Gawker Media Staff Votes To Unionize

Via Gawker:

Yesterday, more than 100 Gawker Media editorial employees voted on the question of whether to be represented by the Writers Guild of America, East for the purpose of collective bargaining—that is, whether we want to form a union. The results are in. Yesterday’s votes were cast electronically and tallied by VoteNet, an independent online voting system. Out of 118 eligible voters, 107 cast votes. The results are: Yes: 80 votes—75% No: 27 votes—25%. The next steps: determining what we want to bargain for; forming a bargaining committee; and negotiating a contract. We are unionized.

Gawker Media includes its namesake site, Deadspin, Jezebel, Lifehacker, I09, Jalopnik, and Gizmodo. The Writers Guild has issued a statement:

“As Gawker’s writers have demonstrated, organizing in digital media is a real option, not an abstraction. People who do this work really can come together for their own common good,” said Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East. “The WGAE, Gawker’s writers, and the company’s management share a commitment to journalistic integrity and creative freedom. We are eager for Gawker’s editorial staff to join our creative community, and we are eager to negotiate a fair contract.”

From the New York Times:

The Gawker effort is unusual in numerous ways, starting with the fact that its supporters say Gawker is currently a good place to work. Many say they want a union as a sort of insurance policy in case the next generation of managers is not so nice. “We’re in a very good place right now,” wrote Anne Merlan, a Jezebel writer, in an online debate about unionizing. “But we also exist in a bubble. When it bursts, I’d like us to have fair labor practices in place to protect everyone and provide for them in the event of ‘downsizing.'” In another twist, the company has not opposed the unionization drive; indeed, Gawker’s founder, Nick Denton, said he was “intensely relaxed” about it. The company and the Writers Guild East even issued a joint statement: “We believe the cumbersome and often fractious process of unionization is premised on an assumption of complete antagonism between management and labor. Nothing of the kind exists at Gawker Media.”

AFL-CIO: Meet The Koch Sisters

NEW YORK: Long Island Railroad Workers Union Vows To Strike By Week's End

Union officials yesterday declared that Long Island Railroad workers will walk off the job one minute after midnight on Saturday.

“I regret to report that negotiations have collapsed with the MTA, and all eight unions are now proceeding with strike plans for July 20,” said Anthony Simon, chief spokesman for the union coalition. The workers have been without a contract since 2010. Both sides in the bitter labor fight acknowledged they were far apart on terms of a potential contract that would spare the railroad’s more than 300,000 daily riders the pain of a work stoppage. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Tom Prendergast walked out of the talks 45 minutes in, and said there was a “gulf” between the sides. The MTA’s current offer is for 17% pay hikes over seven years, also retroactive to 2010. But the agency also wants new hires to work twice as long as current workers to reach top salaries for their positions, and to pay more for health care (4%) and pensions (contributions over an employee’s entire employment, as opposed to just 10 years for existing staffers).

Monday's commute should be interesting...

Twinkies To Return By Summer

Hostess Brands announced yesterday that they will return from bankruptcy and resume production by summer.  The company shut down last year during a union strike that became emblematic of corporate greed.

“We expect to be making and selling in July,” Michael Cramer, executive vice president of Hostess Brands LLC, told NBC News. “Probably the later half of the month before the product hits the stores.” The old Hostess company was dismantled and its assets sold off. Two hedge funds, Apollo Global & Metropoulos & Co., bought the best-known of the company’s snack brands and launched a new company, Hostess Brands LLC.

The new company will not be unionized. How utterly unshocking.

Google Honors Cesar Chavez

And predictably, Teabagistan completely loses its shit. Below are today's headlines on Breitbart, the Daily Caller, Twitchy, and The Blaze.

NEW YORK CITY: Anti-Labor Group Donates Big Bucks To Christine Quinn

The New York Daily News reports that a group opposing NYC's pending bill to mandate paid sick leave has donated $370,000 to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's mayoral campaign.

The business leaders were among the 180 people who penned an open letter to Quinn last summer arguing that mandating paid sick leave would be prohibitively costly for small businesses. They called themselves the “Coalition for a Healthy Economy.” At the time, the Daily News reported that several of the letter’s signatories were major Quinn donors, including her campaign finance chair, Sally Susman. But a review of the latest campaign finance reports reveals just how much money those donors have pumped into Quinn’s mayoral campaign. Susman, an executive at Estee Lauder, had raised more than $126,000 for Quinn through last week. And Christine Taylor, of the holding company MacAndrews & Forbes, has raised more than $48,000 for the speaker.

Even though a majority of the City Council supports the bill, Quinn has blocked it from coming to a vote, saying that while she supports the concept, the city's economy is presently too weak for employers to take on the cost. On Thursday a spokesman for Quinn said that she has made it "crystal clear she supports mandatory paid sick leave and that its not a matter of if paid sick leave is enacted, but a matter of when." Two of Quinn's mayoral rivals testified yesterday at yet another City Council hearing on the bill, which has the backing of several major labor unions. Quinn reportedly left the hearing before its conclusion.

Quinn has maintained a commanding lead in all recent mayoral polling. Thus far the sick leave bill has dominated criticism of her candidacy, with the slush fund scandal of 2008 rarely mentioned except by the LGBT group that has dogged Quinn at personal appearances for years.

On Monday newspaper publisher Tom Allon, one of Quinn's most vocal detractors, dropped his long-shot bid for mayor. Back in January, Allon made headlines when he published an incendiary ad claiming that Quinn had "bet the lives" of New Yorkers in the closure of St. Vincent's Hospital, which is being demolished for 350 luxury condos. Allon was backed by the Liberal Party, which says it is now seeking another candidate.

MICHIGAN: Union Supporters Tear Down Koch Brothers Tent At Capitol Building

Via Breitbart:

A group of pro-union, progressive protesters leveled a large tent with people inside during Tuesday's demonstrations outside the Michigan Capitol building in Lansing against right to work legislation. The protesters shouted "scab" and "Walmart tent" as they advanced. The tent, one of many at the demonstration, had been put up by the pro-right to work group Americans For Prosperity. Breitbart News' footage shows the mob demolishes the tent in less than two minutes. The large structure appeared to be approximately 40’ x 40’ in size and was put up on the front lawn of the Michigan capital. The tent had been used by AFP to house members who were reportedly threatened at last week’s demonstration.

AFP stands for Americans For Prosperity, the Koch Brothers' astroturf anti-labor group that masquerades as a "grassroots" organization.

RELATED: This afternoon Michigan's GOP-dominated House approved its "right to work" bill which outlaws requiring union membership for employment. The bill is expected to displace thousands of automotive workers who will be replaced by lower-paid employees.

MICHIGAN: Teabaggers Battle Unions Over Pending Right To Work Law

The Michigan legislature is expected to vote today to make that state the 24th to endorse a so-called "right to work" law which will make it illegal to require union membership as a condition of employment.  Yesterday President Obama denounced the bill.

The House session has started and the Capitol has been closed because it has reached capacity. Insp. Gene Adamczyk of the Michigan State Police announced the Capitol was "way over capacity," then said police decided to let 100 more people in, but control entry closely. Ray Litt was standing on the sidelines outside the Capitol this morning, holding a sign that perfectly portrayed his feelings: "Gov. Snyder, Shame on You for Caving to the Right." Litt, owner of Litt Electrics in Detroit and a longtime union member and supporter, said the legislation attempts to undo all "the wonderful, positive things unions have done for people."

Early this morning Tea Party advocates traded screams with union supporters on the steps of the Michigan Capitol Building.  Breitbart has posted the below video.

October Jobs Report Released

Despite some claims that the storm-related closure of federal offices would cause its delay, the highly-anticipated final pre-election jobs report was issued on schedule today. One analyst calls the report "solid."

In the final monthly jobs report before Election Day, the government today said the U.S. unemployment rate for October ticked up to 7.9 percent. The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added 171,000 jobs, stating that the number of unemployed Americans was essentially unchanged in October at 12.3 million. "We still have a long way to go but this is a step in the right direction," said Stephen Bronars, chief economist of Welch Consulting. Analysts had expected around 125,000 added jobs, according to Bloomberg News. Bronars said October's jobs report was positive despite the unemployment rate increase, because more people resumed looking for work. He called the 171,000 jobs added "solid" and noted there were upward revisions to the reports of the past two months.

No October surprise here, at least.

CHICAGO: Labor Controversy As Leather Event May Cross Host Hotel Picket Lines

The 34th annual International Mister Leather convention is taking place this weekend in Chicago, where attendees at the host hotel could potentially face a picket line over a long-running union labor dispute.

The Hyatt Regency Chicago, site of the recent competitions, has been at the center of a bitter a contract fight with workers represented by the union UNITE HERE since 2009. The workers, union spokeswoman Annemarie Strassel said, want one room per day subtracted from their quota to compensate for the fact that they have to get down on their hands and knees to clean floors, rather than using a long-handled mop. They also want better job security. UNITE HERE brands Hyatt "the worst employer in the hotel industry," and it asks that supporters "not eat, meet or sleep at Hyatt." UNITE HERE has been asking International Mr. Leather to relocate its convention since at least 2010 — and last year, one LGBT website accused the organization of "crossing picket lines" by continuing to hold events at the Hyatt. The convention leaders, however, dismiss the union's charges — and accuse the union of playing on popular discomfort with their subculture. Jon Krongaard, coordinator of International Mr. Leather, says "there is no picket line," and all he and his organization have seen are "random walkouts."

The "one LGBT website" cited above appears to be that of the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network, which last fall had called on IML organizers to relocate the event, saying that event founder Chuck Renslow was showing "disrespect to work-place issues." According to the above-linked news item, IML claims it would have a faced a $700K loss had it broken its 2012 contract with the Hyatt Regency. Additionally, a spokesman claims that union supporters have harassed at least one IML attendee by calling his place of employment and outing him as a member of the fetish community.

OWS Leads May Day Strike In NYC

As you doubtlessly know by now, Occupy Wall Street protesters are staging May Day strikes across the nation today. But all eyes are on NYC.

Labor groups, immigration advocates, Occupy Wall Street protesters and other activists are planning marches and other events in Manhattan with the aim of bringing daily business to a standstill on International Workers Day, or May Day, today. Leaders of the now-global movement plan events including picketing, marches and other "creative disruptions against the corporations who rule our city," according to a website maintained by Occupy activists. On foot and bicycles, through streets and across bridges, Occupy activists plan to block urban arteries to slow the city's economic engine — from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to pamphlets and organizers' word-of-mouth communications. Some say they're willing to get arrested, staging surprise actions to make their point — that financial inequality is destroying our society. The biggest known plan has the support of thousands of union members.

I'll have video as it becomes available.

OHIO: Huge Win For Dems & Labor

TODAY: Labor Unions To Join In Massive #OccupyWallStreet Protest March

Today's planned 4:30pm march from City Hall to Wall Street is expected to be the largest show of numbers in the three week old Occupy Wall Street protest.

Unions, community groups, college students and the unemployed - calling themselves "the 99%" who are getting the shaft from the richest 1%, which controls 40% of America's wealth - are joining in. "Join us to protest the arrest of 700 marchers on the Brooklyn Bridge while the banksters who wrecked the economy remain free," urged NYU Prof. Andrew Ross. Anticipating more mass arrests, Samuelsen filed for a federal injunction to stop the city from commandeering city buses to transport NYPD prisoners. The transit workers union said regular passengers were kicked off at least five buses on Saturday when NYPD brass ordered drivers to take some of the 700 detained protesters to booking.

RELATED: Broadway's musicians union startled theatergoers yesterday when it declared that tonight's shows were canceled so that members could participate in the march. That announcement was later retracted as a "computer error."

Tap Tap Tap

So is anybody laboring today?

WISCONSIN: Priebus Celebrates Union Loss- We Need More Makers, Not Takers

RNC chair Priebus is thrilled that the Koch Brothers got their way in the special election to recall Wisconsin's anti-union legislators. The teabaggers won't be happy until every labor union in the nation is dismantled.

Department Of Labor Announces New Regs Protecting Transgender Employees

Newly issued Department of Labor regulations have added gender identity to the class of employment protections. Via press release:

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its full commitment to implementing equal employment opportunity policies for all department employees and applicants. The policies ensure equal protections for all employees and applicants regardless of race; color; religion; national origin; sex, including pregnancy and gender identity; age; disability, whether physical or mental; genetic information; status as a parent; sexual orientation; or other non-merit factor. New, robust statements signed by Secretary Solis include updated policies on prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity and pregnancy. Secretary Solis strongly supports fair equal employment opportunity policies, and creating diversity and fairness in the workplace. “I am expressing my personal commitment to ensure that the U.S. Department of Labor is a model workplace, free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, which fosters a work environment that fully utilizes the capabilities of every employee,” said Secretary Solis. “It is my goal that we achieve and maintain a high-quality, diverse workforce at all organizational levels throughout the department.”

Pregnancy is also new to the above list.

WISCONSIN: Andrew Breitbart Tells Pro-Union Protesters To "Go To Hell"

As he prepared to introduce Sarah Palin over the boos of Wisconsin's pro-union protesters, wingnut blogger and GOProud backer Andrew Breitbart told labor supporters, "Go to hell!" Because "class warfare" (which, hello, is what the Tea Party stands for) is "un-American." Raw Story has a much better clip (non-embeddable) taken from the rear of the crowd.

TRAILER: Triangle, The Garment Factory Fire That Spawned The Labor Movement

Manhattan's infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire occurred one hundred years ago this week, spawning the modern American labor movement. HBO's documentary on the tragedy and the resultant labor reforms airs tonight at 9PM.

Mandated Paid Holidays By Nation

The above chart depicts the number of paid holidays and vacation days legally mandated by the world's 21 richest nations. The labor movement is completely out of control in America!

Socialists March In Washington DC

The teabaggers are going crazy with glee because actual open socialists joined in at this weekend's "One Nation Working Together" labor rally in Washington, DC.