THIS WEEK IN LABOR: March 29

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/12765/1/416

Author: John Wojcik

People's Weekly World Newspaper, 03/27/08 15:33


Modern-day slavery

Modern-day slavery in the Pascagoula, Miss., shipyards has drawn protests from the International Trade Union Confederation. The ITUC, to which the AFL-CIO belongs, demanded March 18 that the U.S. take action on behalf of 500 dockworkers from India who have filed suit against Signal International. They accuse the marine construction company of subjecting them to forced labor, trafficking, fraud and civil rights violations.

Enticed by deceptive advertisements promising legal and permanent work-based immigration to the U.S. for them and their families, the workers borrowed up to $20,000 to pay recruitment fees. It got them only a 10-month residence permit, their families were not included and their salaries were barely enough to repay the loans. They live in labor camps monitored round the clock by armed security forces. For the privilege of being jammed 24 people per small trailer, $1,000 per month is deducted from their pay.


Unions: no deal with murderers!

Labor is geared up for a major fight in Congress, March 31, when President Bush says he will submit the Colombia Free Trade Agreement for approval. Unions oppose the deal, saying it hurts workers here and in Colombia.

Under pressure, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe agreed earlier this year to insert pro-labor provisions into the text of the pact, but unions and Democratic lawmakers say the changes don’t address stopping right-wing paramilitaries that have murdered over 2,000 trade unionists and organizers.

Polls show a majority of Americans oppose passage of so-called free trade agreements that don’t protect U.S. jobs and don’t encourage good labor standards overseas.


Oregon AFSCME backs Obama

The Oregon state council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has announced its endorsement of Barack Obama in the state’s coming Democratic primary. AFSCME nationally has backed Hillary Clinton. The Oregon council is the second AFSCME state organization — after Obama’s home state, Illinois — to endorse Obama.


FULL story at link.