Labor Union Blog

By Doug Cunningham

Workers, union activists and clergy leaders Tuesday called on the city of Oakland to follow the Los Angeles example and vote to end interest rate swap financial deals by Wall Street and banks. The workers says such deals cost Bay area governments more than $150 million a year. They say loss of that money harms public services. The Oakland action comes after the Los Angeles CIty council unanimously voted to demand banks end the practice.

By Doug Cunningham

Even though most workers dying in construction accidents are on low-rise non-union worksites, New York City Buildings Department is still focusing more enforcement on union high-rise jobs. Lou Coletti is President of the Building Trades Employers Association. Coletti says on average over the years OSHA records show union high-rise jobs are far safer than non-union.
[Coletti]: “Seventy-five percent of the fatalities are on non-union jobs below ten stories.”

OSHA’s Regional Deputy Administrator is Richard Mendelson.

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Nine years since the World Trade Center attacks very little construction has happened at the site. Yesterday union workers who hope to be part of any future construction jobs gathered to call on New York City to start building. Jesse Russell reports:

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AFSCME members declaring the Ritz-Carlton a crime scene.

AFSCME President Gerald McEntee to Congress: “You better take our side before we arrest you!”

Thousands of union members, community activists, religious leaders and others turned out in Washington, D.C., today to confront Big Insurance and demand insurance companies stop plotting to kill health care reform even as Congress debates bills to reform the nation’s broken health care system.

The boisterous, energetic, diverse crowd marched from the AFL-CIO and AFSCME buildings and DuPont Circle to the sound of beating drums and shouted slogans like, “Blocking health care is a crime” and “Health care can’t wait.” The crowd was so large, it completely encircled the block-long Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C., where the front group for the nation’s biggest insurance companies, the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is meeting. Health Care for America NOW (HCAN) sponsored the rally and march. We live-tweeted the event here.

Nicole Varma from Arlington, Va., who has no health care insurance because she is unemployed was among those taking part in the rally.

I am unable to get my medications because I can’t afford them. We need to send a message to the insurance companies that they definitely need to listen to the people. We don’t want insurance abuses. We want real health care reform.

MP3: 

SiKahntest.mp3

Transcript: 

winhead012510.txt

Nothing needs to go in here?

Today, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is leading a large union contingent from the AFL-CIO and AFSCME buildings to participate in a mass rally at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the meeting of the big insurance industry front group, the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Big Insurance is meeting there to plot how to kill health care reform.

Join us here, where Danielle Hatchett from our online team will live tweet the march and rally, starting at 10:30 a.m. Follow #m9 for the latest updates on Twitter from some of the thousands of participants expected to attend.

Not in D.C.? Take part by tweeting the event. Here’s a sample tweet: @AHIPHIWIRE You are under citizens’ arrest for blocking health care reform. #m9.

Today, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is leading a large union contingent in a march from the AFL-CIO and AFSCME buildings to a mass rally at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the meeting of the big insurance industry front group, the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

Many unions and union-related groups are working together on the rally, but some are making a major effort, including AFSCME, AFGE, AFT, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), United Steelworkers (USW), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), SEIU, Alliance for Retired Americans, Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Pride At Work, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)  and Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ).

Join us here where James Parks and Danielle Hatchett from our online team will live tweet the march and rally, starting at 10 a.m. Follow #m9 for the latest updates on Twitter from some of the thousands of participants expected to attend.