AAnn IInnjjuurryy TToo OOnnee IIss AAnn IInnjjuurryy TToo AAllll!!VOL. 111

NO. 7SEPTEMBER 28, 2005WEDNESDAY

(ISSN 0023-6667)

See Labor...page 7See Wellstone...page 2

Kelsey Peterson of St. Paul reflects at the monument thatremembers Mary McEvoy at the Wellstone Memorial andHistoric Site. McEvoy was a staff person for Sen. PaulWellstone who also died in the Oct. 25, 2002 airplane crash.Peterson knew McEvoy and her family as she is the daugh-ter of Connie Lewis, who was Wellstone's chief of staff inMinnesota. Lewis was part of the memorial's task force.

Wellstone site dedicatedGabe Brisbois stood at the microphone on a makeshift stage

Sunday and spoke for the 500 people who had gathered to ded-icate the Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site near Eveleth.

His first words were "I am a past, present and futureWellstone supporter."

The site (three miles east of Highway 53 on the Bodas Roadjust north of the Highway 37 interchange. Signs are on Hwy 53)is a memorial and historic site but supporters of Paul and SheilaWellstone refuse to let their work end. Brisbois' succinct state-ment and words were not empty. It was in his home in Hibbingthat Wellstone first made the decision to run for the U.S. Senateover 15 years ago.

The dedication ceremony was short, which allowed those inattendance to walk the three trails, touch the beautifully pol-ished stones that remember the victims of the Oct. 25, 2002 air-plane crash, and have their picture taken with Wellstone'sbeloved green bus, which managed yet another road trip.

The site can handle a crowd if you don't mind parking asmuch as a mile away as many did Sunday. But it will forever bebest visited when few are there. Tears will keep the trails com-pacted as was evidenced Sunday. But it is a place of much hope

for the future as well.Mark Wellstone, Paul and

Sheila's son, liked the way the siteturned out. The natural setting washardly disturbed, which his parentswould have liked he said.

"Come alone and remem-ber...find peace at this site andremember your loved ones," he toldthe gathering. "I hope you comeback and do it again."

One trail leads out and back in a

Labor large at anti-war rallyIf you had protested the Vietnam War at the wrong place and

time in America in the 1960s and 70s you may have gottenbeaten up by construction workers. But if you attended the anti-war rally last Saturday in Duluth you were joined by manyBuilding Trades workers as well as other union members.

Labor had a strong presence at the rally attended by 300-400people in foul weather that moved it from the Civic Center tothe covered entrance of the Government Services Center.

Mikael Sundin of Painters & Allied Trades Local 106received a great cheer when he read the crowd the Duluth AFL-CIO's resolution against the war. "We're the people who haveserved our country and we're the people whose sons and daugh-ters are now serving this great country," Sundin said.

Rally MC Sharla Gardner of AFSCME 66 said, "I'm soproud of this labor movement" which had passed the resolutionSept. 8.

The AFL-CIO had passed an historic "bring the troopshome" resolution at its convention in July. The Duluth CentralBody's resolution has more teeth, calling on "members ofCongress, the President and his administration to immediatelydraw up plans for the rapid withdrawal of our troops from Iraq."

Another speaker, Melissa Taylor, said Bush's war was basi-cally a war against the poor being fought disproportionately bythe poor and minorities.

"I'm really proud labor figured out to reach out to people onsocial issues," she said. "I challenge you to attend every eventthat has economics as its base because that's where it all starts."

The theme for the rally was "There comes a time whenenough is enough" and Fletcher Hinds knows that all too well.He's an AFSCME 66 member and spoke of his service as a

Two UNITE HERE locals hereThe Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body has UNITE

HERE Locals 99 and 150 as affiliates. Local 99 had 236 mem-bers who work in hotels, bars and restaurants affiliated. Local150 had 464 members who work in health care affiliated.

Other Change To Win unions affiliated with the DuluthCentral Body include: UFCW Local 116 (1150 members),SEIU 956 (118), Carpenters 361 (524), and BMWE 1710 (63).

All six unions have a total of 2,555 members, which is 17percent of the Central Body's 15,200 total. It is estimated thatnationally the AFL-CIO is losing about 30 percent of its mem-bership with the disaffiliations.

Efforts are still underway to try to figure out how Change toWin local unions can stay affiliated with central labor bodies.The AFL-CIO has offered solidarity charters but Change ToWin's Anna Burger said the fine print in those charters is loadedwith "poison pills."

Todd Erickson, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE 99said, "We plan to continue working with all our labor sisters andbrothers and community partners who have been so supportiveof our campaigns for workers' rights." He said he expects some-thing to come out of the Change To Win convention that startedyesterday that will allow disaffiliated local unions here to con-tinue to partner directly with the Duluth AFL-CIO CentralLabor Body.

And UNITE HERE makes five who've left deserve institutions and lead-ership willing to get seriousabout organizing and increas-ing worker power, to rebuildthe middle class and restoredignity on the job.”

Like the other Change toWin unions, UNITE HEREdisagreed with AFL-CIO pri-orities. While the federation’sleadership wanted to continueto emphasize both organizingand politics, the Change toWin unions downplayed poli-tics and preferred to put mostof their money into organiz-ing, particularly in “coreindustries.”

Departure from the AFL-CIO is “not from a desire toleave,” UNITE HERE spokes-woman Anastasia Ordonezsaid in a telephone interview.“It’s from continuing to followthe principles that we laiddown in the merger” ofUNITE and HERE last year.“There’s no hidden agenda ortaking over the labor move-ment here...Those were to con-solidate organizing in ourindustries, negotiate bettercontracts and build power forworkers.”

UNITE HERE said itspends approximately half ofits budget on organizing. Itsboard also told locals to decideon their own whether to con-tinue to stay, and pay dues, tostate labor federations andCentral Labor Councils. Bothof those groups are under theAFL-CIO umbrella.

The departed unions areUNITE HERE, the ServiceEmployees, Teamsters, UnitedFood and Commercial Work-ers and the Carpenters. All,along with the Laborers andthe Farm Workers, who arestill in the AFL-CIO, will meetin their first-ever Change toWin convention on Sept. 27 inSt. Louis.

Together, Change to Winsays it has 6 million members,compared to, now, 8.5 million-plus for the AFL-CIO.

“Workers are in a crisis--acrisis of low wages, plant clos-ings, lost pensions, lost healthcare and a loss of rights on thejob,” said UNITE HERE Pres-ident Bruce Raynor. “Low-wage workers are simplybeing left behind...Workerswant to fight back, and they

ST. PAUL, MN. (PAI)--Saying its efforts to reform theAFL-CIO from within haveended, UNITE HERE, whichrepresents 441,452 textile,clothing, hotel and restaurantworkers, became the latestunion to leave the labor feder-ation. Their decision was by anunanimous vote by its 72-member Executive Board,meeting in St. Paul Sept. 14.

The AFL-CIO had no com-ment.

UNITE HERE, formedfrom a merger last year of theHotel Employees and Restau-rant Employees and the Unionof Needletrades, Industrial andTextile Employees, is also amember of the “Change toWin” coalition, along withfour other big unions that haveleft the labor federation.

Duluth Duluth City CouncilCity CouncilSecond DistrictGreg Gilbert

At-LargeTim BearheartRoger Reinert

Duluth Duluth School BoardSchool Board

Fourth DistrictLaura Condon

At-LargeNancy Nilsen

PLEASE VOTE PLEASE VOTE in Tuesday,

November 8th’sGeneral ElectionMark Wellstone

Wellstone memorial has home...from page 1in a short walk to a simple

metal beam that marks a lineto the actual airplane crash sitea few hundred yards away.

A short circular outsidepath has signs that tell thestory of Paul and SheilaWellstone.

A tight inner circle has pol-ished stones that have thenames of the Wellstones andstaffers who lost their lives inthe crash.

"School children can comehere and learn about a greatman," said Judy MacLaughlin,mother of Will, who died inthe crash. "Think of your com-mitment to public service,think of your role in society,remember, then act."

One of Wellstone's favoriteexpressions was "don't sepa-

Mesotheliomasupport group

This area's mesotheliomasupport group will hold ameeting Tuesday, Oct. 4 at5:30 p.m. at the InclineStation, 601 W. Superior St.Meetings are open to anyoneinterested in learning about theasbestos-related disease.

The group is planning abowling fundraiser for Oct. 29.

For more information con-tact Floyd Paaso at 525-2208or visit www.marf.org.

rate the life you lead from thewords you speak." Goodintentions are not enoughWellstone Iron Range stafferLisa Pattni Radosevich said.

Thousands of peoplenationally are making sure ofthat. The Wellstones' work inbeing carried on in every statethrough Wellstone Action(www.wellstone.org).

But their memorial is inEveleth on Minnesota's IronRange, a place they calledtheir second home. PattniRadosevich knew why.

"They loved the first andsecond generation Americanson the Iron Range," she toldthe gathering. "They loved theway we fight for what webelieve in and our high voterturnout." She said Wellstone

was the first U.S. Senator toopen an office on the IronRange, and he had one inWillmar as well "because hefelt he needed to be availableto all Minnesotans."

Thanks to the efforts ofthose who raised the $300,000for the site and the labor oflove of so many in building it,the Wellstones will forever beavailable to all Minnesotans.

PAGE 2 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005

Spag for Bearheart, ReinertYou've tasted their award-winning chili at the United Way of

Greater Duluth's Chili Cook-off. Now you can try Duluth FireFighters Local 101's spaghetti Wednesday, October 5, from 4:00to 7:00 p.m. at the All-American Club, 1931 W. Michigan St.

Duluth Fire Fighters will be serving up their famous spaghet-ti to the public at a meet and greet fundraiser for labor endorsedat-large city council candidates Tim Bearheart and RogerReinert. Donations will be accepted for both campaigns.

Bearheart and Reinert are endorsed by the Duluth AFL-CIOCentral Labor Body, FF 101, and Duluth-DFL.

Brad Henschel is a 1st year apprentice in Millwrights Local1348. He took third place in the Lakes & Plains RegionalCouncil of Carpenters apprenticeship contest at the SouthSt. Louis County Fair last month. Brad is a former Potlatchemployee, who said he didn't care much for policies imple-mented by the new owner, SAPPI, so he changed careers.

Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 10Retirees’ Luncheon

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 1:00, Golden Inn

I.U.O.E. Local 70Monthly Arrowhead Regional Meeting

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2005, 5:00 P.M. Duluth Labor Center, Hall B

Dick Lally, Business Manager (651) 646-4566

The Minnesota Safety Council presents:

Northern Area Safety and Health Network Safety Day

Tuesday, October 4Spirit Mountain, Duluth

SCHEDULE :8:30 a.m.~ MNOSHA Update;

AED's in the Workplace10:00 a.m.~ Safety Perception Survey;

Fleet Safety-Drive Cam11:00 a.m.~ Methamphetamine Awareness;

OSHA Inspections/ProgramsNoon~ General Luncheon;

Living Well and Dying Healthy1:30 p.m.~ Living Well and Dying Healthy continued

Tuition is $60 for MN Safety Council members $70 per person for non-members

(Includes training materials, refreshments, exhibits and luncheon)

Call the Minnesota Safety Council to register:

1-800-444-9150wicks@mnsafetycouncil.org

www.mnsafetycouncil.org/coursesMaking Minnesota A Safer Place To L ive

ManyExhibitors8-Noon

Next on Minnesota At Work UM-Labor Education Service's “Minnesota At Work” is seen

on 19 stations including: Duluth, Channel 20-Th/9:30pm,F/12:30am, Sat/5:30pm; Proctor, Ch7-M/9:30a.m., 3:30pmHermantown, HTV7-M/9pm, Th/10am, Sat/5pm; Cloquet,Ch7-Tu/6pm, Th/ varies, Sat/7pm; Hibbing, Ch12-Tu/5pm,W/3pm, altM/5:15pm; Iron Range Ch13-Sa/7pm,Su/8pm;St. Cloud, Ch12-M/9 pm; The following are Duluth listings:

Sept. 29, Oct. 6--This Black Soil (Two Parts)--This inspiringdocumentary by Teresa Konechne portrays how a black com-munity on Virginia's Eastern Shore stopped the building of aprison in their community. Still faced with deplorable housingand high unemployment, they organized to overcome povertyand an entrenched bureaucracy to achieve a remarkable victo-ry. They rebuilt their community under local control accordingto their own needs and vision. MAW presents this story as amodel for New Orleans and other Gulf Coast residents toreconstruct their communities in ways that meet their needsrather than the interests of powerful wealthier outside interests.

Oct. 13--Labor Arts: Northland Poster Collective--This1994 show celebrates Northland Poster Collective's 25thanniversary this year. The group provides T-shirts, buttons,bumper stickers and posters for the labor movement and otherprogressive groups. Find out how you can use creative strate-gies in your next campaign to give your boss an “art attack.”Also, veteran actor and union member John Randolph talksabout his long career in films and the labor movement.

Call me today!You may qualify formoney-saving autoinsurance discounts.

I want to help you save money.

© 2000 American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries Home Office - Madison, WI 53783 www.amfam.com

$$$

NA -16942

Jerome E Siljendahl Agency2002 London Rd Ste 200

(218) 728-6803 BusDuluth, MN 55812

(218) 728-6803

Concerned about personal relationships, emotional difficulties, alcohol or drug abuse, or other problems? The Community Services Program sponsored by the

Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body and the United Way ofGreater Duluth can help. If you need to talk Call 728-1779.

Community Services ProgramDuluth Labor Temple

2002 London Road, Room 94Yvonne Harvey, Director

Need Help?

INTERSTATESPUR

2700 W. Michigan St.

GAS - DIESELGROCERIES

OPEN 24 HOURS

We're usually not too proudof ourselves if we're caughtuttering a dirty word at thewrong time, but sometimesdirty words need to be spoken.Excuse me for saying so butfascism is a dirty word.

Unfortunately in our cur-rent political climate too manyAmericans think it is theanswer to our problems in theworld and at home. Manydon't even know what it is, orthat they are embracing it.

Minnesota RepresentativeBill Hilty knows it's a dirtyword and he's not afraid to talkabout it. Too many are.

A dictionary definition offascism doesn't do a goodenough job of explaining whyit's not a good political philos-ophy. A quick read says it's asystem of government thatuses a dictatorship of theextreme right. It usually bringstogether flag waving businessand government leaders thatset the agenda. Too many of usare thinking "Hey, that's justwhat we need now."

Hilty talked about fascismat the anti-war rally Saturday.He said he knew he waspreaching to the choir. If youread Mr. Hansen's letter at theend of this opinion you'll seethat I'm not.

If you want to define fas-cism so that it's a little moreunderstandable you should listits practitioners from recentworld history as Hilty did fromthe work of Laurence Britt. Itcan be found at http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4113.htm and /arti-cle7260.htm.

Think about living in NaziGermany, Fascist Italy,Franco’s Spain, Salazar’s Por-tugal, Papadopoulos’s Greece,Pinochet’s Chile, or Suharto’sIndonesia and see if fascismfits your formula for society. Ifyou question whether theHolocaust really ever hap-pened you're probably notreading this. Here are thingsBritt found fascist regimeshad in common:

1. Powerful and continuingexpressions of nationalism.

2. Disdain for the impor-tance of human rights.

3. Identification of enemiesas a unifying cause.

4. The supremacy of themilitary/avid militarism.

5. Rampant sexism.6. A controlled mass media.7. Obsession with security. 8. Religion and ruling elite

tied together. 9. Power of corporations

protected.10. Power of labor sup-

pressed or eliminated.11. Disdain and suppres-

sion of intellectuals and arts.12. Obsession with crime

and punishment. 13. Rampant cronyism and

corruption.14. Fraudulent elections. George W. Bush's America

has too much in common withthose fascist tenets. I willadmit that I really never did

buy into his "compassionateconservatism" so maybe I'm apoor party to bring that up.

Benito Mussolini, as you'llfind on those webpages, likedthe word corporatism as hisbrand of fascism. A perfectmarriage of business and gov-ernment.

I don't think new forms offascism will be much differentthan those of old. Power andprofit will still overwhelm themasses. I'm still stuck in therut of "of the people, by thepeople, for the people" orhowever that goes. Maybe it's"all power to the people!"

Thanks, Bill Hilty, forbringing that up. We need tohear it. A choir has to practicea lot you know.

Ashamed ofLabor World

Editor,I am ashamed every time I

get another copy of the LaborWorld. It's full of misinforma-tion and attacks. You guyswrite like a bunch of spoiledkids that didn't get their way. Iam tired of the same old LIB-ERAL DRIBBLE from you.Why don't you grow up andstart reporting FAIRLY?

Gary HansenIBEW Local 31, Deerwood

Oberstar asks Bush to reinstate Davis-Bacon

(WASHINGTON--September 16 Congressman JimOberstar sent a letter to President Bush urging him to reinstateDavis-Bacon provisions which govern workers' pay on federalcontracts in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Davis-Bacon law requires federal contractors to pay workers at leastthe prevailing wages in the area where work on federally-fund-ed construction projects is conducted. Earlier this month, thePresident signed an Executive Order suspending the applicationof the law, which will allow federal contractors rebuilding in theaftermath of the disaster to pay workers below the prevailingwage. This is the text of Oberstar’s letter:)

"The tragedy on the Gulf Coast has touched us all. While wepray for the victims of the storm, we also must roll up oursleeves and rebuild the infrastructure that is so important to theaffected communities, the region, and our nation as a whole.

As the Senior Democratic Member of the House Committeeon Transportation and Infrastructure, I am fully committed tothis cause, and stand ready to work with your Administrationand my colleagues in Congress to begin the rebuilding processas soon as it is safe to do so.

I am writing, however, in response to your recent order tosuspend Davis-Bacon protections for workers hired under fed-eral contracts in the area affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Your stated reason for this order was to encourage contrac-tors to hire more workers by allowing them to pay wages lowerthan those required by Davis-Bacon. While I agree with the goalof hiring more workers, especially those who lost homes andjobs to the hurricane, I disagree strongly with this propositionthat we can create more jobs by paying workers less than thelocal prevailing wage—already lower than prevailing wages inother parts of the country.

I believe that this approach to job creation is both unneces-sary and unfair. It is unnecessary because I believe that the pub-lic will support a policy of hiring all the workers that are need-ed to clean up and rebuild the devastated areas. I further believethat the public will be willing to support the funding needed topay these workers, many of whom will have suffered terriblelosses from Katrina, a fair wage.

It is particularly unfair to ask workers to work at low wagesto rebuild the devastated areas, when contractors are not beingasked to make any comparable sacrifices. Indeed, the proposalcould result in the opposite; added profits for contractors. Wehave no assurance that, if contractors are permitted to hire atlow wage rates, these savings will be used to hire more work-ers. Why would a contractor hire any more workers than areneeded to do the work under contract? A lower wage scale mayonly allow contractors to increase their profits, while exploitinga workforce desperate for a paycheck.

For these reasons, I urge you to rescind your order and leavein place requirements that workers be paid the prevailing wage.If you are not willing to do this, I urge that you expand therequirement for sacrifice, and require contractors to reduce theirprofits. Any contract which results in hiring workers at less thanthe prevailing wage should require that contractor profits bereduced by a comparable amount.

We cannot allow this disaster to result in profiteering at theexpense of decent wages for working men and women in theGulf States. To do so would be tantamount to visiting anotherhardship on a population that has had more than its share."

LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 PAGE

LABOR WORLDLABOR WORLDKnown office of publication

2002 London Road, Room 110Duluth, MN 55812

(218) 728-4469 FAX: (218) 724-1413laborworld@qwest.netwww.laborworld.org

ESTABLISHED 1896Owned by Unions affiliated with

Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body

Periodical Postage Paid Duluth, MN

Larry Sillanpa, Editor/ManagerDeborah Skoglund, BookkeeperPublished 24 times per year

Subscriptions: $20 AnnuallyPOSTMASTER:

Send address changes to:2002 London Rd., Room 110

Duluth, MN 55812Board of Directors

President/Treas. Mikael Sundin,Painters 106; V.P. Paul Iverson,BMWE 1710; Sec. Al LaFrenier,UNITE HERE! Joint Bd.; JimWalters, Plumbers & Steamfit-ters 11; Tom Selinski, IBEW 242;Laurie Johnson, AFSCME Co 5;Lynette Swanberg, MN Nurses;Mike Kuitu, Operating Engineers49; Marlys Wisch; CWA 7214

6

7

~NOTICE~Next issues of Labor Worldare Oct. 12 & 26; Nov. 9

& 22; Dec. 7 & 21.

The non-profit Labor World,Inc. is the official publication ofthe Duluth AFL-CIO CentralLabor Body. It is an education-al, advocacy newspaper forworkers and unions. The viewsand opinions submitted andexpressed in the Labor World donot necessarily reflect the viewsof the paper, its Board ofDirectors, the Duluth AFL-CIOCentral Labor Body, its affiliat-ed unions, their staff or officers.

This Day in Historyfrom

www.workdayminnesota.org

September 28, 1917Federal agents arrested 165members of the IndustrialWorkers of the World, bet-ter known as the Wobblies,”for protesting World War I.In all, more than 300 IWWleaders were arrested thatmonth and union officeswere raided across thecountry.The Wobbliesopposed the war as imperi-alist and instead engaged ina series of strikes and slow-downs to improve condi-tions for workers.The gov-ernment responded bycracking down on the unionin the name of patriotism.

“Quote, Unquote”"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here

out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you havecome fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have comefrom areas where your quest for freedom left you batteredby the storms of persecution and staggered by the windsof police brutality. You have been the veterans of creativesuffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearnedsuffering is redemptive.

"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go backto Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slumsand ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehowthis situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallowin the valley of despair."

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have A Dream" speech, August 28, 1963

Remember when Republicans said they'd chase down waste, fraud and abuse?

AUSTIN, Texas---The Big Whew

blew over Texas,leaving Port Arthurunderwater andwhole lot of stressacross the state. It is highlystressful to be in a car with twoadults, three children, the dogand the cat for a 12-to-20 hourtrip from Houston to Austin,Dallas or San Antonio.

It is also stressful to havetwo adults, three children,their dog and their cat moveinto your 1,200-square-foothouse with you, especially ifyour sister-in-law thinks any-one who criticizes George W.Bush is a tool of Satan.

Stress-sensitive groups likeAlcoholics Anonymous weredoing land-office business inTexas this weekend, while bar-tenders served up the Katri-naRita. Austin, of course, wasalso having a music festivaland offering free yoga and aro-matherapy sessions to hurri-cane refugees. Austin musi-cians have adopted NewOrleans musicians en masse:You're practically no one ifyou haven't got a Neville inyour guest room.

The refugees trade tales ofheroism and generosity, along

with reports of the bad and theugly. That's human nature, butthere's nothing forgivableabout organized governmentcorruption.

I'm sorry, there are noexceptions: The first com-mandment of governing isThou Shalt Not Steal thePeople's Money. RonaldReagan came into office in1980 on the mantra that hewould rid the nation of Waste,Fraud and Abuse. He proceed-ed to raise the national deficitby $2 trillion with tax cuts andspending on the military in theface of a collapsing SovietUnion. This led to the peppymilitary procurement scandalsof the late '80s and early '90s -- the $435 hammer and the$640 toilet seat.

When Newt Gingrich andCo. took power in 1994, theypromised many "reforms" andspent millions of dollars onhearings and investigations --the endless prosecution ofHenry Cisneros may actuallybe a stronger case in point thanthe impeachment of BillClinton. Despite these splen-did efforts, they never couldfind the Waste, Fraud andAbuse they claimed were thehallmarks of government. Butthis Bush administration hasgiven us Waste, Fraud andAbuse galore.

The waste of money in Iraqis already into the billions, andthe lack of accountability isfed by a Republican Congressthat refuses to seriously inves-tigate anything done by theRepublican administration.The sums being overtly wast-ed are already staggering, andbecause there is no accounta-bility, we can expect that situ-ation not only to continue, butdeteriorate.

With billions being allocat-ed to clean up after HurricanesKatrina and Rita, you canalready smell the corruption --fat contracts awarded withoutcompetitive bidding. The NewYork Times reports, "Morethan 80 percent of the $1.5 bil-lion in contracts signed by theFederal Emergency Manage-ment Agency alone wereawarded without bidding orwith limited competition, gov-ernment records show, pro-voking concerns among audi-tors and government officialsabout the potential forfavoritism or abuse."

"Provoking concerns," eh? Good old Times, eternally

blah -- why doesn't it ever runa screaming headline that says,"You're getting ripped off!""They are Stealing YourMoney to Pay Off TheirPolitical Pals!" The troublewith journalism in this countryis that it's too damn polite.

Look, this is rank, nastybusiness -- corruption, crony-ism and competence (the lackthereof) are the issues here.And as we have so recentlyand so painfully been remind-ed, when government is run bycorrupt, incompetent cronies,real people pay a real price.There is nothing abstract aboutswollen bodies floating inflooded streets or dozens ofold people dead in nursinghomes.

Frankly, it's just a mercymost of Houston didn't drownin a giant traffic jam last week.Already, the corporate vulturesare moving in -- contracts arearranged through people likeJoe Allbaugh, the formerFEMA director who broughtin his old buddy Michael("Heckuva job, Brownie")Brown to run the agency.

This pattern is not just onerotten agency: The arrest lastweek of David Safavian, theBushie who oversaw contractsfor the Office of Managementand Budget, ties into a wholenest of cronyism. Safavian'sfriend and former lobbyingpartner is Jack Abramoff, whoin turn is big buddies withTexas Rep. Tom DeLay.

The corporate clout in thisadministration is mirroredeverywhere, with the samepattern of crony contracts.Allbaugh didn't just start get-ting contracts for politicallyconnected firms after Katrina.He's been in Iraq, where he has

a flourishing lobbying busi-ness precisely to help corpora-tions get government con-tracts.

Already, Homeland Secur-ity is flooding what's left ofNew Orleans with mercenariesfrom the same private securitycontractors flourishing in Iraq.The Nation reports companieslike DynCorp, Intercon Secur-ity, American Security Group,Blackwater, Wackenhut and anIsraeli company called Instinc-tive Shooting International areall in New Orleans.

"Some, like Blackwater,are under federal contract.Others have been hired by thewealthy elite, like F. PatrickQuinn III, who brought in pri-vate security to guard his $3million private estate and hisluxury hotels, which are underconsideration for a lucrativefederal contract to houseFEMA workers."

Baghdad on the Bayou forreal. © 2005 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.,

61 years of Experience Now Available to all Northland Residents and Businesses

Join us for Personal Service… Join us for a Lending Hand… Join us Because You Can !

N N N

BEARHEARTCity Council

At-LargeEndorsed by:

Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor BodyDuluth Fire Fighters, Duluth-DFLPaid for by Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body COPE

PAGE 4 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005

ByMolly Ivins

With so many friends that are union members,I've come to appreciate the good work thatunions do in our communities. I'd love to helpyour family find your dream home!

Kristin MurrayREALTOR®

Mobile: 218-428-9685Office: 218-728-7700kristinmurray@edinarealty.com

Sheet Metal Workers 10 Business Rep. Dennis Marchettidoesn't know how he was chosen to be a "Living WageWarrior" but he was so he placed this banner on the LaborTemple. Over 74 banners are hanging in 47 states. Thewebsite is an initiative of House the Homeless in Austin,TX, which is working for a federal minimum wage increasethat will allow low-wage workers to afford housing.

Plan Colombia benefits free traders, narco-traffickers and terroristsGerardo Cajamarca didn't

mind that he was shockingover 100 people in UMD'sKirby Ballroom Sept. 19. Infact he ended his two hourpresentation on Colombia'swar against workers with agraphic 4-minute video show-ing scores of mutilated bodies.

When you've had so manyclose friends, and even theirchildren mutilated and mur-dered, you want to make yourpoint. Cajamarca did.

He was a trade unionist anda former city council memberwho received death threatsbecause of his work and so hefled to the U.S in 2003. Henow lives in Minneapolis afterseeking political asylum andworks for "truth, justice andreparations" he said.

In 2002, 172 Colombianunionists were murdered and164 others received deaththreats. Most attacks were car-ried out by right-wing paramil-itaries acting with support ofthe Colombian military.

On Sept. 11, 2005 a leaderof Cajamarca's union, Sinal-

tranal (Food and Drink),Luciano Enrique RomeroMolina, who was living underprotective human rights com-mission measures, was foundtied up, tortured, and deadwith 40 knife wounds.

On Jan. 14, 2005 one ofCajamarca's friends, AldemarCampos, was assassinated athome in front of his wife andtwo young daughters.

Through an interpreterCajamarca told the UMDaudience that neither man hadever taken up a weapon otherthan the United Nations'Declaration of Human Rightsin their struggles. Like somany others they were mur-dered to protect the wealthy,the transnational corporations,free trade and cocaine traffick-ers he said. And much of thatwork is being carried out withbillions of U.S. taxpayers' dol-lars under a program calledPlan Colombia.

Nine out of ten trade union-ists murdered each year world-wide are in Colombia. YetWashington continues to pro-

vide the Colombian govern-ment with hundreds of mil-lions of dollars in military aidannually. More than 10,000Colombian troops - including

known human rights abusers -have received combat trainingin the U.S. at the School of theAmericas (SOA) at FortBenning, Georgia. Because ofprotests and bad publicity inthe past decade in 2001 theU.S. Army renamed it WHIN-SEC (Western HemisphericInstitute for Security Cooper-ation). Its 64,000 graduates inLatin America, includingManuel Noriega and othernotorious dictators, have a vio-lent history of human rightsabuses under the guise of"security personnel." Oppo-nents of the facility call it theSchool of the Assassins andhold protests there every year.

Cajamarca connected thedots between free trade, trans-national corporations, repres-sion of trade unions, SOA,paramilitaries, and cocainetraffickers.

Indigenous peoples ofColombia have been chewingcoca leaves for thousands ofyears as medicinal and reli-gious practices he said. It isonly one ingredient in cocaine,the others being supplied bythe likes of Monsanto andother companies. There is a lotof money to be made, espe-cially in the U.S., fromcocaine, not the coca leaf.

Colombia is the size ofTexas and California com-bined. Over 3 million ruralcampesenios have beenpushed off their land by para-militaries, who use it only togrow coca for cocaine and notfood to be eaten.

Multi-nationals like Dole,Chiquita, Occidental Petro-leum, and Drummond Mining,have also displaced manycampesenios. In fact, Caja-marca said most massacres inColombia occur where trans-nationals have interests.

He said those corporations

also have politicians in theirpocket. Paramilitaries are saidto comprise 70 percent of theColombian Senate. That figurecame from an aide to PresidentAlvaro Uribe.

This summer Uribe initiat-ed and signed into law the"Law of Justice and Peace"that pardoned 14,200 paramil-itaries. They will not have topay for their crimes, divulgewho funded them or give upany money received. They willbe allowed to keep land thathas been stolen from the farm-ers. And the law allows theparamilitary structures toremain intact.

Cajamarca said MinnesotaSenator Norm Coleman re-cently said he supports Uribe.

"I don't know if he knowshe is supporting a drug traf-ficker, a paramilitary and anassassin of workers and farm-ers," Cajamarca said. A thou-sand people a year have beenmurdered in each of the last 14years he said. Yet the BushAdministration recently saidthey've evaluated the human

[ w o r k i n j u r y ]

It happens in an instant. One minute you’re

working—earning a wage. Next minute you’re

standing around wondering what to do next.

Statistics show that in Minnesota more than

150,000 workers are injured on the job each

year. And that’s only the ones we hear about. If

you’re injured on the job you need proven

statistics working for you. We have over 40

years of trial experience and a team approach

to personal injury cases. Fact is, OUR SUCCESS

IS NO ACCIDENT.

1 3 0 W. S u p e r i o r S t .D u l u t h , M N 5 5 8 0 2

218 -727 -5384800 -535 -1665c u z z o . c o m

LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 PAGE 5

DULUTH • SUPERIORGRAND RAPIDS • CLOQUET

*Must be of equal or lesser value: select fromspecial collection of frames and plastic lenses.

*

We’ll bill foryour insurance

benefits

• The next time you need yourwindshield installed call the LOCAL,

UNION auto glass company thatbacks its work with experience

• Painters & Allied Trades Local 106members, Scott Swanson, Randy Ellison, and

Nate Kiminski have over 20 years of auto glass experience

Let us handle your insurance claims!

We can do repairs at your site or in our new service center!

When You Need It Done Today!

Serving this area for over 60 years!

For ANY Glass Need

SGISGISUPERIOR GLASS INC.823 Belknap • Superior WI

394-5588 • 722-7400 • 1-888-899-6369

• SGI is the only UNION AUTOGLASS SHOP in the Twin Ports

See Plan...page 6

www.killercoke.org

Gerardo Cajamarca heldthe U.N.' Declaration ofHuman Rights throughouthis presentation, saying it isthe only weapon tradeunionists in Colombia use.

Plan Colombia a war on workers...from page 5rights situation in

Colombia and it's fine. Lastmonth Uribe visited Bush athis home in Crawford, Texas.They extolled the virtues ofPlan Colombia and spoke ofincreased funding for it, citingseized cocaine shipments.

In a Sept. 18 Los AngelesTimes story by Henry Chu,Admiral Alfonso Diaz saidthey expect 420 tons ofcocaine to get past them thisyear. Half is destined for theU.S., where cocaine now actu-ally costs less than before PlanColombia. Chu said Bush isseeking an extension of PlanColombia aid that has alreadyused $3 billion in Americans'tax dollars. New aid will aug-ment Colombia's fleet of mili-tary aircraft and ships and totrain soldiers and police.

Cajamarca says Plan Co-lombia, the War on Drugs, isnow also a War on Terror andhe was considered a terrorist.

It is also an environmentalcrime that is fumigatingforests while coca has becomeimmune to fumigants. Riversand forests are being poisonedand indigenous people are suf-fering skin burns. The people

of Colombia are bombed butnot Monsanto he said.

"Plan Colombia is not awar against drugs or terror,"Cajamarca said. "It's a tool toimplement the Free TradeAgreement of the Americas byblood or fire." He said LatinAmerican people haveopposed FTAA and CAFTAbut presidents sign the treaties.And labor leaders and farmersand their children and spousesare de-capitated with chainsaws to send a message a fear.

"This is terrorism by PlanColombia," he said.

He asked Americans tostand with the Colombian peo-ple as the United SteelWorkers have done. To boy-cott Coca-Cola, which hasfinanced paramilitaries andrepressed workers' rights. Tocall your Members ofCongress and ask them to voteagainst funding Plan Colom-bia and SOA/WHINSEC.

Cajamarca said even Coca-Cola is starting to get the mes-sage about human rightsbecause the power of people isthe power of public opinionthat will change the worldthrough social pressure. He

said people must unite becausewhat is happening in Colom-bia is happening in a lot ofother countries and will wors-en in the name of free trade.

(Find more: www.soaw.organd www.fightback05.org.)

Global justice eventsTuesday, Oct. 4, 4:00 p.m.

UMD Kirby 268,"Immigration Myths &

Realities"Thursday, Oct. 20, Noon

UMD Rafters, "HumanRights, Fumigations andPlan Colombia: A CaseStudy in Failed Policies"

Atty. Diana Milena MurciaJan. 6-15, 2006

Witness for Peace free tradeand globalization trip toMexico, contact Susana

218-724-5775,swoodwar@d.umn.eduJan. 21-Feb. 1, 2006

Labor trip to Colombia, callJohn Clark Pegg, 218-349-1786, wfpumw@charter.net

March 10-19, 2006Free trade trip to

Nicaragua, contact LynClark Pegg 218-348-3048,

synsails@charter.net

An emergency is defined as “any sudden or unforeseen situ-ation that requires immediate action.” Let’s say it’s a medicalemergency. You are present when it suddenly bursts forth. Alife could be in the balance. And it’s up to you to take therequired “immediate action.”

What are you going to do? If you don’t know, chances arethat you’d be caught off guard–after all, “unforeseen” in plaintalk means “blindsided”–and precious time could be lost.

Here are some tips that can help you deal with the situation: First, call the emergency phone number in your area. In

most places, that would be 911. Response time is usually fasterbecause a central dispatcher can send an ambulance from theclosest hospital. A private ambulance service usually operatesout of a single headquarters, which may be farther away.

Be prepared to tell the dispatcher–as calmly and clearly aspossible under the circumstances–exactly what condition thepatient is in. Be as specific as you can about the symptoms youhave observed. It’s not enough to simply say, “I think he (orshe) is having a heart attack.” But you don’t want to start along, chatty conversation either.

Don’t hang up until the dispatcher does. Let him or herdecide when you’ve given all the helpful information needed.

Give the dispatcher the phone number you are calling from,even if you’re not asked for it. If something happens to delaythe ambulance, the dispatcher may need to reach you.

Give careful directions, including street address, name of thenearest cross street, prominent landmarks, and other informa-tion that will help the ambulance crew find you quickly. Tell thedispatcher that you will have someone wait outside (if possible).Turn on the porch light. If the location is an apartment buildingor multiple dwelling that could be confusing, hang a bed sheetout a street-side window so the driver can spot you in a hurry.

If you’re at home, gather all relevant information you canwhile waiting for the ambulance: Insurance numbers, medicalhistory, medication currently being taken (The actual bottle ofpills or medicine is even better). It’s a good idea to make pack-ets of such medical information about your family and keep ithandy so you can grab it quickly in an emergency.

Unless the patient is in critical condition and needs emer-gency procedures in the ambulance on the way to the hospital,you can usually ride along.

If you can’t go along, get the name and address of the hos-pital and the name of the care unit where the patient will beadmitted, then get there on your own.

A final tip: If you’re driving, don’t speed after the ambulanceor run red lights in your anxiety to get to the hospital. You don’tneed an accident to add another emergency to the one you’reracing to deal with. If you have questions or suggestions for articles, write Dr. Phillip

L. Polakoff at 171 Alvarado Road, Berkeley, Calif., 94705. (Copyright 2005 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker/PAI)

PAGE 6 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005

Vision

Protecting your tomorrow, today. Making

plans to cope with uncertainty. Forward

thinking. That’s what it takes to make sure your

Taft-Hartley Fund benefits continue to provide

members with the best possible benefits now

and in the future.At Blue Cross and Blue Shield

of Minnesota, we can help with ● a line of

programs called LaborWorks specifically

designed for Funds ● a team of customer

service representatives dedicated to Fund

business ● pharmacy programs designed to

meet Taft-Hartley member needs ● the largest

statewide network of providers so Fund

members have the freedom to choose their

own doctor ● innovative health improvement

programs that help hold down claims costs.

We’re looking ahead with you.

© 2005 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Work & Health By Phillip L. Polakoff, M. D.Tips for dealing

with emergencies

Lula stays true at NYU(PAI)--Never let it be said Brazilian President Luis Ignacio

“Lula” da Silva forgets his roots. The Brazilian leader, who isfrom The Workers Party, was in New York for the massive sum-mit on the future of the United Nations and development issues.

“Lula,” whom the AFL-CIO defended when Brazil’s formermilitary regime arrested and tried him during his days as a metaltrades union leader, was scheduled to speak at New YorkUniversity Sept. 15 on "Latin America and Europe: Challengesand Realities” with Spanish Prime Minister Luis RodriguezZapatero and Argentinean President Nestor Kirchner. All can-celed. NYU blamed “scheduling difficulties,” but the AFL-CIO, which asked them to withdraw, said otherwise: They can-celed because NYU refuses to negotiate a new contract with itsteaching assistants and research assistants, represented byUnited Auto Workers Local 2110.The contract expired last year.

The university, citing a Bush-majority NLRB decision, nowsays the TAs and RAs are students, and not employees coveredby labor law. It yanked recognition from the local--so Lula andthe others yanked their participation in NYU’s program.

“World leaders who respect democracy, human rights andworker rights don't want to be associated with an institutionwhich betrays those very principles when dealing with its ownworkforce,” said UAW regional director Phil Wheeler.

AFSCME, SEIU sign no-raid agreementWASHINGTON (PAI)--

Putting an end, they hope, toconflict in southern Californiaand potential battles else-where, AFSCME and theService Employees signed a 2-year “no-raiding” pact onSept. 19, the two unions said.

It also commits them tojoint organizing campaigns.

The agreement is signifi-cant because it marks contactbetween AFSCME, now thelargest union in the AFL-CIO,and the Service Employees,which is slightly larger butwhich led the withdrawal offour big unions from the feder-ation in late July and after.

Those four--SEIU, UFCW,the Teamsters and UNITEHERE--and other unions meetSept. 27 in St. Louis for thefirst-ever convention of their“Change to Win” coalition. Italso includes the Laborers andthe Farm Workers, which arestill in the federation, and theCarpenters, who withdrew in2001. When they left, theChange to Win leaders, includ-ing SEIU President Andrew

Stern, pledged not to raidAFL-CIO unions.

That wasn’t necessarily thecase in southern California.According to blogs on the“Change to Win” website,AFSCME said SEIU waspoaching on groups of work-ers. The pact may also headoff a conflict in Pennsylvania.But it came too late to avoid aconfrontation in Illinois,which the AFL-CIO decidedin favor of SEIU, lastFebruary. SEIU then won ahome health-care workers’election there.

“Neither union will attemptto raid, decertify or otherwiseinterfere with existing repre-sentation rights,” the unionssaid. They set up “a joint com-mittee to address issues ofunion density and jurisdic-tion,” and created joint ‘UnityLocals’ of child care providersin California and Pennsyl-vania.

And California home careproviders not now covered byeither AFSCME or SEIU con-tracts will be represented by

the new California UnitedHomecare Workers Union,AFSCME/SEIU. “The part-nership will help roughly25,000 caregivers who providevital in-home services toCalifornia’s seniors and peo-ple with disabilities win faircontracts that include a livablewage and health care,” the twounions said.

In Pennsylvania, SEIU andAFSCME will work togetheron joint organizing drives, “ tounite home-based family childcare providers” and “toimprove benefits and stabilityin the child care profession.”There, also, the home-basedproviders would becomemembers of a new jointstatewide union.

The pact does not mergethe two unions’ present localsin California. SEIU Local434B, with 20,000 home careand nursing home workers,and UDW/AFSCME, with60,000, “will work in partner-ship while maintaining theirautonomy,” the statement said.

need to clear power lines by at least 10 feet in every direction.

If you’re operating a boom or crane, don’t rely on warning devices or insulating boom guards to protect you from power line contact. Designate a person who can direct your vehicle away from overhead lines. Call Minnesota Power if clearance from the line can’t be maintained.

If your vehicle should touch a power line and you cannot safelydrive away from the line, stay inside and wait for rescue workers.Warn others to stay away from the vehicle. If you must get outbecause of fire or other danger, jump out without touching

the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Shuffle awaywith very small steps. And, don’t try to help others out of the vehicle.

Electric energy is a powerful friend, but if your equipment comes in contact with a power line,follow these rules, or you could receive a harmful or fatal shock.

KEEP THE

A safety message from Minnesota Power.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

10-FOOT RULE IN MIND

®

Booms, poles, ladders,antennas and other equipment

LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 PAGE 7

Labor at anti-war rally...from page 1combat Marine in Vietnam. "I still work with vets who are trying to vanquish the ghosts

that still walk with them, vets who had their wounds rippedopen by the last presidential campaign," he said. Hinds worksfor St. Louis County Social Services. He has started a groupcalled Veterans and Military Families for Progress. "We can'tstay the course, because there is no course," he said. "If we trulywant to support our troops we'll bring them home."

On a quiet, dreary day on Second Street, many drivers pass-ing honked, and passengers yelled support out of windows.

Speaker Barb Olson said polls show 62 percent ofAmericans are against the war and occupation of Iraq. She hadrecently been at Cindy Sheehan's Camp Casey in CrawfordTexas and was impressed with the anti-war organization in theditches near Bush's ranch.

"If only FEMA had been run by Camp Casey volunteers,Hurricane Katrina wouldn't have taken such a deadly toll,"Olson said. She credited Sheehan, who's son Casey died as asoldier in Iraq and who has been asking Bush what her son diedfor, with propelling the peace movement to a new level.

Rep. Bill Hilty ended the rally with a long speech that foundno one leaving and shouts of support for his position. He saidthe right wing think tank, Project For A New American Century,had been planning the war in Iraq since the 1990s. They had noproblem having their man George W. Bush base the war on "lieafter lie" Hilty said.

He said the war is immoral and violates international law, theUnited Nations charter, the Nuremberg Accords, the GenevaConvention, and no matter what religion you belong to it vio-lates your god's law, and it violates the laws of humanity.

"It's a war of greed, imperialism, oil, and energy resources,"Hilty said.

"Fascism!" yelled someone fromthe crowd.

"I'm going to get to that," saidHilty. An earlier name of fascism wascorporatism he said. In fact Mussolinisaid that in its perfect form govern-ment and power are merged. That'swhat we have today in the U.S. Hiltysaid, an attempt to make governmentinto a corporate model, where the peo-ple are no longer citizens but share-holders, and minority shareholders at that.

Booths at the event had ways for those attending to becomemore involved as the speakers had asked them. ProgressiveAction had no less than 12 action items for citizens to use to tryto end the war and reclaim the country.

Rep. Bill Hilty closed Saturday's anti-war rally with chill-ing parallels between recent fascist regimes worldwide andthe policies of President George W. Bush's administration.

Mike Sundin andSharla Gardner

Northwest files for bankruptcy, which makes open season on all workersNorthwest Airlines filed

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept.14, which increases pressureon all its unionized workersand their benefit packages.

The Aircraft MechanicsFraternal Association wasforced out on strike August 19for not accepting having itsmembership cut in half andwage and benefit packages cutby 25 percent. AMFA andNWA returned to the bargain-ing table three weeks ago onlyto have the carrier ask for evenmore in concessions and forfewer workers.

All airlines are in troublewith skyrocketing fuel costsand NWA, and Delta, whichalso recently filed for bank-ruptcy, undoubtedly filed nowto get in under old laws thatwill change Oct. 17 when anew federal bankruptcy lawgoes into effect.

One clear ramificationwould be the effect on the$900 million in stock held byNorthwest employees. Back in1993, the airline issued thestock as compensation forwage and benefit concessionsby employees and agreed tobuy it back. But whileNorthwest executives havereaped millions of dollars byselling their own stock, the air-line has refused to make goodon its promise to the workers.

"Bankruptcy is being usedto save airlines while destroy-ing the airline’s very founda-tion – its employees," RobertDePace, president and direct-ing general chair of MachinistsDistrict 143, said in a recentstatement to members.

In Duluth, reports frominside NWA's maintenancebase say the airline is cleaningout all supplies as an A-320sits in pieces on the shopfloor.Removing equipment is inviolation of NWA's develop-ment agreement with the Cityof Duluth, which has called foran audit of the facility.

NWA has hired about 200permanent replacement work-ers for its AMFA workerssince Sept. 13. Scabs werebrought to Duluth Sept. 10 butonly stayed a few days andthings are dark in the mainte-nance base here. AMFA con-tends most of the scabs can'tpass the drug test needed for

permanent employment. Morewill quit when their per diemruns out the union says.

A hearing was to be heldyesterday that was to deter-mine if AMFA workers wereto be eligible for unemploy-ment insurance benefits.AMFA says if NWA has asked

for 53 percent reduction of itsAMFA workforce, its mem-bers should get unemployment

NWA, contrary to theirpress reports, is experiencingproblems without their skilledAMFA members. A flight toTokyo was delayed three dayslast week due to mechanical

problems. And managementhas increased calls to leadAMFA technicians trying toget them to cross their picket-line line and return to work.Those leaders are being askedto call other mechanics andask them to return to work.www.workdayminnesota.org

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Falsani, Balmer,Peterson, Quinn & Beyer

NO RECOVERYNO FEE 723-1990 1200 Alworth Building

(306 W. Superior St.) Duluth

Insurance companies and big business claim we are caught in a lawsuitgridlock - that our courts are clogged with ”frivolous lawsuits,” which

drive up insurance premiums. But that’s not true - look at the numbers!They are spreading these myths to limit your right, regardless of income,

to fair compensation if you are injured due to another’s fault.

ATTACK ALERT:Your constitutional rights are under attack right now in the Minnesota

and United States Legislatures. “Tort Reformers” want to limitcompensatory damages for victims of accidents and medical

malpractice. But in states where such “caps” are in place, there is no

evidence that caps reduce insurance premiums!

The truth is numbers don’t lie. Our fair legalsystem is working fine for all of us.

We’re fighting for your constitutionalrights, and we need your help!

Call your legislators today!

PAGE 8 LABOR WORLD NEWS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005

1.218.728.7752 Direct

Helena M. SeabrookREALTOR®

1.218.343.7638 Cell

helenaseabrook@edinarealty

smooth sale-ing

Help with your real estate needs

"My husband has been a member of IBEW Local 242 for 26 years."