An ABC News segment called the negotiation process “something that each of us has the ability to control...No employer has an obligation to whisper in the women’s ear, “Hey, you know, you just lost out on more money because you didn’t speak up.”

Yes, women need to learn negotiation, labor law and their rights and according to the National Labor Relations Board, some unions prohibit facts about labor law and salary and the secrecy continues.
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I agree with these statements, but it goes beyond that! Employers continue to pander to minority quotas and not give the proper training needed to women to become journeymen in their chosen professions. Executive Officers and members at local unions continue to keep women away from their local meetings by intimidation methods and not welcoming them to the local meetings when they try to attend.

Women continue not to be assertive enough to stand up to the men at their locals because they lack the education needed to have the same power their “brothers” have...knowledge of their union and how it works.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!   EDUCATION IS THE WAY!

But blaming the wage gap or proper training required in their professions on women’s lack of assertiveness is like blaming sexual harassment on women’s lack of snappy comebacks. The real problem is not that women do not ask for more – it is that employer’s pay, train, or support women far less than they deserve or are mandated to do in our existing Constitutions and Bargaining agreements.

Our union hall is the only place where our voice has a chance to be heard, and as long as we stay away...our voice will never be heard. Of course there is also the terrible word “POLITICS” ...we don’t want to get involved with that! But without the education of politics and how it works, our voices continue not to be heard and legislation that would benefit women’s equity and equality continues not to be passed or supported by the legislators that we elect. Or maybe we do not vote at all!

Could this be because we continue to be apathetic towards the politics in our unions and nation? I believe that this is one of the major issues concerning women’s lack of gain in our society.

No, employers still do not want to pay you the union scale or train you in the trades of our choice. Apprenticeships continue to enroll us with no support system in place, so there is no retention. They continue to hire us to fill their quotas, and we say nothing! Signatory contractors in our union have had a plan to fill their minority quotas since 1975. Unions are making concessions to new signatory employers who are willing to hire women and people of color in our trades at a lower union scale or where they will not have the ability to graduate to journeymen!

Women don’t ask, they just do...we have been conditioned to do this from the time we were born...

It is not all our fault...proper education in our bargaining agreements, our Constitution among other union training needed will allow us the power to negotiate and fight for our rights at our union halls and in our government.

A problem exists where women work in jobs that they have no voice in regarding their training, employment, pay scale, and support from their unions or by their employers because of the small numbers of women in each trade. And women in their various unions have and are fighting for us all...but the numbers are not large enough to be heard or make a difference.

Until we grow our numbers in each trade, our voices will continue not to be heard and our unions will continue to pander to our requests with what I call “Arcadian Doublespeak.”

They tell us what we want to hear, they are very nice about it. They pander to our efforts of what we would like to see change, place it on paper for everyone to show their good faith effort, and then turn around and do nothing...

Let your voices be heard, get the training you need to gain the power that your brothers already have been educated in for decades.

Organize now, let’s work together to grow the numbers of women in all unions in one place, Unite Here, fight for the rights we continue to not get today...and bring that power back to our chosen unions.

By joining together as ONE, OUR UNIONS AND OUR GOVERNMENT will have to listen!

My hope is to impose a newly invigorated labor movement by trades women throughout our great nation, starting in Chicago. This may be a utopian illusion. But for our current democracy it may be a nightmare...

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In Conclusion I present our progress on Women’s Equality in America:

Past News on Women’s Equality (October 1971):

Equal Rights Amendment

On March 22 the Senate approved the Equal Rights Amendment, previously adopted by the House in October 1971, and sent it to the states for ratification within seven years. Its effective date is to be two years after receiving the approval of the required three-fourths of the states. The main clause of the proposed constitutional amendment reads: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." Efforts in the Senate to restrict coverage of the amendment, particularly regarding military obligations for women, were defeated.

Recent News on Women’s Equality (April 2008):

G.O.P. Set to Block Bill Easing Limits on Pay Discrimination Suits          Published: April 23, 2008

Senate Republicans said on Tuesday that they were confident they would be able to block legislation intended to reverse a Supreme Court ruling last year that established tight time restrictions on lawsuits over pay discrimination.

Even if the bill stalls, the fight over the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — named for the Alabama woman who lost her case at the Supreme Court — is likely to resurface in both the presidential and Congressional campaigns. Democrats and others argue that the legislation is needed to ensure pay equity, an important issue with women.

Republican Senators Block Pay Discrimination Measure                          Published: April 24, 2008

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure intended to overturn a Supreme Court decision limiting pay discrimination suits in a politically charged vote certain to be replayed in the presidential and Congressional campaigns.

This shows our 37 years of progress...NONE! Now ask yourself why and join Unite Here, let us educate and fight together!

ALLOW ME AND OTHER WOMEN TO START GIVING YOU THE POWER YOU NEED TO CHANGE OUR UNION AND OUR NATION!
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People really need to educate themselves to what is happening on in our Nation...

READ, THINK...EDUCATE

If you are just a passionately unaware American, please evaluate your thinking as to who is the best candidate to be our leader...the next President of the United States...

SWAY THE OBAMA WAY!

Listen to Progressive talk radio with Randi Rhodes, has landed in a new home…

UNION RADIO STATION

NovaM Radio Network http://www.novamradio.com/live/ (only on the Internet) from 3-6 pm ET

Or listen to –

WCPT 820AM - Progressive Radio Talk Show

Tom Hartman Show from 6-8 pm Central Time

Live Radio WCPT

My vote is for Senator Barack Obama, our hope for change and a future for us all!

That’s all for now folks...with hope, love, and peace for our future, Chris the Abducted Alien

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