Publications

August 13, 2004

Telling Edwards how it is

Shirley Brown, a housekeeper at Westlake Hospital near Chicago — and an activist trying to build a union for herself and her co-workers with Council 31 — recently got the chance to tell Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards about the challenges of organizing in the face of employer opposition. Edwards told Brown he supported their efforts. The Aug. 9 get-together, part of a briefing for Edwards set up by AFSCME and the AFL-CIO, provided the candidate with a first-person account of management intimidation by Resurrection Health Care, a nine-hospital system with 14,000 employees. RHC management has refused to sit down with the workers to discuss their goals, despite calls by community and union leaders to open a dialogue. AFSCME Council 31 and RHC employees began their organizing campaign in 2003. Brown was one of three people, from various unions, brought together for the half-hour session with Edwards.

Breaching Wal-Mart's wall

For the first time in North America, a Wal-Mart store has been unionized. About 170 workers at a store in Quebec have joined United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Local 503 after the province's labor relations board certified their card-check campaign. "The Quebec certification shows that when workers' rights are protected, Wal-Mart workers will exercise those rights for a voice at work," said UFCW International Pres. Joseph Hansen (who addressed our recent International Convention).

Well developed

In New York City, after a successful card-check campaign, 10 Head Start workers from the Ecumenical Community Development Organization formed a union with DC 1707.

Victory for all

Thanks to a campaign by New York Local 2343 (Council 66), the Town of Cortlandt has agreed to alter its health care plan to include prescription contraceptive coverage — a decision that might also cover several other AFSCME locals. State law requires that insurance contracts covering prescription drugs also cover prescription contraceptives, but Cortlandt made use of a legal loophole to evade that obligation. The union protested to the state attorney general's office, which opened negotiations with Cortlandt and 17 other self-insured entities that are part of the same Municipal Employees Benefit Consortium health plan.

Contract avoids strike

As reported here earlier, 61 public-utility workers in Virginia, Minn. — members of Local 729 (Council 65) — planned to strike unless they won a fair contract. They achieved their goal, and have overwhelmingly ratified a two-year deal that will permit them to keep — unchanged — the length of time they can receive disability benefits plus the existing cap on retiree health care contributions. The workers will also receive a 1-percent salary increase for each year of the contract. Members decided that maintaining their current benefit levels were more important than a larger wage hike, said Steve Giorgi, Council 65 business agent.

johnkerry.com/plan

That's the Web address of a newly released book describing Presidential candidate John Kerry's plan to make America "stronger at home and respected in the world." The book, which can be easily downloaded, describes in detail the Kerry-Edwards road map for dealing with terrorism, jobs, health care and education, strengthening the middle class and restoring fiscal discipline to Washington

Head for Charleston

Combining politics and entertainment, the "Reinvest in America: Put America Back to Work!" campaign will host a free, all-day event in downtown Charleston, W.Va., on Labor Day. Council 77 is among the key sponsors, along with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, United Mine Workers of America, United Steelworkers of America and AFL-CIO. The coalition's goal: to focus public attention on the need for well-paying jobs, affordable health care and high-quality education. Scheduled performers include Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel; scheduled speaker: the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Out with outsourcing

The Tennessee Valley Authority is ending a contract with a company that employed overseas workers — although only after being heavily criticized for the deal. TVA, the nation's largest public utility, said it will curtail its arrangement with New York-based Access Systems International next month. The company used 27 workers in India to convert old engineering drawings of coal-fired power plants into a computer format that allowed design changes for upgrades.

The unwitting truth

Our verbally challenged President was in prime form at a recent signing ceremony for a defense bill. According to The Washington Post, Bush said, "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we." True. But then he let fly with this: "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Oops.

Elect this man

Dave Faulkner, a past president of Illinois Local 2600 (Council 31), is running as a Democrat for the District 9 seat on the Sangamon County Board. Faulkner is employed by the state Department of Human Services, working in disability determination.

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