Happy Birthday Bea 104 today
Lumpkin speaking at a get-out-the-vote rally in Chicago in 2015. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Teachers Union Twitter account. Happy Birthday Bea 104 today
@BeatriceLumpkin Twitter
she first organized laundry workers in the 1930s born August 3, 1918 she's the oldest living member of the Chicago Teachers Union and is still active in its monthly meetings and committees
Beatrice Lumpkin
born Beatrice Shapiro on August 3, 1918, in The Bronx, New York, to Morris Shapiro (born Avrom Hirschenhorn) and Dora Shapiro (born Ruhde Chernin), who were Russian immigrants of Jewish descent. They were members of the Jewish Labour Bund, a socialist organization in Russia. During the 1905 Russian Revolution, Beatrice's father was arrested and beaten, but escaped from prison and obtained a fake passport bearing his new name to move to the United States. He entered through Ellis Island and eventually settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Beatrice's mother, who had helped her future husband escape, went to join him in 1906, and they were soon married.[4] They both worked in the clothing manufacturing industry; Dora worked in Greenwich Village at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory but was pregnant and not present during the 1911 fire at the factory. Their first child Max was born soon after, and the family moved to the Bronx where they owned and operated a laundry business.
Beatrice is the second of three children; her younger brother died when he was a child.[4] She graduated from James Monroe High School, where she joined the National Student League and the Young Communist League USA. She then attended Hunter College to study history, earning a BA in 1939. After working as a factory worker for several years, she graduated from Northeastern Illinois State College in 1967 with an MST and from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1974 with an MS.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Lumpkin
By: John S. Whitfield
UAW / Case contract negotiations stall
United Auto Workers, Case talks see progress, no deal
Michaele Niehaus
Burlington Hawk Eye USA TODAY NETWORK
United Auto Workers Local 807 members convened en masse Monday outside of Case New Holland Industrial’s Burlington plant to enjoy a cookout and the company of a large inflatable rat.
The visit from the 15-foot-tall rat known as Scabby came 16 weeks after the union went on strike against Case on May 2 after the two parties failed to negotiate a new contract to replace the UAW’s six-year contract with the company that expired April 30.
“I’ve rather enjoyed my summer, but it would be nice to be making good money, too,” 10-year Case employee Stacey Pence told The Hawk Eye while standing in the shade of a large billboard reading: “Shame on CNH. Working Families Deserve a Fair Contract.”
The starting hourly wage for assemblers at the Burlington plant under the most recent agreement was $20.89. That is $1.24 less per hour than the starting wage for the lowest-level unionized John Deere employees, according to the contract UAW members approved in November. It also reportedly $5.50 per hour less than what assemblers at the company’s non-union plants are paid, according to UAW Local 807 President Nick Guernsey.
It is not clear how much the company pays the replacement workers who arrive at the plant daily in white vans. Written on the window of a similar van that was rented by a union member and parked in the city right-of-way outside the plant Monday was the message, “Go home scabs.”
Other sticking points are contract length, health insurance, time off flexibility, loss in pay due to plant shutdowns caused by issues such as material shortages, and other language protecting against job loss.
“Part of what we’re fighting for in the contract is to try and guarantee some sort of wage protection in the form of sub pay daily so you can get a little bit instead of just being (out of luck) because they can’t get parts,” Guernsey said.
The cookout came during a break in the most recent round of negotiations between UAW and Case representatives that began last week and continued through the weekend before breaking due to scheduling conflicts. Representatives are expected to resume contract talks later in the week, making this the longest round of negotiations since the strike began.
Guernsey said some progress was made last week, but not enough to bring a proposal to vote before union little movement, explaining company members.
“There was a little movement, not a lot,” Guernsey said, explaining the company has shown a willingness to budge on health insurance issues and presented union reps with a “supposal” that included an early September deadline to accept the terms outlined in it or revert to Case’s June14 proposal.
A representative for Case did not respond
shown willingness health presented union with “supposal” included early September deadline terms outlined revert 14 for Case respond to The Hawk Eye’s request for to The Hawk Eye’s request for verification of the “supposal.”
Guernsey said he had not been aware of the inflatable rat’s visit until it was in place.
Strike avoided at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant
Scabby was there on loan from another local union whose members avoided a potential strike themselves. It and eight other unions representing about 450 production, craft, and maintenance workers at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant reached a three-year contract agreement with American Ordnance LLC last weekend.
“American Ordnance LLC is pleased to announce they have reached agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with Local 1010 Machinist and Aerospace Workers, Local 238 Teamsters, Local 150 Operating Engineers and Local 13 Electrical Workers and five Craft unions at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant,” American Ordnance said in a statement sent to The Hawk Eye from a spokesperson at its parent company, Day & Zimmerman.
The three-year agreement was ratified with seven of the unions Friday just before their contracts were set to expire. The other two ratified their contracts Saturday.
Machinist and Aerospace Workers Local 1010’s contract included a $5 hourly pay increase to be paid out over the course of three years, with a $1.77 raise the first year, an additional $1.50 the second year and a $1.75 raise the third year. The contract also includes an increased hourly shift differential for nondayshift workers, increasing it from 35 cents to 70 cents per hour.
“The company looks forward to continuing its partnership with the unions to support our deployed soldiers and U.S. forces,” American Ordnance said in its statement. “All work and activities will continue during contract finalization as they have through negotiations, and the company appreciates the work and support of company and union leadership during this process.”
American Ordnance operates the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, producing largecaliber ammunition for the U.S. Army.
Michaele Niehaus covers business, development, environment and agriculture for The Hawk Eye. She can be reached at mniehaus@thehawkeye. com.