UFCW/RWDSU Reach Agreement with A&P and Save 36,000 Jobs
Around Town – By Neal Tepel
After a year of intense negotiations, 13 Locals of the UFCW/RWDSU representing some 36,000 union members from Maryland to Connecticut have concluded negotiations with The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) and affiliated companies who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December of 2010. Over a three-day voting period, union members from the 13 Local Unions ratified, by a large majority, new contracts with the company. The new collective bargaining agreements were constructed in such a way as to allow A&P to rebuild and emerge from bankruptcy, while at the same time protecting the jobs, the medical plans and pensions of the members of the various Local Unions.
AFL-CIO Forum Exposes Attacks on NLRB
December 2, 2011By Marc Bussanich, LaborPress City Reporter
In the nation's capital the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was the focal point of a forum at AFL-CIO headquarters, a debate and vote in the House of Representatives and a vote on a proposed resolution by the NLRB's three-member panel. The AFL-CIO forum was organized in response to the escalating attacks against the agency by the Republican Party, especially since the NLRB launched a case against Boeing to determine if the company illegally retaliated against its unionized workforce for going on strike by relocating some production from its home state of Washington to South Carolina.
DC 1707 City Hall Press Conference Monday December 5th - Cuts to Day Care Lawsuit
DC 1707 City Hall Press Conference Monday December 5th - Cuts to Day Care Lawsuit
December 1, 2011
Around Town - By Neal Tepel
On Monday December 5, members of District Council 1707 AFSCME will hold a press conference on the City Hall Steps to announce a lawsuit against New York City to stop Mayor Bloomberg’s so-called “EarlyLearn” proposal which will remove day care and Head Start programs for more than 10,000 currently enrolled children. DC 1707 contends that the “EarlyLearn” proposal is in violation of federal law.
Workplace Fraud Seminar
November 30, 2011
By Bendix Anderson
Melissa King plead guilty in Manhattan federal court October 21 to embezzling from “the Sandhogs Union,” Local 147 of the Laborers International Union of North America. However, she denies stealing the full $42 million claimed by prosecutors. “I plead guilty, but I don’t plead guilty to millions of dollars,” she told the Court.
Bringing Healthy Food Options to Neighborhoods
November 30, 2011By Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
“Three years ago, we identified neighborhoods across our city that lacked something many New Yorkers take for granted: Grocery stores that stock fresh produce and other nutritious foods. Those same neighborhoods also showed a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases. That was clearly no coincidence. So, working with the City Council, we decided to do something about this serious problem. Using a combination of zoning and financial incentives, we’re bringing down the costs of opening, expanding, and operating grocery stores, which is also creating jobs in these communities.
Unions Immersed in Securing New Contracts
November 30, 2011By Marc Bussanich, LaborPress City Reporter
As the year winds down, multiple unions in the city are currently negotiating with their employers for new contracts. The outcome will determine if the unions enter the New Year with renewed strength or temporary setbacks. On Wednesday, November 16, SEIU 32BJ and TWU Local 100 members rallied together outside the Sheraton Hotel as their respective leaders met with employer representatives.
The Super Committee - A Band of Fakers
The Super Committee - A Band of Fakers
November 29, 2011
By Thomas J. Mackell, Jr., Ed.D., Senior Partner, Black Thorn Lynch Associates, Inc., former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and author of: "When the Good Pensions Go Away: Why America Needs a New Deal for Pension and Health Care Reform."
What should we call them? The "gang that couldn't shoot straight" or the "stupid committee?" This is the notorious group of Republicans and Democrats who told us that they "struggled" with the basic tasks of governance but they lost.
Minor League Baseball Umpires Ratify Agreement
Minor League Baseball Umpires Ratify Agreement
November 29, 2011
Around Town – By Neal Tepel
The Association of Minor League Umpires (AMLU)/Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Guild 322, announced that its more than 200 members voted to approve a new five-year labor agreement with Minor League Baseball. “It is exciting to have such a good contract and get it done before the December holidays,” said Shaun Francis, AMLU president. “In this deal we have more money and a better overall contract than what we were able to get last time after a strike.
Court Rules “No-Layoff” Clause Doesn’t Mean What It Says
Court Rules “No-Layoff” Clause Doesn’t Mean What It Says
November 29, 2011
By Larry Cary, Partner, Cary Kane LLP
When the Village of Johnson City abolished the positions of six firefighters out of budgetary necessity in 2009, the Firefighters union sought their reinstatement contending that the collective bargaining agreement with the Village prohibited layoffs for the life of the agreement. The clause read: “The Village shall not lay-off any member of the bargaining unit during the life of this contract.” Thinking they had a good case, the Union filed for arbitration and twice the lower courts agreed, ordering the Village to arbitrate the dispute. This month, the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, ruled otherwise.
Indefensible Cuomonomics Hit Home
Indefensible Cuomonomics Hit Home
November 29, 2011
By Danny Donohue
Local government layoffs, facility closures, hospital cuts, service reductions, chronic under-staffing. It’s all part of the autumn season across New York thanks to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s state budget and ill-conceived tax cap scheme that are clearly making a bad economic situation a lot harder to manage, if not actually worse.
Tax Credits Awarded to 13 Affordable Housing Projects to Generate 1,400 Jobs
Tax Credits Awarded to 13 Affordable Housing Projects to Generate 1,400 Jobs
November 28, 2011
Around Town - By Neal Tepel
“The creation and preservation of affordable housing is an economic engine for the City, strengthening our neighborhoods and providing housing for New Yorkers with a range of incomes,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “These tax credits allow us to leverage private sector investment to fund 737 units in 13 projects, creating nearly 1,400 construction and construction-related jobs.”
Occupy Wall Street
By Ed Koch
My impression from reading the newspapers reporting on the efforts of Occupy Wall Street, as well as seeing a number of television newscasts depicting the activities of those protesters involved in seeking to shut down Wall Street, the adjacent subways and the Brooklyn Bridge, I’ve concluded the NYPD acted superbly and made the people of the City of New York feel proud of their professionalism under great provocation.
Most American Workers Are Baffled by Financial News in U.S. and Abroad
By Harry Kelber
Watching the daily reports of the economic crisis in Europe and the turmoil of financial markets in Asia, most American workers have hardly any idea of how global changes are affecting their lives.
They see photos of President Obama talking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. What are they discussing? A bailout of Greece and/or Italy? How did Obama respond? Should it be strictly private?
Why is the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, huddling with French President Sarkozy in Europe? Are they talking about French wine or a deal on the European crisis or the U.S. national debt?
Legislation Supporting Pediatric Physicians Introduced in Congress
Legislation Supporting Pediatric Physicians Introduced in Congress
November 27, 2011
Around Town By Neal Tepel
House Representatives Lee Terry of Nebraska and Diana DeGette of Colorado has introduced bipartisan legislation that would increase access to podiatric care and save billions of dollars in the process. The Equity and Access for Podiatric Physicians Under Medicaid Act (HR 3364) would identify podiatrists as physicians under Title XIX (the Medicaid Provision) of the Social Security Act, making it easier for low-income individuals to get the foot care they need.
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