By Gregory Korte

– President Obama vetoed a congressional resolution seeking to overturn new unionization voting rules Tuesday, keeping in place procedures that will allow a more streamlined process for workers to vote to unionize.

Republicans said those new rules would allow for “ambush elections,” and tried to roll back the new National Labor Relations Board rule with a congressional resolution of disapproval.

It’s the second veto of the year for Obama, and the fourth of his presidency. More vetoes are sure to come: the White House has issued 17 specific veto threats on bills working their way through Congress, and several others still being drafted in committee.

With Congress out of session for its Easter recess, Obama issued a “pocket veto” of the resolution. But as he’s done twice before, he also sent the Senate a veto notice “to leave no doubt that the resolution is being vetoed.”

The resolution passed the Senate 53 to 46 and the House 232 to 186, with all Democrats and three Republicans voting no. Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress could still override the veto, although Republicans are well short of the two-thirds majorities necessary.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the veto shows that Obama is passing up opportunities to work with the Republican-controlled Congress to help the economy.

“Ambush elections don’t help workers. Instead, they bully workers into accepting unionization as fast as possible. That’s not pro-worker. That’s pro-union, and there’s a big difference,” McCarthy said in a statement.

But Obama said the new rules were “common-sense, modest changes to streamline the voting process for folks who wanted to join a union.” If workers want to join a union, “they should be able to do so, and we shouldn’t be making it impossible for that to happen,” he said.

Obama also announced he would hold a summit on worker’s rights at the White House this fall. “Part of what we want to do is to make sure that we give workers the capacity to have their voices heard, to have some influence in the workplace, to make sure that they’re partners in building up the U.S. economy, and that growth is broad-based, and that everybody is benefiting just as everybody is contributing,” he said.

Source – http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/31/obama-nlrb-unionization-ambush-election/70718822/

– THE PHILADELPHIA COALITION OF LABOR UNION WOMEN: ANNUAL BENEFIT FOR WOMEN AGAINST ABUSE

When – Tuesday, March 31, 2015 – 5:30 p.m.

Where – WORKERS UNITED: 22 S. 22nd Street, 2nd floor, Joint Board Room, Philadelphia, PA 19103

(Some parking available in building garage after 5:00 p.m.)

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are hosting a workshop on “Why Courts Matter”. There are three levels of the Federal Court System: District Court, Circuit Court and Supreme Court. The Supreme Court only reviews 80 cases a year, which leaves the majority of cases to the District and Circuit Courts. Electing Judges who represent the general population is essential. Courts make decisions on workers’ rights, protected class discrimination, campaign financing and many other issues critical to workers and women.

This is our 17th annual benefit for this UAW-staffed shelter for women and children in crisis. Due to space limitations, only these items can be accepted by the agency – all items must be NEW! Financial donations are especially needed as public funding continues to drop. Please consider running a donation drive at your union or workplace.

Women’s Winter coats, jackets, hat, gloves & shoes/boots; Backpacks & school supplies; Muslim garb for women; Gift cards (No Wal-Mart!); Diapers (all sizes), pull-ups, wipes, formula; baby pacifiers; Toddlers Clothing for ages 1-5; Toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, etc.); Tampons, pads; Tea; Hand Lotion; Nail Polish; Colored Pencil Sets; Bookmarks; Tote bags; 2015 planners; USB drives, portfolios, blank cards for thank you notes, journals, stress balls; children’s DVDs.

Checks should be made payable to Women Against Abuse, and mailed to CLUW, 1606 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 or brought to the event. Please ask your Union to donate too! If you would like to donate but cannot come to the event, you may bring your items, prior to the event, to AFSCME DC47, 1606 Walnut Street.

Refreshments will be served. 50/50 Raffle. The event is free and open to the public. To RSVP or for more information, call or e-mail CLUW, 215-893-3770, cluw.philly@gmail.com.

For Immediate Release

– AFSCME District Council 33, AFSCME District Council 47 and AFSCME/ NUHHCE/District 1199C will hold a joint press conference at

9:00 am,
Tuesday, March 31, 2015,
Northeast Corner of City Hall,
Philadelphia

The purpose of the press conference will be to announce AFSCME’s endorsement for Mayor of Philadelphia.

All media are invited to attend.

By John Corrigan

– The chants echoed outside the Philadelphia High School for Girls as about 50 teachers, students, and local community organizers rallied on a chilly Saturday morning in support of mayoral candidate Jim Kenney.

“Yes we Kenney! Yes we Kenney!”

Volunteers from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers gathered to canvass the neighborhood, knocking door to door asking folks to vote for the former city councilman.

“If we’re going to improve the quality of our schools,” PFT President Jerry Jordan began, “if we’re going to have books in our classrooms and not in the basement of an administrative building, if we are going to have safer schools, we are going to need to have Jim Kenney sitting in room 215, that’s the mayor’s office.”

Kenney recalled visiting Julia De Burgos Elementary School in North Philadelphia and meeting with student leaders who told him about a project they had been working on regarding crime in the area.

“They had been locked down four times in a month because of shootings outside their school,” Kenney said.

The students made banners and marched nine blocks, stopping at a corner with drug dealers and asked them to let the students be educated.

“There hasn’t been a lockdown since,” Kenney said. “If we can continue to instill that kind of passion in our kids, our teachers and our principals, I think we’re going to make this city a much better place.”

Suzanne Cappo, a 25-year math teacher at Andrew J. Morrison School in Olney, said getting involved has kept her up to date with the ills of the education system.

“People have to become informed and this is one of the ways,” Cappo said. “Kenney is a big union guy, he’s down-to-earth and he’s been around. Our schools need to improve but can only do so with the proper resources.”

Officially endorsed by the PFT on March 16, Kenney has opposed the expansion of charter schools, which employ non-union staff, and has also criticized the School Reform Commission for unilaterally canceling the teachers’ contract.

The Democratic mayoral primary takes place on May 19. Kenney is running against former district attorney Lynne Abraham, state Senator Anthony Williams, former state Senator Milton Street, former mayoral aide and PGW executive Doug Oliver and former city judge Nelson Diaz.

Source: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/80125-teachers-union-canvasses-for-kenney

By the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO via Public Citizen Press Room

– Secret documents publicized by wikileaks on Wednesday demonstrated that unions, consumer organizations, and grassroots groups have been right to oppose fast-track authority for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

According to the leaked documents, the TPP would open the door for US firms to send thousands more jobs overseas to nations with cheaper labor markets and worse environmental and labor standards. It would also empower thousands of foreign companies to bring actions in secret courts that could cancel basic regulations such as wage and hour laws, workplace safety standards, and pollution controls.

Call Congress now at 1-855-712-8441 and tell your elected officials to say NO to fast track and to the TPP!

Source: http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=5454