By The APWU

– After nearly a year of procedural wrangling, 10 days of testimony and more than 140 exhibits, the National Labor Relations Board hearing on charges that the Postal Service illegally subcontracted work to Staples ended on May 24.

Region 5 of the NLRB issued a complaint against the Postal Service on June 26, 2015, in response to an “unfair labor practice” charge filed by the APWU. The complaint asked the NLRB to order the USPS to cancel its Approved Shipper deal with Staples and return the work to postal employees.

The hearing, which began in August 2015 and continued in November and February, resumed on May 18. NLRB General Counsel called APWU President Mark Dimondstein as the final witness in its direct case.

The NLRB General Counsel was represented by Daniel Heltzer and Cristina Cora, who worked closely with the APWU to demonstrate that the Postal Service refused to bargain with the union over its decision to contract out work to Staples.

Following Dimondstein’s testimony, the Postal Service and Staples presented their cases. The Postal Service called seven witnesses who attempted to justify the Postal Service’s decision to contract out Clerk Craft work.

NLRB attorneys cross-examined the USPS witnesses and re-called APWU Manager of Negotiations Support Phil Tabbita, who testified in February, to rebut their testimony.

A ruling by Administrative Law Judge Paul Bogas is not expected for several months.

Many parts of the record and most documents introduced at the hearing remain under “provisional seal,” which prohibits the APWU from sharing the information contained in them.

Dimondstein vowed to fight to make the documents available to union members and the public. “The dirty deal between Staples and the USPS has been shrouded in secrecy from the beginning,” he said. “But the people have a right to know about management’s attempts to privatize their Postal Service.

“Our country deserves public postal services that are provided by well-trained USPS employees who are accountable to the people,” he said.

Source – http://www.apwu.org/news/web-news-article/nlrb-hearing-staples-concludes

By The PA. AFL-CIO

– After ten months trying to reach a fair contract, nearly 40,000 men and women who work at Verizon went on strike on April 13 to protect good jobs and to ensure quality service. These past six weeks have been difficult, but the strike will continue, and our Brothers and Sisters from the Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) should know that the entire Labor Movement is standing alongside them in this fight; and it’s important for all of us to realize that these striking workers are standing up for all workers right now.

As most of you know, despite record profits, Verizon has continued their efforts to close US call centers and offshore jobs to the Philippines, Mexico, and elsewhere; all while refusing to follow through on commitments they’ve made to build out their broadband service. The company has been refusing to negotiate a first contract with Verizon Wireless retail workers who formed a union in 2014, and they are pushing to expand the outsourcing of work to low-wage non-union contractors. Two weeks into the strike, Verizon cancelled health coverage for the striking workers and their dependents – roughly 100,000 people were impacted.

Everyone – from business and from Labor – is watching this strike right now. The workers are standing strong, but they don’t need to stand alone.

Visit StandUpToVerizon.com now to find resources and information on how you and your union can help. Find local picket lines to join, learn more about the issues that forced this strike, and support the men and women who are out there fighting every day for the rights of all workers.

Finally, the Verizon Striking Families Solidarity Fund is accepting donations to help those who are being severely impacted by this strike. You can make a secure online donation BY Going to: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/contribute-to-the-cwa-ibew-solidarity-fund

Or, you can mail a contribution, payable and mailed to:

“Verizon Striking Families Solidarity Fund”
c/o Communications Workers of America
501 3rd Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001-2797

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=6891

By The AFL-CIO

– On the anniversary of the last time the federal minimum wage was increased to $7.25 (http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/23/news/economy/minimum_wage/), it’s timely to go over some basic facts on the minimum wage.

Here are 10 important figures to remember when we talk about the minimum wage:

$18.42

How much the federal minimum wage would be if it had kept pace with productivity (i.e., how much we can produce, on average, for an hour’s worth of work) over the past 48 years. It would grow to more than $19 per hour by 2017. Instead, it’s $7.25. Learn more at: http://www.epi.org/publication/safety-net-savings-from-raising-minimum-wage/

$15,080

The annual income for a full-time employee working the entire year at the federal minimum wage.

0

The number of states where a minimum wage working person can afford a one-bedroom apartment working a 40-hour week—without paying more than 30% of their income. Learn more at: http://nlihc.org/oor

3

The number of times Congress passed legislation to increase the minimum wage in the past 30 years. Learn more at: https://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/coverage.htm

30

As of Jan. 1, 2016, the number of states (including the District of Columbia) that will have raised their minimum wage above the federal level of $7.25. Source: http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx

18

The number of states (including the District of Columbia) that annually increase their state minimum wage to keep up with the rising cost of living, or that have scheduled automatic cost-of-living adjustments to begin after achieving a meaningful minimum wage. Source: http://www.epi.org/minimum-wage-tracker/

75

The percentage of Americans who support gradually raising the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to at least $12.50 per hour by 2020, according to a January 2015 poll (http://www.nelp.org/content/uploads/2015/03/Minimum-Wage-Poll-Memo-Jan-2015.pdf). The same poll finds that 63% of Americans support an increase to $15 per hour by 2020.

62.6 in 100 vs. 4.2 in 100

The chance that an adult minimum wage worker is a woman (http://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2015/home.htm) vs. the chance that a Fortune 500 CEO is a woman.

55 to 69

The range of the percentage of voters who supported minimum wage increases across five states (Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota) where the issue was on the ballot in November 2014. Source: http://www.cnn.com/election/2014/results/race/ballot/

$2.13

The federal minimum wage for tipped employees (https://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/q-a.htm), such as waiters and waitresses, nail salon workers or parking attendants.

Source – http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/10-Facts-on-the-Minimum-Wage

By Dave Heller

– Philadelphia has joined Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as cities where consumers can avail themselves of a pro-labor business guide. Labor 411 has started publishing a Philadelphia edition online, which will appear in print in time for the Democratic National Convention here at the end of July.

Publisher Cherri Senders and Patrick Eiding, president of the Philadelphia Council of the AFL-CIO, spoke with NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller about the launch.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/94008-a-411-to-find-fair-labor-businesses-

From The American Postal Workers Union

– The National Labor Relations Board hearing on the APWU’s challenge to the dirty deal between Staples and the U.S. Postal Service resumed in Washington, DC, on May 18, with union President Mark Dimondstein testifying.

Coincidentally, Staples’ poor financial results for the first quarter of 2016 were announced on Wednesday as well. Same-store sales declined 3 percent and foot traffic and the average order size were both down 2 percent.

Just to make sure Staples executives know that the APWU is intent on blocking their attempt to take over postal retail operations, activists greeted them with a spirited protest when they arrived for work at the company’s headquarters near Boston in the morning
Stop Staples organizers distributed flyers outside stores in several other cities as well, informing shoppers about the deal between the USPS and the office-supply chain. Many customers honored the boycott and left, promising not to shop at Staples.

And just last week the Federal Trade Commission handed the company a devastating defeat when it rejected its proposed merger with Office Depot.

“We won’t stop fighting this attempt to privatize the Postal Service’s retail operations until Staples gets out of the mail business,” Dimondstein said.