I)

$6 MILLION GRANT PREPARES UNIVERSITYTOADDRESS NEW CHALLENGES FOR WORKERSIn July 2000 the University received a 6 milliondollars per year appropriation for the creationof a Multi-campus Research Program (MRP)called the Institute for Labor and Employment.This appropriation was passed by the legisla-ture and signed by the Governor largely becauseof the strong lobbying by organized labor, spe-cifically the California Labor Federation. Theidea for the new Institute grew out of concernamong academics, union leadersand policy-makers that UC shouldfocus more research, educationaland community service activities oncrucial issues affecting workingpeople in California.

The ILE is,to respond toofworking}

CaliforNew Multi-Campus ResearchProgram (MRP) formed:The Institute of Labor and Employment (ILE)is designed to find new ways to respond to theneeds of unions, policy-makers, community-based organizations and others concerned with

the well-being of working people in California.Sixty percent of the new funds have been ear-marked to support a new policy-oriented andapplied research program on labor issues. Thefirst UC-wide grant competition has awardedover 70 research grants to faculty and graduatestudents, many ofwhom are directly partneringwith unions in their research projects. In addi-tion to this and other future grant competitions,

the ILE research program will pro-duce a yearly publication entitled

desz~gned The State of California Labor, andthe needs sponsor conferences, publications,people in

innovative partnerships, an ex-

panded web-based library, and othernia activities.

Forty percent of the appropria-tion has been earmarked for the

Centers for Labor Research and Educationat UCLA and UC Berkeley, who will expandtheir labor outreach programs in California.

THOUSANDS MARCH FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTSIJEL,0...,.a iC & __

A crowdestimated at fourthousand by theOakland Tribunefilled the streetsof Oakland thisJanuary todemand justicefor immigrantworkers and theirfamilies.

Full story onpage 2.

ILE Cont.

The Labor Centers will create a new Union LeadershipSchool, extend their labor education, research and techni-cal assistance to new parts of the state, and help facultyand students at the other UC campuses to build new part-nerships with unions, community organizations and policy-makers. In addition, labor studies courses and degreeprograms will be expanded at both UCLA and Berkeley.

First ILE publication ready for presentation:The first State of California Labor is a compilation of

current research on labor issues by UC faculty and will bepublished in April 2001. The ILE will highlight the re-search findings at a conference in Sacramento on April 6,which will offer an important opportunity for policy-mak-

ers, labor and community constituents to discuss futureILE priorities with ILE staff and faculty.

GovernanceLabor scholar Professor Ruth Milkman from UCLA's

Dept. of Sociology has been named the first Director ofthe ILE, and will serve a three year term. The ILE hasformed a governing council, comprising the Director, aResearch Chair, the Director/Chair of the UCLA andUCBerkeley Labor Centers, two other faculty, and a laborrepresentative. In addition, the ILE will form an advisoryboard that includes faculty representatives from eachUCcampus, and labor, community, government and employerrepresentatives. U

The march was organized by the Labor Immigrant Or-ganizing Network (LION) and took place in the Fruitvaleneighborhood of Oakland, the center of the city's Latino andAsian communities. The rally organizers wanted the educa-tion and support for immigrant rights to take place among themost effected, and to show the immigrant community thatlabor was rallying behind them. The event started on thesteps of St. Elizabeth's Catholic church with an inter-denomi-national invocation in three languages. International unionpresident John Wilhelm of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers(HERE) and Terrance O'Sullivan, International president ofthe Laborer's (LIUNA) unions spoke of their union's com-

mitment to immigrants and workers rights. Senator BarbaraBoxer and Congresswomen Barbara Lee also spoke at therally and were joined on the stage by Assemblywomen WilmaChan and Attorney General Bill Lockyer. In addition to unionsand politicians, community based organizations and workersalso spoke at the rally including a member of Asian Immi-grant Women's advocates (AIWA), SEIU 1877 Janitors, andLillian Galedo from Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA).Elected officials, union leaders and members of the commu-nity then followed the speakers in pledging their support bysigning the LION banner that listed the five demands of themarchers.

1) General amnesty for all undocumented immigrants2) Repeal employer sanctions.3) Defend right of all workers to organize.4) End guest worker programs.

5) Defend and expand family reunification.The march was the result of an incredible collaboration

between labor, immigrant advocacy, community and faith

based organizations, with over 50 groups endorsing theevent. Many groups are eager to continue working withLION to ensure that the demands of the march and rally areheard by our state and national legilators.

Two years ago the CLRE helped launch LION in a oneday working conference composed of union and commu-nity organizers who ran up against immigration laws whilefighting for workers rights in organizing drives. Since thatconference the organizers have maintained this coalition tocollaborate around three areas of work.

Rapid response with direct action to support orga-nizing efforts where employers use immigration sta-tus to attack the right to organize by firing or in-timidating workers.Education and training to improve the ability ofunions and community groups to fight for immi-grant rights.Fight to change government policy that has usedimmigration status for the benefit of employers todivide workers and keep a large population of work-ers unable to fight for their rights.

LION also contributed to a bottom up effort among union-ists to change the AFL-CIO's position on supporting em-ployer sanctions, which has really been used to attack em-ployees. Passing resolutions in local Labor Councils didthis. The local bodies then asked the national organizationto change its position.

In February 2000 the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO adopted a statement calling for immigration reform. Ahigh level task force was appointed to hold public hearingson this issue with unions, community groups and religiousorganizations. Thousands attended these hearings in New

ILE Targeted Research Grants Awarded For 2001

Bloom, Joan, Spalding, Kristen, Firestein, NetsyUCB Public HealthLConstruction Worker's Work and Family Survey

Bonacich, Edna, & Wolff GoetzUCR Sociology/UCLA U'rban PlanningManufacturing in Los Angeles: Analysis of a NeglectedSector

Edelman, Lauren & Krieger, LindaUCB LawJudicial Deference to Institutionalized Employment Prac-tices (1965-1999)

Haas, Gilda, Hurst, John, Blasi, GaryUCLA Urb. Planning/UCB Education/UCLA LawRedefining Redevelopment: Participatory Research for JobEquity in tne Los Angeles Figueroa ComiorJohnston PaulUCSC Chicano/Latino Research CenterLabor Relations and Civic Participation among MexicanImmigrants to the U.S.: the Case of the King City BasicVegetable Strike

Lane Alycee, Delip Linda, Lee, PamUCSi3 English/UCIA LOSH IUCB Labor Center"To Directl Record and Anai ze the Perspective ofWorkers Who are Engaged in Juilding a Global Communi-cations Network Within a Multinational Company"

Leavitt, Jackie & Dymski, GaryUCLA Urb. Plan/UCR EconomicsVoices From the Home Front: Home Care Workers andHousing/Community Policies

Marcelli, Enrico & Cornelius? WayneUCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies/UCSDCenter for Comparative Immigration StudiesSouthern California Mexican immigrant legal Status SurveyMcMahon, June & Glass, FredUCLA CLRECalifornia Labor History Textbook Project

Ong, PaulUCA Urban Planning"Mobility of California Workers Since the Early 1990's"

Pastor Manuel & Benner, ChrisUCSCf Latin American & Latino Studies/UCB"Study to analyze data on turnover and long:itudinal earningsof workers by detailed industry and region.Peterson, TrondUCB SociologyEqual 0 aortunity in the California High-Tech Economy:Hiring oTWomen and Minorities

Reich Michael & Runsten, DavidUCB hcon./UCLA Pub. PolicyLiving Wage Ordinances in California-Impacts on Busi-nesses, Employees, Unions and Local Governments

Richman, NealUCLA Soc. Welfare/Adv. Policy Inst.Needs Assessment and Plan for a Model Online Home CareWorker Registry in Los Angeles County

Smith VickiUCD SociologyChoosipg Wor7k and Finding Jobs: Labor Market Prepara-tion in Employment Organizations

Voss, Kim, Ganz Marshall, Strauss, GeorgeUCB Sociology/iLRLeadership, Urganization, and Institutional Change:Revitalization of California Unions, 1984-2000.

Wells, Miriam & Villareio, DonUCD Human & Comm. Dev.Immigration Reform and Workers' Rights in California

Yelin EdwardUCSF Inst. for Health Pol. StdiesThe Work-Health Nexus

Zabin Carol & Borrego, JohnUCSCi Community Studies/UCB CLREThe Role of Unions in Publicly Funded Training Programsin California Firms

Participants in the January 27 march sign on to demands forimmigration reform.

Immigrant Rights Cont.immigrant workers both documented and undocu-mented testified about the discrimination and abusethey suffered at the hands ofemployers and the gov-ernment.

Organizers testified about how union driveswhere lost and stifled when the government wascalled in to target leaders and activist due to immi-gration status. In August of 2000, the AFL-CIO is-sued a report on the immigrant right's hearings andon the state of immigrant workers nationally.

The AFL-CIO currently has one of the most pro-gressive positions on immigration, yet as was con-cluded in the August report it will be a long roadfrom a program position to legislative policy. LIONis continuing to organize to help pave the way forthis road.

ORGANIZING UPDATESSEIU 715 WINS HOSPITAL IN THE HEART OF SILICON VALLEY

Last September roughly 900 workers at El Camino Hospital inthe city of Mountain View voted for representation by ServiceEmployees International Union (SEIU), Local 715. Repre-senting the majority of employees, SEIU 715 won electionsin three major bargaining units; service and maintenance, li-censed technical and the professional units. Winning by 56%in service and maintenance,68% in the professional unitand 70% of the licensed techs,the victory was decisive for aunion election.

El Camino Hospital wasfounded as a community districthospital but fell victim to an at-tempt at privatization in themid-90's, during the managedcare crisis. The private admin-istration lost millions of dollarsand the workers saw theirwages and benefits cut as aresult. When the hospital was re- El Camino Worker Ccturned to public control the work-ers were still fearful of their future and the future of the hospi-tal. It was under these circumstances that the majority ofwork-ers wanted to organize. SEIU 715 was the logical choice, freshfrom their organizing victory a year earlier at the StanfordMedical Center. The new board, having just fought to regaincommunity control ofthe hospital, agreed to a neutrality agree-ment with the union and a community run election.Anti-union ideology runs deep, even among workers.When SEIU 715 was organizing Stanford hospital, the hos-

pital hired an anti-union consultant to run mandatory staffmeet-ings and produce anti-union literature. At El Camino the anti-union campaign was run by a group of employees. They

wore "vote no" buttons at work, wrote letters to the local pa-pers alleging union ties to the Mafia and passed out flyers totheir co-workers questioning the use of union dues money. Al-though it lacked the direct intimidation factor of an employerdirected anti-union strategy, these anti-union workers where stillable to raise fears among the workers and spread hopelessnessin the ability of the union to fight for change and improvements

at the hospital. With the decline ofunionization and the promotion ofa pro-business agenda by the me-dia and policy makers many work-ers have internalized anti-union sen-timents. This campaign was an ex-ample of how declining unionstrength in the last few decades hascaused anti-union sentiments to be-come in-grained in popular senti-ments.

The organizing campaign wonat El Camino hospital because Lo-

cal 715 developed a strong com-imittee members mittee ofleaders within the hospital. A

dedicated group of rank and file mem-bers also got involved with the campaign from other SEIU hos-pitals in the area that shared their own positive experiences ofunionization with the unorganized workers. In their currentfight for a first contract the hospital management has changedagain. The new CEO comes from the large, for-profit Tenethospital chain. The current challenge for the workers commit-tee is to fight for a contract with the new management andcontinue to fight against the vocal anti-union workers. Theworkers did not need to fight management during the electionbut they are facing employer opposition now under the newadministration.

By Arianna Jimenez, Organizer Local 715

CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE WEST NURSES SIGNING UP WITH CNA

Ten days after concluding an unprecedented agreement withthe Catholic Healthcare West hospital chain, the California NursesAssociation said registered nurses at three CHW facilities hadmoved to bring CNA representation to their facilities.

As of February 22, over 30 percent of the Registered Nurses(RNs) had indicated their desire for CNA representation at St.Bernadine Hospital in San Bernardino, St. Dominic Hospital inManteca, and Oak Valley Hospital in Oakdale. CNA officerssaid since the organizing effort commenced, RNs were rapidlysigning CNA cards at 12 other non-union CHW hospitals.On February 12, a landmark agreement between the associa-tion andCHW management was unveiled intended to guide CNA

efforts to organize registered nurses and other healthcare pro-fessionals at CHW hospitals in California,Nevada and Arizona.

"This is a great day for us," said Karen Barrett, RN at St.Bernadine. "My colleagues and I are taking a bold step forwardto protect the profession of nursing." "This is a very importantmoment for us," said Pete Martin, RN at Oak Valley, "We aredelighted that we will have the opportunity to become part ofCNA."

The CHW system, based in the Western states, contains 47hospitals and five medical groups. CNA is the largest organiza-tion ofRNs in California with 35,000 members. CNA currently

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SFO ORGANIZING ADDS OVER 2000 WORKERS

CLRE supported organizing at the San FranciscoInternational Airport (SFO) by offering researchand facilitating the early meetings that resultedin a collaborative that brought together six unions:Machinists (IAM), Hotel Workers (HERE),Service Employees (SEIU), retail workers(UFCW), office workers (OPEIU) and Team-sters (IBT). Two central labor councils, SanMateo, where the airport is located and SanFrancisco, which runs the airport collaboratedin the project as well petitioning the nationalAFL-CIO for funding last year.A pair ofDecember victories brought the total

number of workers winning union representa-tion at SFO to roughly 1,700. A victory by theIAM added 400 more in January of 2001. Thenewest union members include 700 sky caps,wheel chair attendants, baggage handlers,screeners and other security personnel employedby ITS and 33 information-service representa-tives working for Polaris Research and Devel-opment. IAM got cards from baggage handlersand the ground crews at Hallmark Aviation andSwiss Port.

Through the leadership and coordination ofthe Central Labor Councils the San Francisco

Airport Commission approved a labor backedcard-check policy. This policy requires com-panies operating at the airport to recognizeunions once a majority of employees sign cardsrequesting union representation. The SFO or-ganizing project campaigned for a "living wage"in the face of airport expansion.

The project also worked with community or-ganizations, religious leaders and the ethnic pressto question whether the new airport jobs wouldbenefit San Mateo County residents who are inone of the most expensive areas of the countrybordered in the south by Santa Clara's SiliconValley and to the north by San Francisco. Theorganizers credit their victory this last year to acombination ofhaving broad community supportand having the labor movement leveraging itscollective power to win the card check agree-ment. When the expansion is complete therecould be as many as 30,000 workers at SFO.

James B. Goodno, editor of San Mateo La-bor contributed many ofthefiguresfor thisarticle.

CNA Continued

represents approximately 5,000 RNs working inCHW hospitals and is the largest group of union-ized CHW employees.

Under terms of the CNA-CHW agreement:* RNs can discuss CNA representation on worktime in the hospital.*No threats, intimidation, coercion or disciplin-ary action shall be taken or threatened against RNsfor organizing with CNA.* RN attendance at meetings called by manage-ment to discuss representation shall be voluntary.* Management may not initiate any one-on-oneconversations with RNs about representation.* Upon reaching the 30 percent threshold CNAcan meet with RNs in public areas free from em-ployer interference, post information on facilitybulletin boards and reserve facility meeting spaceand secure time off for CNA nurses at other CHWfacilities to join the organizing effort.* Private, expedited, non-National Labor RelationsBoard elections for CNA representation, overseenby a neutral third party overseer, will be held

within 45 days after CNA requests an election."For quite a while now we have received com-

munication from nurses and others at CHW fa-cilities that they wanted to become part ofCNA,"said Mike Griffing, CNA collective bargaining di-rector. "Our experience over the first two weeksof the organizing effort indicates that the wish tobecome part of the Association is even greaterthan we had thought." "Concern over workingconditions and a desire to play a role in creatingthe best possible conditions for patient care havemotivated RNs to want CNA representation andto be part of the association's activities," saidGriffing. "We are confident that over comingmonths the RNs' move to become affiliated withCNA will be realized throughout the CHW sys-tem."

By Carl Bloice, editor of the California Nurse

REPORT FROM THE INDONESIAN LABOR MOVEMENT

Last fall, I was in-vited to consult forthe AFL-CIO'sAmerican Center forInternational LaborSolidarity inJakarta,

L for Indonesia's firstnational workingwomen's confer-ence and the first

women's conference ofthe apparel-textile-toy union (SP-TSK). On my initial trip, I developed the conference de-sign for the national working women's conference andhelped to organize a steering committee composed ofwomen trade union leaders and non-govemmental organi-zation (NGO) leaders. I also consulted with the SP-TSKwomen's committee on their plans. On my second trip, Igave keynote speeches on global labor strategies at eachconference and advised on various aspects ofthe confer-ences. While I was in Indonesia, I also had the opportunityto meet with union leaders and visit several textile, ap-parel, and other factory sites.

The result of the national working women's conferencewas the formation ofan ongoing labor-community coali-tion. Unionized textile factory workers were shocked tolearn that unorganized women migrant workers faced un-thinkable forms ofbrutality. College-educatedNGO femi-nists were surprised to find thatwomen labor leaders wereextremely sophisticated about how to lead their constitu-ents. This new coalition united around the need to imple-ment existing labor laws on the one hand, and to changelaws that discriminate againstwomen workers on the other.As one oftheir follow-up activities, the group decided toparticipate in a campaign to repeal provisions ofIndone-sian marriage law that do not allow women to be heads ofhouseholds. This law requires that women be taxed at ahigher rate than men, no matter what their marital sta-tus. It is also used as an excuse to lay offwomen beforemen and to deny women access to leadership positions.

the high level of leadership skills demonstrated by therank and file. The committee had only one full-time staffperson, but it managed to mobilize more than 400 womento participate in the conference, and to organize panels,workshops, musical programs, and a membership sur-vey. It also initiated creative methods oftraining its mem-bers, using quiz show competitions to encourage the studyof labor law, a speech contest to test for verbal commu-nication skills, and a mistress-of-ceremonies contest totrain members to think quickly on their feet. These con-tests were competitive, but were done in the context oftremendous group spirit where everyone had a lot offun.

Many people in developed countries hear about sweat-shop-type abuses in developing countries, and they as-sume that the workers in Asia and Latin America areexploited victimswho cannot organize themselves. Whilethere are many things about labor relations that Indone-sian trade unionists need to learn, experiences such asthis demonstrate that there is much strength among oursisters and brothers in other countries, and that Ameri-cans have much to learn from workers in developingcountries. Indonesian workers are struggling to set up asystem ofindustrial relations that provides for quick andeffective settlement ofgrievances, but they could teachAmerican workers quite a bit about being willing to puteverything on the line to go on strike. Their unions mightbe poor and lacking telephones, but their rank and fileleadership has more creative leadership and organiza-tional ability than many full-time union leaders in thewestern world.

During the next year, the Henning Center will be evalu-ating the challenges presented by this Indonesian experi-ence, and will develop programs that speak to the needsofIndonesian unionists, while finding ways forAmeri-can workers to learn from them.

By Katie Quan, Director of the John. F HenningCenterfor International Labor Relations.

The women's committee of SP-TSK was remarkable in

DEBRIEFING THE 2000 ELECTIONS:A LABOR PERSPECTIVE

The Bay Area Labor Studies Seminars(BALSS) sponsored by the Center for LaborResearch and Education (CLRE) held its lastsession for the year 2000 on November 30th.At the time of the seminar we did not realizethat the presidential election would not be de-cided for another three weeks and require theintervention of the U.S. Supreme Court. TheInstitute ofGovernment Studies (IGS), and theCLRE jointly sponsored the seminar. Theseminar was moderated by IGS Director BruceCain and included presentations by John A.Perez, Political Director ofthe California Fed-eration of Labor, AFL-CIO and MichaelLighty, Director ofOperations for the Califor-nia Nurses Association. The state AFL-CIOran one ofthe largest grass roots efforts in thestate including the effort to elect Vice-Presi-dentAl Gore. The California Nurses endorsedGreen Party candidate Ralph Nader andworked on many of his town hall meetingsaround the state.

One ofthe first questions raised by ProfessorCain was the lack ofrecognition given to orga-nized labor by pundits and commentators fortheir electoral work and whether unions in-tended to run a "stealth campaign" in this lastelection. Mr. Perez from the AFL-CIO saidthat labor's efforts to maximize union member-ship involvement in the electoral process werenever a secret. Union efforts focused on reg-istering more voters in union families, discuss-ing the issues ofconcern to working familiesdirectly at the workplace and turning out unionmembers to the polls on Election Day. TheAFL-CIO credits the ability ofthe DemocraticParty to win four congressional seats in Cali-fornia, previously controlled by the Republi-can Party, to this grass roots effort.

From the perspective of the Nader support-ers, Mr. Lighty felt that while Ralph Nader didnot garner the 5% necessary to allow the GreenParty to receive matching funds their mobiliza-

tion efforts also contributed to the election ofmore liberal legislators and the passage ofpro-gressive state and local initiatives. Expectingsome backlash for the accusation that theNader campaign cost Gore the election, Lightyalso pointed out that many Nader voters mightnot have gone to the polls without his candi-dacy.

Many political organizers in the recent cam-paign attended the seminar. Walter Johnson,leader ofthe San Francisco Labor Council andJohn Dalrymple ofthe Contra Costa Councilalso contributed to the seminar with discussionabout their local efforts.

Some activists in the room criticized theAFL-CIO for their early endorsement ofGore, whichmay have let the Democratic Party offthe hookon key issues important to labor, such as glo-bal trade and labor law reformn. It was pointedout by local labor leaders, however, that inmost unions where polls of members or en-dorsement votes were taken, Gore was for-mally endorsed by membership.

Future BALSS seminar topics for 2001include:

* Labor's Perspective on the FreeTrade Agreement of the Americas(FTAA)- March 21

* Organizing Young Workers andchallenges unions face to meet theirneeds- April 18.

* Labor rights in the U.S. andperspectives on labor law reform-May7.

Bay Area Labor Studies Seminars are heldin the Institute ofIndustrial Relations, 2521Channing Way, Berkeley.Ifyour organization or union has topics youfeel would be of interest to the labor andUC community please contact Warren Mar@ CRLE: 510-642-1851.

NEW LABOR CENTER STAFFTiehera Howell and Warren Mar join CLRE

Tiehera Howell joined the Labor Center inOctober 2000 as one of our new programcoordinators. Tiehera is a long time resident ofBerkeley, CA. She attended Berkeley High andSan Francisco City College where she studiedMicro-Biology. Her knowledge ofeventcoordination and administration is a great ad-dition to the Labor Center.

Warren Marjoins the CLRE after more than20 years organizing in the Labor movement.He organized with the Hotel and RestaurantWorkers (HERE) and California Nurses(CNA) before spending the last 3 years at theAFL-CIO Organizing Institute. Prior tojoining the labormovement he was also a com-munity organizer in San Francisco. He gradu-ated from San Francisco State and the KennedySchool of Government at Harvard.

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