2010 January | STRONGER UNIONS

Haiti – we’ve ‘sold out’, but you can still buy the t-shirt

It’s official. We’ve sold out. Of tickets, that is, for the Concert for Haiti next week, which Cuba Solidarity Campaign have organised for us. Five hundred people will be cramming into Congress House on Wednesday night to raise funds for Haitian trade unionists, but we can’t take any more. But there are still things you can do to help.

You or your union can donate online to the TUC Aid Haiti Earthquake Appeal – or send cheques to TUC headquarters made out to “TUC Aid Haiti Appeal”. Remember to ask work colleagues, family, friends – even your employer – to do the same.

Haiti t-shirt

And you can be there in spirit with us by buying this commemorative t-shirt from Philosophy Football – all profits to the TUC Aid appeal, which is helping Haitian trade unionists survive and rebuild.

Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Owen Tudor filed under: Global solidarity

Paul Nowak

Howard Zinn passes away

Just read the sad news that Howard Zinn, the author of the seminal ‘A People’s History of the United States’ has passed away.

I met Howard Zinn briefly five years ago, when he gave he led a seminar at the HTUP, and he was a genuine, inspiring bloke – a working class intellectual, who worked in a warehouse to fund his degree.

Howard Zinn wasn’t only a leading progressive intellectual – he was also an activist. According to the Boston News,

‘On his last day at BU, Dr. Zinn ended class 30 minutes early so he could join a picket line and urged the 500 students attending his lecture to come along. A hundred did.’

Howard will be sadly missed by hundreds of thousands of people around the world inspired by his writing and teaching.

Howard Zinn at the HTUP

Posted on January 28th, 2010 by Paul Nowak filed under: Union news

Owen Tudor

What connects: Dirty Harry, Mary Poppins and Darth Vader?

The actors who played them* have all been honoured with lifetime achievement awards by the US union SAG – the screen actors’ guild – in what the AFL-CIO almost certainly correctly describes as “the only nationally televised awards show of any kind that honors the work of union members”. Congratulations to all this year’s winners, and to every union member in the creative industries. Not all stars are union members, but all union members are stars in our eyes!

* Clint Eastwood, Julie Andrews and James Earl Jones.

Pedant’s footnote – ok, ok, James Earl Jones only provided the voice for Darth Vader, but you get the point…..

Posted on January 26th, 2010 by Owen Tudor filed under: Global solidarity

Owen Tudor

US union membership down in private sector, stable in public sector

The recession has hit US unions, in the same way as it has in other developed nations. But while union membership has fallen faster in the private sector than employment, union density has risen in the public sector. And for the first time ever in the US there are now more trade unionists in the public than private sector. The gains of last year have been more than wiped out by the recession, strengthening the call for an Employee Free Choice Act to make joining a union less of a career-killer.

Posted on January 23rd, 2010 by Owen Tudor filed under: Global solidarity

Owen Tudor

Haiti: union organisation delivers Earthquake Aid

News from the International Trade Union Confederation: in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti, the ITUC launched a trade union appeal for humanitarian support for the victims in cooperation with its regional organisation for the Americas, TUCA. Funds raised under the appeal are primarily being used to supply humanitarian assistance to the ITUC’s Haitian affiliate, the CTH, via its affiliates in the Dominican Republic, CASC, CNTD and CNUS.

Posted on January 22nd, 2010 by Owen Tudor filed under: Global solidarity

Carl Roper

Remembering the women of Grunwick

Nice piece in the Society section of today’s Guardian on the women behind the Grunwick strike. In particular the article flags up a new exhibition ‘Striking Women: Voices of South Asian Workers from Grunwick and Gate Gourmet.

The exhibition is at the Women’s Library, London E1 7NT and runs until March 31st.

Posted on January 20th, 2010 by Carl Roper filed under: Unions in the community

Carl Roper

What makes women active in unions?

One of the findings in the recently published survey of trade union Equality Reps was that 63 per cent of the Equality Reps surveyed who had no previous reps experience were women.

If my memory is correct similar findings are (or were) to be found in surveys of Union Learning Reps.

This has me wondering about whether it is the focus of these particular roles that (in somehow being more attractive to women) helps them bring more women into trade union activity, or simply that a new reps role can create a vacancy that a women just wanting to become more active in the union takes advantage of?

I’m pretty certain that women are attracted to many forms of union activity but it may be that for many (and for many reasons) they don’t have the opportunity to take on either what we might call ‘traditional’ reps roles or get involved at any level whatsoever.

If this were true, it poses questions for the trade union movement as to how, via day to day activity in supporting members and campaigning with and for them, we create opprtunities for activity and participation that will give us an activist base that reflects more closely the profile of union members.

Any thoughts?

Posted on January 19th, 2010 by Carl Roper filed under: Union organising, Union reps