Bush's Dreadful Labor Legacy

The Department of Labor in the Bush Years: A Damage Assessment

By U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA)

For millions of Americans there was little cause for celebration this past Labor Day. While workers' wages have fallen, the cost of living has skyrocketed, the unemployment rate has soared, fewer workers have health coverage, and good retirement plans are increasingly scarce.

Nearly a century ago, Congress established the federal Department of Labor to be the advocate and champion for working Americans. Specifically, the department was created to advance three core goals: "to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment."

However, under the Bush Presidency, these goals -- and the interests of workers -- have been under direct assault.

From day one, Bush's Department of Labor has actively worked to undermine workers' rights to organize, to fair pay and decent benefits, and to safe working conditions -- rights that are essential to growing and sustaining a strong middle class. U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and other high-level appointees came to their posts determined to weaken the agency.

Under Chao's leadership, the department has repeatedly torpedoed rules designed to help workers. One of her first actions was supporting the repeal of a rule that would have protected workers against repetitive motion injuries, the leading cause of workplace injuries.

Chao went on to severely weaken the department's Wage and Hour Division -- which enforces overtime, minimum wage, and child labor laws. Wage theft has skyrocketed at the hands of this administration: An ongoing U.S. Government Accountability Office investigation has uncovered repeated cases where the agency refused to go after scofflaw employers who admittedly owed their workers back wages.

Chao also consistently refused to support increasing the minimum wage, allowing it to erode to its lowest value in fifty years. It wasn't until Democrats took over Congress in 2006 that the minimum wage was finally raised for the first time in ten years.

Time and again, Chao has proven her loyalty to a different constituency. She has expended boundless energy making sure unscrupulous employers have a ready supply of exploitable labor. Just recently the department proposed new regulations that will cut the prevailing wage rates for agricultural guest workers and make it easier for employers to hire cheaper, temporary guest workers from overseas instead of qualified, available American workers.

And while the administration dragged its feet to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, it moved quickly to slash wages for Gulf Coast workers in the hurricane's aftermath.

After President Bush tapped a mine executive to lead the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency immediately set about withdrawing vital proposed health and safety rules. By the time a slew of mining accidents hit in 2006, nearly 200 staffers had been cut from the coal mine safety enforcement division alone -- a move that helped cripple the agency. When Congress finally acted in the wake of many tragic miner deaths, MSHA acted with little urgency to implement the law. More recently, when the House of Representatives passed additional much-needed mine safety protections, the administration threatened a veto.

It's the same story with Chao's U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Remarkably, the agency has not approved a single new health standard for workers in eight years, aside from one that was ordered by a court. Even in the face of solid scientific evidence documenting workplace dangers, Chao has turned a blind eye to growing health and safety risks.

Take, for example, the department's failure to address hazardous combustible dust. In 2006, the Chemical Safety Board -- an independent government agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents -- reported that a string of deadly explosions caused by combustible dust are a serious and preventable national problem. Although the CSB urged OSHA to quickly issue a new safety standard, Chao refused -- and continued to refuse even after a sugar dust explosion killed 13 workers last February.

The tragic results of the department's fatal failure to act continue to mount -- on crane and construction safety, popcorn lung disease, silica, beryllium and more. And in one of its most telling -- and insulting -- moves to date, the department is now rushing to enact last minute "secret rules" that would make it even harder for health and safety agencies to issue future protections for workers and that would jeopardize workers' retirement savings.

Our nation's workers, battered by unfair global competition, stagnant wages, declining benefits, and poor employer compliance with labor laws, deserve a Department of Labor that lives up to its name, led by individuals who believe in its mission.

A Secretary of Labor that actually fights to help and protect hard working Americans -- now that would be a reason to celebrate.

Congressman George Miller is a leading spokesman in Congress on education, labor, and the environment and has represented the 7th district of California since 1975.

Labor Day 2008

Labor Day was first celebrated in 1882 and became a national holiday in 1894, but sometimes we forget that it means more than just watermelon, barbecues, and beer. Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is a national celebration dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

We have set aside this day to honor the working men and women whose energy, talent, creativity, and determination are the foundations of freedom and prosperity enjoyed by generations of Americans and who fought to bring justice and dignity to the workplace.

Yet, we must not become self-satisfied or complacent. As we celebrate Labor Day, let us recommit ourselves to raising the minimum wage to a living wage, to promoting training and continuing education for workers, to providing affordable health care to every family, to organizing all workers, to demanding equal pay for women and fair pay for everyone, and to building a stronger national community.

We must continue to recognize the importance of maintaining dignity, securing economic justice in the workplace, making the American Dream a reality for all our people, and building a brighter future for our children.

The vital force of labor has brought us closer to the realization of our ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation and our state pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

Lindsley Smith at Democratic Convention

AFSCME Local 965 member Lindsley Smith is a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week. She is among 150 members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees from across the country serving as Delegates, Alternates, and Committee Members at the 2008 Convention.

At the AFSCME Caucus meeting on Monday she met with AFSCME International President Gerald McEntee about plans for the 2008 general election campaign to elect Barack Obama and members of the U.S. House and Senate to stop the filibuster of important legislation. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius addressed the AFSCME delegates on Monday and praised the organizational work of our union to improve public service and the lives of working families everywhere.

Lioneld Jordan Awarded Diversity Certification

AFSCME Local 965 member Lioneld Jordan was among seven members of the University of Arkansas staff who earned diversity certificates, after completing 20 hours of combined classroom training, self-study, and community service, as well as writing a Personal Impact Statement that specifies his or her plan to personally increase inclusiveness on campus.

Jordan, a Zone Supervisor with the Facilities Management Department, received the Diversity Certification on June 20th, 2008. Only 75 university employees have earned diversity certification since the program began in 2005.

In March, Jordan also received the Torchbearer Award for Exemplary Community Service to Northwest Arkansas from Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at the University of Arkansas. Past winners of this prestigious award include Dr.Merlin Augustine, Dr. Gordon Morgan, and P&G Global Wal-Mart President Jeff Schomburger.

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

August 3, 1962. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees grants Charter to Local 965 to represent employees of the University of Arkansas. The ceremony was held at the Women's Exhibition Building on the Washington County Fairgrounds. Speakers at the event included Arkansas AFL-CIO President George Ellison, Arkansas Department of Labor Director Bill Laney, AFSCME International Organizer Arthur Whaley, Arkansas AFL-CIO Organizer Schuyler Smith, and Northwest Arkansas Joint Labor Council President Bob Parker of Food Handlers' Local 425.

The Charter ceremony sanctioned the effort that began in June when University of Arkansas physical plant and food services employees requested assistance in organizing and became a reality when 55 UA employees formally paid dues and elected officers of the Arkansas Public Employees Union on July 12. Rex Rice, UA Physical Plant employee and a former coal miner, was elected the first President of Local 965 and said the workers had already proposed a grievance procedure for addressing problems with University policies and their administration and that improvements in job classifications and pay scales were the immediate goals. Other founding officers of the Local were Willis Fields, Vice President; Raymond Rogers, Treasurer; and Rachel Campbell, Secretary.

AFSCME Local 965 received an expanded Charter in April 1966 and is now authorized to organize and represent all state, county, and city employees, except public school teachers and firefighters, in Washington, Benton, Carroll, and Madison counties.

Happy 46th Anniversary to us!

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

August 1, 1887. The Order of Railway Conductors in Arkansas receive charter signed by Grand Chief Conductor A. S. Wheator.

August 1, 1925. More than 200 UMWA miners and their families hold rally on public square at Greenwood to protest Greenwood Coal Co. reduction of wage scale back to 1917 levels.

August 1, 1940 Carpenters and Joiners business agent Fred Burt announced that union had accepted 2 cent per hour wage increase and would end strike against Crossett Lumber Company begun June 4.

August 1, 1990. The National Labor Relations Board filed its third unfair labor practices complaint against Morrilton Plastics Products Inc. of Morrilton.

House Passes Paycheck Fairness Act

House Democrats pushed through legislation tonight that would give women new tools to combat pay discrimination. The pay equity bill, which passed by a 247-178 vote, would treat gender discrimination involving pay in the same category as race, disability and age discrimination. It would provide for compensatory and punitive damages, ban employers from retaliating against workers who share their salary with colleagues, and force employers to prove that paying a women less than a man is job-related and necessary.

A study by the UA Faculty Senate documented that the University of Arkansas paid female Assistant Professors about $11,000 per year less than their male colleagues. Chancellor John White failed to address and correct the problem, even after it was called to his attention by AFSCME Local 965. We are hopeful that Chancellor David Gearhart, who assumed office this month, will be committed to ending gender discrimination and achieving pay equity. It has been the law since 1963, and enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act could strengthen the rights of women in the workplace.

"This is a historic step forward in the fight for equal rights for women," said Democratic Congressman George Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. Congress passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, but companies continually have found ways around it. Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro said, "Just because something is illegal, does not mean that it does not continue to happen." The Institute of Women's Policy Research says wage disparity will cost a woman as much as $2 million over her lifetime in lost wages.

Republicans said women did not need additional legal protection, and the legislation would benefit trial lawyers, who could get legal fees when they win pay discrimination cases against corporations. George Bush has threatened to veto the legislation.

The bill passed by 247-178. All 178 voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act were Republicans, including our own Representative John Boozman of Rogers.

NWACC Hosts Workplace Safety Training

Unions have been demanding safe working conditions for their members for generations, and there have been significant improvements brought about by state and federal legislative victories. To help close the gap between the promise of the law and the realities in the workplace, Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville is hosting a Workers' Safety Conference on August 14th, from 7:15 am-2:30 pm. It is sponsored by the NWA Safety and Health Advisory Council and will include presentations by the Arkansas Department of Labor, the U.S. Labor Department, and the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission.

The seminar is designed for hourly employees, and private businesses and public agencies interested in maintaining a safe and healthful workplace are encouraged to attend and send their employees. The registration fee of $20 covers lunch and materials. For more information, contact Juanita Matlock at 501.682.9090 or email her at juanita.matlock@arkansas.gov

AFSCME Local 965 commends the administration of Northwest Arkansas Community College for hosting this conference on worker safety on the job. We hope that the University of Arkansas will soon remember the essential role of workers in our economy and be interested in offering programs that benefit hourly workers by increasing their skills and improving their quality of life.

AFSCME Convention This Week

This week nearly 6,000 delegates, alternates and guests have gathered in San Francisco for AFSCME's 38th International Convention. The Convention, with the theme of "We Make America Happen," convenes today and runs through Friday. Senator Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore will be featured Convention speakers. Senator Barack Obama will address the AFSCME Convention live via satellite on Thursday.

In his keynote address today, president Gerald McEntee told the crowd that, “Together we will build an even more powerful union! Together we will reach out and organize the unorganized! We will negotiate contracts that make our families strong! Together we will fight for a new America!”

President McEntee's speech set the stage for the week by calling on attendees to continue implementing the sweeping measures of the Power to Win plan, and to work harder than ever before to take back the White House for America's working families. A major part of the plan includes building public support for the vital services we provide. The union's new tagline, "We Make America Happen," captures the critical role AFSCME members play in making our communities better places to work, live and raise a family. This theme will be the focus of our Convention, including the many educational workshops and action center booths, which cover such topics as political action, retirement, and our campaign to guarantee quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

This Convention also will be the most environmentally-friendly gathering in AFSCME history. Key Convention materials were printed on recycled paper using eco-friendly, soy-based ink, reusuable water bottles were provided to delegates and information traditionally provided as handouts were instead given to delegates electronically on a computer flash drive.

Convention highlights and video will be providing daily on Greenline, the national AFSCME blog, and on the website at www.afscme.org/convention.

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

July 27, 1897. James R. Sovereign of Sulphur Springs, Grant Master Workman of the Knights of Labor, attends United Labor Conference in Wheeling, West Virginia.

July 27, 1936. Ella Reeve Bloor speaks to meeting of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union local at Alder Springs.

July 27, 1953. Employees of Southern Lumber Company of Warren go out on strike for fair wages.

July 27, 2000. Federal Judge Howard Sachs finds that management attorneys and lobbyists from the Chamber of Commerce had been working through Governor Mike Huckabee's office to get "liberal" Workers Compensation Commission Administrative Law Judge Eileen Harrison fired because of her sympathy with injured workers.

Paycheck Fairness Act

The University of Arkansas administration has failed to address our request for fair pay for all and continues to pay women faculty members less than their male colleagues. The House is expected to vote next week (the week of July 28) on the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), providing a critical opportunity for Congress to make real progress on pay equity. Even if you have contacted Congressman Boozman about this legislation before, we now ask you again to urge him to vote yes on this legislation and oppose any attempts to weaken it.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. The Paycheck Fairness Act would, among other things, deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations, and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages. The bill also requires employers to show that wage gaps are truly a result of factors other than sex, collect better data on wages, reinstate activities that promote equal pay at the Department of Labor, and develop training for women and girls on salary negotiations. The bill's measured approach ensures that women can obtain the same remedies as those discriminated against based on race.

The 2007 AAUW report, Behind the Pay Gap, shows that just one year out of college, women working full time already earn less than their male colleagues, even when they have the same major and occupation. Ten years after graduation, the pay gap widens. With a record 70 million women in the workforce, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families. In addition, wage discrimination lowers total lifetime earnings, reducing women's benefits from Social Security and pension plans and inhibiting their ability to save not only for retirement but for other lifetime goals such as buying a home and paying for a college education.

Equal pay for equal work is a simple matter of justice for women, and a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical step forward in our goal to close the persistent and sizable wage gaps between men and women.

Take Action! To urge Congressman Boozman to support the Paycheck Fairness Act when it comes up for a vote next week, simply CLICK HERE, enter your zip code and click "Go!" to be taken to the "Take Action" section. There you can compose and send your message.

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

July 25,1938. David Spears, United Furniture Workers, addresses Arkansas Congress for Social and Economic Progress in Little Rock and says that Fort Smith had become "one of the strongest CIO towns in the country."

July 25, 1960. Local Union No. 700 IBEW (AFL-CIO) goes out on strike against Baldor Electric Company plant in Fort Smith after contract negotiations stall.

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

July 24, 1920. Dr. David Y. Thomas, UA Professor of History, gives address in University of Arkansas Chapel on "Labor and the State," reviewing improved working conditions resulting from legislation secured through the efforts of organized labor, but he lamented that Arkansas still had no workman's compensation law to protect employees injured on the job or to provide death benefits for the families of workers killed in mining and industrial accidents.

Summer Reading for Union Members

Mother Jones said it best: "Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflicts."

Feeling crunched, squeezed, squandered and screwed by the outright barbarous? Build your summer reading list around these must-reads from The Union Shop—and gear up for the political change we must make to turn around America. These titles offer plenty of food for thought.

Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class and What We Can Do About It, by Thom Hartmann.
Air America Radio host Hartmann writes that our middle class has been dismantled over the past 25 years and replaced by a system to line the pockets of the super-rich and big corporations. He details the weakening of the safety nets for working people and argues that an empowered, educated middle class is crucial to a functioning democracy. $22.95
Find Out More and Order Today

Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries), by Jared Bernstein.
As Bernstein says, "economics has been hijacked by the rich and powerful, and it has been forged into a tool that is being used against the rest of us." Bernstein, senior economist and director of the Living Standards Program at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., offers lay people tangible insight into what it takes to ensure that those who make it work also share its rewards. $26.95
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The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker, by Steven Greenhouse.
America's workers are being squeezed by declining wages, rising health care costs, evaporating pensions, job insecurity and globalization, according to Greenhouse, who covers workplace issues for The New York Times. The book takes a probing—and often shocking—look at why, in the world's most affluent nation, so many corporations are intent on squeezing their workers dry. $25.95
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The Disposable American: Layoffs and Their Consequences, by Louis Uchitelle.
An eye-opening account of the devastating impact of layoffs on individuals at all income levels, this book traces the rise of job security in the United States to its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s and the factors that caused a U-turn beginning in the 1970s. Uchitelle gives specific recommendations for policies that encourage companies to restrict layoffs and create jobs. $25.95
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Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King's Last Campaign, by Michael K. Honey. The author combines labor history with civil rights history in a moving and meticulous account of the sanitation workers' strike that brought Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis in early 1968. Honey painstakingly recreates the explosive situation into which King stepped after 1,300 sanitation workers, almost all of them African American, went on strike, including marches and sermons, King's assassination and its violent aftermath. $17.95 paperback. Find Out More and Order Today

Lioneld Jordan Honored by OMNI

Local 965 member Lioneld Jordan was recognized as a Nominee at OMNI's 2008 Peace & Justice Heroes Awards Banquet at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on June14th. In announcing the awards, OMNI spokesperson Gladys Tiffany said, "The second Nominee doesn’t need much introduction to Northwest Arkansas people. Lioneld Jordan has been a public servant in Fayetteville for many years, advancing the fundamental values of peace, justice, and ecology in our community.

"During his eight years on the City Council, Lioneld has supported the preservation of Mt. Sequoyah Woods and the Brooks-Hummell Natural Area, as well as the hillside development ordinance. As chair of the Street Committee, he took the leadership in advocating road impact fees to address the effects of sprawl, has supported bikeway and trails as alternative systems, and led the efforts to designate Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

"Lioneld has been a strong voice for social and economic justice. He has been a member of the advisory board of the Seven Hills Homeless Shelter and has worked to assure affordable housing in the city. As president of the Northwest Arkansas Labor Council, he has instituted the Citizen Leadership Academy to train advocates and give a voice to those less fortunate, and as former president of his local union, he initiated the monthly food drive, the campus-city street trash pickup project, the community service awards, and the Christmas toy drive, while fighting for workers’ rights and job security.

"Thank you Lioneld for your years of service in Northwest Arkansas."

General Clark Stands with AFSCME

Retired General Wesley Clark is the latest of a growing group of speakers to take a stand in support of AFSCME members and cancel their scheduled appearance at UCLA’s commencement ceremonies this weekend unless 20,000 UC workers receive of a fair contract. Former President Bill Clinton confirmed his cancellation on Tuesday and was joined by Congresswoman Hilda Solis and Congressman Henry Waxman who were also scheduled at UCLA this weekend. Students, workers and community supporters are planning to picket at commencement ceremonies across the state this weekend.

"I am disappointed that I will not be able to be a commencement speaker, but I won't cross the picket line. The students who are graduating, along with their parents who support them should be congratulated on their achievement. My hope is this dispute will come to a resolution very soon," Clark said.

The 20,000 patient care and service workers do everything from assisting in surgeries to cleaning dorm rooms in the University of California’s ten campus/five hospital system. They have been negotiating for a fair contract since August, 2007, and 96% of UC service workers are low-income eligible for at least one of the following public assistance programs: food stamps, WIC, public housing subsidies, and reduced lunch. Many work 2-3 jobs to meet their families’ basic needs. This is contributing to high-turnover, staffing shortages, and over-reliance on temps which can affect patient care as extra time is needed to train the constant flow of new staff.

Graduations at other UC campuses have also been affected by this show of solidarity with UC workers, including Speaker Emeritus of the California Assembly Fabian Núñez’s cancellation on Wednesday at UC Davis. Robert Kennedy Jr., Assemblyman John Laird, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, Angela Davis and many notable professors have also pledged to cancel unless the contract is settled. This represents speakers at nearly all UC campuses where graduations are scheduled.

Clinton Cancels UCLA Commencement Address; Refuses to Cross Picket Line

Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday canceled a commencement speech at the University of California, Los Angeles, because of the lingering labor dispute in which UCLA administrators have refused to guarantee decent wages to staff employees represented by Local 3299 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The 20,000 workers involved in the wage dispute range from technicians at UC medical facilities to janitors and landscapers.

"While I'm honored to be invited and was really looking forward to speaking at UCLA's commencement ceremonies, I can't cross the picket line," Clinton said. The former president was scheduled to address 4,000 graduating seniors this Friday, but his office said he would not appear. "Due to the ongoing labor dispute, he regrets that he will be unable to participate in commencement this year and he wishes the UCLA graduates the best of luck," Clinton's office said a statement.

Though AFSCME and the university are currently in mediation to negotiate better wages, Union president Lakesha Harrison said that the problem lies with the UC’s priorities, not a lack of resources. The UC administrators admitted that they have the money, but it “would be irresponsible to spend it on the workers,” Harrison said.

Harrison said that massive executive raises and bonuses take the priority away from the workers, many of whom qualify for government aid. “They’re not making the workers a priority. ... They’re not making the patients a priority, and they’re not making the students a priority; they’re making the executives a priority.”

About 20 students and workers began a three-day fast at UCLA today to call for a new contract for UC health care and service workers, and the group presented 1,000 petition signatures supporting former President Bill Clinton's refusal to cross a picket line to speak at the university's commencement ceremony. "I am participating in this three-day fast because I feel that the University of California is creating poverty in our communities," graduating senior David Chavez said. "Costs go up, wages remain the same and these families have to make hard choices on how to survive."

Former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez also canceled a commencement speech at UC Davis scheduled for today because of the labor dispute.

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

June 4, 1962. Arkansas Supreme Court rules that union "hiring halls" are illegal under Amendment 34 and Act 101 of 1947, and, therefore, IBEW Local 295 pickets advocating such can be enjoined.

June 4, 1940. Strike by Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Local 2590 sawmill workers at Crossett Lumber Company, lasts 58 days.

June 4, 1996. In race for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, State Senator Luther Hardin charged that Attorney General Winston Bryant was tool of "big labor bosses", and Bryant replied Hardin was "controlled by big timber, big utilities and big poultry." Bryant subsequently won nomination; Hardin switched to GOP and joined cabinet of Governor Mike Huckabee.

Tulsa Employees Join AFSCME

The 800 office-technical and administrative-technical employees in Tulsa, Okla., now have a voice on the job after joining AFSCME Local 1180.

Says Laureen Gilroy, who works in the city’s Public Works Department:

Forming a union is our legal and democratic right, and we decided to exercise that right. Having a union means that we can work to improve conditions on the job and give employees a voice at work.

A majority of the employees submitted union interest ballots to the state’s Public Employees Relations Board this month. State law allows municipal employees in Oklahoma cities with populations of more than 35,000 to form unions.

Local 1180 President Mark Stodghill said he is proud to have the employees join the union.

They have gone much too long without a strong, organized voice in the workplace. Now it’s time that the union members of this new unit all roll up their sleeves and get their first contract to cement their rights as employees represented by a union.

The new union members join the city’s 911 operators, airport police and municipal labor and trades employees as members of Local 1180.

All state, county, and municipal employees in Northwest Arkansas are eligible for membership in AFSCME Local 965. For information on joining or assistance in organizing your workplace, send an email request to the Arkansas Public Employees Union apeu965@yahoo.com

Ask a Working Woman

Do you love your work but hate your job? Do you have ideas—big or small—about how to make things better? It’s time for working women to sound off about what would make their work lives easier.

AFSCME Local 965, the AFL-CIO and our community affiliate, Working America, want to know what it’s like to be a working woman in America this election year. If you’re a working woman, please take a moment to complete the 2008 Ask a Working Woman survey.

We’ll pass the results on to politicians, women’s rights and labor organizations who will use them to advocate for women across the country over the next two years.

So click here now to take the survey. It is short, easy (we promise) and will serve as an invaluable tool for moving working women’s issues into the national dialogue.

If you’re not a working woman, forward this e-mail to your sister, your mother, your co-workers and your friends to make sure their voices are heard.

Send the survey to a working woman you know and make sure her voice is heard.

Thanks for helping lead the way for women in the workplace. Together, we can make lasting change.

In support of working women everywhere,

AFSCME Local 965 and the Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO

Unions Help Women with Caregiving Responsibilities

As people are discovering the challenges of balancing a career with caregiving responsibilities, unions have stepped up to help, Women’s eNews reported. The programs and benefits offered by unions are appealing to women, as they provide assistance that makes managing both a career and a family possible. Some unions have a child and elder care fund and monthly health care allocations, which members fund themselves and have access to if needed. Even more, they provide benefits regarding paid and unpaid leave that go beyond those required by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. While President Bush has proposed changes to the FMLA that would restrict it, both Sens. Clinton and Obama have made it clear that they would like to extend the benefits of the act to companies with only 25 employees, as opposed to 50. Some predict that over time more unions will follow the example set by such unions as UNITE HERE Local 2, Cleveland Teachers Union Local, and California State Employees Local.

The American Association of University Women believes that creating work environments that help employees balance the responsibilities of work and family is good public policy—good for workers, good for families, and good for business. AAUW’s 2007-2009 Public Policy Program supports greater access to benefits that provide such an environment. To read more on AAUW’s position regarding the workers’ benefits and the FMLA, read their position paper on family friendly workplaces.

Young Workers, New Attitudes

Two new reports show today's young workers are being squeezed by high costs of living and low or stagnant wages, and they want the government to do more to solve this nation's economic mess.

The Economic State of Young America by Demos presents a statistical study of the economic condition of young workers, and The Progressive Generation: How Young Adults Think About the Economy by the Center for American Progress (CAP) analyzes public polling of young workers. Click here for a copy of the Demos report and here for the CAP report.

The two reports paint a picture of young workers who are faced with a combination of declining incomes, growing debt, high costs of education, homeownership and health care. In fact, say the reports' authors, this generation of young workers could be the first not to surpass the living standards of their parents.

One key finding is that young workers understand the role of unions in building economic and political strength to make changes in public policies and the workplace. In the CAP study, young workers gave unions an average ranking of 60 on a 0-to-100 scale (with 0 indicating a negative view and 100 being a positive view), the second-highest level of support of any age group in the more than 40 years the question has been asked.

The authors of the two reports say the problems of young workers will have an impact on public policy for years to come. Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, says:

Young people today are being hit with a one-two economic punch. For this generation of young workers, the economy no longer generates widespread opportunity and security, and our public policies haven't evolved to pick up any of the slack. In fact, many of the problems we see today are a direct result of a disinvestment in the policies meant to ensure that the opportunity ladder is firmly in place.

David Madland, director of CAP's American Worker Project, says:

Young adults today think that the government can be a force for good in the economy, and that increased investments in healthcare, education, and other areas are necessary to ensure strong and sustainable economic growth. The progressive economic views of this large and politically active generation of young adults is likely to have a profound impact in 2008 and into the future.

Here is a snapshot of young workers culled from both reports:

• No matter what their level of education, incomes have declined for most young workers. The only young workers whose income rose between 1975 and 2005 were women with a college degree. Their incomes rose 10 percent, while incomes in all other education groups fell or remained stagnant.
• Even though their wages are declining, young workers' debts are rising. The average college graduate has a nearly $20,000 debt; average credit card debt has increased 47 percent between 1989 and 2004 for 25- to 34-year-olds and 11 percent for 18- to 24-year olds.
• Although more than half of women with a child under age one are in the labor force (up from 31 percent in 1976), public policy supports for young families are still lacking. Only 39 percent of women received paid maternity leave. Child care is expensive. Full-time care for a toddler ranges from $3,794 to $10,920 annually, while full-time care for an infant rages from $4,388 to $14,647 annually. In every region of the country, child care for two children exceeds the median rent and is as high or higher than the median monthly mortgage payment.
• Not surprisingly, young workers are more likely to support universal health coverage than any age group in the 30 previous years the question has been asked, with 57 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds saying that health insurance should come from a government insurance plan.
• Another 87 percent think the government should spend more money on health care even if a tax increase is required to pay for it, the highest level of support in the question’s 20-year history.
• An overwhelming 95 percent think education spending should be increased even if a tax increase is required to pay for it, the highest level ever recorded on this question in the 20 years it has been asked.
• And 61 percent say the government should provide more services, the most support of any age group in any of the previous 20 years the question has been asked.

From: "Young Workers, Positive About Unions, Face Economic Squeeze," By James Parks, AFL-CIO

James Parks writes for the AFL-CIO news blog, http://blog.aflcio.org.

AFSCME Local 965 Curbs the Clutter

AFSCME Local 965 has participated for several years in Fayetteville's Adopt-a-Street program to create a cleaner, more pleasant environment for everyone who lives, works, and goes to school on the University campus. Our union members chose this as one of our service projects to promote civic responsibility, to share our pride in our community, and to enhance Fayetteville's quality of life through clean streets and a beautiful campus.

Thanks to all of our members who participated today in our quarterly effort in support of the city's Curb the Clutter program! Today's team leaders were Lioneld Jordan, Larry West, Betty Martin, Dwight Morris, and Fillan Ferguson-Rivers as we collected and bagged litter and debris on Razorback Road through campus from Cleveland Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

UA Classified Employees to Get COLA

The University of Arkansas announced today that it will, in fact, be able to go ahead with the classified pay increase plan originally outlined earlier this month. The plan will provide classified employees with a 2 percent cost of living increase and merit increases averaging 1 percent. This is good news for UA employees facing rising costs for groceries and gas, as well as increased costs next year for the UA health insurance plan and for campus parking fees.

Earlier this week, the university had adjusted its salary plan in anticipation that the proposal would not be approved by the state in time for the university to develop a budget proposal for fiscal year 2008-09. That revised plan, announced May 13 and calling for larger merit raises but no cost of living adjustment, has been put aside in favor of the original plan as a result of today’s developments.

“This is a positive action that will ensure equitable increases for classified staff to help alleviate some of the burden they face from rapidly rising cost of living pressures,” said G. David Gearhart, chancellor-elect of the university. “We continued throughout the week to discuss the possibility of implementing our original plan, and we’re greatly appreciative of the state’s efforts to clarify the matter and for deferring the decision to us regarding salary increases. While it is regrettable that some confusion has ensued due to the different plans on the table during this difficult budgeting process, in the end we’re happy to be able to move forward with the proposal we initially sought as having the most significant impact upon our people.”

The merit portion of the plan calls for a half-percent increase for classified staff who received a satisfactory performance evaluation during the previous year, a 1 percent increase for those rated above average, and a 1.5 percent raise for staff whose performance has exceeded expectations.

If approved by the board, the 2 percent cost of living adjustments will go into effect July 1. Merit increases will follow either on Oct. 1 or on a later date coinciding with the anniversary of the employee’s date of hire, to remain consistent with the current annual cycle for performance adjustments.

This plan does not affect non-classified faculty and staff. Proposed raises for non-classified employees will come from a 2 percent pool, but individual increases will vary and will be based entirely on merit.

“We’re very pleased to hear of this development, and we appreciate Dr. Gearhart keeping the staff senate and university community informed,” said Paul Bixby, chair of the university’s Staff Senate. “We’re just happy to be back where we started.”

Stephen Smith, President of AFSCME Local 965, expressed his appreciation for the return to the original classified pay plan. “We are pleased that university administrators proposed this improved pay plan for classified employees and continued to work diligently to secure state approval until it was authorized,” he said. “We particularly appreciate the persistent efforts of Chancellor-elect Gearhart, Vice Chancellors Don Pederson and Richard Hudson, and Associate Vice Chancellor Barbara Taylor. We look forward to a cooperative and productive relationship with the administration to strengthen our institution and advance the best interests of faculty, staff and students.”

“We’ve chosen to put our people first, albeit within our stretched means in the coming year,” said Gearhart in previously announcing this plan. “While new programs that can enhance our quality and service to the state are critical – and we hope to address those as soon as our funding outlook improves – what makes a great university are its people. In order to continue to recruit and retain the best faculty and staff to serve our students, they need to be our priority even when difficult budget choices need to be made.”

This Date in Arkansas Labor History

May 12, 1978. Court injunction ends strike by 124 AFSCME members unsuccessfully seeking change in unfair disciplinary procedures by City of Fort Smith.

May 12, 1958. Arkansas Supreme Court held that strikers who tried to get employer to recognize a union as bargaining agent are eligible for unemployment compensation benefits when not rehired.

May 12, 1986. Governor Bill Clinton signed workers' compensation legislation that increases benefits for injured workers, sets up system for mediation to reduce lengthy legal battles, and provides funding for job safety study.

May 12, 1989. Grant Thornton consulting firm estimates at the end of 1988, 27,408 people, or 12 percent of the state's manufacturing labor force, belonged to a labor union--down from 12.97% in 1987.

May 12, 1994. Federation of Metropolitan Teachers, affiliated with American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO), announces it will challenge Little Rock School District's decision to eliminate 80 teaching positions next year.

May 12, 2003. Irena King, Mena Wal-Mart "Associate," fell and fractured her right wrist while walking from the bakery to the employee lounge. Wal-Mart said she was not working and fought against paying insurance claim for medical bills.

Burger King Spied on Labor Activists

Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers have exposed Burger King for its role in attempts to infiltrate and spy on the inner workings of a CIW-allied organization, the Student/Farmworker Alliance.

Both CIW and SFA are headquartered in Immokalee, Florida, where tomato pickers are demanding Burger King join with other tomato purchasers to better the wages and working conditions throughout the tomato industry. The CIW launched a campaign against the company in 2006 after their former targets, Taco Bell and McDonald’s, agreed to workers’ demands.

After running successful [1] drives [2] against two giant fast-food companies, organizers in Immokalee are used to corporate misinformation and public relations spin. With more than a decade of organizing under their belt, though, they had yet to worry much about the supporters who call the office and ask to help.

Organizers began to grow wary after receiving a March 8 email from a University of Virginia student named “Kevin” from the email address “stopcorporategreed at live.com.” The same address had leaked to the Associated Press an internal Burger King memo stating that the company was considering cutting off its purchases of Florida tomatoes—a move that would devastate the campaign.

“If you’re a student in Virginia, how do you get access to a Burger King internal document?” asked Marc Rodrigues, a Student/Farmworker Alliance organizer. “We wrote back that we’d love to send them an organizing packet and to send us an address. We never heard back.”

Investigations heightened their anxiety. The email address originated out of a suburb of Miami, where Burger King is headquartered, not Virginia. “Kevin” had also requested access to the organization’s upcoming conference call, but it wasn’t until a few days later that the request stood out.

Rodrigues received a call March 11 from Cara Schaffer, who said she attended a local community college and was excited to support the campaign. Like the University of Virginia student, Schaffer immediately inquired about access to the organization’s national conference call.

But the student organizers soon realized that Schaffer was not one of them—in fact, she is the president of Diplomatic Tactical Services, a Florida-based corporate espionage firm. According to the company’s website, DTS specializes in “handling all types of investigative activity during strikes, organizational [sic] attempts, secondary pickets, negotiations, and decertification drives.” It offers its corporate clients covert surveillance services and the ability to place undercover operatives inside target groups.

Schaffer joined numerous conference calls the organization held in March to prepare for upcoming actions, but never said a word nor identified herself during the calls.

The battle has been waged in cyberspace, too. An anonymous poster with the online identity Activist2008 obsessively posts derogatory comments on online stories and videos related to the CIW. A reporter from the Fort Myers News Press received similar messages from the email address “activist2008 at live.com,” which she traced back to Burger King headquarters. That paper reported the daughter of Steven Grover, Burger King’s vice president of regulatory compliance, confirmed that her father posted the comments.

While Burger King has denied that it officially sanctions the surveillance and manipulation of Immokalee organizers, a spokesman told reporters that it cannot control the online activities of its hundreds of employees.

“When you realize the person posting those things is actually Burger King's vice president in charge of the ethical operation of the company’s supply chain, it really makes you wonder just how high up does this whole thing go?” asked Gerardo Reyes, a member of the CIW, in the Fort Myers News Press.

Rodrigues said that the snooping isn’t stamping out their enthusiasm. “Maybe we’ll be a bit more careful in what we say on emails,” he said. “We’re not worried, though, because all they found out is that there’s tons of students organizing actions and events to support our campaign around the country.”

Article by Tiffany Ten Eyck, Labor Notes, used by permission.

Gearhart Backs Staff Salary Increases

The University of Arkansas expects to offer modest raises to faculty and staff under a new budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year, despite initial concerns that a proposed cut of nearly $5 million in state funding for the university might hinder its ability to offer pay increases. Since that proposed cut, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration has projected a $164 million state surplus.

Based on new budget planning, funds will be available to provide salary pools in an effort to at least keep pace with the rising cost of living. The planned salary increases, however, would come at the expense of any new university program offerings or expenditures that were under consideration, except for those deemed unavoidable costs in the coming year.

"We've chosen to put our people first, albeit within our stretched means in the coming year," said G. David Gearhart, chancellor-elect of the university. "While new programs that can enhance our quality and service to the state are critical - and we hope to address those as soon as our funding outlook improves - what makes a great university are its people. In order to continue to recruit and retain the best faculty and staff to serve our students, they need to be our priority even when difficult budget choices need to be made."

Under the new budget plan, which requires the approval of the state's Office of Personnel Management as well as the university's Board of Trustees next month, each classified employee would receive a 2 percent raise for cost of living allowance with an additional 1 percent put into a pool to be distributed by merit.

Nonclassified employees, including nonclassified staff, faculty and graduate students, would receive merit increases based on a 2 percent pool. In addition, the faculty promotion increments would be funded at previous levels.

"Salaries at the university, particularly those earned by classified staff, continue to lag anywhere from 15 to 40 percent below those offered at peer institutions, when adjusted for market conditions," said Gearhart. "Clearly, we cannot afford to lose any more ground when it comes to compensation for our people."

AFSCME Local 965 continues to be impressed with Chancellor-designate Gearhart's vision for the University and his commitment to faculty, staff, and students. We look forward to working with him when he takes office on July 1.

NALC Food Drive This Saturday

Our union brothers and sisters from the National Association of Letter Carriers, with help from the other postal crafts, will stage a blitz on Saturday, May 10, to combat hunger in America, conducting NALC’s annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive. Please help by leaving a bag of non-perishable food items next to your mailbox for your letter carrier to pick up on his or her route this Saturday. The food will be delivered to local foodbanks, pantries and shelters throughout the Arkansas Foodbank Network

The union settled on the second Saturday of May for the annual drive since food bank donations tend to wane after the winter holidays. This drop-off is particularly troublesome since the hunger problem is usually at its most critical during the summer when school breakfast and lunch programs—often the only source of stable nutrition for millions of children—are suspended.

The challenge this year is especially daunting. All signs point to a deepening recession, and with gasoline prices flirting with $4 a gallon, more and more families—including those of carriers—are looking everywhere for ways to save money. This economic squeeze comes while 35 million Americans are experiencing what the federal government refers to as “very low food security,” a euphemistic way of saying people are either already going hungry or are worried about where their next meal will come from.

The drive, in its 16th year, is the largest one-day food collection in the nation and the biggest community service effort by any union affiliated with the AFL-CIO. On the day before Mother’s Day this year, letter carriers will focus their efforts on restocking the community food banks, pantries and shelters that millions of American families will rely on throughout the summer.

And don't miss this endorsement video by the Harlem Globetrotters!

AAUW Supports Paid Family Leave

As Mother's Day approaches, we think of our mothers and other family members who cared for us over the years and of those for whom we care. In honor of this day, AFSCME Local 965 joins with the American Association of University Women and asks you to urge our senators to support the Family Leave Insurance Act (S. 1681). This important legislation will provide up to eight weeks of paid leave to workers needing time off due to the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a child, spouse or parent with a serious illness, or to care for their own serious illness.

A study released by Harvard and McGill University researchers in February 2007 found that the United States lags far behind nearly all wealthy countries in family-oriented workplace policies. In fact, the U.S. is one of only five countries out of 173 in the survey - along with Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea - that does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave.

The University of Arkansas administration could provide paid family leave without federal legislation mandating it, but UA policies make it difficult for enough to take unpaid leave under the current Family and Medical Leave Act. That's why we need to act now and make our opinions known to someone who might care and be responsive to the circumstances confronting working families.

The Family Leave Insurance Act will allow working men and women the paid time off to balance their work responsibilities with their own and their families' medical needs. This bill will benefit both employers and their employees by establishing a fund through which employees, employers, and the federal government will share the cost of providing tiered compensation during times of family need.

AAUW has long supported flexible workplace policies to address the family responsibilities of employees. AAUW advocated for nearly a decade to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, which was finally signed into law in 1993. While the FMLA has been an enormous gain for millions of workers, millions of Americans still do not have the option of taking time off to care for family members or themselves - either because they do not quality for FMLA leave, or even more likely, because they cannot afford to take unpaid leave. AAUW believes that creating work environments that help employees balance the responsibilities of work and family is good public policy - good for workers, good for families, and good for business.

AAUW wishes all of you who are mothers a very happy Mother's Day.

Take Action!
Urge our senators to cosponsor and support the Family Leave Insurance Act (S.1681) so that America's families don't have to choose between keeping a job and caring for themselves or a loved one. Click on the "Take Action" link in the upper right corner or copy and paste the following URL into your Internet browser. Then follow the instructions to send your message. http://capwiz.com/aauw/issues/alert/?alertid=10156576&type=CO

For more information, read AAUW's position paper on family friendly workplaces.

Pay Raise Recommended for State's Classified Employees

Kay Barnhill Terry, administrator of the Office of Personnel Management, and and Andrew Bass of the Bureau of Legislative Research will ask the Legislature next year for $20.6 million from general revenue and an additional $26.1 million from cash fund agencies to enact recommended changes in the pay scale for state workers and to help cut down on turnover among entry-level workers.

Gov. Mike Beebe and state legislators have said they're concerned that entry-level workers are quickly leaving their positions for more lucrative private sector jobs and that turnover among entry-level employees is hurting productivity.

The pay plan now starts at $13,243 for entry level classified employees. Under the new plan, entry level employees would receive $15,080. "This will help offset so many inequities," Terry told the personnel subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council today.

It is a start. It is not a living wage. AFSCME Local 965 will continue fighting for fair pay for all University employees and other working families in Northwest Arkansas.

Support Pathways to Career Training

While more women are working than ever before, many do not have the skills and opportunities necessary to obtain the high-wage jobs needed to adequately support themselves and their families. To address this, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) recently introduced the Pathways to Advancing Career Training (PACT) Act (H.R. 5774). This legislation would fund programs that provide outreach, education, training, support, and job placement assistance to encourage and prepare women for nontraditional careers. The provisions of the PACT Act would fill the void left when similar programs were eliminated from the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act in 1998.

Women experience barriers to entry in high-wage, high-skill jobs due to biased career counseling and recruiting. Even after they enter nontraditional career and technical education programs, they may experience sexual harassment and differential treatment in the classroom. The PACT Act focuses on decreasing the obstacles single mothers and divorced and widowed women face when re-entering the workforce and preparing them for careers in fields where they are underrepresented.

The American Association for University Women believes that career and technical education is increasingly important for women and girls working towards economic self-sufficiency for themselves and their families in a competitive marketplace. Access to high-wage, high-skill jobs should be a right for women and girls from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, age, and disability backgrounds, including training for nontraditional jobs. It is in these fields traditionally dominated by men that women workers can begin to close the persistent wage gap between women and men.

Take Action!
To urge your representative to cosponsor the PACT Act, just click on the "Take Action" link in the upper right corner or copy and paste the following URL into your Internet browser. Then follow the instructions to send your message:

http://capwiz.com/aauw/issues/alert/?alertid=11325521&type=CO

If your representative has already signed on as cosponsors, you will be able to send her or him a message of thanks.

For more information, read AAUW's position paper on career and technical education for women and girls.