Bill Bumpus an injury to one is an injury to all

By DAVID MACARAY

If America’s working people are going to make any meaningful progress, they’ll need something more promising than having the recession end.  After all, they were disadvantaged before the recession hit (during the so-called “boom” years), and, unless things change, they’re certain to remain disadvantaged after we climb out of it.

Because the government can’t or won’t do it, and because management will never voluntarily give employees one dime more than it absolutely has to, it’s up to organized labor to lead the charge.  Unfortunately (and for a multitude of reasons), it’s been a while since labor has been a significant factor in the economy.

Here are six ways unions can help themselves.

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to scoop@admin.umass.edu

As a UMass graduate, I would like to like to raise my objection to your support of a radio station, WTKK 96.9 Boston, that has refused to fire a broadcaster, Jay Severin, after he called Mexicans primitive and stated that their number one export was women with venereal disease. He is currently suspended but I as decent human don’t feel that a radio company should support indecent comments that are blatantly racist. This is disgusting and your support of a radio station like this is just as disgusting. To see what was said, you can watch this link. http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=Mh3dR5QxB5U <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh3dR5QxB5U>

I will be contacting other alumni to encourage them to withhold any financial contibutions to UMass until this situation is resolved.


Thank you for your time,
Bill Bumpus '06

By DAVID MACARAY

Some years ago, when I was a union rep with the West Coast papermakers, I was called in on a DOJ case (drunk on the job) to represent an employee who was facing termination.  While DOJs were by no means common, they weren’t exactly rare, either. 

Alcohol cases vary dramatically in how they’re perceived.  If a professor or judge shows up drunk, it’s amazing how sympathetic people can be.  They become almost maternal in their concern.  Someone this accomplished, this educated, doing something this disgraceful can mean only one thing: the man is “fighting personal demons.”  A drunken judge?  Oh my god, there has to be some tragic human story to explain it.

But let it be a factory worker who’s been drinking, and the guy is regarded as a low-class degenerate who needs to be fired immediately.  But what about this man’s “personal demons”?  Screw his personal demons.  He’s fired.  Get him the hell out of here.

By DAVID MACARAY

"With a world recession, the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble, and twenty-five years of unsound, unscrupulous and unregulated financial policy coming home to roost, organized labor leaders knew they were going to be in for a bumpy ride.  They weren’t wrong.  Not only are labor unions being punished by the recession, in many instances they are, predictably, being blamed for it." 

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posted by Das Gimp

For all of those who are upset about the most racist comment against Mexicans (for those who don't know it http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=Mh3dR5QxB5U ) I have gotten information on the situation.  He works at 96.9 WTKK http://www.wtkk.com/.  I have gotten a list of just some of their advertisers and how to contact these advertisers. 

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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics...

Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better.

Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. Thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of those older Americans believe socialism is better.

By DAVID MACARAY

There’s a myth circulating out there that not only threatens to ruin the reputation of America’s school teachers, but has the potential to side-track any realistic hopes of education reform.  It’s the assertion that “powerful” teachers’ unions are responsible for the decline of public education in the United States in general, and California in particular. 

Propagators of this myth claim that the reason test scores of American children have sunk so low in recent years is because our public school teachers are too incompetent and lazy to provide adequate instruction. 

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By DAVID MACARAY

"What would be so wrong in inviting the Republicans to engage in a public, tantrum-like filibuster—the kind we used to associate with the racist Southerners who opposed civil rights legislation?  Show America how trivial the Republicans can be in using these parliamentary stalling tactics.  Show the public how little regard the Republicans have for working people."

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