A Little Free Style

President Obama has the full attention of the corporate giants in regard to his feelings toward American middleclass workers. The money and bullshit are flowing heavy out there against the Employee Free Choice Act. The CEO of Home Depot has called the passage of the law that would make it easier for American workers to organize into unions, "the end of the world as we know it".

Makes me wonder if that is a good thing or bad thing - if you accept their version of what the world should look like.

There is definitely a lot of arm twisting out there. Many moves are being made with eyes looking way into the future. This goes for both Republicans and Democrats. Fed Ex has threatened to cancel orders with Boeing if labor laws are eased to protect workers!

The Employee Free Choice Act must be a great and effective law for the benefit of the middle class American worker.

That is the only explanation for the panic and millions of dollars being spent by big business on an anti-union, anti-worker and deliberate misinformation campaign against a law that is good for American workers.

Look for some real battles in regard to this....it's gonna be a HOT SUMMER!

Did you see that IBM was going to actually patent the best system to use to offshore your American jobs, get rid of the American workers, save all kinds of money and STILL QUALIFY for public funding? They said soon after that it was an error on their part to apply for the patent. oh. I believe that.

Very conservatively, if rent costs $1000., Electric $200, Heat $100, Food $800, Car insurance $200, Car payment $250 and Gas $200 - all per month - and you made $18 per hour and worked forty hours - and paid even just $100 dollars in Federal and State taxes - you would net $620 dollars a week or $2480 per month to pay the $2750 in bills listed here.

SO, what is a good job? What is a good wage?

....And before you start feeling sorry for the upper 2% that are going to be asked to pay an increased tax rate on their income...........
.....their rate is going to increase by only 1-2% more. If you want to feel sorry for anybody, feel sorry for the average people who pay on every dollar they make and can't hide the lions share in some shelter.

I hear there are more than a few electricians who are nervous about Orange and Dutchess requiring their electricians to be licensed who are getting ready to set up shop in Ulster because you can "get away" with more there. What do you think they mean by that?

Hey! Does that count as attracting jobs?

Trust Us , Trust Us

Some of these "Corporations Gone Wild" in the global market would sell your grandmother for firewood if they could.

"American" company? Most couldn't care less about that. They have allegiance only to profit. If closing whole towns up and moving out of the country can turn another dollar - they are gone.

A large part of this is based on wage exploitation. A person in a foriegn country can work for under $10 dollars a day. Can you do that here in America? Can you do that in the Hudson Valley? Not at under $50.00 a week. Are you then a "greedy worker"? Do you make too much money? I don't think so.

The well being of American workers is not even on the corporate plate.....in fact, it has been off the table for generations. Morals and ethics have been replaced with greed.

The good news is that American workers are beginning to organize

More and more companies are being exposed as questionable and greedy. Selling out whole industries in America is of no consequence to these people. They have no shame either. Cutting American jobs and then moving those same jobs to India or some other country.

With a contract there are written procedures that are followed in regard to employment issues and situations, such as pertains to hours, wages, working conditions and rules. Those procedures are established together for the good of both the company and the employees.
Oh wait, they are called associates now - not employees. Employees could attempt to organize, associates are just "associated" with the company on a one on one basis.
Working people need to stop believing corporations who say there is no need for a CONTRACT or a union.

What other major component of your financial survival should you not have reduced to writing and signed by the person you are doing business with?

Just like other companies out there - large and small- IBM still has written contracts for every single thing it buys - except for IBM"ers".

Great business move though - fooled almost two generations - first cut the retirement and now your job goes to India. Nice. The corporation convinced those working Americans into believing that banding together was a bad idea. This layoff is the payoff to the company for doing a good job at that.

In the past locally, some American workers even had to suffer the indignity of teaching their foreign replacement their job.

Soon Americans will be organizing for survival. Some may dispute that but it is true. When corporate misbehaviour effects blue collar and white collar workers and people start to see the entire working class being moved off shore - THEY WILL BAND TOGETHER WITH THEIR NEIGHBOR.

Just like they would at a neighborhood brush fire.

You Can Still Have A Secret Ballot.......

Family Medical Leave Act - Military Style

Remember Scary Movies?

Media Matters Calls Out FOX On EFCA

Employee Free Choice Act: "Fox Facts" vs. actual facts

Fox News has run on-screen text, often billed as "Fox Facts," falsely claiming that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would "kill workplace secret ballots," "kill workers' right to secret ballot" and "take away workers' right to have a secret ballot vote."

In fact, as the Christian Science Monitor has noted, the legislation "gives workers a choice of forming a union through majority sign-up ('card check') or an election by secret ballot."

Fox News has also aired on-screen text claiming that "current law requires workers to vote by secret ballot"; in fact, current law already allows a union that shows it has the support of a majority of workers to represent the workers if their employer voluntarily agrees to recognize the union.

In recent days, Fox News has run on-screen text -- again billed as "Fox Facts" -- falsely claiming that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would "kill workplace secret ballots," "kill workers' right to secret ballot" and "take away workers' right to have a secret ballot vote."

It is a fact, the legislation would not eliminate employees' right to a secret ballot; as The New York Times reported, "Business groups have attacked the legislation because it would take away employers' right to insist on holding a secret-ballot election to determine whether workers favored unionization" [emphasis added].

The REAL FACTS ARE that "[t]he proposed law gives workers a choice of forming a union through majority sign-up ('card check') or an election by secret ballot."

Additionally, Fox News has repeatedly aired on-screen text falsely claiming that "current law requires workers to vote by secret ballot." In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, current law already allows a union that shows it has the support of a majority of workers to represent the workers if their employer voluntarily agrees to recognize the union.

Media Matters has noted that Fox News hosts and contributors have frequently advanced falsehoods about the Employee Free Choice Act. Think Progress has also noted that, in recent days, Fox News has frequently distorted facts when discussing the bill.

Clearing Up The Corporate Lies: A Full Time Job

Harlan County USA - A Documentary

This is a documentary about the mine strikes of Harlan County, Kentucky in 1973 where the laborers and miners of Harlan took on the mine owner, Duke Power, and his henchmen and formulated a strike with a move to form a union.
It isn't easy to find but it is sure an eye opener because every bit of it is real. This is a story of people REALLY FIGHTING for their jobs.

If you can find it, watch it - you will never forget it.

If you can't find it - and things keep going the way they are -

you don't have to worry, you'll just live it.

Hot Topic: Employee Free Choice Act