April 3, 2014

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Money Is NOT Speech
Reducing the Number of Those Eligible to Vote
Who Benefits?
Movement Building
New York State Launches Safe Patient Handling Program
NLRB to Hear Evidence of llegal !ctivit" b"
Tennessee #overnor and $enator in
Vol%s&agen Election
Common Cause Highlights 'Two Shameful Milestones' in Senate
People to Follow n Twitter
N!BET'(W! (ommends )(( Vote to $trengthen Television
*&nershi+ Rules

Mone" s N*T $+eech

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CWAers and allies rally outside te Supre(e Court to protest tis week's
disastrous de#ision tat !i'es te super$ri# e'en (ore sway and #ontrol o'er
our de(o#rati# ele#tion pro#ess%
The Supreme Court's long#awaited decision in )#Cut#eon '% &ederal *le#tion
Co((ission$ announced this week$ has gi%en the super#rich an e%en greater
sa& in elections and our democrac&'
(& a )#* decision$ the Court struck down aggregate contri+ution limits$ so that
one super#wealth& donor now can in,ect up to -.'/ million into our politics 0 to
candidates and parties 0 shattering one of the remaining campaign finance laws
on the +ooks'
1hat does this decision mean for ordinar& !mericans2 Check out this %ideo
from 3emos$ a C1! all&'
4n a statement$ C1! said that 5the Supreme Court continues to confuse mone&
and speech$ causing real harm to our democratic election process'5
5Thanks to Citi+ens ,nited$ we alread& know how the Court's decision will
further erode our democrac& and disenfranchise ordinar& !mericans' The
super#rich will ,oin corporations in using their millions to pressure elected
officials for special access$ polic& agendas and ta6 +reaks and to flood the
airwa%es with anon&mous political messages' 1orking and middle class
families will find their %oices e%en more diminished' The result likel& will +e e%en
more 5pa&#to#pla& politics5 and political ine7ualit& than we'%e seen since the
89:9 Citi+ens ,nited decision$ and e%en more disillusionment in the political
process +& ordinar& !mericans' 3ecisions +& this Supreme Court ha%e made it
more difficult for ordinar& !mericans to %ote in an election$ +ut also ha%e made
it much easier for the super#rich to +u& an election'
Mone& does not e7ual speech' 1e cannot stand +& while the super#rich and
corporations ha%e an e%en greater sa& in our democrac& ,ust +ecause the&
ha%e fatter wallets' That's wh& C1! has ,oined with other groups in the
3emocrac& 4nitiati%e to promote pu+lic financing and fight the e%er increasing
amount of +ig mone& in politics$5 C1! said'
4mmediatel& following the decision$ C1! acti%ists and allies protested outside
the ;'S' Supreme Court and at more than :)9 other actions in *: states and
3C'
Check out this %ideo of the action outside the Supreme Court where C1!ers$
allies$ Sen' (ernie Sanders <4#=t'>$ ?ep' @eith Allison <3#Minn'> and other
speakers pledged to fight +ack against mone& in politics'
?educing the Num+er of Those Aligi+le to =ote 0 1ho (enefits2
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4t's ironic' 3ecisions +& this Supreme Court ha%e allowed states to make it more
difficult for ordinar& !mericans to %ote$ while at the same time$ the Court is
sanctioning a new flood of dollars from the super#rich to candidates and
campaigns' <See the stor& on this week's disastrous decision in )#Cut#eon '%
&ederal *le#tion Co((ission'>
!round the countr&$ ?epu+licans are looking to impose new restrictions on
%oting aimed at keeping !frican#!mericans$ students$ workers and others from
the polls'
4n 1isconsin$ Bo%' Scott 1alker <?> ,ust signed a +ill into law that will
disenfranchise thousands of %oters +& eliminating a+sentee %oting on weekends
ahead of elections'
5The argument that this will create more uniform$ fair %oting hours is a complete
sham$5 said C1! 3istrict * =ice President Linda Hinton' 5This is a+out fi6ing
elections' This is a+out deli+eratel& silencing the %oices of minorities$ seniors$
students$ %eterans and working families at the +allot +o6'5
4n Fe+ruar&$ the hio legislature and Bo%' Cohn @asich <?> successfull& cut one
week of earl& %oting and eliminated a period called the 5Bolden 1eek5 at the
+eginning of earl& %oting when people can +oth register to %ote and cast an in#
person a+sentee +allot' ?epu+licans also changed the handling of a+sentee
+allots$ so more will likel& +e discarded +ecause of technical errors'
C1!ers are now collecting petition signatures to put the issue in front of %oters
on the No%em+er +allot$ said Hinton'
North Carolina acti%ists are fighting +ack against the nation's most restricti%e
%oting laws$ which were passed +& the ?epu+lican legislature and signed +& the
BP go%ernor last summer' The North Carolina legislature enacted an e6treme
%oter 43 law that could pre%ent .:D$999 now registered %oters from e6ercising
their right to %ote$ while cutting +ack earl& %oting and allowing polling place
5%igilantes5 to challenge %oters' Lawmakers also added pro%isions to make
students' college#issued 43s an in%alid form of identification$ along with other
drastic measures'
(ut %oting rights ad%ocates in North Carolina recentl& got some good news" !
federal ,udge has ordered state lawmakers who +acked the laws$ which
effecti%el& target +lack and Latino %oters$ to turn o%er their emails to +etter shed
light on wh& the& passed the law'
Last Cune$ the Supreme Court struck down Section * of the :E/) =oting ?ights
!ct$ which re7uired states with a histor& of %oting rights discrimination to clear
all %oting law changes with the federal go%ernment' !s a result$ se%eral states
7uickl& got to work on new %oter suppression laws'
Since the +eginning of 89:.$ nine states ha%e passed measures making it
harder for ordinar& !mericans to %ote' Check out this stor& from -e New .ork
-i(es that highlights how ?epu+licans em+arked on a national effort to roll
+ack %oting rights'
Mo%ement (uilding
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#et Read" to Rall" for mmigration Reform
CWA (e(bers in )isawaka, /nd%, wit a#ti'ists 0ro( 1obs wit 1usti#e, S*/,,
te Nortern /ndiana Coalition 0or /((i!ration 2e0or( and oter !roups, 3oined
te &ast &or &a(ilies #all 0or i((i!ration re0or(%
The 5Fast for Families !cross !merica5 (us Tour is getting close to the end of
its run'
n 1ednesda&$ !pril E$ immigration reform ad%ocates will return to where it all
+egan with a rall& at the ;'S' Capitol in 1ashington$ 3'C'
The da& +efore$ Tuesda&$ !pril D$ President Larr& Cohen$ C1! acti%ists and
other acti%ists$ including !FL#C4 A6ecuti%e =ice President Tefere Be+re$ will
rall& outside the Herndon$ =a'$ office of ?ep' Frank 1olf$ calling on him and
Congress to pass immigration reform this &ear'
For more than a month$ the 5Fast for Families5 acti%ists ha%e +een on a
nationwide road trip$ talking with ordinar& !mericans a+out our +roken
immigration s&stem$ encouraging communities to fast and pra&$ and pushing
mem+ers of Congress to act on comprehensi%e immigration reform' !t e%er&
stop$ supporters ha%e signed thousands of petitions that acti%ists will deli%er to
the House leadership at the end of the !pril E rall&'
The Senate passed comprehensi%e immigration reform last Cune$ +ut the
?epu+lican#controlled House of ?epresentati%es has refused to take up the
issue' House 3emocrats are looking to push forward a discharge petition that
would ena+le H'?' :)$ the +ipartisan (order Securit&$ Aconomic pportunit&$
and 4mmigration ModerniFation !ct$ to +e considered on the House floor'
,,,,,,
(esar (have- Holida"
CWAers 3oin te (ar# and rally in Austin, -exas, to #elebrate te li0e and
le!a#y o0 Cesar Ca'e+%
C1!ers$ union acti%ists and supporters ,oined the annual Cesar A' Cha%eF
March for ;nit& in !ustin$ Te6as$ on March 8E' !cti%ists cele+rated Cha%eF's life
and legac& and rallied for comprehensi%e immigration reform'
Cha%eF was a farm worker$ a ci%il rights acti%ist and co#founder of the ;nited
Farmworkers ;nion' His +irthda&$ March .:$ is a state holida& in Te6as$
California and Colorado'
5Cesar Cha%eF5 is a new film now in theatres on the courageous life of the
farmworker organiFer who +elie%ed that his ,o+ as an organiFer 5was to help
ordinar& people do e6traordinar& things'5
,,,,,,
Missouri C1! mem+ers lo++& this week at the State Capitol in Cefferson Cit&$
fighting +ack against anti#worker legislation'
,,,,,,
Sara Steffens$ TNB#C1! secretar&#treasurer$ TNB#C1! mem+ers and union
and communit& acti%ists 4n akland rall& for a wage increase for minimum wage
workers$ and paid sick da&s'
,,,,,,
$tudents !nd Wor%ers .nite/
Students from ?owan ;ni%ersit&'s Blass+oro Student ;nion and Progressi%e
Student !lliance supported mem+ers of C1! Local :9.D during contract
negotiations this month'
The students sent :D. emails to Sode6o management$ collected signatures
from their fellow students for a petition demanding a fair contract$ and sat with
workers during negotiations'
New York State Launches Safe Patient Handling Program
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Health care workers in New York are cele+rating the new Safe Patient Handling
!ct that was passed as part of the state's +udget'
4t's a +ig win for C1! Locals ::/D$ ::..$ ::8/$ ::88$ :::) and other health
care union acti%ists who ha%e +een engaged in this polic& fight for &ears' The
legislation directs the 3epartment of Health to create a statewide committee to
stud& the +est practices for using e7uipment to lift$ transfer and reposition
health care patients and residents' 4n following &ears$ all hospitals$ nursing
homes$ diagnostic treatment centers and clinics will implement plans for their
own facilities'
4ealt #are workers 0ro( CWA lo#als and oter unions rally in Albany 0or
le!islation on sa0e patient andlin! and sa0e sta00in!%
5Safe patient handling not onl& impro%es worker safet&$ it impro%es patient
outcomes$5 said 3ana McCarth&$ director of health and safet& for C1! Local
::/D' 54n industr& and construction$ no one thinks to ask someone to lift more
than *9 pounds' (ut routinel&$ health care workers are almost commanded to
do so' 1ith this +ill$ the& at least ha%e a channel to sa&$ 'No$ 4'm not going to do
that unsafe lifting''5
Sarah (uckle&$ legislati%e#political action director for C1! Local ::/D$ said$
51hat's reall& striking$ when &ou look at the facts$ is that health care workers lift
:'D tons per an D#hour shift'5
Safe patient handling also impro%es continence and patient dignit&'
51ithout e7uipment$ &ou're sometimes +eing &anked one wa& or another'
Seeing people struggle to mo%e &ou around is awkward at +est and humiliating
and shameful at worst$5 said (uckle&'
The idea +ehind the legislation started percolating in 8998$ and started gaining
steam when @aleida Health$ the largest healthcare pro%ider in 1estern New
York emplo&ing )$999 C1! mem+ers$ instituted safe patient handling in an
effort to cur+ workers' compensation claims' (& 899)$ the la+or#management
committee had implemented a polic& and purchased new e7uipment and +eds'
4n 899G$ a state senator whose mother was in a @aleida#run facilit& witnessed
the practice first hand and introduced a +ill to make safe patient handling
mandator& throughout New York'
(ut it didn't pass right awa&' !long with the 1estern New York Council on
ccupation Safet& and Health$ C1! acti%ists placed hundreds of phone calls to
the go%ernor$ lo++ied their lawmakers in !l+an& and launched letter#writing
campaigns' C1! was also one of the founding mem+ers of the New York State
Hero Lift Task Force$ which +rought together healthcare workers$
administrators$ patient ad%ocates$ union representati%es and safet& and health
professionals to create a safe en%ironment for patients and healthcare workers
+& eliminating strenuous manual lifting tasks in%ol%ed in transferring and
repositioning patients'
Finall& this &ear$ with more than :99 co#sponsors in the 3emocratic ma,orit&
!ssem+l&$ language was added to the state +udget'
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4t seems that ;'S' Senator (o+ Corker and Tennessee Bo%ernor (ill Haslam
ma& ha%e +een a little too cle%er in their campaign to intimidate auto workers at
the =olkswagen plant in Chattanooga from %oting for union representation'
3ocuments leaked to 5NewsChannel ) 4n%estigates$5 a Chattanooga$ Tenn'$
news program$ pro%ide conclusi%e proof that the Haslam administration wanted
a sa& in the automaker's deal with organiFed la+or 0 in e6change for -.99
million in economic incenti%es to help =1 e6pand its Chattanooga operations'
Now$ Haslam faces a possi+le in%estigation +& the state legislature a+out his
actions and interference in the union election'
!nd Senator Corker isn't in the clear either' The NewsChannel ) in%estigation
reported that" 5(ut we also o+tained emails that show that Senator Corker's
chief of staff was in direct contact with anti#union organiFers who were +rought
in to fight the ;!1' He then shared those emails with people in the Haslam
administration who were in charge of the incenti%es'5
The ;nited !uto 1orkers has cited this new e%idence as part of a petition to the
National La+or ?elations (oard to throw out the election results' (& a narrow
margin$ the +id for union representation didn't succeed' !n NL?( administrati%e
law ,udge will hear the petition and call for a new election at a hearing in
Chattanooga on !pril 8:'
Common Cause Highlights 'Two Shameful Milestones' in Senate
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New anal&sis from Common Cause spotlights two recent 5shameful milestones5
that the current ;'S' Senate should not +e cele+rating' Stephen Spaulding$ the
polic& counsel for Common Cause$ wrote"
51hen the Senate returns toda&$ it should not cele+rate two milestones
that it surpassed last week'
First$ Ma,orit& Leader Harr& ?eid filed his ::/th cloture petition 0 topping
the total num+er of cloture petitions filed in the pre%ious Congress and
signaling the Senate's continuing d&sfunction' To put this in perspecti%e$ it
is alread& dou+le the total num+er of cloture petitions filed in the entire
fi%e decade period +etween :E:G#:E/D$ when southern senators famousl&
used the fili+uster to thwart ci%il rights legislation$ anti#l&nching measures
and %oting rights +ills'
Second$ the Senate held its :99th cloture %ote last week' The onl& other
time the Senate %oted :99 or more times on cloture was in the ::9th
Congress <899G#899D>'
The Senate is on pace to shatter all pre%ious fili+uster records' !nd we
still ha%e nine more months to go +efore this Congress e6pires'5
This is wh& it's so important now 0 more than e%er 0 to fi6 the Senate now'
?ead Spaulding's full +log post on Common Cause's we+site'
!nd keep up with the latest on the fight +& C1! and allies to change the
Senate rules at http"IIfi6thesenatenow'orgI'
People to Follow n Twitter
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1ant to keep up with the latest updates of what's going on in &our union and
the la+or mo%ement2 Here are a handful of folks &ou should +e following '''
JC1!;nion
JC1!News
J!FLC4
Jgreenhousen&t
Jinthesetimesmag
1e'll ha%e more suggestions ne6t weekK
4s &our local on Twitter2 Send us a tweet using the hashtag Lcwalocal to let us
know so we can follow &ouK
N!(AT#C1! Commends FCC =ote to Strengthen Tele%ision wnership ?ules
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The Federal Communications Commission took action this week to cur+ a+uses
+& tele%ision +roadcasters that are using ,oint sales agreements of e%ade
ownership rules' The FCC's ownership rules are necessar& to preser%e
localism$ di%ersit& of opinion and competition in local media markets'
N!(AT#C1! President Cim Co&ce applauded the FCC's action that 5closed a
loophole that has allowed some +roadcasters to do an end run around laws
intended to limit multiple T= station ownership'5
The Commission %oted .#8 to +an new ,oint sales agreements <CS!s> in which
one station sells :)M or more of the ad%ertising time of another separatel&
owned station in the same market' 4n addition$ e6isting CS!s generall& will +e
re7uired to unwind within two &ears$ unless an e6emption wai%er is granted +&
the FCC' The FCC also will ask for pu+lic comments on whether +roadcasters
should +e re7uired to full& disclose details a+out another form of media
consolidation$ shared ser%ices agreements$ <SS!s> and whether SS!s should
come under additional regulation'
These shared ser%ices agreements ha%e resulted in consolidation that has led
to communities losing one or more important sources of information in their T=
markets$ and also ha%e caused significant ,o+ loss$ Co&ce said' 51e will tell the
FCC that the use of shared agreements is outsourcing at its worst$ and skirts
ownership cap rules meant to protect the pu+lic interest$5 he said'
Te0t (W!!(T*N to 12311 to 4oin *ur Ra+id Res+onse Te0t List
Communications 1orkers of !merica$ !FL#C4$ CLC' !ll ?ights ?eser%ed'
Follow CWA Local 1022 on:
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