(Last updated: November 29, 1997)

-- Ongoing Issues --

every day--CWA Truckers striking L.A. Harbor

every Friday--New Otani Hotel Boycott by HERE Local 11

October-November 1997

Thanks to those of you who called your Representative in Congress
to ask them to vote NO on the FAST TRACK for extending NAFTA!

We may have stopped the vote in Congress this year (unless
the President, Speaker Gingrich and Majority Leader Lott
get together to call a special session) but NEXT year more
members of Congress may be worried enough about their
reelections to accept a little pork in exchange for their votes...

Don't get complacent about the Fast Track vote --
if the other side can buy a few more votes
then they may call a snap vote THIS WEEK!

Call your Member of Congress...

(Please also call Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
at 213-628-9230 if you are in her Congressional District.)

The U.S. Senate passed the Fast-Track for the Extension of NAFTA on Tuesday, Nov. 4th. The U.S. House of Representatives didn't vote that Friday, but they may vote at any time. So call and tell your Representative that you want Congress -- AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT -- to have a VOICE in implementing any changes to NAFTA.

Safeguard your Jobs! Safeguard our Environment!
Safeguard your Children's Future!

Vote NO on the Fast-Track for NAFTA! (and for MAI and for...)

April 1997

HANDS OFF OUR OVERTIME PAY RALLY

Friday morning, April 4th at 7:00 AM
Demonstrate outside Pete Wilson's Industrial Welfare Commission

Ending overtime pay in California would mean longer hours at lower pay and higher unemployment, since employers would rather make you work longer than hire new employees! It would mean that your children would spend longer hours without supervision, since you would be unexpectedly kept over for work far more often.

This would be a windfall of billions of dollars for corporations, which could make you work longer for less pay. The money would come directly out of your families' pockets.

The Industrial Welfare Commission will be holding hearings on Friday to discuss Governor Wilson's pay cut plans. Protect your overtime pay! Keep your children off the streets! Protest! Don't let Pete Wilson destroy your working conditions and your families!

The Hands Off Our Overtime Pay Rally is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the AFL-CIO, the Los Angeles/Orange County Building Trades Council, and the Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 108, along with many other laborers.

The Sheet Metal Workers are meeting at 6:00 AM at the Local 108 Union Hall, 464 South Lucas Avenue, Los Angeles 90017, and will walk to the rally from there. Call (213) 481-2050 for more information.

March 1997

TOSCO CORPORATION BUYS UNOCAL REFINERIES,
THREATENS TO LAY OFF 2/3rds OF WORKFORCE

Tosco Corporation of Stamford, Connecticut, has bought the Unocal Refineries in Carson and Wilmington (you know, the big pumpkin on Halloween) and has begun issuing pink slips to the OCAW workers there. Up to now, the Unocal Refineries haven't been plagued by the explosions that have rocked other refineries in our area. There have been gas releases, though, that have fouled the air in the entire South Bay area.

We hope that Tosco Corporation will stop laying off the workers at the refineries, since reduced workforces are more prone to error. We especially hope that they will not lay off emergency personnel, such as the plant fire departments. These refineries are in the middle of residential communities and any mishaps there could be very tragic.

Our Club urges that you contact the CEO of Tosco Corporation, Thomas O'Malley, and urge him to consider the safety of our neighborhoods in the South Bay area. His address is:

Thomas O'Malley, Chief Exec. Officer
Tosco Corporation
72 Cummings Point Road
Stamford, CT 06902

Thankyou.

---

(April 2, 1997) -- The OCAW is now negotiating an agreement with the TOSCO Corporation. Thank you for supporting them in this matter.

February 1997

AFL-CIO PRESIDENT JOHN SWEENEY
JOINS IN L.A. HOTEL BOYCOTT

<-- AFL-CIO President John Sweeney & Union leaders (50K)
<-- Unions marching in downtown Los Angeles (32K)
<-- California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres (54K)
<-- GVDC members Robert Dhondrup & Alan Constantino (35K)
<-- OCAW members displaying their banner (51K)
<-- Letter Carriers participating in the rally (49K)
<-- SEIU members marching (41K)

© 1995 Huck Labor Cartoons -- UCS

January 1997

AFL-CIO Outlines Four-Point Plan
To Help Revitalize Labor Movement

The AFL-CIO leadership has announced a program to revitalize the labor movement, with its central focus the signing up of new union members.

At its mid-December meeting in Washington, D.C., the federation's 54-member executive council said its four-prong plan would be launched immediately.

The first prong is aimed at "building a movement of American workers" by supporting and promoting new organizing campaigns, helping local unions move new resources into organizing, reaching out to working women, and repeating the Union Summer program this year.

To aid in these goals the federation will, among other things, hold 16 regional organizing conventions around the country this spring; have a special meeting around Labor Day of women workers who are organizing unions, and explore establishing a new youth program, the Justice Action Movement (JAM).

The second prong of the program is aimed at "building a political voice for workers," by expanding political activity in a variety of ways.

The third prong calls for providing a "new voice for workers in a changing economy." Efforts in this area include the use of union pension funds to have an effect on corporations through shareholder pressure; a "corporate accountability" project, and a focus on global strategies, including recruiting and training organizers for specific targets in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

The last prong calls for "creating a new voice for workers in our communities." This is largely a media campaign aimed at helping communities better understand unions and unionism. The campaign will be designed to support organizing and will be a key element of a federation campaign to win pro-worker changes in the nation's labor laws.

from_ Union Communication Services (UCS)

© 1997 Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons -- UCS

EVERY Friday

Boycott the New Otani Hotel

(Photos-76K)

Join the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Local 11 in their attempt to get respect, a livable wage and everyday benefits for these hotel workers in Little Tokyo. Visit the The New Otani Hotel Campaign World Wide Web site to find out more. H.E.R.E. also maintains a list of California Union Hotels and hotels where there is union action -- visit their "California Travel Advisory Page." H.E.R.E. will be sending a delegation to Japan to negotiate with the New Otani Hotel's owners.

Support the Truckers Striking L.A. Harbor !

(Photos -- 74k)

CWA Local 9400 is supporting the 6,000 truckers who want to organize a union in the Los Angeles Harbor, as is the AFL-CIO. The Gardena Valley Democratic Club has been collecting food for the families of those striking since 1995. If you have any canned goods that you would like to donate to the strikers' families, please bring them to one of our Club's meetings. Our regular meetings include a weekly Sunday breakfast -- EVERY Sunday unless we have another event planned that day -- and Club meetings on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month. Please see the Calendar for details of our next meeting.

If you cannot make one of our Club meetings, please call the Communication Workers of America Local 9400, in Paramount, at (310) 633-1917 for info on how to help them directly. Their address is:

CWA Local 9400
7844 Rosecrans Ave.
Paramount, CA 90723

OPPOSE the "TEAM" ACT !

The Gardena Valley Democratic Club opposes the attempt by Republicans to force employees into Company Unions under the guise of the Team Act Bill which was narrowly passed by the Republican Congress. Even some Republican members of Congress voted against it! We urge President Clinton to VETO this Bill when it reaches his desk!

Press here to see a copy of the letter we sent to our elected Representatives opposing the Team Act.

Sunday, September 8, 1996 at 11:00 AM

Labor Meets the Democratic Candidates

Senator Barbara Boxer, State Senate Pres. Pro Tem Bill Lockyer, State Party Chair Art Torres and Richard E. Slawson, Exec. Sec. of the L.A./Orange County Building Construction Trades Council will be among those speaking at the event, hosted by a number of local unions and co-hosted by the Gardena Valley Democratic Club. The event will be held once again at the Steamfitters Local 250 Union Hall in Gardena.

Free spare ribs and refreshments!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

In the CAMPAIGNS Area

THANK YOU for helping the Livable Wage Initiative_ qualify for the November Ballot ! We will ALL benefit from a higher Minimum Wage !

WEB RESOURCES:

AFL-CIO Home Page

The major resource for Labor-related issues on the Internet. Current boycott list.

LaborNet @ IGC

Links to many Labor-related organizations, in the U.S.A. and abroad.

(The Labor button above, by the way, borrows from a Diego Rivera mural depicting workers from long ago.)

For any questions, corrections, additions or comments: press .