by shelbinator on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:17 PM

I imagine I'm the only person stupid enough to complain about all the e-mail I get, but still subscribe to enough union newsletters to feel a bit like Lenin's secretary ("Mr. Lenin, a Mr. Gettelfinger to see you... no, he doesn't seem to be happy"), so I figure I'll highlight some of what I have and haven't seen in my inbox lately from labor. (I fully expect everyone except Daniel to press the *snooze* button at this point, but whatever...)

CWA and the AFL-CIO are tag teaming on the SCHIP attack - they've both sent out essentially idential form e-mails that begin,

Dear Ataru,

At a recent news conference, President Bush accused supporters of an expanded State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) of trying to “score political points.”

The fight over children’s health isn’t about chalking up political points. It’s about making sure millions of children have access to secure, quality health care.

This is actually a pretty good e-mail, and I'm glad to see it. At least they're not asking for money like Joe "Butterfingers" Trippi. I'm surprised UAW hasn't joined the tag team, especially since some of their members might be really, really needing SCHIP sooner than they'd like. Seems like SEIU ought to care about this too, but apparently not. Speaking of UAW...

I guess Ron Gettelfinger is too busy talking to the press and handing out picket signs to get an e-mail out about what's going down on those picket lines. Last I heard from UAW was about Labor Day, so maybe they ought to pick up the pace. On the other hand, I was relieved to hear that the Rand Knight campaign is there to stick up for the union:

Rand Knight supports striking UAW workers

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate walks picket line with UAW members

ATLANTA, Georgia – Today Rand Knight, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, joined members of the United Auto Workers on the picket line in front of the General Motors plant in Doraville. The UAW launched their national strike in protest of GM’s failure to address job security, health coverage and recognize worker contributions.

“I was proud today to stand in solidarity with the UAW workers. Union members and the working families they represent are the backbone of this country. I urge GM to do the right thing by giving these loyal workers the benefits and the praise that they deserve. I spoke with striking UAW workers today on the picket line, and their concerns were clear to me. They were worried about future healthcare benefits and job security. Again, I would like to state my strong support for the striking UAW workers,” said Knight.

Rand Knight is a fresh-faced, political newcomer, and the only progressive Democrat running in the primary for U.S. Senate. For more information, visit his web site at www.knightforsenate.com

The press release doesn't mention whether Mr. Knight said "howdy" to the strikers.

The latest non-SCHIP missive from CWA actually had some points of interest beyond "our contract talks with X are going great, blah blah blah". First is that they are holding off on a presidential endorsement for now (unlike the bricklayers' union, which has gone for Clinton, and the Transport Workers Union of America going to Edwards, among others). Mike Gravel was the only Democrat to ignore their questions - it's official, potted plants hate Labor. It sounds like they are making a real effort to find out what the rank and file thinks about the candidates:

CWA is holding off on an endorsement of a presidential candidate, for now, but has put in place an innovative on-line poll for the union's 700,000 plus members and retirees to indicate the candidates they prefer, based on the candidates' responses to specific questions asked by CWA.

Those issues are the Employee Free Choice Act, health care and jobs and trade. CWA's membership-wide poll is the first of its kind among unions and will be a big factor in CWA's political action program for the 2008 election season.

"CWA's goals in the political process are first, to maximize member involvement, second, to keep the focus of our members and the candidates on critical economic issues, and third, to make a difference that produces results for our members at the ballot box and in critical legislation," said CWA President Larry Cohen.

"We are convinced that over the next 18 months all members in every CWA industry will see the connection between their worklife, their families and the electoral and legislative process more than ever. We will bring back bargaining rights in the United States, win the fight for real health care reform and create policies that support American jobs," he said.

Cohen was among three questioners at a political forum in Iowa in August, where six Democratic presidential candidates also answered specific questions about workers' rights, health care and trade and jobs.

CWA's Executive Board reviewed the presidential candidates' answers. The responses – some in print, some candidates sent in videos -- will be posted on a special CWA election and political website for reference.

CWA also is encouraging members to become fully engaged in political campaigns to run for election as delegates to the Democratic and Republican conventions.

All the candidates – Democratic and Republican -- were contacted numerous times and asked to provide specific responses on CWA's key issues.

Democratic presidential candidates who responded were Senators Joseph Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, John Edwards, and Barack Obama; Rep. Dennis Kucinich; Governor Bill Richardson.

Not responding were Republican candidates Senator John McCain; Representatives Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo; former Governors Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney; and former mayor Rudy Giuliani, along with former Senator Mike Gravel (a Democrat), despite numerous contacts and opportunities.

The questions were:

1. We would like to hear if you support the Employee Free Choice Act and what you would do as president to lead the fight to get that legislation past the hurdle of a Senate filibuster and onto your desk for signature.

2. Tell us how you would fund universal health care to ensure that all Americans have coverage and to make U.S. jobs more competitive and not disadvantage those employers who currently provide quality health benefits to their employees.

3. Detail specifics steps you would offer to cut the trade deficit - now more than $700 billion a year -and help spur the retention and growth of jobs in this country.

The second interesting point raised in the CWA e-mail is that Italian IBM workers and their allies are staging a strike in Second Life starting today. Even after reading the e-mail, I'm not sure how you go on strike in a world that doesn't exist when you don't pay wages, but it should be great PR anyway:

Second Life is the hottest thing around. It's a virtual, three-D computer world where political candidates like John Edwards have an office, where companies sell products, where governments like Sweden have set up shop, where the local residents, called "avatars" spend money on everything from designer clothes to gourmet coffee, and where next week, IBM Corp. workers will be on strike.

Italian IBM Corp. workers, with the support of Union Network International, CWA's Alliance@IBM and activists around the globe, will go on strike beginning Sept. 25, and the strike is expected to last about a week. Anyone can participate, and UNI and Alliance@IBM are encouraging union supporters to join in. Go to www.allianceibm.org and follow links to UNI's website. There you can get a strike kit and download software from Second Life that shows you how to create an avatar – your Second Life persona – who will join the strike.

"IBM has a very large presence in Second Life, and this is a very innovative action by Italian unionists," said Local 1701 President Linda Guyer. "The goal of the IBM global unions is to put pressure on IBM in both the virtual world and the real world, on issues that affect all IBM employees."

In real-life IBM locations in the United States, those issues include respect in the workplace and respect for workers' rights to organize and bargain a fair contract; the erosion of wages and benefits; and the increased offshoring and contracting out of jobs, said Lee Conrad, national coordinator, Alliance@IBM. Local 1701 has about 6,000 members and associate members and also represents retirees and former employees who are concerned about what's happening at IBM and in the information technology industry.

IBM sells products in Second Life and has "islands," where the company conducts business. "We expect them to shut down islands," Conrad said, "but we don't know if they'll create goon squads or strike breakers – anything is possible in the virtual world."