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Labor Pains!Kathleen Jones
Job growth under the current administration is the worst it has been in 58 years; you have to go back to Harry Truman to find the kinds of negative growth numbers we are seeing today. In June of this year, the national unemployment rate rose again, to 6.4%. That equates to about 9.4 million unemployed workers. Between August 1998 and December 2002, 99,800 Ohio workers lost their jobs. In June of 2003, the unemployment rate for Lucas County was at 8.4%, and for Allen County, 7.6%. These are numbers that far exceed the national level, and do not even begin to take into consideration the many whose benefits have run out and have quit looking for non-existent jobs. These are more than just abstract numbers; they directly relate to events in our own backyards. The past year has not been a good one for many of our members, and as Labor Day approaches, some of you may be asking, “What is there to be grateful for?” The economic woes that have hit our country are also hitting our members, and hitting them hard. It doesn’t matter who we are working for -- SBC/Ameritech, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Allen County -- we are all experiencing budget crunches, hiring freezes, cutbacks, layoffs, and labor disputes. But thankfully our Union has been there for us. Even in difficult economic times, the bargained-for rights secured for us by CWA have helped cushion the blow. Layoffs are never a good thing, but do you think any company would give its employees a 90-day notice if it didn’t have to? That’s what SBC/Ameritech employees facing layoff receive. Learning that you will be laid-off is probably some of the worst news you can hear, but with a 90 days’ notice, you at least have time to get things in order and begin preparing for the future. I’m sure some former Kmart employees wish they’d had the same. As you may recall, it was around the holidays a couple of years ago when Toledo-area Kmart employees reported to work as usual, only to be greeted by a pink slip and the news that their services were no longer needed, effective immediately! Do you think that a company would provide up to 88 weeks’ termination pay if it weren’t for a negotiated contract? Many employers feel perfectly justified in providing their laid-off employees with two or four weeks’ termination pay. How many companies voluntarily offer SIPP or other early retirement incentives before resorting to layoffs? If the company doesn’t have a contract specifying amounts and processes to be used, the chances are that the packages offered to employees facing layoff don’t come close to those that Union workers receive. And it’s not just layoffs that we’re talking about. Union representation also enhances such basics as our wages and medical benefits. “But non-Union work places such as Wal Mart offer these benefits,” some of you might be thinking. Of course they do. They have to in order to compete for workers. But the benefits they offer are seldom of the same caliber as those received by Union workers. If you think this is a bunch of hot air, take a look at some statistics. The statistics in the accompanying table were compiled by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which broke down the difference in median weekly earnings for union and non-union workers according to various age groups. This clearly illustrates the difference Union representation makes when it comes to wages. In an ideal world, there would be no need for unions. Management would provide its employees with fair wages and benefits because it is the right thing to do. But we don’t live in an ideal world. For that reason, Unions are the best hope for all workers. No system is perfect, and that applies to collective bargaining. In hind sight, we can see where mistakes were made. But we can learn from those mistakes, and stamp “New and Improved!” on future contracts. It may sound corny, but a Union is only as strong as its membership. Unions are part of the democratic process – of, by and for its members. This Labor Day, while enjoying your holiday, take a few minutes to consider how you can help strengthen and improve Local 4319. Get involved in your Union, whether it be by attending meetings, working on a committee, or volunteering to help in one of its many projects. To find out how you can get involved, ask your steward, talk to your Unit Director, or contact one of the officers.
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Labor Day is just around the corner, and for many of us that means a three-day holiday weekend that unofficially marks the end of summer. This is a day set aside to honor the contributions of working men and women, and with that in mind, it’s not a bad idea to take a moment to look at the benefits we, as members of CWA Local 4319, enjoy. But before I go any further, I’d like to clarify a few things. To suggest that all has been rosy of late would be a gross misrepresentation of the facts. The cold, hard truth is that lately we have had to endure more than our fair share of “Labor Pains.”
