Volume 1., Issue 280
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Picketing Rights in California
In a monumental victory for working families, the U.S. Supreme Court this week upheld picketing rights in California when it denied a request by Ralphs Grocery Company to hear its challenge of two California laws that protect unions’ rights to picket near the entryways of retail stores and other businesses. California’s Supreme Court had upheld the laws in an earlier ruling issued last December.
“While we are glad to achieve this decisive legal victory, it is troubling to witness a long-time union employer taking a hostile stance toward workers' rights to express themselves freely,” said UFCW 8 President Jacques Loveall. “Educating shoppers and workers about their basic rights to a decent wage, good health care, dignity in retirement and respect on the job should not result in lawsuits and appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Learn more.
Gov. Brown Unveils Plan to Fix Enterprise Zones & Create Jobs
This week, Gov. Brown announced his new good jobs plan that will flip the broken enterprise zone program into real incentives for creating quality, middle-class jobs. The Governor’s plan would end egregious giveaways to strip clubs and large corporations that fail to create new jobs, and would instead direct those funds to manufacturing and hiring tax credits for businesses that are actually growing high-road jobs in the parts of the state that need them the most.
“California’s 30-year-old Enterprise Zone program is not enterprising, it’s wasteful,” Gov. Brown said. “It’s inefficient and not giving taxpayers the biggest bang for their buck. There’s a better way and it will help encourage manufacturing in California.”
Learn more and take action to support the Governor’s plan.
Fresno Working Families Defeat Waste Collection Privatization Scheme
Measure G -- which sought to make radical changes to Fresno’s cost-effective, award-winning and nationally-recognized trash collection service -- has officially been defeated, according to the results of a week-long vote count. This victory is due in large part to the working families who united with business, law enforcement and community groups to launch an aggressive campaign to protect jobs and taxpayers.
“In the final analysis, voters decided they wanted to keep their high-quality public service. So the real credit for the win goes to those hard working city staff who provide dedicated, cost-effective services every day,” said Marina Magdaleno, business representative for Stationary Engineers Local 39, which represents the garbage workers.
Learn more.
Tuesday: Solidarity Picket with SF Giants Concessions Workers
On May 5th, 750 concessions workers who serve San Francisco Giants fans at AT&T Park launched a one-day strike to call for decent wages, benefits and job security. The workers have been without a contract for three years, and it’s been more than 1500 days since they’ve seen a raise.
Even though the workers are back on the job, their struggle for justice continues. Show your support for the concessions workers by joining them on the picket line on Tuesday, June 18th. Meet at 5pm at ILWU 34 (directly across the alley from AT&T Park’s 2nd Street gate); the picket will take place from 6-730pm at the park entrances.
Learn more and RSVP.
Don’t Miss “Reaching Voters Where They Are” at Netroots Nation 2013
The 2013 Netroots Nation conference kicks off on Thursday, June 20th at the San Jose Convention Center. This nationally acclaimed convening of progressive activists, tech-savvy campaigners and thought leaders features cutting edge workshops, incisive and engaging speakers and remarkable networking opportunities.
A proud sponsor of this year’s conference, the California Labor Federation will be hosting a special panel discussion on Saturday at 3pm on “Reaching Voters Where They Are,” a unique look at how California Labor utilized to triumphantly defeat Prop 32. The panel will explore the tools and new technologies that helped to propel the No on 32 campaign to victory.
Learn more and register for the conference.
This Week on “Labor’s Edge”
- “End the Enterprise Zone Abuse: Support Gov. Brown’s Good Jobs Proposal” by Steve Smith, California Labor Federation
- “Women Leaders Declare Closing ‘Walmart Loophole’ a Top Priority” by Sara Flocks, California Labor Federation
- “Working Families Lobby Congress on Immigration Policy” by Kenneth Quinnell, AFL-CIO
- “In Memoriam: Former CFT President Raoul Teilhet” by Fred Glass, California Federation of Teachers
- “U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Picketing Rights” by Rebecca Band, California Labor Federation
- “Gov. Brown Outlines Plan for Good Jobs” by Steve Smith, California Labor Federation
- “'Mujeres Unidas y Activas' Joins Forces with San Francisco Labor Council” by Jennifer Angarita, AFL-CIO
Hyatt has a long history of abuse against its workers. Many housekeepers clean up to 30 rooms a shift, leading to debilitating injuries. Some 100 housekeepers in Boston were fired in one day and replaced with minimum wage temps. Workers picketing in Chicago had heat lamps turned on them during a brutal summer heat wave. .JPG)
This week, brave Walmart workers from coast to coast are joining together in what’s shaping up to be the most aggressive strike against Walmart in history. Striking Walmart workers and their supporters from southern California and all across the country just embarked on the “Ride for Respect” caravan to Bentonville, Arkansas when the Walmart shareholders will be holding their annual executive meeting on June 7th, and they’re stopping off to protest at Walmart stores along the way (keep up with the “Ride for Respect” on 
Nearly 13,000 patient care technical workers in the UC Hospital System, as well as sympathy strikers from the UC Hospital Service Unit represented by AFSCME 3299 and members of UPTE-CWA 9119, participated in a two-day strike against UC hospitals this week. The actions came after nearly a year of stalled negotiations with UC administrators over a range of issues, including patient safety, staffing levels at UC hospitals, and the increasing diversion of patient care resources into skyrocketing compensation packages for UC health executives..jpg)
This week, workers and seniors in the Central Valley brought the fight to close the “Walmart Loophole” right to Walmart’s doorstep, holding actions at Walmart supercenters in Stockton and Fresno to spread the word about Walmart’s outrageous practice of forcing its workers onto Medi-Cal and making taxpayers foot the bill. Activists spoke directly with shoppers about closing the “Walmart Loophole” by passing AB 880, which would ensure huge corporations like Walmart pay their fair share for their workers health care. The protestors also delivered a giant invoice in the amount if $32 million to the Walmart managers to signify the annual cost of the “Walmart Loophole” on California taxpayers. 
This morning before dawn, dozens of workers gathered outside Walmart in West Sacramento to spread the word to shoppers about a loophole in the Affordable Care Act that Walmart and other corporate giants are exploiting to get out of paying their fair share for workers’ health care. They carried signs that read “Protect Taxpayers- Close the Walmart Loophole” and delivered an invoice to the store’s manager that detailed how Walmart’s practice of dumping workers onto Medi-Cal is costing taxpayers $32 million annually. 
On Wednesday, thousands of California workers, immigrant rights activists, students and community supporters came out to May Day actions in more than a dozen cities to demonstrate their support for comprehensive immigration reform. The rallies and marches all carried the same message: NOW is the time to pass immigration reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship and vital protections for immigrant workers.
Wednesday, May 1st is known around the world as International Workers Day, and all across the state and country, workers and immigrant families will be hitting the streets to rally for the rights of all workers, regardless of where they were born. Activists will be commemorating the legacy of May Day by demanding a roadmap to citizenship and strong worker protections, as well as an immediate end to deportations for those who are potentially eligible for citizenship.
Since 2006, more than 600 Bangladeshi garment workers have died in preventable fires while sewing clothing for companies like Gap and Walmart. 112 workers died in a recent fire at a Walmart supplier and 29 workers died at a Gap supplier, but Gap and Walmart are still refusing to pay for reforms and join with other companies in a binding fire safety agreement that includes independent inspections and worker representation.
For far too long, California’s biggest and most profitable corporations have been lining their pockets at the expense of working families by taking advantage of massive tax loopholes and giveaways the rest of us couldn’t dream of. One of these tax giveaways, the “enterprise zone” (EZ) program, is draining the state budget of over $700 million each year, and instead of creating new jobs, the EZ program is being used to eliminate good union jobs.
New immigration reform legislation is expected to be introduced in Congress as soon as next week, and on Wednesday, April 10th, tens of thousands of union members, immigrants, supporters, faith leaders and community advocates will be joining a nationwide Day of Action to support fair and just immigration reform.