Comments on: Labor Update: Divide And Conquer http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/ Firedoglake weblog Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:22:58 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: David http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-207136 David Wed, 26 Jul 2006 17:55:51 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-207136 <p>Rent “Matewan.”</p> <p>Then rent “Bread and Roses.”</p> <p>Then go out and help somebody organize.</p> Rent “Matewan.”

Then rent “Bread and Roses.”

Then go out and help somebody organize.

]]> By: Daryl Cobranchi http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206960 Daryl Cobranchi Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:39:24 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206960 <p>The local paper has been covering Smithfield organizing efforts–</p> <p><a href="http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article_archive?id=1100574&highlight=Smithfield">http://www.fayettevillenc.com/.....Smithfield</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article_archive?id=1100392&highlight=Smithfield">http://www.fayettevillenc.com/.....Smithfield</a></p> The local paper has been covering Smithfield organizing efforts–

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/…..Smithfield

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/…..Smithfield

]]> By: prfb http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206750 prfb Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:24:05 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206750 <p>A few readers may be interested to know that the coal operators in West Virginia have essentially not changed an iota in 70 years. </p> <p>Currently, they are trying to literally remove the mountain where the “Battle of Blair Mountain” happened. (If there’s no mountain there, does that mean that all that stuff with the hired thugs and machine guns never happened? Orwell would be so proud!)</p> <p>You can see more about this at:</p> <p><a href="http://www.pawv.org/blair.htm">http://www.pawv.org/blair.htm</a></p> A few readers may be interested to know that the coal operators in West Virginia have essentially not changed an iota in 70 years.

Currently, they are trying to literally remove the mountain where the “Battle of Blair Mountain” happened. (If there’s no mountain there, does that mean that all that stuff with the hired thugs and machine guns never happened? Orwell would be so proud!)

You can see more about this at:

http://www.pawv.org/blair.htm

]]> By: cando http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206285 cando Wed, 26 Jul 2006 05:29:07 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206285 <p>Yes, Matewan is one of my favorite films. More important is the work you’ve done on unions. We need Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Their music and support gave courage. Courage is needed now to organize, to assert one’s rights.</p> Yes, Matewan is one of my favorite films. More important is the work you’ve done on unions. We need Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Their music and support gave courage. Courage is needed now to organize, to assert one’s rights.

]]> By: punaise http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206200 punaise Wed, 26 Jul 2006 04:27:14 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206200 <p><i> egregious<br /> lo,</i></p> <p>You’re welcome. We definitely disagree on the Lebanon situation but I remember what it was like to be a newbie here.</p> <p>Our beloved punaise almost didn’t make it, he was cracking jokes as is his wont, and established commenters were getting their dander up. And look what we would have lost if HE had been scared off.</p> <p>well, wouldn’t that have been just fine and dandery. </p> <p>(was it really that bad? guess I wore you all down with persistence….)</p> egregious
lo,

You’re welcome. We definitely disagree on the Lebanon situation but I remember what it was like to be a newbie here.

Our beloved punaise almost didn’t make it, he was cracking jokes as is his wont, and established commenters were getting their dander up. And look what we would have lost if HE had been scared off.

well, wouldn’t that have been just fine and dandery.

(was it really that bad? guess I wore you all down with persistence….)

]]> By: llamajockey http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206152 llamajockey Wed, 26 Jul 2006 03:56:04 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206152 <p>jlr,</p> <p><i>My point is that in the long run, at least in some fields, American employers will not be able to get away with paying substandard wages to skilled immigrants because these people will be able to get better quality jobs elsewhere.</i></p> <p>I think you should begin following the links I have posted and read up on the H1-B and L1 visa programs.</p> <p>The very corporations,lobbyists and immigration lawyers who bribe congress for these non-immigrant visa programs clearly state corporate America’s perference for an indebtured workforce. Now how in the hell is an indebtured worker going to ask for or bargain for a higher wage. The stated wage for many H1-B IT workers typically begins at 25-30% below US payscale. That does not include numerous fees and kickbacks the immigrant IT workers are expected to pay to middlemen and immigration lawyers. Besides the minute the exploited immigrant complains he is likely to be sent on a plane home with the lose of his job and to face the disgrace of his family. </p> <p>Global Labor Arbitrage is an unigue form of Arbtrage where the market is not self correcting. Governments and Corporations on both sides can conspire to manipulate currency valuations, finance trade deficits, create two tier pay scales and crush work rights for indefinate periods of time. This benefits powerful and politically interests who are able to exploit and profit from the abnormal Arbitrage situation.</p> jlr,

My point is that in the long run, at least in some fields, American employers will not be able to get away with paying substandard wages to skilled immigrants because these people will be able to get better quality jobs elsewhere.

I think you should begin following the links I have posted and read up on the H1-B and L1 visa programs.

The very corporations,lobbyists and immigration lawyers who bribe congress for these non-immigrant visa programs clearly state corporate America’s perference for an indebtured workforce. Now how in the hell is an indebtured worker going to ask for or bargain for a higher wage. The stated wage for many H1-B IT workers typically begins at 25-30% below US payscale. That does not include numerous fees and kickbacks the immigrant IT workers are expected to pay to middlemen and immigration lawyers. Besides the minute the exploited immigrant complains he is likely to be sent on a plane home with the lose of his job and to face the disgrace of his family.

Global Labor Arbitrage is an unigue form of Arbtrage where the market is not self correcting. Governments and Corporations on both sides can conspire to manipulate currency valuations, finance trade deficits, create two tier pay scales and crush work rights for indefinate periods of time. This benefits powerful and politically interests who are able to exploit and profit from the abnormal Arbitrage situation.

]]> By: wesgpc’s votinglinks http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206124 wesgpc’s votinglinks Wed, 26 Jul 2006 03:38:20 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206124 <p>on nursing shortage: I think both sides are kind of right. There would be no nursing shortage, now and in short term, if working conditions and wages increased to make the job reasonably tolerable. On other hand, there is worry that enrollment trends in health care professions, and nursing in particular, will not keep up with enough graduates to keep the learn, burn and churn approach to labor market keep working. Won’t be enough graduates to burn out in the first place, and gap will be to big to plug with reasonable expectation of foreign graduates. Easy to get LVNs from overseas. Not so easy to get large number of well trained RNs. This is just what I hear people in the know in the health care labor market grapevine say.</p> on nursing shortage: I think both sides are kind of right. There would be no nursing shortage, now and in short term, if working conditions and wages increased to make the job reasonably tolerable. On other hand, there is worry that enrollment trends in health care professions, and nursing in particular, will not keep up with enough graduates to keep the learn, burn and churn approach to labor market keep working. Won’t be enough graduates to burn out in the first place, and gap will be to big to plug with reasonable expectation of foreign graduates. Easy to get LVNs from overseas. Not so easy to get large number of well trained RNs. This is just what I hear people in the know in the health care labor market grapevine say.

]]> By: TeddySanFran http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206117 TeddySanFran Wed, 26 Jul 2006 03:35:12 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206117 <p>new thread, Esq.</p> new thread, Esq.

]]> By: Hugh http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206115 Hugh Wed, 26 Jul 2006 03:34:26 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206115 <p>Re the transport of minors across state lines for the purpose of an abortion. I brought this up last week when it was first introduced. It is a creepy piece of legislation. At its introduction they were expressing faux concern over 12, 13, 14, and 15 year old girls pregnant by their 19 year old boyfriends and saying if there were any problems with incest and such not to worry there was a judicial bypass provision. I find dumping judicial review on a 12, 13, 14, or 15 year old deeply hypocritical and tantamount to abuse. OTOH they are concerned about the minor but not enough to further traumatize her. It reminds me of Rape Gurney Joe thinking. Women can get what they need maybe and only if they jump through enough hoops.</p> Re the transport of minors across state lines for the purpose of an abortion. I brought this up last week when it was first introduced. It is a creepy piece of legislation. At its introduction they were expressing faux concern over 12, 13, 14, and 15 year old girls pregnant by their 19 year old boyfriends and saying if there were any problems with incest and such not to worry there was a judicial bypass provision. I find dumping judicial review on a 12, 13, 14, or 15 year old deeply hypocritical and tantamount to abuse. OTOH they are concerned about the minor but not enough to further traumatize her. It reminds me of Rape Gurney Joe thinking. Women can get what they need maybe and only if they jump through enough hoops.

]]> By: angie http://firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206112 angie Wed, 26 Jul 2006 03:32:48 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/25/labor-update-divide-and-conquer/#comment-206112 <p>Bionic at 79– a complete tragedy, that. This is the fault of America and others, starting a long time ago. This forgotten and desperately abused country, being re-taken by the Taliban (historically funded and supported by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and<br /> the US) after a long a brutal war after the Soviet invasion. </p> <p>May that good man RIP. ;(</p> Bionic at 79– a complete tragedy, that. This is the fault of America and others, starting a long time ago. This forgotten and desperately abused country, being re-taken by the Taliban (historically funded and supported by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and
the US) after a long a brutal war after the Soviet invasion.

May that good man RIP. ;(

]]>