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LABOR NEWS

Wal-Mart:
Poster Store for Greed
Put
Your Food Donations Out Saturday to Stamp Out Hunger
Delta
Flight Attendants Take Creative Approach to Organizing
Shut
Out of McCain Town Hall, Activists Rally Outside to Oppose His Health Care
Tax
New
Jersey Family Leave Act Shows Value of Building Workers’ Political Strength
Ohio
Union Members: McCain Offers Band-Aid Solutions to U.S. Health Care Crisis
U.S.
Jobs Down 20,000 in April. Don’t Bring Out the Party Hats Yet
Meet
Four ‘Hearts of the Movement’
Electrocuted
at Age 22
Iowa
Union Members Oppose McCain’s Health Care Tax
Summer
School Class Seeds Union Movement with Strategic Researchers
Pennsylvanians
Ask McCain for Health Care Solutions
Let’s
Celebrate: Exxon Mobil Is Making Record-Breaking Profits
War
and Workers’ Rights Highlight May Day Celebrations
L.A.
Plan Gives Low-Income Workers Access to the American Dream
Pay
Discrimination OK by McCain
New Home
Sales Tank Big-Time, and McCain Loves NAFTA
Mine Workers
Confront McCain in Kentucky
Resurrection
Health Care Faces Prosecution over Back Pay
AFL-CIO,
Guatemalan Unions File Complaint for Violations of Labor Rights
Workers
with Employer-Covered Health Care Declined by 6.4 Million
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ASHLAND MILL
WORKERS
GET FOOD BANK
HELP
Unions Can Help Workers with Donations
DONATION INFORMATION
Call Wendell 435-6955
Call Brenda 435-6062
Ashland area mill workers who are out of work due to the closing of two
lumber mill operations are getting help from the
Good Shepherd Food Bank which
recently delivered 30,000 pounds of food and other needed products (such
as health supplies and pet food) for free distribution from the Ashland
Odd Fellows hall. Good Shepherd said the gifts were made possible by the
success of holiday fund raising efforts.
Union officers in the area are appealing to Maine union members and
locals to support the effort to help the workers by making a donation.
They noted that it is unusual to have two mills close at the same time.
PLEASE
HELP THESE BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WITH YOUR DONATION
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McCAIN SUPPORTS PAY
DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST WOMEN
So it seems Sen.
John McCain
(R-Ariz.) thinks it’s just fine if women workers can almost never get
redress for pay inequities they suffer on the job.
April 23, the U.S. Senate
failed to get the 60 votes needed
to vote on a bill that would have enabled women who are paid less than
their co-workers doing the same job to challenge the inequity. Sens.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
and
Barack Obama
took time from their campaigns to vote for the Fair Pay Restoration Act.
McCain
didn’t show up.
But he did make it a point to say that had he bothered to vote (McCain
has cast
the fewest votes
in the Senate of any senator not seriously ill), he would have
opposed it.
“I am all in favor of pay equity for
women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what’s being
proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to
lawsuits for all kinds of problems,” the expected GOP presidential
nominee told reporters. ” This is government playing a much, much
greater role in the business of a private enterprise system.”
Senate Republicans killed the bill
Wednesday night on a 56–42 vote that denied the measure the 60 votes
needed to advance it to full debate and a vote. The Fair Pay Restoration
Act, also called the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, would
have reversed a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision
dismissing a suit by
Lilly Ledbetter,
an employee for 19 years at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant
in Alabama. Her suit alleged she was paid less than her male
counterparts.
For Complete
Information on This Issue>>>>>
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NEWS/NEWS/NEWS
This page provides links to sources of national
labor-related news, links to current and back issues of the Maine Labor
News and a link to a resource news page to help you locate all types of
news related information.
Labor News
Page>>>>>>>>
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NEW WOR KING
FAMILIES NATIONAL WEB SITE
This new national AFL-CIO site is a
"hub" at all levels of the AFL-CIO to "push the concerns of working
families front and center in the national political debate." You
can use it to get information on issues, candidates and much more.
It's an on-line voter guide and provides a way for you to make your
voice heard! Click on the logo and give it a try |
MAINE LABOR ROUND-UP
April 2008
A Report on
Activities of the
Maine AFL-CIO
www.maineaflcio.org
NOTE- Text in blue or red
is a direct web link to a full Internet
source
MAINE
WORKS TO SHOW WORKERS
THE TRUTH ABOUT
JOHN MCCAIN
FROM
THE DESK OF THE SECRETARY-TREASURER
Bruce Roy
Secretary-Treasurer
Maine AFL-CIO
Matt Schlobohm, Maine AFL-CIO Public Policy & Political
Mobilization Director, told the March meeting of the Maine AFL-CIO
Executive Board that labor has already begun a strong effort to show
Maine workers that John McCain is the “wrong choice” for President.
The media is attempting to show that McCain is a maverick and a
pro-war candidate, said Schlobohm, and they are largely ignoring
McCain’s “pitiful” record on workers’ issues.
Distribution of leaflets about the McCain record has begun as well as
“one-on-one” worksite meetings. If you need worksite leaflets for your
local let Matt know,
matt@maineaflcio.org, 786-0035.
Presentations
Available
Matt also reported that the Maine AFL-CIO has presentations
available to present to local unions including the John McCain
jeopardy game and presentation, an Economy that Works for All
educational presentation that looks at how & why this economy is not
working for working families and what we can do to change it and a
good Healthcare Security presentation.
If you’re interested in any of these presentations, contact Matt,
matt@maineaflcio.org 786-0045.
Maine AFL-CIO President Edward Gorham noted that a large number of
these presentations have been made very effectively and that they have
led to a number of locals to begin working on affiliation or
re-affiliation with the state organization.
McCain
“Jeopardy”
Labor needs to find more
creative ways to get the truth out about McCain, said Schlobohm. One
effort is playing the “McCain jeopardy game” at union meetings so that
workers find out about McCain “from the horses mouth.” Also Matt said
that the first e-mail newsletter has gone out to help keep members
informed of upcoming events. It also has a section on McCain:
JOHN McCAIN REVEALED
Sen. John McCain calls himself a
“straight talker.” But do you know what he really believes?
He’s a self-described “free trader” who supports bad trade deals like
NAFTA and CAFTA. He wants to tax your health care benefits. He
supports Social Security privatization and Right to Work for Less
laws. And he opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation to
protect our freedom to form unions and bargain.
Want to learn more about what McCain really
believes and stands for. Go to:
http://www.mccainrevealed.com
The
AFL-CIO recently launched a "McCain Revealed" campaign to expose Sen.
John McCain's record and his allegiance to the failed policies of
President George W. Bush. The campaign includes a great website:
http://www.mccainrevealed.com
The site
gives you all the information you need on McCain’s anti-worker
positions and statements. It is a great resource. Please share it
with members.
http://www.mccainrevealed.com
SEE ALSO THESE NEWS ARTICLES
ABOUT MCCAIN:
McCain
Doesn’t Get It on Infrastructure Needs
Pennsylvanians
Ask McCain for Health Care Solutions
Pay
Discrimination OK by McCain
Mine Workers
Confront McCain in Kentucky
For the
complete Roundup Report>>>>>
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JOHN McCAIN – NO “MODERATE”
ON WORKING FAMILY ISSUES
McCAIN IS FOR:
FOR NAFTA AND EVERY FREE TRADE ACT CONSIDERED BY
CONGRESS
FOR NATIONAL A RIGHT TO WORK FOR LESS LAW
FOR PRIVATIZATION OF FEDERAL JOBS
FOR TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH
FOR BUSH PRIVATIZATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY
FOR SLASHING MEDICARE FUNDING
McCAIN IS AGAINST:
AGAINST MORE FUNDING FOR SCHIP CHILDRENS’ HEALTH PLAN
AGAINST DAVIS-BACON IN DISASTER AREAS
AGAINST PROTECTING WORKER’S OVERTIME PAY
AGAINST EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT
AGAINST HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE
AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT EXTENSION
Please find below an overview of John McCain’s record on working
families issues.
Please
share this with your members.
From: Karen Ackerman [mailto:Kackerma@aflcio.org]
Brothers and Sisters,
You may have heard the news: Gov. Mitt Romney has dropped out of the
race for the Republican nomination, leaving Sen. John McCain as the only
candidate with a reasonable path to the nomination. That means we have
an opponent, and one we'll have to define early if we want to win this
race for working people across America.
It's up to all of us to make sure union members know that Sen. McCain
is not the moderate many make him out to be, and certainly not on
the issues that count for working men and women. To that end, we've put
together a research document, which is attached, that highlights some of
Sen. McCain's positions on working family issues. At a time when the
economy is the top concern for a majority of Americans, Sen. McCain has
stated that economic issues are something he's "never really
understood." A quick look at his record makes that all too clear:
McCain on Trade
Sen. McCain has cast vote after vote for every free trade agreement
under the sun, including the most devastating agreement in our history,
NAFTA. He's gone on to praise NAFTA and its effects, and has voted to
make it easier for the President to enter into agreements without strong
Labor protections.
McCain on Workers
Sen. McCain supported a Republican filibuster of the Employee Free
Choice Act and supported a national Right-to-Work-for-Less law. He went
on to support President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans
while voting against raising the minimum wage.
McCain on Jobs
Sen. McCain has made it a point to tell audiences that some jobs "aren't
coming back" What he doesn't often explain is his role in exporting
those jobs in the first place. McCain voted against an amendment that
would prohibit the overseas outsourcing of government contracts and
voted for the privatization of federal jobs. He also voted to support
the contracting out of federal jobs. And McCain has certainly done
little to aid those who have lost their jobs, voting against the
extension of federal unemployment insurance benefits.
McCain on Social Security
Sen. McCain voted for President Bush's Social Security privatization
plan, and has stated that the only solution to fixing Social Security is
through private accounts.
McCain on Health Care
Sen. McCain has routinely ignored the issue of America's health care
crisis throughout his campaign. His plan will force working families out
into the private market to fend for themselves, and will chip away at
employer-based health care. In addition, Sen. McCain has voted to slash
funding for Medicare and opposed the reauthorization and new funding for
SCHIP.
As you can see, we'll have a real fight on our hands.
In Solidarity,
Karen Ackerman
|
|
MAINE LABOR
UPDATE
April 2008
Please Forward to Working Families

FROM THE
PRESIDENT'S DESK
Ed Gorham
President
Maine AFL-CIO
MASSIVE
JOB LOSSES SHOW NEED FOR
BETTER
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
The loss of tens of thousands of
American jobs in the first three months of this year clearly showed
the need for new measures to help American workers.
It also showed, as the Democratic candidates for President but not the
Republican candidate recognized, the need for substantial permanent
improvements in our system of unemployment insurance.
This is again one more strong indication of why workers in Maine and
the nation need to strongly support the election of a Democratic
candidate for President as well as electing candidates to Congress and
the state legislature that will see reality and act to help workers.
Employers Slash
Jobs
Employers slashed jobs for the third straight month in March
and unemployment rose to a nearly three-year high, offering the latest
signs that the economy has fallen into a recession.
This is no news to working families who have been feeling the economic
pain for months. Polls show concern about the economy is now the top
election issue.
By a wide margin -- 56% to 30% -- more Americans say the economy and
health-care issues trump terrorism and social issues when it comes to
casting their vote for president, according to the latest Wall Street
Journal/NBC News poll.
The same poll finds that more Americans -- 50% to 37% -- would prefer
that a Democrat occupy the White House.

Lose 80,000
Jobs
The Labor Department's much anticipated report, released Friday,
showed a net loss of 80,000 jobs last month. That marks the
third straight month that jobs have fallen - the longest period of
decline since early 2003.
And if this was not bad enough the
Labor Department new report also pegged job losses in January and
February at 76,000 each month. Those revisions added an additional
67,000 job losses to previous readings.
"The revisions are the real surprise in the report," said John Silvia,
chief economist for Wachovia. "If we had known it was anything like
that, there would not have been any debate going on about whether we
were in a recession. It's pretty stark."
Lose
232,000 Jobs
The Labor Department now
estimates that the economy has shed 232,000 jobs in the first three
months of this year. And even this is not the complete picture
since a growing population means that the nation needs to add more
than 100,000 new jobs monthly “just to stay in the same place.”
The net result is that, in just
three months the nation is down more than a half million jobs.
The job losses were widespread, with
the battered construction sector losing 51,000 jobs and manufacturing
employment falling by 48,000. But there were also losses in key
service sector industries. Retail employment dropped by 12,000 jobs,
and business and professional service employers cut staff by 35,000.
For the
Complete Labor Update>>>>>
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Follow the actions of the Legislature in 2008
Contact Your Legislator and the Media
Know what's happening and when
 |
State News
Latest Headlines, Search Press Releases from Maine State
Government Agencies
Governor
Governor's Website & Contact Information
State Legislature
Find Your Legislators, Bills, Schedules, Rosters, Statutes,
Hear Live Audio
Legislative Bill Status Search
Find the status/action on any bill before the Legislature
in 2007
Keeping Track of "Your Bill"
If you have a particular bill you want to keep track plus
lots of other information this is the place to go. You can search by
Legislative Document (LD) number, subject, sponsor, key words and many
other ways
Maine Key Votes
Project Vote Smart provides (for all states) a fairly
comprehensive run down on how every legislator voted on a series of
"key votes." This link is to the Maine section and votes can easily be
searched by issue, bill number or key word. However, be aware that
both the Maine House and Senate now use electronic roll calls and you
may find votes on many more bills that are not "key votes" on the
State of Maine site at
Listen to the Legislature in Action
You can listen to the Maine House and Senate and to some
committee hearings and other selected hearings/meetings at this site.
The software (if you do not already have it) is available here for a
free download to your computer. The sound is webcast live and
is only on when the hearings or sessions are in progress.
Live
Senate Audio
Live House Audio
Live
Appropriations Committee Audio
Who's Who in the Legislature and How to Reach Them
Senate
Leadership
House Leadership
Senate Members
House Members
Committees
Constitutional Officers
What's Up and What's Coming Up
This is the place to go for schedules and advance
notice of
Public Hearings
List of meetings of
interest to Legislators and members of the public
Work sessions scheduled for the
next seven days
COMMITTEE HEARINGS
A list of all the legislative committees that have hearings
each week is available at:
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/lio/maps/csob.asp
Legislative Committees
Want to find out who is on a particular committee?
This page is a complete list of all the Maine Legislative Committees
and their members. Clicking on any legislator's name will bring up a
picture and detailed information about them and how to reach them.
Labor
Committee
Committee Hearings
Want to know what bills are coming up for a hearing? On
this page you can enter the bill you are concerned about and you can
also enter a specific range of dates and see everything scheduled for
a hearing in committee. You can also use the links on this page to
search for specific legislation by text, number or other information.
Letter
Writing Guide
If you go to this page you will find detailed information
about how to write a letter about your concerns and specifically how
to reach national, state, local officials and the Maine media -
newspapers, radio and television
|
GET THE
INFORMATION
Employee Free
Choice Act
Editorials, Analysis, Media, Facts
For the Free Choice Index>>>>>>>> |
Letter Writing Guide
This page makes it easy to shoot an e-mail to
elected officials.
Letter Writing
Guide>>>>>> |
Letter
Writing Guide
If you go to this page you will find detailed information
about how to write a letter about your concerns and specifically how
to reach national, state, local officials and the Maine media -
newspapers, radio and television |
Minimum Wage
Basic background material on
Minimum Wage from the Economic Policy Institute
For background>>>>>> |
|
Right to Organize
A page on research, facts, sources, studies etc.
is available at:
Background Material>>>>>>>
|
Living Wage
Basic
background material on Living Wage including links to research,
and campaign sites.
Background
Material >>>> |
House and Senate
2005 and 2006
For charts of "right" and "wrong"
votes >>>>>> |
House and Senate
2003 and 2004
For charts of "right" and
"wrong" votes>>>>>> |
Endorsed Candidates
Candidates endorsed
by the Maine
AFL-CIO for the Legislature in 2006.
For list of
endorsed candidates>>>>>> |
Job Openings -
Maine
This page is devoted to providing more than 80 links
on job openings in Maine.
For links to
job information>>>>>>
|
Labor in the News -
LRA
Links to some
of the many labor-focused clips/articles
posted by the Labor Research Association.
www.laborresearch.org |
Search the Internet
This page
provides helpful tips on how to search the Internet
Tips on Searching the Internet |
Health
for Workers and Working Families
A variety of Internet sources for specific
health information for workers and families.
For Details>>>>>> |
Legal Assistance
These are organizations whose main purpose is to
provide assistance.
For Details>>>>>> |
EMLC - Food and Medicine
This program helps to find jobs and food and medicine
for laid off workers.
For info on
Food and Medicine>>>>>>
|
Union Contracts - Full Text
The site is a huge database
of union contracts that can be searched by union name, state of
origin, occupation and more.
http://www.iir.berkeley.edu/library/contracts/index.html |
Some Key Links on This Site
FIGHTING
WAL-MART BECOMES MAJOR LABOR GOAL
Across America, people
are starting to realize the stark reality: Wal-Mart's triumph is the
defeat of middle-class America. If Wal-Mart sets the pace, Americans
will pay the price, in declining wages, rising health care costs,
longer hours, worse workplace conditions and rising personal taxes to
offset soaring corporate subsidies.
|
SEARCH, FIND, SAVE and ACT!!
Below are links to the information sheets on how to search the
Internet, find what you are looking for and efficiently save/use the
material.
How to Find
and Contact Your Legislator
Information sheet>>>>>>> |
Links to Maine and National Media
These are links to all
kinds of radio, TV and newspaper sources in Maine and the entire
nation. You can use these links also to contact the media via
letters or e-mail and find out names of media staff.
For media/labor links>>>>>>>> |
Letter
Writing Guide
This page makes it easy to shoot an
e-mail to elected officials in Washington or Augusta or to the
media in Maine. The instructions are here to help you (1)
create the letter (2) find the organization or specific person
and (3) click and send.
Letter Writing
Guide>>>>>>
|
Searching
the Internet
A few pages of tips and links to web sites that our
experience shows to be most useful in searching the Internet - with
emphasis on worker/labor oriented material and organizations.
Information sheet>>>>>>
|
Washington Related Web Sites
You may find this list of
Washington Related web sites useful. Federal Statistics and
First Gov are two key "gateway sites" to many other locations on the
web.
more>>>>>>
and links to many other useful Internet sites
more>>>>>>
|
Become an
E-mail Activist
The Internet
and e-mail give you a chance to make your voice heard by joining thousands
of other labor movement activists. The link below gives you the
opportunity to join in the never-ending fight to help improve the lives of
all working families:
http://www.unionvoice.org/wfean/join.tcl
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JOBS, TRADE AND
DEMOCRACY
Please use this link to our Trade Index page for
information about the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act and other
information about the impact of foreign trade on Maine jobs, the Maine
economy and working families. There are also links here to many other
informative sites dedicated to this issue.
More>>>>>>
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MAINE LAYOFFS 2000 THROUGH 2003
Since 2000, imports
and outsourcing have caused 11,430 workers to be laid off
at 163 manufacturing facilities across Maine. This table (by date) lists
the company
the number laid off and the date.
Complete information>>>>>>
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SPECIAL REPORT ON JOBS AND JOB LOSSES
(from Internet sources)
An Information Service of the Maine AFL-CIO
more>>>>>>
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