|
8/22/03
E
Messenger
The
Electronic Newsletter of the
Florida
AFL-CIO
New
Members according to the AFL-CIO Work in Progress
This week's WIP: 1,198
Year to date: 100,554
Education
– I still want my Jeb Do-Over!
Florida
Board Backs Retreat on Class Size
Florida
's
top education officials are seeking a partial
repeal
of a disputed plan to lower class size, a move that could cost state
taxpayers billions of dollars.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/20/national/20CLAS.html?th
St.
Pete Times: Class-size jeremiad
So far, the financial impact of the class size amendment is less than
one-fifth the amount Education Commissioner Jim Horne claimed it would be.
Supporters have not been fooled by his doomsaying.
published
August
22, 2003
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/22/Opinion/Class_size_jeremiad.shtml
School
accountability – how about voucher accountability!
Palm Beach
Post: School
voucher form poses little that's new
Friday, August 22, 2003
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_f354d8a0403750f000cd.html
Seniors
continue to fight for Medicare
Analysis:
Medicare bill chances waning
UPI
8/20/03
St.
Pete Times: Health care questions are easier than answers
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/22/Columns/Health_care_questions.shtml
The
Florida
Legislature…tisk tisk
tisk
St. Pete Times: Byrd bought Choose Life list
The speaker used state funds to send tagholders
a note backing a new parental-notice abortion law.
© St. Petersburg
Times
published
August 21, 2003
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/21/State/Byrd_bought_Choose_Li.shtml
Imagine
what we could do with Dyer as State AG
Today I had the pleasure of meeting with Mayor Buddy Dyer
regarding a Living Wage campaign. As many of you know, Mayor Dyer
enacted an $8.50 wage base for any employee of the City of
Orlando
a few days after being elected. We have been working on expanding
this proposal to another level and it is with great excitement that I can
announce that this following Monday, August 25, 2003, Mayor Dyer will
present to the Orlando City Council, an ordinance that will require all
contractors and sub-contractors who do business with the City of Orlando
to pay the $8.50 wage base.
We currently have not concentrated our efforts on the City of
Orlando
, rather in
Orange
County
, so we do not have the current rates that would certainly be reflective
for the poverty levels and the wage base that we would feel appropriate
for this such action. In my discussions
with Mayor Dyer, as we progress, we will complete our studies and make a
presentation to the Mayor and City Commissioners regarding the wage base
to be determined. This will fluctuate based on whether a
contractor/sub-contractor provides health benefits to their employee.
I am asking each of you to make a very strong effort to attend the City
Commission meeting at
1:00 PM
in the City Commission Chambers at
Orlando
City Hall
on
Monday, August 25, 2003
. Please encourage your staff, members and friends to attend this
event and show our support for the Mayor in what is doing the best for our
community.
Sincerely,
Debra Booth, President
Central Florida
AFL-CIO
Florida
Election 2004
Orlando
Sentinel: Bow
out, Bob Graham
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped211082103aug21,0,3815970.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines
National
Election 2004
The View From Vermont: Dean Is No Liberal
Long Island
Newsday
8/20/03
Gephardt
Not Sure of Union Endorsement
San Jose
Mercury News
8/21/03
With
new law, GOP routs Democrats in fundraising
USA
Today
8/21/03
Scrappy
Dennis Kucinich Appeals To Angry Voters
Hartford
Courant
8/21/03
California
Coup – The
Florida AFL-CIO is helping out, Phyllis Garrett our Public Employees
Director is on her way to join the fight!
Labor
Swiftly Deploys Anti-Recall Volunteers
Los Angeles
Times
8/21/03
As
Bustamante Gains, Davis Inches Toward Backing
Him
LA Times
8/22/03
Bustamante's
style isn't Schwarzenegger's
USA
Today
8/22/03
Conan the Deceiver
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to think that his celebrity
gives him
the right to fake his way through an election.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/22/opinion/22KRUG.html?th
Lead
Editorial: Mr. Schwarzenegger Talks!
The
Washington
Post
8/22/03
Davis
Concedes Mistakes but Fights 'Power Grab'
Los Angeles
Times
8/20/03
Schwarzenegger
Tries to Add Some Substance to Celebrity
Arnold Schwarzenegger put some muscle in his campaign,
calling
for a constitutional cap on
California
's spending.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/21/national/21ARNO.html?th
My
Lesson From Mr. Olympia
In
the 70's, there were posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger on every wall of my
gym: his tiny trunks, his huge biceps, and that gap-toothed grin reminding
us that we would never be like him.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/22/opinion/22JORD.html?th
The
struggle for justice at Verizon continues
SEEKING FAIRNESS AT VERIZON--Working families along the East Coast are
pledging to switch off Verizon phone service
if contract talks between Verizon
Communications and two unions, the Communications Workers of America and
the IBEW, do not produce a fair contract. Verizon
customers can pledge to switch their local and long distance service to
AT&T, another unionized carrier, as part of the Campaign Against
Corporate Greed, a grassroots mobilization launched Aug. 13 by CWA, with
the support of the AFL-CIO and Jobs with Justice. Through the campaign,
working families are urging Verizon to keep
good jobs in their communities. The campaign also includes actions for
consumers who do not have Verizon phone
service or who do not live in an AT&T local service area. Even though Verizon
made $4.1 billion in profits last year, it is demanding the right to shift
jobs to low-wage areas or overseas and for workers to pay more for health
insurance. Top Verizon executives received
$427 million in salaries, bonuses and stock options
over the
past four years. In the past year, Verizon
spent more than $500 million in special stock deals for its management
team. The goal of the campaign is "to send a message that we will
stay in place until
we see Verizon
has made a real commitment to keep good jobs in our community," said
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka.
For more information, visit http://cwa-union.org/fairnessatverizon
. The nearly
80,000 workers in
New England
,
New York
,
New Jersey
,
Pennsylvania
,
Delaware
,
Maryland
, the
District of
Columbia
,
Virginia
and
West Virginia
have remained
on the job beyond an Aug. 2 strike deadline.
Verizon
offers deal: No layoffs for higher medical co-pays
Philadelphia
Inquirer
8/22/03
Verizon
Makes Case to Senators
The
Washington
Post
8/22/03
Union
sues Verizon; claims 2 executives listened in
on call
Seattle
Times
8/20/03
Union
Sues Verizon Over Media Call
The
Washington
Post
8/20/03
As
Talks Resume, Verizon Argues With a Union Over
an Ad Phrase
New York
Times
8/20/03
Wal-Mart
Watch
WAL-MART:
Canadian workers reject joining union
Chicago
Tribune
8/20/03
Union
helps fight plan to relocate Wal-Mart in Peoria
Arizona
Republic
8/20/03
More
on the jobs hemorrhage
As
Service Industries Go Global More White Collar Jobs Follow
The
New York
Times
8/20/03
Fall
in New Jobless Claims Hints at a Slow Recovery
The
New York
Times
8/22/03
Illinois
sets new minimum wage…could we be next?
Blagojevich signs bill raising minimum wage
Chicago
Sun-Times
8/22/03
State
minimum wage to increase, critics fear job loss
Chicago
Tribune
8/22/03
AFGE
elects new President
WORLD-CLASS
ACTION--AFGE opened a new front in its campaign for workers' rights for
federal employees by taking the issue to an international forum. With the
support of the AFL-CIO and Public Services International--a federation of
600 unions in 140 countries--AFGE filed a complaint with the United
Nations' International Labor Organization, charging the Bush
administration with violating
international labor laws by denying government employees the
right to freedom of association, which includes the right to join a union
and to bargain collectively. Citing national security, the Bush
administration has removed union eligibility for employees of several
federal agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and
the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Challenger
Ousts AFGE Leader
Washington
Post
8/22/03
If you have
suggestions on how we may improve this online publication or have
information you would like to see posted please contact our communications
director at (850) 224 – 6926 or at rtemplin@flaflcio.org.
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Rich Templin
Communications Director
Florida
AFL-CIO |
