North Carolina’s Union Movement

“Angel Tree” list for striking members

Having been on strike since July 20, 2008, the many union members of Machinist Lodge W369 in Moncure, NC aren’t expecting to have a Merry Christmas or Happy New Year.

We wanted to give our readers and members from across the state an opportunity to help. The NC A. Philip Randolph Institute (NC APRI) has collected the wishes of workers walking the picket lines, and we have compiled them here for viewing.

Some wishes are for toys for children or gifts for spouses. Many wishes are for money to help pay basic expenses like transportation and shelter or gift cards to buy food.

If you would be interested in adopting a striker for the Holidays, contact the NC APRI at ncapri@earthlink.net and leave your name and phone number and who you would like to adopt.

For more information, contact business agent Melvin Montford at (901) 619-1987.

Rally planned for Saturday, Dec. 20

The strike at Moncure Plywood enter its sixth month on Saturday. The stakes for workers who have been out on the picket line since July have never been higher. The company is intent on using the strike to break the union rather than come to an agreement.

We cannot let that happen. Join us to rally support for the human rights of Moncure Plywood workers, members of IAMAW Local Lodge W369. You can bring your wish list gifts to the rally.

What: Rally to support striking workers

When: Saturday, December 20, 2008 at 12 noon

Where: Court House Circle at intersection of NC-64 and US-15/501 in downtown Pittsboro, NC (map it)

VIDEO: Interview with James Andrews, David Zonderman

Jessica Cervantez of News 14 Carolina interviewed State Fed president James Andrews for a story about the work of the AFL-CIO in North Carolina and the recent victory at Smithfield Foods in Tar Heel.

“It’s a great victory for the workers there at Smithfield. For more than 16 years, they have tried to form a union. [The company] decided to allow workers to vote in a fair and free process and that led to this victory.” — News 14, 12/12/08

Cervantez also interviewed David Zonderman, a professor at NC State University and member of the Hear Our Public Employees coalition, about the reasons for low union density in the southeast - including right-to-work (for less) laws and the ban on public sector bargaining.

Zonderman also raises the reasons employers generally oppose organizing - power and keeping wages low:

“To a certain extent, that is one of the goals of unions is to get people living wage. But what we have to remember is when people make that wage they also often spend that money,” Zonderman said. “So union wage in some ways is actually good for an economy.” — News 14, 12/12/08

The decline in bargaining power for middle class workers since the 1980s corresponds with declining wages despite huge gains in worker productivity. Profits that should have been shared in wage increases were taken by executives and shareholders. Meanwhile exploding costs for health care, food, housing and transportation have put the squeeze on consumers’ buying power, and our economy suffers the consequences.

You can read the article and watch the video online.

Supporters of justice marched on company share holders meeting in 2007.

Workers vote to join UFCW

After 16 long years, workers at the world’s largest meat processing plant will finally get their union.

Last night, the company announced the results of an NLRB supervised election—2,041 ’Yes’ votes for UFCW to 1,879 ‘No’ votes.

Organizing at the Bladen County plant began almost as soon as it opened in 1992. After two failed election attempts in 1994 and 1997, in which the company was found to have repeatedly broken the law, the union launched the Justice @ Smithfield campaign to raise public awareness about abuses at the plant.

Victory came after the company and union settled a lawsuit earlier this year which paved the way for a fair election process. The Tar Heel, NC plant now joins the majority of Smithfield operations where a union is already recognized.

From the UFCW press release:

“When workers have a fair process, they choose a voice on the job,” said UFCW Director of Organizing Pat O’Neill. “This is a great victory for the Tar Heel workers. I know they are looking forward to sitting down at the bargaining table with Smithfield to negotiate a contract. The UFCW has constructive union contracts with Smithfield plants around the country. Those union contracts benefit workers, the company and the community. We believe the workers here in Tar Heel can achieve a similar agreement.”

Ronnie Ann Simmons, a veteran of 13 years at the plant said, “We are thrilled. This moment has been a long time coming. We stuck together, and now we have a say on the job.”

Workers at 26 Smithfield-owned facilities around the country already have UFCW representation.

Company spokesman Dennis Pittman, who announced the results, told the News & Observer the election was conducted fairly, adding, “We respect the employees’ decision and look forward to working together.”

Workers have voted to have a voice on the job, and we hope the company will stand by its commitment to respect what they have to say and negotiate in good faith with the union on a first-contract.

The NC State AFL-CIO has for many years now stood in solidarity with the workers at Smithfield Packing, and we will continue to do so.

Congratulations to the new union members at Smithfield Packing in Tar Heel, NC. Your courage and determination to form your union is an inspiration to the entire labor movement. Congratulations also to the UFCW, which never gave up on what has been a very long campaign.

Rally for workers at Moncure Plywood

The strike at Moncure Plywood is about to enter its sixth month. The stakes for workers who have been out on the picket line since July have never been higher. The company is intent on using the strike to break the union rather than come to an agreement.

We cannot let that happen. Join us to rally support for the human rights of Moncure Plywood workers, members of IAMAW Local Lodge W369.

What: Rally to support striking workers

When: Saturday, December 20, 2008 at 12 noon

Where: Court House Circle at intersection of NC-64 and US-15/501 in downtown Pittsboro, NC (map it)

Call the company, let them know you’re watching

Community support is needed to demand Atlas Holdings (www.atlasholdingsllc.com), the company that owns Moncure Plywood, respect the human rights of its workers.

The company thinks no one outside the union cares about what it’s doing to its workers in Moncure. You can tell them otherwise.

Use the contact information below to send a message:

I am contacting you to demand your company treat the workers in Moncure with dignity and respect. You should bargain in good faith with their union and return IAM members to work.

Media focus on Employee Free Choice Act

Cullen Browder of CBS affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, NC interviewed state fed president James Andrews as part of a piece about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). You can watch the video online.

Business groups opposed to EFCA are rolling out the same arguments they used in the 1930s to try to defeat passage of the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees workers’ right to form unions. But as James points out - not unlike then - our economy is in the mess it is precisely because business was allowed to do whatever it wanted.

Empowering workers to form unions free of employer intimidation and abuse - which EFCA will do - is exactly what’s needed to restore balance to our economy and grow our middle class again.

Spread the word in your newsletter

Download a sample newsletter article you can use in your own publications to spread the word about why we need the Employee Free Choice Act.

Misinformation abounds

The debate about whether the Congress should make available a bridge loan for the U.S. auto industry has been muddled by misinformation about the impact of the UAW’s contracts on the viability of Ford, GM, and Chrysler.

We are here to set the record straight.

The UAW has released The Truth about UAW Members and the U.S. Auto Industry, a detailed, point-by-point answer to several questions being asked in the media and in the Congress, including:

• Are UAW members really paid $73 an hour?
  No. This inaccurate and outdated figure includes the costs of pensions and health care benefits of retired employees spread out over the active workers; active workers never receive any of this compensation in any form. UAW wages start at $14 for new hires and go up to $33 for skilled trade workers.
• Do labor costs make up the majority of the cost of producing a vehicle?
  No. Only 10% is labor; the remaining 90% includes research and development, parts, advertising, marketing and management overhead.
• Do union work rules make domestic companies less efficient than their non-union competitors?
  No. In fact, nine of the ten most efficient auto assembly plants in North America are union plants.

Got the Facts? Make the Call to Congress!

Wall Street’s failures now threaten to bring down an entire industry - domestic automakers - that are suffering the consequences of the credit crisis. Three million jobs - many of them belonging to our brothers and sisters in the United Autoworkers - hang in the balance. In North Carolina alone, the collapse of the auto industry could cost 84,890 jobs.

Now is not the time to deny a bridge loan to the domestic automakers in order to push an anti-union agenda, which would punish generations of hard workers. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler certainly shouldn’t get a free ride on the tax payer’s dollar. That is why Democratic Congressional leaders are demanding automakers demonstrate their viability and accountability before taking action. But doing nothing is not an option.

Please call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (877) 331-1223 and ask to speak with your member of Congress and both our U.S. Senators, Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr.

Tell them:

Congress must act in December to avoid the terrible consequences that would result from a collapse of the domestic automakers. It must pass legislation providing an emergency bridge loan to enable the domestic auto companies to continue their operations. At the same time, it should include requirements that will protect the taxpayers, and ensure the accountability and long term viability of the domestic auto companies.

Our brothers and sisters in the United Auto Workers would greatly appreciate your making this call today!

Join human rights organizers and social justice activists, students, youth, faith leaders, workers and union leaders in Durham, North Carolina for the seventh Southern Human Rights Organizers Conference (SHROC)

SHROC 7 will be held from December 12-14, 2008 at the Radisson Hotel Research Triangle Park, 150 Park Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

Registration is open through the start of the conference. There is a registration fee, but no one who wants to attend will be turned away because they cannot afford to register.

Issues that will be discussed at SHROC 7 include:

• Post-Katrina Human Rights Issues
• Immigrants Rights
• Slave Plantation Workplaces
• Environmental Justice
• Hate Crimes
• The War in Iraq
• Women’s Rights as Human Rights
• Voting Rights and Felony Disenfranchisement
• Global Lock-out of the Working Poor
• Death Penalty & Racism in the Criminal Justice System
• Juvenile Justice

For more information, including details about how to register to attend SHROC 7, download the conference brochure.

Workers at Moncure Plywood, members of IAMAW Lodge W369, have been on strike since July 20, when the company gave a take-it-or-leave-it final contract offer.

Workers have rejected the company’s demand for 60-hour work weeks, undermining seniority rights, increasing health insurance premiums by over 300 percent, and giving fewer holidays off.

The company has used fear, racism and favoritism to try to pit workers against each other. In September, union members found a noose hanging just inside the plant gate, near where they walk the picket line.

You can help strikers win a fair contract

Four months is a long time for anyone to be out on strike, but it only gets harder to be out of work this time of year, with Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching.

Show solidarity with the union members at Moncure Plywood. The local union needs supporters to walk the picket line and financial assistance to back the striking workers.

The plant is located at 306 Corinth Rd, Moncure, NC in Chatham County - about a 30 minute drive south-west from Raleigh.

You can make a contribution by sending a check to:

IAMAW Local Lodge W369
P.O. Box 318
Moncure, NC 27559

Contact Melvin Montford (901) 619-1987 or IAM W369 President Lewis Cameron (919) 770-5836 for more information.

What you need to know:

Time: Polls open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm.

Place: Use the State Board of Election’s precinct locator to find your polling place.

Registration: You must be registered as of October 10, 2008 in order to vote. The best thing to do is check your registration before going to the polls.

Provisional Ballots: Under the law, voters must receive provisional ballots when their names do not appear on voting rosters when they go to vote. If that happens to you, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot! If a poll worker tries to turn you away, demand to cast a provisional ballot. Do not leave the polls without voting!

Stay in Line: We cannot stress this enough - STAY IN LINE! Expect record turnout and long lines, so be prepared to wait. If you’re in line at 7:30 pm, you have the right to cast a ballot, no matter how long the line ahead of you is.

The Weather: Forecasts predict rain in much of the state, today. Be prepared for precipitation by bringing a coat, poncho, or umbrella.

Clothing: Contrary to popular rumor, a voter who is wearing a political cap, T-shirt, or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal matter.

Ballot Reminders: You have to vote for President separately. Voting for president should be the first thing you do when you receive your ballot. Straight-party-ticket voting DOES NOT INCLUDE PRESIDENT!

After you vote for president, you can vote a split ticket by:

1. Selecting the party as if you were voting a straight ticket and then selecting any candidate you wish to vote for of a different party; or
2. Not marking the party and selecting each candidate, one at a time, in each race you wish to vote for.

Judicial races are non-partisan and are thus excluded from a straight party ticket. They must be voted for separately!

Who to Call for Help: If you feel like you are mistreated when you vote, contact the national Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, Democracy North Carolina at 1-888-OUR-VOTE or call the State Board of Elections at 1-866-522-4723.

Sen. John McCain continues to trot out his favorite political prop and substitute for actually addressing the concerns of middle class voters - Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher.

It turns out at Wurzelbacher isn’t even a licensed plumber, makes far less than $250 thousand, and is a member of a non-union trade group that has endorsed John McCain.

We’d like to introduce you to some real, licensed and trained professional Plumber Joes:

• Joe “the Plumber” Vicena, UA Local 75
• Joe “the Plumber” Martinez, UA Local 3
• Joe “the Plumber” Tatum, UA Local 10
• Joe “the Plumber” Gutzwiller, UA Local 440

The Associated Press and News & Observer are reporting that the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and Smithfield foods have reached a settlement in the company’s lawsuit to end the union’s community outreach campaign, Justice @ Smithfield.

Election agreed to for Tar Heel plant

Since the Tar Heel plant opened in 1992, the UFCW has tried to organize workers in two elections - in 1994 and 1997. As part of the settlement, the union and company have agreed to a third election, likely to be held later this year.

For more information, read the about the settlement and the upcoming election.

In a stunning dose of straight-talk to CNN, senior McCain campaign economic policy advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin admits employer-based coverage is superior than anything you could buy for yourself with McCain’s $5,000 tax credit:

“What [workers] are getting from their employer is way better than what they could get with the credit.”

There’s more from the AFL-CIO Blog:

As Newsweek economics correspondent Jane Bryant Quinn points out, a $5,000 tax credit in the McCain plan falls far short of the cost to replace most workers’ employer-provided coverage, especially for older workers who could face annual premium costs of $12,000 or more.

Just yesterday we told readers about new reports that show McCain’s health plan would cost 608,559 North Carolina residents their coverage - leaving them to find individual insurance on the private market.

Would veto “in a New York minute”

Today, speaking to CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, McCain made clear once again his anti-worker, anti-union outlook:

I will do everything in my power to block such legislation. And imagine, Sen. Obama and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid pushing the union agenda, it would be very, very, very unfortunate.

From the AFL-CIO Blog:

Let’s see. Along with the freedom to form unions, what other “very, very, very unfortunate” items are on the “union agenda“?

There’s quality, affordable health care for all and we can’t forget good jobs with good wages.

Then there’s retirement security and quality public education and affordable higher education.

How about fair trade agreements that don’t ship U.S. jobs overseas and trade agreements that protect workers’ rights and the environment?

Who exactly does John McCain think will find this agenda so unfortunate?

Local 5287 defeats decertification by wide margin

With so much time and energy focused on our campaign to Turn Around America, there’s important news on the solidarity front in North Carolina’s union movement.

Good news from High Point - workers at Thomas Built Buses voted overwhelmingly to keep their union, defeating a decertification campaign launched by National Right to Work - 67 percent to 33 percent.

UAW has the full story on its web site.

National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka spoke the truth at the national Steelworkers convention earlier this summer, saying there’s only one bad reason to vote in this election - a candidate’s skin color.

With so much at stake for workers and working families, the American Federation of Government Employees isn’t taking anything for granted either.

Listen to the new radio ad that is now airing on stations nationwide. Read the transcript below:

“I’m a union member. My name is John Gage. I’m old enough to appreciate the union movement’s contributions to civil rights, and I’m white enough to pick up on the code words of prejudice.

“In this economic crisis, every American worker should be hopping mad. Working families have been left behind like never before. Gender bias, racism, they’re not free. They have a cost, because the real issues - Wall Street, health care, jobs, Iraq, gas prices, Social Security - have serious financial consequences for all of us.

“But I’m optimistic. As union members, as Americans, we will get beyond gender bias and racism and get down to the real issues. We built the middle class, and we’re not giving it up.

“There are a hundred good reasons for how you vote this year and only one bad reason - prejudice. Let’s talk about the real issues.” — John Gage, AFGE President

Senator’s contempt for murdered unionists in Columbia caught on video

At the final presidential debate, Sen. John McCain, a self-proclaimed free-trader, asked Sen. Barack Obama why he won’t support the Columbia “Free” Trade Agreement.

Sen. Obama responded, correctly, that there’s a history in Columbia of labor leaders being targeted for assassination without prosecution by the Columbian government.

McCain’s reaction to his opponent’s response is telling - he rolled his eyes. You have to see it to believe it (click the picture to watch the clip)

Strike enters third month

The workers voted overwhelmingly to strike on July 20 after bosses gave a take-it-or-leave-it final contract offer that would mandate 60-hour work weeks, weaken the seniority clause in a way that could lend itself to favoritism, discrimination and racism, increase health insurance premiums by over 300 percent, and give fewer holidays off. Workers also raised concerns about unfair labor practices and safety violations.

Now is the time for us to show our solidarity with the union members at Moncure Plywood. Local Lodge W369 is asking for our help, including supporters to walk the picket line. The plant is located at 306 Corinth Rd, Moncure, NC in Chatham County - about a 30 minute drive south-west from Raleigh.

The striking Moncure workers also need our financial support. You can make a contribution by sending a check to:

IAMAW Local Lodge W369
P.O. Box 318
Moncure, NC 27559

For More Information Contact: Melvin Montford (901) 619-1967 or IAM W369 President Lewis Cameron (919) 770-5836

You are invited to participate in building a meaningful and enduring unity between African-American and Latino people. Faith, labor and the North Carolina community have joined together to call for a Major Black/Brown Conference on October 3-4 at Genesis Baptist Church, 2812 E. Bessemer Avenue, Greensboro, NC.

Regular registration for the conference is $30.00 and it includes three meals and attendance at all conference activities. The fee for students/youth and those who cannot afford to pay full registration is $5.00. There will also be on-site registration. For more information, please call the Beloved Community Center at (336) 230-0001 or visit the website at www.belovedcommunitycenter.org.

Gloria Craven of Eden, NC spoke Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO.

Gloria, a member of UNITE HERE, and her husband lost their jobs as textile workers when Pillowtex closed its doors in 2003. She had worked at the plant for 30 years when the company shipped her job overseas with no notice and no severance pay.

After going to community college using Trade Adjustment Assistance, Gloria encountered work-related medical problems. Now the bad economy, rising prices and lack of health insurance have left her and her husband in tough times.

In her speech to the DNC, Gloria said she’s ready for a government that will look out for people like her. Watch the clip.

Gloria Craven introduced Sen. Obama at last week’s Town Hall Meeting in Raleigh. North Carolina Public Radio WUNC did a great piece on her for that event, “Introducing Obama“.  The News & Observer also covered it in an article, “Former Pillowtex worker introduces Obama“.

Community Support Needed to Win Justice

Workers at the Moncure Plywood factory in Chatham County are under attack by their bosses and were forced out on strike. Now they need the support of our community.

What: Rally to support Moncure Plywood Workers
When: Tuesday, August 26th, 5:30pm
Where: downtown Pittsboro, NC

Download the community outreach flyer, available in both english and spanish.

The workers voted overwhelmingly to strike on July 20 after bosses gave a take-it-or-leave-it final contract offer that would mandate 60-hour work weeks, weaken the seniority clause in a way that could lend itself to favoritism, discrimination and racism, increase health insurance premiums by over 300 percent, and give fewer holidays off. Workers also raised concerns about unfair labor practices and safety violations.

The striking Moncure Plywood workers in Chatham County are organized in the union IAM local W369.

“With a 60-hour mandatory clause, they could work people seven consecutive days for weeks without a day off,” said Melvin Montford, IAMAW business representative, to a reporter with the News & Observer. “Even the slaves got off on Sunday.”

IAM local W369 President, Lewis Cameron expressed concern that community members may think they were striking just to get more money, although well deserved, he reiterated, “we are just trying to secure our rights to a decent job and to work with dignity.”

Unsafe Working Conditions

Last year the company was fined $37,000 for safety violations. Some wood cutting machines had no guards leading to one worker losing his thumb. There were holes in the concrete and water on the floor around dangerous machines. The plant was also found to have too much dust, a similar condition that contributed to the death of 25 workers in a fire at Imperial Chicken plant in Hamlet, NC in 1991.

There have been seven serious injuries in the past year and two workers were out of work for operations from repetitive motion injuries. Many workers are also forced to work when they are sick.

Bosses Using Racism to Divide Workers

In a plant that was 60% African American and 30% Latin@ before the strike, there was only one African American supervisor. Three African American supervisors were fired two years ago with little reasoning.

Bosses had told Latin@ workers that if they joined the union, they would be fired. The first time the bosses published any literature in Spanish, was just before the strike to tell lies about the union.

Since the strike, bosses have stated that they would not hire any more Black workers. In an atmosphere of anti-immigrant hysteria whipped up by the media to demonize immigrant workers and increased raids by armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on work sites hiring many Latin@ workers, it is understandable how easy it is for bosses to intimidate immigrant workers and make them fearful of joining the union.

The bosses are using this to hold back all workers – Black, Latino and white! We must unite to overcome this racist attack.

Solidarity Support Needed

Now is the time for us to show our solidarity with the union members at Moncure Plywood. Local Lodge W369 is asking for our help, including water, food, and supporters to walk the picket line. The plant is located at 306 Corinth Rd, Moncure, NC in Chatham County - about a 30 minute drive south-west from Raleigh.

The striking Moncure workers also need our financial support. You can make a contribution by sending a check to:

IAMAW Local Lodge W369
P.O. Box 318
Moncure, NC 27559

For More Information Contact: Melvin Montford (901) 619-1967 or IAM W369 President Lewis Cameron (919) 770-5836

Visit our photostream for pictures from the strike line .