Labor Union Blog

Tomorrow, Hollywood screenwriters and producers will return to the bargaining table, giving them less than two days to negotiate before an important contract deadline passes. A strike has already been approved by the Writers’ Guild of America, and with the expiration of their contract Wednesday at midnight the ticking and tacking of keyboards could quickly end. A federal mediator will be stepping in with hopes to find an olive branch in the negotiations. The union is seeking higher residuals for films and television shows on DVD and is seeking payment for work appearing on new media outlets, like cell phones and on the internet. The producers, on the other hand, want a trial period to see if the new media outlets are profitable before they make any agreements. They are also targeting pension and health care costs.

Tomorrow Hollywood screenwriters and producers will return to the bargaining table – giving them less than two days to negotiate before an important contract deadline passes. A strike has already been approved by the Writers’ Guild of America and with the expiration of their contract Wednesday at midnight the ticking and tacking of keyboards could quickly end. A federal mediator will be stepping in with hopes to find an olive branch in the negotiations. The union is seeking higher residuals for films and television shows on DVD and are seeking payment for work appearing on new media outlets – like cell phones and on the internet. The producers, on the other hand, want a trial period to see if the new media outlets are profitable before they make any agreements. They are also targeting pension and health care costs.

Gap Kids is under fire after UK publication The Observer alleged that the clothing chain has been receiving clothing produced by child workers in India as young as 10. According to the report in Sunday’s Observer, Gap has said it was unaware that the clothes had been produced in an alleged sweatshop. Since then, the company has taken proactive steps to pull from the market clothes that were produced at the factory. The United Nations has dubbed India as the world capital of child labor. According to the Observer, 20 percent of labor in that country is provided by children under the age of 14.

Gap Kids is under fire after UK publication The Observer alleged that the clothing chain has been receiving clothing produced by child workers in India as young as 10. According to the report in Sunday’s Observer Gap has said it was unaware that the clothes had produced in an alleged sweatshop. Since then the company has taken proactive steps to pull from the market clothes that were produced at the factory. The United Nations has dubbed India as the world capital of child labor. According to the Observer 20 percent of labor in that country is provided by children under the age of 14. In a statement Gap said, “All of our suppliers and their subcontractors are required to guarantee that they will not use child labour to produce garments.

A new contract has been ratified between Chrysler and workers. The future of the controversial contract was up in the air until the very last minute with a thin majority of workers voting for ratification. 51 percent of skilled trade workers and 56 percent of production workers voted in favor of the contract. The approval came after a six hour strike on October 10. One of the union’s negotiators, Bill Parker, had come out against the contract and strongly urged workers to vote it down. He was concerned that the contract didn’t defend union principles and gave up too many concessions, including a lack of job protection.

A new contract has been ratified between Chrysler and workers. The future of the controversial contract was up in the air until the very last minute with a thin majority of workers voting for ratification. 51 percent of skilled trade workers and 56 percent of production workers voted in favor of the contract. The approval came after a six hour strike on October 10. One of the union’s negotiators, Bill Parker, had come out against the contract and strongly urged workers to vote it down. He was concerned that the contract didn’t defend union principles and gave up too many concessions including a lack of job protection.

Nadia Leleka, president of the teachers union in Ukraine.

Todd Anderson, AFL-CIO Midwest regional director, is taking part in an AFL-CIO delegation to Ukraine, where members of the group are meeting with their state federation/central labor council counterparts. Anderson will send several dispatches during the trip.

Greetings from our delegation to Ukraine, where we are traveling as part of an AFL-CIO State and Local Labor Council Leadership Development Institute initiative in collaboration with the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center.

Groups like ours have taken part in trips to 10 countries over the past several years, holding roundtable discussions and sharing movement-building strategies.