An Injury to One is an Injury to All!VOL. 119

NO. 7SEPTEMBER 26, 2012WEDNESDAY

(ISSN 0023-6667)

See Endorsements..page 7

See Walker...page 6

Erik Simonson’s (left) campaign for Duluth’s MN HouseDistrict 7B seat got a boost from DFL House MinorityLeader Paul Thissen, right, and Rep. Tom Huntley atErik’s fundraiser Sept 20 at Bowery Bros. Thissen said theDFL has a great chance of taking back the House majoritybecause of great candidates like Simonson.

Duluth Central Body endorses five more

Judge overturns Walker’s union busting law

do it. The state Supreme Courtappears to not want to getinvolved in changing the Nov.6ballot to remove Gauthier’sname and place Simonson’sname on it. The Supremes didnot act last Friday and absenteeballots were mailed.

“This isn’t a race to per-suade people, we need to edu-cate people that he’s the guy,”House Minority Leader PaulThissen said at a Simonsonfundraiser Sept. 20.

Simonson said he’s going towin no matter how the electionis held.

“We’re well on our way tosurpassing anything any com-

to September’s meeting.“The sooner the better for

an endorsed candidate if thereis one,” he told delegates.

Simonson was the only can-didate to appear for screening.He entered the race after Rep.Kerry Gauthier withdrew afterbeing found in a public sexualliaison even though no chargeswere filed.

“I’m running because itneeds to happen,” Simonsontold delegates. “I didn’t plan onit.”

He said receiving the DFLand Labor endorsements wererequirements he had set to con-tinue his campaign and he hasreceived both.

Simonson is Duluth’s Assis-tant Fire Chief, which he said isthe highest position he canattain in the department andstill be in his union.

If elected, which is nevereasy as a write-in candidate,Simonson said he will doeverything he can to creategood middle class jobs.”

“The bonding bill is biggestthing the legislature can do,” hesaid. “My focus will be jobs,local government aid and edu-cation if I’m elected.”

Although he got into therace late, Simonson said healways has had a love of poli-tics and government andthought of running for office inthe past.

“I wasn’t able to run for citycouncil (because of his job),and I don’t understand whyanyone would run for countyboard, with all due respect forthose who are running,” he saidto laughter after the con-tentious county screenings. Hesaid his job has allowed him tobecome involved in the “innerworkings of the legislature” butthere never had been an oppor-tunity like the one he has now.

“It’s time to step up,Simonson said.

A write-in candidate hasnever won a legislative race inMinnesota but Simonson andthe DFL are confident he can

Erik Simonson, Steve O’Neil,

Debbie Isabell-Nelson,Peg Sweeney, and

Brad Jones get endorsedIt wasn’t really easy for

anyone, well, maybe BradJones, but five candidates wereendorsed following DuluthAFL-CIO Central Labor Bodyscreenings September 13. Acontentious night was expectedfor St. Louis County commis-sioner screenings. With 61 del-egates in attendance just for theendorsing meeting, and manymore onlookers at the screen-ing, it was a hard fought night.Simonson on a roll

Erik Simonson, who iswaging a write-in campaign forDuluth’s District 7B seat in thestate House of Representatives,had a tidy screening andreceived the endorsement in hisbid. It wasn’t unanimous, butas a Central Body delegate andFire Fighters Local 101’s pres-ident, it was expected.

The Central Body hadplanned to screen the 7B raceOctober 11, but President DanO’Neill decided to move it up

By Dominique Paul NothEditor, Milwaukee

Labor NewsMADISON, Wis. (PAI)--

Justice delayed is justicedenied – or is it? Wisconsinworkers were shocked intorethinking that old saw on Sept.14 when Dane County JudgeJuan Colas– 18 months afterthe pain -- threw out as uncon-stitutional Right Wing GOPGov. Scott Walker’s Act 10, theevisceration of public workercollective bargaining rights.

It was a long overdue affir-mation to many that, whateveryou think about unions andhowever you want to sidelineyour political enemies, youcan’t crush the constitution likea bug to punish people.

But it’s almost a surrealmoment reflecting the cyni-

cism which we now regard ourlumbering system. Finally,Wisconsin has found a judgelooking at American principlesas something to cherish ratherthan step around.

Walker’s law, which trashedcollective bargaining rights andother worker protections formore than 200,000 state andlocal government workers, wasthe spearhead last year of anational drive by the RadicalRight, its GOP allies and theirbig business puppeteers toeviscerate unions and destroyworkers’ rights – along withpolitical opposition to their rad-ical agenda.

Simply put, Colasannounced that a court hasmade Walker and the GOP leg-islative majority law-breakers,violating basic human rightsincluding free speech, freeassociation and equal protec-tion.

But no parades. Not yet.The decision will be immedi-ately appealed to the stateSupreme Court, whose majori-ty is beholden to Right-Wingmoney and ideology. The jus-tices rapidly aborted thethoughtful process in 2011when a lower court judge ques-tioned the legislative haste thatpushed Walker’s law through.On Sept. 18, the GOP stateattorney general started his

push-back with a lower courtappeal of Colas’ decisionagainst Walker’s law.

This Sept. 14 ruling in itscomplexities still allowsWalker continued sway overstate workers. But it will reallyput the issue of shovelingmanure rather than the spadework of true judicious delibera-tion squarely before the highcourt.

GOP Attorney General J.B.Van Hollen is not only trying toreinstate Walker’s law, but he’ssimultaneously pressing theHigh Court to jump over lowercourts and restore Walker’sVoter ID law – for thisNovember – too. Two statecourts overturned that statuteand it still faces federal chal-lenges.

Dane County (Madison)Judge Colas in his summaryruling on Sept. 14 bluntly ruledthe legislature oversteppedconstitutional bounds by goingafter city, county and schoolemployees, creating separateclasses of workers, union andnon-union, merely to cap payor elevate the employers’ mus-cle – without asking theemployer or the public.

His ruling confirmed whatmany had been arguing: Thatpicking between union andnon-union and even among

St. Louis Co. commissionerPeg Sweeney clarifies apoint with county employeeand AFSCME 66’s MikeWelch following screenings.

Debbie Isabell-Nelson listensto a question from the floorduring screenings.

St. Louis Co. commissioner Steve O’Neil, left, chats withcounty employee and AFSCME 66 VP Dennis Frazier following O’Neil’s endorsement Sept. 13.

Bastians to present Woody Guthrie at CSSJuly 14 was the 100th

anniversary of WoodrowWilson “Woody” Guthrie’sbirth. This year is also the100th anniversary for theCollege of St. Scholastica,which was built way out inDuluth’s countryside in 1912.A celebration of the centennialshas been scheduled.

The CSS Cambiata Serieswill feature Bill Bastian, tenorand guitar, and his wife, LaurieBastian, fiddle, at 7:30 p.m.,Saturday, Oct. 6 in Mitchell

Risacher, Shelton run forCromwell/Wright school bd.

Steve Risacher has thrown his hat in the ring as a first timecandidate for a position on the Cromwell-Wright school board.He is a Field Representative for the North Central StatesRegional Council of Carpenters and President of CarpentersLocal 361. He is a member of the Labor World Board ofDirectors and a delegate to the Duluth AFL-CIO Central LaborBody.

Risacher is seeking an at-large seat that has a 4-year term.Five people, but only one incumbent, are vying for three openspots.

Loran Shelton, a member of Painters & Allied Trades Local106, is also running for a 2-year term as an incumbent memberof that school board.

Auditorium.The College of St. Scholas-

tica has grown considerablythough it stayed put, butGuthrie traveled all over thelower 48 searching foranswers. He searched throughWorld War I, through theDepression, through the west-ward migration to the“Promised land” calledCalifornia, through the NewDeal, through World War II,through Senator McCarthy’s“Red Scare” and the Black list.

Huntington’s Disease took hislife in 1967. He would singanywhere, for anybody’s cause,ultimately, he was singing forhimself, always looking tomake things better for others,especially poor working folks.It made Guthrie an organizer.

You can travel with Woodythrough the Bastians as theyperform a whole lot of pagesfrom the Great American SongBook/History Book/Philos-ophy Book/Road Map/RecipeBook.

Tickets are $15 adults, $5for students. To order ticketscall (218) 723-7000, (877)263-9596, or spotlight.css.edu.

IBEW, CWA getVerizon tentative

NEW YORK (PAI)--TheCommunications Workers andthe International Brotherhoodof Electrical Workers (IBEW)signed a tentative 3-year con-tract with Verizon, ending a 14-month struggle with the bigtelecom that included a forced2-week strike last August.

Solidarity among the45,000 affected workers –34,000 CWA members and11,000 IBEW members – madeit clear to the hugely profitablefirm that workers would notyield to its demands for billionsof dollars in givebacks. Thosegivebacks would have rolledback 50 years of bargaininggains and robbed workers ofplaces in the middle class,union officers repeatedly said.

The contract calls for an8.2% raise over three years andpreservation of the existingdefined benefit pension plan

Last Chipwreck?Take Action Minnesota has

been working to make sureCongressman Chip Cravaackdoesn’t get elected again. Theyhave planned their last action inDuluth in their campaign forThursday, Sept. 27 at 5:00 p.m.in front of the Gerald HeaneyFederal Building in the CivicCenter. You are invited.

ATTENTION: Duluth District 7B VotersOn your ballot Nov. 6 please write-in ERIK SIMONSON

Labor and DFL-Endorsed Erik is President of Fire FightersLocal 101 and Assistant Fire Chieffor Duluth’s Fire Department. Hewill continue the strong labor voicewestern Duluth has had in the stateHouse of Representatives and workto strengthen the middle class, butyou have to write in his name on theballot Tuesday, Nov. 6 for him to win.

Find out more at www.erikfor7b.comPaid for by Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body COPE

PAGE 2 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Come Party With Your Party!8thCD DFL Fundraiser/RallyHosts: Lake County & 3rd Senate Dist. DFL Saturday, Oct. 6 4:00–7:30 pm Two Harbors American LegionSuggested Donation: q$10 q$15 q$20 q$25 q$ Proceeds to the Nolan campaign

Silent AuctionProceeds to Lake County DFL

Food Provided u Cash BarEmceed by Jim Oberstar,our former 8CD Congressman

Guests include past, present, and futurelocal and state elected officials

Paid for by the 3rd Senate District DFL, Paul Fish, Chair

Rick Nolan

Bill and Laurie BastianI.U.O.E. Local 70Monthly Arrowhead Regional Meeting

Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 5:00 P.M. Duluth Labor Center, Hall B

Dave Monsour, Business Manager, (651) 646-4566

Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 10Retirees’ LuncheonTuesday, Oct 2, 1:00 p.m.

Buffalo Wild Wings

FunRaiser for all DFL CandidatesSunday, September 30

Carlton 4 Seasons (Hwy 210, Carlton follow signs)4pm Chili Feed, 5 Speakers, 6 Live Auction

Suggested Donation $15 (open)Paid for by District 11A DFL

DFL

AFSCME Council 5AFSCME Local 66AFSCME Local 1092AFSCME Local 3558American Postal Workers UnionAnzelc, Rep. TomBoilermakers Local 647Bricklayers Local 1Carpenters Local 361Caven, Lawrence & Marion Cement Masons Local 633Country HearthCWA Local 7214Falsani, Balmer, Peterson,

Quinn & Beyer Law FirmFirefighters Local 101Franklin FoodsHeaney, Eleanor Hallberg, Dennis & Arlene IBEW #31 IBEW #31 & #242 RetireesIBEW #242IBEW #366Ironworkers Local 512Kraus Anderson ConstructionLaborers Local 1091Labor World Newspaper

Lakehead ConstructorsMachinists Lodge 1575Magnuson, GilMailers Local 62MN Assn. Prof. EmployeesMcCuskey, BethMerritt, Paul & Beverly NALC Branch 114Neros, AllenNewman, Terri “Coney Sauce”O’Connor, David & Linda OPEIU Local 12Operating Engineers Local 70Painters Local 106Pfau, Michael Plumbers & ’Fitters Local 11Robison, GerardSEIU NCF&O Local 32Sramek, Frank & Jo-Ann Stagehands Local 32Super OneTeamsters Local 346USW Local 776USW Local 1028USW Local 9460University Education Assn.Woodland Hills

THANK YOU! The Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body thanksthese unions, businesses, and individuals for making

this year’s Labor Day Picnic another huge success!

On behalf of everyone who enjoys Duluth’s LaborDay Picnic, we say thanks to our sponsors and vol-unteers! We apologize if we missed anyone here.~Picnic Chairs Terri Newman, Alan Netland, & Dan O’Neill

Now that was a CentralLabor Body meeting Septem-ber 13! I bet it made the tillsring in the Reef Bar when itwas over as in “I need a drink!”

Over five dozen “delegates”were in attendance for MNHouse District 7B and countycommissioner screenings in thelargest county east of theMississippi. You know every-one was wishing they could’vebeen somewhere else on abeautiful fall evening but theyshowed up to do the peoples’business. Or maybe their own.

Everyone who spoke inWellstone Hall that night gottheir butt whipped in somefashion for having the nerve toopen their mouth. That’s as itshould be at 46 degrees lati-tude. It helps keep the air clean.

There were a lot of new del-egates that would have madean AFL-CIO bureaucrat tightentheir cheeks over constitution,by-law, credential, or swear-ing-in oath violations or some-thing, but ain’t democracygrand when you just let it rip?

A fall festival – let ’em all vote!Wellstone Hall was no place

for the timid, or comfortable,on Sept. 13 and it never shouldbe as is its tradition. It shouldbe the home of grassroots look-ing for light. Positively organ-ic. More compost and mulch,please.

Most of the newbies werequiet, as though watching anold movie they didn’t quiteremember, while marveling atthe actors they knew who werepouring their hearts outbecause they really cared.

Newbies had to be blownaway by the questioning, com-mentary, invective, and thebullshit from some candidates.

Labor is no monolith anddelegates got into a little hatingon each other in advocating onbehalf of their candidates. Itmust be time for a CentralBody retreat to some placehomey. A counselor wouldn’tstand a chance in straighteningthings out. Street fights ignitein Sept. 13’s atmosphere. Youdon’t need friends if you careonly about yourself and feelyou have one good fight left inyou, and if you’re labor you’llfight all night. That’s whatyou’re accustomed to. Youdon’t have capitalism chromo-somes that let you tweak yourprinciples as you seek a higheryield.

Oh, that was an old schoolnight that probably left manywishing they had prepared bet-ter for the test.

In recent local electionslabor has gotten together forthe most part on behalf of“labor” candidates. We evenagreed on city council candi-dates recently. But now someof them are being hated on a bitas they’ve started governing.We’ll see how the next issuethat comes up goes for them.

The three St. Louis Countycommissioner districts up forelection are all Duluth-centric.You can feel the Iron Rangeweeping for us can’t you?

Things were so electricSept. 13 iconoclasts took theLabor World to task for accept-ing ads from labor-endorsedcandidates. One spark couldhave started a fire in that com-bustible air. Thank god for sol-idarnosc and unions improvingthe work lives of all workers.The first frost has cleared theair and the common good canbe viewed much better on thehorizon if you look hard. Yup!

“An Injury to One is anInjury to All” was even calledinto question as a labor tenetthat is a pithy expression usedat times of convenience bysome to prove their point, butignored when they’re workingtheir own agenda. Whew, getme some more cold air andIrish whisky.

And so we march on toTuesday, November 6’s Gen-eral Election wishing we were“mules trained to reign” as BobDylan said. Not this year, butwe need to be smart enough toknow we have to feed from thesame trough to stay alive.

Solidarity Forever Sistersand Brothers, a new day iscoming Nov. 7, when the com-mon good is recreated becausewe care beyond ourselves, forthat’s what makes our societywork for all. Okay, in truth weknow it ain’t working for all.So we better get our asses outthere and vote!

LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012 PAGE 3

LABOR WORLD(ISSN#0023-6667) is published

semi-monthly except one issue inDecember (23 issues).

The known office of publication isLabor World, 2002 London Road,Room 110, Duluth, MN 55812. Periodicals postage is paid at

Duluth MN 55806. POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to: Labor World, 2002 London Rd.,Room 110, Duluth, MN 55812

(218) 728-4469 FAX: (218) 724-1413

laborworld@qwestoffice.netwww.laborworld.org

~ ESTABLISHED 1896 ~Owned by Unions affiliated with the

Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor BodySubscriptions: $22 Annually

Larry Sillanpa, Editor/ManagerDeborah Skoglund, Bookkeeper

Board of DirectorsPres./Treas. Mikael Sundin,Painters & Allied Trades 106;V.P. Paul Iversen, BMWED1710; Sec. Jayme McKenna,AFSCME 66; Al LaFrenier,Workers’ United Midwest Bd;Mike Kuitu, Operating Engineers 49; Dan O’Neill,Plumbers & Steamfitters 11;Steve Risacher, Carpenters361; Dan Leslie, IBEW 31;Stacy Spexet, USW 9460

6 7

Hey, Mitt, we earned Social Security and Medicare!

by Barbara J. Easterling, President Alliance for Retired Americans

As a retiree, I was upset to hear that Mitt Romney thinks peo-ple our age are “dependent” upon the government.

Social Security and Medicare are not hand-outs. We paidMedicare and Social Security taxes in every paycheck we everearned. Now that we are retired, these programs help us stayhealthy and pay our bills. They are the promise we make to peo-ple who worked hard all their lives. We need to keep that prom-ise for today’s workers.

While shocking, Romney’s private comments mirror his pub-lic stances. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are the most anti-seniorticket ever, running on a platform that would enrich big insur-ance companies by creating a voucher-based Medicare programand let Wall Street profit off a risky, privatized Social Securitysystem that would provide lower benefits to workers forced tostay longer on the job.

Before Social Security and Medicare, too many peopleworked until the day they died or lived out their final years in ter-rible health and poverty. These offensive comments by MittRomney are a stark reminder that he wants to turn back the clockon the great progress our nation has made.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe that our nationshould help our young and our elderly and our heroic veterans.Regardless of what Mitt Romney thinks, I am proud to haveearned my Social Security and my Medicare.

Barbara J. Easterling was previously the secretary-treasurerof the Communications Workers of America. For more informa-tion, visit www.retiredamericans.org or call 1-800-333-7212.

Stat of the Week~TOO MUCH ONLINEHow much more can Charles and David Koch,

America's most prolific billionaire bankrollers of right-wing political causes, afford to pour into this year’s elec-tions? If the brothers Koch spent $1 billion on the 2012elections, Forbes figures released last week show, theywould still end this year with a net worth over $5 billiongreater than their net worth in 2011.This Day In History-www.workdayminnesota.orgS eptem ber 24, 1896 - F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St.Paul, MN. “The rich are different from you and me,” hewrote, and explored that theme in The Great Gatsby and TheBeautiful and the Damned. Gatsby is considered one of thegreat works of American literature. “That was always myexperience – a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a richboy’s school; a poor boy in a rich man’s club at Princeton . . .”Fitzgerald wrote in a 1938 letter. “However, I have never beenable to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored myentire life and works.” (Quotation from “F. Scott Fitzgerald: ALife in Letters,” Scribners, 1994).S eptem ber 25, 1789 - The first Congress of the UnitedStates adopted amendments to the Constitution, known col-lectively as the Bill of Rights. The first amendment guaranteesthe freedom of speech and “the right of the people peaceablyto assemble,” the foundation underlying all workplace rightsand today’s labor laws.S eptem ber 27, 1954 - A U.S. Senate Committee called forthe censure of Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy, marking thebeginning of the end of a repressive, anti-democratic era. Hisname has become synonymous with ignorance and hate.S eptem ber 28, 1917 - Federal agents arrested 165 mem-bers of the Industrial Workers of the World, the “Wobblies,”for protesting World War I. More than 300 IWW leaderswere arrested that month and union offices were raidedacross the country. The Wobblies opposed the war as imperi-alist and engaged in a series of strikes and slowdowns toimprove conditions for workers. The government respondedby cracking down on the union in the name of patriotism.

The non-profit Labor World, Inc.is the official publication of theDuluth AFL-CIO Central LaborBody. It is an educational, advo-cacy newspaper for workers andunions. The views and opinionssubmitted and expressed in theLabor World do not necessarilyreflect the views of the paper, itsBoard of Directors or staff, theDuluth AFL-CIO Central LaborBody, its affiliated unions, theirofficers, or staff.

~NOTICE~2012 Labor World Issues

Oct. 10, 31; Nov. 14, 28; Dec. 19.

Chicago Teachers Union ends forced strike by ratifying 3-year contract

Building Trades get a jobs boost from Dayton, new 15 story tower

(PAI)--Teachers union dele-gates representing 25,500 Chi-cago teachers and 4,000 para-professionals ratified a tenta-tive 3-year contract Sept. 18,ending a 7-day strike forcedupon AFT Local 1 by MayorRahm Emanuel. The contractwas sent to members for a vote.

The strike was a politicalissue, as both GOP presidentialnominee Mitt Romney, and his

running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan,R-Wis., sided with Emanueland blasted the union, one ofthe largest in DemocraticPresident Obama’s home town.

Pay, Emanuel’s plans forlonger school days and a longeryear, and his plan that teachersshould be graded – and fired –based more on student testscores were key issues thatdrove the teachers to strike. So

were bad conditions for kids –no air conditioning and text-books up to six weeks late.

The new pact says the sidesagreed on the school days issuebeforehand, according to a con-tract outline from the CTU.

The state legislature can-celed the last raise from the oldcontract, but the new pact says“Chicago Public Schools canno longer cancel raises based

on budget appropriations.” Teachers won a 3% raise in

the first year of the pact, whichexpires in July 2015, followedby two 2% raises. Paraprofes-sionals got 4%, 2% and 2%.

Teacher evaluations will bedetermined by a joint schoolsystem-CTUcommittee “whichwill establish rules for local cri-teria in evaluation.” Thatpanel “will conduct a study of

the evaluation plan and thecommittee will decide” onchanges.

The board tried to eliminatethe definition of grievance, butwe retained it. Employees canonly be disciplined for justcause; no more arbitrary disci-pline” and the “board must pro-vide CTU with documentsprior to grievance hearings,”the pact adds.

Duluth Building &Construction Trades Councilaffiliates and the entire city gota huge boost September 14with the announcement that a15 story “425 Tower” will bebuilt on 5th Avenue West and

Superior St. The vacant, oldKDAL building will be demol-ished to make way for theAtwater Group’s $80 millionoffice tower with Maurices asthe anchor tenant.

The project got the go-

ahead it needed when Gov.Mark Dayton’s Department ofEmployment and EconomicDevelopment announced Sept.13 that the Duluth project wasone of only nine selectedstatewide out of 90 applicants

for $47.5 million in DEEDinvestment. The project got$8.5 million in DEED money.

The building will create upto 300 construction jobs, over200 new full-time equivalentjobs and retain over 400Maurice jobs, and leverage $60million in private investment.

DEED commissioner MarkPhillips was on hand for theannouncement.

“We were impressed byDuluth’s effort,” the IronRange native said. “It includedthe private sector, not just thepublic sector, and it’s not just aparking ramp.” With a nod to

Building Trades members inattendance he said, “When Isee hardhats I love that. When Ihear a construction job is atemporary job I have to laugh.Many have worked for thesame company for 20 years.”

The project is expected tobe completed by spring 2015.Demolition may start this year.

“This vertical constructionis just what we need,” saidDBCTC president Craig Olson.“We don’t often get buildingprojects of that scope andwe’re struggling with high un-employment. That’s a lot ofjobs for our members.”

PAGE 4 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

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Many delegates to the Sept. 13 Duluth Central Labor Body meeting stayed after to take a solidarity photo that was sent to striking Chicago teachers.

Mayor Don Ness publically thanked the Duluth BuildingTrades Council and the AFL-CIO for their help in makingthe new 425 Tower a reality. On stage at the press confer-ence were DBCTC VP Darrell Godbout, shaking handswith Ness, and Central Body president Dan O’Neill, left.

Mike Sylvester among four Letter Carrier Heroes in U.S.Mike Sylvester of the Na-

tional Association of LetterCarriers Zenith Branch 114Merged in Duluth, was amongfour NALC members recog-nized in the nation for heroicacts while on the job.

Sylvester, a Cloquet nativeand Superior resident, was inWashington DC last Thursdayto accept his 2012 CentralRegion Hero of the Year award.

On Saturday, February 4Sylvester witnessed a carcareening down Duluth’s long,steep 24th Avenue West takingout signs and hitting telephonepoles and only stopping aftercrashing into a house on ThirdStreet. The car was smoking,leaking gas and had rupturedthe gas line to the house.

Sylvester ran to the car andpulled the elderly woman driv-er from the volatile situation.Sylvester called 911 while res-cuing the woman, with aid of a

bystander. She survived afterbeing hospitalized.

“I was going to head up24th to start my route on 11thStreet when I saw the car crash-ing down the hill at about 30miles an hour – it was reallymoving, throwing up dirt andsnow,” Sylvester said. When itcame to a stop Sylvester ran tohelp.

“The car was completelytotaled,” he said. “It was a mir-acle she survived. We asked ifshe could move, she said shecould, so we decided we could-n’t wait because of the smokeand gas. The windows weresmashed and I bent the doorback so the other guy could gether seatbelt off. We got her outof there.”

Like the other honorees,Sylvester downplayed his act.“I’m just someone who deliv-ers the mail, doing my job,” hesaid. “It’s been quite an honorto be recognized and I’mblown away by the publicity.”

Mike Sylvester may be thefirst area Letter Carrier recog-nized in the annual NALCheros program. He representsthousands of letter carriers whonot only deliver the mail to 150million households and busi-nesses six days a week, butwho often assist in situationsinvolving accidents, fires,

crimes or health crises.“You get connected to the

people on your route,” he said.“They’re our customers payingour wages and benefits. Wework for them. Since we’rethere almost every day we keepan eye on the neighborhoodsfor customers. We know wherethe elderly live, we know thekids and we know their pets.I’m very proud to represent themembers in my union.”

Sylvester has been a LetterCarrier for 8.5 years. He servesas treasurer of his local unionand is also a union steward atthe main post office. He hasspoken at forums to keep theUnited States Postal Serviceserving customers by keepingfacilities open six day a weekand participates in those rallies.

“When we were at theawards ceremony in Washing-ton we got to meet withSenator Herb Kohl (D-Wis)and he listened to our concernsabout the postal service,”Sylvester said. He said Kohlwas very receptive and thatwas a great part of the trip.

Tom Logue, of CapeAtlantic, N.J. NALC Branch903, was recognized as theNational Hero of the Year. Herescued a boogie-boarding boyin Surf City on Father’s Day2011. The boy was caught in a

very strong undertow and indanger of drowning.

Celia Ruiz, NALC Branch2819 in Virginia Beach, Va.,saved the life of her neighbor’s5-year-old son, David, throughCPR and chest compressionafter a drunk driver hit the boyand his sisters, throwing theminto air.

Mike Hollmann III, ofPhoenix, Ariz., Branch 576,climbed a 6-foot fence afterhearing screams for help andaided a woman trying to fendoff three vicious attackingdogs. The woman had tried todefend herself using her wheel-chair, unsuccessfully. Holl-mann called 911 for aid andused his anti-dog spray “whichworked for about half a sec-ond,” he said. Police came,rescued the woman, and had toshoot one of the dogs.

The award ceremony alsomarked the 30th anniversary ofCarrier Alert, a free programthat elderly or homebound res-idents can join so vigilant lettercarriers notify relatives orauthorities at any sign of dis-tress.

Charlie Rose of Athens,Ohio Branch 997 was therecipient of the Special CarrierAlert award. He has detected atleast a dozen natural gas leakson his route over the years, sav-ing lives and prompting thelocal gas utility to replace morethan 17,000 feet of pipe and

Athens’ city council to requirecarbon monoxide detectors in4,500 new rental properties.

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LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012 PAGE 5

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Any questions on where labor stands on Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District race? This8 X 24 foot sign went up on the side of the Labor Temple Monday morning to plant theseed for I-35 motorists, in a Duluth Building & Construction Trades Council production.

Mike Sylvester participatedin a rally by postal workersApril 12 in the Civic Centercalling on Rep. Cravaack tohelp save the postal servicewith his votes on bills inCongress. Chip didn’t.

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Area officials, residents come together to urge “no” vote on voter photo ID Labor, elected officials, and

advocates for some of the lessfortunate among us cametogether Sept. 13 for a pressconference at the LibraryRotunda to urge citizens to vote

Walker law busted...from page 1union workforces, as Walker’s law did, was unjust as well as

unjustified. Act 10 retained full bargaining rights for most policeand fire fighters while removing rights for other workers.

Colas said Act 10 also violated the “home rule” clause, inter-fering as with the city of Milwaukee’s voice in determining pen-sion contributions. A Milwaukee city union and the Madisonteachers union filed the case.

Much of Colas’ ruling parallels a prior ruling by a U.S. dis-trict court judge. That jurist invalidated Walker’s ban on uniondues deduction and his mandate that unions must win annualrecertification elections. Both are unconstitutional, that judgesaid. But Colas went further in declaring the Act 10 overreachon equal rights null and void.

In effect, Colas’ ruling made the maneuvers against unionsoutside state workers illegal. All those handbooks, refusals towork with unionized employees, all those arbitrary conditionsimposed without bargaining by cities and school districts are allillegal. For now.

But hold the glee. There will not be a rush by unions to relit-igate current local situations because the legalities are a mess andthe appeals process is real and dangerous.

The public needs to turn immediately to a deeper reality:Elections matter. The only full correction is at the polls and thenmaking sure those elected behave honorably.

If the Supreme Court reverses Colas’ ruling, that could repre-sent another blatant benefit to the political party that helped electthe its GOP majority. If the justices find legal flaws worthweighing and deliberating over, that will take time.

Either way, the issue deals directly with whom we elect tothat court -- and there is another election in April that could rec-tify the balance. More immediate are the decisions on Nov. 6.Walker didn’t pass Act 10. His slavish GOP minions did, andthey should be shown the door for voting so willingly and know-ingly against the state and federal constitutions.

no on the voter photo identifi-cation amendment.

At the press conferenceadvocates for veterans, home-less, Native Americans, theelderly, disabled and students

spoke of how the amendmentwill restrict the rights of manyin our state.

Patricia Taylor of Finland,MN would have to drive 86miles to get a valid voter IDphoto card. She has been avoter for four decades but hasbeen disabled since 1989.

“It would be just wrong toshut her out,” said EleniJohnson of Churches United inMinistry.

The question on the ballotwill read: Shall the MinnesotaConstitution be amended torequire all voters to presentvalid photo identification tovote and to require the state toprovide free identification toeligible voters, effective July 1,2012? Don’t be fooled by the

free part. Someone has to payand it will be taxpayers.

Republicans that are push-ing this effort to amend thestate constitution are the first tocomplain about governmentspending, but their amendmentis expected to cost over $50million to implement Johnsonsaid. A raise in property taxesor cuts in services to fund thecosts is where the GOP isexpected to look first she said.

A certified birth certificatein Minnesota costs $26.

With this being a presiden-tial election year, it wouldmean as many as a half millionballots would be consideredprovisional and require furtherverification if the amendmentwas in place this year.

Mayor Don Ness said thecity will oppose any attemptsto restrict the right to vote.

“We lead the nation in voterparticipation – it’s the reasonwe’re a great state,” Ness said.“As soon as you restrict theright to vote you allow othersto manipulate the system aswe’ve seen in other states. Andyou see low voter turnoutthere.”

Bridgette Ideker said as astudent she has moved aboutten times. Keeping a validphoto ID is problematic forpeople who move.

“This isn’t about voter fraudit’s about limiting the right tovote,” Ideker said.

City Councilor SharlaGardner said amendment advo-cates continue to try to play thevote fraud card.

“Election fraud is so rare, itis virtually non-existent,”Gardner said. “Fraud occursby who counts the votes. We’refortunate in Minnesota to havepeople like Representative BillHilty who got a law passed thatsays we must have a paper trailfor electronic votes.”

County CommissionerFrank Jewell said in America’sentire history, only once, in1896, was there another effortto curtail voting. He says thiseffort is like a poll tax, requir-ing people to pay to vote. St.Louis County is the largestcounty east of the MississippiRiver with a lot of rural, unor-ganized townships and theamendment would be very dif-ficult for them to implement.

Absentee voting, mail-inballots, election day registra-tion, vouching for other votersare staples of Minnesota’s highvoter turnout that will be madeincreasingly difficult by a suc-cessful amendment. The count-ing of provisional ballots castbecause a voter doesn’t haveproper ID will slow the processand may result in less accuratevote counts. VOTE NO!

By The Numbers: from2000 –2010 there were:• 649,000,000 votes cast

in general elections• 47,000 reported

UFO sightings • 441 Americans killed

by lightning• 13 credible cases of

in-person voter impersonation

www.greaterMNcounts.org

PAGE 6 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

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County commissioner Frank Jewell drew a laugh at a VoteNo press conference when he said supporters of the VoterPhoto ID amendment say students are voting twice – atschool and at home. “Are you kidding – those aren’t stu-dents I know,” Jewell said.

Endorsements earned by Simonson, O’Neil, Isabell-Nelson, Sweeney...from page 1petitor could do,” Simonson

said. “The interaction we’vehad in knocking doors showspeople are paying attention.They know about the write-in.”

County races tightAll three St. Louis County

Board of Commissioner racesup this year are Duluth-centric.There are seven commission-ers, who serve 4-year terms,with elections every two years.Districts 2, 3, and 5 are up andthe Central Body madeendorsements in all races.

Incumbent Steve O’Neilwas unanimously endorsed ineastern Duluth’s District 2.

Debbie Isabell-Nelson, afirst time candidate, wasendorsed in western Duluth’sDistrict 3.

Incumbent Peg Sweeneywas narrowly endorsed inDistrict 5, which coversProctor, Hermantown, andtownships above Duluth.

O’Neil is seeking his thirdterm to represent District 2,which starts at 6th Avenue Eastand covers the city north andeast from there. A communityorganizer, O’Neil said he hasworked with labor on manycampaigns in the past. He hasreceived the Central Bodyendorsement in both his previ-ous campaigns.

“I’ve worked hard with a lotof great people, includingmany in this room, to make thecounty work better for people,”O’Neil said. “With 30% of thecounty budget going to healthand human services, we’vemade progress to help peopleget out of poverty.”

The three candidates whodid not get endorsed tried toturn the screening into a forumon mining. Many delegatewere also concerned aboutO’Neil and Sweeney’s votes onPolymet and sulfide mining.Both said they are not against

mining, as many past votes canshow, but want to make surethat any new mining tech-niques address all new issues.

O’Neil said the county isnot a big player in economicdevelopment. He said someeconomic money has gone toInvolta and Cirrus and latersaid will help get the new 15-story 425 Tower going on westSuperior Street. The county isalso an active player on thetransportation side of economicdevelopment with the manymiles of roads it oversees hesays.

“We’ve tried to preservejobs at the county, and I thinkwe’ve created a board that isserving the county better in anopen way,” O’Neil said. “Wehold some night meetings nowso people can attend who work,and we’ve televised meetingsso people can see and hearwhat we’re doing. We’vehelped create a healthier gov-ernment that people areengaged in.”

In addressing a question onlow staffing levels, O’Neil saidthe county now has 1,700employees when it had 2,500in the recent past. He said thecounty is dependent on moneyfrom the state and federal gov-ernment. Under the leadershipof Gov. Pawlenty and PresidentBush a lot of the dollars neededto deliver services were cut.

“We’ve tried to stem thetide,” O’Neil said. “A childwithout adequate protectionends up in institutions” he saidin answering the question. “Wedon’t want to cut, we want toget more people working.That’s the dilemna.”

As sitting commissioners,O’Neil and Sweeney couldn’taddress current county negotia-tions with its bargaining units.

“Look at my record,” saidO’Neil. “I vote at trying to give

workers a fair shake.”Sweeney said five years

without a raise isn’t right.“Before negotiations started

I said we could have a smallraise done by February,”Sweeney said. “I can stand onmy record with labor.”

That wasn’t as convincingas she hoped as she got hertwo-thirds endorsement by sixvotes. A rare show of handswas needed to determine if shehad won. Many BuildingTrades delegates said theydon’t appreciate her record, butone said her close endorsementshouldn’t be considered a votefor her opponent either.

Citing family history,Sweeney said she is “a long-time labor supporter, a strongDemocrat, and proud of that. Iworked hard on Project LaborAgreements, which saved thecounty money, saved lost daysof work, and have contractscome on time and on bid.”

She said the huge countyhas done a good job in assetpreservation and road repair,two infrastructure areas that areimportant to jobs.

Sweeney and O’Neil bothspoke of their efforts to keepcounty facilities open, includ-ing Chris Jensen andNopeming. They said they bothoppose contracting out ofcounty services, which areoften used for people in thetoughest of situations like theresidents of Nopeming andChris Jensen.

When the CommunityServices Committee neededMr. and Mrs. Santa Claus fortheir holiday gift giveaway, thecouple ended up being DebbieIsabell-Nelson, an AFSCMELocal 66 member atNeighborhood HousingServices, and her husband CarlNelson, a member of theMinnesota Nurses Assn, who

died last year.Isabell-Nelson is a lifelong

member of county district 3.She has lived in Morgan Parkfor 35 years and been that com-munity’s go-to person for near-ly all their organizing.

“I have the skills for thejob,” she said about why she’srunning for office for the firsttime. “I believe in transparen-cy, I’ve always worked to letpeople know what’s going on. Iwork well with the media, andI’m a builder of trust and coali-tions.”

She said she got involved inMorgan Park’s problems withsink holes and sewer over-flows, and ended up helpingbring a 3-year, $12 millioninfrastructure program to reme-dy the problems.

“I can bring those skills tothe county board,” she said.

She said she is proud ofbeing “on the ground floor” ofthe small task force that turnedthe Atlas Cement/USS plantsite into an industrial park thatalso created jobs.

Isabell-Nelson said as asmall business owner she paidliving wages to her employees.

“It’s not just about jobs, it’sabout living wage jobs, whichis why union jobs are so impor-tant,” she said. That put heralongside O’Neil and Sweeneyin supporting public sectorproject labor agreements.

She also joined them inopposing any efforts to makeMinnesota a right-to-workstate. She grew up in a familyof six children that her fatherwas able to support because hehad a union job. Isabell-Nelsonlearned early to be a strongbeliever in unions.

She said it appears the coun-ty is making bad choices on thebacks of its workers both interms of negotiations and inshort staffing.

“If we’re going to make adifference in St. Louis Countywe’ll have to do it through ourworkers,” Isabell-Nelson said.

Endorsement discussionsamongst delegates got heatedin a house divided on candi-dates.

AFSCME 66 delegate AlexLivadaros drew applause,when he pointed to the CentralBody’s banner hanging fromthe ceiling. “It says an injury toone is an injury to all – are youstanding with us or not” is thequestion for candidates.

NEALC president AlanNetland said he has knowIsabell-Nelson for 30 years andrecruited her to run for county

board. Her opponent, incum-bent Chris Dahlberg, has beenendorsed by the BuildingTrades. Dahlberg sent out acampaign letter saying he isrunning against AFSCME butwouldn’t answer that questionNetland said. He referred to theopponents of the three candi-dates who eventually receivedAFL-CIO endorsements as“three Republican tea partierswho don’t care about laborunions.”

Erik Peterson said any frus-trations with Sweeney can beaddressed in making her a bet-ter commissioner for labor.

Running again for LakeCounty’s Board is incumbentBrad Jones, who was in atten-dance Sept. 13 and alsoendorsed.

“I got beat in my first run,got labor endorsed in my sec-ond, and even though I’m run-ning unopposed, I’d appreciatebeing labor endorse again,” hetold delegates. Jones is presi-dent of AFSCME Local 1123,which represents Two Harborscity workers.

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USW hail Obama’s trade filing against ChinaPITTSBURGH (PAI)—The

Steelworkers are hailing thelatest Obama administrationunfair trade complaint againstChina – covering auto partsimports – as yet more evidenceof how China’s subsidies of itsmanufacturers cost U.S. jobs.

The mid-September filingwent to the World TradeOrganization, which has ruledfor the U.S. in similar cases.But GOP presidential nomineeRomney said it was too weak,disregarding the total lack ofenforcement of U.S. trade lawsunder prior GOP regimes.

Obama’s filing responded tothe Steelworkers evidence andrequests from 189 lawmakers.

China’s export subsidies are“a critical component of theirprograms to flood the U.S. withunfairly priced auto parts,” theunion said.

“Today’s announcement

Trans Pacific Pact protestedLEESBURG, Va. (PAI)--Denouncing secret agreements that

harm workers and consumers and are negotiated behind closeddoors, unionists and allies protested at the September 9 start ofthe latest round of talks on a planned Trans-Pacific Pact (TPP).

The TPP talks, held in a secluded conference center here,feature the Democratic Obama administration negotiating withnations around the Pacific Ocean – such as Vietnam, Brunei,Singapore and Australia – on a trade pact that would lackenforceable worker rights, among other huge holes.

TPP sections previously leaked show a huge pro-corporatetilt, outdoing even NAFTA, the controversial U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade treaty that became a template for succeeding tradeagreements, and U.S. job losses as a result.

Chanting “Flush the TPP,” protesters blasted the trade pact,the Metro Washington Central Labor Council reported. Thedemonstrators called the closed-door session – scheduled to lastfor a week -- “back-room deal-making for the 1%.”

“If the TPP continues it is highly likely to offshore good-paying U.S. jobs to low wage countries, deregulate Wall Streetbanks, displace family farmers” and more, added D.C. JobsWith Justice Executive Director Nikki Daruwala.

Besides JWJ, a wide range of unions, led by theCommunications Workers, were a large part of the protest. Itwas the second such popular protest against closed-door TPPsessions in two months.

The prior one, in San Diego, also focused on the fact that theObama administration’s U.S. Trade Representative’s office letcorporate lobbyists into the talks as “observers” while keepingworkers, consumers and other citizens out.

CWA pursued that theme in marshaling unionists for theprotest in Leesburg.

“This exclusive group includes lobbyists from Verizon, whowant to make sure the TPP makes it even easier to offshore callcenter and tech support jobs. The pact would create even moreincentives for corporations to offshore manufacturing and serv-ice sector jobs and put even more pressure on workers' wages,benefits and collective bargaining rights. It's time for the nego-tiators to hear from the people who will be most affected by thisdeal,” CWA concluded.

makes clear the president’scommitment to enforcing U.S.trade laws and fighting forAmerican workers,” saidSteelworkers President LeoGerard. “His action, coupledwith other steps to fight for fairtrade, are rebuilding confi-dence that when people workhard and play by the rules, thepresident will stand up forthem. He’s making it clear toChina that their unfair, predato-ry and protectionist policiesmust end.”

Obama created an intera-gency trade enforcement teamto crack down on such prac-tices by other nations. TheChina auto parts case is its firstcomplaint to the WTO and“solidifies the commitment ofthe Obama administration tofighting unfair trade practicesand provides the necessarytools to step up the fight,” the

union said.“The effort will challenge

China’s use of export-contin-gent subsidies that are illegalunder the terms of China’sWTO membership,” saidGerard. “These subsidies of atleast $1 billion have helpedfuel 60% of Chinese auto partsexports.”

Obama’s actions in rescuingGM and Chrysler saved tens ofthousands of jobs, the unionsaid. Gerard added the filing ofthe auto parts case againstChina shows the job isn’t fin-ished. China’s subsidies haveled to the loss of roughly400,000 U.S. auto parts sectorjobs since 2001, the USWleader added. “Last year,China flooded the U.S. marketwith more than $11 billion ofauto parts,” up 900% since2000, Gerard explained.

PAGE 8 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

We receive many calls asking, 'Can I befired for reporting an injury at work or hiringa lawyer to represent me?' If any employerwrongfully terminates an employee forreporting a work injury, or hiring a lawyerbecause of an on-the-job injury, thatemployer can be liable for additionaldamages for such an act ofretaliation. That's, becausein Wisconsin and Minnesota,it's against the law.

ON EMPLOYER RETALIATIONFOR A COMP CLAIM:

Carpenters Local 361 members Jerry Alander, Rich Gladen,and Austin Basil were among many Building Trades mem-bers from a number of unions that built their 11th play-house for the Miller Dwan Foundation’s fundraiser. Alanderwas the lead builder for the project at the Carpenter’s unionhall. The playhouse is at 2nd St./5th Ave. E. and worth thetrip to see the unbelievable union craftsmanship. It will beauctioned off Saturday at ARTcetera .