The World of Labor - January 23, 2010



	THE WORLD OF LABOR — January 23, 2010 By Harry Kelber Most U.S. Union Members Work for the Government, Data Shows For the first time in American history, a majority of union members are government workers than private –sector employees, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Jan. 22. According to the labor bureau, 7.2 percent of private sector workers were union members last year, down from 7.6 percent the year before. Labor historians say that is the lowest percentage of private sector workers since 1900. In its annual report on union membership, the bureau dispelled the long-standing myth that union members are overwhelmingly blue-collar factory workers. It found that membership fell so fast in the private sector in 2009, that the 7.9 million unionized public-sector workers easily outnumbered those in the private sector, where labor’s ranks shrank to 7.4 million, from 8.2 million in 2008. Unionizing a public institution like a college or a hospital is a lot easier than, say, organizing a machine tool factory, because of a difference in intensity of the anti-union opposition. In fact, university and hospital administrators often seek the cooperation of union activists when applying for state and federal grants. Auto Workers Union Donates $500,000 for Haitian Relief Despite heavy unemployment and a crisis in the auto industry, the United Auto Workers union is donating $500,000 to help survivors of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The announcement of the grant was made on Jan. 20 by UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who said the money would be sent to the William J. Clinton Foundation to aid Haiti’s earthquake victims. “The women and men of the UAW stand with thousands of other organizations and ordinary citizens in their desire to help the Haitian people meet their basic human needs,” the union statement said. The people of Haiti urgently need food, water, medical care and funds to purchase urgently-needed supplies. Former President Clinton, who is the U.N.’s special envoy to Haiti, said: “I still believe that Haiti can move beyond its troubled history and this lethal earthquake to emerge a stronger, more secure nation. But we can’t do it with government support alone. Ordinary citizens must fill in the gaps. Little donations make a big difference.” Poll Shows Labor is Unhappy with Democrats’ Response to Issues A poll conducted on behalf of the AFL-CIO found that 49 percent of Massachusetts union households supported Scott Brown, the victorious Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Ted Kennedy, while 46 percent voted for Democratic candidate Martha Coakley, The poll’s findings foreshadow a serious problem for Democrats, who count on union leaders and members as a pillar of the party’s base in the November 2010 elections. Karen Ackerman, the AFL-CIO’s political action director, said the results of the Massachusetts poll indicate “what we call a working class revolt” in which voters were responding to the fact that their needs and interests wee not being properly addressed. “What happened in Massachusetts is that working families did not see the Democratic candidate as being on their side.” The poll showed that Coakley drew more support among voters with a college education by a 5-point margin, while she lost by a 20-point margin among voters without a college degree, It is still unclear to what extent the Massachusetts vote is a rebuke of the Democratic Party and the Obama administration, but there will be shifts in the political landscape. It has already had an impact on the future of the. health-care reform bill. Labor will have to rethink the nature of its political alliance with the Democrats. U.S. Supreme Court Removes Limits on Corporate Political Spending The Supreme Court, in a 5-to-4 decision, has lifted a decades-old prohibition against corporations directly paying for campaign ads supporting or opposing political candidates. The decision also strikes down McCain-Feingold restrictions on issue advocacy ads financed by corporations and labor unions in the closing days of election campaigns. It does not affect Political Action Committees, which can be set up by corporations and labor unions but are financed by voluntary contributions. Direct contributions by corporations and labor unions are still banned. The reasoning behind the decision appears to be that the First Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits restrictions on political speech, applies to corporations as well as individuals. There is concern that the effect of the ruling will mean there will now be an even greater flood of corporate and union money flowing into the political arena,. Supporters of the Court’s ruling say that political spending will become more transparent. A voter will find it easier to know whether a candidate is favored by, say, the AFL-CIO or Exxon--and act accordingly. They say that the framers of the Constitution really meant it when they wrote in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech,” ‘Equality’ Union Reps Make a Real Difference in U.K. Workplaces In workplaces up and down the U.K., a growing army of new union representatives is working hard to ensure their workplaces become fairer, more equal workplaces to work, says a report published Jan. 21 by the Trade Union Congress (TUC). By the end of March, there will be 1,400 equality reps active in organizations in both the private and public sectors, many of whom will have been trained in their role by the TUC. Last year, the TUC received a grant from the Union Modernization Fund and the Government Equalities Office to allow it to set up a special project to coordinate the recruitment of equality reps and to find out more about the impact that reps are making on their workplaces. The resulting report found that almost two-thirds of equality reps (65 percent) are located in the public sector, 32 percent in the private sector and 3 percent in the voluntary sector. According to the TUC report, equality reps divide their time between giving advice and information to colleagues, promoting good practice, looking into complaints of harassment or discrimination and making requests for flexible working time. World Social Forum Celebrates 10th Anniversary At a World Social Forum event in Porto Alleger, Brazil, in January 2010, civil society groups will seek alternatives to neo-liberal policies and reflect on ten years of work. The Forum will take place all year with at least 27 regional and local events throughout the world. Opening this process, the regional event, “Greater Porto Alegre Social Forum,” will take place between Jan. 25-29, 2010 in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul, which will have over 500 activities in several cities. The World Social Forum (WSF) is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations can engage in a permanent world process seeking and building alternatives to neo-liberal policies. Many trade unions affiliated to the International Metal Workers’ Federation will take part in WSF activities throughout the year. One of the main events of the forum will be the international seminar, “10 Years Later: Challenges and Proposals for Another Possible World,” which will aim to examine future challenges to be faced by civil societies. It also hopes to provide more systematic reflection on what has been done so far, including mistakes and successes. Learn about workers and their unions in other countries by reading our weekly “The World of Labor” here and at our web site:https://www.laborsvoiceforchange.org .

THE WORLD OF LABOR — January 23, 2010

By Harry Kelber

Most U.S. Union Members Work for the Government, Data Shows

For the first time in American history, a majority of union members are government workers than private –sector employees, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Jan. 22. According to the labor bureau, 7.2 percent of private sector workers were union members last year, down from 7.6 percent the year before. Labor historians say that is the lowest percentage of private sector workers since 1900.

In its annual report on union membership, the bureau dispelled the long-standing myth that union members are overwhelmingly blue-collar factory workers. It found that membership fell so fast in the private sector in 2009, that the 7.9 million unionized public-sector workers easily outnumbered those in the private sector, where labor’s ranks shrank to 7.4 million, from 8.2 million in 2008.

Unionizing a public institution like a college or a hospital is a lot easier than, say, organizing a machine tool factory, because of a difference in intensity of the anti-union opposition. In fact, university and hospital administrators often seek the cooperation of union activists when applying for state and federal grants.

Auto Workers Union Donates $500,000 for Haitian Relief

Despite heavy unemployment and a crisis in the auto industry, the United Auto Workers union is donating $500,000 to help survivors of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The announcement of the grant was made on Jan. 20 by UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who said the money would be sent to the William J. Clinton Foundation to aid Haiti’s earthquake victims.

“The women and men of the UAW stand with thousands of other organizations and ordinary citizens in their desire to help the Haitian people meet their basic human needs,” the union statement said. The people of Haiti urgently need food, water, medical care and funds to purchase urgently-needed supplies.

Former President Clinton, who is the U.N.’s special envoy to Haiti, said: “I still believe that Haiti can move beyond its troubled history and this lethal earthquake to emerge a stronger, more secure nation. But we can’t do it with government support alone. Ordinary citizens must fill in the gaps. Little donations make a big difference.”

Poll Shows Labor is Unhappy with Democrats’ Response to Issues

A poll conducted on behalf of the AFL-CIO found that 49 percent of Massachusetts union households supported Scott Brown, the victorious Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Ted Kennedy, while 46 percent voted for Democratic candidate Martha Coakley, The poll’s findings foreshadow a serious problem for Democrats, who count on union leaders and members as a pillar of the party’s base in the November 2010 elections.

Karen Ackerman, the AFL-CIO’s political action director, said the results of the Massachusetts poll indicate “what we call a working class revolt” in which voters were responding to the fact that their needs and interests wee not being properly addressed. “What happened in Massachusetts is that working families did not see the Democratic candidate as being on their side.” The poll showed that Coakley drew more support among voters with a college education by a 5-point margin, while she lost by a 20-point margin among voters without a college degree,

It is still unclear to what extent the Massachusetts vote is a rebuke of the Democratic Party and the Obama administration, but there will be shifts in the political landscape. It has already had an impact on the future of the. health-care reform bill. Labor will have to rethink the nature of its political alliance with the Democrats.

U.S. Supreme Court Removes Limits on Corporate Political Spending

The Supreme Court, in a 5-to-4 decision, has lifted a decades-old prohibition against corporations directly paying for campaign ads supporting or opposing political candidates. The decision also strikes down McCain-Feingold restrictions on issue advocacy ads financed by corporations and labor unions in the closing days of election campaigns. It does not affect Political Action Committees, which can be set up by corporations and labor unions but are financed by voluntary contributions. Direct contributions by corporations and labor unions are still banned.

The reasoning behind the decision appears to be that the First Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits restrictions on political speech, applies to corporations as well as individuals. There is concern that the effect of the ruling will mean there will now be an even greater flood of corporate and union money flowing into the political arena,.

Supporters of the Court’s ruling say that political spending will become more transparent. A voter will find it easier to know whether a candidate is favored by, say, the AFL-CIO or Exxon--and act accordingly. They say that the framers of the Constitution really meant it when they wrote in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech,”

‘Equality’ Union Reps Make a Real Difference in U.K. Workplaces

In workplaces up and down the U.K., a growing army of new union representatives is working hard to ensure their workplaces become fairer, more equal workplaces to work, says a report published Jan. 21 by the Trade Union Congress (TUC). By the end of March, there will be 1,400 equality reps active in organizations in both the private and public sectors, many of whom will have been trained in their role by the TUC.

Last year, the TUC received a grant from the Union Modernization Fund and the Government Equalities Office to allow it to set up a special project to coordinate the recruitment of equality reps and to find out more about the impact that reps are making on their workplaces. The resulting report found that almost two-thirds of equality reps (65 percent) are located in the public sector, 32 percent in the private sector and 3 percent in the voluntary sector.

According to the TUC report, equality reps divide their time between giving advice and information to colleagues, promoting good practice, looking into complaints of harassment or discrimination and making requests for flexible working time.

World Social Forum Celebrates 10th Anniversary

At a World Social Forum event in Porto Alleger, Brazil, in January 2010, civil society groups will seek alternatives to neo-liberal policies and reflect on ten years of work. The Forum will take place all year with at least 27 regional and local events throughout the world. Opening this process, the regional event, “Greater Porto Alegre Social Forum,” will take place between Jan. 25-29, 2010 in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul, which will have over 500 activities in several cities.

The World Social Forum (WSF) is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations can engage in a permanent world process seeking and building alternatives to neo-liberal policies. Many trade unions affiliated to the International Metal Workers’ Federation will take part in WSF activities throughout the year.

One of the main events of the forum will be the international seminar, “10 Years Later: Challenges and Proposals for Another Possible World,” which will aim to examine future challenges to be faced by civil societies. It also hopes to provide more systematic reflection on what has been done so far, including mistakes and successes.

Learn about workers and their unions in other countries by reading our weekly “The World of Labor” here and at our web site:https://www.laborsvoiceforchange.org .