NC State A.F.L. – C.I.O.

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.

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.

On July 16, labor leaders from around the state met at the state fed headquarters to discuss plans for our Labor 2008 program. The meeting laid out the groundwork and timeline for running a successful member-to-member political education program.

President James Andrews announced that the national AFL-CIO has assigned two staff to work in North Carolina through the election: Carlos Carrillo will be the director of our state Labor 2008 program and Cathy Howell will be the Zone Coordinator for eastern North Carolina.

During the meeting, Carlos and Cathy along with President Andrews and Secretary-Treasurer McMillan discussed key elements of the political program like leaflet distribution, phone banks, local union mailings, and voter registration.

Labor leaders and rank-and-file members are excited about this election and are more committed than ever to running a successful political program. Please help us win in November by working the Eight-Point Plan. With your local’s help, we can turn around America this year by electing worker-friendly candidates at the federal, state, and local levels.

NC State AFL-CIO endorsed candidate for state Commissioner of Labor, Mary Fant Donnan, won her runoff election decisively on June 24. Turnout in the runoff was extremely low, amounting to under 2% of registered voters statewide. Nevertheless, Donnan won 2 to 1 with about 22,000 votes more than her opponent.

Our endorsed candidate for the 5th state Senate district, Don Davis, won his primary runoff with 63% of votes cast to 37% for his opponent. Davis’ margin of victory was over 2,200 votes.

We also mailed material in support of Triangle Labor Council (TLC) endorsed candidate for the Durham County school board, Leigh Bordley. Bordley won her primary with 83% of the vote.

Nationally, union members comprise about 25% of all voters, double our percentage of the workforce as a whole. The union advantage for candidates endorsed by working families is clear. Thanks to our members for supporting these candidates in the June 24 runoff.

Sen. John McCain is clearly not a fan of workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for better wages and benefits. He has spoken out against unions and consistently voted against collective bargaining rights for workers. Union members know the right to bargain is essential to preserving good jobs with good wages and benefits.

McCain Voted Against the Employee Free Choice Act but For a National Right-to-Work for Less Law. McCain voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, which would level the playing field for workers trying to form unions. He voted for a National Right-to-Work for Less law that would attempt to eliminate unions altogether. [H.R. 800, Vote #227, 6/26/07; S. 1788 Vote #188, 7/10/96]

McCain: Teachers’ Unions Serve Unions’ Interest, NOT Children’s Interest. McCain has repeatedly attacked teachers’ unions. “It’s time to break the grip of the education monopoly that serves the union bosses at the expense of our children,” he said. [The New York Times, 2/11/00]

McCain Voted to Allow Employers to Hire Permanent Replacements During a Strike. McCain voted against ending debate on a bill that would bar employers from hiring permanent replacements for striking workers. [S. 55,Vote #189, 7/13/94]

McCain Did NOT Co-Sponsor the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act. McCain did not co-sponsor S. 2123, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, legislation to grant fire fighters and police officers minimum collective bargaining rights. [S. 2123, 10/1/07; IAFF]

McCain Voted Against Collective Bargaining Rights for TSA Screeners. McCain voted against a measure to grant Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners limited collective bargaining rights. The measure would not have allowed them to strike or negotiate for higher pay. [S. 4, Vote #64, 3/7/07]

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.

AFL-CIO endorsed candidate for Commissioner of Labor, Mary Fant Donnan, won the most votes in the May 6 primary but not the 40 percent required to become the Democratic candidate in November and will have to take part in a runoff.

The State Board of Elections has yet to determine who Donnan’s opponent will be in the runoff election scheduled for Tuesday, June 24. Stay tuned for more information.

Together, the NC State AFL-CIO and Central Labor Councils endorsed a total of 34 candidates with primary opposition in the May 6 election. Based on unofficial primary results, 79% of our candidates won their primary election.

Nine candidates competed for statewide office, and of that group, 77% will advance to the general election November 4. The remaining 25 labor endorsed candidates competed for local or legislative office, and 80% won their primary.

In the race to be the Democratic nominee for Governor, in which we made no endorsement, Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue defeated Richard Moore 56% to 40%.

Our candidate for Lt. Governor, Hampton Dellinger, lost to Sen. Walter Dalton 34% to 46%.

One candidate, Mary Fant Donnan, will face a runoff election to be the Democratic candidate for Labor Commissioner. As of this writing, who her runoff opponent will be is too close to call.

James Wynn and Kristin Ruth, our candidates for the Court of Appeals, both advanced and will face Jewel Farlow and Sam Ervin IV, respectively, in November.

Congratulations to the Winners

These labor endorsed candidates won their primary (sorted by region, office):

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.

You only have until Saturday to vote early by absentee ballot with no excuse. If you haven’t registered, you can - for the first time ever in North Carolina - take advantage of our state’s new same-day registration law. Same-day registration allows voters to register and immediately cast a ballot at any one-stop early voting location.

Same-Day registration is only available during Early Voting - not on Primary Day, May 6.

For One-Stop Early Voting locations in your area, visit the State Board of Elections online or call (919) 733-7173 to get the number for your county board of elections.

The Southern Piedmont Central Labor Council is organizing a special welcome party for Sen. John McCain as he makes a stop in North Carolina on Monday, May 5.

What: Union welcoming party for Sen. McCain

When: Monday, May 5, 2008 at 4:45 PM

Where: The Westin, 601 South College St, Charlotte NC

Download the flyer for this event.

For more information contact CLC President Will Cashion at 704-953-3033.

2008 will surely be the most expensive election in history, and political parties at every level will need to raise and spend vast sums of money to secure victories in November.

But when Theresa Kostrzewa, contract lobbyist for Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Packing, came with check in hand, the NC Democratic Party said, “Thanks but no thanks.”

In typical fashion for a company that profits from the abuse of their workers, Smithfield responded with threats and intimidation. Well the NCDP is apparently not to be cowed by Smithfield.

Party Chair Jerry Meek wrote a scathing indictment of Smithfield and the company’s history of law breaking, union busting, and malicious corporate behavior. You can view the letter in PDF here.

The Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) represents a continuation of the Bush administration’s failed trade policies, an agenda that has contributed to the loss of more than 3 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, skyrocketing trade deficits and shrinking paychecks.

The Columbia deal was drafted and signed by the Bush administration before the expiration last summer of its “fast-track” trade authority - authority that required the House and Senate to vote up or down without amendments on trade agreements within 90 days of their being introduced to the Congress, which the President did last week.

Unable to amend the language of the Columbia FTA, the Democratic controlled House voted to change House rules and eliminated the deadline, without which this dangerous “free trade” agreement hopefully will just die in the Congress.

How did your Congressman / Congresswoman vote on the rule change?

Colombia remains the most dangerous country in the world for union members–39 trade unionists were murdered in 2007 and another 17 to date in 2008. Of the more than 2,500 murders of trade unionists since 1986, only some 70 cases–about 3 percent–have resulted in convictions.

Balanced trade agreements must guarantee the right to organize, lift the lives of workers in both countries and prevent exploitation. But this can’t happen in a country where workers who try to organize are killed.

Sen. John McCain has a long history of supporting the kind of trade deals like the Columbia FTA that have devastated our economy and sent our jobs overseas. He continues to proclaim his support for new trade agreements despite evidence of how harmful agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA have been. He supported allowing China to enter the WTO despite its horrible worker safety and product safety record, exposing our children to toxic toys and our families to contaminated food. McCain has added insult to injury by voting against measures intended to help stem the flow of jobs lost due to these agreements.

Sen. McCain has not protected workers from the ill-effects of these trade agreements:

McCain Supported President Bush’s Outsourcing Efforts. McCain voted to allow overseas outsourcing of government contracts after President Bush’s economic advisers released a report saying America should outsource its jobs. [S.1637, Vote #32, 3/4/04]

McCain Voted Against Limiting Tax Breaks to Companies That Re-Import Foreign Manufactured Goods. He voted against a bill to tax multinational companies on income from foreign factories when goods are shipped back to the United States and to require companies to notify employees and give a reason before they move their jobs overseas. [S.1637, Vote #83, 5/5/04]

McCain Supported Waiving and Weakening Buy American Laws. McCain voted to allow the Secretary of Defense to waive Buy American laws for defense systems and place our defense manufacturing industry in jeopardy. He also voted to exempt defense goods from six European countries from Buy American requirements that traditionally have required most military equipment and defense systems to be manufactured in the United States. [S. 2400, Vote #135, 6/22/04; S. 1050, Vote #191, 5/21/03]

McCain Voted to Allow Unsafe Foreign Trucks on U.S. Roads. McCain voted against an amendment to prohibit Mexican trucks from operating beyond a limited border zone because they are not held to the same safety standards as U.S. trucks. [H.R. 2299, Vote #252, 7/26/01]

McCain Abstained from Voting to Protect Steel Jobs. McCain abstained from a vote to filibuster a bill to protect steelworker jobs from illegal dumping after 10,000 steelworkers lost their jobs. [H.R. 975, Vote #178, 6/22/99]

McCain Voted Against Providing Health Insurance for Employees and Retirees of Bankrupt Steel Companies. McCain voted against a measure that provided temporary health insurance assistance to retirees of bankrupt steel companies. [S.Amdt. 3433, Vote #117, 5/21/02]

Starting Thursday, April 17, North Carolinians can vote early by absentee ballot with no excuse. Simply go to any one-stop early voting location in your county between April 17 and May 3 to cast your ballot.

Would be voters that missed the April 11 deadline to register to vote on May 6th can - for the first time ever in North Carolina - take advantage of our state’s new same-day registration law. Same-day registration allows voters to register and immediately cast a ballot at any one-stop early voting location.

For One-Stop Early Voting locations in your area, visit the State Board of Elections online at www.sboe.state.nc.us or call (919) 733-7173 to get the number for your county board of elections.

Union members know too well what it means to not have a friend of workers in the White House. The last thing working families need out of this presidential election year is more of the same.

The AFL-CIO has launched the “McCain Revealed” campaign, an effort to expose Sen. John McCain’s record and his allegiance to the failed policies of President George W. Bush.

The intent of the campaign is to inform voters that McCain is no “moderate” or “maverick,” but a Bush McClone when it comes to jobs, trade, Social Security privatization, health care and other vital working family issues.

The biggest misconception union members have about John McCain is that he is some sort of moderate….But the reality is he does not have a moderate record when it comes to Social Security. He does not have a moderate record when it
comes to trade. He does not have a moderate record when it comes to the minimum wage. He does not have a moderate record when it comes to the freedom to join unions. People need to know that and we’re going to let them know. — New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie

Research candidate McCain at www.mccainrevealed.com