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One Voice - July 2006 Archive
Current One Voice issues --- Archive index
VOL III, Issue 248 -- July 28, 2006
USW Local Union 5668
Century Aluminum - Contract Vote
"There can be no progress without struggle."
For Contract Vote information visit USWA Local #5668
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WVDLC Chairman, Phil Reale will be a guest on the political news show Decision Makers tomorrow, July 29. He will be discussing how the Democrats are fighting back against Don Blankenship's campaign.
The program airs each Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and Sunday morning at 8 a.m. on the following West Virginia Media stations:
- WOWK-TV 13 in Charleston-Huntington
- WBOY-TV 12 in Clarksburg-Morgantown
- WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling
- WVNS-TV 59 in Beckley-Bluefie
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An e-mail received from USW Local 14614 President Ron Brady
On behalf of the membership of USW Local 14614 and myself, I’m writing to express our gratitude to the leadership and our fellow members of the West Virginia AFL-CIO for the support that you gave us in our recent contract negotiations with Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center. Your support not only enabled us to fight off the company’s attempt to slash our wages, eliminate health care and remove several jobs from the Bargaining Unit but also helped us to make improvements to our wages and healthcare. So from all of us here at USW Local 14614 a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you.
In Solidarity,
Ron L. Brady
President, USW Local 14614
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SAVE THIS DATE -- AUGUST 26, 2006
West Virginia AFL-CIO Labor Rally
Saturday August 26, 2006
4:00 p.m.
Join Labor and the Community coming together to
Take Back America!
Guest Speakers: Senator Robert C. Byrd and Governor Joe Manchin
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"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." Sir Winston Churchill
VOL III, Issue 247 -- July 24, 2006
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We are excited to receive notice that Senator Robert Byrd accepted President Perdue's invitation to be a guest speaker for the August 26, 2006 Day of Action to
"TAKE BACK AMERICA"
VOL III, Issue 246 -- July 24, 2006
Congratulations Judy Hale
American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia (AFT-WV) President, Judy Hale has been overwhelmingly elected to a two-year term as Vice-President of the National AFT.
Judy has been President of AFT-WV since 1991 and during her tenure, AFT-WV has grown from a union of a few hundred teachers to over 6,000 with members in every county of the state.
Judy will be the first West Virginian to serve as a national officer for a teachers' union.
Again, CONGRATULATIONS JUDY!
VOL III, Issue 245 -- July 21, 2006
Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney
On Passage of U.S.-Oman FTA in House (July 20, 2006)
The closeness of today’s vote on the Oman Free Trade Agreement demonstrates that the trade debate in this country is becoming more intense, as politicians in both parties are beginning to realize that our trade policy needs deep reform, not acceleration.
The House of Representatives approved the agreement this afternoon by a narrower than expected margin, 221-205. Only 22 Democrats voted for this flawed deal, along with 199 Republicans, while 176 Democrats (almost 90 percent of the caucus) and 28 Republicans voted no.
With working people going to the polls in only three and a half months, members of Congress are increasingly reluctant to ratify this administration’s failed trade policy. This policy has resulted in an exploding and out-of-control trade deficit (now at an annual rate of $800 billion a year), millions of good jobs lost, eroding standards of living for the typical worker, and devastated communities.
The upside-down priorities of the Bush Administration are reflected in this deeply flawed agreement. The Oman deal has the same weak and inadequate protections for workers’ rights contained in CAFTA and the other FTAs negotiated by this administration. These provisions are made all the more problematic because Oman’s labor laws are the weakest of any country with which we have ever negotiated a free trade agreement.
There are no independent unions operating in Oman today, nor is there any tradition of freedom of association or representative democracy. The State Department has identified Oman as a destination country for men and women who become victims of trafficking and forced labor, yet the Republican leadership and the Administration refused to include an amendment passed by the Senate Finance Committee that would have ensured that no goods made with forced labor benefited from this agreement. The Oman deal also threatens our national security by potentially opening up landside port operations to Omani-based companies – precisely the kind of transaction rejected by Congress and the American public in the Dubai ports debacle.
While we in the American labor movement were deeply disappointed in today’s outcome, we also believe the closeness of the vote reflects the tremendous progress we have made over the last decade in bringing the issues of fairness and workers’ rights to the center of the trade debate. We plan to work harder than ever to ensure that America’s trade policies reflect the values and protect the interests of America’s working families, and create a foundation for a truly just global economy.
VOL III, Issue 244 -- July 19, 2006
July 20, 2006:
The "Tell Don Blankenship Our State and Our Votes are Not For Sale" Tour with the West Virginia Democratic Party is tomorrow July 20, 2006.
The tour schedule is as follows:
Martinsburg 10:00 a.m. 413 South Raleigh Street
Clarksburg 12:15 p.m. Clarksburg Airport
Wheeling 2:00 p.m. Independence Hall
Beckley 4:15 p.m. Beckley Airport Charleston 5:15 p.m. Capital Steps
For more information contact the West Virginia Democratic Party - 342-8121
VOL III, Issue 243 -- July 19, 2006
Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey will launch a 5 city fly-around tour to show Don Blankenship that our state and our votes are not for sale.
Chairman Casey announced the tour following published remarks by Don Blankenship promising to spend millions or "whatever it takes" to defeat Legislators that he doesn't like.
The tour schedule is as follows:
Martinsburg 10:00 a.m. 413 South Raleigh Street
Clarksburg 12:15 p.m. Clarksburg Airport
Wheeling 2:00 p.m. Independence Hall
Beckley 4:15 p.m. Beckley Airport
Charleston 5:15 p.m. Capital Steps
West Virginia Democratic Party - 342-8121
VOL III, Issue 242 -- July 14, 2006
Click here: >>> Ask Congress to urge the NLRB to reverse its decision and allow oral arguments in the "Kentucky River" cases.
AFL-CIO Blog article by Tula Connell
Have you ever shown a co-worker how to perform a task or been asked to look over someone else's work? If so, your freedom to form a union and bargain collectively is in danger. The Bush-packed National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is considering three cases that could alter the definition of supervisor—and that could mean hundreds of thousands of nurses, building trades workers, newspaper and television employees and others could be prohibited from forming unions.
A decision in favor of employers in these three cases, known collectively as "Kentucky River," could further erode workers' freedom to form unions by expanding the definition of supervisor. Under federal labor law, supervisors are barred from forming unions. Read More >>>American Workers’ Freedom to Form Unions Threatened Under Bush NLRB
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President Gets a 100 Percent Wage Increase. Minimum Wage Workers: Zero
AFL-CIO Blog article by Mike Hall
Since 1997 when the minimum wage was last increased by Congress—it’s still $5.15 an hour nine years later—congressional pay has increased by 24 percent, CEO pay has jumped by 73 percent and the salary of the President of the United States has jumped 100 percent. ... Read more >>> http://blog.aflcio.org/2006/07/13/president-gets-a-100-percent-wage-increase-minimum-wage-workers-zero/
VOL III, Issue 241 -- July 11, 2006
Free Medicare Part D Class
The South Central Labor Council of the WV AFL-CIO, the West Virginia University Extension Service Institute for Labor Studies and Research, along with The Summit-Assisted Living Community offers the following free class to the General Public:
Medicare Part D - Explanation from the Labor Perspective
Date: Friday, July 14, 2006
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: The Summit-Assisted Living Community
438 23rd Street, Hidden Valley
Length: 1 Hour
Instructors: Larry Matheney, WV AFL-CIO
Tony Michael, WVU/ILSR
Gary Zuckett, Citizen Action Group
Questions call: Laura Hess 469-8255 or Jim Gardner 465-1072
Programs and activities offered by the WVU Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or national origin. Persons needing a disability-related accommodation to participate in this event should contact Jim Gardner at 465-1072 no later than July 12, 2006 or by e-mail @ nalcbranch2420@yahoo.com
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Awards Banquet
The Southwestern District Labor Council, AFL-CIO will be hosting a Labor Hall of Fame & Lifetime Achievement Awards Banquet on August 12, 2006. The location of the banquet is USW Local #40 Hall, 712 Buffington Street, Huntington, WV. The doors open at 4:00 p.m. and dinner is at 5:00 p.m. The Cost is $40.00 or $300.00 for a table of 8, dress is business casual.
Speakers:
Governor Joe Manchin and Congressman Nick Joe Rahall,II
Hall of Fame Inductees:
Lewis Albright - National AFL-CIO; Jerry Booth - IBEW Local # 317; Barbara Copley - United
Steelworkers Local #40; Henry Dillon - Construction & General Laborers Local #543; Alan Hutchinson - United Steelworkers Local #40
Lafe C. Chafin Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Alan Hutchinson United Steelworkers; Jack R. McComas Construction & General Laborers' Local #543
Community Inductees:
Mike Meadows, Director of Facilities & Planning Marshall University; Brent Marsteller CEO, Cabell Huntington Hospital
All reservations & money must be submitted to the Council no later than July 28, 2006. Please make checks payable to Southwestern District Labor Council, AFL-CIO, 1201 7th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701.
Questions call 304-523-2353. Fax list of table reservations to 304-523-0756. Please call today and confirm.
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Join in a Day of Action
with
The West Virginia AFL-CIO
and
*West Virginians United
for
Social and Economic Justice
*West Virginia's largest grassroots coalition
RALLY and MARCH
to
TAKE BACK AMERICA
"THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS"
SATURDAY - AUGUST 26TH
- RALLY 2:00 p.m. Byrd Federal Bldg. - 300 Virginia Street East
- MARCH 3:00 p.m. Byrd Federal Bldg. to WV AFL-CIO Office - 501 Leon Sullivan Way
- RALLY 4:00 p.m. WV AFL-CIO - 501 Leon Sullivan Way
- MARCH 5:30 p.m. WV AFL-CIO to West Virginia Power Park for Pic Nic
- BALL GAME 7:05 p.m. "LABOR NIGHT"
For more information contact the WV AFL-CIO 344-3557 or wvaflcio@wvaflcio.org.
VOL III, Issue 240 -- July 10, 2006
Contact Tri-State Management Today!
Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center employees represented by United Steelworkers Local Union #14614-F8 are working with a day to day contract extension.
Please contact Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center's management and encourage them to come to an agreement that treats their employees in a fair manner.
In addition, please stress the fact that if a picket line should be necessary you will stand in unity with the Union employees in their time of need.
Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center
#1 Greyhound Drive
Cross Lanes, WV 25313
Telephone: 776-1000
Fax: 776-1239
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