By The Philly Public Record

– Thomas Westerman “Tom” Wolf is an American businessman and politician who Tuesday will become Pennsylvania’s 47th Governor. He did so by defeating Republican incumbent Tom Corbett in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

This was his return to government responsibility after serving as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Revenue from April 2007 until November 2008.

Wolf was chairman of his family-owned business, the Wolf Organization Inc., a building-product company specializing in kitchen cabinets. He stepped down as CEO at the end of December 2013 to focus on his gubernatorial campaign. Following his election as Governor, Wolf stepped down from the board altogether on Dec. 31, 2014.

He is a born and bred Pennsylvanian. Born on Nov. 17, 1948, in York, Pa., the son of Cornelia Rohlman (née Westerman) and William Trout “Bill” Wolf, a business executive, he was raised in Mount Wolf, Pa., which was named after his ancestor, the town’s postmaster and reared as a Methodist.

Gov. Wolf received an AB magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1972, an MPhil from the University of London in 1978 and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981. While a student, Wolf joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in India. He met his wife Frances at school and married her in 1975. They have two adult daughters.

After graduating, Wolf began working for the Wolf Organization as a forklift operator, until purchasing the company in 1985 with two business partners. During the administration of Gov. Robert P. Casey, Wolf served on an economic-development board and on the Pennsylvania Legislative Commission on Urban Schools.

After selling his company to a private equity firm in 2006, Wolf was nominated in January 2007 by then-Gov. Ed Rendell to be the Secretary of Revenue of Pennsylvania. He served in that position on Rendell’s cabinet from his April 2007 confirmation by the Pennsylvania State Senate until resigning in November 2008. He had planned to run for Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2010 election, but ultimately did not in order to repurchase the Wolf Organization, which was facing bankruptcy.

Wolf serves as chair of the York County United Way, the York County Community Foundation, the York College Board of Trustees, and as chairman of the York County Chamber of Commerce. He has also been active in the York Jewish Community Center, the Memorial Hospital of York, and a regional public-television system.

On Apr. 2, 2013, Wolf announced his candidacy for Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2014 election. He pledged $10 million of his personal wealth toward the primary election, with an intent to raise at least $5 million from supporters throughout the state. He was the third person to announce candidacy, following John Hanger, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection, and Max Myers, a minister from Cumberland County; but he knew at least four others were expected to join the race.

He was hardly considered a frontrunner when he appeared at the first forum for Democratic gubernatorial candidates held by progressives at Temple University.

But by early March 2014, several polls suggested Wolf was the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination, following an extensive television and radio advertising campaign. A Franklin & Marshall College poll conducted in late February 2014 showed Wolf with a 27-point lead over his nearest competitor, Allyson Schwartz, and a Harper poll showed him leading Schwartz by 26 percentage points, as did an additional Franklin & Marshall poll in late March 2014.

In late April and early May, Wolf faced attacks from fellow candidate Rob McCord over his relationship with controversial former York, Pa. Mayor Charlie Robertson. Allyson Schwartz also accused Wolf’s campaign of plagiarizing his “Fresh Start” plan from an energy-equipment company. Despite the attacks, a Muhlenberg College/Morning Call poll suggested Wolf continued to lead with 38% to Allyson Schwartz’s and Rob McCord’s respective 13% and 11%.

In the May 20 primary, Wolf defeated Schwartz, McCord, and Katie McGinty to win the Democratic nomination for Governor. As such, he faced incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett in the November general election. Heading into the final two months of the campaign, a number of polls indicated a varying but consistent advantage for Wolf over Corbett. Although Corbett slightly narrowed the deficit as the election approached, Wolf maintained a persistent lead in the race.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Wolf was elected Governor with 54.9% of the vote. As of next Tuesday he will be our 47th Governor.

Source: http://www.phillyrecord.com/2015/01/meet-pa-s-new-governor-tom-wolf/

By The PA. AFL-CIO

– This Monday we celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for civil rights, dignity, and equal opportunity for all Americans.

While Monday is the official Martin Luther King Holiday, celebrations and remembrances of Dr. King and his work are kicking off this weekend, and will continue throughout the remainder of the month. All across Pennsylvania, we encourage you to take advantage by participating in these events and celebrations.

When Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, he was there in support of sanitation workers and their struggle to form a union. Throughout his life, Dr. King worked at building closer relationships and cementing partnerships between organized labor and the civil rights movement. He understood that unions were critical to achieving social and economic justice for all people. We need to keep building these partnerships if we are to build union density and expand economic opportunity for those who are too often marginalized in our economy and in our society.

On Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18, Labor and Community leaders and Clergy will join to honor the vision of Dr. King, and what he called a glorious partnership between labor and the civil rights movement.

Several representatives of our State Labor Table will receive honorary recognition for contributions to Dr. King’s Beloved Community, including Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Richard Bloomingdale; PSEA President Mike Crossey; SEIU Local 668 President Tom Herman; AFSCME District Council 13 Director of Education Carla Insinga; and CBTU Chair Shirley Yates. These honors will be presented during the Sunday evening worship service on January 18th at the Goodwin Memorial Baptist Church in Harrisburg. The service begins at 6:00 PM and will be led by the Rev. Dr. Mark K. Tyler of Mother Bethel AME Church, Philadelphia. Bishop A.E. Sullivan and the Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute are among other organizations and individuals who will be honored.

This event underscores the unity we continue to forge with partners across Pennsylvania to meet the challenges we face. These partnerships have played an important role in our recent legislative battles to stop attacks on workers’ rights, including paycheck protection, pension reform, and privatization; as well as on issues such as voting rights, when we fought together to overturn Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law. These relationships will continue to be critical as we fight for a proactive agenda of good jobs, better wages and benefits, and retirement security for everyone.

Also this weekend, hundreds of leaders and members of labor unions and civil rights organizations have come together in Atlanta, GA, the birthplace of Dr. King, to participate in the AFL-CIO’S 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference. The event runs from Thursday, January 15 through Sunday, January 19. AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere A. Gebre is helping to lead the conference, which is featuring workshops, actions, and general sessions. You can follow the conference on Twitter @aflcio with the hashtag #1uMLK.

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=5724

By Jason Laughlin, Inquirer Staff Writer

– Is America’s oldest lager non grata to Pennsylvania’s newest governor?

Yuengling, from the Pottsville-based brewery, appears to have been left off the list of beverages to be served at next week’s inauguration for Gov.-elect Tom Wolf.

State Rep. Mike Vereb (R., Montgomery) said he learned from constituents and others that inauguration planners had specifically declared Yuengling not to be served. Vereb said Thursday he was not sure why, or if Wolf knew, but added that he didn’t think it was accidental.

Asked if Yuengling’s draft was getting the shaft, Wolf representative Beth Melena said: “We met our beverage needs, and we have a variety of choices for attendees from a number of breweries, including Pennsylvania-based breweries.” She would not elaborate.

One clue may be the company’s president, Richard Yuengling Jr.

As popular as his family’s beer may be – President Obama sent a case to his counterpart in Ottawa after Canada topped the United States in men’s hockey in the 2010 Olympics – Yuengling, a Republican, doesn’t have many fans among organized labor, one of the Democratic Party’s – and by extension Wolf’s – most reliable bases.

Two years ago, the now-74-year-old Yuengling became a target of union rallies after becoming a vocal proponent of “right-to-work” laws. At the time, he said the state would attract more business if it endorsed policies that ban mandatory dues and membership at unionized businesses.

Such laws are seen as union-busting by labor advocates. A year ago, the Teamsters voted to boycott Yuengling products.

Brewery officials did not return phone calls and e-mails seeking comment on Thursday.

Founded in 1829, D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. competes with the company that makes Sam Adams for the title of America’s largest domestically owned brewery. It produces more than 2.5 million barrels a year, according to its website. It has been owned by the Yuengling family for five generations. Business Insider calls it Pennsylvania’s favorite beer.

And, like others, the brewery planned to offer the beer free at the inauguration, according to Vereb, who is also the Montgomery County GOP chairman.

“Turning down beer from America’s oldest brewery here in Pennsylvania is unheard of,” he said.

Wolf’s inauguration party Tuesday night is being billed as a celebration of Pennsylvania’s people, products, and culture – and Pennsylvania’s brewers will be well represented, according to a list of publicly announced product sponsors.

Philadelphia-based Yards contributed $2,000 in beer. Troegs, out of Hershey, offered $1,064 of its brew. Roy-Pitz Brewing Co. of Chambersburg, which describes itself as a creator of “liquid art,” is kicking in $114 in beer.

On Thursday, Wolf released the list of donors – from lobbyists to law firms to unions – who contributed $1.5 million to pay for his inaugural festivities Tuesday. Among the top givers were some of the state’s largest state employee unions, Comcast Corp., and Wolf’s family-owned business. All gave the $50,000 maximum.

When Gov. Corbett celebrated his swearing-in four years ago, his inaugural team offered a wide variety of suds, said his spokesman, Jay Pagni.

Including Yuengling.

“All Pennsylvania brewers were proudly represented at Gov. Corbett’s inauguration,” he said.

Source – http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20150116_Yuengling_canned_from_menu_at_Wolf_s_swearing-in.html

By The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

– The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO will hold its annual conference in Atlantic City on January 25-27. The conference will feature a keynote address by Tefere Gebre, Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO, and sessions about how organized labor in Boston built a unified campaign that elected Marty Walsh of Laborers Local 223 as their city’s mayor, strategies for community engagement, and improving member mobilization. Download the conference registration form below and register for a hotel room at our special, group rate until January 13th!

Source: http://www.pa.aflcio.org/philaflcio/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=92BFD914-A0B0-4F8D-A8B3-C6457D600231

By Tom MacDonald

– The city of Philadelphia held a public remembrance Monday for a firefighter who died on the job.

The ceremony comes about a month after the funeral for Joyce Craig, Philadelphia’s first female firefighter to be killed in the line of duty.

Lt. Diane Mercer, one of the first women hired to fight fires in the city, said Craig was a trailblazer who commanded respect.

“We took an oath to do whatever it takes to be there to help the citizens of Philadelphia in their time of need. We are there when our brothers and sisters need a hand. We just wanted to be treated equally and fairly,” she said.

All firefighters could learn from Craig’s example, said Joe Schulle, firefighters union head.

“Her demeanor and professionalism will certainly help to ease the process of assimilation for all who follow, and we are all grateful to know and to have worked with Joyce,” he said.

Mayor Michael Nutter added that Craig and every other public safety worker should be honored for the work they do every day to keep people safe.

Source: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/77223-fallen-philly-firefighter-remembered-at-city-hall-?linktype=hp_impact