By Doug Cunningham

Chicago’s Carpenters union has won an important free speech case. A judge reversed a $2.3 million judgment against the union for distributing a leaflet that used a humorous limerick to call the Maki company "crappy". Travis Ketterman is the attorney representing the Chicago Carpenters union.

[Ketterman]: “Had that verdict stood, it really would have been an erosion of workers' rights, it would have been an erosion of the union's rights to publicize these disputes."

By Doug Cunningham

The Change To Win labor federation’s Chair, Anna Burger, says the very hard work that union volunteers put in for months has paid off to elect leaders who say they will fight to make work pay. But she says the work for change is far from over. Change To Win activists, Burger says, will be watching these new leaders to make sure they do their part to restore the American Dream - a paycheck that supports a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and most of all, a better life for our kids."

Labor fielded the biggest voter mobilization it’s ever done and was the single largest organized election effort nationwide. The AFL-CIO spent $40 million and other big unions spent tens of millions each on their own to produce this elections victory for Democrats. The focus now will be on advancing the working family agenda.

By Doug Cunningham

“People are talking and people are fed up. And people want a change. And you’re gonna see a change.”

That’s Jim, a union campaign volunteer who’s becoming famous on You Tube for the plain speaking “Two Guys” videos.

Labor continues to work feverishly through Election Day until the polls close in a mammoth get out the vote effort to win a working family friendly Congress. The AFL-CIO says today alone it will field 75,000 volunteers, knock on 1.5 million doors, make 5.4 million phone calls and reach another 1.8 million voters at work sites. In key states like Ohio and Pennsylvania the AFL-CIO says it expects 35-40 percent of the overall vote will be union household voters.

Election Day is coming up fast and there according to the head of the Change to Win Federation, there is a positive charge in the air. Jesse Russell has more:

By Jesse Russell

[Burger 1:] "Hope, Excitement, and Optimism."

Those are the three things that Anna Burger, head of the Change to Win labor federation, says she hears while touring the country helping to rally the organizations get out the vote campaign. She says members feel a momentum building with Election Day coming up on Tuesday. Not only is the Federation focused on national races, they are working hard to get out the vote for state and local races:

With election day only six days away, organized labor has been ramping up with a final massive push.

By Jesse Russell

The AFL-CIO held a press conference on Wednesday to highlight their objectives over the last days of the election cycle - which the organization is calling “the final four.” Karen Ackerman, political director for the AFL called this year’s election a referendum on the current administration by working families.

[Karen Ackerman]: "This election is a clear rejection by working families on the Bush agenda - a Bush agenda of undermining the economic security of working families. It's a policy of exporting jobs, of privatizing social security, of not protecting pensions, of no health care and the safety net for working families really being undermined."

By Doug Cunningham

[Al From]: "It would ensure that the basic right to freely choose collective bargaining is maintained."

Al From of the Democratic Leadership Council, announcing the DLC’s support for the Employee Free Choice Act. The labor reform reinforces and protects workers’ rights to form unions by allowing them to simply sign certified union cards. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says the labor reform already has support from 215 members of the U.S. House and 43 U.S. Senators.

[John Sweeney]: "The Employee Free Choice Act is the most significant federal legislative proposal in nearly thirty years to protect our most basic and important workplace right."

By Doug Cunningham

The American dream may not be dead, but the Change to Win labor federation says a new poll shows it’s slipping away. A majority of Americans now believe their children are going to be worse off economically than they are, according to the American Dream Survey. The survey finds a majority of workers say their number one issue is that wages are not keeping up with the real cost of living. More than a third have been forced to go into debt for necessities and more than half expect to work longer before retiring. A substantial majority in the survey think the American dream can be restored by joining together with other workers in unions.

By Doug Cunningham

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters is celebrating 125 years of building trades unionism this month. Gene Tenner of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters says the union got started in Chicago and there are still compelling reasons today to belong to the union.

[Gene Tenner 1]: ""They're more likely to have a safe workplace, they're more likely to get fair pay for what they're doing. They'll become the best trained tradesmen you can find find anywhere and they can retire in dignity."
Tenner says one of the biggest modern challenges for the Carpenters union is to figure out how to protects its members interests while also partnering with employers.

By Jesse Russell

A concrete contractor in Miami is being targeted for allegedly violating numerous labor laws. The South Florida Carpenters Regional Council alleges that Capform has violated labor laws ranging from unfair hiring practices to evading federal taxes during construction of a new downtown courthouse. At the union's behest, four congressmen have requested an investigation into Capform by the General Services Administration. The contractor has also been bringing in workers from Texas instead of utilizing local labor.

By Doug Cunningham

Missouri Republican U.S. Senator Jim Talent is courting the Carpenters union for support in next year's election. Democrats have made unseating Talent a top priority. Talent met privately last week with Carpenters local and national leaders. In return for union support , Talent and Missouri's Republican governor have reportedly offered not to turn Missouri into a so-called "Right To Work" state.

By Doug Cunningham

The newly formed Change To Win Federation is planning an ambitious organizing campaign that will combine the energy and resources of all seven unions in the federation. Tom Woodruff overseas organizing for the SEIU…

[Tom Woodruff 1] : "This is a crusade to determine whether there will be a middle class in this country - whether there will be any semblance of economic justice."

Woodruff says the federation's organizing effort will be the sum total of each individual union's organizing efforts, joint campaigns already in progress and future coordinated, fully integrated organizing efforts strategically targeted to achieve greater union density industry by industry. Woodruff says this is nothing less than a struggle to win back decent futures for generations of American workers.

By Doug Cunningham

(St. Louis) – With a fiery passion and a fighting spirit seven international unions launched the Change To Win federation here in St. Louis Tuesday. UNITE-HERE’s Bruce Raynor.

[Raynor]: "Brothers and sisters, today’s the day to make history in this country. Today is the day to rebuild the American labor movement! (applause)

They adopted a constitution, pledged to spend $750 million on organizing and vowed to come to each other’s aid with a militant solidarity. Teamster’s president Jim Hoffa.

[Jim Hoffa]: “Let’s rebuild the American labor movement as never before! We can do it. Let’s start today! Thank you.” (applause)

By Doug Cunningham

Carpenters for a Democratic Union International is pressing its case for grassroots democracy within the Carpenters union. Spokesman Ken Little is part of a slate of union dissidents opposing the Carpenters leadership later this month at the union's convention in Las Vegas.

[Ken Little 1] : "We are looking for full participation by our members, volunteerism from our members. One member, one vote. That's what's gonna build our unions - empowering our brothers and sisters."

Little says Carpenters for a Democratic Union has been invited by the union to speak at the convention, but actions are also being taken against the dissidents around the country..

The AFL-CIO has interoduced "solidarity charters." The charters would allow disaffiliated unions to remain members of their state feds and labor councils. Lane Windham explains to WIN reporter Jesse Russell what the charters mean.

Click here to go to the raw audio - runs 4m 11s

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters is joining the Change To Win Coalition of reform unions. The Carpenters announced Monday that they're joining the coalition. Carpenters President Doug McCarron said the carpenters are proud to join with "the most dynamic unions in the country in the Change To Win Coalition." That coalition, led by the Teamsters and the SEIU, wants the AFL-CIO to adopt significant reforms that will pour more resources into organizing new members. Three of the unions in the Change To Win Coalition have been authorized by their members to leave the AFL-CIO if officers of those unions so choose.

New York City's Carpenters Union is looking for ways to convince the CVS drug store chain to stop using non-union labor to build its stores, especially in the outer burroughs of the city. Dan Wolcott is an organizer for the carpenters' New York City District Council. He says the union used to have a good relationship with CVS but now the company is putting cheaper costs ahead of safety, quality construction and fair treatment for workers.

[Dan Wolcott] : "We did show them pictures that we had taken of job sites with safety conditions of their non-union contractors, which was a major issue. They were concerned about it but nothing's been done. It's quite ironic that these contractors - we talked to some of the workers - they don't even have benefits, especially prescription plans. It's kind of shocking. Here's a company that lives and dies by the prescriptions and the people buildin' their stores don't have access to that."