Following issues and politics in St. Louis area from the retired "Steelworker" view. Politics will be the main theme, but news of the group and Steelworkers will also be followed.
Might wish to review this ditty. We worked with some of these at American Can--American National Can and Silgan. I suspect Crown-Cork folks also handled some of this stuff.
USW workers and folks in manufacturing might wish to review this with members.
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note: OSHA does poor job of regulations in the chemical industry. OSHA seems to go by the body count, not the dangers.
Hint: get copies of Material Data Safety Sheets and keep copy--at union hall and make copy for self. It is amazing how some of this stuff gets lost.
This snip is from the Bill Moyer's Journal on BPA. Again, can workers at 083 (American Can, American National Can and Silgan containers) in St. Louis, Missouri were exposed.
How do I know? I was safety-chair and on the safety committee at 083 for a decade. In fact, I was the last labor chair of Safety committee. I read thru the safety-material data sheets. I suggest current can workers at Silgan Containers do the same.
Those in the USW (united steelworkers) might wish to review with folks the "potential" dangers of BPA.
these vids show some potential dangers from food packaging. We used this chemical at American Can--American National and Silgan at the 083 plant. Quite possible use at Continental/Crown Cork.
I am starting at vid two of this interview. ------------------
I' ve been searching hard for a highlight. The only thing that comes close is some of Obama's rhetoric; I don't see any kind of a highlight in his actions and policies.
As far as disappointments, I wasn't terribly disappointed because I didn't expect that much. I expected him to be a traditional Democratic president. On foreign policy, that's hardly any different from a Republican--as nationalist, expansionist, imperial and warlike. So in that sense, there's no expectation and no disappointment. On domestic policy, traditionally Democratic presidents are more reformist, closer to the labor movement, more willing to pass legislation on behalf of ordinary people--and that's been true of Obama. But Democratic reforms have also been limited, cautious. Obama's no exception. On healthcare, for example, he starts out with a compromise, and when you start out with a compromise, you end with a compromise of a compromise, which is where we are now.
I thought that in the area of constitutional rights he would be better than he has been. That's the greatest disappointment, because Obama went to Harvard Law School and is presumably dedicated to constitutional rights. But he becomes president, and he's not making any significant step away from Bush policies. Sure, he keeps talking about closing Guantánamo, but he still treats the prisoners there as "suspected terrorists." They have not been tried and have not been found guilty. So when Obama proposes taking people out of Guantánamo and putting them into other prisons, he's not advancing the cause of constitutional rights very far. And then he's gone into court arguing for preventive detention, and he's continued the policy of sending suspects to countries where they very well may be tortured.
I think people are dazzled by Obama's rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president--which means, in our time, a dangerous president--unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction.
Might wish to watch PBS this evening on Bill Moyers:
Friday, January 29, 8:00pm AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka.
This will repeat varied times Sunday in St. Louis
from AFL blog:
Bill Moyers interviews AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka tonight on PBS.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is tonight’s featured guest on “Bill Moyers Journal” on PBS. In an in-depth 30-minute interview, Trumka will outline steps to restore the nation’s economy, create jobs and rebuild the middle class.
He will talk about the AFL-CIO’s role in creating a broad movement of Americans to demand jobs and an economy that works for families on Main Street and why bankers and brokers on Wall Street must be held accountable with strong new financial reform rules.
Trumka will discuss why health care reform must pass and what it must include. He will explain why it’s time to restore the freedom of workers to form unions and bargain for a better life. ------------------ http://blog.aflcio.org/
First saw this on Charlie's A's blog. http://www.charlieaverill.blogspot.com/ ------------- Political dangers occur all the time. This is a danger we must all look at: fast-track of items that circumvent traditional congressional hearings.
Fast track items like "bailouts" or Homeland security patriot act and more and more present some very unfortanate and unexpected side evils. Letting a handful of congressfolks or senators without public review tinker with social security or medicare is not a wise move for the public.
More info at: http://www.ss.com/2010/a-fast-track-commission-to-cut-social-security-and-medicare/
Again for the history buffs in the groups, this short black and white flick is from Thomas Edison in 1902. If you have looked at the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers in the last couple days, this industry could return:
---------------- alas, some fool would outsource these jobs if they still existed with a healthy tax break
For the history buffs: This is the first "film" of labor day parade made by Thomas Edison in 1904. Silent and black and white withstanding, it is of interest to folks that follow such things:
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This was taken in Fitchburg, Mass in 1904. Today, the size of the crowd is slightly less than the last labor day parade I attended in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sad how times have changed in a hundred years or so.
This is a vid from the 1930s and some may have seen it from the group in elementry school eons ago. Make it in America anymore is pretty much a sad joke for we make very little.
Perhaps it is time to revisit the IRS rules that allow firms to take tax breaks to offshore jobs?
Welcome to my blog. As a member of the St. Louis chapter of the Retired Steelworkers and a member of the Alliance for Retired Americans, I can say without a doubt groups are busy in the St. Louis area. This blog is a modest effort to inform members and the general public of some of our activities and concerns. I will also "soapbox" areas and issues.
We see the solution to many of the woes of the St. Louis area as economic and political. St. Louis has a myrid of problems, but a strong economy with responsible leaders would help greatly in the solution to these woes. Alas, such is lacking on several levels with many of the "civil leaders" squabbling like children or worse, taking care of special interests instead of the public. Business leaders? get real, many of these so called leaders shame the term "Captains of Industry".
Once the St. Louis area was a leader in many areas. Now, some of the area can be compared to Third world areas with no problems what so ever.
That is unacceptable.
I take full responsibily for contents of this blog
