The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ) is suing a Texas-based company, Union Workers Credit Services, for deceiving consumers into paying fees to sign up for a sham credit card. The Bureau alleges that the company falsely advertises a general-use credit card that, in actuality, can only be used to buy products from the company. Union Workers Credit Services also deceptively implies an affiliation with unions by, among other things, using pictures of nurses, firefighters, and other public servants in its advertising.
Despite their name, Union Workers Credit Services is not union affiliated, but they have been preying on union members. Please spread word about this to your fellow members.
Click here to read more from the CFPB.
Year: 2014
An articulation agreement between the Ohio Board of Regents and the seven unionized sheet metal training centers in the state will make it easier for new apprenticeship graduates to earn their associate’s degrees.
The first state-wide agreement of its kind in the nation, it allows sheet metal apprentices the ability to earn additional math and science credits during their apprenticeship they would have otherwise had to earn on a college campus.
“This agreement proves what we as an industry have been saying all along,” said James Page, administrator for the International Training Institute, the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry. “Apprenticeships are another side of higher education. If our Ohio apprentices choose to pursue their associate’s degree, they’ll already all but have it when they complete their apprenticeship.”
Before the agreement, sheet metal apprentices completed 40 percent of their associate degree requirements. Under the new agreement, the Ohio Valley Coordinators group expects to see an increase during students’ apprenticeships. So, when they graduate from the apprenticeship, they have 60 percent of their associate’s degree completed.
“It should be the difference between taking 10 more classes to earn the degree to two or three classes,” said Rob Gartner, training director for Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 24 in Columbus. “These guys work 40 or more hours per week, attend classes three nights a week and they have families. The fewer classes they have to take when they leave the apprenticeship, the better.”
“To me, the critical part is it puts all the sheet metal apprentices in Ohio in the same pool, so no matter where in the state that apprentice lives, or the college he or she picks, we set a common bar that everyone is going to hit,” said John Nesta, training coordinator at Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 33 in Cleveland. “It’s just another example of the quality of the training, the quality of the programs. It’s more validation from the outside about the higher levels of training we provide.”
Ohio is home to the third largest sheet metal apprenticeship system in the United States – behind California and New York.
In January 2011, the Ohio Board of Regents undertook the task of developing a statewide umbrella agreement to encompass all sheet metal apprenticeship programs in Ohio. That spring, the Ohio Board of Regents granted the Sheet Metal Workers apprenticeship programs an exception allowing the apprentices to receive math and science credits for classes taught by journeymen instructors who do not hold a master’s degree.
Aside from credits earned, the agreement assures the industry that an apprentice in Cleveland will have a similar knowledge base and skillset as an apprentice in Las Vegas or Philadelphia, providing graduates the credentials to travel anywhere in the country to work.
“These apprentices put a lot of work into going to work, going to school to get a journeyman’s card, but that other piece of paper means a lot to them and their families,” Gartner said.
Currently, students from the Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia border receive credit through Columbus State Community College. Once they graduate, they can transfer their credits and attend a college closer to home to complete their degrees, such as the applied science in HVAC degree.
The articulation agreement falls in line with the Registered Apprenticeship – College Consortium, a new effort launched earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education. The consortium promotes graduates of registered apprenticeship programs to turn their years of hard work into college credits.
“The decision to prepare a student for college or career is no longer an option in today’s competitive global economy,” said Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education in a release regarding the consortium. “To ensure a highly skilled and trained workforce that can compete with the best and brightest across the world, we have to train our students for college and career. This program provides a much needed pathway for students to develop needed technical skills while also pursuing a college degree, strengthening the middle class.”
To receive the exception, heads of math and science departments at Columbus State Community College, Cuyahoga Community College and Owens College researched the history of the unionized sheet metal apprenticeship as well as the instructors, training centers and curriculum.
“The college department heads were impressed with the quality of the International Training Institute curriculum and materials used by the Ohio Valley Coordinators group,” Gartner said. “The guys from the group – John Nesta, Gary Shinkle, Eugene Frazier, Dan Kline – they worked together to make this happen.”
MTA Metro-North Railroad has selected a health care firm that specializes in sleep disorders to screen all locomotive engineers for sleep apnea, railroad officials announced Dec. 15.
Under a seven-month pilot project, all 410 Metro-North engineers and about 20 engineers in training will undergo an initial screening by the railroad’s Occupational Health Services Department based on industry best practices. The locomotive engineers recommended for additional screening will be referred to the contractor, Persante Health Care Inc., Metro-North officials said in a press release.
Read the complete story at Progressive Railroading.
More than 2.7 billion trips were taken on U.S. public transportation in the third quarter of 2014, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This is a 1.8 percent increase over the same quarter last year, representing an increase of more than 48 million trips and the highest third quarter ridership since 1974 (the oldest third quarter APTA has available for comparison).
Some public transit systems that reported record third quarter ridership for their entire system or for a specific line are located in the following cities: Albany, N.Y.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Birmingham, Ala.; Denver; Minneapolis; New York City (Metro North); Oakland, Calif.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Peoria, Ill.; Seattle; and Wenatchee, Wash.
Noting that ridership on U.S. public transportation has increased in 12 of the last 15 quarters, APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy said, “There are a number of reasons why public transportation ridership is on the rise. First, the investment in public transportation by the federal government has paid off with new rail and bus rapid transit lines or extensions that have opened up in recent years. These new services have not only created greater access for people to use public transit, but have led to economic development that has transformed and revitalized the community. Public transportation is not just moving people, but also positively shaping the communities we live in.
“A second reason for increased ridership is that people are affirmatively responding to the quality of public transportation that is now available,” said Melaniphy. “For example, some public transit systems have increased their frequency of service and have modernized their vehicle fleets. Additionally, with the use of apps and real time information at stations, riders can easily find out when the next bus or train will arrive. Technology has made riding public transportation more convenient and easier to use.
“Additionally, the economy is recovering and since nearly 60 percent of public transit trips are taken to travel for work commutes, public transportation ridership has increased in cities where the economy has improved,” said Melaniphy.
The following cities are some examples of areas with higher employment and public transit ridership for the third quarter: Atlanta; Boston; Champaign-Urbana, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Minneapolis; Portland, Ore; Salt Lake City; San Francisco, and Seattle.
“High and volatile gas prices have played a part over the past nine years in convincing people to try public transportation,” said Melaniphy. “Now that gas prices are declining, many people are still choosing to ride public transportation. They have discovered that there are other benefits to taking public transit besides saving money.”
CLEVELAND, Dec. 17 — Top leaders of the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART–TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced today that their organizations will be participating with four other rail unions in coordinated bargaining in the upcoming round of national negotiations.
On Dec. 8, 2014, BLET general chairmen and SMART–TD general chairpersons each served bargaining notices on their respective railroads, including identical notices related to health and welfare and related benefits.
“Today we build on the successes of joint bargaining during the past two national rounds,” said BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce. “Now more than ever before it is imperative that the unions representing railroad operating crafts sit side-by-side at the national table, and I am pleased that we have been able to accomplish that.”
“This is a landmark occasion for BLET members and SMART–TD members alike,” said SMART–TD President John Previsich. “Today’s announcement builds on several years of cooperation between our organizations on a variety of common issues, and is the logical next step for our great unions. Working together will allow rail labor to make the strongest possible effort to obtain for our members the wages and working conditions that they deserve.”
Also participating in the coordinated bargaining effort are the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers (IBB), and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers/SEIU (NCFO).
Jointly, the participating unions represent more than 85,000 railroad workers covered by the various organizations’ national agreements, and comprise over 58% of the workforce who will be impacted by the negotiations.
HARTFORD, Conn. – Metro-North’s actions against an injured worker have resulted in the largest punitive damages ever in a retaliation case under the Federal Railroad Safety Act. A recent investigation by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration uncovered these details and revealed that the worker, who is employed as a coach cleaner for the commuter rail carrier, was retaliated against after reporting the knee injury he suffered on Nov. 17, 2011. As a result, the company has been ordered to pay the employee a total of $250,000 in punitive damages, $10,000 in compensatory damages and to cover reasonable attorney fees.
While driving the injured employee to the hospital, a Metro-North supervisor also intimidated the worker, reportedly telling the worker that railroad employees who are hurt on the job are written up for safety and are not considered for advancement or promotions within the company.
Unofficial reports from other employees appear to corroborate the supervisor’s claims. For instance, one worker smashed her foot with a barrel while on the job, yet she did not file an accident report and showed up to work every day using crutches in hope of keeping her injury record clean. Another worker was injured when her hand was caught in a broken door but, like her coworker, she did not fill out an incident report for fear of reprisal.
Shortly after the Connecticut employee reported the work-related injury, Metro-North issued disciplinary charges against him. The employee filed an initial Federal Railroad Safety Act anti-discrimination complaint with OSHA on April 19, 2012. An amended complaint was filed on April 9, 2013, after the railroad issued additional disciplinary charges against him.
“When employees, fearing retaliation, hesitate to report work-related injuries and the safety hazards that caused them, companies cannot fix safety problems and neither employees nor the public are safe,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “In this case, the Metro-North’s conduct was deliberate and discriminatory, and we have assessed the maximum amount in punitive damages allowed under the law.”
OSHA’s investigation found that the employee engaged in protected activity when he reported his injury and filed his complaints with OSHA, that Metro North knew these were protected activities and that these protected activities were contributing factors in Metro North’s subsequent disciplining of the employee.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a preliminary Special Investigation Report dated November 19, 2014, regarding several recent accidents, including fatalities, involving Metro-North. The NTSB noted in their findings that “Metro-North Railroad did not have an effective program that encouraged all employees to report safety issues and observations.” OSHA’s findings here provide another example of this: if employees are discouraged from reporting injuries, the employees and the public are endangered as Metro-North cannot correct the conditions which caused the injuries.
In addition to paying punitive and compensatory damages, OSHA ordered Metro-North to expunge the employee’s record of all charges and disciplinary action. The company must also conduct training for all supervisors and managers on employee whistleblower rights and post a notice to employees of their whistleblower rights. Both the employee and the railroad have 30 days from receipt of OSHA’s findings to file objections and request a hearing before the Labor Department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.
OSHA enforces the whistleblower* provisions of the FRSA Act and 21 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health care reform, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, maritime and securities laws.
Under these laws enacted by Congress, employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who raise various protected concerns or provide protected information to the employer or to the government. Employees who believe that they have been retaliated against for engaging in protected conduct may file a complaint with the secretary of labor for an investigation by OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program. Detailed employee rights information is available online at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
Members of Sheet Metal Local 137 in New York City are known for their expertise when it comes to keeping the city lit up—dazzling generations of tourists and New Yorkers with the Big Apple’s bright lights and giant billboards. Now they can add another notch to their belt with what may be the world’s largest video display, built in the heart of Times Square (aka the crossroads of the World) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on the corner of Broadway and 45th Street.
The project, requiring in excess of 20 members working non-stop through the better part of 2014, required the old staging and steel to be replaced with the new gigantic video display measuring over 25,600 square feet (77.69 feet high x 329.65 feet wide). Once complete, the sign will adorn the façade of the hotel with the types of messages and advertisements found throughout the rest of Times Square.
Local 137 signatory North Shore Neon Sign, Inc. is the contractor on the project. Their motto “We Hang to Live” is a tongue and cheek take on the company’s 50-year tradition of designing and hanging signs for customers in Times Square and all across the New York metropolitan area—all of which has been done in partnership with the men and women of Local 137. According to Local 137 Business Manager Dante Dano, “If you are a contractor or business who wants to break records and stand out from the crowd, you need to surround yourself with extraordinary people. That’s what these members are. Once again, they make me proud to represent them.”
Allan Anderson, Local 137’s Vice President, has been the foreman on the Marriott Marquis Hotel job since the beginning. According to Anderson, “If it were not for the skilled craftspeople in our steel shop and sheet metal shops, the installers would not have had product to install. It was the biggest installation of a single screen I have been involved with in my career. And I am very proud of all my brothers and sisters involved with this project.”
The New York sign industry is currently undergoing a revitalization with the upsurge in the U.S. economy, bringing tourism and advertising dollars back to the city. The first tenant in the World Trade Center, Condé Nast, has already moved in, and members of Local 137 were there to install the signs and visual displays for the publishing company. Brookfield Properties, a major worldwide developer with billions of dollars of new development in New York City, recently signed a 20-year agreement to install signs on all their New York area properties with the help of Local 137 members.
Local 137 members are known for one more thing as well. Every year, millions of Americans across the country and in Times Square ring in the New Year by watching the New Year’s Ball lowered in Times Square. The next time you watch it, remember that the people behind the design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the Times Square Ball are none other than your brothers and sisters from Local 137.
Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, can come at any age and can happen to anyone. They are nothing to be ashamed of. While they can occur at any time, stressful holidays and the let-down after the holidays often make these conditions worse.
With that in mind, it’s important to know that Railroad Medicare covers many mental health services (Medicare pays 80 percent while the patient pays 20 percent) after your annual deductible is met and when the service is provided by: a psychiatrist or other doctor, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, a clinical psychologist, a clinical social worker or a clinical nurse specialist.
Some of the covered services are
- Annual screening for depression;
- Individual and group psychotherapy with doctors, or certain other licensed professionals who are allowed by the state to offer these services;
- Family counseling (if the main purpose is to help with your treatment);
- Testing to find determine if you’re getting the services you need and/or if your current treatment is helping you;
- Psychiatric evaluation;
- Medication management;
- Occupational therapy that’s part of your mental health treatment;
- Individual patient training and education about your condition;
- Diagnostic tests.
Talk to your doctor or health care provider if you feel you may be depressed or have any of these following symptoms (this is not an all-inclusive list):
- Sad, empty, or hopeless feelings;
- A lack of energy;
- Trouble concentrating;
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much;
- Little interest in things you used to enjoy;
- Suicidal thoughts.
If you have questions about your Railroad Medicare coverage, you can call their toll-free Customer Service Line at (800) 833-4455, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. For the hearing impaired, call TTY/TDD at (877) 566-3572. This line is for the hearing impaired with the appropriate dial-up service and is available during the same hours Customer Service Representatives are available.
Visit Railroad Medicare’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/myrrmedicare. Join Railroad Medicare’s listserv/e-mail updates. Just select the ‘E-Mail Updates’ in the ‘Stay Connected’ section on the lower left-hand side of our main webpage at www.PalmettoGBA.com/RR/Me.
Metra and freight railroad industry representatives on Friday called for a $1 billion project intended to untangle a snarl of railroad tracks that causes major problems for Chicago commuters and commerce.
The project, known as the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, would target three rail-to-rail crossings on the South Side that officials call significant choke points for Metra and freight trains.
Read the complete story at the Chicago Tribune.
Hidden away in Congress’ big spending bill, designed to fund the federal government through FY 2015, are stern marching orders to the U.S. Department of Transportation:
Deliver a final rule for new, safer oil tank car design standards by Jan. 15, 2015, and require that all rail carriers put in place comprehensive oil spill response plans.
Read the complete story at the seattlepi.com.