NYC contractors, unions urge three strikes policy for safety violations
"Coletti noted: Construction in NYC is becoming a 'Tale of Two Cities,' contractors who follow the rules and those who don't. Construction fatalities and accidents do not discriminate between union and non-union jobs, but we can't escape the fact that, according to federal government statistics, 86% of deaths occur on non-union sites."
Selling out workers' safety
"A 2007 New York study of the city's housing industry claims that more than two-thirds of the residential workforce is no longer treated as employees, split between so-called independent contractors and those who are off the books. These workers are not covered by the most basic labor laws such as overtime, unemployment, and workers compensation and will never be eligible for Social Security."
See how 1099 abuse costs every taxpayer & honest employer
Boston Globe
By Mark Erlich
Hardhats face off in West Side rumble
"Construction workers squared off on a midtown street yesterday after a nonunion laborer backed a cement mixer into a crowd of protesting union workers, police and witnesses said." --Daily News
VIDEO!!---abclocal.com
Regional carpenters union buys $9M plot for new headquarters
"A resurgence in the use of union labor in the construction industry finds the carpenters union preparing to build a training center and headquarters in Albuquerque that will give it much more visibility."
- New Mexico Business Weekly by Tom O'Connell
How hot construction biz brings a black market, scams & deaths
"The biggest building boom in more than 30 years has spawned a cadre of scofflaw developers in every borough who routinely violate building codes, flout zoning regulations and ignore basic construction safety, a Daily News investigation shows."
"Hiring workers off the books shifts costs to taxpayers and law-abiding contractors and gives unscrupulous builders an unfair competitive advantage, especially in contracts awarded to the lowest bidder."
Soaring Executive Pay Attacked by Shareholder Activists
In this spring’s round of corporate annual meetings, the Carpenters Union led an effort to clamp down on performance metric gamesmanship. The Carpenters and allied groups pushed a resolution asking corporate boards to benchmark their performance standards against competing firms. The goal: no windfalls for executives whose companies fail to beat their competitors.
On June 4, 2007 over 1300 Northwest carpenters went on strike....
6/9/07
Strike reflects divide in labor movement
6/13/07
A Carpenters Union strike of 1300 drywallers in Oregon and SW Washington has been met with indifference and hostility by other building trades unions
6/18/07
Drywallers to vote on new contract
2007-2010 Wall and Ceiling Agreement Info
Carpenters’ Shop Steward Admits Taking Bribe
On Fri., June 15, before Magistrate Judge Debra C. Freeman, former NYC District Council steward David Veltri pled guilty to charges of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of an employee benefit plan by accepting a bribe of at least $8,000 in return for leaving Union Carpenters off his steward reports for a Tri-Built Construction Inc. job in Brooklyn. The offense occurred from January through May 2004. Sentencing has been set for 9/15/2007 before U.S. District Judge William Pauley of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. --ubcyes.com
Veltri Plea Press Release
Carpenters Union using email and txt-ing to mobilize members
The Business Journal reports that the carpenters union for Seattle and Portland are using text-messaging and email to mobilize their folks before some big contract negotiations.
Carpenters leader hammers at other unions' attitude
Terry Nelson didn't get to be executive secretary-treasurer of the 22,000-member Carpenters' District Council of Greater St. Louis by hiding his light under a bushel. At times he can be brash and provocative, and he peppers his conversation with one curse word after another. Nelson also can be tender and gentle and has a sentimental streak. He cares passionately about the future of the St. Louis area and its economic place in the global marketplace. On Thursday, he flew to China to visit Shanghai and Beijing, two cities where the carpenters' pension fund has invested its members' retirement funds. Nelson began this interview by explaining his two guiding principles: never fear failure and always do the right thing.
Latinos' job injuries are often crippling
"We hear horror stories all the time," said Jimmy Gibbs, director of special projects for the Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council Local 225, which represents 1,500 workers, roughly 20 percent of whom are Latino. Gibbs said injuries are down among his union's members, primarily because of bilingual training. But that may not always be the case industrywide.
Demolition Work To Begin Next Week On Atlantic Yards Project
The job will begin with the removal of hazardous substances like asbestos, which is expected to take two to three weeks.
Workers can demand -- and get -- signing bonuses, housing assistance and relocation expenses
Southern Nevada's building boom has stretched its construction workforce paper-thin, causing contractors to compete for top talent, including project managers, engineers and superintendents. Demand for skilled help has also resulted in everything from out-of-state recruiting and signing bonuses, to flex hours and 401(k)s.
Honors to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Dudas of Lancaster on the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.
The occasion was commemorated with a family vacation at Peak 'N Peak and a gathering of family and friends in their daughter's home. Maryann (nee Douglas) is retired from M&T Bank. Mr. Dudas is a retired Union Carpenter. The couple has seven children and 16 grandchildren.
Happy upcoming first wedding anniversary to June and Ray Butler.
June, 76, is a retired banker from Butler, NJ. Ray, 73, is a retired member of the UBC's New York City District Council. June has three children, four grandchildren; Raymond has two living children, one deceased son, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Their previous spouses are deceased. Both are active in their church and enjoy dancing, canasta, traveling and getting to know one another. They are making their home in McMichaels, Pennsylvania.
May there be many wonderful years ahead for Kimberly D'Amore and Robert O'Driscoll who recently announced their engagement. The future bride is a registered nurse at Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton. The bridegroom-to-be has a bachelor of science degree in telecommunications from St. John's University, Grymes Hill. He is a Union Carpenter with Local 608, Manhattan. An April 2008 wedding is being planned.
After years of stalemates and false starts, New York leaders yesterday announced a far-reaching deal to overhaul the state’s much-criticized workers’ compensation system by significantly increasing the weekly benefits that go to injured workers while cracking down on employers who cheat the system.
Lawmakers have long described the workers’ compensation system in New York as an unfathomable mess, with insurance premiums that are among the nation’s highest even while worker benefits are very low.
Construction workers endure high rates of death, injury
ST. PAUL - More workers are killed on construction jobs than in any other occupation, according to the latest workplace fatality figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On the Take: Labor Union Corruption in New York City, Past, Present, Future
Recent scandals are the jumping off point for this forum, in which the new head of the city's Central Labor Council and distinguished scholars ask: How pervasive has labor corruption been in New York City? What has caused it? How does it compare to (or connect with) corruption in business and politics? What has been its impact on Gotham's economy and polity? What to do about it? An important and provocative evening with Ed Ott, Executive Director, New York City Central Labor Council, AFL/CIO; Mike Merrill, Dean, Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies, Empire State College; Robert Fitch, author, Solidarity for Sale; and James Jacobs, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, New York University School of Law, author, Mobsters, Unions, and Feds: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement.
February 26th, 6:30 - Ninth Floor
The History Forum is free. Seating is limited. Admittance will be on a first come, first served basis, no reservations.
Unless otherwise noted, all forums take place at the
CUNY GRADUATE CENTER - 365 5th Avenue at 34th Street.
