Who would have thunk it? Former Bush NLRB appointee now working for anti-union law firm.

For quite some time the NLRB has been favoring employers, now former Chairman Robert Battista can help exploit American workers, using laws he helped create.

According to American Rights at Work (5/5/08):

Breaking: Battista Now Busting Unions For Profit

"Only H-1s apply, and should be willing to transfer H-1B." - Job advertisement

I have been covering this for a while, and have seen a video by attorneys who teach companies how to disqualify American workers. It's hardly ever mentioned, but it's happening all over the country.

This is part of the Carpenters’ never-ending attempt to fragment the construction building and trades. They are targeting us because we recently joined the AFL-CIO’s Building and Trades last month,” explained Charles LeConche, business manager, Connecticut Laborers’ District Council. “This is a truly a fight for jobs and our families here in Connecticut. If this agreement is followed, over 40 jobs will be lost at the Hartford Insurance project in Windsor, CT and probably more at the UBS construction project in Stamford, CT. By rejecting our compromises, the New England Carpenters are only promoting union discord and higher building and construction costs in the long run”.

http://www.necarpenters.org/

http://www.local157.blogspot.com/

http://www.ubcnewsroom.com 

It is a matter of fact that most of what we hear about on trade unions in the United States' media stream generally deals with negative stuff that perpetuates the perception that anything and everything union is bad. Whether that negativity comes from people who are anti-union because they don't know what it is all about, or it comes from within our own ranks - rarely do we hear anything positive about labor unions in this country. 

My goal here is to combat that negativity and share a little of what I'd been up to in the last five days.  I believe that if anyone who reads this happened to be with me throughout the trip, they'd change their minds about how unions really work, and work together.

Labor officials say Beech-Nut could receive as much as $106.5 million in taxpayer-funded incentives to help it build its $124 million production plant and headquarters building.

"Where is the local benefit to our community, to the workers and to our taxpayers?" the federation asked in an e-mail alert. "All the corporate grants will not benefit the community until a requirement is developed to promote corporate responsibility to the workers and our community, which produces all these millions of dollars worth of incentives."

(FOR A RELATED VIDEO ARTICLE, CLICK HERE)

(STAY TUNED FOR FULL VIDEO COVERAGE OF THIS EVENT)

www.timesunion.com

http://www.ubcnewsroom.com 

Today I will be part of four-person panel at the DC Democratic State Committee Convention where we will give the 411 on Blogging with a focus on union blogging.

I was invited to be part of this exciting day by labor's dearest friend UnionGal. I will be in the company of Joe6387NYC and Tula Connell, the Managing Editor of AFL-CIO NOW.

Click into the story for more details.

Sometimes justice is served ... and it feels so sweet. In this news release (in the body of the story), read about how Resurrection Health Care owes $381,000 in overtime pay to Home Health employees ... I love when the right thing happens.

The Teamsters are on its second Convoy for Change. A group of people from the International are traveling through Indiana with General President Hoffa, visiting work sites and spreading the good word. This is a blog/diary entry from the road where Dan R of the IBT is on the convoy. The post appears first on www.teamsterpower.com and also on teamsterpower.dailykos.com

Saratoga facilities manager Charlie Wheeler said, in a statement, that the weight of the structure shifted, causing the barn to fall onto its side.

One worker, whose identity has not yet been released by authorities, was trapped until rescuers were able to free him from the wreckage. He was put in a back brace, placed on a stretcher and taken by helicopter to Albany Medical Center Hospital to treat a broken arm. The other five carpenters suffered minor scrapes and were treated at the scene.

Workers and security move about around the collapsed barn at the Oklahoma Race Track in Saratoga Springs on Thursday, May 1, 2008. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

www.timesunion.com

http://www.ubcnewsroom.com 

Many of us around Union Review for more than a day knows who Joe638 is -- but those here for the first time, let me tell you, Joe is one of the most active unionists I ever met in my life! The brother is a member of Steamfitters Local Union 638 out of NYC. Aside from working his trade, he is out there every single day of the year spreading the word of unionism in the United States. It is for this reason (and probably a whole lot more) that Joe was given the honor to carry his local union's banner with another brother at St. Patrick's Cathedral during the Workers Memorial Day Construction Mass this week.

Click in to the story and read a letter from a brother Joe works with ... You will see that I am not alone in believing we are all lucky people to have Joe on our side.