Where trade unionists start their day on the net.
In this week's mailing:
* USA: Support striking office cleaners in Houston
* Colombia: Tell the government - no more killings of trade unionists
* New International founded
* The "new web" and the unions
* What's a "zipper clause"?
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USA: SUPPORT STRIKING OFFICE CLEANERS IN HOUSTON
Hundreds of office cleaners in Houston, Texas have been on strike since October 23 -- and now they want your help and support. They are asking all of us to send a clear message to the CEO of one of the world's largest energy companies (Chevron) to get him to pressure cleaning contractors to pay a living wage and health benefits to their workers. It will take you only a moment and it WILL make a difference:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=161
Done it? Now pass this message on to others!
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COLOMBIA: TELL THE GOVERNMENT - NO MORE KILLINGS OF TRADE UNIONISTS
Not long ago, we told you about the murder of a rural workers' union activist in Colombia. This has been followed by threats to the lives of two members of the union's national executive. Enough is enough -- Colombia already holds the world record for the number of trade unionists killed every year. You can do something about it: the IUF is asking all of us to send messages to the Colombian president, with copies to the union. Make your voice heard:
http://tinyurl.com/ylfcp6
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NEW INTERNATIONAL FOUNDED
This may not have made your local newspaper or the evening news on television where you live, but for those of us who are active in the trade union movement, the merger of the two largest organizations of trade unions in the world into a single body is pretty important. The creation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) last week was covered fairly comprehensively on LabourStart and today we're pleased to have a detailed analysis of what it all means from an eyewitness and expert on international trade unions:
http://www.labourstart.org/docs/en/000382.html
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THE "NEW WEB" AND THE UNIONS
Recognize any of these terms? Flickr. Digg. MySpace. YouTube. Deli.cio.us. Web 2.0.
I think that unions can learn something from changes taking place today on the net. You might find this article of interest (and please feel free to post your comments):
http://www.ericlee.info/2006/11/the_new_web_and_the_unions.html
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WHAT'S A "ZIPPER CLAUSE"?
I'm not even sure I want to know that one. But I would want a good definition of what a 'maquiladora' is, or what 'Taft Hartley' means, or even a short biography of Mother Jones. All these and some 500 other key places, people and events in US labour history are described in a highly readable book called "The Lexicon of Labor" by R. Emmett Murray. Elaine Bernard of the Harvard Trade Union Program says: "More than a reference book and guide to American labor, it's an encyclopedia of the world of work and workers ... informative and fun to read." It's this week's LabourStart Book of the Week:
http://www.labourstart.org/bookoftheweek
Order copies for your union today. Thanks.
Texts appearing here are often press releases sent to us by unions and other organizations which do not appear elsewhere on the web. LabourStart takes no responsibility for their content.