When is Enough Finally Enough.....
Concession Bargaining is at a Critical Crossroads!
As We Prepare for Our 2013 Contract....what can we expect?
You see it happening all over this country. We have documented and posted articles from all over this country -- both Private and Public Unionized Employees -- being attacked on wages and benefits. If you haven't been paying attention, please read the articles at the links that follow. And sometimes, it seems we are NOT ONLY fighting Corporations or Governments, but our OWN INTERNATIONAL UNIONS as well! It's very scary, and it's coming to a time of decision for all of us, 2013 is NOT that far away. You need to educate yourselves! You will need to PREPARE for it! As a group of unionized manufacturing employees, we will need to formulate our strategy and our response, and we will have to do it sooner, than later. Again, please read the articles at these links.
Concession Bargaining at Historical Crossroads
September 4, 2011 by jackrasmus
COMMENTARY: The following is an article on the history and evolution of concession bargaining in the US that is perhaps appropriate this labor day 2011. It briefly traces how concession bargaining at the shop level has, since the late 1970s, evolved, transitioned recently to the public sector, and now is morphing into an attack on the ‘social wage’ (social security, medicare, etc.) at the grand ‘political’ level as the economic class war in the US intensifies and moves into every ‘nook and cranny’ of the economy. We are witnessing in Congress and the Obama administration today (political) ‘management’ decisions to cut (social) wages just as for decades corporate management cut wages and benefits at the shop or company level. Of course, it’s the same ‘corporate management’ that has been driving both. Having accomplished much of their concession bargaining goals at the shop level in recent decades, they are now-through their political managers-attempting the same at the social level.
‘Concession Bargaining At the Crossroads’ by Jack Rasmus, copyright August 7, 2011
http://jackrasmus.com/2011/09/04/concession-bargaining-at-historical-crossroads/
Cuomo and NYS Unions Article-- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/nyregion/to-save-jobs-union-approves-big-concessions-in-deal-with-cuomo.html?_r=1
Cooper Tires Article -- On National Labor News page (left menu)
Harley Article --the article is on our Local Area Labor News page (menu on left)...please read it
Wage Tier Systems at the Auto Makers -- by LaborNotes
"It was a concession that has proved disastrous to new hires and seniority workers alike."
http://labornotes.org/2011/07/will-auto%E2%80%99s-three-tier-wages-be-table
DOESN'T IT FEEL LIKE A RECURRING NIGHTMARE? CONCESSION BARGAINING CAN NOT BECOME A WAY OF LIFE! IT IS DESTROYING THE WORKING MIDDLE CLASS! WE HAVE TO STOP PAYING FOR THE MISTAKES & FAILURES OF WALL STREET--BANKS, CORPORATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT--STATE & FEDERAL. THE 1% NEED TO SAY "NO MORE" & "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"
