WIN's Daily Headlines

UC medical centers on strike

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT

All five University of California medical centers are seeing strike today as health care workers walk off the job to demand fair pay, retirement security, and increased patient safety. Jesse Russell reports.

As many as 30,000 nurses and technical workers are expected to be off the job and walking the picket lines. The workers calling the strike are members of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, but other unions that represent UC medical employees are also expected to respect the strike line. One of the primary issues of the workers has been the increased requests for concessions by the workers while executives continue to watch their salaries grow year-over-year. The unions and management have agreed that key personnel shall stay on the job during the strike to ensure the safety of patients. Last week the University canceled all elective surgical procedures. The union has been in contract talks with management for nearly a year. Two weeks ago 97 percent of voting AFSCME workers authorized the union to call a strike as leverage in contract negotiations.

Low wage DC workers on strike

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT

By Doug Cunningham

Hundreds of low-wage workers in Washington D.C. employed under federal contracts, concessions and leases are striking today (Tuesday). The workers at Ronald Reagan and Old Post Office buildings, the Smithsonian museums and Union Station are all calling on President Obama to guarantee a living wage and a voice on the job. The workers have formed Good Jobs Nation, an organization to ensure private contractors pay living wages and improve working conditions for all workers employed by federal dollars. Tuesday’s strike follows actions by low-wage workers in Detroit, Milwaukee, New York, St. Louis and Chicago.

Pressure increases to keep Chicago schools open

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:29:00 GMT

By Doug Cunningham

[Nat Sound]:

The Chicago Teachers Union, SEIU, UNITE-HERE and community activists wrapped up three days of actions in a march for educational justice in Chicago Monday. It’s the latest in a community movement to save 54 schools from planned closings. Speaking at a rally Monday this SEIU school employee

said the unions and community activists will press the city again on Wednesday to keep the schools open.

[SEIU School Worker]: “We’re gonna be there on May 22nd, we’re gonna continue to march today to call attention to this issue. Because all of these parents are not only workers they’re parents, they have their children in these schools. It’s not right,. And we want Mayor Rahm Emanuel to listen to the community, to listen to the workers and more importantly to listen to the children.”

Recently re-elected Chicago teachers Union President Karen Lewis says the protests are not only against school closings but also against what she calls “misguided corporate school reforms”. The unions are also mobilizing politically against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Activists protest LA Times takeover rumors by Kochs

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:40:00 GMT

Rumors are swirling that the Koch Brothers may be making moves to purchase the LA Times and that possibility has progressive activists concerned about the editorial future of the paper. Last week protests were held outside of the LA headquarters of Tribune’s largest shareholder, Oaktree Capital Management. Glen Arnodo is staff director with LA County Labor Federation:

[Arnodo]: If you believe that a city needs a newspaper that has some basic journalistic standards and that’s essential toward democracy than everyone should care if the Koch brothers want to own a paper in their town.

In recent years the Koch Brothers have become the face of the conservatism in the United States with their active role in backing conservative causes and funding of American for Prosperity. As the owners of energy conglomerate Koch Industries the brothers have produced studies intended to debunk climate change.

[Arnodo2]: One of their studies concluded that smog protects you from skin cancer and out speaker said ‘boy, it would be interesting to see the science coverage in the LA Times if the Koch brothers own the paper.”

A spokesperson for the Kochs has dismissed the talk as rumors, but also asserts that they respect journalistic independence. Arnodo doubts the Kochs would have any reason for purchasing the LA Times for any reason other than promoting their ideology.

[Arnodo3]: We’ve heard it enough times to be concerned and certainly major publications such as the New York Times and others have picked up on it, so… We don’t have any inside knowledge, but when you start seeing it talked about in the business press, even if it is a rumor, you have to be ready for it to happen. We’re not going to wait until it’s too late.

More protections for California paid family leave program

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:35:00 GMT

A California bill intends to extend protections for workers who take advantage of that state’s paid family leave insurance program. Under the current law employees are allowed to take up to six weeks with partial pay. The law is intended to provide workers a way to take time to take care of a newborn or attend to an ill family member. While on the leave the worker will receive 55 percent of wages. A study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that 37 percent of workers who needed and qualified for the program chose not to use it. Some of the reason noted by the organization included concerns that employers would retaliate by denying promotions or firing the worker. The new legislation would prohibit employers from taking such measures.

North American companies reject Bangladesh safety plan

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:05:00 GMT

The world’s largest retailer has once again rejected a safety plan intended to help improve working conditions in Bangladesh. The announcement that Wal-Mart would be rejecting the proposal comes only days after H&M, Marks & Spencer, and Benetton said they’d embrace the proposal. The safety plan has also been accepted by the world’s second largest retailer, Carrefour. Under the proposal the companies agree to inspect plants producing their products and to assist in covering some of the cost of necessary safety upgrades. The plan was first drafted after a factory fire in November took the lives of 112 factory workers. At that time companies had rejected the plan, but last month’s factory collapse in the country that took more than 1,000 worker lives has brought new attention to the proposal. Wal-Mart had denied that any of their clothing contractors operated out of the factory that collapsed, but documents provided to the New York Times by the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity say otherwise. The company pointed out that the documents showed a Wal-Mart contractor operating out of the country a year ago, but didn’t have a relationship with the factory when the tragedy struck. On Tuesday Wal-Mart said it would be putting its own safety measures in place in factories where it’s contractors operate, but has been unwilling to publicly commit to helping pay for any necessary upgrades to ensure safety at the factories. So far only European companies and one Canadian company have signed onto the agreement. Gap and Target have also rejected it.

Rallies calling for higher retail wages spread

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:28:00 GMT

Fast food workers have been staging one-day walkouts throughout the country. One of the most recent strikes was in St. Louis where more than 100 workers walked out at a variety of established fast food restaurants. Workers taking part in the actions represent Subway, Arby’s, Whole Foods, McDonald’s, and many other. In St. Louis the movement is called “Can’t Survive on $7.35”. Martin Rafanan is director of the organization:

[Rafanan]: Here we have a minimum wage that is $7.35 an hour and of course that’s not going to be enough to support a family or take care of the basics, necessities of people’s lives. Workers coming together here is very, very important so we can start moving forward the economy of St. Louis.

The movement isn’t exclusive to fast food. Milwaukee saw a rally and a march on Wednesday calling for a $15 minimum wage that also included other retailers. Jennifer Epps-Addison is with Citizen Action:

[Epps-Addison]: We have workers from McDonald’s and Pizza Hut and Foot Action and Simply Fashions and lots of different low wage worker sites.

Epps-Addison explained why Milwaukee workers took to the streets yesterday:

[Epps-Addison2]: Many of them are working two or three jobs. Most of them are not able to survive on what they make at the restaurants or retail stores they work at. And this is at a time when the restaurant and retail industries are seeing record profits and expansions.

Rafanan and Epps Addison were interviewed as part of our one-hour long radio program, The People’s Mic. The People’s Mic is broadcasted live in Madison, Wis. on weekdays and can also be heard by visiting laborradio.org. We’re currently working to bring this program and the Workers Independent News to new venues, including your mobile devices. This week we’ve launched an indiegogo campaign that will help fund our effort to building an app that will not only feature content from our programs, but will also provide access to content from our partner organizations. It will also include interactive features that will provide the tools for you to help us expand the audience for stories about working people. Find out more at laborradio.org.

Defense Department to start sequester furloughs

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:23:00 GMT

Department of Defense employees are preparing for furloughs triggered due to federal budget cuts brought on by sequestration. As many as 650,000 Defense Department employees will be required to take as many as 11 unpaid furlough days between now and September 30. The cuts have also had a significant impact on companies that have contracts with the government. According to the Washington Post contracts decreased by 52 percent in April.

UMWA heats up fight with Patriot Coal

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:20:00 GMT

By Doug Cunningham

The United Mine Workers of America is fighting hard against an effort by Peabody Coal to destroy pension and health care for retired miners and their families. The UMWA says Peabody spun off a company called Patriot Coal and set it up to fail so bankruptcy could be filed, allowing the company to shed $1.6 billion in promised pension and health care for retired miners. UMWA President Cecil Roberts.

[Cecil Roberts]: “This may be legally correct. It’s morally corrupt. And we’re gonna find out if the United States government, state governments, the court systems believe it’s all right for corporations to be morally corrupt and to do their workers and their retirees and their widows like this.”

Taken from a UMWA video, here are union miners, relatives and UMWA leaders talking about the fight for fairness at Patriot Coal.

[UMWA Audio]: “These men worked and my husband worked so that you could have a company and you could make your millions of dollars. Why just discard them and throw them away? And that’s exactly what you’re doin’. It’s like you’re opening up a trash can and dumpin’ them in the trash. And I can’t see doing people like that.

And just to take me and put me over here and then put my benefits in jeopardy. It’s no good.

How can they sit there with a clear conscience and do this to the people that made them the number one coal producer in the world. It’s immoral, it’s wrong. And there’s going to be a day of reckoning. And it’s comin’ soon.

Until I die I will fight, I will do anything this union asks me to do. The state may end up havin’ to pay for my medical coverage if I end up in jail. If that’s what it takes,that’s what it takes.

We’ve got some fighters in this union and I think they’re gonna fight it. And I think we’re gonna win it.”

UC medical centers could see two-day strike

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:19:00 GMT

Five University of California medical centers could be impacted by a two-day strike next week. Last week 13,000 technical workers for the centers voted overwhelmingly in favor of giving the AFSCME bargaining committee the authority to call a strike. According to the union negotiations have reached a stalemate over unsafe working conditions – including staffing ratios. The University has said that the main issue hanging up negotiations is reforming the $24 billion unfunded pension liability. The union has countered that the university continues to provide executives with high salaries and pensions while asking for the workers to sacrifice and accept economic concessions. The union released a study that shows an increase to executive payroll of $100 million since 2009. According to the union the cuts to staffing impacts patient safety as it means less training for technicians and increased stress on employees. If the strike moves forward the university could see staff walking the picket lines at all five medical centers and at student health centers at all 10 campuses across the state.