Mississippi AFL-CIO

Friends of Brenda Scott Campaign Meeting

February 23, 2009

As many of you know Sister Brenda Scott has announced her intent to run for Mayor of the City of Jackson.  Please read the invitation below.  

Robert Shaffer, President/Secretary Treasurer

Mississippi AFL-CIO

On Thursday, February 26, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., Friends of Brenda Scott for Mayor, will conduct their first strategy meeting at her Campaign Headquarters located at the AFL-CIO Office, 760 N. West Street, Suite B.

We would like to encourage you to attend and bring others that are interested in seeing the City of Jackson move in a more positive direction.

See you there!!!!!

Mississippi AFL-CIO 2009 Legislative Conference

December 15, 2008

 

 

 

TO:         All Affiliates & Associates

 

FROM:  Robert Shaffer, President & Secretary Treasurer

 

This is your Official Call to the 2009 Legislative Conference of the Mississippi AFL-CIO.

 

The Conference is scheduled for February 2, 3, 4, 2009 at the Roberts Walthall Hotel in Jackson, MS.  We will convene on Monday at 10:00 A.M. and hope to complete all business by noon Wednesday, February 4^th.  Registration of delegates will begin at 8:00 A.M. on Monday.  The Executive Committee has set a registration fee of $85.00 per delegate.

 

Our Conference program will include a workshop on lobbying techniques and a detailed briefing on pending legislation that might have an adverse affect on our members.  Tuesday’s activities will be followed with a Legislative Reception that evening.  This will give our delegates an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with their respective legislators.

 

Enclosed is your official credential in duplicate.  You are urged to choose your delegates as soon as possible and return the blue copy to this office.  Remember that there is no limit on the number of delegates you may send, but in order to plan for all activities we must receive your credential by January 12, 2009.

 

We have negotiated a group rate for room accommodations with the Roberts Walthall Hotel, 225 E. Capitol Street for $89.00 single or double.  Reservations should be made directly with the ROBERTS WALTHALL HOTEL by calling 601 948-6161, on or before January 12, 2009, and refer to the MS AFL-CIO GROUP BLOCK to get this special rate.  After January 12^th our block of rooms will be released and additional reservation request will be honored on available space.

 

Hope to see you and your delegates in Jackson, February 2-4, 2009.

 

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Enclosure

 

           

Check Out Our New Employee Free Choice Act Site

New Employee Free Choice Act Site

by Seth Michaels, Dec 22, 2008

In the fight to turn around America and rebuild an economy that works for everyone, it’s critical to empower people in their communities and workplaces. Unfortunately, the freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life-a basic human right-is under threat. We need to restore the freedom to form unions and protect workers by passing the Employee Free Choice Act.

The campaign to pass the legislation is the top priority of the union movement and a wide variety of allies, who understand that expanding the freedom to form unions not only will improve the lives of individual workers but also build progressive political power across the country. Union members are more likely to vote and get engaged in the political process, and a strong, mobilized union vote helped elect pro-worker candidates in close races across the nation in November.

The big-money corporate lobbyists who have looted our economy understand this, too. That’s why they’re engaging in a massive national campaign of misinformation and scare tactics to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. Corporate front groups already are ramping up TV ad buys and op-eds to stem the momentum of the legislation because they know there’s no bigger threat to their total power than a level playing field for workers.

Workers need all the help we can get to defeat this concerted campaign. The AFL-CIO’s new website on the Employee Free Choice Act has the tools and information that progressives need to join the fight for this critical bill.

Here are some of the resources we have to help advance the fight for workers’ rights:
 

• Videos of workers, lawmakers and supporters explaining why the Employee Free Choice Act is critical.
• Campaign tools and resources to help you learn more about the bill and spread the word.
• News and research on the multimillion-dollar corporate campaign against the Employee Free Choice Act and workers’ rights.
• Real-life stories from workers who are struggling to assert their rights and fight for fair treatment.
• The latest updates from the AFL-CIO Now Blog.

Stay tuned for more up-to-the-minute reports on the campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice Act across the country, as well as Big Business efforts to block this much-needed change for America’s workers.

Talking points to Automaker Bridge loan;

Dear Union Members Our economy is in crisis, and now we are on the brink of losing our U.S. auto industry. If GM, Ford and Chrysler collapse, the effects will be felt everywhere. From machinists at parts manufacturers to beauty salons in auto plant towns, millions of jobs would be lost—deepening the impact of the current recession for all. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and our lawmakers need to take decisive action now to avoid unthinkable consequences. Urge Congress to offer a "bridge loan" to our automakers and help get our economy moving again. An emergency bridge loan, enabling domestic automakers to keep the production lines moving, is a necessary step to revitalize the U.S. auto industry, protect American jobs and begin rebuilding our economy. The automakers have submitted plans to cut costs and strengthen products, and the UAW has announced that workers will do their part, too. But this is not enough. The automakers need additional financial resources to weather this unprecedented economic downturn. Contact lawmakers and demand they support an immediate bridge loan to GM, Ford and Chrysler. The bridge loan requested by the automakers and endorsed by the UAW is not a blank check like the ones Henry Paulson has handed out to Wall Street banks. All three automakers have provided detailed roadmaps to Congress for how they will utilize these loans to revitalize their companies. Time is running out, and we need Congress to act now. Hearings are being held this week with the automakers, and Congress is expected to vote on the rescue plan next week. Your voice can make the difference for workers across the country. Contact your lawmakers now and encourage them to support an immediate bridge loan to GM, Ford and Chrysler. Thank you for all you do. Together, we can save good union jobs and help rebuild America’s middle class. In solidarity,

Post Elections Briefing.

 

November 14, 2008

MEMORANDUM

TO:         ALL Affiliated Local Unions

FROM:  Robert Shaffer, President & Secretary Treasurer

RE:         Post Elections Briefing

You are invited to attend a Post Election Briefing on the election we just completed.  Since President-elect Barack Obama will be going to the White House on January 20^th along with a majority of Democrats in both the Senate and House, our job is just now beginning.

We will be discussing ways for each of you to assist in attaining Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), Health Care, Jobs, and many more things on Labor’s agenda.  We cannot afford to let up now.

Our meeting will be held at the Roberts Walthall Hotel (2^nd floor), 225 E. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39201 at 1:00 P.M. on Monday December 8, 2008.  Please invite your International Union Representative or people from your International Office to attend as well.

We will be finished by 4:00 P.M. so that you can return home if you like.  We look forward to seeing you there.

opeiu 204

Make the call to your Representive

Dear Union Sisters and Brothers Please respond right away to this urgent request by calling your Senators or Representative through this toll-free number: (877) 331-1223.  Or send an e-mail. The auto industry needs help in Congress right away -- and if we don’t get it, the jobs and benefits of hundreds of thousands of our active and retired members and millions of other Americans are at risk. Next week the House and Senate are expected to vote on legislation to provide an emergency $25 billion bridge loan to GM, Ford and Chrysler to help weather the current severe credit and economic crises. Without this assistance, there is a real danger that the three companies will run out of cash and be forced to cease all manufacturing and business operations in the near future. The collapse of these companies would be devastating: -- In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Big Three workers who would lose their jobs, up to 3 million other workers could see their jobs disappear at dealers, suppliers of components and materials, and other businesses that depend on the auto industry. -- Almost 1 million retirees and their spouses and dependents could suffer cuts in their pension benefits and the loss of health insurance coverage. -- The federal pension guarantee program could be saddled with enormous liabilities, jeopardizing its ability to protect benefits for millions of other workers. -- Because of the importance of the auto industry to our entire economy, the collapse of the Big Three auto companies would aggravate the current recession, creating further hardships for working families and communities across the United States. -- Revenues to federal, state and local governments would be sharply reduced, forcing drastic cuts in vital social services at the time they are most needed. Congress can prevent these devastating consequences. The federal government has already stepped forward to provide assistance to Wall Street and financial institutions. It is now time for Congress to help Main Street by providing urgently needed help for the auto companies. You have probably seen or heard some commentators who are trying to blame you and your fellow UAW members for the current situation of the companies by attacking our "overly rich" wages and benefits. We need to rebut these false charges, and make it clear that active and retired UAW members have already made enormous sacrifices in the 2005 and 2007 collective bargaining agreements. Other commentators have tried to blame the Big Three for their current situation by saying it is attributable to their insistence on producing "gas guzzling" vehicles. This overlooks the major progress the companies are making in bringing forward more fuel efficient vehicles. More importantly, it ignores the fact that the current crisis is due to the huge drop in overall auto sales that has been caused by the larger credit and economic crises that have engulfed our entire nation. Auto sales in October were a mere 10.8 million on an annualized basis, the lowest level in 25 years. All automakers reported steep declines in their sales. The problem is not that consumers don't want to buy the quality products that GM, Ford and Chrysler are making. The problem is that consumers have stopped buying vehicles from any companies. Please call your Representative and Senators now. Or send an e-mail. Urge them to vote for legislation to provide an immediate $25 billion bridge loan to the Big Three auto companies. Tell them this is essential to prevent the liquidation of these companies and devastating consequences for millions of workers and retirees and for our entire economy. You can use the following toll-free number to call your Representative and Senators: (877) 331-1223. Or send an e-mail. The legislation to provide assistance to the auto industry will likely be taken up by the House and Senate sometime next week. So please call or e-mail right away!

Thanks to all who got out the vote.

10,000 CWA Volunteers Played Major Role in Historic Election

From across the United States and around the world, newspaper front pages recording the historic victory of President-elect Barack Obama lined the front of the Newseum in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Hundreds of people looked, cried and took pictures.

Months of grassroots' activism by members of CWA and other unions, capped by a massive get-out-the-vote effort Tuesday, played a huge role in the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States and gains by pro-worker candidates for House and Senate seats.

Polling for the AFL-CIO by Hart Research showed that 68 percent of union members voted for the Obama-Biden ticket  -- believed to be the highest level of union support ever in a presidential race and critical in helping make the difference in key battleground states.

Thanks to the increased number of labor-backed candidates who won election, the new Congress increases the number of allies CWA and other unions will need to press for the passage of Employee Free Choice and other key measures. At press time, the composition of the new Senate showed 57 Democrats (including two independents who caucus with Democrats) and 40 Republicans, with the outcome in three races still undecided. The line-up in the House so far is 254 Democrats and 173 Republicans, with eight races still undecided.

In all, some 10,000 CWA volunteers – local union officers, rank and filers, stewards and retired members – devoted months of their time, especially in the battleground states. 

"CWA members are proud to have played a big part in this historic election," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "It's a huge victory for working and middle income Americans, who soon will have in the White House and Congress real advocates for the critical changes our country and economy needs – a laser focus on creating quality jobs here in the U.S., real health care reform and real bargaining rights through the Employee Free Choice Act that will enable working people to secure a better future," he said.

Labor's effort overall helped produce a voter turnout that could, when finally tallied, equal the nearly 64 percent turnout in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election. In fact, voter participation in many battleground states – nearing 80-90 percent of registered voters – hasn't been seen since the 1920 election when women first exercised their right to vote.

Among CWA's campaign highlights:

--  More than 100 coordinators in other battleground states mobilized 10,000 member volunteers for Election 2008 actions.

--  During the week of worksite action in October, more than 1,500 worksites were leafleted across five CWA districts.

--  CWA members in New York and New Jersey took 40 to 60 buses every weekend to Pennsylvania to support labor actions, worksite leafleting and labor walks.

--  CWA members and locals held more than 1,000 debate watch and convention watch parties.

--  More than 700,000 leaflets were distributed at worksites and other locations, produced by CWA to focus on members' key issues – jobs, the McCain tax on health care, veterans' issues, the economy, guns and the Second Amendment, equal pay for women, and more.

--  Mailings to nearly 100,000 retired members focused on the McCain tax on health care, Social Security and other issues important to retirees.

--  200,000 members in battleground states received a series of mailings comparing Senators Obama and McCain on the issues.

-- Two election issues of the CWA News covered key issues affecting working families.

Anti-Employee Free Choice Campaign – An Election Non-Issue

Despite $20 million spent in nine battleground states by big business interests to attack support for the Employee Free Choice Act by Democratic Senate candidates, voters ignored the misleading attacks and overwhelmingly favored candidates who support working families.

That's the finding of a survey by Hart Research commissioned by American Rights at Work.  ARAW Chair David Bonior, in releasing the results today, noted:  "Not only did the opponents of Employee Free Choice fail to affect these races, often those candidates supporting the bill rose in the polls despite massive advertising on the issue."

The misleading ads, mainly bankrolled by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are based on a complete lie -- the claim that Employee Free Choice would "eliminate secret ballot elections" in union campaigns.  Most of the candidates targeted by the attacks won their elections, and even in other races the issue wasn't a serious factor.  Less than one percent of citizens who voted for the anti-Employee Free Choice candidate voiced any unfavorable mention of unions or the bill itself as a factor in their voting choice, the survey found. 

In fact, voters in these battleground states "are more than twice as likely to say big corporations having too much power (50 percent) creates a bigger problem for people like them than big labor unions having too much power (23 percent)," according to Hart.

"We have only seen the beginning of the fight to restore workers' rights in this country and we can expect more sound and fury from opponents of this bill," said Bonior.  "But voters have clearly spoken.  In our current economic climate, the American public is hungry for measures to strengthen the middle class, and our new Congress should heed this call and make it a priority to pass the Employee Free Choice Act."

Labor 2008 - A Recap

More than 90,000 pieces of union mail sent out.

More than 40,000 doors knocked on.

More than 300,000 leaflets handed out.

150,000 phone calls made. Whew! We've been busy. Check out some highlight from Labor 2008, Mississippi's most extensive grassroots political operation in the history of the labor movement.

Profile-Mississippi AFL-CIO

It’s been a long time since the AFL-CIO’s political organizers have considered Mississippi—with a history of electing anti-labor candidates—a battleground in national elections.

 

Last year’s surprise retirement of a longtime Republican U.S. senator, combined with eight years of a disastrous administration and the electric enthusiasm for the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama have put Mississippi in play and re-charged unions in the right-to-work state.

 

From coordinated phone banking, debate parties, joint worksite leafleting and regular communications, affiliates have developed improved working relationships and identified new leaders. 

 

Since the Labor 2008 program began, the Mississippi labor movement has handed out more than 300,000 leaflets, made more than 150,000 phone calls, sent out 90,000 pieces of local union mail and knocked on 40,000 doors.

 

“I’d like to thank George W. Bush for the important role he played in bringing Labor 2008 to Mississippi,” says AFL-CIO President Robert Shaffer.  “Without his extreme tactics, the entire labor movement here unions might have stayed asleep at the wheel.” 

 

Months before other state federations began working on the November elections, says Shaffer, Mississippi had a dry run and a critical victory.

 

With the surprise retirement of Sen. Trent Lott, Republican Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Rep. Roger Wicker (R-1) to replace him,  kicking off a contest in the First Congressional District over who would replace Wicker in a March 2008 election. 

 

The Mississippi AFL-CIO endorsed pro-labor Democrat Travis Childers and went to work on his behalf.  And Childers won, an upset in a strongly red district.  The victory was an icebreaker for Mississippi labor, drawing attention to the state’s unions and setting the stage for this month’s contest between Wicker and former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove for a full Senate term.

 

“I owe gratitude to the AFL-CIO National Office for having the vision to invest in our state federation with a Solidarity Grant,” says Shaffer who attended a training session at the National Labor College earlier this year with two other members.

 

“This election has not only educated me, but many of our members throughout the state about what can be done if we work together as a team,” says Shaffer.  “I do not have the time or space to list everyone who helped in their own special way.”

 

At an unprecedented October gathering of at the Edison Walthall Hotel in Jackson, union leaders across the state joined with AFL-CIO released staff and Senate candidate Ronnie Musgrove, pledging to step up a grassroots campaign to reach union families at the workplace door, through the mail and on the phone to elect Obama and Musgrove and re-elect Childers.

 

Four zone coordinators were appointed.  The state federation promoted working relationships between affiliates.  National AFL-CIO staff and communication specialists were sent in to help

 

One of the strongest building blocks in Labor 2008 was the united effort of the federation and the building trades.

 

 Shaffer, who formerly led an IBB bargaining unit in a manufacturing plant, says, “I went to their meetings and listened.  I found that their goals were the same as other unions, but that they were different in that they had to have a working relationship with their contractors, but with public elected officials.”

 

“I found that many of the state laws had been changed so that Building Trades would have a tough time competing with nonunion contractors.  Our plan was to combine all the members at the CLC’s to join a common cause.  This gave us more numbers when we went to the capitol to fight for change.”

 

Win or lose, the Mississippi AFL-CIO is on the move--improved communications, renewed relationships and energetic new leaders will not only help boost the federation’s influence in the state capitol,  but spearhead new organizing drives and prepare for future political campaigns. 

 

“The union members in this state have already won by working together, learning from each other, sharing experiences and building a coalition of unions for a common cause,” says Shaffer.

Union Profile-Building Trades

Mississippi’s Building Trades could have backed away from Labor 2008, afraid to confront what they call “an excessive amount of misinformation and half-truths [about Barack Obama and Ronnie Musgrove].  But failing to stand up to half-truths is not the way unions will survive and attract new members. So the leaders summoned up their courage and they went to work.

 

Under the leadership of David Newell (UA), president of the Central Mississippi Building and Construction Trades Council—covering 63 of 82 counties—and Curtis Murphy (IBEW), president of the Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council, workers were contacted at their doors, on the job, by phone and through the mail.

 

The first letter—to over 10,000 active members and retirees—consisted of two flyers, one contrasting the candidate’s stances on working family issues, the other outlining their positions on veteran’s issues, exposing Sen. John McCain’s phony claim that he has put veterans first in his Senate career. Then came an unprecedented discussion.

 

“We must now address the issue that should not be an issue at all, the color of [Sen. Obama’s] skin,” said the first flyer.  “You must ask yourself if you want the best, most qualified person for the job, who is on your side or are you willing to risk your job, retirement, healthcare, your children and grandchildren’s futures or worse, their lives, just to keep from voting for someone who is black.  We must cast our vote based on issues and actions, not race.”

 

A follow-up flyer, mailed Thursday to 6,500 members, included a DVD that featured building trades leaders who have had years of experience with Sen. Barack Obama and vouched for his enthusiastic support for project labor agreements and the Employee Free Choice Act.

 

“This was a unified, constructive effort,” says Newell, who coordinated flying squads of released staffers, aided by GPS technology, to visit union members in oftentimes-remote areas from the Gulf to northern Mississippi for one-on-one discussions about the issues in the 2008 election.

 

In the final countdown to Election Day, building trades’ shop stewards are visiting their members at worksites—like the massive new Toyota Plant near Tupelo—to remind them to vote. And members are volunteering to be poll watchers to guard against voter suppression by anti-labor candidates and their supporters.

 

“Our state’s building trades have written a new chapter in our state’s labor history, by summoning up the courage to tell the truth and lead their members to decisions on Election Day, 2008 that are in their own best interests,” says Robert Shaffer, president of the Mississippi AFL-CIO.

 

Read David Newell's profile on the MS AFL-CIO blog here.

Photo: David Newell, President, Central MS Building Trades