Legislative Action
Know your Legislators
Rally to Stop
Right to Work
BREAKING: There will be a rally to protest the introduction of
Right to Work legislation Tuesday, February 24 and Wednesday
February 25 at 12:00 p.m. at the state Capitol. We must stand
together for our rights as workers and raise our voices in our
democracy to stop Right to Work legislation from moving forward in
Wisconsin.
WHAT: Rally to Oppose Right to Work
WHEN: 12:00 p.m. Tuesday February 24 and 12:00 p.m. Wednesday
February 25
WHERE: State Street Side of the Capitol
The Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform will be holding
a hearing Tuesday, February 24. Please join us at 9:00 a.m. to
testify in opposition of Right to Work.
You can also CONTACT your legislators in opposition of Right to
Work. The legislative hotline is: 1-800-362-9472
Sign the petition to stop Right to Work in Wisconsin.
Republicans are planning to ram this legislation through in an
extraordinary session at lightning pace. An extraordinary session
changes the rules, limits debate and makes a mockery out of our
democracy. A Right to Work bill could pass both houses and be
signed into law by the Governor in days.
Making Wisconsin a Right to Work state will not create jobs.
Claimed advantages of Right to Work are unproven. Nationally
recognized economists agree Right to Work provides no discernible
economic advantage. By lowering wages, Right to Work would weaken
consumption and may undermine Wisconsin’s small businesses which
depend on workers having wages to spend.
Stand up, fight back, participate in democracy. Join us at the
Capitol.
We need all hands on deck. Add your name to
this petition to stand firm against Right to Work.
We need everyone speaking out and educating their friends,
neighbors and legislators on the harmful impact to all workers of
Right to Work legislation.
Sign and share the petition today.
Right to Work cripples the fundamental right of every American to
join together, stick together and have a meaningful voice in the
workplace. Without healthy unions, workers miss out on the chance
to “have each other’s backs” and bargain for fair wages. Union
negotiated wages and working conditions help all workers, union and
non-union.
Let’s be clear, without unions, the promise of the American Dream
quickly slips away from hard-working Americans.
Machinists Non-Partisan Political League
The Machinists Non-Partisan Political League is the
political arm of the International Association of Machinists
and Aerospace Workers. It was created in 1947 to allow IAM
members to gather individual contributions, coordinate
political activity, and elect candidates who support IAM
members and their families.
Candidates we support know that the MNPL stands for economic
justice, security in the workplace and equality for every
member. They do not take us for granted.
The MNPL scrutinizes each candidate thoroughly. We ask tough
questions such as their positions on trade, labor law reform,
economic conversion, transportation policies, and enhancement
of the U.S. manufacturing base.
Who's fighting to protect your job, pension, health
insurance and social security? Who's wrestling with the current
administration over CAFTA, Social Security and JOBS? Who's
protecting your health and safety, your right to organize, your
job security? Who's taking on the multi-national corporations'
schemes to demean the American Dream, to weaken North America's
might? Who's battling Corporate America's 34,000 high-priced
lobbyists day in and day out?
MNPL is. The Machinists Non-Partisan Political League is IAM's
heavyweight champion when it comes to politics and legislation.
But these fights are expensive. Sadly, money buys access in the
halls of power. And politicians listen more closely when
contributors come calling. So, MNPL needs your contribution to
wage these fights.
Click
here to make an online contribution today.
Wisconsin State
Politics
Wisconsin Eye is a web sight that allows you
to see what's happening in
Wisconsin politics. This web site is available to
provide unfettered access to the actions of our state government
and to the full range of forums, activities, and participants
throughout our state that constitute community and public life in
Wisconsin; To provide access to the
public policy debate and decision-making process without editing,
commentary, or analysis and with a balanced presentation of points
of view;
The Wisconsin State
Legislature Office addresses, e-mail addresses
and other important information about the
Wisconsin State Legislature.
The Political / Legislative Department of the IAM At the
IAM''s Political and Legislative Department, our primary focus
is jobs. We are constantly pressing Members of Congress to find
new and innovative approaches to job creation, pay special
attention to the job retention issues and insure that our
members and the companies they work for remain victors in the
global economic battles. Each day finds us pushing for more:
more worker rights, more job security, more jobs, more
training, more development, and more political education.
The United States Senate
This site includes links to Senators' offices and also includes
bills, calendars, notices of committee hearings, and a daily
digest of Senate action (usually with a one day delay)
U.S. House of
Representatives This site includes Member
Offices, schedule of hearings, "real time" reports on floor
action, a schedule for the week and other current information.
Congress.org This site
has been updated for the 105th Congress. It includes a page for
each U.S. Senator and Congressman. All committee assignments
are listed as well. The site provides a guide for contacting
your Senator or Congressman and an e-mail form for doing so.
THOMAS Full
text of legislation, all versions of House & Senate bills are
searchable by keywords or by number. Full text of the
Congressional Record from 1994. This site has links to
other useful government information and historical documents.
Political Action by State
The Wisconsin State
Legislature Office addresses, e-mail addresses
and other important information about the
Wisconsin State Legislature.
Wisconsin Democracy
Campaign
Follow the money. Here you can look up, who gave, how much, and
where they live. Because, every dollar is traced, no one can hide.
The
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
political watchdog group dedicated to clean government. We advocate
for a real democracy that allows the common good to prevail over
narrow interests by reinforcing and protecting the values of
honesty, fairness, transparency, accountability, citizen
participation, competition, and respect for constitutional rights
and the rule of law.
Methodology
In pursuit of its mission, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign tracks
the money in state politics, fights government corruption and works
for campaign finance reform, fair elections, judicial integrity,
media democracy, open and transparent government, and democracy
reform in areas such as state legislative and congressional
redistricting, ethics, and lobbying. We pursue these objectives
through research, citizen education, community outreach, coalition
building and direct advocacy.
Wisconsin a "Right to Work for
Less" State
Our union
brothers and sisters are facing a great challenge as leaders seek
to make Wisconsin a "Right to Work for Less" state.
To set the record (and the name) straight, right to work for
less doesn’t guarantee any rights. In fact, by weakening unions and
collective bargaining, it destroys the best job security protection
that exists: the union contract. Meanwhile, it allows workers to
pay nothing and get all the benefits of union membership. Right to
work laws say unions must represent all eligible employees, whether
they pay dues or not. This forces unions to use their time and
members’ dues money to provide union benefits to free riders who
are not willing to pay their fair share.
Learn how to protect
your job and ask your Steward how you can help. You can begin by
reading the
facts.
Local 510, Wake Up and
Fight
All members can rally
their families and friends, to assemble at the Wisconsin State
Capital. Your presence is needed there, every day this week.
Legislators that support workers rights, need to know that you
support their decisions. Bring your friends, children, and other
family members to experience what our state Capital has to offer.
Tour the capital building, visit with your legislator, have lunch
at one of the area establishments (that are supporting worker
rights). While there you can watch the Senate or the Assembly
(while in committee) from the viewing balcony. You can also
register your opinion, by signing up to be heard. You will be given
time to speak in the committee, so your legislators see your face,
as they hear your words. If your time is limited, you do not have
to be present. Your name and opinion will be read and registered in
the official records. While there (third floor) you can also sign a
petition against this Budget repair Bill.
Give an hour of your
time, be a part of labor history, and fight for the rights that all
workers receive, and many have died for. Don't let Scott Walker and
friends (CEO's, Lobbyists, and other corporate leaders), take your
basic rights away.
Obama Responds: Wisconsin
Governor's Assault on Workers
Wisconsin’s Republican Gov. Scott Walker
has introduced a bill that would strip state workers of their
collective bargaining rights. Thousands of people have descended on
the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison to protest the bill.
President Obama has
responded by stating "Some of what I've heard coming out of
Wisconsin, where you're just making it harder for public employees
to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on
unions."
You can read more by
visiting
States of Denial.
Support through Social
Media
What
else can you do? Do you use
Face Book or
Twitter? Social
networking with other workers can help spread the union movement.
Click on one of the links to show your support.
Historic
National Mediation Board Rule Change
The National Mediation Board (NMB) made history on May
11 when it declared that airline and rail workers deserve
the same voting rights as workers in every other U.S.
industry.
U.S. Senators will soon begin debate on a last-ditch
resolution by Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson that
would block the NMB rule change and restore the unfair
voting procedure that was a key tool in anti-union
campaigns.
Under the new voting guidelines, representation
elections for transportation workers will be decided by a
majority of workers who actually vote. The new NMB
guidelines would end the practice of assigning “no” votes
to all workers who do not participate in an election.
Click
here to send a message to your
Senators and ask them to oppose the Isakson resolution.
The National Mediation Board (NMB) this week published in the
Federal Register its long-awaited change to rules governing
representation elections conducted under the Railway Labor Act.
In the brief summary of the historic change, the NMB declared:
“As part of its ongoing efforts to further the statutory goals of
the Railway Labor Act, the National Mediation Board is amending its
National Railway Act rules to provide that, in representation
disputes, a majority of valid ballots cast will determine the craft
or class representative (italics added). This change to its
election procedures will provide a more reliable measure/indicator
of employee sentiment in representation disputes and provide
employees with clear choices in representation matters.”
Under the NMB’s previous election guidelines, 50+1 of eligible
voters in an election were required to participate in the election
in order for the NMB to certify a union. Anyone who did not cast a
vote was automatically considered to have voted against union
representation. In contrast, union representation elections
conducted under the National Labor Relations Act, as well as all
other public elections, are decided by a simple majority of those
who actually cast a ballot.
“Thousands of Machinists union members and hundreds of members
of Congress told the NMB that it was time to end its 75-year
practice of imposing a viewpoint on people who, either by choice or
by chance, do not participate in representation elections,” said
Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr.
The NMB’s new rule will take effect 30 days after being
published in the Federal Register.
U-Cubed
A month-long effort by UCubed leaders and activists to
craft a guiding document for the
Ur
Union of Unemployed has resulted in a
21-point plan that is unique
for priorities it identified, as well as for how the plan
was developed.
Nearly 450 UCubed activists participated in an online
survey to solicit, debate and refine suggestions for an
action plan to put more than 30 million unemployed
Americans back to work. Click here to view the plan.
“Now that the Hire US, America plan is finalized, the
next step is to secure its endorsement by state and federal
candidates for office,” said UCubed Acting Executive
Director Rick Sloan. “UCubed leaders and jobs activists
will be visiting campaign headquarters this summer and
asking them to support the Hire US, America plan.”
“The unemployment numbers for May are expected to show a
dramatic increase in jobs,” said Sloan. “But we cannot rely
on the invisible hand of the market to create jobs. It's
not calloused enough. And it's always too busy fingering
its trading programs. We need an aggressive plan that does
what the private sector cannot do: put 30 million Americans
back to work. That's what the Hire US, America plan starts
to do.”
Ur Union of Unemployed, or UCubed, is a community
service project of the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) designed to assist
the millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans, and
to provide them with a structure that allows them to take
advantage of their growing numbers. For more information,
visit
Ur Union of Unemployed.
U.S Aerospace
Companies Sending American Jobs to China
In testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security
Review Commission, IAM Director of Trade and Globalization
Owen Herrnstadt described how Western aerospace companies
are providing China with billions in tools and technologies
that are certain to cost U.S. aerospace jobs.
“The outsourcing of aerospace and related work to China
poses a threat to U.S. aerospace workers and the U.S.
industrial base in four different but related ways,” said
Herrnstadt. “First, jobs that may be associated with the
transfer of technology and production are lost; second, the
skills that accompany the transfers are lost leading to a
further decline in our industrial base; third, additional
jobs could be lost in the future as China utilizes the
transfer from the U.S. to create and strengthen its own
aerospace companies that will compete directly with U.S.
companies; and fourth, the technology and production that
would have lead to more U.S. jobs through the development
of innovative products is lost.”
Click
here to read the full testimony.
Herrnstadt called on policy makers to focus on ways to
minimize the growing threat of China’s aerospace industry
by undertaking efforts to curtail outsourcing of aerospace
and related work to China. Among other things, he proposed
a framework that collects accurate information regarding
the precise number of U.S. jobs that are lost due to
China’s growing aerospace industry.
Additional IAM recommendations include implementation of
mechanisms to determine with precision the employment
impact of transfers of technology and production on the
domestic workforce; establish an effective and speedy
system to track all parts and materials used by domestic
aerospace and aviation companies; mandate fully transparent
and uniform domestic content requirements that support
domestic jobs; review China’s aerospace industry for a
possible trade complaint and raise China’s use of transfers
of technology and production in bilateral and multilateral
dialogues.
Union Cite
Pensions in Call for Bankruptcy Reform
In testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on
Commercial and Administrative Law, the IAM called for
passage of H.R. 4677; Protecting Employees and Retirees
in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2010, to close
loopholes in current bankruptcy law that gives some
corporations incentives to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection.
“While Chapter 11 bankruptcy can provide struggling
companies an opportunity to regroup and avoid liquidation,
it is increasingly abused as a means to get a leg-up on the
competition,” said IAM Transportation General Vice
President Robert Roach, Jr. “Companies are also using
bankruptcy as a means to take what they can from employees
outside of the normal collective bargaining process, not
just what is needed for a corporation to survive.”
Roach cited airlines use of bankruptcy protection to
cease funding of defined benefit pension plans for tens of
thousands of employees, which ultimately led to termination
of those plans by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
(PBGC).
“Bankruptcy law should be amended to ensure employers
engage in good-faith bargaining when seeking contract
modifications,” said Roach. “Companies should no longer be
able to use the bankruptcy code to eliminate decades of
collective bargaining gains when there is no justifiable
reason - other than corporate greed.”
Click
here for the entire testimony.
Health Care
Tell Congress: No Taxes on Family Health Care Benefits
As the fight to shape a final health care bill moves through
Congress, working families can help stop the effort to tax their
health care benefits by joining millions of fellow workers in the
AFL-CIO’s National Call-In Blitz to the U.S. House of
Representatives on Wednesday, January 13, 2010.
Call your Representative using the toll-free number 1-877-323-5246.
Tell your Representative that you want health care reform that:
Does not tax health benefits for working families; requires
employers to pay their fair share and maintains a public option to
reduce costs. Click
here to send an email message to Congress to oppose the tax on
health care benefits for working families.
The House is trying to reconcile its version of health care reform
with the bill passed in the Senate. The House version does not have
a tax on health care benefits, has a public option and stronger
language to make employers pay their fair share of health costs.
But without a strong protest from working families, many of these
provisions could be dropped if the final health care package tilts
more toward the Senate version which has the health care tax
provision.
Election Information - Elections and Candidates
Whether it's working behind the scenes getting an anti-labor
provision removed from a bill or mobilizing a nationwide
grassroots effort, the Legislative Department is one of the few
voices in government fighting for working men and women.
Click here to TAKE ACTION NOW
