https://socialistaction.org/2017/07/16/july-2017-labor-briefing/
July 2017 Labor Briefing
/ 3 days ago
By BILL ONASCH
A Bundle Including DirecTV—After mass informational picketing, the
Communications Workers of America won a renewed contract for 17,000 AT&T
workers in California and Nevada that includes modest wage and benefit
improvements and, for the first time, covers employees of the satellite
television competitor with cable the carrier acquired in 2015.
Follow the Food—Workday Minnesota reports from Rochester: “More than 500
food service workers who were outsourced last year in a controversial
decision by Mayo Clinic have reached a tentative agreement with their
new employer, Morrison Healthcare, their union announced. Food service
workers from across multiple Mayo facilities in Rochester, Albert Lea,
Faribault, Fairmont, and Mankato were represented on the bargaining team
that has worked for months leading up to July 1, when the final food
service workers officially transition to Morrison.
“In a unique arrangement, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota food service workers
joined with food service workers represented by the AFSCME Council 65
and Teamsters Local 120 unions to bargain the first contract with
Morrison.” All of these workers will receive at least modest raises.
Those previously employed by Sodexo, who just recently joined SEIU, get
boosts of up to 42 percent.
New Life for Free-Loaders?—Public sector workers are excluded from the
national Taft-Hartley Act covering most in the private sector. The
ruling class is trying to impose a new law through the courts. The first
cynical campaign by the boss groups National Right to Work Legal Defense
Foundation and Liberty Justice Center to use First Amendment rights to
defund public sector unions ended with the death of Justice
Scalia—deadlocking the Supreme Court over the case known as Friedrichs
v. California Teachers Association. Since the confirmation of Trump’s
replacement for Scalia, the champions of what would in effect become a
national “right to work” law for government employees have selected a
new case from Illinois, which is expected to be acted on in the
September Court session.
They’ve Got the Power—The Los Angeles Times reports that 9000 unionists
in L.A.’s Department of Water and Power have negotiated a five-year
agreement providing raises amounting to 22 percent.
No Right to Pay Dues?—Agricultural labor is also excluded from
Taft-Hartley. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, an AFL-CIO affiliate,
has sometimes used this to their advantage in organizing secondary
boycotts in support of union recognition and contract negotiations. They
have at times had organizers and hiring halls in Mexico to protect the
rights of migrant farm workers.
July 2017 FLOC
FLOC members demonstrate outside shareholders meeting of Reynolds
American tobacco company in May 2015. From http://www.floc.com.
The North Carolina legislature, which has long outlawed public sector
collective bargaining, is now trying to cut off dues to FLOC. The
Raleigh News-Observer reports: “It may get harder for farmworkers in the
state to win job benefits negotiated by unions. A measure the
legislature approved Wednesday night would prevent farms from
transferring workers’ dues directly to unions or labor organizations.
The proposal also would prohibit farmers from settling workers’ lawsuits
by agreeing to union contracts. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, the
only farmworker union in the state, said it is the measure’s target.”
In Sickness and Wealth—There have been some advances in legally
protected benefits for workers. Workday Minnesota reports: “Some 150,000
workers in Minneapolis and St. Paul will start accruing earned sick and
safe time Saturday, July 1, thanks to ordinances approved by their city
councils and protected by a veto from Governor Mark Dayton. Advocates
say it is a victory for all of Minnesota and should lead to similar
policies in other communities.
“Starting Saturday, workers will accrue one hour of paid sick time for
every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year. They may use their paid
time for illness or medical care for themselves or their families. They
may use it for ‘safe time,’ to seek counseling, legal support or to
relocate in the event of domestic or sexual violence or stalking. The
ordinances also cover parents needing to stay home because of the
closure of childcare centers or schools.”
The mentioned veto spiked a “preemption bill,” a tactic now widely used
in Republican-controlled legislatures to prevent local ordinances
beneficial to workers. Dayton’s veto also cleared the way for enactment
of a Minneapolis minimum wage that will reach $15 an hour in incremental
raises affecting 71,000 workers.
A Blurred Picture—At the deadline for this column, 160,000 members of
the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio
Artists were working on a day-to-day basis after contract expiration
while continuing to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers, which represents studios, broadcast, and major
cable networks.
Stop Thief!—City officials in Los Angeles are demanding the fast-food
Carl’s Jr. company pay $1.5 million in fines and restitution for paying
workers less than the city’s minimum wage. The then CEO of the parent
company of Carl’s Jr. was Trump’s initial nominee for Labor Secretary,
but he withdrew when he appeared to be short of votes in the Senate.
If you have a story suitable for this column please contact
billonasch@xxxxxxxxxxx.
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July 16, 2017 in Labor.
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