11 results for tag: Worker’s Rights

THE DAILY CALL

THE DAILY CALL By Virginia Kirsch “Mere passive citizenship is not enough. Men must be aggressive for what is right if government is to be saved from men who are aggressive for what is wrong.” By Robert “Fighting Bob” LaFollette; It is in this tone of Fighting Bob that articles are selected to keep our citizens informed and our democracy strong. The Daily Call is a free daily update from Wisconsin on news updates, commentary, links and support networks for progressives. Mark L. Taylor is the editor and invites you to read his daily post at www.thedailycall.org . You can subscribe for free today! You can read the daily posted ...

WHY UNIONS MATTER – Lest We Forget

WHY UNIONS MATTER Lest We Forget By Kath Michel Labor Day, held on the first Monday of September, was designated, in 1894, as an annual federal holiday to celebrate and show appreciation for the work of labor organizations and for their contribution to the American economy. After one hundred and six years, do we have anything left to celebrate?  The Wisconsin Governor and his ilk have waged an all-out war on unions in Wisconsin. With stout financial support from a boatload of backers including Charles and David Koch, the Bradley Foundation (whose president and CEO, Michael W. Grebe, has mentored Walker most of his political career), Wisconsin ...

PREVAILING WAGE

PREVAILING WAGE By Nancy Stencil Oh my, such the times we Wisconsinites are living in! Wages are stagnant and income equality is at an all-time high in America. I can't believe the attacks that Wisconsin Republicans snuck into the budget at the last minute…provisions that will lower wages for all of us and weaken our middle class. The prevailing wage bill failed to pass using the normal democratic process. Weakening the prevailing wage was slipped into the budget, just days before it was signed, in order to avoid public debate and scrutiny. Prevailing wage is a law that protects our construction workers from poverty wages and also attracts ...

Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Fast Track

Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Fast Track By John Spiegelhoff Have you ever gone to your local American car dealership and inquired where your car was made? You should probably pay attention as you will find that an American made car is not always made in America. Do you remember back in the 1990’s when the United States entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? And the subsequent Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)? These trade agreements have not worked out well for American workers. American jobs went to Mexico. American workers were laid off and communities devastated. American companies, just to increase ...

MEMORIAL DAY FOR WORKERS

(Memorial Day began as Decoration Day after the American Civil War to honor those fallen soldiers of the North. Later Memorial Day was expanded to include all military personnel who died in the service of their country. Memorial Day has expanded to include all dear ones who have died. On April 25, 2015 Memorial Day for Workers remembered people who died while in the workplace. Here is the speech given by Randy Radke.) MEMORIAL DAY FOR WORKERS By Randy Radke I would like to thank everyone who was able to join us today to remember our fallen sisters and brothers. Today—in cities, towns, union halls, at worksites and memorials, in community ...

Why We Need Labor Unions in Our Community

By John Spiegelhoff and Dale Moerke What exactly is a Labor Union and why should I care about them? If you would ask a random person on the street you would get probably some interesting answers. Here is one textbook definition of a Labor Union: An association, combination, or organization of employees who band together to secure favorable wages, improved working conditions, and better work hours. But a Labor Union is much more than a textbook definition. Union members are your family members and your neighbors. They live in the same community as you. Union members are teachers, nurses, highway workers, factory workers and courthouse workers ...

Worker Exploitation Laws

A group of people decide to go out to eat. Everyone in the group knows that they will receive a bill when they finish eating. Two people in the group decide that the others will need to pay their dinner bill despite partaking in the benefits of the meal. After reading this hypothetical situation did you perhaps say to yourself “I would never think about doing something like that!” This hypothetical situation is similar to what people commonly and unfortunately call “Right to Work” laws. “Right to Work” is a name or slogan that can be accurately described as a misnomer. Most dictionary references define misnomer as follows: Misnomer ...

Divide and Conquer Works in Wisconsin

This week Wisconsin became a right to work state. This was a “given” when reactionary Republicans took control of state government. Legislation to eliminate prevailing wages is next. These laws require public contractors to compete by having better management or efficiency, not just lower wages. This is another attack on unions and the public good. Ironically, this week the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a campaign finance reform advocacy group, released figures on union contributions to Governor Walker. Unions representing engineers, police, firefighters, plumbers, carpenters and other trades contributed contributed $83,000 to Walker's ...

“RIGHT TO WORK” – FOR LESS

The following is the text of a speech given by Fred Andrist at a press event against “Right to Work” on March 4, 2015, in Wausau, WI. Mr. Andrist was a teacher for 21 years, 15 of those in Rib Lake northwest of Wausau, a Public School Employees Union Rep for 18 years in Menomonie and Rhinelander, a former President of Statewide Staff Union for six years, a Proud Union Member for 33 years, and a member of the North Central Labor Coalition centered in Oneida County. Fred recently retired. There is a lot to dislike about the “Right to Work” (RTW) for less.  For me this bill promises lower wages and more worker deaths and injuries on the ...

WILL LINCOLN’S AMERICA PERISH FROM THE EARTH?

By:  Scott Erlenborn Over 230 year ago America’s founding father’s brought forth upon this continent a new nation that was conceived in liberty and dedicated in blood; a government of the people, by the people and for the people that thus far has not perished from this Earth. Just as this noble experiment was put to the test during Abraham Lincoln’s tenure, it is now being put to the test by those that call themselves Lincoln’s Party. It is being put to the test by those who would seek to replace our great democracy with a corporate plutocracy, a government of the richest of the rich, by the richest of the rich and for the richest of the ...