WFTU Statement on the International Women´s day, March 8th 2017

Under the slogan: “WORKING WOMEN ALWAYS AT THE FRONT of social struggles and of the WFTU life and action” the World Federation of Trade Unions honors, for one more year, the anniversary of March 8th 2017, 160 years after the uprising of women workers in New York, demanding better working conditions, equality and life with rights.

We are extending our warmest greetings to all women trade unionists continuing the struggle of these pioneer women workers, within the ranks of the class oriented trade union movement and of WFTU, and we congratulate them on their courage and militant action. We are greeting the working women all over the world, the women of poor popular strata, toiling every day to survive and support their families. We are greeting the women migrants and refugees who left their countries because of the imperialist wars.

Since its foundation until today, the WFTU has always been on the side of working women through various activities and initiatives. It has always highlighted the specific problems that women face, as a social group that is more affected by the capitalist system aggression, exploitation, imperialist interventions. Such problems are the lack of necessary social support for maternity, lower wages, more flexible forms of employment, labor market discriminations and the lack of free time that often hinders women’s participation in trade union activities. Moreover, working women often fall victims to employers’ violence and racist pressures. Women migrants and refugees suffer various pressures and discriminations taking place against them.

The situation and position of working women have been even more aggravated within the economic recession and crisis that workers experience in recent years almost all over the world. Most of the times, working women suffer more intensely by unemployment, wage cuts and violation of their fundamental rights.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day we once again reaffirm our stable solidarity with the women of Palestine, of Syria, of Iraq, of Afghanistan and of the entire Arab world, wherever they suffer from the U.S.A. and Israeli interventions.

Dear colleagues,

As class oriented trade union movement, let’s take initiatives to increase the number and percentage of women within the administrations of trade unions at all levels. With boldness and specific plan let’s trust the women trade unionists. Women’s and working youth’s participation will give new impetus to the WFTU and to the militant trade unions.

We call on all the WFTU affiliated members and friends to honor the International Working Women’s day through diverse activities and events, which will demonstrate the need for greater defense of working women’s rights and more effective claiming of measures improving their working and living conditions.

THE SECRETARIAT

The math behind Trump’s growth plan suggests record levels of US seniors would have to keep working

Donald Trump has made a lot of big promises. Among the most ambitious is his vow to “create 25 million new American jobs in the next decade and return to 4% annual growth.”

That’s a lot of jobs to create. Even trickier than creating those jobs, however, will be finding American workers to fill them. Trump’s stance on immigration makes it unlikely that the US will be importing many foreign workers. So where will they come from?

Let’s walk through the math. Currently, the US employs about 152 million workers (pdf, p.7). Trump’s proposal would therefore up the size of America’s workforce to 177 million, an increase of around 17%. The Congressional Budget Office expects population growth to boost the number of US workers by about 8 million by 2027, argues Ben Zipperer, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning research nonprofit group.

That leaves 17 million more workers to drum up.

Of course, the US has prime-age workers waiting in the wings right now. But as Free Exchange calculates, even restoring the participation rate of all workers under the age of 64 to the historic high in 1998 would swell America’s workforce by only around 8 million people.

That still adds up to around 9 million of Trump’s new American jobs that will need filling. The math gets even hairier if you take Trump at his word on deportations of immigrants who are in the US illegally. Though it’s hard to estimate with certainty, at least 7 million people working in the US today are unauthorized immigrants. If the president makes good on his plans to deport even just a fraction of them, that’s even more want-ads to post.

The only other option for Trump to make good on his promise is to hire elderly workers. The share of those aged 65 and older who would have to join the workforce would soar to 32%, up from the current 19%, according to EPI’s Zipperer.

“Having the elderly work more is problematic for two reasons. First and foremost are our social priorities: shouldn’t a growing rich country make it easier, not harder, for its older citizens to retire?” he says. “Second, older individuals are already working more in record numbers.”

This is bad news for Trump’s ambitious 4% growth plan, too. There are only two ways to grow an economy, in real terms: boost productivity, or simply add more workers. If Trump pulls off his planned infrastructure investment stimulus, that might help buoy productivity growth a little, but probably not enough to offset tanking manufacturing productivity.

That means the fate of Trumponomics will depend heavily on expanding the workforce. With expanded immigration off the table, getting America’s elderly to work longer is looking more and more essential.

After rushed process, CETA passes key House of Commons hurdle

                                                                                                             The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union will hurt workers, communities and public services.

By passing Bill C-30, the CETA Implementation Act, the federal government has rushed CETA into place, ignored the ongoing criticisms of this dangerous trade deal, and shunned its responsibility to protect the best interests of Canadians. The many flaws in this deal, the bulk of which was negotiated by the Harper government, were never remedied.

Over the course of the parliamentary debates and committee hearings, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) called for the government not to ratify CETA in its current form, and to:

• Remove all investor rights rules from the deal
• Protect public services from privatization
• Stop pharmaceutical patent extensions
• Protect procurement across services and sectors
• Include a real mechanism for enforcing labour rights

Prime Minister Trudeau has rushed CETA in place without holding meaningful consultations or obtaining an independent analysis of the deal’s impacts on our country. As the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Scott Sinclair asks, why the rush to ratify?

The democratic process has been trampled, and many voices from independent experts and other concerned Canadians have been silenced.

With Bill C-30 off to the Senate, CUPE is urging senators to vigorously study CETA’s many implications before voting on it.

The European Parliament has also just passed CETA, but the agreement’s far from a done deal. CETA still needs to be ratified by 38 national and regional parliaments, and European opposition remains high.

Puzder is Out!

Yesterday afternoon, Secretary of Labor nominee Andrew Puzder withdrew his name for consideration for the post. This is a solid victory and a testament to the power of collective action. Our union spoke out along with allies both within and outside of labor to raise awareness of Puzder’s lack of fitness for the job. His track record as CEO of CKE Restaurants is alarming, if not the antithesis of ensuring the welfare of America’s workers.

Thank you!

We appreciate the efforts of every Steelworker who acted to prevent Puzder from becoming Secretary of Labor. Whether you made calls, talked to coworkers or tweeted as part of our new pilot program, you share a part of this win.

What’s Next?

The Department of Labor still needs a Secretary, so another nominee will be coming. We’ll be watching who is put forward for the position and evaluating as that develops.

California Fair Trade Coalition Says 'The Power of Solidarity Can Overcome Trump'

If the first few weeks of the Trump Administration are any indication, we're in for the fight of our lives. Not only has he elevated corporate cronies into high places — threatening to undo decades of progress for workers, public health, and the environment — he's also triggered a constitutional crisis, with cities and states now scrambling to defend their most vulnerable from discriminatory travel bans and staving off threats to de-fund sanctuary cities.

Thankfully, millions of Americans are not taking these assaults lightly. They're taking to the streets in communities across the country, marching and organizing in solidarity with refugees, immigrants, women, indigenous peoples, and all those who've been targeted by the Trump regime. By standing together, we can overcome this dark moment in our history, and reignite the spirit of civic engagement toward a better future. 

Here at the California Trade Justice Coalition, we're stepping up our organizing to ensure that President Trump is held accountable for a trade justice agenda that truly benefits all Americans. Now that he's announced his intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we're calling for an open, transparent process that yields broadly shared economic benefits for working families and improves environmental health across borders. Support our efforts today!

Although Trump has signaled a new direction on trade, the real test will be whether he stands up for working families and the environment, or whether he pushes more trade deals that grant corporations more rights. So far, his administration has not laid out detailed plans for what changes he'll pursue in NAFTA renegotiations. The California Trade Justice Coalition’s national affiliate, the Citizens Trade Campaign, has released a set of policies and priority strategies to benefit workers, consumers, farmers, trade-impacted communities, and the environment. Through a series of Town Halls across California, we will advance these ideas and lift up the voices of those who’ve been most negatively impacted, particularly immigrants, displaced workers, and environmental justice communities (read more below). Join us!

Toward a more just, vibrant, and sustainable future for us all,

Aaron Lehmer-Chang
Executive Director
California Trade Justice Coalition
A project of Earth Island Institute and an affiliate of the Citizens Trade Campaign

Belgium: The World Federation of Trade Unions on the side of the workers in Caterpillar

03 Feb 2017

BELGIUM, EUROPE

The World Federation of Trade Unions representing 92 million workers around the world, firmly stands by the side of the workers in the multinational “Caterpillar” who are in strike and fully supports their demands.

The Company in its effort to augment its profits has announced the dismissal of 2000 workers in Belgium, due to the transportation of the construction project to another company unit elsewhere. This is a common practice in all multinational companies which are trying to get rid of workers with rights and decent salary and contract new workers with less rights and lower wages in order to intensify their exploitation.

The WFTU calls the workers of Belgium and all its affiliates and friends to express their solidarity to the workers in Catapiller.

The Secretariat

The WFTU General Secretary is Visiting Bangladesh invited by the WFTU affiliates and friends in the Country

03 Feb 2017

ASIA, BANGLADESH @en

The WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos is visiting Dhaka, Bangladesh from 3rd to 5th February 2017, invited by the WFTU affiliates and friends in the country. The WFTU General Secretary fulfilled his promise to the workers of Bangladesh during the 17th World Trade Union Congress to visit the country and discuss analytically with all the WFTU affiliates about the common initiatives that can be taken in national and sectoral level.

During his visit, the WFTU General Secretary will visit the monument dedicated to the 1.100 textile workers of Rana Plaza who lost their lives in 2013, will address and visit the workers in leather and garment factories, will meet the minister of labor and the head of the ILO office and will give a press conference to the local media.

Tomorrow his program will start with an event of homage in Rana Plaza monument and will continue with a demonstration with main demand health and safety measures in the workplaces.

Insider's Report: The Truth About Social Security

You know they're coming for Social Security when you start hearing false claims about the program going "bankrupt." And right now that chatter is at a fever pitch in Washington as our opponents employ scare tactics and false justifications to cut benefits and dismantle this extremely successful program.

Supporters of the agenda to slash earned benefits don't think twice about using Social Security to reduce the federal deficit or pay for massive tax breaks benefiting the wealthiest Americans. And you might be wondering if Social Security can survive this dangerous political environment when it seems everything is on the negotiating table in Congress. Well I’m here to tell you: It can.

It starts with getting out the truth about this extremely successful program. And the fact is that Social Security is healthy and can continue to pay full benefits until the year 2034. And there are reasonable, modest steps that can be taken to improve Social Security's future solvency, but Congress should not force those least able to afford it to bear most of the burden.

Rather than cut benefits, raise the retirement age or privatize this program as some in Washington are now calling for, Congress should raise the payroll tax cap so that millionaires pay their fair share into the program (the current tax cap is set at $127,200). The National Committee is working with Rep. John Larson (CT-01) to reintroduce legislation that would do just that. Of course those determined to slash Social Security never mention this simple solution …

So it's clear that the battles lines are being drawn and the war on Social Security is well underway in Washington. That's why the National Committee needs all hands on deck to fight back against this radical agenda that jeopardizes the retirement security of current and future beneficiaries.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE (NCPSSM)
http://www.ncpssm.org

NFL-Players Association vows to stand by Muslim members

By Larry Fine

HOUSTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The NFL Players Association vowed on Thursday to stand by their Muslim members a day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell dodged a question on the matter when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban.

"Our Muslim brothers that are in our league, we have their backs. We're going to do whatever we can. And I'll go stand with them," NFLPA president and Cincinnati Bengals tackle said at the union's Super Bowl news conference.

"If people want to come and harass their family or whatever I'll be there with them."

Winston said it seemed to him "that we're starting to turn away from our values as a country."

"These guys that are players in the National Football League, their families are our families. And I take that seriously. They're our brothers and we will stand with them."

NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith added: "We notified and sent information to all those families who are members of the NFL that if they need anything from their union, that we're there."

There are about a dozen Muslim players in the NFL, according to NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah.

Trump issued an executive order last week temporarily banning citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States and placed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.

Goodell declined to clarify the NFL's position on the ban at his state of the league address on Wednesday.

Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu of the Atlanta Falcons is the only Muslim playing in Sunday's Super Bowl, which also features the New England Patriots.

"That's a very tough situation," the 27-year-old Sanu, who spent time growing up in Sierra Leone, said of the immigration ban at the Super Bowl Opening Night event. "I just pray that us as a country and a world can just be united as one." (Editing by Frank Pingue)By Larry Fine

L.A. Workers Say NO on S

Dad of transit labor leader dead at 83

Warren Samuelsen, the father of transit labor leader John Samuelsen, died Sunday. He was 83.

Samuelsen, a retired and hardscrabble Brooklyn native who toiled in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, was treated for infections following a recent heart surgery. No cause of death has been determined.

“He was a typical salt of the Earth, throwback Brooklyn, blue-collar guy,” said his son, John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 100.

Samuelsen — Bunky to those who knew him — was a union member with the old Amalgamated Meat Cutters Local 174.

“He was monstrously strong from doing that type of hard work,” his son said. “Even in the end, up until the last couple of days, he still had some of that physical strength.

“He just fought like hell to the end.”

Samuelsen would leave for work at 3:30 a.m. from his Gerritsen Beach home to drive trucks and lug 180-pound slabs of beef into the plant. John Samuelsen said he realized the value of labor organizations, even though his father was less politically minded than his mother, a benefits administrator for the bakery drivers’ union.

“The union was putting dinner on the table every night and we knew that,” John Samuelsen said.

Outside of the meat market, Samuelsen said his dad was a “man’s man” — a Mets fan since the Brooklyn Dodgers left town — and a piano player with a love of blues and Fats Waller.

Warren Samuelsen is survived by his wife, Theresa; five children; eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

New York Daily News