May
2013 22
2013 22
MILESTONE: Workers at TN Plant Achieve 20 Million Man Hours Without a Lost Time Injury
Some remarkable safety-related news out of Tennessee where the Project Team at the Watts Bar 2 Completion Project has announced, get this, 20 million hours worked without a lost time injury (LTI). LTI’s are defined as occurring when a person injured in the execution of his/her duties is unable to perform his/her regular duties for ...
May
2013 14
2013 14
AFL-CIO’s Building Investment Trust Breaks Ground on Another Union-Paid-For Development
Ground has been broken in Hoboken, NJ on the $131 million Park Place development which will be paid for and developed by union workers. Park Place will house 212 rental units as well as retail and educational space. Using environmentally-friendly design it will become the second Hoboken building to achieve LEED-certified Gold status. The...
May
2013 13
2013 13
The Skills Shortage Is a Meme.
The American skills shortage is a meme. It is a tired argument used to lobby for increased temporary guest workers who bring low wages and it is a red herring used to explain away unemployment while bolstering austerity’s selfish bottom line. Writer Robert J. Samuelson recently took to the pages of the Washington Post with ...
May
2013 7
2013 7
Does a PLA for Maine’s Big Natural Gas Project Mean Smoother Sailing for Labor Under LePage? Probably Not.
The political spirit of Maine is fiercely independent. In 2010, many voters felt they were getting a unique leader in former businessman and Tea Party favorite for Governor, Paul LePage. Sadly, like many of his victorious 2010 Republican Governor peers — Scott Walker (WI), John Kasich (OH), and Rick Snyder (MI), for example — his ...
May
2013 2
2013 2
Enviro Concerns Threaten Job-Creating $300 Million LG Electronics Headquarters Construction in NJ
A battle is brewing in the New Jersey palisades as South Korea-based LG Electronics is looking to build its new North American headquarters on a 27-acre lot near the Hudson River. Environmental groups and labor are now going toe-to-toe with conservationists angered that the new LG campus will peek over the treeline. The area has ...
Apr
2013 12
2013 12
IRON-IC CURTAIN: U.S. Border Patrol Outfits Being Manufactured in Mexico
Newly granted contracts to provide uniforms for United States Customs and Border Protections (CBP) contain one very ironic piece of information: they will largely be manufactured in Mexico. WHY AM I TYPING? THIS POST WRITES ITSELF. Via CPA Trade Reform: The latest contract with the company was awarded on Dec. 20, 2012, to make “uniform ...
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...
Mar
2013 29
2013 29
Two Philly Veterans Turned Sheet Metal Workers Exemplify the Power of Helmets to Hardhats
A Philly.com article is making the online organized labor rounds that highlights two Philadelphia veterans whom the Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) program has provided a solid transition from military to civilian life. Former marines Drew McIlhenny and Bryan Hummel used the program to begin careers in the sheet metal industry after their service ended:...
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 26
2013 26
AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust Scores Another Community Victory in Boston
When local projects are done with union work the surrounding community often gains strength. Such is the case with Boston’s Dudley Square construction where the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC) and the City of Boston are transforming a historic but vacant building into the new Boston Public Schools Department headquarters....
Mar
2013 22
2013 22
First Offshore Wind Farm Makes Progress in MA; 200-MW Wind Farm Makes Progress in NV; Modular Reactors Make Progress in GA
Across the country, ambitious energy projects are being planned to help lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Spanning wind, natural gas, and nuclear energy, various regions of the country are looking to enhance their respective power supplies while simultaneously boosting new industries that will provide much needed jobs. Many of these projects...
Mar
2013 22
2013 22
Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO Not Even in the Same Stratosphere on Number of Temp Visas to Include in Immigration Package
Immigration reform talks between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (CoC) and the AFL-CIO are stalling because the two sides can’t agree on the number of temporary worker visas the government should issue. According to sources, CoC is pushing for the cap to be 400,000 visas while the AFL-CIO is seeking a figure far below that ...
