By Jared Shelly

– Ed Rendell had some harsh words for politicians that don’t want to invest in the nation’s infrastructure.

“We have politicians that just worry about their own survival,” the former Pennsylvania governor said during a panel discussion with the Atlantic’s Washington Editor-at-Large Steve Clemons at the National Constitution Center on Wednesday. “The frustrating thing is that we know what to do, we just don’t have the will to do it.”

Rendell, who has made infrastructure one of his main areas of focus since he left office in 2011, said the current political landscape doesn’t allow the country to make necessary repairs to roads and bridges.

“We’ve stopped investing because of this idea that when government spends money it’s bad,” said Rendell, who referred to notes on his iPad during the presentation. He argued that infrastructure investments mean people get jobs, and structures (like roads and bridges) get the critical repairs they need.

Sponsored by Seimens, the Atlantic magazine event “Building the Future” also focused on manufacturing, something Rendell touted as a burgeoning industry — and a great career path.

“There are still 600,000 manufacturing jobs going unfilled in the United States,” said Rendell, noting that many employers can’t seem to find workers with the right skill sets.

“Do you want a great job? Do you want to be in demand? Become a manufacturing engineer,” he said.

And for those that think manufacturing is done in a dirty, smoke-filled factory are simply misinformed. These days, manufacturing is highly-skilled work, often done in clean rooms and resulting in technically advanced products. (Rendell repeatedly touted a manufactured knee replacement as a good example.)

The stereotype of dark hands and black lungs is so 1940s.

“It’s not blue collar, it’s white collar or no collar,” he said.

Another stigma also needs to be removed: The idea that science is nerdy, uncool and not for a career for women.

“If you’re a young girl going into science, don’t worry about being called a nerd,” he said. “As Bill Gates said the nerds wind up running the world.”

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2014/07/18/ed-rendell-calls-out-politicians-for-not-investing.html

By The PA. AFL-CIO

– The AFL-CIO Boycott of Staples in support of the members of the American Postal Workers Union is not over. A July 14 announcement by Staples that it is terminating its no-bid contract with the United States Postal Service is a ruse, stated American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein. “Staples and the USPS are changing the name of the program without addressing the fundamental concerns of postal workers and postal customers. They intend to continue to privatize retail operations, replace living-wage Postal Service jobs with low wage Staples jobs, and compromise the safety and security of the mail. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.” Dimondstein said in his announcement to ensure that there is no doubt that the Boycott of Staples continues.

In fact just a few days ago the 1.6 million American Federation of Teachers officially announced their boycott of Staples and last week the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council unanimously approved the Staples Boycott. Just hours ago, AFSCME passed a resolution in support of the boycott at their convention in Chicago.

This attempt at trickery shows that the “Don’t Buy Staples” movement is having an effect. We intend to keep up the pressure until Staples gets out of the mail business. The U.S. Mail is Not for Sale. Don’t shop at Staples and sign the online petition on the American Postal Workers website, www.apwu.org

Sorce: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=4291

BY David Moberg

– The just-released results of a six-month initiative by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) suggest that the dark cloud cast over public sector unionism by a recent Supreme Court decision may not be so threatening after all.

Many analysts saw the court’s ruling last month in Harris v. Quinn as a profound blow to public sector unions such as AFSCME. In a case involving workers who receive state funds to provide home care for people with disabilities, the court found that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) could not collect “fair share” payments from workers who declined to join the union. A significant share of public workers—especially in home care work, where workers are spread out over various workplaces—have been required to pay these reduced dues to compensate unions such as AFSCME and for their bargaining and representation work. Unions fear that in future rulings, the Supreme Court will eventually nix fair share fees for all public workers, or even all workers.

But a recent experiment by AFSCME may point the way to how unions can reduce the harmful effects of Harris.

In January, leaders of the 1.6-million-member union set a target of becoming “50,000 stronger” by the start of the convention through “internal organizing”—that is, recruiting workers who were paying “fair share” dues or nothing at all to become full-fledged, dues-paying members. What was notable about the union’s approach was that, rather than bring in professional organizers, AFSCME used volunteer member organizers (VMOs). These volunteers approached their co-workers, or those at similar workplaces, to make the case for joining the union. AFSCME, like many other unions, has used VMOs before, but never on such a large scale.

“We found that when VMOs went to workers, especially co-workers, and made the ask, people were signing up at a fantastic rate,” says AFSCME spokesperson Chris Fleming.

AFSCME unveiled the outcome of its initiative on Monday at the union’s annual convention, held in Chicago this week. With 800 VMOS doing outreach for six months, AFSCME’s internal organizing drive brought in nearly twice the goal—92,155 new, fully dues-paying members, including 20,000 home care workers in California.

At a prison in Toledo, 60 employees were non-members at the start of the internal organizing campaign. At the end, only two were still hold-outs.

AFSCME is also accelerating its new-member organizing—using VMOs whenever possible—in occupations such as emergency medical services (public and private), home care, child care and, in a few areas, such as New Orleans and Chicago, taxi drivers. The union has been organizing the first three occupations for several years, but the taxi drivers represent a new departure.

“We may be under attack, but we are not about to raise the flag of surrender,” United Domestic Workers member Viviana Saavedra, a California home care worker, told the roughly 4,000 convention delegates and alternates on Monday. “No matter what the challenges are, we must grow our union.”

“In state after state, extremist politicians are looking for any opportunity, and every opportunity, to destroy us,” AFSCME president Lee Saunders said in a speech at the convention. “But, AFSCME, their opportunity will not come. This is our time.”

AFSCME’s success in internal organizing with VMOs shows that even in the face of hostile legal and political attacks, unions have reservoirs of strength. Harris v. Quinn may even turn out to backfire on the Right by energizing union members to become much more involved in bringing in new members, both in organized and unorganized workplaces.

Source: http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/16963/has_afscme_found_the_cure_to_harris

– 2014 General Election

The following endorsements were made by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council.

Statewide
Office Party Candidate
Governor D TOM WOLF
Lt. Gov. D MIKE STACK

United State Congress
District Party Candidate
1 D ROBERT A BRADY
2 D CHAKA FATTAH
3 D DAN LAVALLEE
5 D KERITH STRANO TAYLOR
6 D MANAN TRIVEDI
8 D KEVIN STROUSE
11 D ANDY OSTROWSKI
12 D ERIN MCCLELLAND
13 D BRENDAN F BOYLE
14 D MIKE DOYLE
16 D TOM HOUGHTON
17 D MATT CARTWRIGHT

PA State Senate
District Party Candidate
2 D CHRISTINE M TARTAGLIONE
6 R ROBERT TOMMY TOMLINSON
8 D ANTHONY HARDY WILLIAMS
12 R STEWART J GREENLEAF
14 D JOHN T YUDICHAK
16 R PAT BROWNE
18 D LISA BOSCOLA
22 D JOHN P BLAKE
26 D JOHN KANE
28 D LINDA SMALL
32 D DEBERAH KULA
36 D GARY SCHRECK SCHRECKENGOST
40 R MARIO M SCAVELLO
42 D WAYNE D FONTANA
44 R JOHN C RAFFERTY JR
46 D TIMOTHY J SOLOBAY
50 D MICHAEL T MUHA

PA State House
District Party Candidate
1 D PATRICK J HARKINS
2 D FLO FABRIZIO
3 D RYAN A BIZZARRO
4 D CURT SMITH
6 D JUANITA SHUTSA
7 D MARK LONGIETTI
9 D CHRIS SAINATO
10 D JARET GIBBONS
12 D LISA ZUCCO
13 D ANN SCHOTT
14 R JIM MARSHALL
15 D PAUL CAIN
16 D ROBERT F MATZIE
17 D WAYNE E HANSON
18 R GENE DIGIROLAMO
19 D JAKE WHEATLEY
20 D ADAM J RAVENSTAHL
21 D DOM COSTA
22 D PETER SCHWEYER
23 D DAN B FRANKEL
24 D ED GAINEY
25 D JOSEPH F MARKOSEK
27 D DANIEL J DEASY JR
29 R BERNIE O’NEILL
31 D STEVE SANTARSIERO
32 D ANTHONY M DELUCA
33 D FRANK DERMODY
34 D PAUL COSTA
35 D MARC J GERGELY
36 D HARRY READSHAW
37 D BRIAN KRESGE
38 D BILL KORTZ
39 D LISA STOUT-BASHIOUM
41 D ALICE YODER
42 D DANIEL MILLER
43 D STEPHEN STONE
45 D NICK KOTIK
46 D JESSE WHITE
48 D BRANDON P NEUMAN
49 D PETER J DALEY II
50 D PAM SNYDER
51 D TIM MAHONEY
52 D AJ BONI
53 R ROBERT W GODSHALL
54 D PATRICK LEYLAND
55 D JOSEPH A PETRARCA
57 D DONNA J MCCLELLAND
58 D R TED HARHAI
61 D SUZAN G LEONARD
65 D TOBY ANDERSON
68 D JONATHAN RUTH
70 D MATT BRADFORD
71 D BRYAN BARBIN
72 D FRANK BURNS
74 D JOSH MAXWELL
76 D MIKE HANNA
77 D H SCOTT CONKLIN
81 D MIKE FLECK
83 D RICK MIRABITO
84 D KRISTEN HAYES
87 R GLEN GRELL
95 D KEVIN SCHREIBER
96 D MIKE STURLA
97 D CHARLES HAMPLE
98 D TONY CROCAMO
99 D BRYAN SANGUINITO
102 D JAKE LONG
103 D PATTY KIM
104 D GENE STILP
105 D KELLY JEAN MCENTEE
106 R JOHN D PAYNE
109 R DAVID R MILLARD
111 D JOHN HEPTIG
112 D FRANK FARINA
113 D MARTY FLYNN
114 D SID MICHAELS KAVULICH
117 R KAREN BOBACK
118 D MICHAEL CARROLL
119 D GERALD J MULLERY
120 D EILEEN CIPRIANI
121 D EDDIE DAY PASHINSKI
122 D PATTI BORGER
123 D NEAL P GOODMAN
126 D MARK ROZZI
127 D THOMAS R CALTAGIRONE
131 D MICHAEL BEYER
132 D MIKE SCHLOSSBERG
133 D DANIEL T MCNEILL
135 D STEVE SAMUELSON
136 D ROBERT FREEMAN
138 D LESLIE M ALTIERI
139 R MIKE PEIFER
140 D JOHN GALLOWAY
141 D TINA DAVIS
142 R FRANK A FARRY
143 R MARGUERITE QUINN
145 D KAREN D CHELLEW
146 D MARK PAINTER
148 D MARY JO DALEY
149 D TIM BRIGGS
150 R MIKE VEREB
152 R THOMAS P MURT
153 D MADELEINE DEAN
154 D STEVE MCCARTER
156 D SANDRA SNYDER
157 D MARIAN MOSKOWITZ
158 D SUSAN F RZUCIDLO
159 D THADDEUS KIRKLAND
161 R JOE HACKETT
162 R NICK MICCARELLI
163 D VINCE RONGIONE
164 D MARGO DAVIDSON
165 R WILLIAM F ADOLPH JR
166 D GREG VITALI
167 D ANNE R CROWLEY
168 R THOMAS KILLION
170 D BRENDAN F BOYLE
172 D KEVIN J BOYLE
173 D MIKE DRISCOLL
174 D JOHN SABATINA JR
175 D MICHAEL H O’BRIEN
176 D HOPE SMITH
177 R JOHN J TAYLOR
179 D JASON DAWKINS
180 D ANGEL L CRUZ
181 D W CURTIS THOMAS
182 D BRIAN SIMS
183 D TERRI L POWELL
184 D WILLIAM F KELLER
185 D MARIA P DONATUCCI
186 D JORDAN A HARRIS
188 D JAMES R ROEBUCK
189 D ELIZABETH LIZ FORREST
190 D VANESSA L BROWN
191 D RONALD GRANVILLE WATERS
192 D LOUISE BISHOP
194 D PAMELA DELISSIO
195 D MICHELLE F BROWNLEE
197 D LESLIE ACOSTA
198 D ROSITA C YOUNGBLOOD
199 D JILL SUNDAY BARTOLI
200 D CHERELLE L PARKER
201 D STEPHEN KINSEY
202 D MARK B COHEN

Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?page_id=316

By Matt Murray

– Last night at their bi-annual convention, the American Federation of Teachers adopted a resolution to support of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) in a national boycott Staples Inc. for their attempt to steal jobs from dedicated postal employee’s and continue the race to the bottom.

It resolves “that members of the AFT, along with friends, colleagues and family members, are urged to no longer shop at Staples stores until further notice.”

To Read The Resolution, Go To: http://www.aft.org/about/resolution_detail.cfm?articleid=19592

Staples and the USPS are set to begin pilot program in 82 retail stores that would have “postal counters” that would provide most of the safe services as a local post office. These postal counters would be staffed by Staples low-wage, non-union workers, and not by the dedicated clerks of the APWU, who take care of you at you local post office.

These postal counters could mean the end of our local post offices.

Similar resolutions were passed by the California Teachers Union, AFT Michigan, AFT Massachusetts and AFT New Hampshire asking members to shop somewhere else when it came time to buy their “back to school” supplies.

“Postal workers are the most amazing public servants,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Who does Staples really want and need to come into its stores every single day? Teachers. The best way we can help is if we say to Staples: ‘You do this to the postal workers, and we aren’t buying supplies in your stores.’”

School supplies are a key market for Staples, accounting for up to one-third of the company’s sales, according to some estimates. The company, faced with declining sales and revenue, has announced plans to close 225 stores by 2015.

After adopting the resolution, AFT members joined their APWU brothers and sisters in a massive rally outside Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. AFT President Weingarten and thousands of AFT convention delegates joined members of the American Postal Workers Union and other community members in a rally telling the United States Postal Service and the Staples corporation that the “Mail Is Not for Sale.”

This action is a continuing part of the AFT’s effort to reclaim the promise of an America where consumers are safe, workers are valued and well trained, and middle-class jobs are protected.

APWU President Mark Dimondstein addressed the importance of America’s middle class standing together against the effort to privatize and demonize U.S. postal workers. He said, “We too are in the public sector, we too are meeting the needs of people. We’re facing some of the same problems you are—I call it divert, defund, demoralize, demonize and dismantle.”

Source: http://nhlabornews.com/2014/07/teachers-postal-workers-and-public-employees-cry-out-the-mail-is-not-for-sale/