– PA. AFL-CIO –

This administration in Harrisburg is pulling out all the stops right now. They are hoping that by attacking workers on several fronts that they can divide and conquer. They are cynically attempting to link unrelated pieces of legislation so as to create new rifts within the Labor Movement – by doing things like tying transportation funding to privatization of the Wine & Spirits Stores. Now more than ever we need to stand together as a united Labor Movement, and face all of these attacks head on.

Now is the time for all of us to get involved, as many of you have been for a long time. Please Take Action! on the legislative battles highlighted below – and then forward this email to your co-workers, family members, friends, and neighbors. Invite them to become active like you, and take a stand in defending working families in Pennsylvania!

Take Action: House Passes Reckless State Budget On Party Line Vote

On Wednesday, June 13, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a budget plan that fails to provide solutions that work for the challenges facing our state. The vote (108-92) was split down party lines, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.

This budget lacks sufficient funding for our schools, which will force districts to cut more staff and programs, and to raise property taxes. This budget fails to take advantage of Federal funding for Medicaid expansion, which would inject $3 billion in economic activity into our State and support 35,000 good new jobs. This budget includes more giveaways for business on top of the hundreds of millions in cuts that the Governor has already delivered, and it does so on the backs of working Pennsylvanians. E-mail your legislators and tell them that Pennsylvania deserves better! READ MORE: Go To: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=2070

Take Action: Senate To Vote On Wine & Spirits Privatization

Republicans in the Senate are currently working on a privatization bill that will probably be considered sometime within the next week. Governor Corbett is pressing the Senate to send him a liquor privatization bill as part of his administration’s right wing agenda. Liquor privatization would result in a loss of thousands of jobs and a large cut in revenue for the state. READ MORE AND E-MAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS, Go To: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=2065

Take Action: Tell Your Legislators ‘No’ To 401(k)-Type Plans

On June 11th, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi was on PCN TV, and he revealed the next step in advancing the Governor’s destructive pension ‘reform’ package.

According to Senator Pileggi, next week the Senate Finance Committee will be moving a bill from committee that would end pensions for newly hired public employees. This bill would be a DISASTER for Pennsylvania workers, and for Pennsylvania taxpayers.

On that same day, an actuarial study of a proposed switch to 401(k)-type plans for new hires was released by Buck Consultants, who were commissioned by PSERS to study the question.

The bottom line is that this plan will:

Add $7.2 Billion in additional benefit costs for new hires to be on a 401(k)-type plan
Add $30.7 Billion in additional costs to the current pension system by closing it off to new hires
Those extra costs are in addition to the obvious consequences of such a reckless scheme: jeopardizing the retirement security of future workers and destabilizing the pension fund that current employees and retirees rely upon. READ MORE: Go To: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=2077

Union Building Trades Apprentices Hold Lobby Day At State Capitol

Hundreds of PA Building and Construction Trades union apprentices, coordinators and instructors representing twenty different building trades crafts from every area of Pennsylvania filled the State Capitol Rotunda in an impressive display of the strength and the value of union-run apprenticeship programs to Pennsylvania’s building and construction industry.

During a press conference held by the President of the PA Building and Construction Trades Council, Frank Sirianni noted that over 130,000 union building and construction trades members comprise over 33 percent of the industry workforce and that over 8,100 active union building trades apprentices are being educated for tomorrow’s work force in Pennsylvania. That is over 80 percent of all apprentices in the construction industry in Pennsylvania.
READ MORE: Go To: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=2053

Protect Our retirement Security: Pension Event Monday In Harrisburg

Join your union brothers and sisters for an important discussion about 401Ks and how we can prevent Governor Corbett from destroying our retirement security.

Frontline recently aired a documentary, The Retirement Gamble, that provides compelling information about why 401Ks are not an effective retirement plan. Governor Corbett is pushing legislation that would move school and state employees from defined benefit pensions to a 401K-type program. The documentary will be followed by a brief panel of experts to answer questions and help navigate through this important subject.
READ MORE: Go To: http://www.paaflcio.org/?ai1ec_event=protect-our-retirement-security&instance_id=4802

SAVE THE DATES: Community Services Institute. July 17-20, 2013. Crowne Plaza-Pittsburgh South, Pittsburgh, PA. COPE Institute. August 23-25, 2013. Linden Hall, Dawson, PA. And let’s start dreaming about golf. COPE Golf, that is. Join us at our Annual COPE Golf Outing. September 19, 2013 at Club Madison, Yukon, PA.

Go To: http://www.paaflcio.org/

– By David Chang and Vince Lattanzio (NBC 10) –

The lead inspector of a Center City building that collapsed last week is dead after he committed suicide, according to multiple law enforcement sources close to the investigation who did not want to be named.

Law enforcement sources say the man shot himself once in the chest and was found dead inside his truck along the 100 block of Shawmont Avenue in Philadelphia around 9:30 p.m., less than a mile from his home. The man didn’t leave behind a note but did text his wife before pulling the trigger, according to sources.

The sources also tell NBC10 that the victim inspected the building on 2136 Market Street several times prior to last week’s accident. According to the sources, the victim said the site was safe after the city received a complaint about the project back in May.

NBC10.com is withholding his name until his family is notified.

Last Wednesday, the four-story outer wall of the building crumbled onto the Salvation Army Thrift Store next door. Six people were killed in the collapse — three employees and three patrons. The wall also buried 13 others throughout the store – including in the basement. They were eventually rescued by citizens and first responders.

Excavator operator Kane R. Robert, also known as Sean Benschop, stands charged in the collapse and now a grand jury is being convened to uncover whether other people should be held responsible.

The city was quick to change regulations for demolition contractors after the collapse.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Go To: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Man-Who-Inspected-Collapsed-Building-Commits-Suicide-211320781.html

Folks, union officials span the city limits daily encountering back alley construction projects run by shoddy non-union contractors who are often paying substandard wages to their non-union workers, who are lucky if they are getting benefits at all. Many of these jobs include workers who are forced to work 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week without overtime pay or even lunch breaks in some cases. The stories of the terrible working conditions are unprecedented and in some cases boggle the imagination. In fact, I remember one story told to me by a former non-union worker who finally got his shot at getting in the union, who told me that his former non-union boss used to tell him often to be careful while he was working and don’t dare fall off the building because “if you do, you’re fired before you hit the ground.”

The crazy thing about a lot of these non-union jobs is that you would think that the owners of the project would do a back ground check on the contractors that exceeds choosing them based on the lowest bid to make sure the company and the workers they are hiring are reputable and of the highest quality skill level. You’d like to think that when you and/or your family members are driving down the road and you see the boom of a 100 ton crane flying high in the sky above the street that the individuals responsible for the situation have taken into consideration every possible side of the equation including public safety before they begin construction or demolition.

Now, there are certainly different scenarios and reasons why different people do different things regarding hiring a contractors and no 2 situations are the same but in most cases, the motive behind owners and project managers hiring non-union contractors is financially related. They think they can save money by hiring cheaper labor. They put the project up for bid and take the lowest bidder, they do the math and think they are saving money often not taking in consideration the difference in skill level or resources a union contractor can provide to a project that can actually help expedite the project thus making the job more efficiently run and often, in the long run, more economical for the owner of the project

Sometimes these non-union projects are spearheaded by people who, for some reason, just do not like unions and even more often they are run by people who just do not have financial resources to do it right and they try to cut corners to get the job done under the radar. They work at night or on weekends in order to go unnoticed in hopes of getting in and out before the public finds out what’s really going on and how they are exploiting their workers.

Whatever the case maybe, rarely in the history of Philadelphia, in such a high profile location, do you encounter a situation more blatantly wrong than that of which occurred at 22nd and Market Streets last Wednesday June 5, 2013 where a wealthy millionaire owner hired a non-union contractor with a criminal record, whose judgement was so poor that he had an operating engineer on the demo who allegedly tested positive for marijuana and prescription drugs and is now in police custody charged with manslaughter in the killing of the 6 innocent victims, whose only fault was trusting that the individuals responsible for the demolition of the building had taken the proper precautions in protecting the public safety and doing the job right. Unfortunately that was not the case.

Amongst the true tragedies here was the fact that the owner of the building being demolished was not some poor financially strapped, under funded schmuck who was cutting corners on the demo because he was cash poor and had no choice. This, building was owned by STB Investments Corp, whose principal, Richard Basciano, is reported to have an estimated wealth in the multi-millions, who had a vision to develop that section Market St. into something very upscale and had the capital to do it. In other words this guy had the money to do this right but for some reason (Could It Be GREED, SELFISHNESS, INCOMPETENCE, IGNORANCE OR ALL OF THE ABOVE????) DID IT BLATANTLY WRONG and as a result cost 6 innocent people there lives and badly injured many more.

FINAL QUESTIONS: Why would a wealthy owner with this kind of wealth choose to hire a cheap, under skilled, under qualified Non-union labor when he clearly had the resources to do it right? WAS MAKING MONEY REALLY WORTH ENDING THE LIVES OF 6 INNOCENT PEOPLE?

– Petition by Charles Norman Philadelphia –

The SRC has made many bad decisions over the years that have put the School District of Philadelphia into an awful position. Next year if the budget stands as is there will be no; Nurses, Secretaries, Counselors, and many more important things needed to run a school. Also next year there will be no sports. Losing sports will be a huge blow to many children. There are many talented children who benefit from their school’s sports teams. Deleting the sports will delete any chances of students being able to get sports scholarships. We can not let the SRC keep digging the Philadelphia School District’s grave. It’s time for City Council, and Mayor Nutter to get rid of the SRC. Let the City Of Philadelphia’s Citizens elect officials to run the School District. We need someone who will take charge! WE NEED COUNSELORS! WE NEED SECRETARIES! WE NEED SPORTS! WE NEED NURSES! WE NEED A GREAT EDUCATION!

To Sign The Petition, Go To: http://www.change.org/petitions/philadelphia-city-council-and-mayor-nutter-we-want-them-to-eliminate-the-philadelphia-school-reform-commission?utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

PhillyLabor.com – With all the talk about “Right To Work” legislation being right around the corner in Pennsylvania, the time has come to get everyone within the PA labor movement involved and organized to fight against such anti-union actions that may potentially devastate unions as we know them throughout all of Pennsylvania including, yes, Philadelphia. However, every time I read something about “Right To Work,” it rarely explains the entire story and in order to get people motivated for the fight, including young union workers, many who have no idea that they are standing on the tracks and the train is coming, people have to understand what the hell “Right To Work” legislation is and what it does and WHY WE NEED TO SAY NO TO “RIGHT TO WORK” FOR LESS LEGISLATION IN PA.

WHAT DOES “RIGHT TO WORK” Mean?

Right to Work (For Less!) – PA. AFL-CIO (www.paaflcio.org)

We oppose any and all legislation that will weaken unions and the process of collective bargaining.
What is a Right to Work (for less) Law?

Despite its misleading name, this type of law does not guarantee anyone a job and it does not protect against unfair firing. By undermining unions, so-called “right to work” laws actually weaken the best job security protections workers have—the union contract.

A state “right to work” law stops employers and employees from negotiating a type of agreement—known as a union security clause—that requires all workers who receive the benefits of a collective bargaining agreement to pay their share of the costs of representing them. These laws say unions must represent every eligible employee, whether or not he or she pays dues. In other words, “right to work” laws allow workers to pay nothing and still get all the benefits of union membership.

These laws aren’t fair to dues-paying members. If a worker who is represented by a union and doesn’t pay dues is fired illegally, the union must use its time and money to defend him or her, even if that requires going through a costly, time-consuming legal process. Because the union represents everyone, everyone benefits, so everyone should share in the costs of providing these services. Amazingly, nonmembers who are represented by a union even can sue the union if they think it has not represented them well enough.

And “right to work” laws offer no new protection for workers who choose not to join unions. Under federal law, no one can be forced to join a union or to pay dues not directly related to the cost of representing them.

Download contains specific information about how Right To Work (for less) effects Wages, Poverty, Safety and Health, Unemployment, Health Care, Pensions, and Education.

Go To – http://www.paaflcio.org/?page_id=164

———————————————————————

The Truth About ‘Right to Work’ for Less – PA. AFL-CIO (www.paaflcio.org)

Compare Pennsylvania with states that have “right to work” for less laws. You’ll see why we’re better off without one.

Anti-worker and business-backed groups are pushing to pass a so-called “right to work” law here in Pennsylvania. Supporters claim these laws create economic prosperity, but many different measures show Pennsylvania’s working families are better off than working families in states with “right to work” for less laws.
Wages and Incomes

Median weekly wages in 20 of the 22 states with these laws are lower than the $740 median weekly wage in Pennsylvania. Median weekly wages in Pennsylvania in 2009 were $60 per week more than the average for states with “right to work” for less laws, and nearly $150 a week more than the earnings in “right to work” for less states like Arkansas ($596) and Mississippi ($595).

Average annual pay in 20 of the 22 states with these laws is lower than the average annual pay in Pennsylvania. In 2009, the average annual pay in states with “right to work” for less laws was $39,169, $5,660 less than the average annual pay in Pennsylvania of $44,829.

And average annual pay in the “right to work” for less states of South Dakota and Mississippi is $10,000 less than pay here in Pennsylvania.

Our income is greater here in Pennsylvania, too. Median income in our state is 14 percent higher than the average median income for states with “right to work” for less laws, and is higher than the median income in 15 of the 22 “right to work” for less states.

Our jobs are less likely to pay poverty wages. On average, 28.3 percent of jobs in states with “right to work” laws are in occupations that pay poverty wages, compared with 22.1 percent of jobs here in Pennsylvania.

Poverty

Poverty is higher in states with these laws. All residents and children in states with “right to work” for less laws have a 31.0 percent and 39.7 percent greater chance of being poor, respectively, than we do in Pennsylvania. In 2009, the Pennsylvania overall and child poverty rates were 11.1 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively, compared with a 14.5 percent overall poverty rate and 20.3 percent child poverty rate for states with these laws.

The difference becomes even more evident when you look at the poverty rates for states with “right to work” for less laws like Arizona (overall poverty rate of 25.8 percent and child poverty rate of 38 percent) and Mississippi (overall poverty rate of 28.9 percent and child poverty rate of 39.8 percent).

Safety and Health

Workplaces in “right to work” states are much more dangerous. Residents of states with these laws also are 34.8 percent more likely to be killed on the job than Pennsylvania residents. The fatal occupational injury rate in Pennsylvania in 2008 was 4.0 (per every 100,000 workers), compared with an average of 5.4 in states with “right to work” for less laws.
When workers do get hurt on the job in states with these laws, the average maximum weekly benefit is $158, 21.2 percent less than in Pennsylvania.

Unemployment

Maximum weekly unemployment benefits are also higher in Pennsylvania than in “right to work” for less states. Unemployed Pennsylvania workers receive a weekly maximum benefit of $572, compared with an average maximum benefit of only $363 per week in states with these laws.

Health Care

We’re also more likely to have health insurance than people in states with these laws. Residents of states with “right to work” for less laws were 46.3 percent more likely to be uninsured in 2009 than we are here in Pennsylvania. In 2009, 11.4 percent of Pennsylvanians were uninsured, compared with an average of 16.7 percent in “right to work” states. The difference is even more dramatic when you look at states like Florida (22.4 percent uninsured), Georgia (20.5 percent uninsured), Nevada (20.8 percent uninsured) and Texas (26.1 percent uninsured), all of which have “right to work” for less laws.

Children in states with these laws are 52.4 percent more likely to be uninsured than children here in Pennsylvania. In states with these laws, 10.4 percent of children are uninsured, compared with 6.8 percent in Pennsylvania.

We’re also 12.4 percent more likely to have job- based health insurance than residents of states with “right to work” for less laws. In Pennsylvania, 67.6 percent of residents younger than 65 have job- based health insurance, compared with 60.1 percent in states with these laws.

Pennsylvania employers also are much more likely to offer health insurance to their workers than employers in states with these laws. Here in Pennsylvania, 63.0 percent of all employers offer health insurance to their workers, compared with 50.3 percent of employers in states with “right to work” for less laws. The difference is even more dramatic for small firms employing less than 50 workers; 49.4 percent of small employers in Pennsylvania offer their employees health insurance, compared with an average of 34.6 percent of small employers in states with “right to work” for less laws.

Pensions

We’re more likely to have pensions, too. Only 43 percent of private-sector workers have employer- provided pension coverage in “right to work” for less states, compared with 50.8 percent here in Pennsylvania.

Education

Students here also are more likely to be at grade level in math and reading. In Pennsylvania, 38.3 percent of 8th grade students were proficient in math in 2007 (compared with 29.6 percent of students in states with “right to work” for less laws), and 36.4 percent were proficient in reading (compared with 28.1 percent).

States with these laws spend less to educate their children than we do here in Pennsylvania—$9,005 per student for the 2008–2009 school year, compared with $12,032 here in Pennsylvania

Go To: http://wp.paaflcio.org/?page_id=572

Additional FACTS: (phillyLabor.com)

IN SHORT – Right to Work gives employers the ability to divide the work force. And in the end, “Divided We Fall”

– Right-to-work provisions (either by law or by constitutional provision) exist in twenty-four U.S. states

– Right now there are currently close to a dozen pieces of Right To Work Legislation in Harrisburg just waiting to be pushed by right wing Pa. Legislators

– If you want to see what life will be like if “Right To Work” legislation passes in our state, no need to speculate, simply research the other areas around the country where “Right To Work” has been enacted and see why many call it “Right To Work for Less”

WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP RIGHT TO WORK LEGISLATION IN PA?

TAKE ACTION NOW! – GET INVOLVED AND SUPPORT YOUR UNION’S POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS AGAINST “RIGHT TO WORK” LEGISLATION – TAKE ACTION NOW LIKE YOUR UNION LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES!