This Labor Day feels gloomy. It’s a celebration of work when there is not enough of it, a day off when too many desperately seek a day on.
America has commemorated two Labor Days since this brutal recession began near the end of George Bush’s presidency in December of 2007. Now the relentless high unemployment, the ever-rising foreclosures, the unremitting wage and benefit take-backs have replaced American optimism and enthusiasm with fear and anger.
Happy Labor Day.
On this holiday, we can rant with Glenn Beck, kick the dog and hate the neighbor lucky enough to retain his job. Or we can do something different. We can join with our neighbors, employed and unemployed, our foreclosed-on children, our elderly parents fearing cuts in their Social Security lifeline and our fellow workers worrying that the furlough ax will strike them next. Together we can organize and mobilize and create a grassroots groundswell that gives government no choice but to respond to our needs, the needs of working people.
We can do what workers did during the Great Depression to provoke change, to create programs like Social Security and achieve recognition of rights like collective bargaining. These changes were sought by groups to benefit groups. In a civil society, people care for one another. And America is such a society – one where people routinely donate blood to aid anonymous strangers, children set up lemonade stands to contribute to Katrina victims and working families find a few bucks for United Way.
The self-righteous Right is all about individuals pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. That proposition – the do-it-all- by-yourself-winner-takes-all philosophy – clearly failed because so many Americans are jobless, homeless and too penniless to afford boots.
Over the past decade, the winner who took all was Wall Street. The banksters gambled on derivatives and other risky financial tomfoolery and won big time. Until they lost. And crashed the economy. After the American taxpayer bailed them out, those wealthy traders returned to making huge profits and bonuses based on perilous schemes.
Still, they believe they haven’t taken enough from working Americans. They’re lobbying to end aid for those who remain unemployed in a recession caused by Wall Street recklessness. And they’re demanding extension of their Bush-given tax breaks. This is the nation’s upper 1 percent, people who earn a million or more each year, the 1 percent that took home 56 percent of all income growth between 1989 and 2007, the year the recession began.
Since 2007, 8.2 million workers have lost jobs. Millions more are underemployed, laboring part-time when they need full-time jobs, or barely squeaking by on slashed wages and benefits. Since the recession began, the unemployment rate nearly doubled, from 5 percent to 9.6 percent, and that does not include those so discouraged that they’ve given up the search for jobs, a decision that is, frankly, understandable when there are only enough openings to re-employ 20 percent of the jobless. Five unemployed workers compete for each job created in this sluggish economy.
And American workers weren’t prepared for this downturn, having already suffered losses in the years before it began. The median income, adjusted for inflation, of working-age households declined by more than $2,000 in the seven years before the recession started.
At the same time, practices like off-shoring jobs and signing regressive international trade deals contributed to the loss of middle class, blue collar jobs. A new report, “The Polarization of Job Opportunities in the U.S. Labor Market,” by the Center for American Progress and The Hamilton Project, says:
“The decline in middle-skill jobs has been detrimental to the earnings and labor force participation rates of workers without a four-year college education, and differentially so for males, who are increasingly concentrated in low-paying service occupations.”
The recession compounded that, the report says:
“Employment losses during the recession have been far more severe in middle-skilled white- and blue-collar jobs than in either high-skill, white-collar jobs or low-skill service occupations.”
What that means is high roller banksters are living large; lawn care workers and waitresses subsist on minimum wage, and working class machinists and steelworkers are disappearing altogether.
The researchers found the U.S. economy is increasingly polarized into high-skill, high-wage jobs and low-skill, low wage jobs. America is losing the middle jobs and with them its great middle class.
No wonder the rising anger in middle-class America.
But fury doesn’t solve the problem. This Labor Day, we must organize to save ourselves and our neighbors. We must stop America from descending into plutocracy. We must demand support for American manufacturing and middle class jobs. That means terminating tax breaks for corporate outsourcers, ending trade practices that violate agreements and international law and punishing predator countries for currency manipulation that subverts fair trade by artificially lowering the price of products shipped into the U.S. while artificially raising the price of American exports.
We must demand support for American industry, particularly manufacturers of renewable energy sources like solar cells and wind turbines that create good working class jobs, increase America’s energy independence and reduce climate change.
We must insist on policies that support the middle class, including preserving Social Security and Medicare, extending unemployment insurance while joblessness remains high, and enforcing the health care reform law so that every American worker and family can afford and is covered by insurance.
On this Labor Day, we should all have a picnic, invite neighbors, friends and family, and over hot dogs and potato salad, organize to save the American middle class.
Mobilize to end the gloom and restore American optimism.
The United Steelworkers (USW) union praised a report released today by Human Rights Watch documenting how many European companies publicly embrace workers’ rights under global labor standards while undermining their employees’ rights in their U.S. operations.
The 130-page report, “A Strange Case: Violations of Workers’ Freedom of Association in the United States by European Multinational Corporations,” details ways in which some European multinational firms have carried out aggressive campaigns to keep workers in the United States from organizing and bargaining, violating international standards and, often, US labor laws.
The Human Rights Watch report is based on thirty interviews with workers and employees’ testimony in legal proceedings, findings and decisions of U.S. labor law authorities, company documents, and written exchanges with company management ... more
Don’t just watch hunting or fishing shows from your couch. Be a guest star on Brotherhood Outdoors, a brand new outdoor TV series of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance that will feature hardworking and hard playing union members like you.
You work hard to keep this country running. You love your family and your union brothers and sisters. You volunteer your time and talents to make a difference in your community. And you’re passionate about the outdoors and passing on our hunting and fishing heritage to the next generation. That makes you a star in our book, so we want you on Brotherhood Outdoors.
The series, which will begin airing on Sportsman Channel in July 2011, will portray two kinds of adventure. In some episodes, host Tom Ackerman will take guests on an outfitted hunting or fishing trip in North America, often with a union member-owned outfitting operation. In others, the tables will be turned as union guests play the guide, taking Tom to their secret hunting spot or honey-hole.
So whether you want to take a break from the do-it-yourself routine and join Tom for a guided hunting or fishing adventure OR show your union brothers and sisters and the rest of America that you’ve got the skill and experience to be the guide, get your application in today and be a star on Brotherhood Outdoors!
The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) is a hunting, fishing and conservation organization exclusively for union members, retirees and their families with a mission of expanding and improving hunting and fishing access and habitat for all, now and in the future. As part of its mission, the USA recently initiated its Boots on the Ground program, which utilizes the diverse skill sets of union members to tackle on-the-ground, place-based conservation projects. Learn more at www.unionsportsmen.org. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/unionsportsmen.
The United Steelworkers (USW) today condemned Grupo Mexico SAB, Mexico's largest mining company, for a mass firing of workers at its copper smelter in Esqueda, Sonora after the miners rejected a company-imposed union in a vote late last month.
“This blatant act of repression clearly puts Grupo Mexico’s anti-union vendetta ahead of the company’s interest in having stable labor relations,” declared Leo W. Gerard, USW international president.
The mass firing, enforced by a thousand heavily armed federal police who entered the town on Aug. 31, threatens to disrupt production at the smelter. “Instead of deploying the police to protect its citizens from the drug cartels, the Mexican government is using them to bust democratic unions run by the workers and not the company,” Gerard said ... more
United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President Gary Beevers issued the following statement concerning the explosion and fire of an offshore petroleum platform in the Gulf of Mexico today:
“We are thankful that no one was killed in the explosion today of an offshore petroleum platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, one person was injured and that is one person too many."
“This latest explosion shows that we need to make sure all these rigs in the Gulf are safe to operate before we put personnel back to work on them. I would hate to see a worker killed in our haste to reopen the Gulf to drilling. We need to give the government adequate time to do its inspections and ensure adequate health and safety provisions are in place ... more
Report Shows Obama’s Enforced Relief under Sect. 421 of Trade Law Working
With the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s decision to provide relief on imports of ‘Certain Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from China’ approaching, the United Steelworkers (USW) pointed to a report issued today by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) that shows the tariff is achieving the desired positive effect on U.S. tire manufacturers and their workforce.
“The relief provided by President Obama is fulfilling a promise that permitted China’s entry into the World Trade Organization – and that promise was American workers and companies would not be harmed by non-market economy distortions in China,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.
“With relief in place, American workers are finally beginning to see jobs return to their communities. We must maintain that momentum and allow the tariffs to stay in effect for the full three years,” Gerard said. “To do otherwise would be to break the repeated promise to American workers and companies that they would not be unfairly harmed.” ... to read more
USW Notes Findings Of Other Subsidies In Exports Of Aluminum Extrusions
The United Steelworkers (USW) said today it is pleased by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s announcement of an affirmative, preliminary determination in the countervailing duty investigation of aluminum extrusions from China, but extremely disappointed that its undervalued currency was found not to be subject to tariffs. This decision applies to both the soft aluminum extrusion investigation and the coated paper investigation against China.
“We deeply regret that the Commerce Department failed to use the anti-subsidy law as it was intended to utilize the anti-subsidy law, as was intended, to protect American workers and companies,” said USW International president Leo W. Gerard. “The decision flies in the face of the consensus that China is, in fact, undervaluing its currency by as much as 40 percent and ignores the thorough economic and legal analysis that was provided several months ago by the USW and the companies.”
The USW has 2,000 members working in aluminum extrusions and 10,000 in coated free sheet paper ... more
Strengthening bargaining policy and member activism to support it, improving health and safety, playing an active role in policy issues that affect the industry, while building stronger international ties were the focus for the Aug. 17-19 United Steelworkers (USW) paper sector conference here that drew more than 400 delegates.
“Our members are committed to aggressively moving our agenda forward in the paper industry,” said USW International Vice President Jon Geenen, who heads the union’s paper sector. “They exchanged information, discussed problems and developed strategies to strengthen our contracts and the industry.”
The delegates met separately with their company councils to devise action plans to increase communication between the locals and to mobilize the membership around collective bargaining and other industry issues. Each council also elected a delegate to a standing policy committee that will meet periodically to discuss progress and ideas and suggest course adjustments if necessary ... more
Citing Commerce Department statistics released this morning that indicate that economic growth is substantially lower than originally projected, the United Steelworkers (USW) sent letters to members of Congress today asking them to stop China’s currency manipulation.
The letter states: “Next month, when Congress returns, you will have the opportunity to cut our trade deficit in order to address lagging growth, and, at the same time, make a substantial down payment on the federal budget deficit while spurring job growth” by voting for and passing the Ryan-Murphy bill, HR 2378 (The Currency Reform Fair Trade Act) ... more
Calls on government to peacefully resolve 3-year dispute at Grupo Mexico
Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), today announced a cross-border effort is being undertaken to place a rotating team of international observers in northern Mexico’s city of Cananea to monitor the presence of 3,000 illegal federal police who are intimidating striking copper miners of the Los Mineros independent union.
“We are in full support of the Los Mineros strike that passed a three-year mark last month, where a constitutional appeal for a temporary injunction against government efforts and mining giant Grupo Mexico to break the union was just won,” Gerard declared. “But we are concerned that the massive federal police presence is not in keeping with the court ruling and allows protection of the strikebreakers paid by Grupo Mexico to disregard the rights of the union miners.”
Gerard said the USW will sponsor the first group of international observers arriving in Cananea over this weekend with American volunteer workers recruited in the midwest and from southwest border states. He said international human rights groups will be joining the effort to train a rotating team of observers to be near the picket lines with the miners ... more
Members from across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are gathered this week in Pittsburgh for the 2010 paper industry conference. Among the highlights has been the continued relationship with UK workers and joint work through Workers Uniting, the first global union. Click hereto see daily blogs regarding that historic partnership.
Workers from the United Kingdom's Unite the Union and the United States' United Steelworkers continued their historic partnership this week during the USW's paper sector conference.
Members from both unions got together to discuss common issues and challenges and to talk about ideas for the unions' joint effort, Workers Uniting - the world's first global union.
During the conference, 30 councils made up of members representing 30 different paper industry companies elected a spokesperson to present their council's action plan and collective bargaining objectives to the entire paper conference.
In a move that shows just how far the Workers Uniting relationship has come, the MeadWestvaco Council elected Ian Eld - a paper worker from the UK - as their spokesperson. Check out his presentation in this short video clip:
Click here for more about Workers Uniting. And click hereto follow members' blogs detailing their daily experience at the USW paper conference.
The United Steelworkers (USW) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) today strongly condemned yesterday’s savage attack on leaders of Section 308 of the National Union of Mine and Metal Workers at the Johnson Controls Interiors plant in Puebla, Mexico.
In a letter to Stephen Roell, Johnson Controls' President and CEO, USW International President Leo W. Gerard and UAW President Bob King expressed grave concern about the company’s apparent failure to abide by an agreement reached in May and the apparent collaboration of local management in the violent assaults carried out by thugs associated with the Confederación de Organizaciones Sindicales (COS), the former union in the plant ... more
Today in Western Pennsylvania, USW local union leaders from Beaver County, area ministers and other community leaders and former Pittsburgh Steelers player and current analyst Edmund Nelson handed out free school supplies to area children. The school supply drive was part of the union's efforts to help our communities in these tough economic times.
Hundreds of children lined up to get a free USW back packed filled with paper, pencils, crayons and other supplies at Aliquippa Elementary School. The event was open to children from any school and the union will donate the remaining supplies to other Beaver County area districts. Click here for more on the USW's many community service efforts.
Unions play an important part in the compensation and work lives of both unionized and nonunionized workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Employee Benefit Research Institute have data that compares the impact of union representation on wages, fringe benefits, total compensation, pay inequality, and workplace protections.
Some of the major findings:
Median weekly wages of unionized workers are roughly 28% higher that weekly wages for nonunion wage earners.
Median weekly wages of unionized women workers are roughly 34% higher that weekly wages for nonunion women wage earners.
The most sweeping advantage for unionized workers is in fringe benefits:
Unionized workers covered by employer-provided health outpace nonunion counterparts by 53%.
Union workers covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions show a 285% advantage over nonunion workers covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions.
Unions play a pivotal role both in securing legislated labor protections and rights such as safety and health, overtime, and family/medical leave and in enforcing those rights on the job. Because unionized workers are more informed, they are more likely to benefit from social insurance programs such as unemployment insurance and workers compensation. Unions are thus an intermediary institution that provides a necessary complement to legislated benefits and protections.
United Steelworkers Union (USW) International Vice President Gary Beevers issued the following statement today regarding the settlement agreement between BP Products North America Inc. and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):
“We are very confident that BP will live up to this agreement to resolve its failure to abate previously cited hazardous conditions at its Texas City refinery. This agreement also sets up a framework for oversight of BP’s corrective actions to make the workplace safer ... more
Wednesday, analysts expect the Commerce Department to report the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $41.5 billion in June or 3.4 percent of GDP.
The trade deficit is a huge drag on economic recovery and jobs creation.
In the second quarter overall, the imports grew so much more rapidly than exports that the growing trade gap subtracted 2.8 percent from growth.
But for the increase in the trade gap, GDP would have grown 5.2 percent instead of 2.4 percent. At that pace, unemployment would fall by 2013 to less than 5 percent, the level accomplished the two years prior to the Great Recession
President Obama is seeking to double exports, through marketing programs and new free trade deals. However worthy those initiatives may be, doubling exports does no good if imports double too. By increasing the trade gap, more open trade policies would increase the drag on growth and jobs creation.
That is not an attack on free trade but rather on trade policies that permit a huge trade imbalance.
In the modern theory of comparative advantage taught in graduate schools of economics, the gains from free trade based are premised on approximately balanced trade. Countries increase foreign purchases in industries where they are relatively less productive, and specialize in what they do best. The United States is doing too much buying but not enough selling.
Oil and consumer goods from China account for nearly the entire trade deficit, and without a dramatic change in energy and trade policies, the U.S. economy faces unemployment around 10 percent indefinitely.
President Obama's efforts to halt offshore drilling and otherwise curtail conventional energy supplies-premised on false assumptions about the immediate potential of electric cars and alternative energy sources-threaten to make the United States even more dependent on imported oil.
Detroit can build many more attractive and efficient gasoline-powered vehicles now, and national policy to accelerate the replacement of the existing fleet would reduce imports, spur growth and create jobs.
To keep Chinese products artificially inexpensive on U.S. store shelves and discourage U.S. exports into China, Beijing undervalues the yuan by 40 percent. It accomplishes this by printing yuan and selling those for dollars to augment the private supply of yuan and private demand for dollars. In 2009, those purchases were about $450 billion or 10 percent of China's GDP, and about 35 percent of its exports of goods and services.
In 2010, the trade deficit with China reduces U.S. GDP by more than $400 billion or nearly three percent. Unemployment would be falling and the U.S. economy recovering more rapidly, but for the trade imbalance with China and Beijing's protectionist policies.
In June, China indicated it will adopt a more flexible exchange rate policy, but it has made clear Americans should not expect a dramatic change in the value of the yuan.
China recognizes President Obama is not likely to counter Chinese mercantilism with strong, effective actions; hence, it offers token gestures and cultivates political support among U.S. businesses like General Motors profiting from investments in China.
President Obama should impose a tax on dollar-yuan conversions in an amount equal to China's currency market intervention divided by its exports-in 2009 that was about 35 percent. For imports, at least, that would offset Chinese subsidies that harm U.S. businesses and workers.
Peter Morici is a professor at the Smith School of Business, University of Maryland School, and former Chief Economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.
Today we signed what may be a historic agreement with two Chinese companies to create manufacturing jobs in America. This is consistent with the tradition of the USW’s resolve to foster relationships that result in good paying, union jobs for our members.
We often say that the USW can be a great partner to any employer that respects the right of workers to have a union and earn decent wages and benefits in a safe work environment. Many of our members already work for foreign-owned corporations such as ArcelorMittal and Bridgestone-Firestone.
As you might recall, there was significant controversy when it appeared that U.S. tax dollars would go to Chinese companies to build a large wind farm in Texas. It was then that USW allies such as U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) intervened and highlighted the need to build a modern, domestically located wind energy manufacturing chain ... more
Today’s reports by the Social Security and Medicare trustees bringgood news for both programs. The reports are a needed comeuppance toright wing ideological opponents of Social Security and Medicare who,year after year, twist the facts to undermine confidence in theseessential programs, hoping that this will lessen public resistance totheir wildly unpopular agenda of benefit cuts, privatization, andvouchers.
The report by the Medicare Board of Trustees shows that the recentlyenacted health care reform legislation will significantly slow Medicarecost growth, extending the life of Medicare’s trust fund for 12 years,reducing Part B premiums and reducing the federal deficit ... more
Today’s front page Washington Post (Aug. 4) report features a headline that we’ve all been fighting to see for the past year on our campaign that advocates a major shift in public policy for American manufacturing jobs with stronger trade policies for us and industrial strategies for infrastructure investment to create and sustain jobs.
The Democratic majority now gets it, but we have more work to do with Republicans.
Read this story by accessing the below link. (The Washington Post requires free online registration) This report cites both USW President Leo Gerard and Scott Paul, Executive Director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
The Washington Post - August 4, 2010, front page
New Democratic strategy for creating jobs focuses on a boost in manufacturing
By Lori Montgomery and Brady Dennis
President Obama and congressional Democrats -- out of options for another quick shot of stimulus spending to revive the sluggish economy -- are shifting toward a longer-term strategy that promises to tackle persistently high unemployment by engineering a renaissance in American manufacturing ... click here to read the rest of the story
Ways and Means Chairman Sander M. Levin today announced a full committee hearing to consider whether China’s June announcement to allow exchange rate flexibility has led to material appreciation of the renminbi (RMB). The hearing will take place on Wednesday, September 15, 2010.
“China’s currency policy is central to the trade imbalance that is destroying North American industries and jobs,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “We commend Congressman Levin’s leadership in calling this hearing to examine this issue.”
In addition, the Committee will hear testimony as to whether Congress or the Administration should take action to address China’s unfair currency policy and its impact on U.S. businesses and workers.
“There is no real question that China’s deliberately undervalued exchange rate is unfair, contributes to global trade imbalances, and costs the United States jobs and economic growth, particularly in the manufacturing sector,” said Chairman Levin. “We must ensure that China’s rhetoric translates into results that are meaningful and that the international trading system ensures fair rules of competition.”
While there is now a growing recognition that China’s deliberately and substantially undervalued currency contributes to global economic imbalances and impedes economic recovery and job creation, the issue itself is not new. The United States has been pressing China to allow the RMB to appreciate for more than seven years.
Six years ago, the Treasury Department expressed concern when China’s foreign exchange reserves (accumulated as a result of its currency market interventions) rose to $346 billion. Today those reserves exceed $2.4 trillion. And, according to some recent estimates, the RMB may be undervalued by between 25 and 40 percent against the dollar.
China allowed the RMB to appreciate somewhat beginning in July 2005, but China halted appreciation during the summer of 2008, when the global economic crisis caused China to redouble its efforts to stimulate exports. On June 19, one week before the G-20 Summit in Toronto, China announced that it would allow flexibility in its exchange rate.
But as of today, the RMB has appreciated less than one percent against the dollar. China recently announced that its trade surplus grew by 44 percent in June (compared to June 2009); while the United States recently announced that the U.S. trade deficit in May grew by 4.8 percent -- with the bilateral trade deficit with China growing by 15 percent.
Situations in Colombia & Mexico Need Scrutiny, Too
United Steelworker (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard released this statement today in response to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and U.S. Trade representative calls for formal investigation of worker rights violations in Guatemala.
“We commend Secretary Solis and Ambassador Kirk for beginning the formal process of addressing workers’ rights violations in Guatemala. This is the first step in the process, and sends a strong signal that the United States will enforce the law in this important area. Proper recognition and enforcement of workers’ rights are vital to the proper functioning of markets and the global economy ... more
Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), released the following statement on today’s injunction to block key provisions of Arizona’s anti-immigration law.
“U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton made the correct call in blocking the most controversial sections of Arizona’s new immigration law from taking effect tomorrow ... more
The United Steelworkers (USW) joins Appleton Coated LLC, NewPage Corporation, and Sappi Fine Paper North America in applauding the efforts of more than 100 Members of Congress who wrote to President Obama today, asking for action on Chinese subsidies to that nation’s paper producers.
The letter to the U.S. President urges he “carefully examine the practices employed by the Chinese government to provide its paper industry an artificial and unfair advantage in the U.S. market, and determine the extent to which these practices cause or threaten to cause harm to American producers.” The letter was spurred by the devastating impact that Chinese unfairly-priced paper exports are having on the industry all across the country.
USW President Leo W.Gerard said: "We commend the action taken by this bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Congressional members demanding that China obey international trade laws. Too many jobs and too many companies are being destroyed because of how China subsidizes production and violates free trade principles in paper manufacturing as well as in other industries." ... for more
The United Steelworkers (USW) today congratulated the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) on achieving a new collective bargaining agreement at the Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia. The agreement contains a landmark provision to change the method of transporting latex to weigh stations.
“Since 1926, rubber tappers have carried a heavy load across their backs for miles,” said Fred Redmond, USW International Vice President for Human Affairs “FAWUL has achieved an historic change by negotiating a new motorized transport system. It’s a milestone for its members and a major victory for human rights. We need now to make sure that the agreement is enforced and extended to every corner of the plantation.”
In the new agreement, the union has negotiated a commitment to “change the current mode of transportation.” For more than 80 years, rubber tappers were forced to carry two metal buckets, weighing up to 150 pounds, suspended from a stick across their shoulders. Tappers carried these heavy loads to weigh stations which in some areas were miles away. According to rubber tappers and human rights observers, this out-dated method of transportation took a severe toll on workers’ health, leading to a variety of debilitating injuries ... more
