MAY 2012, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Report shows PLA’s help create middle-class careers

BY PAUL LEESON
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

REGION, April 5th- The School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University in New York released a new report that the college states demonstrates how Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) are helping to create middle-class careers in the United States construction industry.

The Report, “Community Workforce Provisions in Project Labor Agreements: A Tool for Building Middle-Class Careers” represented a national study of Project Labor Agreement’s by Cornell University, consisting of an analysis of more than 185 PLA’s, along with a national survey of state and local building and construction trades councils in the United States.

A PLA is a comprehensive agreement signed by a builder and local craft unions under which a defined construction project is agreed to be completed by workers from local union halls, in return for the union’s guarantee of no strikes, a steady labor supply, and general labor peace.

Under a PLA, a nonunion contractor could still be hired for a project, however, if they are selected local unionized workers must be hired for the construction.

Republicans in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in Harrisburg have targeted the use of PLA’s and legislation was introduced in committee that if passed would ban the use of Project Labor Agreements. Anti-union Republicans have attempted three other times of banning the use of PLA’s on public construction projects in the past.

Among the key findings of the report are that 97 percent of the 185 PLA’s examined incorporated “community workforce provisions” which are specifically designed to create pathways to jobs and career training for women, minorities and military veterans (through the “Helmets to Hardhats” program).

“The Cornell report confirms and illuminates the ‘untold story’ of Project Labor Agreement’s,” stated Mark Ayers, President of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation in Washington, DC.

“Not only are PLA’s an effective project management tool that delivers ‘on time, on budget’ results for entities such as Toyota and Wal-Mart, but they are extremely effective at providing job and career training opportuntunities for historically disadvantaged communities.

The bottom line, as exemplified by this report, is that PLA’s work,” added Mr. Ayers.

Meanwhile, some Republican members of the General Assembly in Harrisburg have recently again called for the repeal of the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage law.

“Who knows better what local governments need to cut costs and do more with less than the local governments themselves? And they say from county commissioner, city, township and school board associations, repeal the prevailing wage law,” stated House of Representative John Bear (Republican 97th Legislative District). Mr. Bear however gave no examples of elected officials that wanted the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act repealed.

Meanwhile, the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg released an study on April 2nd that weakening PLA law would harm the middle class and hurt local economies.

“Study after study that examines the cost of actual projects finds that prevailing wage laws do not increase costs, as Pennsylvania learned first-hand during the Ridge Administration,” said Dr. Stephen Herzenberg, Keystone Research Center’s Executive Director.

MAY 2012, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

United States Postal Service reform legislation would delay processing center move

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

REGION, April 21st- Federal legislation could delay planned changes to the United States Postal Service (USPS) that was to bring more jobs to the Lehigh Valley in mid-May.

The United States Congress has been considering a variety of measures designed to cut USPS costs, and the United States Senate recently passed Senate Bill 1789 which would delay any planned closing of post offices and merging of distribution centers.

The USPS announced earlier this year that 252 mail processing centers will be consolidated including Scranton’s into the Lehigh Valley’s. According to the agency, the service lost more than $3.3 billion in the last three months of 2011.

There are around 487 mail processing centers throughout the nation, including the one in Scranton and in the Lehigh Valley.

The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 268 represent workers that sort mail at the USPS processing center in Bethlehem Township.

The USPS announced in February the mail processing center in Scranton would be eliminated with the operations being moved to the Lehigh Valley. Under the plan, the Bethlehem facility would gain jobs with many of the workers in Scranton being offered the opportunity to work in the center.

The major reason the USPS loses money is because of legislation that was passed in 2006 that forces the agency to fund pensions for workers that have not yet even been born. The pensions for the future workers must be funded 75 years in advance. The USPS estimated that the post office department would have made a profit in 2010 if not for the provision of the pension issue.

The APWU and the other two labor organization’s that represent the employees of the USPS believe one of the biggest reasons legislators in Washington supported the pension plan was because of them being anti-union. The USPS employs more union workers than any other employer in the United States including the auto industry and often supports Democratic party candidates.

Bernie Ogozalek, President of Local 268 stated his union doesn’t support the closure of the Scranton processing center. “It is very unfortunate that the USPS decided to close the Scranton mail processing facility,” Mr. Ogozalek said.

However, United States Senator Robert Casey Jr. (Democrat-Pennsylvania) hopes to postpone the loss of the 300 jobs in Scranton.

Mr. Casey introduced an amendment to the USPS reform bill that would continue six-day postal delivery for four years, and would delay the consolidation of the mail processing centers.

MAY 2011, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Union files labor complaint against Sands Casino

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

REGION, April 14th- The Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (LEEBA) Union filed a labor complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region Four in Philadelphia alleging a Lehigh Valley employer violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRAct).

The Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association filed a UnFair Labor Practice (ULP) change against Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem in March 2012 alleging the legalized gambling resort violated Section 8 (a)(5) of the NLRAct.

The Union won the right to represent the security department of Sands in 2011 however, they have been unsuccessful in gaining a first-time contract with the casino operators. There are no other union workers employed at Sands, but members of the construction trades unions have been hired for the construction of the casino and other projects at the site.

According to the ULP, Sands have failed to negotiate with LEEBA during the first-time contract negotiations.

“Failure to Negotiate in good faith. On March 2nd, 2012 we requested dates in April for contract negotiations. On March 6th, 2012 the Sands Casino refused to begin negotiations. On March 9th, 2012 Sands casino informed the security officers they will not negotiate with the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association,” states the labor complaint, which was reviewed by the newspaper.

The Union News is the only member of the local media that reviews petitions and complaints filed at the NLRB office in Philadelphia and publishes the findings.

The ULP was filed on behalf of the Union by Peter Luck. Mr. Luck position with the Union is not identified on the complaint.

Robert DeSalvio is identified on the ULP as the contact person for the Employer. Mr. DeSalvio position with Sands is also not identified on the labor complaint.

The LEEBA has filed numerous ULP’s against Sands since winning the right to represent the security department.

MAY 2011, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Lehigh Valley unemployment rate decreases one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.1 percent

BY PAUL LEESON
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

LEHIGH VALLEY, April 6th- According to labor data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Center for Workforce Information and Analysis in Harrisburg, the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, decreasing by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report. The Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon Counties of Pennsylvania and Warren County, New Jersey. Twelve months ago the unemployment rate for the region was 8.8 percent.

There are fourteen Metropolitan Statistical Area’s in Pennsylvania and the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA is tied with the Johnsotwn MSA with the third highest unemployment rate.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton MSA has the highest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 8.9 percent. The Philadelphia MSA has the second highest unemployment rate at 8.3 percent.

The State College MSA has the lowest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 5.5 percent, increasing by three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report. The Lebanon MSA has the second lowest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 5.9 percent and the Lansaster MSA has the third lowest unemployment rate at 6.3 percent.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is 7.6 percent, unchanged from the previous report, which was released approximately three weeks ago. There are 483,000 Pennsylvania residents without jobs, but that number does not include residents that have exhausted their unemployment benefits and stopped looking for work.

Pennsylvania has a seasonally adjusted workforce of 6,389,000 and 5,906,000 of them have employment. The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was reported to be 8.3 percent, also unchanged from the previous report. That number also does not include civilians that have exhausted their unemployment benefits and have stopped looking for work.

The Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA has the third largest labor force in Pennsylvania with 425,000 civilians, increasing by 1,300 during the past twelve months.

The Philadelphia MSA has the largest labor force at 2,975,300 with 247,200 not working; the Pittsburgh MSA has the second largest labor force at 1,235,200 with 82,300 without jobs; the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre MSA has the fourth largest civilian labor force in the commonwealth at 284,300 with 25,200 civilians without jobs. The Harrisburg/Carlisle MSA has the fifth largest labor force at 283,200 with 19,400 unemployed civilians.

There are 12,806,000 residents nationally unemployed but counting workers that have exhausted their unemployment benefits or have been unable to find full-time work there are more than 16.1 million Americans without jobs. After workers have exhausted their unemployment benefits they are no longer counted as unemployed unless they continue to apply for work.

Carbon County has the highest unemployment rate in the MSA at 9.1 percent, decreasing by seven-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report. Carbon County has a civilian labor force of 31,900 with 2,900 residents without jobs.

Lehigh County has the lowest unemployment rate within the MSA at 7.7 percent, decreasing by four-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report. Lehigh County has a civilian labor force of 180,100 with 13,900 residents jobless.

Northampton County has a unemployment rate of 8.0 percent, decreasing by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report with a civilian labor-force of 152,700, and 12,200 without jobs.

Truck drivers claim union talk cost them their jobs
——————–

Labor board investigating complaints by 13 terminated at Lower Macungie cardboard plant

By Spencer Soper, Of The Morning Call

May 19 2012

Five months after it opened a new $35 million cardboard plant in Lower Macungie, Pratt Corrugated Logistics laid off most of its 18 truck drivers, telling them the company decided to contract with outside haulers instead.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-pratt-union-complaint-20120519,0,3232126.story

Will Conservatives Support American Companies… Or Chinese Companies?

by Dave Johnson

Which is better for an economy: millions of future jobs and trillions of future dollars, or a few people making a quick buck today by selling out their country? For decades America’s 1 percent-backed conservatives have chosen the latter course, and we can see the results all around us. Now the Obama administration has imposed stiff tariffs on Chinese solar panels because China was “dumping” — selling below cost — to drive American manufacturers out of business. Will conservatives support their country and our companies or will they continue to side with our country’s competitors?

U.S. Imposes Stiff Tariffs

The Commerce Department yesterday concluded that Chinese solar panel companies are “dumping” product — selling below the cost of production — into the U.S. market, and imposed stiff tariffs. According to the New York Times’ “U.S. Slaps High Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels”:

The United States on Thursday announced the imposition of antidumping tariffs of more than 31 percent on solar panels from China.

… The antidumping decision is among the biggest in American history, covering one of the largest and fastest-growing categories of imports from China, the world’s largest exporter.

Industry of the Future

Again and again technology revolutions come along and disrupt economies. Countries that jump on new technologies are the countries that win the industries and jobs and revenue. This is how the United States became the world power that it is was. Railroads, steel, automobiles, airplanes, electronics, semiconductors, computers, the Internet, pharmaceuticals, biotech and software are a few examples. And in every case our government helped these new industries get off the ground. When these industries took root the payoff was enormous.

Green energy is one such technology of the future. Producing solar panels, wind turbines, etc. will bring millions and millions of jobs and trillions of dollars, and several countries are competing to win a share of this new industry.

China is fighting hard for those jobs and dollars. They are being smart, and they are also pushing past the limits of the rules. From the New York Times story:

Alan Price, a partner who heads the international trade practice at Wiley Rein, the law firm representing the United States companies in both the solar and wind cases, said that China posed a particular threat to America’s developing green energy sector.

“China’s method is straightforward: it sets forth industry-specific Five-Year Plans and then uses all forms of national and local subsidies and other governmental support to quickly transfer jobs, supply chains, intellectual property and wealth, to the permanent detriment of U.S. and global manufacturers,” he said. “China’s ability to ramp up and overwhelm an industry is unique and particularly devastating with new and emerging technologies, where global competitors may be less established and can be knocked out more easily and quickly.”

To compete for a share of this new industry we need to be proactive. We need national efforts to develop the industrial commons, or ecosystem, that will foster green-tech industries. We also need government policies that promote a market for these products until they take hold, just as our defense industry did for aircraft and other new technologies. And we need to enforce the rules for international economic competition, which is what has happened with the tariff decision.

Decision Not Political

The New York Times story points out that this was not a political decision by the Obama administration,

The American decision was made by civil servants in a quasi-judicial process that is heavily insulated by law from political interference and does not represent a deliberate attempt by the Obama administration to confront China on trade policy. But that distinction has been largely lost in China, where the solar panel issue has been one of many causes embraced online by the country’s vociferous ultranationalists, who put heavy pressure on Chinese officials to respond forcefully to perceived snubs to China.

The rules say that if a country is dumping, then we must impost tariffs. The Commerce Department investigated and concluded that China has been dumping so they had no choice. If we do not enforce trade rules, they are meaningless and countries that cheat gain an advantage, driving out the honest players. That is how cheating, accountability and enforcement work. (Hint: this also applies to banking fraud laws.)

In the case of solar-panel tariffs, we were losing companies and jobs and facing losing the possibility of losing the entire industry to China. From “Tariffs On Chinese Solar Might Help Prevent The Next Solyndra”:

You have probably heard about a solar-energy company named Solyndra, but probably what you have heard is a bunch of negative, conspiratorial, anti-alternative-energy, anti-Obama stuff from the corporate/conservative spin machine. The real story is that our government is trying to help us capture some of the new green energy industry that will create the jobs of the future. But China is, too. And China doubled down, and then quadrupled down on government support. They even directly subsidize their companies so their products cost less. This helped put Solyndra out of business. But the Obama administration is doing something about it.

China cheats, and we don’t usually do anything about it. They let companies pollute, don’t do much about worker safety, pay low wages, and make people work long hours. So-called “free trade” lets companies cost us more than 50,000 factories in the Bush years, and millions of jobs. And it empowers companies here to tell their workers to shut up and behave and accept wage and benefit cuts, or they’ll send their jobs to China, too. We continue to just let China take jobs, factories and industries because powerful interests, like Wall Street, make tons of money off of it.

So the decision is made, our country is engaging in the economic war that has been underway against us. Will our country’s conservatives take our country’s side?

Solyndra, Chevy Volt And The Anti-Green Propaganda Campaign

Oil-backed conservatives have been waging a campaign to discredit green energy, trying to stop government efforts to move us away from dependence on oil and coal. (Please click the links.)

They have used the failure of solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra — partly due to Chinese dumping — to paint green tech in general as a bad investment. They have even tried to turn the public against the Chevy Volt, claiming that it “ran out of juice in the Lincoln Tunnel” when it actually just kicked over to the gas-engine charger, and that the car is “flammable” because on test battery got too hot — as compared to cars that run on gasoline! (Gasoline car-fire data at the link.)

These anti-dumping tariffs change the dynamics of this oil-backed anti-green campaign. Now when conservatives slam Solyndra or the Chevy Volt and otherwise join in this anti-green-energy campaign they are taking China’s side against American companies at a time when the country is engaged in economic conflict. This presents a tough choice to the conservative movement: Do they continue to accept oil and coal company funding and side against their country and support China, or will they return to their pro-American roots and side with their country in a time of conflict?

Installers Hit Hard?

Low prices from trade-cheaters are always attractive. But if we want a slice of the jobs, factories, industries and economy of the future we have to fight back when our competitors cheat.

The solar-installer industry is worried they will be hit hard by this because prices for solar panels could increase sharply. According to BusinessWeek’s “U.S. Solar Tariffs on Chinese Cells May Boost Prices”:

The tariffs “will increase solar electricity prices in the U.S. precisely at the moment solar power is becoming competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity,” Shah said in a statement. “This new artificial tax will undermine the success of the U.S. solar industry.”

[…] The U.S. decision to impose import duties on Chinese solar panels will raise their price to $1.11 per watt, according to calculations by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a London-based researcher owned by Bloomberg LP. That price is 17 percent higher than the current spot price of non-Chinese panels.

Forbes’s article “Solar Installers Caught In Cross Fire Of Escalating China Trade War” states:

On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department issued a preliminary decision levying steep tariffs against Chinese solar manufacturers, finding they illegally dumped cheap photovoltaic cells on the American market. But the companies that install those solar panels on residential and commercial rooftops — and which have benefited from a 75 percent plunge in photovoltaic prices in recent years — are split over the impact of the tariffs on their burgeoning business.

The government could remedy the impact on domestic customers and installers several ways, including:
•by using the new tariffs to fund tax credits and other incentives that help homeowners and businesses make the move to solar power,

•by imposing a large “carbon tax” that is refunded on a per-capita basis. This would mean high users of carbon-based fuels would pay in, the revenue is divided up evenly to everyone over 21 and paid out with a monthly check, and people could use this money to both cover their own added energy expenses and to purchase solar and other alternative energy products to lower their carbon-energy footprint,

•and by setting a national renewable energy standard, requiring power producers to use a certain percentage of solar, wind and other alternatives, creating more of a market for green tech.

Oil And Coal And “Buggy-Whip” Technologies

Of course the oil and coal companies will continue to fight this shift from their “buggy-whip” technology, and will use their tremendous influence over our government to try to hold off the inevitable. But the tide is shifting. The fact that China is fighting so hard and putting so much investment into this sector shows its value to the world economy in the future. The fact that our government is responding shows that we have a chance to win a share of the jobs and revenue that green tech promises to bring.

This post originally appeared at Campaign for America’s Future (CAF) at their Blog for OurFuture. I am a Fellow with CAF.

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MAY 2012 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

Machinists Union wants to represent workers at Tobyhanna

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, May 2nd- The International Association of Machinists (IAM) Union District 1 recently filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region Four office in Philadelphia requesting the agency conduct an election to determine if workers of a private contractor at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna Township want to be represented by the Union.

The IAM currently has several labor agreements with contractors hired by the United States Department of Defense (DOD) and does not represent workers actually employed by the Defense Department. The represented number of workers the IAM has varies because the Union only has labor agreements with DOD contractors that are hired to perform specific work.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Union Local 1647 represents the workers employed by the DOD. Under federal law union security clauses are forbiden in labor contracts between government installations and a labor organization.

Because of the rule, AFGE Local 1647 must request all newly hired workers join the union.

According to the petition, which was reviewed by the newspaper, the IAM request the NLRB conduct an representation election to determine if approximately 10 employees of Allied Services Burnley Employment and Rehabilitation want to be represented by the Union for the purpose of collective bargaining.

The IAM request that all full-time and regular part-time Masking Laborers and Mailroom Delivery workers employed at the 11 Hap Arnold Boulevard location of the Tobyhanna Army Depot be allowed to participate in the election. They request that all clerical employees be excluded.

MAY 2012 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

MSA’s unemployment rate remains highest in Pennsylvania

BY PAUL LEESON
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, May 2nd- According to labor data provided by the Pennsylvania, Department of Labor and Industry, the region’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 8.7 percent, decreasing by three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report, which was released approximately fourweeks before. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania. Twelve months ago the unemployment rate for the region was 9.2 percent.

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is 7.5 percent, decreasing by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report. Pennsylvania has a seasonally adjusted civilian labor force of 6,408,000 with 479,000 not working and 5,927,000 with employment. The national unemployment rate is 8.2 percent, dropping by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report.

The unemployment rate does not include civilians who unemployment benefits have expired and stopped looking for work.

There are 12,673,000 civilians in the nation reported to be unemployed. That number does not include civilians that have exhausted their unemployment benefits and have stopped looking for work.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre MSA continues to have the highest unemployment rate among the 14 MSA’s within Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia MSA and the Johnstown MSA are tied for the second highest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth at 8.2 percent. The Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA has the third highest unemployment rate at 7.9 percent. The Reading MSA has the fourth highest unemployment rate at 7.5 percent.

The State College MSA has the lowest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 5.4 percent. The Lebanon MSA has the second lowest unemployment rate in the state at 5.9 percent, while the Lancaster MSA has the third lowest unemployment rate at 6.0 percent. The Altoona MSA has the fourth lowest unemployment rate at 6.6 percent.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre MSA has the fourth largest labor force in Pennsylvania with 286,400 civilians and 24,800 of them are without employment. The Philadelphia MSA has the largest labor force in Pennsylvania at 2,988,600 with 244,300 not working; the Pittsburgh MSA has the second largest labor force at 1,245,700 with 84,100 without jobs; and the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA has the third largest labor force at 423,900 with 33,400 not working.

The Williamsport MSA has the smallest labor force in Pennsylvania with 62,000 civilians and 4,500 of them have no jobs. The Altoona MSA has the second smallest labor force with 65,200 civilians with 4,300 without employment and the Lebanon MSA is third with a labor force of 72,800 and 4,300 of them are not working.

Lackawanna County has the lowest unemployment rate within the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre MSA at 8.5 percent, unchanged from the previous report and dropping by six-tenths of a percentage point from twelve months ago. Lackawanna County has a civilian labor force of 109,000, rising by 1,500 from the previous report.

Luzerne County has the highest unemployment rate in the MSA at 8.8 percent, decreasing by five-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and also dropping by five-tenths of a percentage point from twelve months before.

Luzerne County has the largest civilian labor-force in the MSA at 162,900, increasing 1,300 from the previous report and rising by 2,900 during the past twelve months.

Wyoming County has a unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, decreasing by two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and dropping by nine-tenths of a percentage point during the past twelve months.

Wyoming County has the smallest civilian labor force in the MSA at 14,500, rising by 100 from twelve months ago.

In the MSA total nonfarm jobs have increased by 5,400 during the past twelve months to 257,200. Service providing jobs rose by 4,300 during the period while manufacturing jobs rose by 300 from twelve months before.

Meanwhile, professional and business services jobs increased by 3,300 during the previous twelve months with healthcare and assistance gained the most jobs in the sector increasing by 500 during the period to 42,700.

Government jobs have dropped by 900 during the past year with local government leading the way by losing 500 jobs. Federal government and state government jobs declined by 200 each during the past twelve months.

by WALTER BRASCH

It’s time to retire the 99 percent.

Not the people, but the slogan that identifies the Occupy Movement.

“We’re the 99 percent” slogan focused upon two completely different groups of people.

The 99 percent are the masses, the impoverished, the disenfranchised, the middle class; the 1 percent refers to the concentration of wealth in the top one percent of the population and in the dominance of large corporate and global financial systems.

The Movement, following the Arab Spring, began in the late summer of 2011 with the Occupy Wall Street protest. Central to the Movement, which quickly expanded into more than 500 American cities and 82 countries, was a call for social and economic justice.

During the 2007 Great Recession, the accumulated wealth of the 1 percent decreased significantly less than the wealth of the 99 percent, large numbers of whom first became unemployed and then homeless because of the tactics of greed led by the financial empires.

Within the 1 percent are CEOs and executives of the banking industry that willingly took government bailout funds, and then used some of that money to give six and seven figure bonuses.

The 1 percent includes Ina R. Drew, chief investment officer for JPMorgan Chase, which lost $2 billion in funds through misguided investment policies. Drew, one of Wall Street’s power players—and widely recognized as one of the more brilliant financial managers—earned about $14 million in salary. Jamie Dimon, in a stockholder meeting this past week, humbled by the huge loss, told stockholders, “This should never have happened. I can’t justify it. Unfortunately, these mistakes were self-inflicted.” But, Dimon, both the chief executive officer and the chairman of the board, kept his job and its $23 million salary.

The 1 percent also includes Mitt Romney, who earned about $21 million in 2010, and has a net worth of about $230 million, according to Forbes, but hasn’t filed his 2011 taxes. Somehow, he wants the people to believe he will bring the nation out of the depths of the Great Recession, but needs an extension to file his own taxes.

The 1 percent also includes right-wing celebrity mouth Rush Limbaugh, who is in the middle of an eight year $400 million contract that allows him to spew lies, hate, and venom at anyone who doesn’t agree with his ultra-conservative philosophy, which includes Occupiers and just about anyone with a social, environmental, and economic conscience.

The 1 percent includes Sarah Palin, once an obscure politician who now has a net worth of about $14 million, most of it the result of her participation in the mainstream media, which she claims she despises.

The 1 percent includes the Kardashian Sisters whose souls are wrapped in self-adulation, and who are worshipped by millions who have enhanced their importance by watching reality shows and reading vapid celebrity “tell-all” newspapers and magazines.

But the 1 percent also includes billionaire Warren Buffet, who is leading a movement to reduce tax loopholes and increase taxes on the rich, while improving the tax structure for the 99 percent.

The 1 percent includes Bill and Melissa Gates who are spending most of their fortune to improve the education and health of people throughout the world.
The 1 percent includes George Clooney, who has been at the forefront of the fight for justice in Darfur, whose citizens have been the victims of genocide by the Sudanese government.

The 1 percent includes Angelina Jolie who is Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and who has put her money and time into helping the world’s children.

The 1 percent includes Ed Asner, Bono, Mike Farrell, Bette Midler, Sean Penn, Rob Reiner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Barbra Streisand, and thousands of other millionaire celebrities who have willingly put their reputations and money on the line to fight for the important social, economic, and political causes that should be the ones that define America as a land of freedom and opportunity, and which would be supported by most of the nation’s Founding Fathers.

In contrast, the 99 percent isn’t composed solely of the victims of the 1 percent. Millions are as uncaring, as greedy, as self-centered as some of those in the 1 percent. Millions are racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic. Millions follow Tea Party philosophies that selfishly place the health and welfare of the people secondary to a belief that cutting spending, except for the military, will solve all problems. It is a philosophy that, if left unchallenged, would force even greater misery to the American Middle Class and underclass, and lead to destroying the balance of nature and the environment.

“We are the 99 percent” slogan, coupled with non-violent protest in the face of several violent police incidents, had served the Movement well, but its time is over. The Movement can no longer be an “us versus them” philosophy that has become divisive. It must now migrate to one that includes all people who are willing to fight for social, political, and economic justice in the Army of Conscience.

[Walter Brasch—as writer and activist—has been a part of the movement for social, political, and economic justice for more than four decades. His current book is the critically-acclaimed novel, Before the First Snow, the story of an activist and her relationship with a journalist from 1964 to 1991, the eve of the Persian Gulf War.]

MAY 2011, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Teachers Union supports Senate Democratic budget plan

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

LEHIGH VALLEY, April 18th- Michael Crossey, the President of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) Union, which represents approximately 193,000 future, active and retired teachers and school employees in Pennsylvania, stated the Union supports the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic budget alternative proposal.

Mr. Crossey has continued to attack Pennsylvania Republican Governor Tom Corbett’s state budget proposal for education. In February, Mr. Crossey stated Governor Corbett used a complicated fiscal shell game to “redesign school and district” basic education funding and his budget proposal represents an unwise experiment that will cause chaos in the public school system. He also added the proposal would eliminate research-testing, and classroom-proven programs.

Mr. Crossey has been very critical of Governor Corbett’s cuts in education since he signed into law in June 2011 a state budget that cut $860 million from public schools. This year’s budget included another round of cuts to education and cuts to essential public school programs is inevitable, he stated.

He continued the governor’s 2012 budget proposal uses an accounting gimmick, combining line items for employee Social Security contributions and transporation costs in an attempt to create the appearance of an increase in the state’s main basic education subsidy to public schools.

Also, he stated as school districts struggle to compile their 2012-2013 budgets, districts are being forced to cut more essential programs.

The labor leader said under the Pennsylvania Senate proposal, ending a corporate tax break and restoring a successful education program can begin to reverse Governor Corbett’s unprecedented funding cuts to Pennsylvania’s public schools.

“Our students are feeling the consequences and Pennsylvania’s public schools are in crisis because of nearly $1 billion in cuts. Someone needs to have the courage to stand up for our students and propose better alternatives,” said Mr. Crossey.

The Senate Democrat proposal includes the restoration of $100 million in cuts to the Accountability Block Grant program and discard the governor’s proposal to collapse four existing school funding programs that work into one program that doesn’t.

Mr. Corbett’s block grant proposal creates a single line item in the state budget by lumping together line items designed to cover costs districts must pay, such as employees’ Social Security and pupil transportation, and shifts away from a formula based upon students’ actual needs.

“The governor claims his plan gives schools more flexibility, but the only real flexibility would be where and how to make even more cuts that harm students,” Mr. Crossey added.

Mr. Crossey added that the Senate budget alternative also demonstrates that there are untapped state revenues that can be used to invest in the public schools. The plan includes the elimination of the Delaware loophole, which allows Pennsylvania companies to avoid paying state taxes by incorporating in Delaware. The elimination of the loophole would generate $550 million which could be used to restore programs that work for students.

“The choice is clear. The Senate Democrats’ budget proposal invests in Pennsylvania’s students and the governor’s doesn’t. It is time for us to stop cutting education funding and start making responsible choices for Pennsylvania’s students.

Our students need this kind of leadership and vision. If we don’t provide it, they are the ones who will suffer for it,” added Mr. Crossey who is a special education teacher in the Keystone Oaks School District.

MAY 2011, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act again under attack in Harrisburg

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

REGION, April 2nd- Republican House of Representatives in Harrisburg are again attempting to repeal the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act.

The Prevailing Wage Act was implemented in Pennsylvania more than 50 years ago to stop the practice of out-of-the-state workers, often from the South, of being brought to the North to undercut local labor on construction projects. Jobs on construction projects being funded by taxpayers were being lost to workers that would return to their home state without having any or little economic benefit to Pennsylvania. Without the legislation many local laborers wouldn’t get the jobs and unemployment within the industry increased.

The Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act was modeled after the national prevailing wage law passed in 1931.

Republican House of Representative John Bear (97th Legislative District), is a co-signer of the lastest legislation that is intended to repeal the Prevailing Wage Act.

Mr. Bear has sponored other anti-union legislation in Harrisburg including the prohibiting the use of Project Labor Agreement (PLA’s) on public projects in Pennsylvania.

A PLA is a comprehensive agreement signed by a builder and local craft unions under which a defined construction project is agreed to be completed by workers from local union halls, in return for the union’s guarantee of no strikes, a steady labor supply, and general labor peace.

Despite Mr. Bear’s obvious anti-union opinions he has always been accessible to the newspaper.

Mr. Bear stated it’s time the state Legislature repeals the prevailing wage law. “The mandate adds as extra 5 percent onto the costs of public school, municipal and state building projects compared with private sector costs.”

“Weakening prevailing wage laws is a failed policy that Pennsylvania already tried in the late 1990’s and that didn’t work. When it comes to construction work, you get what you pay for. Prevailing wage laws help ensure the use of more skilled and experienced workers on state projects,” stated Dr. Stephen Herzenberg, economist and Executive Director of the Keystone Research Center, a ecomomy think-tank in Harrisburg.

“At a time when Pennsylvania needs every middle-class job it can find, it makes no sense to weaken a law that ensures that state projects hire local workers that spend their earnings at local businesses,” added Mr. Herzenberg.

Gary Martin, Business Manager of the Bride, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers Union Local 420 in Reading, stated a big lie about the Prevailing Wage Rate is that most people think that the “Unions” get all the work.

“I would love to see a survey about that, as there is so much cheating done by non-union contractors on wages, workman’s compensation insurance, and worker misclassification, that non-union construction companies get the overwhelming amount of Prevailing Rate work,” Mr. Martin said.

“The lack of ‘enforcing the law’ allows non-union companies to cheat so drastically, they have the monopoly on getting awarded the work because by law, the job is awarded to the ‘lowest bid’.

The State has it’s hands full, there aren’t enough inspectors to ever come close to patrolling Pennsylvania for cheating contractors,” added Mr. Martin.

MAY 2012 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

Lion Brewery Union files labor complaint against company

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, April 29th- The labor organization that represent workers of the Lion Brewery in Luzerne County filed a labor complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region Four office in Philadelphia, alleging the company violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRAct).

The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 542 represents approximately 100 workers of the Lion Brewery, Laird Street in the City of Wilkes-Barre according to the complaint.

The Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge was filed on April 16th alleging the brewery company violated Section 8 (a), and subsections (1) of the NLRAct.

The newspaper discovered the ULP while reviewing petitions and complaints filed at the NLRB Region Four office. The Union News is the only member of the local media that reviews and publishes the information.

The complaint was filed on behalf of Local 542 by IOUE Legal Counsel Louis Agre, Virginia Drive, Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania.

“The above named Employer, by and through its agents and attorney, violated the act by threatening the employees’ representative with legal and criminal action in an attempt to deter them from representing their members.

The above named Employer threatened its employees with civil and criminal action for exercising their rights under the Act,” states the complaint.

IOUE Local 542 has a regional office on Fox Hill Road in Wilkes-Barre.

The company representative named on the Unfair Labor Practice to be contacted is David Michalesko. Mr. Michalesko position with the Employer is not identified on the labor complaint.

MAY 2012 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

Block Grant plan will shortchange schools states PSEA

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, May 3rd- The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) Union, which represents approximately 187,000 active and retired teachers and other school district employees in Pennsylvania, stated Republican Governor Tom Corbett’s plan to fund public schools with “block grants” will shortchange students.

Michael Crossey, President of the PSEA, stated funding Pennsylvania’s public school with block grant funds will let political deals drive state funding, and force local school districts and communities to solve the $1 billion crisis that state funding cuts have caused.

“The governor’s plan to “block grant” public school funding is just another way to pass the buck on the school funding crisis. It’s a dramatic reversal, a 180-degree turn away from a fair and predictable system. Instead of solving the crisis in our schools, these block grants will make it worse,” said Mr. Crossey, who is a special education teacher in the Keystone Oaks School District.

Mr. Crossey warned that block grants will end up shortchanging school districts, since block grants would erase the laws and formulas that account for schools’ real costs and students’ real needs. He believes instead, block grants would base state funding on arbitrary numbers and political backroom deals. And the governor’s proposal, if approved by the legislature, would set the stage for political backroom deals on how much to give public schools in future state budgets. Public schools funding was cut by $860 million in the 2011-2012 budget.

“The governor’s block grant proposal would conbine four programs that work into one that doesn’t. It’s another part of the shell game he is playing with his budget. Fair and equitable funding will go out the window, and political deals will decide how much we invest in our students,” added Mr. Crossey.

Combining the payments will make it appear as through the Corbett administration has increased school funding, even though the governor’s budget propossal contains another $100 million in state funding cuts.

“The governor claims his plan gives schools more flexibility, but all it offers is the flexibility to make even more cuts that harm student.

The school funding crisis is real, and it’s hurting Pennsylvania students every day. Shell games and accounting tricks won’t solve it. We need to fund the schools, stop these cuts, and invest in Pennsylvania students,” Mr. Crossey stated.

Former Coal Miner Out-Mobilizes Millionaire in Big Win for W.Va. Workers

by Nora Frederickson

Can a former coal miner win an election against a millionaire? Just ask Clyde McKnight.

A retired coal miner from southern West Virginia, he worked for more than 30 years in the mines and currently serves as the South Central AFL-CIO president. McKnight defeated millionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Melvin Kessler in the Democratic primary by a razor-thin margin of 52 votes this past Tuesday, a win in large part to the grassroots efforts of working people.

A former coal miner beating out a millionaire for a state representative seat was just one of the success stories in West Virginia’s primary election. More than one-third of the 100 candidates that the West Virginia AFL-CIO endorsed this year were union members. And they’re enjoying a high success rate –of the 34 union members who ran in the state primary on Tuesday, 30 won their races….

(Read the rest of this article at the link below.)

http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/Former-Coal-Miner-Out-Mobilizes-Millionaire-in-Big-Win-for-W.Va.-Workers

MAY 2012, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Changes already made to flawed Pennsylvania voter ID law

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

LEHIGH VALLEY, April 17th- The haste by Republiocans in Harrisburg to pass legislation to force voters to present photo identification in the fall election has resulted to changes already to the law. Pennsylvania Republican Governor Tom Corbett signed into law just hours after the Pennsylvania State House passed House Bill 934, that will force voters to show photo ID.

Mr. Corbett stated the “so-called voter ID bill” will bring greater integrity to the election process and would protect honest voters. However, most Democrats of the Pennsylvania General Assembly opposed the legislation believing the law will result in longer lines at polls and was nothing but a Trojan horse designed to tip election battles in Republicans’ favor.

During the debate many raised questions, including Democrats and the Pennsylvania American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation in Harrisburg, about the bill’s necessity and its intent.

The move is mostly being supported by Republican party members and Democrats charge the GOP members of attempting to suppress the votes of elderly, many are still President Franklin Roosevelt Democrats, young and low income citizens, and minority groups, which polls show are more likely to support Democratic candidates.

The reason Republicans gave for the legislation was because of “voter fraud” however, according to several studies the problem is not an issue.

A five-year study released by the Bush Administration Justice Department found virtually no evidence of voter fraud and only a few mistakes that have allowed ineligible voters to participate in elections. From 2002 to 2007, the Bush Administration ordered its United States Attorney Generals in every state to look for and prosecute cases of voter fraud. Only 120 people were charged nationwide, with just 86 convictions out of 300 million votes nationwide cast.

The report stated many of those cases involved erros, not deliberate fraud by people who appeared to have mistakenly filled out registration forms or misunderstood eligibility rules.

Approximately 21 million American adults don’t have a government issued photo identification card, or can’t get access to one.

About 18 percent of young voters have no ID, while around 15 percent of low-income people lack a valid card. Also, nearly 25 percent of voting-age African-American citizens, or 5.5 million people, do not have a photo identification card.

On April 18th, a new policy was announced by state election officials that will help senior citizens who no longer drive comply with the voter law. Seniors and others can use an expired state driver’s license or expired non-driver ID card to obtain a “free” photo ID card for voting from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Carol Aichele outlined the policy that will allow individuals with expired driver’s licenses to give their name to a Department of Transportation (DOT) driver license center employee and once they are vertified in the system the agency will provide a non-driver photo ID. The individual does not even need to have a copy of their expired license to receive the non-driver ID which will be enough proof to vote.

After Mr. Corbett signed the legislation into law of the voter ID legislation, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale called the legislation “the Voter Suppression Bill.

MAY 2012, Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton edition of The Union News

Attorney Matt Cartwright defeats Tim Holden for Democratic nomination

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

REGION, April 25th- Scranton Attorney Matt Cartwright cruised to a easy victory over 10-term incumbent United States House of Representative Tim Holden for the Democratic nomination in the newly redrawn 17th Legislative Congressional District.

Because of the newly redrawn boundaries in Pennsylvania, due to a loss of one congressional seat after the 2010 census, approximately 75 percent of the territory in the 17th Legislative District will be new beginning in January 2013.

Currently the Lehigh Valley is represented in Washington by the 15th Legislative District. The seat is held by Republican Charlie Dent, who is serving his fourth two-year term. However, beginning next year the Lehigh Valley will be represented by two legislative districts in Washington, DC.

The newly redrawn 17th District will run from Schuylkill County to Lackawanna County including a part of Northampton County.

The new district will include the Cities of Easton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Pottsville.

Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties will be represented in Washington by three Legislative Districts.

Mr. Holden had a 92 percent voting ranking for supporting labor issues by the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation during the 20 years he has been in Washington. He was endorsed by the AFL-CIO over Mr. Cartwright despite voting against progressive initiatives such as housing finance reforms, greater consumer protections, energy reform, health care reform and the American auto loans.

He has the distinction of being called a “Blue Dog” Democrat, meaning Mr. Holden’s voting record indicates he hasn’t always supported Democratic party legislation.

During the campaign Mr. Cartwright pledged to support the labor community and took aim at big banks, oil and energy companies and corporate lobbyists who he said are now writting the laws in Washington.

During a interview with the newspaper Mr. Cartwright indicated if elected he would support raising the minimum wage and would vote against any legislation that would hurt the Davis-Bacon Act.

“I will be working for working families, right from the beginning. I won’t care about some statistical formula,” Mr. Cartwright told the newspaper.

Mr. Cartwright will face Republican home health nurse company owner Laureen Cummings of Lackawanna County in the November’s general election.

MAY 2012 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

GWBLC honors workers killed on the job and late federation President

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, May 2nd- The Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council (GWBLC), which is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation, held their 8th Annual Workers’ Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil observance on April 26th.

Since 1989 the labor community throughout the nation have held events, just like the one conducted at the United Food and Commerical Workers (UFCW) Local 1776 building in Pittston Township, recognizing April 1970, the anniversary date of the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct).

As part of the event a special prayer was led by Father William Pickard and Luzerne County Council member Tim McGinley read a proclamation honoring workers killed on the job.

According to Walter Klepaski, the AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison of the Wyoming Valley United Way, one new name was added to the list of workers that were killed because of workplace injuries during the past twelve months.

Mr. Jason Rowlands of Dalton died on February 10th, 2012 after an accident at work. He was employed by Wyoming Pallet.

In addition to the Workers Memorial event, two labor history books were donated to area libraries in memory of decreased labor council members. Books were donated to honor Sam Bianco, long-time President of the GWBLC, and Jack Costello, a member of the Utility Workers of America (UWA) Union Local 406.

Rick Bloomingdale, President of the Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO attended the event and stated that worker rights, such as OSHA, the 40 hour work-week, and the minimum wage, are under attack throughout the nation.

“He was the first occupier,” said Mr. Bloomingdale referring to Jesus Christ after chasing the money changers from the temple of Jerusalem.

MAY 2012 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

New NLRB election standards took effect on April 30th

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, May 1st- The new standards proposed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that will shorten when workers could vote whether they want to be represented by a labor organization for the purpose of collective bargaining have so-far survive the anti-union Republican party members and pro-business groups.

On April 24th the United States Senate rejected a Republican attempt to overturn the new regulations designed to give labor organizations quicker representation elections in the workplace. The party line vote against a resolution of disapproval leaves intact the NLRB rules that took effect on April 30th.

The Senate voted 54 to 45, with Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Bob Casey voting against the Republican resolution and Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey voting in favor.

However, the rules have been weakened since first being proposed in June 2011. Under the new standards elections must be held within 42 days after workers request the agency conduct an representation election. Currently elections are held between 45 and 60 days. Before a labor organization can file a petition requesting a election at least 30 percent of the employees must support the union and sign a petition or autorization cards requesting the NLRB conduct an election.

A labor organization must receive 50 percent plus one of the eligible to vote employees in a NLRB election to win the right to represent them in collective bargaining.

The United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC and other business groups termed the new standard the “ambush election rule.”

The groups argued that the new rule has no conceivable purpose but to make it easier for unions to win elections. They stated the purpose of this regulation is to “cut-off” free speech rights to educate employees about the effects of unionization. However, in reality, employers often want the extra time to hire anti-union lawfirms and consultants at the cost of thousands of dollars, that will attempt to convince the employees not to support the union, or make promises to them that if they vote no the employer would threat them better.

by WALTER BRASCH

Last year, not one of the 491,687 new minivans sold in the United States was made in America by unionized workers.

Some were manufactured overseas by companies owned by non-American manufacturers. The Kia Sedona, with 24,047 sales, was built in South Korea, Russia, and the Philippines. The MAZDA5, with 19,155 sales, was built in China, Japan, and Taiwan.

Some minivans from Japanese companies were built in the U.S., but by non-unionized workers. Honda sold 107,068 Odysseys built in Alabama. Toyota Siennas, built in Indiana, went to 111,429 persons. The Nissan Quest, built in Ohio, had 12,199 sales.
Only three minivans were built by unionized workers, but they were made in Canada by members of the Canadian Auto Workers. The Dodge Grand Caravan, with 110,996 sales; Chrysler Town & Country, with 94,320 sales; and the VW Routan, with 12,473 sales, all share the same basic body; most differences are cosmetic. GM and Ford no longer produce minivans.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) suggests that members who wish to buy minivans buy one of the three Chrysler products because much of the parts are manufactured in the United States by UAW members.

All cars, trucks, and vans from GM, Ford, and Chrysler are produced by union workers in the U.S. or Canada. The Japanese-owned Mitsubishi Eclipse, Spyder, and Galant, and the Mazda6 are produced in the U.S. under UAW contracts; neither company makes minivans. All vehicles produced in the U.S. have the first Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) as a 1, 4, or 5; vehicles produced in Canada have a 2 as the first VIN number.
Founded in 1935, the UAW quickly established a reputation for creating the first cost-of-living allowances (COLAs) and employer-paid health care programs. It helped pioneer pensions, supplementary unemployment benefits, and paid vacations.

It has been at the forefront of social and economic justice issues; Walter Reuther, its legendary president between 1946 and his death in 1970, marched side-by-side with Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez, and helped assure that the UAW was one of the first unions to allow minorities into membership and to integrate the workforce. Bob King, its current president, a lawyer, was arrested for civil disobedience, carrying on the tradition of the social conscience that has identified the union and its leadership.
The UAW doesn’t mind that corporations make profits; it does care when some of the profit is at the expense of the worker, for without a competent and secure work force, there would be no profit. When the economy failed under the Bush–Cheney administration, and the auto manufacturers were struggling, the UAW recognized it was necessary for the workers to take pay cuts and make other concessions for the companies to survive.

But not all corporations have the social conscience that the UAW and the “Big 3” auto manufacturers developed. For decades, American corporations have learned that to “maximize profits,” “improve the bottom line,” and “give strength to shareholder stakes” they could downsize their workforce and ship manufacturing throughout the world. Our companies have outsourced almost every form of tech support, as well as credit card assistance, to vendors whose employees speak varying degrees of English, but tell us their names are George, Barry, or Miriam. Clothing, toys, and just about anything bought by Americans could be made overseas by children working in abject conditions; their parents might make a few cents more, and in certain countries would be thrilled to earn less than half the U.S. minimum wage.

Americans go along with this because they think they are getting their products cheaper. What they don’t want to see is the working conditions of those who are employed by companies that are sub-contractors to the mega-conglomerates of American enterprise. These would be the same companies whose executives earn seven and eight-figure salaries and benefits, while millions are unemployed.

But, Americans don’t care. After all, we’re getting less expensive products, even if what we buy is cheaply made because overseas managers, encouraged by American corporate executives, lower the quality of materials and demand even more work from their employees.

Walk into almost every department store and Big Box store, and it’s a struggle to find clothes, house supplies, and entertainment media made in America. If you do find American-made products, they are probably produced in “right-to-work” states that think unionized labor is a Communist-conspiracy to destroy the free enterprise system of the right to make obscene profits at the expense of the working class.
We can wave flags and tell everyone how much more patriotic we are than them, but we still can’t buy a minivan made in America by unionized workers—even when the price is lower than that of the non-unionized competition.

[Sales figures of minivans are from Edmunds.com. Also assisting was Rosemary Brasch. Walter Brasch’s latest book is the critically-acclaimed novel Before the First Snow, which looks at the mass media, social justice, and the labor movement. The book is available from amazon, local bookstores, and http://www.greeleyandstone.com in both hard copy or an ebook.]