By The PA. AFL-CIO

– Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder commended those members of the State House of Representatives who voted to move Pennsylvania forward today and expressed their disappointment with those legislators who voted to continue the failed budget policies of the previous administration.

“On behalf of over 800,000 members of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO I express my thanks and appreciation to those members of the State House of Representatives who voted today in support of the Governor’s compromise revenue package contained in the amendment by State Representative Joseph Markosek to House Bill 283. They stood up for a fair and responsible budget that will move our State forward, supporting Schools that Teach, Jobs that Pay, and Government that Works. It is unfortunate that the majority of members chose not to work on those principles by voting no. We urge the leaders of the legislature to get back to work in passing a budget that moves us forward not backward,” Bloomingdale said.

“Taken at face value this vote pertains to dollars and cents. At its core, however, today’s vote pertained to human values, namely investing in schools and our children, our caregivers and the families who depend upon them, and our communities. The leaders of the majority sided with continuing to give the oil and gas companies a free ride at our expense. Governor Wolf has compromised on every major part of his budget. It is time for the majority leadership in the State House and State Senate to wake up and do what is right for all Pennsylvanians not just the few. No more free rides.” Snyder said.

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=6402

By Diane Ravitch

– The U.S. will hear a case this fall that will determine the future of labor unions. Pro-business groups have fought the very idea of labor unions and collective bargaining for more than a century. Yet no institution in our society has done more to improve working conditions and to lift poor people into the middle class than labor unions.

Here is a straightforward explanation of the significance of this case by the BATS.

“If Friedrichs successfully overturns Abood and removes “agency shop” fees many surmise it will destroy labor unions in the country. Exposure of the real intent of the Friedrichs case is necessary because the political nature of this case is alarming; not just because of its ability to destroy labor unions but because of the nature of the deception.

“The Center for Individual Rights is the firm that is representing Friedrichs, the 9 other teachers and The Christian Educators Association International.

“The largest donor to CIR are the Koch Brothers ($40,000) .”

Here is the latest from politico:

“COMING THIS FALL TO A SCOTUS NEAR YOU: The fall term’s most consequential case for organized labor, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, will give the high court an opportunity to free public employees from their legal obligation to pay bargaining fees to a union. That obligation was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1977’s Abood v. Detroit Board of Education . If the court overruled Abood, it would impose a right-to-work regime on the country’s still-robust public sector unions. Freeing non-members from having to pay fees would create a free-rider problem wherein workers could benefit from union contracts without having to compensate the people who negotiated them on their behalf. If too many workers chose that route, unions like AFSCME and SEIU would have to scale back dramatically their bargaining and other activities. Even if the court didn’t go that far, it could still impose heavy financial burdens on public sector unions. The petitioners in the case asked the court, as an alternative to overruling Abood , to require non-members to opt in to paying fees for union political activity, replacing the opt-out regime under current law. Associate Justice Samuel Alito, in particular, appears to be itching to overrule Abood. More from Pro Labor & Employment’s Brian Mahoney: http://politico.pro/1VywJvx

“- Jacob Rukeyser, staff counsel for the California Teachers Association, said no matter what happens with the case, the assault on teachers unions will continue. The education reform movement wants to “deprofessionalize” the education profession, he said. “Regardless of how the Supreme Court rules, there will be continuing attacks on teachers unions, public sector unions and the labor movement as a whole,” he said. “Our opponents are very well-funded and unrelenting … we’re prepared for that. We expect this assault on working men and women will continue … The end result is just one of marginalizing and silencing the professional voice of our teachers.”

Source – http://dianeravitch.net/2015/10/05/will-the-supreme-court-cripple-unions/

By Jack Tomczuk, Philadelphia Inquirer

– Thousands of union janitors marched through Center City Wednesday, hoping to preserve their benefits and earn what they call fair wages.

The rally on Chestnut Street included brief speeches by mayoral candidate Jim Kenney, City Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., and City Council President Darrell L. Clarke.

Members of SEIU 32BJ gathered outside a high-rise apartment building at 2116 Chestnut about 11:45 a.m. After exciting the crowd with chants and encouraging words, union leaders led a march to John F. Kennedy Plaza. The demonstrators shut down Market Street.

The union said in a news release that Greystar, the company that manages the building, was “illegally displacing union workers.” The Inquirer reported in August that Greystar let go of 13 union janitors in favor of nonunion workers.

“One company decides to change the paradigm,” Kenney said after speaking to the crowd. “I don’t think that’s fair.”

Greystar could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

In Philadelphia, SEIU 32BJ membership numbers 2,800, with 1,400 more in the suburbs and 800 in Delaware. The union’s contract with Business Operators Labor Relations (BOLR) of the Building Owners and Managers Association of Philadelphia expires Oct. 15.

Bob Martin, president of BOLR, which represents managers, owners, and contractors who handle building maintenance – mostly in Center City – said he is looking to keep costs at the same levels.

“We are looking for containment in health and welfare costs, containment in pension costs and maintain fill-in worker flexibility,” Martin said.

Negotiations have begun, but “it’s early,” said William Hall, a shop steward involved in the process. The sides are to meet for a third session Thursday. Martin said the parties typically are able to reach an agreement before the contract expires.

Hall, who works as a janitor at Three Logan Square and has been a member of 32BJ for 20 years, said his job has helped his two sons.

“Without a union job, I would not be able to send them to college,” he said.

For others, the negotiations are more dire.

“I’m fighting for my job,” Robert Tucker said. “I’m fighting for my health care.”

Tucker, who has been in the union for 12 years, is a janitor in Center City. And he’s not that fond of the building owners and managers.

“They’re trying to get rid of the middle class,” he said. “We want a fair share of the American dream, because we deserve it.”

At JFK Plaza, Juanita Acree, a member of the union for 29 years, warned property owners not to cut the janitors’ wages, health care benefits or pension plans.

“I want them to know there’s an army rising,” she said.

Source – http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20151001_Janitors_march_through_Center_City_for_their_jobs__benefits.html

By The Associated Press

– Auditor general says school districts have borrowed $346 million so far during stalemate

– Pennsylvania is still without a plan to pay for government operations after Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a Republican-crafted short-term spending measure.

Wolf vetoed the three-bill package Tuesday, saying it would sell out the people of Pennsylvania to oil and gas companies and special interests, increase the state government’s deficit and harm its credit rating.

Wolf wants a multibillion-dollar tax increase to close a long-term budget deficit and boost aid to schools and human services.

On June 30, the governor vetoed a $30.2 billion budget package passed June 30 by Republicans who control both chambers of the Legislature. No Democratic lawmakers voted for the GOP’s budget bill or short-term spending measure.

Meanwhile, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale says public school borrowing is in the hundreds of millions as officials search for ways to stay open through a three-month-old state government budget stalemate.

DePasquale said Tuesday that his office found that 17 school districts and two intermediate units have borrowed a total of about $346 million to make up for the stoppage in state payments. He says interest and fees on the loans could reach $11.2 million.

DePasquale’s office surveyed officials at nearly 300 of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts to reach those figures. DePasquale also notes that many districts are losing investment income because they are spending down their reserves. The biggest borrower is the Philadelphia School District at $275 million. The others each borrowed $10 million or less.

DePasquale says public school borrowing will surpass $500 million by Nov. 1 and $1 billion by Dec. 1, if the stalemate continues that long.

Source – http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/gov-tom-wolf-vetoes-republican-stopgap-budget/article_c5899222-66cc-11e5-8a1b-9753242e31ce.html

By Associated Press

– The deadline for registering to vote in Pennsylvania’s Nov. 3 election is one week away.

Secretary of State Pedro Cortes reminded residents Monday that they can register online for the first time. But those who do not have a PennDOT driver’s license or PennDOT identification card should apply before the Oct. 5 deadline if they use the new electronic system, Cortes said.

In addition to thousands of local school board, municipal and judicial races, voters will fill three open seats on the seven-member Pennsylvania Supreme Court. There also are two other state appellate court openings — one each in the Superior and Commonwealth courts.

Pennsylvanians also can still register by mail or in-person at many state and county offices.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/86657-pennsylvanians-have-week-to-register-to-vote