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The UNIONIST Local No. 644 Member of the National Council of Field Labor Locals American Federation of Government Employees AFL-CIO |
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Representing field employees of the U.S. Department of Labor in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. |
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VOLUME XXI, ISSUE III |
JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2002 |
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THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER As we approach the anniversary of 9-11, it is time to reflect how to best honor those brave men and women, union members all, some of whom died in the valiant attempt to save lives and the others who rushed, in huge numbers to keep on trying to rescue and recover the tragic victims. As the President has said in speeches, it was a time that tested the will and strength of the American people. And the American Labor Movement was up to the task on 9-11 and everyday since. Sadly, American Business failed miserably. Even as the planes were hitting the second tower, rescue workers were on the scene, climbing the stairs looking for people to save. Tragically, the died in the effort. But yet, even as the buildings were collapsing, fires burning American labor was still rushing to the scene to attempt to rescue and recover. On 9-11 the American Labor Movement ran to the Towers to save lives and on 9-12, American Business ran for the hills to save investments. While brave American workers dug through the burning rubble with bare hands, at great risk to their lives, American Business crawled through the halls of Congress with outstretched hands begging for a bailout, with little risk to their dignity. Congress came through, bailing out the airlines and other related industries but not for the employees of those industries. While unemployment grows and the economy worsens for workers, some companies are making huge profits from the War on Terrorism. (Continued on page 2) |
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IN APPRECIATION "For decades, Monsignor George Higgins stood at the side of workers in their struggles for justice and during their celebrations of victory. Whether agitating with Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers in their tireless fight for a decent life in California's Coachella Valley in the 1960s, or offering a prayer of benediction in 1993 for a Department of Labor Hall of Fame induction, where the word "unions" had not been mentioned for years, Higgins was ever the champion of working men and women. On May 1 -International Workers' Day and the feast of St Joseph the Worker-Higgins died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, after dedicating a life to those who had no voice. (quoted from the AFL-CIO NEWS) Higgins spent the last 60 years of his life speaking out for union causes. He connected the word of God with the work of the labor movement. For the past 20 years, he offered an invocation at the AFL-CIO conventions and it Los Angeles in 1999 he said, " We will not have a decent society in the United States until a much larger percentage of workers are organized into unions." |
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LOCAL 644 EXECUTIVE BOARD Jim Weyrauch Dave Berestecky Sigmund Kozierachi Helen William Craig Dotson John Lechman John Savine Cindy Peist John Newby THE UNIONIST IS PUBLISHED BY LOCAL 644 AFGE, NCFLL, AFL-CIO Mailing address P.O. Boy 40394 Jim Weyrauch, Editor (215) 597-5183 THE UNIONIST is a participating member of the International Labor Communications Association, the Pennsylvania labor Communications Association and the AFGE Editors Association and prescribes to the required code of ethics of each. |
(President's
Comer continued) But we, at the Department of Labor can honor those brave workers by just doing our everyday job of enforcing the labor laws we are entrusted to enforce That is the mission of our Department. Just to keep faith with the American Worker by protecting the minimum wage, overtime and safety laws and to promote the training and enhance opportunities of women and minorities. All of that is, is what is demanded of us by the sacrifice and courage of those who served their fellow Americans on 9-11 and beyond. All who gave some and some who gave all. This is the way to celebrate the sacrifice of the brave members of the Labor movement and to provide a legacy that shows what America is made of providing a decent and safe workplace and dignity for all workers. |
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PERSONAL NOTE I wish to thank all of you who showed deep concern and kindness to my daughter. I am truly humbled by the outpouring of cards, prayers, flowers and donations she has received. These can from all over the country and really cheered her up in a very bad time. If a man is measured by his friends then I truly feel 10 feet tall. Thank you the love and caring you have shown, I am forever in your debt. Jim Weyrauch |
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BILL BROWN |
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BARRY BARAZZONE IS BRONZE AWARD FOR 2002. Barry Barazzone, Local 644 member from the Indiana PA office of Wage Hour was selected as a Bronze Award winner of the 2002 Community Service Award in the Excellence in Government Awards Program, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board. Barry was selected because of his deep involvement in the "Special 0 (Olympics)" program for special needs children, where he teaches these children how to snow ski. He was selected over a dozens o nominees for the Award but Barry's contributions to the community "stood out": He was honored at the annual Luncheon on June 8 and was presented an engraved plaque. UNION VS. SLAVERY In the 1860s, while slavery was still in existence, the great abolitionist Frederick Douglas called for labor organizations to unite both black and white workers. He said: "The slave holder with a craftiness peculiar to themselves, by encouraging the enmity of the poor, laboring white men against the blacks, succeeds in making the said white men almost as much a slave as the black slave himself."
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Bill Brown, Local 644 shop steward at the
MSHA Ruff Creek office, was awarded the DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S REGION III
VALOR AWARD. He was given the award at the 89" Annual Awards Ceremony in
Philadelphia on June 6. The plaque read "For heroic action in immediately rescuing a child from burning debris in spite of considerable risk to his own safety and loss of life." On Nov 7, 2000 Bill on his way to the voting booth, stopped at a red light and an explosion rocked his car. A house had exploded and he heard children screaming, he jumped out his car, ran to the debris and carried out Shannon Halbritter to safety. The heat singed the back of his blue jeans and nails from splintered boards tore his shirt when he plunged in. Little Shannon was buried in smoldering rubble up her waist in the garage. An unsteady, and now dangerous roof, was still attached. Brown scooped the wailing child up like a football and escaped, and the two watched as the roof with the terrible unstoppable finality of a train wreck, caved in behind them. "When you hear kids screaming," he said, "there are no second thoughts." (quoted from the article in the DOMINION POST) Bill is a quiet, unassuming gentlemen and has asked the union not to make a big deal about it last year, so we honored his wishes. But his friends and co-workers as well as his District manager thought he should have the recognition of his unselfish and brave act, so they nominated him for this prestigious award, it was too late for 2001, so it was given this year. David Lauriski, Assistant Secretary for MSHA, presented it to him with a very proud group of his co-workers and union brothers and sisters cheering him. |
| THE BOTTOM LINE BY JIM WEYRAUCH Mexico's maquiladoras had the their worst performance in 35 years in 2001. Over 23 8,000 jobs in the maquilas were lost, with close to 350 factories shutting down. In Baja California alone, 44 percent of the maquila jobs were lost, compared to 6.4 percent nationwide drop in unemployment. The U.S. economy, which imports about 90 percent of maquila production, and the strong peso accounted for the decline. Many of the maquildoras moved to China or other countries where wages are lower than Mexico's minimum of 52 cents per hour. One of Mexico's most important business organization, CANACINTRA, has announced plans to create an electronic blacklist to monitor workers who attempt to organize unions and lawyers who defend them. BEBE, an upscale private label for "modem, sexy, and sophisticated" women, has seen repeated pickets outside its Beverly Hills boutique. The company is being sued for not paying the minimum wage and for retaliatory firings. Seven women were fired and blacklisted last year after complaining about working conditions at a Los Angeles sweatshop that produced almost exclusively for BEBE. They said management would regularly call them "pigs" and doctored their time cards to show fewer hours. The women have been unable to find work since August. For more information, <http://www.sweatshopwatch.org> Visit <http://www.mcintyrepa.com/frontpage.htm> to read about the everyday life of coal mining company town from 1910-1947. It tells the story of McIntyre PA -a town owned by Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Co. Among the topics covered are: the company, the miners, the union, school-education, religion, family and leisure. |
JOHN LECHMAN WINS HOWARD John Lechman, Local 644 Vice President for ESA was awarded the Howard Butler President's Award for Excellence. John has been an officer of Local 644 for over 20 years with an exceptional record of representation and service to the members. He was given the plaque at the Awards Luncheon at the Stewards Training in Williamsburg, VA in March. This award is given to the member or officer of Local 644 who has demonstrated a career of service and dedication to the members of Local 644 and is named for the past president of both Local 644 and the National Council of Field Labor Locals. LOCAL 644 IMPROVED WEBSITE Local 644 has a new and improved web site <http://www.ncfl1644.org>. It is just starting but will contain vital information and updated lists of officers, stewards and delegates as well as the Local constitution and all you need to know about Local 644, the NCFLL, AFGE and the AFL-CIO. Soon a person will be able to join online.
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