Some thing(s) meaningful YOU/WE can do - Installment 5

Posted: Apr 11, 2012

Stand up for yourself and exert your individual power and you will find there absolutely can be MT jobs with, "YEARLY EVALUATIONS (yes!)...RAISES (double yes!)...PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES (I can't believe it!)...absolutely stunning, you don't realize how brainwashed you are, how hammered you are, till you GET OUT."  The foregoing is a quote from the person who posts as wheres_my_job.  S/he is right on about the brainwashed part.  We have the power and just don't realize it and exercise it…  The person who posted the belief that MTs flexing their muscles is garbage is painfully ignorant and uninformed.  I have said it before and am saying it again that creativity will ensure no firings occur.  Creativity will ensure you do not get fired.  Just think and inform yourself before acting.  TAKE ACTION NOW and empower yourself/ourselves to improve your/our situation(s) And for those of you who like to boogie down Aretha Franklin's "Respect:" Justa, justa, justa, justa little bit…  Ooooh, your kisses sweeter than honey and guess what so is my money…  Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring…  R-E-S-P-E-C-T…  Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me…  SING IT LADIES AND GENTS!  SING IT!    And here's an article to read while you're singin'…    A general strike poster from CEA (Colectivo Estudiantil Alternativo) in Salamanca depicts a meat grinder. Going in: education, social services, labor rights. Coming out: cutbacks, insecurity, labor reform, salary reductions, unemployment, scholarship reductions, and more. A story and detailed timeline in The Guardian today talk of “near-empty railway stations, shut factories,” marchers in the streets and some violence in Madrid and other cities across Spain. The response by workers was greater than similar actions in 2010 and 2002, according to the article. An indication of an industry-sector shutdown was a drop in electricity consumption of 17%. The head of UGT (General Workers), which has 1 million members, claimed that 97% of workers in industry and construction participated, with the overall participation at 77%. Yesterday in New York, a coalition of rank-and-file members of Transport Workers Union Local 100, Amalgamated Transit Union, and Occupy Wall Street opened the doors to more than 20 subway stations, to protest “escalating service cuts, fare hikes, racist policing, assaults on transit workers’ working conditions and livelihoods — and the profiteering of the super-rich by way of a system they’ve rigged in their favor,” according to a statement by the “Rank and File Initiative." Accompanying the freebies were faux signs from the Metro Transit Authority: The MTA is determined to make the highest profit off your commute. We apologize for the recent service cuts and fare hikes but they were necessary [...] our friends on Wall Street. Enter this station for free through the service entrance. Be prepared for expanded free service until the resolution of contract negotiations in favor of TWU Local 100.   A faux MTA "Planned System Change" at left proclaims free entry in a New York subway; at right is a “Planned System Interruption” for May 1. (Photo posted on StrikeEverywhere.net) Some thing(s) meaningful YOU/WE can do - Installment 4 Posted: Apr 10th, 2012 - 2:29 pm The above image being used on a sign for May Day/Strike Day reminded me of the experience of more than 1 MT and that experience is they are receiving more from unemployment benefits than they were from actually working.  The companies we work for are making 10s of millions of dollars and more.  This form of crony capitalism that the masses are enduring is going on because the masses are allowing it to by way of apathy.  Let's get off our asses as MTs and turn it around.  It is asinine that anyone should be making more while on unemployment rather than actually working!  Think about that in the context of the above image.  Somebody has a great sense of humor and they hit the nail right on the head.  Stay tuned…   These organizations have publicized the call for a general strike on May 1. Arizona Occupy Phoenix Phoenix May Day Action Committee Occupy Tucson California Northern California Occupy Oakland Southern California Occupy Los Angeles – General Strike Preparation Committee See promo video on YouTube IWW Los Angeles Endorses the General Strike Occupy Long Beach Occupy Pasadena Occupy Riverside Occupy Venice Occupy Ventura Some SoCal Occupies are gathered under Occupy May 1st, including Occupy San Diego Denver, Colorado Denver General Strike Coordinating Committee Occupy Denver Florida Occupy Miami Occupy Tampa Illinois Chicago Spring Occupy Chicago Massachussetts: General Strike Occupy Boston (GSOB) Michigan Occupy Ann Arbor General Strike Detroit and on Tumbler and Facebook Occupy Detroit Minnesota: Occupy Minneapolis New Hampshire: Occupy New Hampshire New Mexico: Albuquerque May Day Coalition – referenced on (un)Occupy Albuquerque, discussing how to approach May 1 New York Occupy Albany Occupy Buffalo Occupy Wall Street Occupy Williamsburg and banner drop NYC on Facebook Oregon: Portland May Day Coalition Vermont: Occupy Vermont Washington DC: Occupy DC Wisconsin: Immigrant and Labor Rights March – May Day (from Milwaukee IWW)   New Yorkers “practice” for May Day 2012.  Canada Ontario: Occupy Toronto Stop Harper Day (May 1)  We likely have missed some general strike calls, so here are other resources.  National Occupy Websites: List of nearly 400, state-by-state, in the U.S. Matt Wright’s series: Occupy May Day (Daily Kos) Global Occupy May Day – General Strike Strike Everywhere! Occupii Occupy Call 2 Create Anonymous Some thing(s) meaningful YOU/WE can do - Installment 3 Posted: Apr 7th, 2012 - 2:27 pm This post applies only to those MTSOs perpetrating abuses.  If you are employed by an honest hospital, MTSO, etc., this message is not directed at you. We all want your employers to succeed and thrive! Do not cow to any employer's intimidation with regard to failing to pay you, including the apparent practice of asking you to "fudge" your timesheets.  They count on your fear keeping you paralyzed. Many MTs have "got 'em" by the ovaries (or testicles – whatever strikes your fancy) and don't even realize it.  Note the CAPITALIZED PORTIONS of the text below taken directly from DOL.  Mark my words, you have protections…  Minimum Wage Generally, you must be paid at least the federal minimum wage FOR ALL THE TIME THAT YOU WORK, whether you are paid by the hour, the day, or AT A PIECE RATE. Overtime & Regular Rate If you are not an exempt employee, you must receive time and one-half your regular rate of pay after 40 hours of work in a 7-day workweek. Regular rate includes most compensation, including non-discretionary bonuses and shift differentials. Misclassification Some employers misclassify workers who are employees under the law as something other than employees, sometimes calling them “independent contractors.” When this happens, THE WORKERS DO NOT RECEIVED certain workplace rights and benefits, such as the minimum wage and overtime pay, TO WHICH THEY ARE LEGALLY ENTITLED. Recordkeeping Generally, you should know that your employer must keep records of all wages paid to you and of all hours you worked, no matter where the work is done. Similarly, it is recommended that you keep your own records of all the hours you work and of your pay. It is recommended that you keep all your pay stubs, information your employer gives you or tells you about your pay rate, how many hours you worked, including overtime, and other information on your employer’s pay practices. Employers MUST PAY EMPLOYEES FOR ALL THE TIME WORKED in a workday. “Workday,” in general, means all of the hours BETWEEN THE TIME AN EMPLOYEE BEGINS WORK AND ENDS WORK on a particular day. Sometimes the workday extends beyond a worker’s scheduled shift or normal hours, and when this happens the employer is responsible for paying for the extra time. Usually, workers have to be paid for all the time that they work, INCLUDING: â�  Waiting for repairs to equipment necessary for work â�  Time spent traveling between worksites during the workday â�  Time spent waiting for materials during the workday â�  Breaks less than 20 minutes long â�  Time spent completing unfinished work after a shift NOTE! While most workers in the United States have these rights, some workers are not covered by federal labor laws. If the federal law does not apply, check with your State Labor Department. You work hard, and YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE PAID FAIRLY. It is a SERIOUS PROBLEM when workers in this country ARE NOTE BEING PAID EVERY CENT THEY EARN. All services are free and confidential, whether you are documented or not. Please remember that your EMPLOYER  CANNOT TERMINATE YOU OR in any other manner discriminate against you for filing a complaint with WHD. Let’s unite now and send a clear message to the dishonest MTSOs out there.  Think creatively, stay tuned and email if you are interested in more information… Have questions that need answering?  Feel free to get in touch! "Together we can do the things that we cannot do alone."       Unknown Some thing(s) meaningful - you can do (Installment 2) Posted: Apr 1st, 2012 - 3:31 pm This post applies only to those MTSOs perpetrating abuses.  If you are employed by an honest hospital, MTSO, etc., this message is not directed at you. We all want your employers to succeed and thrive! "The indignity of working for a living is well-known to anyone who ever has.  With only a small portion of the product's value finding its way into our wages, we have every right to be pissed off at our bosses."         Unknown We MTs know all too well what contemporary wage slavery is all about as the above quote articulates so well.  What can you, indeed WE, do about it?  If you feel apathetic, alone, isolated – DON'T – it's an illusion you've created! Get active and stop your production if necessary.  To spark action and ideas here is another quote:  "Workers have all the rights we need to exert our power, and we do so in a hundred ways on the job; it's just that we rarely do it in a concerted way." Unknown.  Think the Strike Day coming up is an impossibility?  Think again, UPS workers won a mass strike in August 1997 http://www.cnn.com/US/9708/13/ups.impact/index.html MTs have the same power. Many of us are justified in doing so at this point in time.  Let’s unite now and send a clear message to the dishonest MTSOs out there.  Think creatively, stay tuned and email if you are interested in more information… MTs who have been shafted – FYI (Installment 1) Posted: Mar 16th, 2012 - 6:12 pm This message is not applicable to those MTs employed by companies and persons who are treating you well.  I think we can all agree that those companies and persons are to be applauded and that we all want to make it easier for them to succeed and profit. This message IS for those Employees of MTSOs AND those Independent Contractors who have been denied pay for any work whatsoever you have done. This is a suggestion to document up the ying yang all ways in which you have been cheated or any illegal behavior whatsoever you have experienced. It has the very real potential to come in handy in recovering your money in the distant or not so distant future.  To help you get started in case you don't know the how, what, why or where  of documenting visit the following site. DO NOT VISIT THIS WEBSITE FROM YOUR WORK COMPUTER AS IT PROVIDES INFORMATION THAT YOUR EMPLOYERS NO DOUBT WOULD LIKE YOU NOT TO KNOW: http://canmybossdothat.com/ This is simply an FYI and a caution that if you choose to snooze you may lose. Things are getting very interesting...