November 19, 2015
By Joe Maniscalco
New York, NY – This week’s episode of LaborPress’ new radio show and podcast on WWRL 1600AM looks at the latest developments in a possible Access-A-Ride strike, as well as the growing dangers lurking on NYC construction sites. We also get reaction to a startling new report on wage theft that finds millions of workers being ripped off each year. And we hear from an industry leader on how unions can reduce the high cost of health care.
On Friday, Transportation Workers Union [TWU] President John Samuelsen is expected to sit down with Gregory Alcorn, CEO of the North Carolina-based outfit running the MTA’s Access-A-Ride program. The meeting is an eleventh-hour effort to address call center workers’ grievances and avert a strike. LaborPress sat down with Samuelsen ahead of that meeting to talk about why he is now cautiously optimistic a settlement could be within reach.
Turning to New York City construction sites, NYCOSH Safety and Health Specialist Nadia Marin-Molina talks about the current building boom and the rise in construction worker fatalities that are running parallel to soaring profits. According to Marin-Molina, the overwhelming majority of accidents are occurring on non-union construction sites.
Earlier this week, the Center for Popular Democracy released a stunning new report that finds as much as $3.2 billion is being robbed from over two million working men and women in New York City every year. We discuss those sobering figures and hear from Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James and others about what is being done, and should be done, to combat rampant wage theft across a variety of sectors.
Finally, Stephen DeBiasi, CEO of Union Benefit Planners, Inc., talks cost containment strategies and the difference between being fully insured and self-insured, as well as offering an analysis and review of restructure plans — all in the wake of the Affordable Health Care Act.
