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Sheet Metal Workers Northern Area (ISSN 0023-6667) Shutdown, slowdown on horizon for state By the time you receive this Council 5 or the Minnesota Transportation, K-12 educa- issue of the Labor World in the Association of .Professional tion and natural resources are mail it will be approaching the Employees. Both are also in without funding. "11th Hour" for Republican contract talks with the state. A special judge has been Governor Tim Pawlenty, On Tuesday workers and appointed with the task of rec- Republican House Speaker their unions joined a "People's ommending which services Steve Sviggum, and Democratic Legislature" coalition of labor, should be considered as being Senate Majority Leader Dean non-profits and faith groups at "essential government." Johnson. The three have until noon at the State Capitol to call Marcia Avner of the midnight Thursday to come to on those policymakers to agree Minnesota Council of Non- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All! an agreement on revenue and on a budget and avoid a govern- Profits says most Minnesotans Published by and for Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body Affiliated Unions spending to keep the State of ment shutdown. "support increased revenues to WEDNESDAY VOL. 111 Minnesota operating. Actually it would be more of insure that we have adequate In the crosshairs of the government slowdown as some health care, adequate funding JUNE 29, 2005 NO. 1 Governor and Legislature's state functions will operate, for education, and a transporta- inability to get there work done, either because they have been tion-transit system that work. are 15,800 state employees who funded, like higher education, or When we need revenues for the may be laid off. Most are mem- are considered necessary public things that are important, we are bers of two unions, AFSCME safety services. willing to pay taxes, if we're going to do the things that we WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE? care about and that matter to us." Labor Day Picnic to Bayfront Festival Park?...page 2 Without a budget thousands Letters, opinions...page 3 of low-income Minnesotans are Molly Ivins smells sell-outs and pay-offs...page 4 in jeopardy of losing health care Mental illness affects many, in many ways .....page 6 coverage under MinnesotaCare. Iraqi union leaders visit Minnesota.....page 9 "We're most concerned about people who depend on state Noel Beasley: Labor at a fork, not crossroad...page 10 services for health, for educa- Trades build luxury playhouses to benefit hospice.....page 11 tion, for transportation, and who Beaufeaux, Kuberra awarded Trades scholarships.....page 12 would find themselves not able Enough corporate criminals to hold a convention...page 14 to access job services, food pro- Here's why we like Gov. Floyd B. Olson.....page 16 grams, mental health programs, early childhood programs. Beds for the needy program works well....page 19 Things that people count on," NLRB rules against Spot Bar on 19 counts.....page 20 said Avner. Stressing unity, Sweeney ticket says it'll run By Mark Gruenberg have already voted to leave unions must be unified--the PAI Staff Writer should their reform demands theme of the re-election WASHINGTON (PAI)-- fail, and UNITE HERE and the announcement. “I have no "Joe the Clown" of MAPE Local 1701 made a sword for Stressing the need for labor Teamsters. Combined, those intention of backing down” Branden Matten at a Union Family Solidarity Picnic last unity in the face of an anti- unions have just over 4 million from fighting for workers “just Saturday in Cloquet's Pinehurst Park but made him promise worker federal government and members. because the fight is getting to use it for good, not evil. AFSCME Council 5 unions spon- business hostility, AFL-CIO “We have done what we tougher,” Sweeney said. “As sored the picnic to allow families to have a little fun while President John J. Sweeney and promised we would do,” when long as I am president, our soli- finding out about contract negotiations and the looming state his ticket formally announced their team ousted former AFL- darity will never be sacrificed.” government shutdown that could affect up to 16,000 workers. they would seek re-election to CIO President Thomas Dona- Sweeney urged the dissident labor’s top posts. hue a decade ago, said Trumka. unions to concentrate their criti- Labor refiles CAFTA worker Delegates to the federation’s He then ran through a list of cism and efforts on both anti- convention, July 25-28 in Chi- achievements and initiatives union companies--he named rights petition as vote nears cago, will vote on whether to ranging from establishing an Wal-Mart and Verizon Wireless- WASHINGTON (PAI)--As lobbying on the controversial retain Sweeney, Secretary-Trea- organizing institute to increas- -and the Bush administration. Central American Free Trade Agreement increased in June, labor surer Richard Trumka and Exe- ing labor’s share of the elec- “When we aim our guns, it picked up more allies in its fight against the job-losing so-called cutive Vice-President Linda torate to leading campaigns shouldn’t be in a circle” at each “free trade” treaty. Chavez-Thompson for another against trade treaties and corpo- other, he cautioned. Doing so Avote on CAFTA may come at anytime in Congress. four years. At a June 20 press rate greed. would only aid labor’s political Latest to join the anti-CAFTA crusade were the U.S. Business conference, the three claimed Sweeney and Chavez- enemies, he warned. and Industrial Council, a smaller lobby than the pro-CAFTA support from unions represent- Thompson, citing their histories “They hope like hell that our Chamber of Commerce and similar groups, and lawmakers from ing 63 percent of the federa- as fighters for workers, prom- frustrations in the struggle to textile areas of the South, including some Republicans. tion’s 12.95 million members. ised to continue and increase the defeat them will somehow But even with that support, CAFTA foes, led by the AFL-CIO, But if the three win at efforts. “We’ll continue our divide us,” he added. worry that the Bush administration and its business backers could Chicago, they face potential direction to rebuild” the labor But SEIU and UFCW have use the same tactics--offering legislative favors and deals--that withdrawal by up to four movement’s “power, moral already voted to leave, or disaf- Democratic President Clinton used to win congressional passage of unions: The Service Employees force and numbers of union filiate, should their plans for CAFTA’s model, NAFTA, a decade ago. and the United Food and workers,” she said. radical change fail in Chicago. That worry, in turn, prompted the federation to turn up the heat Commercial Workers, which But in the face of all that, Those plans include assigning on the issue by re-filing a petition with the federal government union membership in the private “core industries” to specific charging that four of the six CAFTA nations already break labor sector has continued to decline, unions, downgrading politics in rights and should not get preferred trade treatment. Our to the point where unions repre- favor of organizing, and incen- The GOP-run Congress must vote on legislation to enable sent only 1 of every 12 private tives to merge unions without CAFTA--not the treaty itself--within 90 days after a Bush request. industry workers and one of strategic organizing plans into The vote must be up or down, with no amendments allowed. The 109th every 8 overall. That’s led dis- larger unions. Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees have sidents to demand more And in their response to already drafted CAFTA bills, which would let it remove all tariffs Anniversary resources, talent and money go Sweeney’s formal re-election and other trade barriers between the U.S. and the CAFTA nations. to organizing, with unions candidacy, the dissidents said But they’re waiting for Bush’s signal to go ahead. That may not Issue assigned “core industries” and “unity that does not unite work- come until after Congress’ Independence Day recess. to lessen the emphasis on poli- ers to build power is a false The CAFTA bills do not include labor rights protections, and tics. Sweeney, looking for- unity. The AFL-CIO officers’ neither does the treaty. It only asks CAFTA nations to enforce their Thanks ward, said unions must do both. approach is a status quo unity own (weak) laws. An amendment by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), To succeed in both organiz- that will simply reinforce the See CAFTA...page 18 To You! ing and politics, he added, See Sweeney slate...page 8 Labor Day Picnic moving to Bayfront Park The Duluth AFL-CIO Cen- had been suggested by Mayor Last year the picnic lost over tral Labor Body's all-volunteer Herb Bergson last year as a way $1,000 due to a lack of dona- Labor Day Picnic is moving to increase the visibility and tions and this year it is $2,000 again. Only a few years ago it scope of the picnic. behind last year's total. left Fairmont Park at the zoo "We haven't finalized every- For more information or to where it had been held for over thing yet or done a walk through get involved in the picnic call a 100 years. It moved to Park with Julene Boe of the Parks Yvonne Harvey at 728-1779. Point, which enhanced logistics, Department, but we'll be hold- The Iron Range Labor As- parking, footing and just about ing it at Bayfront," said Central sembly will hold its Second Pre- everything else in accommodat- Body President Alan Netland.
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