A message to union members and families throughout the Philadelphia region and everywhere:

In order to maintain the union standards and wages that we have fought so hard to obtain over many generations, it is vital that each and every union member along with your family members and supporters, go out on election day and vote for the candidates that support union standards.

Make no mistake about it, THE most effective way to ensure the future of the union movement and our livelihoods is to exercise one of the most important rights we enjoy as Americans, our right to vote. It is our duty as card carrying union members to make our votes count and our voices heard!

To find your polling place call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

– By The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO

Anti-worker politicians in Washington and their corporate donors are striking at the rights of workers. Again.

They’re threatening to shut down the National Labor Relations Board, the independent agency that protects workers’ rights, by holding up President Barack Obama’s nominations to the Board.

If the NLRB nominees aren’t confirmed, thousands of workers—who are waiting for the Board’s decisions in key workplace cases—won’t get their cases decided.

To tell your senators to confirm President Obama’s NLRB nominations to make sure workers’ rights are protected:

Go To – http://go.aflcio.org/stop-the-power-grab

Extremist lawmakers have held multiple hearings attacking the NLRB for doing its job. In 2011 alone, they introduced 25 bills and amendments to defund the board, weaken workers’ rights to free and fair union elections, and undermine the board’s enforcement authority.

This attempt to score cheap political points with deep-pocketed special interests has real consequences for all of us. Working families have suffered enough, and this will kill one of the few protections they have left.

The NLRB has been critical in standing up for the rights of all working families. CEOs have too much power as it is. Let’s not let them grab any more.

Your senators need to hear from you. Tell them to confirm President Obama’s NLRB nominations and stop the corporate power grab.

To Read More, go to: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=1840

– By Victor Fiorillo 5/16/2013 –

It’s been a long, hard road for the Pestronk brothers’ (aka Post Brothers) development of the Goldtex site at 12th and Vine streets. There have been shoving matches, picket lines formed, slashed tires, and a host of other disturbances thanks to a labor dispute over the $38 million project.

But according to this invite that I just received, the Post brothers are ready to show off their latest apartment building. The accompanying email promises “Veuve Clicquot, catering from Ruth’s Chris Steak House, pearls, and plenty of other delightful surprises.”

And, perhaps, the Rat-Mobile?

Updated [12:40 p.m., 5/16/13]:

Pat Gillespie, business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents over 50,000 construction workers, sent the following comment via email:

The Pestronk brothers enjoy self-promotion at the expense of the truth. That clap-trap apartment building is nowhere near ready for occupancy, that’s why they’ve only been showing the model apartment under the cover of darkness, so potential renters won’t see the true, unfinished condition of the building. They’re nine months to a year from completion. This sham “Preview Party” is a desperate attempt to lure suckers into putting deposits down because the company is having major cash flow problems. The Pestronks aren’t what they appear to be and neither are these chintzy, half-finished apartments.

Mike Pestronk, CEO of Post Brothers Apartments, responds to Gillespie as follows: “Pat Gillespie has long since proven to be completely un-credible. No further response needed.”

Updated [12:50 p.m., 5/16/13]:

And now, Gillespie responds to Pestronk’s response to Gillespie: “My word is credible, unlike the Pestronks, who have repeatedly gone back on their word. And, for the record, ‘un-credible’ isn’t a word. No wonder these two dopes are losing their shirts. They don’t know the language and they don’t know how to build.”

Updated [10:00 p.m., 5/16/13]:

According to union spokesman Frank Keel, tonight’s VIP party did not go as planned. Here is an email he sent this evening:

PHILADELPHIA DEPARTMENT OF LICENSES & INSPECTIONS SHUTS DOWN POST BROS. PLANNED ROOFTOP “VIP PARTY” AT ITS GOLDTEX APARTMENT COMPLEX AT 12TH & VINE; POST BROS. CITED FOR HAVING NO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, NO FIRE ALARM, OTHER VIOLATIONS

PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Post Brothers LLC, the controversial, out-of-town development firm that has been at odds with the member unions of the Philadelphia Building Trades for nearly two years, had attempted to host a “VIP Party” tonight on the rooftop of its still-under-construction Goldtex Apartments site at 12th & Vine, the epicenter of union protests over Post Brother’s anti-union position and tactics. Then the Philadelphia Department of Licenses (L & I) showed up and shut it down.

L & I cited Post Brothers for havinf no Certificate of occupancy (required to allow persons into the building), having no fire alarm in place, and other violations. Far from being “ready to rent,” the Goldtex apartments are months away from completion. The Pestronk Brothers and their guests were forced to move the scaled-down party to the ground fllor courtyard. It continues tonight until 11 pm.

“The Pestronk brothers enjoy self-promotion at the expense of the truth,” said Building Trades Business Manager Pat Gillespie. “That clap-trap apartment building is nowhere near ready for occupancy, that’s why they’ve only been showing the model apartment under the cover of darkness, so potential renters won’t see the true, unfinished condition of the building. They’re nine months to a year from completion. Tonight’s sham ‘VIP Preview Party’ is a desperate attempt to lure suckers into putting deposits down because the company is having major cash flow problems. The Pestronks aren’t what they appear to be and neither are these chintzy, half-finished apartments.”

L & I officials and police officers remain on-site to ensure that the Pestronk brothers do not attempt to enter the building again.

Go to: http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2013/05/16/post-brothers-building-12th-vine-pearl-bikini-models/

– With the recent celebration of the the Spire being placed atop One World Trade Center by union iron workers signifying the culmination of a job well done by all of the union workers who were there both as first responders after the initial collapse of the World Trade Centers as well as to proudly rebuild the current tower, I could not help but to think back to the below story that I published this past 9/11 remembering and celebrating an old classmate, Peter Ortale, who lost his life on that tragic day back on 9/11/2001.

I hope Peter and all those who tragically lost their lives were looking down as the Spire was placed so beautifully atop the new Trade Center Tower and were just as proud as the rest of us with the knowledge that the rebuilding of the new tower symbolizes the spirit of the United States of America and the proud legacy they left behind!

This is for you Pete, one more time!

Today, as we remember and pray for the all of victims and the families who lost loved ones on 911, I’d like to dedicate a personal tribute to an old classmate and teammate of mine in my one year at Penn Charter H.S, Peter Ortale. Although, I only spent one year with Peter, we became pretty good buddies during that freshman year. We played freshman football together, we had some of the same classes together and for a brief time, we were on the wrestling team together. Maybe we got along so well because we came from similar backgrounds as we both came from union families, my father, Joe, and Peter’s uncle, Pete McDonough, were both union iron workers out of (the union that I would eventually join) Iron Worker’s Local 401 and ironically they would also both serve together as union officials at 401 years later.

When I think back to the brief period of time we spent together, I have several fond memories of Peter. I remember he was a good student in the classroom and a fierce competitor on the athletic fields, I remember he was a really cool guy and he was fun to hang out with but, as I think back to those days of our early youth, the 2 things that I will always remember most about Peter Ortale were his smile and his positive energy. He was always an up beat type of kid that made you feel good about yourself. No matter the situation, he was a smiling face that you could always depend on for encouragement.

Case in point, the Freshman year wrestling team. Pete and I had just finished playing football in the Fall and had looked forward to having the winter season off before baseball and lacrosse tryouts in the Spring. Unfortunately, the freshman wrestling coach at the time, I think it was Mr. Mellor, had other plans for us when he approached us both in the hallway and recruited us to fill the voids on the freshman wrestling team where they needed 2 guys to wrestle at the 147 LB and the 139lb weight classes. Well, as much as I didn’t want to do it, Peter was pretty diligent in his efforts to convince me that, for some reason, it was a good thing. I remember telling him, Pete, there’s one thing your forgetting, the wrestling season starts in like one week and neither one of us has ever wrestled a day in our lives. Are you crazy? Well, Pete won out and some how convinced me to give it a shot and I wish I could tell you that the rest is history and we both went on to have stellar high school, college then Olympic wrestling careers but this is not ESPN or the Biography Channel and this sports moment had a much different, albeit more humorous conclusion.

The next thing you know we were struggling at our first wrestling practices, which by the way, were so hard that they made football practices seem like a day at the beach. Finally, after a week of the practices from hell, it was the day of the big first match and we sat next to each other on the chairs watching, talking and waiting for our turn to wrestle. We were competing against the number one wrestling team in the public league, Simon Gratz, and from what I remember, it was a real tough match. We won some of the early matches and we lost some. Anyway, finally it came down to the last two matches, Pete’s and mine. Pete went first and he used his athletic ability to wrap up and pin his opponent in the middle of the second period just like that. It was awesome. I was thinking man, that doesn’t look too hard. I can do that! Well, as it was, the fate of my short lived wrestling career would take a vastly different turn than Peter’s as I went out on to the mat on that cold winter day and gave it the best 47 seconds of my life. Ultimately, I ended up in some kind of pretzel move that had me staring face to face with my lower extremities LOL! I remember when I got back to the bench, I was pretty dejected and Pete was the first to greet me with a pat on the back and encouragement saying that it was OK and that I almost had the guy or something like that!!! It was classic Peter Ortale, exactly the way I remember him. He didn’t want me to feel bad about myself.

After my freshman year, I transferred to Roman Catholic HS and Peter stayed at Penn Charter and we saw each other only occasionally at H.S. sporting events and he was still the same great guy that gave you a warm hello and friendly smile. After high school, we kept in touch only via well wishes at the union hall through his uncle Pete McDonough, Hey Pete, Tell Peter I said, hi! Hey Joey, Peter Ortale said to say hello!

The last time I saw him, I ran into him randomly at the Cottman Mall in Northeast Philadelphia and we talked about old times and mutual friends from Penn charter for about 15 minutes like time had never skipped a beat. As we said our good byes, I can still remember his warm and comforting smile that once again made you feel better for the experience.

Peter Ortale was 37 and working for Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. After the attack, he made three phone calls: to his wife, his mother and a friend in California before heading for the stairs. He did not reach the bottom.

Peter you are missed by many but never forgotten. Our prayers are with you, your family and all of those taken from us on that unthinkable September Day!

Rest In Peace Old Friend!

Sincerely,

Joe Dougherty
PhillyLabor.com

For a remembrance of Peter Ortale, go to – https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#search/Ortale/1326a2be8c7a65bc

– TODAY/Wednesday 5/15 at 1pm — A protest will be held at the Gap store at 34th and Walnut. The Gap purchases clothing made in Bangladesh, where the death toll from the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse now stands at over 1,000 lives lost.

Join us today at 1pm to demand that the Gap sign a legally-binding fire and building safety agreement for their suppliers.

Organized by Students Against Sweatshops and the International Labor Rights Forum.

Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/134475483408361/?fref=ts

Back Ground

Since 2005, 1762 people have been killed in preventable factory fires and building collapses in the Bangladesh garment industry alone.

The Gap can help end the rising death toll in the Bangladeshi garment industry by signing on to a legally-binding fire and building safety agreement. Instead, the apparel giant insists on sticking with the same old self-regulation that is already failing workers.

Luckily we know how to get Gap’s attention: by taking this fight to Gap stores around the world.

We will meet at the corner of 34th and Walnut at 1pm.

Go to http://gapdeathtraps.com/ to learn more.