March 6, 2008

LABOR ACTIVISTS LOBBY THE ISSUES

IFL 2008 Legislative Conference

“Without you our Federation doesn’t work,” said President Ken Sagar, addressing the participants at the opening of the 2008 Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Legislative Conference on February 25.  He recalled the disappointments of the 2007 session and looked ahead to the 2008 elections, where union members would be asked to do more.

Executive Vice President Jan Laue made it clear that legislators “should not be confused about our four priorities:  prevailing wage, choice of doctor, fair share and expanded scope of public sector bargaining.”

Prevailing Wage.  Tom Gillespie of the Building Trades discussed the “Top 10 Reasons Why Iowa Needs a Prevailing Wage Law.”  The reasons range from growing revenues for local economies to preventing out-of-state low-bid outfits from winning bids by paying low wages to unskilled and unproductive workers.  Surveys show that 65% of Iowans support a prevailing wage law, including 53% who consider themselves conservative Republicans.

Fair Share.  Laue and Marcia Nichols, AFSCME, presented background on the facts and history of fair share, as well as the arguments both for and against the measure.  The fair share bill (SF 413) does not yet have the 51 votes needed.  Participants should stress that the issue is about fairness, that fair share won’t cost employers a dime, that it potentially affects only unionized public employees, and that allowing unions and management to negotiate is the right thing to do.

Public Sector Collective Bargaining.  Brad Hudson, ISEA, educated the participants on the limitations of public sector bargaining and pointed out that Iowa is one of only 7 states that specifically limits the scope of bargaining.  Without discipline and discharge as a mandatory subject of bargaining, for example, public employees are basically employees at will, even though they may have a union contract.

Choice of Doctor.  Sagar cited reasons why employees need choice of doctor in workers’ compensation, including employer abuses and the value of trust in the doctor-patient relationship.  He urged participants to write about their experiences with lack of choice.  “Give me the horror stories,” Sagar said.  “We need to convince legislators who don’t believe there is a problem.”

On Tuesday, before participants traveled to the Capitol to lobby, Pat Murphy, Speaker of the Iowa House, and Mike Gronstal, Senate Majority Leader, addressed the group and answered questions.  “We wouldn’t be in the majority without the help you’ve given,” Murphy said.  He assured participants that all four priorities are “live rounds for the remainder of the session,” and that as soon as they can get 51 votes, they will pass.  Gronstal said, “It’s about building an economy that respects workers and shares the wealth with them.”

Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa, was the featured speaker at the banquet on Tuesday. "It's totally ridiculous that we have not had a meaningful debate in this state about issues important to labor," he said, urging more union members to run for elected office. Far too many current elected officials don’t understand what it’s like to work for a living and “get dirt under their fingernails.”

  Wednesday’s agenda also included sessions on Labor 2008 and immigration and remarks from Governor Culver. (see p. 4)

Three of the participants are legislative candidates for the 2008 election:  Jerry Kearns, USW; Francis Giunta, CWA; and Josh Eaton, IBEW.  They represent labor’s future hope for passing legislation that will brighten the lives of Iowa’s working families. 

Because, as President Sagar said with great emphasis, “We do not need any more Chamber of Commerce Democrats.”

Bills

to

Watch

HF 2332/SF 2221  WORKERS’ COMP BURIAL PAYMENT   Makes the workers’ comp payment for burial expenses equal to 12 times the average weekly wage rate.  IFL supports

HF 2348 MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES   Increases the minimum wage every July 1, by the cost of living increase for Social Security.   IFL supports

HF 2375 UNEMPLOYMENT CHANGES   Makes a number of changes to increase eligibility and payments for unemployment.   IFL supports

HF 2402 UNEMPLOYMENT CHARGES  Does not allow an employer who wins a benefits appeal to collect charges for benefits already paid if the employer failed to participate in the initial fact finding, unless the employee collected the benefits due to fraud or misrepresentation.  IFL supports

HF 2403 LIVING WAGE STUDY   Requires ISU to study the effects that a living wage would have on the state.  IFL supports

HF 2420 WORKER SHORTAGE LOAN PROGRAM   Creates a worker shortage loan forgiveness program for Iowa high school graduates who live or work in the state and who complete a post-secondary vocational training course.  IFL supports

HF 2463 WAGE  PAYMENT Expands the circumstances under which an employee's overdraft charges that were caused by an employer's failure to pay wages timely would be the basis for a wage claim under Code chapter 91A to all failures to timely pay wages rather than only failures to send wages for direct deposit. IFL supports

HSB 715/SSB 3236  COMBINED CORPORATE REPORTING   Establishes combined corporate reporting for companies with branches in multiple states.  IFL supports

HSB 739 WORKER NOTIFICATION ACT   Creates the Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, establishing provisions requiring notice to the DWD and to employees for layoffs of more than 25 employees at least 60 days in advance.  IFL supports

HSB 754/SSB 3253  SKILLED WORKFORCE  Provides for the establishment of measures to increase Iowa's skilled workforce, including a statewide standard skills assessment, integrated basic education and skills training, and lifelong learning accounts.  The bill makes appropriations for FY 2008-2009 from the general fund of the state to the department of workforce development to support various measures, including an offender reentry program and workforce research, and provides for a refundable tax credit to encourage employees and their employers to save for worker training and retraining.  IFL supports

SSB 3255 SAFE WALKWAYS   Relates to safe walkways for railroad workers.  IFL supports

SSB 3257 WORKERS’COMPENSATION PENALTIES   Allows the award of additional workers’ compensation benefits for benefits that were unreasonably denied, delayed, or terminated.  IFL supports

Shortchanges Most Americans

The mechanisms that have historically ensured that the fruits of economic growth were fairly shared have been destroyed, according to testimony before a House subcommittee by Economic Policy Institute Economist Jared Bernstein. He showed that from 2003 to 2005 the 109 million households in the bottom 95% of the income scale lost, on average, $3,660 that went instead as a windfall to the richest 5%.

While more of the wealth is flowing upward, Bernstein noted, more risk is flowing downward.  How can we help restore the historic connection between growth and prosperity? 

· Strengthen workers’ ability to help themselves through collective bargaining and unionization by enacting the Employee Free Choice Act.

· Commit to full employment, which also increases workers’ bargaining power, as a matter of national economic policy.

· Reform health care and pension systems to rebuild workers’ health and retirement security.

· Increase investment in human capital and infrastructure.  (news@epi.org 2/13/08)

McCain Watch:  

Consistently Opposed to Workers’ Rights

Remarkable consistency

John McCain may have changed position on numerous issues, but he has been remarkably consistent in opposing the rights of working people and union members.

A deadly filibuster

Possibly the worst thing McCain has done to harm workers’ rights to free unionization and collective bargaining is blindly to follow the GOP in its mindless anti-worker filibuster (6/26/2007) of the Employee Free Choice Act — the Act that would restore workers’ freedom to choose a union by: 

• Establishing stronger penalties for employer violation of employee rights to unionize and bargain

• Providing first contract mediation and arbitration

• Allowing employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation

1996—McCain voted for a national Right to Work-for-Less bill to ban union security clauses nationwide.

1996—McCain voted for the Team Act, which would have created company unions.

2001—McCain voted for a bill to kill the ergonomics regulations we had fought for for 15 years.

2003—McCain voted against a temporary extension of unemployment benefits.

2004—McCain voted against protecting workers’ overtime rights.

2005—McCain voted to disqualify 10 million workers from minimum wage, overtime and equal pay protections.

2006—McCain voted against an amendment to prevent privatization of federal jobs.

2007—McCain voted against collective bargaining rights for federal employees.

2007—McCain voted against
Employee Free Choice by supporting the filibuster to block it

"What effect will a Democrat in the White House have on our
labor movement?" 

Labor activists’ express their hopes

·  Bob Wymore, IBEW 204  "Better health care. Protect retirement, pensions, S.S., 401(k)s. Bring jobs back to the U.S..” 

·  Laurie Soroka, CWA 7102  "I am currently working on a project for CWA--Affordable Health Care for All and Employee Free Choice Act. With a Democratic president we will be able to achieve these goals, make history and truly change the labor movement in America. We can not continue to try to change health care at the bargaining table. This absolutely has to be done by our government."

·   Rick McKim, IAMAW 1293  “It would make a big difference if the right Democrat gets in. Any Democrat would be better than what we have had for the last 8 years." 

Fair Share Facts

One More of Ten…
Good Reasons to Support
Prevailing Wage Legislation

There’s a lot of baloney out there about Fair Share legislation.  Here’s some more of it—and the facts to fight back with.

Myth:  This legislation will keep businesses from locating in Iowa, or drive some good ones out.

Truth:  The legislation will not raise a firm's costs or affect its bottom line. Why would a unionized company care how many of its workers paid how much to the union? Why would a non-union firm care what dues or agency fees workers in a union firm are contributing?  And why would any  private business care if local governments agree to a fair share contract for their workers?   Arguments aimed at preserving Iowa as a low-wage state are silly and harmful to our state.

Reason #7:  Prevailing wage will discourage awarding public projects to low bidders on what really is their “ability” to provide inferior, inefficient, unskilled and nonproductive workmanship because of their practice of paying the lowest wages, and providing the least benefits and little or no skill and safety training. 

Instead, a prevailing wage law encourages professionalism.  Contractors who can provide efficiency and productivity will be the most successful, and these contractors will provide the best quality product.

Unions and Politics: Why... and How

In poll after poll, a convincing majority of union members—2/3 or more—say it is important for unions to be involved in politics, working to protect their interests and the interests of all workers. We do that through union political action. The IFL COPE convention is a critical step in getting labor’s voice heard.
 

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
C.O.P.E. Convention
April 12 USW 310 Hall

 

Highlights
of Legislative Conference

Culver addresses Union Political Activists

Governor Chet Culver reported that he had told the Legislature to "keep workers and their families in mind on all the issues." He asked legislators "not to be afraid to debate labor's issues," and suggested they start at a common ground of a dignified work environment, competitive wages, collective bargaining, and health and productivity.
   Governor Culver  challenged the Legislature with a question: "Who is okay with the fact that we pay workers 41st in the nation?" "When we clearly have the numbers, there will be no excuses for not delivering….I would like to deliver for you as your governor. […]We will create the best place in America to work."

Governor Chet Culver with one of our new
union legislative candidates, Steelworker Jerry Kearns.  For more on the union candidates,  click