By The PA. AFL-CIO

– The State House is currently debating SB1071, a terrible overhaul to the State’s public pension systems, which would take Pennsylvania from having one of the best pension systems in the County, to having the 3rd worst in the nation.

What’s worse is that the bill would affect both future and CURRENT employees, undermining their retirement security and likely increasing the employee contribution. If the provisions affecting current employees are struck down by the courts as unconstitutional, then the remaining provisions of SB1071 would result in a net additional COST to taxpayers of $2 billion.

SB1071 does not address the unfunded liability, and it does not even provide any immediate savings for the current budget that is being negotiated.

To E-mail your State Representative NOW! Tell them to OPPOSE SB1071, and stop the constant attacks on public workers and retirement security, go to: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urgent-action-tell-your-rep-to-oppose-sb1071-most-dangerous-attack-on-pensions-yet

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=6704

By Mary Wilson

– Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said it has the votes in the state House to pass a tax package that could be the key to ending the state’s five-and-a-half-month budget impasse.

“We are confident that we have the votes to pass a final budget,” said spokesman Jeff Sheridan, “and we are hopeful that this is over soon.”

The announcement signals a major development for budget talks in the Republican-controlled House, where anti-tax sentiment threatened to take negotiations back to square one earlier this month.

House GOP leaders said they’ll hold the tax vote Saturday and work through the weekend on budget-related legislation.

The details of the tax plan are still a mystery.

“Nobody knows whether or not we’re going to go (personal income tax) or sales tax, or has any real specificity, besides rumors, about the rates,” said Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh.

The measure is expected to include some increase in the personal income tax, an expansion of the sales tax, and higher cigarette taxes.

“You know the game plan generally where it’s at,” said Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, who said he wouldn’t be supporting the tax plan rolled out for a vote.

Lawmakers are under increasing pressure from social services organizations and school districts that are cut off from their state funding due to the budget impasse. If it continues into the New Year, some schools have said they’ll have to close.

Some schools say if it continues into the New Year, they may have to close.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/89310-wolf-says-tax-plan-can-pass-pa-house-vote-scheduled-saturday

By Mike DeNardo

— The influential leader of IBEW Local 98 says he wants to develop a trade school with the Philadelphia School District.

John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98, says he’s been talking with Mayor-elect Kenney and Governor Wolf about moving beyond the union’s apprenticeship programs. Dougherty wants to create a way for his union to help teach electrical, engineering and architectural trades to public school students.

“We’re already in the education business. We just want partners in the city and the public school system in which we can again, entertain opportunities to educate kids more with real-life work opportunities.”

School Reform Commission chair Marjorie Neff believes some sort of partnership is doable.

“I don’t know if I want to see one school, but rather figuring out ways to look at neighborhoods and look with our partners and say, what kind of program could we have in this neighborhood?”

Neff says career and technical education is essential, because not all students go to college.

Source – http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2015/12/13/union-wants-to-help-teach-trades-to-philadelphia-students/

By Bastiaan Slabbers

– Joyce Craig can never be repaid for the sacrifice she made, said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer as he closed his brief remarks in front of the Lawncrest fire house on Rising Sun Avenue Wednesday evening.

Every day, Craig will be remembered by colleagues on duty at the fire station, Sawyer said. Her locker, No. 8, is now retired, and a wreath hangs from the locker door. One entire wall of the lobby is covered with paintings, photos and badges.

The small ceremony at the Engine 64 Fire House marked the anniversary of Craig’s death early on the morning of Dec. 9, 2014, while battling a fire in the West Oak Lane section of the city. Posthumously promoted to lieutenant, Craig was the first female firefighter to die while serving the Philadelphia Fire Department.

The ceremony was held as part of the healing process, said Sawyer. While the family will never forget, events such as this will make their road a little lighter, he said.

When a community suffers the loss of someone in blue, it is important to always remember them, said Kathy Wersinger, a resident and employee of Councilwoman Marian Tasco’s office. The memorial service was a joint effort between the community and Philadelphia Fire Fighters and Paramedics Union Local 22.

A fire department campaign to promote the installation of smoke detectors is resulting in fewer fires, Sawyer said. The wider use of these devices means fewer firefighters have to run into burning buildings. So far this year, the department has had the fewest injuries in its history. Three three years ago, 24 firefighters were injured; that rate has decreased by half.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/viewfinders/item/88979?linktype=hp_blogs

By The American Postal Workers Union

– The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that it would seek to stop the proposed merger of Staples and Office Depot, the nation’s largest and second-largest office-supply chains. The agency filed an “administrative complaint” charging that Staples’ proposed $6.3 billion takeover of Office Depot would violate the nation’s anti-trust laws by “significantly reducing competition nationwide.”

APWU President Mark Dimondstein praised the decision. “This is an important victory for consumers and businesses against Staples’ unbridled greed and its dangerous corporate agenda,” he said. “It is a big step toward stopping the merger.”The APWU has been an outspoken critic of the buyout.
“Our union conducted two studies showing the negative impact the proposed merger would have on consumers and businesses. It was clear that a merger of these two companies would have left just one national office-supply superstore chain. This would inevitably force customers to pay higher prices and leave them with fewer choices.”

The FTC voted 4-0 to issue the complaint and to authorize its staff to seek a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction in federal court to prevent the two companies from consummating the merger and to maintain the status quo pending a hearing on the matter. The administrative trial is scheduled to begin on May 10, 2016.