About a year ago, Cablevision technicians in Brooklyn voted to unionize. They're still trying to get a contract with a viciously anti-union company that's refusing to bargain in good faith. Then Wednesday, Cablevision
fired 23 workers who had gone to press management to bargain. Thursday morning, workers and their supporters, including Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, both mayoral candidates, rallied and tried to get management to talk to them.
(Quinn still needs to let paid sick days come to a council vote, though.)
And more:
- Just weeks after California-based port truck drivers at Toll Group won their first contract, including a raise, overtime pay, and pension contributions, another group of port drivers is trying to follow suit by joining the Teamsters:
Delegates for 85 port drivers at American Logistics International hand-delivered a letter to their boss late yesterday afternoon telling him the news.
The Toll Group example shows how hard the fight will be—and that victory is possible.
- The good news is, the same ALEC-member Pennsylvania legislator has introduced the same basic bill repeatedly and Gov. Tom Corbett says he doesn't expect it to pass. The bad news is, it's a free rider bill and we've seen this whole "oh, it won't pass" thing before, in Michigan.
- Speaking of crapitude in Pennsylvania, Corbett is pitting state liquor store workers against public school teachers.