Union members urge Klobuchar to take a stand against Fast Track

January 31, 2014 by
CWA Minnesota State Council President Mona Meyer speaks at a trade demonstration outside Sen. Amy Klobuchar's offices in Minneapolis.

CWA Minnesota State Council President Mona Meyer speaks at a trade demonstration outside Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s offices in Minneapolis.

Union members today called on U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar to take a stand against efforts in Congress to put job-killing free-trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on the fast track.

Members of the Communications Workers of America marked a worldwide day of action against the TPP – the NAFTA-style trade agreement being negotiated in secret by 12 countries in Asia and the Americas – by leading a demonstration outside Klobuchar’s office in Minneapolis.

“We are not against trade, we are against free trade,” CWA State Council President Mona Meyer told more than a dozen activists who joined the demonstration. “Under the TPP more American jobs would be offshored. Internet freedom would be a joke. Developing countries would lose access to life-saving medicines. Unsafe foods and products would pour into our country.

“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

[Click here to learn how you can take action against the job-killing TPP free trade agreement.]

CWA members targeted their message at Klobuchar, Meyer said, because the senator voted in favor of free trade agreements with Korea and Panama that “have decimated jobs in America.” Klobuchar also has not taken a stance against the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act, introduced in the U.S. House earlier this month and better known as “Fast Track authorization.”

Unions are part of a broad coalition of groups, including environmental and family-farm organizations, urging members of Congress to reject Fast Track, which would force Congress to take an up-or-down vote on trade agreements without offering amendments.

The complexity of modern trade agreements, Meyer said, requires more – not less – congressional oversight.

“We voted for Sen. Klobuchar to work for us,” Meyer said. “One of her job responsibilities is to negotiate trade agreements, not give up her vote.”

Klobuchar’s Minnesota colleague, Al Franken, was one of 12 senators who signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressing concern that Fast Track shirks the responsibility placed on Congress by the Constitution to oversee trade policy.

Reid appears to have heeded their advice, announcing yesterday that he is opposed to Fast Track. Now it’s time for Klobuchar to do the same, St. Paul Regional Labor Federation President Bobby Kasper said.

“We need Sen. Klobuchar to speak out and oppose Fast Track and this bad trade deal for workers, farmers and jobs,” he said.

CWA members deliver a letter to Klobuchar's office urging her to take a stand against Fast Track trade authorization.

CWA members deliver a letter to Klobuchar’s office urging her to take a stand against Fast Track trade authorization.

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CWA delegates lead march against Trans-Pacific Partnership

August 20, 2013 by
More than 200 people, many delegates to the CWA District 7 Convention, march along Nicollet Mall to a rally against fast-track approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

More than 200 people, many delegates to the CWA District 7 Convention, march along Nicollet Mall to a rally against fast-track approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

More than 200 activists marched along Nicollet Mall downtown Minneapolis today before rallying in Peavey Plaza against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive, NAFTA-style trade pact being negotiated in secret by the U.S. and 11 other countries with Pacific shorelines.

The Communications Workers of America, holding a district convention in Minneapolis this week, organized the march. Dressed in red CWA shirts, delegates spilled over from the sidewalks into the streets, carrying signs warning that the TPP would put American workers and consumers at risk.

CWA President Larry Cohen addresses the TPP rally in Peavey Plaza.

CWA President Larry Cohen addresses the TPP rally in Peavey Plaza.

“We need fair trade, not fast track,” CWA President Larry Cohen said at the rally, referencing efforts afoot in Congress to force an up-or-down vote on the TPP without amendments. “We have to say this to the White House, loud and clear.”

An agreement as far-reaching as the TPP, which would encompass more than one-third of the world’s trade, warrants vigorous public debate, Cohen added. Yet TPP negotiations are classified, keeping both the media and members of Congress mostly in the dark.

“We’re still waiting,” Cohen said. “When do we get to have a say on these trade deals? When do we get to see this trade deal? We need our say.”

Among the 600 “cleared advisers,” who have greater access to TPP drafts than most members of Congress, are representatives of Verizon – a company whose workers CWA represents across the country. “Can you hear us now?” activists shouted at Verizon’s offices atop a downtown Minneapolis skyscraper.

Union leaders fear the TPP, like NAFTA and other trade agreements before it, will make it easier for multinational corporations to offshore U.S. jobs to countries with lower wages and fewer environmental and safety regulations – especially since it is being negotiated with more corporate input than public oversight.

“Thousands of people are about to lose out big time, but not if we can stop this terrible trade policy,” said Josh Wise, director of the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition.

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March planned in Minneapolis against fast track for Trans-Pacific Partnership

August 9, 2013 by
Activists targeted Cargill for its support of the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership last summer.

Activists targeted Cargill for its support of the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership last summer.

Anticipating attempts to sidestep Congressional oversight of the latest free-trade agreement, activists will rally downtown Minneapolis Aug. 20 against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive, NAFTA-style trade pact being negotiated in secret by representatives of 12 countries with Pacific shorelines.

The noon rally will take place at the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet Avenue. Click here to view the event page on Facebook.

Last month at a panel discussion on the TPP, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison issued a call to action, urging constituents to target efforts to approve the TPP via so-called “fast track” authorization, which forces members of Congress to take an up-or-down vote on the agreement without offering amendments.

“When fast track is dropped, we need to have mass rallies all across this country,” Ellison said.

The Aug. 20 rally suggests Twin Cities activists are heeding Ellison’s advice.

“Fast Track creates a situation where negotiators cannot be held accountable by the public, and legislators are denied their constitutional authority to set the terms of trade agreements,” the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition’s flier announcing the event says (click to download). “This undermines democracy, and inhibits Congress’ and our ability to thoroughly understand the impacts the agreement could have on their constituents.”

A prominent national labor leader will join the rally: Larry Cohen, president of the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America.

Together, TPP member countries account for roughly half of the global economy and more than one-third of the world’s trade, meaning the pact will have a major impact on workers, consumers, farmers and small businesses in all 12 countries.

Drafts and proposals used during TPP negotiations are classified, keeping both the media and members of Congress mostly in the dark. About 600 “cleared advisors” have access to TPP drafts, including representatives of multinational corporations like Walmart, Cargill and Monsanto.

Draft proposals leaked to the media show the TPP could have far-reaching impacts on everything from food-safety inspections to buy-local laws. “A lot of the agreement isn’t about trade, it’s about lowering standards so that corporations have more access,” said Jim Harkness of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “This is a very dangerous path to take.”

Union leaders fear the TPP, like NAFTA and other trade agreements before it, will make it easier for multinational corporations to offshore U.S. jobs to countries with lower wages and fewer environmental and safety regulations.

“Thousands of people are about to lose out big time, but not if we can stop this terrible trade policy,” said Josh Wise, director of the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition.

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CWA sponsors Almanac Trail concert stop in Minneapolis

July 12, 2013 by
Rik Palieri and George Mann perform in a Vermont radio studio.

Rik Palieri and George Mann perform in a Vermont radio studio.

The Almanac Trail concert tour hits Minneapolis Aug. 8, with a free 7:30 p.m. show at the Minneapolis Eagles, 2507 E 25th St., sponsored by the Minnesota State Council of the Communications Workers of America.

The tour features musicians Rik Palieri and George Mann, who are tracing the steps of the Almanac Singers – folk-music luminaries Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Mill Lampell. These legends spent the summer of 1941 touring the U.S., playing union halls, picket lines, theaters and radio shows, and planting the seeds of unionism along the way.

To capture the spirit of the Almanac Singers’ tour, Palieri and Mann sought the guidance of Seeger and The Woody Guthrie Archives. Almanac Trail concerts, the musicians say, are “like an old-fashioned ‘Hootenanny,’” with labor history, music and fun for all generations.

The free concert is open to the public. Food and drink will be available for purchase at the Eagles club.

For more information, visit www.almanactrail.com, or click here to download the concert flier.

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CWA volunteers take fair-trade message into John Kline’s district

June 27, 2013 by
CWA members set to doorknock in West St. Paul are, L to R, Amber Kush, Lisa Markegard, Nick Feist, Christina Hollie and Mona Meyer.

CWA members set to doorknock in West St. Paul are, L to R, Amber Kush, Lisa Markegard, Nick Feist, Christina Hollie and Mona Meyer.

Twin Cities members of the Communications Workers of America have some major concerns about the latest proposed free-trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. On June 20 they took those concerns to union members in West St. Paul and asked supporters to sign onto a letter to 2nd Congressional District Rep. John Kline.

The letter asked Kline to identify what’s in the TPP. That may sound like a simple request, but the fact is most members of Congress don’t know.

The TPP, which encompasses 11 countries and would be the largest free trade agreement the US has ever signed, is being negotiated in secret, with hardly any oversight from Congress. In fact, only about 600 “trade advisors,” mostly representatives of multinational corporations, are privy to the talks.

CWA members Tom Laabs, Dale Foster and Earl Moore prepare to knock doors in John Kline’s district.

CWA members Tom Laabs, Dale Foster and Earl Moore prepare to knock doors in John Kline’s district.

But as previous free trade agreements have shown, corporations aren’t the only ones with a stake in how trade negotiations play out. Since NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, took effect in 1994, the number of trade-displaced jobs certified by the Labor Department in Minnesota stands at 39,797 – the 15th highest in the nation as a percentage of state population.

Fortunately, some members of Congress are working to lift the cloud of secrecy surrounding TPP negotiations.

Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District will join a public forum on the trade pact Monday, July 1, in Minneapolis. According to organizers, Ellison will “explain what the TPP is, what it will do, and how we can fight back!” Click here to view the event details on Facebook.

Along with Ellison, the forum will feature Josh Wise of the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition, Jim Harkness of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and Richard Ryan of the International Association of Machinists.

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Video: Catholic Spirit workers, supporters protest outside cathedral

June 24, 2012 by

Catholic Spirit employees and their supporters picket outside the Cathedral of St. Paul.

UPDATE (June 25): The Minnesota Newspaper Guild reports five members in The Catholic Spirit bargaining unit have been laid off. The remaining eight have until the end of the week to decide whether or not to accept non-union positions in the archdiocese’s Office of Communications starting July 2.

The Guild contends the archdiocese violated a provision of its contract requiring 30-days notice for any layoffs.

The layoffs hit four full-time workers and one part-time sales representative. Two of the full-time workers had given more than 27 years of service to The Catholic Spirit; two others had 11-plus years of service. They received checks for severance pay, accrued vacation and wages through the end of this week.

Both workers quoted in this story received layoff notices.

*****

With the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis set to dissolve their union at the end of the month, workers at The Catholic Spirit newspaper took their concerns directly to the church Sunday, protesting outside morning mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

The protest – organized by the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation and the Minnesota Newspaper Guild, which has represented workers at The Catholic Spirit since 1965 – drew about 50 supporters from the faith and labor communities.

Protesters talked with parishioners about the archdiocese’s refusal to honor Catholic Spirit workers’ request to keep their collective bargaining rights – a decision, workers say, that ignores church teachings regarding the value of labor unions and collective bargaining in a socially just workplace.

“I sure don’t refer to this as social justice, if this is how you treat people that have worked for you for as many years as we have,” Catholic Spirit employee Marilyn Rivera said. “I think it’s pretty un-Christian, to be honest with you.”

Deb Rotter, who has worked at The Catholic Spirit for 28 years, said she is “heartbroken” by the archdiocese’s decision to walk away from nearly 50 years of collective bargaining with the Guild. She said workers are still waiting for an explanation from Archbishop John Nienstedt.

“I’m very disappointed in him,” Rotter said. “I don’t understand why he’s treating us this way, and I’m heartbroken.”

The Guild is asking supporters to contact Archbishop Nienstedt and ask him to respect The Catholic Spirit workers’ request to keep their union. To reach the archbishop, call (651) 291-4511, or fill out the e-mail form on the archbishop’s website.

Click here to read The Union Advocate’s full report on The Catholic Spirit dispute.

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Workers to keep pressure on Verizon with May 3 picket in Roseville

May 2, 2012 by

Workers outside the Verizon Store in Roseville during the “National Day of Action” March 22.

Apparently, Verizon didn’t get the message the first time.

On March 22, union members protested outside Verizon Stores across the country in a “Verizon National Day of Action.” Tomorrow workers nationwide will stage more informational pickets, timed to coincide with the company’s annual shareholder meeting Alabama.

In the Twin Cities, the informational picket will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the Verizon Wireless Store in Roseville, located at 2325 Fairview Ave. N. (This is not the store inside the Rosedale Mall.)

It’s the same Verizon location where workers picketed March 22. Workers inside the Roseville store are not union members, and demonstrators will not attempt to prevent customers from entering the store.

Rather, the point of the informational picket is customer education and solidarity with Verizon’s 45,000 union workers on the East Coast, who are members of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

These union members have been working without a contract since the previous agreement with the company expired in August 2011.

Although Verizon claims it needs concessions from its workers totaling $20,000 per member annually, the truth is the company is turning record profits.

The company is so profitable, in fact, that CEO Lowell McAdam recently tripled his annual compensation, from $7.2 million to $23.1 million. And while the company claims it needs to strip its union workers of their pensions and health benefits, Verizon’s top executives have taken home $258 million over the last four years.

For more information on the Verizon campaign, go to www.cwa-union.org/verizon.

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