Organizing Holidays

Did your local real-estate professional leave a flag in your lawn this week?

Ours did......

She’s done it consistently for 10 years now. We get another one every Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekend. We’ve kept most of them. We’ve got quite a collection on display this weekend.

At first we thought it was pretty silly. We’re not planning on selling our house.

Why put out all that effort?

It works that’s why!

After all these years, she’s proven by her tenacity that she wants the job. When we decide to sell she’s going to get the listing. Most of the neighbors wouldn’t think about using anyone else. They trust her.

What’s this got to do with organizing you might ask?

E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!

Each holiday we’re given an opportunity to connect with the people we wish to influence.

Labor Day is coming up. Perhaps there’s a contractor you always wanted to sign or a candidate you feel would be an asset to the union. You could send a holiday letter or drop off your business card with a note about Labor Day. If done consistently it could make a huge impression. It’s worth a try.

Well, here’s to a safe and Happy Independence Day Weekend!

God Bless America!


I’ve posted a few videos that might interest you here


http://www.youtube.com/user/unionorganizing


http://www.viddler.com/explore/unionorganizer/videos/2/


http://www.viddler.com/explore/unionorganizer/videos/1/

Healthcare Reform Theme for Labor Day Parade

Hundreds of marchers carried signs and banners in support of President Obama’s Healthcare Reform Plan at this year's 30th Annual Labor Day Parade and Picnic. An effort by Democrat’s to provide health coverage to American workers is meeting stiff opposition by powerful health insurance corporations and employer funded right wing Republican politicians. What a great day for a parade and to renew Labor’s core values of service, fairness and giving people a voice in their workplace.

Members of Los Angles trade unions came together to celebrate labor’s rich heritage of helping workers and their families. The parade features big rigs, marching bands, floats, classic cars and motorcycles. The weather was perfect, just right for a picnic. Despite a poor economy and perhaps because of the fact; more people than ever before marched in the parade. The route wound through a working class neighborhood and ended in Banning Park where a huge barbeque and rally took place.

Presidential Address Marks Panic

Munching on Bagel-Bites and tator tots we watched what just might be the most historic primetime address by the worst president of all time. 

George W. Bush looked nervous; almost in a panic as he stared into the teleprompter reading his canned lines. His forehead and nose were crinkled like a guy on a sunny beach with no sunglasses. 

Bush accepted zero responsibility for eight years of runaway spending and wholesale deregulation of financial markets. There was no apology. He blamed you the American worker for purchasing homes you could not afford. He blamed faulty lending rules and greedy mortgage bankers. Everyone is to blame it seems but his administration. 

He issued dire warnings about what could happen in the coming weeks to American workers if his plan was not put in place.  “The entire economy is in danger right now,” he warned. “Millions of Americans could lose their jobs.”  Money market funds could evaporate, banks could stop lending, stocks could tumble, the value of your house could disappear, seniors stand to lose everything they have, unless that is………. you give 700 billion dollars to one man with the power to do with it as he sees fit, with no oversight.  That’s his plan. No really. That’s his plan. I’m not making this up….. 

This was not the cocky, angry George W. Bush we’ve all come to expect. This was a tense Bush, with out something to fall back on like “patriotism” or “the war on terror.” “The market is not functioning properly” he added. “Not passing this emergency plan would cost more later.”  

More than 700 billion dollars? I doubt it. 

This is the same guy who warned us about the weapons of mass destruction. The same guy who told us the energy spikes in the weeks before the Enron scandal were caused by California not building enough power plants. The same guy who said, “You’re doing a heck of a job Brownie.” Either he’s the boy who cried wolf or the emperor with no clothes. Either way, you can’t trust him. 

700 Billion Dollars for CEO’s

The proposed 700 Billion Dollar Bail-Out will be the biggest scam ever pulled on the American public. If you thought Enron was a crime. If you thought the Iraq War was a complete disaster. If you thought the government's response to Hurricane Katrina was heartbreaking. If you thought the price at the pump was outrageous. If you thought the Stimulus Package was a waste. You ain’t seen nothin yet.

How did we get here??? The pundits asked over and over this weekend on television and radio. 

I’ll tell you how we got here….. Eight years of conservative leadership. They lied about wanting limited government. They lied about believing in fiscal responsibility. They lied about helping Main Street. They lied about the reasons we went to Iraq. It WAS for the oil. Two oil men in the White House, the President and the Vice President out to get as much money as they could. 

Now they say we have to bail out the financial system or our pensions and retirement savings will be wiped out. When was the last time you read your 401K Statement? Chances are you already lost 20 percent since the beginning of the year. Every time you fill your tank you’re losing more money. The price of your groceries has gone up 40%. The value of your home if you are lucky to own one has dropped like a rock. So much for your retirement plans.

Trickle down economics is a scam. It always has been. Just how many financial experts will need to be hired to dole out the 700 Billion Dollars? How many of the same CEO’s that ran their company’s in to the ground will be hired to fix this mess? How many golden parachutes and stock options will be distributed? How many politicians will get kickbacks from Lobbyists? How long will our kids have to work to pay this debt off?

Have you any idea how many schools or hospitals could be built with 700 billion dollars?

Like I said, this is the biggest scam ever pulled on the American public. We have got to stop it from passing!

McDonald’s New Labor Problem

I was driving home from church when my 9 year old son noticed that McDonald’s was flying the American Flag upside down. I turned the car around and decided to find out why? When I asked the manager she said, “Oh my God!”

She directed an employee to go out and fix it. Still, I can’t help but think this is a sign of a larger problem. Was this just a simple mistake or did the employee not know the flag was upside down? Why did it take over an hour and a half for someone to bring it to their attention? Does McDonald’s need to incorporate flag etiquette into their employee training? What do you think?