Published By AMERICAN INCOME LIFE & NATIONAL INCOME LIFE LETTER LABOR ADVISORY BOARD DECEMBER 2013 Vol. 45 No. 7 NEWS FROM THE Act proves “Congress can both build Ameri- “Raiding pension plans and robbing seniors AFL-CIO, CTW, ca and create jobs when they discard extrem- of retirement benefits is not the way to solve INTERNATIONAL & ism that led to the shutdown.” “LIUNA is any financial crisis, whether it’s in Detroit, hopeful that coming jobs reports will reflect state houses or the latest ‘solution’ to fix a NATIONAL UNIONS future bipartisan efforts to take care of the small number of troubled multi-employer basics of our country — our transportation plans,” IAM International President R. AFL-CIO last month an- systems, energy systems and other critical Thomas Buffenbarger told the House Sub- nounced the release of what was described infrastructure. A good place for Congress to committee on Health, Employment, Labor, as “new, hard-hitting television ads that call start is with the federal Highway Bill reau- and Pensions October 29. “The proposals out Republicans for obstructing compre- thorization for which is now less than a year being considered by Congress ask our na- hensive immigration reform, citing anti- from expiring,” he said. tion’s most vulnerable citizens to pay for a immigrant statements by Republican law- problem created by Wall Street, the very makers.” In addition to the ads, the AFL- International Association of ones who have taken billions in taxpayer CIO launched in-district mobilizations to Machinists and Aerospace Workers voiced bailouts.” Under proposals to fix some trou- increase pressure on House Republicans to opposition to any new federal legislation bled multi-employer plans, trustees would support immigration reform that will lead that would allow “deeply troubled” multi- be allowed to reduce benefits to current re- to citizenship and protection of workers’ employer defined benefit pension plans to tirees down to 110 percent of the Pension rights. “The time for acting on immigra- reduce benefits to current retirees, a prac- Benefit Guarantee Corporation’s (PBGC) tion reform is now, and the labor movement tice that is not permitted by the Employee maximum of $1,072.50 per month, a sig- has decided to throw down in a big way to Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). nificant reduction for many retirees. make it happen,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “Every day, over 1,000 people are deported, while House Repub- licans refuse to act on immigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship and workers’ rights. We won’t stop until the deportation crisis ends and aspiring Americans have the roadmap to citizenship they deserve.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics October jobs report showing the construc- tion unemployment rate worsening to 9 per- cent from 8.5 percent in September demon- strates the impact of congressional gridlock and the government shutdown, said Labor- ers’ International Union of North America General President Terry O’Sullivan. Sulli- van also said the bipartisan passage of the IAM International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Water Resources Reform and Development Commons from wisaflcio. JAMES WILLIAMS, General President Emeritus - International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Chairman - AIL Labour 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 INTERNATIONAL up to 64 hours when he worked a Saturday, A new International Labor driving more than an hour each way. She Organization report found a marked rise LABOR NEWS said the 300 contractors in the industry were in inclusion of labor provisions in bilat- being squeezed by the nine big forest owners eral and related free trade agreements More than 80 Canadian com- by being allocated work too late to make a (FTA’s). The report, ‘Social Dimensions munity, student and labor groups signed safety plan and they faced increasing pres- of Free Trade Agreement’, also noted that a national jointed statement opposing sures over productivity requirements. FTAs now govern 5.5 percent of global changes to Canada’s Employment Insur- trade compared with 0.6 percent in 1995. ance system made by the Harper govern- More than 1.5 million workers It found that 58 trade agreements in- ment that would “dangerously” cut benefits waged a two-day national strike in Indone- cluded labor provisions in June 2013, up for more than a million workers. The state- sia, October 31-November 1, to demand an from 21 in 2005 and four in 1995. “The ment was announced in news conferences increase in the minimum wage, among other increasing number of trade agreements held simultaneously across the nation in issues. Violent clashes marred the protests as which include provisions with respect Charlottetown, Moncton, Montreal and 17 protestors were injured with one still in to labor standards is a reflection of the Toronto. Among other proposed changes, critical condition. “We wanted safe demon- growing awareness that trade liberaliza- new EI job search rules require that claim- strations, but paramilitary forces attacked tion should go hand-in-hand with prog- ants classified as ‘occasional’ or ‘frequent’, workers with beams and knifes. They were al- ress on the employment and social front,” after just six weeks of searching for a job, legedly paid by the government and employ- said Raymond Torres, director of the accept work with up to a 20 to 30 per cent ers,” said Said Iqbal, president of FSPMI, an ILO Research Department. The report is pay cut and take positions outside their usu- affiliate of the global union IndustriALL. significant at a time when New Zealand al occupation. He also serves as president of the Indonesian is negotiating several FTAs, such as with Trade Union Confederation (KSPI). The the Customs Union where talks are now New Zealand union leaders Governor and employer’s association agreed taking place in Moscow. continued to press for stronger safety and upon a nine percent minimum wage increase health protections, particularly in the for- for Jakarta after the two-day strike. Accord- estry industry where eight deaths have al- ing to the trade unions, however, the new NATIONAL & ready been recorded. The unions’ campaign minimum wage is still too low; arguing that POLITICAL EVENTS was a major focus of the speech by Council the hike is lower than the inflation. Industri- of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly No- ALL Global Union General Secretary Jyrki Long-time labor leader Martin vember 2 to the Labor conference in Christ- Raina declared, “We support our members J. Walsh was elected mayor of Boston, the church. She discussed CTU’s forestry indus- in Indonesia and their struggle. They have city’s first union mayor. The 46-year old try safety and health campaign by noting our relentless support in continuing to build Walsh captured 52 percent of the vote to the latest death of forestry worker Charles unity among trade unions and stopping the defeat Councilor at Large John R. Con- Finlay. She said that he regularly worked be- government and employers from using this nolly, who garnered 48 percent. With less tween 55 and 60 hours in a 5-day week and division against workers.” than 5,000 votes separating the two can- didates, the result was the closest mayor’s contest in decades. Walsh, president of La- borers Local 223, received unprecedented support from organized labor across the nation. He also was the general agent for the Metropolitan Boston Building Trades Council until last April when he an- nounced his run for mayor. In addition, Walsh served 16 years in the Massachu- setts House of Representatives. “Boston’s union members from all backgrounds and all economic sectors came together to sup- port a champion of working families in Martin J. Walsh,” said Rich Rogers, ex- ecutive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council. “A united labor movement in Boston led to victories in all of Boston’s working-class communities, including critical wins in Boston’s com- Striking workers in Indonesia. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from iambents. munities of color.” LABOR LETTER Pg 3 Employers steal the earnings people died in a factory fire at a facility that unwarranted tension between employees,” of low-wage workers far more often than made cardigans for H&M, and in April the said Bradshaw. The company has restruc- robbers at banks, gas stations and conve- Rana Plaza factory, a supplier for H&M, tured the plant in recent months and laid nience stores combined, according to a new collapsed, killing more than 1,100. off 70 employees in August. But the union study released last month by the Economic said the company is profitable and doing Policy Institute. Citing a 2009 survey, the well. “They bought Pringles for $2.8 bil- report found more than 60 percent of low- REGIONAL & lion cash. This is just corporate greed,” said wage workers have some pay illegally with- LOCAL LABOR Bradshaw. Kellogg, meanwhile, announced held by their employer each week. The re- NEWS plans to consolidate facilities and cut about port stated that many employers don’t pay 2,200 employees around the world. Observ- overtime or follow minimum wage and Approximately 100 Super ers