Zimbabwe’s police arrest top union officials:

Zimbabwe police today arrested top trade union officials in an apparent fresh crackdown on the labour movement. They are Southern African Trade Union Coordinating Council (SATUCC) president Lucia Matibenga, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Wellington Chibhebhe, and an advocacy officer, Timothy Kondo. The three were picked up by police while conducting a labour workshop in the city of Gweru, about 300 kilometres west of Harare. By late afternoon they had not been charged and are being held at Gweru Central police station.

ZCTU president Lovemore Matombo told ZimOnline: “The reason for their arrest is that they were holding a workshop. The government is anti-ZCTU in this country and they would take every action to disrupt any activity organised by ZCTU.” Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena could not be reached for comment on what charges police would lay against the trio or when they were likely to be released. The arrest of the trade unionists comes as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) plans to send a fact finding mission to Zimbabwe to investigate alleged threats and harassment of labour activists as well as other human rights abuses.

Wal-Mart Watch: More on Wal-Mart’s welfare:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s employee wages and benefits policies cost California taxpayers $86 million annually to provide health care and other public assistance to the retailer’s underpaid workers, according to a new study. . . UC Berkeley’s analysis, released Monday, is based on the premise that Wal-Mart’s paltry pay scale forces the retailer’s workers to supplement their incomes with Medicaid, food stamps and other taxpayer-backed assistance programs at an unusually high rate. The study estimated Wal-Mart employs roughly 44,000 California workers who make an average of $9.70 per hour – 31 percent below the $14.01-per-hour average of other large retailers with at least 1,000 employees. The study calculated Wal-Mart’s wages using 2001 payroll figures disclosed in a sex discrimination lawsuit against the retailer.

Another reason we need political leaders who will help pave the high road.

More of those results which, as the President has been saying on the campaign trail, “matter”:

Layoffs occurred at the second-fastest rate on record during the first three years of the Bush administration, a government report has found. In the government’s latest survey of how frequently workers are permanently dismissed from their jobs, the layoff rate reached 8.7 percent of all adult jobholders, or 11.4 million men and women age 20 or older. That is nearly equal to the 9 percent rate for the 1981-1983 period, which included the steepest contraction in the American economy since the Great Depression. . . The new survey published Friday by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics added to the statistical evidence that layoffs are more frequent now, in both good times and bad, than they were in similar cycles a decade ago.

Missouri voters back a state constitutional ammendment to deny same-sex couples equal marriage rights:

Voters in at least 9 other states – and perhaps as many as 12 – are expected to consider similar amendments this fall, so advocates on both sides of the debate were intensely watching Missouri’s results, anxious about what they might say about voters elsewhere in the weeks ahead. “What happens in Missouri will be looked at by people across the country,” said Seth Kilbourn, the national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington group that worked against the proposed amendment in Missouri with more than $100,000 for television advertisements, telephone banks and polling.

Vicky Hartzler, a spokeswoman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage in Missouri, which pressed for the amendment with church functions, yard signs and a “marriage chain” of rallies across the state, said she hoped that the outcome would send a loud message to the rest of the country: “Here in the heartland we have a heart for families, and this is how deeply we feel about marriage.” The gay marriage question drew a heavy turnout on Tuesday to an election that also produced a surprising result in the race for governor. Late Tuesday night, Gov. Bob Holden conceded defeat to Claire McCaskill, the state auditor, in the Democratic primary. It was the first time a sitting governor lost a primary in the last decade. Ms. McCaskill will face Matt Blunt, the secretary of state, who won the Republican primary.

Meanwhile, a judge rules Washington State’s ban unconstitutional:

A Washington state court Wednesday ruled today same-sex couples must be allowed to marry. King County Superior Court Judge William Downing said that the state Constitution guarantees basic rights to lesbian and gay people — and that those rights are violated by a state law prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying. The case involved eight same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in King County. Downing’s ruling went on to say that the couples must be given marriage licenses. “This is a huge victory and a historic day,” said Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal. The couples were represented by Lambda Legal and the Northwest Women’s Law Center.

“The court recognized that unless gay people can marry, we are not being treated equally under the law,” said Cathcart. “Same-sex couples need the protections and security marriage provides, and this ruling says we’re entitled to get them the same way straight couples do.” In his ruling, Judge Downing called the eight couples “law-abiding, taxpaying model citizens,” and said, “There is no worthwhile institution that they would dishonor, much less destroy.”

Amen.

DailyKos faults the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for torpedoing a progressive’s shot at taking Dick Gephardt’s seat:

Missouri 3 — Gephardt’s old seat. It’s a solid (D) district (54 Gore, Bush 43, Other 3), so the winner of the primary was heavily favored for the general election. The winner of the race was Russ Carnahan, by all accounts a terrible candidate who coasted on name recognition and the money his family connections bought. A close second was Jeff Smith, a genuine progressive who not only built a strong grassroots army, but raised a surprisingly good amount of money given his lack of party connections or personal wealth (close to $400K. Carnahan didn’t win a single county or city, but squeaked through in the crowded primary field. Smith won St. Louis, while candidate Steve Stoll took the outlying counties in the district. Gephardt made no endorsement in the race. But the DCCC, in a contested primary, in a safe Democratic seat, gave Russ Carnahan $3,500. A signal to funders that Carnahan was the party favorite. Inexcusable.

Wal-Mart Watch: Wal-Mart considers a settlement over its exploitation of undocumented workers:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in talks to settle a federal investigation into whether the retailer knowingly hired contractors who used illegal immigrants to clean its stores, according to people close to the company and the investigation. The talks involve a multimillion-dollar fine. No deal has been struck, but Department of Justice officials and Wal-Mart have discussed a settlement of around $10 million, according to people on both sides. If it settles, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, isn’t expected to admit wrongdoing, and criminal charges aren’t expected to be brought against the company’s top executives. The settlement, however, is likely to include conditions that provide for a stiffer penalty if the retailer is found to hire undocumented workers in the future, these people said.

The Bentonville, Ark., retailer has been the subject of a seven-month federal grand-jury probe into violations of federal immigration laws. The grand jury — seated in Scranton, Pa., because state and federal investigations into janitorial contractors emanated from this region — is still conducting hearings, but it could be wrapped up by year end, Thomas Marino, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Tuesday told the Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa. Mr. Marino also told the newspaper that unless any new evidence surfaces, indictments against Wal-Mart executives were unlikely.

Edison, the company whose school privatization scheme wreaked havoc on Philadelphia’s already inequitable public school system, is facing a potential class action lawsuit started by New York parents:

The parents of more than 25 children who were formally or are currently enrolled in Edison’s Riverhead Charter School filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court Southern District of New York against Edison Schools, the New York State Board of Regents, New York State Department of Education, 12 Long Island School Districts and others. The parents are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for civil rights violations, the failure to provide a free and adequate public education and general educational deprivation. The group has created a nationwide network with other Edison Schools parent groups and will be seeking Class Action status in Federal Court. Edison runs 130 schools nationwide and serves approximately 132,000 public school students in twenty states.

Looks like the Illinois Republican Party, after five weeks of deliberation and several false starts with potential contenders who backed down from the prospect, has narrowed its selection down to Alan Keyes or Andrea Grubb Barthwell as contenders to face Barack Obama in November:

Barthwell, a physician from the Chicago suburb of River Forest, had been deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2002 until last month, when she quit to explore a Senate run. Keyes has never lived in Illinois and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate twice from his home state of Maryland…By delaying the decision until Wednesday, the committee gave Keyes time to get to Chicago for a face-to-face interview. Barthwell, who interviewed with the committee on Tuesday and was expected to talk to them again on Wednesday, still has to contend with allegations that she engaged in “lewd and abusive behavior” while serving as a top official in the White House drug policy office. An internal inquiry found last year that she made repeated comments about the sexual orientation of a staff member and used a kaleidoscope to make sexually offensive gestures. Barthwell said last month that the inquiry memorandum overstated what happened, but she said she was wrong for participating in “inappropriate banter” at a staff birthday party. “I think it’s something that was in the past, something we dealt with and it was resolved to everyone’s satisfaction,” she said.

Others who interviewed with the committee Tuesday were: James Oberweis, a dairy owner who finished second in the primary; retired Air Force Gen. John Borling, retiree Norm Hill and Chirinjeev Kathuria, who all also ran in the primary; Chicago attorney John Cox; Martin Ozinga III, president of a concrete company; Terrence Barnich, a businessman and former head of the Illinois Commerce Commission; Andy Martin, who has run for office in Florida; John Arrington of Harvey; Daniel Vovak, a political writer who wears the white wig; and Steve Bergauer, a Libertarian from Peoria. Hill, businessman Raymond Deefenbaugh and Victor Logan, a retired businessman from Glen Ellyn, weren’t scheduled to interview but were allowed to speak to the committee.

Rolling Stone surveys classified accounts of rape and torture at Abu Ghraib:

The new classified military documents offer a chilling picture of what happened at Abu Ghraib — including detailed reports that U.S. troops and translators sodomized and raped Iraqi prisoners. The secret files — 106 “annexes” that the Defense Department withheld from the Taguba report last spring — include nearly 6,000 pages of internal Army memos and e-mails, reports on prison riots and escapes, and sworn statements by soldiers, officers, private contractors and detainees. The files depict a prison in complete chaos. Prisoners were fed bug-infested food and forced to live in squalid conditions; detainees and U.S. soldiers alike were killed and wounded in nightly mortar attacks; and loyalists of Saddam Hussein served as guards in the facility, apparently smuggling weapons to prisoners inside.

The files make clear that responsibility for what Taguba called “sadistic, blatant and wanton” abuses extends to several high-ranking officers still serving in command positions. Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who is now in charge of all military prisons in Iraq, was dispatched to Abu Ghraib by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last August. In a report marked secret, Miller recommended that military police at the prison be “actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees.” After his plan was adopted, guards began depriving prisoners of sleep and food, subjecting them to painful “stress positions” and terrorizing them with dogs. A former Army intelligence officer tells Rolling Stone that the intent of Miller’s report was clear to everyone involved: “It means treat the detainees like shit until they will sell their mother for a blanket, some food without bugs in it and some sleep.” In the files, prisoner after prisoner at Abu Ghraib describes acts of torture that Taguba found “credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses.” The abuses took place at the Hard Site, a two-story cinder-block unit at the sprawling prison that housed Iraqi criminals and insurgents, not members of Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. In one sworn statement, Kasim Mehaddi Hilas, detainee number 151108, said he witnessed a translator referred to only as Abu Hamid raping a teenage boy. “I saw Abu Hamid, who was wearing the military uniform, putting his dick in the little kid’s ass,” Hilas testified. “The kid was hurting very bad.” A female soldier took pictures of the rape, Hilas said.

Drudge offers a choice selection from Speaker Hastert’s soon-to-be released book:

People ask me if I’m really calling for the elimination of the IRS, and I say I think that’s a great thing to do for future generations of Americans…Now consider that a flat tax, national sales tax, or VAT would not only eliminate the need to [hire a CPA], it could also eliminate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) itself and make the process of paying taxes much easier. By adopting a VAT, sales tax, or some other alternative, we could begin to change productivity. If you can do that, you can change gross national product and start growing the economy. You could double the economy over the next fifteen years. All of a sudden, the problem of what future generations owe in Social Security and Medicare won’t be so daunting anymore. The answer is to grow the economy, and the key to doing that is making sure we have a tax system that attracts capital and builds incentives to keep it here instead of forcing it out to other nations.

The vision of productivity here is simply a repackaging of the conservative mantra that shifting more of the rich’s share of the tax burden to the middle class and the poor will give them more incentives to get more rich and make everybody else rich too. Hastert’s concern isn’t increasing efficiency – it’s further stratifying political and economic power. Just another reminder of the urgency of getting Bush out of the Presidency and Hastert out of the Speaker’s seat.

Labor Historian Nelson Lichtenstein on the NLRB’s Brown decision:

The stakes are huge because if one explores the logic inherent within the NLRB majority opinion, we are moving not just toward the extinction of the American labor movement, but into an Orwellian universe in which words like “individualism,” “education,” and “choice” turn into their opposites. In distinguishing between the educational and economic functions that graduate students perform, the Republican appointees harked back to the original language of the Wagner Act from the New Deal era and embraced something close to a class-warfare reading of American labor law. The 1935 statute, they argued, was “premised on the view that there is a fundamental conflict between the interests of the employers and employees.” More important, the GOP appointees, emphasizing a passage from an earlier decision, argued that “the vision of a fundamentally economic relationship between employers and employees is inescapable.” Thus, according to their reasoning, if graduate students have something less than an antagonistic relationship with administrators and professors, if they are paid mainly to learn and not work, they are not employees and therefore not covered by the labor law. Such a Marxist analysis of labor relations flies in the face of the argument that conservatives have long made to declare both the labor law and the labor movement antique and obsolete: that both modern management and postindustrial technology have made for cooperative and nonadversarial relationships within the world of work. High-tech firms like Microsoft declare unions unsuitable to their well-educated, hyper-creative employees. Even General Motors says it now rejects the production principles pioneered by Frederick W. Taylor and Henry Ford, correcting “the great flaw in the assembly-line concept” that “tends to exclude the creative and managerial skills of the people who work on the line.” So if the current NLRB has returned us to a stark world of polarized classes, I hope that the government will soon inform the millions of workers at Wal-Mart, Kmart, FedEx, and other anti-union firms who are constantly bombarded with a contrary message.

Of course the reason the Republican members on the NLRB echo such class-warfare polarities is to make the argument that graduate students at Brown, New York University, and other big universities are there not to work but to learn. And like their hyperindustrial conception of the world of work, they also subscribe to a Victorian notion of education, which is at once highly personal and, at the same time, utterly authoritarian…Right-wing conservatives argue that any job that contains a spark of creativity, a bit of authority, or an element of education or apprenticeship should be exempt from the labor law and the union compass. They are happy to consign the union idea to the most onerous, repetitive, and undignified
forms of labor. And then, of course, as the union idea becomes synonymous with such jobs, the same ideologues argue that teachers, programmers, nurses, doctors, journalists, and writers would be crazy to link their fortunes with such unfortunates. In truth, all jobs, even the most low-wage and low-skilled, require
judgment, self-reliance, and initiative. All work can and should be dignified. By the same measure, the labor movement needs to make it abundantly clear that you don’t have to be a horny-handed proletarian to benefit from a collective defense of one’s self-interest, which is why 18th-century printers, 19th-century craftsmen, and 20th-century airplane pilots, screenwriters, and baseball players joined the house of labor. Union work rules and wage standards are best understood not as a depersonalizing straitjacket, but as the code of workplace law — a practical instance of “equal protection under the law” — to which all men and women are rightly subject.