Posts Tagged ‘Unions’
Amherst Bulletin: UMass smart to address campus bullying
Friday, June 7th, 2013
Amherst Bulletin Editorial
June 5, 2013
Bullying has become a major issue over the past few years, and rightfully so. The focus has been mainly on children and teens and the sometimes tragic results of the emotional battering that is still far too commonplace. But at least public schools in this state have taken a strong no-tolerance stand and imposed measures to educate children and swiftly deal with incidents. That does have an impact.
But bullying is not reserved for the young. Though it is not so openly discussed, adults are mistreated this way, too, and the workplace is an area where victims are particularly vulnerable, as their livelihoods are at stake. Therefore, we applaud University of Massachusetts Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and other campus officials for publicly recognizing this and taking steps to improve the work environment for campus staff.
Troubled by statistics and comments gathered in an online survey last fall, Subbaswamy sent a memo to faculty and staff recently saying that although the UMass results line up with data gathered at other workplaces across the country, the university finds this unacceptable and is working on ways to eliminate bullying from campus offices.
Tags: Amherst Bulletin, policy, UMass, Unions, workplace bullying
Posted in Good News, Media About Bullying, Print: News, Blogs, Magazines, Unions | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Abused domestic workers may get champion at Obama’s Dept of Labor
Monday, March 18th, 2013
Just when it looked like President Obama knew no one to add to his cabinet that spoke the language of working folks, he has decided to use the nomination to Department of Labor Secretary to hoist Thomas Perez on his shoulders. Said the President today
“He’s the son of Dominican immigrants. He helped pay his way through college as a garbage collector and working at a warehouse. He went on to become the first lawyer in his family. So his story reminds us of this country’s promise”
According to reports, Perez, currently working in the Civil Rights Division of the federal Justice Department, was the second person of color to ever be elected to the Montgomery County (MD) Council. While on the Council, Perez pushed a “bill of rights” for domestic workers, tried to toughen county laws against predatory lending and supported the expansion of medical clinics to serve the uninsured. He also fought to import cheaper prescription drugs for county employees — a plan blocked by the Food and Drug Administration.
Tags: abuse of domestic workers, Barrack Obama, caregivers, domestic workers, GOP, home health aides, housecleaners, nannies, Thomas Perez, U.S. Department of Labor, Unions, workers' rights
Posted in Commentary by G. Namie, Good News, Media About Bullying, Print: News, Blogs, Magazines, The New America, Unions | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Gary Namie on Workplace Bullying & Unions, Minneapolis April 30
Wednesday, March 6th, 2013
Dr. Gary Namie, WBI Director
Tuesday April 30, 1-4 pm
Hennepin County Bar Assoc, Minneapolis
Tags: bullying in the public workplace, Gary Namie, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, Unions, workplace bullying
Posted in Events & Appearances, Unions, WBI Education | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
NLRB invalidated by Federal Court: Obama appointments “unconstitutional”
Friday, January 25th, 2013
Steven Greenhouse, New York Times Labor Reporter, writes that a 3-judge panel from the US court of appeals for the DC circuit just ruled unconstitutional President Obama’s Jan. 2012 recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). A full year of NLRB decisions, including some that restored balance to the employer-employee relationship, will be invalidated.
Only one NLRB member, Mark Pearce, will be left standing and the agency cannot rule without at least 3 members. Therefore, there will be no NLRB — it’s the employers’ dream. Sharon Block and Richard Griffin will be cut.
Tags: Gary Namie, labor relations, NLRB, Obama, recess appointment, Republicans, Richard Griffin, Sharon Block, Unions
Posted in Unions | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
For Bullied Targets, Unions Necessary or Not?
Wednesday, September 12th, 2012
According to 223 visitors to the Workplace Bullying Institute site over the 2012 Labor Day holiday period, 76% of respondents to our Instant Poll question considered unions necessary. In nearly equal numbers, 72% believed that unions need to change, to adapt to either do a better job stopping bullying or to reinvent themselves to better unify workers.
Tags: Unions, unions and bullying, WBI research, WBI survey
Posted in Unions, WBI Surveys & Studies | 3 Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Unions & the Middle Class
Thursday, August 11th, 2011
Tags: nickeled and dimed, Rachel Maddow, Unions
Posted in WBI in the News | 4 Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Bullying is never about the money
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
Bullied targets recognize lying. Lies about needing to save money are the governors’ (expect this to roll into other states near you, Wisconsin is just the beginning) rationale for eliminating the few remaining rights workers have. You non-union folks know that you have no rights to give up. Turns out that the newly elected Wisc governor inherited a surplus. There was no financial crisis in that state, says former co-chair of the state joint finance committee, state Rep. Marc Pocan.
In states where there are genuinely dire financial straits, the governors are blaming unions. Really? Why do we have such collective amnesia? How gullible is the American public? Remember the investors who ripped off the world and mortgage borrowers and allowed us saps to absorb the losses? And not one has gone to jail for it (read Matt Tiabi’s new article).
And so the pattern is repeated in every bullying scenario. Bullies cost the employer, corporate or government, tons of cash that the employer whines they cannot afford to spare. Yet, they keep the bully on payroll while the losses mount from undesirable turnover, absenteeism, presenteeism, workers’ comp, disability insurance, and a damaged reputation as the worst place to work. Bullies are too expensive to keep, but it’s about power and cozy relationships between executive sponsors and their favorite sons and daughters. It’s never about the money.
Tags: bullies, lies, lying, Scott Walker, Unions, Wisconsin
Posted in Fairness & Social Justice Denied, Unions | 6 Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Unions and workplace bullying
Sunday, January 30th, 2011
Results of the Jan 2011 WBI Instant Poll on unions’ role in workplace bullying.
Tags: Unions, WBI, WBI University, workplace bullying
Posted in Bullying-Related Research, Tutorials About Bullying | 29 Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Colbert: Solidarity
Monday, September 7th, 2009
Stephen Colbert's history of his "anti-union" stance
PLAY THE VIDEO CLIP — Pay special attention to the nitrogen cycle explanation of work!
Tags: Colbert, employers pooping out employees, nitrogen cycle, solidarity, Unions
Posted in Fairness & Social Justice Denied | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Podcast 8: Unions & Bullying
Friday, September 4th, 2009
Podcast 8:
Unions & Bullying
Guest Podcast: Carol Fehner, union activist, former union rep, lifelong bullybuster (and WBI affiliate), retired federal worker
Learn what bullied targets should do to get the union to pay attention.
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Tags: AFGE, Fehner, grievance, reps, stewards, Unions
Posted in Podcasts, Tutorials About Bullying | 1 Archived Comment | Post A Comment (
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