Report Bolsters Case for Majority Sign-Up, Exposes Corporate Lies

A new report by four leading universities provides more definitive proof that majority sign up does not cause union or employer intimidation.

In fact, the findings indicate that a lack of intimidation by either side – as well as a clear path to forming a union -- allows workplaces to function more smoothly with no friction.

Data from 34,000 people who joined unions through majority sign-up over a six-year period showed no trace of intimidation by unions or employers, the report from labor studies departments at Rutgers, Cornell, the University of Illinois and the University of Oregon found.

Researchers looked at public sector organizing, which is often done by majority sign-up, from 2003 to the present. "Contrary to business claims, in 1,073 cases of union certification and in at least 1,359 majority-authorization campaigns, there was not a single confirmed incidence of union misconduct," they said.

The findings shatter the claims of Employee Free Choice Act opponents who charge that majority sign-up would cause unions to intimidate workers to get them to join.

This week, workers at two companies joined the Communications Workers of America through majority sign-up. In Arlington, Wash., workers at Roads West Inc., a telecom company, won union recognition with Local 7803 with 100 percent support for CWA representation. In Lebanon Communications in Lebanon, Ohio, technicians won representation with Local 4400 also through majority signup.

The study is available from the AFL-CIO at http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/upload/multistate_efca051409.pdf.

Call Senator Blanche Lincoln Today

We’ve asked a lot from you over the past few months. From writing letters and calling your representative and senators, to giving money, attending events and more, your role in the fight for the Employee Free Choice Act has been crucial.

Today we need you to take action again.

As an Arkansan, you have a special role in the fight for all of America’s workers. One of your senators, Blanche Lincoln, holds a key vote, and she is waffling in her support for America’s workers. We are counting on people like you to continually remind her how important the Employee Free Choice Act is for all of us.

If you’ve already called her office, we need you to do it again. If you haven’t called yet, now is the time.

Sen. Lincoln's district office numbers:

Little Rock: 501-375-2993
Dumas: 870-382-1023
Jonesboro: 870-910-6896
Fayetteville: 479-251-1224
Texarkana: 870-774-3106

Calling a senator's office may make you a bit nervous. But trust us, Senate offices are used to getting calls, and staffers are gracious and respectful to constituents who call.

Here are a few quick talking points to help you when you make the call:

• Sen. Lincoln, I want you to support the Employee Free Choice Act.
• We need to fix our broken system and give workers a free choice to bargain with their employers to restore our middle class and build an economy that works for everyone.
• The three fundamental principles that underlie our support of the Employee Free Choice Act are:
• Workers must have a real choice to form a union and bargain for a better life, free from employer intimidation.
• Companies cannot be allowed to endlessly delay agreement on a first contract and stall out the choice of the majority of their workers.
• There must be real penalties for violating the law—companies must be held accountable.

In solidarity,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

LABOR ACTION, today, 4:30 at Federal Building in Fayetteville

Americas working people are stretched as never before. Wages are dropping, health care costs are rising and pensions are disappearing. Working families need a change; we need an economy that works for everyone. By restoring the right of workers to form and join unions, the Employee Free Choice Act will level the playing field and allow workers to bargain for a better life for their families.

Join us for a vigil in support of the Employee Free Choice Act today at 4:30 PM at the Federal Building in Fayetteville.

Employee Free Choice Act Vigil
Wednesday, May 27th
4:30 PM
Federal Building
South College and East Mountain
Fayetteville, Arkansas

AFL-CIO President Sweeney on Judge Sonia Sotomayor

America’s workers applaud the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. She is a brilliant jurist and in her distinguished career has worked at almost every level of our judicial system - as a prosecutor, litigator, trial court and appellate judge –
and would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years.

Judge Sotomayor will also bring to the Supreme Court a direct and personal understanding of the struggles America’s workers endure every day. She grew up in public housing in the Bronx, the daughter of a factory worker, and understands the real world consequences of the
decisions she makes from the bench.

Judge Sotomayor’s record reflects an understanding of the law’s impact on working families and has consistently int 1995, she recognized that the owners had forced the strike by engaging in unlawful conduct, and issued an injunction which reversed the unlawful acts. She has enforced the rights of all workers to be free of all types of discrimination at work, to be paid the correct wages and to receive health benefits to which they are entitled. She has recognized that persecution for union activity can be a basis for granting asylum in this country.

Judge Sotomayor is a bipartisan choice – she was initially appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush and has previously been confirmed by the Senate – we urge the Senate to swiftly confirm her to the Supreme Court.


###

Arkansas Professors Support Workers' Free Choice

To: Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln

Dear Senators Lincoln and Pryor:

The undersigned faculty members work at Arkansas universities and colleges. We are writing to support passage of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act and to ask that you take another look at this legislation, see beyond the objections raised by its opponents, and consider that the proposed bill is but a modest attempt to restore workers' right to choose unionization. Many economists point to declining union membership as being a major culprit behind the increase in income and wealth disparity in the United States and note that countries with higher rates of union membership have higher standards of living.

While the policy of our country as defined by the National Labor Relations Act is to favor free choice for workers and to encourage collective bargaining as a model for labor-management relations, over the past generation more and more employers have developed strategies that effectively block workers from forming unions and winning contracts that bring better pay, benefits, and job security. Moreover, recent policies of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and interpretations from the courts, combined with minimal penalties for violations of workers' rights, have enabled employers to thwart workers who favor unionization with very little risk of punishment.

If we want to attract industries to and also promote good living standards in Arkansas, we need to support workers' rights to decide whether they want a union, and, if they do, there must be guidelines guaranteeing a first contract. The Employee Free Choice Act specifically addresses these two issues in a reasonable manner.

First, if workers wish to unionize, they will have a choice of two methods to gain certification: presenting the NLRB with a majority of signed cards signaling majority support, or requesting that the NLRB hold a secret-ballot election. In either scenario it is the workers who choose, not the employer (who currently may contest the validity of the cards, demand an election, and file procedural objections, all of which delays the process and undermines the workers' choice).

Second, once a union has been certified, the two sides must bargain a first contract within a timely fashion or the government will appoint an independent arbitration board whose members will resolve the dispute and produce a two-year agreement. Under the current system, while both sides are required to "bargain in good faith," there is no mechanism to ensure a first contract, and many employers simply refuse to reach agreement with their unionized workers.

After the NLRA passed in 1935, collective bargaining functioned extremely well in some areas of the country and less well in others. Arkansas and some other states put up extra obstacles to unionization and, as a result, had a lower unionization rate. Perhaps this was a strategy to compete with other states, but it did not produce good living standards for most Arkansans. Declining unionization rates have contributed to declining living standards among working people throughout the country. It is time for those of us in the poorer states and in the better off states to join together to promote more democratic workplaces as a new strategy toward prosperity and better living standards.

We in Arkansas need to move toward an economy with high educational levels and high creativity levels. Freedom of workers and professionals to participate actively in their workplaces, to speak freely, and to join unions will produce a stronger economy and a more democratic state.

Arkansas and the country will benefit if we return to a labor-relations model that respects workers' rights to choose a union and encourages collective bargaining once they have done so. With our current economic crisis, it is now more urgent than ever that we look for ways forward that place well-paid people alongside corporate profits as indicators of economic prosperity. The Employee Free Choice Act will do just that by promoting an orderly path to greater workplace fairness and decent standards. We urge you to support this bill in its current form, and we look forward to its enactment in the near future.

List of Arkansas Academics Who have Signed this Petition.

Senate Resolution Demands Public Health Insurance Option

A new U.S. Senate resolution demands that a public health insurance option be included in health care reform legislation now being developed behind closed doors in the Senate Finance Committee.

A public insurance plan option for workers and families who either have private insurance coverage or no coverage at all is one of the AFL-CIO’s key health care reform principles. It has been vigorously attacked by the private insurance industry and most congressional Republicans.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), along with 27 co-sponsors, introduced the resolution yesterday. The resolution says such a plan would allow those Americans who have become unemployed, live in rural and other traditionally underserved areas, or have been unable to attain affordable health insurance would benefit from consumer choice.

Mid-South Union Leadership Institute

June 11-13, 2009

Clarion Resort on the Lake, Hot Springs, AR
4813 Central Ave
Hot Springs, AR 71913
(501) 525-1391
www.clarionhotel.com

Sponsored by the Arkansas AFL-CIO, Mississippi AFL-CIO, Oklahoma AFL-CIO, Tennessee AFL-CIO,
and Texas AFL-CIO

Who Should Attend? Union officers and representatives with leadership responsibilities.

Major Workshops (Choose Track A or B)
Track A: Effective Local Union Administration	Track B: Union Building
Roles of Officers and Executive Board Members	Using Power to Lead the Local
Conducting Effective Local and Committee Meetings	Setting and Achieving Goals
Legal Responsibilities under the Labor –Management Reporting and Disclosure Act	Growing and Mobilizing the Membership
Conducting Local Union Elections	Dealing with Conflict in the Local
Parliamentary Procedure

Special Topic Workshops (Choose One)

1) Communicating in the YouTube Age
Learn how to use online social networks, video hosting services and microblogging/texting sites to communicate your union's message.

2) Opportunities for Unions in a New Green Economy
Explore efforts and alliances to fund and create good, green-collar jobs.

General Sessions

1. Legislative Update
2. Understanding the Current Economic Crisis and Labor’s Response
3. Labor History through Music and Film: Woody Guthrie to the Dropkick Murphys

AFL-CIO State Caucuses Mock Meeting to showcase skills and information learned during the conference.

Seminar Hours

Thursday, June 11, 2009
Seminar Check In 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Sessions and workshops 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Friday, June 12, 2009
Sessions and workshops 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sessions and workshops 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Graduation Luncheon 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Registration Fees and Options

Please register early!
By May 21 - Early Bird $200
By May 28 - Regular $225
If registering after May 28, call LEP at 501-569-8483 to confirm your registration.

Go to: http://iea.ualr.edu/lep/events/Mid-South-2009.pdf to download brochure.

For online registration go to: http://iea.ualr.edu/lep/seminars/registration/onlineregistration-MSUL.php

A minimum number of registrations are required for this seminar.

Sleeping Rooms

Please call the Clarion Resort on the Lake at (501) 525-1391 to make your sleeping room reservations.
A block of rooms has been reserved until May 11 at the rate of $98, single or double. Please mention the UALR Labor Education Program to receive this rate.

Questions?? For more information contact the Labor Education Program at 501-569-8483, fax at 501-569-8538 or email lep@ualr.edu.

Harkin: Compromise On EFCA Or Else

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chief sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, has a warning for Democratic foes of his flagship legislation: Work with me in earnest on a compromise, or I'll put the bill on the Senate floor and you can vote your conscience.

That may not sound like a grave threat, but it may well be. Two of the bills main skeptics--Sens. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)--face re-election next year, and both, for different reasons, may ultimately need union support to prevail. Specter, who tacked to the right and came out against EFCA before becoming a Democrat, is facing pressure from the Democratic base and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) to move left or face a primary challenge.

And at least one high level union official has suggested that if Lincoln doesn't come around and support an EFCA compromise, she may face a green party challenger, in addition to a Republican challenger, in the general election.

Specter, who's been feeling the heat, has said that he thinks the prospects for compromise are likely, while Lincoln still says she opposes EFCA's so-called "binding arbitration" section--one of the bill's less-controversial measures.

By Brian Beutler - May 20, 2009

Workers Face Increasing Abuse in Attempts to Form Unions

Today on Capitol Hill, labor law experts and a California worker exposed the ugly truth about corporate abuses of workers trying to exercise their freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life.

At the center of the discussion: Kate Bronfenbrenner’s new report, “No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing,” released by the Economic Policy Institute EPI) and the American Rights at Work Education Fund. The report shows that the problems the Employee Free Choice Act would address are getting worse.

Bronfenbrenner has studied these issues for decades as the director of labor education research at Cornell University’s School of Industrial Relations. This is her fourth survey over 20 years, enabling her to put into historical perspective the obstacles workers face today.

At the Capitol Hill briefing, Bronfenbrenner said weak laws and a hostile environment have emboldened corporations, over the past decade, to step up their abuses against workers trying to form unions.

The research provides a detailed portrait of a system that has failed private-sector workers. Workers have come to understand what our data confirms: Employers are using an arsenal of legal and illegal tactic to interfere with workers trying to organize, and they are doing it with impunity.

This I Believe

Can the middle class survive and achieve the American Dream? The truth is, we can't fix our economy without fixing the health care system, and we can't grow our economy if we don't grow the middle class.

That's why the Northwest Arkansas Labor Council supports health care reform that will bring costs down and guarantee quality, affordable care for everyone. And that's why we support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Americans want an economy that works for everyone, not just bailout bonus CEOs and right wing talk show blowhards. The Employee Free Choice Act will help rebuild the middle class and jumpstart our economy by giving every worker a chance to bargain for decent wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.

Honest businesses know from experience that fair labor standards help achieve higher productivity, less turnover, and a better-trained workforce. They recognize that working people need to have the purchasing power and financial stability to get this economy growing again. America’s workers deserve real labor law reform that will end employer threats, stalling tactics, intimidation and illegal firings of workers who simply want to earn a middle-class lifestyle for themselves and their families.

The corporate lobbyists are promoting The Big Lie that the Employee Free Choice Act would eliminate secret ballots for workers. That simply is not true. It offers workers a choice in forming unions: either hold a secret ballot election or a majority of employees can sign a card joining the union. Opponents really don’t care about the truth. They’re spending $200 million to spread the lie that the bill eliminates secret ballots and make false charges of union intimidation.

Majority card sign up does not cause union intimidation, according to a new study by University of Illinois Professor Robert Bruno . Bruno analyzed Illinois data from 2003-2009 and found that “21,197 public sector workers employed in state, county, municipal and educational institutions voluntarily joined a union. Most importantly, contrary to business claims, in nearly eight hundred petition cases, there was not a single confirmed incidence of union coercion.”

Since passage the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 during Roosevelt’s New Deal, there have been a total of 113 complaints of misconduct filed against labor unions in organizing efforts during the last 74 years, with only 42 of those found to have merit.

On the other hand, in 2007 alone, the National Labor Relations Board documented 29,559 charges of illegal firings and employer discrimination against workers for exercising their federally protected rights.

The Employee Free Choice Act would fix this broken system and restore the promise of the American Dream for working families. It is a key component of our efforts to rebuild the middle class, promote economic growth, and create an economy that works for all Americans.

Call Senator Blanche Lincoln’s Fayetteville office at 251-1224. Let her know that you support health care reform and the Employee Free Choice Act to help working families share in the American Dream. Ask her to stand up for middle class Arkansans.

In solidarity,

Stephen Smith

AFL-CIO's AMY NIEHOUSE TO DISCUSS EFCA

The Benton County Democratic Women’s Club is hosting Amy Niehouse from the AFL-CIO at the Bentonville Clarion Hotel & Convention Center on Monday, May 18th. Ms. Niehouse will discuss the proposed Federal legislation known as the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would allow workers to gain union representation if more than half of a group of employees sign union cards.

The proposed legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate but has not yet gained the support of the 60 Senate votes needed to prevent a filibuster.

Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln (D) announced early last month that she “[c]annot support and will not support moving it (EFCA) forward in its current form.1"
Ms. Niehouse will review the proposed legislation and will also discuss the benefits to workers and communities when workers choose to organize a union.

Ms. Niehouse, a Senior Organizer Trainer, is a member of the AFL-CIO’s Organizing Institute. She has been organizing unions as well as teaching workers how to organize for 25 years.

Although the Institute is based in Washington, D.C., Ms. Niehouse travels all over the country to help workers. She has been assigned by the union to the Northwest Arkansas area and is currently helping workers in Little Rock, Fort Smith and Fayetteville

According to the AFL-CIO’s website, the mission of the Organizing Institute is “to help build the labor movement primarily through identifying, training and developing organizers from our membership, staff, community and college campuses across the country. The Organizing Institute is committed to continuously producing organizers who are enthusiastic, energetic and armed with skills to help workers fight to form and join unions.”

Reservations for the 11:15 a.m. lunch buffet can be made by contacting Sharon Carter before Wednesday, May 13 at sharon8307@sbcglobal.net or by calling at 464-7531. Tickets are $12. Limited seating is available for those not having the buffet.

The Bentonville Clarion Hotel and Convention Center is located at 211 S.E. Walton Blvd.

How Current Labor Law Gives Workers Raw Deal

This animation from the American Worker Project, courtesy of the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF), shows how labor law gives workers a raw deal, taking you step-by-step through the current process for forming a union. It’s not pretty, but it shows why the Corporate Bosses oppose any reasonable reform.



Watch it and weep. Better yet, watch it and tell your Senators and Congress member to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney On April Jobs Report

America’s workers are suffering through the worst job loss in a
generation, while too many politicians continue to stand in the way of
urgently needed government action and reform. Addressing the deeply
rooted problems in our labor market is just as important to ending the
recession as fixing the banking system.

We lost 539,000 jobs in April, bringing the total job loss since the
recession began to over 5.7 million and the unemployment rate to 8.9 %.
While job loss slowed last month, the number of people unemployed for
a long time has risen, and as a result of George Bush’s disastrous
policies, this is now the longest recession since World War II.

The only two bright spots in the jobs report were small increases in
government jobs and education and health care. It is clear that
sustained and targeted government spending will be crucial to turning
around this dire jobs picture. President Obama's early action in
implementing a substantial economic recovery act and strong budget -
one that included a serious down payment on national health care
reform, investments in needed infrastructure and green jobs and
essential funding for education and workforce development - has been
and will continue to be absolutely critical in the coming months.

These job losses are deep, long lasting and widespread. The number of
long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by
498,000 to 3.7 million over the month and has risen by 2.4 million
since the start of the recession in December 2007. We need determined
action from the Obama Administration, Congress and the Federal Reserve
in response. We need to get our economy back on track, create good
paying jobs, and restore balance to the fundamental building blocks of
our economy. We must make sure to focus on the real economy, not just
the financial economy.

The threat of home loss is also central to this crisis and the
government is likely going to need to do more to address this issue.

We also must make broad-based economic changes to have sustained
economic growth and an economy that works for everyone. We must deal
with our country’s unsustainable trade deficit. We must reform our
financial regulatory system to provide more transparency and government
oversight and regulation. And we must pass the Employee Free Choice
Act so workers can win the freedom to form unions and bargain
collectively with their employers for fair wages, security and
benefits.

To help America’s unemployed, the AFL-CIO and Working America have
created the largest online resource for workers at
www.unemploymentlifeline.com

University of Illinois Study Finds No Cases of Union Intimidation from Majority Sign Up

Majority sign up does not cause union or employer intimidation, according to a new report released by University of Illinois Professor Robert Bruno . Bruno analyzed data from public sector workers in Illinois for six years and found that out of more than 21,000 people who joined unions through majority sign up, a process sometimes referred to as “card check,” there was not a single proven case of union or employer intimidation.

The report states:

In brief, from 2003-2009, 21,197 public sector workers employed in state, county, municipal and educational institutions voluntarily joined a union. Most importantly, contrary to business claims, in nearly eight hundred petition cases, there was not a single confirmed incidence of union coercion.

The report comes as Congress considers the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation that will give workers back the freedom to bargain with corporations for better wages and benefits. It includes a majority sign up provision which gives workers the choice of how to form a union rather than leaving that choice in employer’s hands, as it is under current law. Opponents claim this will lead to intimidation and coercion from unions, but according to today’s report, that simply isn’t true.

“Today’s report shows that corporations are throwing more lies to keep workers from forming unions,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “Workers form unions to bargain for a better life, not because of outside intimidation. Workers need the majority sign up provision because it gives workers the choice of how to form a union, not corporations.”

According to the findings, the lack of intimidation on either side also shows that when there is a clear path to forming a union, the workplace as a whole functions more smoothly with no friction.

The report concludes:

As is true in so many other policy areas, on the subject of union representation the states are incubators for new ideas and practices. Illinois has demonstrated that a majority authorization petition can genuinely determine the will of the employees to be unionized and provides a functional, largely non-adversarial and event-less process for insuring a fair work environment for everyone.

According to Bruno, the Illinois state law is very similar to the proposed Employee Free Choice Act majority sign up provision. The report, commissioned by the United Association for Labor Education is the first part of a nationwide report which analyzes similar state laws.

Free Online Courses from National Labor College

The National Labor College has launched a new, cutting-edge union education tool called the Open Learning Course (OLC) program. The OLC is offered free and is a self-directed, web-based learning activity that offers opportunities for union members, leaders, activists and staff to study new topics and improve their understanding of the labor movement. Courses usually take about an hour and provide informative overviews of topics important to unionists. Take an OLC course on collective bargaining, Taft-Hartley funds, labor and the arts or another subject of interest to you. Find out more on the NLC OLC webpage. The course listing will be updated periodically, so keep checking back.

Celebrate International Workers Day

May Day was founded in the United States as a result of the great struggle and sacrifice of life that resulted from the general strike of 1886 and the movement for the eight hour work day. Globally, on May 1st of each year, workers in massive celebrations all around the world pay tribute to their labors and honor the struggle for better conditions. Workers in the United States have been denied their history and their common bond with workers in other countries. Join us in our commitment to educate and inform our fellow workers and all Americans about the origins of May Day, so that we may reclaim our proud heritage.

Obama's Budget Is Good News for Working Families

America’s workers applaud Congress for passing President Obama’s budget resolution that is a transformational blueprint for growing the middle class and making the economy work for everyone again.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we build an economy that works for working Americans. President Obama’s budget includes a huge down payment on national health care reform, investment in growing green jobs and addressing climate change and more funding for education. The budget also moves away from the failed economic policies of the past and includes tax cuts for middle-class working families, rather than for the wealthy and Big Business.

We commend Congress for passing President Obama’s budget resolution and look forward to continuing to work with the President and Congress to improve the lives of America’s workers and invest in the future of our people, our communities and our nation.

--AFL-CIO PRESIDENT JOHN SWEENEY

Mayor Jordan Proclaims Worker Memorial Day

WHEREAS, Every year tens of thousands of American workers are killed by workplace injuries and occupational disease; and

WHEREAS, Tens of thousands more are permanently disabled annually; and

WHEREAS: Millions are injured or made ill; and

WHEREAS, Concerned Americans and the City of Fayetteville are determined to prevent

these tragedies by:

-- Observing Workers Memorial Day on April 28, as a day to remember these victims of workplace injuries and disease;

-- Renewing our efforts to seek stronger safety and health protections, better standards and enforcement, and fair and just compensation; and

-- Rededicating ourselves to improving safety and health in every American workplace.

NOW THEREFORE, I, Lioneld Jordan, Mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas, do hereby

proclaim April 28 as Workers Memorial Day in recognition of workers killed, injured and disabled on the job.

Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect

The nation’s workplace safety laws and penalties are too weak to effectively protect workers, according to the new AFL-CIO annual report released today: Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. There were a total of 5,657 fatal workplace injuries in 2007, a slight decrease from the year before, according to the AFL-CIO’s analysis of the newly available data.

In 2007, employers reported more than 4 million workers having a work-related injury or illness, more than 10,950 each day. Due to the impact of under reporting of injuries and illness, the true toll may be as high as 12 million workers experiencing an injury or illness in 2007.

On average, 15 workers were fatally injured each day in 2007. This statistic does not include deaths from occupational diseases, which claim the lives of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 more workers each year.

This year’s report also examined job safety enforcement in cases of worker deaths, finding that the average national total penalty in fatality investigations was just $11,311. Utah had the lowest average penalty in fatality cases, with an average $1,106 penalty assessed, followed by South Carolina, with an average penalty of $1,383 per fatality case, and Louisiana with an average penalty of $1,453.

“After eight years of neglect from the Bush administration, workers are in dire need of a change in our nation’s workplace safety and health laws,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “Our nation’s inadequate workplace safety net has left far too many workers in danger of death, injury or disease that could otherwise be prevented. Working people are looking to the new President to strengthen the OSHAct with tougher civil and criminal penalties, increase funding for OSHA to provide greater oversight, and fully implement the provisions of the MINER Act.”

Also in conjunction with Workers Memorial Day, on Tuesday, April 28, the House Committee on education and Labor will hold a hearing to investigate whether OSHA’s penalties are adequate to deter health and safety violations. The average nationwide penalty for a serious OSHA violation is currently only $921. Peg Seminario, Director of Safety and Health at the AFL-CIO, will testify before the committee, arguing that the OSHAct is too weak to protect workers and to deter employers from violating the law. The hearing will take place in Room 2175 at the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00 a.m.

The Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Worker Safety will hold a hearing on “Introducing Meaningful Incentives for Safe Workplaces and Meaningful Roles for Victims and Their Families” at the same time in Room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 28.

Newly appointed Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, will attend the National Labor College’s Workers Memorial Day ceremony at 2:30pm on April 28 for a formal groundbreaking and bricklaying for a new Workers Memorial to be constructed at the center of the campus. She will be joined by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, NLC President William E. Scheuerman, elected officials, union leaders, workers and the general public. For more information, call 301-431-5406.

In 2007, more than four million workers were injured and 5,657 workers were killed due to job hazards. Another 50,000-60,000 died due to occupational diseases. On an average day, 15 workers lose their lives as a result of workplace injuries and disease, and another 10,959 are injured.

The report also shows that Latino and Hispanic workers continue to face much higher risks of death on the job. In 2007, 937 Hispanic or Latino workers were killed on the job. The fatality rate among these workers was 4.6 per 100,000 workers, 21 percent higher than the fatal injury rate for all U.S. workers. Since 1992, the number of fatalities among Latino workers has increased by 76 percent from 533 fatal injuries in 1992. Among foreign-born workers, job fatalities have increased by 59 percent, from 635 to 1,009 deaths in 2007.

The Death on the Job report also reveals problems with the “safety net” of regulatory and oversight bodies such as OSHA. There are only 2,043 OSHA inspectors (799 federal and 1,244 state inspectors) for the approximately 130 million workers in the United States today. At this rate, federal OSHA inspectors are only able to inspect workplaces, on average, once every 137 years, and state OSHA inspectors on average once every 66 years. OSHA’s capacity to oversee and inspect the nation’s workplaces is at the lowest level in the agency’s history.

For a copy of the AFL-CIO Death on the Job report, go to http://www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/memorial/

The First 100 Days: Media Attacks on Employee Free Choice

The folks at the watchdog group [2] Media Matters have been taking a close look at media attacks on President Obama and his policy proposals in the opening months of his administration, and they’ve found many examples of media fear-mongering, disinformation and just plain weirdness in the first 100 days.

One of the worst is [3] this piece of rot from Rush Limbaugh, who attacks Obama for his support of the [4] Employee Free Choice Act. Apparently, Limbaugh gets his information about how union formation works not from [5] workers who’ve tried to form unions, but from fictional TV shows. He thinks that bus drivers like [6] Theresa Gares, nurses like [7] Kelly Beringer or casino dealers like [8] Aneil Patel are lead-pipe-toting cartoon mobsters. Limbaugh will say anything to keep workers from having a voice on the job.

The team at Media Matters has picked a dozen of the most outlandish moments of unfair attacks and unhinged rhetoric, and they’re holding a [9] contest to determine which is the “Worst Media Moment” of Obama’s first 100 days. Limbaugh’s attack on workers’ freedom to form unions is our choice for the worse.