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Spotlight NewsletterMay 18, 2012 |
Volume 1., Issue 231
California Labor Calls For Elimination of Wasteful Corporate Tax Breaks Before Cutting Services
This week, Governor Brown released the annual May Revise of the state budget, proposing yet another round of painful cuts to workers, seniors, low-income families and those with disabilities.
“These cuts are the result of a failed system that protects tax giveaways for the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of California’s most vulnerable,” said California Labor Federation leader Art Pulaski. “We call for an immediate review of every corporate tax break that’s currently lacking a sunset provision before a single cut to essential services is made. If these tax breaks aren’t doing what they intended, they should be abolished and those funds should instead go to restoring programs California families rely upon.”
Learn more.
New Report Reveals Staggering Rate of Injury Among Pomona Dining Hall Workers
Food service workers at Pomona College suffered work-related injuries at nearly twice the rate of other cafeteria workers in 2010, according to a new study by UNITE HERE and Workers for Justice. The report also investigated the causes, and found that 71% of Pomona’s kitchen and dining hall workers have never been trained by managers in the safe use of machinery and equipment, and 73% have received no training on how to avoid getting injured or sick at work. And while nearly 80% of those surveyed say they’ve experienced work-related pain or injury, due to fear of reprisal, just one-third have actually reported it to a supervisor.
“Too many of my coworkers have been injured at work. Pomona College must choose a different course,” said Rolado Araiza, who has worked as a cook at Pomona for six years. “We should feel empowered and protected at work. We should feel like we can report injuries without fear.”
Learn more.
Tesoro Refinery Workers Ramp Up Fight for Fair Contract
Workers at Tesoro oil refineries belonging to four locals of the United Steelworkers, including L.A.’s USW Local 675, have been in negotiations with Tesoro for several months. The company is trying to force union members to waive some of their basic collective bargaining rights and slash retirement security. The United Steelworkers has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Tesoro and will vote next week on whether to go on strike.
“Tesoro represents the 1%. If we go on strike, we are going to picket Tesoro service stations across L.A. County including Shell and U.S.A. Gasoline stations,” says Dave Campbell, Secretary-Treasurer of USW Local 675. “We are going to need the support of the public and all of our sisters and brothers in L.A. Labor on the picket lines in this battle of the 99% versus the 1%.”
Learn more.
Take Action to Save Thousands of Jobs at T-Mobile
Last month, T-Mobile announced that 3,300 customer service reps, bilingual reps and tech support specialists will lose their jobs at the end of June if the company follows through on its plan to shut down seven U.S. call centers. Just this week, the company announced plans to lay off hundreds more.
Now is the time to put pressure on the management at T-Mobile to keep these call center jobs here in the US, instead of shipping them overseas. Join the fight for quality customer service and good jobs at T-Mobile by sending a message to CEO Phillipp Humm today, urging him to keep the call centers open.
Take action.
This Week on “Labor’s Edge”
AFL-CIO’s Mike Hall announced the tentative agreement between Kaiser and its 100,000 union employees.
UFCW 5’s Mike Henneberry posted a preview of the massive day of action and bus tour to support northern California grocery workers.
Pomona College cook Rolado Araiza detailed the new report exposing the shocking rate of injury among Pomona food service workers.
Dick Meister argued that workers’ rights to form and join unions ought to be protected under the Civil Rights Act.
SAG-AFTRA member and professional dancer Cassidy Noblett shared his first-hand account of the third-world working conditions for dancers on music video shoots.