| Northwest Iowa Central Labor Council |
This week Robert Reich, secretary of labor in the Clinton administration and professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, leads a discussion on what we can do to close the inequality gap as the AFL-CIO continues its crucial conversation about the future of working people and of unions at www.aflcio2013.org.
Harkin Announces Nearly $24 Million for State Veterans Home in Marshalltown After Plant Explosion, Texas Remains Wary of Regulation Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Dear Brothers and sisters  As commonsense immigration reform moves through the U.S. Senate, people and groups on the losing side of the debate are making outrageous claims in bogus studies and TV commercials. Let’s take a minute and revisit some of the facts about immigration reform. Immigration reform with a path to citizenship and workplace rights doesn’t just benefit aspiring citizens and their families. It's good for all workers. Earlier this year, we published a 10-point checklist showing how all workers will benefit from fixing our broken immigration system. Here are just a few. Read the entire article. Read more >>>Low Wage Worker Roundtable Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Dangers of Selling the Tribune Newspapers to the Koch Brothers 
In the Wake of Sandy, Books
The AFT and First Book—a nonprofit that has distributed more than 90 million new books to children across the United States—have joined forces with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) to help encourage a culture of reading for low-income and middle-class students. This video features AFT’s team-up with First Book to place books in the homes of the children of Freeport, N.Y., a community devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Senate Judiciary Committee Immigration Bill  Yesterday the Medicaid conference committee met for the first time, to discuss what's next for Medicaid expansion in Iowa.  We will be in front of Mid-American HQ office bldg at 666 Grand (corner of 7th and Grand) , downtown Des Moines from 11a - 1p , Friday May 3rd.  Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Workers Memorial Day Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Gang of Eight Immigration Bill Harkin fights for Iowans A president’s budget is more than just numbers. It is a profoundly moral document. We believe cutting Social Security benefits and shifting costs to Medicare beneficiaries – while exempting corporate America from shared sacrifice – is wrong and indefensible. Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Nominations to the National Labor Relations Board  From all reports I’ve seen, President Obama is going to propose a budget plan this week that is unprecedented for a Democratic president. It will propose a cut to Social Security benefits for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.  The Governor released his Medicaid plan last night, after legislators had left, while very few were paying attention. The initial reactions to his bill, are that it's just as bad as we thought it would be. Covering fewer Iowans, while costing the state more  RALLY TO SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF INFRASTRUCTURE: HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL, ENERGY AND THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE. Working men and women will be well served by President Obama’s choice of Tom Perez to lead the Department of Labor Rally at Rep. Steve Kings office  Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on
 Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka HHS and states move forward to offer quality, affordable health coverage  PRESS RELEASE: AFSCME IOWA STATEMENT ON ARBITRATOR’S DECISION ON STATE MASTER CONTRACT Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka  Tonight President Obama sent a clear message to the world that he will stand and fight for working America’s values and priorities. And with the foundation he laid, working families will fight by his side to build an economy that works for all.  STATEMENT FROM KEN SAGAR, PRESIDENT OF THE IOWA FEDERATION OF LABOR, AFL-CIO  Postmaster General Pat Donahoe held a press conference today to announce his intention to end Saturday delivery on Aug. 5, 2013, even though current law mandates six-day delivery. Carriers will be subjected to stand-up talks today on the unilateral decision. Iowa Legislative Comittees The U.S. economy shrunk slightly in the fourth quarter of last year, contracting by 0.1% instead of growing by 1% as analysts expected. It represents the first economic contraction since 2009 President Barack Obama was elected this fall with several mandates, but voters spoke with particular clarity on one issue: the need to support the aspiration of 11 million immigrants to become citizens. That’s why we applaud President Obama’s eloquent and thoughtful embrace of immigration reform, including a viable path to citizenship for those who are American in every way except on paper The following is list of VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites in Iowa. They will serve low income people who need assistance with filing their federal and state tax returns. Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Working women and men urgently need a voice on the job today, but the sad truth is that it has become more difficult for them to have one, as today’s figures on union membership demonstrate.  US Labor Department, Iowa Workforce Development sign agreement to reduce misclassification of employees as independent contractors  Iowa House Republicans are launching their first, but surely not their last attack on workers this legislative session. All 53 Republicans co-sponsored HJR 1, an amendment to put the so-called “right to work” law into the Iowa Constitution. Graduate Assistant Application Senator Jay Rockefeller’s announcement of his intention to retire marks the end of a long and honorable chapter in an illustrious career of public service Labor Secretary Solis is leaving the position of Labor Secretary. AFL-CIO President Trunka comments.  Todd Prichard has been endorsed by the Iowa Federation of Labor, and we are asking all of you to help out in this election January 22, for Iowa House Distict 52.  The agreement passed by the Senate last night is a breakthrough in beginning to restore tax fairness and achieves some key goals of working families  Before I was an officer at the Iowa Federation of Labor, I negotiated private sector contracts from 1983 to 1997 for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. We won some and lost some, but the trend in the private sector was to always keep wages low, turn our pensions over to Wall Street and to cut back on our health care  IFL President Ken Sagar was a guest on Iowa Public Radio's River to River on MOnday December 17 Trunka article  Republicans in Congress are not in touch with their constituents. They do not seem to understand that they lost the last election because voters rejected their agenda  Union workers locked out at American Crystal Sugar voted 55% to reject management's contract offer. This is the fourth time members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM) have voted on an identical offer. The budget proposal President Obama offered to Republicans yesterday keeps faith with the voters in last month’s election, who overwhelmingly opposed tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans and benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.  "Inequality and Budget Deficits: Why Is Only the Latter an Emergency?" is a cross-post from Jared Bernstein's On the Economy blog.  I am writing to seek for your support in addressing what I consider a serious act of censorship on the part of Iowa Public Television (IPTV). On December 2, 2012, abUSed: The Postville Raid will finally get its national broadcast premiere as part of a new PBS series,America ReFramed but Iowa Public Television (IPTV) is censoring its presentation  Workers at Hostess Brands—who in September overwhelming rejected a contract that cut wages and benefits by as much as 32%—began a strike today against the maker of Wonder Bread, Twinkies and other well-known baked treats. Hostess has imposed the terms of the rejected contract.  On a recent evening, members of unions from the Iowa City Federation of Labor and other activists urged customers at the Target store in Coral Ridge Mall to boycott American Crystal Sugar products and support the workers who have been locked out since Aug. 1, 2011. See more in this video.  Working Families Tell Congress To Protect Medicare, Medicaid And Social Security  The American public have spoken and made it clear that this election could not be bought.  Tonight, working families across the country celebrate the re-election of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden – and breathe a sigh of relief that our country will move forward on the path of sanity and shared prosperity This morning’s jobs report confirms that President Obama’s leadership has put our country on the road to economic recovery. Four years ago this month, we lost 489,000 jobs. The President inherited a labor market with 12 straight months of job losses. Under his watch, we have now seen two and a half straight years of job growth, with more than 5 million new private sector jobs created since 2010. We cannot afford to go back to the policies that caused the collapse.  NUNS ON THE BUS  Americans are about to choose among candidates who are debating whether to cut benefits for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and whether the richest Americans should pay their fair share of taxes  On New York Attorney General Schneiderman’s Lawsuit Alleging That Bear Stearns Fraudulently Issued Mortgage-Backed Securities  AFL-CIO Endorses Nationwide Consumer Boycott of American Crystal Sugar in Working Class Heroes Labor Center Upcoming Classes  In a remote upper floor of the Quaker Oats complex in Cedar Rapids, journeyman sheet metal worker Steve Devereux and his co-workers were excited about the chance to bend some metal into a force for good.  Delegates and friends of Labor I would like to ask that everyone start to have conversations with your members, friends, neighbors and anyone else who will listen. Let’s make it clear this year that the holiday everyone celebrates known as Labor Day is a creation of Organized Labor. I believe many in this country have taken for granted such holidays our forefathers fought so hard to attain for not just Organized Labor, but for all. This is not just another day off of work that corporations found in their heart to give to workers. Labor Day is a holiday to honor those who have toiled to make a better life for our families and a stronger country for all. So please share the facts about Labor Day this year with everyone , we can no longer afford to be silent about matters we have fought so hard to obtain, and then to sustain. Remember, WE EARNED IT! Washington DC, Aug 27) Beginning today, community activists and workers in more than 20 cities will be participating in national week of action this weekend outside Costco stores. At stores across the country, events will inform Costco customers of the worker abuses at Palermo’s Pizza Factory. Costco is the largest retailer of Palermo products.  Youtube vidoes of Ken Sagar and Charlie Wishman at the 2012 Iowa Federation of Labor Convention.  Whereas Senator Tom Harkin wants to use the CPIE - Consumer Price Index Elderly to determine cost of living adjustments for Social Security, the Ryan Republican budget proposes using the Chained CPI. It is based on the assumption that a lower COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) is acceptable for people on a fixed income because consumers substitute cheaper products when prices go up.  Today we join undocumented youth or DREAMers who came to the United States as children in celebrating the beginning of the process by which they will be able to apply to remain in the U.S., and work with the full exercise of their rights. It is the culmination of years of activism by courageous and creative young people who are American in every sense except on paper.  “On Tuesday, August 14, Social Security celebrates its 77th birthday. Before Social Security, seniors worked until the day they died because they could never afford to retire. This week, retirees across the country celebrate the program that they contribute to in their working years and can rely on for modest benefits when they need it most. The program is more important than ever with the decline of defined-benefit pensions, plummeting 401ks and scanty savings.  Stan Johnson, Secretary/Treasurer for the United Steel Workers, spoke to the delegates at the 2012 Iowa Federation of Labor Convention.  The Quad City Next Up group produced this video and entered it in the First Annual IFL Members Choice Award contest - and won.  Workers at Palermo's Pizza in Milwaukee, Wis., have been on strike for nearly two months in a struggle for justice with one of the largest frozen pizza manufacturers in the nation.  At the 56th annual Iowa Federation of Labor Convention, Charlie Wishman was elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer.  ALEC's extreme agenda has included templates to change our laws to make it harder for juries to hold vigilantes who kill people accountable, for American citizens to vote, for Congress to limit the distorting and corrupting influence of money in our elections, and numerous other bills that undermine the rights and opportunities of Americans.  “Generations of families have worked here to make American Crystal Sugar a profitable and productive producer of sugar,” said Trumka “This abysmal display shows total disregard for those employees and the community who have made Crystal Sugar a well renowned brand and a leader in sugar production in this country.”  Hyatt “systematically abuses housekeepers and other hotel workers,” said UNITEHERE! President John Wilhelm this morning in announcing a worldwide boycott of the hotel chain.  In 2008, the Iowa Legislature approved a law to protect all Iowa property by establishing the electrical inspection program. In an attempt to ensure the safety of farmers, their families, employees and livestock, non-residential farm buildings were specifically included in the electrical inspection program.  I’m pleased to announce a new feature on the Working America website: Dear David. Launching today Dear David is a regular advice column for workers.  A conversation with two Iowa labor leaders. AFSCME's Danny Homan and Iowa Federation of Labor President Ken Sagar on this edition of Iowa Press.  As you may or may not know BCTGM Locals 167G(Unit 264,Unit 266, and Unit 326),265G,267G,269G and 372G are going into 11 months of being Locked Out by ACSC.  Joyce D. NEW YORK — Joyce D. Miller, an influential advocate for women who believed that equality in the workplace could be best achieved through labor unions, and who championed that cause when she broke into the male-dominated leadership of the AFL-CIO, died of a stroke June 30 in Washington. She was 84.Miller, women’s rights advocate, in AFL-CIO leadership  As families and neighbors gear up for Fourth of July festivities, we’re reminded that not all homes will be sites of celebration. It’s hard to drive through neighborhoods and not notice all the shuttered homes and abandoned lawns, casualties of the foreclosures, layoffs and jobs that have moved overseas.  Charlie Wishman, Secretary/Treasurer for the Iowa Federation of Labor discusses Labor 2012. Betty Brim-Hunter talks about how labor needs to get active.  Washington, DC -- In the week leading up to Fourth of July celebrations, working families across the country will gather outside politicians’ and corporations’offices to demand they take steps now to bring good jobs home and invest in America  Check out @AFLCIO #votingrights site 2 see what your state’s voting laws are, our map of voter suppression shame and more: www.myvotemyright.org  The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the House passage of the Republicans’ Budget Reconciliation Bill:  SCIFL President, Mark Cooper's letter to the editor, April 12, 2012 in the Des Moines Register dealing with the wealthy and corporations paying their fair share of taxes.  North Iowa Nine Labor Council and the Iowa Federation of Labor presnted BTCGM local 269G with $1000 donation towards their lockout with Crystal Sugar, in Mason City.  The Ryan Budget was introduced last week and it is an attack on medicare and medicaid. It will take more from those that have little, and give more to the wealthy. IFL President Ken Sagar's letter to the editor on this issue, was published in the Des Moines Register. Here is the April Central Labor Council latest news, from around the state. This electronic newsletter was developed by the Central labor Councils in Iowa. Please send this newsletter to your members.  Iowa Republican Congressmen vote to cut Medicare and Medicaid. Democrats - Braley, Loebsack and Boswell all voted agains the Ryan Budget. The Bill now moves to the Senate. Contact Harkin and Grassley and ask them to vote against the Ryan Budget.  Senator Tom Harkin introduced "Rebuild America Act" this week. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka applauded Senator Harkin for introducing the bill. 
Help BCTGM Sisters and Brothers Locked Out Across the Upper Midwest!
On August 1, 1,300 BCTGM members in Minnesota, North Dakota and in Mason City, Iowa were locked out of their factories by American Crystal Sugar. The company has hired replacement workers and continues to refuse to return to the bargaining table. HOW YOU CAN HELP Address checks to: Mail donations to: Thank you for standing in solidarity with the locked out workers of American Crystal Sugar! Here is the latest news from around the Central Labor Councils in Iowa. This electronic newsletter was developed by the Central Labor Councils across the state. This monthly newsletter will keep you up to date on some of the latest news and happenings within the Central Labor Councils. If you have comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at ifl@iowaaflcio.org. Read more >>>AFL-CIO Now Blog -- Recent News Stories
|
Follow Us!
    |
|
© AFL-CIO. All rights reserved.
Photographs and illustrations, as well as text, cannot be used without permission from the AFL-CIO. |