rhu-barb grows taller in vegas

teamster con 


here's a few
big turd 
out takes 

"
LAS VEGAS -

"I honestly believe it,
 and I'm ashamed to say it:
 The labor movement is on
life support," 
the president of the Laborers, Terence O'Sullivan,.

"We are at a crossroads
 as a movement and as a country.
 I believe that
without dramatic,
 far-reaching,
 and radical change,
 the American labor
movement 
will become insignificant
 in the lives 
of American working
families,......It's gut check time."

"dissident union chiefs,
 who represent about 40% of the 12.5
million workers in the labor federation,
 made clear yesterday that they do
not believe Mr. Sweeney has gone far enough"

 

Wilhelm of
Unite Here, a campaign
                  speech?

"The American labor movement 
at the level of the AFL-CIO 
has lost its way.
lost its vision
  lost its energy.
  lost its hope. ...
And
that's a crime...
Too much of the leadership
of the labor movement
 in this country 
- the so-called leadership - 
thinks
that we have to accept 
the fact that workers
 in this country are in
trouble.... 
We aren't going to accept it
 You're not going to accept it.
None of these unions
 are going to accept it.
 And we're going to teach 
the AFL-CIO 
that they shouldn't accept it either."

 

Andrew Stern, challenged Mr.
Sweeney by name.

 "John Sweeney and the AFL-CIO 
need to understand:
 We're not
going to grow stronger 
if our numbers grow smaller," 

 the conclave grew quiet and even gasped 
as Mr. Stern
showed a PowerPoint-type presentation 
that dramatized labor's retreat
 from a national power
 to a movement
 that is significant
 only a few states

"and to boot as we shrink
 there are simply too many unions 
and our divisions
allow businesses 
to pit one union against another....
This is not organized labor.
 This is disorganized labor... 
Unions are undercutting each other."

.

"There are bottom-feeding unions around
 like the Machinists 
that are out
there trying to steal 
our members from the Teamsters
 with lower, sweetheart
contracts," Mr. Hoffa said.
 "It's time for the AFL-CIO 
to stand up and do
what's right
 and adjudicate these things
 so we protect good wages 
and we
make sure 
that these other people 
don't come around 
and steal our jobs."

Asked about the bitter comment
 a spokesman for the Machinists
 Richard
Sloan, said only
, "In all of these matters 
you have to consider the source."

 The Machinists have been some
 of sweeney's  most loyal allies,
 

"We're going to fight
 at the convention in July
 for what's right," Mr. Hoffa
said.

Mr. Stern reiterated an earlier threat
 to leave the AFL-CIO 
if serious
reforms aren't implemented.

"It is so long overdue 
that we either change 
this AFL-CIO 
or we build
something stronger 
that really can change workers lives...."


The other labor leaders 
did not endorse Mr. Stern's threat
 though Mr.O'Sullivan predicted 
that a number of unions 
would quit if the AFL-CIO
 did
not address a perception
 of "apathy" at the top.

"How can it be that the political program 
of the AFL-CIO has become captured
by the Democratic Party?" Mr. Wilhelm asked.
 "I'm sure we'll endorsed
Democrats most of the time 
if they do the right thing 
for working people.
But the America labor movement 
should not be a captive of any party."

The general president of Unite Here,
 Bruce Raynor, 
said workers have gotten
little relief from the federal government 
under Presidents Clinton or Bush.

"American working people 
took it on the chin 
through both administrations,"
Mr. Raynor said.

In one of Mr. Stern's feistier moments,
 he declared,
 "If unions think that
the labor movement 
can allow this to happen,
 they can kiss my a-."



 Mr. O'Sullivan said, 
"Where the hell is Moses
when you need him? 
I mean parting the Red Sea 
is nothing compared
 to the
challenges that we face
 as a movement."

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

it strikes me
this monopoly carve up of sterns

is like
lucky luchiano
saying we need to get this laid out better

all a big rustlers ball

lets end these senseless
   celtic cattle raids

members as two hooved dues- bags 

the conflict
always about sweet hearting the company
not competition to "out deliver "

 to the jobbled

why is not the choice 
 the jobbles' to make eh?