Remember Memorial Day Massacre, 1937

Ex-Steelworkers & Friends
Come Sun. May 30, 2 pm
11731 S. Avenue O

Honor the ten Steelworkers killed, 100 shot to win a union

USW Speakers

Bill Gibbons
Jim Robinson
Tom Hargrove

Entertainment and refreshments
free admission and parking

Sponsored by SOAR Chapter 31-9
Phone 773-646-0800

I Don't Hear The Tea Party Calling for Less Government

During the summer, all we heard was the tea party people calling for less government. Now that their oil company has destroyed the environment on the Gulf Coast, the tea party people are calling for more government.

Let's Listen to Sarah Palin

Where Has the Drill Baby Drill Crowd Gone?

We Are Steelworkers

Rand Paul the Nut

I don't know very much about Rand Paul, the candidate for US Senate in Kentucky, but I am sort of curious as to what's ailing him.
This guy has the idea that the US Government has no business getting on the case of British Petroleum for screwing up our environment.
He seems like such a nice guy. Where in the heck did he go wrong?
If this guy is a Libertarian, I don't want any Libertarian representing me.....ever.

Brad Ellsworth's Indiana Works Tour

Regulate these Oil Companies

Oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate estimated to be somewhere between 56,000 and 84,000 barrels a day. BP, the oil company responsible for this catastrophe has been lying from the very beginning.

Last night on 60 Minutes, an employee of BP stated that his supervisor disregarded a warning given to him that told of things going wrong.

Now, the oil is threatening to go around the Florida Keys and up the East coast.
Finally, when the oil leak is stopped, the cleanup effort will be monumental.
Surely, this is reason enough to make sure that in the future, governmental regulations are in order.

That's right, we need more governmental involvement.

Companies only think and care about the bottom line and their profits. They can't be trusted to tell the truth about just about anything that goes wrong.

This is also another reason to strengthen the OSHA regulations. Eleven workers died in the accident of the oil drilling rig explosion.

The phrase "Drill Baby Drill" should be replaced with "Regulate Baby Regulate".

The Heck with Retirement

Kitchen sink plumbing leaking below.
Lawn mower engine locked up.
Cut through phone line while installing "decorative split rail fence".
Can't find Hummingbird Feeder.
Raccoons keep knocking over the bird bath.
Moles have taken over whats left of the lawn.
Mail box bashed in and can't open it.
Tree fell into garden, falling on fence.
Kitchen range heating element broke.
I think that's about it.

Think I'll look for a job, the heck with retirement.

Protecting America's Workers Act

Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act four decades ago to give American workers the right to a safe job. While progress has been made, the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities remains enormous. Unlike most other federal safety and health laws, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 has never been updated. Major gaps and weaknesses exist, including weak penalties for serious and willful violations of the law, inadequate protections for workers who report hazards or job injuries, and a lack of coverage for millions of state and local public employees, flight attendants and others.

The Protecting America's Workers Act (PAWA), H.R. 2067 and S. 1580, will update and strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health Act and give workers stronger safety rights and protections.

The Protecting America's Workers Act:

• Raises OSHA Civil and Criminal Penalties for Job Safety Violations. The bill would raise penalties for OSHA violations to $12,000 for serious violations and $120,000 for willful and repeat violations. Violations resulting in worker deaths are given higher penalties and mandatory minimums under the bill, rather than the current slap on the wrist. Criminal violations of the Act will be made felonies rather than misdemeanors and cover cases that involve serious bodily injuries in addition to fatalities.

• Gives Coverage to State and Local Public Sector Workers, Federal Workers and Others Who Lack Full OSHA Protection. States could adopt a state OSHA plan to cover state and local workers, and if not, the federal law would apply. The bill would extend full OSHA protections to federal workers. The Secretary of Labor could extend OSHA coverage if another federal agency failed to provide protections as effective as OSHA to flight attendants and others who lack full protection under the current law.

• Gives Victims of Job Injuries and Illnesses and Family Members the Right to be Heard. Workers who have been injured or made ill would have the right to meet with OSHA investigators, receive copies of any citations and be heard before any settlements are reached under the bill. If a worker is killed or incapacitated, family members will be able to participate on the worker's behalf.

• Improves Protections for Workers Who Raise Job Safety Concerns and Report Injuries or Illnesses. The bill gives workers the right to pursue their case if OSHA fails to act in a timely fashion and makes a worker's right to refuse unsafe work part of the law. Retaliation against a worker for reporting a job injury or illness will be prohibited, and employers will not be able to establish policies or practices that discourage or discriminate against workers for these reports of injuries or illnesses.

• Bans the Use of "Unclassified" Violations and Calls for Correction of Hazards While Employer Contests of Violations are Pending. The bill would ban the practice of issuing "unclassified" violations, which employers often seek to avoid having a record of serious, willful and repeat OSHA violations which may count against them in litigation or contract awards. Employers would also be required to correct violations, even if they contest citations or penalties, to ensure that workers are protected while the employer's contest is reviewed, which is not required under the current law.

• Extends Worker and Union Rights in OSHA Cases. Under the bill workers are to be paid for time spent participating in OSHA inspections. Workers' and unions' rights in enforcement proceedings are expanded by providing them the right to contest the classification of violations and proposed penalties, not just the abatement date, as is now the case. Workers and unions are also allowed to object and ask for a review of modifications to citations that have been issued.

Please contact your congressional representatives and senators and urge them to support H.R. 2067 and S. 1580

Resource: USW

SOAR ... Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees

Dan Coats for Indiana??

Why We're Steelworkers

2009 Indiana Voting Records

x = a vote against retirees
check = a vote for retirees

You can find the voting records of Congress for any state by going Here.
Source: Alliance for Retired Americans

Billionaires for Social Security