Author: paul

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State of the Unions is an excellent and very readable analysis of the current struggles and past triumphs of the American labor movement. Longtime respected labor reporter Phil Dine makes a compelling case that a much stronger labor movement is integral to any effort to restore fairness for working families and reduce America’s widening income gap.
Dine takes a look at what happened to organized labor in America and what can be done to restore it to its role of the defender of middle-class values and economic well-being.
Dine offers firsthand accounts of the union members striving to make their voices heard in a political landscape increasingly shaped by corporate interests, including how:

The women of Delta Pride-a major player in the multi-billion dollar catfish industry-went up against generations of racial and economic prejudice
Iowa’s firefighters union flexed its collective muscle to score a major political victory in the 2004 caucus
The American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO played a key role in bringing down the Iron Curtain
The Teamsters enlisted community support to temporarily stop a move by Mr. Coffee to relocate to Mexico and saved nearly 400 manufacturing jobs in the Cleveland area

A reporter who has covered labor for two decades, Dine not only details where labor has gone wrong, but he also offers ideas on how it can adapt to a global economy to recover the ground it lost over the last quarter century. His book also has been updated to cove the latest assault on workers from Wisconsin to Ohio, to today’s current war in Pennsylvania and everywhere in between.
A link to purchase his book is available here.

The head of New Jersey’s transit agency Feb. 3 defended the response to delays for thousands of fans leaving the Super Bowl by train, as officials sought to understand how ridership estimates could have been so far off base.
About 33,000 people took the 7-mile ride between MetLife Stadium and the Secaucus rail transfer station, more than double the highest estimates made by organizers and transportation experts before the game. The overcrowding on the platform grew so severe immediately following the game that the stadium scoreboard flashed a sign asking fans to remain inside.
The Super Bowl was held Sunday, Feb. 2, at Met-Life Stadium in New Jersey. It was billed as the first outdoor/mass transit Super Bowl.
“I received an email this morning from New Jersey Transit Vice President and General Manager Kevin O’Connor, thanking our UTU/SMART members for a job well done,” said New Jersey General Chairperson Michael J. Reilly. “Our members of Local 60 in Newark, N.J., came out in force, as there were more than 70 extra assignments to be filled on both Saturday and Sunday. Not only did they come out, our crews were exceptional in their duties and professional in very demanding situations.”
In a message to Reilly and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen General Chairperson Dave Decker, O’Conner wrote: “Just wanted to express my thanks to both of you, as well as to your members. We filled virtually every job on Saturday and Sunday and on Sunday carried an unprecedented 28,000 people to the Meadowlands and took out over 32,000. I spoke to many employees as I saw them on Saturday and Sunday and thanked them for their efforts, but of course that was only a fraction of the work force, so please pass this on to everyone.
Great job by all and greatly appreciated. Thank you.

This conference brings together tradeswomen and union leaders to develop skills and strategies to recruit, retain and promote leadership of women on the jobsite and in their unions.
To register on-line click one of the links that follow:
If you are an individual registering one or more participants register here.
If you are an organization registering one or more participants register here.
If you are an individual or organization registering one or more pre-apprentices register here.
If you are only attending the Pre-Apprentice Pre-Conference register here.
If you want to make a contribution click here.
Click here for a copy of the event brochure
You can also email sistersinsmart@gmail.com for further information.

To register for a room on-line at the conference hotel, click the link below.
SHERATON GRAND SACRAMENTO HOTEL
916-447-1700 (Mention “Women Building” Conference)
1230 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
CLICK now to reserve your room on line at the Sheraton

The new copy of the SMART The Members’ Journal is now available online.
Included in this issue:

– New message from the General President about the SMART Constitution
– Improvements at the National Pension Fund
– SMART Living
– Profile of Local 17 member Paul Lesickza
– New program for members’ assistance. . .
and much more.

Following the examples of Local 33 and others, Local 66 contractors and members have been busily preparing to make the facilities within their jurisdiction verifiably safe.

Local 66 has delivered Fire Life Safety Level 1 Technician training for the last few years through the Western Washington Sheet Metal (WWSM) JATC. Now, with increased awareness of the importance of fire life safety, Local 66, SMACNA Western Washington, and the WWSM JATC are increasing their efforts to provide Level 2 Supervisor training and to get contractors registered to perform the work as certified entities.Local 66 Business Manager Eric Martinson has designated Organizer Brad Stephens to take the lead on networking with the public officials who are by law required to perform periodic building fire life safety inspections. Brad has been busy connecting the dots to get the right training to the right people, to make Local 66 members and contractors the go-to resource for these valuable safety inspections. As with all of these endeavors, the primary goals are safety and increased work hours.
This past summer the WWSM JATC hosted a five-day training session that provided 15 members and contractor representatives with both the Level 1 Technician and Level 2 Supervisor training required to begin to chase this work. Additionally, the WWSM JATC has begun installation of two complete fire life safety labs that will allow them to demonstrate directly to building officials how fire life safety systems work and how they should be inspected. Modeled after labs used in Local 33, the two Local 66 labs will be located in the Everett and DuPont JATC training centers, making it easier to prepare as many Local 66 members as possible to do this work.
Both SMACNA Western Washington and SMART Sheet Metal Local 66 are encouraged by the level of training participation and the attention members and contractors alike are showing in fire life safety as a viable work opportunity.

Throughout the past year, we have shared major portions of our history, as documented by labor historian Grace Palladino. She has provided an insightful and candid look at several major issues addressed by your union’s leadership since publication of an earlier history in 1981. Our objective in this current effort was to detail actions taken on strategic decisions made to advance the union’s mission and to benefit its members. What we have received, as a contribution to the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association, is an independent examination of our records and personal interviews with a number of officers and staff who were personally involved in many of these issues. I hope you have found it interesting and informative. Current and future leaders, we believe, will benefit from this transparent look at decision making.
My reading of our history leads me to a couple of conclusions. SMART has a strong base on which to build its future. Its leadership is as resilient, creative and unstoppable as ever. We owe much to the generations of leaders over the past 33 years—leaders who fought hard to protect our interests and our families’ welfare. If not for forward-thinking leaders like Edward J. Carlough, we would not be where we are today. General President of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association between 1970 and 1993—a generally lean period for union construction workers—he fully believed that God helped those who helped themselves. “That’s why we created SASMI, a national training fund, a national pension fund, and NEMI,” he noted. And that’s why Engineering News- Record named him Construction Man of he Year in 1975, a time when the Business Roundtable was pushing open-shop construction, and doublebreasted union/nonunion firms were on the rise. “I’ve never held my breath waiting for someone to help me,” he said, “and I never will.”
Arthur Moore, who took over as IA president in 1993, provided strong financial leadership and made hard decisions to help strengthen the National Pension Fund. “Our goal must be to preserve our pensions,” he told the membership. Michael J. Sullivan became the next General President, placing a high priority on the union’s organizing program to help build membership and increase contributions to the pension fund. He also saw the advantages of mergers, which ultimately led to the decision by the United Transportation Union to join in forming the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART).
The experiences of these recent General Presidents have greatly influenced me throughout my career. Each had a different approach in leading the union, but they all had the same dedication and understanding that the members come first in all deliberations. It is now my responsibility to enhance the future of this great union by successfully concluding the merger of our union and promoting the value of our members’ expertise, whether in construction, manufacturing, or transportation.
As this year comes to a close, I extend season’s greetings to you, your family, and friends and wish you the very best of happiness, good health, and success in the coming year.
Fraternally yours,
Joseph J. Nigro

tpp-shipping-jobs-away — Image courtesy of the CWA

Tomorrow, January 31st, people across North America will be taking part in an Inter-Continental Day of Action against Fast Track and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The TPP is another NAFTA, except this time on “steroids.” It could become the law of the land without any debate or amendments if Fast Track legislation is allowed to pass.

We can’t let that happen! Please be sure to call your Representative and Senators tomorrow and tell them to vote NO on Fast Track.

Call 1 888-583-5129 for the Senate.

Call 1 888-582-1884 for the House.

You can also send an email here.
And if you’re able to, please join one of the many events that are being planned across the United States and Canada tomorrow. A listing of events can be found here.

For more information, visit our website page dedicated to stopping the TPP at smart-union.org/stop-the-tpp or www.stopfasttrack.com

The stage is set for an LIRR strike come spring if the MTA does not accept the recommendations of a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), recently impaneled by President Obama to look at wages and benefits at the railroad. That was the message of SMART General Chairman Anthony Simon, who appeared before the MTA Board of Directors in the company of TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen at the Authority’s corporate headquarters on Madison Avenue. Speaking at the Board’s first meeting of 2014, Simon — representing a coalition of 70% of LIRR unionized employees — expressed his members’ anger and frustration over being told to take three zeroes and make concessions while MTA managers were getting raises through “creative” accounting practices. Just 45 minutes earlier, in the same board room, the MTA’s Audit Committee was talking about what to do with a $80 million real estate “windfall.” It was the same old story — money for everything else except worker raises. The PEB panel released its recommendations last month — a contract worth approximately 18% over six years. But the MTA is rejecting the finding. With the public seating area in the board room taken up by TWU and LIRR union members, Simon said, “I ask this Board to become actively involved to help end this dispute now.” After speaking, Simon and Samuelsen talked to the press. That video will be posted on the Local 100 website.
Article courtesy of TWU Local 100

The “ICB/TABB Journal” is now available. Formerly known as “TABB Talk,” the new publication offers a more functional layout, enhanced design and improved content. “Our goal is to make this the leading industry publication in its category, a useful resource that engineers, technicians, supervisors and contractors can refer to time and again,” said James Page, NEMIC Administrator.
Each issue consists of seven categories: Commentary, Industry Pulse, Letters, Events, Tech Talk, Contractor’s Corner and a Feature article that addresses vital industry topics in an in-depth and thoughtful manner. This issue’s feature article by building performance consultant James E. Woods, P.E., Ph.D., discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with developing an educated and skilled workforce. While HVAC Testing Adjusting and Balancing will always be the central theme, the “ICB/TABB Journal” covers topics that go beyond traditional testing, adjusting and balancing. These include related disciplines such as HVAC fire life safety, commissioning, sound and vibration, indoor air quality, total building energy audit and fume hood performance testing.
The “ICB/TABB Journal” is designed to be interactive. “It works best when our readers are fully engaged,” said Page. “We encourage them to submit ideas for matters of interest, opinions in the form of Letters to the Editor, or even relevant articles in the 500 – 1,000 word range.”
As a bonus, if your article is selected for publication, you will receive a complimentary registration for the 2014 ICB/TABB Conference in Cleveland in May. To submit ideas and materials, simply email Imagine Communications at brouff@WeAreImagine.com.
Visit here for a digital version of the “ICB/TABB Journal.

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its annual data finding that in 2013, the union membership rate—the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions—was 11.3 percent, the same as in 2012. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions, at 14.5 million, was little different from 2012. Among private-sector employees, the rate was 6.7 percent.
“The data also show that among full-time wage and salary workers, union members have higher median weekly earnings than nonunion workers. The median weekly earnings of union members were $950, compared to $750 for nonunion workers.
While they year to year changes are minuscule, in 1983, the first year for which comparable union data became available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers.
Click here for more details from the BLS report.