See my article Blue Truck, Green Truck, this blog, 13 May 2010 for the background to this article.
Further to my earlier posting, US District Judge Christina Snyder has now ruled that the Port of Los Angeles is within it`s rights to implement a Clean Trucks Program. The Program makes trucking companies responsible for maintaining their own fleets of `clean` trucks, reducing pollution levels etc. The American Trucking Association had contested the Port`s right to introduce such a program, but failed to convince the Judge.
The decision was welcomed by the Natural Resources Defence Council, The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports and by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who stated that this was "real progress" and described the CTP as "a model for ports around the nation."
The American Trucking Association has accepted the verdict, but has launched a further lawsuit, contesting the Port`s right to insist that firms directly employ their drivers. At present, many firms depend heavily on a network of nominally independent self-employed drivers, roughly equivalent to the arrangement many catalogue companies in the UK have with self-employed couriers.
The following websites may be of interest ;
www.cleanandsafeports.org
www.oakland.cleanandsafeports.org
www.pugetsoundsage.org
www.nrdc.org
Footnote
This blog will be carrying rather fewer topical articles in the future, as I simply don`t have the time needed for checking facts, keeping up to date with new developments. However, if you`re interested in community-based campaigns, charities, environmental groups etc, you may like to visit Angel Pavement at http://angpav.blogspot.com/ .
Showing posts with label trade unions and health and safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trade unions and health and safety. Show all posts
Monday, 30 August 2010
Saturday, 26 June 2010
National Mesothelioma Day 2 July 2010
Friday 2 July 2010 is National Mesothelioma Day, held to raise awareness of issues surrounding asbestos-related illness.
I take an interest in these matters as not so long ago an old friend of mine died of the effects of working with asbestos.
If anyone`s interesed, my article Asbestos Awareness and `Advocacy` - For Chris (this blog, 19 April 2010) provides a little background info and links to various interested bodies etc.
I take an interest in these matters as not so long ago an old friend of mine died of the effects of working with asbestos.
If anyone`s interesed, my article Asbestos Awareness and `Advocacy` - For Chris (this blog, 19 April 2010) provides a little background info and links to various interested bodies etc.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Blue Truck, Green Truck
An American Congressional Sub-Committee heard testimony this month about the Clean Trucks Programs at the LA and Long Beach ports.
These schemes were introduced in October 2008 to replace large numbers of old trucks with newer vehicles with lower emissions. A `carrot and stick` approach was adopted combining strict environmental standards with subsidies to help buy new trucks.
The LA port had planned a `concession` system requiring trucking firms to hire drivers as employees, rather than treating them as nominally independent sub-contractors, and take responsibility for maintaining trucks. This went `on hold` due to a preliminary injunction sought by the American Trucking Association. Their lawsuit against the port authority in this matter has been heard and a decision is pending.
The Sub-Committee heard from representatives of the Natural Resources Defense Council that the two ports generated "more smog-forming pollution and particle-forming nitrogen oxides than all 6 million cars in the region".
The NRDC points out that communities around the ports have a 60% higher risk of cancer from air pollution and higher asthma rates than those experienced elsewhere in the same region. They reject the trucking industry`s argument that the ports have no authority to address environmental and safety concerns.
Owner-driver Jose Covarrubias described life as an `independent` contractor, which sounds similar to the arrangement experienced by some self-employed couriers in the UK. "No matter what port truck driver I talk to, the story is the same. The companies just call us independent contractors so we can pay for everything and so that they can avoid paying their taxes."
The Committee also heard from trade unionists and industry representatives.
On the same day, the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, an event sponsored by the Blue Green Alliance* heard from truck driver Porfirio Diaz concerning the struggle he and his fellow drivers are waging for union rights and clean air.
Diaz has spent 25 years transporting cargo containers to and from the port at Oakland, California. Initially he regarded it as a good job with a unionised employer offering good terms. Then the company decided to make the previously directly-employed drivers into `independents` paid by the load and with no union or health and welfare benefits.
In practise, this means he is no longer paid whilst waiting to pick up a container and has to cover his own fuel and other costs, sometimes working a 70 hour week - hardly a good thing for a man driving a heavy vehicle ! His son suffers from asthma which he believes comes from smog generated by trucks idling in the port - I assume he lives nearby - and the family home was repossessed when he fell behind with his mortgage payments.
With help from the labour and environmental movements, he and his fellow-drivers are campaigning for legislation to win back the benefits they lost and force the comapnies to reduce port pollution.
Sources
This posting draws heavily on articles by Tim Wheeler and Marilyn Bechtel which appeared in the American People`s World newspaper. The research and reporting is pretty much all theirs and my own contribution is really just in writing a new and more compact article based on their work, and in Anglicizing it a little to avoid confusion (Americans use the word `expenses` where we would say `costs`, whereas `expenses` to me means money refunded to by an employer to an employee who has incurred expenditure as part of his/her work, e.g. to pay for accomodation whilst working away from home.).
I don`t have much information on Tim Wheeler, But I do know he wrote some excellent articles on health and safety matters recently, particularly with reference to the recent US mining disaster.
Marlilyn Bechtel is a former professional musician who has been with the PW since the `80s and is active in the peace movement.
Footnote
*For further reading on the BGA, see my article `John Muir`s Blue Sierra`, this blog, 12 December 2009.
These schemes were introduced in October 2008 to replace large numbers of old trucks with newer vehicles with lower emissions. A `carrot and stick` approach was adopted combining strict environmental standards with subsidies to help buy new trucks.
The LA port had planned a `concession` system requiring trucking firms to hire drivers as employees, rather than treating them as nominally independent sub-contractors, and take responsibility for maintaining trucks. This went `on hold` due to a preliminary injunction sought by the American Trucking Association. Their lawsuit against the port authority in this matter has been heard and a decision is pending.
The Sub-Committee heard from representatives of the Natural Resources Defense Council that the two ports generated "more smog-forming pollution and particle-forming nitrogen oxides than all 6 million cars in the region".
The NRDC points out that communities around the ports have a 60% higher risk of cancer from air pollution and higher asthma rates than those experienced elsewhere in the same region. They reject the trucking industry`s argument that the ports have no authority to address environmental and safety concerns.
Owner-driver Jose Covarrubias described life as an `independent` contractor, which sounds similar to the arrangement experienced by some self-employed couriers in the UK. "No matter what port truck driver I talk to, the story is the same. The companies just call us independent contractors so we can pay for everything and so that they can avoid paying their taxes."
The Committee also heard from trade unionists and industry representatives.
On the same day, the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, an event sponsored by the Blue Green Alliance* heard from truck driver Porfirio Diaz concerning the struggle he and his fellow drivers are waging for union rights and clean air.
Diaz has spent 25 years transporting cargo containers to and from the port at Oakland, California. Initially he regarded it as a good job with a unionised employer offering good terms. Then the company decided to make the previously directly-employed drivers into `independents` paid by the load and with no union or health and welfare benefits.
In practise, this means he is no longer paid whilst waiting to pick up a container and has to cover his own fuel and other costs, sometimes working a 70 hour week - hardly a good thing for a man driving a heavy vehicle ! His son suffers from asthma which he believes comes from smog generated by trucks idling in the port - I assume he lives nearby - and the family home was repossessed when he fell behind with his mortgage payments.
With help from the labour and environmental movements, he and his fellow-drivers are campaigning for legislation to win back the benefits they lost and force the comapnies to reduce port pollution.
Sources
This posting draws heavily on articles by Tim Wheeler and Marilyn Bechtel which appeared in the American People`s World newspaper. The research and reporting is pretty much all theirs and my own contribution is really just in writing a new and more compact article based on their work, and in Anglicizing it a little to avoid confusion (Americans use the word `expenses` where we would say `costs`, whereas `expenses` to me means money refunded to by an employer to an employee who has incurred expenditure as part of his/her work, e.g. to pay for accomodation whilst working away from home.).
I don`t have much information on Tim Wheeler, But I do know he wrote some excellent articles on health and safety matters recently, particularly with reference to the recent US mining disaster.
Marlilyn Bechtel is a former professional musician who has been with the PW since the `80s and is active in the peace movement.
Footnote
*For further reading on the BGA, see my article `John Muir`s Blue Sierra`, this blog, 12 December 2009.
Friday, 7 May 2010
Still the Boss ?
Employees of designer clothes company Hugo Boss won an unexpected victory when the firm reversed an earlier decision to close it`s plant in Brooklyn, Ohio last month.
The company had planned to close the US plant and move produuction overseas, where labour is cheaper. The change of heart, hailed as "almost unprecedented" by trade union leader Bruce Raynor, came about due to global pressure of different kinds.
One man who can give himself a pat on the back is actor Danny Glover, who organised a boycott of Boss` products by Oscar nominees attending an Academy Awards ceremony and also visited the plant in person to address the workers. Ordinarily I have little interest in celebrities, but Glover, although I know next to nothing about his film career, does seem an interesting character. The son of two postal workers who were both NAACP activists, he has embraced various causes throughout his life and is currently chair of Trans-Africa Forum, a Du Bois-style Pan-African organisation.
The involvement of a progressive-minded celebrity might not mean much in another industry, but in the image-sensitive world of high fashion, it is a very big deal indeed, particularly given Mr Glover`s hands-on approach.
While it`s very tempting to say that this is a case of "one man can make a difference", that`s very rarely true, and many played a part in the campaign to save the worker`s jobs.
A major factor in the reversal of the closure decision was the fact that state pension funds in various parts of the US made protests. The reason their words had weight was that they all had substantial holdings in Permira, a UK company which has the controlling interest in Hugo Boss.
Another factor was that German trade union IG Metall sits on the board of Boss, and that Spanish trade unions picketed a tennis tournament sponsored by the company. Turkish trade unions also sent letters of support to the worker`s campaign.
Many others played their part - local politicians, religious leaders, the workers themselves and Cleveland Jobs With Justice, who I seem to recall we encountered in an earlier article on this blog.
The unions did have to take a pay cut to keep the plant alive, but overall, it`s still an excellent result.
Over here in the UK, things don`t always seem so encouraging.
A major multi-national that employs a friend of mine has just decided to close the plant where he works (I`m deliberately `anonymising` the details as things are a bit sensitive there at present), throwing 1200 people out of work. Part of the reason is that some of the work previously carried out on site has been contracted out to companies in other parts of the world. Although it is not a unionised workplace, some employees had joined the relevant union as private individuals. There have been consistent complaints from them for many years to my knowledge that their union ignores them, and I gather no help has been offered in this situation, despite a number of requests.
The behaviour of some European multi-nationals sparked angry responses from UK oil refinery and power station workers not so long ago, particular issues being safety matters and selective hiring processes that appear to put UK workers at a disadvantage. In the East Midlands at least, that still flares up periodically, though no longer making national headlines. The unusual thing about this series of disputes is that it appears spontaneous and not instituted by trade unions or any political grouping. The left has been divided over whether to support the workers, and those that do admit to having been taken by surprise. The far right has stayed away. While their grievances seem well-founded, the workers themselves show little knowledge of current affairs and/or trade union law, so one can assume they`ve not been briefed on the issues. Certainly, the trade unions have become involved in supporting them, but by the same token, some support has been forthcoming from Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, who has a number of constituents among the workforce.
Saving the worst till last, we now come to the shameful story of Corus.
Steel company Corus was fined £1.3 million pounds and ordered to pay £1.7 million pounds in costs in December 2006 after an explosion in the company`s Port Talbot furnace killed three workers. The Judge in the case, Justice Lloyd-Jones, was critical of the company`s "casual" attitude to safety.
You might think that this would be enough of a warning shot to make the company change it`s ways, but this is clearly not the case as a quick visit to www.hazards.org/corus will show you.
Safety magazine Hazards lobbied the leaders of the three major UK political parties over Corus` abyssmal safety record during the run up to the UK general election this year. In particular, they highlighted the fact that the company had been convicted of 8 safety breaches, including three fatal incidents, during the period August 2007 - April 2010. If anything, the firm is now offending more frequently, as during March 2010 and April 2010, Corus UK Ltd and a subsidiary, Corus Special Profiles, were convicted of four separate safety breaches, including one of the fatal incidents mentioned above, and were ordered to pay a total of £355,000 in fines as a result.
One thing that strikes me about this is that in 2006, the firm is fined £1.3 million, but after continuing to offend on a regular basis, and with a clear pattern of escalation in recent times, the highest single fine imposed in the cases highlighted by Hazards is £250,000, a mere fraction of the earlier fine and very little indeed to a company with an annual turnover measured in billions.
One factor contributing to Corus` appalling record is the fact that the company is deeply unstable at the highest level, with four senior managers having resigned in as many months. Whatever the circumstances, it is clear that effective enforcement is needed to bring about change and so far I don`t think we`re seeing this.
At time of writing, Corus are under investigation yet again following the death of an employee in Scunthorpe.
It`s clear that politicians, trade unionists and others (including the Courts) are going to find that dealing with multi-nationals throws up issues that are not at all eassy to solve. The Hugo Boss situation shows that under the right circumstances, intelligence, imagination and, above all, determination can prevail in the end.
SOURCES
For the Hugo Boss situation I have drawn on a number of articles by Rick Nagin* for People`s World. For the other matters my sources were many and varied, including This is Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe Telegraph and Hazards Magazine.
* Rick Nagin sounds an interesting character. A member of the Newspaper Guild and the Communications Workers of America, he has been active in journalism and grassroots politics for many years. At one time Executive Assistant to Cleveland, Ohio`s first Hispanic Councilman, he himself received an impressive 49 % of the vote when running for Cleveland City Council in 2009. He is now involved with the AFL-CIO trade union federation and Jobs With Justice.
The company had planned to close the US plant and move produuction overseas, where labour is cheaper. The change of heart, hailed as "almost unprecedented" by trade union leader Bruce Raynor, came about due to global pressure of different kinds.
One man who can give himself a pat on the back is actor Danny Glover, who organised a boycott of Boss` products by Oscar nominees attending an Academy Awards ceremony and also visited the plant in person to address the workers. Ordinarily I have little interest in celebrities, but Glover, although I know next to nothing about his film career, does seem an interesting character. The son of two postal workers who were both NAACP activists, he has embraced various causes throughout his life and is currently chair of Trans-Africa Forum, a Du Bois-style Pan-African organisation.
The involvement of a progressive-minded celebrity might not mean much in another industry, but in the image-sensitive world of high fashion, it is a very big deal indeed, particularly given Mr Glover`s hands-on approach.
While it`s very tempting to say that this is a case of "one man can make a difference", that`s very rarely true, and many played a part in the campaign to save the worker`s jobs.
A major factor in the reversal of the closure decision was the fact that state pension funds in various parts of the US made protests. The reason their words had weight was that they all had substantial holdings in Permira, a UK company which has the controlling interest in Hugo Boss.
Another factor was that German trade union IG Metall sits on the board of Boss, and that Spanish trade unions picketed a tennis tournament sponsored by the company. Turkish trade unions also sent letters of support to the worker`s campaign.
Many others played their part - local politicians, religious leaders, the workers themselves and Cleveland Jobs With Justice, who I seem to recall we encountered in an earlier article on this blog.
The unions did have to take a pay cut to keep the plant alive, but overall, it`s still an excellent result.
Over here in the UK, things don`t always seem so encouraging.
A major multi-national that employs a friend of mine has just decided to close the plant where he works (I`m deliberately `anonymising` the details as things are a bit sensitive there at present), throwing 1200 people out of work. Part of the reason is that some of the work previously carried out on site has been contracted out to companies in other parts of the world. Although it is not a unionised workplace, some employees had joined the relevant union as private individuals. There have been consistent complaints from them for many years to my knowledge that their union ignores them, and I gather no help has been offered in this situation, despite a number of requests.
The behaviour of some European multi-nationals sparked angry responses from UK oil refinery and power station workers not so long ago, particular issues being safety matters and selective hiring processes that appear to put UK workers at a disadvantage. In the East Midlands at least, that still flares up periodically, though no longer making national headlines. The unusual thing about this series of disputes is that it appears spontaneous and not instituted by trade unions or any political grouping. The left has been divided over whether to support the workers, and those that do admit to having been taken by surprise. The far right has stayed away. While their grievances seem well-founded, the workers themselves show little knowledge of current affairs and/or trade union law, so one can assume they`ve not been briefed on the issues. Certainly, the trade unions have become involved in supporting them, but by the same token, some support has been forthcoming from Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, who has a number of constituents among the workforce.
Saving the worst till last, we now come to the shameful story of Corus.
Steel company Corus was fined £1.3 million pounds and ordered to pay £1.7 million pounds in costs in December 2006 after an explosion in the company`s Port Talbot furnace killed three workers. The Judge in the case, Justice Lloyd-Jones, was critical of the company`s "casual" attitude to safety.
You might think that this would be enough of a warning shot to make the company change it`s ways, but this is clearly not the case as a quick visit to www.hazards.org/corus will show you.
Safety magazine Hazards lobbied the leaders of the three major UK political parties over Corus` abyssmal safety record during the run up to the UK general election this year. In particular, they highlighted the fact that the company had been convicted of 8 safety breaches, including three fatal incidents, during the period August 2007 - April 2010. If anything, the firm is now offending more frequently, as during March 2010 and April 2010, Corus UK Ltd and a subsidiary, Corus Special Profiles, were convicted of four separate safety breaches, including one of the fatal incidents mentioned above, and were ordered to pay a total of £355,000 in fines as a result.
One thing that strikes me about this is that in 2006, the firm is fined £1.3 million, but after continuing to offend on a regular basis, and with a clear pattern of escalation in recent times, the highest single fine imposed in the cases highlighted by Hazards is £250,000, a mere fraction of the earlier fine and very little indeed to a company with an annual turnover measured in billions.
One factor contributing to Corus` appalling record is the fact that the company is deeply unstable at the highest level, with four senior managers having resigned in as many months. Whatever the circumstances, it is clear that effective enforcement is needed to bring about change and so far I don`t think we`re seeing this.
At time of writing, Corus are under investigation yet again following the death of an employee in Scunthorpe.
It`s clear that politicians, trade unionists and others (including the Courts) are going to find that dealing with multi-nationals throws up issues that are not at all eassy to solve. The Hugo Boss situation shows that under the right circumstances, intelligence, imagination and, above all, determination can prevail in the end.
SOURCES
For the Hugo Boss situation I have drawn on a number of articles by Rick Nagin* for People`s World. For the other matters my sources were many and varied, including This is Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe Telegraph and Hazards Magazine.
* Rick Nagin sounds an interesting character. A member of the Newspaper Guild and the Communications Workers of America, he has been active in journalism and grassroots politics for many years. At one time Executive Assistant to Cleveland, Ohio`s first Hispanic Councilman, he himself received an impressive 49 % of the vote when running for Cleveland City Council in 2009. He is now involved with the AFL-CIO trade union federation and Jobs With Justice.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Asbestos Awareness and `Advocacy` - For Chris
Not so long ago, my oldest friend died of an industrial disease, malignant mesothelioma, contracted whilst working for a short period mixing asbestos fibres for use as roofing insulation and then for a time working as a roofer installing the material.
He spent only a very short time working for the company in question, and that quite some time ago. So much so that I hardly recall him mentioning it during the twenty-plus years we knew each other.
Recording a verdict of death due to industrial disease, the Coroner commented, "His death is associated with working with asbestos. This is just the tip of the iceberg, really, with asbestos. It is causing all these deaths."
Clearly he was right. The most perfunctory of searches on the web soon uncovered a similar case, a man who lived near to me. He worked as a fitter/welder in a power station for only five years in the `70s, and then moved on to other work, but tragically the consequences of working inside the towers with no protective clothing struck him in later life.
My friend did at least have the comfort of knowing his family were provided for. He was a member of one of the country`s largest trade unions, and they employed a specialist solicitor. The solicitors already had half-a-dozen ongoing comparable cases involving the same employer, who had already indicated they would admit liability.
Others do not have that comfort. In another case I found on the web, a man had contracted an asbestos-related disease whilst working for a company that no longer exists today. Attempts to trace their insurers had failed, leaving him with nothing. Understandably, the man was adding his voice to calls for the government to step in and provide compensation in these circumstances. More recently, campaigners have pressed insurance companies to set up a Fund of Last Resort for those who find themselves in this situation.
There are a number of sites which may prove helpful to anyone needing to know more about the issues surrounding asbestos-relate illness ;
Health and Safety Executive - www.hse.gov.uk
British Safety Council - www.britsafe.org
Trade Union Congress - www.tuc.org.uk
Hazards magazine - www.hazards.org
Labour Start - www.labourstart.org
(trade unions/international)
Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team - www.asbestossupport.co.uk
(The name is a little anachronistic now. DAST is actually based in Chesterfield on the Notts/Yorks border and it`s activities cover the East Midlandsas a whole and not just Derbyshire. It`s site provides links to equivalent bodies in other areas and to some national bodies.)
Building and Woodworkers International - www.bwint.org
(I must admit I know next to nothing about this one. I`ve had a quick look at the site and as far as I can see the views expressed are perfectly reasonable. In any case, I assume most people reading this know their own minds and don`t need too much guidance from me.)
www.mesothelioma.net
(American site - once again, I don`t know much about this one but it seems it might be helpful)
Canada is one of the last asbestos-producing nations in the world and the second largest exporter of the substance, which is banned in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. The Canadian government provides funding for the Chrysotile Institute, an `asbestos advocacy body` which promotes the export of Canadian asbestos abroad, mainly to India and Indonesia. The Institute claims to educate developing countries on the safe use of the product, though campaigners are unconvinced, pointing out that symptoms of asbestos-related illness can take 20 years or more to show up.
Despite worldwide condemnation, the Chrysotile Institute, business groups and, disgracefully, a number of Canadian trade unions have formed a lobbying group, Partners for the Use of Asbestos, to lobby for the Canadian asbestos industry. One wonders how many of them would be happy to have it in their own homes.
In the interest of balance, I was going to provide a link for Partners... but could not trace their site. I did find http://banasbestosindia.blogspot.com/ and http://www.bacanada.org/ .
As you`ve probably gathered, there are various issues around asbestos and it`s uses and I`ve only really scratched the surface with this brief account. Hopefully it will provide some helpful links and comments for anyone wishing to know more about the subject.
Lastly, it`s worth noting that 28 April is Worker`s Memorial Day - visit www.hazards.org/wmd for details.
He spent only a very short time working for the company in question, and that quite some time ago. So much so that I hardly recall him mentioning it during the twenty-plus years we knew each other.
Recording a verdict of death due to industrial disease, the Coroner commented, "His death is associated with working with asbestos. This is just the tip of the iceberg, really, with asbestos. It is causing all these deaths."
Clearly he was right. The most perfunctory of searches on the web soon uncovered a similar case, a man who lived near to me. He worked as a fitter/welder in a power station for only five years in the `70s, and then moved on to other work, but tragically the consequences of working inside the towers with no protective clothing struck him in later life.
My friend did at least have the comfort of knowing his family were provided for. He was a member of one of the country`s largest trade unions, and they employed a specialist solicitor. The solicitors already had half-a-dozen ongoing comparable cases involving the same employer, who had already indicated they would admit liability.
Others do not have that comfort. In another case I found on the web, a man had contracted an asbestos-related disease whilst working for a company that no longer exists today. Attempts to trace their insurers had failed, leaving him with nothing. Understandably, the man was adding his voice to calls for the government to step in and provide compensation in these circumstances. More recently, campaigners have pressed insurance companies to set up a Fund of Last Resort for those who find themselves in this situation.
There are a number of sites which may prove helpful to anyone needing to know more about the issues surrounding asbestos-relate illness ;
Health and Safety Executive - www.hse.gov.uk
British Safety Council - www.britsafe.org
Trade Union Congress - www.tuc.org.uk
Hazards magazine - www.hazards.org
Labour Start - www.labourstart.org
(trade unions/international)
Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team - www.asbestossupport.co.uk
(The name is a little anachronistic now. DAST is actually based in Chesterfield on the Notts/Yorks border and it`s activities cover the East Midlandsas a whole and not just Derbyshire. It`s site provides links to equivalent bodies in other areas and to some national bodies.)
Building and Woodworkers International - www.bwint.org
(I must admit I know next to nothing about this one. I`ve had a quick look at the site and as far as I can see the views expressed are perfectly reasonable. In any case, I assume most people reading this know their own minds and don`t need too much guidance from me.)
www.mesothelioma.net
(American site - once again, I don`t know much about this one but it seems it might be helpful)
Canada is one of the last asbestos-producing nations in the world and the second largest exporter of the substance, which is banned in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. The Canadian government provides funding for the Chrysotile Institute, an `asbestos advocacy body` which promotes the export of Canadian asbestos abroad, mainly to India and Indonesia. The Institute claims to educate developing countries on the safe use of the product, though campaigners are unconvinced, pointing out that symptoms of asbestos-related illness can take 20 years or more to show up.
Despite worldwide condemnation, the Chrysotile Institute, business groups and, disgracefully, a number of Canadian trade unions have formed a lobbying group, Partners for the Use of Asbestos, to lobby for the Canadian asbestos industry. One wonders how many of them would be happy to have it in their own homes.
In the interest of balance, I was going to provide a link for Partners... but could not trace their site. I did find http://banasbestosindia.blogspot.com/ and http://www.bacanada.org/ .
As you`ve probably gathered, there are various issues around asbestos and it`s uses and I`ve only really scratched the surface with this brief account. Hopefully it will provide some helpful links and comments for anyone wishing to know more about the subject.
Lastly, it`s worth noting that 28 April is Worker`s Memorial Day - visit www.hazards.org/wmd for details.
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Civil Rights Showdown Revisited
"America`s pretensions to greatness will remain just pretentions until the benefits of freedom, democracy and opportunity are enjoyed by all of our citizens" - W E B Du Bois
My article headed `Civil Rights Showdown` (this blog, 13 March 2010) looked at a call for a "new Civil Rights movement", centred on the fight for jobs, by leaders of America`s United Steelworkers trade union.
It looks as if they`ve got their wish as a new coalition, Jobs for America Now, brings together trade union related bodies such as the AFL-CIO (a trade union federation), Change to Win and the Blue-Green Alliance (see my article `John Muir`s Blue Sierra`, this blog, 12 December 2009) with traditional civil rights groups such as the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
This is not new ground, but is not without it`s hazards. Both W E B Du Bois and Martin Luther King felt the need to break away from `traditional` civil rights and engage with wider issues. Both had trouble taking their adherents with them on that journey and are often characterised as `leaders without followers` during the periods in question. My own feeling is that times have changed, though I`d have to concede I`ve never so much as visited America, so my opinion may not be worth much !
Be that as it may, J4AN is only one of a number of like-minded groups springing up in the US at this time, and in my judgement they deserve our attention.
Recently, the Cleveland branch of Jobs With Justice, a coalition of trade unions, religious groups, community organisations and student bodies, took up the cause of former employees of a firm named InkStop Inc, who had been `locked out` when the company`s owners decided to declare bankruptcy. Apparently, the company failed to pay three weeks wages or health insurance (leaving their former staff ineligible for certain types of benefits) and failed to give notice. In a surprise move, District Judge Solomon Oliver ordered the 15 board members to pay the 660,000 US dollars to the 629 former employees from their own pockets.*
Such disputes are not so uncommon in the US - there was a celebrated campaign by steelworker Frank `Saint of Chicago` Lumpkin and his colleagues in the Save Our Jobs Committee in a similar situation. Mr Lumpkin`s battle took 17 years ! Fortunately, the InkStop workers didn`t have to wait that long. What is unusual is the decision that the Board should pay the workers from their own personal funds. Lawyers for the staff are convinced a highly visible campaign by Cleveland JWJ played it`s part in that.*
For the moment, JWJ and J4AN seem to be striking a chord with many Americans. How they will fare in the future is perhaps a `watch this space` situation. Time will tell.
FOOTNOTE
* It`s worth noting that a statement from the worker`s lawyer praising Cleveland JWJ`s efforts has been removed from their web site and replaced with a statement from the group praising the Board of InkStop for "stepping up to do the right thing" by agreeing to the settlement.
SOURCES/FURTHER READING
JWJ, J4AN
For facts relating to JWJ, J4AN and Frank Lumpkin, I drew on articles in the People`s World by Paul Hill, Joe Sims and John Bachtell, plus a bit of background from the websites of the two organisations..
Martin Luther King
1) Jon Power - Martin Luther King : A Reassessment - Peace Pledge Union, London, Revised Edition 1983
2) Martin Luther King / Unknown Editor/Compiler (Jon Power ?) - Quotations On Peace and Justice, Racialism and Nonviolence by and about Martin Luther King - Peace Pledge Union, London, 1982
These two were reprinted many times during the `80s.
W E B Du Bois
I`ve read many books by and about W E B Du Bois - try http://webdub.blogspot.com/ for further evidence of my ongoing obssession !
My article headed `Civil Rights Showdown` (this blog, 13 March 2010) looked at a call for a "new Civil Rights movement", centred on the fight for jobs, by leaders of America`s United Steelworkers trade union.
It looks as if they`ve got their wish as a new coalition, Jobs for America Now, brings together trade union related bodies such as the AFL-CIO (a trade union federation), Change to Win and the Blue-Green Alliance (see my article `John Muir`s Blue Sierra`, this blog, 12 December 2009) with traditional civil rights groups such as the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
This is not new ground, but is not without it`s hazards. Both W E B Du Bois and Martin Luther King felt the need to break away from `traditional` civil rights and engage with wider issues. Both had trouble taking their adherents with them on that journey and are often characterised as `leaders without followers` during the periods in question. My own feeling is that times have changed, though I`d have to concede I`ve never so much as visited America, so my opinion may not be worth much !
Be that as it may, J4AN is only one of a number of like-minded groups springing up in the US at this time, and in my judgement they deserve our attention.
Recently, the Cleveland branch of Jobs With Justice, a coalition of trade unions, religious groups, community organisations and student bodies, took up the cause of former employees of a firm named InkStop Inc, who had been `locked out` when the company`s owners decided to declare bankruptcy. Apparently, the company failed to pay three weeks wages or health insurance (leaving their former staff ineligible for certain types of benefits) and failed to give notice. In a surprise move, District Judge Solomon Oliver ordered the 15 board members to pay the 660,000 US dollars to the 629 former employees from their own pockets.*
Such disputes are not so uncommon in the US - there was a celebrated campaign by steelworker Frank `Saint of Chicago` Lumpkin and his colleagues in the Save Our Jobs Committee in a similar situation. Mr Lumpkin`s battle took 17 years ! Fortunately, the InkStop workers didn`t have to wait that long. What is unusual is the decision that the Board should pay the workers from their own personal funds. Lawyers for the staff are convinced a highly visible campaign by Cleveland JWJ played it`s part in that.*
For the moment, JWJ and J4AN seem to be striking a chord with many Americans. How they will fare in the future is perhaps a `watch this space` situation. Time will tell.
FOOTNOTE
* It`s worth noting that a statement from the worker`s lawyer praising Cleveland JWJ`s efforts has been removed from their web site and replaced with a statement from the group praising the Board of InkStop for "stepping up to do the right thing" by agreeing to the settlement.
SOURCES/FURTHER READING
JWJ, J4AN
For facts relating to JWJ, J4AN and Frank Lumpkin, I drew on articles in the People`s World by Paul Hill, Joe Sims and John Bachtell, plus a bit of background from the websites of the two organisations..
Martin Luther King
1) Jon Power - Martin Luther King : A Reassessment - Peace Pledge Union, London, Revised Edition 1983
2) Martin Luther King / Unknown Editor/Compiler (Jon Power ?) - Quotations On Peace and Justice, Racialism and Nonviolence by and about Martin Luther King - Peace Pledge Union, London, 1982
These two were reprinted many times during the `80s.
W E B Du Bois
I`ve read many books by and about W E B Du Bois - try http://webdub.blogspot.com/ for further evidence of my ongoing obssession !
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Roundup #2
I`ve heard a rumour that we in the UK have an election coming up. In light of that, let`s continue to ignore political parties and see what some other organisations are doing.
1) Race Relations - The Runnymede Trust
The Runnymede Trust are publishing a series of books by MPs representing the main UK political parties, in the Political Platforms (also known as the Runnymede Platforms) series. Publications to date are ;
Dominic Grieve QC MP - Conservatism and Community Cohesion
RT Hon John Denham MP - Labour and Cohesive Communities
Lynne Featherstone MP - Race Equality and the Liberal Democrats
2) Democracy / Constitutional Reform - Unlock Democracy
UD have issued their own Manifesto and are now looking at the policies of the main political parties, to see which comes closest to their aims. They will publish their findings fairly soon, no doubt. It will be interesting to see how the different parties fare.
3) Democracy / Constitutional Reform - Power2010
Power 2010 have launched their Power Pledge, advocating various reforms. They ask supporters to visit their site and send a letter on these matters to all their local candidates (not just the incumbent) .
4) Transport / CPRE
CPRE and the other parties to the Heathrow court case have scored a significant victory. While the judge was at pains to make it clear that his ruling didn`t rule out the provision of a third runway and sixth terminal, but it is clear that any future Government will have begin the public consultation all over again, but in a revised form, before they can even think about proceeding. Full details of the ruling can be found at the CPRE web site.
5) Transport / Brake
Road safety charity Brake have a number of ongoing campaigns - visit www.brake.org.uk/campaigns. Often overlooked - perhaps regarded as a bit `worthy but dull` - this organisation has come a long way since it was formed in the 1980s as `Brake - The Campaign for Safer Lorries` - I recall that it was heavily backed by the trade union I was in at the time and it`s been interesting to see how it`s developed over the years.
6) Environment / Beauly Denny
Pylon Pressure have echoed the call made by Ramblers Scotland to make the Beauly Denny powerline an election issue, calling on supporters and sympathisers to lobby their MPs / MSPs on the issue.
7) Miscellaneous
Save Our Valley, Tripping Up Trump, Mr Peckham`s Pit Pony Petitions, Save our Waterways etc are, of course, ongoing but with no developments since I last mentioned them.
8) Trade Unions / Heath and Safety
The trade union movement will be marking International Worker`s Memorial Day at various locations around the country on Wed 28 April 2010. I will return to this theme in the not-too-distant future.
9) And Lastly...
With an election on the way, politicians and pundits will have little interest in regional matters outside of key marginal seats, and grassroots groups will find it even harder to be heard. I always like to buck a trend when I can, you can keep up to date with life in parts of the Midlands and the North with these listings ;
5 April 2010 - Yorkshire Snapshot
5 April 2010 - Derbyshire Snapshot
17 March 2010 - Snapshot
all of which can be found at http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com/.
1) Race Relations - The Runnymede Trust
The Runnymede Trust are publishing a series of books by MPs representing the main UK political parties, in the Political Platforms (also known as the Runnymede Platforms) series. Publications to date are ;
Dominic Grieve QC MP - Conservatism and Community Cohesion
RT Hon John Denham MP - Labour and Cohesive Communities
Lynne Featherstone MP - Race Equality and the Liberal Democrats
2) Democracy / Constitutional Reform - Unlock Democracy
UD have issued their own Manifesto and are now looking at the policies of the main political parties, to see which comes closest to their aims. They will publish their findings fairly soon, no doubt. It will be interesting to see how the different parties fare.
3) Democracy / Constitutional Reform - Power2010
Power 2010 have launched their Power Pledge, advocating various reforms. They ask supporters to visit their site and send a letter on these matters to all their local candidates (not just the incumbent) .
4) Transport / CPRE
CPRE and the other parties to the Heathrow court case have scored a significant victory. While the judge was at pains to make it clear that his ruling didn`t rule out the provision of a third runway and sixth terminal, but it is clear that any future Government will have begin the public consultation all over again, but in a revised form, before they can even think about proceeding. Full details of the ruling can be found at the CPRE web site.
5) Transport / Brake
Road safety charity Brake have a number of ongoing campaigns - visit www.brake.org.uk/campaigns. Often overlooked - perhaps regarded as a bit `worthy but dull` - this organisation has come a long way since it was formed in the 1980s as `Brake - The Campaign for Safer Lorries` - I recall that it was heavily backed by the trade union I was in at the time and it`s been interesting to see how it`s developed over the years.
6) Environment / Beauly Denny
Pylon Pressure have echoed the call made by Ramblers Scotland to make the Beauly Denny powerline an election issue, calling on supporters and sympathisers to lobby their MPs / MSPs on the issue.
7) Miscellaneous
Save Our Valley, Tripping Up Trump, Mr Peckham`s Pit Pony Petitions, Save our Waterways etc are, of course, ongoing but with no developments since I last mentioned them.
8) Trade Unions / Heath and Safety
The trade union movement will be marking International Worker`s Memorial Day at various locations around the country on Wed 28 April 2010. I will return to this theme in the not-too-distant future.
9) And Lastly...
With an election on the way, politicians and pundits will have little interest in regional matters outside of key marginal seats, and grassroots groups will find it even harder to be heard. I always like to buck a trend when I can, you can keep up to date with life in parts of the Midlands and the North with these listings ;
5 April 2010 - Yorkshire Snapshot
5 April 2010 - Derbyshire Snapshot
17 March 2010 - Snapshot
all of which can be found at http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
U Cubed
Over to the USA now, where the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has launched a website for America`s unemployed. Actually known as Union of Unemployed ( see link below) , it has attracted the nicknames U Cubed and, oddly,
Ur Union of Unemployed.
Facilities offered on the site include social networking, job listings and legislative campaigning.
After registering and logging on, users can connect with other users according to their zip code (if you`re in the UK, it`s like a postcode) , and they are organised into a `cube` of six people. These are organised into groups of nine cubes, known as `neighborhoods` - I decided to use the American spelling - , and then the neighborhoods are formed into `blocks`. The idea is to form networks of `job activists` to support each other and to campaign to get people back to work.
It may sound a bit strange, but speaking personally, I had a couple of spells of unemployment as a youngster ("being a youngster" was quite some time ago !) and I have to say, I pretty much hated everything about it. I would have jumped at something like this, I promise you.
In the interests of research, I had a quick glance at the site. There are various links to current affairs sites, giving details of news items relevant to the unemployed. I was interested to read that the Senate had passed a bill allowing the government to offer tax incentives to employers giving jobs to the unemployed and putting an infusion of cash into road-building schemes. The bill was passed by a fairly respectable majority, with 11 Republicans siding with the Democrats to support the bill.
On the campaigning side, there was encouragement for users to lobby to support The Local Jobs for America Act , The `Jobs for Main Street` Bill and other proposed measures, and an interesting campaign called a WARN notice campaign (a WARN Notice is one required by law in the US when a company plans to close a plant permanently, to give employees fair warning that such measures are being considered. Allegedly, companies often fail to comply with their obligations in this respect). The idea of this campaign is for the unemployed to warn politicians that "I am paying close attention to how you vote, to how you lead us out of this economic turmoil".
I was glad to see that fairly conventional lobbying methods, such as e-mail/letter-writing campaigns, were in use, rather than a more confrontational approach, as nothing will kill it stone dead quicker than any suggestion that participation might hurt user`s chances of finding work.
This is the third article about new initiatives among US trade unions that I`ve posted, and I have to say I think they`re setting a high standard for fresh thinking and flexible responses to a changing world. It may well be that any of us might disagree with some details ("road building" is hardly the most green option), but overall, I`m pretty impressed. Let`s hope unions outside the US are taking notes.
Sources
Pepe Lozano - Machinists Union Creates Website to Organize Nation`s Unemployed, People`s World, 23 Febrary 2010
Union of Unemployed website - www.unionofunemployed.com
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers - www.goiam.org
Ur Union of Unemployed.
Facilities offered on the site include social networking, job listings and legislative campaigning.
After registering and logging on, users can connect with other users according to their zip code (if you`re in the UK, it`s like a postcode) , and they are organised into a `cube` of six people. These are organised into groups of nine cubes, known as `neighborhoods` - I decided to use the American spelling - , and then the neighborhoods are formed into `blocks`. The idea is to form networks of `job activists` to support each other and to campaign to get people back to work.
It may sound a bit strange, but speaking personally, I had a couple of spells of unemployment as a youngster ("being a youngster" was quite some time ago !) and I have to say, I pretty much hated everything about it. I would have jumped at something like this, I promise you.
In the interests of research, I had a quick glance at the site. There are various links to current affairs sites, giving details of news items relevant to the unemployed. I was interested to read that the Senate had passed a bill allowing the government to offer tax incentives to employers giving jobs to the unemployed and putting an infusion of cash into road-building schemes. The bill was passed by a fairly respectable majority, with 11 Republicans siding with the Democrats to support the bill.
On the campaigning side, there was encouragement for users to lobby to support The Local Jobs for America Act , The `Jobs for Main Street` Bill and other proposed measures, and an interesting campaign called a WARN notice campaign (a WARN Notice is one required by law in the US when a company plans to close a plant permanently, to give employees fair warning that such measures are being considered. Allegedly, companies often fail to comply with their obligations in this respect). The idea of this campaign is for the unemployed to warn politicians that "I am paying close attention to how you vote, to how you lead us out of this economic turmoil".
I was glad to see that fairly conventional lobbying methods, such as e-mail/letter-writing campaigns, were in use, rather than a more confrontational approach, as nothing will kill it stone dead quicker than any suggestion that participation might hurt user`s chances of finding work.
This is the third article about new initiatives among US trade unions that I`ve posted, and I have to say I think they`re setting a high standard for fresh thinking and flexible responses to a changing world. It may well be that any of us might disagree with some details ("road building" is hardly the most green option), but overall, I`m pretty impressed. Let`s hope unions outside the US are taking notes.
Sources
Pepe Lozano - Machinists Union Creates Website to Organize Nation`s Unemployed, People`s World, 23 Febrary 2010
Union of Unemployed website - www.unionofunemployed.com
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers - www.goiam.org
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Civil Rights Showdown
Not so long ago, we looked at America`s United Steelworkers trade union, their involvement with the Blue Green Alliance and their agreement with Spanish co-op Mondragon to establish a number of co-operatively-owned manufacturing businesses in the US. (my article `John Muir`s Blue Sierra`, this blog, 12 December 2009).
Now we find the same union mounting a call for what they call a "Civil Rights Movement 2.0", centred on the fight for jobs. Speaking on the 50th anniversary of the `Greensboro 4` *, union leaders Fred Redmond and Leo W Gerard commented "The involvement of young people in that movement - along with religious, labor and other community leaders - cannot be underestimated...they forced America to change for the better." They called on young people to force America to solve "the critical civil rights challenge of this time : good jobs to enable all America to thrive into the next century."
"Good jobs provide health insurance" they added "Good jobs create strong communities. Good jobs create a high quality educational system."
They pointed out that young Americans are disproportionately likely to lack health insurance, and that 50% of the 16 - 24 age group were jobless last year. African-Americans and Latin Americans were more likely to be uninsured and/or unemployed than their white peers.
Tellingly, they pointed out that each manufacturing job supports five other jobs, compared to just one job supported by a service sector position, and that manufacturing jobs tend to pay better. They believe that the manufacturing sector created America`s black middle class and that the decline in America`s manufacturing sector has therefore hit the African American population disproportionately.
Interestingly, their statement implied strongly that they would advocate some sort of protectionism to protect the American economy from cheap imports. This seems to have been picked up by others, and I notice the Steelworkers blog carries a statement from one Dave Johnson (13 March 2010) headed When Conservatives are Right, commenting on an article by an American conservative called Pat Buchanan. Mr Johnson comments "This free trade stuff has worked for us about as well as the free market stuff worked out for the economy. Free market and deregulation destroyed the economy. Free trade has destroyed our ability to earn money and recover." **
Arguments over the case for/against protectionism fall outside the scope of this blog as I want to keep it cheap and cheerful. Leaving that aside, the two trade unionist leaders do have a good point when they comment that cheaply-produced consumer goods imported into the US are often produced in countries with limited safety regulations and few requirements for environmentally-friendly working practices. "Cheap goods come at a high price" they say.
Sources
Pepe Lozano - Steelworkers Call For Civil Rights 2.0 : A Youth-Led Jobs Revolution - People`s World, 17 February 2010
L W Gerard / F Redmond -Black History Month Challenge : A Youth-Led Jobs Revolution - Statement, 11 February 2010
On the Web
United Steelworkers - http://usw.org
Footnotes
* The Greensboro 4 were four young African-American students who defied segregation by sitting at a whites-only lunch counter, rather than standing in the designated `colored` section as the store`s policy required. They were refused service, but did not leave. The following morning, they returned and repeated their action, this time accompanied by 23 sympathisers. They continued in this vein and within a week had rallied around 1,000 supporters. Others began to copy their actions in equivalent situations. Within 6 months, F W Wolworth, owners of the store in question, had de-segreated their lunch counter. Civil rights veteran W E B Du Bois, by then a very elderly man, was effusive in his praise for the youg men`s actions and commented, in answer to a question, that he had no advice for them "maybe they should be giving advice to me".
For articles and links relating to the Civil Rights Movement past and present visit http://webdub.blogspot.com/.
** US politics can be confusing to outsiders - including myself - and I`m not sure I`ve helped here. In Britain, both major parties (Labour and Conservative) have seen the growth of the Chinese and Indian economies as representing new markets for British goods and services. Obviously they are not going to jeopardise that by placing tariffs on Indian and Chinese goods exported into the UK, in case those countries retaliate in like form. ( The two Liberal parties I believe are committed to free trade as a matter of principle). In the US however (as I understand it) Conservatives have tended to see India and China as potential economic rivals, hence Mr Johnson`s choice of words.
Now we find the same union mounting a call for what they call a "Civil Rights Movement 2.0", centred on the fight for jobs. Speaking on the 50th anniversary of the `Greensboro 4` *, union leaders Fred Redmond and Leo W Gerard commented "The involvement of young people in that movement - along with religious, labor and other community leaders - cannot be underestimated...they forced America to change for the better." They called on young people to force America to solve "the critical civil rights challenge of this time : good jobs to enable all America to thrive into the next century."
"Good jobs provide health insurance" they added "Good jobs create strong communities. Good jobs create a high quality educational system."
They pointed out that young Americans are disproportionately likely to lack health insurance, and that 50% of the 16 - 24 age group were jobless last year. African-Americans and Latin Americans were more likely to be uninsured and/or unemployed than their white peers.
Tellingly, they pointed out that each manufacturing job supports five other jobs, compared to just one job supported by a service sector position, and that manufacturing jobs tend to pay better. They believe that the manufacturing sector created America`s black middle class and that the decline in America`s manufacturing sector has therefore hit the African American population disproportionately.
Interestingly, their statement implied strongly that they would advocate some sort of protectionism to protect the American economy from cheap imports. This seems to have been picked up by others, and I notice the Steelworkers blog carries a statement from one Dave Johnson (13 March 2010) headed When Conservatives are Right, commenting on an article by an American conservative called Pat Buchanan. Mr Johnson comments "This free trade stuff has worked for us about as well as the free market stuff worked out for the economy. Free market and deregulation destroyed the economy. Free trade has destroyed our ability to earn money and recover." **
Arguments over the case for/against protectionism fall outside the scope of this blog as I want to keep it cheap and cheerful. Leaving that aside, the two trade unionist leaders do have a good point when they comment that cheaply-produced consumer goods imported into the US are often produced in countries with limited safety regulations and few requirements for environmentally-friendly working practices. "Cheap goods come at a high price" they say.
Sources
Pepe Lozano - Steelworkers Call For Civil Rights 2.0 : A Youth-Led Jobs Revolution - People`s World, 17 February 2010
L W Gerard / F Redmond -Black History Month Challenge : A Youth-Led Jobs Revolution - Statement, 11 February 2010
On the Web
United Steelworkers - http://usw.org
Footnotes
* The Greensboro 4 were four young African-American students who defied segregation by sitting at a whites-only lunch counter, rather than standing in the designated `colored` section as the store`s policy required. They were refused service, but did not leave. The following morning, they returned and repeated their action, this time accompanied by 23 sympathisers. They continued in this vein and within a week had rallied around 1,000 supporters. Others began to copy their actions in equivalent situations. Within 6 months, F W Wolworth, owners of the store in question, had de-segreated their lunch counter. Civil rights veteran W E B Du Bois, by then a very elderly man, was effusive in his praise for the youg men`s actions and commented, in answer to a question, that he had no advice for them "maybe they should be giving advice to me".
For articles and links relating to the Civil Rights Movement past and present visit http://webdub.blogspot.com/.
** US politics can be confusing to outsiders - including myself - and I`m not sure I`ve helped here. In Britain, both major parties (Labour and Conservative) have seen the growth of the Chinese and Indian economies as representing new markets for British goods and services. Obviously they are not going to jeopardise that by placing tariffs on Indian and Chinese goods exported into the UK, in case those countries retaliate in like form. ( The two Liberal parties I believe are committed to free trade as a matter of principle). In the US however (as I understand it) Conservatives have tended to see India and China as potential economic rivals, hence Mr Johnson`s choice of words.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
John Muir`s Blue Sierra
The Ramblers, The John Muir Trust, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and the National Trust Scotland are among a number of conservation organisations joining forces to oppose the controversial Beauly-Denny pipeline, which will see a 138 mile-line of 600 mega-pylons put in place across the heart of the Highlands, including the Cairngorms National Park, and passing by the Wallace Monument.
A leaked government document seems to indicate that Scottish ministers are planning to give approval to the line, though as we all know, sometimes politicians arrange for these things to be leaked in order to test the strength of public feeling.
In a new development, Richard Cellarious, International Vice-President of the Sierra Club, The John Muir Trust`s influential American sister organisation, has written to Scotland`s First Minister Alex Salmond urging that the plan be abandoned in favour of "more environmentally benign alternatives".
Talking of the Sierra Club brings me seamlessly to that organisation`s involvement in America`s Blue Green Alliance, a "national, strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy".
Initially, the BGA was an alliance between the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers trade union, but as it developed momentum , numerous trade union and environmental organisations signed up. In some areas, notably Cincinnati, the BGA has developed in a grassroots, activist-driven way, with emphasis placed on raising money for a green jobs study, fighting for a living wage for recycling workers and more generally building links between the labour movement and the environmental lobby.
Now the United Steel Workers has made an agreement with Spanish co-operatively run business Mondragon to build worker-owned manufacturing co-operatives in America. It is generally felt that this intiative could fit in well with the USW`s commitment to the BGA and it`s `green jobs` objectives.
I gather Mondragon have, to use their own phrase "no pretensions" that they represent an alternative to capitalism, so it would seem that here we have a free enterprise initiative, co-operatively owned, backed by a trade union with impressive green credentials. In theory, presumably, that should tick all boxes, but one suspects it will have it`s detractors. Against that, I`m sure there will be many supporters, if only because I`m sure many Americans, like many here in the UK, would welcome moves back towards an economy based on production rather than one based on speculation, as both countries have at present.
It will be interesting to see if this American example inspires similar initiatives elsewhere.
We`ve covered quite some ground, from pipelines in Scotland to workers` co-ops in the USA, but here are sme useful links ;
ON THE WEB
Ramblers Campaigns - www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns
Ramblers Scotland - www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland
National Trust Scotland - http://www.nts.org.uk/
Mountaineering Council of Scotland - http://www.mcofs.org.uk/
John Muir Trust - http://www.jmt.org/
Sierra Club - http://www.sierraclub.org/
Blue Green Alliance - http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/
United Steel Workers - http://www.usw.org/
Mondragon - www.mondragon-corporation.com/ENG.aspx
SOURCES
As far as I recall, my sources for this article were ;
Phil Amadon - `Worker Co-Ops, The Blue-Green Alliance and Mondragon` - People`s World , 9/12/09
Unsigned Article - `Pipeline Given Go-Ahead` - Walk Magazine , Winter 2009
and other details were from some of the websites listed above
FURTHER READING
Nick Osmond - Rambling Through Adversity - http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com/ , 10/12/09.
A leaked government document seems to indicate that Scottish ministers are planning to give approval to the line, though as we all know, sometimes politicians arrange for these things to be leaked in order to test the strength of public feeling.
In a new development, Richard Cellarious, International Vice-President of the Sierra Club, The John Muir Trust`s influential American sister organisation, has written to Scotland`s First Minister Alex Salmond urging that the plan be abandoned in favour of "more environmentally benign alternatives".
Talking of the Sierra Club brings me seamlessly to that organisation`s involvement in America`s Blue Green Alliance, a "national, strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy".
Initially, the BGA was an alliance between the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers trade union, but as it developed momentum , numerous trade union and environmental organisations signed up. In some areas, notably Cincinnati, the BGA has developed in a grassroots, activist-driven way, with emphasis placed on raising money for a green jobs study, fighting for a living wage for recycling workers and more generally building links between the labour movement and the environmental lobby.
Now the United Steel Workers has made an agreement with Spanish co-operatively run business Mondragon to build worker-owned manufacturing co-operatives in America. It is generally felt that this intiative could fit in well with the USW`s commitment to the BGA and it`s `green jobs` objectives.
I gather Mondragon have, to use their own phrase "no pretensions" that they represent an alternative to capitalism, so it would seem that here we have a free enterprise initiative, co-operatively owned, backed by a trade union with impressive green credentials. In theory, presumably, that should tick all boxes, but one suspects it will have it`s detractors. Against that, I`m sure there will be many supporters, if only because I`m sure many Americans, like many here in the UK, would welcome moves back towards an economy based on production rather than one based on speculation, as both countries have at present.
It will be interesting to see if this American example inspires similar initiatives elsewhere.
We`ve covered quite some ground, from pipelines in Scotland to workers` co-ops in the USA, but here are sme useful links ;
ON THE WEB
Ramblers Campaigns - www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns
Ramblers Scotland - www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland
National Trust Scotland - http://www.nts.org.uk/
Mountaineering Council of Scotland - http://www.mcofs.org.uk/
John Muir Trust - http://www.jmt.org/
Sierra Club - http://www.sierraclub.org/
Blue Green Alliance - http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/
United Steel Workers - http://www.usw.org/
Mondragon - www.mondragon-corporation.com/ENG.aspx
SOURCES
As far as I recall, my sources for this article were ;
Phil Amadon - `Worker Co-Ops, The Blue-Green Alliance and Mondragon` - People`s World , 9/12/09
Unsigned Article - `Pipeline Given Go-Ahead` - Walk Magazine , Winter 2009
and other details were from some of the websites listed above
FURTHER READING
Nick Osmond - Rambling Through Adversity - http://bookshelvesandbrownale.blogspot.com/ , 10/12/09.
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