Local Community

National Community

COGS News

November 2003

Fall Party a Huge Success! Over 100 members party at The Mill.

Thanks to all of YOU for a very successful Fall Party on October 9th! Over one hundred of us gathered at the Mill for plenty of food, beverage, and GREAT tunes provided by Seven-Story Cory! It was great to see so many old and new faces in the crowd—and we hope to see *all* of you at future COGS social and organizing events!

--Karen Pitcher, Social Committee Chair

District Council meeting in Minnesota.

October’s UE District Council meeting in Minneapolis was memorable for shop reports that celebrated how workers from one local banded together to have an abusive manager demoted, organizing reports that detailed possible new locals in Milwaukee and Madison, and a thorough discussion of “War & the Economy: Too Many Guns, Not Enough Butter.”

District President Carl Rosen began the council with a three-prong lecture on how workers are faring in the U.S.’s current economic recovery. He addressed how the current economic recovery is in fact a “job-loss recovery” in which the U.S. has one million fewer jobs than at this time last year. Specifically, Rosen cited the movement of white-collar jobs overseas and the side-effect of technology-enhanced productivity.

Following the president’s report came the opportunity to hear what is happening in the other shops that UE represents. These reports are always a mixed bag. Several of the shops touted the fact that they have been working 50-hour weekly work schedules — which has put some sorely needed extra income into their pockets. Others locals sound much less optimistic. In all the locals, however, the one constant problem remains the rising cost of health insurance.

The most fascinating and inspiring portion of District Council is always the organizing reports in which the union staff describes their progress with workers attempting to come under UE’s organizational umbrella. In District 11, we have possible future locals in Milwaukee as well as with the more than 100 bookstore employees in Madison, Wisconsin.

Saturday afternoon consisted of a lengthy examination of exactly how the U.S. economy has reached this previously unknown state of “job-loss recovery.” The presentation specifically focused on the effects of the anti-labor environment fostered by the Bush administration. Thus, the presentation highlighted the need to work to remove George Bush from office.

Unfortunately, any short summary of the District Council fails to capture the eye-opening experience of meeting fellow union members work completely different jobs — everything from social workers to actual electricians — and discovering the similarities between their concerns and ours. Every COGS member who attends a District Council will walk away with a broader understanding of the necessity and strength of democratic unionism.

Jeff Charis-Carlson, District Council Delegate

Editor’s Note: Also representing COGS at the Distric Council were John Pendell, delegate, Kevin Esch, Campus Chief Steward, Dana Quartana, President, and Ryan Downing, UE staff for COGS.

Renewed FAT Campaign Kicks Off: A trip to Mexico reveals how needed our FAT donations are.

Labor Solidarity Chair John McKerley reports on attending a conference in Mexico City.

The conference on public sector unionization brought together delegates from unions in four countries: Japan, Mexico, Québec, and the U. S. Delegates exchanged information on problems faced by union workers in their own countries and met with Mexican workers affiliated with our host, the Authentic Labor Front (FAT). Since its formation in 1960, the FAT has defended the rights of Mexico’s workers, peasants, and cooperatives.

My experience in Mexico City left me with the belief that COGS must recommit itself to a program of international solidarity. Several years ago our local pioneered a unique “FAT card” program. Employees sign a card that adds an extra dollar to their monthly dues. COGS sends the money to the UE National, which in turn sends it to the FAT. They desperately need this money. In 2001, the FAT relied on international solidarity for 40 percent of its organizing, strike support, and educational efforts. Working through the Mexican legal system is a long and costly affair, and the workers the FAT organizes are often the poorest and most vulnerable.

For example, in the most transformative part of the trip, we visited striking workers in a large market in Mexico City. The workers, who cleaned and dispensed toilet paper in the market’s several bathrooms, began organizing two years ago. They began looking for a union to represent them when their employer, contracted by the Mexico City government, forced them to work with dangerous solvents without any protective equipment.

Although the Mexico City government revoked the company’s contract, the removal of the employer also effectively fired the employees. In response, the workers seized control of the bathrooms and began operating them on a collective basis. The traditional fee of two pesos for use of the bathroom became the seed for a strike fund, supporting the workers, their families, and a twenty-four hour picket at the market. When we visited them, the workers were awaiting a decision by a Mexican labor board.

This two-year struggle has left the workers in no position to pay union dues. Without the financial support of workers like you and I, these and other battles would be impossible.

As Labor Solidarity Chairman, therefore, I formally announce the beginning of a renewed FAT-card campaign. My goal for the campaign is the registration of three quarters of the bargaining unit as FAT-card participants. From now until the end of the academic year, I and the rest of the Labor Solidarity Committee shall be visiting departmental meetings, steward’s councils, and general membership meetings to press the importance of supporting the FAT with our donations. Moreover, I shall press the Coordinating Committee to buy COGS buttons through a FAT-affiliated cooperative in Mexico.

Please consider participating. For only twelve dollars a year, you can help a dedicated group of Mexican unionists and their allies take back their political and economic destinies.

--John McKerley, Labor Solidarity Committee

Nat’l Convention Report, Part II:

Pro-labor Politicians? They Need Your Support!

As Iowa gears up for the caucuses in January, we’re hearing a lot about all of the candidates. We also hear a lot of the candidates assuring us they are “pro-labor.” Electing truly labor-friendly candidates at the state and national level will require significant political action from people like us --rank and file members of labor unions. At the UE 68th National Convention in August, our union mapped out exactly why this kind of action is so important and what we can do to see that real pro-labor candidates take office. The following points are adapted from “The Crisis Facing Working People Requires Rank-And-File Political Action.”

11 things we can do:

  1. Mobilize and work with our allies to remove George Bush from office in the November 2004 election and promote the election of a pro-labor candidate.
  2. Utilize the UE News and the UE web page as sources of political action news and updates on an ongoing basis.
  3. Defend the jobs of our members in both the private and public sectors, with an emphasis on having an impact on the national trade policy debate, resisting privatization and state budget attacks, and working for real national health care reform.
  4. Contact lawmakers with our message on key issues at both the national and state levels, through the use of petitions, letters, phone calls, e-mails, lobby visits, visits to state capitols, and town hall meetings.
  5. Send representatives to the 2004 UE National Political Action Conference scheduled for March 7-10, 2004 in Washington, D.C.
  6. Register UE members and their families to vote in the critical November 2004 national election, and every primary and general election.
  7. Consult the UE Congressional Score-board and take an active role in the primary and general election contests during 2004, culminating in an all-out effort at the ballot box in November, 2004 to oust anti-labor politicians at both the national and state level, regardless of party affiliation.
  8. Establish functional political action programs within our local and encourage participation in them.
  9. Educate members on the importance of being politically active.
  10. Encourage campaign activity to promote labor’s issues and pro-labor candidates.
  11. Demand that elected officials be accountable for the jobs they do and the promises they make.

--Compiled by Madeleine Shufeldt, Press & Publicity chair & Ryan Downing, UE Field Organizer.

Spread the Word with Office and House Visits this Fall!

It was truly great to see everyone that attended the COGS Fall Party in early October. Along with our monthly happy hours, COGS social events help build the camaraderie that make our union strong. But while having some down time with other members is important, we need to make sure we always keep an eye out for opportunities to replenish our numbers. If it’s our numbers that keep us strong, then we need to some more people power into organizing. Every year COGS loses roughly a third to a quarter of our membership. Consistently rebuilding our membership each year keeps us in a strong bargaining position when it comes time to negotiate new contracts. Help keep our union’s momentum going by signing up for a round of office or house visits this semester. It’s easy, doesn’t really take that much time...and above all else, it’s necessary.

--Patrick Oray, Vice President for Organizing