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Spotlight NewsletterJune 11, 2010 |
Volume 1, Issue 150
June Primary Sets in Motion a Battle for the Soul of California
With two failed corporate CEOs claiming the Republican nominations for Governor and U.S. Senate, this November’s crucial election is shaping up to be a showdown between ‘Wall Street’ candidates Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina and ‘Main Street’ candidates Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer, with the winners having an opportunity to shape California’s future for decades to come.
The contrast between the candidates couldn't be starker. Whitman and Fiorina boast long track records of firing thousands of their workers while taking exorbitant salaries, bonuses and stock options, not to mention that they have zero experience in government or public policy. On the other hand, Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer have decades of invaluable lawmaking experience, have never wavered in their steadfast commitment to the needs of California's working families, and will continue to fight for good jobs, workers rights and an economy that works for all.
Join the campaign to stop “Wall Street” Whitman.
Protest “Wall Street” Whitman and Goldman Sachs in LA
Now that the general election season has begun, working families across the state are taking action to make sure Meg Whitman knows we’re not going to stand for her Wall Street agenda and her attempt at a hostile corporate takeover of our state.
On Tuesday, June 15th, join workers, nurses and “Queen Meg” in LA to protest Whitman’s Wall Street agenda and her shady dealings during her time on the board at Goldman Sachs. The rally will take place at noon outside of the Goldman Sachs Annual Global Conference on Healthcare at the Century Plaza Hotel, 2025 Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
For more information, email bgallagher@calnurses.org or call 510-273-2200.
Displaced NUMMI Workers to Receive $19 Million in Federal Assistance
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis came to Fremont this week to announce a $19 million federal grant to provide training and other services to thousands of workers who lost their jobs when the NUMMI auto plant closed in April. The grant targets autoworkers as well as other workers at supply-chain companies affected by the shutdown.
"The $19 million will help supplement the federal monies that are already there to retrain people to prepare for new jobs," said California Labor Federation’s Art Pulaski. "That's pertinent in light of the fact that Tesla has a new relationship with Toyota and will open a new car-manufacturing facility there to produce electric vehicles. It's a new kind of car manufacturing, heavy on batteries. Even though they're a highly renowned workforce, these folks can use additional training to prepare for this new technology."
Rally in San Francisco for Fair Trade Policies
On Monday, June 14th, trade ministers from the U.S. and seven other countries that make up the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will be meeting in San Francisco to negotiate the largest trade pact since NAFTA. The TPP is a unique opportunity to remake American trade policy with a high standard that puts workers and communities around the world first, not multinational corporations. But if handled incorrectly, the TPP could wind up sending thousands more of good American jobs overseas.
We need to ensure President Obama and his negotiation team develop a modern trade philosophy that raises standards of living around the world and doesn't perpetuate the corporate-driven race to the bottom of the NAFTA-WTO "free trade" model. Join the march and rally to say “New Deal or No Deal” to the TPP on Monday, June 14th at 10am at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church – 756 Mission St in San Francisco.
For more information, call (415) 255-7291 or email tim@citizenstrade.org
This Week on “Labor’s Edge”
We post our mid-session legislative update on all of Labor’s sponsored bills.
The Labor Federation’s Art Pulaski blogged on Election Night about gearing up for the “Main Street vs Wall Street” election this November.
Priscilla Luviano from the Orange County Labor Federation shared highlights from the Whitman-Fiorina protest outside the GOP “Victory” breakfast in Anaheim.
Matthew “Oki” O’Connor of PRO/UAW blogged on the Unfair Labor Practice the postdocs' union filed against the University of California.
We posted our weekly Rants & Raves.
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