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Take this job and shove it folk hero?

"New York (CNN) -- A flight attendant whose profanity-laced tirade has turned him into a folk hero of sorts was released on bail Tuesday night from a Bronx detention center.

Bail of $2,500 was posted for Steven Slater, of Queens, New York, after being charged Tuesday morning. Authorities say he grabbed some beer and triggered an inflatable emergency chute for a dramatic exit from a plane at a JFK Airport terminal in New York.

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said it "appears" that Slater was quitting during his intercom flameout Monday.

"It's a strange way to quit, let's put it that way," he said. "I don't think he'll be able to come back."

Have you ever lost your cool and your job? Tell us

Slater said as he left the facility that he appreciated the groundswell of support that has grown since the Monday incident, but declined to comment further..."

  We have a new person to talk about for 15 minutes.  The flight attendant that could not handle people on a flight and lost his cool and acted like a human being.  He went a little nuts, very human, and looks like he no longer wanted the job and quit in sort of a neat, but criminal, manner.
  This guy is going to be a "hero" for many people and we are going to see and hear a lot about the guy.
  I on the other hand spent 30 years dealing with people of all sorts and I have not even heard a word out of him and have only see a news clip of him walking  a few feet in handcuffs.  But I think this guy is a royal ass-hole.
  I know Americans are not wanting to hear that or think that.. Yes, I have seen the movie "Nine to Five."  I have seen the other movies.  I long for a hero like that but I do not think this guy is him.
  I quit a few jobs and wanted to do something like what he did.  I think we all have and that is why we want to build this guy up.  But my gut feeling is this not the guy we should be building up and I do not think we want to listen to his points of view on world issues on TV and radio.  I do not think we want to see him doing a TV show.  Yes, I see this guy sort of like the balloon  boy dad not that I am saying this was planned on his part at the time.

Republicans Still Target Unions

  It is not news when the Republicans attack labor unions.  They have been doing that since the start of the trade labor movement in the United States. There attacks get weaker and weaker over the years.  At one time the Republicans could send in state national guards to shoot and beat workers.  They even got federal troops sent in to shoot and bomb working men, women and children.  
Times changed and they had to use guards from Pinkerton and other private corporations to attack and beat workers. 
  Now days they mostly use Fox News and the media to attack unions.  Almost all of their attacks now are directed at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). 

  So it comes as no surprise that the Republicans are attacking the SEIU now because the SEIU is trying to get good pay for Red Cross workers.  The Red Cross takes in a lot of money. 
  The CEO of the Red Cross back in 2003 was getting a basic salary of $641,957 a year.  Plus she got extra benefits on top of that. 
  Just the donations from the 9/11 attack got $564 million for the Red Cross.  They gave out $154 million of that money.
 
  The Republicans and the right wing are going to make it look like the SEIU is beating up on a poor non-profit organization. 
  The Red Cross has a lot of employees.  They are not paid like the top management and the paid Red Cross employees are having wages slashed and their benefits cut.  The SEIU wants to get good pay and benefits for the paid employees of the Red Cross.
  So you can expect to see big time attacks on the SEIU for trying to get a decent living wage for those workers.

  But the attacks just go to show that the SEIU is effective and doing the right thing.  If the Republicans attack you … You know you are right.

Mary Kay Henry will lead the SEIU

    Some of you are asking who is Mary Kay Henry and some of you are asking what is the SEIU.
    Well you can read about this event that just took place at Ben Smith's blog about Labor on Politico.

  This is big news for the labor movement and will have an effect on national politics. 
  There is going to be a lot of discussion about this election.

Local unions of the SEIU voted Mary Kay Henry in as the new president of the SEIU.

Limbaugh Ask "Where was the Union?"

Last Friday, Rush Limbaugh asked why a coal miner union didn’t protect the 29 miners who were killed when Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, WV, exploded under unsafe conditions:

"Was there no union responsibility for improving mine safety? Where was the union here? Where was the union? The union is generally holding these companies up demanding all kinds of safety. Why were these miners continuing to work in what apparently was an unsafe atmosphere?"

There’s a simple reason the union didn’t protect the miners: the Upper Big Branch Mine, like nearly all of the mines under Massey CEO Don Blankenship’s control, is non-union. In fact, the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) “tried three times to organize the Upper Big Branch mine, but even with getting nearly 70 percent of workers to sign cards saying they wanted to vote for a union, Blankenship personally met with workers to threaten them with closing down the mine and losing their jobs if they voted for a union.”

Blankenship rose in Massey’s ranks by breaking its union mines in the 1980s. Blankenship said then that busting unions is “invaluable” to profits, as non-union companies can “sell coal cheaper and drive union coal out of business.”

Union mines have a significantly better safety record than non-union mines especially for major disasters, as union miners can refuse unsafe work and report dangerous conditions without fear of retaliation. In addition to preventing Blankenship-style intimidation, the proposed Employee Free Choice Act would increase whistleblower protections for non-union and union workers alike. Under Blankenship’s direction, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Mining Association have spent millions tooppose passage of such legislation for worker rights, comparing it to a “firestorm bordering on Armageddon.”

Immediately following the tragedy, the UMW sent trained support personnel to the disaster site. “We are all brothers and sisters in the coalfields at times like this,” UMW President Cecil Roberts said in a statement offering the assistance, which was refused by Massey company officials.      Think Progress

Cross-posted on The Wonk Room.

  Wow…  Talk about someone not engaging their brain before opening their mouth…
Wow… This is going to go down as one of the most stupid anti-union attacks in history. 
  OK OK.. Now Rush is on the air for hours and hours…If you are on the radio that long you are going to say some pretty stupid things…In fact I did a weekly radio program for a year and it was only 30 minutes and I said something pretty stupid one time…So he is on the radio for long time.. People make errors…
  What is interesting about this stupid statement by Rush that he attacks unions all the time.  He is very much anti-union/work.  In this case he is admitting that unions are good for workers and protect workers and he is trying to use that to attack the union for not doing their job.  Of course there was NO union.  
  If I was Rush I would feel so stupid about doing something like that…I could not show my face.  I suspect that he has the ability to just forget it right away and move ahead with the next attack and the next lie.

Charleston, WV defeats Westboro Baptist Church with Love

  I just love this story and this video. 

"Thanks to Shea Gunther over at Mother Nature Network for putting attention on this. It's always so nice to see the good guys win. The Westboro Baptist Church thrives on spreading a nice helping of hate around. They sent their minions to West Virginia to let the families of the 29 dead miners know their loved ones died because we're too tolerant of alternative lifestyles. Their website says there are too many Catholics in West Virginia, another reason for the protest.

Anyway, watch this video. Seriously, watch the whole thing. I especially love the part where the guy from West Virginia starts quoting Bible verses back at them and tells them to "get out". As it rolls on, it's clear the good people of West Virginia have no intention of letting the haters get even a little bit of traction in their state.

But the WBC are an unstable bunch of busy haters. Not only did they head to West Virginia for a harassment fix, but they also deployed to Iowa, where their 6 protesters were met by a group of 500, letting them know that Iowa is a spacious state, but there is no room for haters.

It's so nice to see free speech at work on both sides. While the Phelps family cult depends on indoctrinating children and using them for their evil ends, the good people of Iowa and West Virginia gave their kids an object lesson in meeting evil with good.

A virtual fist bump to Iowa and West Virginia, and true prayers for the families of the mine victims goes to them, from me. Long live the first amendment."  Crooks and Liars web site

Teachers union memo 'prays' for governor's death - CNN.com

"(CNN) -- A New Jersey teachers union is coming under fire after an internal memo included a veiled threat to Gov. Chris Christie.

The leaked memo, which was sent to union leaders in the New Jersey Education Association's Bergen County division, contains a closing paragraph written in the form of a prayer.

"Dear Lord," the letter reads. "This year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."

Bergen County Education Association President Joe Coppola said the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.

"It was inappropriate, it was in bad taste, and it was definitely in poor judgment," Copolla said..."

via www.cnn.com

  I am not sure why CNN would have a headline like that...Unless they are trying to improve their ratings and copying Fox News.
 It was a joke...clearly it was a joke..If you work with a bunch of people and you have access to email you get stuff like that all the time that someone thinks is funny.  
  Plus they are going it a "threat" and in no way is it a THREAT.
  If CNN decides to start a comedy channel we want to make sure and not watch it because it is clear they have no idea about humor.
  I would love to see some of the email memos they send around to each other at CNN HQ.
  Now sure it is not smart to send around memos like that.. but no matter where you work ...hospital, police department, government, news media or labor union people are going to try and be funny and send or forward stuff like this.

  I am starting to lose more and more respect for CNN each day. I am not sure what is going on with them.   

Thank You for the health care law

  I am going to be 69 in a few days and I have Medicare.  It is a 100% national health care plan.  It is a "government" run plan.  Smile
  So for me this new health care law is not going matter a great deal.  (I could be wrong.  We will see in the years a head.)

  But for my children and grandchildren and for all Americans I want to thank all those that worked so hard and made this happen.  Since the days of President Harry Truman this has been a goal of Americans.
  I did not think I would live to see the day.  We now have national health care in the United States. 

  The effort was great and the cost was great.
  I know we all need to thank President Obama. What guts to take on the fight at this time.  We have to thank the Democratic party and all Democrats.
We have to thank all Americans of good will.

  I have no idea how many organizations and people we need to thank.

  I do know of one person that I want to thank.. My daughter… She has been flying all over the United States and working to get this health care bill passed.  She has worked so much over time.  She has flown so many miles.  She has been so tired from the effort.
  She worked with her union and she worked with the Democratic party.  We have her to thank for her part in this massive and successful effort.
  I hope her employer will give her a big long vacation. 

  Thank you all.. Happy Days Are Here Again.

Decision makes schools chief loathed and loved - CNN.com

"STORY HIGHLIGHTS Inside embattled district, superintendent faces lonely battle after firing staff"I never anticipated this," superintendent Fran Gallo saysUnion unleashes wrath on Obama; Gallo finds an Obama effigy in classUnion chief: "Central Falls is a test case for the rest of the United States"...

via www.cnn.com

  You may wonder where I stand on this matter.  I have been a union member in the past (when I was a welder).  When I worked hospital security I stood up a number of times to administration at a number of different hospitals.  I made big waves. 
  The point I am trying to make is that I am a big union supporter.  I always was and will always be.. When I was a kid I helped my father right wrongs in his union.  Both my father and mother were union members.  In fact all three of us were in the same union.  
  OK ... I am going to surprise you.. on this matter.. I think Fran Gallo is right and a hero.  
  When you are working at the worst school in the state.. union or no union you have no legs to stand on...With the stats that the school has .. there is no defense.
  I understand how unions work.. But at that time and at that place .. The union should have said.. to the administrator we want to improve things and make this the best school in the state and we will WORK with you 100%.  What can we do to fix things at this school.  We are with you.
  It appears they did not.  It appears they walked in and sat across the table and said we are LABOR and you are MANAGEMENT we will listen to what you want and then we will tell you what we will accept and what are DEMANDS are.  That is how I picture it happening.

  Do I feel sorry for those employees.  Yes.. I have been fired by the way.  I know what it is like.  I was fired from a union welding job and I was fired from a job were I was a hospital security officer (in fact I was a supervisor).  In the case of the firing at the hospital I was all set to transfer out of security and into the bio-med department.  It was a dream job for me. I was looking forward to it. The paper work was all filled out and the first opening I was going to get.  But the director of security was a big racist and he and I had gone around and around on the subject. He pulled another racist event and I went after him.  He fired me.  (By the way.. in case some of you are wondering .. NO I am not black.)
  So I feel for everyone of those employees... even the bad teachers in the group.  But if I had been the school administrator I would have done the same thing.  
  Up to 50% of the fired employees can be hired back.  I am not sure I would hire any of the teachers.  The not teaching employees I would hire back first before I looked at hiring any teachers. There are of course lots of things you have to look at... It must be a small town.. Where are you going to get an entire school full of teachers?

Union for the Unemployed!

  You know I am an ex-union member. My father and mother were both union members.  My father was a union official.  I have a daughter that is a union organizer.
  I have always been a big supporter of the labor union movement.
  But in recent years I have just got sick and tired of unions.  They just seem to not have the ability to do anything. 
  They are not willing to fight and not willing to take a beating.

  Now I found the following on AlterNet:

 

"The Unemployed Now Have Their Own Union, and It's Catching on Quickly

An ingenious grassroots union for the unemployed is only a month old -- and its numbers are growing.

February 24, 2010  | 

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

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It's been only a month that a union for the unemployed has come into existence through an ingenious grassroots organizing campaign. In case you haven't heard about it, the union's name is "UR Union of the Unemployed" or its nickname, "UCubed," because of its unique method of organizing.
UCubed is the brain-child of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), whose leaders feel that the millions of unemployed workers need a union of their own to join in the struggle for massive jobs programs.
The idea is that if millions of jobless join together and act as an organization, they are more likely to get Congress and the White House to provide the jobs that are urgently needed. They can also apply pressure for health insurance coverage, unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits and food stamps. An unemployed worker is virtually helpless if he or she has to act alone.
Joining a Cube is as simple as it is important. (Please check the union web site:www.unionofunemployed.com). Six people who live in the same zip code address can form a Ucube. Nine such UCubes make a neighborhood. Three neighborhood UCubes form a power block that cntains 162 activists. Politicians cannot easily ignore a multitude of power blocks, nor can merchants avoid them.
The union is built from the ground up. Cube activists will select their own leadership in each cube, neighborhood, block and higher group as well.
Jobless Union's Encouraging Progress in One Month
The UR Union of Unemployed (or UCubed) already has members in over 300 zip code addresses and 43 states, reports Rick Sloan, acting executive director of the union. Seventy-five cubes are up and running. For the first month, 19,998 people visited the site and viewed over 138,000 pages of content.
The union's Op-Ed article appeared in 62 newspapers, ranging from the "Black News" to the "Mexican American Sun," and from the "Las Vegas Tribune" to the "Senior Life of Northern Indiana." Total circulation exceeded 12 million readers,
UCubed put out three press releases last month, informing politicians in Washington that the union of unemployed will be watching--and reacting--to their vote on the latest job proposals of the Obama administration.
* * * * *
It is to the advantage of the AFL-CIO and Change to Win to encourage their unemployed members to participate in the UCubed organizing campaign. It is important for organized labor to display meaningful sympathy and solidarity with those who have been without a pay check for many months. A large union of unemployed workers can be an important ally in political campaigns and a source of legions of volunteers. When those unemployed workers finally get back to their jobs, we want them to have a favorable memory of how unions stood by their side.
Let's give the unemployed the support they need to be effective in their own defense."

 

  I do not know what to think about this…  Not even sure what to say..

I know …You have never come to ShowMeBlog or Howard's Notebook and had me not know what to say.. This time I will just wait and see what happens.

Life magazine April 12 of 1948

  For the first time in my life I went to Google Books.  I did not have much of an idea what in the hell it was… But I just went to it and I decided to try it out so I picked “Life” magazine the April 12 issue of 1948 to check out.
  I would have been 7 years old then and I could have seen the magazine and even read it at that age.
  Well here I am at 67 years of age reading the magazine online.
  I am shocked.  I sort of knew that the magazine was right wing conservative but my God it is worst than Fox “news.” 
  Just as an example see this story in the issue:  Wall Street Warfare

It is a story about a strike by the United Financial Employees union.  It was a union for 5000 Wall Street stock exchange employees (like clerks). 
I am not making this up you can read it with that link above the magazine calls some Seafarers International Union members “a squad of horny handed sailors. “  The police beat the workers for a “lie-down” tactic. That is the union members laid down to block the entrance to the stock exchange. 
The magazine did not even make any attempt to be fair in their reporting.
The writing in the magazine is also very bad.

Oh something else I would like to mention… Those Seafarers union members…Keep in mind this was in 1948.  WWII ended in 1945 and if I remember right the Seafarers union lost the most men in World War II.  You were better off being in any branch of the military than being in the Merchant Marine.  During WWII those “horny” Merchant Marine (Seafarers union members) died at a rate of 1 in 24 for the United States.
In 1988 President Reagan signed a bill into law granting veteran status to merchant mariners who served in WWII.

In the same issue you might want to read:  The Democratic Plan to Draft Eisenhower.  It says "President Harry Truman stands no chance of re-election."  HST was re-elected by the way.
It also says that General Dwight D. Eisenhower has rejected a political career and is a man of integrity and his statement must be accepted.  Of course Eisenhower did run four years later as a Republican and won.

Now I do know that Reader's Digest was always very right wing conservative.  I used to like read the magazine.  It had some good stories it it and some nice features but they would toss in some right wing Republican conservative garbage in each issue and I just got fed up with the heavy handed unfair lies and I gave up reading it and still will never pick up an issue and read it to this day.