Blogadder

LabourStart Canada English Feed on Twitter

2012-02-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

If you're on Twitter, look for the English LabourStart Canada feed. Regular stories drawn from the Canada page on LabourStart, the global labour movement's news and campaigns website.

All the news that matters to Canadian trade unionists, all in 140 character tweets.

Look for us as @LabourStartCanE

Coming soon, our French language feed.

Shopping Union Just Got Easier

2012-01-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

If you live in Briitish Columbia and want to make sure the goods and services you buy have the max union content or are handled by union members, this new website is a bookmark-must.

Up and running since the end of last December it features an easy-to-use interface that allows you to search by entering the stuff you want to buy or the service you need. The results include a link to the provider.

Endorsed by the BC Federation of Labour and a bunch of major unions. Designed and maintained by members of CEP 2040.

You'll find it HERE.

Postcards From Istanbul

2011-12-04T02:21:00.001-08:00

After the LabourStart 2011 conference Geri joined me and we holidayed in Istanbul for 10 days. What follows are vacation e-postcards to friends and family.

Some of you all find this repetitive because you're 'friends' with my personal Facebook account. sorry. There won't be one of these every day.

I was late getting to our hotel from the post-conference LabourStart meetings but Geri had a chance to sleep-off her jet lag and was ready to go. We found a nice simple restaurant not too far from our hotel and had a great dinner. Our hotel is inside the old city walls, in Sultanahmet. Makes for a fun neighbourhood, but there is one down side: despite the room having all mod cons in it the sewers in the old city are a bit restrictive and so you can't flush paper. Quite a problem, overcoming 50+ years of training. :-)

Today we spent wandering around. All the major sites we wanted to see were closed on Mondays, but still it was fun to see the city from a quick bus tour and get a sense of how everything is oriented, how far we are from what we want to see etc. And at the Blue Mosque we ran into a small crowd from my conference, while on the way to Hagia Sofia we bumped into some more. A small world...

Just randomly walking we came across:

1. A street of shoemakers. In the dark, when it was quiet, we could hear dozens of cobblers tapping nails into shoes. Very cool.

2. Pomegranite juice may be my favourite drink, surpassing beer.

3. A restaurant serving a very nice lamb stew done in clay pots that are then, in high tourist fashion, tapped until the top pops off and it can be served. Ours went fine but another couple had a problem. Waiter-in-training hacked instead of tapping and the resulting explosion pretty impressive. No one hurt but much laughter and bits of lamb and pot all over.

4. Globalization: African footballer on TV flogging KFC in Turkish.

5. This place hops after dark. Most everything, including museums, open to midnight.

6. Chess set for sale: pieces are the players in the Gulf Wars and the 'War on Terror'. The Bushs, Blair et al on one side, Saddam, bin Laden et al on the other. Very well done too.

7. Very impressive transit system everywhere except the old city.

8. Old city also falls down sewage-wise. We can't flush paper, have a little bin instead. Otherwise hotel like the one I had for the conference: all mod cons but small.

9. The cult of Ataturk is alive and well.

10. There really are only 500 people in the world. Yesterday we twice ran into comrades from the conference. Some Egyptian folks at the Blue Mosque, some Taiwanese and a Canadian at the Hagia Sofia.

11. We could live here as long as we could eat in the restaurants. So far the worst was OK, the other very good and very, very cheap.

12. One out of town day booked: to Pamukkale (Google it). Looking at Cappadocia too.

13. Turkish bath/scrub (large hairy man beats you up with rough scrubs and towels, then steams you to mush) in a hamman tomorrow.

More to come, but internet connection unreliable and my mailer seems not to like the homemade batch uploader that sends photos to Flickr. But am trying to clear photos from camera regularly, so here is the link to the photos of this trip (post-conference, if you want the conference stuff for some reason let me know): http://www.flickr.com/photos/dblackadder/collections/
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So today was a High Tourist Day. All that was missing a High Group Tour Guide and a sensor in which was burning a huge wad of cash.

Might as well just come out and say it: we bought a carpet. We like it, it is carry-able and it works with a space we have that has been dying for a rug other than the rag rug we have there now for a long while. So no apologies, no embarrassment, and does anyone want a cat prone to hairballs?

Second, I must have inadvertently stepped on some important and mobbed-up toes, because there I was this afternoon, recovering from having bought a carpet from a nice man whose brother is a close personal friend of Paul Martin's, enjoying a steam bath, when a very large bald hairy man wearing an odd plaid skirt came over to me and started whaling away on me.

Having reduced my legs to uselessness, he punched me repeatedly in the stomach, chopped at my upper body until I was pretty much paralyzed, then gave me two simultaneous 360-degree titty twisters, flipped me over, tried to stick each big toe in an ear to the tune of 'Cracking Spine', leaning on me with his considerable weight concentrated at the point of his elbows, and when I wouldn't (couldn't really, all I had on was a goofy plaid towel with tassels) pay up he threw me in a corner and tossed scalding water on me. Having peeled-off two layers of skin he then worked me over with a sheet of sandpaper before soaping all his fingerprints off my body (evidence doncha know) and sticking a thumb in each ear and doing his best to make them meet in the centre of my heard.

If you ever have a steam bath here I'd suggest that you learn the Turkish phrases for "I'll pay, I'l pay" and "what's the vig?"

OK, enough stupid. It was a Turkish bath and it was fun and the bath we went to has been in business for just over 600 years. And it was painful at the time but you can have a beer after and I am thinking I might just have one (massage, not beer...well, perhaps both) a day until we leave. And mebbe come back for one on a regular basis. And pay to get my assailant...errr...masseuse...a registration number as a RMT in Canada so I can claim the whole thing on my benefits plan. :-)

It was fabulous.
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Bit of minor catch-up now that we're getting ready to pop out for dinner:

1. Burma has a 'right of return' citizenship law, meaning I can take out citizenship if I want to.

2. Geri had fun and you will soon be able to see the photographic proof of it, in the shoe district. $16USD for fab shoes.

3. Silver and pearls district right next to the shoe bit.

4. The grand bazaar fun but mostly touristy stuff or the equivalent of a dollar store The exception being the antiques section. Which was full of stuff from North africa and India. I should have said 'we think' as the thing is immense and we covered only a very small portion.

5. Most shopkeepers in the GT have a prett ydetailed knowledge of Canadian geography. impressive really. Probably better than most Canadians.

6. Only thing we bought was a scarf which Geri got down to 18 from 35 Lira. Much fun.

7. There is a corset shop in the GT for both genders. Frightening.

8. After we bought our carpet and I was carrying it I thought we'd be left alone by the touts, but not so: "Sir, that looks painful, you need another just like it to balance you out." :-) I like the touts here. They have a sense of humour about their work and don't take it too seriously, don't expect you to either.
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Budget-wise, we found it fairly easy. We used points for the flights and the hotel we're in is 30 Euros (it's not as official as Cuba, but tourists are encouraged by merchants to pay in Euros though you can also use Turkish lira, in fact if you do there's a roughly 10% discount) a night. As you can hopefully tell from the photos it is small but comfortable and modern. I was in a smaller room for my conference in the modern part of the city and it was 6-7 times as much I think.

Getting around outside the old city is easy. The transit system is very modern though the subway needs to have about 100 more stations to fully cover the city. There is a tram line that crosses much of the European side of the city with trains coming very frequently. There are buses, some of which have dedicated lanes they don't have to share, even with taxis. And there are tonnes of taxis.

We're not finding walking a problem at all. Lots of hills but none huge. And the sidewalks become stairs where needed.

The only problem I could foresee would be in getting around the old city. It's not accessible and there's no public transport worth mentioning, nor could any fit on the surface. Walking or taxis are the way to go here. Or stay outside this area and take group bus tours into the area now and then (there's lots to see and do in the rest of the city).

Photos are being added as we go along.
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Ours is a strange tribe. Secret signs and rituals, displaying our rank in dress. Today at breakfast each and every table had a bible on it (Lonely Planet I mean). German, English and French. The newbies in cargo pants and hiking boots and quick-dry hoodies. The rest, inevitably going to the same places and doing the same things, in grown-up clothes.
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I think you all may get stuck with more of these missives than you bargained for. Feel free to ask to be taken off the list. Trouble is, we walk and we walk and we walk, then we have lunch and walk some more, but we don't seem to be hungry most days when dinner time rolls around. As with today when we decided to skip it, stay in and watch the rain, up load photos, deal with e-mail and, you guessed it, do postcards, digital and paper.

Hit the Little Hagia Sofia today. Along with the larger edition pretty much one of the five or ten oldest christian churches around, though the Littler is currently in use as a mosque. Very simple, very nice, well worth the 200m walk from our hotel. :-) Plus it still has its bazaar (churches and mosques were often endowed with a bazaar for income from shop rentals) intact and operating after 1500 years (assuming it was built with the church). Some nice little shops, the whole well out of the way. Wonder it's not more popular.

Spent most of today, about 6 hours, at the Topkapi Palace. Much fun, great architecture. Wildly expensive lunch, but it was cold and windy so... Great views from the restaurant. Best bits the jewels and such and the harem. Emeralds the size of baseballs Diamonds the size of ping pong balls. Some wonderfully worked gold (the Topkapi dagger spectacular but not the most so). Candlesticks each of 48kgs of 22 carat gold and covered with literally 1,000s of diamonds. Worker rock crystal that was so fine and so thin that you could mistake it for glass.

Harem fun too. Would love to see the sections closed-off. You can get a peek every now and then and they look fantastic, and well-maintained.

The other fun bit was the relic collection that the Sultans built up over the years. The walking stick Moses used. Probably when he parted the sea, almost certainly he had it under his arm when he was handed the tablets (tho I have always had a problem with the 10 Commandments story. No ratification vote...). The finger of John the Baptist. The Beard of Muhammed, his gold and jewel encrusted sword from a period when he and his followers didn't have a post to piss in. A piece of the cross JC was crucified on. Best of all, the sword David used to kill Golaith. All labeled as though they had just been carbon dated. :-) I guess if the Sultan paid a pile for it, it pretty much has to be genueine, no? Only if it was free or cheap could it be challenged I guess. Would you want to be the one to say "Err, excuse me, but I think Your Highness just dropped a bundle on some chicken bones, wood chips and barber shop sweepings."?

We're off to Pamukkale next Tuesday for the day. Flights were stupid cheap, compared with a 10 hour bus ride it was a no-brainer. One hour flight out about $60 all-in, back about twice that.

Most exciting news of all and every travellers Holy Grail: we found a ritzy hotel not far from ours which has a happy hour hors d'oeuvres buffet that is free. We'll make it a stop each day on our way home for a drink and a free dinner.

Which means I can send even more of these! :-)
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We're close to the mid-point of the holiday portion of the trip and Geri's toe and back could use a break so we're taking a day to hang at the hotel and things nearby, enjoy a bit of sun on the terrace, read, and, yes, do postcards. Beautiful day. I am sitting here watching a steady stream of ships heading from the Med through to the Black Sea. Hardly any coming the other way, I wonder if there are timed traffic patterns? Morning traffic eastbound, afternoons west?

I've lost at least one prior e-postcard that I think was sent, but have also had some get stuck and not go anywhere as the CUPE mail server seems to occasionally decide I am a security risk while here. Apologies for any duplication, the last time it took days for the 'not sent' notification to get to me so I'm going to include some stuff that may have been in a previous message.

1. Love the transit system here. We used the tram (streetcar) yesterday several times and it is up there with Vienna's I think. Toronto's new streetcars should be so good. Under Ford of course it won't matter since they will be sharing what should be an exclusive right of way with cars. Which happens here only in the old part of the city where the streets are narrow. These lovely even down to the multi-lingual stop announcements. We also spent some time on and round Taksim Sq. and so took the funicular that connects the tram line down on the waterfront to the metro station up on the hill at the square. No tourist antiquity, it's a driverless high-tech thingee. Too bad it goes up in a tunnel instead of on the surface though. Nice view of the Bosphorous if it did. There are also commuter trains to the outer suburbs (this a city of 12 million I think). Also almost all very new looking. And electric.

2. I'm never going to develop the ability to speak more than a dozen standard phrases of Turkish. This language right up there with Czech and all the tonal languages as far as difficulty is concerned. But it can be fun to see the Arabic/Moor/Romance/Persian influences and realize that if you speak the word in Urdu or in Spanish or in Italian you suddenly know what it means. Maidan to Meydani for example or Cadde to Calle.

3. Stopped on the main high-end shopping drag, Istklal, for coffee. Facing the windows in comfortable little chairs and suddenly a weird gaggle of Japanese tourists all dressed in electric plastic walked by. Dayglow orange and green and red and whatever coloured plastic clothing and boots. Electric green coat with gold boots just about made me gag. A family/ A club? Street theatre? Then a few minutes later an elderly man came along, re-arranged the flower pots on our window sill to better suit him, smiled at us and walked off.

4. You realize just how clean the city is when in the modern bits. Way cleaner than Toronto for example. Lots of uniformed street cleaners everywhere. Old city has no litter, but is old. But the modern bits sparkle.

5. Nice man showed us how to buy transit tokens yesterday. Everyone like that. You can stop a shopkeeper or tout from trying to take you somewhere or sell you something by asking them directions or how to do something. The pitch stops, they help, everybody smiles, and you can walk off before they get back into sales mode. Very nice.

6. Street food here mostly Turkey's version of bagels, roast corn and roast chestnuts.

7. Just noticed a few days ago that our toilet, and most I have seen, has a nozzle/faucet built-in to the back rim I presume this is the mod con version of the bucket-and-cup substitute for toilet paper that I last ran into in India. Faucet knob on the wall. If pressure sufficient and faucet control fine enough, I could put on a puppet show for myself. Mebbe take photos. :-)

8. Had lunch at Altin Balik on Turnaci just off Istiklal. Wow. Best calamari we ever tasted with an very nice sauce they whipped-up and the local sea bass wonderful. Plus they bring a selection of fresh fish to your table, you pick the beastie you want and tell them how you want it prepared. One very fine meal.

9. Across the street from the second floor of the restaurant was a window either covered with sawdust or containing a room full of sawdust, and some homemade electrical connections worthy of Delhi. So come, eat at this place before it disappears in the fire to come.

10. A shop just off Istiklal sells nothing but booze and potato chips. Reasonable selection of both considering the shop is mebbe 10sm at most. Why go anywhere else?

11. Lots of 'subtle' sexism. As at a restaurant table when I get to taste the wine, I get the bigger pieces of everything and am clearly expected to order for Geri. But some of the complaints I heard at the conference from a young woman travelling outside Canada for the first time may be more about commercial harassment than sexual or gender.

12. Here on our hotel terrace I can see 30+ ships lined-up either for the Bosporus or for one of Istanbul's ports. To my left is Little Hagia Sofia (Little St. Sophia), a 1500 year-old church now a mosque. A little further left are the minarets of the Blue Mosque, and in between is an Ottoman palace on the Asian waterfront of the city. Some kids are playing football on the sports field/community centre across the road, and a nice man is pushing a cart down the street bellowing something that invites folks in the neighbourhood to give him recyclables that he then sells. I wouldn't need to win a whole lot to be able to live like this the rest of my life...

13. I'm keeping pretty much up to date with photo uploading. So if anyone is bothering to look, there are a bunch of new sets. I wish I could convince myself that the photos of buildings like the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi or especially the Hagia Sofia in any way convey how impressive the buildings are, but I can't. Sigh.
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Had lunch in a ritzy restaurant under the Galata Bridge in Istanbul. Way out of our price range, but pretty good, plus it was raining, so...sitting there, watching fishing lines with a half dozen sardines each come up out of the water and disappear up above as the fishers on the roadway pulled in their catch. If it had been warm enough we would have been on the terrace out front, ducking the wriggling fish and the weights at the end of the lines. And there are LOTS of lines. Every metre of waterfront has at least 2 fishers. Later found a bar on the other side of the bridge, beer and a water pipe.

Good thing lunch was first as otherwise watching the fish 'flying' straight up while working the water pipe would have suggested something other than dried apples in it.
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Just quickly (we're both awake in the middleof our night for some reason)...

It was about 8 hours from Toronto to Munich and then about 3 to Istanbul after a change to a Lufthansa flight. We came on points and so had exec class seats. Pods to Munich, the disappointing Lufthansa Business Class from there onwards.

The return flight is through Frankfurt. Unfortunately not ebough of a stop there to justify any time in the Star Alliance exec class lounge. Last time there the 'car wash' toilet seat feature made the extra travel time well worthwhile.

Never felt unsafe. Doesn't mean we weren't of course.

I think all I can say is that no one has shown any hostility in any way. Most actively friendly, and not just folks trying to sell us stuff, but people like the fellow who approached me on the tram platform yesterday when he noticed me taking photos of the New Mosque (new because only 600 years old).
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Now that I'm awake, here are a few more answers:

1. Tipping in taxis is to just round up to the nearest lira. Otherwise a few coins, though at higher-end restaurants 10% is about right and sometimes included in the charge anyway.

2. Weather has been near-identical to Cobourg's.

3. Credit cards everywhere, and better than the US (where we were in September) becuase chip cards are standard here. In this as in many regards, you should expect what you would in any other European country.

4. Better to exchange money at a Cambio than a bank as the charges are less. Banking machines everywhere too
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Odd notes and such this time. Every time??? Geri has a bit of a cold so I am hoping we'll take it easy today and not venture too far from home. So some post-breakfast scribbling on the terrace would seem to be in order. Yesterday was a bit dismal and rained a bit on and off after a few hours of blue skies in the morning. Today the blue seems to be holding. The Sultanahmet area goes from looking washed-out and dingy to pretty in the sun.

1. Only once in all our rides on public transit was Geri not offered a seat by a youngish man. and this without her (mis?)using her cane. :-) But when she has used her cane as when we've had a flu day of hiking around, she has had repeated comments from everywhere from shopkeepers to museum staff about it. Cuban of course, and quite intricately carved.

2. Yesterday in the morning we took a cheap (unguided) cruise up the Bosphorus to the second bridge, not quite to the Black Sea, and back.

3. Fishers really are everywhere along the water. Christopher would fit right in.

4. There's an island not far from the first bridge which is entirely devoted to a couple of restaurants and a cafe. And right next to it is a floating doghouse. Photo to prove, complete with a bird on the doghouse.

5. After, we had lunch in a ritzy restaurant under the Galata Bridge in Istanbul. Way out of our price range, but pretty good, plus it was raining, so...sitting there, watching fishing lines with a half dozen sardines each come up out of the water and disappear up above as the fishers on the roadway pulled in their catch. If it had been warm enough we would have been on the terrace out front, ducking the wriggling fish and the weights at the end of the lines. And there are LOTS of lines. Every metre of waterfront has at least 2 fishers. Later found a bar on the other side of the bridge, beer and a water pipe. Good thing lunch was first as otherwise watching the fish 'flying' straight up while working the water pipe would have suggested something other than dried apples in it. We both quite liked the 'hubble-bubble'. Pleasant apple flavour.

6. We think the anti-smoking laws must be new. Yesterday we could hardly see the no-smoking sign in the bar for all the cigarette, cigar and water pipe smoke. :-)

7. The bar and restaurant (on opposite sides of the bridge but both on the lower level) had fab views of the ferry landings. Quite a show. Continuous and fast.

8. In the bar Swansea vs. A. Villa was on. Swansea getting more cheers. Perhaps out of sympathy: no matter what the game's outcome the team has to return to Swansea. :-)

9. Reading a bit of the local English language papers in our 'free hors d'oeuvres bar'. Parliament just enacted a Council of Europe convention on violence against women Wildly progressive in comparison with our laws. For example arranged marriages are now illegal. Parents can be charged and the marriage itself reversed. But I can't find a definition of 'economic violence' against women. In any case it is now a crime here.

10. Also in the process of amending their constitution. Have to say in many respects their current one, while it has some serious flaws (making the military a kind of constitutional court with the right to stage a coup being one small example), also has some enviable bits. Being secular and so for almost 90 years is one. I find it irksome that I live in a country where a large minority have some other religious belief or none at all but where we all, and our laws, are subject to compliance with the Christian god's rules and regs. Especially while we have a Prime Minister who thinks that The Flintstones was a documentary. It must also be nice to have a head of state who's not only elected but a citizen of the country s/he runs. Oh, and all the legislative bodies of government here are elected...and awake, as far as I can tell. Unlike a certain senate. :-)

11. Where was I before I got all preachy? Ah, yes, the Turkish Constitution. Anyway, the military bit, there since the War of Liberation, is going. And while it will remain secular (it looks like anyway), the current prohibition on any religious display or activity or dress while on public property looks to be going. There will be some provision supportive of religious freedom etc. It recently became possible in law for women to attend university while wearing islamic head scarfs, though not, I think, the full near-purdah clothing. But apparently this change was challenged and it's constitutionality is in doubt so something explicit is to appear in the Constitution.

12. Too bad recognition of minority ethnic rights not in the cards as far as I can tell. Kurds treated like shit here and Kurdish organizations of any kind all appear to be labelled as 'terrorist'. Ditto journos critical of the government. Turkey has more of them in jail than any other country I think. Glad I left my IFJ card at home. :-)

13. Taking photos here starts conversations. Mostly people just smile and say 'welcome'. Probably because that would the limit of their English. But sometimes, as yesterday at the Eminou tram stop, you come across someone with a fair bit of the language and you have a nice chat.

14. The Hippodrome, the Roman horse track, near the Blue Mosque, is closed to most traffic. At the entrances are remote-controlled stainless posts that sink into or rise up from the cobbles when a parking attendant presses a wireless remote button. Stupid I know, but I thought much fun. I used to be a parking lot attendant, bored it would be fun to see if the post motors are powerful enough to lift, oh, say, a garbage truck. A taxi? Or whether they are fast moving enough for a game of chicken with a tour bus. :-)

15. Huge wine industry here. Government can't ban alcohol (see secular constitution above) but does heavily tax all but beer. Some nice wines and some varietals that we have never heard of before. Local only?

16. From the water we got a chance to see the huge Rita-Carleton development in its entirety. Hotel and condos, as in Toronto I think. In the new part of the city's European side it completely dominates the skyline in an area not short of skyscrapers. Remarkably ugly.

Off to walk the area around the spice bazaar, supposed to be the last bit of the old city untouched since the 1950's tourism-wise at least, then our free food bar (the waiter deserves his own entry in one of these e-cards and will get it), then an early night as we're being picked-up around 0500 tomorrow to make our flight to Pamukkale.
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Added a few new folks to the thread. Few of you just slipped through the cracks, another one or two we left off thinking a spouse would pass them along, but then you never know, so....

Getting towards the end of the trip (I can tell because we always through our restaurant budget to the wind and just go for a comfortable spot, regardless if there is a cheaper and possibly even better bit of street food available just outside). :-)

17:45 call to prayer just starting as I write this. Kinda nice, hits us from 3 or more mosques here Not that anybody except the tourists pays attention any more than everyone rushes off to church when the bells ring on Sunday at home.

1. Parks here have lots of clean benches. LOTS. And I think I have yet to see one without a kiddies play area and at least one muni worker sweeping or brushing or washing.

2. On a not-unrelated note, solid waste trucks have 3-man (always men) crews. Nice uniforms too. The Sultanahmet uniform is a nice bright green.

3. In the older parts of town fruit and veg carts are common. Vendor pushes it along, shouting out (I presume) what he has for sale).

4. Lots and lots and lots of cats. And everyone feeds them.

5. Has to be 20+ daily newspapers. Lively, despite the threat of imprisonment under the bizarre (almost as much so as the British) laws re. libel and the rather unique crime of 'insulting Turkishness'.

6. Got a peek at an empty tram car driver's compartment Very star Trek. when I grow up I want to be an Istanbul transit driver.

7. In the old city parking is a world-class sport. People park where and how they can, the city responds with various devices meant to keep cars off curbs and sidewalks etc. But the drivers are both skilled and creative (and on steep hills don't turn their wheels in as it causes the to take up more space). Can also lead to pedestrian traffic jams as tight spaces between parked cars and traffic combines with Turkish politeness ("No, after you...no, after YOU...no...").

8. Stiff climb up to and then part way just up the Galata Tower. 70m or so. Nice view. Sitting inside with a window having tea I could pick out my fellow acrophobes as they slid along the wall and into the window niches when they got to them. Looking very stressed too I should say. I gave it a try but the open railing and narrow deck under my feet was too much. Would have been able to manage it if they had proper safety netting, air bags on the ground, safety harness and ropes, chicken wire wrapping the deck circling the tower, guards along the railing, their arms linked, and a helicopter circling over the waiting ambulances.

9. Only 2 full days here in Istanbul left as tomorrow is out trip to Pammukkale. . Thurs and Fri. The Chora Church's Byzantine mosaics supposed to be spectacular, but after 3 trips to Italy, churches kinda pale. More so after easy-on-the-aye mosques with their geometric decorative designs. The prospect of diabetes-inducing gilt and such not too enticing right now

10. Huge seagull hovering outside our window as we have lunch in the Tower cafe. Muzac system playing 'Three Times a Lady' and 'Can't Stop Loving You'.

11. Istanbul is where tulips came from. Netherlands just controlled the trade. This place in spring makes Ottawa look like a plain lawn.

12. Disappointment: no sufi shrines and all the dervish stuff is faked for tourists.

13. No skateboard or rollerblades seen. Nice!

14. Grand total of two beggars seen, one of them a kid who was rather well-dressed for what he was doing and so may just have been trying it on.

15. Next time we're here: summer, so we can spend more time on terraces. And we'll book cooking classes in advance.

Bye. We need to be up at 0400, so having an early night with the assistance of a couple of large Efes. Some Beyaz white in Geri's case.
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This is likely the second-to-last postcard.

1. Monday night we found a nice little neighbourhood water pipe cafe that may never have seen a tourist before. No alcohol, just a couple of for items, lots of tea and a water pipe for every table. A very nice little cozy spot, if it served beer I'd move in. Server an awkward teenager in leggings who moved like a newborn horse, spoke excellent English. Her parents own the place. Goofy Turkish comedy films on the TV. Lovely spot just outside one of the entrances to the Little Hagia Sofia.

2. The flight out to Denezili went well. The Ataturk airport domestic terminal is dandy, lots of staff for everything and even though they have more security checks, you get through faster because there are more stations. And the security types aren't rent-a-cops, and are mostly women. :-) All spoke English, including the cafe staff.

3. My cold has migrated to Geri.

4. If your ticket and boarding pass say 'be at the gate 45 minutes before departure', do that. A lot of the gates just lead to a bus transfer. Miss the bus and...

5. Men, wear tightish pants when travelling through Ataturk as all belts must come off and a bit of slack can take your pants a long way.

6. Turkish Airlines uses a bunch of Manchester United stars for their safety video. Different.

7. Ataturk's a CAT III airport. Too bad Denezili isn't (see below).

8. We were on an early model A319. New seats and all but the spacing was a reminder of why the 'good old days' are the good old days There was so much knee room people could get the aisle to the window seat without anyone even standing up, let alone having to get out into the aisle and completely out of the way.

9. The flight was early morning. Landscape rugged, small mountains, barren because the wheat and corn harvest is done. Small villages in valleys. Not much water aside from a few large lakes. And some of the lakes appeared to have either salt pans or fish corrals. The former seems more likely to me for some reason.

10. Like most airports here, Denezili's is both civilian and military.

11. The area's big industries appear to be marble/stone works and textiles. Huge textile factories.

12. Our airport transfer took us to the Koray Hotel to wait for the tour start. I would avoid. By Cuban standards a 1.5 star I should think. Heating in the dining...well, really, the everything room...was provided by a wood stove with an over-long horizontal pipe leading to a homemade (and badly) hole in the wall. The hotel also has a door from the third floor bar that leads to nothing more than a three-floor drop. Look for the photo of the door swinging in the breeze.

13. Rural Turkey very, very, very clearly not nearly as prosperous as urban Turkey. Not just Istanbul: the cities and large towns we drove through showed this too.

14. Apartment buildings clearly take some time to complete in rural Turkey as buildings are occupied on the ground floors and up as the upper floors are still under construction.

15. In villages could still see large groups of women getting together to do things to crops to prepare them for eating or storage. All by hand. Regret: driver too fast, couldn't get decent photos

16. First stage of our tour: the Pamkkale necropolis. Cemetery going back to the Greek period. Through Roman, Byzantine periods to 1334 when an earthquake meant it was abandoned. Jewish section from the Roman period. Loved it, but not much to say. See the photos when I get them uploaded (hopefully later today).

17. Ditto the city itself.

18. Small spa-like centre in the national park where an agora (marketplace) sunk in an early earthquake and flooded with hot spring water. Now used as a pool, complete with fallen columns etc. from the Roman period at the bottom.

19. Quite a high-end little place. 25lira just to swim. Plus they have goofy but expensive things like 'doctor fish' treatments wherein you sit in a tank with a bunch of remora-like fish that nibble-off all your dead skin etc. It's the 'etc' that worries me.

20. Full of desiccated German women of a certain age, desiccated German men of a certain age who can be distinguished from the desiccated German women of a certain age only by the fact that they use carbon-fibre walking sticks to go anywhere and everywhere.

21.The calcium deposit cliffs and pools and the walk down the terraces is just amazing. See the photos, but know that they do nothing like justice to the experience. Plus by walking down you feel like the soles of your feet have been exfoliated. Which they have. And scaled by the ater rushing down at the top, frozen by that same water by the time you get to the bottom.

22. While there really was no way around doing a group tour unless we were prepared to spend at least one night out of Istanbul (but then again, see below), we were again reminded why we don't like group tours. There was a museum we would have spent time at if we were on our own, we got stuck in the obligatory visit to an 'onyx factory' which was a sales stop and nothing more, and got to live with other people's enthusiasm for delay.

23. Beer of the day was Efes Dark. Indulged while playing with the cats and watching them go to sleep on my jacket at the spa.

24. Geri's folding stool again proved it's worth. She could rest her back anytime, anywhere. Thing just hangs off my shoulder bag when not in use and folded. Can't weigh much more than and possibly less than 500g.

25. One nice thing about the group tour was meeting a Brit couple. Both a little off-centre. She recently got a free trip to Mexico by volunteering to be a test subject for a drug company with a cholera patch it hopes will replace the shot. I was mildly surprised to find that I am not interested in that kind of free travel. I amy be brighter than I think.

26. There is a town named Batman in Turkey.

27. The restaurant the tour took us to for the included lunch served something that I think can only be described as "dismal food".

24 Back at the Carpak/Denezili airport, which is new and vast and empty, we were told that fog had resulted in our flight being cancelled and we could either get a night in a hotel or a bus ride to an airport 4 hours away at Izmir(ly 4 hours drive away). We took the drive, tried to sleep, made friends with a young Indian couple and sisters from the US, survived, but collapsed into bed when we got to our Istanbul hotel having been up (some bus naps excepted) for something like 28 hours. Izmir airport older but very efficient Interesting, and I think this is true at Ataturk in Istanbul too, there's not much by way of a closed period for flights. Even though residences are visible from the runways.

25. Our second last day: perfect weather but we have low energy. And Geri's cold means she's leaning towards staying in and vegging with her iPad.

26. Red lights in some urban areas have a countdown the way pedestrian crossing lights at home do. A chance to get ready to stomp on it at the earliest opportunity. Not that everyone, including our bus driver on the road to Izmir last night, pays attention to red lights late at night. And drivers in rural areas don't pay a lot of attention to white lines, solid or not.

27. Bus played a Turkish potboiler soap the whole time. By the end I was kinda interested...

28. Turkish politics interesting. AKP religious and extremely right-wing, but really wants into the EU so tidying-up its human rights record. Also clearly plans on replacing the US as it withdraws from the region. Some goofy regional imperial ambitions. References to Cyprus (or the northern bit anyway) as 'our foster-land'.

Ta-ta. Will send on something else if any interesting happens (by my definition, obviously :-) ) before we leave, otherwise just look for a 'home safe and sound' message when we get there and can say that.
=============================================================

Now in Franfurt in the Lufthansa Biz Class lounge (they have an even ritzier First Class lounge). Nice, as always, and I do enjoy the 'mini car-wash' toilet seats. Been a couple of years since we were last here, good to see they haven't disppeared. Always a bit awkward taking photos though , so may have to rely on the old ones already on Flickr.

This lounge nothing on the Turkish Airlines lounge at Ataturk. Best we've ever seen. Grand piano (with player), pool table, lending library, cinema with mebbe 30 seats, architecturally interesting design...worth the flight on its own.

I added photos of the Ataturk lounge to our Istanbul photo collection.

Anyway, I guess that's about it. Another couple of glasses of champers before we head to the gate. Geri's gagging for some toast, will have to see if they can rustle something up.

Hope somebody got something from all these. Remember most of the posts above were family/friend postcards, so if you can't figure something out or want some further info just ask.

Perhaps we'l look at planning three weeks on CSM in Feb/march over some champagne while we wait...
===========================================================

Global Labour Movement Moves to Support Maruti Workers – Online!

2011-10-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

For immediate release - 19 October 2011

At the request of the Maruti workers’ union and the International Metalworkers Federation a global mobilization of solidarity for the striking workers is taking place online.

Workers around the world are being organized to send protest e-mails to Maruti-Suziki’s Managing Director demanding that the company immediately cease violating basic labour rights at its factory in Haryana. This effort is only the second such involving an Indian dispute. In just a few days the campaign has already generated thousands of messages from supporters in 105 countries.

The campaign is being mounted using the services of LabourStart, the global labour movement’s online news and campaigns website.

Eric Lee, LabourStart’s Founding Editor and Webmaster, noted that “This is one of the fastest-growing campaigns we have mounted in our 13-year history. The struggle these workers face, the duplicity of their employer, and the collusion of the Haryana government was already well-known when the violence began. Even before our campaign started these workers had captured the imagination of trade unionists around the world.”

“Maruti-Suziki and the Haryana Labour Department are dragging India’s name through the mud. Our country’s reputation is being damaged around the world as the violations of basic labour rights become widely-known.” Says Mahesh Upadhyaya, LabourStart’s senior correspondent in India “And Suzuki is doing serious damage to its brand by being associated with the thuggery taking place at the MSIL factory.”

Join the campaign HERE.

LabourStart is a global network of almost 1000 trade unionists around the world. Founded in 1998 in London UK and centred on www.labourstart.org, LabourStart collects and makes available labour news from around the world in 27 languages. It also provides a variety of internet-related services to trade unions, including an online campaigning service using e-mail and social media platforms.

Contacts:     Eric Lee, Editor, LabourStart:ericlee@labourstart.org
        Mahesh Upadhyaya, LabourStart Indiamahesh.solidarity@gmail.com
        +9427007063

Steve Jobs is Dead

2011-10-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm growing quite cranky with the Steve Jobs hagiographies passing as comment and such. Almost all that I have seen are about his legacy as far as electronics consumers in the North are concerned.

At the Southern end of Apple's supply chain? Child labour, suicidal sweatshop workers, unsafe working conditions and Jobs-dictated downward pressure on wages and working conditions in an effort to keep production costs down. A saint? Uh-huh. Sure he was: thanks to Apple's marketting folks.

Paul Hardy (SIPTU, Ireland) has done a nice job of dissecting the goofy surge of affection for the departed. See his blog post HERE.

And for a taste of what it was like to work at Apple when Jobs was at the helm, see the Gawker's take HERE.

Yet Another Organizing Block on Facebook

2011-09-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Just FYI for anyone using Facebook for organizing purposes, I have had my ability to send 'friend' requests blocked.

No one complained, but each morning I made a habit of sending requests to ten (10) people, all of whom being people I shared at least 100 'friends' with. I should have tracked how may days I did that, but my guess is something like 20.

This is yet another example of the problems you can run into whilst using Facebook in your union work.

More HERE. Even though the article is somewhat dated, the problems persist.

Union Looking for a Photog

2011-08-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

From CEP 2040 (one of my unions):

A fellow union is seeking a unionized freelance photographer to work at their upcoming convention in Toronto. The basic specs of the job are to photograph convention delegates, events (inside and outside), and exhibits in Toronto for about 1 week at the end of October of this year (mostly day time, but at least 2 long days -- to midnight or later).

For technical, they need people who:

1) work in digital,
2) have have a viewing system that can be set up at a table to display the photos to convention delegates so that they can choose the photo they want
3) has bilingual staff that can work at the table so that orders can be placed
4) can supply printed frames for the photos

If you can meet these specs then please email me directly (Michael.OReilly@CFUnion.ca) so I can pass your name on.

In solidarity
Mike
--
Michael OReilly, President
Canadian Freelance Union (CFU) | CEP Local 2040 Michael.OReilly@CFUnion.ca | www.CFUnion.ca
Phone: 613-686-3389 | Fax: please arrange in advance
403 - 307 Euclid Ave. Thunder Bay, ON, P7E 6G6

Support Palestinian Workers' Strike

2011-07-23T03:45:00.000-07:00

On 16 June, 35 Palestinian workers at Salit Quarries in Mishor Adumim (in area C, east of Jerusalem, in the Occupied West Bank) began a strike. The workers, organized with the independent union WAC-Ma'an, are demanding an end to exploitation and humiliation, and insist on signing a first collective agreement.

Salit Quarries’ main customer is Readymix Industries (Israel). The total reliance of Salit Quarry on Readymix as their biggest and by far the most important customer puts responsibility on Readymix to make sure that their clients abides by labour laws and safeguards elementary rights for the workers of Salit. The workers call upon Readymix to urge the Salit management to terminate this unnecessary strike by signing the collective agreement with the workers and WAC-Ma’an.

In just 20 seconds or less you can send a message to Readymix HERE.

This is a LaburStart campaign in partnership with the Workers Advice Center, an independent representative workers organization, uniting workers regardless of nationality, religion, gender or the color of their skin.

This campaign is currently available in 8 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew.

Webwork Column Now Online

2011-06-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

My regular column on internet resources, tips and tricks for unions is now online at the Our Times website HERE. Note too that if you scroll down the list of articles on the topic of organizing you'll come across a number that are internet-related.

Over time all columns going back to the first will be made available by Our Times.

Help Stop the Attack on Canadian Unions

2011-06-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

As trade unionists we understand that the right to free collective bargaining without interference from the state is fundamental to what we do. When the state interferes on behalf of an employer our rights as workers are at stake.

In Canada a recently-elected right-wing Conservative government is declaring war on workers and their unions. Their first target is one of Canada’s most militant unions, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). We’ll spare you most the details, but it is clear that CUPW has been targeted. If the Conservatives can crush this union this will have an effect on the entire Canadian labour movement.

Among other things the proposed legislation doesn't just require the union and the employer to continue bargaining or to refer everything in dispute to an arbitrator. Instead it imposes terms and conditions of employment. You can read the bill in PDF form HERE.

Our CUPW e-campaign is within sight of the 10,000 messages mark. The Minister of Labour is saying that she has thousands of messages demanding legislation to end the strike and to impose new conditions of employment on post office workers.

Help give the union the ability to say ‘we have tens of thousands of messages demanding free collective bargaining’.

Join this campaign HERE and pass this link along to ALL your contacts!

Labour Video of the Year Winner!

2011-06-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

IBEW’s Workplace Democracy: Corporate Style was the winner in this year’s LabourStart Labour Video of the Year contest. It got the most votes from amongst our judge-selected finalists. You can find all the finalists for this and prior years HERE.

Women Organizing Online and the End of E-Mail?

2011-06-01T05:21:00.001-07:00

The need for organizing across both national and organizational borders is something the women’s movement has always recognized. The internet presents new opportunities for gender/workplace solidarity to develop.

Hate to say it, but Facebook is a good place to start if you’re a woman looking to connect, or a group looking to establish an accessible online presence. I did a search on “women in the trades” on FB and got back a quick 15 groups with anywhere from over 1,000 members to just one.

Not all sex workers are women, but all the studies say they are a large majority. And sex workers face huge obstacles in organizing. The Global Network of Sex Work projects knit together NGOs around the world that advocate on behalf of, or that organize, sex workers. See www.nswp.org.

A networking service for women employed as domestic workers around the world is provided by the International Domestic Workers’ Network. See http://en.domesticworkerrights.org/. A similar solidarity network, for home workers, is being built by the good folks at HomeWorkers Worldwide: www.homeworkersww.org.uk. WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing) brings together workers’ organizations (including unions), academics and NGOs. See www.wiego.org.

Remember the World March of Women? I certainly do. I and some male comrades were assigned the rather bizarre task of making sure the Canadian edition of the march stopped where it was supposed to when the marchers reached Parliament Hill. By standing in front of something like 100,000 women and waving our arms at them. Like they were in the mood to take direction from four brothers. The movement behind the march continues at: www.worldmarchofwomen.org.

Women Working Worldwide (WWW) is about just what it says, but focuses mostly on building solidarity networks of women trade unionists all along the global supply chains: from the producers in the global south to the consumers in the north. See www.poptel.org.uk/women-ww/index.html.

E-MAIL UPDATE?
E-mail is still the killer-app for online organizing, but it is overdue for an upgrade. Aside from many improvements to the way messages are handled by programs like Outlook and Thunderbird (the latter an open-source free mailer from the same good people who bring us Firefox), the only major change in memory was the move from text-only to HTML message content.

A change of some kind is coming. A recent survey of e-mail users in the U.S. by comScore showed a drop-off in e-mail use, the younger the group being surveyed. Younger users prefer SMS (texting) and more interactive messaging services like Instant Messenger and even Facebook’s internal mail. The issue is time and responsiveness. Younger users want one-stop shopping and seem to be headed towards a single, online platform for all their communications – like Facebook, when they’re at their desks. A smartphone when mobile.

I’d be suggesting we all panic and starting beating the SMS drum again, but there’s one hole in the comScore study: it measures the amount of time people in each age group are spending sending and receiving e-mail, but not the number of messages being sent. The time invested may be dropping, but, if my granddaughters’ communication habits are any indication, just as many messages are being sent by em-mail, only the language of texting is being used (r u getting this?). Still, it’s something to watch. Something that, if it pans out as comScore seems to think it will, would make life a bit more difficult for union communicators trying to reach members online.

More immediately interesting is the drop in the number of people using webmail services like Hotmail. Gmail is still seeing an increase, but not enough to compensate for the overall drop. Those users are going somewhere. And unless they are younger folks who are starting to acquire their own accounts at home or work as they grow older, it’s likely that they are becoming more dependent on environments like Facebook.

Incidentally, comScore also reports that Canadians are online more than any other nationality they monitor, and that we are, on average, the biggest users of YouTube and Wikipedia. The latter might be something you will want to note. Chances are that your union has a page on Wikipedia. Better check it out. You may find it has been the victim of some wikivandalism.

For those who don’t know, Wikipedia is the world’s largest, most comprehensive and most-consulted encyclopedia. It’s a collaborative effort amongst hundreds of thousands of active users who compose and edit all of its entries. Over the past couple of years a few national unions have found their entries to have been “edited” by persons opposed to positions the union was taking. Short of hiring a “reputation manager” (they do exist), checking your union’s entry on Wikipedia on an occasional basis is probably a good idea.

Still no solution to offer, but here’s yet another warning about the perils of having to rely on commercial platforms we don’t own or control. In 2009 Apple banned the Wikileaks app from its iTunes site, making its distribution difficult if not impossible.

Alex White is an Australian trade unionist and webhead who publishes his thoughts on unions and the internet online. Now he has made available a quick guide for unions in their use of social media. More sophisticated communicators won’t find much new here, but for the rest of us this will be an invaluable intro to integrated online communications. Free to download as a PDF file at: http://alexwhite.org/2010/12/social-media-for-unions/.

LabourStart Needs You!

2011-05-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

We do. Really. In 2 different ways. So hopefully you will excuse the longer than usual message.

First, we are always looking for volunteer correspondents. Our volunteers don’t write the stories they post to LabourStart, but they do take a few minutes a month or a day to find stories on union and news media websites and to post those stories to LabourStart.

We make it easy for you to volunteer. Our database interface is simple and a couple of cut-and-paste operations is all it takes to get a story onto LabourStart.

More info can be found HERE.

Second, LabourStart’s services to unions are all offered at no charge. Our newswires, our e-campaigning, everything else as well – all free. The only fees we have ever charged are for registration at our global solidarity conferences. And even then we’ve worked to keep the cost to workers down and to assist delegates who would not otherwise be able to attend.

So each May we make an effort to solicit donations from unions and individuals in support of our work.

If you personally can make a contribution, great. But, better yet, take this request for assistance to your union. If your union connects with LabourStart in this way then all its members have. The result? Both LabourStart and your union are stronger. As important as the money is to our operation, building our network is even more important. A donation from your union does both.

Donations can be made by cheque (send Canada@LabourStart.org a request for our mailing address) or online HERE.

Thanks.

More Global Solidarity in More Languages

2011-04-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

LabourStart already offers labour news from around the world in 27 languages on our news pages as well as through our various newswire servics.

The number of languages in which we can offer our online solidarity campaign service is more limited, in large part because translating campaign materials requires a greater commitment from our volunteers.

So it's always great news when we can announce that we've added another language for campaigning purposes.

This time around it's Arabic. See (and participate in) our very first Arabic campaign HERE.

74 Videos in Global Labour Video Competition

2011-04-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

74 entries from around the world are now being vetted by our panel of judges. Soon they will have their shortlist of finalists out and the final ranking will done by LabourStart’s readers using an online voting system.

Inevitably, some very fine videos won’t make it onto the list of finalists. Don’t miss any. You can see all the nominated videos HERE.

LabourStart's 2011 Labour Video of the Year Contest

2011-03-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Online videos are becoming pretty common in the union world, as elsewhere. If you have produced one or if you have enjoyed a union video that you think deserves wider attention, nominate it for the LabourStart Video of the Year award.

Info on how to nominate, as well as last year’s winners and this year’s current nominees can be found HERE.

Japan: What Unions Are Doing and How You Can Help

2011-03-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is taken from the text of today's LabourStart weekly mailing.

The international trade union movement has published a lot of information on the web - but chances are you don't know much about it.
Here are some of the pages you might want to check out:

* The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has a page with extensive information on the earthquake, tsunami and what followed. You can send messages of solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Japan from their website. It has also announced a donation of more than US$300,000 directly from the federation to help the people of Japan.

* Public Services International (PSI) has also issued a statement and has set up an aid fund to which unions can donate.

* The ICEM, which represents chemical, energy and mine workers -- whose members are currently involved in the efforts to prevent catastrophes at the nuclear power stations -- has a web page with details on how to pass on donations directly to the Japanese unions, who have set up a special bank account for this purpose.

* The International Metalworkers Federation also has detailed information on how your union can donate money directly to the Japanese unions and has issued a statement.

* Education International has set up a Japan earthquake and tsunami fund to which unions can contribute.

* The IUF (global union for the food and hotel sector) has sent a circular to all its affiliates which includes an email address in Japan to which solidarity messages may be sent -- iuf-jcc@iuf.org.

* UNI Global Union has issued some statements, including one from its general secretary.

* Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) reported on a moment of silence and a visit to the Japanese embassy following an earlier statement.

This is by no means a comprehensive list and does not include what national union trade union centers, national unions and local unions have done.

If your union is affiliated to one of the global union federations listed above (and it probably is), please do check out what they are doing and how your union can be involved.

Please share this message with your fellow trade union members.

Appeal From Japanese Union

2011-03-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Message from Zenroren, Japan
March 14, 2011

Dear Sisters and Brothers around the world,

On behalf of 1.2 million Japanese working people, Zenroren wishes to express our sincere appreciation for unions and individuals around the world for the devastating “Tohoku Pacific Earthquake” which struck northeastern pacific region of Japan at 14:46 (JST) on March 11th, Friday. We also thank many international rescue teams working hard to save victimized people, which came from many countries like Korea, China, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, the US, UK, Germany or France and many others.

The earthquake struck Tohoku and Kanto region (northeast pacific side) was magnitude 9 scale and the biggest one in Japanese recorded history. As you see media reports, you can see overwhelmingly shocking scene particularly in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. Nearly 2000 deaths have been confirmed (March 14th), and it will certainly be larger unfortunately in the near future. Very sadly, some of our members and their loved one lost their life, colleagues, workplaces, their house and home town. Zenroren expressed the deepest sympathy and support for members and people in the damaged area.

Zenroren immediately set up the Disaster Response Committee for organizing relief and support activities by Zenroren and friendly unions, headed by President Daikoku on March 12th, and had a meeting on Monday 14th with representatives from industrial federations. We decided that right now the focus has to be on the loss of life and the injured as well as the rescue efforts and meeting the necessities of like, particularly for those evacuated. Since the damaged area is so huge across mainly 5 prefecture and several hundred local municipalities, there is still uncertainty for organizing possible relief and support activities by trade unions, however, our medial, transport or municipal workers unions have been already working very hard to every possible way to provide support for their members and people in the area.

As you also know, the accidents and leakage of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plants made the situation more complicated, and shortage of electricity will be heavy burden for economic activity in Japan. Zenroren recognizes we all need to work in solidarity with as a nation and working people around the world at this unprecedentedly difficult and challenging time.

With that, we call on our friends all over the world to send your solidarity message and financial contribution to Zenroren. Your message will be introduced in Japanese on Zenroren web page, and financial assistance will be used for our relief activities in the damaged area. We thank you in advance for your support and are trying our best to update our webpage and e-mail information to you so far.

In solidarity,

Zenroren Disaster Response Committee for Tohoku Pacific Earthquake

For donation to Zenroren relief activity, the following bank account is available.

Japan Post Bank
In USD

Intermediary Bank: Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas NY
Intermediary Bank Swift Code: BKTRUS33
Beneficiary Bank: Japan Post Bank
Branch: Head Office
Beneficiary Bank Address: 3-2, Kasumigaseki-1chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8798
Beneficiary Bank Swift Code: JPPSJPJ1
Beneficiary Bank Chips UID: 427593
Account Name: ZENKOKU ROUDOUKUMIAI SOURENGOU
Payee Account Number: 00170-3-426272
Payee Address: 4F, 2-4-4, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8462, Japan
Payee Telephone: +81-3-5842-5611
Payee Contact: Keisuke FUSE, Director, International Bureau, k-fuse@zenroren.gr.jp
In EUR
Intermediately Bank: Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt
Intermediary Bank Swift Code: DEUTDEFF
Beneficiary Bank: Japan Post Bank
Branch: Head Office
Beneficiary Bank Address: 3-2, Kasumigaseki-1chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8798
Beneficiary Bank Swift Code: JPPSJPJ1
Account Name: ZENKOKU ROUDOUKUMIAI SOURENGOU
Payee Account Number: 00170-3-426272
Payee Address: 4F, 2-4-4, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8462, Japan
Payee Telephone: +81-3-5842-5611
Payee Contact: Keisuke FUSE, Director, International Bureau, k-fuse@zenroren.gr.jp

Please indicate “Earthquake Relief FUND” in communication space. Also, Zenroren will update its Labor Bank Account shortly.

A Note on Wisconsin's Labour Chill Moving North by Larry Katz

2011-03-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Larry is a retired CUPE Research Director. He circulated this recently. Well worth a read.

I just finished reading ‘Will Wisconsin's Chill on Labour Move North?’ by Konrad Yakabuski in the Globe and Mail (click HERE to see the article)

It’s a fairly good article for someone I expect is not a big fan of unions and has little direct experience with industrial relations and union culture. Yakabuski suggests that despite the comparative strength of unions here, this is likely to happen. Economic changes and prevailing fiscal constraints in the two countries are not fundamentally different. Governments and other public institutions here, as in the U.S., simply don’t have the revenue needed to maintain existing union rights, benefits and wage expectations, he suggests.

Increasing taxes on already over-burdened taxpayers is not a realistic option. Something has to give.

It is possible, of course, to argue that public employees did not cause today’s economic problems. It is possible to put forward more equitable alternative economic models of development. It is possible to show that the wages and benefits won by unions in the past have helped raise the standard of living for others. I expect unions will do this. But it won’t be enough, I don’t think, to stop the “chill” moving north.

We have two basic problems that have to be addressed if we are going to avoid Yakubuski’s prediction. I’ve said this before on many occasions, but I feel it is worth repeating.

First, unions in Canada have to acknowledge their own vulnerability, stop pretending they have the answers, start new conversations, and establish real democratic connections with their own members. Union members pay their dues, but most do not feel part of the union. A return to the ABC’s of union education and organizing is required. Respectful, open, probing conversations and the deployment of resources in new ways are needed if this is going to happen. Unions need to consider new ways of operating and organizing, and they need to do this with their members.

And secondly, union members in Canada have to reach out to taxpayer-citizen users of public services and programs and build a community of understanding and common interest with them, not merely when in reactive mode to defend a particular service being threatened, but as an ongoing strategic, democratic, political objective. Both go to the heart of what democracy under today’s conditions is in part really all about.

Both need focused, ongoing attention. The insufficient development of both has a lot to do with why unions have been (and remain) on the defensive. It also has a lot to do with many other problems we face as a country.

2011 LabourStart Global Solidarity Conference - Istanbul, 18-20 November

2011-03-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

Want to know more about trade unions in the Middle East? Thse days, who doesn't? LabourStart is hosting a Global Solidarity conference in Istanbul Turkey, November 18-20.

For the last decade Egypt and Turkey have seen the growth of some of the most vibrant democratic unions on the planet. Their views about what's happening in the region will be insightful. So mark the dates and start planning to attend.

We'll also have union people from Tunisia, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Jordan - as well as Kurds and Armenians in attendance. Folks from the USA, Norway, Finland, the Caribbean and Europe, Asia and Africa will be there.

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Solidarity for Wisconsin Workers From Cairo

2011-02-21T04:50:00.000-08:00

This photo by Muhammad Saladin Nusair from Tahrir Square in Cairo (download a copy HERE) complements the following speech by Kamal Abbas, general coordinator of the independent Egyptian Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS):

I am speaking to you from a place very close to Tahrir Square in Cairo, “Liberation Square,” which was the heart of the Revolution in Egypt. This is the place were many of our youth paid with their lives and blood in the struggle for our just rights.

From this place, I want you to know that we stand with you as you stood with us.

I want you to know that no power can challenge the will of the people when they believe in their rights. When they raise their voices loud and clear and struggle against exploitation.

No one believed that our revolution could succeed against the strongest dictatorship in the region. But in 18 days the revolution achieved the victory of the people….

We want you to know that we stand on your side. Stand firm and don’t waiver. Don’t give up on your rights. Victory always belongs to the people who stand firm and demand their just rights.

We and all the people of the world stand on your side and give you our full support.

As our just struggle for freedom, democracy and justice succeeded, your struggle will succeed. Victory belongs to you when you stand firm and remain steadfast in demanding your just rights.

LabourStart Canada Endorses OpenMedia.ca Campaigns

2011-02-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

This is a first for us. But a natural we think. Open Media.ca campaigns for freer, easier, cheaper and faster internet access for Canadians. Their latest is the online petition against internet metering that has almost 420,000 signatures on it.

It occurred to us that as more and more services, especially government services, are available only online, internet access has become (well, OK, it always was) a class issue.

A working class issue.

ISP fees will soon be public service user fees by another name. Or already are: ask rural Newfoundlanders what it means to have your regional Services Canada office close.

So: working class issue + internet = a natural for LabourStart Canada. So we're endorsing OpenMedia.ca.

Take a look, join their campaigns.

Global Campaign for Labour Rights in Mexico

2011-02-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

Join the global unions campaign to defend labour rights in Mexico. Takes 30 seconds or your money back. Just go HERE

Compiled E-Postcards From Costa Rica

2011-02-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

E-postcard #1

As always, excuse my inability to deal with the remapped Spanish keyboard.

The best laid plans and all that. The rainy season has been especially bad this year. We arrived in San Jose to find that the bridge to where we had planned on spending the first few days of our trip was washed out. Daughter-in-law Terri's and David's place. So a bit of a jumble and we found a hotel in San Jose. Yesterday we spent a morning in the hotel spa getting the flight kinks out and getting ready for the 3 hour drive to the house, only to find that we could get to a small town, Jaco, about halfway only. Anyway, we booked into a hotel here (Jaco) and arrived yesterday early afternoon.

Heavy rain is pretty near continuous. There were landslides on the way here, one quite large. Clearing them seems to be a continuous process. Cars are waved through one at a time; I think to reduce the deaths if it starts up again. There's a spotter placed on the road who gauges the condition of the mountainside above the road and waves you through. Our taxivan driver booted it across and we got here.

Though we can't go any further and judging by the condition of the river on the edge of town may have some difficulty getting out in any direction. The rivers are all HUGE and brown when normally they are tiny and clear. One river we crossed was solidly 500m wider than the bridge over it and 2 to 3km away the land was still underwater in spots. Crocs in short supply, just hope none washed into a village. TV is nothing but news about the emergency and shots of buses sliding down hills and bodies coming out of flooded homes, villages under mud and water. Boulders washing down hillsides and taking out cars and buses.

General observations> good roads, way better than Nicaragua. Obvious wealth disparity. Lots of walled compounds for mostly US residents. The countryside no more prosperous looking than Cuba we think, though more people have cars and there are higher/end shops for tourists and US residents. Cleaner and way more prosperous than Nicaragua. Clean generally. Little roadside garbage and little sold in plastic. Lots of glass bottles, including for water. Lots of obvious sex tourism. Checkout at the San Jose hotel, fairly high/end, was a line up of middle/aged men with very young women.

Jaco is a tourist trap, all tawdry and wall/to/wall surf shops filled with stoned young Americans in bare feet, even in the rain. In other words a wonderful spot to be stuck in. Am quite enjoying this bit of mild adventure. Terri travels a little more towards the high end than we do; she's being a great sport about it though. Just a bit of panic and some reluctance to get out of the van when we arrived *we're staying at the hotel Geri and I picked out for when we had actually planned to be in Jaco later in the trip. The Poseidon Hotel a bit above a backpackers spot, though they do have a dorm section for the younger crowd. Much fun and I think Terri has started to quite like it. It helps that she has hit it off with the bartender. Cute tiny pool. Have literally seen bigger hot tubs, but it has a three/seat swim-up bar. LOL. And we had fun last night naming and playing with David's huge skin tag at the bar. His 'mini me'. Made an impression I think.

The Bible *otherwise known as the Lonely Planet( describes Jaco this way "something of a wasteland in regard to cultural offerings, but it’s a great place to get hammered and do something you'll most likely regret in the morning". Kinda sums it up and make for great people/watching.

Losing Hydro now and then a bit of a concern if we're here for an extended stay. The power lines over the river on the edge of town were under pressure from a large tree that had been washed off the riverbank In fact a big chunk of the retaining wall was peeling away from the river bank. If it comes downstream in one chunk we'll lose hydro and the bridge at the same time I think.

But the extra moving of the luggage without benefit of hotel assistance has David and me vying for the right to title our memoirs My Life as a Bellhop.

The beer tasting is going well. Pilsen is tops to date. Imperial the most popular local beer but a bit heavy and no aftertaste to speak of, so a second choice. This stop is kinda like a snow day for grown/ups. We can hang, read, drink beer and eat really wonderful fruit and seafood guilt/free because there's nothing we can do about it. The math test will just be rescheduled. LOL

For the folks who live here though this looks to be something of a major disaster. Hard to describe the rain. Mostly a steady rain it now and then suddenly turns into a downpour. Woke at 0200 this am to the sounds of rain 'drops' the size of golf balls bouncing around. Thought it was continuous thunder.

Today's plan> walk in the rain long enough to wash yesterday's clothing, hang it to dry and then have a fish lunch, retire for a movie and then try the hotel's rooftop bar as there may be folks who hang there who haven't yet seen our little show with David's skin tag.

They deserve to, of course. And so they shall.

#2

Starting to see lighter clouds and it hasn't rained in a few hours, so there's some hope. At least with the rain stopped there's a chance for some work to be done on the bridge we need to cross to get to the house, or, conversely, less of a worry about landslides if we decide to head back to San Jose.

Even if the bridge gets done soon there's no hydro or water at the house so plans remain a bit up in the air.

One thing for sure, being unable to walk around in the evening because we're tired of being rained on by then and having only a choice between a hotel room and a bar is having an effect both on our budget and our livers. When we have a better sense of whether the house is still an option we'll have to look at how to plan out the rest of the trip. Returning home early might be an option, but we of course took the cheapest tickets we could buy and so at the very least we'd be looking at an extra charge for the change. And with the tourists still apparently leaving in droves there might not be seats available in any case.

Some entertainment last night from a young US man down the outdoor corridor/balcony from us. He was going on at length to a Tica *female Costa Rican ( about how crude Americans are when shaving their nether regions, at least in comparison with Ticas/Ticas. It all seemed kind of innocent, not at all as if he was trying to get into her pants. Kinda cute really.

Fingers crossed please...

#3

Since last I bored you all to tears we checked out of our hotel and, thanks to Terri and David, moved to the condo spot they had planned for their visit here next week. This will be a great help to us in trying to keep the damage to our budget under control as they've graciously and generously given us one of the bedrooms. The up side to the cost of this trip as it has developed is that we need no longer worry about having to fuss over whether we can afford to head to Cuba for x-mas. We can't.

Much different experience in the new spot. Modern condo overlooking the beach. All mod-cons and such, the washer and dryer being particular treats as when travelling we normally do laundry in a sink and hang our unmentionables all about our room. Adds a homey feel when far from the nest. :-) Something which at least a few of our fellow castaways don't do much of, judging by the stink of them a few days after the bridge and highway were washed away. Or perhaps they had sent their luggage ahead and were stranded with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I should have asked. :-)

Pools and an attached casino. An OK but rather pricey restaurant as well. But with a view across a garden and onto the beach which would make it worthwhile on a nice day. Clearly meant for US tourists as the prices are in USD, the thermostats in F, the TV channels mostly US, and all instructions etc. in English.

We went shopping yesterday to stock the fridge here. Two things worth noting. One an orange-flavoured beer (which I am ashamed to say I quite like), the other the prices. Not much less than what we would expect to pay at home except for the meat which was more expensive. Tourists and ticas with shopping lists in English at the Super Mercado. An open-air market at the south end of town that's clothes and fresh fruit and veg that we walked through but didn't shop at.

A shame we never got up to the roof bar at our last hotel as I'd plans for using a pen to add a face around David's skin tag and introduce it as Jimmy Durante (really his idea, though he has been talking about a tattoo for the same effect, only permanent).

Speaking of tattoos, it goes with the 20-something tourist population here I suppose, but the town has a number of tattoo/piercing joints. Even the middle-aged surfer chicks and dudes, of which there are many, are well-decorated. Also over-tanned and looking generally dissipated. Enervated. Dehydrated. Well-toasted. Under-embalmed.

The younger set is seen early in the day lying about or sitting on curbs clearly suffering from ecstasy hangovers. Until about noon there are almost as many of them as there are stray dogs roaming the streets. Which is saying something.

The older folks seem to go for different drugs as there are signs at every pharmacy (many of them here, way too many for a town of perhaps 4,000, half that permanent at most I should think) advertizing the fact that Viagra and it's various imitators can be purchased here in volume, at low, low, low (or so they say) prices, and all without a prescription.

No one has offered to sell me any weed. Unusual I understand.

The weather is supposed to brighten somewhat and a day by the pool with an audio book would be a very pleasant way to get some vitamin D. Which given the weather is one medicine in short supply.

Did I mention the sex shops? Do I need to? Or the razor wire. Most especially the razor wire around the daycare centres (several, must be free or subsidized or intended for tourist families; the former I suspect). Normally I find signs of that kind of security unpleasant, but if that's what it takes to keep the little buggers inside the fence, I'm all for it.

On a brighter note, there are a fair number of electric cars rolling around and at least two places that rent them. And the largest and largest number of election signs about the place are for the Greens. Lots of hummingbirds all over the place. Great cheap food at simple roadside stands/restaurants called sodas.

Worst news: the water remains brown and rescue operations continue across the country in spots. Still looks like we have little or no chance of getting to the house. Jaco has its tawdry charms, but even I will have exhausted them in another day or two I think. My iPod is loaded and we've some books with us, but if we remain stuck here for too much longer without pool/tanning/reading opportunities I expect we'll either have to pack up and head back to San Jose early or we will find ourselves reduced to simple card games and funny-noises-using-body-parts contests.

Something to look forward to. I've always been a dab hand with a moist armpit and a supple palm. !Hasta la victoria!

Best news of the week: Geri bought a baseball cap during the momentary appearance of the sun yesterday. It has a bottle-opener built into the brim.

Bought a Costa Rican cigar. Very nice. The Cubans I normally smoke are more expensive here than in metro Cobourg. Priced for US tourists I suppose. Sit still in a bar long enough and a nice man will try and sell you a box or ten of Cubans. Well, something resembling a cigar in a Cuban box at least.

Bye for now. If this is annoying any of you and you want off the list, do feel free to say so.

#4

Bit of a gap there that you all likely appreciated. Terri´s house had no internet access.

We checked out of the condo complex in Jaco and headed to the house, passed a lot of road and village damage on the way. In some places the road was closed for several days because a landslide came across it on the way to inundating a village. Mud to mebbe waist height in people´s houses. Though on the way back in the same places the cleanup looked nearly done and furniture etc was up on roofs drying.

Some pretty serious road washouts, one near the house left a telephone pole hanging in space and required a significant shift of the road to one side.

The house great, very comfortable and all, but we got perhaps an hour of sun all week, right up to the day we left when of course it was bright and clear. Lots of hummingbirds, the odd toucan, iguanas and best of all, one litre bottles of beer. Best feature: plastic thatch on the rancho by the pool.

David and Terri drove us back to Jaco and we hopped a bus from there. Met a nice Dutch fellow who helped out, not least by letting Geri have his seat at the front of the bus to help with motion sickness.

Bus had no AC but the windows opened and the driver kept the door open most of the way. Better than AC really. Food vendors got on and off along the way, walking the aisle with a cooler and bagged goodies. Occasional reminders of Cliffside trips by bus in Italy when driver mopping sweat, drinking water, talking to friends, and, oh yes, driving. Lots of babies crying too, including me when we teetered on the edges of cliffs. Tica friend of the driver was I think making fun of me, not realizing that me leaning out to the left and well into the aisle was all that was keeping us from falling a zillion metres to the bottom of the cliff on our right. lol

With so long passing since my last postcard I am reduced to random notes:

1. Muni and cantonal elections under way. Seems like about 50% women candidates. Most signs are for the eco party and the libertarian party.

2. Lots of religious signage and big new prod churches.

3. Garage at Jaco condo had almost as many Hummers and Range Rovers as hookers.

4. David´s driving has improved.

5. Ceviche, apparently the national dish, is addictive (raw fish marinated in citrus, herbs added).

6. Canadian colony near Terri’s house. Surprised how much of a strain an English-French-Spanish conversation was.

7. Bus did 105km in 2:45. Very scenic, much fun, highly recommended.

8. Howdy honking not as du rigueur here as Cuba but still pretty common.

9. Kids sell fish by roadside like kids sell lemonade at home.

First impressions of San Jose (last time here were in the Best Western): it´s a hopping town. Lots of street vendors. And if Jaco a tawdry bordello kind of town, San Jose is like something out of film noir.

More on that later though.

Last bit: thanks Shelly for the suggested great little hotel. We have a mango tree right outside our door. Only problem is getting lost on the way to breakfast. 35 room hotel but many windy corridors with little gardens and common rooms all over the place Best $35 a night hotel since India I think.

Bye...

#5

Dying for a nap, so again in point form:

1. Fine debate yesterday re. the pros and cons of various guide books in the hotel´s internet cafe. LP wins again. Steves’ got toasted for being too US-centric (even the Americans found it hard to use re measurements and such. Book says miles, road signs say klicks). Frommers gets pooh-poohed for suggesting Quality Inns and Motel 6s.

2. Couple from Perry Sound made the mistake of driving into town. Older folks, find buses etc. intimidating. Kid on motorcycle rides alongside for a few blocks, stays right with them. Then leaves. Suspect number two then shouts from a car that the kid slashed their tires. They stop and get out to look at the tires and suspect 3 really does slash the tires. Suspect four plays the good samaritan while the car is emptied as she distracts them. Passports and all, and they go home tomorrow. Mebbe. After they got to hotel had to park on street and now have more damage. Another reason to get some fun from the bus.

3. Hotel breakfast fab, setting, in a courtyard garden, really nice. Homemade jams etc. really good. $9 extra over basic room charge to have two. Carambola (starfruit) juice to die for.

4. Geri peeked in the higher end rooms that were vacated today. Next time, if there is one, that´s what we´ll shoot for. Not that there was anything wrong with the one we got. But these like garden suites.

5. Hotel crowd are mostly LP types. Surfers through to seniors with multipocket vests. Mostly Scandinavian, bunch of Canadians, one or two US couples. Lots of birdwatchers. Can birdwatch over breakfast or in several of the hotel common areas. Funky mini rainforest run by retired hippies a few blocks away. Bizarre. Urban weird. Blotter acid has a lot to answer for, though this actually quite nice.

6. May have to trash my ´CR-no army since 1948´shirt as a border fuss with Nicaragua has ´cops´out looking a lot like infantry and arriving with their own helicopter gunships and artillery. Too bad, one nice myth gone...

7. No booze in three days now. No DTs either, so guess I´m good.

8. Holiday Inn on a nice plaza. Chock-full of middle-aged men from the US looking for sex. Sad.

9. Noticeably cooler here compared to the coast. Nice mornings, rainy afternoons.

10. Shopping fun, but abysmally so in the touristy bits. Cheesy. CR snow globes, t-shirts made in China etc. Regular shopping more expensive that I would have thought. No artisans in the artisan market. Just guys hawking Cuban cigars to Americans for twice what I pay at home.

11. Tica/Tico goths kinda fun to look at. Sweaty. Spoils the effect.

12. Lots of beggars.

13. Local bakery fab. Great pastries, sweet and savoury. Lots like it around.

14. Pensions discussion post-breakfast. US now at 72 for full benefits. >Didn´t realize. Oddly, same person lamenting this then trashes French for protesting increase in their retirement age.

15. Areas around the Mercado Centrale and the bus terminal are just hopping. Lots of street vendors etc. Smells a little off-putting though. But best part of central SJ for camera work.

16. Cast iron school building from the late 1800s.

17 Lots of razor wire, but beats Nicaragua in that there are no or few guns. And only cops have them.

18. Lots of ´great man´ statues and parks. No women.

19. Street-level air pollution a killer.

20. Whopper houses with whopper walls, lots of rag-pickers with carts with bike wheels with no rubber on them.

21. TV offerings on local channels a global collection of shows featuring breasts and old men. Old men with bad dye jobs.

22. Our corner store has a corner within it where the family running it lives and eats etc. Kinda of odd to be looking for beer (hey, I said I hadn´t drunk any, not that I hadn´t wanted to, it’s HOT here kids) and walking down an aisle and finding yourself in some one´s kitchen as they are having Sunday soup.

Bye. That´s it from CR

Free Guide to E-mail for Unions

2011-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Alex White is an Australian trade unionist and webhead who publishes his thoughts on unions and the internet online. Now he has made available a quick guide for unions in their use of e-mail, the killer app for organizing online.

More sophisticated communicators won’t find much new here, but for the rest of us this will be an invaluable intro to integrated online communications. I'd especially recommend it to local union folks looking to build a more effective online presence and organizing capacity. If nothing else it can act as a kind of detailed checklist for new folks or activists and unions moving online.

Free to download HERE.

Labour Photo of the Year Winner

2011-01-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

We at LabourStart are very pleased to announce the winner of our 2010 Labour Photo of the Year Contest.

Gerardo Correa’s photograph is of agricultural workers in Canada as they started a 50km march called the ‘Pilgrimage for Freedom’ in an effort to draw attention to the plight of migrant workers.

It gained the most votes from LabourStart’s readers around the world.

Gerardo is himself a migrant worker and a social documentary photographer. The winning photo was his first-ever entry in our contest.

Congratulations to Gerardo from everyone at LabourStart. We hope that in some small way the contest helps bring attention to the struggles of migrant workers around the world. The photo is available for non-commercial use by unions and workers rights organizations. Contact Canada@LabourStart.org for details.

See the winning photo at full scale HERE.

Read a bit about the story behind the photo HERE.

Free Guide to Social Media for Unions

2010-12-31T07:39:00.000-08:00

Alex White is an Australian trade unionist and webhead who publishes his thoughts on unions and the internet online. Now he has made available a quick guide for unions in their use of social media.

More sophisticated communicators won’t find much new here, but for the rest of us this will be an invaluable intro to integrated online communications. I'd especially recommend it to local union folks looking to build a more effective online presence and organizing capacity. If nothing else it can act as a kind of detailed checklist for new folks or activists and unions moving online.

Free to download HERE.

Online Workers of the Future Unite!

2010-12-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

Corey Doctorow is a well-known speculative fiction writer who is also something of an online activist and a new media critic (see his work re. Creative Commons licensing and his time at the New Frontiers Foundation.

Corey's latest book is about the struggle of young online workers to organize. If that doesn’t grab you the title will: For the Win: Organize to Survive. It's tagged with 'young adult fiction' but I had a fine time with it (OK, that might say more about me than about the book) and it's getting great reviews.

Download it for free at Corey’s own website HERE.

Twitter Ups and Downs

2010-12-20T04:37:00.001-08:00

Our Times column, vol. 29-4.

Sometimes we need to hear about organizing tactics hurting employers – enough for them to spend money countering them – before we take the tactics seriously. That’s why I’m giving SMS (texting) even more space here in my WebWork column.

Text messaging to organize flash mobs in support of strikes or to otherwise put sudden, organized and unexpected pressure on an employer is becoming a common tactic in Europe,particularly in the retail sector. Last Christmas, the Association of German Retailers filed a complaint with the nation’s highest court in an attempt to ban the use of flash mob tactics by thepublic sector workers’ union, Verdi, in labour disputes. Using SMS, strikers and supporters could converge on a single store on short notice. Large numbers of people lined up at cashiers’ stations to buy a single item. Others filled carts with food, and then abandoned them for managers to re-shelve.

These are effective tactics – a surprise to the company. No one aside from a small committee knows where or when the action will happen. Volunteers provide a mobile phone number and get less than an hour’s notice of the action. No posters, no newsletters, no overnight lags while a phone tree operates that an employer can use to prepare. A flying squad on steroids. Fast, flexible, nimble.

As I write this, a second wave of strikes is hitting Chinese auto parts plants. Seen the photos the Globe and the Guardian have been carrying? Those workers are staring at their phones not because they have nothing else to do. They’re getting directions and updates from the strike committee.

Both text messaging and micro-blogging (using the Twitter site) from a mobile phone are also becoming useful (or possibly not, we’ll see) tools in internal local union organizing. Recently I’ve started to see members at meetings tweeting and texting summaries of discussions at membership meetings to co-workers who couldn’t or wouldn’t come to a meeting. Unions need to give some thought to the implications of this increasingly popular practice.

A while back I mentioned Twitter and the tweeting that went on during last fall’s CUPE national convention. I’ve since compared notes with a few members and staff. We’re pretty sure that, on several important resolutions, there were more people in the hall tweeting their thoughts on the resolution being debated than there were delegates at the mics. And that’s just the tweets using the “official” hash tag (tweets organized around a topic) for the convention. Opining online is faster than waiting to get to a mic; it doesn’t induce stage fright; and it allows for a back-and-forth debate that the rules of order don’t and can’t allow for. It also, and this deserves some thought, allows for members at a meeting, conference or convention to have input from members who aren’t in the room before they cast a ballot. My reflexive reaction to this is to think: “Wow! Representative democracy gets a boost!” Delegates will no longer just be elected and then sent off to do whatever and then report back; members can now provide them with feedback and direction in real time.

But there are down sides too, and they’re worth considering. (Or am I just past it?) For sure there is the question of whether we’re creating two classes of members: one that is techsavvy and gets more input into the union’s direction, and one that isn’t and so loses out as we have fewer face-to-face meetings and more interaction online. Are we at the point where we can say that those who don’t tweet are those who don’t want to rather than those who can’t?

The recent LabourStart 2010 conference in Hamilton, Ontario, saw some less serious use of Twitter. The hash tag (a text string starting with the “#” sign that you can use to find tweets on the same topic) “#LSCONF2010” was created and advertised to the 200 participants. We suggested it be used by people looking for rides to and from Pearson Airport and such mundane things. Instead, we were treated to realtime reviews of workshops, speakers and even the quality of the lunches.

Judy Rebick, our keynote speaker, may have been responsible. In her opening address to the conference she made a point of looking at the screen over her head on which the conference logo appeared. She explained that she had recently attended an event where Twitter postings on speakers were projected over their heads where they couldn’t see them, but where everyone else in the room could. Sounded a hoot and worth setting up. Unless, of course, you’re the speaker.

SITES TO CHECK OUT

The AFL-CIO has created a nice one-stop-shopping site for unemployed workers (union and not) at www.unemploymentlifeline.com. A nice bridge to workers often lost to their unions or never a member. The Association for Progressive Communications advocates for an accessible and open Internet available globally for use in creating a more just world: www.apc.org. New (at least to me) is the online journal Global Labour at http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/globallabour/.

The always interesting Cyberunions (http://cyberunions.org) has posted the results of their survey of unions online. Aside from the health and safety content, http://www.workscape.ca/ is worth looking over if you’re thinking about setting up a members-only discussion forum. My favourite model airplane and travel forums use the same software.

Alexei Sayle on Union Conventions

2010-12-18T05:11:00.000-08:00

From Stalin Ate My Homework:

“To be at the congress of a large trade union in the 1960s was a little like attending a rock festival where the stars up on the stage were balding alcoholics in ill-fitting suits talking gibberish.”

No comment. :-)

For more on Alexei, my favourite Marxist stand-up comedian, see HERE.

2010 Global Labour Photo Contest Up and Running

2010-12-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

The latest LabourStart Labour Photo of the Year contest is up and running.

The panel of three distinguished labour photogs has selected five finalists. You can view all five and vote for your favourite HERE.

At midnight GMT on 31 December voting will close and the finalist with the most votes will be declared the winner.

Some great images here, be sure and visit and vote soon.

Podcasts and Tweet-ins

2010-08-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Webwork column in April-May 2010 Our Times.

According to an Ipso survey, Canadians now spend more time online than watching TV. Does your union’s communications strategy reflect that? We have far more access to the web in getting out our message than we ever had to TV, including through podcasting. So, let’s get to it.

Wayne McPhail’s session on podcasting at this year’s LabourTech conference in Windsor, Ontario, got rave reviews from participants and generated a lot of talk over coffee and dinner about the technology, and about ideas for content. RadioLabour 5 is past the talk stage and available now. (See www.radiolabour.net.) It’s the summary version of the 30-minute RadioLabour weekly global news pod. RadioLabour, itself, is becoming well-established, with 30,000 weekly listeners. Yep, you read that right: 30,000. RadioLabour is also carried on 140 radio stations in the U.S. via a partnership with the Workers Independent News Services (visit www.laborradio.org).

RadioLabour isn’t the only labour podcast around that focuses on international issues. The venerable and well respected China Labour Bulletin has its own audio pod. It does mini-documentaries, interviews, and reports on changes within China’s trade unions, and on worker protests. If you think that China’s union scene is monolithic and static, that’s proof you’ve not been listening.

Visit www.china-labour.org.hk.

Union pods are slowly growing in number and sophistication. Chances are that pods, at least for special events, will soon be as de rigeur as websites — and as expected of unions by the members. Union Hour is a UK podcast also available on CD. Listen in to a sample of a regional union news and national issues pod at http://tinyurl.com/2cy49vd.

FACEBOOK GROUPS

I’m just not certain what the lesson here is yet but. . . . Paul F. Tompkins is a comedian who committed to a Toronto gig — not through an agent, but through a Facebook group. He set a lower limit of 300 fans for the group and when it got there he rented a venue and appeared. He pretty much guaranteed himself a few bucks and a full house instead of risking an empty house and the bill for the room.

Have you spent months, or even years, collecting friends on Facebook only to find yourself daunted by the prospect of inviting them all, one by one, to join the new campaign group you’ve created? One Man’s Blog (subtitled “Specialization is for Insects”) has a solution for you: simply follow the instructions at http://tinyurl.com/l4eq64.

TWEET-INS

I remain personally unimpressed with Twitter, but I think I’m gradually being proved wrong. In May, the Council of Canadians organized a “tweet-in” in opposition to the free trade agreement with Colombia. Twenty-five thousand tweeters participated, virtually, in the Commons Trade Committee’s debate on the proposed agreement. To see how a “tweet-in” works visit the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ global justice committee’s tweet-in campaign against free trade with Colombia:
http://tinyurl.com/29e6ols.

More tweeting followed a LabourStart campaign in support of workers in a Taiwan electronics factory. As the workers make touch-screens for some of the most popular smartphones around, using the Twitter fan groups for those phones (phones have fan clubs?) to get the word out was a pretty effective strategy. It helped put pressure on the companies whose names are on the phones to squeeze the manufacturer.

On a less savoury note, Twitter and other social networking sites are becoming a labour relations battleground. Andy Hanson of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) wrote in to report that at least one Ontario school board has retained a security company to search such sites for comments by employees. Hanson has had to represent his first member disciplined for tweeting. And workers at the
Ville de Québec are going to court to challenge a $90,000 contract to monitor employees’ use of sites like Facebook.

In the good old days, you could stand in line at the grocery store and complain about your supervisor and not have to worry as long as a manager wasn’t in the line next to you. Say the same thing with the same intent on Facebook or Twitter and you might get toasted. It’s as if employers were hiring security guards to follow workers outside of work time. The 21st century version of that grocery check-out line has Big Brother waiting at the cash.

BIG UNION BROTHER

“Big Brother is watching” can take on another, perhaps less ominous, meaning though. Local 615 of the Service Employees International Union at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has proposed that the bargaining table have webcams installed so that negotiations can be webcast for members.

I could, and might yet, spend a whole column listing the pros and cons of something like this. But, for the moment, I’ll restrain myself and simply say that it, and things like it, are things we should be thinking about now, not later.

And while you’re trying to come up with a policy on webbed bargaining, you might as well think about one regarding tweeting from the bargaining or grievance table or strike vote meeting, and what to do when a member walks into a meeting with a Thumbtack mic stuck into an iPod. Is this stuff good? Bad?

Or just another way people will do what they’ve always been doing?

William Gibson Meets Ginger Goodwin

2010-08-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Published somewhere in 2007.

I ran across a story on LabourStart.org the other day that made me think some one had taken the brains of two Canadians, one well-known and read and alive, and the other not-so alive, but just as deserving and had thrown them both into a bender.

William Gibson the speculative fiction writer and inventor of cyberspace, and Ginger Goodwin, mine union organizer, shot in the back while viciously attacking the police.

************************************************

I am getting old. I can tell: mostly because I keep finding more opportunities in life to say ‘I am getting old’. The biggest and best of those was when a granddaughter picked me up at the airport and drove me home.

The latest came when I stumbled across a story about 9000 Italian IBM workers, members of the RSU, taking job action against their employer – virtually.

As in online. Not real. Using little cartoon-like characters to represent real workers. This just a few years after I wrote an article saying such things would never happen, that organizing workers requires face-to-face contact.

Turns out that may be true of me my generation, but what’s coming up behind may have a different take on things. Note I resisted the temptation to make reference to ‘whippersnappers’.

There will be picket lines (though mebbe no oil drum heaters), leaflets for shoppers and other workers - everything you’d expect in a strike. Just no people. But lots and lots of avatars, because this is happening (if it can be said to be happening at all), in Second Life.

Second Life, for those of you who don’t know, is a virtual world in which 9 million users adopt facsimiles of themselves called avatars. Avatars then live out their lives at the direction of the users, interacting in most if not all the same ways their users do (so far as I know actual reproduction isn’t possible). But anonymously.

To the point where you can now buy real estate on Second Life, undertake all kinds of financial transactions find romance and figure out if you really could have made it as a painter.

You can also, now get this, visit a real embassy. Several in fact, with more coming. Get a visa, plan a vacation. Or take a university course.

While technically a computer game, Second Life resembles the Pong of my day the way I resemble whatever it was that first climbed out of the primal ooze.

Except mebbe a bit around the eyes…

Second Life has become so popular that a wide spectrum of corporations have established themselves there, the better to advertise themselves and their cutting-edginess, and to sell stuff to the online-addicted.

IBM is one. A big one. It has reportedly been spending big time on the establishment of a variety of online presences. On Second Life IBM has it’s own virtual island.

Corporations on Second Life actually use the environment for what they consider to be meetings that are more productive than conference calls or video conferencing. They sell stuff. They test stuff (especially graphic-intensive applications). And they advertise stuff. Oh boy, do they advertise stuff.

So what is this? The shape of strikes to come? A publicity stunt? Just a way of avoiding taking real action? Or just one more reminder from the Universe that I am getting old?

It’s perhaps all those things, but mostly it’s a case of whiplash for IBM. If transnational corporations like IBM have invested heavily in a presence on Second Life, then the workers would be stupid to ignore the possibilities for getting their employer’s attention it presents.

IBM can run, but it can’t hide.

Transnational virtual corps spawn transnational virtual unions. IBM doesn’t play nice with its workers; their union organizes something embarrassing on Second Life. And for some corporations it may actually be possible to have an economic impact on their business. If they are well established on Second Life (or any other social networking site), dependent on it for a significant chunk of sales or advertising or meeting time, then a virtual strike like this could have an impact back here in the real world of profits and share prices.

A virtual job action also the potential to make building support for unions, especially unions representing professional workers, workers with a long tradition of workplace conflict.

Better yet, potential for organizing high-tech home workers and telecommuters. These are workers that unions have traditionally had a hard time reaching and organizing. It’s hard to convince workers like these that what they are doing by organizing and mobilizing is real when you have nothing real for them to do. As unreal as second Life is, the action the RSU members are taking against IBM is very real. Not concrete mebbe, but real.

For workers in a sector not traditionally union, the RSU is organizing a kind of job action that allows workers (if they work at it just a bit) to stay anonymous. They don’t, unless they want to, have to make it easy to identify who is behind their avatar. As a way to build confidence amongst workers who need and want to take that first action against an unfair employer this may have some advantages. Start out slow and work your way to more direct actions.

In and of itself it’s unlikely a virtual job action will bring IBM to its knees. Ten years from now I’ll be even older, both granddaughters will have driver’s licences, and perhaps the odds will have shifted, but not yet.

But the confidence in themselves, their co-workers and their union, that an action like this could create might just make possible and successful more, dare I say it, traditional, forms of job action.

Workers are not stupid. They may be in the position of having to react to their employers’ actions, but when you react you go looking for new weak points. IBM’s Second Life image may be that point. We’ll see. But if it isn’t, who cares? The workers may be, as a result, just a little more ready to move on to actions out here in meatspace.

Look at their press releases and statements: nothing new in their goals, incremental pressure on IBM to meet some well-defined and limited goals. With the exception of the details of the action that’s planned, there’s nothing exceptional in what the workers want (respect), or in how IBM has behaved (badly). Just in how the union is reacting.

Like the Borg, unions are adapting.

Ginger Goodwin might not approve (though William Gibson sure would), if he understood, but if you work for a tech company that does business in non-places like Second Life, you gotta fight them on their ground.

Even if that ground doesn’t really exist.

But the really nice thing about a virtual strike is that even if a car on a picket line hits your avatar, even if the riot squad shows up, you don’t wake up in hospital or spend an evening trying to get the stinging to stop.

Stay tuned. We’re going to see more of this.

Evaluating the Virtual Picket Line

2010-08-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Published by Straight Goods in 2007.

Four weeks ago in this space, we looked at the announcement of an impending "virtual strike" by the Italian union RSU against IBMs establishment in Second Life, the online game/social-networking site.

The announcement alone generated a lot of interest, albeit in fairly restricted circles. But for most trade unionists and observers, the protest (which went ahead on 27 September) didn't exactly send shockwaves round the world. While union strategists debate how many participants would be an impressive number, this was a rare opportunity to walk a picket line alongside a giant banana.

Run a Google search for IBM Second Life strike, and you'll see a lot of ho-hum commentary, and a smaller but louder group hailing the protest as the end of strikes as we know them.

This tepid response is reminiscent of other early computer efforts. In 1985, Marc Belanger at CUPE brought something called SOLINET online. At the time it didn't get much (perhaps not any outside CUPE) attention. For perhaps a decade SOLINET was something of an underground phenomena in the global labour movement.

Only years later did SOLINET win recognition as a landmark event for unions and their members: the creation of the first online discussion forum that connected union members around the world at low (or no) cost. Now long gone, the network and Marc are honoured for having pioneered the use of computer-based communications for unions and between union members.

There's a distinct possibility that the IBM protest of last Thursday will be similarly recognized twenty years from now. But for the moment it isn't getting the considered attention it very likely deserves.

The virtual strikes effects still are not clear. At the senior leadership levels it generates some mild curiosity; amongst union propellorheads there's a tendency to see it as heralding the end of the real life picket line, at least for workers in high tech industries.

On the down side, there are clearly some bugs to be worked out, and some thought required before applying the virtual protest elsewhere.

Some minor glitches last Thursday appeared to be due to the increased traffic to the picket locations, which is not necessarily a bad thing, if frustrating for those affected.

There were also problems you certainly wouldn't have to worry about on meatspace picket lines like one picketer teleporting onto a picket line only to land on another picketers head and deciding to stay there. Or picketers appearing as giant bananas, looking for IBM execs to throw rolls of toilet paper at.

The protest wasn't, and wasn't intended to be, a strike. It was more like the information picket that you might see outside an office building or a retail outlet. Any discussion of its success of failure suffers from the assumption that it was intended to be a strike.

Union members regularly picket retail outlets or hotels before a strike in an effort to inform those using the picketed location. This is an early job action, as a warning to the employer, a demonstration of their solidarity.

With a hefty investment in its Second Live operations (rumoured to be around $100 million US), IBM is certainly taking its presence there seriously. Inevitably, anything happening in or near that investment is going to be taken equally seriously.

By any standard that makes IBM in Second Life a juicy target.

There aren't many retail stores out there, which cost $100 million US to build.
For the computer workers' union to ignore IBM's facilities in Second Life would be like the food workers union ignoring Safeway's biggest and newest and best-publicized store when ramping up for a strike against the grocery chain.
No union can afford to overlook the employers largest operations. If it did, the union might do more than lose an opportunity, it might send the message that there some things it's not capable of doing.

Another crucial point is that the protest was merely one component of a more complex campaign.

Christine Revkin (interviewed on a picket line as UNIglobalunion Oh) of UNI spelled out the major components of the RSU bargaining campaign, which included traditional approaches as well as the novelty angle:

1. Second Life — the hype and accessible to fast computers with good internet and graphic cards.
2. Traditional email protest.
3. Real Life (RL) protests at IBM plants.

Clearly, the organizers of the Second Life online action see it as a tool, a tactic as part of a larger campaign — not necessarily a campaign-wining strategy, even for high-tech workers like the folks at IBM Italia.

Numbers are important on picket lines. They send a message. And a virtual picket line is no different. Trouble is, while everyone enjoys debating the importance of the numbers, no one really knows how many would be enough. This is a first.

Organizers and others are still trying to figure out how to measure success and failure.

UNI, the global union that worked with RSU to organize the protest, is saying that just under 1900 people participated. Is that impressive? When was the last time 1900 people were on one picket line?

But if the potential participants include every union member around the globe with access to a highspeed internet connection, perhaps 1900 isn't so many. Further, UNIs count includes only those folks who joined the protest by going through UNIs access point. Many didn't. Perhaps the total participation was even higher if only there was a way to track all participants.

The anonymity of the participants is an even bigger problem. Though UNI provided access to a petition for participants (and those who couldn't or wouldn't join Second Life), keeping in touch with and organizing those supporters in future is impossible if they are and remain anonymous.

At least the online debates about the protest aren't about whether it was successful in moving IBM from its bargaining position with RSU. The trade unionists in the discussion know better. Only time or IBM itself will tell us if it helped push the company into a more reasonable position. And IBM isn't talking especially if the answer is yes.

Of course, the protest organizers may have some thoughts on the question sometime soon.

UNIglobal union Oh: So we will analyse this protest and hopefully bring the results to other unions, which might help them in their own initiatives. Also, I hope by the time of the next UNI Communicators' Forum in April 2008 — Cape Town, we'll have other people's experiences in Web 2.0 campaigning and organising to bring together.
Whether IBM feels the heat or not, the lasting effect of the Second Life protest may turn out to be the discussions it is generating. Not only about the efficacy of virtual picket lines, but about the role of global union federations like UNI in directly organizing workers to take action on a global scale.

However it all shakes out in the end, union leaders and activists are out there examining possible new tools in their collection. That doesn't happen every day.
And for that, as much as for the opportunity to walk a picket line alongside a giant banana with an Italian IBM employee on your head, the folks at UNI and RSU deserve our thanks. They may just have started something.

Avatars of the World, Unite!

2010-08-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Published by Straight Goods in 2007.

The effective use of the Internet by unions has long been a subject for discussion inside the labour movement and amongst labour-friendly academics.

The debate just took a big, fast, sharp left turn with an announcement last week from the union representing Italian IBM employees.

With the decline of trade union density in the face of globalization and new forms of work organization (home work, telework and such) in the North, the Internet seemed to offer at least a partial solution (where access was relatively easy) to retaining members and recruiting new ones.

To some segments of labour movements in crisis, particularly that of the US, the internet took on the role of a life raft. Unions, this school of thought went, were to be judged on the extent to which they effectively used the net. Those that did well by these criteria would survive and grow; those which didn't, were likely to continue to decline.

But even amongst the most fervent of internet advocates, within the labour movement there was a recognition that certain kinds of very basic organizing and action would require, demand really, face-to-face contact and communication between workers.
Last week those nay-sayers may have been proved wrong.

Rappresentanza Sindacale Unitaria IBM Vimercate (RSU), has, announced online (naturally) that sometime this month its 9,000 members, employees of IBM, will mount a job action, an information picket designed to inform the public (but especially IBM clients) about the company's employment policies — online.

They won't be refusing to touch their computers. This isn't really a strike. To the contrary, union members will probably be spending more time at their keyboards than ever, when the action starts.

What the union is organizing is a picket of IBM's "island" on Second Life, the online alternate world.

The RSU's statements indicate absolutely nothing odd or unusual or groundbreaking in what the RSU members are looking for from IBM:

"While IBM is one of the companies with major profits," said the RSU, "its employees are receiving very few fruits of this big mountain of money. (sic)"

What is unusual, to say the least, is the choice of Second Life as the place to confront IBM.

Second Life is an immense computer game (for lack of a better word) in which something like nine million users adopt cartoon characters called avatars which they then direct, (anonymously if they wish), though an online existence. The avatars shop, eat, buy, sell, work, paint, talk, romance and vacation.

Second Life is one of several current flavours of the month when it comes to social networking websites. Corporations (and some governments: you can get investment and tourism information for several countries at their Second Life "embassies") have been quick to see the advantages to having a presence there.

You can take your avatar shopping and buy stuff for your avatar to use within Second Life, or buy merchandise for use by the real you in what Internauts call "meatspace".

There's been some use of Second Life as an alternative to tele- and video-conferencing, but for the most part corporations see Second Life (and other sites like it) as one big advertising/retail tool. IBM has made what most observers agree is a large commitment to its corporate avatar or presence on Second Life.
So, on the face it, it only makes sense for RSU to follow IBM onto Second Life and fire something of a warning shot by having a small army of avatars inform the Second Life population about the their employer's behaviours.

The job action would be no different than picketing a store or a meeting or a conference and handing our leaflets, right?

Yes. But there are a few added dimensions to this effort that have the potential to add some new items to the workers' toolbox.

First, the action involves 9,000 people (or their avatars) converging on one location (albeit virtual). Something that, if it happened in the real world would take a lot of time and resources to organize and execute.

More importantly perhaps, this is an action that can literally take place at a moment's notice, which makes it much harder for an employer to react to.

Second, and the RSU itself recognizes this, this is the kind of action which could unite IBM employees around the world:

"The high offices of the company are worried, because this action will spotlight the creation of a global union alliance — that is, engaging the unions from over 16 countries worldwide, including the new IT boundary: India."(sic)

While technically the dispute is between IBM Italia and RSU, there's nothing to stop IBM workers around the world from expressing their unhappiness with the corporation by joining in.

International solidarity is nothing new to the labour movement, but this is something remarkable: focussed, simultaneous, potentially global and, quite possibly effective in drawing in workers who are not (yet) unionized. To date, non-union workers have been largely left out of actions like these. As well, international actions are almost always an afterthought and are effectively time-delayed and step-removed from the target employer (eg, dockers refusing to handle struck goods).

Third, the labour movement globally has had huge difficulty in organizing home workers generally, teleworkers in particular.

Unlike in a factory or office, teleworkers don't have routine, non-task-related communication amongst themselves. There is no lunchroom, no after-work beer for these workers. They don't, in other words, have informal opportunities to organize amongst themselves.

In addition, teleworkers tend to perceive themselves as "professionals", a term used by their employers to distinguish them from "workers". The Second Life job action presents an unusual opportunity for contact, communication and organizing among and between the IBM workers.

Lastly, this is an action and a venue for that action that speaks the language of the workers themselves. It is a high-tech picket for high-tech workers aimed at a high-tech employer.

Unless IBM changes its tune, sometime later this month we'll see just how effective an action like this can be.

On paper — er, on screen — this looks like it may mark a significant shift in the way unions in some industries can effectively confront employers, all while organizing workers in industries with traditionally low union density.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About LabourStart, But Were Afraid to Ask

2010-08-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

One morning we (one in a small town in Canada, the other in metropolitan London) got up, went to work, made a pot of coffee, settled-in at our desks and checked on the latest union news from Fiji (where unions are leading the charge against the military regime), India (where we have friends), and Palestine (where we can’t imagine how they get any union work done at all).

As we watched, the news from each country was updated and new stories appeared.

We then checked to see if there were any news about organizing Wal-Mart worldwide. While one waited a few seconds for a database to generate a list of stories, the other looked at a minutes-old photo of police breaking into a Korean union office after the union was declared illegal.

When the coffee kicked-in we sent support e-mails to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, checked a newswire reporting on health and safety news from around the planet, and made note of a job with a union in Australia for a friend there.

All on one website. And while union news and music provided by the same website was playing in the background: www.labourstart.org.

Modest Beginnings

LabourStart began modestly enough as the website set up to accompany a book by LabourStart’s founder, Eric Lee: The Labour Movement and the Internet: The New Internationalism (Pluto Press, 1996). The idea was simply to include updates on new and innovative uses of the new communications technology by unions.

By March 1998, the website had evolved and was given the name “LabourStart: Where trade unionists start their day on the net.” That wasn't strictly true, at the time. It was an aspiration. Increasingly, it has become a reality.

In its first incarnation, LabourStart was simply a list of links to union-related news stories on other websites, and also links to some online union campaigns. An early example would have been a link to the global campaign to compel the Russian government to pay its workers back wages.

LabourStart was updated every day by Lee, but increasingly individuals would provide, by email, links to news items or campaigns.

Most trade union websites back then, and today, are managed by single individuals. There is often a fear of losing control, and there is a lack of understanding of how the web works by many trade union officialsThe content is the same as print publications, the ‘top-down’ model of one-way information distribution is the same, and the sites fail to take advantage of the web’s ability to make communication two-way and interactive. It is not used as the organizing tool it is.

LabourStart is different. As Lee became overwhelmed by the number of stories readers were sending him for inclusion on LabourStart, he opened it up by giving posting privileges to readers. Readers he had never met for the most part – and never will. But as the number and diversity of stories rose, so did interest in doing LabourStart work.

Of course LS is taking a risk by giving over 500 [now over 800] people the opportunity to add their own content – meaning links to news stories – to LabourStart. But the result has been an unqualified success. Those people are posting an average of 250 news stories a day, every day, to our news links database

In 2001, LabourStart launched its first editions in languages other than English as we pooled resources with activists in the Netherlands and Norway. Both editions became huge successes, well known in the labour movements of their countries. We followed with editions in dozens of other languages. Today LabourStart appears in more than twenty languages, including Russian, Indonesian, Creole and Chinese.

Those editions are not translations from the English – they are autonomous, with their own editors and correspondents. In many cases, they cover news solely, or primarily, from one country or region. French and English are the exceptions; LabourStart in those languages covers union news from around the world.

Who is LabourStart and What Do We Do?

Everything about LabourStart is volunteer-driven. The enthusiasm of those volunteers has allowed us to do things that large organizations which may be well-funded and have big staffs have been unable to do. One example is our experience with global online campaigning.

When LabourStart was first launched in 1998, we would link to online union campaigns. By 2002, we had set up our own ActNOW online campaign system and were being used by unions around the world to conduct online campaigns on their behalf.

One of the very first ActNOW campaigns that we ran was done at the behest of the ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions – now the International Trade Union Confederation). This concerned a number of leaders of the sugar workers union in Congo who had been jailed.

By this time LabourStart had amassed a list of some 3,000 email addresses, and we informed all 3,000 of them about the campaign. We had no idea what the reaction would be – would we get five percent or ten percent to respond? Within days over 3,000 people had sent off protest messages using our system. In other words, instead of getting a 5% response, we were getting a 105% response.

How was this possible? This was one of our first lessons in online campaigning - people on our mailing list were forwarding on the message to their own mailing lists, and where we thought we were communicating with our 3,000 subscribers, we may actually have been talking to an audience ten or twenty times that size.

In the last five years we've waged dozens of these campaigns, and in the largest one so far, were able to deliver over 8,000 protest emails to Gate Gourmet when that company was in dispute with its catering staff at London's Heathrow Airport. [we now have campaigns of over 10,000 messages]

We now have the capacity to deliver as many as 1,000 protest messages to an employer or government within the first few hours following a campaign's launch.

In other words, thanks to our ActNOW campaigning system, for the first time ever trade unions are able to react to violations of workers' rights anywhere in the world in real time.

In mid-2006, that campaigning system became multilingual itself, and a recent campaign waged in support of security guards in Indonesia appeared simultaneously in English, Spanish, French, German, Norwegian and Indonesian editions.

People who participate in these campaigns, who send off messages, are automatically added to LabourStart's mailing list, unless they ask not to be. That list has been growing exponentially over the years, growing almost at the rate that Moore's Law predicted for the power of computer chips, doubling every 18 months. From 3,000 subscribers in 2002 it should be up to the 53,000 by early 2007. [now approaching 70,000]

Those subscribers are sent a message about once a week, usually on Thursdays. The message can include all kinds of things, and it almost always includes an appeal to send off a message of protest. Thousands of readers of those messages almost always participate, and not only when their own country is involved.

In early 2006, for example, we publicized the case of a young shop steward who was sacked from her job at Dunnes' Stores in Ireland because she refused to remove her union pin. The union asked LabourStart to launch an online campaign, which delivered thousands of messages from every continent, from rank-and-file workers – but much more than that. The online campaign had a ripple effect offline, with real-world protests in parliaments and city councils, street protests and leafleting. The shop steward got her job back within days in a stunning victory for the Irish trade union movement -- and a further vindication of the strategy of using online campaigns.

What’s LabourStart Really About?

Something new is happening here, something that has never happened before in the international trade union movement.

And it is happening first of all in the minds of those tens of thousands of trade union activists around the world who now regularly participate in global, online campaigns.

Those activists are increasingly beginning to think the way their opponents in global corporations think. Those corporate ‘leaders’ operate in a world where companies seek out the cheapest possible sources of raw materials and labour, regardless of where they are in the world. This has been the case for decades, and increasingly corporations have lost whatever specific “national” identity they may have once had. The big global players may still have their corporate headquarters in their companies of origin (or not) but the goods and services they provide increasingly come from halfway around the world. There is no room for any kind of old-fashioned loyalty to one's country here. If a cheaper deal can be had by sacking thousands of workers who have given their lives working for a company and moving the business to a union-free, low-wage country, that's what companies do.

Unions, on the other hand, have tended to lag far behind, making occasional references to global solidarity but mostly retaining the same national structures that have served them well (or not) since the late 19th century. This means in practice that the international institutions of the labour movement remain small, under-funded and under-staffed. And that individual unions and their members often struggle in futile campaigns in support of protectionism or encouraging the public to buy locally, instead of building a countervailing power to the global corporations.

In many unions, there seems to be a real confusion about this, illustrated by the fact that in some unions in the USA, the terms “buy union” and “buy American” are used synonymously.

To survive, unions will need to adapt and most of all to adapt their way of thinking. This means increasingly seeing that they have more in common with their fellow workers in other countries than they do with their employers at home.

There was some evidence even a decade ago when Internet use among trade unionists was just beginning, that for some of those online, they were beginning to think exactly that way. As the cost of communicating across continents dropped to zero, more and more trade unionists found themselves in frequent – often, daily – contact with colleagues in different countries. The mailing lists they would join, the websites they would visit, were slowly having an impact on the way they thought of themselves.

Ten or twenty years ago, a rank-and-file trade unionist would have little opportunity to engage with colleagues on the other side of the world. Today, he or she is likely to do this frequently, by participating in online campaigns, or by following global labour news.

This has lead to a situation where a kind of critical mass may now have been reached. With over 53,000 activists on LabourStart's mailing list, who in turn forward on the messages to tens of thousands more every week, online campaigns are getting larger and larger, week after week.

More and more of them are producing successful results. A global campaign requested by a Canadian union (PSAC) run using LabourStart's ActNOW system produces thousands of messages in support of striking diamond mine workers – and the employer capitulates and agrees to recognize the union for the first time. In Indonesia, one of the world's largest private security companies is compelled by a global online campaign to back down from its refusal to re-hire workers it illegally sacked. In Thailand, a multinational public relations firm withdraws its legal action against a local activist following a big online campaign.

All three of those results took place within a two-week period in June and July 2006. There have been dozens more, but what is extraordinary is that there are any victories at all to report. After all, in a globalized world economy, employers supposedly have the upper hand. Victories for unions are supposed to be few and far between.

The successes so far in these campaigns would not have been possible without the new technology. A decade ago, there would have been no way possible to rapidly mobilize thousands of workers around the world within a few hours to flood a corporate headquarters in London with messages in support of striking security guards in Jakarta.

LS and Your Union

Generally unions are still not fully exploiting the internet.

LabourStart can help. Indeed it’s one of the reasons we exist: to encourage unions in their use of the internet and to spread the word about particularly interesting innovations and successes.

So, for example, we run a contest each year. The Labour Website of the Year contest draws everyone’s attention to particularly interesting uses of the web by unions. Global, national and local unions participate. The number of votes LabourStart receives determines the winner. This encourages unions to collect their members’ addresses and mobilize them in support of their site.

Our hope is that the experience of organizing their members for our contest will encourage unions to think more about running online campaigns. And that’s really the point of the contest. The real winners are the unions that get the idea and start using the internet to organize their members.

Want a basic intro to online campaigning? Call on us. Our volunteers have conducted workshops at union conferences and conventions worldwide.

Most people who see LabourStart news today do not see it on our website – using a couple of different kinds of syndication we have made our news feeds available to unions that wish to have current labour news on their sites. More than 700 union websites are using LabourStart's news feeds, including over 200 in the USA.

Our newswires help make union websites more attractive to members. With continually updated content the wires mean workers checking-in will always find something new on their union’s website. Nothing discourages regular visits to a site more than stale content.

LS newswires are available in a number of languages and are broken down by country, priority, and themes. Adding them to a union site is simple and free.

LS’ ‘open source’ structure means stories about struggles that most of us would never have heard of now greet us each morning as we work on that first cup of coffee. International solidarity is, for LabourStart readers, a daily activity.

Every union’s struggles can become news around the world. Many unions, even national unions and global federations, make being a LabourStart correspondent part of an official’s job. Your stories get out, and traffic to your union’s website rises. And for unions without a presence on the web, LabourStart offers the Labour News Network where workers can place stories before posting them on LabourStart proper.

Most importantly, you soon find that some one in the Philippines who saw a story about your struggle on LS, read about it on your website, is now e-mailing to say she has is dealing with the same employer, the same issues, wouldn’t it be a good idea to swap ideas, do some online brainstorming.

Welcome to the workers’ version of the wired world.

Eric Lee, Editor, LabourStart
Derek Blackadder, Senior Correspondent for Canada

PS Since this was published in 2007 we’ve expanded, adding new languages, many new list members plus we’ve held our first wide-open global solidarity conference in co-operation with the McMaster University School of Labour Studies in Hamilton, Canada.

Forget the Numbers or Learning to Love Low Union Density

2010-08-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

An old piece from Our Times. This is seven years old but I had this argument again last week and so thought it was an easy way to generate 'new' content with some relevance.

I should admit up front that, in 30 or more years of having a chequing account, I have never had a properly balanced chequebook. Numbers, columns, rows and totals all drive me crazy.

What I like most about Bill Murnighan’s piece is that it's forward looking and balanced. We have the benefit of having watched what's happened to the movement in places like the U.S. We have the luxury of being able to learn from others' mistakes and victories, and to move more deliberately. I’m especially impressed by Bill’s resistance to the enthusiasm that's so common today for the “everything into organizing” approach. New members are good, but first contracts are even better. And good first contracts mean satisfied new members, who become great organizing contacts.

Bill's piece has got an “organizing is not just about certification” tinge to it. I'm an organizer. I guess you could say I certify people for a living (no jokes please! I've heard them). But too many of us see organizing as a process that's political – one that radicalizes workers – to the point where labour boards say, “You can stop all that stuff and get structural: elect a committee or two and start sitting down with the employer.” Bill isn’t saying that. He doesn't start out that way in his article, and he doesn't finish that way.

But, while Bill sees recruiting new members as part of a seamless process of organizing workers in the broadest sense, he's using analytical tools and methodologies that I'm not sure still hold. He's talking numbers – quantifiable indicators of success or failure in recruiting new members.

I think there's a relationship between the way most of us think about organizing as a process separate from the other things we do in our unions, and the obsession we all have with measurements of union density (the percentage of workers who are unionized in a given area of employment).

I can see the need to conceptualize what organizers and activists do, and how unions should be changing those things: we need and want a way to figure out if what we're doing is working. But there's a problem inherent in this approach that we need to think about. It's an approach that follows a structure to labour relations that the labour movement didn't ask for or determine on its own. In fact, if I remember my labour history correctly, we were headed in another direction entirely: towards industry-wide unions, not workplace-specific bargaining units. Then along came the state and the employers.

We got stuck with a legal structure to labour relations that evolved in the U.S. It wasn't imported because it was American; it migrated north because it had been proven to be useful and workable – for employers and the state, not for workers. The state, through labour legislation, tells us what we can bargain for (or not), when we can bargain, and when we can and cannot strike. The process is beyond structured: it's straightjacketted.

Anyone who's talked to a trade unionist from a country other than the U.S. knows that the North American system of workplace or enterprise based bargaining units is far from the norm. And if you look at places like Britain, which has recently begun to migrate towards the North American
model, you'll see that the effects favour employers, not workers.

It's not for nothing that staff who do what in Canada and the U.S. would be considered largely servicing work, such as bargaining with the employer and handling grievances, are called “organizers” in Australia, among other places. There, and in most other advanced capitalist countries, a union (or even more than one union) can often represent workers in a workplace, or across an entire industry, without having demonstrated majority support. Members work alongside non-members, and the number of members – those who make the effort to pay dues each month and who see the advantage of supporting the union – may even be a small minority in a workplace. So, in places like this, the strength of the union is determined not just by the percentage of workers in an industry (“union density”), but, more importantly, by the extent to which the demands of the union have the support of the non-members in the workplace.
It's a very different system of labour relations and one that doesn't always lend itself to the numbers game. Instead, the proof is in the pudding. Or the strike. Bill points out that French unions have about nine per cent membership. That is, about nine per cent of French workerspay dues to a trade union. But French unions can mobilize industry wide strikes in the public and private sector in which the vast majority of workers participate.

Think about that for second.

In Canada, we count bargaining units. Before we get to a bargaining unit we count heads. Then we count cards. Then we count votes.

I'm a little leery of the numbers game we all tend to fall into when looking at our successes and failures in “organizing.” Compare our numbers with the French numbers. We have a bigger percentage. They succeed in having a million or more workers (not all members) strike over changes to the equivalent to CPP/QPP. Clearly there's something more at work than percentages.

I'm not saying we're more or less militant; only that I think we need to move outside the box of thinking in terms of bargaining units and votes and certifications. More than anything, we need to remember that the box wasn't of our making. So throwing it away isn’t a betrayal of anyone or anything we hold dear.

A small example of how the box and the numbers mix: We measure our success in terms of the percentage of eligible workers who choose to join a union. But we don't define who's eligible. The government(s), largely at the behest of employers, do. Presumably, the day the Ontario government took the right to organize away from agricultural workers, the percentage of organized workers in Ontario actually went up.

Huh?

I get even more confused by the numbers and what they mean when I look at what our sisters and brothers are doing in countries like India, Argentina, Zimbabwe, and in the unofficial unions of China. Some of the most vibrant unions I know of don't have a single member in the Canadian sense of the term. They have no formal structure, and collect dues on a pay-what-you-can basis. All they may have are contracts (sometimes not even that, just an unwritten understanding between the workers and the employers), and a wildly active – well, not membership exactly, but – well, a bunch of workers who get together to do things for themselves.

In the South, workers often strike over social rather than simply economic issues, including issues like the privatization of water, or reductions in old age pensions. And they strike against systems. These unions, and their members, are less likely to be minor partners in political parties and more likely to dominate those parties (and the policies they put forward), or to act as a political party themselves.

In some ways our labour movement is starting to look and (to a lesser extent) work outside the box. Many of us have already recognized that political parties aren't the be all and end all for political action. Our (initially) younger members and, more importantly, those in sectors where they're not likely to become members in the short term, are turning away from established parties, including the NDP, and playing a new game. They talk about “affinity groups,” not riding associations. They don't play electoral numbers games. They act outside the boxes the state and political traditions created for us. They've forged a whole new set of tools and are probably responsible for the fact that just about anyone with a TV or a radio has a working definition of the word “globalization.”

I can't say I have any answers, nor even many of the questions. But the best starting point for any re thinking of what we do and how we do it is to throw out all our assumptions and see if we can't generate an ongoing debate.

Let's start with tossing the numbers. If nothing else, it's a lot more fun to fight over ideas and concepts than percentages and totals. And, in the end, it'll take us a lot further, too.
Bill touches on one of those concepts, but skirts it a bit as well.

Centralizing bargaining, negotiating neutrality agreements, and many of the other ideas Bill presents all work, but only when the workers in those fragmented workplaces have some structural solidarity in the form of one union. Does it really make sense to keep reconstituting councils of unions (bringing several unions together to bargain, as one, with an employer) when what the workers really need is one union? Does union density of more than 50 per cent in an industry mean anything if that density is spread amongst five or 10 or 20 unions? With that many unions representing one employer’s workers, can any one union negotiate a neutrality agreement? How effective is a council of unions when each union has a significantly different organizational culture and resource base?

Does union density mean much if we don’t or can’t do anything with it?

The New Unionism Page or How I Learned to Love the TUC

2010-07-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

I’m giving serious consideration to renaming this column “The New Unionism Page.” I mention something from the New Unionism website too often, I know. But then, if you have visited the site you know how rich it is and so, perhaps, you’ll forgive me if I again point you towards it.

Recent additions to the site include a debate around an article on the future of global unions; the failings of the current versions; and a (rather bizarrely) interesting piece about the need for a new definition of “managing.” My fave, though, is a call by Poul Erik Skov Christensen, general secretary of the United Federation of Danish Workers, for a fundamental restructuring of the Danish labour movement and the creation of One Big Union.

Another bad habit I have developed is that of pointing to things happening in Great Britain. UnionLearn is less a resource for Canadian trade unionists than it is an example of what’s possible, including one-stop shopping for a wide range of on- and off-line courses for staff, stewards, activists, local leaders and new members. Take a gander at www.unionlearn.org.uk.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Crank it up a bit and go drool over www.unionprofessionals.org.uk. The site, run by the TUC (Trades Union Congress), is a combination professional development and social networking site for union staffers. Not just for one union, but all unions in Britain.

Sigh.

If you’re a union researcher you already know about GURN, the Global Union Research Network. Sponsored by the ILO, the ITUC and all the GUFs (global union federations), here you can download PDFs of publications from around the world. All from unions or a labour perspective, and on topics ranging from precarious work to climate change, to the uses and mis-uses of economic history. See www.gurn.info/en. See, as well, the ITUC’s youth blog: http://youth.ituc-csi.org/.

Your local could probably use its own domain name (the bit of your e-mail address after the ‘@’). But if you thought about it you probably concluded it was beyond either your resources or your technical expertise. However, it’s really simpler and cheaper than you think. Here’s a simple how-to: http://tinyurl.com/yhu9lad.

As I write this the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Revolution has just passed with demos all around and teachers and sugar workers union activists sitting in jail. Events of the last year in Iran have been cause for a lot of comment and enthusiasm about various online organizing tools, with Twitter being the flavour of the month for the past year or so. Balanced analyses of how the Iranian pro-democracy organizing took place and what role social media played are pretty few and far between, so please excuse the referral to this article in Business Week: http://tinyurl.com/n6ekbx.

Surprise, surprise: when you’re asking people to do something risky and trust you, it’s the face-to-face organizing that works. But if “technological determinism” is just a way of making sitting alone while sending millions of e-mails and Tweets into the void seem like an organizing campaign, ignoring the utility of gizmos like Twitter and SMS is equally goofy. This LabourList post on the subject is worth thinking about: http://tinyurl.com/m9lyun.

LABOURSTART’S INTERACTIVE AGENDA

Ever just go ahead and do something routine, in what you think is an ordinary way, and get feedback indicating you’re a genius? Genius is pushing it a bit, perhaps, but that’s what recently happened to us at LabourStart. As I write this we’re in the early planning stages for our first-ever open-to-all global solidarity conference.

It’s being organized by a small conference committee that was held over from our Washington conference in 2009, plus some energetic folks in Hamilton, Ontario. But this time we also opened up part of the planning to our 700 or so volunteer correspondents, including decisions about what workshop topics we would offer. We used our internal blog and posted a draft agenda. Within a couple of weeks we had over 100 suggestions, plus e-mailed suggestions from folks who were often in places where having your name out there on a LabourStart blog might cause you problems.
The input ranged from funding offers from unions through workshop-in-a-box offers from academics, to health and safety issues for LabourStarters. And a whole bunch of thank-yous for what someone called a “unique chance” to have some direct input into what would be on the agenda at a union event.

The agenda changed regularly as a result, making it something of a live document. While not all the suggestions made sense to the conference committee, members at least did some follow-up before rejecting a proposal. So, even those LabourStarters whose ideas didn’t make it onto the agenda knew we were taking them and their thoughts seriously.

The result? A better conference, for sure. But also a bunch of folks with a real sense of ownership over a project, and a bit of a feeling of community, despite the fact that most LabourStarters will never meet each other.

As it all evolved I couldn’t recall a single union conference I’ve attended anywhere in the world where that kind of input was provided for.

If I’ve missed something please let me know about it. Please. Otherwise I have to conclude we’ve missed another easy opportunity to use the net for internal organizing, for building our unions.

Podcasting Intro

2010-07-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Podcasting is probably the online tool we’re least likely to use in our union work. But that also means that when we do use it, we get a lot of attention. Here’s a podcast starter’s kit for you.

PODCAST STARTER’S KIT

Podcasts are audio files that are made available on a regular (daily, weekly, monthly) basis. You can register your podcast with a service like iTunes, and then each time you post a new edition to your website (or rented space elsewhere), the people who have subscribed to it through iTunes will automatically get a copy of it.

Think of podcasts as radio shows that come at you from your computer rather than your radio and you won’t go far wrong.

There are union pods out there, but they’re pretty few and far between. Podcasts require a lot of work and an ongoing commitment, so they have tended to come and go. They disappear either because they were created for a specific situation (the wonderfully creative lockout pods produced by Canadian Media Guild members at the CBC for example), or because the volunteer producers just ran out of steam.

A notable exception has been the audio pod produced by a member of the Electrical Trades Union in Australia called, inevitably, The Spark. But even The Spark is, after three years, being produced much less frequently now. (See www.etu.asn.au/rss/podcast.xml.) Still racing along with as many as four video episodes a month is the Union Show, produced by Phil Cleary in Victoria Australia as a TV show and then podded via iTunes. (See www.etu.asn.au/2007/union_show.html.)

Less ambitious have been the pods that pop up for a specific purpose and which are intended from the get-go to disappear once the need for them does. Podcasts to do with bargaining, strikes/lockouts, campaign, conventions and elections (union and otherwise) are all doable. And they are easy and cheap as far as technology goes: all you need is content. Still, it’s best to have a team rather than relying on one person to do it all.

Is there anyone who doesn’t own an MP3 player these days? Nothing like taking a bargaining update to the gym or a picket line or listening to it on the bus on the way to work in the morning. Especially if it’s blended-in with some interviews with co-workers, maybe some music for the line, a cheering line or two from the national president, and a Q&A segment for members on what the new collective agreement means to them.

Think of it as a membership meeting members can turn on and turn off at their convenience over the course of a day. Just make sure you pay enough attention to the format and content that it doesn’t get turned off and left that way.

For more details on webcasting of various kinds check out the Webcast Academy at www.webcastacademy.net. You’ll find free information, tutorials and discussion forums, lots of open source software reviews and links, and even live online tutorials.

Once you’ve browsed the academy and have an idea what your podcast will sound like (or even look like: a video podcast is an option for the ambitious), you’ll want the software needed to get started; something that allows you to manage the recording as it is taking place, and then to edit the results.

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)is open source software, free and with a large community of users who can provide tips and tricks when you start to push the limits of what it’s capable of. The developers even provide free online tutorials for using Audacity at http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tutorials.

Like much open source software these days, this isn’t a second-best option to a commercial product. Audacity has won awards for “best product” in its class in direct competition with commercial software.

Once you have the software, all you need is a decent microphone (average cost about $20), and a laptop (desktops are a little awkward for those “streeter” interviews) or an MP3 recorder.

One obvious use that podcasts haven’t been put to by unions is education and training. If you know of an experiment along these lines, please get in touch.

Of Women and Wikis

2010-07-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

A wiki is an online document or collection of documents that can be edited or changed by a number of people. A collaborative project of some kind.

On more than one occasion I’ve encouraged a visit to a wiki of one sort or another. The Canadian Activism Archives is one and Wikipedia another. In both cases the idea behind visiting is not just to access what’s there, but to record working people’s own experiences and opinions.

For the webbish amongst us, wikis embody the Web 2.0 ideal: a founder may have at some point defined the project and started handing out the passwords, but, at some point, a successful wiki takes on a life of its own. It becomes an ever-changing, fluid document that is the result of co-operation and collaboration amongst a group of people with a common interest.

There are others besides the propellor beanie crowd watching the phenomenon with interest. Historians, present and future, sure are. It wasn’t too long ago that the history of us (workers) was written using materials produced by them (bosses and friends). So, if you wanted to write a history of a strike in Halifax in the 1890s, you pretty much had to use sources like hostile newspapers and contemporary accounts by people who had the time to sit down and write about what was happening (likely not the strikers) and whose family circumstances were such that their account of what had happened would be passed down a few generations (fairly well-off).

Imagine what the history of your union would look like if it was based entirely on what the National Post had to say about it. Even if a history is written by a sympathetic historian, what gets covered (if not the how) will be determined by the source of information to a large extent.

A few brave souls in the history biz have made imaginative use of odd sources and given us “history from below,” which is wonderful stuff. But it, too, is often dependent on materials that weren’t consciously generated by workers: things like tax and court records.

Wikis like the Canadian Activism Archives and the Wikipedia (or at least its entries about workers, their unions and their struggles) are potentially the start of us creating our own histories, or at least the sources for the histories to come. We can speak directly to the future and for the record.

So, go to these wikis and make some history (literally): activism.ca and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Organized_Labour.

Now that the preachy bit is done, here are links to wiki services you can use (for free) to create a simple wiki: jottit.com/ and wikihost.org and www.atwiki.com. These wikis can be really helpful if you’re working in a group on a common project (such as conference or campaign planning, or newsletter or website creation – just about anything a committee would be responsible for) and are having trouble meeting as much as is needed to get the work done. Give one a try.

Members don’t need to be in the same room at the same time to contribute to the project, so participation is easier for people on different shifts or in different geographical areas. And, unlike a series of e-mails, there’s no confusion about where the discussion is at. Even better, no long silences when someone asks, “Who’ll make the changes to the draft?” The discussion is the draft and, when the discussion is done, so is the agenda, minutes, article, plan, proposal or whatever else you might be working on together.

ON IWD TRY THE GWD

With IWD upon us it’s time to point out one of the richer and better thought-out bits of the Internet that relates to women and their work.

The Gender and Work Database consists of six modules or themes (health care, migration, precarious employment, technology, unions and unpaid work). You can search the database on any of those themes and access the research, a thesaurus (particularly useful for non-academics) and stats it contains or directs you to.

The GWD is (mostly) a York University project. Some of the names connected with it will ring bells and say something about the quality of the materials: Leah Vosko (Director), Pat Armstrong, Barb Cameron, Kate Laxer; Laurell Ritchie and many, many others.

I can’t recall ever seeing a resource as rich as this online. Or as accessible. Even if you don’t have a need or an interest, this is a site worth playing with. But, since you’re reading this, you have both, so go here ASAP: www.genderwork.ca/.

THE FUTURE IS US

The TUC (Trade Union Congress) in Britain recently held a conference on the future of unions (and of minor things like the shape of work and such). Great conference (hello Canadian Labour Congress), and, better yet, it has spawned a website that is not just a detailed report on the conference, but an ongoing and public conversation on the issues raised there. Check it out at: www.unions21.org.uk/.

Our Times Column on Open Source Software

2010-07-18T14:38:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder why you’re using Microsoft products on your (and probably your union’s) computer? There are some good reasons for it, I guess, but likely it’s just because they came that way. But are they right for the job? Overall, I remain unconvinced. It’s always felt like what I imagine shopping at Wal-Mart would feel like. Kinda creepy.

There are alternatives. Free. Fully-featured. And eating away at Microsoft’s marketshare. They’re the “open source” class of software. This is software whose innards, the code that makes it work, are made available to anyone who wants to add features or tweak the way the software works, making it better or faster.

At the top of the open source heap are the Mozilla family of Internet applications. They’ve been around for a while and a non-profit company has grown up around the software so that you know what you’re getting, and what you’re getting comes with no surprises.

Until recently there was still a reason for many of us to stick with the Microsoft Monster: the online and voice support that has been available. No more.

Open source products have always had an edge in cost (most were free) and, believe it or not, features. Internet Explorer, for example, is definitely following in Mozilla Firefox’s footsteps. And Firefox is recognized for being the features leader. Despite the “stigma” of being non-commercial, Firefox now holds about 20 per cent of the browser market worldwide. The recent release of Version 3 may very well increase its share significantly.

Less quantifiable than a features comparison or marketshare has been the perceived security issues surrounding Microsoft products. Whatever your thoughts on Microsoft and their security and privacy problems, one of the nice things about open source software is that you can look at the innards of the software you’re using and see if it is doing anything it shouldn’t. Well, maybe not you, but lots of other people who would shout from the rooftops if they found anything.

Plus, because this stuff has literally tens of thousands of enthusiastic amateur and professional coders out there, when bugs or new security threats appear, the fix is generally available quickly.

Support isn’t the issue it used to be either. Free online support has always been there. And, as the support and advice often comes from within the community of users, you’ll find its available 24/7. There’s not just advice on problems, but ideas for doing things in new ways. So, for example, you’ll find all kinds of free add-ons for products like Firefox that either automate tasks for you or make it possible to do things you didn’t know you needed done. In the latter category are products like Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer, which allows you to synchronize your bookmarks (“Favourites” to you IE users) across several computers and even to access them remotely from someone else’s computer.

A more recent development has been the appearance of computer techs and consultants who specialize in open source systems. Making a living at this or at least making it a big part of a tech’s business is now possible: the installed base of open source software is now big enough to support it. Chances are you can now buy support if you need it, but the chances are you won’t need it: this stuff is that good.

So if the support is there, the stuff is free, it does everything the commercial stuff does and perhaps more in some areas, and it’s the product of a collaborative, non-profit approach to building applications for your computer. . .you’re running Microsoft products on your system for why?

When the next upgrade to one of your Microsoft applications comes out and you’re looking to make a change anyway, consider some of the open source stuff out there.

You won’t be sorry. Love it or your money back. 

To download a complete office suite a la Microsoft Office visit http://why.openoffice.org. To download Firefox (web browser) and Thunderbird (e-mailer) visit http://www.mozilla.org. If you decide you want to strike a blow against Microsoft in a big way, consider installing Linux, an open source operating system, by visiting http://www.linux.org/.

UNIONBOOK

If Microsoft is the Wal-Mart of the software world, Facebook has a similar lock on social networking, which has been a problem for unions that have tried to use it. The major issues have been privacy, and a distinct lack of union-friendliness.

Now there’s an alternative: Unionbook. It won’t replace Facebook for staying in touch with the grandkids or trolling for organizing contacts. But it will do a lot of other things we now use FB for, better, and without the risks associated with being dependent on a commercial site we don’t control.

Unionbook, unlike FB, belongs to us. It’s a project of LabourStart, and has been designed specifically to meet the needs of trade unionists. It aims to feature most of the tools we use on Facebook – and more. As it's an open source system, we can customize it as much as we want. Need a feature? Describe it and we might just be able to build it. For example, UnionBook offers free blogs to every trade union member, every steward, every shop steward and every union committee. You can create groups and the groups themselves can have blogs, documents and discussion forums of their own. In other words, mini-websites, and highly interactive ones at that.

There are groups for a number of unions around the world, several global union federations (GUFs), groups for issues like health and safety, one for lapel pin traders, and even one (started by yours truly) for trade unionists who build model airplanes.

All free, all union. www.unionbook.org.

Holy Solidarity Batman!

2010-07-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Close to 200 (still counting) activists at LabourStart 2010. Report to come but suffice it to say: great!

Follow on Facebook or on Twitter (#lsconf2010).

Follow LabourStart 2010 Online

2010-07-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Join the LabourStart 2010 Flickr photo-sharing group HERE and follow the fun or post your own photos for others to view and use.

On Twitter? Tweet the happenings or follow what's going on with #lsconf2010.

One Week to LabourStart 2010

2010-07-01T04:32:00.000-07:00

150 trade unionists from 28 countries (from Albania to Trinidad and Tobago). 9-11 July, McMaster University School of Labour Studies, Hamilton Ontario Canada.

See the list of workshops and register HERE.

KISS Too Often Ignored

2010-06-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

I just finished a couple of weeks of training and PD with my co-workers. There I co-facilitated a workshop on new tech and what to encourage local unions to look at and use.

A rough survey of what's out there and in use provided the expected feedback regarding online tools. Websites, blogs, Facebook, even Twitter are in use. Scattered and not often integrated use, but in use.

SMS/texting on the other hand gets no respect. A pity really. Simple tech, everyone has it, works well elsewhere and gets great reviews from some of my favourite unions (the Botawana Miners Union comes to mind) but we don't use it.

How many campaigning and organizing rules does that break? Pretty much all but the one that says 'don't punch the people you're trying to organize in the head'.

The lost opportunities were underlined this week as the stories about how the recent strikes by autoworkers in China were organized and sustained. Even the New York Times took notice. Click HERE to view their coverage.

Sigh.

Canada: End the Harvest of Death!

2010-04-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's been 14 months since a public enquiry into the death of farm worker Kevan Chandler told Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach that farm workers in the province should be granted the same health and safety rights as everyone else.

To date, Premier Stelmach has ignored that advice, and since then 13 more people have been killed on Alberta farms in work-related accidents.

Despite asking for Alberta Justice Peter Barley's advice, Premier Stelmach doesn't want to hear it, and farm workers in the province are paying the price. After being asked by the Premier to investigate the workplace death of farm worker Kevan Chandler, Justice Barley found that farm workers must be included in Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to prevent future workplace injuries and deaths.

Send the Premier an e-mail demanding that his government implement the inquiiry's reccomendation. 30 seconds of your time might literally save a life.

Go HERE to send a message.

Know anyone who's looking for a four month communications gig?

2010-04-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

PSAC is looking for a Communications Officer.

Competition start date: April 1, 2010
Position title: Communication Officer
Competition number 9020-0001A-010
Position number: 9020-0001
Branch/section: Membership Programs Branch – Communications and Political Action
Employment type: Term assignment – up to 4 months
Classification: Band 11
Language: English (bilingual preferred)
Group: AEU I
Location: Headquarters, Ottawa
Purpose of position:
The Communications Officer offers a broad range of advisory and support communications
services to the PSAC.

Qualifications
* This position requires a Post Secondary diploma in communications, public relations,
journalism or a related field is required, with a minimum of seven years related
experience. Prior experience working with a labour or political o rganization will be
considered;
* Knowledge of the political and operational structure of the PSAC;
* Knowledge of union and social issues;
* Knowledge of issues affecting the union movement and PSAC members;
* Knowledge of government decision making and of th e Canadian political system;
* Ability to assess and analyze in order to develop appropriate communication strategies;
* Ability to conceptualize and design variety of communication materials;
* Ability to strategize in order to mobilize members into action;
* Ability to plan and organize in order to meet deadlines;
* Demonstrated ability to communicate both orally and in writing in French and English;
* Ability to edit for style and length and proofread French and English documents;
* Knowledge of media relations including the ability to establish a working relationship with
and influence members of the media;
* High degree of initiative, tact and good judgment;
* Candidates are expected to demonstrate their commitment to union principles and social justice.

Interested individuals who wish to submit their application to HR may do so by April 9, 2010

http://www.psac-afpc.org/emplois-jobs/home-e.shtml

NGWF Follow-up on 21 Worker Deaths

2010-03-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

National Garments Workers Federation (N.G.W.F ) submitted a Memorandum on 30 March to the Labour Ministry of Bangladesh Government, related to the fire at Garib & Garib Factory on 25th February 2010.

NGWF claimed that this is not an accident case rather than the case of 21 garments workers killing . its mentioned that – Gazipur Local Government Investigation team identified 4 causes for this death that report submitted on 3rd March,2010. All these 4 cases are directly related to violation of labour law and negligence. And within the last 8 month it is the 3rd fire case. But before this 3rd fire factory Management didn’t care about it. So NGWF consider this case as a workers killing because of violation of labour law and negligence.

NGWF also mentioned that for this killing the Factory Owner is responsible. Also the Buyers, BGMEA and local Government can’t ignore this responsibility too.

So NGWF demanded to Labour Ministry to take immediate action against the issue they mention before in the memorandum, as below:

1. the immediate arrest,trial and punishment of the owner of Garib & Garib Sweater factory against the violation of labour law, negligence and 21 workers killing.

2. Tk. 5,000,00/ (Five Hundred Thousand Taka) cash Compensation for each of the Death Family.

3. Proper treatment & Compensation for the injured workers.

4. Greater compensation from all Buyers, BGMEA, Government & owners for the Death Family.

5. Payment of the whole workers for the period of factory closer.

6. An investigation committee must firmed with the proper representative of Trade-Union to investigate the 3 fires in this factory including the 25th February,2010.

7. Ensure the Health & security, proper working condition and basic rights of the worker’s in th factory.

Before submission the memorandum to the labour ministry there was a big gathering on muktaanggan, central place of the capital city at 12:30 P.M. Presided by Mr. Amirul Haque Amin NGWF leaders including Miss Safia Pervin, Sultana Akter and Arju Ara spoke at the gathering.

Representatives of Aal the trade unions alliances like : Dr. Oajedul Islam Khan – co ordinator of the SKOP (umbrella of the multi sectoral national trade union federation), Ray Ramesh Chandra – president of the BNC ( umbrella of 14 affiliates of the ITGLWF), Salauddin Swapon – co ordinator of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council (umbrella of 17 garment workers federations), Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Ismail – co ordinator of Garment workers action council (umbrella of 9 garment workers federations), Mr. Sahidulla Badal – co ordinator of the garment workers and industries national protection alliance (umbrella of 16 garment workers federations) also express their solidarity.

After the rally started the procession towards the Ministry, Police Barry gate them and 5 Federation central Leaders handed over the memorandum to the Ministry. They also mentioned that NGWF will continue the campaigns ,struggle and action until the demands are met.

International call for a fair and just labour law in Iraq

2010-03-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

From the General Federation of Trade Unions of Iraq:

Almost seven years have passed since the fall of the former regime, yet many of its laws and decisions continue to apply, denying workers the most basic of freedoms. Workers in the public sector are denied the right to organise and join trade unions and collective bargaining is almost impossible. Without laws guaranteeing freedom of association, various state ministries are threatening to seize union assets and ban their activities.

These laws are undermining the immense contribution democratic and independent trade unions can make to Iraq’s fledgling democracy.

We support the Iraqi Labour Campaign and its call on the Iraqi Government and the Parliament to put in place a fair and just law labour law which would:

* Enable workers to make workplaces safer, prevent discrimination and harassment, ensure equality of opportunity, improve skills and education, increase workplace productivity and morale, collectively bargain for fairer wages, protect the most vulnerable workers and be part of a mature system of industrial relations.

* Allow trade unions to be supported by their members, accountable to their members according to internal rules and free from outside political interference.

* Finally give workers their fundamental rights as provided for in the Iraqi constitution and the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation.

* Help build a free, fair and prosperous federal Iraq for everyone.

Take 30 seconds out of your day and jo join this campaign by going HERE.

LabourStart Conference Reg Now Open!

2010-03-20T11:21:00.001-07:00

Registration for the 2010 LabourStart Unions and Global Solidarity conference is now open at: http://www.labourstart.org/register.shtml

Free Seher Tümer!

2010-03-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

Union activist Seher Tümer, Branch Secretary of PSI affiliate SES (the trade union of public employees in health and social services), will spend International Women’s Day 2010 in prison.

But international solidarity action could open the door to freedom for her.

Ms Tümer has now been detained in an F-type prison for almost a year, with no clear charges being brought against her. PSI is convinced that her arrest is linked to her activities in the labour and women’s movements in that country, including participating in International Women’s Day activities last year. Tumer, who is Kurdish, was arrested and imprisoned in April 2009. Her case mirrors that of fellow union leader Meryem Özsöðüt, who faced similar charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation. (Özsöðüt was released after eight months in prison following a major international protest campaign led by PSI.)

PSI has been closely following this case. Ms Tümer’s next court appearance is planned for 9 March, PSI and EPSU have sent a joint letter of protest to the Turkish Prime Minister demanding that all charges be dropped and that she be immediately released.

PSI urgently calls on trade unions and concerned organisations to write similar letters of protest. Join the Labourstart Campaign and send a letter of protest now.

Just go HERE.

Support Mexican Miners LabourStart Campaign!

2010-03-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Some 1,200 members of Mexico's National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union, or Los Mineros, have been on strike since July 2007 at the Cananea mine over health and safety and other contract violations.

Grupo Mexico, the mining giant which operates Cananea, and the Mexican government have continuously tried to end the strike and crush the union.

They have threatened and jailed union leaders, illegally frozen union bank accounts and failed to investigate or prosecute assassinations of union members.

On February 11th, a federal court gave Grupo Mexico permission to fire the striking workers and terminate the labor agreement. The government has threatened to use armed force to gain control of Cananea.

The Los Mineros members at Cananea are resolved to continue occupying the mine until a fair labour agreement is reached. Los Mineros is one of the strongest and most democratic trade unions in Mexico.

Take a moment to send off your letter of protest today from the LabourStart website today by going HERE.

LabourTech 2010 Registration Now Open

2010-02-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

2010 looks to be a big conference year. LabourStart in July in Hamilton Ontario, Canada, LabourTech in Windsor Ontario, Canada 13-15 May.

The organizing committee has decided to link Labourtech to the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Labour Media to expand our networks and benefit from the workshops offered at both conferences.

* Conference Schedule HERE
* Deadlines:
o Conference registration:April 23
o Hotel rooms:April 14
o Residence rooms: April 30
* Cost: $195 or $100 for individuals not funded by an organization or union

To register online go HERE.

Judy Rebick to Open 2010 LabourStart Conference

2010-02-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

Judy Rebick, long-time labour/feminist/you-name-it activist and author will be the keynote speaker at the LabourStart Conference this July in Hamilton, Canada.

See more about and from Judy HERE.

The Solidarity Report now on iTunes

2010-02-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

RadioLabour’s Solidarity Report, the global union news podcast, is now available through iTunes. Subscribe HERE.

What's Your Superpower?

2010-02-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

RadioLabour Online!

2010-02-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

A new weekly presentation of international labour news is now on the Internet.

The audiocast - called Solidarity News - started on Monday, February 1. The audiocast will remain on the RadioLabour site throughout its current week. New audiocasts will be posted every Monday morning.

RadioLabour is on the Internet at www.radiolabour.org. It is also on Facebook, please join the RadioLabour page.

RadioLabour is the brainchild of Marc Belanger -- the founder of SoliNet, which was the first trade union online network back in the 1980s.

Solidarity News will focus on union and workers' activities and issues from around the world with special emphasis on emerging market and developing countries.

RadioLabour reporters will provide regular weekly presentations, but a special feature of the audiocast will be reports from unionists who want to report on particular events or publicize an activity of their organization.

Scripts of the audiocasts will be available as aids for unionists who want to learn the use of English as an additional language in the international labour movement.

For more information about RadioLabour, listen to the audiocasts, or provide reports, visit the RadioLabour site. Or write directly to Marc at m.belanger@radiolabour.org

Donate Online for Haitian Solidarity

2010-01-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

In times of great hardship and need, the labour movement shows the meaning of solidarity and mobilizes to bring support to workers, their families and their communities.

The Canadian Labour Congress, in cooperation with the Canadian Red Cross, is working to provide an easy way for union members to make a donation to help the victims of the devastating earthquake and instantly receive a tax receipt.

We invite you to support this urgent fundraising appeal by completing the form below to make your donation.

Union members in Canada have a proud tradition of helping those in need. Workers in Haiti, their families and their communities need our solidarity, and our help.

Go HERE to donate securely.

Nouveau groupe Facebook pour la solidarité des unions

2010-01-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

Peu importe vos allégeances syndicales, et même pour les travailleur(euse)s non syndiqué(e)s ou en devenir, soyez les bienvenu(e)s.

Ce forum à été mis sur pied dans le but de nous tenir informé de ce qui se passe dans les différents syndicats afin de prendre action en grand nombre. C'est l'endroit idéal pour échanger dans le respect et la solidarité. Il nous aide dans nos combats respectifs que ce soit pour une dénonciation, une pétition ou tout autre forme d'action pour venir en aide et appuyer les syndiqué(e)s.

Pressez ICI.

Toronto Labour Council is Hiring #2

2010-01-06T04:06:00.000-08:00

JOB POSTING - COMMUNICATIONS/CAMPAIGNER

The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is seeking a communications/campaign specialist to work on a variety of issues in 2010. This will be a one year contract position, with the potential for permanent placement.

Responsibilities will include working with the Labour Council President and staff to create a consistent and respected media profile for the Labour Council on key issues within its mandate. This will include connecting to mainstream and ethnic media, and developing internal communications within the labour movement in greater Toronto.

Campaign assignments will include building union strength and a positive organizing climate in the Toronto region, the development of networks of union activists around key campaign goals, and other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have experience in communications, new media, and union or community organizing. They must be committed to the equity goals of the Council, and be able to carry out their work with a minimal amount of supervision. Fluency in a second language will be an asset. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Applications will be accepted until 12:00 noon, Wednesday, January 13th, 2010. They should be addressed to John Cartwright, President, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 407, Toronto M3C 1Y8 or e-mailed to jcartwright@labourcouncil.ca. Only those candidates chosen for interviews will be contacted.

Toronto Labour Council is Hiring #1

2010-01-06T04:02:00.000-08:00

JOB POSTING – ORGANIZER

The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is seeking an organizer to work on the municipal elections in the year 2010. This will be a contract position, ending in mid-November.

Responsibilities will include working with Council staff and affiliates on the 2010 municipal and school board elections in Toronto and York Region, developing issue based campaigns, and other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have experience in political campaigns, as well as union or community organizing, and be committed to the equity goals of the Council. They must be able to carry out their work with a minimal amount of supervision. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Applications will be accepted until 12:00 noon, Wednesday, January 13th, 2010.

They should be addressed to John Cartwright, President, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 407, Toronto M3C 1Y8 or e-mailed to jcartwright@labourcouncil.ca

Christmas Picket Lines Need Your E-Support

2009-12-27T01:35:00.000-08:00

61 building service workers at the Toronto Dominion Centre in Toronto were locked-out and then fired by their employer when they refused to agree to the gutting of their collective agreement. They were forced to celebrate Christmas on a picket line almost 6 months after being forced off the job. Their union, CEP, is asking you to send a message to Cadillac Fairview, the company that manages the TD Centre. Tell CF that enough is enough! A copy of your message will go to the workers on the picket lines.

30 seconds is all it takes: go HERE to send a message to Caddillac Fairview.

LabourStart Conference Getting Wild Reception

2009-12-23T04:59:00.000-08:00

We were expecting some pre-registrations for sure, but in the event the response to a very limited call-out has been overwhelming. Thanks to all who have responded, you're helping us with conference logistics, as well as the agenda.

As of today 382 people from 64 countries have pre-registered.

We know not all who have expressed an interest will be able to come, but it is encouraging to know so many would at least like to.

If you have not yet pre-registered and would like to, go HERE.

2010 LabourStart Conference Pre-registration Now Open

2009-12-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

If you think you might be able to attend the LabourStart conference on 9-11 July 2010 at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, please pre-register. This does not obligate you -- it just gives us a sense of who is interested in attending.

Thanks.

Pre-register HERE.

2010 LabourStart Conference

2009-12-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

For the first time in Canada. Save the date: 9-11 July. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

Global to local solidarity online.

Shanghai to Sudbury.

Stay tuned for details.

Int'l Labour News Radio Show Coming

2009-11-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

A group of international union activists is getting together to start a labour audio show on the Internet. The show, which will be hosted by labour educator Marc Belanger, will feature news about union activities around the globe. The 20 minute audiocast, called Solidarity News, will be presented on www.radiolabour.net every Monday.

RadioLabour is currently looking for volunteer reporters to provide one or two minute English-language audio reports about union activities in their region of the world. The reporters would be expected to provide their audio-report (as an MP3 file) and a written script of the report. To volunteer, or find out more about the project, email Marc at: m.belanger@radiolabour.org

Is Union Membership a Human Right?

2009-11-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

The latest edition of Radio Netherlands' "The State We're In" asks if forming a union is a human right. Available as a pod off iTunes. Always an interesting show and the only such in English I know of with a human rights theme. Highly recommended as regular listening.

The show's web page is HERE.

Start the Week With Some Solidarity

2009-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Monday (unless you’re checking in on the weekend, in which case sorry for even mentioning Monday!).

Mining multinational giant Vale is taking on its workers around the world. Concessions are all that’s on offer. That’s the bad news. The good? The workers are fighting back. Globally.

3,500 Steelworkers are in month four of their strike against Vale in Canada. Brazilian Vale workers are taking Canadian union members to their bargaining table, saying if Vale won’t talk to them in Canada, they can in Brazil. Unions in places as far-flung as New Caledonia are telling Vale they won’t talk while the Canadians are out.

German workers are demanding that their employers refuse delivery of Vale products. Swedish unions are using their seats on company boards to push for industrial bans on Vale goods. Indonesian unions are bringing Canadian workers into remote mine sites to speak to their members about their common employer’s tactics.

Join them. USW, the Union representing the Canadian workers, and LabourStart, the international labour news and campaigns website, are running a global e-mail campaign against Vale, in support of the strikers and their communities around the world.

In less than 30 seconds you can become part of something really big. And you can make it bigger. One e-mail at a time.

Join the campaign and tell every contact, friend and relative you have.

CLICK HERE

Winner in Labour Photo of the Year Contest

2009-11-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

All finalists will receive a one year Flickr Pro Account.

In addition, the winning photo, "Manual Labour" by K M Asad, has earned him a further one year Pro Account. You can see the winner by going here.

Congrats to all, this year's contest was a great success.

Thanks to everyone who entered, to the finalists, and to our panel of judges. Click on the thumbnails here to see each of the finalists.

Don't forget to look over the photos and remember that most are free to use on your union's website or in its newsletter. Even those which are copyrighted can be used if you contact the photographer and get permission.

All the entries can be found here.

Workers rights campaigner savagely attacked - protest messages urgently needed

2009-10-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

In case you're not (yet) on the LabourStart mailing list:

Ainur Kurmanov is the kind of organizer every union wants to have. He campaigned with workers at the Almatinskii Wagon Factory, who went out on strike, and the result was hundreds of jobs saved. He organized workers at the Almatinskii Heavy Engineering Plant and the plant was saved from bankruptcy and collapse. Because of his efforts, Ainur has made some enemies in the Kazakh capital of Almaty, where he lives.

And a little more than two weeks ago, those enemies took their revenge.

Ainur was coming home when he was savagely attacked from behind, beaten with a metal pipe. He suffers from concussion and has a broken finger. Someone was trying to send a message to Ainur and to the workers of Kazakhstan.

It is time that we sent a message back.

The international trade union movement is calling on the Kazakh government to launch an "immediate, unbiased and transparent investigation" of the attack on Ainur.

That they have not yet done so is a bad sign. Next year Kazakhstan assumes the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). This is a great time, therefore, to remind the Kazakh government of its responsibilities as a law-abiding nation.

Please take a moment to send off your message of protest HERE.

And please spread this message to your fellow trade union members and all those who care about human rights.

Thank you -- and have a great weekend.

Eric Lee

CUPE Convention Online

2009-10-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

It hasn't really started yet, but it feels like all 600,000 members are here and jostling in the halls of the Montreal Convention Centre.

But on the off chance that you're not here and would like to look at Convention reports, schedules, agendas, event locations (or are here and lost any of the same) and follow the debates, CUPE has a way for you do do all this online.

Click HERE.

Support Building Maintenance Workers at TD Centre

2009-09-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

CEP has asked LabourStart to run the following campaign. Show your support, follow the link at the end of this post.

Cadillac Fairview Corporation (CF) is a huge real estate corporation that owns several landmark properties in Toronto. CF locked out 61 building maintenance workers at the Toronto Dominion Centre on 14 June 2009. Prior to the lockout CF's Final Offer was aimed at destroying the Union.

Their proposals intended to silence the Local Union Representatives, eliminate the current employee complement and undermine the CEP's legal bargaining rights. They wanted our members with an average of over 20 years of service to reapply for their jobs and accept a new probationary period. They wanted to pick and choose who they would keep and discharge those they no longer wanted without just cause; they wanted to eliminate older workers, get rid of employees with disabilities, and rid themselves of anyone who stood up to them. On July 14, 2009 CF announced it was terminating all of its employees in maintenance positions at the TD Centre in Toronto.

The Union has filed charges of Bad Faith Bargaining and the Ontario Labour Relations Board commenced hearings on 31 July 2009. That process will take time, meanwhile the workers are without their jobs. Help us get them back now by sending a protest message to CF.

Takes 30 seconds or less: CLICK HERE

New Guide to Union Blogging Out

2009-09-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

The 2009 edition of John Wood's TIGMOO Guide to Union Blogging is now available. See the graphic link down a bit on the right.

2009 Labour Photo of the Year Contest

2009-09-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

Last year, LabourStart sponsored the first-ever international Labour Photo of the Year competition. It was a huge success. Photographers from all over the world submitted their pictures and a panel of expert judges selected a short-list of the five best. Our readers then voted in their thousands to choose the winning photo.

Today we're very pleased to announce the second annual Labour Photo of the Year. We're doing this because we want to encourage and recognize the talents of worker-photographers around the world, and at the same time to encourage them to tell the stories of our struggles in photos. The deadline for submissions of photos is 30 September.

Full details are HERE.

Online Campaigning Job

2009-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

From the good folks at Make Poverty History:

We have an exciting job opportunity in Ottawa for the right person. We are looking for a full-time Online Campaign Coordinator to make our website and emails come alive.

If you are interested in helping alleviate poverty around the world and here at home, and have experience creating websites, writing engaging blog entries and sending calls to action by email to thousands of people, this is the perfect job for you.

The Make Poverty History campaign is gearing up to make a big splash at the G8 meeting in June next year, and you can be a part of this important project. We need someone to take charge of our online communications - web, email, social networking sites, heck, even Twitter - and make them a compelling call to action for Canadians who want to see an end to poverty.

Interested in learning more? Download the job description and application instructions here. We have an exciting job opportunity in Ottawa for the right person. We are looking for a full-time Online Campaign Coordinator to make our website and emails come alive.

If you are interested in helping alleviate poverty around the world and here at home, and have experience creating websites, writing engaging blog entries and sending calls to action by email to thousands of people, this is the perfect job for you.

The Make Poverty History campaign is gearing up to make a big splash at the G8 meeting in June next year, and you can be a part of this important project. We need someone to take charge of our online communications - web, email, social networking sites, heck, even Twitter - and make them a compelling call to action for Canadians who want to see an end to poverty.

Interested in learning more? Download the job description and application instructions here.

Better hurry, we will be accepting applications until midnight on Tuesday, September 8th.

PS: there's a French version of this ad here

Twice I lied: Videos of LabourStart Conference Events

2009-08-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

John Sweeney (President, AFL-CIO) welcomes delegates HERE.

Jimmy Hoffa JR. (President, IBT) at the Teamster reception for LabourStarters says a few kind words HERE.

OK, So, I lied. Sue Me

2009-08-20T14:10:00.001-07:00

The full text of AFL-CIO President John Sweeney's welcome to delegates at the LabourStart conference in Washington, August 2009: HERE

Last on the 2009 LabourStart Conference

2009-08-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

From the AFL-CIO Blog:

LabourStart and the U.S. Union Movement: Making Connections

AFL-CIO Blog on the LabourStart Conference

2009-08-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome LabourStart

Opening Remarks by AFL-CIO President

CWA/TNG President on the Crisis in the American News Industry

LabourStart Conference

2009-08-18T02:12:00.001-07:00

The vacation bit is done and the conference has started. Day 1 opened by AFL-CIO President Sweeney, lunch talk on the crisis in the US news industry by Bernie Lunzer, President of the CWA/TNG. Teamsters hosted a reception afterwards at their HQ.

Much fun, good people, including folks like Mahesh (India) and Roy (USA) whom I only get to see at these things. No time to report more as am too busy trying to fit in a trip to the Y and some work that has found its way into my inbox.

Photos HERE for any who are interested.

Popping-in on the US Healthcare Debate

2009-08-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Day 3 in Washington, a bit of sightseeing before the LabourStart conference begins.

I cannot say 'hi' to an American without being asked about the Canadian medicare system. I can't remember anything since perhaps the Meech Lake referendum (and mebbe not even then) that would compare to this.

The Big Lie approach alive and well. Some truly bizarre TV adverts, and while news from the politically-biased or affiliated networks like Fox is quite bizarre at the best of times I gather, it has now have gone quite loonie. After watching Fox for an hour you begin to wonder if the bit of Canada you live in is the only part where you need government approval to take a leak or get out of bed in the morning, where people aren't camped out at hospitals begging for treatment.

'Town Hall' meetings where people show up wearing handguns or waving rifles, making the point that they will defend their right to live (and die) without state-supplied medical care, stories about 'militias' (not really, more like private armies made up of right-wing loons with automatic weapons) getting ready to defend their communities against forced euthanasia and more. One such was interviewed about his 'preparedness' while he was making bombs out of dynamite.

I'm hoping and assuming much of this is the news media focussing on the nutters, but it's hard to tell and there's so much of it...

Hard time yesterday at the liquor store convincing people that government committees don't order euthanasia when the cash register is empty or to a quota set by some committee of bureaucrats somewhere, that politicians, budgets and bureaucrats don't decide whether I get my tonsils pulled. All the opposed had stories that (a) were quite crazy, and (b)they were convinced were true.

Our beer got warm while I tried, and failed, to explain how we see medical care as a civic right, like voting or freedom of expression or garbage collection, fire and police services.

Sad. And very odd.

One fun thing: most white Americans we have spoken with are opposed to Obama's anemic plan, all Black and Latina/os either in favour or are curious about how our system works.

Spammers Target UnionBook

2009-08-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

Holy snappin' arseholes! It takes a lot to get me off one of my fave activities (Geri thinks of it as a manifestation of my OCD): travel planning at 0500 in a strange city.

Day 2 in Washington (hello housebreakers, we have a housesitter!) and I should be planning today's walking, but am flummoxed by the intensity of the spammer attack on UnionBook. I have never seen this from the inside before. Astounding.

Amazing. Really. If a crowd on a streetcorner (like the Jews for Jesus loon we ran into yesterday at the White House, only a herd of them) came after me like these spammers are at UnionBook, I'd lose patience right quick and whack them. Or at least give them a sharp elbow. Hopefully in the neighbourhood of a deep hole with sharpened poles stuck in the bottom.

All that energy and time in the cause of making me happier with the state of my nether region or getting me connected with a Canadian pharmacy (I can walk from home to ten or so, thanks very much).

Trying to get a fix on this with some U. of Oxford Internet Institute podcasts on security and spammers and by heading to our hotel's gym to work out with a punching bag.

Iraqi Labour Rights Petition Now Online

2009-08-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

The following is from US Labour Against the War and is directed at the US government, but the online petition it asks us to sign is open to all, regardless of nationality.

Almost immediately after the fall of the dictatorship, a vibrant, independent, democratic and pluralistic trade union movement sprang forth. Soon after the invasion in 2003, the U.S. tossed out most of the repressive Saddam-era legal code. But there was one law it kept on the books and enthusiastically enforced – the 1987 law that Saddam Hussein imposed making it illegal for public sector and enterprise employees to join unions or negotiate the terms of their employment. The subsequent Iraqi Interim Governing Authority continued to enforce this undemocratic denial of worker rights.

The new Iraqi government imposed additional restrictions on worker and union rights. It seized union bank accounts and froze their assets. U.S. and Iraqi forces have raided and ransacked union offices and assaulted and detained union leaders. Management of public enterprises, including the oil industry, was directed not to recognize or bargain with unions.

But the Iraqi labor movement continues to grow despite harassment, beatings, kidnappings, detention, torture and even murder of trade union activists.

Sign the petition HERE.

UnionBook Improved

2009-08-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

UnionBook has just been upgraded to the latest version of Elgg.

Much-improved. New features and easier, more intuitive navigation.

If you haven't already, take a gander now by clicking HERE.

FSLN Victory in 1979

2009-07-19T07:55:00.001-07:00

20450018, originally uploaded by dblackadder.

Today is the 30th anniversary of the victory of the FSLN (the Sandinistas) in Nicaragua.

Photo is of the FNT (FSLN-affiliated labour central) monument to the workers and peasants who fought with the FSLN against the Somoza dictatorship. Situated in the centre of Managua devastated (and never really rebuilt) by an earthquake in the early 1970's.

My Hero: Tamie Dolny

2009-07-16T03:59:00.000-07:00

First she does a one-off piece for the Toronto Star on her experiences as a 16 year-old lifeguard on strike (see it HERE), now she has a job as a regular picket line columnist for the same paper (see HERE).

Read the second article especially.

Tamie for CLC president!

Organizing Video Going Viral in Canada?

2009-07-09T03:54:00.000-07:00

By John Wood at the UK's TUC, it's bouncing all over the place, appearing even on the Toronto Star's website.

TUC 60 Second Video Advert Contest

2009-07-05T14:04:00.001-07:00

South Africa: Shop stewards sacked for safety strike

2009-07-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

At the Enstra paper mill in South Africa, 19 shop stewards were suspended from work and now await discipline. They are charged with inciting workers to strike after a worker refused to do unsafe work.

Just 30 seconds of your time and you can send a message or protest to the company HERE

Support Net Neutrality

2009-06-25T12:43:00.001-07:00

WWIII Propaganda: Support Net Neutrality, originally uploaded by Brian Lane Winfield Moore.

Day of Action for Iran – Demonstration at Iranian Embassy in Ottawa

2009-06-25T11:48:00.001-07:00

Canadian unionists and human rights activists will protest outside the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa on June 26th as part of the Global Day of Action called to support the rights of workers and against the persecution of labour activists. Members of CUPE, CUPW, CTF, NUPGE, PSAC and CAW will be there as well as Amnesty International and Paul Dewar, NDP Foreign Affairs Critic. Activists from the Iranian-Canadian community including the non-partisan Solidarity Campaign with the Workers’ Struggles in Iran will gather to demand the respect for human rights and workers rights in Iran.

Speakers include:

Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada
Denis Lemelin, National President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Paul Dewar, MP Ottawa Centre, NDP Foreign Affairs Critic
Rhonda Spence, International Officer, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Demonstrators will call on the Iranian government to:

• Free all arrested workers, students and political prisoners
• Justice for people who have been killed or injured by security forces during recent protests in Iran
• For the right to organize independent organizations and for the right to free speech, protest and freedom of assembly
• Free bus workers’ union leaders, Mansour Osanloo, and Ebrahim Madadi, and Farzad Kamangar, a teacher on death row
• Drop all charges and prison sentences against labour, social and political activists in Iran, including May Day detainees and those arrested during recent protests.

Where: The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran – 245 Metcalfe St. Ottawa
Time: 12:00 to 2:00 PM
Date: Friday June 26, 2009

For more information, please contact:

415-835-8296/ info@workers-iran.org or alliance@workers-iran.org
www.workers-iran.org

Iranian Workers: Friday is the Global Day of Action

2009-06-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

Friday is the Global Day of Action for Iranian Workers, planned, believe it or not, long before the current protests started. Iranian trade unions suffer tremendous repression. Leaders are routinely fired for organizing at work and are often imprisoned or physically attacked.

Attendance at union events can lead to punishments like flogging.

Amnesty International and the global labour movement are organizing solidarity for Iran's unions. Send a message of solidarity in 30 seconds HERE.

And while you're there, in a couple of clicks you can find out about events taking place in your region.

Child Labour Vid on YouTube

2009-06-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Great new child labour campaign video from the ITUC HERE.

Tips For Bargaining in a Recession

2009-06-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

As opposed to recession bargaining.

A bit of useful (I hope) fluff to be found HERE.

New Uses for Thumbtacks

2009-06-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Eric Lee at LabourStart.org has discovered a new use for the Thumbtack. Read his blog entry HERE.

I'm thinking of starting a Thumbtack Fan Club.

Iran's 'Twitter Revolution'

2009-06-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hardly. But you wouldn't know it to read the nerd, and much mainstream, press.

First, it all gets translated into meatspace, real action by real people, and that is, or should be the story.

Second, if there's a tech story in there somewhere it's in the use of much more mundane stuff like SMS.

Here's a first: I'm pointing you (all three of you, Hi Sis!) to a Business Week article HERE.

Better source-wise is this piece from LabourList.org (thanks to John Wood for the reference). It's also a little more general, useful. You can read it HERE.

Seize the Means of Transmission! Broadband to the People!

2009-06-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

TVO Search Engine's segment on the net neutrality forum last week used my presence and Olivia Chow's as evidence that the neutrality movement is dominated by the "the left, maybe the far left".

She can't be the 'far' bit, so it must be me.

Mmmm...I am feeling kinda Bolshie today, but I thought was just because I'm not drinking decafe this morning.

You can subscribe to the excellent Search Engine pod off iTunes or HERE.

Windsor Strike Rally Audio and Photos

2009-06-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

I attended the Windsor muni strike rally yesterday. Two locals out for two months over a demand for an end to retiree benefits - by a city council that gives itself lifetime benefits.

I used my cute little Thumbtack to record some march noises and a few speeches. They're available off the FILES section on my UnionBook page HERE.

Stills of the march and rally are on Flickr HERE.

Reviews of the Net Neutrality Town Hall Meeting in Toronto

2009-06-10T11:21:00.001-07:00

The Good: HERE

The Bad: HERE

The Ugly: HERE or read just the bit about me below.

"you know the guy sitting in the middle was a staff representative for CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) DOESN’T have a website (if you don’t have one today you are pretty much irrelevant in my books) and i bet you a hundred bucks you can’t remember (w/o listening to the podcast) one goddamn thing he said - i sure as hell can’t. why was that dude even there again? what? nobody knows? even less relevant than sass and i? yeah, fuck yourselves and you’re welcome."

Thanks for not saying anything about my double chin or shirt Raymi. Whew! :-)

Oh! What a Throttled Web We Weave

2009-06-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Final details on the net neutrality event in Toronto on Monday HERE.