By John Kopp

– PHILADELPHIA >> Angered by political advertisements negatively portraying Democratic state Senate candidate John Kane as a union boss, union leaders threatened Thursday to cease contributing to the campaigns of Delaware County Republican candidates.

Union leaders from the Philadelphia Building Trades Council blasted attack advertisements by Republican candidate Tom McGarrigle as a smear campaign. They said it was hypocritical of Republicans to accept union campaign contributions and then portray Kane as a union boss sympathetic to intimidation tactics.

One after another, the union heads vouched for the integrity of John Kane and bemoaned the Delaware County Republican Party during a 30-minute press conference at the union hall of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98.

Kane, the business manager of Plumbers Union Local 690, and McGarrigle, the chairman of Delaware County Council and the owner of an auto repair shop, are running for the open seat in the 26th Senatorial District. The race is considered one of the most competitive in the state.

The union leaders claimed the building trades have contributed more than $1.7 million to Republican campaigns since 2010. They pledged that money will dry up due to the McGarrigle ads.

“Now, that will change,” Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty said. “It will change two-fold. This type of leadership that is scared of an open race not only doesn’t deserve money, but it deserves competition for years to come.”

Delaware County GOP Chairman Andy Reilly said county Republicans have an “excellent working relationship” with the trade unions.

“I’m very proud of the record of the Delaware County Republican officeholders, which has created thousands of jobs for the men and women of the Delaware County trade unions,” Reilly said.

The McGarrigle campaign is airing a television ad that criticizes Kane for not returning a $7,500 contribution from Ironworkers Union Local 401. It also has issued a mailer listing the same criticisms.

Ten union members, including business manager Joe Dougherty, were indicted in February for allegedly using violent intimidation tactics to force construction contractors to hire union ironworkers.

McGarrigle accepted a $500 contribution from the Local 401 in 2009, but donated the money to the Delaware County Domestic Abuse Project after learning of the indictments.

Kane and union leaders emphasized that his contribution was made on behalf of the entire union membership, noting members voluntarily make wage donations to a political action committee charged with supporting favorable candidates.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Kane said. “I accepted money from the ironworkers’ members — let’s not forget that. It’s not Joe Dougherty’s money, its his members’.

“I support Local 401 as I support every labor union and every working class person from Delaware County. A rising tide floats all boats ­— let’s not forget that.”

The McGarrigle campaign stood behind its ad campaign. Spokeswoman Virginia Davis questioned Kane’s leadership, claiming Kane failed to condemn the violent actions of the indicted ironworkers and stood by silently while six of the 10 indicted members pleaded guilty.

“He refused to return the thousands of dollars of tainted money he took from Joe Dougherty,” Davis wrote in an email. “The ad is truthful and obviously effective. Why is John Kane hiding behind Philadelphia special interests?”

Union leaders refuted the notion that contributions from Local 401 are tainted, repeatedly saying the donations are on behalf of the entire union membership.

Kane spokesman Aren Platt wrote in an email that “of course John Kane would never condone any illegal action or act of violence.”

The union leaders withheld judgement on Dougherty, noting he is innocent until proven guilty, while condemning the alleged actions of the indicted. Kane stood by his friendship with Dougherty.

“When you find out you have a friend who is sitting on top of the world, it’s a great time to be his friend,” Kane said. “But when your friend is struggling and everyone walks away, a true friend is going to stand beside him.”

Davis also criticized Kane for failing to support legislation that would remove an exemption protecting unions engaged in labor disputes from being prosecuted for stalking and harassment. Kane said in March that the bill “sneakily attempts to confuse the essential distinction between picketing and harassment.”

The gathered union leaders included Pat Gillespie, business manager of the Philadelphia Trades Council; Pat Eiding, president of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO; and Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council of Philadelphia.

Source: http://www.delcotimes.com/government-and-politics/20141010/union-leaders-slam-campaign-ads-targeting-kane

– “The School Reform Commission voted yesterday to unilaterally impose contract terms on the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO believes that this action is an outrage. Leaders at the SRC have spoken frequently about the need for everyone to work together to solve the District’s problems. But today Superintendent Hite, Chairman Green, and the rest of the SRC abandoned that pledge. Instead of working with the PFT through the collective bargaining process, the SRC has simply said, “Take it or leave it.”

The School District needs the collective dedication, wisdom, and input of all of its employees to solve the problems caused by Governor Corbett and the SRC. The best way to encourage that dedication, and get that wisdom and input, is through bargaining in good faith with the teachers’ elected representatives. Where I come from, what the SRC did yesterday is a destruction of collective bargaining. The labor movement in Philadelphia sees this for what it is, and we’re ready to support the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, however they choose to respond to this outrageous decision.”

PHILADELPHIA–“The announcement by the School Reform Commission that they were cancelling the PFT contract and imposing terms is every bit as outrageous as the manner in which they scheduled and held their ‘public’ meeting.

“In August 2013, the PFT put contract proposals on the table that would have saved the district millions of dollars and averted the current budget deficit. Governor Corbett’s SRC is clearly not interested in negotiating with the educators of Philadelphia. They have been spending vast amounts of time and money on union-busting strategy sessions with their lawyers, and not nearly enough time working with the PFT on how to restore programs and services to our schoolchildren.

“The SRC has been quick to point out what school district employees in nearby counties pay for health care. What they fail to mention is that Philadelphia’s educators are paid far less than their suburban counterparts, and spend thousands of their own dollars for classroom supplies for their students.

“The SRC’s tactics are shameful, and they know it. Why else would they promote the SRC meeting with a barely legible newspaper advertisement rather than their standard practice of putting it on the District’s web site?

“This is not an effort by the SRC to address the fiscal crisis. This is the Corbett Administration’s attempt to vilify the PFT in order distract from his horrible record on education funding and boost his chances of re-election. Today’s action is a last-ditch effort by the Corbett Administration to weaken the standing of our educators with Philadelphia’s parents and community members.

“The PFT is closely examining the district’s legal pleadings and will be fighting the SRC’s latest attack on the teachers and school staff of Philadelphia.”

# # #

Source: https://www.facebook.com/PhilaFedofTeachers

– By Mark Abrams

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Today is the deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania if you’re planning to cast a ballot in next month’s general election.

It’s not a presidential election year, but in the commonwealth voters will be going to the polls on November 4 to elect candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, the state House and Senate, and for U.S. Congress.

In Philadelphia, you can go in person to Room 142 in City Hall to the County Board of Elections, or to the voter registration office on the fifth floor at 520 N. Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia.

You can also go to a PennDOT photo driver license center or pick up a form at the post office or one of Philadelphia’s public libraries.

The bottom line, any form you fill out must be mailed and postmarked by today.

If you live in the suburban counties, you can contact your voter registration office or anyone can download a registration form at the state website, VOTESPA.com.

You can also check on your registration status at the state website. Or, if you have questions, call 1-877-VOTESPA.

Source – http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/10/06/today-marks-deadline-to-register-to-vote-in-pennsylvanias-general-election/

By Better Wages Better Benefits

– Kiss Electric of Levittown Pennsylvania is a commercial electrical contractor performing work throughout the tri-state area. Kiss employs a number of Electricians, Apprentices, & Helpers. Recently, a large number of these employees approached I.B.E.W. Local Union #98 with multiple concerns. First off, employees pay stubs were totally blank, second, it appeared that drive time, and overtime hours were not accounted for. It wasn’t until one employee approached management about this situation that suspicions mounted. Upon asking why his paycheck appeared light, and questioning why his stub was blank, he was promptly fired and told “we don’t cater to anyone”.

That is when the talented and hard working employees of Kiss Electric approached Local 98. After Local 98 intervened, the former employee was made whole, and employees were FINALLY paid for all their hours worked. As a matter of fact, the first week that pay stubs were finally furnished with the proper information, one employee noticed their check was 7 hours short! That’s a whole days pay! It leaves one to wonder, “What if my stub was still blank? What if I questioned the amount? Would I have been shown the door too?”

After weeks of meetings between Local 98 and the guys at Kiss Electric, the employees there decided that they wanted I.B.E.W. Local 98 representation. A large majority of employees decided that the time was right and they initiated the process of having a vote to join Local 98. Predictably, Kiss Electric management panicked at the thought of their hardworking employees having a voice in the workplace and all the typical anti-union propaganda started right away. But that didn’t deter the Kiss Electric workers, it only solidified their resolve.

The management at Kiss Electric would have you believe that they are the victims and being “bullied” , or that they initiated the union vote, but the facts are, the workers at Kiss Electric were the ones being bullied, and they were the ones who contacted Local 98 and demanded a vote.

Source: http://betterwagesbetterbenefits.org/kiss-electric-employees-vote-for-union-representation/