North Carolina’s Union Movement

Turning election victories into policy progress

Our 2009 Legislative Conference will be held at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, 421 S. Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC on February 19-20, 2009. This conference is both an education forum and a lobbying opportunity for your membership.

At our 2009 Legislative Conference, we will discuss legislative issues in play at the state and national levels, including public employee bargaining and the Employee Free Choice Act. We also will meet with state legislators both at the legislature and again at the hotel during our legislative reception and banquet to talk about our 2009 Legislative Agenda.

Our experience is that the conference is not only interesting and educational for those who attend, but also that strong participation during the conference greatly impacts our image and our success in state legislative work. For information about hotel reservations, registration fees and schedules, download the conference flyer and the registration form.

Labor Councils across NC will be holding local legislative meetings ahead of our conference. Look for more info by mail, email, and on our web site, and find one near you.

Politics of Labor in post-election America

The Triangle Labor and Civil Rights Working Group (LCRWG) is pleased to announce our next meeting on “The Politics of Labor” on Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 pm at the NC State AFL-CIO, 1408 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC.

Please join us for an engaging discussion with the following speakers over drinks and light fare:

MaryBe McMillan, Secretary-Treasurer, NC State AFL-CIO, will speak on labor’s role in the election of Barack Obama and the Democratic sweep in North Carolina and across the nation. McMillan will also address the Employee Free Choice Act, a path-blazing bill restoring workers’ right to form unions free from employer threats and intimidation, which is labor’s top priority for Obama and the new Congress.

David Zonderman, Associate Professor of History, North Carolina State University, will speak on the history and present status of public sector unions in North Carolina, including the Hear Our Public Employee (HOPE) Coalition and its ongoing efforts to legalize collective bargaining for state, county, school, and municipal workers.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Orion Teal: orion.teal@duke.edu

About the working group

The LCRWG seeks to foster greater dialogue between activists and scholars on issues related to civil rights and labor in the Triangle and beyond. Past events have included film screenings, discussions of pre-circulated papers, multimedia presentations, and performances on topics as diverse as prison labor in North Carolina, the legacy of school desegregation, environmental racism, and labor organizing.

Our third year is off to a great start, and Spring 2009 promises to be equally engaging, informative, and fun, so please save the following dates:

• January 28, 2009 at 6:00 pm
  School Desegregation / Neighborhood Development with performance by Hidden Voices
  Love House, UNC Chapel Hill (map it)
• February 25, 2009 at 6:00 pm
  Urban Planning and Development in the Triangle
  Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University (map it)
• March 25, 2009 at 6:00 pm
  Latino/Immigrant Labor
  Love House, UNC Chapel Hill (map it)
• April 22, 2009 at 6:00 pm
  Film Screening and Discussion
  Love House, UNC Chapel Hill (map it)

Send an email to lcrwg@duke.edu for more information about the Triangle LCRWG.

Question:

What do these three public servants have in common?

Answer:

They are denied the same negotiation rights as employees
working in the private sector.

Virtual Lobby for H.O.P.E.

Take action and send a pre-written (but editable) letter to the House Appropriations Committee and to your NC House and Senate member. You will be asking them to support House Bill 1583 and the heroes who are asking for our respect.

Make your voice heard by firing off a letter to the House Appropriations Committee and to your NC House and Senate member in support of HB 1583.

June 11 is Public Employee Lobby Day

On the morning of June 11, 2008, supporters of public employees will gather at the General Assembly in Raleigh to lobby for HOPE. We will press for passage of House Bill 1583, which would restore contract rights for state and local government workers.

What: Lobby for HOPE and Collective Bargaining for Public Employees

When: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9 am, press conference at 11 am

Where: AFL-CIO members will meet outside the Legislature, 16 W Jones St, Raleigh at 9 am

Gov. Mike Easley has what he calls a “painless solution” to increase teacher salaries and fund mental healthcare: higher taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.

In his last budget proposal as governor, Easley would have lawmakers increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by an additional 20 cents to 55 cents total. The increase of cigarette taxes would pay to raise the average salary for teachers in our state up to the national average of $50,000 a year.

Higher taxes on cigarettes are bad news for NC tobacco workers already facing layoffs and plant closures as domestic production continues to decline.

Easley’s budget also calls for raising the tax on beer 4 cents a can, on wine 3 cents a bottle, and on liquor 4 percent. The governor’s budget would use these increases to fund changes in mental-health care reform.

While we support higher teacher pay and improvements in the mental health care system, we strongly oppose these proposed tax increases and are lobbying against them. Since this is an election year, many legislators appear reluctant to raise taxes. An article in the News & Observer calls the tax increases unlikely. We are hopeful that General Assembly will not vote to increase taxes on cigarettes and beer.

So-called ’sin taxes’ are regressive - falling disproportionately on lower-income workers - and are an unreliable and an ultimately diminishing source of revenue. Finding real solutions to below average teacher pay and our broken mental-health care system requires political leadership and the collective will of all North Carolinians - not just smokers, drinkers, and those who work in the tobacco and alcohol industries.

Democracy North Carolina, a nonpartisan elections reform organization, called for an investigation of an automated phone message that it says is designed to depress participation by black voters in North Carolina’s May primary.

The Lie: The “robo” calls are from a “Lamont Williams” and tell voters to wait for a voter registration form to come in the mail, which they need to complete and mail in - THEN they can vote on Tuesday. Listen to the call: http://www.democracy-nc.org/nc/spprncall.wav

The Truth: anyone not already registered who wants to vote in the NC Primary can go to any One-Stop Early Voting location through Saturday, May 3, register to vote on the spot, and cast a ballot.

It is a Class I felony in North Carolina “to misrepresent the law to the public through mass mailing or any other means of communication where the intent and the effect is to intimidate or discourage potential voters from exercising their lawful right to vote.”

Said Bob Hall, Executive Director for Democracy NC:

“This is another in a long line of deceptive practices used in North Carolina and elsewhere that particularly target African-American voters. In our view, this phone message plainly violates North Carolina law. We ask the Attorney General, State Bureau of Investigation, and the State Board of Elections to investigate, expose, and prosecute the sponsors of these calls.”

Voter Protection Hotlines

If you believe you or someone you know is the victim of voter intimidation or interference, call toll-free to 888-OUR-VOTE or 866-OUR-VOTE or the State Board of Elections hotline: 866-522-4723.

The state federation has developed a strategic plan that includes hands-on support for central labor councils, APRI and the Alliance for Retired Americans.

We have conducted two very successful trainings for Labor 2008 political coordinators. At the meetings in Charlotte and in Fayetteville, President Andrews and Secretary-Treasurer McMillan facilitated the discussion and got commitments from local leaders on a number of action points.

Special thanks to Southern Piedmont CLC president Will Cashion, Greater Sandhills CLC president Tony McKinnon and area labor leaders.

In addition to the regional political coordinator trainings, the North Carolina State AFL-CIO is sponsoring a one day training session on the national AFL-CIO economic education effort called “An Economy that Works for All.” This training is intended for political coordinators, legislative chairs and union staff who, after going through the training, will be able and willing to deliver the presentation to their local union and other unions in the area. This training session will take place at our state office on Thursday, Feb.28, 2008.

Also, to support Labor 2008 and other important programs, we are working to re-build central labor councils around the state. This work includes some financial assistance to staff some of the program work in each area.

Already we can report the Southeastern CLC in Wilmington is now re-building its membership base with the help of the North Carolina State AFL-CIO and has just elected new officers.

On February 9, thousands of activists, including hundreds of union members, rallied for a progressive legislative agenda, including justice for the Smithfield workers and collective bargaining for public employees. The rally and march were part of the second annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HK on J) event organized by the NC NAACP and over 80 partner organizations including the NC AFL-CIO.

During the rally at Chavis Park in Raleigh, participants heard rousing speeches from Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of the NC NAACP and other progressive activists including three speakers from labor:

• NC AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan speaking on a living wage,
• Alvin Vincent, Regional Director for UFCW speaking on justice for Smithfield workers, and
• Ashaki Binta of the HOPE Coalition speaking for collective bargaining rights for public employees.

After the rally, the crowd took to the streets and marched to Legislative Building to demand that our elected officials protect workers’ rights, provide affordable healthcare, educate all children, and address inequities in the criminal justice system.

Thanks to the many union members who came to HK on J including delegations from UFCW, USW, IBEW, UNITE HERE, IBT, and the Carpenters Union. Special thanks to Ricky McDowell and the UAW Civil Rights Council for bringing a busload of UAW members to the event. We will need the help of all union members during the upcoming legislative session to achieve collective bargaining and the other goals of the HK on J. Stay tuned on how you can help.

The Hear Our Public Employees Coalition, of which the State Fed is a charter member, is conducting a broad effort to gather signatures onto an open letter to members of the General Assembly, urging lawmakers to support repeal of the prohibition on public employee collective bargaining by supporting HB 1583.

The signature gathering effort is now online. Adding your name to the open letter can now be done with a couple clicks of the mouse. The sign-on form (https://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/8305) is linked from our web site.

To build support for passage of HB 1583, HOPE has set a goal of collecting 1,000 signatures onto an open letter to lawmakers. Both individuals and organizations can join this effort.

HOPE Coalition Seeks 1,000 Signatures for Letter to Lawmakers

When it comes to setting the conditions of their employment, union members know that only a collective bargaining agreement gives them a voice at work. North Carolina’s public employees, unfortunately, have no such protection. Since 1958, General Statue 95-98 has outlawed contracts between state, county and municipal governments and their employees.

As a core member of the Hear Our Public Employees Coalition, our State Federation has been part of the strongest push in recent memory for repeal of the law that prohibits collective bargaining agreements in North Carolina. A bill that would do just that, HB 1583, passed out of a Judiciary committee and is now in the Appropriations committee. It was the first occasion in memory that legislation on this issue has made it through a committee. Although the bill still faces a difficult path, it remains alive.

To build support for passage of HB 1583, HOPE has set a goal of collecting 1,000 signatures onto an open letter to lawmakers. Both individuals and organizations can join this effort.

We urge you to be a signer on the open letter to North Carolina legislators. Download the sign-on page, complete the form at the bottom, and return it to HOPE to add your signature. After you add your signature, ask your local union, friends, family, church or civic group to consider doing the same.

Public employees of state and local governments provide essential services to the citizens of North Carolina. Everyday these civil servants deliver for the people of our great state. Now we can return the favor by delivering for them our 1,000 signatures to the General Assembly. Sign on for collective bargaining rights, today!

Rally followed by march on the General Assembly

Last year in downtown Raleigh, thousands of people rallied and marched to reclaim our legislature as the People’s General Assembly at the first annual Historic (H) Thousands (K) on Jones St (J). Folks from all walks of life came out to support a 14 Point Agenda for change because they made the connection between workers’ rights, civil rights, human rights, and protecting our environment.

Plan now to build on that success from last year, to create a movement - not a moment, and gather with thousands of North Carolinians in support of a progressive agenda for our state. The second annual HKonJ will be held Saturday, February 9 at Chavis Park, 505 Martin Luther King Blvd., Raleigh beginning at 11 a.m., with a march to the State Legislative Building planned for 2 p.m.

Join your brothers and sisters in the labor movement and our faith and community allies if you believe

• Every worker deserves dignity and respect on the job, a safe and healthy workplace, and the freedom to organize without interference and intimidation.
• Everyone deserves decent health care.
• Every child deserves an excellent education.
• The environment should be protected.
• Racism should be challenged.

Download the flyer for this event.

Get on the Bus to H.K. on J.

Justice @ Smithfield and the UFCW have organized free bus transportation to and from Charlotte/Mt Holly, Greensboro, and Fayetteville/Lumberton areas. Contact Libby Manly emanly(at)ufcw.org or 919-491-2262 to reserve your seat today!

• Mt. Holly / Charlotte Bus
  • 6:45 AM Depart UAW Local 5285
    113 East Charlotte Ave, Mt. Holly
  • 7:40 AM Pick-up at Bass Pro at exit 49 off I-85
    8181 Concord Mills Blvd, Charlotte
  • 10:00 AM Arrive Chavis Park in Raleigh
• Greensboro Bus
  • 8:15 AM Depart New Light Baptist Church
    1105 Willow Road, Greensboro
  • 10:00 AM Arrive Chavis Park in Raleigh
• Lumberton / Fayetteville Bus
  • 7:45 AM Depart Lumberton’s Holiday Inn at Exit 22 off I-95
    101 Wintergreen St., Lumberton
  • 8:30 AM Pick-up at Fayetteville Holiday Inn at Exit 49 off I-95
    1944 Cedar Creek Rd., Fayetteville
  • 10:00 AM Arrive Chavis Park in Raleigh

All Buses will Depart at 2 PM from the NC General Assembly, 16 W. Jones St. in Raleigh.

Last week we told you about the veto by President Bush of the bill that would reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and expand its coverage to include 4 million more children of families that make too little to buy their own insurance.

This week we’ve launched a letter writing campaign through our web site so our members can join in the discussion of the Bush veto, which has sparked heated debate in local newspapers across our state and around the country.

The NC State AFL-CIO lobbied against funding the expansion of SCHIP on the backs of tobacco workers and their jobs through an increase in the federal tobacco excise tax. We lost that debate.

Even so, we believe that the reauthorization of SCHIP for the over 110,000 kids in NC who depend on it for their basic health care needs is too important not to support the legislation now before the Congress. Their health and the health of tens of thousands of other children still without coverage in our state depend on an override of Bush’s callous veto.

We urge those of you reading this e-mail to go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/schip_veto_letters/ and use the form to send your own letter to the editor in support of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

At the letter writing campaign web site, we’ve provided a list of talking points you can use to help get you started. Letters only have to be 250 words or less. When you provide your zip code, our system will pull up a list of local newspapers in circulation in your area. You can choose to send your letter to one or to all of them.

The veto of SCHIP renewal means 6.6 million children of low-income families will lose their health care when funding expires on November 16 unless the Congress acts quickly to override. An additional 4 million children from low-middle income families that would have gained coverage will continue to go without any health insurance.

It takes a two-thirds majority to override a veto, but the 265 to 159 House vote falls about 25 votes short of what is needed.

An override will almost certainly count on two North Carolina Democrats who voted against SCHIP renewal - Rep. Bob Etheridge of the 2nd Congressional District and Rep. Mike McIntyre of the 7th CD.

Each year the Carolinas Labor-Management Conference brings together labor and management in a relaxed learning environment to discuss topics of concern to us all. Attendees are able to spend time with others who handle similar problems and learn some best practices from employers and unions throughout North and South Carolina.

President James Andrews will join several other union leaders from North Carolina at the conference this year. For more information about the conference or to register, visit http://carolinaslmc.com/.

When: October 31 thru November 2, 2007

Where: Myrtle Beach, SC

In our Labor Day update, we told folks that President James Andrews and Crystal Lee Sutton aka “Norma Rae” would be interviewed on News and Views with Chris Fitzsimon. Both interviews are currently available online at NC Policy Watch.

• Listen to the interview with James Andrews on health care, wages, and collective bargaining.
• Listen to the interview with Crystal Lee Sutton on her life’s story, including the organizing drive made famous in 1979 by the movie “Norma Rae”.

The NC State AFL-CIO is an active supporter of voting rights, and in July of this year, we celebrated the passage of landmark election reform. House Bill 91 established “Same Day Registration” at all one-stop early voting sites. The law will allow citizens to show up at any early voting location, present proof of name and current address, register on-site and immediately cast a ballot.

Democracy NC has produced a simple, nonpartisan card - “Guide to Use Same-Day Registration & Voting” - with key information about Who, When, Where and How to use this new tool for citizen empowerment; it’s 1/3 of a page in size. If you or your organization would like to help distribute this guide, Democracy NC can provide these by the dozens, 100s or 1,000s. Contact Bob Hall for more information.

“Same Day Registration” is only available during the early voting period, and is not possible on Election Day. Citizens must still register 25 days in advance if they want to vote on Election Day itself.

Homeownership is part of the American Dream, but for many North Carolinians, that dream has become a nightmare as predatory lending practices in the subprime market result in increasing numbers of foreclosures. Last month, two new bills to prevent foreclosures in North Carolina became law. The bills - the North Carolina Home Loan Protection Act (HB1817), and Protect Homeowners Reduce Foreclosures (HB 1374) - are the result of efforts by the NC Coalition for Responsible Lending, of which the NC State AFL-CIO is a proud member.

HB 1374 Protect Homeowners – Reduce Foreclosures is designed to help North Carolina homeowners avoid foreclosure by making the foreclosure process clearer and by helping protect homeowners from abusive mortgage loan servicing. The legislation requires loan servicers to notify homeowners of any fees charged on the loan and provide a full accounting of how payments are handled and fees accessed. HB 1374 also makes the foreclosure process fairer by requiring servicers to give a detailed accounting of the sums claimed to be owed at foreclosure and by giving homeowners better information about their rights in the foreclosure process. Finally, the legislation reverses two recent NC Supreme Court decisions that made it harder for borrowers to sue for illegal lending practices.

HB 1817 NC Home Loan Protection Act protects borrowers during the underwriting and origination process by placing new requirements and restrictions on mortgage brokers and by reining in abusive and risky underwriting practices for rate spread loans. New protections for rate spread loans prohibit prepayment penalties and require documentation of ability to repay.

HB 1817’s major reforms:

• Creates a new class of loans called “rate spread loans”, which follow a federal definition of subprime loans based on the APR (currently about 8%). New protections apply to these “rate spread loans”:
  • No prepayment penalties
  • Lender must ensure that the borrower can afford to repay the loan, considering the fully indexed rate, not the initial teaser rate.
  • Lender must document the borrower’s income (no more “stated doc” loans)
• Amends the 1999 NC Predatory Lending Law by including yield spread premiums (broker kickbacks) in the points and fees test for high cost loans. If a loan is determined to be a high cost loan, a number of other additional protections apply.
• Amends the 2001 NC Mortgage Broker Licensing Law by strengthening broker duties. Most importantly, it removed the loophole in the duty of brokers to provide borrowers “a reasonably advantageous loan”. Previously, this duty was limited in that it was based on loans from lenders that the broker regularly did business with. This loophole allowed brokers who only dealt with subprime lenders to put borrowers in more expensive loans even when the borrower qualified for prime rates. The new language requires that brokers ensure that the loan make a modicum of sense for the borrower.
• Gives the NC Commissioner of Banks to authority to ban practices found to be unfair, deceptive, designed to evade state law, or not in the best interest of the borrowing public.

In short, the new law requires lenders to return to common-sense underwriting practices.

“Democracy has won a fresh vote of confidence in North Carolina” begins the News & Observer’s July 14 editorial on the passage by the General Assembly of a bill to allow on-site registration at all early-voting places in our state.

Indeed, the legislation, which is now headed to Gov. Easley for his signature, is a landmark victory for voting rights in the South.

North Carolinians will no longer have to register 25 days prior to Election Day in order to cast their ballots, if they take advantage of the two and a half week period allotted for voting early. Residents can go to any one-stop early voting site, present proof of residence, register to vote and immediately cast their ballot.

Read a letter from the State Board of Elections describing same-day registration. See how your Representatives voted.

Thanks to the many of our e-activist members who sent letters to their legislators.

The NC House of Representatives has taken the first step towards enacting a 5 percent refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by including it in their Budget Bill. The House Finance committee defeated an amendment offered by Rep. Daughtridge to would make the EITC non-refundable on a party-line vote. Such an amendment is likely to return when the Budget Bill makes it to the House floor.

The time has come to take action to show lawmakers in Raleigh that there is broad public support for a refundable state EITC. Send your message today!

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For many years, farmworkers have been dying in North Carolina’s fields. Farmworkers have died from heat-related deaths and in transportation-related accidents on their way to work. Children with severe birth defects have been born to AgMart workers who were illegally exposed to pesticides in fields of North Carolina and Florida. In addition, workers are often denied water and breaks in the fields, suffer pesticide poisonings, yet have no sick days or easy access to health care. Workers are often fearful of speaking out when such abuses occur and there has been little outcry from the public when such tragedies do occur.

Join us for prayer vigil and press conference at Nash Square Park, Raleigh to commemorate the dead and call for reform of the agricultural system.

Where: Nash Square Park, 200 South McDowell Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 (across from the Justice Center)

When: Wednesday, March 7, 11:00 AM to 12 noon

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