Just hours before Arizona’s controversial anti-immigrant law was to go into effect, a federal judge today blocked one of its most contentious provisions—the requirement that police stop and question anyone they have “reasonable suspicion” is undocumented. The law does not define “reasonable suspicion,” a fact that many opponents say is a carte blanche for racial profiling. Earlier this month, the federal government filed suit to bock Arizona from implementing the new law, which has drawn heavy criticism from civil rights organizations, immigrant groups, unions and the religious community. Read More>>

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka laid out a 21st century U.S. economic policy at today’s lunchtime keynote session at Netroots Nation before a diverse crowd of more than 1,000 progressive political activists. Restoring the nation’s middle class in part means returning to a “real economy”—one in which we make things, rather than move around complex financial products, Trumka said. Strengthening U.S. manufacturing must be part of the process to reverse five decades of stagnating wages. Read More>>

In Atlanta—one of the areas hardest hit by foreclosures—residents who are about to lose their homes today demanded that Big Banks like Wachovia/Wells Fargo reform their policies and protect homeowners on the brink of homelessness. Read More>>

 

 FROM: Vance McCrary, Chair
Alabama Organized Labor Awards Foundation

 AOLAF Award Recipients for 2010
__________________________________________________________________________________________

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Organized Labor Awards Foundation, I am pleased to announce the 2010 Labor Award Recipients.

Labor Person of the Year Leroy Nicholson, Director AFL-CIO LIFT - USW Local 9-1595

Hall of Fame, Living Mickey Jett, Retired Executive Board Officer PACE Local 265

Hall of Fame, Living Louise White, Retired Departmental Vice President CWA Local 3902

Hall of Fame, Posthumous Mary Guerra, Business Agent, UFCW Local 1529

Friend of Labor Charles D. McCrary, President & CEO Alabama Power Company

The Alabama Organized Labor Awards Foundation was established to preserve the history of the Labor movement in Alabama. This is our twenty-first year and with your continued support we are moving forward with our Labor Archives in Montgomery. This year’s awards dinner will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at the Birmingham Marriott Hotel located at 3590 Grandview Parkway off Highway 280 just south of Interstate I-459. The reception will be from 6:00-6:45 p.m. with dinner to follow at 7:00 p.m. A table of ten (10) is $500.00 or individual tickets are $50.00 each. The deadline for table/ticket purchases will be Friday, August 6, 2010. Checks should be made payable to AOLAF and sent to us: c/o Alabama AFL-CIO, 435 South McDonough Street, Montgomery, AL 36104.

For those of you that need overnight accommodations, we have negotiated a special rate of $117.00 + tax per night with the Birmingham Marriott. For reservations call (888)426-5171 and tell them you are with Alabama Organized Labor Awards Foundation.

I again invite you to purchase a table and enjoy a special evening on August 21st as we honor this very special group of inductees.

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The Alabama AFL-CIO 2nd Annual Legislative Appreciation Day and "Road Kill Bar-B-Que" was a great success. Photos can be found on the photo album page.

 

 

 

 

 

TIRE UNIONS PRESSING OBAMA

Unless there's a compromise, President Barack Obama faces having to choose between union workers who supported his election bid or good relations with China that holds significant U.S. debt.

Obama faces a Sept. 17 deadline to act on a recommendation by the U.S. International Trade Commission to slap a tariff on cheaper imported Chinese car and light truck tires so domestic tire makers can compete.

Tire worker unions in Gadsden and Tuscaloosa are urging Obama to put a duty on imports that unions say reduce American jobs because domestic tire makers can't compete with manufacturers who pay lower wages and don't have expensive environmental and regulatory restrictions.   Read more >

 

NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT

NELP joins with its partners in releasing a new report, Confronting the Gloves-Off Economy: America's Broken Labor Standards and How to Fix Them. Read More

 

NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT

THE ROAD TO RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTING

Lessons from States and Cities for Ensuring
That Federal Contracting Delivers Good Jobs
and Quality Services  Read More

 

 

27th BIENNIAL CONVENTION HELD

From Vance McCrary, Chair, Alabama Organized Labor Awards Foundation