Pro-labor/union DUers, please check in

Brothers and sisters, I may need your help. In less than two weeks, the union contract at our railyard will expire. Management wants to push off opening negotiations (you read that right: OPENING NEGOTIATIONS!) until well after the first of the year. In the meantime, the annual $1,200 bonus we would normally receive at the end of the year (given in lieu of raises) will not be coming. Obviously, my co-workers are ... umm ... quite perturbed at this situation. It looks like, if management continues to hold to this course, we will be going on strike before the end of the year.

If this happens, I would like to have your help. We are a relatively small workplace (less than 50 workers here), and making low wages (clerks/inspectors make $9.50/hour; crane operators make $12.75/hour). We are going to need assistance with outreach and publicity, solidarity work and all the incidentals (you probably know what that entails).

If we go on strike, it is going to be very important nationally and internationally. My railyard is one of the key links between North America and Europe, and most of the imports people pruchase in the Midwest come through our yard. If we go out on strike, we will have the whole weight of the bosses on our backs (first and foremost the Big Three, which uses this yard for import/export of auto parts).

As the situation develops between now and the strike vote, I will try to keep you informed as much as possible. I am writing this now in order to start preparing for what looks like the inevitable. I am appealing to my brothers and sisters here on DU to check in and contact me about this if you are willing to help. I want to be able to compile a contact list of people who can assist -- even with the littlest of things.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration of this.

Martin

I don't know what help I can offer, but I'll do what I can.
Good luck, I hope the management gets some holiday spirit and does the right thing.
On edit - fixed early morning typos

I will do what I can

See if you can be covered by th Railway Labor Act. It may provide better protection for you and your Brothers and Sisters. The legal department at the NMB can tell you if you are covered by the RLA. Don't just rely on the NLRB saying that that is what covers your union. There may be some hope for you with the NMB. They have many mediators whth great rail backgrounds. The NMB phone number is 202-692-5000.

Because we are considered a subcontractor, we are under the NLR Act. Besides, given the screwjob we've been receiving for the last two contracts, we'd prefer to be able to fight this out.

Thanks for the advice, though. I appreciate it.

Martin

This is a real situation. America is being put to the test. I will keep looking for your thread(s) on the subject.

covered under the Railway Labour Act or the National Labor Relations Act?

Under the former, you contract doesn't expire but becomes amendable. The status quo remains in place until a new contract is reached...

Anyway...PM me...let's see what we can do after we get some more details.

In solidarity...

And in the extremely unlikely event I could be of any help, count on me.

Don't budge. Bosses who cheat on their employees are the lowest of scum. Thankfully, my company acts properly with us workers.

As a kid we often worked under extentions -

my brief experience working for the Northwestern was great.

Is a railyard workplace under the Railway Labour Act, or are you folks contract labour to the site owner? What union is involved?

That way they can lock you out and replace you with lower paid scabs. I was in the Steelworkers Union in the Chicago area in the late 70's and early 80's. We went on strike and the closed the Gary Tube Works. From high dollar union wages to unemployment.

Organized labor is this country's only hope of maintaining a viable middle class.

Tell me what you need.

Martin, i'm almost positive you know of Jobs With Justice, but i'd suggest contacting them. I get action updates from them frequently thru e-mail, they have a website and a monthly newsletter. They are National and have the resources to get the word out and people involved.

Keep me posted.

As are: Teamsters/Teamsters Port Division (talking with them next week); Michigan AFL-CIO; International Transport Federation (which also means the International Longshore Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union); United Auto Workers (since we ship a lot of auto parts); Canadian Auto Workers (since we work at Canadian Pacific Railway, and CAW represents many of the workers over there); UTU; BMWE; etc.

Thanks for the suggestion. If you have any others, please let me know.

Martin

You know how to get in touch with me.

What local are you in? I can talk to some of the union folks here in the Milwaukee area about shoring up regional/national support.

1. Our Union is covered under the NLRA, not the RLA. That is because we are working for a subcontractor for the railroad. But we do all the work; there are no normal railroad employees (who are under RLA) on the premises, unless they are bringing in or taking out the train cars we load, switch, legalize and maintain.

2. The Union is a small independent formation, a splinter from the Teamsters. The formal name is the National Production Workers Union. I am in Local 707 of the NPWU.

Martin

Let us know what we can do!

and your fellow Union brothers and sisters. May I suggest that your local and/or international contact other Unions for support? In these times, Union people will stick together. Also contact every media outlet you can think of in your area. I belong to the International brotherhood of Boilermakers and will do what I can. Please keep in touch and fight the good fight. SOLIDARITY!

Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers: it's backed by AFSCME....

Let us know what we can do.

granted it is the stage actors union, but I will never forget the local burly guys picketing a non union tour of Sound Of Music (because there are only three actual AEA members in Scranton and someone had to do it). I was incredibly grateful.
If you need my help let me know.

Thank you all. As things develop, I will definitely keep everyone informed.

Martin

UFCW, can't remember the branch, it's in Terre Haute, Indiana. You have my support, in fact, every union member in the country looking for a fair shake does.

more than ever. They will demand more for less, that's always the way they see things. While their corporate officers and board of directors live like royalty, they are planning on their next move to make the hourly paid employees pay for it.

Hang in there............. 35 year IBEW member.

Union SEIU here. Let me know..

Back when St. Ronnie was doing his his version of "ruining 'Merica" on the national scene. Union familys were hit hard. I personally had to sale my home @ a loss and move 175 miles south. New faces, new work environment, no local connections except the UNION. Now I'm retired, my money is secure and my work-place struggle is over..... My advice is: hang in there MS, this right wing shit ain't going to go on forever.

I'm with you Martin.

Let us know what we can do when/if the time comes.

There is power in a factory, power in the land
Power in the hands of a worker
But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand
There is power in a Union

Now the lessons of the past were all learned with workers' blood
The mistakes of the bosses we must pay for
From the cities and the farmlands to trenches full of mud
War has always been the bosses' way, sir

The Union forever defending our rights
Down with the blackleg, all workers unite
With our brothers and out sisters from many far off lands
There is power in a Union

Now I long for the morning that they realise
Brutality and unjust laws can not defeat us
But who'll defend the workers who cannot organise
When the bosses send their lackies out to cheat us?

Money speaks for money, the Devil for his own
Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone
What a comfort to the widow, a light to the child
There is power in a Union

The Union forever defending our rights
Down with the blackleg, all workers unite
With our brothers and out sisters from many far off lands
There is power in a Union.

(That's mah man Billy Bragg saying that!)


Hang in there!

CanuckAmok,
Proud member of DGC and ACFC
(and currently between assignments, so more than available to come down and lock arms, if the need be!)

And don't back down. I have been a member of a few unions over the years and am in solidarity with.


Let me know if you have a strike fund and I will send something to it. Will also send Dad(35 year retired Teamster) the word so he may be able to help also.

God bless and give you all strength in your hour of need.

Stay in touch. I'm IWW, (even though our Salt Lake GB shut down last year). Solidarity.

I fought the union fight for years in the Air Line Pilots Association (AFL-CIO).

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Even if it's just bringing food to the lines. I sure do hope things work out for your railyard coworkers and you. Let me know what you need. Things are getting really cruddy here in Michigan. :(

Let me know how I can help.

When they give you a POS contract you tell your bro' and sis's what going on and tell them to vote it down. Don't ever give up that's what I did and I hate myself for it ever since. When they had us sign this contract a year ago there was this provision that would allow the company layoff 500 people and no longer could you use doctor notes for sick days:grr:

When I told my brothers about it they called me every name but, a white man. They'd give me some smartass comment like "why don't you go apply at McDonalds and ask for $20 an hour?" I'd reply "If we sign this in we'll be applying together." Well it got passed and I held a grudge. Instead of becoming active I took this Dr. Sranglove aproach to the situation.

I was sort of enjoying watching them lie in the graves they dug for themselves. They dug them for pretty fucking cheap too, because they seen that they get a dollar an hour raise and thought that was great. Well right before last Christmas they started having layoffs and my critics shut the fuck up. I still held too much of a grudge to do any bitching about it when they made people start working mandatory saturdays after layoffs. I didn't care because if they laid me off I would get a free year of college.

Last week though I seen something that changed my life. I was in the union benefit reps office complaining about a bullshit bill I got. This woman walked in with tears streaming down her face talking about her getting laid off. She said she took all her kids Christmas gifts back, shut off her phone line and all of the other horrible shit that was happening to her. I then put aside my bruised ego and actually started to realize these are my brothers and sisters.

Right after I left the office I went strait to a union rep and pitched a bitch about making us work mandatory overtime after a layoff. They tried to give me some bs mangaement excuse but I defeated it with logic. He had to sit there and listen to me bitch about stuff I should've bitched about a long time ago. Too little, too late though because now I've got to sit here and blame myself for my own selfish pouting. My bullshit ego cost people their way of life and destroyed their childrens childhood in the process as well. I feel like I should be put against the wall and shot sometimes when I think about it.


Whatever happens promise me that you'll never stop fighting for your brothers and sisters. I don't want you to write what I'm writeing right now because it really sucks.

Sasquatch

You would have had it anyway, but your message only reinforces my convictions. When I fight, I fight to win.

Management is winning this one over my dead body, as far as I am concerned.

Martin

For me and everyone of the victims of the BCF economy never stop fighting.

I have a few years left to fight the good fight. Solidarity, Martin. Peace. cmd

I'm in Texas and have no experience with the details of union matters, but would like to help in whatever way I can.

--Peter

Solidarity!

We have a big membership meeting this weekend. We're going to be discussing our next steps, including a possible strike. Hopefully, I'll be able to give brothers and sisters here a better idea of what's going to happen after that meeting.

In the meantime, some of us have pulled together into a leftwing caucus in the Union -- the Workers Democracy Caucus. We have published the first issue of our newsletter, The Organizer. You are welcome to view a PDF of the issue online at:

http://www.michigansocialist.net/detroit/organizer001.pdf

Let me know what you think.

Martin

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I'll do what I can.

Today is the day. We have our Union meeting today, and we are going to discuss the issue of a strike. I will let brothers and sisters know the result sometime this evening.

Martin

let us know. good luck !

My Union meeting was Saturday. Three-fourths of the membership attended the meeting. We discussed the status of negotiations (dead in the water, at the moment), our demands for the new contract, and preparations for a strike.

The members voted unanimously that unless the company returned to the table and bargained in good faith by the end of this week, we will schedule a strike vote. Also, members voted unanimously that if the company tries a "carrot-and-stick" approach (i.e., give us our bonus in exchange for signing a concession contract) we will reject it outright. Finally, the membership voted unanimously to have me start organizing strike preparations, and report to the next Union meeting (likely this coming Saturday) on its progress.

So, over the next week I will begin posting basic information regarding how my brothers and sisters can help with these preparations.

Wish me luck. We are taking on a mighty host, and will need all the solidarity and support we can muster.

Martin

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Stand tough. We're behind you!

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What is your union?

Don

It is a splinter from the Teamsters; the NPWU was formed after the feds intervened in the IBT. In other words: it's a Mafia-run Union.

And, yes, I am taking precautions.

Martin

Would not work in a non-union shop. Keep fighting brother.

Don

from a member of UAW Local 2322. (We're actually the unionized grad students at UMass; not exactly auto workers.) We've been battling the right-wingers in state government all year, so you have my understanding.

Will

we can do to help.:hi: Sorry to hear about your situation.

AnnabelLee--spouse of a proud Teamster.

On edit: Friendly reminder; please continue to boycott Tyson.
http://www.tysonfamiliesstandup.org/

Thanks for your support.

Martin

I'm checking this regularly too.

Deal is I was in the union when I worked the fish counter at Kroger in Atlanta.

I was a union member when I was a teacher in PAGE (Professional Association of GA educators).

Been thinking about joining the System Administrator Guild but they are not a real union and they are more a resource than an advocate for IT workers.

Let me know what you need. Have you contacted Eric Lee?




UA
UFCW
USWA

My dad's family were railroaders! I've been a union member for 32 years and proud of it! If Bush wins again the party's over for us all! If the unions fold we'll all owe our souls to the company store! Nonunion workers will suffer too! The wealthy want to roll back the clock to 1900 and destroy what we and our brothers and sisters before us have fought for all our lives!

I got a tase of the reality of the way life was back when the companies held all the cards! I spent my early years in a coal camp! I bought my candy at the company store with my coal company pennies!(scrip) The company owned my house! The doctor and preacher worked for the coal company! People were treated like DIRT by the coal operators because there was no where else to turn! My mom carried our drinking water a half mile from an open spring the company dug, to provide water for ten houses in my neighborhood! We had coal fireplaces and bought or stole the coal from the company!

When the Republicans BITCH about Government running every phase people's lives it's nothing, compaired to how corporations will run our lives if the unions ever fold! Look at how people in China live today! It's a mirror image of what America was before the unions sprang to life! That is what Big Corporations would turn America back into if they could and you'd damned well better believe it's the direction we are heading!

My hero is Arnold Miller former UMWA president and here is his story! I hope it helps you like it did me to read this powerful story:

Growing Up on Cabin Creek
An Interview with Arnold Miller

http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvcoal/miller.html

If you haven't seen the movie 'Matewan' Find it and Watch it! It is pure raw reality!

I was familiar with Miller through people I know who were involved in Miners for Democracy, as well as the documentary, Harlan County USA. I have Matewan on video at home; it is one of John Sayles' best films.

Martin

http://historyproject.ucdavis.edu/imageapp.php?Major=LB&Minor=C&SlideNum=0.00

http://historyproject.ucdavis.edu/imageapp.php?Major=LB&Minor=C

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/

'The Bitter Cry of the Children'

http://mohawk.k12.ny.us/progressive/spargo1.htm

Sweatshop Watch (links)

http://www.reference.com/Dir/Business/Investing/Socially_Responsible/Sweatshops/

Sweating it out in Saipan (Dick Armey)

http://www.tylwythteg.com/enemies/Armey/news.html

Letter from AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to Majority Leader Tom DeLay

http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/delayletter.cfm

Chinese Sweat

SNIP "Pro-trade Republicans were outspoken about the purity of their motives in supporting the bill. Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) histrionized that the bill would allow America to "Export American values through free trade."

http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~amnesty/nosweat.html


Business Behind Bars

The real drive behind prison labor for the private sector is not rehabilitation, but government subsidies which cost Washington state millions per year and eliminate fair-paying jobs for free workers.

http://www.washingtonfreepress.org/29/Prison1.html

Corporations Behaving Badly
The 10 Worst Corporations of 2001

SNIP> "Wal-Mart is opposed to unionization of its associates," reads a 1991 "Labor Relations and You" guide for company supervisors acquired and made public by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. "You, as a manager," the guidebook instructs, "are expected to support the company's position and you may be asked to be a campaigner for your company. This may mean walking a tightrope between legitimate campaigning and improper conduct."

http://www.weeklyplanet.com/2002-01-17/cover.html

Corporate Terra is nothing new to union members, we have been fighting Terra-ists for over a hundred years! Our work has made the world a far better place IMHO!

My husband works part time at Lowes. Every time he walks in the door he has another story about the evil way employees are treated by the company. The store was told that they don't qualify for bonuses this year even though they had a 33 per cent increase in sales. Never trust a corporation.

I'm former IUE Local 801. Never crossed a picket line in my life. Do you have a website advertising your side?

As soon as it is up, I will post a message here and PM you.

Martin

in NY during the anthrax attacks....i can PM you with his name and phone number if you are interested....just let me know

n/t

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