Labor Mobilizing for Sept. 10 Campaign Kickoff on Westside

Labor is calling for all hands on deck this Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9 am for a huge show of labor solidarity on the Westside at IBEW 11 at 8333 Airport Blvd. in Westchester. Show the corporate powers-that-be that working families won't allow our voices to be silenced! We're fighting back against anti-worker propositions on the November ballot. Join hundreds of working families and precinct leaders in West LA and five other locations around the Southland (see the website for addresses and contact numbers) to make sure our voices are heard! The kickoff event will feature precinct walkers across Los Angeles going out to talk to voters about the dangerous propositions facing working families this November - Props. 74, 75 and 76. Download the flyer here. 

Critical Race for Labor Candidate Ted Lieu in AD 53

The heat is on in Assembly District 53 on the Westside, where labor candidate Ted Lieu is facing a formidable challenge in this primary race against his well-heeled Republican opponent. Come join hundreds of labor families who will walk door-to-door to help the COPE-endorsed Lieu, who is fighting for the seat left vacant by the untimely death of Mike Gordon. Lieu, a member of the Torrance City Council since 2002, has a proven track record of support for LA's working families. As an Assemblyman in the 53rd AD, he has promised to hold the governor accountable for his broken promises to the district and to fight for working families in his district.

Fed Takes Lead in Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts in LA
LA County Fed Executive Secretary-Treasurer Martin Ludlow has taken the lead in Los Angeles in efforts to aid victims displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Dubbing the project Operation Angel Island, Ludlow announced at a press conference Thursday morning that the Fed has joined forces with the Salvation Army, LA city and county officials, the Building Trades and former Mayor Richard Riordan, to implement a massive relocation program for victims of the Gulf Coast disaster here in LA.

The plan: to transform a vacated Army base in the city of Bell Gardens into a temporary housing and intake facility for 2,000 relocated families in the next five days. The facility will have the capacity to serve some 10,000 families over the next three months.

To aid the many funds, and organizations already at work, the AFL-CIO is on the ground providing relief. “This is not a problem that will go away quickly,” said Ludlow. “Our first challenge is to immediately assist those displaced by the Katrina. Our second challenge will be to offer assistance to all the union members who will be relocating here – maybe for good.”

The Fed is reaching out for both volunteers and financial contributions to help in this effort. Volunteers do not need special training, but must be healthy and able to work in difficult situations. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Steve Neal,  Director of AFL-CIO Community Services at the Federation at (213) 427-9044 or e-mail: hurricanevolunteers@aflcio.org

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Elected Officials Pay Homage to LA Union Members
In a series of Labor Day celebrations across the Southland, thousands of working Angelinos turned out to celebrate their vital contributions to the region. The events marked the kickoff of a campaign to fight anti-worker initiatives in the November special election. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Union presidents Barbara Kerr, CTA, John Connolly, AFTRA, and James Spinosa, ILWU and elected state officials paid tribute to crowds of working Californians who attended rallies in the Wilmington harbor, on the steps of City Hall and at a Labor Day blessing of the hands and tools at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels.

Other events included a Labor Day Parade, followed by a huge BBQ at Banning Park. At the other end of town, IBEW Local 18 held a rally on the steps of City Hall and in the San Fernando Valley, workers and religious leaders came together in the evening for a BBQ and rally at Northridge United Methodist Church.

Click here for pictures of the the Labor Day events.

IBEW Local 18 Members Hold Labor Day March and Rally
With less than a month to go before their contract expires, more than 3,000 DWP workers and their families rallied on Labor Day in front of City Hall to urge the Los Angeles City Council to approve a new contract. They warned they will go on strike rather than work without a contract. Some 8,000 DWP employees with the IBEW Local 18 are waiting for the council to act. If approved, the contract will offer workers an annual raise ranging between 3.25 percent and 6 percent over five years. It was the council that first offered the terms of the new contract in June. After the union voted to accept the offer, council members are now considering final approval. Workers contend that if the council fails to stick with the terms it initially offered, council members will be breaking the law and their commitment employees who provide water and power for the city of Los Angeles.

For the Labor Day rally, a line of members that stretched four city blocks marched and chanted to City hall, led by Business Manager Brian D'Arcy. Speakers at the rally included AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, LA Fed chief Martin Ludlow, California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and other Assembly members, LA City Council members including Alex Padilla and others. Chanting, "A deal is a deal", they urged the City Council to approve the offer they had made. 

ILWU 13's Joe Radisich Sworn in to Harbor Commission
Congratulations to LA Federation of Labor Vice President Joe Radisich, President of the Southern California ILWU District Council, who was unanimously approved by the LA City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 6 to sit on the five-member Harbor Commission. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had nominated Radisich, a crane operator with ILWU Local 13, in July. After the 13-to-0 vote confirming his appointment, Radisich was sworn in at the office of the City Clerk in front of scores of longshore brothers and sisters. As a member of the LA Board of Harbor Commissioners, Radisich will help bring about infrastructure improvements to the port, which is expected to triple its capacity in the next 20 years.