News Briefs - November 19, 2004

CLEP Update, November 11, 2004

Interview with Presidents of Iraqi Teachers' Unions

GEO at U of Michigan appoints first transgender chief negotiator and

seeks protections for transgender members in contract.

Item 1
CLEP (Chicago Labor Education Program) Update, November 11, 2004
Our Labor Education Program (LEP) will be hiring another labor educator. Deadline for application: December 1.
This job is based in Champaign and requires travel around Illinois. To get copies of the actual job announcements,
reply to this email.
National Labor College Classes: In Spring 2005 we will be offering four 10-week NLC classes as well as the
required portfolio class, Educational Planning LBST 2990, in Chicago. We will offer one NLC class in Champaign
as well as LBST 2990. These classes will begin in early February. Details about these classes (topic, teacher) will
come out in the next CLEP Update.
December 9, 2004: The annual Polk Gala will take place from 4:00 -7:30 at Teamster Auditorium, 300 South
Ashland. This is a splendid holiday party; all past Polk participants are invited.
January 18: Basic Certificate Introduction to Labor Law class starts, Tuesday nights from 6:00 - 8:30.
January 20. CLASSES IN SPANISH. Taught by Francisco Montalvo, Jr. Thursdays January 20 for 6 weeks. Day and
evening program available. Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., also 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Introduccion al Unionismo para Trabajadores de Habla Hispana (Introduction to Unionism for Spanish-Speaking
Workers. Esta clase les dara una breve historia del movimiento obrero. Discutiremos problemas en su empleo,
estructura del movimiento obrero, el procedimiento de quejos, como reconcer quejos, deberes del delegado de
quejos, y ley laboral.
(This class will give you a brief labor history of the labor movement. We will discuss problems at work, structure of
the labor movement, grievance procedure, recognizing grievances, duties of the steward and labor law.)
All classes at our office at 815 West van Buren Street unless otherwise listed. If you would like to be removed from
this list, email back to this message and you will be removed.
CACOSH, the Chicago Area Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, is your resource for health and safety at
work. Health and Safety classes offered by CACOSH are available at your workplace or union hall. And - is your
union a member of CACOSH? Call CACOSH organizer Emanuel Blackwell: 312-666-1611.
E-mail from Helena Worthen
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Item 2
Interview with Presidents of Iraqi Teachers' Unions
November 14, 2004
http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/archives/000108.html
INTERVIEW: Iraqi Teachers' Union Joint Presidents; "Independence, transparency and the importance of not being
part of the state and political parties"
The following interview was conducted at the meeting of Iraqi trade unions in October 2004 organised by the

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in Amman, Jordan. The IFTU held a meeting with the
two Joint Presidents of the Baghdad teachers' union, Mahdi Ali Laffta and Salah Hassan Mahmood Al Jaf.
Teachers' unions have a special importance in Iraq. During the Sadddam era teachers were rigidly policed by the
state and Ba'ath Party apparatus, to ensure that they conferred legitimacy on the regime through their teaching.
Those teachers suspected of undermining the dictatorship were dismissed. The teachers' unions formed since the fall
of Saddam emphasise their independence from the state and political parties. The teachers' unions are not affiliated
to any trade union federation, although they have strong and fraternal relationships with IFTU and share a political
perspective on the necessity for building independent trade unions and rebuilding Iraqi civil society.
"The Teachers' Union in Baghdad held its first open conference on 29 July 2003. The conference elected a new
leadership committee of 15 members and adopted an internal rulebook.
"About 350 delegates representing 20 union committees in both Al Kharkh and Al Risaafah attended the conference.
[Al Kharkh and Al Risaafah are the two districts of Baghdad where many of the technical and higher education
establishments are located]
"Two preparatory committees, each with 20 members were also present even though they were not yet officially
constituted.
"At the Conference these 20 committees merged to form two committees of 10 members each and the meeting
elected two Presidents; Mahdi Ali Laffta in Al Risaafah and Salah Hassan Mohmood Al Jaf in Al Kharkh.
"Union Membership is voluntary not a compulsory, but teachers want to join us. In Al Kharkh there are 29,100
members out of 32 thousand teachers. Union membership costs one thousand Dinars a year; this is a significant
percentage of a teacher's wage.
"In Al Rasaafa there are 25,500 union members out of about 33,000 teachers who pay the same membership dues.
"On 23 August 2003, 400 delegates representing teachers' unions in 15 government regions across Iraq held their
first National Conference. The Teachers' Unions in the Baghdad region were there, came together and elected a 16
strong national committee.
"The National Conference of Teachers' Unions decided on the following policy priorities and campaigning activities:
"The united Teachers' Union campaigns for:
1.
The reinstatement of politically victimised teachers to their jobs and compensation for teachers
who Saddam drove out of work;
2.
Teachers to have the right to a union representative in all industrial tribunals;
3.
A trade centre for teachers to shop at low cost;
4.
Increased wages from 5,000 to 20,00 Iraqi Dinars per month;
5.
Reduced teachers work load and improved education by reducing primary class sizes down from
28 to 24 and then incrementally down to 18;
6.
To retrain former teachers and include more computer training;
7.
To build Teacher housing.
Posted by solidarity at November 14, 2004 and forwarded by USLAW (www.uslaboragainstwar.org)
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Item 3
GEO at U of Michigan appoints first transgender chief negotiator and seeks protections
for transgender members in contract.
The Graduate Employees' Organization local 3550 MFT&SRP AFT AFL-CIO was the first union in the
country to include non-discrimination protections for gay workers, in their first contract in 1975. Thirty
years and 12 contracts later, GEO has selected an "out" ftm transsexual, Andre Wilson, to be their lead
negotiator in bargaining a new three year contract. On the table are many issues, including
comprehensive transgender inclusive health insurance coverage.
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/11/18/419c87b28b8e2
Posted via e-mail to CGEU list, November 18, 2004
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