Thousands in Philly Demand Fairness from Mayor Nutter
by Erick Sanchez | January 24, 2013
Philadelphia – AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders, District Council 33 Pres. Pete Matthews and District Council 47 Pres. Cathy Scott were joined on Saturday by other labor leaders to fire up thousands of city workers in Independence Park, calling on Mayor Michael Nutter to respect workers’ rights and think about working families, not corporate profits.
This was one day after 500 protested Nutter’s harmful policies outside of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC, where Nutter was chairing the meeting.
On the holiday weekend honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Saunders spoke of the slain civil rights leader and called for a better Philadelphia for all workers. King’s dream of a just society that protected the rights of working families is under attack in the City of Brotherly Love.
Since taking office, Nutter has gone out of his way to cut taxes for the wealthy while asking for more and more sacrifices from the city’s public workforce. He’s demanded that workers exchange their retirement security for a tiny wage increase, while at the same time demanding that they give the city more power to put them out of work for weeks on end without pay.
“How can he pretend to tell other Mayors how to run their city when he can’t even negotiate contracts with City workers here in Philadelphia,” Scott asked.
Matthews added: “This mayor continues to disrespect the hard work city workers do. He refuses to treat them with the dignity they deserve and honor the words he campaigned on.”
Saunders told the gathered crowd about King paying the ultimate price for standing with workers, the men of AFSCME Local 1733 in Memphis, where he was slain while speaking out for sanitation workers’ rights.
“Mayor Nutter considers himself a man of the people – but in reality, he’s a man of only certain people: the top 1 percent,” President Saunders said. “He advocates for the wealthy, not the workers. He supports the corporations, not the cops. He champions the people with a lot, not the folks with too little. Dr. Martin Luther King knew that civil rights and workers’ rights were connected.”
Who Are the “Working Poor”?
by Clyde Weiss | January 22, 2013
It’s shameful. About 10 million “working poor” families – 47 million Americans in all, half of whom are children – currently live near poverty.
That’s according to a new report by the Working Poor Project, using the most recent data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Their findings mean nearly a third of all working families are struggling – up from 28 percent in 2007, at the start of the Great Recession.
“The total number of people … could reach 50 million in the next few years. That’s roughly equivalent to the total number of people living in California, Oregon and Washington combined,” say the report’s authors, Brandon Roberts, Deborah Povich and Mark Mather.
A family of four is considered to be living below the poverty line if they make less than $22,811.
The increase of poverty in America is familiar to AFSCME, which is why we are dedicated to preserving the economic safety net – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – in the face of corporate-backed efforts to undermine it through reckless budget cuts.
Here are more sobering numbers from the Working Poor Report, “Low-Income Working Families: The Growing Economic Gap”:
- In 2011, there were 23 million children in low-income working families.
- In 10 states, the share of low-income working families increased by 5 percentage points or more between 2007 and 2011.
- The richest 20 percent of working families took home nearly half (48 percent) of all income, while those in the bottom 20 percent received less than 5 percent.
In Anti-Nutter Rally, AFSCME Members Support Sisters and Brothers in Philadelphia
by Pablo Ros and Gregory King | January 18, 2013
Washington, DC – Five hundred AFSCME activists, members of other labor unions and progressives met today to protest Mayor Michael Nutter’s policies of favoring the wealthiest 1 percent at the expense of the working middle class.
Showing solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Philadelphia, the crowd marched in front of the Capital Hilton hotel, where the Philadelphia mayor was chairing a meeting of the National Conference of Mayors. Holding signs that read “No More Mayor for the 1 Percent” and “Let’s Build a Better Philadelphia for ALL,” protesters called attention to Nutter’s repeated refusal to act in the best interest of all Philadelphia workers and citizens.
Since taking office, Nutter has gone out of his way to cut taxes for the wealthy while asking for more and more sacrifices from the city’s public workforce. He’s demanded that workers exchange their retirement security for a tiny wage increase, while at the same time demanding that they give the city more power to put them out of work for weeks on end without pay.
Opposition to Nutter’s 1 percent favoritism also will be broadcast loudly tomorrow at a rally in Philadelphia, where AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders will join other union members in calling on the mayor to stand with workers.
“Instead of standing up for workers, Mayor Nutter thinks nothing of waging class warfare against the hard-working men and women who provide vital services for the residents of the City of Brotherly Love,” Saunders said. “For more than four years, he has refused to negotiate a contract with the city’s public workers. He’s shut down schools and libraries, and has made it clear that he is willing to stand with the wealthy corporations and individuals in Philadelphia and give little or nothing to working families and their communities.”
Nutter’s most recent move: patting workers on the back with one hand, offering them a 2.5 percent wage increase, while picking their pockets with the other hand, taking thousands of dollars from workers with threatened cuts in overtime pay and forced furloughs.
AFSCME DC 33 Pres. Pete Matthews and DC 47 Pres. Cathy Scott called out Nutter’s disingenuous plan, pointing out that it’s not a raise when you take away more than you give.
Philadelphia’s public employees have pulled together to help their city find real solutions to the budget problems that have faced many American communities during these years following the Bush Recession. In Philadelphia, they already provided the city real savings. And they have gone four years without a pay increase – saving the city even more.
But Mayor Nutter won’t be satisfied until the city’s workers earn less and give up the retirement security they have worked for throughout their careers in public service. We must show our solidarity with our sisters and brothers; and Mayor Nutter’s policies for the 1 percent must be stopped.
In Memoriam: Norm Gleichman
by Clyde Weiss | January 18, 2013
AFSCME mourns the loss of Norm Gleichman, deputy general counsel of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who helped our two unions foster labor peace and organizing growth through “no-raid” and representation agreements.
Gleichman, 58, died Jan. 11 while on vacation with his family in Mexico.
A resident of Takoma Park, Md., Gleichman joined SEIU in 2002, having worked previously at the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and then as general counsel of the Federal Mine Safety and Review Commission during the administration of Pres. Bill Clinton.
At SEIU, Gleichman’s responsibilities included supervising legal issues involving the union’s advocacy on behalf of working families, and fighting income inequality. An expert on inter-union relations, he also helped bridge relations with AFSCME, especially in growing union strength through joint organizing efforts.
With his guidance, the two unions reached a “no-raid” agreement in 2005 that neither union would attempt to raid, decertify as a union or otherwise interfere with existing representation rights. The agreement also established a joint committee to address issues of union density and jurisdiction, and created a joint "Unity Local" of child care providers in California and Pennsylvania.
In 2010, that cooperation extended to Missouri, where approximately 12,000 home care attendants united in the Missouri Home Care Union, a partnership between AFSCME Council 72 and SEIU.
“Norm was invaluable in helping AFSCME and SEIU bridge the gap between our two great unions,” said AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders. “He worked tirelessly on behalf of workers seeking strength on the job through union representation. We will miss his expertise and his friendship.”
Register Now for Dynamic Legislative Conference
by Clyde Weiss | January 15, 2013
A high-energy program focusing on federal, state and local battles to protect the working middle class will bring together AFSCME members from across the country for the 2013 AFSCME Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.
From February 11-13, fired-up activists will strategize and organize at a series of workshops on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), retirement security, the threat of privatization, taxes and budgets, attacks on workers’ rights and immigration fairness. Attendees will head to Capitol Hill to lobby their lawmakers on these and other issues, and hear from AFSCME leaders, including Pres. Lee Saunders and Sec.-Treas. Laura Reyes. Key allies will be on hand to discuss best practices of partnerships – something AFSCME considers crucial as we face the fights ahead.
In addition, members will learn about AFSCME’s PEOPLE program to build political strength to fight for the working middle class.
They also will hear from other union leaders during a moderated panel on union solidarity. Panelists include Communication Workers of America Pres. Larry Cohen, American Federation of Teachers Pres. Randy Weingarten, SEIU Pres. Mary Kay Henry, and Sean McGarvey, president of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO.
AFSCME members who want to attend can download the registration form here.
Victory at Corona
by Jon Melegrito | January 15, 2013
More than 300 registered nurses at the Corona Regional Medical Center voted to join United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, or AFSCME-UNAC/UHCP.
As a result of the vote last week, 300 RNs now have a voice at work at the 240-bed community hospital, which employs more than 1,000 trained health care workers.
“Our concerns about patient safety issues were being ignored,” says Diane Arreola, a registered nurse at Corona for many years. “This is why a strong majority of us decided to seek representation and organize our union with UNAC/UHCP. As patient advocates, we realized that when we act collectively, we have a powerful voice and we will be heard.”
The key issues nurses at the hospital will seek to address are improvements to patient care, better working conditions, dignity, respect and a voice for all RNs.
Union Mourns the Loss of Dedicated Activist, Leader
by Cathy Scott, President, AFSCME District Council 47 | January 14, 2013
It is with deep sorrow that we announce Rita Urwitz, Vice President of AFSCME District Council 47 and Local 2186, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 6.
Rita was very active in AFSCME DC47 since she began working as a social worker for the City of Philadelphia in 1980. Rita was a strong advocate for children, labor, and social justice issues, fighting hard to protect public services for all.
Rita's boundless energy was seen in her many accomplishments whether it was overseeing the AFSCME DC47 Political Action Committee; engaging in an ACLU lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia, which changed the way abuse and neglect cases are handled in Philadelphia; leading a groundbreaking wellness and disease management program for DC47; or working on a domestic partnership ordinance that passed in the City of Philadelphia — to name a few.
Shortly before her passing, Rita and her longtime partner, Carol, were married in Maryland enabling Rita to fulfill a longtime personal wish. AFSCME District Council 47 membership has lost a leader, advocate and dear friend.
Newtown Cops Deserve Workers’ Compensation Benefits
by Jon Melegrito | January 11, 2013
First responders expect to witness crime scenes with casualties as part of their job. They are also expected to rescue survivors and attend to the wounded and injured.
They don’t run away from danger. They go to it. It’s their job, they are proud to say. And they carry on the next day, performing their duties with dedication and courage.
But walking into a horrific scene like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults were repeatedly shot and killed and many others injured, is something else entirely. That kind of horror is simply unimaginable.
To the 15 police officers who rushed to the school that day, it was by all accounts the worst crime scene they’d ever walked into. They were in shock for days. In the aftermath of the massacre, a few of these officers – all members of the Connecticut Council of Police Unions (AFSCME Council 15) – are suffering from severe emotional distress and have been unable to return to work. Traumatized by the senseless shootings, these officers had to take extended time off in order to recover.
Unfortunately, post-traumatic stress is not covered by workers’ compensation benefits under the town’s current statute. Council 15 is working with local officials, state legislators and the governor’s office for a change in state law that would provide emotional trauma benefits and allow police officers to take more time to recover. The 2013 legislative session opened Wednesday.
“These officers have been unable to function due to trauma,” says Eric Brown, an attorney for Council 15. “But under the circumstances, they are forced to use sick and vacation time and could soon be at risk of going without a paycheck. The emotional loads they’re carrying far exceed anything they could imagine. We need to support them in every possible way.”
State Rep. Stephen Dargan, co-chairman of the legislature’s public safety committee, has indicated his support for such a measure. “The circumstances are so horrific in Newton,” he said. “We need to protect those first responders and give them all the help we can give them.”
The Newtown Board of Police Commissioners is also supportive. In a resolution passed last week, the board said that “fairness and compassion dictates” the law be changed to provide appropriate benefits to those who suffered physical and emotional injury “as a consequence of their heroic efforts” on the job.
Illinois Governor Quinn Continues His War on Public Service Workers
by Clyde Weiss and Anders Lindall | January 11, 2013
The rights of public service workers seem to be of no consequence to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. He’s prepared to sign a bill that allows him to deny collective bargaining rights to 3,580 state employees of his choosing, including up to 1,900 who currently are represented by AFSCME and other unions. The legislation also allows the state’s other constitutional officers broad latitude to take away bargaining rights from their employees.
A “quiet war on the collective bargaining rights of public employees” is how The State Journal-Register, the capitol city’s paper of record, described the governor’s campaign against the state’s employees. But Quinn’s war resembles a scorched-earth battle. In 2011 he canceled pay raises for 30,000 public employees. Then in November, Quinn terminated AFSCME’s collective bargaining agreement with the state, leaving some 35,000 employees without the protection of a union contract.
Quinn also tried to get the Legislature to pass a pension proposal to change the way the annual cost-of-living adjustment is calculated, drastically reducing pension values over time. Following strong grassroots pressure from workers and retirees coordinated by labor’s We Are One Illinois coalition, the Legislature adjourned Tuesday without acting on the proposal because it lacked the necessary votes.
Taking away collective bargaining rights from public service workers is right out of the playbook of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who stripped more than 200,000 public service workers of their union rights in March 2011, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, whose failed effort in 2011 to strip the collective bargaining rights of 350,000 public service workers in that state demonstrates widespread public opposition to such efforts.
In Illinois, however, voters were not given an opportunity to express their views on Governor Quinn’s anti-worker campaign. He used the opportunity of a lame-duck session of the Legislature to squeeze through a corporate-driven agenda to undermine workers’ rights, including collective bargaining.
Taking such rights away from thousands of employees now covered by the state’s collective bargaining law will set a dangerous precedent that could imperil collective bargaining rights throughout the public sector.
This is not about saving the state money. We fear he has a more sinister goal in mind: He wants to strip workers of the protections of their union contract in an attempt to intimidate them, and ultimately to replace them with political patronage workers.
AFSCME will continue fighting for workers’ rights, and push for a repeal of this law. The voters will certainly have something to say about this as well.
President Saunders: Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis “a Tireless Advocate” for Workers
by Pablo Ros | January 10, 2013
AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders called U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis “an ally, a friend and a tireless advocate” for workers after Solis announced this week she would be leaving her cabinet position.
“We are grateful for Secretary Solis’ extraordinary commitment to working men and women,” President Saunders also said. “At a time when powerful, moneyed forces have come together to pursue a virulent, anti-union agenda, she focused the Department of Labor’s attention on putting Americans back to work, making the workplace safer and healthier, and protecting and preserving the rights of union members and working families.”
“She will be missed,” he added.
A welcome choice when Pres. Barack Obama nominated her in 2008, Solis will be hard to replace. During her service as labor secretary, she was praised by labor unions for standing up for working families, enforcing workplace regulations, and protecting children and underpaid workers.
Today, the former Congresswoman from California reportedly intends to go back to her native Los Angeles and run for local office.
Solis, who was confirmed in February 2009 as the 25th U.S. Secretary of Labor, is the first Latina to hold this position. No doubt she will remain a strong advocate for labor unions and environmental policy reform, as she has been throughout her career.
