[1956brother]

Originally Posted by Davec

You do understand that a lot of government pension fund money is already in the market?

true, it was one of the things i wished to change

[poochee]

Lila Shapiro
lila@huffingtonpost.com
Auto Union Shows Newfound Willingness To Rise And Fall With Profits
First Posted: 06/10/11 02:15 PM ET Updated: 06/10/11 03:18 PM ET

A new Wall Street Journal interview with United Auto Workers union president Bob King suggests that when it comes to profit-sharing, the union may be coming around to the corporate view that annual raises shouldn't be guaranteed.

After the near collapse of the American auto industry, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are profitable again -- with the help of major concessions from the UAW. How those profits will shared with the auto workers is the subject of intense debate for both the companies and the unions, and will be a big subject of discussion when the UAW sits down with the automakers to renegotiate their contract later this summer.

The companies have long preferred a profit-sharing bonus system because it doesn't commit the company to paying more when they are making less, while the union has historically pushed for annual raises to ensure steady improvement to workers livelihood.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_874978.html

[Littlefield]

Bye Bye collective bargaining for gov workers in Wisconsin.

Acting with unusual speed, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated Gov. Scott Walker's plan to all but end collective bargaining for tens of thousands of public workers.

The court found a committee of lawmakers was not subject to the state's open meetings law, and so did not violate that law when they hastily approved the measure and made it possible for the Senate to take it up. In doing so, the Supreme Court overruled a Dane County judge who had struck down the legislation, ending one challenge to the law even as new challenges are likely to emerge.

The majority opinion was by Justices Michael Gableman, David Prosser, Patience Roggensack and Annette Ziegler. The other three justices - Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and N. Patrick Crooks - concurred in part and dissented in part.

The opinion voided all orders in the case from the lower court. It came just before 5 p.m., sparing Republicans who control the Legislature from taking up the contentious issue of collective bargaining again.

The court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi's ruling, which had held up implementation of the collective bargaining law, was void ab initio, or invalid from the outset.

In its decision, the state's high court concluded that "choices about what laws represent wise public policy for the state of Wisconsin are not within the constitutional purview of the courts."

The court concluded that Sumi exceeded her jurisdiction, "invaded" the Legislature's constitutional powers and erred in halting the publication and implementation of the collective bargaining law.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepo...123859034.html

[poochee]

Robert Reich.Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Aftershock'
Why the Republican War on Workers' Rights Undermines the American Economy
It's time to fight back!
Posted: 06/15/11 01:14 PM ET React Inspiring

The battle has resumed in Wisconsin. The state supreme court has allowed Governor Scott Walker to strip bargaining rights from state workers.

Meanwhile, governors and legislators in New Hampshire and Missouri are attacking private unions, seeking to make the states so-called "open shop" where workers can get all the benefits of being union members without paying union dues. Needless to say this ploy undermines the capacity of unions to do much of anything. Other Republican governors and legislatures are following suit.

Republicans in Congress are taking aim at the National Labor Relations Board, which issued a relatively minor proposed rule change allowing workers to vote on whether to unionize soon after a union has been proposed, rather than allowing employers to delay the vote for years. Many employers have used the delaying tactics to retaliate against workers who try to organize, and intimidate others into rejecting a union.

The current Republican assault on workers' rights continues a thirty-year war on American workers' wages. That long-term war has finally taken its toll on the American economy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert..._b_877532.html

[poochee]

Wisconsin Union Law Faces Lawsuit Filed By Unions
SCOTT BAUER 06/15/11 04:46 PM ET AP
Associated Press writer Dinesh Ramde contributed to this report.

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin state employees will start paying more for their health care and pension benefits in late August, state officials said Wednesday as a coalition of unions filed a new lawsuit against the GOP-supported plan that strips away collective bargaining rights from most public workers.

But the legal battle was not yet over. A coalition of unions filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday arguing that the law violated the U.S. Constitution by taking away union rights to bargain, organize and associate and illegally discriminates among classes of public employees. The lawsuit seeks to block portions of the law taking away collective bargaining rights, but allows the higher pension and health care contributions that the unions agreed to take to move forward.

"Scott Walker has created two classes of public sector workers and that is unconstitutional," said Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt. "When a legislature discriminates among classes of workers, especially when doing so has more to do with political payback than with any legitimate reasoning, the law has been violated."

Organizations filing the challenge include councils of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the Wisconsin State Employees Union and the Service Employees International Union-Health Care Wisconsin.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_877763.html

[poochee]

UMW members ratify new deal with coal association
June 17, 2011 10:04 PM EST | AP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the United Mine Workers labor union on Friday ratified a new 5 1/2-year deal with an association of coal companies in a nationwide vote.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...-umw-contract/

[poochee]

Lila Shapiro
Target Workers Reject Union, Union Cries Foul
First Posted: 06/18/11 01:57 AM ET Updated: 06/18/11 12:09 PM ET

VALLY STREAM, N.Y. -- Workers at a Target store outside of New York City voted against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers Friday, dealing a significant blow to the American labor movement, which had championed the campaign as a key battleground in its efforts to organize the retail industry.

The union swiftly alleged wrongdoing. The UFCW claimed that the poll -- a 137 to 85 vote rejection of unionization -- was the result of an illegal program of intimidation by Target management that made workers too frightened to express their real sentiments at the polls.

The union called on the National Labor Relations Board (NLBR) to investigate Target and consider mandating a new election if it concludes that Target violated labor laws.

"At Target, it has always been our goal to have a culture where our team members don't want or need union representation," Derek Jenkins, Target's senior vice president of stores for the Northeast region, said in a press release. "We believe in solving issues and concerns by working together with the help and input of all team members. Our team has embraced that philosophy by rejecting union representation."

The election at the Valley Stream store was the first Target had faced in more than two decades. None of the company's 1,700 locations nationwide has ever had union representation.

Rank and file workers who supported unionization expressed great disappointment, telling The Huffington Post that the vote was a victory for what they portrayed as Target's union-busting tactics. Many have complained that they earn so little that must rely on food stamps to keep themselves adequately nourished.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_879668.html

[poochee]

New Jersey Union Bill Approved By State Senate
ANGELA DELLI SANTI and BETH DeFALCO 06/20/11 02:20 PM ET AP

TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill requiring sharply higher contributions for pensions and health benefits from public workers while suspending unions' ability to bargain over health care.

The upper chamber moved the bill with support from Republicans and a few Democrats in a 24-15 vote.

The bill was amended earlier on Monday to remove a controversial provision to limit public workers' access to out-of-state medical care.

The bill must still be passed in an Assembly committee and then by the full Assembly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_880617.html

[1956brother]

Originally Posted by poochee

New Jersey Union Bill Approved By State Senate
ANGELA DELLI SANTI and BETH DeFALCO 06/20/11 02:20 PM ET AP

TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill requiring sharply higher contributions for pensions and health benefits from public workers while suspending unions' ability to bargain over health care.

The upper chamber moved the bill with support from Republicans and a few Democrats in a 24-15 vote.

The bill was amended earlier on Monday to remove a controversial provision to limit public workers' access to out-of-state medical care.

The bill must still be passed in an Assembly committee and then by the full Assembly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_880617.html

what are these states and cities going to do when, they wake up tomorrow and they still have defecit problems

[ekim68]

Originally Posted by 1956brother

what are these states and cities going to do when, they wake up tomorrow and they still have defecit problems

That's the 64 dollar question....Whereas banks and financial institutions operate on a quarterly profit cycle, politicians operate on a next election cycle. What I find ironic, only a little, is that a lot of these politicians got there promising to help solve the unemployment problems and then they get into office and go after the unions and consequently the jobs.

[poochee]

Posted on Monday, June 20, 2011
Fla. Gov. Scott is sued by teachers' union
By Mary Ellen Klas | The Miami Herald

The lawsuit was filed in Leon County Circuit Court on behalf of 11 workers from across the state, including two nurses and a social worker in Miami Dade County, a custodian in Madison County, and a social studies teacher in Hillsborough County. The Police Benevolent Association, the largest union of law enforcement in the state, also joined the lawsuit. The workers are asking the court to sequester the more than $1 billion the state saves from reducing teacher pay 3 percent and ending the cost of living increase on their retirement benefits while the case moves through the judicial system.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/06/2...k=omni_popular

[poochee]

New Jersey Anti-Union Bill Approved, Governor Chris Christie To Sign Into Law
By ANGELA DELLI SANTI 06/27/11 10:16 PM ET AP

TRENTON, N.J. -- The New Jersey Senate has given final approval to a bill raising pension and health benefits costs to the state's more than 500,000 government workers.

Public worker unions were vehemently opposed. They said the underfunding was due primarily to years of skipped pension payments by the state. They flooded the Capitol with protests, saying health benefits should continue to be negotiated, not legislated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0...=Daily%20Brief

[poochee]

The Buzz: Union coalition revives call for better safety at California's psychiatric hospitals
Published: Thursday, Jul. 7, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 3A
Last Modified: Thursday, Jul. 7, 2011 - 12:13 am

A coalition of state hospital workers' unions is reviving its call for the state to address safety concerns at California's Department of Mental Health hospitals.

Four labor unions formed the Safety Now Coalition after psychiatric technician Donna Gross died at Napa State Hospital in October.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/07/375...n-revives.html

[poochee]

Ohio Union Law Repeal To Appear On November Ballot
ANN SANNER 07/21/11 03:15 PM ET AP

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters will get to decide in November whether to repeal the state's new collective bargaining law, which would let public worker unions negotiate wages but not health care, sick time or pension benefits.

The state's elections chief said Thursday that opponents had gathered enough valid signatures to put the question before voters. The measure is now suspended from taking effect until voters have their say.

The law signed by GOP Gov. John Kasich in late March affects more than 350,000 public workers, including police officers, firefighters, teachers and state employees. Aside from restricting bargaining, it bans strikes and gets rid of automatic pay increases, replacing them with merit raises or performance pay.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_905978.html

[poochee]

Met Opera, orchestra union reach contract accord
August 1, 2011 04:05 PM EST | AP

A new contract agreement between the Met and its stagehands union remains to be settled.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...pera-contract/