Published By AMERICAN INCOME LIFE & NATIONAL INCOME LIFE LETTER LABOR ADVISORY BOARD SEPTEMBER 2015 Vol. 47 No. 5

NEWS FROM THE Dodd-Frank financial law. “At a time when 300 times in 2013, according to an analysis AFL-CIO, CTW, corporate profits are near an all-time high last year by the Economic Policy Institute. and income inequality is growing, employ- INTERNATIONAL & ees and shareholders have a right to know A coalition of unions recently NATIONAL UNIONS whether companies are padding the wal- negotiated the first-ever national tentative lets of executives at the cost of workers and settlement with the American Red Cross Five presidential candidates the company’s bottom line,” said Teamsters for 4,000 health care workers in 24 states. met with the nation’s top union leaders at Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall. “It’s time Union members will have until October 2 the AFL-CIO Executive Council meet- we learn from the past failings that helped to approve the agreement. The coalition in- ing in Washington, D.C. in July. They are cause the Great Recession.” AFL-CIO Pres- cludes the Teamsters, American Federation Senators Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb, and ident said the rule will al- of State, County and Municipal Employees, Hillary Clinton, and Governors Martin low shareholders to determine whether CEO American Federation of Teachers (HPAE O’Malley, all Democrats, and Republican pay is out of balance in comparison to what a and Oregon Nurses), Communications Mike Huckabee. “We are grateful to them company pays its workers. “We hope this rule Workers of America, United Auto Work- for making the time to talk with the elected will help investors make sound decisions ers, United Food & Commercial Workers, representatives of 12.5 million working men when they vote on executive compensation and Service Employ- and women in America,” said AFL-CIO packages,” he said. Fifty years ago, chief ex- ees. “This agreement is a good example of head Richard Trumka. “The issues America ecutives were paid roughly 20 times as much what organized labor can do by working faces are daunting, eclipsed only by our re- as their employees, compared with nearly together to address the wages, benefits and solve to address them and put our country on a new path of shared prosperity. That path is embodied in our Raising Wages agenda, which would rewrite our economic rules to put working people first – and keep them there.” According to union sources, candidates were questioned in individual sessions about trade policy, how they will make the economy fairer for working fami- lies, supporting and strengthening and other issues. In a move hailed by America’s unions, the Securities and Exchange Com- mission (SEC) approved in a 3-to-2 vote a rule that would require most public com- panies for the first time to regularly reveal the pay gap between top executives and rank-and-file workers. The CEO pay ra- Washington, D.C. rally to raise the minimum wage. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons tio rule is required under the five-year-old from uusc4all.

TERRY O'SULLIVAN, President - Laborers International Union of , Chairman - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board , Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Executive Director - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board ROGER SMITH, President & 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 working conditions of the unionized work- INTERNATIONAL Myanmar’s upscale Bagan Ho- force at the Red Cross,” said James Hoffa, tel River View, operated by KMA Teamsters General President. LABOR NEWS Group, is the target of a worldwide cam- paign for human and union rights viola- Represented by the Communi- United Kingdom’s UNISON tions. Management on March 7 terminated cations Workers of America and the Inter- public service union warned that govern- the jobs of five union supporters in an at- national Brotherhood of Electrical Work- ment plans to restrict rights tempt to crush the legally registered trade ers, 39,000 Verizon workers along the East are “a strikebreaker’s charter,” which would union and later refused to reinstate them Coast continued to work beyond the August undermine the basic civil rights of work- after decisions issued in April and May by 2 expiration of their current contract and ing people. UK’s conservative government arbitration councils. While the company vowed to “continue their fight for a fair agree- recently announced what is called the big- appeals the rulings, job applicants are be- ment while on the job.” Union bargainers left gest crackdown on trade union rights for ing screened about their union sympathies the sites of round-the-clock bargaining in 30 years. The government plans to crimi- and pressured to discourage employees from and Rye, NY, where union and nalize , permit employers to hire joining the union, and senior workers have management teams had been meeting since strike-breaking agency staff and choke been pressured to retire and only allowed to June 22. “Despite our best efforts, Verizon re- off the flow of union funds to the Labour continue their employment after obtaining fuses to engage in serious bargaining towards party. “This is a real attack on people’s ba- a doctor’s certificate. The company has up to a fair contract,” said Dennis Trainor, Vice sic human rights,” said UNISON General two years to appeal the decisions. President for CWA District One, which rep- Secretary Dave Prentis. “And this from resents Verizon workers in New Jersey, New the party which is trying to rebrand itself South Korean General Motors’ York and Massachusetts. The unions charged as the workers’ party.” He pledged that workers approved a wage deal that will raise Verizon did not significantly move off its UNISON would work with other trade the basic monthly wage by 83,000 won “outrageous initial bargaining demands,” unions but also with community groups ($71) and pay each worker 10.5 million which include increasing workers’ health and other civil liberties campaigns in the won in bonuses and incentives. The con- care costs, reducing overtime and differential broadest-based alliance to fight the pro- tract settlement averts a strike for a second payments, eliminating job security and other posals. The campaign will build towards consecutive year. According to the union regressive proposals. CWA also is in tough a national demonstration in Manchester spokesman, GM Korea has agreed to make bargaining with AT&T on behalf of 28,000 during Conservative Party Conference on next-generation Chevrolet Malibu sedans AT&T Southeast workers in nine southern October 4 and a mass lobby of Parliament on the second production line at its Bupy- states whose contract expired August 8. on November 2. eong plant as part of the deal. Labor costs have increased nearly 50 percent for GM over the past five years as workers have de- manded a greater share of the company’s re- cord profits. The carmaker has four plants in South Korea, three assembling vehicles and one building transmissions. Together, they account for nearly one-fifth of GM’s global output. The company faced pressure from workers who refused to work overtime and staged a partial strike over pay prior to the final settlement. A cut in funding by ’s federal government threatens the jobs of 17 nurses at three Alpine Health hospitals in north-east Victoria, charged the nurses’ union, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. The union said the Victorian government has boosted Alpine Health’s funding by $396,000, to almost $14 mil- lion, and called on the federal government to at least match the increase in state spend- ing. According to the union’s Lisa Fitzpat- CWA and IBEW rally at Verizon Headquarters. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons rick, several meetings with Alpine Health from Eileen White. revealed that a cut in federal funding is at LABOR LETTER Pg 3 the core of its proposal to restructure the a “national policy agenda that protects the in the digital realm. They are finding innova- service. “I’m also very grateful the local right of every American to a fair criminal tive ways to reach people, to inform, to en- Member (of Parliament) Cathy McGowan justice system” as well as “uninterrupted and tertain and to engage,” said Lowell Peterson, has raised our concerns at a federal level unfettered access to the ballot box.” AFL- Executive Director of the Writers Guild of because Alpine Health, like every other fa- CIO President Richard Trumka added his America, East. VICE Media is one of the cility in the state, isn’t just reliant on state voice to those praising the Voting Rights biggest digital media firms to be organized funding, it’s also reliant on Federal Govern- Act. “Political extremists are working to chip while unions have made steady gains in re- ment funding. I’m hopeful that the Federal away at the protections the law provides and cent months organizing workers at digital Government will back down in relation to threaten millions of voters’ access to the ballot media sites. In June, 118 writers at Gawker its reduction in funding,” said Fitzpatrick. box,” he warned. “I join President Obama Media joined the Writers Guild of America, in urging Congress to restore the Voting East. They were followed in July by 26 edito- Rights Act to ensure that we as a country rial staffers at Salon.com. NewsGuild-CWA NATIONAL AND go forward, not backwards, in protecting recently organized The Guardian US’s 45 POLITICAL EVENTS the right of every American to cast a vote.” newsroom employees. Management has agreed to recognize and negotiate with the Economic observers expect The Department of Energy an- union in each case. the Federal Reserve to begin slowly raising nounced that three unions have joined interest rates in response to July’s job report with it in a partnership to boost job cre- which showed a steady pace of growth, al- ation through the Obama administration’s though unemployment remained at 5.3 Clean Power Plan rules. The three unions percent. The economy added 215,000 jobs are the Utility Workers Union of America, in July, consistent with expectations, which the International Brotherhood of Electri- offers the Fed another sign that conditions cal Workers and the United Steelworkers. are strong enough to support the first rate According to a statement released by the increase in eight years. The Fed may act in DOE, many of the options available to September or December. Labor economists, states in designing their compliance plans however, pointed out that wages remained provide opportunities for job creation, such flat and policy-makers should turn their at- as retrofitting coal plants to capture carbon, tention to “shared wage growth.” “The slow- installing combined heat and power units in ing job growth over the last three months manufacturing plants, updating energy in- in the private sector coupled with contin- frastructure, or installing renewable energy USW international president . ued flat real wages confirms what we’ve and energy efficiency equipment. “The flex- Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons been saying for months—that the eco- ible nature of the Clean Power Plan means from U.S. Department of Agriculture. nomic recovery needs to remain the focus that states have many options to cut their of economic policy makers,” said AFL-CIO pollution, help ensure reliability, and keep In an open letter to chemical Chief Economist Bill Spriggs. He noted the America’s workers on the job building our giant DuPont, the United Steelworkers polices of many Republican governors have energy future,” Moniz said. “This partner- (USW) and the International Chemical created a “drag” on the economy through ship will enable the Energy Department and Workers Union Council (ICWUC) urged lack of infrastructure improvements and at- our labor unions to work with the states on the company to address serious safety con- tacks on public services and workers. designing plans that maximize job creation.” cerns. The union officials cited recent ac- cidents which claimed workers’ lives and Organized by the National As- threatened communities. “It’s critical that sociation for the Advancement of Colored REGIONAL & the two companies work in good faith with People (NAACP), volunteers August 1 be- LOCAL LABOR their employees and the unions represent- gan an 860 mile relay march from Selma, NEWS ing them,” wrote ICWUC president Frank AL. to Washington, D.C. which will take 40 Cyphers and USW international president days. Called “America’s Journey for Justice The editorial staff of VICE Me- Leo Gerard. The unions also addressed the March,” some 200 marchers took part in the dia’s digital operations recently voted to join letter to Chemours, which was spun-off on first leg of the march which commemorates the Writers Guild of America, East. After July 1 by DuPont. On November 15, 2014, the 50th anniversary of the passage of the the union informed the company about the toxic gas release at DuPont’s LaPorte plant Voting Rights Act. They will walk through workers’ decision, management agreed to rec- killed four workers. “It’s clear that there are several eastern seaboard states before end- ognize the union and enter into negotiations very serious safety problems at DuPont and ing in Washington, D.C., on September 15. for a first contact. “The men and women who Chemours,” they said. Gerard reported the NAACP President Cornell William Brooks write, edit, and create content for VICE craft Steelworkers have close relationships on said the march to Washington will focus on some of the most compelling stories available safety and health with many employers, but Pg 4 LABOR LETTER

DuPont has rejected any involvement by that allows a private entity to manage “could walk away” from its contract with union safety and health professionals. USW and operate Maui Memorial, Kula Hos- the Bristol Township if operations “became represents more than a thousand workers in pital and Clinic, and Lanai Community too costly.” The company’s workers voted DuPont and Chemours plants and ICWUC Hospital. The union has two contracts 24-23 in favor of joining International has 400 members at DuPont and Chemours. with the state at the hospitals which run Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 115 but through June 30, 2017. The union charges two ballots where challenged. The board, in the suit that the state’s action violates as part of its decision, ordered the ballots the contract clause of the opened and counted. “We find that em- Constitution because the workers will no ployees could reasonably infer from Krise’s longer be employed by the state with civil statements that, if the petitioner (i.e., the service protections and the protections of union) won the election, the employer’s existing collective bargaining agreements. costs necessarily would rise and cause the “House Bill 1075 substantially impairs the employer to walk away from its contract obligations of these pre-existing collective with the township, leaving the drivers out bargaining agreements by depriving UPW of work,” said board members Kent Hiro- and the affected bargaining unit employees zawa and Lauren McFerran. that UPW represents of all the protections and benefits of these contracts during the The National Labor Relations contract terms,” the suit said. Board reported a settlement of unfair labor UFC match. Flickr.com photo used under practice charges against the U.S. Capitol’s Creative Commons from adrianpua. Teamsters Local 104’s 530 food-service vendor, Restaurant Associ- drivers and mechanics in Tucson, AZ, with ates. In two separate cases, NLRB found Teamsters Local 986 and the city’s Sun Tran bus system rejected “merit” in charges that the company en- UNITE Here Culinary Local 226 in Las management’s “final” offer and went on gaged in coercive actions against food ser- Vegas launched a joint initiative to organize strike August 6. According to the union, the vice workers in the Capitol Visitor Center MMA fighters in the Ultimate Fighting offer did not include a pay increase for cur- and the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Championships (UFC), the largest promot- rent workers for the next three years which Good Jobs Nation filed the unfair labor er of professional MMA events. “We have was called “unacceptable.” “Until Sun Tran practice charges on behalf of the Capitol been surprised to learn how poorly these either makes another offer or comes back to workers following an April 22 strike for professional fighters are treated in the UFC. the table, we will be out on strike, for as long higher wages and union recognition. “It’s We want to help them to improve condi- as it takes,” said Andy Marshall, the union’s ironic that Congress passed labor laws that tions for themselves and raise standards for principal officer.” He said the union was they don’t follow at the U.S. Capitol,” said the sport,” said Chris Griswold, Secretary- willing to continue negotiations but “the Joseph Geevarghese, deputy director of Treasurer of Teamsters Local 986, one of ball is in the court of management.” He re- Change to Win, a coalition of unions back- the largest Teamsters locals in the country ported that other issues in dispute concerned ing the Good Jobs Nation campaign. “The with 17,000 members in Southern Califor- driver safety and mold issues at the northwest Senate must guarantee that contractors up- nia and Nevada. “All workers deserve to be side maintenance facility. Drivers are paid an hold the right of workers to organize free treated with respect and dignity,” said Geo- average of $16.72 an hour with nearly half at from threats and intimidation.” The com- conda Arguello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer the top pay of $19.22, said media reports. pany was ordered to refrain from future of UNITE HERE’s Culinary Workers coercive activity and post notices of actions Union Local 226, the largest union in Las the company “WILL NOT” take against Vegas with 55,000 members. The unions SIGNIFICANT workers seeking to form the union. have set up a website for the campaign, LEGAL AND NLRB www.FightersAgenda.org. RULINGS IN THE PUBLIC An employer who warned workers before a labor election that getting LABOR LETTER SECTOR a union could hurt business was making an provided through illegal “veiled threat,” ruled the National Hawaii’s United Public Work- Labor Relations Board in a 2-1 decision. ers, which represents workers at Maui Me- The board said a vice president of Student morial Medical Center, filed suit against Transportation of America Inc., a Bristol, Gov. David Ige to prevent the state from PA, school bus company, violated the rights privatizing three Maui County hospi- of his employees when he reportedly told Protecting Working Families tals. Gov. Ige signed legislation June 10 them during a meeting that the company www.ailife.com AGENDA SEPTEMBER 2015

day late and many dollars short, unable to we had an economy that works for the 99% guarantee that their children will have the not the Wall Street 1%. opportunities most of us have been able to One final thing: It’s time to quit relying provide for our children. on the Democrats to move this agenda for- During the 47 years I have been a CWA ward. Yes, we are going to fight in every state member, the labor movement which made and every Congressional District in this coun- Chris Shelton my middle class life possible has dwindled to try to defeat the crazy, wing-nut Republican International the edge of extinction. If things keep going in Tea Partiers who want to roll back history to President, the same direction for the next 10 or 20 years, a time when African Americans and Women Communications who can say where the bottom will be? and Gays and Lesbians knew their place, kept Workers of America First and foremost, I believe the strength their mouths shut, and were forced to hide in of our union is built on the bedrock of our the closet. And we have to elect a Democratic TOGETHER, OUR unity and militancy at the bargaining table. President in 2016 if only because the next Second, I am 100% determined to car- President is likely to make up to four ap- UNION WILL ry forward President Cohen’s commitment pointments to the Supreme Court. THRIVE to building a broad, radical, progressive so- Together, it is time for us to stand up. cial movement in this country. We need a Together, we must fight to ensure that the (The following article is excerpted from movement that will challenge corporate corporate leaders don’t end up destroying us. President Shelton’s address to the 75th CWA power across the board. Together, we must fight to ensure that the la- Convention following his unanimous election.) They are powerful enemies that we bor movement survives and thrives, that it re- will never beat on our own, but only by mains capable of carrying on the fight for fu- I owe everything I have in my life, to my building a powerful progressive, anti- ture generations of working men and women. union, to our union, the Communications corporate movement. I ask you now, and every day for the next Workers of America. My union made me I intend to carry on the fight to get big four years, to join with me, with my staff, with — and tens of thousands of women and money out of our political system. Brothers the Leadership of this magnificent union, in men just like me — just like all of you — and Sisters, the Koch Brothers and their a common project to strengthen CWA and middle class. The American Dream? Yeah, allies are literally killing our democracy to rebuild our beloved labor movement. That I’ve lived the American Dream. But not — drowning it in an ocean of mega con- is our mandate. That is our responsibility. because of some bogus, flag-waving, right- tributions the likes of which we have never That is our obligation, to our children, and wing, rugged individualist fantasy about seen. The Citizens United decision was a to our grandchildren. Together, there is no how every man can make it on his own. cruel joke — the idea that corporations are mountain we can’t climb, no boss we can’t I lived the American Dream because people and that money equals free speech. beat and no enemy we can’t defeat. I was lucky enough to have a union job, a The voices of working people will never be CWA job, and CWA knew how to fight so heard until we stop the flood of corporate that all its members could enjoy their piece cash from buying our legislators. of the American Dream. And I will never, I want to take the fight against big ever forget that. money to every battlefield we can find in And this, at last, brings me around to this country because, literally, American de- my thoughts about what we need to do and mocracy is at stake. where we need to go in the years to come. I say it’s time for CWA to join the fight Because today, American workers like me to enact a Robin Hood tax on stock trades and you are less and less likely to have a shot — a half percent tax that could generate at the union-made American dream. $350 billion a year from Wall Street specu- Today, unions don’t set the standard lation that we could use to rebuild our in- for the wages and working conditions of frastructure and create millions of jobs, both the typical working class kid searching for in the public and private sector, or do away his or her piece of the American dream. with student debt, or save millions of homes McDonald’s and Wal-Mart do. And that from foreclosure. I say it’s time to build a standard is a mere shadow of the standard movement that takes on Wall Street power set by unions like the CWA and the UAW in our economy and in our society, that puts two generations ago. It is a standard that an end to the overwhelming power of big Young CWA supporter. Flickr.com photo used leaves most working class Americans a banks and investment firms. I say it’s time under Creative Commons from Kat Gloor. Pg 2 AGENDA

United Teachers of Dade Meeting PR Steve Sanchez, Sergeant-at-Arms and Co-Chairperson of Membership Committee; Lorenzo Canizares, Co-Chairperson of Membership Committee; Angel Vallejos and Gruselda Dowe, Membership Committee Members; and Manny Hartman, LCLAA President at United Teachers of Dade meeting.

Texas AFL-CIO Convention AIL participated in the recent Texas AFL-CIO convention. Retiring Texas AFL-CIO President Becky Moeller was honored at a dinner. Shown in left photo are (left to right) President Moeller, PR Director Patti Morgan, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer , PR VP Susan Fuldauer, PR Director Jason Beckman. In the right photo are: (from left, seated) Dorothy and Jackie St Clair, AIL PR Jay Bentley, Gerald and Merrilou Brown; (standing) PR Manager Christa Davis, Beckman, Fuldauer, Morgan and AIL PR Lacy Martin. AGENDA Pg 3

UNITE HERE Local 11 Rally NJ AFL-CIO Convention UNITE HERE Local 11 recently launched an organizing drive among workers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Garden Grove in Orange County, Calif. AIL joined with supporters from the OC Labor Federation, Shown at the NJ AFL-CIO convention are (left to right) SEIU, OCEA and UFCW to rally with the workers. Shown is AIL’s Gary Rothman (center) with Ada Briceno, PR Director Michelle Baxter, PR Manager Brian Ryan, Secretary-Treasurer, UNITE HERE Local 11(left). PR Brenda DiSomma, PR Jeannette Dodd.

IBEW Local 1186 75th Celebration PR Dion Dizon (right) and IBEW Local 1186 Business Manager-Financial Secretary Damien Kim celebrate the Local’s 75th year. Pg 4 AGENDA

LAB Welcomes New Member

Christopher Shelton was elected President of the Communications Workers of America on June 8, 2015.

Since 2005, he has been Vice President of CWA District 1, representing 160,000 members in more than 300 CWA locals in New Jersey, and New England.

Prior to his election as Vice President, Shelton was assistant to the District 1 Vice President.

He served as the Verizon Regional Bargaining Chair in 2000 and 2003, and overall Chair of CWA District 1, District 2-13, IBEW New Jersey and New England in 2008 and 2011.

Shelton started his union career when he went to work for New York Telephone in 1968 as an outside technician. He was elected a CWA Local 1101 shop steward in 1968 and served Local 1101 in various positions until December 1988 when he joined the CWA national staff.

VA AFL-CIO Convention He is a native of the Bronx, NY. Marc Peronne (left), UFCW International President visits PR Manager John Keliher and PR Vivian Dwyer at the AIL booth at the VA AFL-CIO convention.

Correction The Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Clay Shoot was misidentified in the last issue. The SMART Clay shoot was held in New Jersey. Joseph Sellers who was identified as an international representative is the general president. Joe Nigro is the retired general president.