CWA Local 9510's News Blog

>>> Candice Johnson 02/22/2011 1:25 PM >>>
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-22-poll-public-unions-wisconsin_N.htm

Poll: 61% oppose limiting union bargaining powerBy Dennis Cauchon (
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/reporter/Dennis+Cauchon ), USA
TODAY

The public strongly opposes laws taking away the collective bargaining
power of public employee unions as a way to ease state financial
troubles, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

The poll found that 61% would oppose a law in their state similar to
one being considered in Wisconsin, compared with 33% who would favor
such a law.

Ohioand several other states that have new Republican (
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Organizations/Political+Bodies/Republican+Party
) governors and legislative majorities are considering laws that would
reduce the power of government employee unions to bargain over benefits
and work rules.

Wisconsinis the first state to consider the limits, prompting protests
that have closed schools and drawn tens of thousands of protesters to
the state Capitol in Madison.

The poll results suggest how politically difficult it is to solve
budget shortfalls. The survey found that people believe budget problems
in their state are real but strongly oppose tax hikes to solve them.
Americans are split on whether to cut state service s to balance
budgets.

The survey of 1,000 adults was taken Monday night. It has a margin of
error of 4%.
Key results:
* 71% oppose increasing sales, income or other taxes while 27% are in
favor that approach.
* 53% oppose reducing pay or benefits for government workers while
44% are in favor.
* 48% opposed reducing or eliminating government programs while 47%
were in favor of cuts.

Despite the opposition to reducing spending or raising taxes, those
surveyed agreed overwhelmingly that their state faces a budget crisis.
Sixty-four percent said their state was in financial crisis while only
5% said it wasn't. The rest were unsure.

The poll found people divided on whether public employee unions are a
good thing.
Candice Johnson
CWA Communications Director

Think "no" means "no"?

Well, 173 members of Congress don't.

A far-reaching anti-choice bill, introduced by Republican Chris Smith and supported by 173 members of the House, includes a provision that could redefine rape and set women's rights back by decades.1

Right now, federal dollars can't be used for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman's life is in danger.

But according to the New York Times, the Smith bill would narrow that use to "cases of 'forcible' rape but not statutory or coerced rape."2 This could mean cases where women are "drugged or given excessive amounts of alcohol, rapes of women with limited mental capacity, and many date rapes" would no longer count as rape.3

As far too many women know, bruises and broken bones do not define rape—a lack of consent does. The Smith bill is scary. And with 173 supporters it already has a frightening chance of passage—unless the public speaks up right away with an outcry that can't be ignored.

Can you sign the petition to Congress today, demanding they oppose the sexist, anti-choice Smith bill?

The petition says: "Bruises and broken bones do not define rape—a lack of consent does. Stand up and oppose the dangerous GOP legislation to redefine rape."

Federal funds are already severely restricted when it comes to reproductive rights and women's health care, a situation that ends up hurting lower-income women in particular, who tend to use federally-funded ser vices more often than wealthy women. The last thing we ought to be doing is legislating to make these laws more stringent.

In addition, the Smith bill is full of dangerous anti-choice provisions as well as the rape redefinition. Called "Stupak on Steroids" by NARAL Pro-Choice America in reference to Rep. Bart Stupak's failed attempt to push stringent restrictions on insur ance coverage for abortion during the health care debate, it would "force millions of American families to pay more taxes if their health plan covers abortion care, jeopardizing abortion coverage in the private market."4

The Smith bill is just the first of many attacks on women's rights to come in the new GOP-controlled House.5 If it moves forward, it would set an incredibly dangerous precedent for GOP action in the House for the next two years.

Can you sign the petition asking Congress to denounce the Smith bill to redefine rape? Click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/smithbill/?id=25981-9298445-Z2lmKwx&t=5

Thanks for all you do.
–Kat, Eli, Milan, Carrie, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "The House GOP's Plan to Redefine Rape," Mother Jones, January 28, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205936&id=25981-9298445-Z2lmKwx&t=6

"Stupak on Steroids," The Hill, January 25, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205938&id=25981-9298445-Z2lmKwx&t=7

2. "The Two Abortion Wars: A Highly Intrusive Federal Bill," New York Times, January 29, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/opinion/30sun1.html

3. "The House GOP's Plan to Redefine Rape," Mother Jones, January 28, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205936&id=25981-9298445-Z2lmKwx&t=8

4. "Stupak on Steroids," The Hill, January 25, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205938&id=25981-9298445-Z2lmKwx&t=9

5. Ibid.

Making the Most of Every Minute Between Now and Election Day

With so much at stake for working families on Nov. 2, CWAers aren’t wasting a minute in the final days leading to Election 2010.

Here’s some of what’s happening around the country:

* In Texas, CWA members are leafleting, making phone calls and knocking on doors to support pro-worker congressional candidates and working to send extreme anti-worker Gov. Rick Perry packing after 10 years. His opponent Bill White is a pro-labor businessman and the popular former mayor of Houston. “I think we’ve got a good chance, we’re getting really good feedback,” said Jake Taffola, CWA’s political coordinator in Texas. Among the key congressional races, San Antonio members are working hard to re-elect Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, and five CWAers are among the workers who appear in one of his campaign commercials.

* In Pennsylvania, CWA activists have leafleted at 138 worksites since September. They’ve circulated more than 17,500 flyers so far, with another big push and 5,000 more set for Monday. Phone banks are up and running in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and volunteers are turning out statewide for labor walks. Members have also turned out in force for rallies and events around the state to support Senate candidate Joe Sestak and Dan Onorato, candidate for governor.

* In Missouri, members are working the phones and leafleting worksites to elect Robin Carnahan to the U.S. Senate and re-elect her brother, Russ Carnahan, to Congress, among other key races. CWA Local 6300 and others will continue phone banking right up until the polls close Nov. 2.

* In New Mexico, members have been leafleting at worksites around the state every week and are rallying, phoning and knocking on doors for Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who is running for governor. Thursdays are phone bank nights for CWAers, who also join regular labor walks on Saturdays.

Check your local’s bulletin board or website or ask your steward how you can help Get Out the Vote this weekend and through Election Day.

Members of CWA Local 6215 were out in force in Dallas as early voting opened. CWA District 13 Vice President Ed Mooney and President Larry Cohen, with Dan Onorato, Democratic candidate for governor in Pennsylvania.

Members of CWA Local 9510 walked precincts for Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), center. CWA members in New Mexico rally behind Lt. Governor Diane Denish, Democratic candidate for governor.
At AT&T headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., Local 6300 Vice President Sonja Gholston-Byrd, right, and Chief Steward Dawn Jennewein leaflet to get out the vote on Nov. 2.

Extenders' Bill Still Faces Serious Obstacles in the Senate

· The fate of the long discussed American Jobs and Closing Tax
Loopholes Act of 2010, commonly referred to as the 'Extenders' bill, is
completely up in the air as Senators focus on partisan and special
interests while ignoring a struggling economy. The crucial bill works
towards extending crucial unemployment benefits beyond the short run
while providing necessary emergency assistance to those struggling with
the economic downturn. It also closes the Reverse Morris Trust (RMT)
Corporate Tax Loophole. Wall Street tax lawyers created this loophole,
and it has been widely used to the detriment of CWA members through
Verizon's sale of landline assets. We saw its abuse first in New England
through the sale to Fairpoint, and now Verizon continues to act against
its workers in 14 states through the sale to Frontier. It's been bad for
our members and consumers, but good for Verizon as they walked away with
$3.3 billion in tax free profits. CWA says both to Verizon's shady and
detrimental practices as well as to bickering Senate legislators that
enough is enough.

· At the end of last week, the Senate swiftly passed a six-month
Medicare physicians' payment bill, otherwise known as the "doc-fix"
which was previously included in the 'Extenders' bill. By a voice vote,
the Senate thus passed HR 3962 which would prevent a scheduled 21
percent cut in payment rates to doctors who receive Medicare
reimbursements. It will also increase their pay by 2.2 percent. This new
Medicare bill will now go to the House of Representatives, which is
scheduled to reconvene tomorrow, Tuesday, June 22nd.

CWA members need to contact their Senators to urge them to support
H.R. 4213.

· This bill passed in the House of Representatives, marking a
major CWA victory with the first step in closing the RMT corporate tax
loophole completed. Click to see how your representative voted:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2010-324

Senator McCaskill of Missouri Moving against Senate's Secret Hold Rule

· Democratic leaders gave Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri
the green light to push for a major change in Senate rules. The motion
would change the Senate rules governing a single Senator's ability to
block legislation or nominations while remaining anonymous. Changing a
Senate rule requires 67 votes, and Sen. McCaskill claims to have 67
signatures on her legislative letter demanding the rule change. The
senators who have signed the letter include nine Republicans, two
Independents, and 56 Democrats. CWA supports this measure and commends
it as an important step in reforming the Senate's rules.

Senate MUST Pass House FAA Bill with Pro-Union Language

· The Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration's
(FAA) programs currently faces a deadlock in the Senate due to House
Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar's (D-MN)
insistence on retaining language that makes it easier for FedEx workers
to unionize. FedEx has an egregious history of vigorously suppressing
workers' attempts to unionize. Under the House bill, jurisdiction for
FedEx labor relations would shift from the Railway Labor Act (PL 69-257)
to the National Labor Relations Act (PL 74-198). This would put FedEx
under the same rules as its rival UPS, and would finally give ground
FedEx employees the right to organize locally; they currently are only
permitted to organize nationally, making it very difficult to have their
voices heard.

· The Senate is planning on having a "test vote" on the
legislation including the House pro-union language, hoping to see it
fail. Its failure would thus prove the deadlock this language creates,
and would insist that Oberstar remove his language from the pending
bill. CWA urges members to contact their Senators insisting Oberstar's
language be protected

Important Hearings-

· The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
will hold a hearing titled "Universal Service: Transforming the
High-Cost Fund for the Broadband Era" chaired by Chairman Rockefeller
(D-WV). The hearing will take place on Thursday, June 24th at 10:00 am
in the Russell House Office Building.

· The Senate Rules and Administration Committee chaired by
Senator Schumer (D-NY) will hold a hearing titled "Examining the
Filibuster: Silent Filibusters, Holds, and the Senate Confirmation
Process." The hearing will take place on Wednesday, June 23rd at 10:00
am in the Russell House Office Building. CWA has been following the
discussion of these rule changes closely, and encourages our members to
watch online or on C-SPAN.