR Tentative Agreement

02/25/12

Olson appointed BLET Special Representative

http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5240


February 24, 2012

Apply Now for Summer Term at National Labor College

Report: Boosting Manufacturing Boosts Jobs, Economy

Wisconsin Workers Sticking with the Union

Finnish Corp. Ignores Mexican Workers’ Requests for Real Union

Bob Edwards—Radio Legend and Union Activist—Reads and Signs

SoCal Carwash Workers Win First Contracts

Monday: Join ‘1000 Ways to Die’ Crew on the Picket Line

Thursday: Occupy Education Nationwide Day of Action

Register Today for Labor’s Spring 2012 Conferences

This Week on “Labor’s Edge”

02/22/2012

2012 BLET Scholarship Directory

http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5238

CLEVELAND, February 22 - Each year, the BLET National Division compiles a 
list of scholarship opportunities available to the children of BLET 
members. Numerous financial aid opportunities are published here in the 
2012 BLET Scholarship Directory.

The scholarship opportunities vary widely. The following comprehensive 
list provides members and their families with contact information for each 
scholarship program. The BLET National Division does not maintain its own 
scholarship program, so interested parties are advised to contact the 
individual scholarship providers listed below for additional information.


The Draconian Effort to Impose Restrictions on Unemployment Insurance

02/16/2012
After a year and a half battle, the Trader Joe’s chain signed a landmark agreement to protect tomato workers and join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) Fair Food program. The program aims to improve the lot of tomato pickers by calling for better wages, a “penny-per-pound premium” on tomatoes and, most important, a thorough and strict code for fair working conditions.

02/15/2012
Wisconsin’s Walker Piles Up Record of Massive Job Loss, Attacks on Civil, Workers’ Rights

02/14/12
Listen to President Pierce live radio interview this afternoon

CLEVELAND, February 14 — BLET National President Dennis Pierce will be interviewed live this afternoon on Boston radio station AM 1510.

“Revolution Boston AM 1510” is a pro-labor radio station and President Pierce will appear on the Rebuild America show hosted by Jeff Santos. President Pierce will discuss workers’ rights, collective bargaining rights, and other BLET-specific topics.

Members can listen live at 4:05 p.m. Eastern time today at www.revolutionboston.com, or they can use the SmartPhone App “TuneIn.” The interview will also be available as a podcast for download later today for those who cannot listen live.

Rebuild - Dennis Pierce pt.1 - 02-14-12: ... Rebuild - Dennis Pierce pt.1 - 02-1

Rebuild - Dennis Pierce pt.2 - 02-14-12: ... Rebuild - Dennis Pierce pt.2 - 02-14-12.Mp3 (Rebuild America) ...

Obama allocates $476 billion for transportation over 6 years
President Barack Obama included $476 billion for the Department of Transportation over the next six years, or about $80 billion annually, in his fiscal year 2013 budget. This is $30 billion more a year than what is being considered in the House and Senate draft surface transportation reauthorization bills. High-speed and other passenger rail service was allocated $47 billion over six years. "A strong American economy depends on the roadways, runways, and railways that move people and goods from coast to coast and around the globe," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The Bond Buyer (free content) (2/14), The Journal of Commerce (2/13), Los Angeles Times/L.A. Now blog (2/13), Bloomberg (2/13)

February Marks 44th Anniversary of Historic Memphis Sanitation Strike

02/11/2012
Pledge Your Support for Workers at American Airlines

New Battlegrounds In The War On Workers | International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)

Already this year, state lawmakers have opened brutal new fronts in the war on workers.
And America's workers are fighting back as never before.

02/07/12

Pierce urges Obama veto RLA changes

http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5235

CLEVELAND, February 7 - Dennis R. Pierce, National President of the 
55,000-member Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, is urging 
President Barack Obama to veto the anti-worker FAA Modernization and 
Reform Act of 2012.

A Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference, the BLET is one of nine rail 
labor unions opposed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
reauthorization bill, which amends the Railway Labor Act in ways that 
strip railroad and airline workers of some of their rights, and could 
subject the National Mediation Board to political interference in the 
future.

In a letter delivered electronically to the White House today, Pierce 
writes: "The bill contains several non-germane anti-worker provisions that 
accomplish nothing more than to advance the agenda of anti-labor 
ideologues in Congress, and reverse more than 75 years of labor-management 
cooperation in the rail and airline industries. Although we, too, would 
like to see funded long term reauthorizations for the aviation industry, 
we cannot support the funding of FAA at the expense of railroad and 
airline workers' legal rights."

A copy of the letter is available on the BLET website:
http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/Pierce_Obama_FAA.pdf

02/05/2012

More than 1,500 Workers Join AFL-CIO Unions

NCCC: BMWE agrees to tentative deal; BRS and ATDA ratify contracts
U.S. railroads and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, the last unsettled union, reached a tentative labor agreement on Thursday. Meanwhile, members of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and the American Train Dispatchers Association ratified national labor contracts, according to the National Carriers' Conference Committee. Freight railroads have now reached agreements with all 13 rail labor unions and 12 of those agreements have been ratified. "The carriers and the unions, with the critical support of the National Mediation Board, have resolved their differences, ensuring they will continue to work together to help drive America's economic growth today and in the future," said NCCC Chairman A. Kenneth Gradia. Lincoln Journal Star (Neb.) (2/2), ProgressiveRailroading.com (2/2)

New Facebook Campus Project Would Create Thousands of Union Jobs

23,000 Union Construction Jobs Coming to LA Metro

02/01/12
Transportation labor blasts deal that trades worker rights for FAA reauthorization [Brotherhood of..
01/31/12

Can Occupy Save Labor? The People United Will Never Be Defeated
by Kevin Zeese

ILWU reaches settlement in Longview labor dispute

seattletimes.nwsource.com

01/28/12
Union membership dips slightly in California, still 7^th highest – Union membership among California's workers declined fractionally in the last year, according to an annual survey by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, but remains seventh highest among the states. The BLS report says that 17.1 percent of California's private and public employees are union members, down from 17.5 percent the previous year. That translates into 2.4 million union members, down more than 50,000 from a year earlier, in a total employed workforce of 13.9 million. Capitol Alert

01/27/12

Overall Union Membership Notches Up from 2010 to 2011

Apple’s Profit Skyrockets, Workers Die at Its Factories

China’s ‘Competitive Advantage’: Serfdom

California Labor Federation Applauds Legislators Achieving 100% Record in Support of Workers

Buy Union

LA Labor 411: Making it easy to buy union goods and services.

Hotel Workers Rising: Find union-friendly hotels.

UnionPlus: Consumer discounts and other benefits for union members and retirees.

AT&T Wireless: Cell phone plan discounts for union members from the only unionized mobile service provider.

UAW Union Made: Directory of union-made cars, appliances and other products.

01/25/12
Transport Workers Set to Protest ‘Job Cremator’ Romney

Indiana Senate Passes RTW Despite Broad Public Opposition

01/24/12

BLET members ratify Amtrak contract

On Friday, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Amtrak. The final ballot tally indicated 77.5 percent voted in favor of the pact.

The five-year agreement includes 10 general wage increases totaling 14 percent, compounding to 15 percent, over the life of the contract. The contract runs through Jan. 1, 2015, with retroactive pay to July 1, 2010, BLET officials said in a prepared statement.

Also under the contract, employee cost-sharing amounts for health and welfare coverage is capped at $181.62 per month as of July 1, 2011, $201 as of July 1, 2012, and $230 as of July 1, 2013. In addition, vision care and medical coverage is extended up to age 26 for eligible dependents.

The contract covers more than 1,400 locomotive engineers who operate Amtrak passenger and commuter trains.

01/23/12
Grant Application Open for Non-Profits and Unions that Serve Women

Help the Teamsters Union Stop the War on Workers!

Teamster members are under attack across the country. Anti-worker politicians, bankrolled by big corporations, are trying to strip away workers’ rights that have been in place for decades. Last year, Governors in Wisconsin and Ohio tried to take away public employees' rights to be in a union, and this year, the fight continues in those states and many others.

Numerous states are currently considering Right-to-Work (for Less) legislation that would weaken unions and the middle class. In Indiana today, Teamsters and other union members are at the State Capitol, protesting a Right-to-Work (for Less) bill that the Legislature could soon pass.

Every Teamster needs to join in this fight to Stop the War on Workers. You can help by purchasing a “Stop the War on Workers” T-shirt today. The proceeds from the sales will be used to stop anti-worker legislation and elect candidates who will stand up and fight for America’s workers and their families.

Together, we can Stop the War on Workers!

Stop the War on Workers shirt

Go to www.teamfundstore.com to start shopping. All products are union made in the USA, and proceeds will support the Teamster political program through TEAM Fund.

The TEAM Fund store cannot accept purchases or contributions from employers or non-U.S. citizens. The TEAM Fund store also cannot accept purchases made with union funds.

01/21/12

Standard Building to go on the market

http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=5228

CLEVELAND, January 19 - If you drive by the corner of Ontario Street and
St. Clair Avenue this week it is very clear that this intersection is
transforming into a very busy and vibrant area. The Medical Mart and
Convention Center are well underway and other real estate projects are in
the works. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Building Association
has contracted with Chartwell Group, LLC of Cleveland to put the BLET's
Standard Building, an official historic Cleveland landmark, on the market
for sale.

Built in 1924 by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Standard
Building is an elegant 21 story tower that overlooks the busy intersection
of Ontario Street and St. Clair Avenue, which has undergone major changes
over the last two decades. The 400,000 square foot landmark has a grand
terra cotta façade and outstanding views of the surrounding city and Lake
Erie.

National President of BLET Dennis R. Pierce said that the resurgence of
Downtown Cleveland was the major factor in the decision to put the
property on the market. "With the $500 million Medical Mart and Convention
Center under construction across the street and the $400 million Horseshoe
Casino under restoration on Public Square, this is the perfect time to
realize the value of the Brotherhood's most valuable single asset," Pierce
said.

"We have undertaken an extensive historic pre-development study," Pierce
added, "and have determined that a total historic redevelopment of the
building is a very viable development strategy for a future developer."
Chartwell Group anticipates interest for the landmark tower from across
North America.

The BLET is the oldest labor organization in the United States. Cleveland
was selected in 1870 as the union's headquarters city due to its central
location for serving U.S. and Canadian members. From 1910 to 1989, the
union's national office was located in the Engineers Building, across
Ontario Street. This building was sold in 1988 to make way for the
Marriott Tower. The BLET's bylaws require that the National Office be
located in the Cleveland area, and this will be unaffected by a sale of
the building.

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01/20/12

Cablevision Workers Stay Strong in Tough Battle to Form Union

IN Republicans Can't Seize Dems' Pay

Citizens United Further Tilted Playing Field to 1%

Gov. Daniels: Against 'Right to Work' Before He Was for It

Union Plus Scholarship Deadline: Jan. 31

01/14/2012

http://lalabor411.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&Itemid=53

lalabor411.org‎. Now Featuring More Than 3,000 Listings Our Labor 411 directory is growing bigger and better every day. LA Labor 411 now features more than 3,000+ listings of union-made goods and services and is becoming the ultimate source for all things union.

01/13/2012

Federal judge voids two new Idaho anti-union laws [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers]

www.ble-t.org

Continuing Assault on Unions

www.nytimes.com

01/12/2012

100th Anniversary of Bread and Roses Strike Shows—Was It the First Occupy?

State Legislatures Attack Jobless Workers Rather than Create Jobs

January 2nd 2012

‘Union Maid’ Makes Rose Parade Appearance

by Mike Hall, Jan 4, 2012

You can’t scare the Pulaski (Wis.) High School marching band—they’re sticking with the union.

In the middle of Monday’s Rose Bowl Parade, marching band members launched into a spirited rendition of Woody Guthrie’s workers’ anthem “Union Maid.”

Was this a jab at Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011 attack on public employees and drastic cuts to the state school budgets? As the blog Blue Cheddar points out:

Funding for Wisconsin’s public schools has been drastically cut this year under Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican legislature. Teachers’ unions and other public employee unions had their collective bargaining and other rights repealed earlier this year despite massive protests against the changes in Wisconsin.

After AnnieJo at Daily Kos blogged about the “Union Maid” break out, the band director denied any political motives behind the song he says he knew as a polka tune called “Red Wing.” A serendipitous choice.

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