Jul
2016 28
2016 28
Building Trades Partner Up for Apprenticeship Program in Renewable Energy Sector
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) are trying to make it a little easier being green. The two organizations have teamed up to create an apprenticeship program centered around investments in renewable energy. As the economy moves toward energy efficiency, both…
Jul
2016 28
2016 28
Gov. Brown, Devoid of Support for Housing Plan, Walks Back Anti-Prevailing Wage Stance
California Governor Jerry Brown has indicated a newfound openness to paying construction workers the prevailing wage under his new plan to streamline housing development across the state. Brown was previously resistant to the idea, but in a press conference last week, director of Housing and Community Development Ben Metcalf made it clear…
Jul
2016 20
2016 20
Despite Lenient Sentence in High-Profile Workplace Death, Contractor Refuses to Abide
A judge has ruled that Manhattan-based Harco Construction is guilty of manslaughter in relation to the April 2015 death of 22-year-old Carlos Moncayo. Though Judge A. Kirke Bartley handed down a relatively light sentence — either make a televised public service announcement or pay a $10,000 fine — the firm’s attorney…
Jul
2016 13
2016 13
Just Fines? OSHA Boosts Penalties 78%, Can Still Only Whack First-Time Serious Violators for $12,471
Starting August 1, companies will be paying a whole lot more for workplace safety violations. 78% more, in fact. Will this finally make the fines prohibitive for employers? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) raised the maximum penalty for serious violations to $12,471 from $7,000, raised the fine for willful and…
Jul
2016 6
2016 6
New Pro-Prevailing Wage Campaign in MO: “This Isn’t Just a Policy, It’s Personal”
Right-to-Work. Paycheck protection. Prevailing wage repeal. If a law is anti-worker, the Missouri GOP will try as many times as it can to implement it. That’s why the Committee to Protect MO Families has launched a public awareness campaign to educate Missourians on the benefits of the prevailing wage. Their new ad features Navy vet…
Jun
2016 22
2016 22
Canadian Trades Throw Weight Behind Important Safety Measure: a Registry of Employer Misconduct
In Canada, a private member’s bill that would create a registry of workplace dangers has passed its first reading. It is being supported by the Building and Construction Trades at the national level. The bill, C-292, would amend the Canadian Labour Code to require the Minister of Labour to maintain a registry containing information…
Jun
2016 15
2016 15
Building Trades, Community Orgs Make Final Push for a Just Sentence in 23-Year-Old’s Workplace Death
A coalition of community groups, labor unions, and worker centers are calling for a conviction during the final days of arguments in a case against Harco Construction, LLC. The case centers around the death of 23-year-old Carlos Moncayo, who was killed in an excavation collapse in New York City’s Meatpacking District in April of…
Jun
2016 9
2016 9
All-Too-Rare Jail Time Could Be Served by Brooklyn Contractor Following Worker’s Six-Story Fall
Salvatore Schirripa, a Bensonhurst-based business owner, has been charged with manslaughter following the death of one of his workers at a Coney Island construction site in April of 2015. The worker, 50-year-old Vidal Sanchez-Ramon, fell six stories to his death while smoothing concrete on the edge of a building. No wire cable…
May
2016 17
2016 17
OSHA Boosting Public Record-Keeping of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses; Usual Suspects Cry Foul
OSHA has issued a new final rule that will require employers to keep a record of its employees’ injuries and illnesses in hopes of identifying hazards and preventing additional or similar injuries and illnesses. The big data will be available on the Internet for all to see. According to OSHA, the new final rule [&hellip…;
May
2016 17
2016 17
Pervasive Abuses in Poultry Industry Exposed; Workers Wearing Diapers When Denied Bathroom Breaks
A new report has revealed labor law compliance so bad in the poultry industry that some workers have taken to wearing diapers at work and restricting fluids because they are being denied bathroom breaks. The revelation comes from a new Oxfam report, ‘Lives on the Line: The Human Cost of Cheap Chicken.’ Oxfam is [&hellip…;
May
2016 13
2016 13
GA Becomes 4th State to Implement “Move Over” Law for Utility Workers; IBEW Applauds Move
Georgia has become the 4th state to pass legislation requiring drivers to slow down and “move over” when utility workers are performing their duties on the side of the road. They join Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana in enacting such laws. HB 767, known as the “Move Over for Linemen Law,” was passed with [&hellip…;
May
2016 10
2016 10
Minneapolis Poised to Break New Ground with Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
The City of Minneapolis is poised to become the state’s first municipality to require paid sick leave for workers. The Minneapolis City Council released details of the ordinance and announced a series of meetings and hearings that will end with a May 27th vote. Credit for the progress of the ordinance has been given [&hellip…;