By ASSOCIATED PRESS

– Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders are meeting again on the Pennsylvania budget impasse, but the participants report no breakthroughs.

Leaders from both parties were tight-lipped Monday as they filed out of Wolf’s office after a one-hour meeting but said they’d meet again in late afternoon.

The Democratic governor wants a multibillion-dollar tax increase that would provide a significant funding increase for public schools and eliminate a budget deficit. Republicans want to privatize the sale of wine and liquor and revamp the state’s public pensions to reduce future costs.

Wolf is expected to veto a stopgap budget approved earlier this month by Republican majorities in the House and Senate. The $11 billion proposal would cover costs incurred between July and September by school districts and county-run social services.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/86662-pa-legislative-leaders-meet-with-wolf-on-stalled-state-budget

By The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

– The election on November 3rd presents an amazing opportunity for working people in our city and our commonwealth. In Philadelphia, we have a chance to elect Jim Kenney as mayor, and to elevate an entire slate of tremendous, pro-worker candidates to City Council and a number of other citywide offices. At the state level, the makeup of our Supreme Court is at stake. Will the Pennsylvania Supreme Court understand the needs of Pennsylvania’s working people? Will the Justices be of the highest quality?

The outcome of the election will come down to voter turnout. When enough voters, especially union voters, turn out in Philadelphia, working people win. And it’s our job to give voters the information and motivation they need to make sure that they vote on November 3rd.

Here’s the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO’s Labor 2015 fall door-to-door canvass schedule. Saturday canvasses will start at 9:30 AM. Sunday canvasses will start at 1:00 PM. Our confirmed location is Sprinkler Fitters Local 692, 14002 McNulty Rd, Philadelphia. We will add more locations as we recruit more volunteers to join us at the doors.

Contact Philadelphia AFL-CIO Campaign Manager Danny Bauder at 215-665-9800 or dbauder(at)philaflcio.org to volunteer or to find out more about the program.

Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO fall 2015 canvass schedule

Saturday 10/3/2015
Saturday 10/10/2015
Monday 10/12/2015 (Columbus Day)
Saturday 10/17/2015
Sunday 10/18/2015

GOTV begins Saturday 10/24/2015
Sunday 10/25/2015
Saturday 10/31/2015
Sunday 11/1/2015
ELECTION DAY 11/3/2015

Saturday canvasses begin at 9:30am
Sunday canvasses begin at 1:00pm

Source – http://www.pa.aflcio.org/philaflcio/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=306797CE-7C18-47CA-9A15-4C6E20BBCCBF

By The PA. AFL-CIO

– Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder both join with millions of working families across the United States and here in Pennsylvania in celebrating the abrupt departure of the union-busting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker from the Republican Presidential race.

“Fortunately for our nation and for millions of working families, Scott Walker will not be pushing his anti-working family economic agenda from the Oval Office. His sudden and abrupt drop in popularity happened as he decided to double down on attacking workers and their unions, calling for the elimination of the National Labor Relations Board and further tilting the playing field to billionaires. People want to hear about growing the economy and creating good paying jobs. This anti-worker, anti-union agenda wasn’t good for Wisconsin, isn’t good for Pennsylvania, and wouldn’t do anything for Americans except drive down wages,” Bloomingdale said.

“He couldn’t run away from his own divisive politics of attacking good jobs and waging war on the working people of Wisconsin. Here is a politician that displayed the audacity to compare his union-busting crusade in Wisconsin to fighting terrorists on a national stage. His brief foray into national politics and his humiliating departure should serve as a lesson to politicians of both parties that working people want good jobs and good wages not someone who blames them – a lesson that politicians in Pennsylvania, who share this misguided agenda, better be aware of,” Snyder said.

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=6394

By IATSE 8, BUSINESS MANAGER, Mike Barnes:

– “The opening of Live Nation’s Filmore Philadelphia is the culmination of an amazing journey for the Philadelphia Club Stagehands and proud members of IATSE Local 8. The process started with a successful organizing drive at the Tower Theater, at which IATSE Local 8 signed up 35 stagehands – 34 of whom are people of color – and secured for them family sustaining wages and fair benefits. The Tower organizing was followed up by the crew at the Theater of the Living Arts on South Street which voted union and will now work under a full union agreement. Today IATSE Local 8 signed agreements for the stagehands working at the Tower, TLA and magnificent new Filmore in Philadelphia. Our union values the long standing relationship we have developed with Live Nation.

We congratulate all those at Live Nation who were involved in bringing this fantastic new performance space to Philadelphia. We hope their counterparts at the other Philadelphia Club venues are paying attention and realize that paying your employees fair wages and benefits is not only the right thing to do, but it’s a smart business decision, too.”

By Tom MacDonald

– A Philadelphia City Councilman is scratching his head over an endorsement — or lack thereof — by two municipal labor unions.

Councilman David Oh says the police and firefighters unions both endorsed him during the primary, and he thought that support extended to the general election.

“Unless I get an actual communication from the unions themselves — letterhead, phone call, text message — I can’t take second-hand information as being accurate or proper,” Oh said.

That second-hand information is in the form of a press release saying the unions have not endorsed Oh for the general election. The e-mail sent to reporters says it’s shameful that Oh is using the names of the unions, which don’t plan to endorse him in the fall. Oh says he’s been asked to come before the unions for another interview.

“I’m happy to talk to the firefighters leadership to see what is going on,” he said. “I still intend to present myself as a candidate, as
a strong voice for our firefighters and police officers.”

Oh finished first in the primary voting on the Republican side of the ballot.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/86405-councilman-questioned-over-claiming-union-endorsement-he-doesnt-have