This blog is dedicated to progressive and liberal thought. It also discusses new technology, how technology affects privacy and developments in Russia, China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Rightardia fully supports the rights of workers to organize, the feminist movement, and all Americans regardless or ethnicity, sex or gender.It uses humor, satire and parody to expose conservative thought for what it truly is: BS! Rightardia contributes to the DNC, DCCC, DSCC and MoveOn.Org.
Laborers International Union of North America President Terence O’Sullivan says it’s time for a more radical labor movement in light of the strong attacks on fundamental labor rights.
O’Sullivan’s remarks came during the 125th anniversary of May Day commemorated in Chicago’s Haymarket Square.
It was a re-dedication of the newly restored monument at the grave of the four Haymarket martyrs - executed in 1887 for the Haymarket bombing.The bombing happened during a rally for the eight hour day.
Terence O’Sullivan noted:
Just as the men and women of Haymarket stood united and stood fearless in the face of corporate terror, today we must stand united and stand fearless in the face of corporate tyranny. Instead of bein’ at the wrong end of a Pinkerton’s baton, working men and women today are at the wrong end of a lawmaker’s gavel or a governor’s pen – targets of wealthy special interests who don’t want us standing in the way of their greedy agenda. When we’re fighting just to hold onto our very lives, there is no movement too radical and there is no movement too militant! (cheers)
[Prentis]: “We will strike to defend our pensions. And it will be a campaign of strike action without precedent. Yes, we hope for the best. Yes, we will negotiate. But we plan for the worst. And today this is our union’s call to arms.”
That’s Dave Prentis, head of the 1.3 million member British union Unison. Hundreds of thousands of British teachers and other public workers went out in a national strike Thursday to defend their pensions. The government is trying to cut pensions in various ways in austerity budget moves. Workers and their unions say these pension cuts are not needed and if there’s money to bail out banks and money for war then there’s money for public services. The strike Thursday closed 80 percent of British schools and public transit was disrupted. Prentis warned the government that this fight over pensions is very serious and could ultimately be the largest most sustained strike action in British history.
[Prentis 2]: “The fight of our lives may be an overused cliche. But that is what this is. And it’s a fight that we can win, it’s a fight that we must win. And together, it’s a fight we will win.”
By Doug Cunningham
Dave Prentis, head of the 1.3 million member British union Unison said the following about the Tories plan to cut pensions:
We will strike to defend our pensions. And it will be a campaign of strike action without precedent. Yes, we hope for the best. Yes, we will negotiate. But we plan for the worst. And today this is our union’s call to arms.
Hundreds of thousands of British teachers and other public workers went out in a national strike Thursday to defend their pensions.
The government is trying to cut pensions in various ways in austerity budget moves. Workers and their unions say these pension cuts are not needed and if there’s money to bail out banks and money for war then there’s money for public services.
The strike Thursday closed 80 percent of British schools and public transit was disrupted. Prentis warned the government that this fight over pensions is very serious and could ultimately be the largest most sustained strike action in British history.
Prentiss emphasized:
The fight of our lives may be an overused cliche. But that is what this is. And it’s a fight that we can win, it’s a fight that we must win. And together, it’s a fight we will win.
Thirty-five thousand Ford workers want their grievance over resinstatement of merit pay and 401 (k) matches to be settled before they vote on any new contract later this year.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) is working with Ford on the grievance signed by the workers.
Non-union salaried workers got their merit pay reinstated along with 401 (k) matches in 2010 but hourly workers didn’t.
The workers say that violates the existing contract.
A couple of polls released this week show the Republican Governors in Wisconsin and Ohio losing substantially in a revote. Jesse Russell reports.
While that isn’t likely to become a reality anytime soon in Ohio, Wisconsin has looser recall laws and come January a signature campaign is set to launch. According to Public Policy Polling when voters were asked if they would support a recall election for Walker, 50 percent said they would. That’s a slight up tick since the last poll by Public Policy Polling. It can be tied mostly to Walker’s collective bargaining rights stripping legislation, also known as Act 10. If that election were held today the best possible candidate for Democrats would be former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold with a spread of 52-42. Only 43 percent approve of the job Walker’s doing, which is consistent with other polls that have had the Governor fluctuating between 43 and 45 percent approval rating since January. The situation is worse for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Only 33 percent approve of the job he’s doing and his approval rating with Republicans only is 58 percent approval rating. In a rematch with former Governor Ted Strickland, Kasich would be crushed by 59-34. Kasich’s fall with voters can be mostly tied to SB 5, which, like Wisconsin’s ACT 10, strips most collective bargaining rights from state employees. 55 percent of those polled say they’ll vote to repeal the bill if it makes it to referendum in November. Additionally, 45 percent said they’d be willing to pass a constitutional amendment protecting collective bargaining rights in the state.
On Thursday Wisconsin Judge Maryann Sumi issued a permanent injunction against Walker’s collective bargaining bill. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the law June 6th.
A couple of polls released this week show the Republican Governors in Wisconsin and Ohio losing substantially in a revote. Jesse Russell reports.
While that isn’t likely to become a reality anytime soon in Ohio, Wisconsin has looser recall laws and come January a signature campaign is set to launch. According to Public Policy Polling when voters were asked if they would support a recall election for Walker, 50 percent said they would.
That’s a slight up tick since the last poll by Public Policy Polling. It can be tied mostly to Walker’s collective bargaining rights stripping legislation, also known as Act 10. If that election were held today the best possible candidate for Democrats would be former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold with a spread of 52-42.
Only 43 percent approve of the job Walker’s doing, which is consistent with other polls that have had the Governor fluctuating between 43 and 45 percent approval rating since January.
The situation is worse for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Only 33 percent approve of the job he’s doing and his approval rating with Republicans only is 58 percent approval rating.
In a rematch with former Governor Ted Strickland, Kasich would be crushed by 59-34. Kasich’s fall with voters can be mostly tied to SB 5, which, like Wisconsin’s ACT 10, strips most collective bargaining rights from state employees. 55 percent of those polled say they’ll vote to repeal the bill if it makes it to referendum in November.
Additionally, 45 percent said they’d be willing to pass a constitutional amendment protecting collective bargaining rights in the state.
On Thursday Wisconsin Judge Maryann Sumi issued a permanent injunction against Walker’s collective bargaining bill. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the law June 6th.
Five hundred Rite-Aid workers took every anti-union tactic and trick the giant company threw at them and after a five year struggle they are proud members of the ILWU with their first contract. International Longshore and Warehouse Union spokesman Craig Merilees.
[Merilees]: "It took a long time because the company decided to launch an all-out anti-union attack. The remarkable thing is that the workers stood together, fought back, were not intimidated. And despite firings, threats and other forms of coercion they stuck together, hung in there and were able to continue to take action on the shop floor - and motivate thousands of community suppporters in California and around the country to support them."
By Doug Cunningham
Five hundred Rite-Aid workers took every anti-union tactic and trick the giant company threw at them and after a five year struggle they are proud members of the ILWU with their first contract. International Longshore and Warehouse Union spokesman Craig Merilees.
Merilees said:
It took a long time because the company decided to launch an all-out anti-union attack. The remarkable thing is that the workers stood together, fought back, were not intimidated. And despite firings, threats and other forms of coercion they stuck together, hung in there and were able to continue to take action on the shop floor - and motivate thousands of community supporters in California and around the country to support them.
By Ray Buursma Holland, MI — Are you an American employee? If so, today's column will likely offend you. If you'd rather not be offended, read no further. If you continue and then complain, I'm sorry, but that simply proves you're, well, stupid. But then again, stupidity plays a large role in today's topic.
Still reading? OK. You've had fair warning.So you're an American employee. Maybe you make car parts. Maybe you're an engineer or designer. Maybe you're an accountant, store clerk or tradesman. Whatever you do, you're probably stupid or lazy. Yes, I wrote it, and I mean it. You are either stupid or lazy. Maybe both.
Now, I'm not referring to your work ethic or job performance. No, most of you are competent and devoted to your profession or vocation. I'm addressing the way you view economics and employment. I'm challenging your gumption to advocate for yourself and your fellow Americans.
(To read the entire article, click here.) Rightardia agrees.
The American worker has gone to sleep and thinks corporations will take care of them. Nothing could be farther than the truth.
The goal of the owner is to get your productivity as high as possible and sell the company when the owners are middle aged so they can retire young. They will keep your pay and benefits as low as possible as long as you permit them to do so.
What is the answer. Get organized and form a union. Americans need to get off their asses and get organized.
Republicans are trying to destroy the union label.
"In a ruling that has far-reaching implications for Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri, a federal judge threw out labor law reforms at Chicago’s McCormick Place that the Illinois state legislature enacted in 2010 following supplication from the convention industry.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman affirms that collective bargaining rights cannot be overturned by governmental edict. Guzman told the Legislature “it had no business trying to interfere with collective bargaining” according to Marvin Gittler, an attorney representing Local 727 of the Teamsters."
The National Labor Relations Act was passed in 1935. The law recognized as policy of the United States the encouragement of collective bargaining.
Rightardia agrees. What is the legal basis for overturning a civil contract between labor union and a corporate enterprise; or labor union and a government entity?
This will end up back firing on the GOP and strengthening the union movement in the US.
INDIANAPOLIS -- The deputy of an an Indiana prosecutor, Carlos Lam, resigned Thursday after admitting he sent an email to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
The email suggested the Republican Governor fabricate an attack on himself to discredit the public employee unions protesting his plan to strip them of their collective bargaining rights.
Lam's email said:
If you could employ an associate who pretends to be sympathetic to
the unions' cause to physically attack you (or even use a firearm
against you), you could discredit the public unions.
Jeffrey Cox, a deputy attorney general, was fired last month after tweeting that police should use live ammunition against labor protesters.
Mother Jones confirmed Cox had tweeted that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs" who were "physically threatening legally elected officials."
The workers, many wearing red in solidarity with Wisconsin public sector workers, are upset with a bill signed into law by Snyder that give state appointed emergency financial managers the power to void collective bargaining contracts.
Snyder signed the bill in Lansing on Wednesday as thousands of Michiganders gathered outside to protest. At the rally was UAW President Bob King. He said the attacks are across the board – union and non-union:
Snyder: This is the kind of community you believe in and I believe in. It's people who care about one another, people who know we are our sisters and brothers keepers. SO I want to thank all of you for caring about the community good. And let me clear, this is one day in a long battle. We're going to be in this battle until 2012 and possibly beyond.
UTICA, NY - Nearly six in 10 voters agree that Republicans want to limit public employee collective bargaining to weaken unions and their ability to campaign for Democrats.
A smaller majority agrees that these GOP politicians are "union busters."
A Dane County, Wisconsin judge is expected to rule Friday on a motion seeking an injunction to block the state’s law gutting collective bargaining for public workers.
Dane County’s District Attorney filed the case, seeking to block the law by contending its passage violated the state’s open meetings law.
Judge Maryann Sumi will rule on a temporary restraining order today. If the judge grants it, Wisconsin’s Secretary of State will be temporarily blocked from publishing the law – the final step in putting the law into effect.
A separate legal action seeking to block the collective bargaining law has also been filed by Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.
Republicans in Wisconsin’s legislature used a highly unusual – and possibly illegal – series of parliamentary steps to gut collective bargaining for public workers without a single Democratic state senator involved.
A quote has been floating around the internet lately, tickling Progressive fancies, attributed to Adolph Hitler. It goes as follows:
We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike.
Although we on the Left got a hearty laugh at the obvious comparison between Mr. Holocaust of 1945 and just about every Republican governor in America, I'm sad to report that Mr. Hitler did not ever utter those choice words.
In fact, he publicly praised trade unions... just before shutting them down, confiscating their funds and putting their leaders in concentration camps.
It should be noted that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker never even mentioned abolishing public sector unions in his campaigns speeches . . .
So I guess he and Adolph have a lot more in common than we think,
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A quote has been floating around the internet lately, tickling Progressive fancies, attributed to Adolph Hitler. It goes as follows:
