Apr
2012 3
2012 3
Meth-Making Foreman, Crew of Undocumented Workers Highlight Need for Contracting Oversight
A perfect example of the need for responsible contracting measures can be found in Kent, Ohio where an out-of-state contractor from Alabama provided the low bid, came to town, and employed 23 undocumented immigrants in order to pay them substandard wages. The foreman of the crew responsible for building the 596-unit student housing complex was ...
Mar
2012 29
2012 29
Majority of Minneapolis City Council Approves Portion of Bill to Pay for New Vikings Stadium
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has announced that he has the support of a majority of the Minneapolis City council to go forward with approval of their portion of a larger bill that would have the city, state, and Minnesota Vikings franchise collectively pay for a new football stadium. The state legislature has been waiting to ...
Mar
2012 27
2012 27
4,000 Jobs, $2 Billion in “Economic Impact” Slated for Long Beach Bridge Construction
Construction tradesmen are waiting anxiously to find out who will be awarded a $700 million contract to replace the Gerald Desmond bridge in Long Beach. A Project Labor Agreement that would ensure local and minority hire, as well as safety and wage provisions, has been discussed but not yet approved: Proposals for the new bridge, ...
Mar
2012 26
2012 26
Labor Leaders Publish 6-Point “Invest in California” Plan, Unveil Opposition Argument to PLA Ban
The California Labor Federation and the State Building and Construction Trades Council (SBCTC) recently unveiled their new “Invest in California” jobs plan which they are labeling as a “job plan for the 99 percent.” Looking to reinvigorate California’s economy, labor leaders put together the 6-point plan to provide a...
Mar
2012 14
2012 14
Niagara Alliance Calls for Unprecedented 30 Percent Minority, 10 Percent Female Hiring Provisions
The Niagara Organizing Alliance for Hope (NOAH), a coalition of organizers looking to improve life for working Western New Yorkers, wants the language of the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that will be used to build a new train station to be changed to include more hiring of women, minorities and locals. In a letter to ...
Mar
2012 14
2012 14
1,500 People Turn Out in Meridien, CT in Favor of a Project Labor Agreement
A Meriden, Connecticut City Council/School Building Committee meeting about the possible use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for a $250 million renovation project of local high schools drew a whopping 1,500 attendants, many of whom described the meeting as “debate.” According to the Record Journal, 2,200 residents signed petitions...
Mar
2012 9
2012 9
MI Workers Collect Signatures to Protect Collective Bargaining, GOPers Taking PLA Ban to Court, Gary Peters Gathers Union Endorsements for his House Campaign
Michigan is still clawing its way back from the depravity of the end of the last decade. The state’s major cities are a shell of their former selves and although one of their major industries is experiencing a resurgence, others are still treading water. The uncertainty that becomes commonplace in downtrodden communities allows for...
Mar
2012 4
2012 4
Minnesota Super-Gov., Mark Dayton, to Lead Rally for New Stadium, Union Jobs on Tuesday
Continuing in his role as most active, awesome Governor in the U.S., Minnesota’s Mark Dayton will lead a rally on Tuesday in support of a job-creating football stadium: Minneapolis City Council members will soon be contacted by up to 30,000 job-hungry labor union members, all eager for the construction work a new Minnesota Vikings stadium ...
Mar
2012 2
2012 2
“At this time, the county of Ventura has 34 active public works contracts. Three out of five of these contracts are with contractors from outside Ventura County.”
Project Labor Agreements draw the ire of anti-union Republicans because they view them as a union vs. non-union issue. Yet, many demographics benefit from PLAs, including the demographic of ‘people who get their name called thanks to local hiring provisions therein.’ Maricela Morales of the Ventura County Star recently wrote a piece...
Feb
2012 24
2012 24
Romney Bashing Unions, Taking Credit for ’02 Olympics, But Unions Made the Games Possible
Last weekend, Mitt Romney set off a maelstrom of critique from both parties when he crowed about the success of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Romney was the president of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee and was responsible for attracting federal funding to the event. Democrats quickly attacked Romney for making the 2002 ...
Feb
2012 15
2012 15
New York PLA Expected to Save Nursing Home Over $700,000 In Construction Costs
Local workers in Glenville, New York may be headed back to the job site soon as Schenectady County officials have signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Greater Capital Region Building and Construction Trades Council for work on the Glendale Nursing Home. According to the Times Union, the county has estimated that the deal ...
Feb
2012 15
2012 15
Oakland Army Base Approves Measure to Ensure Local Hire, Right to Organize
The Oakland City Council has approved a Good jobs and Community Benefits plan for the redevelopment of the Oakland Army Base. A coalition of youth, workers, and community leaders attended the meeting hoping to secure provisions that would ensure that jobs went to locals in need: Twenty-year old Rayna Smith, a leader with Urban Peace ...
