Timothy O’Brien, President of Local Lodge 851 of the International Association of Machinists, had to make two trips with his full size pickup truck to transport all the food collected at Saturday’s food drive for Caterpillar workers.
Normally he makes a couple of trips to the grocery store a week spending around $5,000 to stock his food pantry; this week he won’t have to make any trips.
Of the people who stopped several remain in memory. The two men who work as temps in Will County ware houses making minimum wages donating two bags of groceries; the woman who stopped to inquire what the food drive was all about, leaving and then coming back with bags of groceries; the farmer who donated groceries and then came back with a side of beef for the food pantry’s freezer and the elected Republican official from Will County who stopped to make a donation, which perhaps shows that some issues transcend ideological boundaries when they touch the core values of our Christian-Judeo heritage.
To all the considerate and generous people in and around Joliet who took time to drop off food or make cash donations and to the Universalist Unitarian Church for the generous use of their parking lot, a huge ‘Thank you’.
Food for the Caterpillar workers can still be donated at:
Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Teamsters Local 710, 9000 W. 187th St. Mokena, IL. 60448.
Cash donations may be sent to IAM Lodge 851, 23157 S. Thomas Dillion Dr. Suite B,
Channahon, IL 60410. Food donations may also be dropped off at this address.
Ron Kurowski
Visit us at:
www.kingsbin.com
What are you implying with Red bob comment? Union dues do not go to lobbying.Union dues are for running the business of the union:arbitration, paying for full time representation (including legal advice and representation) for the workers grievances,negotiating with companies for a decent contract,sometimes paying for benefits and pensions and sometimes strike funds.Members donate on a VOLUNTARY basis to Political Action Committees or PAC, if they want to support lobbying for political purposes. Many Republicans, activists on the right, right wing media outlets, love to paint unions the way you described them, bobster, the real threat that unions pose is a voice of the common worker which is supported by the union membership with votes.All the members in a given union are not forced to vote for any candidate but it is clearly communicated to the membership what candidates favor workers and their rights. There is no comparison to the millions that ceos of companies get, to that of the union elected officers.There isn't a union that could afford those salaries.The money that unions have in their treasury and how it is spent is revealed at every union meeting. I take issue with the red Bob comment if your implying that unions are anything but a highly democratic organization that represents the rights of it's workers...
Advice for the future: don't lie about things that are easily verifiable!
I did not lie and I am not dishonest, just trying to clear up some confusion that your trying to spread with your comments. The site you sent showed the contribution, not how it was obtained. Here is the law regarding union contributions to federal campaigns Labor Union Political Activity Under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as Amended Generally, political activities by labor unions in federal elections are prohibited.7 First, the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 prohibited labor union8 contributions to federal election campaigns. Later, the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, (FECA), generally continued this broad prohibition of labor union activities and funds in federal elections. However, the FECA provided for three broad exemptions to this general prohibition of labor union political activities in federal elections: (1) communications by a labor organization directed at its members or their families on any subject: (2) non-partisan voter registration and get-out-the- vote activities by a labor organization which are directed to its members or their families: and (3) the establishment and administration of a political action committee or separate segregated fund (commonly known as a PAC) for the purpose of the solicitation of contributions to such fund for political purposes.9 Generally, any other
type of political activity by labor unions in federal elections is prohibited under the FECA, and labor union contributions and expenditures concerning federal elections outside these exceptions are prohibited.
The unions can't compete with money from super pacs like Karl Rove's American Crossroads funded secretly by billionaires like the Koch brothers .
here is an explanation of union dues for the CWA: http://cwa89177.org/whereduesgo.htm
Regarding the Kochs and the liberal billionaire donations, the web site I referenced show that the union "laundered" contributions FAR exceeded the contributions given by Consevative PACs. Throw in George Soros' ill gotten gains that he donates to destroy th American economy and "sell short" the US dollar as he did in Great Britain, and there really is no contest between liberal contributions and coinservative ones. Perhaps more telling is that George Soros "invests" in destroying America's economy and is an internationalist, and the Koch brothers donate to grow the American economy. No question who the better ones to follow are there, especially if American prosperity is your goal!
the only thing that is obvious to me is you, jumping to negative conclusions about union members dues being used to bribe politicians .A typical right wing talking point.The UAW has a billion dollars in assets of which 62 million is used for investments.Could be where thy get some money for lobbying.Why not?They have to stick up for their membership. http://www.unionfacts.com/union/United_Auto_Workers Prior to the Supreme courts decision in 2010 on Citizen united the unions were on a more even playing field (i.e.if you call 18th in contributions for UAW) for political contributions.Now the Koch brothers and all the other HIDDEN billionaires and millionaires can and do get contributions from all around the world for the republican party and their lobbyists thanks to the citizens united decision, which dwarfs what the unions and the democratic party can contribute to the democratic party and their lobbyists today.
So we should have lower wages and less benefits in this country? Then the corporations will stay, earn higher profits and higher more people? RIIGGHHT... Beacuse we all know that insurance companies, big oil, def contarctors, etc...all of whom are recording billion $$ record profits need additional gov't protection... Yet they still continue to fire people... Why is that? Please explain those "Laws of economics" to me...
If hourly rates are a problem, you develop technology to improve productivity (hours per value produced) so that the costs of transportation from overseas, as well as the "corruption costs" of doing business in Asia, put the true cost of importation more expensive than producing here. You'll never be able to bring "smokestack" industries and jobs back here because of the prohibitive regulatory environment imposed not by elected officials but by unelected biased bureaucrats. You could pay 10 cents per hour and you STILL couldn't operate the businesses in China and India back here! Perhaps the biggest problems is the government business tax environment in the US. Despite false claims about the "Bush Tax Cuts" , the US now has the HIGHEST tax rates in the WORLD since Japan dropped their rates. There are literally TRILLIONS of dollars held overseas by US corporations and subsidiaries that the corporations would LOVE to invest here, but confiscatory tax policy prevents them from doing it
1) Reduce corporate tax rates to the developed world average. That requires dropping rates from 35% to 25% 2) Give a "holiday" for bringing corporate assets back to the US for investment. This would promote the growth and leverage necessary to fight our way out of the Obama job recession. 3) Overcome governmental prejudice against non-union firms. Chicago could have thousands more jobs if they weren't hostile to Walmart and other successful franchises. The DOJ, under discredited AG Holder, actually DELAYED massive hiring in South Carolina for Boeing to satisfy Obama's union lobbyists and campaign contributors. 4) Improve our public educational system so that its mission is to produce world class technical and business skilled graduates instead of paying PE teachers like lawyers and paying massive funding for teachers NOT to teach through early retirement. The obstacles to job growth and prosperity are mostly governmental. It's necessary to change our government to pro-growth to get us out of the mess Pelosi and Reid started in 2007 and Obama perpetuated since 2009.
1) Nothing wrong with protecting against businesses like wal mart... 2) Please explain to me what is wrong with a PE teacher that has worked and served for 30 years, educated your kids, and your kids kids making 180,000? Yet, you'll call a person that has a problem with the guy at GE or BP making 30 Million in one year a Liberal Socialist Marxist? 3) I agree, lets give incentives for job growth, but to blame pelosi, and Obama... Bob, well there is that "evilness" side to you...Again...
Yep COB it is the old Bob
2) The problem with paying $180K to a PE teacher doing the same job as a $40K teacher in the same district is that it's taking about $120K away from providing the extra school hours and school days our children need to be globally competitive. Market value for that job is about $60K for a REALLY good PE teacher, paying $180K for $$60K value is nothing less than THEFT from families and the children! 3) I see, holding the devils accountable from their dirty deeds is somehow "Evil" in your twisted mind. Bush, Pelosi, and Reid CAUSED the problems, Obama merely perpetuated them!
Then your telling me its ok for the town/ school to fire the pe teacher say after 10 to 15 years because the next 22year can do the same job for for 20 k less.. yea, im sure the 40 year old gym teachers family will understand .... i mean otherwise people would think he is stealing from you and your children...
"Some abuse." Yes, just some.. (End sarcasim)
Now plaease add "sucks" at the end.