CWA to NLRB: Verizon Wireless Subverted Union Election
This story has been re-published from the CWA site. Click here to read more and send a message of support.
Jan 19, 2012
CWA has asked the National Labor Relations Board to throw out a narrow Jan. 6 union election loss for 13 workers at a Verizon Wireless facility in Bloomington, Ill., charging that the company repeatedly violated the law to ensure the vote would go its way.
Widespread support existed for a union last November when the retail sales workers and customer service representatives contacted CWA to assist them in organizing. When workers petitioned for an election, 76 percent supported the union. By the time the election was held two months later, the vote was 7-6 against the union, a result of the company's illegal tactics.
CATERPILLAR THREATENS CANADIAN WORKERS
With cheaper U.S. Labor
Did we make it to the bottom? Well, we must be close. 
Close enough that U.S. industrial giant Caterpillar has locked out workers at the Electro-Motive Diesel plant in London, Ontario and threatened a permanent closing and moving of the plant to Muncie, IN where workers earn less.
Would we like to have those jobs? Hell, yes! But I get a belly ache when I realize that they (the capitalists) are playing us against our brothers and sisters in Canada. We’re being used in the same way they played the cheaper labor game to move jobs out of the U.S.
The best way to cow a population is starvation. Take away the work for a few years and let desperation set in. Then, when we’re not so high and mighty, they trust that we’d turn our backs on our fellow workers and be grateful. They’re treating us like dogs fighting for scraps under the table.
This is an insult to Canadian and U.S. labor, as well as world labor. It’s an old game that we should fight against, and it won’t stop until it doesn’t work for them anymore. It’s well known that corporations don’t have national pride, in any country or its people. Boeing recently settled an NLRB lawsuit regarding allegations that the aircraft maker illegally shifted work from union plants in Washington state to a new non-union factory in South Carolina. It’s the same game played with citizen against citizen.
We can only defeat these practices by organizing. “When the baby’s sleeping, everything is OK. But, when the baby cries…” –Randi Rhodes. People all over America are waking up to realize the dirty tricks that have been played against them.
We can’t let corporate power use our desperation to drive a wedge between us, our Canadian counterparts or any of our brothers and sisters in the rest of the world.
Together we win, Solidarity.
AT&T/T-Mobile USA Merger is OffThe following letter is from Larry Cohen, President, CWA: The proposed AT&T/T-Mobile USA merger is off. All that remains is a roaming agreement and a $4 billion payment in cash and Spectrum from AT&T to Deutsche Telekom. Bill Gates Champions A Financial Transactions Tax: ‘This Money Could Be Well Spent And Make A Difference’By Tanya Somanader on Nov 3, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Now, Gates is taking it a step further and traveling to the G-20 meeting in Cannes, France today to champion the “Robin Hood tax” — a small financial transaction tax on each stock and bond trade — in order to help financially strapped developed nations meet their global aid pledges to the poor. Aware that countries like the U.S. are not currently receptive to this or any taxes, Gates told the Guardian that hopes his “credibility” lends credence to the idea that such taxes work: |
The GOP embraces OWS?Coburn decries "welfare for the well-off" and Limbaugh rails against the 1 percent
Mr Sirota kindly gave his permission to repost his Salon.com story here. Enjoy! WashTech Supports the 99%As we have been witnessing, Occupy Wall St. and the occupy movements that have grown from it have issued many statements and declarations expressing issues of concern for 99% of our nation. While these issues are varied and diverse one point stands out above all others, these people are speaking truth to power in expressing the many difficulties caused by the abuses of the financial industry, and control of our governmental policies by that same industry. Our mission statement says “We are a visionary community of activists and a leading voice for our members in the global economy.” WashTech cannot be absent from this watershed moment for the labor movement and for America. The Planning Council has adopted the following resolution: “Be It Resolved that WashTech/CWA Local 37083 endorses and supports the Occupy Wall St. movement and the movements that have grown from it: Occupy Seattle, Occupy Tacoma, Occupy Olympia and Occupy Together. Be It Further Resolved that WashTech/CWA Local 37083 stands with the 99% against the 1% and the corrupt system that has been the cause of hardship and suffering of our membership and all others so situated. And Be It Finally Resolved that WashTech/CWA Local 37083 will continue to endorse and support our membership and working people (the 99%) for now and the future.” |
While Republicans resist any attempt to address growing income inequality, more and more of 
OMG! WTF? Driving to work this morning I heard David Sirota stating that he agreed with Rush Limbaugh, I was intrigued. I turned up the volume, and yes indeed, David played clips where the disgusting gob of spit indicated that he actually understands the 99% message. Of course he was using it to bash Chelsea Clinton, so I don't think that he actually heard what he was saying.
