ALF V1

A common pattern of union-busting in Turkey conducted against the BWI-affiliated Wood Workers' Union (AĞAÇ-İŞ) in Ankara. AĞAÇ-İŞ is affiliated with Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ) at the national level. AĞAÇ-İŞ members have been pressured to rescind their membership and forced to join a different trade union preferred by the management. The BWI is calling for action by Turkey's new Minister of Labour and Social Security, Faruk Çelik to respect workers' rights.

In March, 2011 a group of workers at YATAŞ Furniture Company in Hasanoğlan, Ankara came to AĞAÇ-İŞ saying that they want to change their union. Workers expressed that there is no Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in place even though they are members of a textile union, Öz İplik-İş affiliated with HAK-İŞ, a confederation close to the government. According to the workers' testimony, in 2001 the textile union registered YATAŞ workers as members with the support of the management against the Trade Union Act no. 2821 and Collective Bargaining, Strike and Lockout Act no. 2822. Ironically, the Ministry of Labour had sent a letter to union upon request saying the union cannot organize YATAŞ due to business line restriction in the same year. However, union dues have been deducted and shown at workers' payrolls.

Before registering YATAŞ workers, AĞAÇ-İŞ had applied to the Ministry of Labour requesting an investigation if there is a CBA at the workplace and if so which union. Ministry investigations confirm that the YATAS workplace in Ankara operates in the wood sector and there is no CBA in place. However, the same employer has another workplace in Kayseri operating in the textile sector and Oz Iplik Is trade union has a CBA in place at that workplace.

AĞAÇ-İŞ has started organizing activities at YATAŞ and registered about 100 members despite the very hostile employer. Yet the employer was hostile only to AĞAÇ-İŞ members. After finding out about the organizing drive, 3 members have been fired due to union activities. Workers have been pressured to rescind their membership in AĞAÇ-İŞ and to instead join a HAK-İŞ affiliated wood workers' union preferred by management while AĞAÇ-İŞ organizing drive was on the way.

On August 11, the production was stopped at the.workplace and workers were taken to a notary public collectively by buses for registering with Öz Ağaç İş, another affiliated union with HAK-İŞ. They were promised wage increase and threatened by the employer with layoffs if they do not register.

What has been done to AĞAÇ-İŞ members and YATAŞ workers are obviously a violation of ILO conventions no 87 and no 98. Workers' basic human and trade union rights should be respected. Workers are free to choose their own unions. What has been done to YATAŞ workers are also a violation of the Turkish Constitution article 51, Trade Union Act 2821 article 22 and 31.

In previous years, another BWI-affiliated Forestry Workers' Union (Orman-İş), TÜRK-İŞ affiliated Municipality Workers' Unions (Belediye-İş) and Food Workers' Union (Tek Gıda-İş) members had been also pressured by HAK-İŞ to rescind their membership.

The BWI calls upon Turkish Government to respect basic human and trade union rights. What has been done to AĞAÇ-İŞ workers clearly contravenes the national legislation as well as the ILO conventions ratified by Turkey. The BWI urges Turkish Government to ensure that workers of Turkey are allowed to exercise their democratic rights to freedom of association without any interference.

for link to on-line letter

BWINT.ORG, Aug 24 2011

EDMONTON — Alberta politicians celebrated Jack Layton's legacy Monday, saluting his lifelong commitment to public service and his passionate defence of immigrant, vulnerable and working Canadians.

The 61-year-old leader of the federal opposition party succumbed to an aggressive, unnamed cancer early Monday morning, three months after New Democratic Party achieved unprecedented electoral success under his leadership.

"Jack's dream for Alberta was the same as his dream for Canadians right across the country — he wanted those who didn't have a voice to be represented," Edmonton-Strathcona NDP MP Linda Duncan said.

"They are seniors who are struggling to get by. They are immigrants who are trying to become Canadians and contribute to society. They are young Canadians who want affordable education, and young families who ... can't afford child care."

Duncan said Layton was a great leader who built a strong party across Canada and in Alberta, where support for the party is growing.

"We have high hopes for the next election," Duncan said. "Jack was the eternal optimist. He was undaunted. He was a remarkable human being."

She said she has confidence the party will stay strong, but added: "there will never be another Jack Layton."

Duncan said one of her fondest memories is of Layton singing Hit the Road Jack any time he got near a piano. Three years ago, she took Layton to the Fringe and Edmontonians who met him were "completely taken, because he was the genuine thing. I tried walking around with him, but we just gave up, people kept wanting to buy him a beer."

Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason said Layton's legacy will be "the triumph of hope over pessimism" and a credible alternative to the conservative vision for Canada

"The tragedy is that this man could have, and very likely would have, become the prime minister if this illness had not taken him away from us," Mason said. Layton's message to Canadians was simple, he said: "There is a real, clear alternative to the Conservative vision for Canada, and here it is. I think Canadians embraced that," he said.

Mason and Layton became friends 15 years ago when Mason was on Edmonton city council and Layton on Toronto's city council. Both were pressing for progressive reforms. Mason later served as Alberta chairman for Layton's leadership run. The two stayed in touch, even after Layton's announcement July 25 that he was temporarily stepping down to receive treatment for a newly diagnosed cancer.

"He has always been there for me," Mason said. "To the extent that I've improved as a leader of a party is because of his inspiration. That's his legacy for me, personally."

Asked about his fondest memories of Layton, Mason recalled three-day board meetings when Layton was running for the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

"He would gather people together in his hotel room and play the guitar and get everybody singing old folk songs from the '60s," Mason said. "He just got people involved, just with his personality, not politics."

Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Rachel Notley said Layton's leadership helped the party grow up and execute the "first-class campaign" that got MP Linda Duncan elected federally in Edmonton-Strathcona — the only Alberta NDP Member of Parliament.

Notley's father, Grant, was leader of Alberta's Official Opposition when he was killed in a plane crash in 1984. In the election that followed his party had a remarkable breakthrough, winning 16 seats with 29 per cent of the vote.

The same could happen after Layton's passing, Notley said.

"With my dad's death, there was a lot more commentary about the value and the merit of the work he did, and it was much more publicly discussed on a provincial level, so I think it raised the credibility of the party in the eyes of the public," Notley said.

"As well, I think his death inspired activists within the party to really focus on trying to make sure that the '86 election was a success."

Asked if something similar might happen as a result of Layton's passing, she said: "We're already seeing it. The way people talk about Jack has evolved over the last several months, but I think it's going to continue in a way that's very positive," she said.

"I don't think that can do anything but raise the credibility of the party federally and, by (extension), provincially."

Alberta Federation of Labour secretary Nancy Furlong said Layton's death is a tragic loss, but that his accomplishments in the last federal election earned new legitimacy for the New Democrats, which will improve the party's prospects in Alberta and across the country.

"The New Democrats are poised to actually influence the course of Canadian politics in a way that would be good for the average person," she said.

"That (voice) hasn't been heard in politics for a very long time: an honest representation of working people, the basic belief that society is there for the working person."

Premier Ed Stelmach said in a statement that "Jack was an enthusiastic and passionate politician who held strongly to his convictions during his long career in public life."

Alberta Liberal Opposition leader David Swann said Layton's death just months after becoming leader of the Official Opposition "seems unbearably cruel.

"Whatever his or her political affiliation, no Canadian can deny that Jack Layton lived to serve his country and his fellow citizens.".

Mayor Stephen Mandel called Layton's passing "a great loss," and noted Layton visited Edmonton many times and launched his 2011 federal election campaign here in March.

"Jack spoke for the common man so much," Mandel said. "He had such passion for their plight, and he also was a great character and a great supporter of cities as well."

Alberta Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith called Layton a principled leader and a great Canadian. "Canadians from coast to coast, myself included, were inspired by the courageous and energetic campaign he wagered last May," she said in a statement.

Alberta Party Leader Glenn Taylor also called Layton a "personal inspiration," partly because of "his unswerving commitment to the politics of hope and optimism rather than that of fear and anger.

"He showed us that optimism, creativity and imagination can and should exist in politics," Taylor said in a statement. "Thank you, sir."

Edmonton Journal, Tues Aug 23 2011
Byline: Karen Kleiss

Eight months ago, three farm workers died in Alberta. Because of the Alberta government's rules on farm-related deaths, there has still been no investigation.

The Alberta Federation of Labour says that's unacceptable, and are calling for changes to safety legislation.

Currently, the Occupational Health and Safety Act has an exemption for farms. The argument has long been that farms are family businesses run out of homes, and can't be held to the same standard as other businesses.

The Federation's Nancy Furlong says that's no longer the case. The AFL says investigations could help prevent future deaths and injuries on Alberta farms. They add the change to the Act would be simple to accomplish.

So far their requests to the Alberta government have been met with silence.

iNews880, Mon Aug 22 2011

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is mourning the loss of Jack Layton – a great Canadian and a true friend of working people.

“The labour movement in Alberta recognized Jack as a great statesman and someone who stood up for working people,” says Nancy Furlong, secretary treasurer of the AFL, which represents 145,000 Albertans.

“He had a vision for this country that recognized and respected the vital role working people play in our communities and he fought for their rights. His conviction, his optimism and his courage, especially in the face of cancer, have been and will continue to be an inspiration to us all,” says Furlong.

“Canada needs more honest, hard-working people like Jack in politics. We, in the Alberta labour movement, will miss him. Our thoughts are with his family today.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Nancy Furlong, AFL secretary treasurer @ 780.720-8945 (cell) or 780.483-3021 (office)

The struggle in Wisconsin was the awakening that labor movement activists had hoped for—disproving the modern notion that those who work will not stand up for themselves. Several hundred thousand people rallied in communities across the state.

Saying "Brother" and "Sister" and "Solidarity" had real meaning. People were exhausted but energized. Community/labor coalitions emerged to build for the future.

But the recall elections of six Republican senators turned out to be an education opportunity lost, in a sea of negative attack ads.

It seems that the "message people" saw the union question as a divisive issue. The only ads that discussed union rights came from the other side.

The millions of dollars in commercials in support of the Democrats did not talk about unions, the history of the labor movement, what we have done to create our modern society, or why it is important for our collective future that unions thrive. This in a state that has some of the richest labor history in the nation.

The commercials didn't address the fact that Governor Scott Walker had taken away public employees' union rights—despite the fact that it was the living and personal knowledge of that history that drove many to the streets.

The Lessons of Wisconsin

Recalls Gained Two Seats, Needed Three

Let's Learn the Right Lessons

The other side was consistent in its message: They needed to whack workers' rights to balance the budgets. Our side, the side that is being whacked, did not defend itself. Too often the theme seemed to be, "Why can't we all just get along?" (Interestingly, now that our rights have been stripped, Governor Walker's new position is "we all need to work together.")

On the positive side, some commercials attacked tax breaks for the rich and corporations and identified the impact brutal budget cuts will have on schools. Some politicians, like Dave Hansen in Green Bay, a 20-year sanitation truck driver and Teamster, made stump speeches as good as anything heard at a Labor Notes conference. But these were not the main face of the campaign.

It's worth mentioning that between the "bad guys" and the "good guys," an estimated $35-$40 million was poured into Wisconsin for the elections. Is this historic moment going to come and go as a typical election campaign, or can we create something sustained from all that cash?

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Monumental struggles are where people learn who and what it is they are up against. It's where they build the infrastructure to become better fighters for the struggles to come.

In Wisconsin, local unions and community organizations recognized that they have a lot of internal organizing to do. Many have gotten on that task.

Some may want to go back to where they were, but, to quote famed organizer Jerry Tucker, "There is no 'there' there to go back to."

If we are going to build a labor movement "from the ashes of the old," let's build it based on an understanding of how the world works and who the enemy is, rather than on relentless rhetoric about a mythical "middle class." We are toe-to-toe with capitalism's brutal assault on the working class. Hundreds of thousands in Wisconsin know it. We need to act like we do.

The recall campaigns needed to talk about the Walker austerity budget, to be sure. But the campaigns should also have insisted on the importance of unions—which gave working people what we have today and which are necessary for a sound future.

That would have directly confronted the corporate assault and laid the groundwork for future organizing. This opportunity is being lost.

WE ARE WISCONSIN

In the recall effort a union-led coalition, We Are Wisconsin, ran its own volunteers, literature, and commercials, separate from the Democratic Party.

Over the weekend prior to the August 9 elections, We Are Wisconsin saw more than 12,000 volunteers visit nearly 300,000 doors. It was an impressive infrastructure and many would say far superior to the capacities of the Democrats.

We need electoral action as part of a comprehensive campaign to rebuild the labor movement, but that can't be the sole activity. If the only goal is to get Democratic politicians elected, and to follow their lead on what's acceptable to say and then to do once elected—we've seen where that gets us.

American history has demonstrated that once a movement is channeled into the Democratic Party, it dies. The previous labor uprising in the 1930s, the anti-war movement, and the civil rights movements all saw their energy and organizational efforts moved off the streets and away from the shop floor and into Democratic Party electoral politics. The movements stopped there.

The struggle in Wisconsin gives us old and new lessons: Workers and communities can indeed rise up against the corporate agenda. An uprising can build the necessary broad-based coalitions. It can lead to local unions recognizing the need to organize internally and develop solidarity unionism. And it may produce a glimpse of something beyond the stranglehold of the traditional corporate parties.

When significant moments in history arrive, we have to make the most of them. We Are Wisconsin will come and go, as so many electoral efforts past, unless we realize who and what we are up against—and then act like we know it.

labournotes.org, Sun Aug 21 2011

Workers on farms and ranches will mark the seventh annual Alberta Farm Worker Day tomorrow still waiting for the Alberta government to end its silence on a call to make their workplaces safer.

“Eight months ago, following the deaths of three farm workers, the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) was among those who wrote to Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk with a simple request – to allow investigations into all farm-related deaths, serious injuries, or injuries involving a child. That request has been met by silence,” says AFL secretary treasurer Nancy Furlong.

“Farm workers put the food on our tables and fuel our economy. They deserve the respect of a response on this important issue. The families of the 160 workers who have died on Alberta farms in the last decade deserve a response,” she says.

In January, the AFL wrote to Lukaszuk asking that the Farming and Ranching Exemption be amended to allow for investigations into all farm-related deaths, serious injuries, or injuries involving a child. This could be accomplished by extending section 38 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act - which permits a Minister to convene a board of inquiry into the circumstance of an accident - to apply to the farming and ranching industries.

This change to the Farming and Ranching Exemption could be accomplished by a simple Order-in-Council and would result in a legal avenue for investigation into serious incidents involving paid farm workers. The information that would be obtained from these investigations would be invaluable in preventing future deaths and serious injuries on Alberta’s farms.

Today, the AFL has written a new letter to Lukaszuk, asking him to make this change – or explain to Albertans now why he won’t.

The AFL continues to urge the inclusion of all workers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Workers’ Compensation Act as the only equitable course of action. In 2008, after investigating the workplace death of Kevan Chandler, Justice Peter Barley recommended that farm workers be included in Alberta’s legislation to prevent future workplace injuries and deaths.

“Amending the Farming and Ranching Exemption would be a good first step towards making farms safer. It is inconsistent to say the government wants to improve farm safety when it does not investigate accidents to establish how they happened,” says Furlong.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Nancy Furlong, AFL Secretary Treasurer @ 780.720-8945 (cell)

EDMONTON — Leaked Alberta cabinet documents suggest the province is worried environmental groups will undermine public support for shale gas development by spreading "misinformation" about health and environmental effects of chemical fracking.

The records show the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers or CAPP has offered to work with the government to "enhance" public relations efforts. CAPP, a powerful industry lobby group, is the only non-governmental organization that will be consulted during inter-governmental talks.

"Shale gas environmental concerns in the media ... are potentially problematic for energy development and environmental management in Alberta," an Aug. 3 briefing note says. "Several initiatives are underway by different groups within government and industry ... to address emerging issues and public interest concerns."

The documents were leaked to the NDP on Thursday, one week after federal documents obtained under access to information laws revealed CAPP helped organize the Alberta government's public relations strategy to polish the image of the oilsands.

A draft project outline attached to the briefing note elaborates on government concerns, saying the public is being exposed to a "mixed package" of information and may not be able to come to an informed decision.

"Environmental non-government organization are supporting an ill-informed campaign on hydraulic fracturing and water-related issues in British Columbia and this is expected to grow as shale gas development expands into Alberta and Saskatchewan," the outline says.

"The New West Partnership lacks a cohesive inter-governmental and inter-agency strategy to address growing public concern in the rapid expansion of shale gas development."

NDP environment critic Rachel Notley called on the government to launch an independent investigation into the safety of hydraulic fracking.

"The Conservative government has already made its decision around the safety and the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas," Notley said.

"Having made that decision, they are now proceeding to simply find ways to enable industry to access it as quickly as possible."

She said the documents show the government was"colluding" with other government and industry to manipulate public opinion.

"The Conservative government is working behind closed doors with industry without any kind of public participation," she added.

The briefing note was prepared by environmental policy officials and says "the Ministry of Energy is seeking the support of Alberta Environment for this project."

Energy department spokesman Jay O'Neill said the project outline is a draft document and has not been formally adopted by Alberta. "There were still changes being made to it as late as last week," O'Neill said of the document.

The government has not decided whether to collaborate with CAPP regarding public relations, he said, and he is unaware of any plans to conduct and independent or scientific review of fracking safety.

The leaked document also prompted the Alberta Federation of Labour to call on Alberta's lobbyist registrar to investigate the possibility that CAPP has failed to register to lobby the government on shale gas messaging.

"None of the individuals lobbying the government on behalf of CAPP are registered as CAPP lobbyists," the letter says.

Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, shoots a mix of water, chemicals and sand deep into the earth to break up shale rock and releases oil or natural gas.

The practice is controversial, as critics fear the chemicals will leak into the water supply.

In May, Duke University published the first peer-reviewed scientific study linking fracking activity with drinking water that has become so contaminated it can be lit on fire.

Jessica Ernst, an Albertan from Rosebud, has long claimed her water can be lit on fire due to fire due to fracking activity nearby.

Earlier this month the New York Times published a story revealing that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found drinking water contaminated by fracking as far back as 1987.

Edmonton Journal, Thurs Aug 18 2011
Byline: Karen Kleiss

Workers in the United States and Canada are in a class war declared by big business and we're losing, Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, told delegates. "It is a war that we must win if the labor movement is to survive," he said.

"Why this war has been declared is simple – and it goes well beyond the usual reasons of simple corporate greed," Georgetti said. "This is a diversionary war. It's a tactic to confuse us, divide us and then to conquer us."

When the right wing factions tell us our countries are broke, they are lying, Georgetti said. "Our countries aren't broke; it's simply that the rich are breaking us."

The problem lies on Wall Street not Main Street, he said.

"Tell me, do you remember when Steelworkers crashed the stock market, or when we took billions in bonuses, killed millions of jobs, trashed the world economy and at the same time paid no taxes? I don't"

Just 400 rich Americans own as much combined wealth as 155 million Americans, half of the country, while the top 1 percent of Canadians got one third of all that nation's income gains from 1997 to 2007.

"In Canada, as in the United States, those responsible for the economic crisis are trying to blame the victims," Georgetti added.

"We can't as a society, especially as a labor movement, tell our kids that they don't deserve the same standard of living that we have enjoyed for ourselves.

"What kind of a world would that be if we accepted such a terrible notion? And yet that is what big business and right-wing governments are telling us. I say nonsense to them.

"We have to Stand Up, Fight Back and when we do, we will change our countries for the better."

usw.org, Thurs Aug 18 2011

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) today called for an investigation into the lobbying activities of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).

“We have come into possession of a government of Alberta Briefing Note that shows CAPP is using industry insiders to lobby the province on a communications strategy for shale gas, but has not registered those industry insiders as its lobbyists,” says Nancy Furlong, Secretary Treasurer of the AFL, which represents 145,000 workers.

“The way the government handles lobbyists is important. It must be a completely transparent process. Albertans need to have faith that its government is setting policies, not leaving them to unelected pressure groups,” says Furlong.

The AFL has written a letter to the Registrar of the Lobbyist Act calling for an investigation and has sent him a copy of the briefing note.

“This briefing note reveals that CAPP approached the Alberta government asking for input on enhancing the communications strategy on shale gas development for the Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan governments.  It appears that the Alberta government is willing to let industry take the lead,” says Furlong.

“This is not the first time CAPP has been given too great a role in setting communications strategies for governments. Only one week ago, media reports revealed that CAPP was responsible for organizing a key meeting and some controversial messaging, in partnership with the federal and Alberta governments, to polish the image of Alberta's oil sands industry,” she says.

“It is telling that the only external stakeholder mentioned in the briefing note is CAPP. Where are the community groups that have legitimate concerns? Where are the environmental groups? This kind of behaviour, of allowing industry to craft government communications strategies on such important issue, is simply unacceptable. It says that industry is in the driver’s seat, and our government is abdicating its responsibility to govern for ALL Albertans.”

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MEDIA CONTACT: Nancy Furlong, AFL Secretary Treasurer @ 780.720-8945

17 August 2011: The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has joined with its Colombian affiliates, CUT, CGT and CTC, in firmly condemning the killing, on Tuesday 26 July in El Campo district, of Rafael Tobón Zea, a founding member of the Segovia branch of the mine and fuel workers' union SINTRAMIENERGETICA.

Rafael Tobón Zea was fired during the takeover process after working for 15 years at the Frontino Gold Mines, owned by workers and pensioners. The mining company had been forced into liquidation and then illicitly handed over to transnational capital. At the time of his murder the union leader was working at a small mine where he was defending small and medium sized mining operations, backed by SINTRAMIENERGÉTICA, as well as supporting the workers and the local community at the Frontino mine in their fight to save the company from the clutches of transnational capital.

In a letter to the Colombian authorities, the ITUC urged President Santos and his government to take every step necessary to clear up the facts without delay surrounding the constant crimes against the trade union movement in Colombia.

"Those responsible must be arrested and face the full force of the law, to bring an end to the impunity in Colombia," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "As many as 19 trade unionists have already been murdered during 2011. Trade unionists have a right to exercise their legitimate trade union activities without putting their lives at risk."

ituc-csi.org, Wed Aug 17 2011