The American Middle Class is being eroded by corporate greed
There is a saying that there is nothing wrong with being knocked down, but it is when it becomes more comfortable being down than getting back up it is time to give up. For several decades, the American workers keeps getting knocked down as corporation after corporation move good, middle class jobs to third-world companies claiming poverty, even at a time when companies are reaching record profits. But the Whirlpool workers at the Evansville, Indiana plant, along with over 5,000 other working Americans, stood back up and decided they don’t want to be knocked down anymore.
A rally hosted by the IUE-CWA and led by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka took place Friday, Feb. 26 with a simple message: The American Middle Class is being eroded by corporate greed.
“Whirlpool is a bad corporate citizen who is twisting this country’s desire to reduce energy usage and using it to export jobs. We are pushing hard to ensure that good intentions on going green don’t help fund loss of good manufacturing jobs,” said IUE-CWA President Jim Clark.
A rally hosted by the IUE-CWA and led by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka took place Friday, Feb. 26 with a simple message: The American Middle Class is being eroded by corporate greed.
“Whirlpool is a bad corporate citizen who is twisting this country’s desire to reduce energy usage and using it to export jobs. We are pushing hard to ensure that good intentions on going green don’t help fund loss of good manufacturing jobs,” said IUE-CWA President Jim Clark.
Ohio jobs march hits Wall Street greed
“It’s a great day to fight for working families,” thundered Ohio AFL-CIO President Joe Rogola, to the cheers of hundreds at the March for Jobs in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday. “It’s snowing here and they’re sitting up there in Wall St., nice and warm. But I’ll tell you, it’s going to get a whole lot hotter there, as we organize and fight for jobs and security for working families here in America!”
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Wall St. greed’s gotta go,” “People’s needs, not Wall St. greed,” & “We need JOBS, now,” echoed off buildings in downtown Columbus, as hundreds braved the latest snowstorm to march to the Ohio State Capital building, calling for jobs and relief for working families.
“I came to the march to fight for jobs, for me, but especially for our families,” said unemployed sheet metal worker Mary Young. “I’ve worked 4 months in the last two years, and had to go to Tennessee to even get part time work,” she said. “It’s ridiculous! These billionaires just take more and more and more from working folks. Even when they hire a few, they won’t hire the women,” she said.
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Wall St. greed’s gotta go,” “People’s needs, not Wall St. greed,” & “We need JOBS, now,” echoed off buildings in downtown Columbus, as hundreds braved the latest snowstorm to march to the Ohio State Capital building, calling for jobs and relief for working families.
“I came to the march to fight for jobs, for me, but especially for our families,” said unemployed sheet metal worker Mary Young. “I’ve worked 4 months in the last two years, and had to go to Tennessee to even get part time work,” she said. “It’s ridiculous! These billionaires just take more and more and more from working folks. Even when they hire a few, they won’t hire the women,” she said.
Columbus rally demands health care now!
"I'm tired of rallies---I want to FIGHT!" So said Tim Burga, Operations Director of the Ohio AFL-CIO, addressing the hundreds who'd braved the cold, this past Saturday, to attend a "Pass It Now" rally for health care reform at the SEIU, Local 1199 hall in Columbus, Ohio.
There was a sense of real urgency in the hall, as speaker after speaker pounded on the point that, as Brian Rothenberg of Progress Ohio stated; "We now have 6 weeks to win the fight our people have been fighting since the Truman administration---Health Care for all!"
Becky Williams, President of SEIU, 1199, was interrupted by loud cheers as she led off the rally, telling the crowd;
"We have three things to tell the administration and the majority in congress; (1) we worked for and voted for change last year. That means actually changing what was there when you got there. (2) We need for you to lead with courage, not be intimidated by Fox News and Teabaggers, and (3) don’t be fooled by lies! If you do these things," she said, "we'll be with you, and the 66% of Americans who, according to polls are demanding that Health Care Reform be passed."
There was a sense of real urgency in the hall, as speaker after speaker pounded on the point that, as Brian Rothenberg of Progress Ohio stated; "We now have 6 weeks to win the fight our people have been fighting since the Truman administration---Health Care for all!"
Becky Williams, President of SEIU, 1199, was interrupted by loud cheers as she led off the rally, telling the crowd;
"We have three things to tell the administration and the majority in congress; (1) we worked for and voted for change last year. That means actually changing what was there when you got there. (2) We need for you to lead with courage, not be intimidated by Fox News and Teabaggers, and (3) don’t be fooled by lies! If you do these things," she said, "we'll be with you, and the 66% of Americans who, according to polls are demanding that Health Care Reform be passed."
Ohio machinists fight to protect their pensions
"This fight is for every American worker,” said Jim McClellan, President, Machinist’s District 54, addressing a rally this past week of machinists and their supporters at Center City International Trucking (CCIT) on Columbus’ west side. “These workers are fighting to preserve the pensions that they worked their entire lives for. If predatory bankers can come in here and steal the pensions these workers’ earned, then nobody in our nation is safe!” Send Comments
That was a theme that was repeated over and over by the machinists manning the informational picket at the IAM rally for justice.
“We’ve canceled our vacation and just stopped buying anything that isn’t a major necessity,” stated Bob, who’d also worked at CCIT for more than two decades. “I’d planned on taking my pension. It’s getting harder and harder to work in these cold temperatures and we wanted to travel. These days it’s all about greed and money. These bankers don’t care about anyone but themselves!”
That was a theme that was repeated over and over by the machinists manning the informational picket at the IAM rally for justice.
“We’ve canceled our vacation and just stopped buying anything that isn’t a major necessity,” stated Bob, who’d also worked at CCIT for more than two decades. “I’d planned on taking my pension. It’s getting harder and harder to work in these cold temperatures and we wanted to travel. These days it’s all about greed and money. These bankers don’t care about anyone but themselves!”
All Sides of the Story Needed in Judging Sexual-Harassment Complaints
After two employees in the Ohio attorney general’s office filed sexual-harassment complaints against the office’s director of general services in March 2008, Attorney General Marc Dann assigned two top lawyers in the office to investigate. The accused director, Anthony Gutierrez, was a longtime friend and former roommate of Dann.
The investigation concluded that Gutierrez had subjected the women to “a hostile work environment” of sexual harassment. He was immediately fired. Two other managers who were also longtime friends of Dann were forced out for allegedly mishandling the complaints. Dann himself admitted to a consensual affair with his scheduler, who then resigned.
During the Ohio media’s frenzy over the story, Gov. Ted Strickland and other state Democratic officials hastily called for fellow-Democrat Dann to resign or be impeached. Democrats in the Ohio House of Representatives soon introduced an impeachment resolution.
The investigation concluded that Gutierrez had subjected the women to “a hostile work environment” of sexual harassment. He was immediately fired. Two other managers who were also longtime friends of Dann were forced out for allegedly mishandling the complaints. Dann himself admitted to a consensual affair with his scheduler, who then resigned.
During the Ohio media’s frenzy over the story, Gov. Ted Strickland and other state Democratic officials hastily called for fellow-Democrat Dann to resign or be impeached. Democrats in the Ohio House of Representatives soon introduced an impeachment resolution.
Concerned citizens block shipment of generator to Cliffside Coal Plant
Greenville, SC -- Two protesters locked themselves to the 1.5 million pound generator destined for Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal plant in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Protesters are vowing to prevent the generator, which has been traveling across South Carolina on a 300 foot trailer, from reaching the coal plant. “Our nation has no choice, we must stop burning coal. The only choice that we can make is whether we do that in time to still have breathable air, drinkable water, a livable climate, and standing mountains,” said, Catherine Anne. Protesters also draped a large banner from the top of the generator reading, “Stop Cliffside.” After blocking the shipment for about an hour, four people were arrested including the two who were locked down. Their names are: Julia Allen Page, Paul Webb Loomis, Catherine Ann MacDougal, and Rachel Anne Scarano.
Columbus City workers ask for raise and equitable treatment
Over forty-five members of CMAGE/CWA Local 4502 flooded the Columbus City Council Session last Monday night, October 19th 2009. The Union represents workers from all departments of the City of Columbus, including the Columbus Police and Fire Departments and Parks and Recreation, and includes professional and technical staff and supervisors.
Brian Bellous, President of Local 4502, gave a short presentation to City Council on the collective bargaining contract currently being negotiated between the Union and the City.
According to Bellous, members of CMAGE/CWA Local 4502 have not received a wage increase since August 2007, while other workers received raises in 2008 and 2009. In 2008 the Mayor and his staff, City Council, Firefighters, and AFSCME staff all received a 3% raise. In 2009 firefighters received an additional 4% raise, and AFSCME received a 3% raise, while CWA members got nothing.
Brian Bellous, President of Local 4502, gave a short presentation to City Council on the collective bargaining contract currently being negotiated between the Union and the City.
According to Bellous, members of CMAGE/CWA Local 4502 have not received a wage increase since August 2007, while other workers received raises in 2008 and 2009. In 2008 the Mayor and his staff, City Council, Firefighters, and AFSCME staff all received a 3% raise. In 2009 firefighters received an additional 4% raise, and AFSCME received a 3% raise, while CWA members got nothing.
Rally For Bold Action On Climate Change At The State House
There will be a rally for addressing Climate Change at the State House on Saturday, Oct 24. The event will be one of 3,769 actions in 163 countries taking place on that day, according to the website of 350, the environmental group founded by writer Bill McKibben and some of his colleagues.
Fittingly, the rally in downtown Columbus is scheduled to begin at 3:50 pm, not to be confused with, but surely to be mentally associated with, 350 ppm (parts per million). That is the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere that NASA’s James Hansen and other scientists say the world should be below in order to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Compare that with the 450 parts per million target of the Waxman-Markey Bill which passed the House at the end of June and the Kerry-Boxer Bill now in the Senate. Many environmentalists such as Deborah Steele, a Columbus-based field organizer for Greenpeace USA, are calling for stronger measures, ones that involve stabilizing atmospheric C02 at 350 parts per million. “The main point of the rally is that the science is clear. We need to take bold action,” Steele said.
Compare that with the 450 parts per million target of the Waxman-Markey Bill which passed the House at the end of June and the Kerry-Boxer Bill now in the Senate. Many environmentalists such as Deborah Steele, a Columbus-based field organizer for Greenpeace USA, are calling for stronger measures, ones that involve stabilizing atmospheric C02 at 350 parts per million. “The main point of the rally is that the science is clear. We need to take bold action,” Steele said.
Who is Graduating in Ohio?
Who is graduating in Ohio? According to the America's Promise Alliance, approximately 1.2 million students drop out of American schools each year: about 7,000 every school day, or one every 26 seconds. The dropouts from the class of 2008 will cost Ohio almost $9.8 billion in lost wages over their lifetimes. The graduation rate here in Columbus, Ohio is 40.9 %. The key to increasing graduation rates is to stop working in isolation and to start working together. The communities in which these students live, and their society keeps them from finishing high school. According to state and independent sources, there are significant graduation gaps and inequities among students and their subgroups.
Ohio’s Democratic Leaders Spurn Their Party’s Traditional Values
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and House Speaker Armond Budish claim to be Democrats. But in the biennial state budget they approved in 2009, they gave Ohioans more reasons to wonder whatever happened to the Ohio Democratic Party that once billed itself as “the party of the people.”
Trickle-down Dems?
In recent years, state Democratic leaders have endorsed tax cuts for the richest Ohioans. Strickland boasts of his support for the across-the-board 21% income-tax reductions enacted in 2005 by Republican Gov. Bob Taft and the then-Republican General Assembly. The cuts were to be phased in over five years, and Strickland has protected them since becoming governor in 2007.
Moreover, in his first year in office, Strickland expanded Ohio’s homestead exemption to include wealthy older Ohioans, even billionaires. The exemption excludes property taxes on up to the first $25,000 of a home’s market value and previously applied only to older Ohioans making below a certain income level.
Trickle-down Dems?
In recent years, state Democratic leaders have endorsed tax cuts for the richest Ohioans. Strickland boasts of his support for the across-the-board 21% income-tax reductions enacted in 2005 by Republican Gov. Bob Taft and the then-Republican General Assembly. The cuts were to be phased in over five years, and Strickland has protected them since becoming governor in 2007.
Moreover, in his first year in office, Strickland expanded Ohio’s homestead exemption to include wealthy older Ohioans, even billionaires. The exemption excludes property taxes on up to the first $25,000 of a home’s market value and previously applied only to older Ohioans making below a certain income level.