much touted E-soviet cactus crap house show down a dud

 

were ya hopin' 
          for some
        real fire works

a vicious fuming split
            
  not just a tea toss ?




sorry 

these boys play dull ball 


 i won't pull

wait till 
  the summer convention....

this is about as hot as these klowns get 



========================================

----------------------------------------

nope 
straight bores-ville

predictably 
the old Don majority 
 on the  exec soviet 
couldn't really 
decide whether to shit 
  or get off the pot

so 

in half assed
  fashion

 they  neigh said 
             
       the new 
purple  gang / jimmy krack korn 
                  kombo 
              
by votin down 
                     radical 
                       50%  
                              dues  cut 

 
the whole bunch 
       of em 
                end up 
   with piss
             on their legs

--------------------------------


now 
  given the eleventh hour 
                    UAW SHIFT

maybe the badest  
                stain
            ain't on 
                 our boy  andy 

but on 
old man river

el sweeno 

----------------------------------


can ya keep awake  till july ?



==========================================


THE STORY IN NYT

------------------------------------

LAS VEGAS, March 2 - 
In a vote 
likely to create deeper tensions
 inside the labor movement,
 the leaders of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. 
rejected a proposal on Wednesday 
to cut in half 
individual unions' contributions 
to the federation 
to free up more money for organizing.

The 15-to-7 vote 
against the proposal 
put forward by five large unions 
came during 
the federation's winter meeting here

 which was taking place
 under a threat 
by the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s largest union
 the Service Employees International Union
 to leave the organization.

 
The unions backing the proposal 
vowed to continue fighting, 
saying they hoped to secure 
a majority before the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s
 quadrennial convention in July

 Several also left open 
the possibility of a leadership challenge
 to John J. Sweeney, 
the federation's president,
 who has tried unsuccessfully 
to stem the erosion in organized labor's ranks.

On Tuesday, Mr. Sweeney proposed 
a cut of 17 percent, 
or $15 million, 
in individual unions' contributions, 
money that the unions 
would then use for organizing 
and match on a basis of four to one. 

But the five unions argued 
that a 50 percent cut 
in contributions was important 
to get unions to invest more 
in organizing,
 to shake up the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s 
bureaucracy
 and to demonstrate a commitment 
to far-reaching change.

"The current debate is not about dollars," 
said James P. Hoffa,
 president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
 "It is about 
a vision of the future 
of the American labor movement."

The Teamsters 
were the proposal's main sponsor
 which was also backed
 by the service employees
 the food and commercial workers
 the laborers
 and Unite Here

 the United Auto Workers joined in.

At a news conference Andrew Stern,
 the service employees' president,
 dodged the question 
of whether he might still withdraw 
his 1.7-million-member union 
from the federation. 



Unhappy 
with the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s 
bureaucracy 
and its failure 
to stop unions from shrinking

 Mr. Stern has threaten
 to secede and create
 a new workers movement 
that he hopes would be a catalyst
 for revitalizing labor

 But his threats to withdraw 
in turn have angered many labor leaders
 who call him impulsive
 and divisive 
and assert that seceding would hurt labor badly.

"Our greatest strength
 has always been
 our unity,
 our willingness to stick together," 
said Richard Trumka,
 the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s secretary-treasurer.
 "I promise you one thing:
 If we stick together, 
we'll get a solution and grow.
 If we get fragmented,
 every part of the fragments 
will be weaker, 
and the big losers 
in that will be American workers."

Mr. Stern and his allies 
have also called for measures
 to speed mergers 
to create larger, stronger unions
 with clear lines of focus 
so they do not undercut one other
 in organizing and negotiating.
 But his and the Teamsters' proposal 
to cut contributions to the labor federation 
have dominated the meeting here,
 partly because of fears 
that such a sharp cut, 
coming to about $40 million a year, 
would force the A.F.L.-C.I.O.
 to reduce its staff 
and its responsibilities.

Mr. Sweeney said 
he was all for more organizing,
 but he opposed the 50 percent cut,
 saying it would weaken 
the A.F.L.-C.I.O. far too much.
 He argued it would be wisest 
for the federation to spend more
 on political efforts,
 while individual unions 
financed organizing efforts,
 as they have traditionally done.

"My hope is 
that we're going to be able 
to move changes 
that Andy will feel
 are bold and meaningful," 
said Mr. Sweeney.
 "We're also hopeful 
that we don't lose an affiliate
, especially a major affiliate
 like S.E.I.U."

. Many of Stern's opponents
 say unions are already so embattled
 that it is foolish 
for him to start a civil war
 over what percentage to cut contributions. 

Mr. Sweeney said 
he was pushing through sweeping changes,
 among them a large increase 
in political and legislative spending
, to $45 million a year,
 so the federation could have
 a permanent political presence 
in many states 
and mount major campaigns
 simultaneously in national elections
 and state elections.

A big question at this week's meeting 
is whether John Wilhelm, 
the president of Unite Here's hotel and restaurant division,
 will declare 
that he is running against Mr. Sweeney.
 On Wednesday,
 Mr. Wilhelm hedged,
 saying labor's focus right now 
should be setting the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s goals.

"The question about leadership elections 
should come after that,
 not concurrent with it," he said.

Mr. Sweeney has said
 he has locked up enough support
 to ensure his re-election
 to a four-year term. "

 -----------same old same old
       wavin at the traffic  
             as everyone blows on by 
              like a bum  tryin'
     to thumb a ride 
        only instead 
            of his thumb 
being in the air
his thumb's 
              up his ass  -----------
  

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