By IBEW Local 3, New York

– History is written by the winners and revised by the survivors. So don’t be surprised if you ask anyone under 40 years of age about Dr. Martin Luther King’s connection with labor and they come up blank.

Since U.S. school teach little if anything about labor history, nearly two generations of Americans have never learned that civil rights for black and white American Workers was high on King’s agenda.

“The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief to the destitute and above all new wage levels that meant not mere survival, but a tolerable life.”

And here is another quote our children will never hear from politicians or educators:

The captains of industry did not lead the transformation to social progress; they resisted it until they were overcome. When in the thirties the wave of union organization crested over the nation, it carried to secure shore not only itself but the whole society.”

Dr. King was quick to see through the “right-to-work” scam. Here’s how he described it:

“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as “right-to-work”. It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. …Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone. Wherever these laws have passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are few and there are no civil rights”

Did Dr. King think union representation was a valuable commodity? Listen to this:

“Union meant strength and union recognition mean the employer’s acknowledgement of that strength, and the two meant the opportunity to fight again for further gains with united and multiplied power. As contract followed contract, the pay envelope fattened and fringe benefits and job rights grew to the mature work standards of today. All of these started with winning first union recognition”

And finally, unionism was still on his mind just hours before his death in Memphis in April, 1968, when he declared:

“Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point, in Memphis. We have got to see it through. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.”

Click Here – To Read a letter written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to IBEW Local 3 (NY), Business Manager, Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. on October 6, 1960 thanking him for his assistance and support. Also mentioned in the letter is renowned poet and important figure in the American Civil Rights movement, Maya Angelou who at the time was Dr. King’s Co-ordinator of his New York Office.

Source – http://www.local3.com/?q=node/5088

By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press

– The head of Atlantic City’s main casino workers union is backing a proposed state takeover of the resort’s finances and assets.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/90092-casino-union-chief-backs-atlantic-city-takeover-proposal-

BY Ben Rosenfield

– The Supreme Court began hearing arguments in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. The plaintiff, California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs, and the organizations on the Right that are behind her are arguing that public sector employers violate individuals’ First Amendment rights by compelling employees to pay union fees. The case could in effect force all public sector unions to operate under “right-to-work” rules and decimate public sector union membership—bad news for an already battered American labor movement.

In These Times has covered the case closely since its beginning. Here, we’ve rounded up some of our articles on the case and its implications for U.S. unions.

Friedrichs aims to overturn a nearly 40-year precedent, established in the 1977 Abood v. Detroit Board of Education case, which allows for the use of “fair share” fees for public sector unions. Labor attorney Moshe Marvit argues that this case threatens public sector unions and could cost them millions of dollars, thousands of members and what remains of their institutional power.

Shaun Richman argues that unions could use the Right’s argument in the case and turn it on its head: Since the case interprets contracts as political, unionized workers are compelled, by the government, to represent workers who disagree with them, thus violating their First amendment rights.

Taking stock of the rising threat in both the private and public sectors, Richman also argues that the labor movement needs an equally bold response. He explains the potential upside (and pitfalls) to “members-only” unions, which Friedrichs would impose on the public sector.

Although labor supporters fear that an unfavorable ruling in Friedrichs would have the effect of passing a national right-to-work law for all public employees and permit some workers to become “free riders” who use union resources for representation but don’t pay for that representation, some evidence suggests the Supreme Court may not rule against unions in this case. And even if they do, it won’t mean the end of the labor movement, David Moberg writes.

Another case, Bain v. California Teachers Association raises similar questions and points as Friedrichs. The case was eventually thrown out, but Moshe Marvit lays out the right-wing arguments underlying these cases, put forward by anti-union groups such as StudentsFirst and the Center for Individual Rights.

A ruling against unions in Friedrichs could force unions towards a more radical, rank-and-file, social movement unionism, including organizing and grassroots activism some would like to see more of in the labor movement today. Unions might have to become more bottom-up, radical and democratic in order to survive, writes Ari Paul.

Samantha Winslow explains how unions are preparing for Friedrichs, including membership drives, attempts at rebuilding unions, and organizing models and solidarity with other public sector unions. “Recommitment drives” are also part of the preparation for what may be to come in the wake of an anti-union decision.

By looking back to an earlier period of the labor movement, there is proof that public sector workers have organized and mobilized even without the legal rights to do so. Samantha Winslow says that while Friedrichs could deal a blow to unions and precedents which workers fought to earn, workers have demonstrated that adversity has also served as a catalyst for organization.

In the face of Friedrichs, social movement unionism and connecting at-large union membership with advocacy and legislative campaigns is key, according to Shaun Richman. He proposes that unions fight for meaningful job protections for all workers in a state, not just unionized workers, writing that it could be called the “right to your job” law.

After a day of oral arguments, Moshe Marvit argues that the plaintiff’s arguments in Friedrichs strongly reflect our post-Citizens United world.

Things are looking bad for unions at the Supreme Court. What should labor’s response be? Shaun Richman says it has to include workers’ most powerful weapon: the strike.

Source – http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18745/friedrichs-v-california-teachers-association-supreme-court-unions

By Holly Otterbein

– John Dougherty is such a big deal that he doesn’t need the Democratic City Committee anymore. The electricians union boss tells Citified he has stepped down as leader of the First Ward in South Philadelphia.

“I’m getting out of politics a little bit,” he said.

Of course, I don’t believe Doc when he says that, not even “a little bit.” The city’s electricians union has become the largest independent campaign contributor in Pennsylvania in recent years, even larger than trial lawyers and gas drilling bigwigs. Dougherty also helped get two key allies elected last year: his brother, state Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty, and Mayor Jim Kenney.

The fact that Dougherty has given up his post in the Democratic City Committee simply seems like a sign that he has bigger fish to fry than the management of ward politics. Late last year, he ascended to the position of leader of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council. Theoretically, he should have more time now to focus on that, though I fully expect the electricians union will continue to be a major campaign donor.
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“I’m just going to stay in the construction lane for a while,” said Dougherty. “I’m going to work with Jimmy, Gov. Wolf. My message won’t be politics. It’ll be economic development for years to come.”

Democratic committee people voted in December for Tom Rumbaugh to take Doc’s place, according to Dougherty spokesman Frank Keel.

Source – http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2016/01/13/johnny-doc-im-getting-out-of-politics-a-little-bit/

PHILADELPHIA–“After years of taking programs and services away from the children at Jay Cooke and Huey Elementary schools, the District has decided to give these schools to charter school companies rather than make the investment necessary to fix them.

“Since 2011, Cooke and Huey have lost teachers, counselors and other staff; and have endured deep cuts to funding for extracurricular activities, books and materials. As is the case with schools across Philadelphia, the District has made matters worse by failing to fill teacher vacancies, and paying Source4Teachers millions for not providing substitutes.