Salem-Keizer Strike School

 

Oregon AFSCME Weighs In With Legislative News & Endorsements

Now that Oregon's special legislative session has concluded we will see more analysis from unions on the session and more endorsements coming out. We will try to capture and post endorsements for races in our area and for certain state races from as many unions as we can. A post for a candidate here does imply support for that candidate from the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter or the Oregon AFL-CIO unless noted here or in another post.

From Around Communications Workers Of America District 7

 

This is what forward motion looks like!

Communications Workers of America District 7

Please Support AFSCME Local 2067 City of Salem Workers!

AFSCME Local 2067 represents the main body of City of Salem workers. Their contract expires on June 30 of this year. Contract bargaining started on February 21. The Local is holding an infomational rally at noon on Friday, March 15.in Peace Plaza (the space between the library and the Civic Center). Please show up!

According to the union's website, there have been two negotiating sessions and the second one has been more productive than the first. 

Kathy Knock, a Local 2067 leader, did a great interview on  KMUZ on January 25 that sets a strong context for contract negotiations. Thanks to Tina Turner-Morfitt, President of the Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and an AFSCME retiree and a Labor Chapter leader, and Melanie Zermer of KMUZ for doing that grewat interview. Sister Knock breaks down some complex issues in the interview.

Glamour, Travel, Sexism: When Flight Attendants Fought Back

I believe that this story ran in The New York Times under date of February 19, 2024 with the photograph that I added from the Association of Flight Attendants--CWA. It is certainly an inspiring story.

Decades ago, “stewardesses” earned less than men, couldn’t get married or gain weight, and had to retire at 32. A key figure in a landmark lawsuit looks back at a not-so-golden era.

In 1958, when Mary Pat Laffey Inman became a stewardess — as they were then called — for Northwest Airlines, she was 20 years old and the clock was already ticking. At 32, she would be forced to retire. That is, if she didn’t marry, get pregnant or even gain too much weight before that: All were grounds for termination. It was the golden age of aviation for everyone except, perhaps, the women serving in-flight meals to the nattily dressed passengers.

Six years later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, and female flight attendants began to join forces against sexism.

In 1970, Ms. Laffey Inman, a union leader and Northwest’s first female purser — the lead attendant on a flight — spearheaded a class-action suit, Laffey v. Northwest Airlines Inc., that resulted in the airline paying more than $30 million in damages and back wages in 1985. It also set the precedent for nondiscriminatory hiring of flight attendants across the industry. But even then, not everything changed: Flight attendants on some airlines were still subjected to “weigh-ins” into the 1990s. (Northwest merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008.)

Now, decades after the landmark decision, Ms. Laffey Inman, 86, is one of several former flight attendants featured in “Fly With Me,” an “American Experience” documentary that chronicles how women fought to overcome discrimination in the airline industry. It premieres on PBS on Feb. 20. The New York Times spoke to Ms. Laffey Inman about how she made history. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What inspired your career in the airline industry?

I was working at Montefiore Hospital, in Pittsburgh. I always wanted to travel, ever since I was a kid. As a flight attendant, I could travel — all expenses paid. I thought it was wonderful. Other stewardesses and I laugh about how lucky we were to be in the industry at that time. We would bid for three-day layovers in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo. A limo would be there to pick you up and take you to the hotel.

What was involved in training at the time?

Flight attendants had a six-week session where we learned about the airline and had emergency and safety training. We learned the commands to use in case of emergency. And we had grooming classes — women came and taught us how to put on our makeup and polish our fingernails.

Aside from keeping up appearances, how was sexism evident in the industry?

When I started, senior stewardesses talked about younger men being hired to be in charge of the aircraft and the crew, bypassing stewardesses who had been flying for quite a while. They discussed this in whispering tones, or sometimes not whisperings. It was always a bone of contention. Men were elected to positions that controlled the union, and they did the negotiating. Stewardesses could not really look at the job as a career because we had to quit when we got married or when we were 32. That was always in the back of your mind.

How did you become the first female purser?

In 1968, Northwest hired four men off the street to be pursers. I called the director of labor relations and said, “You must post this bid!” When they did, many women were intimidated, but I applied and got the job.

How were flight attendants’ duties different in the 1960s?

We had to work with military air contracts. In times of emergency, the U.S. military has a right to commandeer aircraft to be used on a military basis. We flew to Vietnam quite often during the Tet offensive in 1968. I was a purser, but I was new and didn’t have any seniority, so I was assigned to those flights. We’d bring 165 soldiers to Okinawa, then shuttle them to Vietnam and bring 165 back — hopefully. We got in and out of Vietnam as quickly as possible because there were missiles going back and forth.

Taking on a giant corporation is no easy feat, especially as young women in the 1960s.

We didn’t have a leg to stand on legally until the Civil Rights Act, which included discrimination based on gender. That was our renaissance.

What role did you play?

In 1967, I became the head of the union at Northwest, and negotiated the first nondiscriminatory contract with the airline. We could prove women flight attendants had equal skills and responsibilities. That’s when we brought back the stewardesses who were fired because they were over 32, or because they were overweight or because they were married.

How did you end up with a class-action lawsuit?

In 1969, negotiations for the next contract commenced. The negotiating committee was dominated by men. I had expected changes, but Northwest refused to include language that would treat women pursers the same way as male pursers. I talked to a labor lawyer, who said we had a case. Ultimately, 70 percent of the union signed on. The airline dragged it out for 15 years — took it to the Supreme Court twice, but the case was remanded back to the Federal District Court of Appeals, where Ruthie Bader Ginsburg was the judge who’d written the opinion in our favor.

At the time you filed the lawsuit, did you have any idea of the impact you would have on the industry — and on history?

No, I was just looking for equality in pay. I wasn’t thinking 40 or 50 years ahead. I was simply hoping every step on the judicial ladder would go our way.

As far as flying today, with the many reports of passengers behaving badly on flights and the stress that causes the crew, what do you think can be done to make flying better?

I’d like someone to pass a law to widen the seats. That’s one of the reasons there’s so much tension.

ReplyForward You can't react with an emoji to this message

Senate Committee Passes Bill to Fully Fund Wildland Firefighter Pay

 

From the AFL-CIO:

Top Cut:
The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), affiliated with the Machinists (IAM), is celebrating a major win as the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed the fiscal year 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which protects current funding for federal wildland firefighter pay.

Why It Matters:
The bill helps support the critical wildland firefighting workforce by funding wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts, protecting agency staffing levels so they can be prepared for the upcoming wildfire season, maintaining pay increases for federal firefighters and investing in the U.S. Forest Service.

“This is a significant development for NFFE members and all federal wildland firefighters,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “For months, these selfless men and women have had to live with the possibility of their pay being cut in half overnight. Many NFFE members have traveled to Washington, DC, contacted their representatives, and done everything they can to advocate for the compensation they deserve by protecting the country on the front lines of the wildfire crisis. Today, their efforts have been recognized and Congress has delivered on their obligations for this year’s fire season.”

Oregon Legislature Passes Historic Investment in Public Safety Workforce

From Oregon AFSCME:

Salem, Oregon - Oregon's 82nd Legislative Assembly passed HB 4045, the Public Safety Workforce Stabilization Act, an historic investment in Oregon's public safety workers.. HB 4045 received overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support, marking a significant step forward in prioritizing the dedicated workers who serve on the front lines of public safety by allowing them to retire with enhanced benefits.

HB 4045 creates a new "Hazardous" category within the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) for 911 operators as well as nurses and physicians at Oregon State Hospital (OSH) who are members of the Tier 3, Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP). The Public Safety Workforce Stabilization Act also allows all OSPRP members in the Police & Fire category to retire five years earlier with full benefits, changing the retirement age from 60 to 55. This change impacts thousands of workers at the Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU) and Department of Corrections (DOC) who day in and day out, experience heightened levels of stress and injuries due to the high levels of physical demand.

"This bill is a game-changer for public safety workers across Oregon. By recognizing the unique challenges and hazards faced by public safety workers, HB 4045 sends a clear message of appreciation for the indispensable contributions 911 operators make to our communities. This change will also make the field more attractive to prospective employees at a time when public safety agencies across the state are facing staffing crises” said Fred Yungbluth, 911 Operator in Clackamas County and President of Oregon AFSCME

"The passage of HB 4045 is what happens when workers who have been physically and mentally drained by harsh working conditions come together and fight for change,” said Joe Baessler, Executive Director for Oregon AFSCME. “Today, we celebrate this policy change that will start to positively impact the lives of thousands of workers who selflessly dedicate themselves to protecting and serving our communities," added Baessler.

With its passage through the Oregon Legislature, HB 4045 now advances to the desk of Governor Kotek, where it is expected to be signed into law.

A Labor discussion with Anne Broyles, Author of I’m Gonna Paint: Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People

From the Oregon AFL-CIO:

A Discussion with Anne Broyles, Author of I’m Gonna Paint: Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People

March 28 starting at 5:00pm | Oregon Labor Center in Portland

Please join the Oregon AFL-CIO and the Oregon Labor Movement for an engaging discussion with Anne Broyles, the author of I’m Gonna Paint: Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People. Anne’s book is about the visionary folk artist and labor organizer Ralph Fasanella and is perfect for picture book readers because of its stunning illustrations. Click here to learn more & RSVP.

A friendly reminder from SEIU...

 

Dartmouth Men's Basketball Team Goes Union!

 The SEIU Local 560 X account says:

MAKING HISTORY! Dartmouth Men's Bball team votes to join SEIU L560—our 500-strong union of campus custodians, security officers, museum guides, and others.
@Dartmouth, it’s time to bargain a fair contract. NCAA athletes deserve better #UnionsForAll #GoBigGreen #MarchMadness