Won't Somebody Please Think Of The Children?!

We can't have nice things unions a prevailing wage because it will hurt kids with cancer! (Pennsylvania Republican House Rep. Brad Roae went there.)

  (h/t to Jennifer England)

Fairness 4 WTAE: Real Life & Virtual Rallies on Thursday

Perhaps you've heard -- there's something ugly going on at Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV. Way back in July of 2010 the on-air staff at WTAE voted to be represented by the AFTRA union. But all this time later, they are still without a contract. In the meantime, according to the Fairness 4 WTAE Facebook page, staff have had long-scheduled, pre-approved vacations denied at the last minute; have had to work two weeks straight without a day off; have been threatened with losing company pensions and retirement benefits for supporting the union -- basically, everything out of the union-busting playbook.

What can you do to help?

1) Add your name to the petition to tell Hearst to "play fair in Pittsburgh." (Hearst already bargins fairly in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Boston, New Orleans, and Omaha -- why not Pittsburgh?)

2) Like their Facebook page here.

3) Attend the Community Labor Support Rally this Thursday:

WHEN: Thursday January 26, 11 a.m.
WHERE: St James Church (marching to WTAE), 718 Franklin Ave, Wilkinsburg, PA
WHAT: Rally to present deliver nearly 2,000 postcards and petition signatures from viewers. Delivered by a delegation including Allegheny County Labor Council President Jack Shea; State Senator Jim Ferlo; State Rep, Joe Preston; Joyce Rothermel, from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (retired): Fr. Jack O’Malley; Marty O’Malley, Mayor of Forest Hills; Fred Redmond, VP of United Steelworkers; and Rev. John Welch from PA Interfaith Impact Network.

or

4) Attend the Virtual Rally for Fairness for WTAE

WHEN: Thursday, from 11am to 1pm.
WHAT: -Call the Station: 412-242-4300. Tell the receptionist you wish to speak with General Manager Mike Hayes. If not available, ask for voice mail. Give your name and phone number and tell him you support Fairness for WTAE On-air Staff.
And/or
-Email the Station: Go to Station Website, www.wtae.com, at the bottom of the home page, under “Station”, choose “Contact Us”. Under “Contact Us”, choose “News Feedback”, then fill out your name and email and write the message: I support Fairness for WTAE On-air Staff.”

Do it for Bob! Do it for Wendy! Do it for Kelly! Do it for Jim! Do it for Demetrius!

Do it for Fairness!

Freep this poll!

At the P-G:

"Republican state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would outlaw strikes by public school teachers. Would you like to see this become law?."

URGENT ACTION ITEM: New Battle of Blair Mountain

A group of miners display one of the bombs dropped on them
Via Wikipedia:

The Battle of Blair Mountain was one of the biggest civil uprisings in the United States history and the largest armed insurrection since the American Civil War. For five days in late August and early September 1921, in Logan County, West Virginia, between 10,000 and 15,000 coal miners confronted an army of police and strikebreakers backed by coal operators during a struggle by the miners to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. Their struggle ended only after approximately one million rounds were fired,[2] and the United States Army intervened by presidential order.

Now, mountain top removal mining is about to decimate the site of this historic battle. Hundreds of marchers -- including Pittsburgh Sierra Club's Randy Francisco -- are retracing the steps of the miners to stop Blair Mountain from "becoming just another barren, flat-topped strip mine." According to Friends of Blair Mountain, "The March on Blair Mountain is a unifying rally involving labor unions, environmental organizations, scholars, artists, and other citizens and groups."

In 1921, the miners were stopped by private planes that "were hired to drop homemade bombs on the miners" and by "Army bombers from Maryland were also used for aerial surveillance, a rare example of Air Power being used by the federal government against US citizens." In 2011, corporations and the government are still in cahoots, but their methods are more subtle (via Pink Coat Communications):

Local authorities, "encouraged" by mining companies, have routed the peaceful marchers out of their campgrounds. For their safety marchers now have to camp miles and miles away forcing organizers to shuttle folks back and forth. With gas at nearly $4 a gallon this could kill the march.

The marchers are in urgent need of your help to continue their efforts:

YOU CAN HELP! Donate to the marchers at http://marchonblairmountain.org/ (click on the Appalachia rising paypal button) or at directly at Appalachia Rising's paypal site

They only need about $1500 to complete the march, but without it, their effort cannot continue safely! They are in and out of cell phone range and only sporadically able to post information so this has not hit the press yet. Its important that we help them now though as they are in imminent danger of being forced to quit.

UPDATE: Latest update @ The Pittsburgh Seam

Photos from Pittsburgh's "We Are One" March & Rally

The union thugs were out in full force:


As were the class warriors:


500 strong according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (P-G video here):


(3-photo montage)
They were all out in Pittsburgh today as part of the nationwide "We Are One" action. In Pittsburgh, there was a rally at EQT Plaza and then a march and rally to Governor Tom Corbett's Pittsburgh headquarters for another rally.

We Are One

(Click to enlarge)

The We Are One events which are running from the 1st through the 5th have been billed as "Pittsburgh Labor, Faith, and Community Organizations Honor the Memory of Marin Luther King with Action" but they really are for the 90% of the country who have been battered during the last decade or so. They're for those of us who don't believe you have to have at least 7 million to be considered "rich."

They're for those of us who haven't been brainwashed to think that we should decry public unions making a good wage or having decent benefits -- who know we can't lift ourselves up by putting down them down. They're also for those who believe in the dignity of work -- all work -- something that Republicans used to at last give lip service to but now denigrate the labor of teachers and firefighters and police officers.

They're for the rest of us who have seen our salaries stagnate or decline while the earnings of the wealthiest grow exponentially. They are for those of us who have seen our school budgets slashed and burned; our infrastructure crumble; our land, water and air befouled; and the gutting of any help for health care costs.

These events are for those of us who know that there is Class Warfare and that we have lost. Please attend if you possibly can:

Monday, April 4 - National Day of Action

Noon: We Are One Protest EQT Plaza, 6th St. and Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh Followed by educational leafleting and sidewalk march to Gov. Tom Corbett’s office at 301 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh

1:00 PM: Free luncheon featuring National leader of Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME) United Steelworkers headquarters, 60 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, Featuring Pipino Cuevas Velázquez of SME

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Labor and Economy Lecture Featuring USW International President Leo W. Gerard, US Steel CEO John Surma speaking at CCAC Allegheny Campus, Foerster Student Service Center Auditorium, 808 Ridge Ave., Pittsburgh, 15212.

7:00 PM: Pipino Cuevas Velázquez Event This international Labor Leader will be joined by local leaders of public sector unions from around the U.S. and Pittsburgh who are fighting against cuts and the attack on fundamental labor rights. University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Room 107 3900 Forbes Ave., 15260

See other events/RSVP here

Huge Turnout for “Fighting For the American Dream” Rally

Looks like a huge turnout for the “Fighting For the American Dream” Rally. Here are some photos and texts from David who was on his lunch break:


"Delano interviewing"


"huge crowd"


"So many people they have speakers outside"

"Shields, Kraus, Dowd are here"

"Tons of people there. Delano said they were expecting 700"
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Rallies and Protests and Press Conferences, Oh My!

Looks like folks are awakening to the assault on, well, everyone (who isn't super rich)! Women, children, union members, the middle class, the working class and the working poor, public transit riders -- unless you're Donald Trump -- the Republicans have some plan to screw you.

We're not "special interests" when we are the majority!

Please attend any of these that you can:

THURSDAY, 2/24/11
Impacts of Proposed U.S. Budget Cuts on Pittsburgh Jobs & Families Press Conference (This is for the media)
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: WGF Office, Landmarks Building, 100 W. Station Square Drive, Suite 315
WHAT: Via press release [edited]: "Women and Girls Foundation hosts. Southwest PA organizations, their local workers and service recipients, would be directly impacted by the drastic cuts included in H.R. 1 which slashes billions of dollars of funding resulting in the elimination of millions of jobs and services for working families in our region. Federal programs impacted range from early childhood education and college financial aid to nutritional assistance for infants, veterans housing, public broadcasting, and reproductive healthcare. It eliminates federal funding for Planned Parenthood and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and it defunds the implementation of health care reform and EPA pollution enforcement. It now moves to the Senate for vote later this month. Representatives from the following organizations will speak: Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, Fair Housing Partnership, Just Harvest, WQED Multimedia, Women’s Center & Shelter, PennFuture, Planned Parenthood, Adagio Health, The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Community Services, Action United, ACLU Pittsburgh, SEIU, Women’s Law Project, New Voices Pittsburgh, National Council of Jewish Women, National Organization for Women, Pennsylvania Health Access Network, and Health Care for America Now. (Members of the media are asked to RSVP if you plan to attend.)"

MoveOn / Democracy for Pittsburgh: Invest in America!
TIME: 11:30 AM;11:45 AM
WHERE: Gather @ Aldo Coffee Shop, 675 Washington Road, Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon), PA 15228; Proceed to Office of Rep. Murphy, which is at 504 Washington Road, Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon), Pa 15228
WHAT: "We are going to go to Rep. Murphy and let him know that cutting billions from funding health care, education, and science will do nothing to turn our economy around, but it will hurt the other 98% of us that are barely getting through the worst recession since the Great Depression. We will go to the office of Rep. Murphy with our Invest in America message, and share our personal stories of why we need support for our broken economy and communities." Please RSVP for the event by clicking on the link below: http://pol.moveon.org/event/invest2011/112639

“Fighting For the American Dream” Rally
Stand in Solidarity with the Wisconsin Workers
TIME: Noon (lunch provided)
WHERE: USW International HQ, Downtown Pittsburgh, 5 Gateway Center, 60 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh PA
WHAT: "Our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin and other states are in a fight for the very survival of their jobs and their union. This is our moment to stand and show solidarity with them and let their Governor and the extremist organizations financing these attacks know: WE STAND TOGETHER! "


FRIDAY, 2/25/11
People's Rally For Public Transportation
TIME: 8:30 - 11:30 AM
WHERE: Mellon Square Park, 6th & Smithfiled, Downtown Pittsburgh PA
WHAT: Protest the drastic cutbacks in public transit.


SATURDAY, 2/26/11
Rally to Save the American Dream, Harrisburg, PA
TIME: 12:00pm - 3:00pm
WHERE: Capitol Steps, 3rd St., Harrisburg, PA 17101
WHAT: "Americans who believe in the right to organize are standing up on Saturday. It's time to stop the dismantling of organizations opposed to the right wing agenda."
RSVP: http://www.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=112822&is_manage=1

Pittsburgh City Council to proclaim respect for public workers today

Via the AFLCIO:

IN THE FACE OF ANTI-PUBLIC WORKER LEGISLATIVE FIGHTS IN WISCONSIN AND OHIO, PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL TAKES A STAND

Council members and Pittsburgh public workers to hold preview of proclamation honoring public workers before Council vote

Pittsburgh, Penn. – On Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 9:30 AM, Councilmember Natalia Rudiak will preview a proclamation co-sponsored by all nine City Councilmembers expressing support and respect for public workers prior to the Pittsburgh City Council’s regular weekly meeting where it will be on the agenda. Council Member Rudiak and other Councilmembers will be joined by a variety of public workers including firefighters, bus drivers, snow plow drivers, school crossing guards and others for the preview.

The proclamation comes at a time when public workers are under attack in state legislatures across the county, targeted by right-wing and corporate political committees funded by nearly unlimited and undisclosed corporate cash, seeking to roll back collective bargaining rights and half-a-century of labor reforms.

“The right-wing assault on public workers grossly misrepresents facts and tries to lay blame for budget deficits and pension problems at the feet of dedicated public servants who come to work everyday and do their jobs delivering the services that keep us safer, healthier and contribute to the vital functions of government that serve the public good”, said Jack Shea, President of the Allegheny County Labor Council.

“On Tuesday, we will stand in solidarity, not just with the public workers in Pittsburgh, but with all public workers in America, especially our brothers and sisters under attack this week in Wisconsin and Ohio,” Shea added.

What: Preview of Respect our Public Workers Proclamation

Who: Councilmember Natalia Rudiak and colleagues, public workers from a variety of departments and trades, Jack Shea, President of the Allegheny County Labor Council.

Where: 5th Floor, City-County Building, outside of City Council Chambers

When: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 9:30 AM

Heh

But don't forget, we have the best health care in the world! (If you can afford to pay for it/you'll still be able to afford to work in that field.)

(h/t to Kate Thomas)
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And speaking of pushing...

If the Dems can't squeak out some victories in PA, it won't be for lack of trying by the GOTV efforts of the AFL-CIO which has been conducting an unprecedented seven-week direct mail program to union households in this state. Via Marty Marks, National AFL-CIO Field Communications:

-In PA we now have 400 full-time paid union election workers organizing and working with 5000+ union volunteers

-Along with the national mail, most of our members will receive at least one letter from their local unions pushing our endorsed candidates

-Our twenty+ phone banks throughout PA will make many thousands of live member-to-member GOTV phone calls to union households and additional robo calls from local union leaders and national union leaders will be going out through Election Day

- We will hit hundreds of work places with GOTV material this week and through election day

-Starting Thursday through the closing of polling places, we will knock on the door of every union household located in a walkable precinct turning out our voters

We believe our program will deliver results mirroring what we have seen in recent years. We anticipate union households, which comprise about 12% of PA voting age population, will turnout at a rate that is double non-union households. That means that union house holds will comprise about 28% to 32% of the electorate, more than double our share of the voting age population.

And please note that unlike, say, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor unions must disclose where their funding comes from.

Tentative agreement reached between Giant Eagle & UFCW

An update to this story:

GOOD NEWS!

Via press release:

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 has reached a tentative agreement with Giant Eagle tonight nearly 6 weeks after bargaining began.

The details of the agreement are not being released to the public until members have an opportunity to hear about them but the bargaining committee is unanimously recommending the agreement to membership.

Gagged

UPDATE: GOOD NEWS! Via press release:

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 has reached a tentative agreement with Giant Eagle tonight nearly 6 weeks after bargaining began.

The details of the agreement are not being released to the public until members have an opportunity to hear about them but the bargaining committee is unanimously recommending the agreement to membership.

What is this woman protesting?
Giant Eagle workers and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) members staged a silent protest outside of the Squirrel Hill Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh Wednesday evening.

The workers claim that they have been harassed since negotiations started in May for a new contract.

On Tuesday, the UFCW filed charges against Giant Eagle with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair labor practices. According to a press release:

The group is charging the company with squelching worker’s right to free speech and threatening employees if they wear member stickers or talk about their contract.

“We should not lose our constitutional protections the minute we clock in” said Derek Watson, an employee of Giant Eagle and union member. “They are trying to take away our rights like they own us and that is not only unfair, it’s not legal.” He and other workers have had a number of threats levied against them by store managers in recent weeks.

They also say that they've been interrogated regarding their support of the union.

The protest on Wednesday consisted of about 50 workers and supporters. They taped over their mouths to symbolize Giant Eagle's attempts to silence them in the workplace and marched from the corner of Forbes & Murray to the store and then lined up in front of it for about 20 minutes before they turned and marched back.


(More photos after the fold)

Pittsburgh City Councilors Walk The Line

Via Jennifer England:


Natalia Rudiak

Doug Shields
Bruce Kraus


SEIU cafeteria workers (Local 32BJ) at the University of Pittsburgh are striking against Sodexo for "higher wages, lower cost health care and the ability to organize the 150 other Sodexo workers on campus."

According to England's tweets UFCW23, Pittsburgh Faith Impact, Pittsburgh United, Pennsylvania Communities Organizing for Change (PCOC) and others were also in the house...or on the street as it were.

Rally in support of Aramark Workers Today @ 5:00PM

Via Pittsburgh UNITED:

Where: Double Tree Hotel, Latrobe Room

When: Wednesday, March 3, 5:00 p.m.

Organized by Pittsburgh United, the community will rally TODAY at 5:00 p.m. in support of the Aramark Workers at Mellon Arena as they fight for their jobs.

Workers at Mellon Arena received a letter on February 12 from Aramark Management telling them that when the Penguins move across the street later this year workers would have to re-apply for their own jobs with no guarantee of getting hired.

“It’s astounding that a company that is benefiting from public investment in a beautiful new arena would use that as an excuse to pull a fast one on workers,” said Barney Oursler of Pittsburgh United. “Some of these workers have worked in the arena for decades. This is just not right.”

Workers were also informed that they would have no union at the new Consol Energy Center, meaning that the union contracts, workers seniority, and wage and benefit standards that were already in place at the Mellon Arena will not be honored and that workers would have to reform a union if they wanted one.

Speakers will include:

· Councilman Bruce Kraus, author of a Will of Council passed yesterday urging Aramark to change their position

· Councilman Doug Shields

· Carl Redwood of the One Hill Coalition

· Workers from other Aramark locations

· Clergy from Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network

Aramark has a history of labor problems throughout its operations in the United States. From discrimination to sexual harassment to failure to follow labor laws Aramark has been plagued with problems.

Yes, there is a dispute among the unions as to who exactly represents some of these workers (see here and the comments here), but what isn't in dispute among the unions or the workers is that Aramark is acting in full douchebag mode.

Don't worry about who represents who, just come and support the folks who Aramark is trying to screw over.
.

Workers Slam Aramark for Making Mellon Arena Workers Reapply for Own Jobs

Well this sucks!

Who: Workers United, SEIU, Affected Workers, Representatives from One Hill/Hill District Consensus Group, and the Hill District Community

Workers United, SEIU will hold a press conference tomorrow calling on Aramark to change its position on the transfer of Mellon Arena workers to the new Arena.

On February 12th Aramark notified its Mellon Arena employees that they would have to reapply for their jobs when they moved to their new location at the Consol Energy Center. They added that current employees were not guaranteed to get their jobs back. The letter also informed employees that they would not have a union when they started working at Consol Energy Center, meaning that the contract currently in place at Mellon will not be honored, and that the company would not have to honor workers’ seniority or existing wage and benefit standards. .

[snip]

Workers United, SEIU, the union representing the employees, sees this as a ploy by Aramark designed to allow them to disregard seniority, lower wages and reduce benefits, and weaken or remove the union.

“The new arena is a publicly owned building. We can’t stand by and let this vendor use the move as an excuse to strip long term employees of seniority, cut wages or benefits, or strip workers of their union,” said Sam Williamson, Associate Manager of the Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United.

[snip]

“The opening of this new arena should be a good thing for the neighborhood, the city and the region. But this move would give it a black eye. We’re calling on Aramark not to be a spoiler on what would otherwise be an all around celebration,” added Sam Williamson.
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Video of President Obama at AFL-CIO National Convention

From Pittsburgh today:

Part I


Part II


Part III


Part IV

* The end of Part II, all of Part III and the first minute of Part IV is about health care reform.

** The rest of Part IV speaks to this area's rich tradition of union organizing.

*** A copy of text as prepared for delivery here.
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Pittsburgh's Mayor's Door Chained Against Protestors

WPXI


KDKA


Pittsburgh City Paper

Approximately 150 protestors (union members and community activists) protested for nearly an hour today outside the office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. They had to protest outside the office because a city worker chained and padlocked the door (police also showed up).

The protestors were demanding that, along with all the taxpayer subsidized giveaways to developers that have become commonplace in this city, they get a promise of family-sustainable jobs.

More on this story:

http://pghcomet.blogspot.com/2009/07/were-here-to-ask-mayor-to-change-his.html

http://twitter.com/bobmayo

http://pghisacity.blogspot.com/2009/07/theyre-back.html

http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A66316

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_635143.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09205/986133-100.stm

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20165257/detail.html (with video)

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/20165049/detail.html (with video)

http://kdka.com/local/union.protest.mayors.2.1099491.html (with video)

"CANDIDATE FRANCO DOK HARRIS SUPPORTS UNION PROTEST AT MAYOR'S OFFICE"
Full statement here.

UPDATE: Bram has video Yarone Zober on Development and CBA's
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