
Issue No 44		03 March 2000

News

Yahoo! Under Fire for Union Censorship

Leading Web portal Yahoo! has banned an advertising campaign by American workers who were using banner advertisements to push their campaign to form a trade union.

The action against passenger service workers at Los Angeles International Airport has raised union concerns that commercial interests are undermining the free speech possibilities of the internet.

They were informed that the virtual leaflets, posted onto sites of companies affiliated to the firm that employed the airport workers, ran counter to Yahoo! policy.

The move comes at the height of the concerted "Respect at LAX" joint organising campaign run by the Service Employees International Union and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union.

The decision to ban the advertisement occurred against a backdrop of legal action, where a judge had found the company, AHL Services, in breach of federal labour law, including disciplining union activists.

SEUI Local 1877 president Mike Garcia has been quoted as saying the Yahoo! action smacks of double standards.

"While Yahoo! claims to support Internet free speech, their decision to cancel the ad demonstrates their willingness to use censorship to prevent the public from learning that AHL has been convicted of breaking federal labour laws," Garcia said.

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Issue 44 contents

Interview: The Big Fella
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley speaks about Labor�s evolving relationship with the trade union movement in the post-Accord era.

Unions: An Interactive Resource
The priority for unions in the 21st century is organising and growth. Greg Combet�s unions @work report identified the direction unions should be moving.

Media: Public Hearings
As the big media players look increasingly tarnished, the broadcasting minnows like FBi are seeking their share of the airwaves.

History: Labour History Under Siege
In good labour tradition, the history section of Workers Online begins the year with a call to arms.

Olympics: Games Greed Boosts Homeless Numbers
'Homeless in Sydney' is shaping up to be the theme of the Olympics with many property owners evicting tenants and pushing up rents.

Women: No Time To Be Casual
International Women�s Day is a day to take action. As a shop steward or union delegate why not use IWD as an opportunity to encourage the women in your workplace to join the union?

International: Serbian And Kosovo Unions Meet
The Italian metalworkers has hosted meetings on how to build a different future for the workers in the Balkans.

Labour Review: What's New
Read the latest issue of Labour Review our resource for students, activists and officials.

Review: Rock and a Hard Place
A hippie festival? Alternative? No way...the music festival know as the Big Day Out (BDO) is fast becoming a mainstream youth cultural event, a snapshot of the broader society that unions are struggling to engage.

» Directors: Two Strikes And You�re Out

» Track Workers Face Spot Drug Tests

» Big Bird Fights Ansett Jobs Flight

» LaborNet A Step Forward in Democracy

» From the Lorry to the Creche, We're Watching

» Penal Provisions Against Teachers Condemned

» Auditor General Moves on TAFE

» Yahoo! Under Fire for Union Censorship

» Unrest Bubbles Over Coke Sackings

» Jennie To Sign Off Online

» Basic Goods Sought for East Timorese

» Western Sydney Added to Campus Tour

» Pay Equity Update

» STOP PRESS: Mac Attack Tuesday