On the picket line

Most union growth in 25 years

With 16.1 million members at the end of 2008, the organized labor movement rose to 12.4 percent of the overall work force, up from 12.1 percent in 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 28. The 428,000 new members represent the biggest gain in organized labor in 25 years. Over half the new members—275,000—were government workers, while more than 150,000 worked in the private sector. According to the BLS, 36.8 percent of government employees belong to unions, while only 7.6 percent of workers in private industry are organized. Even the Jan. 28 New York Times had to admit, “Typically, state and city officials do not fight unionization efforts, while private-sector employers, fearing higher labor costs, often vigorously resist organizing drives.” The Times continued, “Unions have made significant gains in organizing by persuading various governors and state legislatures to allow the unionization of tens of thousands of teachers, home-health aides and home-based child care providers.” The vast majority of these workers are women. Large gains were also reported among Latin@s and in the Western states, noted the Center for Economic and Policy Research. (cepr.net, Jan. 28)

Obama signs pay equity bill

On Jan. 29 President Barack Obama signed his first bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which makes it easier for workers to sue when they suspect pay discrimination. The president asserted that there should no longer be “second class citizens in our work places, and that it’s not just unfair and illegal—but bad for business—to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability.” The bill overturned a reactionary 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision. Obama added that the pay gap between men’s and women’s wages needs to be closed to “ensure that our daughters have the same rights, the same chances, and the same freedom to pursue their dreams as our sons.” But what will happen to “fair pay” if workers are asked to make “sacrifices” as the recession deepens?

Republic workers’ victory tour

Representatives of the courageous workers at Chicago’s Republic Windows & Doors, who held an electrifying six-day sit-down strike in December to win severance pay and unpaid wages, are touring the East Coast starting Jan. 31 in New York City. Sponsored by Jobs with Justice coalitions, along with other community, religious and labor activists, the workers, members of the United Electrical workers union, are talking about their struggle and “how we can take direct action to resist, fight for recovery that puts workers before Wall Street and keeps people in their homes.” (E-mail, jwj.org, Jan. 30) Meetings will be held in Boston on Feb. 5, Providence, R.I., on Feb. 6, Detroit on Feb. 9, Cleveland on Feb. 10, Buffalo on Feb. 12 and Raleigh, N.C. on Feb. 14. For more information, visit jwj.org.

Health-care workers organize in Mass.

An agreement for peaceful labor relations was announced Jan. 27 between Caritas Christi, a chain of six hospitals owned by the Archdiocese of Boston, and Local 1199 of the Service Employees union. (Boston Globe) Management promised the union that it will not interfere with its effort to organize Caritas Christi’s 13,000 health-care workers. The Service Employees launched a campaign to unionize all workers, not just individual trades like nurses or electricians, in Boston’s big hospitals about two years ago. This is the first breakthrough in that effort.

SAG resumes negotiations

After intense internal debate and dissension, the Screen Actors Guild has opted to return to the negotiating table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Feb. 3 and 4. (sag.org, Jan. 28) The AMPTP issued its final offer June 30. SAG rejected it based on two issues: use of non-union actors on Internet productions costing less than $15,000 a minute and no residuals (payment) for work used in new media.