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.
Author: paul
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.”
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.
A Wisconsin State Representative has announced that he will introduce a Right-to-Work for less bill in the upcoming legislative session. The move comes just days after a former Americans for Prosperity associate, Lorri Pickens, announced a new tea party group called “Wisconsin Right to Work.”.
Wisconsin House Speaker Robin Vos has suggested in the past that “Right-to-Work” would not be on the party’s agenda during the two-year legislative session beginning in January. However, following the announcement of the tea party backed “Wisconsin Right to Work” group, he changed his tune. Vos now says that “he looks forward to discussing the benefits of becoming a right-to-work state.”
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has said “he was open to the idea.”
Gov. Scott Walker is sticking to his talking point on the matter, saying “Right-to-Work isn’t a priority.” His spokeswoman, Laurel Patrick, added that, “Walker is focused on creating jobs and anything that distracts from that goal isn’t a priority.” It should be noted that this was wxactly what was said by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in the weeks leading up to when Right-to-Work for less legislation was snuck through in Michigan.
One impediment to passing such legislation has been the support Walker has received from the leadership of Operating Engineers Local 139.
Scott Fitzgerald said Republicans could exempt the operating engineers from the bill as a reward for their support. He also admitted that exempting them from the Right to Work for less bill could make the law more likely to be shot down in a court of law, which would make the GOP less likely to carve out the operating engineers. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Local 139’s Business Manager noted he was not made aware of the GOP attempt to push through Right to Work for less.
In 1993, as a freshmen legislator, Walker co-sponsored Right to Work for less legislation.
Kelsey Gibson, daughter of Michigan State Legislative Director Jerry Gibson, was in a near-fatal accident in January 2013 when she was broadsided by a pickup truck in heavy fog. Kelsey’s injuries were extensive and included a long hospitalization. It was reported in May 2013 that Kelsey was awake, but she had a long road to recovery. Today, she continues her battle with countless rehabilitation sessions.
Friends of the Gibson family have started a gun raffle to help raise money to assist Kelsey with her rehabilitation efforts. For $20 per ticket, participants have a chance to win a new Remington Model 870 Express. This 12-gauge pump gun has twin action bars to prevent binding and twisting.
The winner will be drawn when 200 tickets are sold or on Jan. 1, 2015. To purchase tickets, contact Bud Morse at (419) 619-9161, Scott Hockin at (616) 293-9918, Don Silseth at (616) 443-2613 or Jerry Gibson at (616) 308-6381. Checks can be made payable to “FBO Kelsey Gibson.”
Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 was the first of the building trades to register its apprenticeship program in the state of Massachusetts as far back as 1952. While visiting the state on Nov. 17, U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez dropped by the Sheet Metal Workers Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee facility in Dorchester, MA to meet with the members and staff.
The Local 17 JATC is a leader in expanding apprenticeship training to under-represented communities through partnerships that include the Building Pathways Program, the Women Apprentices in Non-Traditional Occupations program, and the Helmets to Hardhats for veterans.
After a guided tour of the JATC from John Healy, Local 17 training director, Perez sat for a roundtable discussion with seven apprenticeship students as well as local union leaders and Massachusetts Labor Secretary Rachel Kaprielian and asked what, if anything, he should tell President Barack Obama about the program.
“I’d tell President Obama to promote this idea across the country, to get kids interested,” said Patrick Pochette, in his fourth year of the apprenticeship program and a also a member found through the Building Pathways program, “Because of this program, I have a good job.”
Perez met with representatives of the local media to discuss the new emphasis being placed on apprenticeships by the Obama Administration. In keeping with imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Perez recognized the state of Massachusetts as a leader in developing new programs far beyond their time. In particular, he recognized Local 17’s JATC as a model for inclusion that can be incorporated by every other trade across the United States.
Local 17 Business Manager Robert Butler noted that, “we appreciate the recognition and hope to continue to live up to it by being the best represented and highest skilled craftsmen in the Eastern New England sheet metal industry.”
The SMART Constitution and Ritual was passed at the First General Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. It represents the contributions of members representing every industry and occupation this Union services members in. Click here to view a copy of this important document.
Many veterans enlisted in the military instead of going to college. Instead of learning where their dorm room was, they learned where they would be stationed for the next year. Instead of learning statistics, they learned the art of war. For those who spent their formative years in the military, when their friends are graduating from college, they are being honorably discharged without an idea of how to transfer the skills they learned in the military to the civilian world.
In honor of Veterans Day, the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry, is shedding light on all veterans – especially female veterans – who struggle to find a career post-military. Currently, 7.9 percent of female veterans ages 18 and older are unemployed compared to 4.2 percent for males 18 and older, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
First Lady Michelle Obama recently shared her initiative, Joining Forces, which creates opportunities for the civilian population to support military families, and shed light on the issue in a recent Redbook article.
“She’s been trained to be a leader,” Obama said regarding all female veterans. “She’s been trained to be the best of the best, not just for herself, but for her kids. And this country’s not giving her that opportunity, someone who wants it so desperately.”
The ITI has partnered with Helmets to Hardhats to bring in quality apprentices, and although the organization has been helping veterans nationwide find careers in the construction trades for more than a decade, many veterans still aren’t aware of all the program offers.
Meanwhile, college-age veterans ages 18 to 24 are struggling. The unemployment rate among all veterans ages 18 to 24 is 21.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their civilian counterparts in the same age group are unemployed at the rate of 13.1 percent.
The ITI welcomes veterans into 153 unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry schools across the country – whether they use the services of Helmets to Hardhats or find them on their own. Veterans have the benefit of direct entry into the schools as well as other benefits if they qualify for the program.
“Although veterans have proven work experience, dedication and discipline, they have a higher unemployment rate than the everyday person off the street in the same age group,” said Larry Lawrence, regional field representative/instructional development specialist for the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry. “That doesn’t make sense to me. People with this military training and an honorable discharge should be able to work.”
It’s in the national standards for the ITI to give preferential standing to applicants that come to training centers through Helmets to Hardhats. A few training centers are examples of how that standard can be taken a step further.
In Pennsylvania, the sheet metal workers union gives veterans direct entry into the state’s two apprentice programs that take upwards of 18 months from application to acceptance for the average civilian applicant. In the land of brotherly love, a military background means a career can begin 18 months faster.
“We accept the honorable discharge and say we want that kind of candidate,” said Aldo Zambetti, ITI field representative and former coordinator at the training center at Local 19 in Philadelphia. “The coordinator there is the human resources department. He can have the resume and see if someone has HVAC experience or construction experience and put them to work as long as it’s available.”
Pennsylvania veterans interested in sheet metal work – including air conditioning and heating, welding and computer drafting, among others – can bypass the interview and test, enroll in the apprentice program and go straight to any available work. While all apprentices are in school, they can work while they learn for free.
“The ITI has always had a great experience with Helmets to Hardhats apprentices,” Zambetti said. “I’ve not seen one dropout. I’ve never seen one person fail to graduate to be a journeyperson. I see the Helmets to Hardhats vets in their first five years at their positions, and they are holding higher level jobs, and I think it’s because of their military training.”
In Connecticut, project labor agreements (PLA) are calling for a percentage of the workforce to be military veterans.
“We’re putting it in every one of our PLAs,” said David Roche, business manager at Local No. 40. “It’s helping the guys who deserve a job when they come back, and we’re getting quality workers. It’s a win-win for us all around.”
Since 2007, more than 100 workers have come to trades in the state through the school at Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 40.
“They have a work ethic. They’re used to taking direction, getting up early and going to work every day. They pay attention. They catch on quicker and they seem to excel through the program and afterwards,” Roche said. “Some of our best workers came through the military.”
Darrell Roberts, executive director for Helmets to Hardhats, was a union sheet metal worker, served in the U.S. Navy for four years and the National Guard for six. Active service members looking at an honorable discharge commonly don’t know their options. Giving the organization a call or filling out a profile on the website only helps open the lines of communication. This way, the veteran has a chance to review all opportunities and find the career that matches his or her background, personality and future goals in time for the discharge. The program also provides mentorship and eases the transition into civilian life.
“On one hand you’re really helping the service member,” Roberts said. “On the other hand, you’re helping the workers and contractors because you’re bringing on good workers. It’s good for everyone involved.”
As a veteran, Roberts understands the importance of stability and finding a career once the military part of life is over.
“If you’ve served in the Guard or active duty, you’ve served,” he said. “You’ve served us. We don’t turn them away.”
Veterans have a lot of choices, which can be good or bad. Trades like the sheet metal workers help by making the process easy.
“Direct entry is a great item. It’s a great boon. It’s not unique, but it is rare. It’s something we’ve been pushing across the United States with all the trades,” said Roberts of ITI’s direct entry program for sheet metal workers. “You have to educate people that they can make a career out of being a sheet metal worker. The goal of Helmets to Hardhats is to show there are real quality careers in construction, and we’ll help you with that transition. We try to get the stumbling blocks out of the way.”
The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and Remington are teaming up to send one lucky USA member and a guest on a dream 2015 Wyoming antelope hunt at The Ranch at Ucross, armed with a brand-new Remington Model 700 CDL SF in 7mm Mag! The prize package, valued at approximately $7,000, includes the gun, guided hunt, airfare, accommodations and hunting licenses. One second prize winner will receive a Remington 700 SPS in 30-06. Both guns are union-made!
Not a USA member? As a SMART member, you can join at no cost. Click here to join.
Enter for Your Chance to Win the Hunt!
The Auxiliary of the UTU Bluebonnets Lodge 331 is holding a 5k run fundraiser. All ages are welcome to run in the race and medals and trophies will be awarded to the first place male and female in each age division and for the overall top male and female.
Registration is open to all railway families from Sept. 3 to Nov. 4. The first 50 entries will receive a goodie bag with a T-shirt. The race is being held at the Pepper Creek Hike and Bike Trail at 546 N. Kegley Rd. in Temple, Texas. The race is set to start at 9 a.m. with registration open at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 8. Pre-registration online is $22.50 or $25 on race day.
Interested parties can sign up online by clicking here or by calling (254) 865-7551 or (254) 223-1400. Click here to see Lodge 331’s 5k run flyer.