Labor Blotter

Middletown, CT public works employees spent a day of “hard bargaining” and agreed to a three year contract that includes a 3 to 3.25 percent wage increase each year but conceded higher medical co-payments.

Wal-Mart is coming under increasing scrutiny by labor and humanitarian groups, as well as high profile politicians as the holidays approach. The world’s largest retailer made $ll.2 billion in profits last year.

A mural depicting labor’s contribution to the city of Madison, WI is underway in a project supported by grants from the Wisconsin Humanities Council, Madison Arts Commission, and the Wisconsin Arts Board, as well as by donations from local unions and individuals.

Representatives from four Teamsters locals and five smaller unions at the Philadelphia Daily News and The Inquirer agreed to a third extension of contract talks. At issue are the workers’ pension plans and layoff seniority.

The San Bernardino Unified School District used a fictitious union agreement to defend unorthodox hiring practices that encouraged nepotism and cronyism, according to members of the California School Employees Association. The district is under pressure to implement the merit model used throughout the state.

Labor Blotter

30-40 migrant workers for Ag-Mart, the Florida-based tomato supplier for McDonald’s, were found living in a vermin-infested former nightclub without hot water or a shower. The workers were placed there by a contracted labor supervisor responsible for hiring and housing of employees.

The Northwest Airlines Mechanics strike appears to be all but over, according to an aviation consultant. The Minneapolis-based carrier has replaced most of the striking mechanics, cleaners, and custodians and has rehired some of the strikers at 2/3 of their former salaries.

Wal-Mart has been fined $78.5 million in Pennsylvania for forcing employees to work through rest breaks and off the clock. The world’s largest retailer settled a similar suit for $50 million in Colorado and has appealed a $172 million ruling in California.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, following in the footsteps of the Presbyterian Church, United Church of Christ, and National Council of Churches, issued a statement calling on McDonald’s to, “...insist your produce suppliers meet the highest ethical standards in how they treat their employees...”

The Bush-appointed Federal Labor Relations Board voted recently to redefine the term “supervisor,” opening the door for employers to reclassify millions of employees as such. Federal labor laws prohibit supervisors from forming unions.