July 2011

More than a year has passed since workers at the Honeywell uranium conversion plant in Metropolis, Illinois were locked out of their jobs. The locked out workers – who are members of United Steel Workers local 7-669 – were not seeking higher pay or better benefits; they wanted simply to keep what they had won in previous contracts.

The conglomerate mega-corporation operating the plant, Honeywell International, had other ideas. After the contract expired, they forced the union workers off the job, demanding givebacks on pensions, seniority, work rules, and retiree health care.

These demands for worker concessions were not the result of bad economic times. Honeywell, like most other corporations, is still posting enormous profits. In fact, just one month after the Metropolis workers were locked out, Honeywell reported a 4% increase in quarterly profits over the year before.

Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) and MASSPIRG released a report the consumer costs of financial speculation on oil futures. According to the report, for the month of May, Wall Street speculation drove the price of a gallon of gasoline up 83 cents from $3.13 to $3.96. The total cost of the speculation for consumers was $1 billion for the month, and the average cost for a two-car family was $82.

In the wake of what economist Andrew Sum has dubbed the “Jobless and Wageless Recovery,” working people are already struggling with a 9.1% unemployment rate and an unbalanced recovery in which 88 percent of national income growth flowed to corporate profits. Making working families – who are already strapped for money – pay a $1 billion dollar gasoline premium to the same Wall Street bankers who are responsible for their current suffering is completely unconscionable.

Workers and activists got on the bus June 30th to support workers’ rights all over the Portland area.  In a meticulously planned and executed all day bus tour, supporters went to seven actions to support workers’ rights.  June 30th was important because thousands of workers had collective bargaining agreements expiring that day.

150 union members and community supporters boarded three buses at 9:30 am.  We joined other workers at each of the seven stops along the way.  Every action had its own unique flavor and creative twist.  In between stops, participants were briefed on the next struggle and got a chance to practice chants and songs.

The buses’ first stop was a Georgia Pacific facility, represented by the Inland Boatman’s Union/ILWU where contract talks have been stalled.  The owners are the infamous Koch brothers, so a piece of the action was singing “I’d Like to Buy the Kochs a World”, as well as a delegation to the employer.

Stop 2 was the Vancouver, Washington Hilton hotel, across the river, where workers are trying to raise standards so they are more in line with those at other area Hiltons.  Workers on their break joined Portland Rising in a conference room where we chanted and invited management to join us.  Workers presented management with a petition to make sure this round of bargaining raises wages and benefits.