Quinn & Blasio, Touch-and-Go on Retro
May 31, 2013
By Marc Bussanich
New York, NY—The day after mayoral John Liu said he would enact retroactive pay for city employees, mayorals Bill de Blasio and Christine Quinn said they would backdate pay raises with concessions. Watch Video
RWDSU Successful Campaign to Organize Carwashes Continues
May 31, 2013
By Neal Tepel
NEW YORK, NY – Workers at the Hi-Tek Car Wash & Lube in Queens have made history by voting to ratify the first union contract of any car wash in New York City. The three-year contract caps the workers' 10-month campaign for union representation by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). This is the first car wash contract in the United States anywhere east of Los Angeles.
Another Court Decides to Shut-Down the NLRB
May 31, 2013
By Larry Cary, Esq.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently joined the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals in finding that President Obama did not have the authority to make recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board. While the D.C. Circuit Court held in January that the Labor Board could not decide cases so long as it did not have enough properly appointed members to constitute a quorum (three of the five members of the Board), the Third Circuit’s decision dealt with the ability of the Labor Board to judge cases, as it is supposed to do, by delegating the decision making process to a three member panel.
Liu Promises Retroactive Pay
May 30, 2013
By Marc Bussanich
New York, NY—The city’s largest public sector union, District Council 37, endorsed John Liu for mayor at City Hall yesterday, who said that he would offer retroactive pay for over 300,000 city employees working without contracts for several years. Watch Video
From Bondage to Bondage
May 30, 2013
By Thomas J. Mackell, Jr. Ed.D. President Association of Benefit Administrators
If you have studied history you know that empires begin to slide into the dust pile when they have a combination of pervasive and staggering debt, and have lost their moral code and have overextended their military reach.
The U. S. is in this band today and faces an impending crisis if our leaders do not wake up and deal with the many daunting issues facing our nation.
Assembly Passes Legislation to Lessen Penalties for Possession of Marijuana
May 30, 2013
By Neal Tepel
Albany, N.Y. - To address the controversial and often biased stop-and-frisk policies in New York State, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver joined with co-sponsor Assemblyman Karim Camara, to announce the passage of legislation that would reduce the penalty for possession of a relatively small amount of marijuana in public view from a class B misdemeanor to a violation.
TWU 100 Endorses Kallos for Council
May 30, 2013
By Stephanie West
New York, N.Y. – The 38,000-member Transport Workers Union Local 100 announced its endorsement of City Council Candidate Ben Kallos in Manhattan’s District 5, spanning the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.
Hammer On! Guitar Center Workers Vote To Join RWDSU
May 29, 2013
By Joe Maniscalco
New York, NY - The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union [RWDSU] is hailing the pro-union vote workers at Guitar Center’s flagship store in Manhattan have taken as the successful first step in a nationwide organizing campaign - and proof that management’s efforts to bamboozle employees has failed.
Senate Undermines American Tech Workers
May 29, 2013
By AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
The labor movement has no higher priority in 2013 than a workable immigration system that will allow 11 million aspiring Americans to become citizens. That’s why labor has been working tirelessly with faith groups, DREAMers, and the civil rights community to ensure that we move forward this year and create a roadmap to citizenship.
UFCW Submits Comments to EPA Against Tyson and Dangers of Hazardous Chemicals to Workers
May 29, 2013
Reprinted on LaborPress ufcw.org
Washington DC - Recently the UFCW submitted comments about a recent EPA action against 23 Tyson plants that use hazardous chemicals. The EPA recently fined Tyson close to $4 million and required the company to take extra steps to improve their ammonia refrigeration safety programs.
Do You Know What Your Disability Benefit Will Be?
May 28, 2013
By John Merlino
Many injured workers, especially union members, may be eligible for what’s called Disability Pension Benefits. In general, however, disability benefits are considered to be temporary cash benefits for people injured off the job. In other words, an injury that did not arise out of, or in the course of, employment. This type of benefit may be offered under a private disability plan, and/or a plan an employer may have employees contribute to in order to offset the cost of the plan. The employer may also fund the plan herself.
Poughkeepsie in Fiscal Trouble
May 28, 2013
By Stephanie West
Poughkeepsie is facing severe fiscal stress which could place that city in serious harm. Inaccurate budgeting has created an $11 million general fund deficit in that city. The State Comptroller report also found the city’s debt burden has increased 45 percent over the past five years.
House Approves Bill to Build Keystone XL Pipeline
May 28, 2013
By Diane Cohen
Washington, DC – A bipartisan bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, create thousands of American jobs, and increase the Nation’s energy security was approved by the House of Representatives. H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, ends the President’s long delay of this thoroughly reviewed and vetted project.
Chicago School CLosings - Wrong Strategy for Children and Communities
May 28, 2013
By Randy Weingarten
“What we witnessed on May 22nd was the largest mass school closing in America’s history. Sadly, the reasons for these closings seemed to have changed over the course of the last few months, as a May 16 WBEZ analysis demonstrated. When the district’s claims—namely, that these closings would produce the savings promised, that children would really go to better-quality schools, and that the closings were because of underenrollment and underutilization—were scrutinized, serious questions were raised.
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