Minimum wage in Kansas is still ridiculous

Did you know that in Kansas there are still thousands of people who are getting just 2.75 per hour? Even though the Federal minimum wage has been increased, that law doesnt apply to everyone in the country, only workers who work for interstate companies. Kansas is not even seriously considering raising their minimum wage.

On a related note, Missouri is trying to find a way to not pay overtime to emergency workers that are scheduled for more than 40 hours in a week. The sticking point is that small businesses want a little of that, too. They want to be able to work their people for, say four twelve hour days and just pay straight time for it.

In a way, these developments are good for union organizing. If everyone isnt entiltled by law to fair treatment from their employers, they will once again see the benefit of collective bargaining rights.

Blogging is hard work

Web Logging is hard work...you have to think about it every day, like journalling. It isnt any easier when you have three websites to maintain and create new content for all the time. I end up duplicating some of my work.

Website is updated again

I have changed the Contacts page on the website. Now you can see the names and stations of all of the Union officers and Stewards. Also there is contact information there for all Union Officers.

You might also like to go to the new website that I have created for the Clay County Missouri Democratic Party. www.claycountydemocrats.org

I strongly recommend that we all get more involved in State and local politics this summer and fall. It is getting more and more important for working men and women to have their voices heard. From losing pension benefits, medical benefits, and the price of everything raising while our wages remain flat, or even fall, we are being squeezed. Our representatives are talking a big game when it comes to Social issues, but on economic issues they are not hiding their agenda, which is to transfer all of our money to the wealthy.

Website Has Been updated

We have a new area of the website open now. www.IBEW412.org Click on the Downloads link and now you will be taken to a page where you can download a grievance form or a sick leave donation form. These forms were provided to me by the local and the BA asks that you use this form instead of a home made form for reporting grievances.

You will be able to view these forms but you wont be able to edit them in any other way. They are for printing and then filling out by hand. Personally, I have created Microsoft Office forms for filling a grievance out on the computer, and if you would like a copy then contact me at dan.carmack@kcpl.com. I have not done the same with the Sick Leave form.

Also, now there are a lot of people signed up in the forums and there are quite a few areas for conversation to take place. I am still working on a way to make a signup area on our website. That may happen before too awfully long.

Sony Causes Harm to home computers

Apparently Sony is in a lot of hot water over the software they secretly put on home user's computers when you try to play their CD's in your computer. This software has made it simple for hackers to take over your computer and hide their programs from you.

Details are at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10053831/

November Meeting

This meeting wasn't nearly as fun as advertised. There was no vote on the change in monthly dues calculation, because the motion was ruled out of order by the EBoard. The motion referenced an incorrect passage in the Bylaws, so it was out of order.

Next month's meeting wont be held due to the proximity to Christmas.

Have a terrific Thanksgiving next week. Don't eat too much, and drive safely everyone!

Important Meeting coming up

We need to get to the next meeting, if at all possible. Details are in the mail, but there is another change being proposed to collecting Local Dues. We are discussing it at the Forum, you can get there by going to www.ibew412.org and clicking on the Forum link. You will have to get an account to be able to see the private discussion on the bulletin board, but you can see the public one without getting an account.

New Forum

I found and installed a new forum, which is password protected. Please look at the website www.ibew412.org and click the forum link. Create a user and password and suggest topics for the discussion board. Please use your kcpl email address for now, so that I can quickly validate you as a user. Just as soon as you are validated, you may change your profile and email address to a private address, though I dont really see a problem with leaving it alone. The only email you will get from the forum is your validation email. I will be getting a seniority list from the Local so that in the future I wont need to use our work emails to validate.