Debris
«chaque notaire porte en soi les débris d’un poète.»Archive for corporations
German & U.S. unions join forces for T-Mobile representation
This is a great example of trans-national labor solidarity
:
U.S. and German labor leaders announced a transatlantic alliance on Wednesday aimed at persuading Germany’s giant Deutsche Telekom AG to allow collective bargaining at its subsidiary, T-Mobile USA.
Under the agreement, which U.S. labor officials called unprecedented, German trade union Ver.di will represent T-Mobile USA workers and the Communications Workers of America in talks with Deutsche Telekom managers in Bonn.
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Under the agreement, Ver.di will use its seats on Deutsche Telekom’s supervisory board to press German managers to accept union representation at T-Mobile USA and then coordinate any bargaining that follows.
As a long-time T-mobile customer, I applaud this move. As an even longer-time supporter of the labor movement, I hope we see more efforts like this.
Corporate medicine is hazardous to your health
I’ve read several criticisms of universal health care (a.k.a. “government-run medicine”) on the grounds of “you get what you pay for.” As stories like this remind us, that would be a vast improvement over the current insurance corporation-run system.
Union Busting 101
A great resource exposing the nasty and often illegal tactics of the real “labor thugs”: corporations and their hired lackeys who block workers from exercising their legal and human right to organize for their mutual aid and protection.
Victory for IWW-affiliated workers in Starbucks case
An administrative law judge for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled that Starbucks committed multiple violations of federal law in its effort to squelch a union campaign. The case was initiated by Starbucks workers in Manhattan, who were part of an organizing effort by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
In an 88-page decision, the NLRB judge found that Starbucks had committed numerous unfair labor practices, including illegally prohibiting workers from discussing the union and their working conditions, and illegally disciplining and firing workers who were involved in the union effort.
Tar Heel workers sticking with the union
A sixteen year organizing struggle at the world’s largest pork production plant has ended with a union victory. Workers at the Smithfield Packing Company’s Tar Heel, North Carolina plant voted in favor of representation by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW).
This caps off a good week for the U.S. labor movement, in which North Carolina — which has the lowest rate of union membership of any state in the nation — played a surprisingly big role. On Monday, truck drivers affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) staged a work-stoppage at two Weyerhaeuser Mills locations in eastern North Carolina, after which the company agreed to meet and discuss the drivers’ concerns. Yesterday, workers ended a 6-day occupation of the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago, Illinois, after reaching a settlement of their claims for wages and benefits arising out of the company’s sudden, unannounced closing.
Untapped renewable energy source
Vivolium: “as useful as whales, but infinitely more abundant.”
