As clout grows, L.A. unions affirm solidarity, target Bush and Schwarzeneg

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-labor5sep05,1,6063775.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

Labor Movement Flexes Its Muscles

As clout grows, L.A. unions affirm solidarity, target Bush and Schwarzenegger

By Joe Mathews, Times Staff Writer
September 5, 2006

Southern California's labor leaders spent Labor Day publicly pleading the case of struggling workers while at the same time showcasing the union movement's growing influence in politics.

"All right!" said Maria Elena Durazo, chief of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, at a union-sponsored breakfast that included most of the Los Angeles City Council and the region's state legislators, as well as the entire statewide Democratic ticket in next month's election. "We're building power!"

New research by UCLA sociology professor and labor expert Ruth Milkman, author of a new book, "L.A. Story: Immigrant Workers and the Future of the U.S. Labor Movement," confirmed as much. Although union membership rates have declined nationwide, from 14.5% to 12.5% over the last decade, they have held steady in Los Angeles (now 15.5%) and California (16.5%).

Increases in the number of unionized government workers appear to be making up for labor's losses in the private sector. In 2005, more than half of public sector workers in California belonged to a union, according to Milkman's work.

FULL story at link above.

[Peace Patriot]

1. This is why the Bushites hate brown immigrants--they bring with them

the kickass attitude of the vast population of the poor and the brown from the remarkable, peaceful, democratic, leftist (majorityist) revolution that is sweeping Latin America--in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua and Mexico--to the citadel of Corporate Power, the United States. North American workers may have forgotten what it is like to achieve decent salaries and benefits through strong unions. Latin Americans bring a refreshing reminder of what majority rule, people power and good organization are all about. Our Corporate Rulers greatly fear that we will get the same notions, and tried a pre-emptive strike on our consciousness with the recent pogrom of immigrant-bashing. They don't want any re-lighting of the flame of workers' rights HERE, but their over-reaching greed, multiple tax cuts for the super-rich, $10 BILLION deficit on the backs of the poor, multi-million dollar CEO salaries, corporate oil war, and fraudulent, "trade secret," proprietary vote counting, make rebellion inevitable. It is only a matter of time. They have brought it on themselves. Workers of the world, unite!