| July
28, 2006
Women and minority workers are losing out as a result of
consolidation of media ownership and the rise of Internet and
wireless technologies.
That was the focus of a new analysis by the Institute for
Women's Policy Research, and a supporting research report by
the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund.
"Making the Right Call: Jobs and Diversity in the
Communications and Media Sector" analyzed data from the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission and the U.S. Census Bureau. It found that that the
shift to "new" digital media concentrates women and minorities
in lower-paying jobs, for the most part without the benefit of
union representation. This report is available at:
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/communication/right_call.pdf.
The reports track employment trends and their implications.
They determined that unionized jobs in traditional media, once
a path to opportunity and a more secure economic life,
particularly for women and minorities, are being replaced by
lower-paying, less secure jobs in new communications media.
The LCCREF analysis, "Employment Trends in the
Communications and Media Industries," discusses how media
consolidation has harmed the quality of job opportunities for
women and minorities. That report is available at:
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/communication/employment_trends.pdf.
At a Washington, D.C., briefing to release the reports,
President Linda Foley of The Newspaper Guild-CWA said the
effect of growing concentration of media ownership was clear.
"In the newspaper sector, we've seen consolidation result in a
20 percent drop in overall employment. This has negative
implications not only for quality jobs, but for bringing about
diversity in newsrooms and ensuring quality community
coverage."
She called for a reversal of current government policy that
ignores and sabotages workplace democracy and disrespects
workers' rights.
Wade Henderson, executive director of the LCCR, said,
"Employer resistance to unionization in the 'new' telecom
industries threatens to undermine the success" made by women
and minorities in recent years. "In the media industries,
where the voice of minorities and women is so critical, we
find growing concentration blocks that voice. This underscores
the critical importance of strong media ownership rules."
The Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee has
authorized $500,000 for a research study on the effects of
flight attendant fatigue, based on a report by the Federal
Aviation Administration. The two-year follow-up study
will be conducted by the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical
Institute (CAMI), with the results to be submitted to Congress
by December 31, 2008.
Last month, AFA-CWA flight attendants and supporters held a
"sleep-in" outside FAA headquarters, calling on the
agency to release its overdue report on flight attendant
fatigue.
"Flight attendant fatigue is a chronic problem in the
aviation industry and it continues to jeopardize our ability
to fulfill important safety and security roles," said AFA-CWA
President Pat Friend. "We are pleased that steps are
being taken to move forward, end flight attendant fatigue and
finally enact meaningful regulations that will address this
problem."
The results of the initial FAA report confirmed that flight
attendants are frequently "experiencing issues consistent with
fatigue and tiredness" and that "fatigue appears to be a
salient issue warranting further evaluation."
"Based on the incident reports, flight attendant comments,
and the outcomes from the sampling of actual duty and rest
time, it appears that the opportunities for adequate rest for
flight attendants need to be further evaluated," the FAA said.
The initial study also notes that regulations created by
the FAA governing flight attendant duty and rest requirements
are "minimal standards." To truly address fatigue, the
regulations must be combined with "sound and realistic
operational practices," as well as personal strategies, it
said.
CWA endorsed the AmeriCare Health Care Act, introduced by
Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), as a good step toward the goal of
major comprehensive reform of the nation's health care system.
CWA strongly supports the concept of "Medicare for All" and
the Stark plan shares the conviction that the Medicare program
— with its proven track record of administrative efficiencies
and effectiveness — should be the basis of a health care
system that is universal, affordable and efficient.
In the union's July convention policy statement, CWA
pointed out that few employers or business groups seem serious
about the campaign for real reform. "Rather than seeking a
long-term solution to this decades-old problem, employers are
cutting health benefits, raising worker contributions and
eliminating health care plans. The current health care system
is failing the needs of working families" and now is the time
for action, CWA stressed.
CWA also strongly supports legislation introduced by Sen.
Edward Kennedy and Rep. John Dingell — the Medicare for All
Act — also modeled on Medicare as a platform to extend health
care coverage to all.
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