Archive, Aug 23-27, 2004
Friday, Aug 27, 2004

Lou Dobbs Slams Outsourcing in new book
We've mentioned it already, but we've found chapter one available online.

Don't get us wrong, we're not trying to help Lou sell his books, but hell, at least he GETS it.
posted at 11:30 AM

Quote of the Day
" I grew up in a company town
And I worked real hard ‘'til that company closed down
They gave my job to another man
On half my wages in some foreign land
And when I asked how could this be
Any good for our economy?
I was told nobody cares
So long as they make money when they sell their shares

Can you hear us? Are you listening?
No power without accountability"
Billy Bragg, singer, NWPA
posted at 6:30 AM

Thursday, Aug 26, 2004

Sign of the times...
Yes, while the working class feel our pocket books shrinking, the rich are shopping away. Sales at high end stores are doing fine while stores catering to the unwashed (us, don't you know) are slumping.

From the LA Times,

"On Wednesday, Williams-Sonoma Inc. reported a better-than-expected 55% jump in its fiscal second-quarter profit, fueled by sales of furniture and other household goods at its Pottery Barn chain.It was the latest sign that retailers marketing to higher-end consumers are prospering while major discount stores and mainstream apparel chains struggle. In recent weeks, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Gap Inc. have reported soft sales apparently because a sharp rise in gasoline prices squeezed lower-income Americans....

"But Coach Inc., which sells high-fashion handbags and accessories, reported a 113% jump in profit in its latest quarter while jeweler Tiffany & Co. reported an 11% increase in U.S. sales. Sales at Pottery Barn stores open at least a year climbed 10.2% in the second quarter. 'It appears that the higher-end retailers like Pottery Barn, Tiffany and Coach are all doing well,' Claire Gallacher, a retail analyst who noted that Pottery Barn targets consumers with a $75,000 annual income level and above. Added Kurt Barnard, head of Barnard's Retail Consulting Group: 'The upscale consumers can pay more for gas and not blink an eyelash.'"

This is why Textron wants to cut your pay with "pay for performance" schemes and give you crummy insurance; so they can spend more at Tiffany & Co.
posted at 8:00 PM

Negotiations Update
From your negotiating committee:

We had a committee meeting yesterday on Health Care. There was extensive discussion on the company-proposed Definity insurance, and your committee brought out many problems the membership has with the plan. We also discussed both the vision and dental plans, which are not part of Definity.

This morning we proposed the IAM Pension Plan to Textron. There was a presentation of the plan to the Local Lodge membership at last Saturdays membership meeting.

This afternoon we had committee meetings on Training, Health and Safety, and Productivity/Scheduling. The Productivity/Scheduling committee will be meet again tomorrow.

Monday we meet again with the company on non-economic issues. We are waiting for the company to respond to our non-economic proposal. We hope to have some closure on several issues. We hope to have enough of the non-economic issues off the table so we can move on to the all-important economic issues early next week.

Two words would characterize the negotiations so far: tough and slow. We had hoped to be much farther along at this time, but there has been little to agree upon. Definity is obviously a huge issue. It should be a big issue with every member. Please let your Supervisor know that you will not stand for Definity, and you will not stand for any other takeaways, either.

Your committee and your union both need your support. The only way to keep Textron from forcing big takeaways is to stand together and tell Textron NO!

Watch the website for news throughout the rest of the negotiations. We’ll have daily updates as the negotiations move into the home stretch.

Your IAM Negotiating Committee
posted at 6:00 PM

Brand New! Just Out!
See our newest flyer - Are you ready for Hurricane Definity? (requires Adobe Acrobat)
posted at 10:45 AM

Qoute of the Day
"The next time you wonder what the union does for you, take a look at the car you drive, the house you own, the standard of living you have, and realize that the union got these for you and that management is hell bent on driving your standard of living into the ground."
Tom Kelly, president APWU local
posted at 10:30 AM

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2004

Origin of "The Scream"

Not Definiteeeeeeeee...
posted at 8:20 PM

Another Great Game
The pharmaceutical industry tells us drug companies have to charge a lot so they can afford to do the research and development it takes to make important new medications available. Any government effort to control skyrocketing costs, the industry says, would force drug companies to cut back their efforts to find new and better ways to treat illnesses.

But how much of drug industry spending really goes to research and development? And how much is plowed back into profits and spent on those glossy magazine ads telling you to ask your doctor to prescribe some new drug?

Play Build a Pill!
posted at 1:15 PM

Today's Music
Take a listen to a great song, Rise Again, by Laurel Blaydes.Courtesy of the AFL-CIO. Requires Real Player.
posted at 10:15 AM

It matters to WHO?
It matters to me if you are a Union member!
It matters to my family if you are a Union member!
It matters to my co-workers...
It matters to ALL of us!
What is IT?
The contract negotiations that are currently going on. Your negotiating team needs your help! Reach out to ALL bargaining unit employees NOW! Let them know that the time has come to UNITE! Your membership is important to all of OUR futures!
UNITED WE STAND!
by Tammy Horrigan, posted at 10:00 AM

Quote of the Day
"When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him whose."
Donald Robert Perry Marquis (1878-1937), author hunorist, columnist, New York Sun and New York Tribune
posted at 9:00 AM

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2004

Great Game - Find the Health Insurance
Where did it go? Today, more than 44 million Americans are uninsured, and the number is growing. Why? Partly because employers are dumping so much of the cost onto workers, we can't afford it any more. Sound familiar? A great game courtesy of the AFL-CIO.
posted at 2:15 PM

Today's Labor History Minute
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 greatly curbed child labor in America, and the country decided children should be at school, not work.

Our country made a moral stand, and the coporations had to obey the law of the land.

However, the corporations never were happy with laws like this. Many US corporations have outsourced production by proud Americans to other countries, where child labor laws are non-existant or ignored. We know it's wrong to use child labor, but apparently corporations don't.

Remember, brothers and sisters, the labor movement stopped child labor. It took many years to stop it, but we never waivered. Remember the legacy of those who came before us. (to see the photo enlarged, click on the photo)
posted at 1:00 PM

Chamber of Commerce CEO says, "Stop whining."
It's kinda old news, but in July the American Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donahue told workers who've lost their jobs due to outsourcing to "stop whining." Here's the whole article.

He's right about one thing - we SHOULD stop whining, and GET ANGRY! It's your family his policies aim to destroy. Corporations are working to destroy the America we know and love just to make a few more dollars. They can be fought, they can be beat. But only if we get angy, and stand up and say, no more!

They want you to feel powerless, they'll do anything they can to make you feel that way, because they know they can't stand up to all of us being angry. If not for yourself, how about for your kids and their future?
posted at 9:45 AM

Quote of the Day
"Textron's pay for productivity or performance scheme is an FBI program - Friends, Brothers and In-Laws. That's the only people who will get a raise!"
Steve Rooney, IAM District 70 Directing Business Representative
posted at 9:00 AM

Pay for productivity
Sure sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Think back, though, how many times were you unproductive because of events beyond your power to control? When parts weren’t there, when your tools or your machine was down, or when your boss just couldn’t make up his mind. They’ll be taking money out of YOUR pocket because you weren’t productive.

And who decides when productivity rises or falls? Who tracks it? Who measures it? Textron! So, like those Hollywood movies that make hundreds of millions of dollars but never show a profit, we could put out thousands of airplanes faster than ever before, and Textron would look you square in the face and tell you productivity was down! Remember, this contract is about SAVING money to Textron NOT giving more to you, so any change from General Wage Increases will be bad for those of us who punch a time clock.

We all know who’ll be getting the raises with this idiotic plan – Friends, Brothers, and In-Laws! No matter how hard you work, the boss’ll only give raises to his buddies. We have a system where all you have to do is come to work and do your job. Brown-nosing isn’t in your job description. Let’s keep it that way.
posted at 9:00 AM

Monday, Aug 23, 2004

Lou Dobbs on our side
Lou Dobbs, host of the financial show, Lou Dobbs Tonight, on CCN weeknights at 5 PM. He's been a lone voice among conservatives saying that the reckless move by corporations to outsource our country's manufacturing base is wrong and unpatriotic.

He's wrote a book, and has a list of companies outsourcing jobs on his website.. Son of a gun, surprise, surprise, Textron is on it!

For too long, we've had corporate heads and the talking heads on TV telling us that globalization and outsourcing is unstoppable, and not only that, it's good for us. Dobbs knows better, and he's talking!

Here's an transcript of an interview of Dobbs by Bill Moyers from a recent PBS episode of NOW, on outsourcing and patriotism. Enjoy.
posted at 10:00 PM

Here's the real facts

Here’s the facts – Productivity is rising, real wages – the money you make after inflation, like your latest trip to the gas station – are falling (doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that), and health care costs are rising. Not, although, like they want you to think.

As you can see on this graph, total compensation is going up, with health care being a big reason. But productivity, they money they make on an hour of your work, is rising far faster. But didn’t Textron try to tell us that health care costs were taking all of the profits?

Sounds like a snow job to me! Textron wants to make MORE profit, and they'll pick your pockets to do it! For more info, go here.
posted at 5:00 PM

Quote of the Day
"The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor"
- Thomas Donahue, labor leader
posted at 12:00 PM

No! Not DEFINITY!

posted at 12:00 PM

Think about it...
Where will you be when the storm hits...

Our forefathers gave a great sacrifice in getting us the rights and benefits that we have today!

Are you ready to give them away?

You should be able to take your vacation when you choose. Not for company shut downs...

You should be able to use your PSL account as you see fit without fear of being wrote up for a "pattern of abuse". How do you abuse a personal sick leave account?

You should have the right to receive fair pay... Not pay based on your productivity...

You have the right to have a Union Representative present when being questioned for discipline...

You have the right to let your voice be heard...

Let's not turn the clock back 50 years, let's keep what has already been fought for and won...

Support your negotiating team. Join today! If the company wants us to be a world class company, let's make them show us a world class contract!
by Tammy Horrigan, posted at 12:00 PM

It's gotta stop somewhere... doesn't it?

posted at 12:00 PM

Bye bye overtime day!
Today's the day the new overtime regulations go into effect, stripping OT pay from millions of people. Because we have a union contract, we don't have to worry about losing our overtime pay - YET! But it's still an important issue, because with the new regulations, Textron could attempt to change overtime language in our contract during negotiations. Please go to SaveOurOvertimePay to sign a petition to have congress overturn the regulations!

Overtime
Pay B-Gone
by Mark Fiore.

posted at 12:00 PM

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