News from the Association for Union Democracy
3/3/2004
1. Best Rank-and-File Websites:
#1: No Pension Freeze, Teamster Central States Pension Improvement Committee: “a great example of how to use the Internet as part of a real-world organizing campaign.. a model for campaign websites.”
#2: Free 701, The Committee to Defend [IAM] Local 701: “makes the most of member free speech and provides a vitally important space for discussion and organizing when the normal spaces (such as executive board and local meetings) have been shut down.”
#3: HEARDNY, Hotel Employees Advocating Real Democracy, HERE: “The typical rank-and-file website has to serve many purposes, spreading information, offering the prospect of change, proposing changes to be made…without losing focus. This is a challenging task, and HEARD NY is a good example of how to do it.”
Honorable Mention: ufcw.net, Members for Democracy.
See the site reviews, check out the great ideas and tools, and visit the sites: http://www.uniondemocracy.org/UDR/articles55.htm
2. New Articles from Union Democracy Review #150:
Reformers win big in California State Employees Association: “The sweeping victory of the reform caucus culminates a bitter battle for democracy that began almost 14 years ago when five members of the CSEA negotiating committee campaigned against a contract which the state CSEA leadership was pushing for adoption...”
What happened in Iowa and New Hampshire? “Promoters of labor's New Unity Partnership insist that it is pointless to pay attention to democracy inside unions at a time when it is urgent to organize the unorganized. Not union democracy but industrial democracy is their shibboleth. Perhaps they have it upside down…”
Laborers Local 78: Local wins contract, but insurgents take the election: “Alert members, with their union democracy in action, were rewarded with a fine contract...”
Who will police the Longshoremen's Ethics Code? “if enforced, the code would be a great step forward for democracy and fairness in the ILA. But…”
Other articles: Insurgents defeat trustee in SEIU Local 36 election; What happened in AFSCME District Council 37?; The RISE program: trying to discuss the future of Teamster Reform at a Cornell University Forum; UAW Local changes the rules to get a contract adopted; Leadership overturned in National Writers Union; British Columbia Carpenters vote to quit International. See http://www.uniondemocracy.org/UDR/UDRhome.htm
3. Carpenters Update: the Department of Labor has appealed the decision in the Harrington case (ordering the DOL to require direct election of Regional Council Officers). AUD Board Member Alan Hyde will file an amicus brief. AUD is helping carpenters organize a national network to push for direct elections in all councils. See the draft petition and letter from Carl Biers: http://www.uniondemocracy.org/UDR/articles56.htm
4. New links: for Teamsters: Central Pa Teamsters Reform Committee, Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Improvement Committee, Air Canada, Buster Brown, unofficial sites for Joint Council 7, Locals 70, 73, 78, 117, 399; for Postal Workers: Women Abused, Inhumanely Mistreated in the US Postal Service; for Carpenters: Local 157, Local 98, Articles on the Carpenters Union, by a student labor activist; for members of all unions: Pension Rights Center. See http://www.uniondemocracy.org/Resources/AUDLinks
5. Spring Specials: renew your tax-exempt contribution to AUD, or become a new member and receive 50% discounts on AUD t-shirts, and more. We hope you need and appreciate AUD, we certainly need you. Please contribute what you can: http://www.uniondemocracy.org/Home/joinaud.htm
6. Education on the road: looking for a way to bring coworkers together, to spread information and ideas, to overcome apathy and pessimism? AUD's hands on educational workshops are just the thing, and we may be able to come to you. See http://www.uniondemocracy.org/Education/audevents.htm 7. AUD in Japan: the Center for Transnational Labor Studies, in Tokyo, will hold a seminar by AUD Board Member Alan Hyde, in mid-March. CTLS recently concluded a two-part seminar on Union Democracy, Social Movement Unionism, and Popular Education, with AUD's Matt Noyes. See http://www.uniondemocracy.org/Education/audevents.htm [IIR Library Weblog]
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