.png)
Tampa Teamsters Win Contract
April 16, 2014
By Neal Tepel
Tampa, Fla. -- Pasco County employees have ratified their first Teamster contract. They. Now have strong IBT representation for more than 1,100 public sector workers across the county. "We fought to win a strong first contract for these hardworking public employees, and we won," said Ken Wood, President of Teamsters Local 79 in Tampa and Teamsters International Vice President.
Boston Fire Leaves 2 UNITEHERE Members Without a Home
April 16, 2014
By Brian Lang, UNITEHERE Local 26 President
Boston, Mass. - Dear Union Brothers and Sisters we need you help.
On April 9th, 2014 East Boston residents and UNITE HERE Local 26 members Candida (Candy) Gomes and Osmin Hernandez lost their homes in a tragic eight-alarm fire. In the aftermath of this unimaginable loss, donations from our union family are appreciated. A fund has been set up to help deliver relief to these two families during this difficult time.
OCB Creates One Traffic Enforcement Bargaining Unit
April 15, 2014
By Marc Bussanich
The Teamster Who Would Be Governor of NY State
April 15, 2014
By Joe Maniscalco
Brooklyn, NY - Howie Hawkins is a Teamster with Local 317, and for about the past 15 years he’s loaded packages for UPS on the night shift in Syracuse. He’s also the Green Party candidate for governor who believes that big money has captured both major political parties, and that working men and women need to start “running their own people” in elections.
Boston Firefighters Settle Contract
April 15, 2014
By Stephanie West
Boston, Mass - A labor contract between the city of Boston and its firefighters union, Local 718, has been concluded. This negotiated settlement is the first time since 2001 that the two sides have struck a deal without arbitration. The union is expected to present the details to its members this week. Passage of the contract by members of Local 718 is expected shortly.
SAG-AFTRA Contract Talks Begin May 5th
April 15, 2014
By Neal Tepel
Los Angeles, California - SAG-AFTRA leadership is planning to meet with representatives of the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers May 5th. This session will be the start of comprehensive negotiations with the union and the studios. SAG-AFTRA National Board approved proposals for the upcoming talks and they are usually kept secret.
32BJ Doormen and Building Owners Reach Accord
April 14, 2014
By Marc Bussanich
New York, NY—One week after nearly 7,000 doormen, porters and handymen marched up 5th Avenue to 79th Street, 32BJ SEIU and the Realty Advisory Board announced a tentative labor agreement on Friday afternoon at the New York Hilton.
Tomorrow's Architects Build The Future On Brick Foundations
April 14, 2014
By Joe Maniscalco
New York, NY - In a rapidly changing world increasingly obsessed with glass and steel, there’s at least one developing crop of brilliant young architects who have become hooked on brick - and the industry that helped lay the foundations for the greatest city in the world couldn’t be happier.
Local 371 Prez Seeks Second Term
April 14, 2014
By Marc Bussanich
New York, NY—Anthony Wells, president of Social Service Employees Union Local 371, is facing off against two challengers in the local’s presidential election. At stake in this election, Wells said, is continuing to strengthen the union so that it can a win a long overdue collective bargaining agreement with the city. Video
Governor Cuomo Has Decapitated Mayor de Blasio, Critics Say
April 14, 2014
By Joe Maniscalco
New York, NY - Whether cutting him off at the knees or downright beheading him - opponents of charter school expansion say that Governor Andrew Cuomo has effectively boxed out progressive Mayor Bill de Blasio and set the stage for “academic apartheid in New York City.”
UAW Strikes University of California
April 14, 2014
By Neal Tepel
UAW 2865 representing student workers across the University of California system struck statewide for two days, April 2nd and 3rd. The union's complaints include: the UC administration regularly threatening and intimidating UAW workers, the college refusing to negotiate with union representatives, UC’s lack of respect for the union, unlawfully videotaping union members participating in demonstrations and civil disobedience, and the university threatening to invalidate international students’ visa status for participating in union activity.
Statewide Coalition Defends Scaffold Safety Law
April 14, 2014
By Stephanie West
Albany, NY – A diverse group of workers, advocates and organizations committed to protecting construction workers in New York State have joined together to create a unified front in the fight to defend New York’s Scaffold Safety Law from industry-backed efforts to gut the law. The coalition will push for increased enforcement of New York’s construction safety standards and launched a new website, http://www.scaffoldsafetylaw.org, to aggregate information about the Scaffold Safety Law.
New Worker Co-op Set to Clean Up!
April 11, 2014
By Joe Maniscalco
Jackson Heights, NY - A group of immigrant workers have turned the tables on their crummy bosses this week with the official launch of Pa’lante Forward Green Cleaning - a new worker cooperative that already enjoys the strong support of Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and a whole host of other elected officials.
UFCW Leads the Way for Equal Pay
April 11, 2014
By Neal Tepel
Toronto, Canada - Pearl Sawyer, President of UFCW Canada Local 1000A, has played a leading role in urging Premier Kathleen Wynne to recognize the government's fundamental role in making pay equity a reality for Ontario's workers. The Ontario government has now announced that it will recognize April 16 as Equal Pay Day.
Political Firing in Brooklyn DA Office
April 11, 2014
By Stephanie West Special to LaborPress
Brooklyn, NY - In response to a recent story in the NY Post which stated that the firing of Brooklyn DA Detective Investigator Andrew Vecchione as political payback, based on the fact that Andrew’s father was a colleague of Joe Hynes, Detective Investigator’s Association President John Fleming stated that, “If this is true and we believe it is, than Ken Thompson has set a most dangerous precedent which will cast doubt on the impartiality of his office in general, and the use of his detectives in particular.
Fedex Illegally Shipping Untaxed Cigarettes
April 11, 2014
By Stephanie West
Albany, NY – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has announced that his office has filed a $70 million lawsuit against Federal Express Corporation for unlawfully shipping nearly 80 million contraband cigarettes to consumers across New York State in violation of federal and state laws. The lawsuit joins and expands upon a complaint filed in December in Manhattan federal court by the City of New York and adds extensive claims of FedEx’s unlawful shipments around the state.
Passage of Unemployment Insurance Essential
April 10, 2014
By Lee Saunders, AFSCME President
AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders issued the following statement April 7, 2014 on the Senate's approval of jobless aid to millions of Americans. Washington, DC - "Earlier today, the Senate passed long-overdue legislation to restore emergency unemployment insurance to more than 2 million Americans.
Getting the Best Value From Your Doctor’s Visit
April 10, 2014
Tom Canty, Vice President and General Manager, Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Government, Labor and Special Accounts
Every day in the United States, hundreds of thousands of people go to the doctor’s office. More than 80% of adults and 90% of kids see at least one healthcare professional every year – so it’s likely you’ll be making a visit in the not too distant future. Whether your appointment is routine or a follow-up from an illness or surgery, a few simple steps can help you and your family members get the most out of their doctor visit to maintain and achieve good health.
Brooklyn College Faculty Control of Curriculum
April 10, 2014
By Stephanie West
Brooklyn, NY--For the first time in decades, the entire full-time faculty at Brooklyn College passed a resolution on April 8 to demand that the Brooklyn College and CUNY administrations respect the faculty’s historic role in designing courses, general education programs, and degree requirements.
Pressure on Progressives To Get It Right, Says Constantinides
April 9, 2014
By Joe Maniscalco
Queens, NY - New York City Councilman Costa Constantinides [D-District 22] is serving his freshman term in office as part of the progressive wave that easily swept Mayor Bill de Blasio into Gracie Mansion - but the legislator from Astoria says that there is still a lot of pressure on progressives to get it right.
.jpg)
.jpg)
