the other program that carrie is referring to is called union to union. which some regions have pursued for ten or 12 years now. in my old cwa district one in the northeast. we developed in 2002 a partnership with the columbian public sector union. and through voluntary contributions from 60-70 locals every year since then have raised 10 to $12,000. we have had an experience of changes between the union and this group and activist up here. larry cohen, the president of the union confronted the previous in a meeting with the afl delegation a year or two ago around the continuing violation of workers rights in columbia. again, i think the lesson of that model program is the bottom up is worker to worker, it's rank and file, or not relying on national endowment money to finance the partnership. i will say the solidarity center has been very heful in very -- very helpful. carrie was one the members to help get it off of the ground. >> that's really bottom up. >> not a lot of money. but it's not a mandatory assessment. they have to care enough about this progr

now was the soviet union already on the path to extinction despite a failed coup all could have been reformed people of el debates with his guest next on our. and you can see. below in the welcome to cross talk i'm peter lavelle the coup that failed that changed everything twenty years ago communist party hardliners attempted to derail me helped out of a child's efforts to reform the soviet union in the coups aftermath the communist party was banned to be followed by the end of the u.s.s.r. could history of played out differently. you can. still see. the cross-talk the events of august one thousand nine hundred one i'm joined by geoffrey hosking in london he is america's professor of russian history at the university college london in oxford we have archie brown he's america's professor of politics at the university of oxford and if you know the god we go to because i petro he is professor of politics at the university of rhode island all right gentlemen this is crosstalk that means you can jump in anytime you want but first let's have a look at the failed coup of ninety ninety one.

and returned to moscow and the soviet union would never be able to see all the new. state committee for the state of emergency people all they knew they wanted to do was stop whatever was happening in its tracks but they didn't have an alternative vision they didn't have really anything else to propose in its place other than status quo ante let's go back we had before nonstarter didn't go into or got no traction in society and the second thing was simple planning planning ironically instead of curbing war of a child's performance project and reinvigorating the power of the communist party the coup plotters he sent their own political to my real political power shifted to yeltsin quickly moved to ban the party and a few months later the soviet union ceased to exist much attorney for cross-town party. fine go to you first century local go international later twenty years ago there was this coup what does it mean now twenty years after the fact or is a brand new russia it's unrecognisable from what happened twenty years ago when you teach your students when you talk to

not unionized is not because you don't want a union, but your worker haves chosen not to have a union; is that correct? >> it's illegal in the united states to prevent unionization. if they wish to have a union, they are free to elect one, but so far they have not chosen to do so. >> let me ask you one more question, sir. given that the studies are showing that public sector employee unions are paid substantially higher than what a comparable private sector receives and we'll provide evidence of that in a few minutes, but dpifn that premium in wages and benefits, do you think that's fair that one of your workers who is paid $16, $18, or $20 an hour service unions, i think, don't have that competition to keep them in check, and as a result, i think they've done great damage. i don't think public service unions should be legal. >> thank you, sir. >> all right, ms. lee, your witness. >> my partner -- [inaudible] >> that'll be fine. please proceed. >> mr. mackey. i'm karl shoemaker, associate professor at the university of wisconsin-madison. [laughter] there was an impressive job that you

or not join a union?'t that a basic civil right of every american worker? [applause] >> the question here -- >> save your speeches for closing. please ask the question. >> the question here 1 should people who join unions go to expwrail. that's the question. >> no, it's not. that's not the question. >> professor -- >> professor -- >> if i want to work for the police department in may local government or be a teacher in the public schools, should i be forced to join a union and pay the dues 1234 >> object, object. >> overruled. >> final question. >> should i be -- >> you are not required. >> the right of joining the union or not? >> i think workers in america should have the fundamental right to join a union if they want to. >> or not to? >> whether or not they want to or not as far as a free right to work state, each state should be able to decide that on its own. i anticipate new hampshire decides one way, another state decide another way. each state should have the right to choose. .. let's just review

they were the unions. >> guest: the unions are not week in those performing states. to say that schools are high performing which states did you mention? massachusetts, what's next? >> host: connecticut, new jersey. >> guest: anyone on the planet who thinks the new jersey public school system is a successful system is their anyone -- >> host: the low performing schools are concentrated where there's hope price file isolation but new jersey as a whole, again you have to look at the national data. it's the new jersey is a high performing state as compared to the south and many other states in the midwest. >> guest: if you look at the concentrations of high poverty, that the formula you just described would change, but the basic argument of the book is a rather simple argument, and frankly what i find is that the people who argue against the basic logic, it's the same type of argument that the tobacco companies made when they said that there's no evidence of a cigarette smoking causes cancer. it cannot be denied if you have a union contract that does not allow the princ

bring about the end of the soviet union. and swimmers in russia's far east brit to buy and tear off the people with savage five shocks in two days attacks that have never been seen before and not reach him .

years ago communist party hardliners attempt to do real me hoping to shelter for reform the soviet union. marvin here broadcasting live from washington d.c. coming up today on the big picture of. the earth. play. live. live live. live nation free liquidations free the storage charges free from a challenge the free. three stooges free. moseley braun to live video for your media project for free media and dollars r t dot com. you can. live. live. below and welcome across top i'm peter lavelle the food that failed but changed everything twenty years ago communist party hardliners attempted to derail me help out of a child's efforts to reform the soviet union in the coups aftermath the communist party was banned to be followed by the end of the u.s.s.r. could history of played out different. lives can. start listening. to cross talk the events of august nine hundred ninety one i'm joined by geoffrey hosking in london he is america's professor of russian history at the university college london in oxford we have archie brown he's america's professor of politics at the university of oxford and

union forces exchanged him and got union prisoners of war back. he was exchanged in richmond, virginia. the day he got off the boat on the james river in richmond was two days before the confederacy collapsed, government collapsed. though john m. porter was able to get out of richmond on a train right behind president jefferson davis and his wife and the entire confederate cabinet. and he went all the way into north carolina, actually tried to go back into richmond but turned around and went back to north carolina. he actually met up with many members of his old command in north carolina. but they all told him to go on. war is over. he thought for a moment with some of the fellows he was with maybe we can keep going west and find a confederate army that is still in the field in louisiana or mississippi. what they did was they wandered all the way into georgia and wound up in the beautiful town of madison. the reason he went there was he had an uncle named john watson porter. railroad man and a banker. he showed up at john watson porter's house. th

good unions. but the unions got much too much of a good thing. they succeeded too much. and you can blame and should blame the people on the other side of the bargaining table that they succeeded that much. you can't plan ahead of the union for saying this year i'd like the tensions to start at age 57 instead of age 60. five years ago 65. this year with like 57. you can't blame the person with the last mayor bloomberg, let's make it age 55 and bloomberg says yes. best of the union motor is supposed to do. >> host: the other half has to do their job. >> guest: do know that because that's another. what i'm saying is we got on this whenever talking about the whole issue of accountability and the system was allowed to become completely unaccountable as i explain in the book, by basically the quiet conspiracy among all the adults. the bureaucrats who ran the school system in the teachers unions who they were supposed to be supervising just kept negotiating deals that would group the two of them mutually and really lousy for the children. >> host: just a change for a moment. i

for unions.k at those numbers. and that makes sense, if this has sunk in. the fate of the middle class and fate of unions are inex-strikable. but it also makes sense for another reason, that democrats really like unions because unions and the policy goals of the democratic party have bumped into each other more than once in the last century. for almost all the things democrats now brag about, unions have been crucial, if not essential. if there is a difference between those two things. president obama acknowledged as much almost two years ago at a labor day picnic. >> much of what we take for granted, the 40-hour workweek, minimum wage, health insurance, paid leave, pension, social security, medicare, they all bear the union label. it was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. even if you are not a union member, every american owes something to the labor movement. few have fought longer and harder for health care than you. in good economic times and in bad, labor is not the

he was exchanged, union forces exchanged him and got the union prisoners of war back. he was exchanged in richmond virginia, and the days that he was sent, that he got off the boat on the james river and richmond was two days before the confederacy collapsed, the government collapsed. and so john porter was able to get out of richmond on a train of left behind president jefferson tayler and davis' wife in the entire confederate cabinet. and he went all the way into north carolina and actually tried to go back into richmond but then turned around and went back into north carolina. he met up with members of the command in north carolina but they all told him to go on, the war is over for us and he fought for a moment with some of the fellows that he was with that maybe we could keep going the west and find a confederate army that is still in the field in louisiana or the trends mississippi. but what they did is they wander all the way into georgia and they wound up in that beautiful little town and the reason he went there and she had an ongoing living there. his name wa

you needed unions just like you need unions in most workplaces but the unions got much too much of a good thing. they succeeded too much. and you can laymen should lame that people on the other side of the bargaining table. you can't blame the head of the union for saying i want to have -- this year i would like the pensions to start at age 57 instead of age 60. five years ago it was 65 and then went to 60. this year i would like 57 and they can't land a person who if you ask mayor bloomberg the next go-round let's make at age 55 and bloomberg says yes. that that is what unions are supposed to do. >> host: the guys on the other half the table have to do their job. >> guest: you know that because it is in the book. of course but what i'm saying is we got on this one we were talking about the whole issue of accountability. and the system was allowed to become completely unaccountable, as i explained in the book is basically this quiet conspiracy among all the adults. the bureaucrats who ran the school system, and the teachers unions who they were supposed to be supervising, they just k

you needed unions just the way i think you need unions in most workplaces. but the unions got much too much of a good thing. they succeeded too much. and you can blame and should blame the people on the other side of the bargaining table that they succeeded. you can't plan ahead of the union for saying i want to have, you know, this year i want to pensions to start at 857 instead of age 60. five years ago it was 65 and it went to 60. this year i would like 57. you can't blame that person, let's make it age 55 and bloomberg says yes, that's what a union leader is supposed to do. tran but the guys on the other half of the tape have to do their job just back that's right. and you know that because that's in the book. but what i'm saying is we got on this when we're talking about the whole issue of accountability. the system was allowed to become completely unaccountable, as i explain in the book, but basically in this quiet conspiracy among all the adults. a bureaucrat who ran the school system, and the teachers unions who they were supposed to be supervising,

union rights and union strength are intertwined with democratic politics, unions do not succeed withoutong democrats and democrats do not succeed without strong unions. with the middle class reeling as a result, the recall elections in wisconsin today are frankly about whether or not democrats can hit back when union rights are attacked. whether or not the democratic party knows there's an economic point to its existence. joining us tonight for the interview is a author and journalist that has done more than anyone else in the country to force the issue of americans not making it, the disappearance of the american middle class into the national debate, barbara ehrenreich, her landmark book, "nickel and dimed" has been reissued for a tenth anniversary, which makes me feel old. barbara ehrenreich, thank you very much for being here tonight, appreciate your being here. >> it's a treat. >> i don't want you to play pundit about this wisconsin election night, but do you think we're having a national fight, national debate at least about working for a living, about jobs, about class? >> i don'

welcome to union square. one of my favorite places. you may know this, but two- thirds of our annual visitors make their way down here to union square. that is why 10% of our annual sales tax revenue comes from right here. people love coming here, and why not? why not link the historic cable car stop on market street, and make the experience of making up here -- making it up here and the rest of the city and experience. one of the things that i love is we get to collaborate between our planning department, mta, department of public works, working with the private sector. working with some fantastic designers, like walter, and his fantastic design studio. and gaining the confidence of the people who protect this gem of the city, the business improvement district in union square. i want to thank everyone for coming together and blessing, with the contribution from audi of america, coming together to make these couple of blocks even better, to modernize it, make it even more welcoming, and to make sure that it is people-friendly in every

they released him, he was exchanged union forces exchanged him, and got union prisoners of war back. he was exchanged in richmond, virginia, and the day he was sent to -- that he got off of the boat on the james river in richmond was two days before the confederacy collapsed, the government collapsed. and so john porter was able to get out of richmond on a train right behind president jefferson davis and davis' wife and the entire confederate cabinet. he went all the way into north carolina. actually tried to go back into richmond, but then turned around and went back into north carolina. he actually met up with many members of his only command? north carolina. but they all told him to go on. the war is over for us. he thought with some of the fellas that he was with, maybe he can keep going west and find a confederate army that's still in the field in loosen transmississippi. what they did, they wardennered all the way into georgia and wound out in the beautiful little town of madison, georgia. the reason that he went there was that he had an uncle living there who was name was john

was black blatantly anti-union and president obama even threaten to veto it. three publicans in the house didn't care it passed that anyway welcome to john boehner eric cantor's world and now they're flying home on their campaign donors private jets before a compromise funding bill with out anti-union language can be negotiated with the senate so now four thousand f.a.a. workers are furloughed without pay over two and a half billion dollars worth of airport construction projects are on the whole leaving somewhere between sixty and one hundred thousand mostly unionised construction workers out of a job so much for asking where the jobs are. not only that the federal government is losing out on two hundred million dollars a week in uncollected taxes on airline tickets as a result of the partial f.a.a. shutdown and so in a sense that will be at least another five weeks before this is resolved and you can do the math on just how expensive this little republican vacation is so much for caring about deficit reduction transportation secretary ray la hood went on t.v.

as it was into a war for the union as it could be, a union that embraces freedom. thank you all very much. [applause] >> this event was hosted by the new york historical society in new york city. for more information visit nyhistory.org. >> up next, booktv talks with cebt masterson brown as part of our series examining the literary landscape of eight southeastern cities. mr. brown recounts the military career of john m. porter who served in the ninth kentucky cavalry during the war and penned the events of his services following the end of the war. it's about 30 minutes. >> john porter was a, um, young fellow from butler county, kentucky, which is a county down in south central part of the state. who, um, joined the confederate army in october of 1861 when the confederate armies occupied southern kentucky. and he ultimately became a lieutenant in the ninth kentucky cavalry that rode with john hunt morgan. and, um, he was probably prouder of having ridden through the war with john hunt morgan than he was almost anything he ever did in life. and he penned this memoir

union members say outsourcing and technology have both contributed to eliminating some union jobs. >>ere's no doubt unions overall have less bargaining power than they had 30, 20 years ago. they have less political power than they've had because, you know, they've shrunk as a share of the workforce. >> do you ever feel like you're fighting for the survival of unions for your kids one day? >> i think i'm fighting for the survival of everybody's kids for unions because these are great jobs. >> unions made this country great. >> reporter: unions points to higher wages, guaranteed pensions for most members an better health insurance than nonunion counterparts. all that, unions say, make them strong contributors to overall economic growth. >> our economy is 72% driven by consumer spending. unless people have in their pocket money, they can't create that demand. we know that we can't have a low-wage, high-consumption society. >> there's a decline in the middle class, but that's directly related to the decline in unions. >> reporter: and that's the bigger question. >> if unions were stronger

we have support of the unions. they do not want another lawsuit from a union that will then place us in jeopardy. i think the board of supervisors make an intelligent choice. as you know, i have worked hard to make sure that our office communicate well with the board. i think mr. adachi has to appeal to the board of supervisors. i do not believe he will have the support. >> [inaudible] school construction bonds. do you worry about asian communities may not approve it -- thinking together -- two things? >> i have not had a chance to review the school bond proposal. there are several government structures, so they can place things on the bonds without our authority. i will say, with a lot of bands, the asian community has always been concerned about the quality of schools. you talk to any asian family in general, they hope that schools improve because it is their kids getting into it -- education. if they believe the school board will increase the opportunity for their kids to have a better education, there is no dou

i'm not against unions. i'm one of the few persons in this whole country who actually earned a union card and became a skilled tradesman and worked for ten years in the building construction trade union. i'm proud of it. i have got to say i'm going to call on both sides to get this problem solved, get rid of allowing the national mediation board to usurp the powers of the legislative branch of government and get the law back where it was, where it's more fair and where it makes sense. if we do that, i don't see why this would be held up for ten seconds. so i come on both sides to try and resolve this issue. i don't feel good being in the middle of it. just because i happened to be on the floor at the wrong time. all i can say is having gotten in the middle of it, i have to say as much as i love and admire the distinguished senator from texas and appreciate and admire and love my friend from west virginia -- and i do -- this could be resolved, and there's no reason why we shouldn't resolve it. this is an impo

part he freed the union.art of it is that his story is such a mag any sent story, his words are magnificent words, and those are things we can't discount, those stories. i believe as a historian, the job of the historian is to be a story teller and not somebody who believes as many do in sort of fitting all these people into the neat categories of the blacks, the whites, the northerners, the southerner. that individuality has to be respected to understand how complex we are as individuals in our own times. i think he was a complex individual that he speaks to our own humanities individuals too. >> yes, ma'am? >> hi, adam, how are you? >> good, how are you? >> historians believe that the civil war did not actually start in fort sumter but in 1856 in lawrence, kansas. what's your take on that? >> good question. you know, it's great because my cousin is here. i'm looking out, you know, where are my cousins and where the people from the german town fiscal class of 1998? i'm looking for them. [laughter] when the c

kasich and ohio's republicans passed their own union-stripping law in ohio in march. voter anger in ohio against that action was harnessed towards a recall election not for state senators but rather for the law itself, a referendum to repeal the state union-stripping law. that rallied with more than 900,000 valid signatures, quadruple the number of signatures it needed to get on the voting. an astonishing 24 point margin. with that kind of response in ohio already and just hours after it was announced that the last two wisconsin democrats up for recall won their races by large margins last night, today ohio's republican governor and republican legislative leaders raised the white flag. >> possibly be avoided is in the best interest of everyone. >> in what the a.p. described as a hastily called afternoon press conference, john kasich and the republican legislative leaders said today that now, now they are willing to talk about maybe softening their law stripping union rights. they law stripping union rights which they passed this spring with zero negotiation with the a

crush the unions or the faa gets it. faa has been reauthorized 27 separate times in the last four years. even when they can't agree on the big thing, at least they can agree to keep it going, but this year since democrats have not given in to the republicans, this year at the republican's hands, the faa got it. the faa shutdown is having real live consequences in an economy already reeling from horrible unemployment, this shutdown means that 4,000 faa employees have been put out of work immediately, another 70,000 construction workers are out of work as well. every week the shut down continues, the government loses $200 million in lost revenue in airline ticket fees, a total that will reach $1 billion if congress does not come back before the end of their recess to try to fix this thing. today president obama implored the republicans to stop playing games as did transportation secretary ray lahood. >> i'm focusing my laser beams on congress, end your vacation for a couple of days, get off the beach, get out of your mobil

here's where that would give unions and advantage however unions are democratic institutions they elect their leaders and all the decisions out of the unions are made by a majority vote in the members corporations on the other hand are kingdoms and c.e.o.'s playing the role of kings so both were forbidden from using their money for politics where they have left their members the case of the unions their employees in the case the corporations so take corporate example so imagine the c.e.o. of a company with a million employees sends out a memo asking everybody to vote a particular way in an upcoming election those are secret so there's no way for him to enforce that and he'll never know who did or who didn't vote for whom most workers will simply ignore the memo. on the other hand if a union sends out a newsletter endorsing candidates because it's a democratic membership organization experience tells us that most members actually in the beginning put forward that advice that was what they wanted and they will take that advice on who to vote for so i'm not at all worried about treating co

he's begging the unions to come back to the