By The PA. AFL-CIO

– Governor Tom Wolf outlined the details of his budget proposal, answered questions, and asked for our help and support in getting it passed by the Legislature. He thanked President Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer Snyder and the over 8,000 participants who joined the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Telephone Town Hall Conference call last evening covering both rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. The Governor’s only regret was not enough time to answer the dozens and dozens of questions that were being called in from all over the state by union members.

In his closing remarks the Governor said, “I’m doing this for a brighter future for Pennsylvania. We are trying to make Pennsylvania a better place to live, to work and to raise a family, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but it is also the smart thing to do for us and our children.”

President Bloomingdale said, “So much of what the Governor is trying to do is in our best interests. It is refreshing to have a governor that listens to workers. We have a lot of work to do from now until this budget is passed and it is going to take all of us – our action and our support – to get the job done.”

Secretary-Treasurer Snyder, who moderated the telecast, also expressed his appreciation for the Governor’s participation. He thanked Governor Wolf for being “a different kind of Governor with a different kind of budget – a balanced budget, he emphasized, with both Republican and Democratic ideas that are good for Pennsylvania,” Snyder said.

A toolkit containing materials to help workers discuss the budget with family, co-workers and their legislators is being mailed to hundreds of tele-town hall participants, who volunteered to take action. Toolkits are available upon request.

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=5973

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, Associated Press

– Railroad unions are urging Amtrak to put a second crew member in locomotives in the wake of a deadly derailment last week in Philadelphia.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and SMART Transportation say an engineer and an additional crew member would serve as a check and balance on each other.

Engineer Brandon Bostian was alone in the locomotive of Train 188 when it derailed May 12, killing eight people and injuring about 200.

Investigators are looking into why the train was going more than double the 50 mph limit around a sharp curve.

The unions say Amtrak hasn’t had a second crew member in the cab of Northeast Corridor trains since 1983, after Congress ended the requirement.

Also Tuesday, a lawyer for the lead conductor on the train says his client suffered a broken neck and broken back.

Source – http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/82132-unions-urge-amtrak-to-put-2nd-crew-member-in-locomotives-

By Joel Mathis

– If you’re a longtime Philadelphian, you might already think you know where to vote — the same place you did in the last election, and the election before that. But it’s always wise to check beforehand if that’s really the case: Polling places can move between elections, leaving voters confused and lost — and without a second chance to make your voice heard.

For folks online, probably the easiest way to determine your polling place is to go to the voting app at the Office of Philadelphia City Commissioners website at: http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/index.php?option=com_voterapp&tmpl=component and Enter your street address and you’ll be shown a map depicting your voting precinct and the precise location of your polling place. A column on the left-hand side of the page should also name the location and its address, and let you know whether it’s accessible to people with disabilities. The graphic above shows what, roughly, your map should look like.

(All this, of course, assumes you’re registered to vote.)

You can also find your polling place by getting in contact with either of the two offices listed below:

Philadelphia Voter Registration Office
520 N. Columbus Blvd., 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-686-1590

Or:

Philadelphia County Board of Elections
City Hall, Room 142
1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-686-3469

And if you still have problems: Call the Committee of Seventy’s election hotline at 1-855-SEVENTY.

Source: http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/05/18/where-to-vote/

– Mayor of Philadelphia: Jim Kenney

City Council Districts:
1 – Mark Squilla
2 – Kenyatta Johnson
3 – Jannie Blackwell
4 – Curtis Jones Jr
5 – Darrell Clarke
6 – Bobby Henon
7 – Maria Quinones Sanchez
8 – Cindy Bass
9 – Cherelle Parker
10 – Brian O’Neill

City Council At-Large:
Democratic Primary:
Ed Neilson
W. Wilson Goode, Jr
William Greenlee
Isaiah Thomas
Blondell Reynolds Brown

Republican Primary: Dan Tinney

City Commissioner: Lisa Deeley

Registrar of Wills: Ron Donatucci

Sheriff: Jewell Williams

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The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO endorses the following judicial candidates for the Primary Election:

PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT

Judge Kevin Dougherty, (D)
Judge David Wecht, (D)
Judge Christine Donohue, (D)

SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Judge Robert J. Colville, (D)

COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Todd Eagan, (D)

– HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT HOW TO PAY YOUR $12,000 HEALTH CARE BILL?

The Guild returned to mediation today with the hope that the company would arrive with the proposals requested by the Federal Mediator to finally – after 25+ sessions – move the process along.

Instead, company negotiators brought a new issue to the table – a desire to change and presumably cheapen your health care plan, which renews June 1. When pressed for details on their proposed changes, they had nothing but a desire to cancel next Wednesday’s mediation session and extend the present contract another 30 days.

In the very week that the company announced a board of directors, three years of positive cash flow and the launch of a new business section for what was described as a “reborn” Inquirer, the Guild hoped today’s session would carry the positive momentum forward. The company, however, only wanted to engage in more expensive time-wasting by offering not one single idea or proposal in three hours.

Why is it expensive?

As the company knows well because the new VP for Human Resources and a VP for Finance are trustees on our joint Health & Welfare Fund, the plan renews on June 1 with a 14 percent increase, leaving the Fund approximately $2.5 million short of its annual needs to pay for the benefit. The company has offered only $500,000 to fill that gap – a number it has not moved from since bargaining began – forcing the Fund to pick up the deficit as it has for the past two years. The Fund, however, will run out of money in less than a year, so if the company sticks with its $500,000 offer, Guild members will be forced to pick up the $2 million difference. This will be an unmanageable expense for most members (between $4,000 and $8,500 additional for the FIRST year, depending on coverage, with further increases likely every year thereafter) and also leave the company subject to Affordable Care Act penalties.

So what was their plan today with only two weeks until the new rates kick in? After company Health & Welfare trustees chose not to address this issue at the last Health & Welfare meeting and conference call, now they want to change the plan to make it more affordable FOR THEM, which can only mean worse coverage FOR YOU.

Only, they had no specifics, nothing to discuss – they remain habitually unprepared to accomplish ANYTHING ­– and, regardless, any plan changes would require the approval of the Health & Welfare trustees.

Our contract extension expires May 24. At this time the Guild bargaining committee has told the company we do not want another extension. We want to start bargaining.

Our final scheduled mediation session is Wednesday morning. If the company again refuses to come with anything concrete to discuss, our only alternatives will be the filing of an Unfair Labor Practice charge and a strike authorization vote.

In solidarity,

Howard Gensler
Bill Ross
Diane Mastrull
Cindy Burton
Melanie Burney
Regina Medina
Brian McCron