Apr
2013 17
2013 17
Overlooked U.S.-to-Canada Bridge Approved by Obama, Expected to Create 20,000 Jobs
Another crucial step has been taken in the quest to build a bridge from Detroit to Windsor, Canada. The U.S. State Department has announced a presidential permit to the state of Michigan to accomplish this, signaling the final go-ahead before construction can begin. Construction of the long desired bridge has largely been held hostage by ...
Apr
2013 16
2013 16
Symbolic Anti-NLRB Bill Shows the True Desire of the House GOP: A United States Without Labor Laws
In a 219-210 vote, House Republican leadership pushed through H.R. 1120, a bill that would effectively end the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The bill will not be voted on by the Senate and is therefore only symbolic. H.R. 1120 has been a priority of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and is a clear indication ...
Apr
2013 11
2013 11
72% of 2012 NYC Construction Deaths Took Place on Non-Union Work Sites
A new report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows that construction deaths more than tripled on NYC work sites last year with 21 workplace fatalities versus six the year before. The sudden surge coincides with an uptick in building projects in the region and represents the most construction workplace deaths the city ...
Apr
2013 9
2013 9
Equal Pay Day Highlights the Dire Need for Action in Addressing the Gender Pay Gap
Today is Equal Pay Day, a date that symbolizes how far into the new year women must work to match the pay their male peers earned in the previous year. Started in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity as a public awareness event, the movement has picked up steam in the past years ...
Apr
2013 8
2013 8
Are Non-Union Contractors Abstaining from Bidding on Projects to Undermine PLAs?
It has been over a year since we first addressed Meriden, Connecticut’s interest in a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for school construction which required a tie-breaking vote cast by the city’s Mayor for approval. So, it is rather shocking to read about new developments in what seemed like an “old news” item. But an article...
Apr
2013 4
2013 4
Longtime LiUNA! Member Is First Person to Announce Candidacy for Boston Mayor
The Mayor’s office in Boston isn’t exactly a bastion of high turnover. Since 1968, only three men have held the position — Kevin White from ’68-84, Raymond Flynn from ’84-93, and Thomas Menino from ’93 until the present. Now, with Menino opting not to run for a sixth term due to illness, all eyes are ...
Apr
2013 3
2013 3
Building Trades Prez: Union Apprenticeship Program Equal in Size to 4th Largest Public University System
Building and Construction Trades Department (AFL-CIO) President Sean McGarvey recently gave an interview to the Engineering News-Record in which he discusses the role unions play in the construction industry beyond the physical construction of buildings. The perception of union work is that it is highly skilled, safe, and provides a quality...
Apr
2013 2
2013 2
Cincinnati City Council Votes 8-0 to Bolster Prevailing Wage Standards
In Cincinnati, the City Council has passed new legislation that would mandate across the board prevailing wages on any project that receives more than 30 percent of its investment from the city. The new standard goes beyond the state’s requirement that prevailing wages be paid on any portion of a project that is publicly funded. ...
Mar
2013 29
2013 29
Slew of Anti-Wage Bills Make Their Way Through Tennessee Legislature Reeking of ALEC
In Tennessee, Republicans in the state house are introducing a series of bills that would repeal the prevailing wage in the construction industry. On Monday, State Rep. Pat Marsh took to the pages of the Elk Valley Times to trumpet what he calls his “biggest bill in committee”: I have been asked to carry this ...
Mar
2013 27
2013 27
Old Colony PLA Praised for Timeliness, Diversity, Training of New Tradeswomen
The Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that governs the construction taking place at the Old Colony Housing Project in South Boston has allowed many of its residents to begin a career in the construction trades. Negotiated by local Building and Construction Trades unions, the agreement helps build more than just physical structures — it allows...
Mar
2013 27
2013 27
The Race for Detroit Mayor Features One Union-Friendly Candidate: Benny Napoleon
Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon has officially entered the Detroit Mayoral race promising “no more business as usual.” Napoleon is the Democratic front runner in the race opposite former Detroit Medical Center CEO Mike Duggan. Nearly 1,000 people attended his campaign announcement on Monday at the Crystal Ballroom of the Masonic...
Mar
2013 20
2013 20
America’s Cup Contractors Owe $460,000 in Prevailing Wage Back Pay
Poor planning of this year’s America’s Cup has left more than a dozen workers shy $460,000 in back wages. Contractors working for the race’s organizers have failed to comply with prevailing wage mandates put in place at the last minute by the city. Prevailing wage are commonplace in public construction projects but not mandatory...
