Apr
2013 11
2013 11
In Portland, Construction Unions Worry Paid Sick Days Legislation Could Interfere with Collective Bargaining
With talk of #PaidSickDays legislation roiling New York, Pennsylvania and Florida (to name a few…), construction workers in the Northwest are telling a cautionary tale you might not expect to hear from union workers. Portland, Oregon has a stricter Paid Sick Days law than the one about to hit NYC. It mandates that any employer ...
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
Misguided Texas Supreme Court Decision on Public Sector Unions “Puts All the Rights Into Management’s Hands.”
At the end of last week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled to limit the rights of public union members, reversing the decision of lower courts in a case surrounding a Round Rock firefighter disciplined in 2008 who argued that he did not have access to a union representative. In a 6 – 3 decision, the ...
Apr
2013 8
2013 8
VIDEO: San Diego IBEW Members Discuss Union-Owned, Union-Operated Affordable Housing
Tom Lemmon, Business Manager for the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council (SDBCTC), recently gave an interview in which he describes his experiences growing up in the National City Apartments. The apartment complex, now owned and operated by local unions, provides affordable, quality housing for low-to-moderate income families....
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 8
2013 8
“Kentucky’s serious injury rate rose by 11% after the repeal of their prevailing wage law.”
Last week we highlighted a Dale Belman article which discussed a University of Utah study that supported prevailing wages. The topic is hot in Michigan as anti-worker legislators take aim at this important protection. Now, Michigan’s Laborers’ Union-affiliated Labor-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust (LECET) has weighed in on...
Apr
2013 5
2013 5
Only One Kansas County Has a Prevailing Wage Law. That’s One Too Many for the Kansas Senate.
In a 31-9 vote, the Kansas State Senate passed a bill that bars cities and counties from having prevailing wage mandates for contractors. The bill will now move to the House. The state of Kansas has only one county (Wyandotte) in which prevailing wage laws are still on the books. This aggressive and spiteful action ...
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
New Ground is Broken as NLRB Will Oversee Charter School Union Election in Philadelphia
In a good news item for organized labor, a union organizing election later this month at the New Media Technology Charter School in northwest Philadelphia will be overseen by the National Labor Relations Board instead of the Pennsylvania state board. The vote will be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and has been two ...
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 3
2013 3
200 People Protest NV Assemblyman’s Attempt to Undermine Prevailing Wages, Overtime Pay
Over 200 union workers stood outside the Nevada legislature in protest as the Nevada Assembly Government Affairs Committee debated a proposed law that would make drastic changes to the state’s prevailing wage standards. The bill, sponsored by Republican Assemblymen Pat Hickey, would change the threshold for prevailing wages to kick in from...
Apr
2013 2
2013 2
EFFECT and EFFECT: NYC’s Paid Sick Days Bill to Go Into Effect in 2014, Effect Similar Battles Across US Immediately
A deal has been struck by the New York City Council to pass mandatory paid sick days. Although it is likely to be vetoed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a staunch opponent of the bill, the council reportedly has enough votes to override the veto. The bill is the result of a three-year battle fought by ...
