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News Briefs

Date Posted: January 25 2008

Detroit to host union industries show
Detroit has been selected as the site to host the 2008 America at Work Union Industries Show at Cobo Center.

The event, scheduled the weekend of May 16-18, showcases union-made automobiles, motorcycles, sporting goods, clothing, housewares, appliances, foods, glassware, computers, and furniture.

The show moves from city to city every year. The last time it was in Detroit, in 1995, scores of vendors handed out free union-made goods to show-goers, and had displays that illustrated which goods were made in by union members.

This year, a significant change to the show includes allowing the sale of union-made made-in-the-USA products. In addition, unionized building trades contractors will be invited to market their services, in areas like painting, roofing electrical masonry and plumbing.

"We're looking forward to working with the Michigan State AFL-CIO and the Detroit Central Labor Council to make this show a breakthrough for our exhibitors and the department," said Union Label and Service Trades Department President Charles Mercer.

Nonresidential stays strong in 2007
Exclude residential construction, and the value of U.S. construction starts in 2007 jumped 11.2 percent over 2006.

So said a report issued Jan. 17 by Reed Construction Data, one of a handful of groups that keep an eye on trends in the U.S. building industry.

Reed reported that construction starts rose 5.2 percent in the month of December after two weak months in November and October. However, the last quarter of 2007 was down 17.6 percent from the same period in 2006.

Partisan divide seen in voting records
Michigan's two U.S. senators, Democrats Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, were among the most labor-friendly lawmakers in the U.S. Senate, combining to vote 67-1 in agreement with key positions taken by the AFL-CIO in 2007.

Stabenow was one of only five senators with a "perfect" labor-friendly 34-0 score. Levin's only vote that contradicted the AFL-CIO was on immigration.

Some of the key legislative items that were compared included the Employee Free Choice Act, limiting guest worker programs, and funding children's health care.

On the House side, Michigan Republican Candice Miller (Harrison Twp.) had one of the top pro-labor voting records among all GOP lawmakers, voting with the AFL-CIO by a 21-12 margin.

Among Democratic presidential contenders who are current federal lawmakers, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton was 27-1, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was 23-1 and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich was 23-4.

On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain's AFL-CIO voting record was 3-14, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul was 4-23. Other major candidates not listed are not current federal lawmakers.