Inspiration for movie 'Norma Rae' dies at 68
By EMERY P. DALESIO (AP) – 23 hours ago

RALEIGH, N.C. — Crystal Lee Sutton, whose fight to unionize Southern textile
plants with low pay and poor conditions was dramatized in the film "Norma Rae,"
has died. She was 68.

Sutton died Friday in a hospice after a long battle with brain cancer, her son,
Jay Jordan, said Monday.

"She fought it as long as she could and she crossed on over to her new life," he
said.

Actress Sally Field portrayed a character based on Sutton in the movie and won a
best-actress Academy Award.

Field said in a statement Sutton was "a remarkable woman whose brave struggles
have left a lasting impact on this country and without doubt, on me personally.
Portraying Crystal Lee Sutton in 'Norma Rae,' however loosely based, not only
elevated me as an actress, but as a human being."

In 1973, Sutton was a 33-year-old mother of three earning $2.65 an hour folding
towels at J.P. Stevens when a manager fired her for pro-union activity.

In a final act of defiance before police hauled her out, Sutton, who had worked
at the plant for 16 years, wrote "UNION" on a piece of cardboard and climbed
onto a table on the plant floor. Other employees responded by shutting down
their machines.

Union organizers had targeted J.P. Stevens, then the country's second-largest
textile manufacturer, because the industry was deeply entwined in Southern
culture and spread across the region's small towns. However, North Carolina
continues to have one of the lowest percentages of unionized workers in the
country.

Bruce Raynor, president of Workers United and executive vice president of the
Service Employees International Union, worked with Sutton to organize the
Stevens plants. In 1974, the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union won
the right to represent 3,000 employees at seven Roanoke Rapids plants in
northeastern North Carolina.

"Crystal was an amazing symbol of workers standing up in the South against
overwhelming odds — and standing up and winning," Raynor said Monday. "The fact
that Crystal was a woman in the '70s, leading a struggle of thousands of other
textile workers against very powerful, virulently anti-union mill companies,
inspired a whole generation of people — of women workers, workers of color and
white workers."

Raynor said Sutton was also a symbol of the national health care struggle. In a
June 2008 interview with The Times-News of Burlington, Sutton said she couldn't
get possible life-saving medicines for two months because her insurance company
wouldn't cover them. She eventually received the drugs.

"How in the world can it take so long to find out (whether they would cover the
medicine or not) when it could be a matter of life or death," she said. "It is
almost like, in a way, committing murder."

Sutton's son said his mother kept a photo of Field in the movie's climactic
scene on her living room wall at her home in Burlington, about 20 miles east of
Greensboro. But despite what many people think, she got little profit from the
movie or an earlier book written about her, he said.

"When they find out she lived very, very modestly, even poorly, in Burlington,
they're surprised," he said.

Jordan said his mother spent years as a labor organizer in the 1970s. She later
became a certified nursing assistant in 1988 but had not been able to work for
several years because of illnesses.

"She never would have been rich. She would have given it to anyone she called
the working class poor, people that were deprived," Jordan said.

Sutton donated her letters and papers to Alamance Community College in 2007. She
said: "I didn't want them to go to some fancy university; I wanted them to go to
a college that served the ordinary folks."

Associated Press writer Martha Waggoner contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

I'm amazed that the Employee Free Choice Act is not on President Obama's desk
yet.

Do we have to see the unemployment rate hit 12% or higher for it to even be
considered? Where is labor stimulus? Where is my bailout?

The US Congress is so full of themselves. They are absolute "do-nothings" for
American labor interests. They are pawns of corporations, pact money, and
American "royalty" (the filthy corporate rich).

Is the USA officially a corpocracy now?

You left out the part where it says that signing cards would no longer be kept
secret. IOW, someone who declines would be 'exposed'.
(yuk yuk yuk).

--- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, exposed_30309 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> I am surprised that no one has had any interest in discussing this
> topic here.  If the Employee Free Choice Act passes it should make
> things a lot easier for anyone that wants to organize a union at IBM.
> I also posted some information about it on another board and there has
> been a lot of discussion about it - a total of 160 messages so far in
> the last 2 weeks.  If you are interested in this discussion here are
> the 4 discussion threads about this topic:
>
> Employee Free Choice Act – 119 Messages starting at:
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/1830
>
> Fight over union bill starts taking shape – 2 Messages starting at:
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/1943
>
> Unions good and bad – 37 Messages starting at:
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/1998
>
> Labor, business gird for battle over unions bill – 2 Messages starting
> at:
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/2093
>

I am surprised that no one has had any interest in discussing this
topic here.  If the Employee Free Choice Act passes it should make
things a lot easier for anyone that wants to organize a union at IBM.
I also posted some information about it on another board and there has
been a lot of discussion about it - a total of 160 messages so far in
the last 2 weeks.  If you are interested in this discussion here are
the 4 discussion threads about this topic:

Employee Free Choice Act – 119 Messages starting at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/1830

Fight over union bill starts taking shape – 2 Messages starting at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/1943

Unions good and bad – 37 Messages starting at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/1998

Labor, business gird for battle over unions bill – 2 Messages starting
at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IBM_THINK/message/2093

The Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041), supported by a
bipartisan coalition in Congress, would enable working people to
bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring
workers' freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union. It
would:

- Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when
workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations.
- Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes.
- Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union
representation.

This website contains good information about this important topic:
http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/

UAW grants concessions, Chrysler exec warns of depression as bailout
lobbying intensifies

Tom Krisher and Kimberly S. Johnson, AP Auto Writers
Wednesday December 3, 2008, 8:58 pm EST

DETROIT (AP) -- Worried about their jobs and warned that the cost of
failure could be a depression, hundreds of leaders of the United Auto
Workers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to make concessions to the
struggling Detroit Three, including all but ending a much-derided
program that let laid-off workers collect up to 95 percent of their
salaries.

"Everybody has to give a little bit," said Rich Bennett, an official
for Local 122 in Twinsburg, Ohio, representing Chrysler
workers. "We've made concessions. We really feel we're doing our
part."

Union leaders also agreed to let the cash-starved automakers delay
billions of dollars in payments to a union-administered trust set to
take over health care for blue-collar retirees starting in 2010.

In addition, they decided to let the Detroit leadership begin
renegotiating elements of landmark contracts signed with the
automakers last year, a move that could lead to wage concessions.

The vote came on the eve of congressional hearings on as much as $34
billion in loans that General Motors and Chrysler say are critical to
their survival. Ford has said it may be able to hang on through 2009
without additional credit.

Democratic congressional leaders say they want to act to prevent one
or more of the automakers from collapsing, but they have made no
commitments to approve an unpopular bailout at a time of economic
peril.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said a Democratic plan to tap the
Wall Street rescue fund to save U.S. automakers does not have the
votes to pass.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said the union must help persuade
Congress to offer the loans or risk destroying what he said is the
country's economic spine.

"Let's look at the backbone and the millions of jobs lost if we lost
this industry," he said.

Earlier in the day, Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press went a step
further, warning of a depression if even one automaker runs out of
cash.

"We're on the brink with the U.S. auto manufacturing industry," Press
told The Associated Press in an interview. "If we have a catastrophic
failure of one of these car companies, in this tender environment for
the economy, it's a huge blow. It could trigger a depression."

Both Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. are so perilously low on
cash that the companies may not be able to pay all their bills by the
end of the year. GM wants a total of $18 billion in loans. Chrysler
is seeking $7 billion, and both manufacturers say they need cash this
month.

Ford Motor Co., which borrowed billions before credit markets
tightened, says it can survive through 2009 and may not need to tap
the $9 billion credit line it requested.

As a further sign of the companies' dire straits, Moody's Investors
Service on Wednesday downgraded its ratings for GM and Chrysler,
sending them further into non-investment, or "junk," status. Moody's
affirmed its ratings for Ford, but said the outlook for the three
automakers is "negative," implying further downgrades are possible.

Sent home empty-handed last month, executives from all three
companies knocked on doors on Capitol Hill and made television
appearances Wednesday, hoping the detailed plans they submitted
Tuesday would convince hostile lawmakers to help. CEOs from all
three, plus Gettelfinger, will appear before Senate and House
committees Thursday and Friday.

Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, stressed
on NBC's "Today" show that bankruptcy isn't a viable option.

Choosing bankruptcy, he said, would further erode consumer confidence
in the automaker and "we want them to be confident in their ability
to buy our cars and trucks."

All three executives took hybrid cars from Detroit to Washington
after enduring harsh criticism last month for using corporate jets
for the trip.

The automakers' plans were being scrutinized by legislators, the
White House and the Treasury and Commerce departments.

"It sounds to me like the companies have given this a lot of thought
and are willing to make some tough decisions," White House press
secretary Dana Perino said. "We just need a little more time to pore
through the documents."

President-elect Barack Obama said it appeared that the CEOs were
returning to Congress with a "more serious set of plans" for how
their companies are going to survive.

The plans painted the most dire portrait yet of the industry's woes --
  including the prospect of shuttered factories and massive job losses
if Congress does not act quickly.

The much-derided "jobs bank" that permits laid-off workers to receive
most of their pay was created in the mid-1980s as a trade-off to the
UAW for increased factory automation. But the system became a symbol
for the union's largess when workers were paid for years after their
factories closed.

Gettelfinger said the union will suspend the bank, but he did not
give specifics or a timetable.

"We're going to sit down and work out the mechanics," Gettelfinger
said. "We're a little unclear on some of the issues."

Members of Congress criticized the automakers last month for paying
laid-off workers, saying it's one reason why their labor costs are
higher than competitors. About 3,500 workers from all three companies
are now in the jobs bank.

Until the 2007 contract, workers could stay in the jobs bank
indefinitely, but the new pact imposes time limits. Workers in the
bank must report to local union halls. Sometimes they do charity
work, but other times they do nothing.

Gettelfinger stopped short of saying the union would reopen its
contracts but said it would return to the bargaining table to change
some terms. Modifications would have to be ratified by members.

Delaying the health care trust payments will help the companies
survive their cash shortages, which they say were brought on by the
severe economic downturn and the worst U.S. sales in more than a
quarter century.

The delay will have to be approved by federal courts, which already
have blessed the trusts' formation.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she hopes Congress
acts to help the automakers. Reid said he would advance a bill Monday
in preparation for a possible auto bailout vote later in the week.

The automakers, humbled by criticism from their last visit, gave
lengthy plans with minute details about how they plan to repay the
government money.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally and GM CEO Rick Wagoner both said they would
work for $1 a year if their firms took any government loan money.
Chrysler chief Robert Nardelli already works for $1 a year.

Per the UAW's constitution, Gettelfinger receives an annual salary of
about $145,000 per year, plus insurance, retirement and other
benefits.

Ford offered to cancel management bonuses and salaried employees'
merit raises next year, and GM said it would slash top executives'
pay. Ford and GM both said they would sell their corporate aircraft.

Nevertheless, Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said the
mood in Congress "is not supportive" of the automakers, although he
called the consequences of just one of them failing "cataclysmic."

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas, Julie Hirschfeld Davis and
Jennifer Loven in Washington, and AP Business Writer Deborah Yao in
Philadelphia contributed to this report.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/UAW-grants-concessions-exec-apf-
13740601.html

UAW to renegotiate labor terms, suspend jobs bank
By KIMBERLY S. JOHNSON, AP Auto Writer

DETROIT - The United Auto Workers said Wednesday it is willing to
change its contracts with U.S. automakers and accept delayed payments
of billions of dollars to a union-run health care trust to do its
part to help the struggling companies secure $34 billion in
government loans.

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said the union will
suspend the jobs bank, in which laid-off workers are paid up to 95
percent of their salaries while not working, but he did not give
specifics or a timetable of when the program will end.

"We're going to sit down and work out the mechanics," Gettelfinger
said at a news conference after meeting with local union
officials. "We're a little unclear on some of the issues."

Members of Congress criticized the automakers last month for paying
workers who are not on the job. About 3,500 auto workers across the
three companies are currently in jobs bank programs.

One local union member who was in the meeting said the changes to the
jobs bank would nearly eliminate the program. The member asked not to
be identified because the details had not been made public.

Gettelfinger stopped short of saying the union would reopen contract
talks with General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. but
said it would be willing to return to the bargaining table to change
some terms.

Talks with GM will begin immediately, but additional bargaining
officials must be elected for Ford and Chrysler, Gettelfinger said,
and any modifications would still have to be ratified by local union
members.

He also said the union will run a television ad in Maine, Kentucky,
Indiana and Minnesota to put the faces of union workers on the
controversy over the loans, and explain how the auto industry differs
from the banking industry. The ads presumably are designed to
pressure Congressional opponents of the loans.

"There's a perception problem," Gettelfinger said, stressing that the
automakers' woes have painted a negative view of the union. "Yes, we
have lost some clout."

Delaying the health care trust payments will help the companies
survive their cash shortages, which they say were brought on by the
severe economic downturn and the worst U.S. sales climate in more
than a quarter century.

GM had been scheduled to pay more than $7.5 billion early next year
to the union-administered fund which will take over retiree health
care payments on Jan. 1, 2010. Ford owes $6.3 billion to its trust
fund at the end of this year. Chrysler figures were unavailable.

The delay will have to be approved by federal courts, which already
have blessed the trusts' formation.

All three companies agreed to fund the trusts, called voluntary
employee beneficiary associations or VEBAs, as part of the landmark
2007 contract reached with the UAW. By doing so they move billions in
liabilities off their books.

When they go into effect, the trusts will pay health care bills for
about 800,000 UAW retirees, spouses and dependents at the three
companies. GM expects to save about $3 billion a year when the
expenses are moved, while Ford says it will save $1 billion.

The CEOs of all three automakers are heading to Washington for more
hearings Thursday and Friday on their loan requests after an abysmal
showing before lawmakers last month. Gettelfinger will also attend.

Congressional leaders demanded business plans from all three that
include a reduction in labor costs so Detroit is more competitive
with foreign automakers with U.S. factories. The companies submitted
their plans to Congress on Tuesday.

"I don't think Congress is out for blood," Gettelfinger said of the
criticism the union received during his previous testimony last
month. "There will be more pressure on us to do this. We're going to
step up and do it."

That sentiment was echoed by several union representatives at the
news conference.

"Everybody has to give a little bit," said Rich Bennett, an official
for Local 122 in Twinsburg, Ohio, representing Chrysler
workers. "We've made concessions. We really feel we're doing our
part."

But a retired GM worker said the union might be acting hastily out of
fear that one of the automakers could shut down.

"Fear is a bad basis on which to make decisions," said Frank Hammer,
of Local 909 in Warren, Mich. "I think they're making another
mistake."

Members at Local 122 are fearful of losing their jobs, said Bennett's
associate, Ken Walters. They're seeing nearby plants shut down on
regular basis.

General Holliefield, the UAW vice president representing Chrysler
workers, said union members "historically do the right thing" in
terms of making concessions during tough times, although the moves
outlined Wednesday came to fruition following last month's
congressional thrashing.

"Washington didn't ask us for concessions," he said. "It wasn't
anything we were thinking about."

The president of Chrysler said the UAW's willingness to change the
union's contract is a good step.

Chrysler LLC President Tom LaSorda said during a Toledo rally for the
industry on Wednesday that both sides need to go back and review the
entire framework of the contract. He said if the union would
surrender job security protections it would help the Detroit Three in
the long run.

___

AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report.

Workplace Bullying: A New Spin on an Old Theme
By E. Jewelle Johnson (Labor Letter, November 2008)

In May 2008, the Indiana Supreme Court recognized a new legal
phenomenon, workplace bullying, when it upheld a lower court's ruling
that a surgeon was liable for intentional infliction of emotional
distress and assault for screaming, swearing at and advancing upon a
coworker in the operating room. Raess v. Doescher.

Joseph Doescher worked as a perfusionist (the person who operates a
heart/lung machine during open heart surgery). In his suit he claimed
that Daniel Raess, a cardiovascular surgeon came at him "with
clenched fists, piercing eyes, beet-red face, popping veins, and
screaming and swearing at him." Raess backed Doescher up against a
wall, then turned, stormed past Raess and left the room, momentarily
stopping to declare "you're finished, you're history," according to
the testimony. Raess was supposedly angry with Doescher because of
negative reports Doescher had made to hospital administrators about
how the surgeon treated other employees, particularly other
perfusionists.

The jury found in the surgeon's favor on the charge of intentional
infliction of emotional distress, but liable for assault, which is
putting another person in fear of imminent harm. More importantly,
the Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the jury's award of $325,000 in
favor of Doescher and held that the term, "workplace bullying," like
other general terms used to characterize a person's behavior, is "an
entirely appropriate consideration" in determining the issues of
assault or intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Defining Bad Behavior

So what is workplace bullying? Similar to conduct you may have
witnessed on the playground as a child, workplace bullying consists
of teasing and belittling comments; glaring; yelling; threats;
assault; battery; providing impossible deadlines; undermining or
criticizing an individual's work; and ignoring or excluding
individuals.

Unlike harassment that is prohibited under most federal and state
discrimination statutes, bullying is not based upon a protected
status such as race, gender, age, or disability. Like harassment,
bullying behavior typically originates from someone in a position of
power or authority. But as shown in the Indiana Supreme Court case,
coworkers are not above such conduct.

Does the Devil Wear Prada?

Companies should be concerned about workplace bullying because, like
any type of harassment or workplace violence, bullying can damage
employee morale, a company's reputation and its bottom line.
Workplace bullying decreases productivity, increases turnover, and –
of course – escalates attorneys' fees and costs.

A 2007 poll by the Workplace Bullying Institute revealed that 37
percent of the U.S. workforce (54 million employees) has experienced
workplace bullying at some point in their careers. One study
reflected that victims of workplace bullying reported more job
stress, depression, less job commitment and higher levels of anger
and anxiety than victims of illegal harassment based upon protected
categories. Interestingly, the same study shows that 40 percent of
workplace bullies are women.

The more severe effects associated with workplace bullying may stem
from the fact that it is not considered illegal and, therefore, many
employers do not have policies prohibiting such conduct or procedures
in place for reporting, investigating, and remedying the conduct.
This may soon change. At least 13 states (including New York, New
Jersey, and Connecticut) are considering anti-workplace bullying
laws, also called "healthy workplace" legislation. These new laws may
allow employees to sue both their employers and the alleged bullies
for the offensive behavior.

Looking Down the Road

Progressive employers should emphasize to their employees that
workplace bullying will not be condoned or tolerated. It's also
advisable to incorporate workplace bullying into your harassment and
workplace violence policies and training modules. If workplace
bullying is reported, prompt corrective action should be taken – up
to and including discharge.

Implementing a strong anti-workplace bullying program will not only
minimize your legal exposure, but it will also enhance your company's
reputation as being an organization that cares about its employees
and treats them with dignity and respect.

The History of Labor Day

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor
movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of
American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the
contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-
being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is
still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American
Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor
those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur
we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone
unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not
Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support
the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344
of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J.,
proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the
Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central
Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to
plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5,
1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central
Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day
holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as
originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar
organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and
celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with
the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was
celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day.
The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances
passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to
secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into
the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by
Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states —
Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor
Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade
Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894,
23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on
June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday
in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia
and the territories.

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take
were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade
to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the
trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a
festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their
families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more
emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the
holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of
Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted
as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational
aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in
recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass
displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change,
however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor
Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators,
clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in
newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of
living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has
brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of
economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that
the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the
nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the holiday in the United States. For other annual
labor observances, see Labour Day. For observances on May 1, see May
Day.

Date

first Monday in September

2008 date

         September 1, 2008

2009 date

         September 7, 2009

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first
Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor
Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working
citizens".

Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894. All fifty states have
made Labor Day a state holiday.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic
end of the summer.

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the
United States since the 1880s. The form for the celebration of Labor Day
was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday—a street parade to
exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and
labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their
families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches
by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was
placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still
later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of
1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and
dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor
movement.

Today, Labor Day is often regarded as a day of rest and compared to the
May 1 Labour Day celebrations in most countries; parades, speeches or
political demonstrations are more low-key, although events held by labor
organizations often feature political themes and appearances by
candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of
celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water
sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it
as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Some teenagers
and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before
returning to school. However, as of late, schools have begun well before
Labor Day, as early as July 24th in many urban districts, including
major southern cities in the United States such as Atlanta, Miami, and
Los Angeles. In addition, Labor Day marks the beginning of the season
for the National Football League and NCAA College Football. The NCAA
usually plays their first games the weekend of Labor day, with the NFL
traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.

Controversies

The Knights of Labor organized the original parade on Tuesday, September
5, 1882 in New York City. In 1884 another parade was held, and the
Knights passed resolutions to make this an annual event. Other labor
organizations (and there were many), but notably the affiliates of the
International Workingmen's Association, many of whom were socialists or
anarchists, favored a May 1 holiday. In 1886 came the general strike
which eventually won the eight-hour workday in the United States. These
events are today commemorated as Labor Day in virtually every country in
the world, with the notable exceptions being the United States, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. With the Chicago Haymarket riots in early May
of 1886, President Grover Cleveland believed that commemorating Labor
Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus,
fearing that it might strengthen the socialist movement, he quickly
moved in 1887 to support the position of the Knights of Labor and their
date for Labor Day.

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still
some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some
records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of
Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude
nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone
unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter
McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the
contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the
International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the
holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in
New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor
Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and
picnic.

Labor Day traditions

Since 1966, the annual telethon of the Muscular Dystrophy Association
has been held on Labor Day weekend. The telethon, hosted by Jerry Lewis,
raises tens of millions of dollars each year to fund research and
patient support programs for the various diseases grouped as muscular
dystrophy.

Labor Day weekend also marked the annual running of the Southern 500 at
Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. The race was run at
any time during the weekend from 1950-2002. In 2004, NASCAR began racing
on Labor Day weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Chicago's Taste of Polonia, the city's largest Polish-themed festival
celebration of Polish cultural heritage, traditions, and customs on the
grounds of the Copernicus Foundation in Jefferson Park. Bringing in
crowds well over 30,000 each year, Taste of Polonia has welcomed notable
guests such as President George H. W. Bush in 1992 and Vice-President
Dick Cheney, Mrs. Tipper Gore, and Mrs. Hadassah Lieberman in 2000.

Boomsday, one of the biggest fireworks displays in the Southeastern
United States, has been held annually on Labor Day since 1986 in
Knoxville, Tennessee; it attracts over 350,000 spectators.

Mackinac Bridge Walk is an annual event held every Labor Day since 1958
in Michigan in which people may walk the length of the Mackinac Bridge.

Mustaches on the River is an annual event that takes place Labor Day
weekend. Traditionally participants grow mustaches for this float down
the Russian River in Healdsburg, California. Mustaches are judged at the
end of the day and all proceeds benefit charity. The event is seen by
its participants as an exercise in self image and free expression.

Cleveland has showcased its aviation history with the Cleveland National
Air Show each labor day weekend since the late 60's. Begining in 1995,
the Taste of Cleveland also highlights Cleveland's restraunts each labor
day weekend.

Popular fashion etiquette dictates that white should not be worn after
Labor Day. Originally it was white shoes that were taboo— white or
"winter white" clothing was acceptable. The custom is fading: "Fashion
magazines are jumping on this growing trend, calling people who 'dare'
to wear white after Labor Day innovative, creative, and bold. Slowly but
surely, white is beginning to break free from its box, and is becoming
acceptable to wear whenever one pleases. In the world of western attire,
it is similarly tradition to wear a straw cowboy hat until Labor Day.
After Labor Day, the felt hat is worn until Memorial Day."



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, sby_willie <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Any constructive talk about the paltry raises IBM has been giving
out
> this month? Or is everyone numb in shock?

Not only has there been no constructive talk about the paltry raises
this year.  There has been no talk at all.  No one has even responded
to your question.  What has happened to the IBM employees that they
will not even offer a wimper about what IBM has done to us?

> I for one asked HR why the raise announcements were being delayed
and
> I got a response that signalled me in early June that the raises
> would have to be poor since the response I got was not believable. I
> told them it was unacceptable to delay the announcement and also
> delay the raises upwards to two weeks even with a retroactive
action.
> (who got to play with the 2 weeks' raise money buckets and
interest?).
>
> It also showed that IBM wanted to close and dust 2nd QTR first
before
> announcing gloomy raise news to the resources. But gloomy news
should
> have been foreseen already once the I/T Specialists and System
Admins
> in 06A got clobbered with a -15% base pay cut. One could only
> conclude that the raises would stink since the same IBM comment on
> it "..we (IBM) have to do this pay remix to remain competitive.."
> also actually applies to these recent raises as well.
>
> IBM says they pay based on performance but how come some PBC "1"
> performers got no raise? How come PBC "2+" in skilled areas got
> little or also no raise? And how come no MBA's for skill groups that
> have many well below their market base reference midpoint pay for
> PBC "2+" appraisals for many, many, consecutive years?
>
> 2007 was supposedly a banner year for profits and revenues in IBM.
> The executives did well and judging from their insider trades are
> still doing quite well for themselves.

This is the part that makes me so mad.  With record revenues and
profits there should at least be some reward for the employees that
have worked so hard the last year.

> So all those profits went to stock buybacks for the executives to
> enjoy and none was put into the raise buckets for employees. So even
> if IBM has a bad QTR going forward the rainy day for the executive
is
> but a drizzle and not a drencher like it will be for the IBM
resource
> (we used to be called an employee).
>
> So what is next in 2009? Either no raises at all, less bonus pay if
> any at all, or more folks being added to the 7600 pay cut folks?
>
> I say we do our best now to work toward getting IBM to the table
with
> a collective bargaining agreement since we have to hold them to a
> written contract since they don't make any positive promises to us
> anymore and whatever ones they made in the past they seem free to
> break. If IBM had a great 2007 then our raises should reflect it
with
> at least an average raise at the rate of inflation!!! If 2008 is
> also stellar then we should also see better raises as well.

I agree.  If more would just be willing to spend $10 a month to join
and show support to the Alliance we could have a chance of forcing
IBM to reward us for our hard work.  Every week I talk to people at
my site and try to get them to join.  Most of them say they would
rather not rock the boat and result in losing their job.  Sometimes
it gets discouraging but I am not giving up.  Who else is with me?

Any constructive talk about the paltry raises IBM has been giving out
this month? Or is everyone numb in shock?

I for one asked HR why the raise announcements were being delayed and
I got a response that signalled me in early June that the raises
would have to be poor since the response I got was not believable. I
told them it was unacceptable to delay the announcement and also
delay the raises upwards to two weeks even with a retroactive action.
(who got to play with the 2 weeks' raise money buckets and interest?).

It also showed that IBM wanted to close and dust 2nd QTR first before
announcing gloomy raise news to the resources. But gloomy news should
have been foreseen already once the I/T Specialists and System Admins
in 06A got clobbered with a -15% base pay cut. One could only
conclude that the raises would stink since the same IBM comment on
it "..we (IBM) have to do this pay remix to remain competitive.."
also actually applies to these recent raises as well.

IBM says they pay based on performance but how come some PBC "1"
performers got no raise? How come PBC "2+" in skilled areas got
little or also no raise? And how come no MBA's for skill groups that
have many well below their market base reference midpoint pay for
PBC "2+" appraisals for many, many, consecutive years?

2007 was supposedly a banner year for profits and revenues in IBM.
The executives did well and judging from their insider trades are
still doing quite well for themselves.

So all those profits went to stock buybacks for the executives to
enjoy and none was put into the raise buckets for employees. So even
if IBM has a bad QTR going forward the rainy day for the executive is
but a drizzle and not a drencher like it will be for the IBM resource
(we used to be called an employee).

So what is next in 2009? Either no raises at all, less bonus pay if
any at all, or more folks being added to the 7600 pay cut folks?

I say we do our best now to work toward getting IBM to the table with
a collective bargaining agreement since we have to hold them to a
written contract since they don't make any positive promises to us
anymore and whatever ones they made in the past they seem free to
break. If IBM had a great 2007 then our raises should reflect it with
at least an average raise at the rate of inflation!!! If 2008 is
also stellar then we should also see better raises as well.

Pay raise info is coming out finally. Everyone who is hearing about it
out there are you happy about what you are getting or not getting?

Some PBC 1 performers getting 0%. PBC "2+" who got MBA's last year that
are still paid below market getting no MBA this year. Did any PBC "2"
performer get a raise?

With a union contract we can improve this.

This is encouraging. -- Don

http://news.aol.com/business/story/_a/uks-largest-union-to-join-
united/n20080525131609990005

http://tinyurl.com/4plz6e

Chao Misses Mine Safety Deadline. Bush Appoints Stickler—Again
by Mike Hall, Jan 7, 2008
AFLCIO.org

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao missed the Dec. 15 deadline to
issue new federal rules for better trained mine rescue teams at the
nation's coal mines. The Charleston Gazette reports:

The rules are still not finalized and are sitting at the White
House, under review by the Office of Management and Budget.

In 2006, spurred by what would become the highest coal mine death
toll since 1996—including the deaths of 19 coal miners at the Sago,
Aracoma and Darby mines in West Virginia and Kentucky—Congress
passed and President Bush signed the MINER Act that mandated several
mine safety improvements, including rescue teams.



The June 2006 mine law gave the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) 18 months to finalize the new rescue rules. It
took the safety agency 15 months to write the proposed rules and now
the Bush administration says it can't provide a timeline for issuing
them.



Our friends at Hillbilly Report point out that:

Elaine Chao is quick to give American workers advice, but slow when
it comes to doing her own job. I suggest we have a skills gap here.

Meanwhile, Bush once again circumvented Congress and reinstated MSHA
administrator Richard Stickler to head the agency. Stickler, a
former coal company executive, twice failed to win Senate
confirmation, but in late 2006, with Congress out of session, Bush
used a recess appointment to install Stickler in the post,
officially known as the assistant labor secretary for mine safety
and health.



The recess appointment expired at the end of 2007. In a somewhat
bizarre chain of events, MSHA removed Stickler's bio from the
agency's website and announced Jan. 3 that Stickler's assistant was
the acting assistant secretary. But his tenure was brief: On Jan. 4,
Bush named Stickler the new acting assistant secretary, a move that
does not require congressional approval and is likely to last until
the end of Bush's term. After press reports that Stickler's bio had
been removed, it's now back online.



Mine Workers (UMWA) President Cecil Roberts says:

The appointment of Richard Stickler to be acting assistant secretary
of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, just days after his term in
that position expired because he couldn't be confirmed by the U.S.
Senate, demonstrates the deep level of contempt the Bush
administration holds for the Senate and the constitutional role that
body holds.

The UMWA's position on Mr. Stickler has remained consistent from the
day he was first nominated in 2005. We do not believe someone who
has spent the majority of his working life as a coal company
manager, supervisor and executive ought to be appointed as head of
MSHA

Please see the comments by the people following the article.
, , , Frank

Lawsuit: IBM liable for health woes from underground toxic plume

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080103/BUSINESS/\
80103012



"when seconds count - police are only minutes away"
[be prepared]

Please visit my website at http://www.outdoorliaisons.com

Please Support Ron Paul for President
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

"To sin by silence, when they should protest makes cowards of men." - Abe
Lincoln
"$3.5 billion wasted weekly, with much blood shed - in the wrong country
  & these are just the short term costs." - Frank
"Take that $3.5 billion & use it in the war on the cancer epidemic." - Frank
"It's the poorest people of one country fighting the poorest people of another
  country - for benefit of wealthiest people." - Unknown Soldier/officer, USA -
2006
". . . . it's not clear who we're fighting" - A young US Soldier on a street in
Iraq - 10/6/06
"I think this speech given last night by this president represents the most
dangerous
  foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam - if it's carried out." -
U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, Nebraska (R)  Vietnam Vet - January 2007


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Legal Alert: Board Finds ULP Charges Barred by Release in Termination
Agreement

12/18/2007
D. Coker



The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently held that waivers
signed by a group of terminated employees in exchange for enhanced
severance benefits barred unfair labor practice (ULP) charges filed
by a union on behalf of the employees. See BP Amoco Chemical-
Chocolate Bayou, 351 NLRB No. 39 (Sept. 29, 2007). In its 2-1
decision, the Board majority applied the factors it considers in
determining whether a private settlement of a ULP is valid.


The Board majority rejected the dissenting member's opinion that
these factors should not apply where no ULP charge has been filed at
the time the release is executed, noting that whether charges have
been filed may be relevant to the analysis but is not dispositive.


In this case, a group of employees was selected for termination as
part of a reduction in force. At the time they were selected, the
employees were not represented by the union and there was no active
union organizing campaign. In exchange for enhanced severance
benefits, the employees all signed termination agreements in which
they agreed to release all claims arising out of their employment or
termination. The employees were given forty-five days to consider
whether to sign the agreements and had seven days after signing to
revoke them. The employer encouraged all of the employees to consult
with legal counsel before signing the agreements.


Subsequently, the union filed a ULP charge on behalf of the
employees, claiming they were selected for termination because of
their support for the union. The Administrative Law Judge recommended
dismissal of the charges based on the waivers signed by the
employees. The Board majority agreed with the ALJ.


In finding that the employees validly waived their right to file
unfair labor practice charges arising from their terminations, the
Board considered several factors, including:


Whether the parties to the Board case have agreed to be bound, and
the position taken by the General Counsel with regard to settlement;
Whether the settlement is reasonable in light of the violations
alleged, the risks inherent in litigation, and the stage of
litigation;
Whether there has been any fraud, coercion or duress by any party in
reaching settlement; and
Whether the employer has a history of violating the Act or has
previously breached settlement agreements.

In this case, the Board found that the standards set forth above were
met. The employees were all advised that they should consult legal
counsel before signing the releases, and many did so. The Board held
that the employees were aware of the content of the agreements,
advised as to the meaning, and knew that they were releasing claims
against the employer. Thus, the Board found that the employees
intended to be bound by the agreement.


Next, the Board held that the agreements were reasonable in light of
the violations alleged and the litigation risks presented. When the
agreements were signed, no ULP charges had been filed and the
prospect of litigation was not obvious. Additionally, the Board found
that there was a significant risk that a charge alleging
discriminatory selection would not be meritorious because:


Little or no union activity was occurring at the time of the
downsizing;
The record did not show that all of the employees selected for
termination had engaged in protected activity or that the employer
was aware of this;
The selection process was a careful and lengthy one supported by
business justifications;
Many of the employees presented by the General Counsel as witnesses
at the hearing were not supportive of the position of the General
Counsel or the union; and
Many of the terminated employees had work histories that were "less
than pristine."

Thus, the Board found "the termination agreements and attendant
enhanced benefits were a reasonable adjustment in light of the
litigation risks."


Further, the Board found no evidence that the agreements were
fraudulent, that they were signed under duress or the threat of
coercion, or that the employees attempted to revoke the agreements.
The Board pointed out that the employer had encouraged the employees
to consult attorneys, given them time to review and assess the
agreements, and provided them with an opportunity to revoke the
agreements after execution.


The Board also found that the employer did not have a history of
violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).


The Board majority distinguished this situation from prior cases in
which the Board has refused to give effect to private settlement
agreements. In one case, the employer's history of serious violations
of the Act, as well as the opposition of the charging party and
General Counsel to the waiver, weighed against enforcing the waiver
provisions. The Board found that such concerns were not present in
this case. Additionally, the Board has refused to enforce waivers
that include provisions prohibiting employees from providing evidence
to the Board in cases involving other employees. However, the
agreements in this case did not contain such provisions – they only
precluded the claims of the employees who entered into the
agreements.


In consideration of all of these factors, the Board held that the
waivers barred the filing of ULPs on behalf of the employees by the
union.


Employers' Bottom Line:


The Board's decision in BP Amoco is instructive because it
illustrates the factors the Board will consider in determining
whether a waiver or release is enforceable with regard to alleged
violations of the NLRA. In response to this decision, Associate
General Counsel Richard Siegel has issued a memorandum instructing
NLRB regional office personnel to submit to the Division of Advice
all otherwise meritorious cases involving waivers that were executed
before a ULP charge was filed. We will continue to keep you updated
on the status of this issue.

NABET-CWA Reaches Tentative Pact with ABC that Saves Workers'
Pensions
After nine months at the bargaining table, NABET-CWA has reached a
tentative four-year contract with ABC-Disney that preserves members'
pensions and blocks many other givebacks the network was demanding.

The contract, if ratified, provides for wage increases to be
retroactive to Dec. 15, 2007.  Most members will see raises of 3.5
percent immediately, followed by 3 percent in April 2008, 3 percent
in April 2009 and 3.5 percent in the contract's final year.

The contract also includes improvements for daily hires, including
making some frequent daily hires eligible for health care coverage
and other benefits through Disney's Signature Benefit Plans.

"These were extremely difficult negotiations," NABET-CWA President
John Clark said. "However, we were able to eliminate or blunt many of
the company proposals, especially around pensions and job security.
The committee is convinced that the dozens of improvements negotiated
constitute the best deal we are able to make." Ballots will be mailed
to members next week and must be returned by Jan. 10, 2008, with
results announced Jan. 11. The union represents 2,500 technicians,
camera operators, news writers and other employees New York City,
Washington, D.C. Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

IBM France Unions to strike over IBM AT&T transfers November 13

Mobilization against transfers
A national day of action will be taken by unions in France to draw
the attention of staff and government on the transfer of some 5000
jobs from IBM to ATT (American Telegraph and Telecoms), in some
thirty countries .
In France, some 85 employees at IBM sites Lyon, Montpellier, and La
Gaude, (worst affected with 25 transfers), will move from one
company to another "Without being asked . This is intolerable, "said
CGT delegate from La Gaude, Serge Kerloch who is affected by this
transfer.

The IBM France workers describe themselves as "pawns of in a game
in a dehuminized world". According to one union member "We do not
even know about the timing of these transfers, or all of the staff
concerned."
After the annoncement of forced transfers, the trade unions have
stated that they will oppose by all means these transfers.
Unions involved CFDT, CFE CGC, CGT, FO, SNA, UNSA.

One month after a virtual protest staged in Second Life with almost
2'000 avatars demonstrating on IBM islands, a new contract with IBM
Italy has been signed.

The new agreement, which still needs to be approved by the IBM Italy
workforce, reinstates the performance bonus that was cut
unilaterally by IBM Italy management.

The agreement signed by IBM Italy and the trade union Rappresentanze
Sindacali Unitarie (R.S.U.) not only includes the performance
bonuses from 2007 up until 2010 but also payments by IBM into a
national health insurance fund and also states that negotiations
will continue with respect to IBM industrial and business strategies
in Italy and the improvement of internal communication policies.

The situation abruptly improved and negotiation resumed after the
former country manager left IBM in the mid of October, who had
signed responsible for the pay cuts in the first place. His
departure cleared the air and facilitated constructive negotiations
between social partners as this could be expected from a
professional management of a high-tech company.

The virtual demonstration organized on 27 September for a whole day
has certainly had an impact on the positive development. Almost
2'000 virtual protestors from 30 countries populating IBM premises
in Second Life solicited an unprecedented media echo from all over
the world, including TV and radio stations, daily news papers,
computer and business magazines. The virtual protest had been
supported by global unions such as the International and European
Metalworkers Federations (IMF and EMF) and UNI Global Union.

The threat of strike action in the "real world" by the Italian
unions after the virtual protest has certainly also helped to break
the deadlock. Yet, the impact of this historical action in Second
Life must not be underestimated.

what does it take for an IGS account to hire??? Instead of loosing
great deskside tech's and hiring new ppl who have no clue or maybe  no
idea how to provide support.....

I've seen people come and go on this particular account (can't say
which account), but i've watched a lot of gooood techs leave.   It's
sad....  now my idea of being contracted through an agency is max
2years....  As  I can tell, they can extend once the contract has been
up.  Isn't there something that we can do for our fellow tech's who
works that extra mile to gain that trust ..to prove their worthyness
to the account....   What's next after a year??? I am an IGS deskside
support technician.  As a technician, I feel repsonsible delivering
the proper support in the best and professional manner as possible.  I
do this cause I love dealing with people.  Bottom line here is... if a
team of 15 techs support an account over 5-6k of users, and suddenly 5
of us leave cause there are no promises, no reviews and obviously
where is the stability in this?  5 of us leave, account stats ... goes
down ... hire new guys ...new training required and customer... they
dont like new guys..its all about trust.  What can we do for these
contractors to find a permanent soil for them? I may not be explaining
this well, but maybe someone can provide me the right explaination so
I can look forward to where I work instead of being angry at where
work.....   Also having workopolis as my homepage doesnt reslove this
matter even tho it helps me motivate to a different company....lol
please... i need some guidance

A Hotel to Avoid in New York City -- WE ARE ON STRIKE!

http://www.crowneplazastrike.com

The workers at the Crowne Plaza, LaGuardia Airport are currently on strike due
to the Unfair
Labor Practices committed by the hotel's owner and management.

Customers should not stay at the Crowne Plaza, LaGuardia Airport in Queens, NY
until the
millionaire owner of this hotel respects the rights of his workers.

Thank you for your support!

http://www.crowneplazastrike.com

Following the historical protest against IBM Italy in Second Life,
on 27th September, some important developments have taken place:

Mr Andrea Pontremoli, IBM Italy's CEO (who personally received all
of your petitions by email) has resigned.
It seems our Virtual action had an impact on his role at IBM.
IBM Corporation made a complaint to IBM Italy for the way they've
managed the negotiations with the thousands of employees and how
they've let it lead to such a harmful image for the company.
The works council hopes to return to the negotiations' table: we'll
hear more at the beginning of next week.

A big thank you goes to all people who supported IBM Italy workers
in their struggle over the last 6 weeks. From protesters who came to
Second Life and joined the action, to the petitioners who wrote
letters to IBM Europe management, to those who took the time to give
their ideas on how to proceed when there were no visible results to
our protest and to the press who covered the event in more than 30
countries which helped put pressure on IBM as well.

From UNI

Still able to get a job at 63? Consider yourself lucky.

I "early-retired" from IBM in my very early 50s, contracted
for a few years (when one was available) and ran out of
contract jobs by 60 (nobody wanted "older contractors").
BTW, I was living in a high-tech, good-sized metropolitan
area where there were plenty of jobs (both permanent and
contract work). I also kept up my skills with all the latest
technologies and when something new came out and was taught
at the local college, I took classes. It was quite interesting,
I'd learn a new technology (maybe a year or two in existence)
and find out the HR and "consulting companies" would tell me
they ONLY WANTED people with a good 5 years or more experience
in "that technology". On occasion, I'd find out later that
they "hired" a new college grad, WHO JUST HAD those 5 years of
experience in THAT technology. I guess you could say it was
their round-about way of saying "you can welcome us to Wal-Mart".
I'd run across other "oldsters" who had similar experiences.

Lets face, age discrimination is rampant out there. I saw
recently (I believe in the IBMRETIREE forum) that IBM restarted
the 999 program. What is the salary for those "oldsters" who do
go back - what they were paid 10 - 15 years ago or what they pay
someone today at that level? I can probably guess.


--- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, Paly <pal409@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks thats me. Of course being retired from ibm means working
> full time at age 63
>

Thanks thats me . Of course being retired from ibm means working full time at
age 63

ip_dale <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:                              
Actually, a first choicer is one who was retired or within 5-years of
  retirement eligibility on July 1, 1999.

  --- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, chz_whiz <no_reply@...> wrote:
  >
  >
  > Fortunate.  Very fortunate.
  >
  >
  >
  > --- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, Paly <pal409@> wrote:
  > >
  > > OK I'll bite, what s a "first choicer"?
  > >
  > > ignatz713 <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
  > wrote:                               --- In
  > ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, "Bob" <bobc4012@> wrote:
  > >  >
  > >
  > >  SouthernYankee stated the case about the old IBM, yes he did.
  > Quite
  > >  well indeed.
  > >
  > >  Then Southern Yankee said:
  > >
  > >  'At IBM, there will never be a cut back on quality or
  > dependability'
  > >
  > >  'The company treats its employees with respect'
  > >
  > >  SouthernYankee is living in the past. Period. No problem. Good
  for
  > >  him.
  > >
  > >  Obviously too that he is a First Choicer when it comes to
  pension
  > and
  > >  retiree medical. Good for him.
  > >
  > >  And obviously he moved out of New York. Good for him again.
  > >
  > >  >
  > >  > I thought SouthernYankee stated the case quite well. The only
  > >  > point on which I might quibble to a degree is the "degree of
  > >  > respect shown to the individual". IBM can be very subtle and,
  > >  > at times quite blunt, in the way it shows "respect for the
  > >  > individual". Also, it isn't always the fault of top level
  > >  > management, as lower and middle management apply their own
  > >  > spin to the decisions being made. Of course, top level
  > >  > management should always ensure but doesn't) the appropriate
  > >  > controls are in place to quickly
  address "misinterpretations".
  > >  >
  > >
  > >  >Also, it isn't always the fault of top level
  > >  > management, as lower and middle management apply their own
  > >  > spin to the decisions being made
  > >
  > >  You're joking, right? Are you still working? Are you familiar
  with
  > >  first level management?
  > >
  > >  > Nobody was ever guaranteed a job in this world. To expect that
  > >  > guarantee is ludicrous. Granted, workers have a right in this
  > >  > country to organize and negotiate a better "business deal" with
  > >  > the company with which they are currently employed, but there
  > >  > is no guarantee that be given a job IF there is no legally
  > >  > binding contract stating such. If that contract demand will
  > >  > not be met, then you either have the option of applying
  > >  > elsewhere for a job or go on strike (if recognized as a
  union).
  > >  >
  > >  > What concerns me more is what he stated in his post on "Thu
  > >  > Sep 27, 2007 8:48 am" about IBM eventually pulling out of the
  > >  > US like so many companies have done. I know GM has just signed
  > >  > a contract guaranteeing they won't leave, but a few more losing
  > >  > quarters and then a declaration of bankruptcy and they will
  > >  > be gone.
  > >  >
  > >  > Don't expect government to solve the problem either. What you
  > >  > would end up with is a communist dictatorship. Socialism has
  > >  > an extremely high cost as Europe has been finding out. Where
  > >  > there used to be job guarantees and other guarantees, some
  > >  > countries are now backing off. While Republicans tend to favor
  > >  > tax breaks for business, Democrats will tax business to death
  > >  > (except for the earmarks to the businesses in their own
  > >  > congressional districts or states). So don't expect real help
  > >  > from either party.
  > >  >
  > >
  > >  Absolutely not. It's all on us to monitor and control. Good luck
  > to
  > >  us all.
  > >
  > >  > One difference between many of the Europeans and the
  Americans,
  > >  > is that Europeans will still try to buy products made in their
  > >  > own country (or least Europe), whereas Americans will buy that
  > >  > cheap crap made in China. My wife and I always check for the
  > >  > place of manufacture and buy "Made in America", even if it
  > >  > costs a few dollars more, otherwise we won't buy it (exception
  > >  > is that rare instance when we have no other choice and
  > >  > absolutely need it).
  > >
  > >  And you FIND stuff 'made in America'? Wow. I have been trying to
  > do
  > >  that for years and years, and with very few exceptions, find it
  > >  impossible.
  > >
  > >  And its just not Wal-Mart (a favorite
  > >  > whipping boy of the Socialists in this country), but every
  > >  > store. We were in Linens and Things the other day to get some
  > >  > towels. All the "Made in America" brands were being fazed out
  > >  > and replaced with "Made in China". We did not buy. I went to
  > >  > get new tires for my car and was told they were made in Korea.
  > >  > I checked the tires and found they were made in China, but the
  > >  > company was a Korean company. Sears, K-Mart, Target,
  automotive
  > >  > parts, grocery stores, ad nauseam, are all selling crap made
  or
  > >  > grown in China. The American suckers keep gobbling the stuff
  up.
  > >  >
  > >
  > >  In addition, even if it says 'made in America' there will be
  parts
  > >  made overseas.
  > >
  > >  We've given this country away.
  > >
  > >  > At some point this country will have to pay up, but I guess
  that
  > >  > as long as the younger generations still can buy there "made in
  > >  > China" X-boxes and other "Made in China" electronics and sit
  > >  > around smoking that "funny weed" and sucking down beer they
  will
  > >  > be happy.
  > >  >
  > >
  > >  Bingo. And use their cell phones. And their ipods. And drive
  their
  > >  SUVs. And get their interest-only mortgages. And ignore the war
  > being
  > >  fought 'over there' so we can be safe 'over here'.
  > >
  > >  Give this country another 10-15 and watch the Second Choicers
  > >  suddenly say on this list:  HEY, what's going on, dude? What the
  > heck
  > >  happened when I wasn't looking?
  > >
  > >  Mark my words.
  > >
  > >  > I apologize for the long ramble, but every now and then I get
  > >  > set off.
  > >  >
  > >
  > >  And you're mostly right. Thanks for the thoughts.
  > >
  > >  > --- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, ignatz713 <no_reply@> wrote:
  > >  > >
  > >  > >> Interesting article. Looks like SouthernYankee doesn't read
  > much.
  > >  > >
  > >  > > --- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, "Frank  Carbone Jr."
  > >  > > <forthebirds39@> wrote:
  > >  > > >
  > >  > > > http://forums.poughkeepsiejournal.com/viewforum.php?f=97
  > >  > > >
  > >  >
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > > ---------------------------------
  > > Building a website is a piece of cake.
  > > Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online.
  > >
  > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  > >
  >






---------------------------------
Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV.  Watch previews, get listings,
and more!

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Author: StuckOnTheTarmac

Vault Community Member

My Perspective on IBM

This message has been recommended 3 times by Vault community members.
(See Vault's most recommended messages)

Oct 5, 2007 8:55 AM EST

You want to know what its like here GBS? Here's the stereotypical
croud:

1. Burned out 35-50 year old guy who worked in the industry for 10-20
years making lateral movements across his company. IBM/ACN/ put his
company through an oracle/SAP/ and now IBM hired him as
a "consultant" to come in as a band 7/band 8 because they needed to
staff a project that was oversold and understaffed.

2. Ex PwC guy at the band 10/Band D level who still sells large scale
ERP implementation projects successfully and then struggles to
deliver the project because the gene pool is so diluted below band
10.

3. New college hire who wanted to get into "real" consulting, like
corporate business strategy. Got rejected from M/B/B/ and is now a
consultant for GBS. He is now starting to realize that 95% of
all "consulting" from an IBM/ACN/ work is implementing ERP packages.
He/she is probably a PMA (or being shuffled around without any luck
in being staffed) on a project taking care of project financials and
not building on any true skillset.

4. An offshore Indian resource who recently got his lifelong dream
fulfilled. He is now onshore with the Global Delivery Model and
coding up a storm. He is so happy to be working for IBM, making boat
loads of money, and remaining at the bottom of the food chain for the
rest of his career.

http://tinyurl.com/25uky7

excerpt:

Manufacturing jobs, UAW at risk with 2-tier wage
October 4, 2007
BY KATIE MERX
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

If UAW members approve their new tentative agreement with General
Motors Corp. as expected, as many as one-third of the automaker's
U.S. hourly jobs could become part of a second tier of lower-paid
positions.

That could result in significant savings for GM and potentially
weaken the union's strength and solidarity.

GM and the UAW agreed to create a lower wage and benefit schedule for
all new hires into a group of jobs classified as noncore. Hires in
that category would earn about half the wage of current employees and
receive a lesser benefits package.

"It's going to mark the beginning of the end for the concept of good,
high-paying manufacturing jobs ... with job security," said Gary
Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University.

The list of jobs to be categorized as noncore is not yet complete and
may depend on local contracts, known as competitive operating
agreements, workers and analysts said. The category includes such
positions as materials handling, truck driver and subassembly.

For GM, the agreement to create a second-tier wage could save it
about $1.2 billion annually, or about $300 per vehicle, analysts say.

But for workers and labor experts, the creation of a two-tier system -
- even more than the union's agreement to transfer retiree health
care liabilities from GM to an independent trust -- signals a risky
sea change in the union.

"Essentially what you're doing is voting for a wage cut for people
who are not in the room. Management then has an incentive to develop
the lower-paid tier and put fewer workers in the higher-paid tier,"
Chaison said. "Not only that, but two-tiered wage structures are not
what unions are about, when they talk about solidarity."





--- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, "Bob" <bobc4012@...> wrote:
>
>
> Actually, they don't need to wait until a few more losing quarters.
> It was published in my local newspaper that there are 15 GM plants
> in the US that can be shut (and probably will be) down in the next
> couple of years. The workers at those plants are against the pact
> and said the UAW sold them out. This would impact about 40,000
> hourly workers here in the US. GM has 58 factories inthe US, so
> 25% will eventually be shutdown over the next couple of years with
> the UAW's blessing (after hailing it won "job security" from GM).
>
> A quote in the newspaper, citing Gregg Shotwell, a GM worker and
> frequent UAW critic -- "The average GM worker understands that
> GM has never lived up to its job security guarnatees." He also
> predicted that "GM will pit the 15 plants against each other to
> extract further concessions later."
>
> In the meantime, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were praising the
> new pact that the 74,000 hourly UAW members have yet to vote on.
>
>
> --- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, dave_lovelace <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > I wanted to respond to this comment because I think its important
to
> > point out some interesting things-
> > The comment was, 'I know GM has just signed
> > a contract guaranteeing they won't leave, but a few more losing
> > quarters and then a declaration of bankruptcy and they will
> > be gone.'
> >
>

Actually, they don't need to wait until a few more losing quarters.
It was published in my local newspaper that there are 15 GM plants
in the US that can be shut (and probably will be) down in the next
couple of years. The workers at those plants are against the pact
and said the UAW sold them out. This would impact about 40,000
hourly workers here in the US. GM has 58 factories inthe US, so
25% will eventually be shutdown over the next couple of years with
the UAW's blessing (after hailing it won "job security" from GM).

A quote in the newspaper, citing Gregg Shotwell, a GM worker and
frequent UAW critic -- "The average GM worker understands that
GM has never lived up to its job security guarnatees." He also
predicted that "GM will pit the 15 plants against each other to
extract further concessions later."

In the meantime, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were praising the
new pact that the 74,000 hourly UAW members have yet to vote on.


--- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, dave_lovelace <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> I wanted to respond to this comment because I think its important to
> point out some interesting things-
> The comment was, 'I know GM has just signed
> a contract guaranteeing they won't leave, but a few more losing
> quarters and then a declaration of bankruptcy and they will
> be gone.'
>

--- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, ignatz713 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> --- In ibmunion@yahoogroups.com, Paly <pal409@> wrote:
> >
> > OK I'll bite, what s a "first choicer"?
> >
>
> As noted, a First Choicer was an employee within 5 years of
> retirement eligibility in June 1999. A First Choicer was given the
> option to take the CB plan or the old pension plan. In addition,
the
> First Choicers kept the lifetime retiree medical.
>
> Second Choicers were not within 5 years of retirement eligibility
in
> June 1999 and were put on the CB plan and the FHA. After the Senate
> hearings, at which Janet testified, the Second Choicers were given
> the choice of the old pension plan or the CB plan but were only
given
> the FHA.
>
> I cannot remember the cutoff for the No Choicers, but they were
given
> the CB plan and the FHA.
>

The no-choicers had were less than age 40 or had less than 10 years
of service on July 1, 1999.  You are correct that they get the CB
plan (no choice) along with the FHA (maybe).  The catch for them is
they don't get the FHA if they are not an employee until past age
55.  Second choicers can get it at any age after 30 years of service.