to download a printable PDF - BCTGM

More documents

Recommendations

Info

YOUNG WORKERSWHAT’S ON OUR POLICY AGENDA?Workers under the age of 34 face higherunemployment rates than olderworkers and make up nearly half of the currentlyunemployed. As student debt continues to buildup – exceeding even credit card debt – and wagesstagnate or fall for workers with or without acollege degree, young workers are accruing lesswealth than their parents, perhaps the first timein U.S. history when a generation has failed to dobetter than its parents.On May 8, the AFL-CIO Next Up program, inpartnership with Campus Progress, GenerationalAlliance, the Young Invincibles, the RooseveltInstitute Campus Network and Jobs with Justice,hosted the National Youth Economic PolicyForum. This event was the first of its kind: Youngworkers and youth activists gathered at AFL-CIOheadquarters in Washington, D.C., to discussthe state of the economy and begin the processof building an economic policy platform for themillennial generation.Matthew Clark of the BCTGM InternationalResearch & Education Department was among theparticipants to help tackle the question: What isthe economic policy of young workers?Participants engaged in in-depth conversationson education access and student debt, economicinequality, job creation and youth unemployment,the federal budget and building a modernworkplace. They were joined by Rep. Keith Ellison(DFL-Minn.); state Rep. Kevin Killer (D-S.D.); PortiaWu, White House Domestic Policy council memberand special assistant to the president for Labor andWorkforce Policy; and AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Shuler for a panel discussion andQ&A on building a sustainable economy.The day concluded with a rundown of eachgroup’s discussion. The common theme was a needto support young workers and the unemployedby coming to terms with the fact that the youngergeneration is unique, not only in the economicsituation they face, but in how they think of their roleboth in the workforce and the policy process.There are a number of ways that millennialsdiffer from their generational counterparts, andthe AFL-CIO’s new youth policy platform hopesto address them all and find ways to support andenhance the rights of young workers.“The event went better than I could haveimagined,” said Sarah Lewis, AFL-CIO researcher andthe powerhouse behind the forum. “Yesterday wasthe first time that labor had deliberately partneredwith youth organizations to discuss the issues ofour day. Though some may argue that unions aren’trelevant to young people anymore, we know that’snot true. Work connects us all. This will hopefullybe the first of many events for the AFL-CIO and ouryouth community organization partners.”Participants to the AFL-CIO’s National Youth Economic Policy Forum (Photo by Joseph Kekeris)10 BCTGM News
BCTGM Participates inGEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ProjectOn April 9, 2013, BCTGMInternational President David B.Durkee participated in special labor briefingof the Bargaining for the Future Project atGeorgetown University in Washington, D.C.The event, hosted by GeorgetownUniversity President John J. DeGioia, broughttogether national labor leaders to discuss howorganizations might work together to meetthe challenges that the 21 st century economyposes for working people.The special project of the GeorgetownbasedKalmanovitz Institute for Labor andthe Working Poor, includes a series of ameetings among labor activists, academics,workers rights advocates, and other allies,about the future of worker organizations, bargainingand representation.“Organized labor is in a deepening crisis, withthe momentum of adverse forces gathering speedas indicated by a string of recent events such as theMichigan right-to-work vote. Union membershipdensity figures for 2012 were the lowest in a century,”reports the Kalmanovitz Initiative in a position paperthat outlines the nature of labor’s issues.The initial meeting was the first in a series ofevents that will feature working groups that will focuson three primary areas: the need to respond to thefragmentation of worker bargaining power in theeconomy; the need to develop new forms of collectiveaction as a means of building worker power; and theneed to develop new, democratically accountablevehicles for worker representation.On May 9, BCTGM International ResearchSpecialist Matthew J. Clark attended the first meetingof the working group. The purpose of the meetingwas discussion of a position paper, “Bargaining forthe Future: Rethinking Labor’s Recent Past andPlanning Strategically for Its Future.” Accordingto Clark, the discussion focused on new ways laborunions can organize, innovative strategies that can beused to secure collective bargaining agreements andnew forms of representation that labor can utilize.Participants also took part in small discussion groupswhere many of these ideas were debated and discussedin greater detail.The BCTGM will participate in working groupson Bargaining for the Future Project scheduled atGeorgetown University through the fall.REPEAL SequestrationIn the last few months, AFGE, the largest federalemployee union in the U.S., has led mass protestsacross the country to stop sequestration. In Salt LakeCity, Utah, BCTGM Local 401 members joined other unionmembers for AFGE’s Rally to Repeal Sequestration outside theBennett Federal Building. “We rallied in support of our AFGEbrothers and sisters who face cuts as a result of sequestration,”notes L. 401 Secretary-Treasurer/Business Agent RobertRogers who is pictured here (center) with a AFGE member(left) and L. 401 member Rick Durrant (right), the chief shopsteward at the Dannon West Jordan, Utah plant.May/June 2013 www.bctgm.org 11
Page 5: on Building a Stronger Union throug
Page 8 and 9: REPUBLICAN FILIBUSTERNext Battle fo
Page 12 and 13: 201 3 BCT GMScholarship WinnersThe
Page 15 and 16: ASSISTANCE for Union MembersImpacte

to download a printable PDF - BCTGM

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?