Labor Union Blog

Economic Report:

By Jesse Russell

Foreclosures broke records in 2007 – jumping by 75 percent. That equals nearly 405,000 homeowners losing their homes. In December of 2007 the foreclosure filings increased a whopping 97 percent over December 2006. California was hit the worst with 250,000 foreclosure filings. Michigan, already suffering from the job loses in the manufacturing sector, received a second punch in the gut with 47,000 homes being lost.

By Jesse Russell

New Jersey is moving a step closer to passing family leave legislation. The controversial legislation passed a Senate Committee on Monday by a vote of 8-6. If it succeeds the act would provide six weeks of paid leave to care for a newborn or a seriously ill family member. A tax on workers salaries would fund the leave pay of up to a maximum of $524 per week.

A deal reached between the Grammys and striking writers is music to the ears of music industry. Jesse Russell reports:

With album sales declining year-over-year the music industry can use any help it can get. One of the key promotional outlets for many artists is being tapped for a Grammy. Until Monday that event was in jeopardy as writers continue a strike that is going on three months. The Writers Guild of America reached an interim agreement with The Recording Academy that will allow writers to work on the show. The Grammys are scheduled for February 10. With the “interim agreement” reached on The Grammys the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are taking it as a sign that an agreement can be reached in time for their annual award show – the Oscars.

By Doug Cunningham

Five UAW Local 3520 bargaining committee members fired by Freightliner in April after a one-day strike are getting some support from the labor movement. The UAW International isn’t supporting the workers efforts to get their jobs back because the one-day strike was authorized only by the local and not by the International UAW. South Carolina AFL-CIO President Donna Dewitt supports these five UAW bargaining committee members fired by Freightliner and she says they deserve some solidarity from the entire labor movement.

[Dewitt]: “They weren’t happy with the contract offer, and they were standing up for their rights. And I don’t know exactly what happened with UAW, but all I know is that there are five UAW members and officers of a local that have been out of work now going on ten months. So I would appeal to everyone to reach out to help raise funds for these folks and their efforts to be rehired. They need their jobs back.”

The Campaign for America’s Future website captured the essence of last night’s State of the Union (SOTU) address when the progressive organization titled its package of SOTU articles: Smirk of the Union. Indeed, while working families face the loss of their homes, lack of health care on their jobs, skyrocketing debt and low-wage jobs, President Bush figuratively—and literally—smirks.

When Bush recognized individual audience members in the Capitol during his speech last night, he somehow missed the 9/11 workers who sacrificed their health in the minutes and weeks after the terrorist attacks, and yet who can’t get health care coverage for the often debilitating conditions that ensued. The 9/11 workers, attending the State of the Union address as guests of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, held a press conference on Capitol Hill yesterday to ask: “Is the state of our union strong enough to provide for the health needs of 9/11 workers?”