North Carolina’s Union Movement

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  No. This inaccurate and outdated figure includes the costs of pensions and health care benefits of retired employees spread out over the active workers; active workers never receive any of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.

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.

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

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 .

Chamber of Commerce Members Rally for Greed

On Tuesday, August 19, over 150 union members and supporters converged on Hickory, NC to tell the truth about the Employee Free Choice Act.

Visit our photostream for pictures of the event. Did you take pictures? Send them to us.

The legislation would reform America’s broken union election system. It has passed the US House of Representatives earlier this year but stalled in the Senate due to a filibuster.

Several workers spoke in a roundtable discussion about the Employee Free Choice Act and the importance of unions, especially during tough economic times.

“A union card is the best opportunity for workers to get ahead and join the middle class,“ said Jim Davis, an Embarq employee, and President of CWA Local 3672 in Hickory.

“It’s a shame that now - when workers need help the most - that some CEOs and politicians don’t support workers’ freedom to bargain for better wages and benefits.” –Jim Davis

Small business owner Jim Logan of American Income Life in Charlotte spoke in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act:

“I can’t think of one good reason to oppose a union. Collective bargaining agreement benefits a highly trained and productive team. I can solve problems collectively, rather than dealing with everyone individually. It’s never hampered my business or ability to make a profit.” –Jim Logan

North Carolina workers are standing up for their rights. Now it’s time for Congress and the President to stand with them.

“For too long, workers who wanted union representation have been threatened for exercising their rights. The Employee Free Choice Act takes that power away from corporate America and lets workers freely choose whether and how they want to form a union.” –MaryBe McMillan

The Hickory Daily Record covered our event and the Chamber’s “Business vs. Labor” event. Channel 9 in Charlotte also interviewed UAW Local 5285 President Bob Riggins, who was part of a large group that stopped by the anti-union event before joining ours.

AFL-CIO Now, the national AFL-CIO’s blog also wrote a story about our event.

By electing a worker-friendly president and a worker-friendly, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, we can ensure fairness for all American workers.

Sen. Barack Obama is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act in the Senate, while his Republican opponent for president, John McCain, opposes the bill.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Wal-Mart has taken its campaign against unions to a whole new level - holding mandatory meetings for employees to warn them against voting for Sen. Barack Obama or any Democrat in November.

The WSJ quotes a customer-service supervisor who was forced to attend one of the meetings:

“The meeting leader said, ‘I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won’t have a vote on whether you want a union.’ I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote,” she said.

Why, you may be asking, does Wal-Mart care so much about which party their employees vote for on Election Day?

Because Sen. Obama is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), legislation that would replace our broken system of NLRB elections with majority signup, impose stiff penalties on employers that violate the law, and force companies like Comcast, Cintas, and Verizon into binding mediation if they refused to agree to a first contract.

Sen. John McCain is on record opposing EFCA, having voted with most of his Republican colleagues in the Senate - with the support of President Bush - to fillibuster the bill earlier this year.

Take your Tax-Free shopping elsewhere this weekend

North Carolinians will enjoy a holiday on the state sales tax this weekend. Many will be shopping for back-to-school clothing, supplies, and electronics - most of it tax-free.

Major retailers like Wal-Mart are counting on your business during the tax-free holiday, but Wal-Mart has yet again shown nothing but contempt for your union labor.

Wal-Mart Watch has setup a petition here where you can send a message to Wal-Mart to stop intimidating its workers. Even better, however, is taking your dollars elsewhere this weekend and beyond.

Every dollar you spend at Wal-Mart is used to pay for mandatory meetings - like the ones exposed today in the WSJ - and other efforts to undermine workers’ rights and defeat legislation vital to restoring our bargaining power in the United States.

Wal-Mart says, “Don’t vote for Democrats because they’ll vote for workers.”

We say don’t vote for Wal-Mart by taking your union secured paycheck somewhere - anywhere - else.

Union workers at Moncure Plywood in Chatham County are on strike. The wood workers are members of IAMAW Local Lodge W369. Lewis Cameron, the local president, has worked at the plant for 35 years.

Check our photostream for pictures from the strike line.

“They treat us like dogs,” Cameron said of Wood Resources, the company that bought the plant, which produces hardwood plywood used in upholstered furniture, from Weyerhaeuser in December 2004. Management’s relationship with the union and working conditions in the plant have since deteriorated.

“They have stripped us of our dignity,” Cameron added in a statement to the Sanford Herald.

Picketing outside the plant began on Sunday at 9 p.m., and 90 percent of the 206 workers in the bargaining unit have refused to cross picket lines.

The strike came after the union rejected the company’s last take-it-or-leave-it offer. Workers are protesting hikes in their insurance premiums, the company’s hiring of temporary workers, the elimination of seniority rights, and - unbelievably - a mandatory 60-hour work week.

“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.”

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 southwest from Raleigh.

On August 19, the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce with the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host a rally in Hickory to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act and other pro-worker legislation.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Reps. Virginia Foxx, Patrick McHenry, Sue Myrick, and Robin Hayes will attend the Chamber’s rally and speak out against legislation to protect workers’ rights.

Don’t Let Them Have the Last Word

Please make plans to attend an important event to respond to the Chamber’s attack on workers’ rights. Download the flyer for our event.

What: Workers’ Roundtable to Speak Out in Favor of the Employee Free Choice Act

When: Tuesday, August 19 at 10 a.m.

Where: Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, 1946 13th Avenue Dr, SE, Hickory, NC

Please contact the North Carolina State AFL-CIO and let us know how many members will attend from your local: info@aflcionc.org or 919-833-6678.

The men and women who served our country in the military deserve more than lip service. They deserve the best.

Some 2.1 million union members, or 14 percent of all union members, are veterans of military service. The AFL-CIO is bringing together union leaders and members who are veterans to speak out to and hold government officials and candidates accountable to the needs of our returning heroes—not only for Labor 2008, but beyond. The newly formed Union Veterans Council will see to it.

Watch the video of Jim Wasser, Vietnam Combat Veteran, US Navy.

The Western North Carolina Central Labor Council hosted the first Union Veterans Council event in our state on Monday, July 14, 2008. The event drew television coverage which further spread the word on the formation of a Veterans Council.The Greater Sandhills CLC held its own Union Veterans Council meeting this past Tuesday, July 15, 2008. Check our photostream for pictures from each event.Veterans will play a large role in the upcoming election and beyond, and the Veterans Council will be a conduit for their voices to be heard.

At both events, union veterans shared experiences, talked about their service to their country, and discussed the voting records of both candidates for President of the United States.

Union Veterans deserve the best from the country in which they served and continue to serve. They pledge to make their voices heard in the upcoming elections and from this day forward through the Union Veterans Council.

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

In December we alerted our members about a bill introduced in the Congress to extend to Flight Attendants the protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

On Tuesday the U.S. House of Representatives voted by a wide margin - 402 to 9 - to pass the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, H.R. 2744.

The bill now moves to the Senate where our own Sen. Elizabeth Dole has yet to sign on to this important pro-family legislation.

FMLA was intended to provide all flight attendants, like other full-time employees, with the ability to take time off from work to take care of family members facing serious illness. However, employers and the courts have narrowly defined the “full-time” requirement of FMLA to mean the traditional 40 hour work week. Since airlines choose not to give flight attendants credit for their time between trips, even those on the same day of work, it can be difficult if not impossible for them to meet the annual threshold of 1,250 hours.

“For years, AFA-CWA has had to negotiate flight attendants’ right to have access to this important coverage that millions of Americans are automatically guaranteed. This important bill finally brings fairness and equity to the thousands of unique individuals who provide an essential service to our nation,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA President in a press release.

Call NC Senator Elizabeth Dole 202-224-6342

A Senate version of the bill, S. 2059, introduced by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), has 26 bipartisan cosponsors. Sen. Dole is not one of them. You can help flight attendants gain FMLA protection by urging her to become a cosponsor of S. 2059.

Every North Carolinian is a constituent of Senator Elizabeth Dole, and she needs to hear from all of us that Senate Bill 2059 is a priority for working families.

Here’s a sample phone script:

My name is ___________ and I am calling as a voter in your state [and a flight attendant]. I am asking that the Senator co-sponsor S. 2059, The Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act.

Senate Bill 2059 is important pro-family legislation. This bill is a priority for all flight crew members, and it’s a priority for me. I would really appreciate the Senator’s support of S. 2059.

The North Carolina State AFL-CIO stands in strong support of the Flight Attendants of AFA-CWA Local 89 in their bid to gain the same protections under FMLA that other working families depend on in times of crisis. Please show your support for them by calling Sen. Dole, today!

The peaceful protest of students at UNC Chapel Hill engaged in a sit-in outside Chancellor Moeser’s office to demand an end to university apparel being made in sweatshops itself ended when the Chancellor ordered their arrest.

The Chancellor’s order to arrest the students came on day 16 of the sit-in and only hours after NC AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan appeared and spoke in solidarity with the students at a rally outside the South Building.

In a statement posted on its web site, UNC Sweatfree responded to the arrests:

“Chancellor Moeser characterized our actions as illegal, demonstrated by his order to arrest us– but let us ask, which is more criminal, taking a stand for the human rights of workers by peacefully occupying an office of a public institution that our tuition pays for, or allowing our Carolina apparel to be made under sweatshop conditions that violate international and domestic law?

“The sit-in ends with our arrests; but the campaign for justice for all workers will continue.”

UNC Chapel Hill makes considerable profits from the sale of apparel branded with its name and logo - apparel stiched with abuse of workers toiling in sweatshops. Arresting students that rightly take a stand against such injustices through peaceful, civil disobedience is an outrage. Such a heavy handed response may be typical of the authorities in countries where UNC-CH apparel is made, but it has no place at the flagship institution for higher education in North Carolina.

The NC State AFL-CIO calls on Chancellor Moeser and others in the administration of the University of North Carolina to immediately drop all charges against the students and adopt the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP) so that students, faculty and Tar Heel fans everywhere can wear UNC apparel with pride.

Few people in the United States know that May 1, 2008 is a holiday - International Workers’ Day - recognized in almost every country with the exception of the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Ironically, it was U.S. workers that founded the holiday.

International Workers’ Day (also known as May Day) is deeply rooted in the American union movement - specifically the struggle during the late 1800s for an 8-hour workday.

In 1884 at its annual convention in Chicago, the precursor to the American Federation of Labor announced that from May 1, 1886 henceforth, the 8-hour workday would constitute a "legal day’s labor".

You can learn about the Brief Origins of May Day in an article by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

The AFL-CIO Blog has a great article about May Day celebrations going on today.

Letter Carriers and Postal Workers in NC Observe Workers’ Memorial Day and May Day

The Nathaniel Greene Branch 630 of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in Greensboro and Memorial Branch 936 in High Point observed today a two minute moment of silence on May 1st at 9:15 AM, in opposition to the US war in Iraq. The APWU and the Rural Letter Carriers locals in High Point also participated with Branch 936 in the protest.

Branch 936’s observance also includes recognition of Workers’ Memorial Day. Branch 936 President Annie Woods said her branch is memorializing all the lives lost in the ongoing Iraq War as well as all U.S. workers who died this past year in on-the-job injuries.

These North Carolina union actions are in solidarity with the San Francisco Labor Council, the San Francisco Letter Carriers Union, the New York City Metro APWU and many others. All these unions decided to act following the decision of the West Coast Longshoremen’s Union (ILWU) to hold a day shift 8 hour work stoppage on May Day in opposition to the US war in Iraq.

The NC State AFL-CIO adopted Resolution 12: Bring the Troops Home Now at our 50th Annual Convention last fall. In the resolution, delegates to the convention highlighted the great cost of the Iraq War borne by our armed forces abroad and working families at home and found "the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives needs to stop".