Submitted on Tue, 11/08/2005 - 3:22pm
This week, we are launching LabourStart TV.
No, it's not a television station. (That would be nice, but we don't have the money for that just yet.) But it is a big step forward for us, and I think for the international trade union movement as well.
Basically, we will start collecting the web addresses of videos produced by and for unions the same way we now do with text-based news stories.
That sounds simple enough, and it is.
But we're doing more than just listing what's available elsewhere on the web.
We're telling trade unionists what other unions have done. We're showing cutting-edge technology that is now fairly widely used in our movement. And we're encouraging other unions to move forward and use the new technology.
A beta version of LabourStart TV is already online. It has no logo nor graphics, and the text is not yet finalized, but it will have these by the end of this week. You can already see it here:
http://www.labourstart.tv
(Don't you just love the simplicity of that address?)
As correspondents, you can already begin adding content now. We will be announcing LabourStart TV towards the end of this week and it would be great to feature content from unions in your country. Here's all you need to do to add shows:
Submitted on Sun, 11/06/2005 - 9:38pm
Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW. The views of the author do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.
By Jorge Martin - November 3, 2005 (original article from www.znet.org).
Caracas. "This is an historical gathering. For the first time workers from occupied factories from across the continent are meeting together" (Serge Goulart, United Workers' Council of Brazilian group of occupied factories)
"We have shown how the workers can run the companies, and this means we can run society as well" (Ricardo Moreira, PIT-CNT, Uruguay)
More than 400 people from 235 worker occupied factories and 20 different national trade union centres participated in the "First Latin American Gathering of Worker Recovered Factories" in Caracas on October 27-29.
Submitted on Sun, 11/06/2005 - 9:29pm
The ATU 1395 are drivers working for little above minimum wage. Maybe you've seen them. They drive the "Community Transportation" vehicles that take the elderly and disabled where they need to go around town. Since unionizing in 1998, the Community Transportation drivers have made many gains, going from $6 hour top pay w/ no benefits to $8 hourly wage with some paid vacation and holiday time and health insurance. Now their boss, Pensacola Bay, which is owned by Marjorie Wilcox of Mobile, is trying to take away their health insurance and as rejected further negotiation on the possibility of future pay increases. It was with great difficulty that the senior members of ATU 1395 have voted to go on strike and take their grievences to the streets. The PNJ's Monday article about the strike said that ATU 1395 President Michael Lowery has stated the dispute is about wages, increased health insurance costs, and a harsher point system on their driving record. The formal complaints include: Failure to bargain in good faith, coercion and intimidation of employees in the union and unilateral policy changes without negotiations.
How can we support them?
Submitted on Sun, 11/06/2005 - 9:24pm
Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW. The views of the author do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa. This article is somewhat dated, but still relevant.
By Tom Wetzel
Despite heavy police presence at major bus transfer points, at least a couple thousand passengers rode the buses for free in San Francisco on Thursday, September 1st — the opening day of a fare strike in North America's most bus-intensive city. In the days leading up to September 1st, more than 50 people were actively organizing for the fare strike, with new groups endorsing the effort in the last week. More than 20,000 leaflets had been distributed and 10,000 stickers were attached to bus shelters and poles throughout the city — in Spanish and Chinese as well as English.
Muni — San Francisco's city-owned bus and streetcar network — raised its adult cash fare to $1.50 as of September 1st. This is the second hike in two years, representing an increase of 50 percent since 2003. Although organized pressure from community groups forced Muni management to back down on a proposal to raise the monthly pass, many low-income people have a hard time getting together the cash to buy the monthly pass. The weekly pass was a more financially accessible discount option for them. Muni never adequately advertised the weekly pass and has now raised it from $12 to $15.
Submitted on Sun, 11/06/2005 - 9:15pm
November 18th has been declared a day of protest against the anti-union policy of Connex in general and against the sacking of Per Johansson in particular. We are appealing for your solidarity.
On September 27th, his employer, Connex Sweden, fired Per Johansson, chairman of the metro drivers' union of Stockholm. The reason for this was Johansson's alleged disloyalty to the company and his alleged rudeness towards his "fellow employees" (probably referring to his bosses). Connex maintains that the sacking is in no way related to Johansson's role as union chairman. The members of his union and other unions think otherwise.
Under Johansson's chairmanship the union has gained considerable ground in questions concerning wages and working hours. The immediate cause for his dismissal, however, is probably his focus on safety and working environment. Together with the elected safety controllers the union has put its finger on several sore spots. The safety controllers have used their power to stop the traffic on three different occasions after severe incidents. Insufficient measures having been taken to remedy the ills, Johansson has gone public. In all likelihood this constitutes his "disloyalty".