Labor Unions Eye Gains in 2008

http://www.indypendent.org/2008/01/12/labor-unions-eye-gains-in-2008/

From the January 12, 2008 issue

By Bennett Baumer

In 2008, labor unions will spend big and mobilize hundreds of thousands of workers to organize new members and campaign for Democratic Party candidates. The nuts and bolts of labor struggles are often lost in the presidential race, however.

Union membership has continued its decades- long decline, with only 12 percent of the workforce and 7.4 percent of the private sector now unionized. Last year saw a major setback in labor regulation that could make it harder for workers to join unions. Nonetheless, the writers’ strike is still going strong and tens of thousands of Verizon workers are poised to unionize.

Writers’ Strike

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (or, as David Letterman calls it: “Cowards, Cutthroats and Weasels”) is one of the rare occasions when a labor stoppage grips America’s attention span. On Nov. 5, 2007, about 12,000 writers in the West and East Coast branches of the union struck over a number of demands, including the core issue of writers wanting a greater percentage of “residuals” (a payment each time one of their works is consumed).



“We all know that no payments on new media equals a rollback in residuals. And given pattern bargaining, getting rid of our residuals means getting rid of residuals industry wide,” wrote WGA strike captain Alfredo Barrios on a blog about the labor stoppage.

The advent of the new media technology (Internet, cell phone downloads) has hurt the earnings of writers as the studios refuse to pay residuals when consumers stream content regardless of revenue generated.

The studios now pay just 1.2 percent of the distributor’s gross income to WGA members for media that consumers purchase online or through cell phones. On top of that, the WGA estimates that over the next three years big media and production companies will earn more than $4.6 billion in new media advertisements that accompany guild members’ work.

FULL story at link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGT_6iIHpfg

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Solidarity!

How can people watch this and not get excited about what he is running on?

Thanks.

And I do NOT say that often, as a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever said it.

I'm going to caucus for Edwards or Un-committed. We could go all of the way to a wide open convention. Take it to The People and let them decide. I know the Party doesn't like to hear that, but they've got to listen to what Edwards is saying for us.