Save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant
Sisters and Brothers;
Unless we act together the Ford Plant will close soon and two thousand jobs will go down the drain and into the river with it.
It will take the initiative of community activists and rank and file activists from your plant working together to save the Ford Plant and two-thousand jobs. It will require activity on a variety of levels from a variety of partners working in coalition.
I would encourage you to ask the UAW leadership of your local (UAW Local 879) to push the MN DFL to reconsider the legislation Democratic Senator Metzen dropped the ball on after Representative Tom Rukavina successfully pushed it through his Committee in the House. It is important that this Plant and Dam remain intact as one unit.
As you know, the great “free market forces” of capitalism have not been able to keep this perfectly good plant in operation.
This leaves us but one option; the option of Public Ownership. Public Ownership has been used all over the world to save many plants and even entire industries. The New Flyer Bus Plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba is one such example.
To be quite frank, our primary concern has to be with saving these two-thousand jobs. The jobs of those presently employed and for generations to come.
No one is considering the tremendous struggle and sacrifice of Ford workers and your union in securing a good place to work as part of the investment. No one is talking about the huge investment taxpayers have made in this Plant and Hydro Dam… not to mention training employees. No one mentions that workers create all wealth and as such are entitled to participate as equals in the decision-making process. The Ford Motor Company never sat down and talked about the future of this plant with workers or tax-payers.
I ask you to take these resolutions to your party precinct caucus meetings in February. Ford workers are scattered all over, even in Wisconsin… we need to reach out for support in order to save this plant. Just clip one of these resolutions to the resolution form.
Resolution #1 (Short Version) 0n the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant/Hydro Dam and 2,000 Union Jobs
Whereas Ford Motor Company has stated its intent to close the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant, sell the hydro dam to a foreign corporation, and displace two-thousand workers in the near future without consultation from the workers, the community, or local and state governments;
Whereas this plant, its operations, and the hydro dam have received continued support from every level of government including tax-payer funding, tax-breaks and tax abatements under promises to maintain manufacturing operations and with assurances workers would have job security in St. Paul, Minnesota;
Therefore be it resolved public ownership should be used to save this plant, hydro dam, and two-thousand jobs.
Resolution #2 (Full version) 0n the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant/Hydro Dam and 2,000 Union Jobs
Whereas Ford Motor Company has stated its intent to close the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant, sell the hydro dam to a foreign corporation, and displace two-thousand workers in the near future without consultation with the workers, the community, or local and state governments;
Whereas this plant, its operations, and the hydro dam have received continued support from every level of government including tax-payer funding, tax-breaks and tax abatements under promises to maintain manufacturing operations and with assurances workers would have job security in St. Paul, Minnesota;
Whereas this Plant forms an important an integral component of Minnesota’s industrial base;
Whereas the closing of this Plant will cause very significant economic harm to the local community and the state including placing a strain on already overburdened social services which have already been drastically cut back;
Whereas all conciliatory efforts, as demanded, in favor of the management of Ford Motor Company have been granted by all levels of government under the promise Ford would maintain operations in St. Paul;
Whereas a similar threatened plant closing of the New Flyer Plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada during the 1970’sresulted in all levels of government intervening on behalf of the members of the United Automobile Workers union resulting in the public takeover of the operation with continuing successful operation at present;
Whereas “the free market” has not resulted in a solution to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant, the hydro dam which powers the plant along with two-thousand union jobs; (over please)
Be it resolved that the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party instruct its State Legislative Caucus to bring forward the previous resolution in the form of legislation supported by the United Auto Workers Union and its members of Local 789 to save the plant and dam intact until a solution is found to continue operations and production;
Be it further resolved that the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party instructs all of its federal, state, and local Twin Cities elected officials to convene a special conference to explore public ownership as the remedy to saving the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant, the hydro dam, and two thousand union jobs;
Be it further resolved that the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party support public ownership and democratic control of the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant with production taking place in the best interests of the workers and the people of the State of Minnesota;
Be it further resolved that public ownership is the only viable means of saving the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant as all other means have been tried and exhausted;
Be it further resolved that funding is not an issue since any country which can squander billions of dollars on the occupation of Iraq can find the resources for saving this Plant, dam, and jobs;
Be it further resolved that the very significant burden of health care costs for employees be resolved through the State of Minnesota enacting legislation implementing single-payer, universal health care.
Alan L. Maki
Member, Minnesota DFL State Central Committee
and
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
If you have friends working in casinos please have them get in touch with me.
Twenty-thousand Minnesotans go to work in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under tribal, state or federal labor laws.
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
Check out my blog; it’s where rank and file activists go for information:
Thoughts From Podunk:
http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/
Suggestions for how to use these resolutions:
• Take it to your precinct caucus meeting
• Get your union or community organization to support this resolution
• Write a letter to your state legislators supporting this resolution
• Copy and distribute this resolution widely
• Use this resolution as a petition, ask your friends to sign it
• Write a letter to the editor
• Blog this issue
• Post the resolution on web sites
• Discuss this resolution on Internet “list serves”
**************
This leaflet made as a contribution in kind by the:
Iron Range Rank and File Labor Network… concerned and involved members of USW Locals 1938, 2705, 6860, 2660
All labor and materials for this leaflet have been contributed in solidarity with workers of the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant… On the Iron Range we understand the future of our jobs hinge on the future of your jobs. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Alan Maki for taking up this struggle in his capacity as a member of the MN DFL State Central Committee. Without these kinds of community grassroots and rank and file outreach efforts we are all doomed as recent contract “negotiations” in our industries have demonstrated.
Please consider making a contribution to help us put this issue on the front burner where it belongs.
Out of sight… is out of mind.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life
Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life
Initiated by the: International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
This text is also available in other languages:
Despite the world economic boom, most of the world’s population are not seeing their lives improve as a result.
As well as significant open unemployment, many are underemployed, or not paid for work performed. Half of the world’s workforce earns less than 2 $ a day. 12.3 million women and men work in slavery. 200 million children under the age of 15 work instead of going to school. 2.2 million people die due to work-related accidents and diseases every year. People in developed and developing countries work more for less money, and more and more people – overwhelmingly women - are forced to make their living in the so-called informal economy, without social protection or rights and in precarious jobs. Meanwhile, companies are using the threat of outsourcing to drive down wages and hard fought for rights such as the right to collective bargaining and to strike. Trade unionists that fight these trends are dismissed, threatened, jailed and even killed.
Only an international system based on solidarity and respect for people’s rights, as enshrined in United Nations and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, can put a stop to these trends. We call on our governments to sign these conventions, to implement them urgently and to put decent work at the heart of their policy-making.
In July 2006, governments at the UN Economic and Social Council adopted a Ministerial Declaration whose first article states: “We are convinced of the urgent need to create an environment at the national and international levels that is conducive to the attainment of full and productive employment and decent work for all as a foundation for sustainable development.” Their call must be matched by ratification and implementation of the ILO's standards, at the same time as international agencies use the UN’s new Toolkit for Mainstreaming Employment and Decent Work as a first step towards fostering greater policy coherence and convergence for implementing the promise of Decent Work for All.
The time to start implementing these promises is now.
We believe that decent work is central to eradicating poverty, improving the lives of women and men and enabling people to live in peace and dignity. We hence call on decision-makers urgently to:
Decent work: Reaffirm the contribution stable and quality jobs make to a healthy economy and just and equal communities by implementing inclusive strategies for full and productive employment, including for those currently working in the so-called informal economy who need rights and justice to defend their interests. All people have the right to work, to good working conditions and to sufficient income for their basic economic, social and family needs, a right that should be enforced by providing adequate living wages.
Rights: Workers’ rights to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively with their employer are fundamental to realising decent work, and all international organisations, governments and businesses must live up to their responsibilities to respect workers’ human rights.
Social protection: Strengthen and broaden social protection coverage by ensuring access to social security, pensions, unemployment benefits, maternity protection and quality health care to all. These benefits should be available to everyone, including workers in the so-called informal economy.
Trade: Change unfair trade rules and ensure that trade agreements are used as an instrument for decent work, sustainable development and empowerment of the world’s workers, women, the unemployed and the poor. Binding mechanisms for the promotion and enforcement of decent work, including core labour standards, must be included in trade agreements. Governments must stop making trade deals which hurt the poor, create unemployment and lead to exploitation. The demands of workers’ organisations and the rest of civil society must be listened to.
Debt: Ensure that the priorities of the international financial institutions incorporate social and environmental concerns. Particularly, loan and debt conditions which force countries to deregulate labour markets, reduce public spending and privatise public services at the cost of access and quality must be stopped. All projects funded by these institutions must adhere to core labour standards in their implementation.
Aid: Ensure that governments keep their commitment to increase the level of official development aid of rich countries to at least 0.7% of GDP. Adequate financing for development is imperative if the UN’s Millennium Development Goals are to be reached.
Migration: Ensure that migrant workers are not exploited and enjoy the same rights as other workers by ratifying the relevant ILO Conventions and the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
Sign this call to action by filling the form below!
To sign this on-line petition go to:
http://www.decentwork.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=29
Gerado Castillo Me interesa recibir peridicament este tipo de informacion y si fuera posible materiales referidos a la Empresas Multinacinales.
Yann GELISTER
Jens Rydder
Isabelle Hoferlin
Louis Garcia III You can attack it with malice,ignorance can deride it,but in the end it\'s still there. The truth. Winston Churchill
Mamadou Diallo
Lise Paulsen Galal
JAMES HOWARD
Anneke van Luijken most urgent to act on this
Marcio Kameoka
Conny Reuter more than a campaign: a concept for a large social movement
Peteris Krigers
Ludmila Jevsejenkova
Lorena Rojas Avalos \"unirnos para transformar\", esa es la clave si queremos lograr un trabajo y una vida digna para todas las personas sin ningún tipo de distinción.
Esther Niubó
Maria Badia
Yolanda Torres
Alejandro Cercas
Stephen Hughes MEP
Michael Contes
Laurence Corréard
Anna Wolanska Decent work and decent life is not a privilage. This is our fundamental right.
Livija Marcinkevica
Linda Romele
Ariadna Abeltina
Christopher F. Vota Everyone should maintain a standard of living that includes health of body and mind. No way should anyone anywhere be denied medical care for lack of funds. All people everywhere have the right to work under the best conditions possible for good wages and benefits. Even by doing this, the rich will always get richer, but not nearly at the expense of the rest of us, who slowly sink into serfdom!
Javier Jesús Fernánd
My V. Nguyen Decent work for a decent life is the root of democracy!
David Bayle
Elena Tabanelli
Daniel Terra Jorge
Rosemary Whitmore
Bruce Wheeler
Volker Blaschke
Nele Hess Demokratie und Partizipation durch GUTE ARBEIT!
Shaun O\'Connell The world will never find peace until the 7 promises are implemented ASAP.
Hilda Sanchez I sign this call to action
DOSSOU SIMEON TOUNDE Tout en étant d\'accord avec le contenu, je pense qu\'il faut appeler aussi les gouvernements de nos pays (de l\'Afrique)à une meilleure gouvernance et une meilleure gestion des avoirs publics et de l\'aide au développement
Silva Descent work for young people!
Elisa Caracciolo
Claire Moon
Kristian Weise
Velibor
teresa alfani
CAYETANO GUERRERO FE NO PUEDO ESTAR MÁS DE ACUERDO
Donald Spatz
Wirth, Kurt
Unna Kuessner
Kevin J. O\'Rourke
Marijana Bordage
MP Clark
David Yao
Peter L. Gale
Ramon Certeza United we stand, divided we fall!
Bradley A Harris
Richard Creswell Workers of the world unite!
Albert M. Jenkins
Carole O\'Connell
Nanette Folsom Respect Human Beings!!!!
Eileen Boris
Joy Krom
Dusty Washburn
Dusty Washburn
Wolfgang Stier
Catherine Pottinger Urgently needed.
Büsing, Harald
wallace need fair labor practice.
william t glover jr. we need fair labor practices not exploting workers that the only way will ever make a dent in poverty
Richard J. Bargans It is imperative that these goals be immediately implimented and achieved!
Donna Stein
Edward Sussex Great initiative. Also support decent wages and a basic income guarantee for everyone, starting with family allowances for the poor.
Lynn Cardiff
Rick
Janet Roe-Darden
Russ Scheidler
Thomas Fahey
Alexandre Seron
Ralf Pomplitz Zukunft braucht Gerechtigkeit!
Remi Bazillier Decent Work for all!
neil alldred We are very keen to ensure all our own campaigning work is supportive of the Decent Work, Decent Life campaign
Doris Schröder ES ist wichtig, dass menschenwürdige Arbeit für alle Menschen überall geschaffen wird. Sonst erleben wir das, was wir gerade erleben: Der ewige Kreisel nach unten, der überall die Lebensstandards für die arbeitende Bevölkerung nach unten schraubt.
Regina Stolte
Dr. Juergen Eckl Decent work, Trabajo digno, menschenwürdige Arbeit für Alle ist eine Strategie mit vier gleichwertigen Säulen: Respektierung der Kernarabeitsnormen, gute Beschäftigung für alle, Ausbau der Sozialen Sicherheit, mitbestimmender Sozialer Dialog!
Andrea Maksimovic
arun daur Decent Work means respect for workers right to organise and right of union to negotiate - without these two linked rights it is not possible to promote Decent Work in its true sense.
David Seligson
andres penuela
Mathias Maucher
Yan Giroud
Philippe Gousenbourg Decent Work for young people!
Réal Gagnon
tunde animasaun decent work is central to poverty elimination and the guaranteeing of a humane life for all
Concha de Sena Decent work for all!!!
Camelia Constantin
Florentina Constanti Action, not charity!Thsi is what we need.
Michot
Barbara Caracciolo This is great and hope that million of people will sign the Call!
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 October 2007 )
Initiated by the: International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
This text is also available in other languages:
Despite the world economic boom, most of the world’s population are not seeing their lives improve as a result.
As well as significant open unemployment, many are underemployed, or not paid for work performed. Half of the world’s workforce earns less than 2 $ a day. 12.3 million women and men work in slavery. 200 million children under the age of 15 work instead of going to school. 2.2 million people die due to work-related accidents and diseases every year. People in developed and developing countries work more for less money, and more and more people – overwhelmingly women - are forced to make their living in the so-called informal economy, without social protection or rights and in precarious jobs. Meanwhile, companies are using the threat of outsourcing to drive down wages and hard fought for rights such as the right to collective bargaining and to strike. Trade unionists that fight these trends are dismissed, threatened, jailed and even killed.
Only an international system based on solidarity and respect for people’s rights, as enshrined in United Nations and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, can put a stop to these trends. We call on our governments to sign these conventions, to implement them urgently and to put decent work at the heart of their policy-making.
In July 2006, governments at the UN Economic and Social Council adopted a Ministerial Declaration whose first article states: “We are convinced of the urgent need to create an environment at the national and international levels that is conducive to the attainment of full and productive employment and decent work for all as a foundation for sustainable development.” Their call must be matched by ratification and implementation of the ILO's standards, at the same time as international agencies use the UN’s new Toolkit for Mainstreaming Employment and Decent Work as a first step towards fostering greater policy coherence and convergence for implementing the promise of Decent Work for All.
The time to start implementing these promises is now.
We believe that decent work is central to eradicating poverty, improving the lives of women and men and enabling people to live in peace and dignity. We hence call on decision-makers urgently to:
Decent work: Reaffirm the contribution stable and quality jobs make to a healthy economy and just and equal communities by implementing inclusive strategies for full and productive employment, including for those currently working in the so-called informal economy who need rights and justice to defend their interests. All people have the right to work, to good working conditions and to sufficient income for their basic economic, social and family needs, a right that should be enforced by providing adequate living wages.
Rights: Workers’ rights to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively with their employer are fundamental to realising decent work, and all international organisations, governments and businesses must live up to their responsibilities to respect workers’ human rights.
Social protection: Strengthen and broaden social protection coverage by ensuring access to social security, pensions, unemployment benefits, maternity protection and quality health care to all. These benefits should be available to everyone, including workers in the so-called informal economy.
Trade: Change unfair trade rules and ensure that trade agreements are used as an instrument for decent work, sustainable development and empowerment of the world’s workers, women, the unemployed and the poor. Binding mechanisms for the promotion and enforcement of decent work, including core labour standards, must be included in trade agreements. Governments must stop making trade deals which hurt the poor, create unemployment and lead to exploitation. The demands of workers’ organisations and the rest of civil society must be listened to.
Debt: Ensure that the priorities of the international financial institutions incorporate social and environmental concerns. Particularly, loan and debt conditions which force countries to deregulate labour markets, reduce public spending and privatise public services at the cost of access and quality must be stopped. All projects funded by these institutions must adhere to core labour standards in their implementation.
Aid: Ensure that governments keep their commitment to increase the level of official development aid of rich countries to at least 0.7% of GDP. Adequate financing for development is imperative if the UN’s Millennium Development Goals are to be reached.
Migration: Ensure that migrant workers are not exploited and enjoy the same rights as other workers by ratifying the relevant ILO Conventions and the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
Sign this call to action by filling the form below!
To sign this on-line petition go to:
http://www.decentwork.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=29
Alan L. Maki As the Director of Organizing for the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council representing casino workers employed in the more than 400 Indian owned and mobster managed casinos employed in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under State or Federal Labor laws we would like to see full implementation of the \"Call for Action for Decent Work, Decent Life\" with a method of forced compliance in all Nations.
Gerado Castillo Me interesa recibir peridicament este tipo de informacion y si fuera posible materiales referidos a la Empresas Multinacinales.
Yann GELISTER
Jens Rydder
Isabelle Hoferlin
Louis Garcia III You can attack it with malice,ignorance can deride it,but in the end it\'s still there. The truth. Winston Churchill
Mamadou Diallo
Lise Paulsen Galal
JAMES HOWARD
Anneke van Luijken most urgent to act on this
Marcio Kameoka
Conny Reuter more than a campaign: a concept for a large social movement
Peteris Krigers
Ludmila Jevsejenkova
Lorena Rojas Avalos \"unirnos para transformar\", esa es la clave si queremos lograr un trabajo y una vida digna para todas las personas sin ningún tipo de distinción.
Esther Niubó
Maria Badia
Yolanda Torres
Alejandro Cercas
Stephen Hughes MEP
Michael Contes
Laurence Corréard
Anna Wolanska Decent work and decent life is not a privilage. This is our fundamental right.
Livija Marcinkevica
Linda Romele
Ariadna Abeltina
Christopher F. Vota Everyone should maintain a standard of living that includes health of body and mind. No way should anyone anywhere be denied medical care for lack of funds. All people everywhere have the right to work under the best conditions possible for good wages and benefits. Even by doing this, the rich will always get richer, but not nearly at the expense of the rest of us, who slowly sink into serfdom!
Javier Jesús Fernánd
My V. Nguyen Decent work for a decent life is the root of democracy!
David Bayle
Elena Tabanelli
Daniel Terra Jorge
Rosemary Whitmore
Bruce Wheeler
Volker Blaschke
Nele Hess Demokratie und Partizipation durch GUTE ARBEIT!
Shaun O\'Connell The world will never find peace until the 7 promises are implemented ASAP.
Hilda Sanchez I sign this call to action
DOSSOU SIMEON TOUNDE Tout en étant d\'accord avec le contenu, je pense qu\'il faut appeler aussi les gouvernements de nos pays (de l\'Afrique)à une meilleure gouvernance et une meilleure gestion des avoirs publics et de l\'aide au développement
Silva Descent work for young people!
Elisa Caracciolo
Claire Moon
Kristian Weise
Velibor
teresa alfani
CAYETANO GUERRERO FE NO PUEDO ESTAR MÁS DE ACUERDO
Donald Spatz
Wirth, Kurt
Unna Kuessner
Kevin J. O\'Rourke
Marijana Bordage
MP Clark
David Yao
Peter L. Gale
Ramon Certeza United we stand, divided we fall!
Bradley A Harris
Richard Creswell Workers of the world unite!
Albert M. Jenkins
Carole O\'Connell
Nanette Folsom Respect Human Beings!!!!
Eileen Boris
Joy Krom
Dusty Washburn
Dusty Washburn
Wolfgang Stier
Catherine Pottinger Urgently needed.
Büsing, Harald
wallace need fair labor practice.
william t glover jr. we need fair labor practices not exploting workers that the only way will ever make a dent in poverty
Richard J. Bargans It is imperative that these goals be immediately implimented and achieved!
Donna Stein
Edward Sussex Great initiative. Also support decent wages and a basic income guarantee for everyone, starting with family allowances for the poor.
Lynn Cardiff
Rick
Janet Roe-Darden
Russ Scheidler
Thomas Fahey
Alexandre Seron
Ralf Pomplitz Zukunft braucht Gerechtigkeit!
Remi Bazillier Decent Work for all!
neil alldred We are very keen to ensure all our own campaigning work is supportive of the Decent Work, Decent Life campaign
Doris Schröder ES ist wichtig, dass menschenwürdige Arbeit für alle Menschen überall geschaffen wird. Sonst erleben wir das, was wir gerade erleben: Der ewige Kreisel nach unten, der überall die Lebensstandards für die arbeitende Bevölkerung nach unten schraubt.
Regina Stolte
Dr. Juergen Eckl Decent work, Trabajo digno, menschenwürdige Arbeit für Alle ist eine Strategie mit vier gleichwertigen Säulen: Respektierung der Kernarabeitsnormen, gute Beschäftigung für alle, Ausbau der Sozialen Sicherheit, mitbestimmender Sozialer Dialog!
Andrea Maksimovic
arun daur Decent Work means respect for workers right to organise and right of union to negotiate - without these two linked rights it is not possible to promote Decent Work in its true sense.
David Seligson
andres penuela
Mathias Maucher
Yan Giroud
Philippe Gousenbourg Decent Work for young people!
Réal Gagnon
tunde animasaun decent work is central to poverty elimination and the guaranteeing of a humane life for all
Concha de Sena Decent work for all!!!
Camelia Constantin
Florentina Constanti Action, not charity!Thsi is what we need.
Michot
Barbara Caracciolo This is great and hope that million of people will sign the Call!
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 October 2007 )
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