Jan
2013 24
2013 24
As Shale Gas Work Comes to Mahoning County, Building Trades Look to Ensure Mahoning Workers Get the Jobs it Brings
In Mahoning County, Ohio, members of the building trades may have made inroads towards getting work on a new Hickory Bend cryogenic plant slated for Springfield Township. The $300 million project will help ship natural gas collected from the region’s Utica Shale by shipping “wet” gas via truck and sending “dry” gas...
Jan
2013 22
2013 22
MUST WATCH: In MLK Award Acceptance Speech at WI Capitol, Woman Gives Gov. Walker Hell to His Face
This. Is. Awesome. In a public ceremony yesterday at the Wisconsin Capitol, Dr. Margaret Rozga accepted the MLK 2013 Heritage Award for her husband, the late Father James Groppi. She used her acceptance speech to deliver a pointed attack on Governor Scott Walker as he sat just feet from her Among the countless highlights of ...
Jan
2013 21
2013 21
Unions Allege Corinthian Contractors Called ICE as Retaliation for Workers Speaking Up About Wages
Labor unions recently protested in front of the offices of the Arlington, VA based Corinthian Contractors charging that the company does not pay prevailing wages for work done on Federal contracts. Organized labor was joined by several workers who had written the company in December complaining of underpayment ($7/hour for $10/hour work) on a...
Jan
2013 16
2013 16
CWA, on Forefront of Filibuster Reform Debate, Unleash Advertising Push this Week
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) have launched an advertising campaign to inform the public and spur them into action to ensure favorable outcomes in the ongoing filibuster reform debate in the U.S. Senate. CWA is a major player in the Fix the Senate Now coalition, a group that wants to promote common sense reforms ...
Jan
2013 16
2013 16
REPORT: Companies “Accepting High Injury Rates” Among Contingent Workers Because They are “Largely Insulated from the Economic Consequences”
A new report from the Center for Progressive Reform (CPR) shows that American industry’s reliance on “contingent workers” poses a heightened threat to worker safety that demands government action. The report, “At the Company’s Mercy: Protecting Contingent Workers from Unsafe Working Conditions,” states that...
Jan
2013 15
2013 15
Teamsters Organizing Victory, Contract at L.A. Port Boasts Breakthroughs in Pay, Leave, Benefits
L.A. Toll Group drivers have ratified their first contract as members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters marking the first such contract in the dryage industry in 30 years. The workers, who haul apparel and merchandise from the L.A. Ports, will receive a $6 raise, paid sick leave, paid overtime, guaranteed shift hours, a pension ...
Jan
2013 14
2013 14
Illinois, with Support of State’s Teamsters Union, Becomes Third State to Allow Drivers Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
Illinois Senate Bill 957, which will grant temporary drivers licenses to an estimated 250,000 immigrants, passed last week earning praise from the state’s Teamsters. The bill will grant three-year, renewable licenses to immigrants who have lived in-state for one year and can obtain a Social Security card or proper immigration documentation...
Jan
2013 10
2013 10
Missouri DOL Ramps Up Website, Social Media Presence to Combat Employee Misclassification
In order to inform the people of the “Show Me” State about misclassification, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has built a solid website for helping workers discover if they are being misclassified or illegally paid off the books. Thankfully, the misclassification crack down is contagious. Missouri has seen...
Jan
2013 8
2013 8
Registration Is Open for the 3rd Annual Women Building the Nation Conference
The 3rd Annual Women Building the Nation Conference will be held on April 5-7 in Sacramento, CA. The event celebrates women who are leaders in the construction workplace, their communities and in their unions, is sponsored by the AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) and the State Building & Construction Trades...
Jan
2013 7
2013 7
In Year-End Opinion, California Unions Win Special Rights to Picket in Business Entranceways
Unions enjoyed a victory in California before the year ended when the state Supreme Court ruled that picketing is allowed on privately owned walkways in front of businesses. The ruling allows unions to carry out this activity but not “protesters” or “signature gatherers.” The special privileges were deemed vital to the...
Jan
2013 4
2013 4
NJ Senate President Stephen Sweeney, an Ironworker, is Leading the Charge to Ensure that Sandy Reconstruction Provides Good Jobs with Workplace Protections
As New Jersey prepares to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, Senate President Stephen Sweeney is proposing a bill that would make some of the largest projects eligible for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). For New Jersey construction workers who experienced high unemployment rates throughout 2012, this is good news as it means good jobs with quality...
Dec
2012 20
2012 20
CA Labor Commish: $1M in Fines, Wage Returns for Unscrupulous Pair “Should Serve as a Warning to Other Contractors Who Fail to Abide by Our Laws”
California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su has wrapped up two separate investigations of contractors on public work projects who failed to properly pay their employees. The returned wages and fines between the two investigations total over $1 million. Among the many violations were failure to pay prevailing wages, failure to pay into fringe benefit...
