Published By AMERICAN INCOME LIFE & NATIONAL INCOME LIFE LETTER LABOR ADVISORY BOARD APRIL 2015 Vol. 47 No. 2 of living,” AFL-CIO President Richard President Leo W. Gerard in a statement. NEWS FROM THE Trumka told the news media when he an- “There was no way we would have won vast AFL-CIO, CTW, nounced formation of the commission. He improvements in safety and staffing without INTERNATIONAL & said the federation will fight racism as a it.” According to the union, the agreement key to raising wages. “Politicians are using calls for joint review on the local level of NATIONAL UNIONS coded racial language to divide us,” Trumka future staffing levels and hiring plans. The said, singling out recent remarks by now- tentative agreement calls for yearly wage The AFL-CIO announced a Fox news commentator Rudy Giuliani, the increases as well as maintaining the current “comprehensive national raising wages former mayor of New York. He said anti- health care plan cost-sharing ratio. Strikes initiative” at its winter Executive Council union groups try to divide white and Af- could continue at specific refineries if local meeting in Atlanta in late February. The rican-American workers. “We have to rec- unions cannot come to an agreement with purpose of the initiative is to fight “by rais- ognize it for what it is and fight it,” he said. employers. More than 5,000 workers at ing all workers’ wages” and “workers’ right to 15 refineries and chemical plants went on organize and bargain with our employers… The United Steelworkers strike starting February 1 with a handful without fear of reprisal or dismissal,” the (USW) March 12 reached a tentative of refineries and spread across the nation. Executive Council said in a statement. As agreement on a new four-year contract with Overall, the Steelworkers represent 30,000 part of the initiative, the federation and local Shell Oil, which should set a pattern agree- oil workers at more than 200 refineries and affiliates will hold a series of Raising Wages ment for the rest of the industry and end chemical plants. summits this year in the first four presiden- the largest oil refinery strike in 35 years. tial primary states: Iowa, New Hampshire, “We salute the solidarity exhibited by our With national auto talks set to Nevada and South Carolina. The first will membership,” said USW International begin in April, one of the major challenges be in Iowa this spring, the AFL-CIO said. facing the United Auto Workers is ending “Each summit will bring together diverse entry-level Tier 2 wage levels, which are voices to discuss how we can implement a about half the pay and benefits of veteran comprehensive agenda to increase workers’ workers doing the same jobs. Tier 1 wag- bargaining power, raise wages and living es start around $28-an-hour. In 2009, the standards for the vast majority of workers union agreed to allow Fiat Chrysler and and hold policymakers accountable,” ac- General Motors, both companies under fi- cording to the Council statement. nancial stress, to hire unlimited lower-cost entry level workers. Ford workers, however, A special labor commission on refused the concession and the number of race and social justice will be established by Tier 2 workers there is capped at 20 percent the AFL-CIO Executive Council that en- of the workforce. UAW President Dennis gages unions and their members in a broad Williams has not commented on the union’s conversation about the need to put an end pattern bargaining goals, but the union his- to racism. “Racism and dog whistle politics torically has opposed two-tiered wages as are being used to keep us all divided, and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. Flickr.com contrary to the goal of equal pay for equal that division holds back our ability to win photo used under Creative Commons from work. About 17.5 percent of GM’s hourly wage increases and improve our standard Jason Perlman. workforce is entry-level; approximately TERRY O'SULLIVAN, President - Laborers International Union of North America, Chairman - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board VICTOR KAMBER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Executive Director - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board ROGER SMITH[!"#$ DENISE BOWYER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Secretary - AIL/NILICO Labor Advisory Board Pg 2 LABOR LETTER 23 percent at Ford; and about 44 per- This [latest ruling] is one of a series of cases, workers who are demanding a raise of cent at Chrysler. In addition, veteran em- and we’ve got more planned,” she said. K30,000-a-month to K60,000 ($59). More ployees have not had a base wage increase than 3,800 workers from five garment and in 10 years. On Wednesday, March 4, Aus- shoe factories in Yangon industrial zones tralia’s unions held a national day of action to started picketing in January. Police were U.S. supervision of the Inter- oppose austerity measures which they said deployed against them to end the strikes national Brotherhood of Teamsters will be threaten working conditions and wages for which led to violent clashes and the arrest phased out over the next five years in a deal millions of Australians. Rallies and marches of two labor union leaders and an activist, approved by Judge Loretta Preska of the were held in major Australian cities, with who the government alleges were responsi- Southern District of New York. “This is a the largest demonstration staged in Mel- ble for instigating the strikes. The strike-hit historic agreement that returns our great bourne. The unions are targeting a pending factories are owned by Chinese and South union to our 1.4 million Teamster mem- review of the Australian workplace system Korean companies who have rejected the bers,” said James P. Hoffa, General Presi- by the pro-market Productivity Commis- workers’ salary demands. dent of the Union. “Our union is commit- sion. Leaked recommendations include cuts ted to the democratic process, and we can to the minimum wage and the weekend and A week of public sector strikes proudly declare that corrupt elements have night “penalty rates” which primarily impact involving hundreds of thousands of work- been driven from the Teamsters and that hundreds of thousands of low-paid workers. ers and led by the giant union Ver.di swept government oversight can come to an end.” Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s conservative across Germany March 2. Workers are The Teamsters have been seeking the end of federal oversight for years. According to the union, the final order provides for continued direct membership elections of the Team- sters Union’s International officers and for independent investigation and monitoring of internal disciplinary matters involving al- legations of corruption. The settlement will bring an end to 25 years of federal supervi- sion of the union. INTERNATIONAL LABOR NEWS New Zealand unions predicted that more employment cases will be liti- gated following a landmark Employment Court ruling that paves the way for tens of thousands of home care relief workers to receive the minimum wage and holidays. Rest home caregivers and nurses join a national strike in New Zealand. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from Simon Oosterman. Service and Food Workers Union took the winning case to court and national secretary Liberal-National party was elected with a striking for 5.5 percent more in wages, job John Ryall said litigation to secure workers’ solid majority in September 2013 over the security and employment guarantees for rights was now preferable to collective bar- Labor Party, but now polls with one of the trainee workers. Other issues involve pen- gaining. Ryall said, “We decided there’s got lowest approval ratings in Australian his- sions and pay scales. Some 200 workers at to be a better way than (collective bargain- tory, 29 percent. Abbott recently survived a a university clinic in the western city of Es- ing),” which he described as hopeless. “Ev- leadership challenge in an internal revolt by sen walked off their jobs first and another ery time we win one of these cases, someone dozens of his colleagues. 200,000 teachers struck during week. Addi- stands up, and we discover a new detail of tional strikes involved coast guard workers, discrimination. I think these cases will con- In Myanmar, more than 100 street repair crews and state administrative tinue until such time as there is a collective garment factory workers staged a sit-in offices. Ver.di chief Frank Bsirske told the bargaining system in place.” CTU’s Helen protest March 4 after police blocked their news media that the demands for pay were Kelly agreed with the tactic of strategic liti- march to Yangon city hall, where they justified because tax receipts are up in Ger- gation. “We have to rely on the minimum planned to set up a second protest camp. man municipalities. “Anyone who expects code — Minimum Wage, Holidays Act, The incident is the latest in a bitter labor good work from qualified workers has to Equal Pay Act — to get any sort of justice. dispute involving thousands of garment pay them properly,” he said. LABOR LETTER Pg 3 NATIONAL AND top the rankings. Although women have last May told the news media that his unit POLITICAL EVENTS been making strides in the workplace, the is focusing resources “on the industries, the gender wage gap remains wide. Congress workplaces and the workers where the larg- There is a direct correlation passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963 to curb est problems lie.” Judy Conti, a lobbyist for sex discrimination in the workplace, yet 50 the National Employment Law Project, between the decline in union membership years later the wage gap persists.