#cemex

[mostlysignssomeportents]

NLRB rules that any union busting triggers automatic union recognition

Tonight (September 6) at 7pm, I'll be hosting Naomi Klein at the LA Public Library for the launch of Doppelganger.

On September 12 at 7pm, I'll be at Toronto's Another Story Bookshop with my new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation.

American support for unions is at its highest level in generations, from 70% (general population) to 88% (Millenials) – and yet, American unionization rates are pathetic.

That's about to change.

The National Labor Relations Board just handed down a landmark ruling – the Cemex case – that "brought worker rights back from the dead."

https://prospect.org/labor/2023-08-28-bidens-nlrb-brings-workers-rights-back/

At issue in Cemex was what the NLRB should do about employers that violate labor law during union drives. For decades, even the most flagrantly illegal union-busting was met with a wrist-slap. For example, if a boss threatened or fired an employee for participating in a union drive, the NLRB would typically issue a small fine and order the employer to re-hire the worker and provide back-pay.

Everyone knows that "a fine is a price." The NLRB's toothless response to cheating presented an easily solved equation for corrupt, union-hating bosses: if the fine amounts to less than the total, lifetime costs of paying a fair wage and offering fair labor conditions, you should cheat – hell, it's practically a fiduciary duty:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/468061

Enter the Cemex ruling: once a majority of workers have signed a union card, any Unfair Labor Practice by their employer triggers immediate, automatic recognition of the union. In other words, the NLRB has fitted a tilt sensor in the American labor pinball machine, and if the boss tries to cheat, they automatically lose.

Cemex is a complete 180, a radical transformation of the American labor regulator from a figleaf that legitimized union busting to an actual enforcer, upholding the law that Congress passed, rather than the law that America's oligarchs wish Congress had passed. It represents a turning point in the system of lawless impunity for American plutocracy.

In the words of Frank Wilhoit, it is is a repudiation of the conservative dogma: "There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect":

https://crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/liberals-against-progressives/#comment-729288

It's also a stunning example of what regulatory competence looks like. The Biden administration is a decidedly mixed bag. On the one hand there are empty suits masquerading as technocrats, champions of the party's centrist wing (slogan: "Everything is fine and change is impossible"):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

But the progressive, Sanders/Warren wing of the party installed some fantastically competent, hard-charging, principled fighters, who are chapter-and-verse on their regulatory authority and have the courage to use that authority:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

They embody the old joke about the photocopier technician who charges "$1 to kick the photocopier and $79 to know where to kick it." The best Biden appointees have their boots firmly laced, and they're kicking that mother:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/16/the-second-best-time-is-now/#the-point-of-a-system-is-what-it-does

One such expert kicker is NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. Abruzzo has taken a series of muscular, bold moves to protect American workers, turning the tide in the class war that the 1% has waged on workers since the Reagan administration. For example, Abruzzo is working to turn worker misclassification – the fiction that an employee is a small business contracting with their boss, a staple of the "gig economy" – into an Unfair Labor Practice:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/10/see-you-in-the-funny-papers/bidens-legacy

She's also waging war on robo-scab companies: app-based employment "platforms" like Instawork that are used to recruit workers to cross picket lines, under threat of being blocked from the app and blackballed by hundreds of local employers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

With Cemex, Abruzzo is restoring a century-old labor principle that has been gathering dust for generations: the idea that workers have the right to organize workplace gemocracies without fear of retaliation, harassment, or reprisals.

But as Harold Meyerson writes for The American Prospect, the Cemex ruling has its limits. Even if the NLRB forces and employer to recognize a union, they can't force the employer to bargain in good faith for a union contract. The National Labor Relations Act prohibits the Board from imposing a contract.

That's created a loophole that corrupt bosses have driven entire fleets of trucks through. Workers who attain union recognition face years-long struggles to win a contract, as their bosses walk away from negotiations or offer farcical "bargaining positions" in the expectation that they'll be rejected, prolonging the delay.

Democrats have been trying to fix this loophole since the LBJ years, but they've been repeatedly blocked in the senate. But Abruzzo is a consummate photocopier kicker, and she's taking aim. In Thrive Pet Healthcare, Abruzzo has argued that failing to bargain in good faith for a contract is itself an Unfair Labor Practice. That means the NLRB has the authority to act to correct it – they can't order a contract, but they can order the employer to give workers "wages, benefits, hours, and such that are comparable to those provided by comparable unionized companies in their field."

Mitch McConnell is a piece of shit, but he's no slouch at kicking photocopiers himself. For a whole year, McConnell has blocked senate confirmation hearings to fill a vacant seat on the NLRB. In the short term, this meant that the three Dems on the board were able to hand down these bold rulings without worrying about their GOP colleagues.

But McConnell was playing a long game. Board member Gwynne Wilcox's term is about to expire. If her seat remains vacant, the three remaining board members won't be able to form a quorum, and the NLRB won't be able to do anything.

As Meyerson writes, centrist Dems have refused to push McConnell on this, hoping for comity and not wanting to violate decorum. But Chuck Schumer has finally bestirred himself to fight this issue, and Alaska GOP senator Lisa Murkowski has already broken with her party to move Wilcox's confirmation to a floor vote.

The work of enforcers like DoJ Antitrust Division boss Jonathan Kanter, FTC chair Lina Khan, and SEC chair Gary Gensler is at the heart of Bidenomics: the muscular, fearless deployment of existing regulatory authority to make life better for everyday Americans.

But of course, "existing regulatory authority" isn't the last word. The judges filling stolen seats on the illegitimate Supreme Court had invented the "major questions doctrine" and have used it as a club to attack Biden's photocopier-kickers. There's real danger that Cemex – and other key actions – will get fast-tracked to SCOTUS so the dotards in robes can shatter our dreams for a better America.

Meyerson is cautiously optimistic here. At 40% (!), the Court's approval rating is at a low not seen since the New Deal showdowns. The Supremes don't have an army, they don't have cops, they just have legitimacy. If Americans refuse to acknowledge their decisions, all they can do it sit and stew:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/26/mint-the-coin-etc-etc/#blitz-em

The Court knows this. That's why they fume so publicly about attacks on their legitimacy. Without legitimacy, they're nothing. With the Supremes' support at 40% and union support at 70%, any judicial attack on Cemex could trigger term-limits, court-packing, and other doomsday scenarios that will haunt the relatively young judges for decades, as the seats they stole dwindle into irrelevance. Meyerson predicts that this will weigh on them, and may stay their hands.

Meyerson might be wrong, of course. No one ever lost money betting on the self-destructive hubris of Federalist Society judges. But even if he's wrong, his point is important. If the Supremes frustrate the democratic will of the American people, we have to smash the Supremes. Term limits, court-packing, whatever it takes:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/20/judicial-equilibria/#pack-the-court

And the more we talk about this – the more we make this consequence explicit – the more it will weigh on them, and the better the chance that they'll surprise us. That's already happening! The Supremes just crushed the Sackler opioid crime-family's dream of keeping their billions in blood-money:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/11/justice-delayed/#justice-redeemed

But if it doesn't stop them? If they crush this dream, too? Pack the court. Impose term limits. Make it the issue. Don't apologize, don't shrug it off, don't succumb to learned helplessness. Make it our demand. Make it a litmus test: "If elected, will you vote to pack the court and clear the way for democratic legitimacy?"

Meanwhile, Cemex is already bearing fruit. After an NYC Trader Joe's violated the law to keep Trader Joe's United from organizing a store, the workers there have petitioned to have their union automatically recognized under the Cemex rule:

https://truthout.org/articles/trader-joes-union-files-to-force-company-to-recognize-union-under-new-nlrb-rule/

With the NLRB clearing the regulatory obstacles to union recognition, America's largest unions are awakening from their own long slumbers. For decades, unions have spent a desultory 3% of their budgets on organizing workers into new locals. But a leadership upset in the AFL-CIO has unions ready to catch a wave with the young workers and their 88% approval rating, with a massive planned organizing drive:

https://prospect.org/labor/labors-john-l-lewis-moment/

Meyerson calls on other large unions to follow suit, and the unions seem ready to do so, with new leaders and new militancy at the Teamsters and UAW, and with SEIU members at unionized Starbucks waiting for their first contracts.

Turning union-supporting workers into unionized workers is key to fighting Supreme Court sabotage. Organized labor will give fighters like Abruzzo the political cover she needs to Get Shit Done. A better America is possible. It's within our grasp. Though there is a long way to go, we are winning crucial victories all the time.

The centrist message that everything is fine and change is impossible is designed to demoralize you, to win the fight in your mind so they don't have to win it in the streets and in the jobsite. We don't have to give them that victory. It's ours for the taking.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/06/goons-ginks-and-company-finks

#nlrb #cemex #unions #labor #class war #photocopier kickers #ulp #unfair labor practices #jennifer abruzzo #thrive pet care #national labor review board #scotus #afl-cio #trader joes #harold meyerson #labor day #pluralistic

[organizeworkers]

Want to know more about the Cemex decision and what it means for you at work? 👇

#workers #unions #organizing #labor #nlrb #cemex

[goblin-union]

#nlrb #labor #unions #union strong #Cemex #workers rights #solidarity

[carlosprato]

La clínica International Medical Group (IMG) galardonada por los Premios Cemex Construcción 2017

El Presidente, Carlos Prato, recibió el destacado premio internacional por su gran inversión y trabajo para la comunidad.

Con una estructura edificada según los estándares de la Joint Commission de Estados Unidos, organismo que certifica a las clínicas de allí, la clínica International Medical Group (IMG) fue galardonada por los Premios Cemex Construcción 2017.

Gracias al gran trabajo e inversión el Hospital IMG ha logrado catapultarse como una edificación moderna, segura, acogedora y, sobre todo, amigable con el medio ambiente.

El CEO, Carlos Prato, destacó que dispone de paneles solares, cableado de data en fibra óptica, elementos arquitectónicos con los colores de la naturaleza de la zona tales como turquesa, verde, beige, entre otros detalles valorables.

#salud #empresas #construccion #liderazgo #proyectos #hospital img #img #carlos prato #cemex

[ceolider]

Fernando A. González: Pionero de la Sostenibilidad

Bajo el liderazgo de Fernando A. González, CEMEX se ha convertido en un referente de sostenibilidad en la industria de la construcción. Su visión ha llevado a la empresa a adoptar prácticas ecológicas y tecnologías limpias, reduciendo la huella de carbono y promoviendo la construcción sostenible a nivel mundial. González demuestra cómo el compromiso con el medio ambiente puede ser parte integral de la estrategia corporativa, marcando un nuevo estándar para el sector.

#CEO #CEMEX #Lider

[claubenaventer]

Para promover el manejo responsable de desechos, Cemex realizó exitosa jornada de reciclaje en San José

Una jornada educativa y ambiental, donde se recolectaron aproximadamente 900 kilos de residuos, fue organizada por Cemex en el Puerto de San José. La iniciativa, que contó con la participación de 90 alumnos de la Universidad de San Carlos sede San José, Escuintla, tuvo como objetivo educar sobre el proceso de reciclaje y promover el manejo responsable de los desechos. La jornada se llevó a cabo…

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#Cemex #ecoins #manejo de desechos #manejo responsable #municipalidad de San Jos+e #reciclaje #USAC #USAC sede San José

[a-noble-land-mermaid]

More pro-union news, in a recent matter decided by Biden appointees at the NLRB:

Under the new framework, when a union requests recognition on the basis that a majority of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit have designated the union as their representative, an employer must either recognize and bargain with the union or promptly file an RM petition seeking an election. However, if an employer who seeks an election commits any unfair labor practice that would require setting aside the election, the petition will be dismissed, and—rather than re-running the election—the Board will order the employer to recognize and bargain with the union.

#nlrb #hot labor summer #cemex

[rdsolenodonte]

Utilidad neta mexicana Cemex crece por incrementos de precios y fortaleza del peso

La cementera mexicana Cemex, una de las mayores del mundo, dijo el jueves que sus ganancias aumentaron en el segundo trimestre, impulsadas por fluctuaciones cambiarias e incrementos de precios en todos sus mercados. Cemex, con operaciones en América, Europa, África, Asia y Medio Oriente, reportó un beneficio neto de US$272 millones frente a los US$265 millones de dólares del mismo periodo de…

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#Cemex #México #Utilidad Neta

[b3aches]

Companies That Union-Bust Must Now Automatically Recognize Union, NLRB Rules

The National Labor Relations Board issued a ruling on Friday that changes the framework for unionizations, making it easier for workers to organize and harder for companies to fight back against them. The new process comes as part of a decision in the case between Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, LLC and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, where the Board found that the employer had committed over 20 “instances of objectionable or unlawful misconduct” between the filing of the union election petition and the election itself, intending to dissuade workers from organizing.

#NLRB #national labor relations board #union #labor unions #union strong #union busting #cemex construction materials pacific #teamsters #international brotherhood of teamsters #teamsters union

[maurodci]

Evento #ConstruyendoExperiencias 2022 👷🏻‍♂️ #Cemex #SomosCemex #ConstruyendoElFuturo (at Cemex) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClR8UMquog6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#construyendoexperiencias #cemex #somoscemex #construyendoelfuturo

[alertachiapas]

En puente premiado de Obras Públicas van 5 accidentes y una muerta

En este puente se privilegió al vehículo y no a la ciudadanía. Así lo reflejan estas imágenes de la asociación civil Caminabilidad, donde las personas no tienen acceso a banquetas.

En el paso a desnivel de la 11 poniente y libramiento sur, ganador del tercer lugar del Premio Obras CEMEX 2022 en el rubro de infraestructura, han habido desde su inauguración cinco accidentes viales y una persona muerta, indicó Joseliny Omar Díaz Torres, integrante del movimiento Menos puentes, más ciudad. Este 3 de noviembre, la Secretaría de Obras Públicas que dirige Ángel Torres Culebro se…

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#Ángel Torres Culebro #CEMEX #Chiapas #Menos puentes más ciudad #obras públicas #Premios CEMEX #tuxtla

[teamsterslocal769]

The Summer of 22 - Special Update

Check out the latest episode of the Solidarity Podcast featuring news from UPS, CEMEX, IMEX, United Airlines , and more...

News: Numerous contract ratifications including Avis, CEMEX, Freshpoint, IMEX, and more. Stewards gather for Training Seminar and UPS members conduct a Day of Action Promo: Teamsters Local 769 Scholarship Fund Main Story: An interview with Airline Agent Tommy Esposito and MCO Chief Steward Paul Becerra who provide a local update for United Airlines members and how to get connected to good…

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#Avis #CEMEX #contract #FreshPoint #Golf Tournament #IBT #IMEX #local769 #Miami #podcast #Scholarship #Scholarship Fund #Teamsters #Teamsters Local 769 #The Solidarity Podcast #Union #United #United Airlines #update #UPS

[descifrandolanoticia]

CEMEX: RD es “terreno idóneo” para invertir con visión de futuro

CEMEX: RD es “terreno idóneo” para invertir con visión de futuro #DescifrandoLaNoticia #CEMEX #Inversión

SANTO DOMINGO, D.N.- El principal ejecutivo de CEMEX en el país resaltó este martes que la estabilidad macroeconómica, la ubicación geográfica y crecimiento sostenido fortalecido por el capital extranjero, han convertido a la República Dominicana un terreno idóneo para la inversión con visión de futuro. José Antonio Cabrera, director general CEMEX para República Dominicana, Puerto Rico y Haití,…

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#CEMEX #Inversión

[claubenaventer]

Programa “Experiencia Cemex”, una oportunidad para visitar y comprender el compromiso con la sostenibilidad

Cemex Guatemala tiene el placer de anunciar el lanzamiento del programa “Experiencia Cemex”. Este ha sido renovado para brindar a sus principales stakeholders, y al público en general, una oportunidad única para visitar las operaciones de Cemex y comprender profundamente su compromiso con la sostenibilidad y la innovación en la industria de la construcción. Experiencia Cemex va más allá de una…

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#Cemex #Cemex Guatemala #invitación abierta #programa experiencia Cemex #Sostenibilidad #visita la planta

[eternallovers65]

It's so ADORABLE how Pac, Mike, and Forever include Roier into the whole favela5 dynamics. They genuinely give him stuff, backpacks, access to places and machines just for him (they researched to make just like cemex) and, both in and out of role, I think it's so cute and it shows what qsmp is actually all about

#idk but the fact they would probably never meet if it wasnt the server and now they joke talk and learn about their culture is so cutee #especially pac and mike research about cemex and making it just for roier is adorable #qsmp #roier #qsmp tazercraft #forever player

[rdsolenodonte]

Cemex reportó un alza de la utilidad neta a US$272 millones por aumento de precios

La cementera mexicana Cemex, una de las mayores del mundo, dijo el jueves que sus ganancias aumentaron en el segundo trimestre, impulsadas por fluctuaciones cambiarias e incrementos de precios en todos sus mercados. Cemex , con operaciones en América, Europa, África, Asia y Medio Oriente, reportó un beneficio neto de US$272 millones frente a los US$265 millones del mismo periodo de 2022. El…

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#Cemex #México