Uppity Wisconsin
Making Wisconsin Progressive Again
Keeping Mercury
Mon, 08/24/2009 - 8:19am | mal contends
Mercury Marine (a division of Brunswick Corp.) wants to ditch Fond du Lac and the Fox Valley.
Merc says it needs to scrap its contract with the Machinists union, (IAM) Local 1947.
So how about Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, surrounding communities and Wisconsin pony up on a capital project paying Merc the difference in wages and benefits that Merc says it cannot afford on the existing contract?
Sounds reasonable to me.
Merc says it needs to scrap its contract with the Machinists union, (IAM) Local 1947.
So how about Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, surrounding communities and Wisconsin pony up on a capital project paying Merc the difference in wages and benefits that Merc says it cannot afford on the existing contract?
Sounds reasonable to me.
Call it "economic protection fees" for the good of the neighborhood.
Tags: Union Says 'No', Mercury Marine Is Typically Anti-American
Mon, 08/24/2009 - 6:04am | mal contends
Update II: FDL Reporter: "Mercury union workers have voted down a contract proposal that company officials say would have kept Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac."
Update: See the Fond du Lac Reporter coverage for updates.
Update: See the Fond du Lac Reporter coverage for updates.
I come from down in the valley
where mister, when you’re young,
they bring you to do
as your daddy done.
- Bruce Springsteen, The River
The vote happens today. And an American corporation, Mercury Marine (a division of Brunswick Corp.) has made clear it is prepared to unleash an economic hurricane on Wisconsin communities with no regret.
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is the focus of press coverage universally stating the 1,000s of jobs and millions of dollars depend on the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union vote today.
It's up to the union, they say with no mention of the deranged character of the Brunswick Corp.
Employee Free Choice Act Now
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 11:42am | mal contends
What’s the worth of an American’s work?
If you believe that America ought to resemble feudalistic serfdom—not very much.
But since the later part of the ninetieth century when workers began organizing with fellow workers during the industrial revolution, the social and economic value of work, its worth, has been acclaimed as a valuable commodity.
Yet many through history, including the contemporary GOP, persist in believing that America's labor is not worth all that much and have endlessly fought, often violently, against the attempts of Americans to organize to sell their labor product at a reasonable price.
As the late Sidney Lens, the great labor activist and historian, pointed out: Thousands of corpses and cracked skulls litter the battle to organize and sell American labor.
The pro-labor view, held in today's Democratic Party and organized labor, is that labor is sacred and ought to command a price sufficient to raise a family.
The right to organize to sell the American labor product was enshrined in the Wagner Act of 1935, singed into law by FDR.
Wrote FDR in his statement signing the Wagner Act:
If you believe that America ought to resemble feudalistic serfdom—not very much.
But since the later part of the ninetieth century when workers began organizing with fellow workers during the industrial revolution, the social and economic value of work, its worth, has been acclaimed as a valuable commodity.
Yet many through history, including the contemporary GOP, persist in believing that America's labor is not worth all that much and have endlessly fought, often violently, against the attempts of Americans to organize to sell their labor product at a reasonable price.
As the late Sidney Lens, the great labor activist and historian, pointed out: Thousands of corpses and cracked skulls litter the battle to organize and sell American labor.
The pro-labor view, held in today's Democratic Party and organized labor, is that labor is sacred and ought to command a price sufficient to raise a family.
The right to organize to sell the American labor product was enshrined in the Wagner Act of 1935, singed into law by FDR.
Wrote FDR in his statement signing the Wagner Act:
Kill the filibuster
Fri, 12/12/2008 - 8:19am | mal contends
Update III: History of the Filibuster and Cloture - Great for those who seem believe that we just cannot survive without this relic from the 1850s.
Update II: Thank you William Greider: Stop Senator No, Senate Dems should disable the rule that gives Mitch McConnell a virtual veto over anything he wants to kill. Advocating the filibuster defies reason.
Update: Bush is acting now, good for him.
The take-away from last night is: Kill the filibuster.
At this moment when a depression is facing the American people on the heels of two historic elections and Democrats' huge majorities in the House and Senate, are we going to let the antiquated filibuster halt needed legislation next session?
Southern Republican senators [Bush seems to be a non-actor] would throw the country into a depression to lower the wages of workers and break unions.
Obama Backs Labor Sit-In
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:36pm | GlobalGirl
Growing up and working in Wisconsin Rapids, I quickly developed an appreciation for blue collar labor, though I found some of my fellow workers’ social views not always enlightened.
But the respect for working people has of course stayed with me, often leading to anger at the genuine hostility that Republicans have for those Americans forced to sell their labor to indifferent and similarly hostile employers.
So, I was very eager to see what Obama’s reaction would be to the proposed bail out of the Big Three automakers that would save the jobs of millions of workers.
Obama’s stated intention to see these jobs saved either this year or next is gratifying.
Obama’s huge public works program recently outlined is also encouraging.
Union Busting Writ Large
Thu, 11/20/2008 - 8:24am | mal contends
As America enters what is feared to be a long and deep recession, one question is whether we save or let fade our auto industry.
The GOP has long been hostile to the auto industry's unions so any union-busting opportunity not used is a wasted opportunity, in their view: Let 'em crash, millions of jobs lost, so what?
House Republicans sitting in their fantasy world spouting free market bromides are capable of anything.
But does anyone believe that saving the millions of jobs that depend on the domestic auto industry is not in itself sufficient cause to act?
The new Congress and President will act, and Republicans as a Party opposing comprehensive measures will find themselves by the political wayside very quickly.
The economy will be geared toward establishing a middle class and raising families by this new administration.
Health care reform and the whole array of initiatives addressing the concerns of real people will become policy next year, and the Republicans will scream while they lose a generation or two of voters who will see the results.
Economic Forum Gets Wisconsin Unionists Ready for GOTV Mobilization
Tue, 07/08/2008 - 4:55pm | Anonymous
Cross-posted from the AFL-CIO Now Blog.
Sue Ledbetter, Labor 2008 state director for Wisconsin, reports on a labor council meeting inMilwaukee.
This month, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council’s monthly delegate meeting featured a special economic forum panel discussion introduced by council Secretary-Treasurer Sheila Cochran: “Wrong Directions for the Economy.”
I Think Colbert Should Tackle This One
Mon, 06/16/2008 - 4:24am | Outraged
The first thing that jumps out at you is Mr. Sherk's name. Is that "Sherk" as in "shirk responsibility"? Gee.. I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. James Sherk in an article at the Heritage Foundation wants to give employees "free choice in the workplace". Mr Sherk must be a really nice guy. According to Mr. Sherk:
"Private-sector union membership has fallen over the past generation as many workers have concluded that traditional unions do not meet their needs."
It must have been that revelation that employees had realizing that livable wages, good benefits and safe working conditions just weren't all they were cracked up to be. So apparently "employees" decided to just scrap the superfulous "add ons". And here I thought Reagan broke the unions during the air traffic controllers strike. He then claims that:
"In response, the labor movement is pushing the Employee Free Choice Act. Instead of taking away workers' right to vote on joining a union by secret ballot, Congress should restore employers' and employees' right to explore innovative labor–management relations."