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Thursday, January 31, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
KC
Labor
Since
March 8 2000, Online For Class and Climate Justice
Week In Review January 27
Lockout
Lifted
Federal
employees are highly unionized—but Federal strikes are
forbidden by law. The last time this oppression was seriously
challenged was during Reagan's first year in the White House in 1981.
One
of the few unions that endorsed Reagan in the 1980 election was the
Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO).
But they got no quid for their pro from this former union president.
Reagan was even tougher than his Democrat predecessor Jimmy Carter.
With negotiations stalled, PATCO, convinced they could not be quickly
replaced, decided to launch an “illegal” strike.
Reagan
immediately retaliated with an ultimatum—any one remaining on
strike after 48 hours would be fired. Only about ten percent of PATCO
members obeyed Reagan's order; about 13,000 were discharged and
disqualified from future Federal employment.
If
the unionized pilots, citing palpable safety issues, had shut down
the airlines due to lack of experienced traffic controllers a
negotiated settlement saving and improving strikers' jobs would have
been likely. But the only craft that expressed a willingness to honor
PATCO picket lines was the flight attendants—and they were not
going to wag the dog.
PATCO's
ultimate destruction was an important turning point in U.S. class
struggle. There were some proud moments such as a Solidarity
Day march that attracted a half-million workers to the
nation's capital. But, with a few honorable exceptions, the top union
bureaucracy didn't build on that momentum. As John L Lewis once
remarked about an earlier generation, the labor movement resembled
the tale of the lions being led by asses.
While
Federal workers are barred from striking the central government is
free to renege on labor agreements and lock out their employees.
There was hardly a peep in the media when Trump slashed a negotiated
cost-of-living raise due hundreds of thousands of workers. In an
effort to force the Democrats to pay for a Wall on the Mexican border
800,000 Federal employees were either locked out or forced to work
for five weeks with pay deferred.
In
Popular
Mechanics I ran across this statement by Flight
Attendants president Sara Nelson speaking at an MLK Holiday
gathering,
“Almost
a million workers are locked out or being forced to work without pay.
Others are going to work when our workspace is increasingly unsafe.
What is the Labor Movement waiting for? Go back with the Fierce
Urgency of NOW to talk with your Locals and International unions
about all workers joining together --To End this Shutdown with a
General Strike. We can do this. Together. Si se puede. Every gender,
race, culture, and creed. The American Labor Movement. We have the
power.”
Often
what goes around comes around. The successor union to PATCO formed in
1987—the
National
Air Traffic Controllers Association—was
a leading agitator against the partial lockout and total withholding
of pay. They made the point that these attacks added stress to an
already high tension job. Controllers started calling in sick. When
major airports started shutting down flights due to lack of
controllers Friday is when Trump caved.
At
least the Federal employees will now finally get paid. While
they will be made whole for wages owed whether they worked or not
many will owe interest for borrowing through their credit card or the
payday loan sharks just to survive. Mostly overlooked are low-wage
contract workers, such as janitors and food service, who were
simply off without pay.
What
is remarkable about Trump's attack is the 800,000+ victims were not
his primary target. They were hostages to force the Democrats to fund
the Wall. But it wasn't the Speaker of the House who caved. She told
Trump he was no longer welcome to use the House chamber to deliver
his State of the Union Address as long as the shutdown continued. The
puffed up strongman was being treated more like Rodney Dangerfield.
In
Brief...
*
A Lesson Plan to Follow--Los Angeles isn't noted for its rain but
thousands got soaked in the march in that city on the first day of a
six-day teachers
strike. The LA district has a half-million students and is
second only to New York City. Agreement for a 6 percent raise over
the next two years was reached before the strike. 34,000 teachers
walked out over issues like class size, and the need for nurses and
librarians in every school. While they didn't win everything asked
for considerable progress was made and most teachers and the
community viewed the results as a victory.
*
The Twin Cities Pioneer
Press reports that the St Paul City Council sent a
resolution to the Federal government urging an end to the embargo
against Cuba.
*
The Guardian
reports, “About
7 million fewer Americans have health insurance today than did four
years ago, a new survey has found, the highest uninsured rate since
2014.
The
results come after sustained Republican attacks on government-backed
health schemes, including the Affordable Care Act”
*
The Fourth International, a world socialist party I have been in
solidarity with since 1963, issued this
statement on the crisis in Venezuela.
*
Time For a Wake-up Call—Most coffee species are at risk of
extinction by climate change according to a peer reviewed piece in
Science.
Skipping
Regrets
The
Week In Review became a regular feature of the KC Labor site in
2004—about the same time as my photo was taken while speaking at an
antiwar rally in Kansas City. For 14 years, deviations from a weekly
schedule were rare, usually warranting an explanation, and often an
apology.
Last
Spring, that relatively smooth sailing encountered some rough waters
indeed, drifting with a credible threat of sinking. I spent much of
April-November within the walls of Research
Hospital. National Nurses United and the Service Employees
International Union have contracts at the 590 bed HCA property. It's
where Harry Truman died—at age 88. The staff there tackled three
serious medical problems--at least one of them life threatening.
The
aggressive small cell lung cancer threat has apparently succumbed to
chemo and radiation--though frequent scans to guard against any
return are in order. I will soon begin a series of prophylactic
radiation bursts in my brain in case any cancer fragments try to
sneak in to that area. And there will be visits to my cardiologist
and other specialists—as well, of course, my primary care provider
whose timely intervention was key.
By
November I was ready to turn my attention from my Last Will &
Testament to a return to “normal.” A large part of my normal for
the past 15 years has been researching and writing the Week In
Review. But I now also have to accept frequent visits with doctors
and technicians. Also unavoidable is recognition that at age 76 my
energy is not going to return to pre-crisis levels.
I
am not seeking pity or sympathy and you can rest assured that my
health will not be a frequent part of the WIR. But I hope you will
cut me some slack when the gaps between WIRs exceed a week--or if I
am slow in replying to communications.
Good & Welfare
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Monday, January 21, 2019
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
*--New
York Times limits free
access
Theresa May cornered as she faces no-confidence vote over Brexit
Brexit: Everything you need to know about the 'meaningful vote'
Trump's war on science
'It's union busting 101' Documents reveal Verizon's attacks on organized labor
Shutdown’s Economic Damage Starts to Pile Up, Threatening an End to Growth *
How science fiction helps readers understand climate change
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
*--New
York Times limits free
access
LA’s Teachers’ Strike Will Be the Toughest Yet
Europe’s Political Turmoil — Part II
Monday, January 14, 2019
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York Times limits free
access
Workers at General Mills plant in Iowa vote to unionize
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