WorkWeek Radio hears about the protest at SF ICE in San Francisco and then interviews workers at the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office where SEIU 1021 workers charge that there has been systemic racism, bullying and attacks on African American workers. The rally against racist attacks and workplace bullying at the San Francisco Examiner’s office took place on June 28, 2018.
San Francisco Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Hunter was charged with allowing racist incidents and physically attacking union members.
Next, WorkWeek focuses on the Janus decision. Last week the US Supreme Court announced it’s decision to support Janus vs: AFSCME which will eliminated the agency shop for public workers we will talk with a leader of Massachusetts Teachers Union about the effect of this decision.
The largest percentage o( unionized workers in the United States are public workers. 35% of public workers belong to unions while it is 6.7% in private workforce. The 7.2 million public workers in unions have been a target for decades by big business and the corporate media who are seeking to privatization and outsource public jobs.
One of the methods of attacking unions in the public sector is to allow unions to withdraw from union dues and membership while having the union the continued responsibility of representing all the workers.
Immediately after the decision, rightwing front groups sent letters to all union members to withdraw from unions and even made home visits.
In Wisconsin after Scott Walker passed state legislation to make it difficult to represent members the membership of AfSCME dropped by 70%.
Teachers have also been under attack not only by blaming teachers for the economic crisis but have been weakening unions by privatization through charters and vouchers.
WorkWeek interviews Barbara Madeloni who is the president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and is attending the national convention of the National Education Association in Minneapolis. Her state union has played an important role in putting a cap on charters and educating teachers about the threat of charter schools.
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