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Jan 23
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LCLAA meeting
Connie’s Mexico Cafe
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Jan 28
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Fed Meetings
Eboard 5:30
Delegates 6:30
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Jan 30
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Prairie Land Foods Distribtuion
IAM
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Feb 13
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Union Label Chili Feed
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February 15
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Deadline for Prairie Land Foods Order
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March 17
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KOSE Lobby Day
Topeka
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March 26-27
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KAPE Convention
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Check availability of meeting room at the Wichita/Hutchinson Labor
Federation.
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UNION VIDEO
OF THE MONTH
January 2010
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In the KC area tune in Thursdays at 6:00-7:00 PM or Fridays 5:00-6:00 AM and for live streaming at www.kkfi.org
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Jan 2010
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Jan 21
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Duke and Pat – The New
Leadership of the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO
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Jan. 28
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Financial Re-regulation: Is the Fix
In? and Credit Unions: Are They Better?
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February 2010
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Feb. 4
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Feminists Take Flight, the Story of IFFA - the
Independent Federation of Flight Attendants
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Feb. 11
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Planting Seeds for Tomato Justice
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Feb. 18
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Defending Public Education: Keeping Our Schools Safe
and Open
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Feb. 25
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Marching to a Different Drummer:
Jobs and Peace
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Listen to Past Shows
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Union Members Mobilizing to Help Haiti
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The union movement is mobilizing its members to provide assistance and calling for a massive global relief effort. You can help Haitian workers in distress by
donating to the Solidarity Center Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers’ Campaign. Click here to make a donation and here to learn more about how the center is working to help Haitian workers.
The TransAfrica Forum, a longtime ally of the union movement, also suggests donations to two organizations already providing aid on the ground in Haiti:
Partners in Health (click here to donate) and Doctors Without Borders (click here).
Here are what some unions are doing:
- More than 3,400 registered nurses from across the United States responded in less than one day to the call by National Nurses United (NNU) to provide assistance in Haiti. Now the RNs are issuing an urgent appeal for
the public to support these efforts with donations of funds to support travel costs and medical supplies on their upcoming emergency nursing mission. Click here to sign up to volunteer or donate or call 1-800-578-8225.
- The United Steelworkers (USW) announced the union will donate $20,000
from the union’s Humanity Fund to assist with emergency aid in Haiti.
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United
Way is taking appointments this week for the Laid-Off Workers Center’s February session
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WICHITA, Kan. —United Way of the Plains is taking calls Jan. 18 –
22 to set up appointments for the Laid-Off Workers Center’s February session. To set up an appointment, individuals must call United Way’s
information number by dialing 2‑-1‑-1 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (this is a toll-free number). The deadline to call for an appointment for the
February session is Friday, Jan. 22. The center will be open on a monthly basis as needed beyond February.
To qualify for help through the Laid-Off Workers Center, laid-off workers must:
· Pre-register to set up an appointment by calling United Way’s information number 2-1-1;
· Have been laid off and approved for unemployment compensation sometime since
October 1, 2008 (not fired, quit, or on medical leave);
· Show that they have emergency financial needs and have insufficient personal
resources to adequately provide food, clothing and/or shelter; and
· Have been laid off from a job in Sedgwick, Butler or Sumner counties, or lived in
those counties at the time of the layoff, between Oct. 1, 2008, and the present.
Services at the Laid-Off Workers Center include:
· Emergency financial assistance for those who qualify (mortgage/rent, electric,
gas and water). Checks will be written directly to the lender, landlord or utility company.
· Budget and debt management counseling · Help applying for government programs
· Job training and job search assistance · Continuing education information · Food assistance
· Community volunteering information · On-site child care services during the appointment
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State Employees Respond to the State of the State
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KOSE Applauds Governor Parkinson's Courage
 (Jan 12) Last night Governor Mark Parkinson addressed the harsh realities of
this past year's budget cuts that he declared as "brutal." He also made it clear that
it is not responsible governing to cut "beyond the point of waste." This is
heartening news since Kansas state employees and KOSE members know all too well how brutal these cuts truly have been. The Governor has also shown
great courage by calling for modest tax increases to preserve vital state services
and avoid outright catastrophe for education, public safety, and aid to our most needy.
It is well known that Governor Mark Parkinson has faced the worst crisis Kansas has ever seen since the Great
Depression and cut more waste from the state budget than any of his predecessors. That is why his remarks are a
sincere reminder that we cannot afford anymore devastating cuts.
Governor Parkinson must be applauded for his perseverance and courage as we try to salvage our economy and learn from this crisis.
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Union Label chili Feed Set for Feb 13
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 Wichita Union Label and Service Trades Council will host its 29th Annual
Chili and Hobo Supper on February 23, starting at 5:30 pm at the IAM Hall 33830 S. Meridian.
" Come join us for all you can eat chili, hobo stew, desserts, and beverages, while playing bingo and winning many prizes."
Tickets are just $6.00 for adults, $2.50 for Children 6 yrs to 12 yrs, and FREE to children 5 yrs and younger.
Download a flyer here.
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Without notice, Boeing cuts college funding program for employees
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 SEATTLE - Disregarding the law and its Oct. 16 promise to employees, The
Boeing Company intends to implement cuts on Jan. 4 to its Learning Together
Program (LTP) for employees represented by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001.
The National Labor Relations Act prohibits Boeing from implementing cuts while "effects bargaining" is taking place. Boeing acknowledged cuts cannot take place until after negotiations are complete in an Oct. 16 letter to
SPEEA and in numerous caveats published on the LTP website.
Despite the ethical and legal obligations, Boeing informed SPEEA the evening of Dec. 22 that it intends to
unilaterally, retroactively and without warning to the impacted employees impose cuts to the program
immediately after the winter break on Jan. 4.
MORE
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I Remember Crystal Lee Sutton--the Real Norma Rae
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by Harold Schlechtweg
Business Representative SEIU 513
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Sally Fields with Crystal Lee
Sutton, the real “Norma Rae”
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I just learned Crystal Lee Sutton died in early September. She was
the real "Norma Rae."
I worked with her in North Carolina in the late 1970s on an
organizing project for the Textile Workers Union. She was someone who truly cared about her co-workers.
I had just moved to Greensboro from Louisville to work on the
project directed by Pete Brandon. I only had what I could load in my car. She gave me silverware, dishes and glasses.
She also loaned me her staff car so I could visit my uncle in South
Carolina when I attended a union conference in Spartansburg (at the
time, the Textile Workers were employing her for public relations as the movie Norma Rae had come out not long
before and the J.P. Stevens boycott had just concluded successfully and they were focusing on Cannon Mills). MORE
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Kansas Health Care Premiums Rose 4.2 Times Faster than Earnings 2000
- 2009
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Premiums Rose by 98.8 Percent, while Earnings Rose by Only 23.3 Percent
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(Sept 15, 2009).—Family health care premiums rose an estimated 4.2 times faster than
earnings for Kansas’s workers from 2000 through 2009, according to a report issued ay by the consumer health organization Families USA. In that 10-year period, family health insurance premiums rose by 98.8 percent, while median earnings rose by only 23.3 percent.
The Families USA report for Kansas is an
update of its original groundbreaking 2006 report, which was the first of its kind to document these changes on a state-specific
basis. Among the new report’s key findings are:
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For family health coverage provided through the workplace in Kansas, the average annual health insurance premium (employer and worker share of premiums combined) in the 2000-2009 period rose from $6,237 to $12,397—an increase of $6,160, or 98.8 percent.
- Between 2000 and 2009, the median earnings of Kansas’s workers rose from $22,351 to
$27,565—an increase of $5,214, or 23.3 percent. MORE
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Kansas Secretary of Labor Garner on Unemployment Fund
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Kansas Secretary of Labor Jim Garner, in Wichita for the Labor Day picnic, explained what is going on with the Kansas
unemployment compensation fund.
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Wichita Labor Day Picnic 2009
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Some photos from our 2009 Labor Day picnic. Also check out this page
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Labor’s 2009 United Way Kickoff
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by Stuart Elliott
 More than ninety Wichita union leaders attended the annual Kickoff
luncheon for Labor’s 2009 United Way campaign. They got a “sneak
peek” at the new United Way video, heard reports on the Laid Off
worker center and how United Way is responding to the economic crisis.
They also heard Rita Rogers of District 70 announced as the Labor
Participation chair for this year’s campaign.
To drive home the need for a broad-based campaign, this year’s fund
raising campaign has the slogan “Give Five” If everyone in Sedgwick
County gave one hours pay per month, the United Way would raise $54
million–more than three times the goal. The goal is not impossible,
Hanrahan explained. Last year.51 companies gave 100 percent of their potential and another 115 companies
gave between 40 and 99 percent.
One hour of pay per month has long been the standard United Way ask. This year, there is a bit of a change.
“Five minutes of pay per day” is what United Way campaigners are asking people to give this year. That
consists of 3 minutes plus an extra 2 minutes to make up for those laid off and unable to contribute this year.
.MORE including photo gallery
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SPEEA engineers reject
Spirit contract offer – send team back to the table
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(Aug 27, 2009) WICHITA – Engineers rejected Spirit AeroSystems’ second contract offer by 93% and
authorized their Negotiation Team to call a strike if necessary. Ballots were counted Thursday, Aug. 27, after
an all-member meeting.
“This offer was even worse than the one members rejected by 91% in July,” said Bob
Brewer, Midwest director for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in
Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001. “The members said enough is enough – no
more takeaways on pay, benefits and job security.”
With 85% of the SPEEA members casting ballots, 309 (93%) voted to reject the offer and 304 (92%) voted
yes to approve strike authorization – giving the team leverage to bring in a federal mediator to negotiate with
Spirit. MORE
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Environmentalists, Unions Form Bond Over Green Jobs
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The Kansas Blue Green Alliance hosts
statewide tour to highlight clean energy jobs that protect workers, support Kansas families
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 (August 18, 2009 )-Across Kansas nextt week, labor union leaders and
environmental organizers will be discussing the future of .green. jobs in
Kansas. Labor leaders from many major manufacturing unions in Kansas
including the United Steelworkers, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, and
United Auto Workers will gather with environmental leaders from organizations like the Sierra Club, Great
Plains Alliance for Clean Energy, and the Climate and Energy Project. The Wichita meeting will take place on
Wednesday August 26 from 11:30 to 1:00 pm at the CWA, 530. E. Harry. Topeka and Kanss City will host
meetings on Thursday August 27. MORE
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Tell Senator Roberts: Fix Health Care the Right Way
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What will happen to your
health care when you retire? What about during the next round of bargaining? Or if your company goes
bankrupt or you change jobs? And can you afford to have your health care benefits taxed?
 Right now in the Senate, behind the scenes work is being done that will affect
how these questions are answered. We need your help today because reform
has to be done the right way, including the right priorities, from the start. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas is on the Finance Committee, and will be
one of the first to mark up this legislation. It's especially important for you to
tell your Senators about the right way to reform the health care system.
Speak out now
Senator Roberts, like many other Senators, now requires constituents to use a form on his web
-site. Please take a little extra time to make sure he gets your message. AFter using the link, you
will see a results screen. Click the link for Senator Roberts. Then follow the instructions at the top
of that page. It enables you to paste your message. Just fill in the information Senator Roberts
asks for and submit. Or if you prefer, you can print out your letter and mail it via the USPS.
This is a crucial moment. At these beginning stages, we can have a huge impact on the shape of the
legislation that Congress considers. But you also know that insurance companies will be pushing hard to
protect their profits at the expense of everyone else.
It's up to us to push back and show Congress how to achieve commonsense health care reform for the
American people. The AFL-CIO identified four key elements to health care legislation:
· Every employer must pay.
· Benefits should not be taxed.
· Provide a choice of private or public insurance plans
.
·
Retirees must be protected.
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Kansas Consumer group alarmed by medical bankruptcies
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By Jim McLean
KHI News Service June 5, 2009
TOPEKA — The director of a Kansas consumer group says she
isn’t surprised by a new study linking more than 60 percent of bankruptcies in the U.S. to
medical debt.
“This is not surprising — it’s terrifying, but not
surprising,” said Corrie Edwards, executive director of the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition.
The study, conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Ohio University, to be
published in the August edition of the American Journal of Medicine, found that 62.1 percent of all
bankruptcies in 2007 were tied to medical debt, a 50 percent increase since 2001. It also found
that 60.3 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy because of medical debt had private health
insurance at the start of their illnesses.MORE
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Health Insurance Coverage in Kansas
Keeps Shrinking as Premiums, Family Costs Continue Climbing
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HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA NOW
Medical care has become too expensive in Kansas, leaving 340,000 state residents uninsured and
exposed to the catastrophic costs of accidents and illnesses.1 The economic downturn that began 19 months ago has vaporized 7 million jobs across the U.S. and driven the Kansas unemployment rate to 6.4 percent from 4.1 percent.2 More families are finding
themselves without health benefits just as the cost of buying coverage on the open market
has climbed to record levels.3
 While the employed take comfort in holding on to
their jobs, thousands of workers at small businesses
in Kansas and millions more nationwide remain
uninsured because the price of comprehensive health
insurance has soared out of reach. And across the nation more than of Americans whose jobs and
benefits are intact nonetheless live in fear of
becoming sudden casualties of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.4 Health insurance
premiums have risen so high that experts forecast 52
million Americans will be without coverage next year.5 Left alone to purchase coverage directly from
private health insurance companies, families often
have no choice but to remain uninsured or buy policies with meager benefits.
Kansas Data Points
Health insurance premiums for Kansas working families have skyrocketed, increasing 88 percent from
2000 to 2007.6
For family health coverage in Kansas during that time, the average annual combined premium for
employers and employees rose from $6,237 to $11,722.7 MORE
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Study Shows Increased Anti-union Intimidation
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In a study released last week, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Director of Labor Education
Research at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, documents this in
detail -- including the increase in corporate tactics to interfere with, block and delay
workers' attempts to form unions, and the ineffectiveness of current labor law to
protect and enforce workers' rights in the election process.
The study, "No
Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing," examines more
than 1,000 union-representation campaigns and finds that "intense and aggressive"
tactics to block workers' freedom to form unions are becoming more commonplace.
We need your help to make sure every senator and representative in Washington, D.C., reads
this new study. Click here to share this study today:.
Here are a few highlights (or lowlights) of the study:
- During union campaigns, bosses threatened to close plants 57 percent the time and
threatened to cut wages and benefits 47 percent of the time.
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In more than 60 percent of union campaigns, workers are forced to attend mandatory one-on-one sessions with supervisors and are given anti-union messages or interrogated about their support for a union.
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The number of employers using 10 or more identified coercive tactics to intimidate and harass workers has doubled.
- When employees actually win an election to form a union, 52 percent still have no
contract a year later, and 37 percent are without a contract two years after they voted
to join a union.
Want to learn more? Click here to read the full study:
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Solidarity and Justice
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Moti Rieber Director Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation
Invocation at 2009 AFL-CIO Service Conference
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Moti Rieber
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When faced with difficult times like these, there are some values that it is useful
to re-learn. I’m going to share a couple of them with you – and they are values
of both the labor movement and from Jewish tradition. These values are
solidarity, and justice.
For our purposes today, solidarity is realizing that there but for the grace of
God go I, and that it is our responsibility to do what we can to help the other
person weather the storm. If we think of the best organizations we’ve known
or belonged to – whether they be churches, civil organizations or unions, they
are the ones that reached out to help those in need. This is exactly the
opposite of the “I got mine, pal” ethos that we’ve been living out too long in
this country. MORE |
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WSU Wins Student Labor Chapter of the Year Award
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by Chris Hicks
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Wichita
State student labor activists with their award
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Wichita State University Student Labor Action
Project (SLAP) was named SLAP Chapter of the
year (2008-2009). This award recognizes work
students commit towards worker rights. This year
Wichita State SLAP has focused on farmworkers
struggles in Florida, Employee Free Choice Act,
recent strikes in the Wichita aircraft industry, and
raising the Kansas minimum wage.
They plan to follow this year up by continuing their
work in addressing farmworker plights by working to
ensure Sodexo food service provider comes to an agreement with the workers, and gaining support for
Employee Free Choice Act at Wichita State University.
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New Record for Wichita Food Drive--Passes 200,000 Pound Goal
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photo courtesy of Cathy Lamb
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\Wichita's 2009 Letter Carriers Food drive has set a new
record and passed their 200,000 pound goal. Larry Gunkel
of the Kansas Food Bank reports 160,614 pounds were
delivered to the food bank from Wichita post offices. Cathy
Lamb, food drive coordinator for NALC branch 201, adds
that 45,985 pounds were collected in outlying offices covered
by the her branch. That gives a total for 2009 of 205.599
pounds. The 2009 results were a 20 percent increase over
2008. Across the country, some cities show experienced a
decrease in contributions. Milwaukee, for instance, had a
decline of 24 percent.
Cathy Lamb, coordinator for the Wichita area food drive, said, “ Please help me tell everyone who
help this year, a big THANK YOU! We would not have had such a great success if it was not for the
help we had from this great community. Their are so many people to thank. Dillon's for the sacks ,the
volunteer's at the station's , the truck drivers who helped transport the food from the station's to the
Food Bank. The businesses that helped by putting it up on their signs, churches that put it in their
bulletins. The Letter Carriers both city and rural for all the effort and hard work on top of their normal
duties of the day. The USPS for their help. Last but not least the Kansas Food Bank for all their help
in making every year more easier for all of us. God bless you all!.”
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Richard Flaharty
photo courtesy of Larry Wilson
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Mario Cervantes, United Way labor liaison,
extended his thanks to the union volunteers who helped this year.
Site Coordinators – Cassie Reicher IAM
LL774;Richard Flaharty IAM, Deb Tracy IAM &
AW LL639, and Tony Spicer IAM LL639
Site Volunteers:
Larry & Linda Wilson –IAM 733
, Stuart Elliot- APWU 735, Bob Gainer-IAM 774,
Marty Marty Reicher – IAM 774; Kathy Knox –
IAM774; Debbie Stewart – IAM 774: Linda
Abercrombie – IAM 774; Jackie Sayama – IAM
774; Susan Chambers – IAM 774 ,Ruth Mullhatten
- SPEEA, David Drake-SPEEA, Sharlene Shaffer –
NALC, Ron Cook – Teamsters,Brian Alexander – IAM LL774, Roy Markham – IAM LL73, Don
Wilmoth- IAM LL 639, Mike Munday – IAM LL639 |
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