In Germany, they came for the Trade Unionists first.

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by: NarsBars Sat Feb 26, 2011 at 17:05:00 PM EST

Today in Augusta there was a Rally to support the Wisconsin Unions. Historical note: In Germany prior to the start of WWII one of the first groups to be arrested, or killed or jailed, before even the Jews, were the trade Unionists. This has nothing to do with Nazism, this is just a comparison to how Unions are viewed by an authoritarian state. The war on labor is now global, not local. I arrived an hour or more early hoping to meet up with friends, perhaps seeking support in a group. At the beginning I was parked in the wrong spot and it looked as if there were many, many, Tea Party protesters showing up and I didn't see a Union bumper sticker in the crowd. I arrived early, afraid that there could a huge crowd of Tea Party members and a few lonely Union supporters in the cold Maine winter. Leaving my eleven year old Escort, I nearly took off my SEIU hat to walk past the pile of angry people and elderly codgers old enough to have their Social Security and their Medicare, but squared my hat, and walked up the hill. It was like walking towards a sun rise. As I came over the hill I saw like yellow clouds blocking the sun, a few Tea Party flags and members, maybe a hundred. I am no crowd estimator but in moments I found how small the crowd really was. Give em credit, the Koch brothers have bought them very nice flags. Then further into the light, I saw tens, and then hundreds and hundreds of our fellow Mainers, Union members, private citizens not a part of any Union and all around me the crowd kept streaming in. Unlike the Tea Party they were smiling, not hating. We sang, we had our own signs, made from the heart, we had solidarity! I especially liked "Little beards against LePage" The bad news is I sang too, but at least I was drowned out by the hundreds of proud tax paying citizens there to support Wisconsin, to support labor in Maine, and YES to support Maine State employees. The speakers were great, they spoke about the need for us to all support each other or be torn apart one at a time. The messages were all positive, no hate for Republicans, just a demand that we be heard, that we be a part of the solution. Several Democratic representatives were there, speaking in no uncertain terms. Yes, the economy is bad but it is no reason to break decades of promises, to steal bread, medicine, and heating oil, from retirees, while refusing to bargain over what can be done. (The LePage budget would make it illegal for State Employees to offer concessions to keep their pensions). Yes, would make concessions illegal.   Our Democratic representatives said clearly they knew that this was not a budget issue, that this is no less than an attack on all labor, an attempt to break all Unions across the country and end the rights of all employees to have a say in their working conditions. I offered one of the representatives the first free hotel room in Massachusetts. I told her,  "Lord of the Rings" allusion to riding out to face the foes regardless of the odds had grabbed me by the heart. All around me brothers and sisters chimed in, offering more support and more free hotel rooms. It can happen but only if they have our backing. This is a fight for life, a fight for all labor, not just an MSEA issue. Republican or Democrat the legislature must hear from us. The Republicans don't like a governor who is trying to order them around, it appears there will be a 2/3 budget. They want Democratic buy in to the budget, we must back up our reps and let the Rs know we will vote. I know many State Employees will be there on the 3rd and the 4th but we need Union members, moms and dads that want good teachers, not lowest bid for profit schools, to be there for the teachers on the 5th. We will be there for each other. There were sad moments too, looking up the hill to see the few Tea Party members, engaged in Democratic action, but so sadly misinformed, their movement stolen and used by the corporation agenda to make them fight their neighbors, to hate their neighbors, forgetting that they they have been used, and already forgotten and ridiculed by those they helped elect. Don't make the mistake of thinking the Tea Party is all negative. They are Mainers too but their energy is being transformed to hate, their movement stolen by a few for the benefit of a few. The Tea Party ideals have been perverted to serve power, and laughed at by those who will never have enough until everyone else has nothing. Stay home if you must, if you are taking care of family, or sick, but try to be part of history, this may not be the best chance you ever missed, this may be your last chance. I will take vacation, I will take unpaid time off. What I will not do is to let someone else do this for me. I will be part of this, win lose or draw. I will stand with my brothers and sisters and know that we have done everything possible. In solidarity, I hope to see you there. Narsbars

I want to thank Gerald at Dirigoblue for being an inspiration. I wish I had ten percent of his talent and professional skills. Please add Dirigoblue to your regular reading.

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Ghost Town

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How to turn a Pro-Union website into a Ghost Town.
Posted by NarsBars on September 6, 2010.
Disclaimer: I receive no help from organized labor. I do this on my own time, no Union money. no support, from anyone but friends.
I have not tried to make money from this website, and I have not made one penny from it. Small bundles of unmarked cash gladly accepted
Hello and Welcome,
I have not posted since May but the constant attacks on our members and the stream of ignorant and hateful lies told by some of the Gubernatorial candidates is forcing me to get back in to the fight.
The point of this article is exactly that, getting back in to the fight. If we only wait for others, hired or elected, to protect our bacon, then the right wing will be eating our lunch and we will be forced to pay the tab.
NarsBars here. By day I am a State Employee in Maine, and by night, a computer geek and social media user. I created this website out of hope over two years ago and then let it drop. I was burned out and I just ran down.
At first, I only wanted to build a Pro Union site to balance the bullshit told by the likes of AMG. Then I realized that our Union and our Union members must take action in order to remain relevant and have a say in our futures.
I can't balance the right wing bullshit by myself, but with help we can make a difference.
Union Activism in Maine got employees the benefits that are being attacked by the right as if we had stolen the money we earned or the benefits we have negotiated for. Never is there a mention that our Union has been warning about the theft of retirement funds for decades. We have sounded the alarm and the legislature has yawned.
Pensions, vacations, and a clearly defined pay scale. Are we to be the last State Employees to have the right to a good job for hard work?
Our pay and benefits are being attacked but the economy alone does not explain why the lies used to attack us are going unchallenged. We would not be in a position of weakness if both Union membership and Union Union Activism were not falling.....
A labor Union is when done right, is run by and for workers to achieve common goals. The goals of a Union may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, grievance procedures, rules governing hiring, firing, promotions, benefits, and workplace safety and policies. The contracts negotiated by your Union are legally binding on the rank and file members and the employer.
A Union, through its leadership, and elected negotiations teams, bargains with our employer on behalf of Union members (rank and file members) and negotiates labor contracts (Collective bargaining) with employers
.
The most common, purpose of a Union is maintaining or improving the conditions of employment.
The strength of a government Employee Union has always been numbers. Numbers means votes, numbers mean money, the two most highly rated items on a politician's breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.
It is not just a falling membership that has weakened Unions, it is a quieter membership. We can either remember or have heard the stories of Union members being shot, terrorized, or at the least fired for wanting a better life for their families. Those members spoke up, they shouted, they were heard by the political animals.
Sadly, Union membship has gotten older and more involved in American Idol than in a safe retirement. Union leadership has been slow to adapt to new technologies and new media.This year, in Maine, the first organzied rumblings to attack pensions is being heard and this is just a reflection of the national debate where Social Security is under attack. Make no mistake, the Republicans want you to give up your pay and your retirement to feed the CEOs and an endless war.
If Unions don't learn how to use social media they will continue to lose ground in the court of public opinion. Do you want your fate determined by the commenters on Limbaugh the druggie, or on AMG, the cowardly? While you may be willing to debate, AMG bans any liberal voice that tries to be "fair and balanced"?
Every day, sites like these feed raw meat to those with no goals but greed and hate, no feelings jealousy fueled by ignorance. Those who hate Unions and all labor rights have already learned to adapt and evolve and we are being left behind.
In real-life our members use Facebook, Twitter, Email, Myspace, reddit, and more. Nearly all Union workers agree on some basics. Fair pay, for hard work, and we expect the promises made over decades to be kept.
Many Union workers read blogs, but few post labor links, and make comments defending Unions, not because they don't care, but because they have been sold the idea that they can't make a difference. Some are so suicidal they will vote for LePage, the former mayoral hand puppet of Waterville.
Anti-Union conversations happen in real time, opinions are shaped quickly. The uninformed don't need thought, they don't need facts.The torches are lit, and the right gives out free pitchforks. If our members don't put out a pro-Union narrative, who will?
Union headquarters can't possibly keep up with the opinion-shaping conversations on the Internet. There are too many of them, they erupt spontaneously virtually anywhere...
So, what are Union members to do going forward? When you hear an anti-Union comment, Tweet back, BULLSHIT!, post the truth on Facebook, speak up in support of Unions when lies are heard.
Our Union and our members can recognize the inevitable, which means the "Stater" isn't enough. Letting our staff do the communications is not enough, Union activism must adopt and adapt to different platforms, technologies, networks, the members must use these technologies or...
We can cling to the obsolete top-down, Staff and our board of directors can do it all model which has resulted in the loss of raises and cuts in benefits for over a decade.
My hope is that Union members come along, "ah-ha" join the networks and support it, and explore where communications are already happening.
Our Union has gotten ahead of so many and has a Facebook page, my hope is to see Union headquarters build on this and use these platforms to communicate, to organize and to inform.
In the past we used the phone, some letters, a Union publication, the new social networks did not exist before. SEIU and NUHW are at war, but look at the tools used, both sides have developed a working model that shows what an effective use of media looks like when built.
If you can see the potential in using Union social media please use them yourself and show your support by banding together to fight back against the lies and the attacks on honest employees.
Make one comment on a blog, at a new site. You can make a difference.
P.S. Anyone have an account on AMG? I want someone to ask why NARSBARS was banned with no notice, no reason. Be warned you may be banned for even asking.
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The Truth is Out There. Whos Truth?

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This post contains large amounts of a direct mailing from NUHW, the new, or rogue, labor Union, depending on your point of view. Even though they are 180 degrees opposed to what many SEIU members believe and support the coincidence in what was done by SEIU in response to Democratic support of NUHW is the exact opposite of what was decided by the MSEASEIU. 

I expect this post to p.o. some of the people I work with, many I call friends. Open discussion can only be a friend to Union Democracy, please take this in that spirit.

Oregon Bill Bans Mandatory Anti-Union Meetings, Moves to the House

I want to be the 1st person through the door the morning after a local Wal-Mart Unionizes. I will wear my Union colors and call the "associates" brother or sister.

It has been estimated that the cost of better wages and benefits for all Wally World employees could cost an extra $1.00 to a $1.50 per $$100.00 purchase.

Wal-Mart could swallow that and never even have to raise prices. Recently the corp. made a Twelve Billion dollar profit in one year.

The Oregon senate believes workers are able to choose to form a Union and bargain for themselves.

The senate also believes employees may be able to think for themselves and should not be forced to attend coercive, mandatory anti-union meetings held by an aggressive and threatening management.

Monday the Oregon Senate passed the Worker Freedom Act. It now goes to the House, where it passed in 2007.

The legislation, if passed will make it illegal for an employer to discipline or fire a worker who refuses to attend a meeting on politics, religion or union organizing during work hours.

Almost all anti-union campaigns are use mandatory meetings where employers or hired Union Busters use scare tactics to intimidate workers. Depending on how you look at the statistics between 25% and 60% of companies involved in a Unionization campaign fire or punish employees who support Unions.

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Wal-Mart forced employees to attend meetings where they were told that electing Democrats to the White House and Congress could threaten their jobs.

The Worker Freedom Act was passed 16-14, by the Oregon Senate.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has said he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

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Zombie Donkey or Where are all the Democrats?

Where are all the Democrats?
I know it is a pony, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a picture of a Zombie Donkey?

Card Check

Penalties for labor law violations

Mandatory Arbitration

When card check seems to be the very basis for America and lets the majority rule, why the ugly push back from the right?

Card check makes a juicy target.

By portraying the card check provision of the EFCA as un-American the anti EFCA forces can pretend to be the underdog, defending the common man. The "defense" of the secret ballot lets Blue dog Democrats and some moderate Dem senators avoid a vote and justify their opposition.

The labor movement knows they can not simply depend on the support of the Congress they elected. We need to pull away the political cover so they will be forced to vote in the open.

Out of the gate, business seized a lead by portraying card check as Anti-American. Labor needs to push back against this, both with logic and with emotion.

Arguing against the "taking away the secret ballot" argument sets up a “is not", "is so" argument that wins for business because most people stop listening to a long and involved debate.

We can't just yell "we are Americans too!" it isn't a good sound bite and it has no emotional punch.There has to be a message that everyone supports, Unions and non-unionized. It would be great if it could be done in a 30 second spot, and I think it can be done.

Employers break the law, there is intimidation by employers. There are illegal firings and people’s lives are ruined, but how do you get that into 30 seconds?

We can get enough clips from You Tube alone that show unpopular people speaking against the EFCA. Picture Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, and millionaires on screen with their estimated worth under each while they talk spout venom.

"They have it all, why don't they want anyone else to have any?"

Support America Support the Employee Free Choice Act."

Penalties

The strongest arguments on the side of labor are the tens of thousand of cases of illegal intimidation by employers, the firings, the threats to workers and communities.

Anti-EFCA groups try to bypass any discussion of labor intimidation and pretend ongoing and blatant employer intimidation is not happening or only happens in an insignificant number of cases. (NLRB) Charges filed 47 violations by unions vs. 27,000 plus violations by Business.

Union Busters claim that they know there are abuses by employers, but that if labor had the EFCA, then they might do the same. The argument boils down to “we want to be the only people to be able to abuse the law”, yet they have no interest in making those violations costly to business.

The strength of the EFCA is that if any one piece is passed without being crippled it will start to balance the scales of justice. Penalties alone would make the process of Union Busting far more dangerous to employers to go into without the intention of staying legal.

An additional note on penalties.

The main problem with the penalties as they stand is that they are not adjusted to inflation or the size of the work force. Violations should not remain just a cost of doing business. I would drop the fixed amount fines and put in a relative one based on payroll.

Fines could start at 20% of the total payroll per year and increase on repeated violations. This would be the same threat level to a million dollar company as it would be to a billion dollar company. I would also factor in the cost of payroll for any outsourced labor, just to keep companies from dumping employees to minimize a fine. Repeated violations would increase the level of the penalty up to 100% of payroll. This would result in employers becoming far more conscious of the law.

Mandatory Arbitration

Mandatory Arbitration will be Custer’s last stand for Union Busters. They know that even if they are must recognize a Union they can spend years refusing to negotiate while attempting to continue their former tactics and break the new Union.

They want to stop the whole bill but in the end, it is the mandatory arbitration clause of the EFCA that is both the real target of the Union Busters and the most important goal to achieve with passage of the EFCA.

Are Compromises Possible?

Labor knows compromises are possible; any successful contract is all about compromises.

The first so called compromises from the right were all about retaining the long, long, wait until any election is held.

Any argument based on increasing the wait for an election is not a compromise, it is a vote against the EFCA. The Union Busters best weapon has always been a long wait before balloting, allowing for intimidation and pressure tactics by employers and in rare cases, by labor organizers.

The Anti Labor groups says that labor is not interested in any fair solution. How woud they know? The idea of negotiations is what they are fighting against, how could they even imagine participating in a fair discussion?

The compromises offered so far go nowhere far enough to prevent future firings and intimidation of pro-union workers. The second goal of any compromise offered by business at this time has been to keep the lack of significant sanctions for labor law violators. The third goal is to avoid any mandatory arbitration.

Unlike business, Unions have experience at negotions. If there is to be any compromise, We must I both strengthen the enforcement concepts of EFCA, retain mandatory arbitration, and even expand the punishment for violations, both for employers and for labor.

To labor the EFCA has become a highly emotional bill and they are understandably reluctant to talk compromise. Since the Taft Hartley bill in the 1940's the labor friendly laws passed after the depression have been eroded and weakened by repeated give aways to business interests.

Labor believes strongly that even if the card check proposal part of the bill were erased, some blue dog Democrats and some Republicans with heavy Union membership at home would still try to vote the compromise down because both the Democrats and the Republicans would have be less able to hide their attempts to pay back their corporate supporters.

I believe that many of the fence-sitting Democrats are actually against the EFCA because they are owned by business, but are still afraid of the voters after November 2008. Any compromise that retained any form of secret ballot would take away the cover and expose those who want to vote for business against their constituents.

The instant Union recognition provision of the EFCA where the Union is immediately recognized, gets push back

The right was fast and smart (did Hell just freeze over?). By seizing the secret ballot argument they can make it their own.

Provide card check that triggers a secret election in one day. Keep the secret election but take away the weapon of time from the employer. They need time to scare employees.

Retaining some form of Secret ballot will defuse much of the arguments against the EFCA.

Employers claim they need time not for intimidation and coercion but because they were surprised by the Union's organizing success and want to put across their views and concerns to employees before a Union becomes permanent.

The "we need time" whine is specious. An employer has a chance to speak to employees every day. They have a chance to raise wages and/or benefits or to let the employees know why they can not. When a Union has a successful organizing drive it is a proof of failure of the business to stay in touch with their work force.

The deck remains massively stacked against Union efforts. Captive audience meetings, firings of pro-union workers, and meaningless sanctions against employers that violate the law has resulted in the need for a law to rebalance the scales.

Employers are not interested in compromise, they have control, why should they bend?

Labor has to win this one. Democrats hid from Dick Cheney, controversy, and daylight, during the last two years of the bush reign, they are no longer the undead, they won, where are they now?

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