Local 344 News
- Volunteers Needed
- FAA REAUTHORIZATION BILL HEADS TO SENATE
- Vital Legislation Key to Rebuilding the Middle Class
Volunteers Needed
Thank you very much to all our fine members who volunteered at the MPTV Great TV Auction this year. Over 80 members signed up and the response to our presence was very positive. With our help, $1,029,326 was raised to keep high quality public television programming on the air. Our members worked the phones, worked in the warehouse, did table staging, talent coordinating and a host of other tasks. Secretary Treasurer Pat Tappa presented our sponsorship check in an on-air ceremony. President Ric Schmidt and Business Representative Bill Carroll served as Auctioneers.
More events will be planned for the future. Stay tuned!
FAA REAUTHORIZATION BILL HEADS TO SENATE
As you may have heard in the news, the FAA reauthorization bill has been introduced in the Senate. The Senate bill does not contain the express carrier language which will remove non airline employees working for FedEx Express from the Railway Labor Act and put them under the more appropriate National Labor Relations Act. The version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives did contain the express carrier language. Because of that difference and several others, the two versions of the bill will have to be reconciled in what is called a Conference Committee, where Members from the House and Senate are appointed to work out these differences.
We fully expect that the final bill that is signed into law will have the express carrier language in it and FedEx will no longer be able to hide behind the wrong labor laws in order to keep its employees from exercising their rights. In order to make sure that this happens, it is extremely important that you and your members participate in the letter writing campaign to Congress and keep the pressure up.
Below is a suggested sample letter you may use .
Please send handwritten signed letters to:
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Department of Field and Political Action
25 Louisiana Ave NW
Washington DC, 20001
Vital Legislation Key to Rebuilding the Middle ClassSupport the Employee Free Choice Act
As union members, we all know the value of strong representation in the workplace. We also know what it is like to fight for our right to have a voice on the job, a say in how we are treated, our hours of work and the wages and benefits we receive. But, millions of non-union workers across the country don't have these rights, and it's time for that to change.
The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is an important piece of legislation that is a critical step in rebuilding the middle class and revitalizing our sagging economy. EFCA must pass for working families to maintain their standard of living.
History has shown that our economy performs its best when the middle class is its strongest. However, over the years, we have seen corporate America continue to manipulate the system by lying, lobbying, and litigating away workers rights. The system has become so one-sided in favor of the employers that many workers are scared to even mention the word union, much less attempt to join one.
We know that a vast majority of working Americans want union representation. A study by Hart Research Associates found that almost 60 persent of non-managerial American workers would join a union if they could. So, why have we seen union numbers decline over the past 30 years?
Right now, a majority of workers must first sign cards if they want to join a union. Then they need to get permission for an election. After an election date is set (a minimum of 45 days later), they generally go through a drawn out election campaign. Often, the company appeals the election results again and again. Many times employers refuse to negotiate with a union even after workers elect one.
Since the 1970s, corporations have become experts at harassing and intimidating their workers during that long process. It's known as "union busting". A whole industry of consultants and lawyers grew up around it.
The Employee Free Choice Act, now before Congress, would restore fairness to union organizing. It says that if a majority of workers sign cards to join a union, then they join a union - so long as the government certifies that the cards are valid. If the company refuses to negotiate with the union, they can ask for federal mediation and then arbitration.
The Employee Free Choice Act will help level the playing field and give workers the right to seek union representation free of intimidation from the company. It is time to put the power back in the hands of the people who actually get their hands dirty for a living.