Eagle Point School Board Trashes Workers

GRINCH HURTS WORKERS
RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
20.12.2009 01:56

Sodexo successfully gets the Eagle Point School Board
to turn over its nine food service managers to this greedy
company who makes money by paying workers less,
decreasing their benefits and taking away their voice at work.
This is what union busting is all about.

The December 17, 2010 School Board meeting was timely for
union busting since a new Oregon State law (HB2867) about
"transparent outsourcing contractual requirements" does not
take effect until January 1, 2010. This is just plain sleazy.

Wow--this is what being a Grinch looks like, trashing workers
just before Christmas. The vote was divided with 3 voting for
Sodexo and 2 voting for the workers. Three lumps of coal for
the three Board Members who voted to trash workers!

about the bills which were designed to
slow down greedy corporations like Sodexo

Achieving Government Accountability
 and Transparency in Contracting
http://www.oregongovernmentaccountability.com/

In 2009 Oregon and Congress are going to invest in job
creation through updating our infrastructure and green jobs.
Much of this work will be done by private contractors,
providing jobs for thousands who need them. Over the past
15 years, state and local governments have shifted many public
services to private contractors, looking to save money, increase
efficiency, and maintain quality. At the same time, Oregon laws
regarding contracting have not kept pace to ensure quality and
cost-savings. While other states have increased their transparency
and accountability, Oregon has not. With an influx of infrastructure
projects to jump-start the economy, it is critical that Oregon can
show taxpayers how the money being spent and can evaluate its
effectiveness. Learning from other states, Oregon can increase
government accountability and transparency.

In 2009 a coalition of groups have come together to increase
transparency and accountability in contracting.
HB 2037 will increase transparency by requiring information
about contracts online and in a report
and HB 2867 will increase quality standards, accountability,
and oversight of contracts.

Here are the full bills, which start with a summary (pdf format):

HB2037- http://landru.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2000.dir/hb2037.intro.pdf
HB2867- http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2800.dir/hb2867.intro.pdf

Thanks to Kevin Card for Submitting this information.
Tim

Labor Notes Update

http://labornotes.org/blogs 

 
Escalating the War in Afghanistan Is Wrong


Jim Cavanaugh December 2, 2009

President Obama’s decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan
is wrong for many reasons. At its October 15 meeting,
the Executive Board of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO
adopted a simple statement that sums up many of those reasons:
“We need to stop the war in Afghanistan
and focus the nation’s attention on the
fight for jobs, education, health care and pensions.”

And, as Wisconsin Rep. David Obey says:
“There ain’t going to be no money for nothing
  if we pour it all into Afghanistan.”

Senator Russ Feingold correctly objects from a
foreign policy and national security point of view:
“It’s an expensive gamble to undertake armed nation-
building on behalf of a corrupt government of
questionable legitimacy.”

It’s wrong because the American people elected Obama,
with a mandate-sized majority, to end these wars,
reform health care, and ameliorate the effects of the
economic depression, and certainly not to escalate the war.

http://labornotes.org/conference

And finally, but absolutely not
least,  it is wrong because it will
lead to many more serious
physical and psychological
wounds and deaths for Afghan
citizens and American soldiers.



[Jim Cavanaugh is president of the
South Central Federation of Labor in Madison, Wisconsin.]

http://labornotes.org/blogs/2009/12/escalating-war-afghanistan-wrong

Steve Novick praises the Boregonian

Posted by: Unionresource at

Dec 16, 2009 12:12:30 PM
http://www.blueoregon.com/
2009/12/good-luck-peter-bhatia.html
?cid=6a00d8341c2c3f53ef012876585f55970c

The Oregonian is one of the
most regressive newspapers in the nation.

When in 2003, the majority of editors
and writers at the Oregonian refused to
endorse George Bush, the publisher of
the paper overruled them and endorsed him.

Those who own the presses control the news.

The Oregonian, as an institution, tends to ignore
progressive events and selectively delivers relatively
biased news which is most often favorable towards
corporate sponsorships and the Fortune 500.

This paper is generally unwilling and unlikely to
provide adequate, fair, or accurate progressive
community resources and information. The publication
is all about Wall street and not real concerned about
Main street. It is no friend to working people.



Steve Novick is a good man, but he is clearly not
a journalist. To say the Oregonian is relatively
no better or worse than most corporate whores would
be accurate. But to pretend the Oregonian is either
fair or unbiased is ridiculous. It is flat delusional
to claim the Oregonian is "a good paper."

The managment and owners of the Oregonian are
proactively anti-union. They endorsed Steve,
but this transparent tactic is no good reason to
begin kissing collective patooties. I wish the new
editor well, but I hope Mr. Novick reconsiders
his curious claims. Disappointing.


Tim Flanagan
local writer, editor, & organizer
http://www.unionresource.org/

D-5: Commemorate WTO Protests on Sat. December 5th in Portland

Your Union News Weekly Update

Take Action:  If you live in the Portland Metro area

As part of the global days of action against the new
World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial, people
from across the Pacific Northwest will be converging in
downtown Portland this Saturday to speak out against the
proposed expansion of failed “free trade” policies and to
demand the prioritization of human needs over corporate greed.




D5: Mobilization Against the World Trade Organization
Saturday, December 5th * Downtown Portland

12:00 Noon — Community Carnival
Gather at Tom McCall Waterfront Park under the
Hawthorne Bridge at SW Natio & Madison


Gather to live music from Oregon-based performers,
and browse information tables from some of the more than
75 labor, environmental, faith, immigrant rights and community
organizations that put this event together. Greet demonstrators
caravanning together from as far south as Ashland and as far
north as Seattle. Start getting fired up!

1:00 pm — March

Leaves from the Hawthorne Bridge and goes through downtown


Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain will kick off the
permitted, family-friendly march, led by a contingent of “Teamsters and Turtles.”
The No War Drum Corps and several large puppets will be on hand to keep
things lively. Street theater is planned for the World Trade Center,
Federal Building and Wells Fargo Center.
The march also includes the Amalgamated Transit Union bus, carrying anyone
who needs a lift. Bring your signs and banners!



2:00 pm — Indoor Rally & Concert

Portland State University’s Hoffman Hall (1833 SW 11th)



Hear short rally speeches by Lori Wallach (Global Trade Watch),
Francisco Lopez (CAUSA Oregon), Barbara Byrd
(Oregon Apollo Alliance), Brent Foster (Oregon Department of Justice),
Ken Allen (Oregon AFSCME) and Vandana Shiva (via video),
as well as musical acts by Jim Page and Dr. Atomic’s Medicine Show.
Take action before you leave, and learn how to stay involved!



7:30 to 10:30 pm — D5 After-Party

Opposable Thumb Cafe (3312 SE Belmont)



Celebrate the day’s successes and the
10-year anniversary of the Seattle protests at
the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign’s 5-year
anniversary party. Enjoy good food and spirits,
live music by Patrick Dodd and Lindsey Walker,
and rub shoulders with guest-of-honor Lori Wallach,
from Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.
Party the night away, and help support the Oregon Fair
Trade Campaign continue its on-the-ground organizing
for many years into the future.



Get involved on Saturday!
Union members are turning
out to the anti-WTO rally and
to a Yes for Oregon canvass to
educate other Oregonians about
why we need to vote yes for
tax fairness in January.

Meet for the rally downtown
under the Hawthorne bridge at noon,
and for the canvass at the campaign
office, 411 NE 19th, at 10am.

Live elsewhere? Groups are carpooling
to the WTO rally, and the Yes for Oregon
campaign will have a canvass in your area soon!

Learn more about the rally or the canvasses
and we'll see you Saturday!
www.UnionResource.org/

http://thewordsmithcollection.blogspot.com/2009/02/lets-get-nation-back-on-track.html
D5: Mobilization Against the 2009 WTO Ministerial


March, Indoor Rally and Concert

Downtown Portland

Saturday, December 5, 2009


12 Noon – Gather at Tom McCall Waterfront Park (under the Hawthorne Bridge)

1:00 pm – March to the World Trade Center, Federal Building and Wells Fargo Building

2:00 pm – Indoor Rally and Concert at Portland State University’s Hoffman Hall

These are permitted events; we are striving for a family-friendly atmosphere.


The ATU bus in the march will be available to carry people who want to participate, but have difficulty walking long distances. If you need access to a wheelchair lift, please call (503) 736-9777.

This is one of more than 200 events across the country, and hundreds more around the globe, opposing the proposed expansion of the World Trade Organization.

A decade ago, tens of thousands of people converged in Seattle, Washington to protest the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization. Directly confronting some of the planet’s most powerful corporations, governments and security forces, those activists made history by successfully derailing the WTO’s expansionist agenda.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of the worst economic and environmental crises in generations. The same corporate interests activists confronted in Seattle are attempting to exploit these crises in order to concentrate their own power. Amazingly, they even have the gall to have scheduled a new WTO ministerial meeting in Geneva in late November and early December—the exact 10-year anniversary of the Seattle protests. At this meeting, government officials will undoubtedly promote market fundamentalism as a solution to, rather than a cause of, the global economic crisis.


We need to fight back. It is time to reclaim the “Spirit of Seattle,” come together as affected communities and take control over the policy decisions that affect our economic and ecological well-being. As part of this resistance, a broad coalition of labor, environmental, faith, human rights and community activists are organizing a large-scale march and rally in Portland for Saturday, December 5, 2009. Allies in Seattle, Geneva and around the globe are planning similar demonstrations.

On D5, people will come together to demand:

An end to the undemocratic, “free trade” model. We’ll let elected officials know we’ve had enough of trade agreements that lead to a collective race to the bottom for workers in the United States and across the world; that worsen global poverty; push small farmers off their land; force migration; increase carbon emissions; destroy the environment; deregulate banks; weaken consumer safety; and disappear the middle class.

The prioritization of human needs over corporate greed. From global trade to global warming, financial services to health care, “free market” corporate rule has been a disaster for most of the world’s people. Rich corporations have had their say. We’ll work together to take control of the decisions that affect our lives and the planet.

This is envisioned as a “big tent” event. It will be a time to highlight the connections between different progressive issues, and strengthen relationships between people working on those issues. The WTO protests famously brought together “Teamsters and Turtles.” Let’s use the anniversary of that historic alliance to work together again.

Communities across Oregon are beginning to plan local teach-ins, rallies and other events for the fall in the build-up to D5, and are encouraged to use this website as a platform for sharing information about their work. D5 organizers are making efforts to connect with other activists across the nation and beyond for “Local/Global Days of Action,” from November 27 to December 5.

For more info, please email info@december5.org

Union movement includes both liberty and justice

GUEST VIEWPOINT:
Union movement includes both liberty and justice
from The Register-Guard
As Labor Day 2009 approached,
I began to think about the origins
of my lifelong commitment to the union
movement and recalled a quote I used in my book ...

By Bob Bussel

Appeared in print: Monday, Sep 7, 2009

---

Opinion: Editorials & Letters: Story

---

While driving the last few days, I have been listening
to conservative talk radio. Doubtless fueled by reaction
to the Obama administration’s response to the
economic crisis, several themes are being
passionately articulated:

a pronounced distaste for government playing
a substantial role in economic affairs,

and fears that personal freedom and
individual liberty are imperiled.

What I rarely hear in the conservative lexicon,
however, is the word “justice,”
even though it appears prominently in
the pledge of allegiance and the preamble to the
Constitution, two of our most compelling
statements of American ideals.

As Labor Day 2009 approached, I began to think about
the origins of my lifelong commitment to the union movement
and recalled a quote I used in my book about a 1930s labor activist:
“the union as the agency through which workers could get justice.”
It is this sentiment that has animated my loyalty to the union
movement, and I would like to reflect on both its personal
and social meaning.

I was first drawn to the labor movement nearly 40 years ago
when I learned about the injustices faced by migrant farm workers,
people whose labor put food on my table but suffered from abysmal
treatment and often could not afford the necessities of life.

For them, justice meant such basic things as cool drinking water,
rest breaks, toilets in the fields, and the elimination of the
short-handled hoe as a tool of labor.

Later, I worked on behalf of Southern textile workers.
For them, justice meant reducing the level of cotton dust that
their work produced and which caused far too many of them to
suffer from debilitating brown lung disease.

During the latter part of my union career, I helped nursing home
workers to organize unions. For them, justice meant increasing
staffing levels so they could provide their patients with
the quality care they deserved.

In spite of the different types of workers involved, unions played
a consistent and indispensable role: helping workers obtain justice
in the workplace and fulfill their quest for a dignified life.

The vocabulary of justice becomes especially important during
hard times. At the University of Oregon, workers believe they
are being unjustly asked to assume a disproportionate share of
sacrifices demanded by the state budget crisis and are seeking a
more equitable distribution of pain
through the collective bargaining process.

At a Chicago window and door factory last December,
workers sat in to persuade the Bank of America,
which had received taxpayer bailout funds,
to extend credit that would enable their company
to provide them with the severance pay to which they were entitled.

In each of these cases, workers have been represented
by strong unions, without whom their ability to obtain
justice would be seriously limited.

The role of the union movement in raising questions of justice
also appears in arenas outside the workplace. Unions and their
members have been quite vocal in framing the debate over health
care reform as a matter of justice, insisting that quality health care
is a basic social and human right that should be available regardless
of ability to pay. They have fought to hold accountable those institutions
— banks, insurance companies, mortgage lenders — whose irresponsible
and unjust behavior has caused millions of Americans, frequently
through no fault of their own, to lose their homes, their retirement
savings and their livelihoods.

This broader civic role of unions in seeking to ensure a fairer distribution
of resources and place questions of justice at the forefront of social and
political decision-making enriches our public discourse, making it more
likely that working-class concerns will not be ignored at the expense of
interests whose wealth and power typically enable them to exert
overwhelming influence over the political process.

The belief in individual liberty and freedom that is at the heart of the
modern conservative creed certainly enjoys a prominent status in
our public discourse, as does its conviction that limited government
and free markets are vital to ensuring economic growth and prosperity.
But when it comes to making sure that there is not only “liberty” but also
“justice for all,” the union movement, although at times hesitantly and
imperfectly, has been one of our most reliable and effective social voices.
Its singular ability to speak the vocabulary of justice on behalf of those
who tend our young and old, educate our children, provide our food
and build our infrastructure sustains my faith that a more just and
secure future is surely within our reach.

Bob Bussel teaches history and directs the
Labor Education and Research Center
at the University of Oregon.

Human rights activist Julius Margolin dies...

Hello all you beautiful people:

I've known for some time that
I would have to type this message,
and I will try to be brief.

Our friend Julius Margolin:

a child of the Depression;

an organizer and member of the CIO;

who served in the Merchant Marine
and as a member/organizer of the
National Maritime Union during
World War II;

survivor of the blacklist that
pulled him off the boats in 1949;

a proud member of IATSE Local 52
and delegate to the NYC Central Labor Council;

a lifetime honorary member of both AFM Local 802 and the New York City Labor Chorus, and countless other organizations;

lover of all working people and the struggles they engage in;

and since 1998 a singer/songwriter and performer for all good causes,

died this morning in New York City at the age of 93. An obituary will be forthcoming.

I spent last night with Julius and left him at his apartment at 9:25 this morning. He was comfortable and in no apparent pain. He had been very happy that we had moved him back home under hospice care last week. As I left this morning, I said I'd see him later, took his hand, and he squeezed it. Ten minutes after I left, he was gone. I got the call when I got off the subway....

We have set up a guest book on the opening page of our website, where you may leave messages, stories of Julius, and other remembrances. Look on the left side of the opening page and click on the "sign guest book" button after clicking on this link:

http://www.georgeandjulius.com

If you would like to listen to and view some great video of Julius, our friend Doug Calvin has posted multiple interviews and video at this site:

We will hold a memorial service and concert on Friday, October 16 in New York City. More info will come later. The one-hour memorial service will be at 5 PM (at either Local 802, 322 W. 48th Street, or Local 1199's Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium at 310 W. 43rd Street).

The concert will be from 8:00 to 10:30 PM at the MLK Auditorium, 310 W. 43rd Street, and will feature some of Julius's closest friends.

I will send details to public listservs and to your email once it is finalized but if you want to be added to an email list for these events, please email me at georgemann@att.net and I will send you the info.

Julius asked to be cremated and his ashes will be spread on the sea as per his request. I ask that donations be sent to the Scholarship Fund in memory of Julius. This fund was created to help bring young unionists to labor cultural events, most notably the Great Labor Arts Exchange and the Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival, both of which were very dear to him. In fact, I met Julius, and so many other great labor artists and activists, at the Great Labor Arts Exchange in 1996.

Checks/money orders may be made out to "Local 52 Julius Margolin Scholarship Fund" and mailed to:

George Mann, PO Box 697, New York, NY 10033

Thank you for all your support. Julius did not want for love or appreciation in his final battle. And once we got him back home to his apartment, with books and videos and CDs lining every wall and his friends there with him in the living room, I know he was able to accept that this was the end with the same dignity and quiet humility he displayed all his life.

I will leave you with a note that Julius sent out in late June, after the cancer he had been fighting returned. It is a fitting way to end this message.

If I may ask for something else in his memory, it is that you keep fighting (his words), that you not give up in your determination to make your life and the world a better place, that you show kindness and compassion to people, especially strangers, and minimize your bickering with and negativity about others involved in the struggle. These were the qualities, in a nutshell, that Julius displayed to me from the day I met him, qualities that I will now strive to make part of my character as I go forward.

And in the future, whenever things get you down, take a minute to remember this little old man who had such a big heart and spirit, and hope for the working class of the world. Remember that laugh, that determination, and you will find strength to carry on, as I am finding now.

In Solidarity,

George Mann

---

To all or our friends and supporters of our music:

I have not been well and don't get around much any more. And I wish I had been feeling well enough to be more active at this year's Arts Exchange, where so much important work and beautiful labor songs and art were shared. But I still support our struggle for a better society. For peace and the security of working and progressive people the world round.

With and without me the struggle goes on. There must be one world in peace, security and with a good life for all families of the world.

No more wars, poverty or hatreds must exist. We have an important job to do.

Thanks for listening to George Mann's and my music and for your support.

Thank you all for everything,

Julius Margolin


--
http://www.georgemannmusic.com
http://www.georgeandjulius.com
http://www.aunionman.com
Labor and protest music in the finest tradition

The Netroots Nation: Progressive Storm

Seth Michaels is posting
live from Netroots Nation.
Join us for
“The Secret Plan to
Defeat the Right Forever,”
a Netroots Nation panel on
labor law reform and
why it matters to the
progressive movement.

Featuring
Stewart Acuff of the AFL-CIO,
Tanya Tarr of Texas AFT,
Jake McIntyre of the Bricklayers (BAC) and
Elana Levin of Workers United.

Learn why labor law reform matters and how the progressive
netroots can take part in the fight for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Can the Netroots help make the Employee Free Choice Act law?
One of initiatives progressives have laid out as a priority for the
Obama administration and this Congress is the Employee Free
Choice Act. But this battle will not just be fought in corridors of
power in Washington—far-reaching PR campaigns are already
underway on both sides.

What role will the Netroots play in passing the Employee Free
Chioce Act in 2009? How can unions and their allies beat back
the fear-mongering coming from the corporate interests, and
what role is there for online activism in that fight?
What messaging tools will be employed by pro-employee choice groups,
and how can the Netroots stand up to the GOP echo-chamber?
Watch the live stream by clicking here.

More on Free Choice
Here, www.writingresource.info/freechoice

Here, www.writingresource.info/freechoice.html

and Here! www.writingresource.info/efca.html

Fight Union Busting in Portland, Lets Stand up!

Help fight against local union busting!

Join us for canvassing today!

This morning and this afternoon,

Saturday, August 8th at 9:30 am and
at 3pm... Join us at 29th and Stark
to do some canvassing. We will be targeting

the neighborhood around Laurelhurst village to

raise awareness and reach out to the community.

Elizabeth Lehr ask that you try to find time to do a little walking.

Many of you are aware that workers
at Laurelhurst Village nursing home on
33rd and Stark have been organizing a
union at their facility since late February
in order to improve the living and working
conditions at their nursing home.
Workers had built a majority in support
of the union by late March when Laurelhurst
management took drastic measures to curtail
their campaign. Workers have been written up,
suspended, and one was

Elizabeth Lehr was fired only three days after
demonstrating public support for the union while
attending a delegation to the employer to show
support for a fellow coworker who was also disciplined
for union activity.

Workers at Laurelhurst deserve a fair process
if they hope to have a fighting chance of building
a union and negotiating over wages, benefits,
and working conditions.

Management's decision to illegally fire Elizabeth has
had a chilling affect on these workers' efforts.

Help us raise community awareness and make
Laurelhurst Village accountable....

We have two shifts, one at 9:30 AM and One at 2:30 pm...
Help us send a message! Those who believe in working families
rights... come by 2950 SE Stark to Join us.

Laurelhurst should become good stewards of taxpayer money,
they should reinstate Elizabeth Lehr, and stop sytematically intimidating
their employees.

Real Heathcare Reform, and Education Reform, and Free Choce may
hang in the balance. If we do not stand up now, then when?


“I am organizing because I believe the employees of Laurelhurst Village who take care of and love our residents should be able to take care of their own needs as well. We should have health insurance and living wages. Our opinions should be heard and respected. We should have the right to advocated for ourselves and for our residents without being punished by our boss."



— Elizabeth Lehr

http://www.seiu503.org/politics/

"I want to express the heartfelt appreciation of all Laurelhurst Village employees and residents to this community for all it has done," said Guillermo Galarreta, a Local 503 organizer. "...Now we have to keep the pressure on until employees gain a voice toward improving their own working conditions as well as the quality of resident care they are able to provide."Laurelhurst is owned by Farmington Centers, headquartered in Southwest Portland, which manages two nursing facilities, 13 assisted living facilities, seven memory-care facilities and eight independent residential living facilities in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Its latest Medicare inspection rating was one star out of a possible five, well below average. Farmington Centers nursing homes reported a profit of $2.9 million from 2006 to 2008.Inspectors identified rampant violations including six incidents of resident harm, including one incident of abuse, at Laurelhurst from 2006 to 2008 and documented 40 violations of state and federal rules and regulations at Farmington Centers nursing homes from 2007 to 2008 including fecal impaction, pressure sores, significant weight loss, inadequate care after falls, medication errors, and failure to follow physician orders.

You can e-mail Elizabeth for more information at lehrelizabeth@gmail.com
or if you have her number, give her a call (One can get her number from organizers at JWJ)

More info available at:
SEIU Local 503 OPEU PO Box 12159 1730 Commercial St SE Salem OR 97309

Opportunities for local activism this week!
www.WritingResource.info/activismnewsletter/

www.UnionResource.org

United for Oregon March for Economic Justice!

Like
the
rest
of
the
nation,
Oregon
is
feeling
the
hurt
from
this economic crisis.
But as demand for vital
services is increasing among
the middle class and the most
vulnerable--children, seniors,
low-income families-
-Oregon legislators have proposed
deep cuts in the crucial programs
that are now more necessary than ever.


Click here for Channel 2's report on the
impact of the cuts on struggling families.
This Sunday, you have a chance to make your voice heard
to demand better for children, seniors, families, and the workers

who provide these crucial services.
Among the hardest hit by the crisis are seniors and people with
disabilities who depend on in-home care, working families who
depend on childcare to keep their jobs, low-income families just

struggling to make ends meet, and the folks who work hard to
provide these services. K-12 schools also face cuts, leading to
teacher layoffs, program cuts, and larger class sizes. Community
colleges will see cuts to faculty and programs, as well as higher
tuition rates. And cuts to public safety will leave our communities
and officers less safe.
Legislators need to hear from you that in these tough economic times,
it's unfair and irresponsible to balance the budget on the backs of the
people who are already hurting from this fiscal crisis. It's time for
corporations and wealthy Oregonians to pay their fair share.
Let's make our voices heard and demand better!Join a coalition of
organizations on Sunday, June 7 for a march and rally in Downtown
Portland tovoice support for these vital services and fair treatment
for the workers who provide them.

Click here to sign up!
What: United For Oregon March
When: Sunday, June 7, 11:30am
Where: March begins at the Eastbank Esplanade
(near OMSI between SE Main and Taylor), ends at
Terry Schrunk Plaza for a rally at 2pm Linda Hornbuckle
will honor us with her voice!
Who: Oregon PTA, KBOO 90.7, SEIU 503, Jobs With Justice,
Children First For Oregon, AARP, Oregon Education Association,
Our Oregon, Keep Oregon Working Coalition, Peaceresource.org,
Activeresource.org, AFT --and many more!
Why: To voice support for protecting vulnerable Oregonians and
fair treatment for the state workers who serve them
Click here for a map to the meeting place.
Here is a flyer
Single Payer Healthcare!
Activism Newsletter!
The Wordsmith Collection: Writing, Activism, & Creative Arts

Press Release on Union Busting

visit ActiveResource Press Release

Thursday, April 30, 2009

help fight against local union busting

Join us Thursday April 30
at 2:30pm for a press conference
and rally on this matter.

There will be an event at at
Stark and 29th Street
at 3060 Se Stark St Portland, OR 97214

Please Join us Today, we need your support!

Many of you are aware that workers at
Laurelhurst Village nursing home on 33rd
and Stark have been organizing a union at
their facility since late February in order to
improve the living and working conditions at
their nursing home. Workers had built a
majority in support of the union by late
March when Laurelhurst management
took drastic measures to curtail their campaign.

Workers have been written up, suspended,
and one employee was fired for union activity.
Elizabeth Lehr was fired only three days after
demonstrating public support for the union while
attending a delegation to the employer to show
support for a fellow coworker who was also
disciplined for union activity.
You can read her statement here
www.WritingResource.info/pressrelease

And Don't forget Mayday Tomorrow..
Celebrate in the Parks Blocks!

Bring the family.
http://pdxmayday.blogspot.com/

MayDay on May 1st, 2009

Join us for a Family Event!
in the South Park Blocks
1pmPosters, Party,& Celebration
4pm RallySpeakers & entertainment
5pm March
Color Flyer1 - download, print out, and hit the streets!

Workers Rights!

MayDay! A celebration of workers' rights.
We have economic issues on the table.
And this is a critical forum.

Things to bring: Yourself, your friends
and family,your organization or union,
posters,puppets, music, banners,
information, and inspiration.

For more information:
email MayDayOutreach@gmail.com
or call 503-236-5573.

Organizing meetings are Tuesdays,
6:30pm at Voz,1131 SE Oak
(in the St. Francis office)
best regards,Tim
Mayday!

PDX May Day: May 1st 2009
May Day 2009 Friday,South Park Blocks,
downtown Portland!

1:00 PM - Posters and Party!
4:00 PM - Rally (speakers and entertainment)!
5:00 PM - MARCH!Help us get the word out!!!
Color Flyer1
-download, print out,and hit the streetsand your favorite cafes!
ColorFlyer2, Colorflyer3 !
http://activismnewsletterat.blogspot.com/
-leaflet those movie lines, grocery stores and the roller derby!
More information at http://www.peaceresource.org/

To download a handbill click here.
or visit http://www.thewordsmithcollection.org/

Keep Oregon Working

Keep Oregon Working community forum
April 11, 2009, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Gordon Russell Middle School:
3625 E. Powell Valley Rd, Gresham, OR 97080

AFT-Oregon is joining SEIU, AFSCME, PTA, OEA,
AARP and others to create a new coalition called
Keep Oregon Working. The purpose is to help
Oregonians understand the true level of crisis
we’re facing with the state budget.

Join State Senator Lorrie Monnes-Anderson,
State Representatives Nick Kahl and Greg Matthews,
community leaders, educational employees, parents,
students, and others..


What: Keep Oregon Working Community Forum
When: Saturday, April 11, 2009, 11 a.m.
Where: Gordon Russell Middle School /
625 E. Powell Valley Rd / Gresham, OR 97080
Register today: http://tinyurl.com/KeepOregonWorking
We’d love to have you there, if you can make it.

LEARN about the financial crisis. How big is it?
How does it affect Oregon’s jobs and services?
How long will it last? SHARE your own story.
How is downturn impacting you, your family,
your job and our community? What should be done?

Your words will be delivered to the Capitol so lawmakers
know where you stand. HELP out your community and/or
get the help for the services and support you need during
this crisis.

BRING A CAN OF FOOD FOR THE OREGON FOOD BANK.

Connect directly with employment services, food stamps,
foreclosure counseling, health services, and more. . .

WHEN: Saturday, April 11, 2009, 11:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.
(or as long as you stay)
WHERE: Gordon Russell Middle School
3625 E Powell Valley Rd, Gresham, OR 97080 (Just east of 257th)

Let me know if you have any questions or want
more details on the event!
Thanks, Marcus Swift MarcusS@AFT-Oregon.org

in solidarity, Tim Flanagan PCCFFAP Publicist
tflanaga@pcc.edu Local 2277 AFT/NOLC/AFL-CIO

RVMC Workers vote on joining a union

RVMC employees vote today on whether to unionize

Mail Tribune - Medford,OR,USA

Registered nurses at RVMC
are already members of the
Oregon Nurses Association,
but there are no other unions
at the hospital.

Daniel Burdis, an AFSCME spokesman in Grants Pass,
said RVMC workers approached AFSCME about forming
a union. AFSCME represents mostly government employees,
but the union also represents a number of health-care workers
at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.
Some city of Medford employees are represented by AFSCME, too.

The current economic slump is prompting some workers to look
More seriously at unionizing, but making others fearful of trying
to organize, said Shauna Ballo, a spokeswoman for the Service
Employees International Union in Portland.
"People are very frightened of losing their job," Ballo said.
http://thewordsmithcollection.blogspot.com/
best regards, Tim....
mail to: Box 22, Lake Oswego, Clackamas County, Oregon 97034-0003
Telephone: (503)-697-1670
tim@writingresource.org www.WritingResource.info:
Tutoring www.WritingResource.info/tutor.html Search

Healthcare Update

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill
are debating how the U.S.
health care system can be saved.
The AFL-CIO is providing an opportunity
to make your voice heard and help shape
health care reform to meet the needs of
working families. The AFL-CIO and Working
America want to know about your experiences
with America’s health care system—and today
we’ve launched the 2009 Health Care for
America Survey.
Take the AFL-CIO survey here.

Quick Poll:
Have you or someone you know been through
a difficult struggle to form a union?

Health care is a basic human right in America.
We must provide infrastructure: libraries,
fire departments, police protection, schools,
hospitals, and health services so that this
nation can endure, survive, and prevail.

Here is the real skinny about healthcare in America
and the latest updates!

Education is the key...

www.UnionResource.org/ visit our blog:

http://thewordsmithcollection.blogspot.com/2009/02/lets-get-nation-back-on-track.html

www.UnionResource.org/

Reading, Writing, and Union-Building
Monthly Review - Herndon,VA,USAIn labor circles, the percentage of recent readers may be even smaller. ..... catalogue and Powell's, the unionized book-seller in Portland, Oregon. ...it's long past time for progressives in labor to find new methods of encouraging rank-and-file reading -- or to revive some of the old-fashioned ones...

Obama Reaffirms Support for Employee Free Choice Act

Obama Reaffirms Support
for Employee Free Choice Act

by Seth Michaels, Feb 12, 2009

In an Oval Office interview with major newspapers yesterday, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his strong support for the freedom to form unions and bargain.

The Detroit Free Press and the Philadelphia Inquirer were among the papers that got a chance to talk to Obama about the challenges facing our economy, and Obama once again offered his support for the Employee Free Choice Act.

According to the Inquirer, Obama discounted the corporate community’s argument that workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain would be bad for the economy. The president said that, indeed, workers’ freedom to bargain was good for the long-term health of the economy.


I don’t buy the argument that providing workers with collective bargaining rights somehow weakens the economy or worsens the business environment. If you’ve got workers who have decent pay and benefits, they’re also customers for business.

The Inquirer also reports that Obama does not want to delay passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. This echoes a Jan. 30 statement by Vice President Joe Biden, who heads the White House’s task force on working families. Biden told CNBC the administration hopes Congress passes the Employee Free Choice Act this year. Both Obama and Biden were co-sponsors of the legislation in the Senate.

In his announcement of the task force Jan. 30, Obama made it clear he sees unions as essential to a strong economy.

We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests, because we know that you cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement. When workers are prospering, they buy products that make businesses prosper.

The Employee Free Choice Act is critical to the nation’s economic recovery, a point made by numerous analysts including former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Speaking in Florida yesterday, Reich said the bill would open the door for workers to bargain for health care, pensions and fair wages, restoring their economic security and reversing the wage stagnation that has contributed to a weak economy.

Obama and experts agree: Quick passage of the Employee Free Choice Act will improve the economy for working families.
http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/02/12/obama-reaffirms-support-for-employee-free-choice-act/

Let's get the nation back on track...

Tell Congress: Pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/americanreinvestment

To strengthen and grow our economy over the long term, we must create jobs and invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, schools & health care. The time to begin is now. Endless war, occupation, and exploitation are the wrong investment. It is time to change course. Yes, we can get it done. Political Organization begins with each one of us.
Activism Resources:

Contact Elected Officials or write a letter to the editor, get active!

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

Organize Activism. Volunteer. Be an Active Resource for Working Families.

Questions about FDR, Obama, and Racism...

Why was Roosevelt so "cautious?"

Roosevelt was cautious because the Great Depression was unprecedented.

The better question is why is Obama so cautious?


Why were the New Deal policies not bold enough?

The New Deal Policies were not bold enough at first,because the president did not want the American people to suffer or the ship of state to flounder. The point,however, is that when it became apparent that the policies
were not working... FDR had the sense, scruples, and courage
to move forward with more daring and effective policies. The criticisms raised by Republicans are based on ignoring this critical fact.
FDR learned from mistakes and corrected them. The Bush Cheney White House,like the Hoover White House.... ignored or denied mistakes and learned nothing.And we suffer for their incompetence.

What was holding Roosevelt back?

Roosevelt was not holding back. He was trying whatever might work until he found something that did. I prefaced my remarks about Roosevelt by the statement that he was not necessarily the brightest president, but he listened, learned, and got the job done. This may be why he was elected so many times.

What role did southern racist Democrats have to play in this?
Southerners voted for Roosevelt. This was a transformational period. Following Roosevelt's administration, Democrats lost the votes of most Southern whites. But during Roosevelts new deal, Most Southerners moved away from the racist iconoclasts who opposed Roosevelt's New Deal. This is when the Southern Racist Democrat label was becoming an anachronism.