Happy Independence Day from the Massachusetts AFL-CIO  The Massachusetts AFL-CIO would like to thank all of our members, and working people from all over the state on this July 4th holiday, for the immeasurable contributions we make to this Commonwealth. We would like to remind everyone what this important holiday means for our country. On this 4th of July let us please remember the freedoms and rights that we are privileged to enjoy in this country.One of the most important rights in America today is the right to form a union. Last month a majority of United States Senators voted in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would have made it easier for those who want to join a union to join a union. In March a majority of the United States House of Representatives also supported this key unionization bill. Despite the majority in the Senate there were not enough Senators who stood with workers to get this important bill past Republican obstructionism.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 June 22, 2007  STATEMENT OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT Mr. President, we're all thankful for those comments given by ourmembers about the extraordinary bravery and heroism of our men and womenwho serve in the armed forces of our country, and all of us are dayafter day salute to their courage and their dedication to the countryand it reminds us of our responsibility of making sure we're going toget the policy right in Iraq. More about that at another time. Mr.President, I think we find ourselves now in the middle of June and it'simportant, as we move through a legislative agenda -- and more on thatnext week -- that we pause for a few moments and take stock about whereour country is in terms of its -- the economy of this nation and takestock about where our country is with regards to working families inthis nation. we get often tied up on particular pieces of legislation,but I think all of us are very mindful that it is the working familiesof this nation that have made America great.  If America is great -- and it is great -- it's because of the workingfamilies in all parts of our nation. And we're mindful of our recenthistory of those extraordinary men and women that lifted our nation outof the great depression of the 1920's and the 1930's, the extraordinaryexploitation of workers that took place even prior to that time andduring that period of time and the struggle that workers had in order tohave a voice in the decision-making part of this nation in the workworkplace as well as in governmental policies that influenced theconditions with which they worked, and it was a long, continuingstruggle. And it was a long, continuing struggle with the loss the lossof life and blood that was shed and battles that were fought, physicallyfought, and out of the end of it came the really trade union movement,which has made such a difference in terms of the life of this country,the fairness of the country, the economic fairness and economic justiceof the nation. And it's always impressed me as one who has been the -- asponsor of the increase in the minimum wage with a number of ourcolleagues, that even though many of these unions are making a good dealmore than the minimum wage, that any time that that issue about workingconditions for fellow Americans that are at the short end of theeconomic ladder, they're always out there. They're always there. They'realways not only speaking but in support of their fellow workers in thiscountry.  That was seen in this last year in the seven different states that hadinitiatives about the increase in the minimum wage where therepresentatives of the trade union movement were out there going door todoor working with other families, shoulder to shoulder, to try toindicate and reflect that this nation wanted to make sure that workpaid, that those on the short end of the economic ladder, primarilywomen, were going to be able to receive a decent wage for a decenthour's work, recognizing that, again, the majority of women that wereout there receiving the minimum wage had children, so it was achildren's issue, it was a women's issue, a civil rights issue becauseso many of those they that earn the minimum wage are men rand women ofcolor. Most of all, it was it was a fairness issue and Americansunderstand fairness.  What we have seen, Mr. President, over the more recent years isenormously distressing and disturbing because we have seen that thosemembers of the trade union industry targeted by un unscrupulousemployers and companies that are bent upon destroying the trade unionmovement and move us back into a different time and a differentcircumstance for those workers. We saw it in the fact that it took tenyears for us to get an increase in the minimum wage, and the minimumwage was purchasing at the end of those ten years less perhaps than atany time in the history of the minimum wage. and we've seen it reflectedin the policies of this administration when they cut about seven millionworkers out of overtime and when they refused to include Davis- Baconprovisions with the restoration of the buildings and constructions downin -- at Katrina and a whole series of additional kinds of activities.We see the courts as well strike striking down protections. In the lastfew weeks protection protections for an increase in minimum wage andovertime pay for home care workers and also a supreme court that isstriking down effectively equal pay for women. There's really an assaulton working families.  Now, if we look back, Mr. President, at the history of this country,what really reflects, these are general statements and comments, butlet's really look at what were the circumstances and what were theconditions that I speak about. If you look at 1947 to 1973, and we'relooking here at the economic growth here in the United States ofAmerica, this is the Economic Policy Institute, and you look over thischart here, you will see that each segment of the American economy isall growing and virtually at the same rate. This was 1947 to 1973.America was growing together. This is really extraordinary, Mr.president, because we know we just came out of World War II, we hadmobilized 15 million of our fellow citizens, and that had anextraordinary impact. We had to retool the whole domestic economy andstill, we were able to see the growth in the United States of Americamove along at a similar kind of growth pattern so that all Americans andthose at the low lowest end of the economic ladder moving just a littlebit faster, a little bit faster than some of those, particularly, in thetop 20%. And then, Mr. President, from 1973 we find that up to the years2000, a new political philosophy taking place in this country, and thiswas the policy policies that we're going to see the very dramatic andsignificant tax cut policies, the economic policies that took place inthe 1980's and after, the republicans -- and look at this, Mr.president. Look how our level of growth between 1973 and 2000. Here wehave the lowest economic growth growing at the lowest rate and on up tothose at the top growing the fastest. In a number of instances, growingthree or four times fast faster than those at the lowest.  And that is directly a result of economic policies by primarily theexecutive and congress, with advantaged those individuals at the top ofthe economic ladder and disadvantaged those at the bottom. And if welook at what has been happening over the last five years, Mr. President,we see that those at the economic lad ladder at the lowest end are nownot only moving not moving up, but falling further behind, and those top10%, not the top -- 1% 1%, not the top 20%, the top 1% have been movingup dramatically. And so we're having a divided America, a dividedAmerica, a divided America. Now, let's see what is the one factor thathas had the greatest influence on all of this what factor has been thetrademark in all of this, Mr. President. This is an interesting chart,because remember we talked about 1947, how we all grew together. Look atthis, Mr. President. We had the increase in productivity, that is, theincrease in workers' output, finding more efficiencies, moreeffectiveness, and we also find a corresponding increase in the wages.American workers were participating in the increased productivity. Andwith that participation all during this 20-year period, the Americaneconomy and Americans were growing together, growing together, notapart.  We ask ourselves, do we want to be a divided nation or do we want to beone nation with one history and one destiny? And then look what happenedduring the latter period. This is at a period of peak union membership,wages and productivity rise together, America was on the road toprosperity and all Americans were participating and the trade unionmovement played an important part to ensure fairness at the workplace.Now we find that the unions decline and what happens correspondingly? Asthe unions decline, the work workers fall further behind. Here, we havethe real wages going across the last -- from virtually from the 1970'sto 2007, virtually stagnant, and look at the increasing productivitygrew at more than 206%, more than wages. And what does that demonstrate?This, Mr. President, demonstrates that we have seen the extraordinarygrowth in the profits. We find workers' wages that are basicallystabilized, corporate profits grew at the 63% and the wages went downhere and the individuals went to the top. Top at the same period of timethat workers and unions are being attacked and attacked and attacked. In1947 to the early 1960's, Mr. President, right in here, we hadeffectively what we call the card check-off, which is the subject of thelegislation that we'll be voting on next Tuesday.  Interestingly, the card check-off was in effect all during this periodof time, from 1941, 1946, 1956, up to 1961, we had virtually the cardcheck-off. The legislation we'll be voting on next Tuesday has alreadybeen in effect and been utilized. We'll hear a lot of statements here onthe floor of the United States Senate about a process and a procedurewhich is irregular, fraught with problems and complexities, but the factof the matter is we had it in use here in the United States of Americaall during the period where we had economic stability and economicgrowth and the nation was growing together. And then as the NationalLabor Relations Board changed, the Supreme Court and businesses gotgeared up, they effectively eliminate ed the card check-off. And we haveseen what has been happening in the marketplace and this indication hereby the abuses that have skyrocketed. So, Mr. President, when we had thecheck-off, we had economic growth, we had economic prosperity, andAmerica growing together. That is what we want. That is what nextTuesday morning is about, to restore this period of time when America,with the check-off, was able to ensure economic growth and prosperityfor workers across the board.  That is what we're looking for. Now you say, well, what are all theseabuses that you talk about? That's an easy word to use, but what are wereally talking about? Mr. President, what we're talk talking about arethese kinds of abuses, which are the everyday abuses being used in theworkplace. First of all, the workers face too many roadblocks to try andget a union. Aver here, workers who lead the union effort are fired. Iwill give the examples and illustrations of that. Then the employerchallenges the election results at the NLRB. So even if they have asuccessful vote in the union, 30% to 50% of all of those results arechallenged in the NLRB and then the employer appeals the ruling moreoften in court, and then the employer refuses and stalls and refuses tobargain for the contract. If you look and find what's been happening incourts, you'll find more of them have been upholding the national laborrelations board when they have found against the workers, and then afterone year, the employer -- if they're able to delay -- can seek to stoprecognizing the union and the workers start all over again. This is apattern. This isn't a unique situation. This is what is happening now.This is what is happening. This is what is happening. And this is whathappens, Mr. President. We have the employees fired in one quarter ofall the private sector in June organizing campaigns. One quarter,they're all fired. One in five workers who openly advocate for a unionduring an election campaign is fired.  Now, it's fair enough to ask in 2005, 30,000 workers received back payafter the national labor relations board found that employers hadviolate ed -- 30,000, Mr. president, in one year alone. 30,000. Thatmeans that 30,000 employers at some time during the year fired people inviolation of the law, 30,000. That's 30,000 we're talking about that arebeing treated on that part. Now, Mr. President, the question can comeabout do workers really want to join? I mean are we talking aboutsomething that is a real problem or not? Here's 1984 to 2005. Workerswant unions more than ever, but can't join them.  The percentage of nonunion work workers that want a union is up 23%. Thepercentage of workers in a union is down 6.5%, so you'd think with thosekinds of indicate ors that we would be able to have a clear pathwaywhere people would have an opportunity to join, but that is not thecase. And what we have seen, Mr. President, what we have seen, Mr.President, is that across the countryside on the wide range of differentkinds of issues, this is what's happening, Mr. President, across thecountryside with the average family in this country, we find that gas isup 79%, we find that medical is up 38%, we find tuitions are up 43%, wefind the housing is up 40%, and wages effectively are stagnant or heldat up 4%. Mr. President, the numbers of people that wanted to join theunions showed that more than the work force, more than 60 millionworkers would join a union if they could, but they cannot. Now, we'vegiven you some of the flow lines and the statistics, Mr. President, butthese charts here show what happens to some real people. "I was fired.They forced us to attend meet meetings, they threatened that if ourcampaign was successful, our paychecks would suffer. Managers wouldfollow me around the workplace at all times. They would not permit otherwork workers to talk to me. They isolated me from my co-workers. Withindays after the union election was certified by the National LaborRelations Board, I was fired."  This gentleman here had worked in that plant and had found all kinds ofsafety concerns, raised these safety concerns to the employers and wastold to keep quiet, even though he believed that those kind of safetymatters were really endangering the lives of the people that he wasworking with. And when he found that the employers were unwilling to tryand address some of these safety conditions, he said I've got to try andform a union, and then he had these following circumstances, that withindays after the union election was certified, he was fired. So this ishappening out there. these are examples of the 30,000, Mr. President.  Ana Calles who was a laundry worker in California, the union was theonly way to have better pay, insurance, equality and not discrimination.When we tried to organize, management told us we would lose our jobs.The workers are scared. NLRD has not been able to help machine. We'vehad to wait three years to get a decision. Delay, delay, delay. Sincethe appeal of the NLRB's ruling the company committed intense violationsof workers' rights so an spa and her co-work co-workers are suffering.It's quite clear why individuals want to be able to join for thoseworkers. These are the Department of Labor statistics that show thatwork workers are going to be able to have an income, modest income up toone-third more than those that are not, Mr. President. If you look atparticular sectors of our economy, this is an interesting chart, Mr.President. Union jobs mean higher wages for women and for people ofcolor.  Again, we're talking about equity in this country; we're talking aboutfairness in this country. This is what unions do in terms of equity andin terms of fairness. If you look at women, the difference that it makesin terms of helping to assist them, 31% if you're talking nonunionAmerican women latinos. This is the federal poverty line Mr. President,this black line that goes across here. now, look at what is the figuresare, national figures for these particular industries, the cashier,child care, cook, and the housekeeper. And if they are nonunion, they'rebelow the poverty line. If you're a cashier and you're a member of aunion, you're just above it, a little less than $25,000. We're talkingabout people that have a sense of dignity and pride and desire to do agood day's work, and these are men and women of pride. And we're whatwe're talking about is $20,000, $25,000 a year, Mr. President. Childcare. The difference at a union wage, it is just about at the poverty --federal poverty level. If you're a cook, it's just again a little abovethe poverty level. And a housekeeper, just above. This is the commitmentto try and make sure that work pays and that we're not going to have ourfellow Americans living in poverty.  We're talking about people that want to work, can work, will work, andthat chart is about as clear an indication of the difference if theyhave an opportunity to join. Mr. President, I'll mention just a coupleof companies that have recognized the card check process. There are someemployers that have been remarkably enlightened and have recognized itand say, we're going to let the workers in our company, if they chooseto have a check-off, we'll recognize it.  That used to be the way the law went and a number of companies, such asCingular wireless, has supported that concept and the management didn'tpressure us or try to interfere, we didn't attack the company, theydidn't attack us, we were focused on improving our jobs and makingCingular a better place to work. This is the executive president onhuman service, Rick Bradley said ""we believe employs should have achoice, making that choice available to them and observe the results.Employees who are engage ed in the business and who have a passion forcustomers." The purpose of this, Mr. President, is to show when Americahas been at its best and its strongest, we have grown and we all growtogether. When but we find out America is divided and the principalreason for this kind of division is demonstrated with these charts is sooften because employers have assaulted and attacked the workers andtheir representatives over this history. We want to try and bringAmerica back together again, make it stronger from an economic point ofview. Final chart, which shows in Ireland the strongest economy inEurope, the highest union member membership and the strongest annualgrowth. Partnership and fairness and decency go hand in hand, and I hopethe senate will recognize that on the Tuesday next when we vote.  

Smith College put a significant construction product out to bidrecently. After having promised to be responsible with its biddingprocess, Smith College has re-opened the bidding and allowed for anirresponsible, anti-union contractor to bid on the work. Smith College has a rich and proud history of making admirable and moralstands on issues of social and economic justice. To allow for anunacceptable and irresponsible contractor to now bid on the work, afterpromising to do the right thing, is very disappointing to say the least.

Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 1301, 1302 and IBEW 2213 are currently in a struggle with Idearc Media Corporation, a spin-off from Verizon Corporate.The intense negotiations, being held in Middleton, Massachusetts, began on April 11, 2007 have broken down and the union represented employess are working without a contract.      Idearc Media sells both print and electronic yellow pages advertising.  They are a $3.2 billion corporation with approximately 7400 employees, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  After recently going public, Idearc reported net income for 2006 of over $770 million dollars.

    Massachusetts State AFL-CIO President Robert J. Haynes On the Senate Employee Free Choice Act Vote June 27, 2007  

For immediate release                                                Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on Senate Employee Free Choice Act VoteJune 26, 2007Today's vote shows that a majority of the United States Senate supports changing the law to restore working people's freedom to make their own choice to join a union and bargain for a better life.  That is a watershed achievement - one scarcely imagined just a couple of years ago - and an important step toward shoring up our nation's struggling middle class.   It is sad and shameful that Republican Senators chose to block the road to the middle class for millions of workers by throwing up procedural barricades from their minority position in Congress.  Theirs is a stunt that working men and women will remember when they go to the ballot boxes in 2008, armed with the scorecard filled in by today's vote on the Employee Free Choice Act.  The vote made clear exactly who is on the side of working families' dreams and economic opportunity - and who is siding with corporate America to block those opportunities.  Working families come out of this vote with growing momentum.  Support is pouring in from working men and women as well as from 16 governors, state legislators and local officials from every state, religious leaders and other allies.  AFL-CIO members and their families have made more than 50,000 phone calls, sent 156,000 faxes and emails, and 220,000 postcards on this issue.  Fifty-five cities, counties and state legislatures have passed resolutions and 1300 state and local elected officials have pledged support for this legislation. Americans have seen up close the terrible price working families are paying for our failure to protect workers' rights.  Living standards are falling.  Health care and pensions are declining. It is clear that if we are to have a middle class in our country, we have to change the law to guarantee workers the freedom to make their own decision to join a union.  The best opportunity for working men and women to get ahead economically is by uniting with co-workers to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits.  More than half of U.S. workers -- 60 million -- say they would join a union right now if they could.  But the system is so broken that workers cannot exercise their right.  It is so broken that last year alone, more than 31,000 workers had their union rights violated by their employer.  But the Senate vote shows the ground has shifted.  The status quo of our broken system is unacceptable.  Those who continue to support our broken system will find themselves on the wrong side of history.  And that battle engages now, as we move into the 2008 elections, when working people will elect more senators and a president who will champion their concerns and fight for their futures.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  June 26, 2007Kerry: Opponents of Workers' Rights Shortchange America's Workers WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator John Kerry today made the following statement on the Employee Free Choice Act, to remove barriers for workers trying to organize.  The Act failed a cloture vote this morning; the vote was 51-48. The legislation would have mandated that employers recognize a majority vote by workers who want to form a union.   Sen. Kerry is an original co-sponsor and longtime supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act. "The Republicans who stood in the way of this bill insulted workers across our country, but we will keep fighting until the right to organize is free from obstacles and fairness is restored to this system," Senator Kerry said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  June 26, 2007                                                                                               KENNEDY:  A MAJORITY OF SENATORS STAND UP FOR WORKING FAMILIES   WASHINGTON, D.C-Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the cloture vote on the Employee Free Choice Act. "The American people spoke up-loudly and clearly-in the last election, saying they want a Congress that stands up for working families.  The Employee Free Choice Act is exactly the kind of bold action they were calling for. It is a key part of the Democratic plan to help the struggling middle class and restore the economic security that has been lost during the Bush years. Today, I am proud that a majority of my colleagues stood up for working families.  I regret that more of my Republicans colleagues do not share this vision for a better America. Their obstructionism has stopped us from moving to debate on this important bill.  Today's vote sends a clear signal to the American public about which party stands with working people -- and although we were blocked today we will not give up and we will not give in.  I can promise that we will be back. There may be obstacles along the way, but we'll keep up the fight until we get a victory for working families."

Unions, workers, families, advocates will gather to commemorate 19th Annual Workers Memorial Day at State House in Boston on Thursday April 26, 2007 at 12 noon.NEW REPORT: SHORT SHRIFT ON SAFETY COSTS MASS. WORKERS' LIVESLabor Unions and Workplace Safety Advocates Call for More Stringent Worker Safety Protections, Enforcement to Reduce Workplace Injury, Illness and Death, and the Extension of OSHA Protections to Public EmployeesWED. APRIL 25, 2007 - BOSTON, MA…A Roxbury bus mechanic might be alive today if his employer had paid to install proper ventilation. A Springfield construction worker might have lived to see his 43rd birthday, had his employer ensured that the building he was demolishing was properly braced. A warehouse worker in Weymouth could have gone home safe if his company had checked his forklift’s brakes.