LETTER Labor Advisory Board MAY 2013 Vol
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Published By AMERICAN INCOME LIFE & NATIONAL INCOME LIFE LETTER LABOR ADVISORY BOARD MAY 2013 Vol. 45 No. 3 NEWS FROM THE reduces cost-of-living increases for current worker program to replace the current AFL-CIO, CTW, and future Social Security beneficiaries by H-2A program and legal status for farm INTERnaTIOnal & $130 billion and shifts $64 billion in health workers who entered the United States care costs to Medicare recipients over 10 illegally. An estimated 70 percent of the NATIOnal UNIONS years. Trumka noted that despite closing nation’s 1.5 million agricultural work- some loopholes, the corporate income tax ers are undocumented. The provision is The AFL-CIO recently resolved reform is “revenue neutral,” failing to ask part of the comprehensive immigration a dispute with the Chamber of Commerce “big, profitable corporations to pay their bill introduced in the Senate last month. over a low-skilled worker program that fair share of taxes.” Federal employees also “Farm workers should have enough food paved the way for Senate agreement on a will see their pay and benefits cut. “Putting to feed our families, and we should have sweeping immigration reform bill. Sen. aside the injustice of demanding sacrifice the right to be able to live with dignity Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) mediated the from the innocent while letting the guilty and respect like anyone else here in this dispute between the two groups over wages off scot free, the Obama budget falls short nation,” UFW President Arturo Rodri- for new workers and which industries would of putting our economy on a path towards guez said. Farm workers in the country be included. The disagreement had led to a higher wages and full employment,” he illegally who agree to work in agriculture breakdown in talks earlier. The low-skilled said. “This austerity budget is bad econom- for an additional five to seven years would workers will be allowed into the country un- ic policy at a moment when the economy become eligible for a “green card” allow- der a new program to fill jobs in construc- remains weak and we urgently need more ing permanent U.S. residence. The work- tion, hotels and resorts, nursing homes and job-creating investments.” ers hold legal status, dubbed a “blue card” restaurants, and other industries. A new “W” by negotiators, during the interim. The visa program would be created that would United Farm Workers union, provision also sets a system for setting pay allow tens of thousands of lower-skilled U.S. growers and key senators agreed in scales and a higher ceiling for the number workers into the country. The visas would be principle on the creation of a new guest of visas that could be granted. capped at 200,000 yearly, but might fluctu- ate depending on unemployment numbers and other factors. A new federal agency will be established to collect data as an objective monitor. Workers would be able to change jobs and seek permanent residency. Organized labor had harsh words for President Obama’s FY 2014 bud- get because of cuts in social programs. “We believe cutting Social Security benefits and shifting costs to Medicare beneficia- ries, while exempting corporate America from shared sacrifice, is wrong and inde- fensible,” said AFL-CIO President Rich- ard Trumka. The administration’s proposal UFW President Arturo Rodriguez. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from Randy Bayne. JAMES WILLIAMS, General President Emeritus- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Chairman - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board VICTOR KAMBER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Executive Director - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board ROGER SMITH, Chief Executive Officer - American Income Life Insurance Company, President - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board DENISE BOWYER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Secretary - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board Pg 2 LABOR LETTER the past few years. The statement said that 4,500 factories have closed, adding that there is a need for the government to ad- dress the issue by reopening factories that were closed after losing their contract due to rulings by the Administrative Court. The statement also said the government must recover state assets that have been smuggled overseas and increase the budget for educa- tion, health, and scientific research. Australian Council of Trade Unions said changes to the superannuation system announced April 4 by the Federal Government are “a long-overdue step which will make superannuation fairer and more sustainable.” ACTU President Ged Kear- ney said that the Keating Government and Visitors at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons the union movement introduced superan- from RickChung.com. nuation to provide low-to-middle income workers with a comfortable retirement, not INTERnaTIOnal of Mexican migrant agriculture workers as a system of tax planning for the wealthy. LABOR NEWS are protected, and that they get their fair “These are changes which reflect the true share for their work, whether they own the spirit of the superannuation system that One of the world’s most fa- land or not,” said Hanley. Under the pact, was introduced in 1992, a system designed mous museums, the Louvre in Paris, was UFCW Canada and the CNC will develop to allow hard-working Australians to enjoy shut down April 10 when the 200-member a comprehensive database and analytical re- a secure and comfortable retirement,” Kear- staff walked off their jobs. The staff went on ports on the conditions facing migrant ag- ney said. The changes provide a 15 percent strike to publicize abusive actions by roving riculture workers in Mexico, United States tax on earnings over $100,000 from assets pickpocket gangs, some up to 30 members and Canada. They will use the research and supporting income streams, a move that will strong, who roam the galleries and prey analysis to develop programs to improve ac- affect just 0.4 percent of retirees. “Superan- on museum goers. The staff at the Louvre cess to social programs and benefits such as nuation is a world-leading system for en- have reportedly been spit at, threatened, health, housing, and educational subsidies suring that low-to-middle-income workers and hit by the pickpocket gangs. “They for the workers and members of their fami- have enough for a comfortable retirement. It threaten guards by telling them that they lies. The two unions also pledged to share also ensures that the Aged Pension remains know where they live,” one staff worker told their experience and political strength to sustainable even though Australia has an the news media. According to staff work- give a voice to the concerns of Mexican mi- ageing population,” Kearney said. ers, the gangs swagger through the galler- grant agriculture workers internationally. ies, infiltrate the crowds that stop to look at the priceless works of art, and rummage Egypt’s independent trade NATIOnal & through their pockets and purses. They unions held a mass demonstration May 1, POLITICAL EVENTS sometimes even include children. Labor Day, in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to “sup- port demands advocated by the workers.” Fewer Americans are filing Mexico’s National Farm Work- The protest, announced by the Federation new claims for unemployment benefits, sug- ers’ Confederation (CNC) and United Food of Independent Trade Unions, included gesting that job creation might be picking & Commercial Workers Canada signed an many national groups. Aside from the call up. The Labor Department said last month historic agreement to ensure that the rights for bread, freedom, social justice and human that claims for state unemployment benefits of migrant agriculture workers are protected dignity, the Federation said a minimum and dropped 42,000 to a seasonally adjusted and defended in Mexico, Canada and the maximum wage law remains a core demand 346,000, the largest weekly drop since mid- United States. The mutual cooperation for workers. Other demands include ensur- November. Economists had expected first- agreement was signed on April 9 by UFCW ing trade union freedoms, an end to the time claims to fall to only 365,000. Employ- Canada National President Wayne Hanley abuse of workers, and addressing the issue ers added only 88,000 workers to payrolls and Senator Gerardo Sanchez, President of of rising prices. The Union also demands the in March, the fewest in nine months, after the CNC. “Together, UFCW Canada and government address the issues surrounding a solid 268,000 increase in February. “All CNC will fight to make sure that the rights a halt in production at several factories over the March employment report provided a LABOR LETTER Pg 3 hint of is that jobs that normally would have major ports along the East Coast. The Mari- a labor effort launched last fall by New York got hired in March, some of them got hired time Alliance includes container carriers, di- Communities for Change. Jonathan Wes- earlier in February,” said Michael Strauss, rect employers, and port associations serving tin, the group’s director, said the campaign chief economist at Commonfund in Wil- the East and Gulf Coasts. was “one front” in a fight for better wages ton, Connecticut. Analysts are now closely in low-paying industries and companies watching jobless claims data for signs of Culinary Workers Union Local around the country, including car-washes, layoffs related to $85 billion in government 226 and Bartenders Local 165, the two big- supermarkets and Walmart stores. In No- budget cuts known as the “sequester.” Opin- gest unions on the Las Vegas Strip, opened vember, about 200 New York fast-food ion is divided on what impact the spending contract negotiations April 4 with MGM workers at 30 stores went on strike for a $15 cuts will have on the labor market.