Working Life

Thanks to one of our readers for sending along this newspaper article that gives more detail about Melissa Bean’s spineless support for CAFTA. I really dig the kudos she gets from the Chamber of Commerce–should clinch any real labor person’s qualms about taking her out. Bean bounced from fete Labor irked: CAFTA vote costs her […]

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The CAFTA 15 are already feeling the heat–and more to come. As I mentioned a few days ago, Working Life will devote on-going space to holding the CAFTA 15 accountable–including a special section under development. So, here’s some more info: Melissa Bean (Illinois, 8th District): is already losing support in her district. The Northeastern Illinois […]

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No, not Springsteen–the other Boss…employers. We’ve all been prattling and pontificating about the meaning of the disaffiliations and the future of the AFL-CIO. But, what do employers think? Well, here’s a little inside look via a memo sent by Morgan Lewis, one of the premier management law firms, to its clients. Of particular interest was […]

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At the convention, John Sweeney released a letter to CLC’s and State Feds with the very short and pithy, bumper-sticker like title, “Moving Forward From the Convention to Build A Stronger Labor Movement at the State and Local Levels and Maintaining Organizational Integrity.” It essentially laid out the ground rules on how to treat locals […]

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Over the wire came this short message from a president of an AFL-CIO state federation who asked that I not use any name when posting this–but did give me permission to post. “CTW” refers to the Change To Win Coalition, in case anyone was still wondering, and “JwJ” stands for Jobs With Justice… “Your blog […]

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As a bookend to Bob Welsh’s missive, which is posted just below this post, here’s a note from Deborah Weinstock, who is the Newspaper Guild’s unit chair at the AFL-CIO. I don’t envy her right now–it can’t be pretty trying to reassure your members while facing a $25-27 million hole in the budget. For many […]

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Bob Welsh sent out a note to the AFL-CIO staff yesterday to give them his take on the convention. A few observations: Bob overstates the enthusiasm and excitement he says delegates left with. No question many did. But, the fact is a sizable number of delegates–particularly from Central Labor Councils–left fairly discouraged; some even left […]

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This is not shocking news–on July 29th, the head of the Building and Construction Trades Department, Ed Sullivan, sent a letter to all its affiliated councils in the U.S. and Canada in which he gives the heave-ho to the Teamsters and Carpenters. It’s not shocking in that everyone knew it was coming and it’s consistent […]

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Well, I’ve decided to make the CAFTA 15 a regular project of this blog for as long as it takes. Nothing has gotten people more riled up–for good reason. So, I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve which I’ll talk about in the next few days. First off, let’s start gathering as much info […]

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By popular demand…a thread on raiding. What seems to have sparked the particular interest is the battle between AFSCME and SEIU out in Riverside County, California so I’ve collected and posted a few documents on the subject below. A few thoughts. Because of the large recent influx of readers, I want to assume that not […]

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