Veteran Trade Unionist Retires

Cecil Wynn was honored at the Luxor Hotel and Casino on August 25, 2007 for his hard work and dedication to the organized labor movement. Over a hundred guests attended a banquet celebrating Wynn’s career, with several prominent speakers sharing stories of his courage and enthusiasm. The former Local 357 Business Manager went on to work as an International Representative for many years and helped pioneer union organizing as it is today.

Bad Bosses Beware!

There are some great websites dedicated to bad bosses and they’ve been getting a lot of press lately. Take for instance the AFL-CIO’s Bad Boss Contest where workers are encouraged to tell their horror stories. Participants win trips and other great prizes, but more importantly empower themselves by sharing their stories. Do you have a bad boss? Go ahead and tell your story. It may make you feel better.

BBQ at LA Fed Delegate Meeting

On Tuesday the LA Federation of Labor Monthly Delegate Meeting was held at the Professional Musicians Local and featured a barbeque for all in attendance. Over a dozen volunteers from the electricians union helped prepare and serve the food. Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the LA County Federation of Labor was there as well as approximately 120 delegates.

Schwarzenegger to Take Away Workers Lunch Breaks

Conservative lawmakers are at it again, launching more attacks against workers over the issue of lunch breaks. If it seems like we just went through this scenario a few years ago, you are right. Similar attacks in 2004 and 2005 were deflected when outraged union members stood up to powerful industry lobbyists. At that time the Governor and his cronies were forced to withdraw their anti-worker proposals. You can help stop their latest attack by writing a letter to:

The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
PO Box 420603
San Francisco, CA 94142

Let the DLSE know that California workers will not be denied their lunch breaks and that employers who refuse to provide time for a lunch break should be forced to compensate workers with overtime pay.

Possible Buyer for Powerco Electric

Industry insiders have speculated that Powerco Electric Corporation will soon be bought out by Sylmar based Tutor-Saliba, Corporation in a deal that would further boost Tutor-Saliba’s ability to dominate public works construction projects. The two companies’ are listed as working on the new Police Headquarters Facility in Los Angeles which will replace the old Parker Center. Powerco Electric Corporation is a union shop.

Wal-Mart Workers Owed Back Pay

I read with interest the Reuters story by Nichola Groom and Brad Dorfman about Wal-Mart repaying nearly $4,000,000.00 to employees in California for “underpaid overtime”. Of course the employee’s weren’t overpaid. Would that ever happen at Wal-Mart?

The giant retailer was charged nearly $200,000.00 in penalties. That’s a pretty big fine, but to a monster like Wal-Mart it’s a slap on the wrist.

The story was really disappointing. Groom and Dorfman let Wal-Mart off the hook without even one opposing view sited. It reads like a Wal-Mart press release. In fact, I would guess that they probably read a press release and said to themselves, “let’s just use this and call it a day”. The least these two crack reporters could do is track down a few Wal-Mart workers and ask their opinion. Here’s a short list of questions they might want to consider next time:

For Angela Bradstreet, Labor Commissioner

• When you say “out of compliance”, you mean” breaking the law” right?


• Did Wal-Mart underpay their workers on purpose? (I know the answer to this one)

For John Smiley, Wal-Mart Representative

• Why should the public believe anything you say?


• Were any top-executives underpaid? (I know the answer to this one too)

To the Wal-Mart workers

• Were you aware that you were underpaid for overtime?


• Do you think Wal-Mart underpaid you on purpose?


• Did you ever discuss these problems with your supervisors or coworkers?


• Do you feel this is a fair settlement?


• Do you think this will have any effect on how Wal-Mart does business in the future?


• How has being underpaid affected your quality of life?

What questions would you like to see asked? Do you think the penalty was enough to discourage Wal-Mart from underpaying workers in the future?

Nonunion Retirement Crisis

In 2006 just 14% of nonunion workers in America had employer provided pension coverage. When you compare this with the 68% of union workers it’s not hard to see how one decision can make a world of difference in a person’s life. More and more employers are shifting the burden of retirement to employees. With the Bush administration pushing for the replacement of traditional pension plans with self directed 401K plans, you have to wonder, “What will happen to the workers who outlive their retirement savings?” Will nonunion workers be forced to work additional years? How does such a move affect the quality of a person’s life?



A recent study out of Boston College showed that 401K plans return less on investments than traditional pension plans. Are studies like these going unnoticed by workers at so called “merit-shops?” There’s a blog post on the AFL-CIO website written by Tula Connell entitled, A Key Solution to America’s Shrinking Middle Class: Union Membership. I would recommend that anyone considering working for a nonunion employer especially in the construction industry, read this article before making such a decision. All too often, people put off planning for their retirement until it's too late.