COPE News

October 4 Day of Action - Stop These Trade Deals!

On Tuesday, October 4th, call your member of congress to stop these trade deals and create jobs for Americans!

Your representative in Congress is considering three dangerous new free trade agreements with Colombia, Korea and Panama. With more than 25 million Americans desperately searching for full-time jobs, the last thing our leaders should focus on is trade deals that are unlikely to create jobs or help working families.

The Korea FTA is the biggest trade deal since NAFTA. It would displace an estimated 159,000 net U.S. jobs, mostly in manufacturing.
How can we reward Colombia, the most dangerous place in the world for trade unionists, with a free trade agreement? In 2010, 51 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia - more than in the rest of the world combined. So far in 2011, another 22 have been killed, despite Colombia's heralded "Labor Action Plan." Would we reward a country where 51 CEOs were killed last year?

Panama, with a history of failing to protect workers' rights, is known as a tax haven for money launderers and tax dodgers.
America has a jobs crisis that Congress should address immediately, starting with passage of President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act. Tell your representative in Congress to get to work for working families - don't reward job exporters, governments that fail to protect workers and tax dodgers.

Mark your calendar.  On Tuesday, October 4, join the national call-in day to tell your U.S. representative to STOP these trade deals.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 800-718-1008

Union members who live in Hillsborough County, who are concerned about the decline in services, increase in privatization and the future of public services, should be at this meeting!
 
Something isn't right in Hillsborough County:
Meals on Wheels is being privatized,
Parks and after school programs are closing and other vital services are being cut.
Less and less front line public workers to deliver critical public service
County residents are seeing less and less services
Hillsborough County residents deserve better!
 
Join the “Getting Back on the Right Track”/Strategy Meeting

Thursday,  Aug. 18th
6:30 pm - 8 pm
IBEW Local 824 Hall
6603 E. Chelsea St, Tampa, Florida

Your COPE Committee is looking for any active or retired IBEW 824 members or their family members that may be interested in running for office in 2012.  Please click on the C.O.P.E link below for a "We Want you" poster and more info.

You’re invited!

IBEW 824’s COPE Chairman Jason Smith

Will be the keynote speaker on Thursday July 14^th 2011

at the Pinellas Park Democratic Club monthly Dinner

Please join us for Dinner and Solidarity

Where:

Banquet Masters

8100 Park Blvd.

Pinellas Park

When:

Cocktails and Social: 6:00

Dinner: 6:30

Cost: $15.00

RSVP with Harvey and Betty Morgenstein at 727-360-3971.

Join activists, concerned citizens, union members, and community leaders for rallies in St. Petersburg at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel (501 – 5th Ave., NE):
·        Thursday, June 30th
            1:30 to 3:00 PM
            Candidates for the US Senate: George Lemieux, Mike Haridopolus, Adam Hasner
 
·        Friday, July 1st
            12:30 – 1:30 PM
            Governor Rick Scott & US Senator Bill Nelson
            * The date that many anti-working families bills will go into effect
 
Sponsored by “Awake Pinellas”, participants will come prepared to ask questions and to demand answers regarding the future of our state.  These rallies are being held during the FL Society of News Editors Convention so media coverage is ensured.
 
Join us at the Vinoy Resort with your placards and t-shirts and let the Governor know what we think about his job performance. Extra signs will be available.
 
For more information, visit “Awake Pinellas” on Facebook.

IBEW Local Union 824 Cope Director and Norwood Orrick (COPE Member) attended the Netroots Nation Conference in Minnesota last month.  To read Jason's report, please click the link below.

I would like to say thank you to all of the members who made phone calls, wrote letters, went to rallies, and visited legislators during this year’s legislative session.

I would like to extend special thanks and recognize IBEW 824’s COPE members Chris Regalado, Mike Michelin, Norwood Orrick, Mellissa Braswell, and Robert Redmond.  Not only for volunteering to lobby in Tallahassee on our behalf but for also being tireless activists who volunteer countless hours advocating for IBEW 824 members. The feedback I got back from Tallahassee was that these members worked hard and did a fantastic job. Thank you for your dedication and your service to this union.

This year’s session had more than its fair share of anti-Union and anti-Working class proposals; too many of which passed successfully. The public workers took the majority of the punishment with cuts to their salaries, layoffs, and losses to their personal freedoms and job security. Next year’s session is sure to be filled with additional attacks on organized labor and we can expect next year to be just as challenging. Now that the anti-union law makers have had their way with public unions I wish to warn all of my brothers and sisters at IBEW 824 that I have no doubt that their assaults will be aimed at private sector unions in an effort to continue their campaign. A campaign that is based on a one sided pro-corporate agenda where your pay, job security, and benefits are seen as obstacles in the way of share holder’s profits.

So while we had many members step up this year after recognizing the threats to their livelihood and way of life,  this upcoming year and election cycle will require that every member of our union mobilize and engage the process to protect ourselves from legislation that threatens to take away our bargaining powers and silence our voices politically. 

If you believe, as I do, that we have a natural right to work collectively and empower ourselves through the power of negotiation, then I urge you to get involved in whatever way you are able.  Many decades before I was born men and women fought against oppression and abuse in the work place and won the right to sit at the bargaining table. Will we be the generation that allows their contributions and achievements to be dismantled?  

In Solidarity

Jason Smith

Mark your calendars for these future events scheduled to combat the anti-worker attitude and legislation moving through the 2011 Florida Legislative Session:
 
Friday, March 18th            4:00 to 6:00 PM              Fired Up Friday! at Rep. Rachel Burgin (H-56)
Providence & Bloomingdale Ave., Riverview
 
Tuesday, March 22nd        7:00 AM to 7:00 PM        City of Tampa Run-Off Election
This counts since we need to elect pro-worker leaders!!  Get out and vote!
 
Friday, March 25th            4:30 to 6:30 PM              Fight Back Florida Rally at Rep. Dana Young (H-57)
2909 W. Bay to Bay Blvd., Tampa, 33629
 
Friday, March 25th            4:30 to 6:30 PM              Fight Back Florida Rally At Sen. Mike Bennett (S-21)
3653 Cortez Rd., West, Bradenton, 34210
 
Tuesday, March 29th        6:30 to 8:00 PM               Young Worker Roundtable
CLC War Room, 5126 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 33629
 
Monday, April 4th             9:00 to 10:00 AM &         AFL-CIO National Day of Solidarity/Anniversary of
4:00 to 5:00 PM              Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. March
Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Ave., Tampa, 33614
 
Thursday, April 7th            12:00 Noon                      Statewide Rally in Tally (info on bus rides coming soon)
Capitol Mall, Tallahassee
 
Invite your family, neighbors, co-workers to get involved and let their voices be heard on issues that affect EVERYONE!
Wear your union shirt!
Bring your sign to wave at the rallies!
 
Please forward on to other interested persons

ALERT: SB 736 is Schedule for Floor Vote

Stop the Attack on Teachers
 
Senate Bill 736, the so-called Teacher Quality legislation, is on the fast track. Florida legislators have scheduled a senate floor vote on the bill for Wednesday, March 9 (the 2nd day of the regular legislative session).
 
This is the bill that will tie all teacher pay to student test scores, even though the state still does not have a tested and proven    evaluation system in place.
 
It will dramatically increase the number of FCAT-style tests, costing the state and local school districts hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars, without a way to pay for them.
 
It will label teachers, highly-effective, effective, needs improvement and unsatisfactory, but    it doesn't not address remediation or any support for teachers who need assistance.
 
It prohibits local school boards from considering advanced degrees and special training when determining a teacher's salary.
 
And, it will subject all new teachers to be fired without explanation or just cause.
 
Tallahassee politicians tried to takeover our schools last year. Working together we stopped them. Now, we need to stand up against this repeat assault on Florida teachers and our schools.
Contact your legislator NOW, and tell them this bill is flawed. It needs to be fixed and funded!
 
We must get their attention. It is important to continue contacting your senator next week (February 28 - March 7) when they return home prior to the start of the Legislative session. 
 
Email or call to make an appointment to meet with your senator face-to-face.  Urge them to Stop the Attack on Florida Teachers!
 
If you don't know your senator's name or how to contact them, go to http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find. Fill in your address and city to locate your senator's name and contact information.