The establishment of the CIO was neither the beginning, nor the end of
the struggle for industrial unionism in the US and Canada. But it did
mark an historic organizational turning point for labor. By its
founding the CIO moved beyond the general question to the particular
struggle to organize workers on an industrial basis. This advance by
labor was crucial to match the development of monopoly capitalism.

Even long before 1935 there was a strong left/center core of unions and
union leaders who fully understood that craft unionism could not match
the power of giant corporations with factories all over the country,
and even the world. They also saw that local unions with only local
contracts would have little leverage in dealing with giant monopolies
that could shift production and force workers to compete across state
lines. Inherent to industrial unionism was the idea that all workers in
a company and in a workplace should be organized in the same union with
the same master contract. Also inherent in the thinking behind
industrial unionism was the idea that unions had to fully participate
in political struggles in addition to the direct economic struggles of
workers.

Remember the name “Workers Uniting.”

It may very well be the CIO of our time. On July 2, the Steelworkers,
the largest industrial union in the US and Canada, and, Unite the
Union, the largest industrial union in the United Kingdom and Ireland,
signed an agreement clearing the way for the creation of Workers
Uniting. This will be the world’s first global union.  Continue
reading here.

Ramiro’s death makes two farm workers dying of heatstroke last week,
four farm worker heat deaths in the last 8 weeks and the 13th farm
worker heat death since CA Governor Schwarzenegger took office.

Something needs to be done immediately to prevent more needless deaths.
Please help. By clicking
here you’ll send a fax to California Gov. Schwarzenegger (if you
live in California, a cc of your e-mail will also go to your
legislators) and tell them this has to stop now.

Return of the Bad Boss
Every year, Working America runs a national competition for America’s worst boss–and
it’s tough competition. Familiar stories about hard work, bad pay, no
benefits and no respect come flooding in. Enter
today to see if you can escape from (your) Bad Boss!

We’re asking working people to expose the truth about their bad bosses.
It’s not just a chance to vent — you also could win one of two grand
prizes if your story is rated the worst bad boss experience.

Brazil: Brazil’s Oil Workers Confederation began a five-day strike
Monday against state-controlled Petroleo Brasileiro SA. The union
representing 4,500 workers in the Campos Basin, source of most of
Brazil’s oil output, is striking over pay and work rules, regional
union chief Jose Maria Rangel said just before the walkout began at
midnight. Crews on platforms that produce more than 70 percent of the
basin’s oil voted to walk out, said Alvarado Menezes, a strike
coordinator. (Bloomberg News)

Truck Drivers of the world unite!: There have been strikes all over the
world over the price of gas and the record profits of oil companies,
most being led by truck drivers. 
•    Last month throughout the UK over 600 tanker truck drivers went on
strike over wage and pension benefits, disrupting petrol distribution. 

•    Throughout Europe over the last few months truckers have staged
traffic-stopping and blocking protests over the more than 20% increase
in fuel costs.  During the June strikes in Spain, most of the 90,000
hauliers who participated are self-employed, or working for small and
medium-sized haulage companies and whose livelihoods are at stake: ‘We
have no more solutions. We can’t afford diesel any more. It’s as simple
as that,’ Jean-Claude Ferrand told Spanish national radio.  Drivers in
France and Portugal caused their own traffic disruptions in solidarity.
•    At the beginning of July, nearly 4 million trucks were off the
roads in India as their owners went on strike due to 40% increases in
the cost of fuel since the beginning of this year.
 
South Korea: Waves of strikes throughout South Korea have been going on
for the past few weeks over the importation of beef from the United
States.  Over 100,000 workers have participated in these strikes,
along with almost daily protests since the May 2 decision to allow
importation of U.S. beef to resume.

Nigeria: Members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have been on
strike for two weeks now.  The NUT started a nationwide strike on June
30 to protest against the non-implementation of Teachers Salary Scale
(TSS) by the federal government.

US: Some 8,500 employees of the University of California began a strike
Monday to demand better pay and a fair contract. The five-day strike is
set to run through Friday at the university’s 10 campuses and five
medical centers.  Read more about it here.

Of the more than 12,000 respondents, 50% said that if they had more
time they would work a second job, and considering that a majority of
them also said they have credit card debt that would take at least 8
months to pay off, it shouldn’t be too surprising.  Also, more than
anything else, respondents said that a 10% raise in their paycheck
would make their life as a working woman substantially easier; with
health care, pension, child care and paid time off all coming in well
behind. 

If you consider that the women surveyed felt that men are being paid
more; two-thirds believe that being male, younger or more attractive
would increase their chances of promotion; and 80% say that “having
children hurts their career and prospects in the job market,” you can
see what a sorry state this country is in for women in the workforce.

The bright spot in the survey is that despite the pressures, or perhaps
because of them, working women continue to strongly support gains for
women as a class.  80% of the respondents say they identify with the
goals and ideals of feminism, and 43% feel strongly about it.  And they
are not just hoping for change: 90% say they voted in the last
election, and six in 10 support efforts to encourage voting by women.

DC activists are out and about canvassing, phone-banking and raising
awareness, and even helped to get a resolution introduced by the DC
City
Council.  The resolution condemns Smithfield Foods and asks area
supermarkets not to stock products from the prominent meat company.
Hearings will be held in the fall. Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and
Marion Barry introduced a Sense of the Council resolution charging
Smithfield with having created an environment of ‘intimidation and fear
for workers who desperately want a voice on the job. Smithfield Foods
has denied employees workers’ compensation after they have been injured
on the job, and has even fired injured workers.’  (Union City,
Metro DC Labor Council)

Check out Justice at
Smithfield’s website for more information.

There is also a website, http://www.unionjobs.com/ that
lists union
jobs, including staff, trades and apprenticeships, by state.

Keep them coming!!!!  In an effort to assist young
workers in finding decent-paying union jobs, I’m requesting that anyone
who knows of job openings or apprenticeships, in all fields and across
the country, please forward that information to  laborupfront@cpusa.org. 

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