Birth of the first global super-union (Happy New Year workers)

[lovuian]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1980298,00.html

Birth of the first global super-union


Amicus, IG-Metall and two US labour groups join forces to confront the power of the multinationals

Oliver Morgan, industrial editor
Sunday December 31, 2006
The Observer


British, American and German unions are to forge a pact to challenge the power of global capitalism in a move towards creating an international union with more than 6 million members.
Amicus, the UK's largest private sector union, has signed agreements with the German engineering union IG-Metall and two of the largest labour organisations in the US, the United Steelworkers and the International Association of Machinists, to prevent companies playing off their workforces in different countries against each other.

more...
Ya gotta LOVE IT
The Workers are UNITING GLOBALLY

[Cleita]

1. Woo hoo!

Finally some good news for the New Year.

[madeline_con]

2. The jobs will be outsourced to Asia. n/t

[Deja Q]

8. Inevitable. Or replaced by tech that makes people obsolete.

(aka 'offpeopling')

[RB TexLa]

9. Like the tractor did to all the jobs in agriculture?

That horrible technology.

[druidity33]

23. well...

The tractor is a factor. The first machine that began the decline of rural areas and the consolidation of population into cities.

Whether people believe it or not, as a species we would have been better off if we still worked the land by hand in some ways. Imagine if every high school student had to work on the "school farm" for 2 hours a day along with their lessons. School lunches could be local and organic, coming from the labors of their own hands.

And if we eliminate computers from classrooms and focus on experiential education, do you think our kids would be smarter?

You can call me a Luddite if you wish. But i use my technology sparingly and with caution.

Technology is merely a tool.

[jwirr]

29. The tractor was a wonderful invention BUT today many of those

tractors are very large and very heavy and they to have their drawbacks.

[RB TexLa]

32. drawbacks? what drawbacks?

What could outweigh their use over the excessive time and labor that would be required without them?

I guess there are "drawbacks" to using a plow over tilling by hand?

[jwirr]

33. Many of my neighbors when I was living in Iowa were worried about

impacting the soil. Some of the farmers were actually using caterpillars to farm. Also one of my neighbors couldn't get his equipment through the bridges from one property to the other. He ended up backing up to go the long way around. We, the neighbors, ended up with one road being closed and paying for a new bridge on the other. Too big is not good.

[madrchsod]

3. joe hill is smiling in heaven

although it may not what the "wobblies" envisioned it is a step in the right direction..it`s only taken over a hundred years...

http://www.iww.org/
Industrial Workers of the World | One Big Union!

[Selteri]

4. Wow, 2007 hasn't quite happened and already good things

are being born for the future to balance what was made to circumvent fair trade.

[Fridays Child]

5. Happy to give this its fifth recommendation.

:woohoo:

[originalpckelly]

6. HAHA! How long until the peasants storm the castle?

Those CEOs are soon going to regret their greed and insensitivity toward workers.

Proud to be number 6.

[RB TexLa]

7. Are they going to sign a pact with workers in the rest of the world?

or do they not care about helping them? British, German and American, those would be the world's workers in most need of protection and advancement, I guess.

[Deja Q]

10. The rest of the world clearly does not need any help.

With China boasting how many millions it has pulled out of poverty (over 1/3rd their populace; roughly 400 million), it's high time America, Britain, Germany, and other countries do something to help pull their peoples out of poverty too. And that can be summed up in one word: Jobs.

Use peoples' talents and let them grow intellectually. That, more than anything else, will keep people content.

And it's hard to say all that because our media loves to dumb people down...

[RB TexLa]

12. So you think workers in most of Africa are doing just fine?

Ohh, Kaay

[madeline_con]

14. I don't put much stock in China's boasting. n/t

[rman]

20. I'll eat my socks if it turns out there is less poverty in China

then there is in the West - if it turns out that Chinese workers have less need for unions then workers in the West.

The US itself is a prime example of how one can have a job - or three (part time) jobs - and still be poor. They're called "the working poor".

[Jackpine Radical]

18. Gotta start somewhere.

And the logical places are the countries that have strong labor traditions. Bet Holland or France is the next one in.

[Kolesar]

22. It is *not* because the USW don't care about the rest of the world's workers

This is just a starting point

[RB TexLa]

28. So will they move to help the workers in Slovakia mentioned in the article?

In April, for example, Peugeot announced it was closing its Ryton car manufacturing plant near Coventry with the loss of 2,300 jobs, saying that work would be transferred to Slovakia, where labour costs were cheaper, and France, Peugeot's home turf.


Seems this move is to prevent those workers from even having those jobs. Sure, they really care.

[jwirr]

31. I think it is the Steelworkers Union that also has associate members

- those who wish to support the effort but do not have a job in a related field. That kind of thinking pulls in a lot more people, such as myself.

[LetsThink]

11. One Step in a Good Direction.....

Need to get workers in developing nations to join the dance, too. For those in developing countries, with with extreme poverty all around them, a way to bring greater stability to their jobs would seem a very positive, very motivating reason to join the larger, international movement.

[RB TexLa]

13. that is who this is aimed against

[lovuian]

15. This is to unite Workers under Global Union

so corporations can't play worker against worker
which is what they are doing

[Nite Owl]

16. This is great!

Bring globalization right back at 'em. No where to go and no where to hide if this works out.

[Mark E. Smith]

17. Awesome

Hopefully this is only the beginning.

[bperci108]

19. Well, what can I say but:

Bravo.


That brings to mind a song:

Arise, ye workers from your slumber,
Arise, ye prisoners of want.
For reason in revolt now thunders,
and at last ends the age of cant!
Away with all your superstitions,
Servile masses, arise, arise!
We'll change henceforth the old tradition,
And spurn the dust to win the prize!

Chorus:

So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.

No more deluded by reaction,
On tyrants only we'll make war!
The soldiers too will take strike action,
They'll break ranks and fight no more!
And if those cannibals keep trying,
To sacrifice us to their pride,
They soon shall hear the bullets flying,
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.

(Repeat Chorus)

No saviour from on high delivers,
No faith have we in prince or peer.
Our own right hand the chains must shiver,
Chains of hatred, greed and fear.
E'er the thieves will out with their booty,
And to all give a happier lot.
Each at his forge must do their duty,
And we'll strike the iron while it's hot.

(Repeat Chorus)

[Nikki Stone1]

21. It had to happen. Unions must go global to keep up

:kick:

[carnie_sf]

24. I've been saying since

NAFTA passed that we need to do this. When I was (briefly) in the Teamsters, I even tried to talk to my local rep about it, but he didn't seem interested.

[lovuian]

25. They are Interested now it seems

:kick:

[ljm2002]

26. Now that is some good news...

...and here's hoping it grows to include other countries as well. About time there were other global forces arrayed against the multinationals to put some kind of check on their greed and exploitation; goodness knows mere governments have not been equal to the task.

[Grateful for Hope]

27. WOW!

This is wonderful news!

Thank you for sharing this!

[Rex]

30. Workers of the world unite!

Even sounds cool - global super-union.

[LibertyorDeath]

34. Yeah...... Hell Yeah !

Good news..

Thanks!

[malaise]

35. I love this n/t

[Morgana LaFey]

36. FABULOUS news, long overdue nt

[buddysmellgood]

37. A great first step.

[Danger Mouse]

38. Workers of the world, unite! nt.

[otherlander]

39. I tried to reccomend this but it's too late.

This could do a lot of good, as long as they don't become corrupt.