Illinois Labor NewsNovember 24, 2009GEO Wins Two-Day Strike, Ratifies ContractThe Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), the union representing graduate student workers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, went on strike for two days November 16 and 17 over a lack of adequate contractual protections for tuition waivers. The strike led to the successful culmination of negotiations Tuesday, November 17, that produced a tentative agreement between the GEO and the University, which the GEO membership overwhelmingly ratified in a vote late last week. While the two sides reach tentative agreements on most other issues by Saturday November 14 that brought pay raises, improved health care coverage, and benefits for parents, the two sides remained at odds over tuition waivers, which the GEO insisted on having in writing to ensure that they were protected. Kerry Pimblott, the GEO's head negotiator, said the union received more than it had initially asked through the strike. "We were asking for a re-opener, the right to re-open the contract," Pimblott said. "We actually got more than that. We got contract language in there that allows us to grieve if they do change anything on campus in terms of waivers. The language basically says there will be no change to the ongoing tuition-waiver policy. If violated, we can grieve it." Pimblott credited the strike, in which the GEO estimates that over 1,500 graduate student workers participated, for achieving these results. "We tried everything for seven months in a room, and we were unsuccessful until the workers threatened to go on strike," Pimblott said. Despite rainy, cold weather on both days, hundreds of graduate students picketed several campus buildings. The GEO also received considerable and crucial support from the University's faculty, many of whom canceled classes or moved them off-campus in support of the GEO's demands for a living wage, tuition waiver protection, and health and child care improvements. Undergraduate students also contributed to the strike, forming the Undergraduate/Graduate Alliance that worked with the GEO to solicit support from the University's large undergraduate body. The result, according to GEO spokesperson Peter Campbell, was a resounding win for graduate student workers. "Unquestionably, this is a win for the GEO," Campbell said. "The bargaining team was able to secure language that we believe significantly increases protection for tuition waivers at Urbana-Champaign. We won a significant wage increase, and we won increases in health care and child care benefits."--Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette; Daily Illini (24 November 2009) http://www.news-gazette.com/news/u_of_i/2009/11/24/geo_members_vote_to_ratify_tentative_deal_with_ui http://www.news-gazette.com/news/u_of_i/2009/11/18/tentative_deal_between_ui_geo_ends_two-day_strike http://www.dailyillini.com/news/campus/2009/11/11/undergrads-show-support-for-geo Posted by IRX at 11:46 AM September 16, 2009Prevailing Wage AdvisoryPrevailing Wage Advisory September 14, 2009
Governor Quinn Signs Bills to Clarify and Enhance Compliance with the Prevailing Wage Act
Three separate prevailing wage bills aimed at clarifying what work is covered and how contractors are to be notified that projects are subject to prevailing wage requirements were passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn this summer. These changes become effective January 1, 2010 and the Illinois Department of Labor is actively communicating these changes to affected parties in order to promote greater understanding and compliance with the revised law.
The Department of Labor believes this clarification was needed to ensure workers receive a fair wage and to help contractors and developers avoid penalties due to an inadvertent failure to comply with the law. The Department wants to make sure all interested parties – public bodies, developers and contractors – understand their obligations and comply with the requirements of the Prevailing Wage Act. To this end, the Department is currently conducting outreach to advise public bodies, business organizations, developers and contractors of recent changes to the Act and their responsibilities under the law, including better notification by public bodies and first-tier contractors that projects are subject to prevailing wage at the outset of the project, before any work is performed. Another prevailing wage bill signed by Gov. Quinn, House Bill 952 (Public Act 96-0186), amends the law to explicitly cover all demolition work undertaken by a public body, regardless of whether or not the demolition work is in conjunction with a public works construction project. Prior to this change, there was some disagreement as to whether such demolition work was covered if it was not related to a public works construction project. The final prevailing wage bill, House Bill 163 (Public Act 96-0437), holds public bodies financially responsible for any interest, penalties or fines assessed by the Department if they fail to provide proper written notification to a contractor that a project is subject to the Prevailing Wage Act. Similarly, contractors that fail to notify their subcontractors that a project is subject to prevailing wage requirements will be held responsible for any interest, penalties or fines assessed by the Department. However, regardless of whether or not they were properly notified, contractors that fail to pay the proper wages to their workers are still responsible for all back wages owed to those workers. Any questions regarding this or other prevailing wage issues or requests for outreach should be directed to the Illinois Department of Labor at (217) 782-1710. For more information, please visit our website at: www.state.il.us/agency/idol/. Posted by IRX at 10:59 AM September 14, 2009Labor Education Program Update September 12, 2009ARCHIE GREEN memorial celebration September 14 Champaign 7 pm at 504 East Armory Street. Archie Green, labor educator and ILIR librarian, was founder of the American Folk Life Center which is part of the Smithsonian Museum. He organized and led the folksong group which was the largest student organization on the UIUC campus in the 1970s. Music, performances, singing, memories. CHAMPAIGN CONFERENCES Local Union Presidents’ School Sept. 24th-26th, 2009, Champaign, IL For elected leaders and officers, meet and share updates, strategies and case studies. Legal updates, trends in workers compensation, current struggles, labor and politics. Conference Registration Deadline: Sept. 14, 2009. November 19-21, 2009, Champaign, IL Confronting the worst of hard times: budget cuts, plant closings, layoffs, furloughs, outsourcing and downsizing Living under the contract: considering enforcement while we negotiate. What does a good contract look like? CHICAGO CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS Basic Certificate in Labor Studies Classes (BCLS) Chicago Introduction to the American Labor Movement 6-wk course - Tuesdays, September 22, 2009 thru October 27, 2009 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Basic Steward Training 6-wk course - Tuesdays, November 10, 2009 thru December 15, 2009 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Advanced Certificate in Labor Studies Classes (ACLS) Chicago Current Issues in the Labor Movement 6-wk course - Wednesdays, September 23, 2009 thru October 28, 2009 6:00-8:30 p.m. Advanced Steward Training 6-wk course - Wednesdays, November 11, 2009 thru December 16, 2009 6:00 –8:30 p.m.
CHAMPAIGN CERTIFICATE CLASS Thursday Evenings from 6:00–8:30 pm. From September 24 to November 19, 2009 Where did this crisis come from and where is it headed? How can we help our members in this crisis? Participants who complete the class will get a combined Union Community Action Network (UCAN) and Labor Education Program (LEP/LER) certificate.
Chicago 27th Annual Federal Sector Labor Relations & Labor Law Conference Chicago-Kent College of Law presents a day of interactive discussion with some of the foremost federal sector labor relations leaders and practitioners. The conference focuses on federal sector and postal labor relations and law. IL MCLE Credit: 5.75 general hours, including 1.25 hours of ethics (pending approval).
September 19 Chicago The Banking Industry: What Workers Need to Know About the Current State of the Industry, the Roles of Bank Regulators, and the Federal Reserve This course/symposium will address questions many working people are wondering about, including: if it’s still safe to keep their savings in a bank, how banks are regulated, what functions the Federal Reserve System is responsible for, and where the banking industry is headed.
September 29 Older Healthcare Workers: Addressing Health and Safety Challenges on the Job Chicago A conference sponsored by University of Illinois School of Public Health. Learn about programs and policies to design safe workplaces and accommodate the work/life/health needs of an increasingly aging health care workforce. Detailed program information and registration: www.publichealthlearning.com, or contact Marsha Love at lovem@uic.edu
October 1-2 Chicago Capital Stewardship & Fiduciary Duties Course What is capital stewardship? Why is pension fund investment important? This course introduces trustees and union leaders to the importance of capital stewardship and pension activism. Offered in partnership with the National Labor College. You can earn one college credit hour by taking this course.
October 5th in English, October 26th in Spanish Chicago Worker’s Compensation Learn about the law and what it means specifically to you. Learn what to do if you or someone in your group gets injured. Learn about your rights and get all your questions answered. Only $5!
Fall Online Labor Studies Registration 8-week classes start Mon. Oct. 19th Don’t miss out on registering for shorter 8-week fall courses online. We offer Introduction to Labor Studies (LER 100), Labor and Social Movements (LER 110) and Contemporary Labor Problems (LER 120). Check out our website for class descriptions, then email illinoislabored@illinois.edu to register.
Customized Classes Online LEP offers customized classes in the classroom, at your location and now we can design and teach customized classes online! For more information on how LEP can educate your members by putting your training online, contact Steven Ashby at (312) 996-8733.
CONTACTS: Chicago, Yesenia Vargas, 312-996-2624 Champaign: Martha Kelley, 217-333-0980 www.illinoislabored.org
Helena Worthen Clinical Associate Professor Labor Education Program University of Illinois 504 East Armory, Champaign, IL 61820 217-244-4095 hworthen@illinois.edu communicate/coordinate/cooperate/collaborate Posted by IRX at 10:24 AM August 19, 2009For More Information on the Archie Green Memorial September 14, 2009, Please Go To The University of Illinois's School of Labor and Industrial Relations at www.ler.illinois.edu/archiegreen.htmlAn evening of music, stories, and reminiscences about the life and work of Archie Green (1917 - 2009) 7-9 p.m. Monday, September 14, 2009 Wagner Education Center Reception and refreshments following the program. Program: Welcome Archie Green . . . Only a Folklorist DVD How Archie Taught Us to Learn from Music Archie Green and Establishing the American Folklife Center Folk Music and Laborlore: Valuable Lessons for History Personal reminiscences and reflections The Fast Sooner Hound Posted by IRX at 8:09 AM August 12, 2009Labor Education Program UpdateHEAR ANNE FEENEY sing on Swedish TV. "A Song for Santiago Cruz", written at Polk 2007: http://tv4play.se/aktualitet/nyhetsmorgon?videoId=1.1121438&renderingdepartment=2.34562 August 15: ACCOUNTABILITY HEARING. Bring your stories of jobs lost, economic stress to a meeting with representatives of the Federal Reserve of Washington DC at Decatur Civic Center, 9:30 am. Sponsored by the Central Illinois Organizing Project (CIOP) and National Training and Information Center (NTIC). Call 309-827-9627 or 217-428-4336 to reserve your free ticket. September 12: MOTORCYCLES. District 7 Steelworkers Solidarity Run and Roast to benefit Los Mineros de Cananea. $25 per rider, scenic run, hog roast, entertainment. Call Blanca Morales at 219-886-2596 or 1-800-937-8007 before Sept. 4th. September 14: ARCHIE GREEN memorial celebration 7 pm at 504 East Armory Street, Champaign. Archie Green, labor educator and ILIR librarian, was founder of the American Folk Life Center which is part of the Smithsonian Museum. He organized and led the folksong group which was the largest student organization on the UIUC campus in the 1970s. September 19: THE BANKING INDUSTRY. 9:00 am – 12:00 at CLEP offices, 815 West Van Buren, Chicago. Daniel Schmid, MA, 19 years of experience as bank examiner for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, will explain and discuss banking industry trends. $25. Limited to 25 registrations. Call Nancy LaHare at 312-996-2127. September 24-November 19, B&RB CLASS. Thursdays from 6:00 – 8:30 pm. Building and Rebuilding the Labor Movement: Confronting the Economic Crisis. Co-sponsored by the Campaign County AFL-CIO, UIUC Labor Education Program, Central Illinois Jobs with Justice, UIUC Campus Labor Coalition and Central Illinois IWW. Where does the crisis come from? Who is to blame? How have unions responded? How can we help our members? What resources are available locally? What would a good, sustainable, fair economy look like? What are our political opportunities in this period of EFCA, health care, stimulus money and the war? $70 per person. Call Joe Berry at 217-333-2388 or Martha Kelley at 217-333-0980. September 24-25-26: SECOND ANNUAL LOCAL UNION PRESIDENTS CONFERENCE. For elected leaders. Champaign. Current Illinois struggles, case studies, legal update, how to perform your job, labor’s response to the economic crisis, honing the message of healthcare reform and the Employee Free Choice Act (do your members get it?), the next four years. $220 early bird, $325 regular. Call Monica Bielski at 217-244-4094. Stan Rosen, professor emeritus of labor education at Illinois, wrote: “I have boxes of files on labor education I would like to send to anyone who might find them useful. Interested persons should contact me at 505-473-4454.”On Sunday, Sept 13, from 8:00- 10:00 pm Rosen will be doing his annual labor day folk program streamed on KSFR.org. CONTACTS: Chicago, Yesenia Vargas, 312-996-2624 Champaign: Martha Kelley, 217-333-0980 Helena Worthen Clinical Associate Professor Labor Education Program University of Illinois 504 East Armory, Champaign, IL 61820 217-244-4095 hworthen@illinois.edu communicate/coordinate/cooperate/collaborate Posted by IRX at 10:15 AM July 27, 2009Weekly Labor Report--July 27, 20091.) Illinois Stage Workers Accuse University of Contract Violation 1.) Illinois Stage Workers Picket, Accuse University of Contract Violation International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 482, representing stage hands and riggers in Champaign, held an informational picket outside Assembly Hall on Thursday July 23. The IATSE local asserts that the University of Illinois, by hiring a Florida contractor for renovation work at Assembly Hall, is violating its collective bargaining agreement. "This is work our local does. Several riggers do this. We've done the fly systems at Krannert, Parkland and Foellinger Auditorium. We have a contract with the university and this building and we feel as though they are violating our collective bargaining agreement," said Jim Bean, assistant business agent for the local. However, Tom Divan, assistant director of operations for Assembly Hall, argues that "We followed state and university guidelines in bidding this project because of the dollar amount associated with it. Any contractor able to do this work was able to bid on it." Although the local is using local union electricians and iron workers, it is displacing several local union members capable of performing the renovations, IATSE Local 482 member Sean Murphy asserted. Murphy also argued that the Florida contractor is not following proper safety guidelines. Many of our 35 members are capable of this work. A lot of it is done 90 feet in the air hanging from a fall-arrest harness. People who are doing the work in there are not wearing such gear," Murphy contended. --The News Gazette (24 July 2009) http://www.news-gazette.com/news/2009/07/24/local_union_upset_about_hiring_of 2.) Norma Gaines Wins Liberty Bell Award The Madison County Bar Association awarded United Steelworkers (USW) member and labor educator Norma R. Gaines with their Liberty Bell Award in May. According to the Madison County Bar, "The presentation of the Liberty Bell Award is made annually to a non-lawyer who promotes better understanding of the rule of law, encourages greater respect for law and the courts, and stimulates a sense of civic responsibility. The Liberty Bell Award was established more than thirty years ago." Gaines, who was one of the first women to become a journeyman craftsman at the US Steel Granite City Works, is the Co-Coordinator of USW's District 7 "Women of Steel" group, which educates women in the union's district. It also formed the Phoenix Crisis Center to shelter and assist abused women and their families in Granite City, IL, and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the center through theatrical performances. Gaines has served as a teacher at the University of Illinois's Labor Education Program. --United Steelworkers of America. http://www.usw.org/action_center/women_of_steel/page?type=news&id=0009 3.) Teachers at Three Chicago Charter Schools Unionize After a two-month fight with Civatas Schools' Chicago International Charter Schools (CICS), teachers at three charter schools in the city voted 73-49 to unionize. Although 75 percent of teachers at three charter schools--Wrightwood, Northtown Academy, and Ralph Ellison--signed cards expressing their desire to unionize in April, CICS pushed for an NLRB election even though Illinois labor law allows public-sector workers to unionize via card-check. Workload, work hours, and pay issues motivated the charter schools to unionize. At Northtown, the former CEO allegedly told teachers that they would be required to teach an additional class with no raise in pay. They were also told that, rather than teach summer school, they would instruct students who failed in night school. “If we didn’t like it, they basically told us ‘there’s the door,’” said Emily Mueller, a Spanish teacher. Teacher dissatisfaction resulted in high turnover rates at Ellison, with only six of twenty teachers returning to the school last year. --Labor Notes (August 2009) http://labornotes.org/node/2346 4.) Illinois Unemployment Rises to 10.3% The unemployment rate in Illinois rose slightly to 10-3% in June, up from 10.1% in May. 683,000 people remain unemployed, the highest number in a month since November 1983. Construction and manufacturing were hit heavily, with construction losing 5,400 jobs and manufacturing 2,800. --Chicago Sun-Times (17 July 2009) http://www.suntimes.com/business/1671144,w-illinois-unemployment-rate-071709.article 5.) AFSCME Sues State to Ensure Members' Pay The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), representing 40,000 state workers, filed suit Tuesday July 14 to ensure that the state would pay its members despite the lack of a state budget in place. “We’re seeking a court order that state employees be paid on time, on schedule and in full,” said Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The suit alleges that the state has violated not just the union contract, but fair-labor provisions of federal labor law. --Peoria Journal-Star (14 July 2009) http://www.pjstar.com/homepage/x488838235/AFSCME-files-suit-to-force-state-worker-paychecks Posted by IRX at 12:45 PM June 16, 2009Professor Martin Wagner RememberedMartin Wagner, labor arbitrator, university leader and influential scholar died on Tuesday in his home. He was 97 and lived in Urbana, Illinois. Professor Wagner served as director of the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (now the School of Labor and Employment Relations) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, from 1958 to 1968. He continued as a professor until 1982, when he retired and was awarded emeritus status. Wagner played a central role in the development of public sector labor relations laws for the state of Illinois, including serving as the first chairman of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and in leadership roles on numerous state and regional federal commissions and boards on training, labor-management relations, unemployment, wage-price controls, civil service, and related matters. Early in his career, Wagner served in the WWII Office of Production Management and as a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board in San Francisco and Cincinnati. In 1948, he served as the founding executive director of the Louisville Labor-Management Committee, the nation’s first area labor-management committee. In that same year, he was a founding member of the Industrial Relations Research Association (now the Labor and Employment Relations Association), which recently honored Wagner with its lifetime achievement award. He was also recognized recently for 50 years of service in the National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA), a rare accomplishment as individuals are only inducted into the NAA after they have already achieved prominence in the profession. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) provided Wagner with a Lifetime Membership Award in 1996, a particularly significant accomplishment for a labor neutral. At the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois, Wagner launched one of the early doctoral programs in industrial relations in 1966. He was beloved by former students and colleagues alike and is seen as having provided the core “dna” for what is one of the nation’s top programs in labor and employment relations. Born on September 11, 1911, in Newport Kentucky, Wagner earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from the University of Michigan in 1933 and 1935 respectively. He was a Rhodes Scholar (Magdalen ’36), earning a B.A. from Oxford University in 1937 and later an M.A. from Oxford in 1960. At the 100th anniversary celebration of the Rhodes Scholar program in 2003, Martin Wagner was the third oldest recipient in attendance. Wagner is survived by his son John, of Orlando, FL, his daughter Martha Wagner Weinberg, of Brookline, MA, and two grandchildren, David and Katy Weinberg. His wife Nelle Nordstrom Wagner preceded him in death in 1997. A commemorative celebration of Martin Wagner’s life and accomplishments is on Saturday morning, September 12th in the Martin Wagner Education Center at the School of Labor and Employment Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a memorial service to follow on that weekend. Posted by IRX at 2:52 PM April 5, 2009Weekly Labor Report--April 5, 20091. Teachers at Three Chicago Charter Schools Push to Unionize Three-quarters of the education staffs at Chicago's Northtown Academy, Wrightwood and Ralph Ellison schools have signed union authorization cards, seeking to become the first unionized charter school teachers in the city, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Illinois Education Labor Relations Board now has 30 days to review and certify the results. According to one teacher at Northtown, staring pay for charter school teachers is roughly the same as for unionized educators, but the school days and school years are longer, meaning more work time for the same pay. Their union would joint the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). --Chicago Sun-Times (4 April 2009) http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1511088,CST-NWS-union04.article 2. Archie Green, Activist and Folklore Expert, Passes Away Archie Green, a lifelong labor activist and groundbreaking expert in working-class folklore and culture, passed away at the age of 91 on March 22 in San Francisco. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba under the name Aaron Green, he moved to Los Angeles as a boy and became immersed in union activism and socialist politics. He joined in the Civilian Conservation Corps, and later became a shipwright in San Francisco. After serving in World War II, he became a carpenter, then later enrolled in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study labor history. Based on research on the music and culture in southern Illinois, he wrote the article "Hillbilly Music: Source and Symbol" in 1965 in the Journal of American Folklore. Finishing his doctoral dissertation at Pennsylvania State University in 1972, Green spent most of his time working in academic and political circles to tout and preserve folklore culture. Green helped to compile folk music in the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He wrote several books, editing "The Big Red Song Book" that compiled song lyrics from various Little Red Songbooks from the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.). --New York Times (28 March 2009) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/books/29green.html?scp=2&sq=Archie%20Green&st=cse 3. Illinois Unemployment Rises Again Illinois state unemployment hit 8.6 percent in February and 9 percent in the Chicago metropolitan area. All twelve metropolitan areas in Illinois saw jobless rates rise, with Rockford the hardest hit by a 5.8 percent increase from January's 8.2 percent to 14 percent in February. Kankakee (12%), Danville (11%), and Decatur (10%) also posted double-digit jobless figures for the month, while the hardest-hit sectors of the economy were professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; manufacturing; and retail.--Chicago Sun-Times (1 April 2009) http://www.suntimes.com/business/1505523,CST-NWS-jobs01.article Posted by IRX at 8:58 PM March 1, 2009Weekly Labor Report--March 1, 20091. UAW President Urges Members to Approve Concessions to Ford President Ron Gettlefinger of the United Auto Workers urged the 42,000 members of his union who work at Ford to approve concessions to Ford Motor Company. Gettlefinger wrote the unionized Ford workers about the dire straits of the company and the auto industry, saying, "The company cannot continue to sustain this level of losses and stay in business." Ford, which operates a stamping plant in Chicago Heights and an assembly plant in Chicago, will make buyout offers to all its unionized hourly workers. The UAW has also agreed to take stock as up to 50% of the health-care payments that Ford makes to help sustain the UAW health-care trust fund for retirees. Ford currently owes the fund over $13 billion on a $23.7 liability. Concessions include changing time-and-a-half overtime pay to take effect after 40 hours instead of after 8 hours a day, and includes giving Ford the right to flexible scheduling such as four ten-hour days.--Chicago Tribune (25 February 2009) http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-ford-uaw,0,4573738.story 2. Opposition Mounting to Wal-Mart's Proposed Expansion into Chicago Unions and various Chicago aldermen have posed strident opposition to the proposed expansion of Wal-Mart into the city's South Side. An outstanding issue for organized labor and certain politicians remains Wal-Mart's opposition to unionization. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based corporation ""would be welcome to come to Chicago if they gave their workers the right, if they so desire, to organize," according to Alderman Joe Moore (49th), a union ally. "We are simply asking them for that level of fairness." Wal-Mart is considering multiple South Side locations, including Chatham, Pullman, and Washington Park. However, the company has been rebuffed in Chatham, when last year the city's Department of Community Development would not approve a zoning request for Wal-Mart. Mayor Richard Daley has distanced himself from the issue in order to maintain organized labor's support for Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid.--Crain's Chicago Business (2 March 2009) http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31406 3. Provisions for Unemployed in Stimulus Plan The recently passed stimulus plan contains particular provisions that should assist Illinois's unemployed in the coming months. Among other things, the stimulus package will extend Emergency Unemployment Compensation that extends unemployment benefits an additional 20 weeks. This was due to run out near the end of August, but that date has been extended until December 31, 2009. It also eases workers' access to health care benefits through COBRA. Previously, laid-off workers had to pay for their own health insurance premiums. With the stimulus law, employers will pay up to 65% of the COBRA premiums, which the government will reimburse to them, and the provision is retroactive to September 1, 2008. The subsidy can last up to nine months. Additionally, the stimulus package will resuscitate government spending for the Job Training Partnership Act to put youths to work. --Kankakee Daily Journal (1 March 2009) http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=436272 4. Republic Windows and Doors Sold, to Re-Open in Months After staging a six-day sit-in last December, workers at the former Republic Windows and Doors were excited to learn that a California-based company, Serious Materials, bought the bankrupt company for $1.45 million. Serious Materials plans to hire back some or all of the 250 former workers within several months. “They are promising to hire all of us back sooner or later, but they will start with a small crew,” said Mr. Robles, 39, who had been a maintenance technician. “Having another company reopen the factory was always our hope when we occupied the factory in December.” News of the sale came on the heels of word that Republic's former Rich Gillman, had halted operations at its Red Oak, Iowa plant--which had opened as a non-union factory late last year. --New York Times (26 February 2009) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/us/27factory.html?_r=1 5. State Attorneys File Complaint Against Caterpillar for Oil Spill Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Will County State Attorney James Glasgow filed a seven-count lawsuit against Caterpillar, the Peoria-based earth-moving manufacturer, over thousands of gallons of oil that spilled from its Joliet facility on February 8. Roughly 65,000 gallons of oil overflowed from the facility, and it is estimated that 6,500 gallons flowed into the Des Plaines River. Glasgow noted that the company quickly reported the spill, and that no serious environmental damage occurred as a result. However, the complaint alleges multiple violations, including that the incident endangered the environment, and seeks thousands of dollars in fines. --Peoria Journal-Star (23 February 2009) http://www.pjstar.com/archive/x1739334294/Lawsuit-filed-over-Caterpillar-oil-spill 6. Arbitrator Rules for City Workers, Against Oak Forest in Health Care Dispute Unionized city workers in Oak Forest, who paid higher out-of-pocket costs for co-pays and deductibles after the city changed its health care plan, will be reimbursed by the city, according to a January 30 arbitration decision. Arbitrator Robert McAllister ruled that Oak Forest did not offer "substantially the same" health insurance plan to "police, public works, clerical and telecommunicator employees" when the city change the plan on January 1, 2007. The city must also restore the prior health insurance plan that the workers had before the changes made at the beginning of 2007 or, if one is not readily available through an insurance company, work to create one. This is the second arbitration case in the last seven months that Oak Forest has lost. Last year, an arbitrator ruled that the city had to reinstate and pay back pay to Don Hall, a public works employee who had been fired. --Southtown Star (26 February 2009) http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/oakforest/1447607,022609OFlabor.article Posted by IRX at 4:21 PM February 20, 2009Weekly Labor Report--February 20, 20091. Workers Rally in Chicago in Favor of Employee Free Choice Act Over 3,000 union members rallied on Chicago's West Side in support of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a bill in Congress that would facilitate unionization for workers. Alderman Ed Burke and Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois joined the cheering crowd, with unions such as the Teamsters, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and others filling the Plumbers' Union hall. "A key component of the bill, supporters say, calls for a union to be formed immediately if a majority of of workers sign a card authorizing union representation, explained Anders Lindall, a spokesman for AFSCME Council 31." But the EFCA, if passed, would also strengthen penalties against employers that discipline and harass workers during unionizing drives, and would provide avenues to mediation and arbitration within 90 days of a union organizing for it to successfully negotiate a first contract. --Chicago Sun-Times (18 February 2009) http://www.suntimes.com/business/1436649,CST-NWS-labor18.article 2. Unions, Businesses Prepare for Major Fight over Employee Free Choice Act Labor and business leaders expect the upcoming legislative battle over the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) to be one of the most hotly contested of the year. “We are here to let you know today, that this is organized labor's No. 1 on the agenda," said Dennis Gannon, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, this week. Business leaders are just as adamant over the bill. "We think this will be one of the most significant debates [of the year],” said Brian Turmail, spokesman for the Associated General Contractors of America. “This debate will be about whether decisions will be made in places like Peoria or Greensboro, or in Washington." The bill's provisions allow workers to form a union through "card check," after a majority of workers sign cards for a union. It also provides a defined period of 90 days for mediation and arbitration that would allow a newly formed union to successfully negotiate a first contract, and stiffer penalties for companies that threaten, harass, or fire workers during union organizing drives. --Medill Reports Chicago (19 February 2009) http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=117573 3. Wal-Mart Plans Expansion in Chicago Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retail franchise corporation, is making plans to expand its presence in Chicago. Currently, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based corporation has only one store within the city. Unions and community groups have thus far successfully blocked Wal-Mart from opening more store within city limits, and will likely do so again. "They're trying to take advantage of an economic crisis to move into these urban markets, but the dynamics have not changed," said Jerry Morrison, executive director of the Service Employees International Union's Illinois council. One of the locations Wal-Mart is apparently considering is in the predominately African-American South Side. --Wall Street Journal (11 February 2009) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123429120871869301.html 4. Addus HealthCare, SEIU Agree on Unionizing Health-Care Workers Plan Palantine-based Addus HealthCare and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have renewed a neutrality agreement, first agreed upon in 2006, through 2010 stipulating that Addus would not oppose SEIU efforts to unionize their employees at 119 company facilities. The agreement paves the way for SEIU's push to organize the remaining one-quarter of Addus's 12,000-person workforce that is not currently unionized. SEIU president Andy Stern hailed the agreement in one of the lowest-paid but fastest-growing sectors of the US economy. “If you cast away ideology and just focus on the bottom line, this partnership works,” SEIU President Andy Stern said. “What’s sad is that too many people in business let their anti-union ideology get in the way of their bottom line.” --Medill Reports Chicago (10 February 2009) http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=115027 5. Elgin-Area Workers Hit Again with Layoffs Three Elgin-area employers have planned to or have already begun to lay off workers, further adding to the city's economic difficulties. WMH Tool Group, a manufacturer of tool accessories, will have laid off about 60 employees by the end of the year. A Citi branch office laid off 51 employees when the branch closed on December 29, while Elgiloy Specialty Metals will start laying off up to 77 workers beginning March 16. All three businesses reported these layoffs to the state, in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN. --Suburban Chicago Courier News (19 February 2009) http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/business/1437101,More-layoffs-impact-Elgin_EL021809.article Posted by IRX at 1:12 PM Weekly Labor Report--February 20, 20091. Workers Rally in Chicago in Favor of Employee Free Choice Act Over 3,000 union members rallied on Chicago's West Side in support of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a bill in Congress that would facilitate unionization for workers. Alderman Ed Burke and Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois joined the cheering crowd, with unions such as the Teamsters, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and others filling the Plumbers' Union hall. "A key component of the bill, supporters say, calls for a union to be formed immediately if a majority of of workers sign a card authorizing union representation, explained Anders Lindall, a spokesman for AFSCME Council 31." But the EFCA, if passed, would also strengthen penalties against employers that discipline and harass workers during unionizing drives, and would provide avenues to mediation and arbitration within 90 days of a union organizing for it to successfully negotiate a first contract. --Chicago Sun-Times (18 February 2009) http://www.suntimes.com/business/1436649,CST-NWS-labor18.article 2. Unions, Businesses Prepare for Major Fight over Employee Free Choice Act Labor and business leaders expect the upcoming legislative battle over the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) to be one of the most hotly contested of the year. “We are here to let you know today, that this is organized labor's No. 1 on the agenda," said Dennis Gannon, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, this week. Business leaders are just as adamant over the bill. "We think this will be one of the most significant debates [of the year],” said Brian Turmail, spokesman for the Associated General Contractors of America. “This debate will be about whether decisions will be made in places like Peoria or Greensboro, or in Washington." The bill's provisions allow workers to form a union through "card check," after a majority of workers sign cards for a union. It also provides a defined period of 90 days for mediation and arbitration that would allow a newly formed union to successfully negotiate a first contract, and stiffer penalties for companies that threaten, harass, or fire workers during union organizing drives. --Medill Reports Chicago (19 February 2009) http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=117573 3. Wal-Mart Plans Expansion in Chicago Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retail franchise corporation, is making plans to expand its presence in Chicago. Currently, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based corporation has only one store within the city. Unions and community groups have thus far successfully blocked Wal-Mart from opening more store within city limits, and will likely do so again. "They're trying to take advantage of an economic crisis to move into these urban markets, but the dynamics have not changed," said Jerry Morrison, executive director of the Service Employees International Union's Illinois council. One of the locations Wal-Mart is apparently considering is in the predominately African-American South Side. --Wall Street Journal (11 February 2009) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123429120871869301.html 4. Addus HealthCare, SEIU Agree on Unionizing Health-Care Workers Plan Palantine-based Addus HealthCare and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have renewed a neutrality agreement, first agreed upon in 2006, through 2010 stipulating that Addus would not oppose SEIU efforts to unionize their employees at 119 company facilities. The agreement paves the way for SEIU's push to organize the remaining one-quarter of Addus's 12,000-person workforce that is not currently unionized. SEIU president Andy Stern hailed the agreement in one of the lowest-paid but fastest-growing sectors of the US economy. “If you cast away ideology and just focus on the bottom line, this partnership works,” SEIU President Andy Stern said. “What’s sad is that too many people in business let their anti-union ideology get in the way of their bottom line.” --Medill Reports Chicago (10 February 2009) http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=115027 5. Elgin-Area Workers Hit Again with Layoffs Three Elgin-area employers have planned to or have already begun to lay off workers, further adding to the city's economic difficulties. WMH Tool Group, a manufacturer of tool accessories, will have laid off about 60 employees by the end of the year. A Citi branch office laid off 51 employees when the branch closed on December 29, while Elgiloy Specialty Metals will start laying off up to 77 workers beginning March 16. All three businesses reported these layoffs to the state, in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN. --Suburban Chicago Courier News (19 February 2009) http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/business/1437101,More-layoffs-impact-Elgin_EL021809.article Posted by IRX at 11:23 AM February 13, 2009Weekly Labor Report--February 13, 2009
Illinois state officials reported that the state's unemployment rate in December was 7.6%, the highest in over 15 years and a significant rise over November's 7.3% unemployment figures. It also represents a sizable increase in the last year, with the jobless rate in December 2007 significantly lower at 5.3%. The Chicago Tribune reports, "The state's construction sector took the biggest hit, shedding 13,400 workers and lowering construction employment to 233,700." Also hard hit was the manufacturing sector, which shed 5,200 jobs to close 2007. The state's unemployment rate ranked higher than the national average, which was 7.2% in December. Despite strong exports among some of the largest manufacturing companies, the spreading recession and credit crunch around the globe have weakened overseas markets. -Chicago Tribune (24 January 2009) http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-illinois-unemployment-jan24,0,6034347.story 2. Cat CEO Jim Owens forecasts further layoffs Despite comments from President Barack Obama that passage of the stimulus bill would mean that earth-moving equipment manufacturer Caterpillar would be able to bring back some laid-off workers, company CEO Jim Owens expressed skepticism about that occurring. "The reality is we'll probably have to have more layoffs before we can start hiring again," Owens said without elaborating on a time frame or how many layoffs might be involved. 20,000 hourly and salaried employees have been laid off as a result of the recent recession. Speaking at Caterpillar's East Peoria complex, President Obama told company employees and executives in attendance that the $800 billion stimulus package would result in widespread infrastructure investments that would benefit the Peoria-based manufacturer. However, Owens stated that the stimulus would not bring about recovery for nearly a year, delaying recovery for Cat and other companies. Since more than half of Cat's sales comes from overseas, Owens believes that a $600 billion economic package in China might assist the company sooner than the US stimulus bill. --Chicago Tribune (12 February 2009) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-obama-caterpillar,0,5924906.story 3. Szabo of Illinois in Running for Rail-Safety Position Joseph Szabo, former state director for the United Transportation Union (UTU) in Illinois, is apparently being vetted by the Obama administration to lead the US Federal Railroad Administration, Bloomberg News reports. The FRA oversees various railroad issues such as health and safety, employees' hours worked, and the transportation of hazardous materials, Before working for the UTU, Szabo had worked as a freight-rail worker and a passenger-rail conductor. --Bloomberg News (9 February 2009) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=af2IHis6ewIg&refer=us 4. 5,000 Workers, Supporters Rally in Granite City Roughly 5,000 workers and their supporters rallied on behalf of laid-off steelworkers through the streets of Granite City, in a "Put America back to Work" march sponsored by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and many other unions. Beginning at a US Steel factory and continuing for a mile to the Amstead Rail foundry, the march drew many working, laid-off, and retired union members. According to the Alton Telegraph, "Various signs proclaimed 'Job One is Job Creation' and pleaded 'Re-open the mill so my dad can pay the bills.' Marchers chanted loudly, 'We are union!' Others answered, 'What do we want?' 'Jobs!' 'When do we want them?' 'Now!' --Alton Telegraph (10 February 2009) http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/steelworkers_23329___article.html/support_city.html 5. University of Illinois Considering Tuition Waiver Changes The University of Illinois is currently mulling changes in its tuition waiver policy for graduate students, the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette reports. Currently, graduate students with at least a 25% teaching appointment receive a tuition waiver from the University. A recent proposal that the University of reviewing would raise the level at which graduate students would receive such a waiver to 33%. According to the News-Gazette, "Current graduate students have no need to worry, [Vice Provost Richard) Wheeler said. The UI would not put anything in place that would disrupt current students." Yet the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) that represents graduate student employees, opposes the proposal. "From an academic perspective, it will have a big effect on the quality of education" at the university, said Michael Simeone, graduate student in English and member of the GEO. The proposal under debate is akin to "torpedoing quality departments" and could affect about 600 graduate employees, according to the organization. --Champaign-Urbana News Gazette (5 February 2009) http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2009/02/04/ui_considers_changes_to_tuition_waiver_policy 6. SEIU Official Resigns Amidst Improper Billing Charges Byron Hobbs, executive vice-president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Illinois-Indiana healthcare local union, has resigned amidst accusations that he improperly billed the International with over $9,000 in personal expenses. Hobbs is one of several SEIU officials around the country who have recently faced allegations of financial improprieties. According to the Los Angeles Times, "a spokeswoman for the Illinois-Indiana local, Brynn Seibert, said the union's handling of the allegedly improper charges showed "the system works." --Los Angeles Times (11 February 2009) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-na-union12-2009feb12,0,2653505.story Posted by IRX at 1:07 AM September 22, 2008Weekly Labor Report- September 22, 2008Labor Report August Unemployment Rises to 7.3% Above the national average, Illinois unemployment has risen to 7.3% in the month of August. Reports the Chicago Tribune, “The hardest-hit sector in Illinois last month was the broad category known as trade, transportation and utilities, which shed 3,300 jobs in August after losing 2,000 in July.” The construction sector has lost 7900 jobs over the last 12 months, landing at a current 261,900 people who do work in that area. Manufacturing lost 700 positions and currently functions with 668,700 employees. One thousand government jobs were lost. Meanwhile, this month saw a gain of 500 jobs in the Education and Health Services sector. – Chicago Tribune (19 Sept 2008) http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-fri-illinois-unemployment-sep19,0,3691163.story Boeing Strikers Encouraged to File for Jobless Pay Chicago machinists who work for Boeing have filed a claim with the National Labor Relations Board that holds they were misled by employers and improperly questioned about a contract proposal. If the National Labor Relations Board upholds that complaint, there's a small chance that members who have filed for jobless pay might be able to collect. Channel 42 http://www.keyetv.com/business/story.aspx?content_id=700fc8f8-1770-4c1a-b812-8b3ad3de3915
Besim Tabaku, owner of Toni’s Family Restaurant in Mount Clare, Illinois, pleaded guilty in federal court to the illegal employment of five Mexican nationals. Tabaku and his wife have housed the workers in their family home. According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, all five Mexicans admitted to avoiding all documentation and inspection upon their entry into the country. Tabaku is currently free on $50,000 bond. – The Telegraph (August 22, 2008) http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/restaurant_17526___article.html/tabaku_family.html Teen Unemployment Rate Rising Sharply Illinois’ teen unemployment rate is rising and currently stands at19.51%. Some tie this to the increase in minimum wage, taking place in three increments over two years, from $5.15 to $7.25. Said Rick Berman, executive director of the Employment Policies Institute, “The unintended consequences of Illinois’ minimum wage hike is pricing some employees out of the work force, and based on the new unemployment data, it’s teens who are getting hit the hardest.”— Belleville News-Democrat (10 Sept 2008) http://www.bnd.com/news/local/story/466465.html Mitsubishi to Resume Talks with UAW One of the largest Japanese automakers, Mitsubishi, has agreed to resume talks with workers at their Normal, Illinois plant on September 24. Since 2003, the facility has reduced its employment by 63 percent, and their US sales have continued to drop. On one daily shift, the plant makes Gallant sedans, Endeavor sport utility vehicles, Eclipse coupes and Spyder convertibles. – Bloomberg News (17 Sept 2008) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aQAPXJWpDoTg&refer=japan
Bloomington Citizens Vote on Living Wage Organizers in Bloomington have won the right to hold a referendum on Election Day regarding increases in wages for all citizens in the city of Bloomington. Said Don Carlson, executive director of the Central Illinois Organizing Project, “Politically, it’s always dangerous not to listen to the will of the people. We want to see this as an opportunity for students to get mixed into involvement and make changes happen.” The referendum stands to impact the wages of clerical assistants, lifeguards, janitors, and many student workers of Illinois State University and other area colleges. – Daily Vidette (Illinois State University) http://media.www.dailyvidette.com/media/storage/paper420/news/ Posted by IRX at 11:04 AM June 22, 2008Weekly Labor Report : June 22, 2008Week of June 20,2008 Kroger Ratifies New Labor Agreement Grocery store Kroger Co. has agreed to a new labor agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 700 of Indianapolis. The agreement called for Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, but both sides currently celebrate the bargain as a win. The new agreement covers 4200 Kroger associates in sixty stores throughout Indianapolis and parts of Bloomington, Crawfordsville and Kokomo. They also cover some workers in stores with the banner names Scott’s, Owen’s, Hilander and Pay Less. One of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains, Kroger operates 2486 supermarkets and multi-department stores nationwide. It also owns 42 food processing plants which are headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. – (Earthtimes.org 19 June 2008)
John Deere machinery of Moline, Illinois has contracted to open a research center on the grounds of the University of Illinois. They hope to expand the university’s research in advanced electronics, advanced sensors, systems technology and mechatronics. These subcategories fall under mechanical and electronic engineering. Said university Chancellor Richard Herman,
St.Louis- based Schnuck Markets, Inc. has selected RedPrairie’s Workforce Management Solution to help run its human resources. RedPrarie consults Schnucks in future planning and workforce training. They operate 103 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Mississippi. – (PRS Businesswire 19 June 2008)
Mary Gade, a Midwest EPA official, has been in dispute with Dow Chemicals about delayed plans to clean up dioxin-saturated soil and sediment that dumps into Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. Its toxic dumping into local rivers extends 50 miles beyond its Midland, Mich., plant. She has been placed on “administrative leave” but protests that she stands by all of her decisions in her relations with Dow. Dioxin was a byproduct of the herbicide Agent Orange and is measured in trillionths of a gram because its toxicity. The Chicago Tribune reports, “Company documents show Dow knew by the mid-1960s that it could make people sick or even kill them. Citing years of independent studies, the EPA says dioxin causes cancer and disrupts the immune and reproductive systems, even at very low levels.”—( Chicago Tribune 2 May 2008)
The Illinois Education Association and its affiliate union, the Southern Illinois University – Carbondale (SIUC) Faculty Association, have announced an agreement with the Illinois Executive Inspector General and Illinois Ethics Commission over a recent lawsuit. The state failed 10,000 state employees not for failing the test but for taking the timed, online test too quickly. The lawsuit released the employees from further disciplinary action, but the Illinois deputy inspector general said nothing has necessarily changed for the future. – (Daily Labor Report 1 May 2008)
The Northern District of the State of Illinois Courts has not dismissed retirees’ claims that the company may have used unreasonable methods of calculating employees’ estimated compensation. In creating pension projections, Allstate assumed that employees received 6 percent pay increases each year between 1951 and 1988 and that during this time employees were continuously covered by Social Security. So far, the courts have granted warrants for discovery investigations of the company. (Daily Labor Report 10 June 2008)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Winter’s Architectural Roofing Co. of Carbon Cliff $244,000 for eight citations of safety violations. The federal agency started its investigation after an employee fell 16 feet through a skylight and was killed in October of 2007. The company has been noted for negligence on low-sloped roofs, failure to cover skylight openings, and failure to train employees about fall hazards. (Daily Labor Report 16 April 2008) Posted by IRX at 5:09 PM June 3, 2008Weekly Labor Report: June 2, 2008Weekly Labor Report Teamsters Wins First Student Bus Company Employees’ in Three States Across Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 729 new bus drivers have voted to join the Teamsters. Alaine Peterson, a three year driver in Crest Hill, Illinois, and one of 438 drivers and monitors who joined Teamsters Local 179 of Joliet, was especially excited when her husband, a rail employee, became a Teamster the same day. These wins come from a nationwide initiative to organize private school bus and transit workers across the country. The Teamsters have called this initiative the Drive Up Standards, and have won more than 9300 new members since 2006. – Sun Herald (2 June 2008)
Both the Teamsters, a growingly popular union of bus drivers, and the Illinois Education Association (IEA), a “professional association” of teachers and alternative to the Illinois Federation of Teachers, are each trying to represent the more than 200 bus drivers in the Durham School district. The IEA has struggled to represent the district’s teachers and argues that future contracts will be stronger if all of the school district’s employees work together. The Teamsters claim that the IEA has delayed negotiations. They have recently been very effective in representing school bus drivers around the country. – Daily Herald (13 May 2008)
Caterpillar’s new ban on smoking has won the ire of many employees and started rumors of a wildcat strike because of recent workers’ suspensions. However Bill Scott, chairman of the United Autoworkers Local 974, has argued that officially the union is against a wildcat strike. “Our official position is that because we have a no strike, no lockout clause in the contract, to stay on the job. But I don’t know how we can stop them from a spontaneous walkout if htat is what they choose.” Caterpillar has stated that the recent smoking ban is simply part of the Healthy Balance initiative. They claim, “We remain dedicated to creating and maintaining the healthiest and safest work environment possible for our employees.” However, Caterpillar employees and the UAW maintain that their contract allows them to smoke on Caterpillar property. They have even filed a petition with the NLRB against this violation. Some non-smokers have been reported to start smoking out of solidarity for protesting a violation of their contract.—Peoria Journal-Star (2 June 2008)
Fifteen city employees of Metropolis, Illinois have signed up for a grant-funded initiative to help them quit smoking: they will earn $1000 if they successfully quit smoking for one year. City officials claim that this will lead eventually to healthier workers and lower insurance premiums. The program, though only several weeks old, will be enforced with random nicotine tests. Patches and gum are not prohibited. – Chicago Tribune (2 June 2008)
Belleville Teachers’ Association Local 434 filed a complaint against the school district to test the air quality for toxins in the Belleville East buildings. Teachers, they say, experience chronic dizziness, respiratory problems, and burning eyes. The Illinois Department of Labor has recently checked the air quality and found it satisfactory, but the teachers complain that the district had the doors and windows open all weekend long so the test was under an unusually favorable condition. School superintendent Greg Moats agrees that the extra testing will be a good idea. Union attorney Chris Kolker said that if the teachers did not file a lawsuit with the county, the Illinois Department of Labor would put off a re-testing to the summer, when the conditions would once again be unusually favorable. Union leaders complain that classroom ventilation has not worked properly in years. –Belleville News-Democrat (15 May 2008)
Senate Republicans and Democrats have begun to rally behind Governor Blagojevich’s Illinois Works, a proposed $31 billion comprehensive capital infrastructure plan to build and rebuild roads, schools and mass-transit. It is also hoped to address recent job shortages. In support of the proposed plan, among many others, are Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan, President and CEO of Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce Larry Ivory, President of Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Tod Faerber, and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. The plan calls for motor fuel taxes to support bonded road projects, a partial use of the state lottery system for funding, and Capital and Educational Trust Funds with “lockbox” accountability guarantees. It also calls for an increase in gaming licenses to raise $550 million in debt service for environmental and water, energy, economic development, health care, state facilities, and other purposes. – Illinois Press Releases (28 May 2008)
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have organized 40 protests recently to attain better job contracts for the state’s workers. They have been in negotiations for six months but they still have not come to an agreement to replace the contract that ends June 30. AFSCME demands that it not have to swallow “a decrease in take-home pay, higher health insurance premiums, mandatory overtime, and bigger paycheck contributions for retirement.” The union’s executive director Henry Bayer said, “Every Illinois resident relies on the public services AFSCME members provide…. State workers aren’t asking for a lot—decent wages, affordable health care and a secure retirement. And they’ll do whatever it takes, bargain as long as it takes, picket as much as it takes, to achieve a fair contract.”– Quad Cities Online (29 May 2008)
Union officials of the Service Employees’ International Union have argued that 24 hour call centers would better handle the volume of workers’ concerns so that union representatives could focus on organizing new members. Some member of the SEIU are less comfortable with this change, for the argue that union representatives should know their constituents and be accountable to them. Eva Lozada has said, “Sometimes you can’t get through to these centers… It’s like talking to an A.T.M.” Sal Roselli, president of the United Healthcare Workers West, has held that this change further centralizes union power in a bureaucracy and takes it out of the hands of local workers. Andrew L. Stern, the SEIU’s president, has insisted that these changes are vital to empowering, not disempowering, rank-and-file workers. “We have a 1930s teletype model of representation in a 21st century world. You can Google almost anything. But then you call your local union office and you have to push 1 or 2 and then you can’t find someone who speaks the language you speak.”—New York Times (1 June 2008)
Chicago area labor leader William E. Dugan, a former Republican appointee to government boards that oversee Illinois casinos, the CTA and the state’s tollway system, has been accused of of illegally using union resources to truck corn from Illinois to his buffalo farm in Hancock, Maryland. His Chicago union represents 22000 heavy equipment operators but they have so far defended Dugan and argued that the accusation is part of a re-election battle. He is using Joseph Duffy, the same lawyer who is defending political fundraiser Tony Rezko, to defend him. – Chicago Sun Times (31 May 2008) Posted by IRX at 3:56 PM May 8, 2008Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
The state of Illinois has promised retired and former employees health, dental, vision and life insurance benefits, but has not consistently put aside money to pay for these “other post employment benefits,” or OPEB. Illinois’ top fiscal officer John Filan has argued that the state’s $43 billion liability will be settled through labor negotiations with the state’s unions. “This is a combined liability [for both employer and employee],” he said, “and we will work on it in collective bargaining.” Filan has pushed for the auctioning of 50 year terms to the state lottery to corporations as a way to raise at least $10 billion quickly. The state would retain a 20% investment in the lottery over the lease term. – Bond Buyer (22 April 2008)
For the last five months, Illinois’ job market and unemployment rate of 5.5% has been more stable than the national average. As employers cut 80,000 jobs nationwide in March, state payrolls only declined .03 percent with 1600 cuts. Mitch Daniels, a labor market economist with the Illinois Department of Labor Security, said, “Given the national economic picture, steady is good.” However, what seems like a stable picture overall may hide the differences among Illinois’ economic sectors. While the state has seen growth in professional, educational, health service sectors and especially the agricultural sector, construction and manufacturing sectors have taken a dramatic hit. Daniels expects job growth in Illinois in 2008 to be between one and two percent, especially concentrated in the professional health service sector. – Medill Reports-Northwestern University (17 April 2008)
In the wake of the construction industry shortfall throughout the nation and especially in Illinois, day laborers in Chicago have seen wages drop from $12 an hour to $10 an hour and even down to $8 an hour for those hungry enough for work. Furthermore, reports the Latino Union, a labor organization and employment agency for day laborers in Chicago, workers continue to get hurt on risky jobs. Jessica Aranda, the executive director of the organization, calls the laborers international businessmen, and looks forward to helping workers attain more skills, especially in language and technology. – Chicago Tribune (26 April 2008)
The AFL-CIO announced April 17 that it formally allied with Enlace, a coalition that represents 300, 000 low wage workers in Mexico. The AFL-CIO has no formal relationship with Mexico’s official union federation, which is essentially controlled by the country’s Industrial Revolutionary Party. – People’s World Weekly (22 April 2008)
While the overall number of union petitions and elections declined in 2007, health-care related unions have fared better than most. According to recent statistics from the National Labor Relations Board, while unions in non-healthcare related industries won 62 percent of the time, they have won 72 percent of the time in health associated fields. The Service Employees’ International Union and California Nurses Association/ National Nurses Organizing Committee won 79, 80 and 83 percent of the time. The SEIU and UNITE-HERE celebrate great success over the past year in beginning to organize Aramark, Cintas and ServiceMaster employees. – Reuters (18 Mar 2008) http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS140744+18-Mar-2008+PRN20080318
Currently only patrol officers and sergeants, officers who are officially not managers, are represented by the Police Benevolent and Protective Agency, Unit 6 (of Rockford, Illinois). Five of the six of the city’s lieutenants want membership in the union because they say they are fearful of losing their jobs. They have petitioned the Illinois Labor Board to determine whether Rockford’s lieutenants are managers, while city leaders contend that they will fight the lieutenants’ request. Said Rockford’s Legal Director Patrick Hayes, “Management ought to stay management and with regard to our employees, if they want to organize that’s fine and works very well, but there needs to be a division and a clear delineation between management and labor.” – News 23 (5 May 2008)
The Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council recently ratified a three year contract with Southern Illinois University-Carbondale for dispatchers and parking service employees. Bob Behrtens, a FOP field representative, was very happy about the contract. “This is unprecedented for dispatchers and parking service agents to get fixed raises into the future like this. The university is not too keen on pay raises. But, with all the new emergency and medical response systems, dispatchers are becoming more and more important.” Pay will increase by approximately 12.5 percent over the next three years. – The Southern (6 May 2008)
Opponents of the proposed Children’s Museum in Chicago’s Grant Park argue that park has always been public property set aside for the people of Chicago. A coalition of environmental, consumer and labor groups have argued that in 1836 the park was declared “forever open, clear and free.” When the Citizen Action Illinois’ board recently took a vote, neither the Chicago Federation of Labor president Dennis Gannon nor the Service Employee International Union’s Illinois Council president Tom Balanoff were in attendance. They have declared that they are not taking a position on the plan. The final vote before the City Council is expected in June. – Chicago Tribune (22 April 2008)
Keith Kelleher, president of SEIU Local 880 of Illinois, has joined with a few other SEIU presidents to demand an apology from United Health Care Workers-West president Dan Martin for excluding rank and file members from delegate elections to the next SEIU convention. The UHW-W had rationalized that they wanted to hand-pick delegates to the convention who “know the most about the Union and are most actively involved in it.” However, the SEIU Local presidents demand that this attitude expresses “contempt…for your own rank-and-file membership…These hardly sound like the deliberations of a ‘bottom up’ organization.” – www.prsnewswire.com (17 April 2008) Posted by IRX at 11:29 AM April 14, 2008Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report (backlog)
More than 30 percent of the roughly 45 employees at the Cambridge Lakes Charter School in a subdivision of Pingree Grove, Illinois have signed union cards with the Illinois Education Association. Other workers at the school, including bus drivers and food service workers, have also begun to organize for a collective voice against the non-profit organization Northern Cane Educational Corporation. The educators have filed their petition for union representation with the Illinois Educational Labor Board and await the first election. –Daily Herald (25 March 2008) One of the anti-union scare tactics that teachers report is an administrative form which requires teachers and staff to report any engagement with union discussions. The form requires teachers to pledge that he or she has not engaged in discussions “against the interest of my employer without regret or remorse and intend to assert my personal interest over those of my employer,” or that they did not participate in talks “and regret and repudiate any actions I have taken. I will, of my own free will, publicly apologize to the clients we serve and my peers, (and) withdraw any expression of interest given to a UniServ representative.” – Suburban Chicago News (4 Mar 2008)
Firefighters in New Lenox, Illinois have argued that their district improperly reassigned 55 part-time firefighters last April while they were in the process of unionizing. The Service Employees International Union Local 73 which represents the firefighters has argued that the district “privatized” the department’s entire firefighting ranks in direct response to union organizing. – Suburban Chicago News (1 April 2008)
Hamilton Sunstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies, announced layoffs of 65 manufacturing workers at their Rockford, Illinois plant. Over the past few years, the division of about 2200 people has shifted hundreds of production jobs to Singapore. The company that now advertises itself as experts in aerospace engineering has made plans to hire about 150 more engineers to its Windsor Locks, Connecticut plant this year.—Boston News (2 April 2008)
Ford said that cutting shifts in Chicago, a Louisville sport-utility plant and a Cleveland engine plant is part of an onging plan to prevent expensive equipment stockpiles. “We’re trying to plan conservatively,” Ford sales analyst George Pipas said, arguing that a reduction in demand is an ideal way to reduce the falls in prices. “We will operate on one shift as long as we have to,” he continued. General Motors has recently offered retirement offers to 73,000 UAW members, and Chrysler LLC is offering similar packages at its UAW-supported plants. – Chicago Tribune (4 Mar 2008)
Several Illinois-based businesses, including Caterpillar, have joined with Walmart, Citigroup and other major corporations in supporting the controversial treaty with Columbia that would support free-trade. Director of the National Association of Manufacturers Douglas Goudie has argued that opportunity will benefit small businesses too, and cites Quality Float Works of Illinois as an example. “We’re not General Motors, we’re just the little guy,” said Sandy Westlund-Dennihan, Quality Float’s owner. Meanwhile, both Democratic presidential hopefuls, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and AFL-CIO president John Sweeny have argued that they promote the growth of good jobs in the United States. Treaties like this encourage corporations to exploit cheap labor overseas for the sake of corporate profiteering, but to the loss of potential sources of income for Americans.—Wall Street Journal (10 April 2008)
Graduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where student employees teach one third of all credit hours, have protested the administration for higher stipends and lowered fees. Students have argued that the administration uses the imposition of higher fees to offset what seems like modest gains in pay. These graduate students join those at the University of Chicago who have been rallying against the administration since February. One of the challenges they find is that while stipends for newer graduate students have been raised, those of already enrolled graduate students have not significantly increased. – Chicago Flame (14 April 2008)
First Transit workers in McHenry, Illinois have voted 29-4 to join the Teamsters and become Local 731. This addition to the Teamsters, orchestrated through the joint efforts of Teamsters Joint Council 25, Teamsters Local 731 and the Teamsters. It is part of an ongoing effort to organize private school bus and transit workers. Ron Langton, a First Transit driver, reflected on the merger, “If you look in the paper, other bus driver positions are starting at $14 a hour. Here it’s a little over $10. All we want is fair play for the responsibility. I voted for the Teamsters to better our lives.”—Fox Business (8 April 2008)
The Illinois Education Association has filed a claim with Huntley Unit District 158, arguing that the district has overburdened elementary music teachers with seventeen classes. According to music teachers’ contracts, says the union, teachers are allowed 300 minutes of planning and grading time per week. Issuing a seventeenth class, they claim, cuts into planning time without any extra compensation. The union argues that the teachers should either be compensated extra for the class or not expected to teach it. Superintendent John Burkey has rejected the teachers’ request, arguing that to grant music teachers extra pay for this class would be unfair to the teachers who teach 1625 minutes per week without receiving extra pay. The Illinois Educational Labor Board is currently investigating the charge.—Daily Herald (8 April 2008)
Andy Stern, SEIU president and one of the country’s most dynamic and controversial labor leaders, has argued that locals should merge locally and even across states to gain the strength to take on major corporations. The leaders of many locals are concerned that this merge would only further centralize union bureaucracy. Paula Jones, member of Local 2000 in Florissant, Missouri, for example, has argued that “Workers have lost their voice” and that further merging of union locals would only exacerbate this problem. Some locals, however, already span cities and even state-lines. SEIU’s Local 1 is based in Chicago but spans janitors and building service workers in St. Louis, Kansas and Milwaukee. Stern was one of the primary leaders of the AFL-CIO’s Change to Win Federation, a coalition of major unions that have argued the union movement needs to focus more on organizing. Some union leaders who object to Stern sometimes argue that heightened organizing within unions can be accomplished without such bureaucratic merging of unions. For example, Sal Roselli of the United Healthcare Worker’s West has argued that his unit has grown to 150000 workers “without compromising the ability of workers to be in control of their union.” Stern’s allies contend that Roselli’s criticisms hurt the collective voice of the SEIU at a moment when they are already united by national political goals such as the nomination of Barack Obama for president. – St. Louis Today (20 Mar 2008)
As faculty in Wisconsin have won the attention of legislators in their fight for a collective voice, many in Champaign-Urbana have reflected on the potential of faculty unionization at the University of Illinois. Field service director of the Illinois Federation of Teachers Jon Nadler has argued that the interest among faculty for a unions has generally been low. Labor education specialist Joe Berry has reflected that “Like any other employer, universities prefer to not have to deal with a union and deal with an employee individually.” John Murphy, executive vice president of the University Professionals of Illinois, has stated that “The faculty at the University of Illinois has not suffered enough to be clamoring for representation as a collective union.”— Daily Illini (7 March 2008)
Residents of the rural Southern Illinois town of Vandalia have protested against the shut-down of their local prison facility over the last four years. Residents have joined with others who are upset with the state’s plan to close the maximum security wing at the Stateville Correctional Center north of Joliet, Illinois. Vandalia officials have protested that the shuddering of the local prison will cut as many as 400 paying jobs and relocate 1600 inmates to other prisons. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Council 31 has argued on behalf of the inmates that such a transition for the alleged sake of efficiency in Illinois will uproot inmates from steady access to visitation from their families. Many would be moved to the Thomson Correctional Center. Will County Center for Economic Development also opposes the shut-down of the prison facility. They contend that the change would strain local businesses who have served employees off the job. – Chicago Tribune (3 March 2008) Posted by IRX at 4:14 PM February 21, 2008Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
The Employee Classification Act, passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed by Governor Blagojevich last summer, ensures that workers in the construction industry are protected by labor laws and not misclassified as “independent contractors.” The law presumes that an individual performing services is an “employee” unless he or she passes the “ABC Test.” That is, the individual must be free from direction or control over the performance of the service for the contractor; the service performed is outside of the usual course of services, and that the individual is an independently established trade, occupation or business. Sole proprietors must meet all twelve conditions specified by the act to use the tax status of independent contractor. The Illinois Department of Labor is willing to cooperate with unions to understand the new act and how it may apply to them. For additional information, see www.state.il.us/agency/idol - The Labor Paper (17 Jan 2008): 2.
As a result of the override of the Water Resource Bill over President Bush’s veto, the Peoria and LaGrange Locks will both be expanded to 1200 feet. This change will minimize delays on the Illinois River when freight travels between St. Paul and St. Louis. The bill provides $16 million to construct three islands on the Illinois River to increase water flow through the Peoria Lakes area. Furthermore, the act appropriates $1.5 billion for the restoration of the ecosystem along the waterways. This includes 105,000 acres of habitat and 35,000 acres of floodplain. Each barge replaces 15 rail cars or 58 semi trucks. Hence, enhanced waterways decrease dependence on fuel. – Labor Paper (6 Dec 2007)`
President John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO and the Transportation Trades Department recently found that DHS secretary Michael Chertoff is in conversation with Council of the European Union president Louis Amado about what data to collect from international passengers in the identification of terrorist suspects. Chertoff said that the United States’ agency would be willing to use personal data, such as trade union membership, if “the life of a data subject or of others could be imperiled or seriously impaired.” Sweeney has put pressure on Chertoff to ensure that union membership not be identified as suspicious behavior. – St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune (5 Dec 2007)
The WCIBCTC (see above) met with utility companies, Caterpillar and local hospitals in a roundtable on the construction needs of West Central Illinois in the months and years ahead. Director Dan Silverthorn explained, “We want to make sure we can supply the manpower they need.” Said Don Gorman, executive assistant for the Regional Council of Carpenters, “We have to hear what the key customers need and what their concerns are.” – The Labor Paper (17 Jan 2008): 1. Posted by IRX at 11:01 AM November 29, 2007Weekly Labor News ReportWeekly Labor Report
Postal Workers Protest Relocation of Priority Mail Court Sets Method of Proof in Class Action Sex Suit The US District Court for Northern Illinois ruled that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may not seek punitive damages for a “class,” with regard to sex, without providing evidence that such damages indeed affect every member. The decision comes in a case of sexual harassment and unequal treatment case brought by EEOC in 2001 against the International Profit Associates Inc. in Buffalo Grove. – Employment Discrimination Report (7 November 20007): UA, Contractors and Corporations Discuss Future Labor Demands Posted by IRX at 11:49 AM November 2, 2007Weekly Labor News ReportWeekly Labor Report
A series of bills were passed in the Illinois State Assembly. The first provided a 4000-position landbased casino in the City of Chicago, two river boats in unspecified locations and an expansion of 6000 gaming positions made available by bid to the nine existing casinos. Another piece of legislation provides $25.2 billion to fund the construction of Illinois’ roads, bridges and new schools. Meanwhile, a long-term funding solution for the Chicago Transit Authority is still pending. Currently, unions in Chicago have not backed any of the proposed plans.—Fox Valley Labor News (27 Sept 2007): 3.
The Chicago Teachers Union reached an agreement with the Chicago Board of Education that increases teachers’ salaries by 20 percent over the next four years, and provides additional salary steps for teachers and paraprofessionals in school-related personnel. Furthermore, teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards will receive a $1750 yearly bonus. Teachers at ten Chicago Public Schools will be eligible for performance-based bonuses as part of the Recognizing Excellence in Academic Leadership program. These bonuses are available to include janitors and clerks, and range from $1000 to $15000. – Chicago Federation of Labor (November 2007): 4.
Under the terms of the newly ratified agreement the Chicago Federation of Musicians has reached with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in the first year of the contract workers will receive a 2.7 % increase in weekly base salary for the first six months, followed by a 4.4% wage increase for the next six months. –Chicago Federation of Labor (November 2007): 5.
Both Illinois Senators, Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, along with Labor Committee Chairman Ted Kennedy and Washington Senator Patty Murray, in collaboration with the AFL-CIO, Change to Win, Teamsters and National Employment Law Project, have drafted national legislation modeled on that recently passed in Illinois to refine the definition of an independent contractor. Dick Durbin reflected, “When you walk down the streets of Chicago, and in the suburbs and towns throughout Illinois, you can see the construction workers hard at work building new homes, office buildings and roads. These workers deserve a fair share from employers who are not trying to cheat the system. Improperly labeling workers as independent contractors is cheating of the worst kind. Companies resorting to this dishonest practice avoid paying the taxes they owe and deny their employees their legal rights, including the right to a safe workplace, the right to the minimum wage, and the right to overtime.”—The Labor Paper (18 Oct 2007):2.
Gov. Blagojevich announced a plan to extend $6 Million in grants to the Employment Opportunities Grant Program, a fund that works with thirteen community-based organizations and educational institutions in Cook County and statewide. It is a part of Operation Returns, the Governor’s initiative in creating new jobs within the state. The fund will be administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Capital Development Board, the state’s primary “construction management agency.” Some of the grant recipients include the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, Chicago Public Schools, Coalition for United Community Action, Construction Careers Council, Dawson Technical Institute, OAI, Saint Paul Church of God in CHirst Community Development Ministries, Lincolnland Community College, Neighborhood Housing Development Corporation, Peoria Educational Region for Employment and Career Training, and Southwestern Illinois College. –Lasalle County Labor News (Sept/Oct 2007): 5.
Introduced by House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), as well as the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pension Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy, the “Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business and Bankruptcy Act of 2007” would bar a company from shielding executives’ pensions and health benefits while cutting those of wage workers. Rich Pascarella, a 19 year Local 1759 member and United Airlines Ramp Serviceman at Dulles Airport reflected, “We could have used this bill five years ago, but legislation like this wouldn’t have had a chance in the last Congress.”—IAM Journal (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO): Fall 2007, 33.
The United Association of Plumbers, Pipe-Fittters, Sprinkler Fitters and HVACR Service Technicians joined with some of the nation’s largest corporations at a conference in Mokena, IL to address the rising demand for skilled workers in the current construction boom. One of the most important national needs, according to US Secretary of Labor Samuel Bodman, is a body of highly skilled workers to build safe nuclear plants. One noted plan for continuing to train highly skilled craftsmen is the Helmets to Hardhats program that provides returning soldiers retraining opportunities, in cooperation with unions. Currently, the Illinois Pipe Trades Association Advancement Program (IPTAPP) provides cutting edge training by collaborating with 23 local unions and 1500 union contractors in Illinois and parts of Iowa and Indiana. – The Labor Paper (18 Oct 2007): 2.
In the Illinois State Police ranking system, master sergeants fall above sergeants and troopers and below lieutenants and captains. They have been the only non-managerial level of officers in the system without union representation. In the process of organizing these private sector workers this past year, the state of Illinois filed objections to their rights to collective bargaining, holding that they have supervisory status. Soon after, the Fraternal Order of Police tried to organize these officers. However, the Teamsters, specifically t he Teamsters Law Enforcement League, won local elections. Not only are opportunities now open for union support in the case of promotion to master sergeant, but Teamster police officers automatically qualify to participate in TeamLegal, a national program that provides legal assistance for civil and criminal incidents, as well as preparation for grand jury hearings. – Teamster (International Brotherhood of Teamsters ): September/October 2007, 16-17.
President Tom Buffenbarger of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced that the union endorses both New York Senator Clinton and former Arkansas Governor Huckabee in the presidential primaries. He explained, “Our endorsement carries with it something priceless—a blue collar union’s seal of approval. And make no mistake about this. Blue collar families are the key demographic battleground in 2008.” Because 1/3 of the IAM self-identify as Republicans, the union decided to endorse a candidate on both sides of the aisle. “I was impressed with former Governor Mike Huckabee,” he continued. “He didn’t tell us what we wanted to hear. He told us what he believed, even when not a single one of us would have agreed with him. That took guts. That took conviction—not a bad combination.” About Clinton he reflected, the IAM is “looking for a strategic partner who will work with our union over the long haul, can amass over 70 million votes in the general election, can compete for 350 Electoral College votes, and can govern this nation in a time of multiple crises.” Under the Clinton Administration, “this union had a friend in the West Wing—and a friend in the East Wing. We fought with the Oval Office on NAFTA and PNTR. We worked with the East Wing on health care reform. We worked with the White House on the Family Medical Leave Act, a patients’ bill of rights and the creation of new JOBS. ..” Endorsements were made by voting of the membership. – IAM Journal (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO): Fall 2007, 10-21. Posted by IRX at 4:19 PM October 4, 2007Weekly Labor News ReportWeekly Labor News Report
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 in St. Charles, Illinois accepted what they called “one of the best contracts in the nation.” The three-year contract covers almost 10,000 Local 655 members working at supermarkets Dierbergs, Schnucks and Shop ‘n Save. It includes a gradual $1.20 increase in wages over the next three years and a weekly health care premium cost-sharing plan in the second and third years of the contract. Among the other benefit increases include: dental and vision benefits; holidays of Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas; maintenance of the current ratio of full-time to part-time workers; increased disability and life-insurance pay, and the formation of an industry-wide Labor and Management Committee that meets quarterly to address ongoing worker concerns. – St. Louis Labor Tribune (19 Sept 2007)
State Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) called the Illinois General Assembly to approve a $24 billion comprehensive capital program to create new jobs in the state by upgrading roads, bridges and schools in the Metro-East. Most of the jobs would be in construction, so he called upon the Southwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council to support his legislation. Some of the projects he proposes to fund include constructing a science building at Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville, building a new Mississippi River bridge, widening Illinois Route 159 in several places, complete Interstate 255, expand Governor’s Parkway and provide millions of dollars for elementary school construction. – Labor Tribune (26 Sept 2007)
The Chicago City Council Aldermen Freddrenna Lyle, Toni Preckwinkle, Leslie Hairston, Ray Suarez and Joe Moore sponsored a resolution to require Comcast to appear before a hearing of the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Over 100 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are currently disputing a contract with this largest cable company in the country. The city’s Cable Ordinance bans discrimination in the payment of wages. – Federation News (Oct 2007)
A law that went into effect July 31, 2001 provides a $150,000 lump sum reimbursement for medical expenses to qualifying workers who continue to suffer because of radiation exposure. During the Second World War and the Cold War, the Department of Energy employed thousands of workers in nuclear processing and testing facilities. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department issued a final ruling on July 10, 2007 that establishes a 180 day period for the agency to finally evaluate whether an individual qualifies for compensation related to radiation exposure. An additional law provides $50,000 for workers suffering from uranium exposure. – Boilermaker Reporter (July-Sept 2007) Posted by IRX at 11:48 AM September 27, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
The United Auto Workers came to agreement with General Motors after a two day strike. Central to the agreement is a provision of job security and the decision to house more than $50 billion in workers’ health care with the union. – The Guardian (27 Sept 2007)
An office employee at Morgan Stanley who is highly sensitive to perfume has no claim to compensation within the American Disabilities Act, the Northern District of Illinois ruled. The court ruled that though she is temporarily restricted from activities such as breathing and seeing when exposed to such fragrances, those “intermittent flare ups” do not substantially limit her life activity. – Daily Labor Report (11 Sept 2007)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters president James Hoffa ordered internal union charges be brought against a Chicago official. The local officer allegedly allowed improper contact between one of his employees and his father, who is a former official who was expelled for misconduct in 2002. His decision came in response to investigations by an Independent Review Board commissioned to root out corruption within the union. The report charges Robert Hogan with failure to supervise Local 714 employee Robert Riley, who admitted to investigators that he had improper contact with Hogan’s father, William T. Hogan. According to the report, Riley maintained regular contact with William Hogan between 2003 and 2006. Robert Hogan currently serves both as secretary-treasurer of the Berwyn-based Local 731 and as Vice President of Chicago’s Joint Council 25, though Hoffa has announced that he “brought reproach on the IBT.” – Daily Labor Report ( 14 Sept 2007) Posted by IRX at 11:45 AM September 20, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
Carhartt, a clothing manufacturing company based in Dearborn, Michigan, has announced layoffs for 33 employees, all of whom are union members. The family owned company has handled the sewing of cotton canvas outerwear. However, it will be converted to a distribution and warehouse center for irregular and overstock items. John Mozena, public relations manager for the company, said that the facility is committed to “the most efficient mix of domestic and international manufacturing and processing facilities.” Twenty five jobs—17 union and eight management—will remain at the plant. – Peoria Journal Star (20 Sept 2007)
While employment in corporate research and development—“where science is harnessed to pursue profit”—increased 16 percent nationally between 2001 and 2006, it fell almost 28 percent in Illinois. The state, which used to be ranked second to California in such jobs, is now in seventh place. According to the Chicago Tribune, the culprit may be the shutting down of telecommunications research labs in suburban Chicago. In the last ten years, Lucent Technologies ended 7000 jobs, G.D. Searle & Co. in Skokie layed off 1000 more. Motorola has also closed plants, not excepting the facility in the University of Illinois’ research park. Meanwhile, China and India have some of the world’s fastest- growing major research and development markets. While the average Illinois employees in this field make over $100,000 per year, labor is cheaper overseas. Some executives in the field are encouraged that small high-tech companies, especially those who could have settled in more expensive locations, do favor Illinois a basis of operations. A Japanese drug firm Astellas Pharma opened a research center at the old Searle site earlier this year. Even though Baxter International saw a net cut in jobs over the last decade, North Chicago’s Abbott Laboratories has close to 150 research and development job openings, and its spending in this area rose 44 percent between 2001 and 2006. – Chicago Tribune (26 August 2007) Posted by IRX at 11:46 AM September 13, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report Tougher Penalties for Motorists in School/Construction Zones Governor Rod Blagojevich signed legislation increasing penalties against drivers who kill school personnel, construction workers or students while driving through construction and school zones. If motorists drive faster than ten miles over the posted speed limit in these marked zones and kill someone, their sentence can be judged as “reckless homicide.” According to Blagojevich, 181 Illinois Department of Transportation employees have been killed since 1951. – Occupational Safety and Health (6 Sept 2007): 779-80.
Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Representative Danny Davis sponsored and passed a bill in the senate to provide increased funding to “predominantly black institutions.” The College Cost Reduction and Access Act will set aside $15 million for institutions that are not categorized as Historically Black Colleges and Universities but have a predominant number of African American students. The funding is expected to apply to 75 institutions in 17 states, including four year and two year schools. In Illinois, the institutions that could benefit from these include: City Colleges of Chicago– Kennedy-King College ; Chicago State University; South Suburban College; City Colleges of Chicago – Harold Washington College; City Colleges of Chicago – Malcolm X College; City Colleges of Chicago – Olive-Harvey College; East-West University ; and Robert Morris College. Lobbyists who had pushed for the bill hail from the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), the United Negro College Fund and the American Association of Community Colleges. – Baltimore Sun (7 Sept 2007) http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/09/obama_davis_boost_a_new_type_o.html
Sponsored by Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council, a federation of business, labor, government, education and community leaders, Austin Polytechnical Academy has opened as a new public high school under the approval of the Chicago Public Schools’ Board of Education. Dan Swinney, executive director of the Council, is also executive director of the Chicago-based Center for Labor and Community Research. Requiring uniforms for all 130 freshmen, the experimental Renaissance 2010 public high school cooperates with local businesses to prepare students for the high tech industry. It shares space with the Austin Business and Entrepreneurship High School, a two year pre-engineering academy. – Chicago Tribune (5 Sept 2007) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-schoolday_05sep05,1,3252974,full.story Posted by IRX at 3:36 PM September 7, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
Governor Blagojevich signed legislation requiring hospitals to ensure that staffing levels within each inpatient care unit to align with the specific needs of patients in those units. The new law also requires criminal background checks for several groups of private workers: health care workers with direct contact with patients, carnival workers, and employees of non-public schools. The law requires that each hospital implement a written, facilitywide staffing plan that enumerates minimum levels of direct care registered nurse-to patient staffing requirements for each inpatient care unit. – Daily Labor Report (28 Aug 2007): A-5.
Union workers rallied outside Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital in East St. Louis to protest 120 job cuts and the possibility of the facility’s closing. The Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation says they hope to combine the services of this hospital with those at Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville. Under the consolidation plan now proposed, Kenneth Hall would retain only an emergency room and acute mental health care programs. Reverend Ken McCoy of the Metropolitan Organizations Strengthening and Empowering Society has solicited Governor Blagojevich to not let suburban interests overpower the 31,500 people who live in East St. Louis, many of whom are served and employed by the hospital. East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks said, “Every day there are 13,000 people between 10th Street and the Mississippi River, and I'm just talking about employees — not to mention all the people who visit the Casino Queen on a regular basis, not to mention all the people who come to the federal courthouse on a regular basis," Parks said. "We need a hospital in East St. Louis." – St. Louis Post-Dispatch Today (7 Sept 2007)
In what might set a precedent for the country, Governor Blagojevich signed a law prohibits the construction industry’s use of “independent contractor” status to dodge liability and payments of taxes and benefits. The law declares that a construction worker is an employee unless the worker is “free from” employer control, “providing a service outside the usual course of business” for the employer, and “engaged in an independently established trade.” Currently, thousands of construction workers, including one in every twelve employed in Illinois, are illegally declared independent contractors. – The Labor Paper (16 Aug 2007): 13.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration refined the protocol for whistleblower complaints filed with the Department of Labor. Now, the rule covers complaints brought under the Clean Air Act of 2005; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; Federal Water Pollution Control Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Solid Waste Disposal Act; and Toxic Substances Control Act. The rule is aimed at making consistent the procedures for handling complaints under the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974(amended in 2005) and more recent acts. – SafteyNet (28 Aug 2007):121. Posted by IRX at 11:27 AM August 30, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report United Transportation and Sheet Metal Union Merge Members of the United Transportation Union have voted to merge with the Sheet Metal Workers International Association to form a new, 230,000 member union called the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART). The new merger will create a new transportation division combining the SMWIA’s union shipyard workers and the UTU’s air, bus, and rail contracts. – Daily Labor Report (8 August 2007): A-11.
Since approximately 35 percent of its membership identifes as Republicanns, the International Association of Machinists plans later this year to endorse a presidential primary candidate from each party. The final endorsement of a single presidential candidate will be made following input from elected delegates to the IAM convention of September 2008. – Union Labor Report (10 August 2007): 122.
Delphi Corp., which has filed for bankruptcy, reached agreements with four unions: the International Union of Electrical Workers, Communication Workers of America, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists, and International Union of Operating Engineers. The agreements are subject to bankruptcy court approval. – Labor Relations Week (9 August 2007):1133.
Despite allegations that the president of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, Bill Dugan, accepted monthly kickbacks from his employees, union members have voted against the claim to unseat him. The union, located in Countryside, Illinois, represents workers who operate backhoes, cranes, bulldozers and other heavy equipment. – Chicago Tribune (28 August 2007)
Judge Approves FLSA "Collective Action" by Mortgage Lender Hourly Workers Posted by IRX at 2:38 PM August 14, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
Griffin Goetz, assistant director of Laborers’ Midwest Region Organizing Committee, has announced the pleasant surprise that Southern Illinois Miners “are strong believers in workers’ rights.” Miners Vice President Erik Haag reflected, “Union labor is what got this ballpark done on time and looking like it does. We have a good relationship so far and I don’t expect that to change.” The union is also working to organize custodial and concession services at the ballpark, workers for ARAMARK. – The Southern (8 August 2007)
Tenneco Inc., headquartered in Lake Forest, has reached a tentative agreement with the IUE-CWA to buy a plant in Kettering. The plant currently employs 700 workers, but Tenneco plans to reduce the workforce to between 350 and 375. New work for the plant will come from General Motors and include struts, strut modules and shock absorbers. Workers are expected to take pay cuts. Production workers, who currently earn between $11 and $23.99 per hour, will now earn $10 per hour for the same labor. Skilled trade workers, who currently make $26 per hour, will now earn $21 per hour. – Dayton Business Journal (8 August 2007)
Springfield firefighters have joined other city employees in a petition to stop a proposed ordinance that would grant alderman access to all city documents, including those that might vilify city workers. The current debate is over access to an in-depth Illinois State Police report of alleged police misconduct. Many Springfield city employees hold that the ordinance, now passed by the city council but not yet signed by Mayor Tim Davlin, violates collective bargaining agreements. Davlin has said that it is not necessary for council members to view personnel documents in order to perform their jobs. If Davlin vetoes the ordinance, it would be his first in five years as Mayor of Springfield. – Springfield Journal Register (14 August 2007)
Located in Saline County, the Galatia mine, owned by the American Coal Company, a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation, has been cited by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration with 869 violations so far this year. It has accumulated unpaid fines of more than $3 million dating back to 1999. The company holds that they protest many of these as unfair. The United Mine Workers of America has run campaigns against Robert Murray, the chairman of the mining company and board member of the National Mining Association. This association has cited Murray’s support for the federal Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act which was passed last year. He maintains that despite what federal inspectors have found, his mines are “not particularly better or particularly worse than any other mine operator in the country.” – Forbes.com (9 August 2007)
Members of United Electrical Workers Union Local 1174, workers for Quad City Die Casting, were locked out of their jobs after rejecting contract offers on July 8th and 29th. After talks with a federal negotiator, however, they have announced that they may return to work soon. Tim Curtin, international representative of the electrical workers’ union, said that workers are still concerned with the company’s plans to employ temporary and part-time employees. On top of fears of depressed wages, electrical workers fear that temporary workers face safety hazards when handling molten aluminum without proper experience. – WQAD (Moline) (13 August 2007)
Nurses at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago have rejected the National Nurses Organizing Committee in a vote 293 to 152. Fernando Losada, the union’s director of collective bargaining for Illinois, has reported that the union swayed the vote by exerting pressure and misinformation on the election. The union targeted 508 registered nurses at he hospital. The loss comes as a setback for the union after the successful organizing of 1800 Cook County Bureau of Health Services workers in 2005. – Chicago Business (7 August 2007) Posted by IRX at 3:39 PM August 7, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report
Thomas McCoy, assembly line worker at Maytag’s plant in Herrin, Illinois, injured his shoulder and received short-term disability payments from the company. When he applied for workmen’s compensation under the state workmen’s compensation agency, however, Maytag at first disputed the claim and then agreed to pay a lump sum of $8,856.69. He and the company did not communicate over his monthly health status while he was off on disability, and four months later found that the company would not take him back to his previous job. He alleges that the company fired him in retaliation for his workmen’s compensation claim and deserves job protection under his United Auto Workers contract. The U.S. District Court ruled for Maytag that he was discharged because he failed to provide Maytag with monthly status reports, one of the provisions of his union agreement. – Daily Labor Report (2 August 2007): A-8.
Domestic partner benefits are not included in the current collective bargaining agreement between UPS and IBT. However, UPS recently agreed to extend spousal health benefits to workers in civil unions. New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine urged the company to consider same-sex couples who enter civil unions under the same status as married couples.—Labor Relations Week (2 August 2007): 1095.
The Illinois General Assembly and various Illinois utility companies (including AmerenIP, AmercenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, and ComEd) have reached an agreement to reduce the cost of electricity within the state. ComEd and its parent company Exelon will contribute $800 million, Ameren $150 million and other small power generators in the state will front the remaining $50 million for the relief bill. Ameren customers will receive a rebate check in early September. An estimated 40-70 percent of the increases imposed this year will be rolled back, and a 34.5 percent rate hike will be phased in over the next three years. Attorney General Lisa Madigan argued, “Critical to this agreement is not just immediate relief, but also long-term relief to ensure that customers are protected in the future.” – The Labor Paper (2 August 2007): 1.
Firefighters, Police Officers, and Emergency Medical Service Employees would be allowed to unionize, bargain over working conditions and sign legally enforceable labor contracts under the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act just passed in the House. This national law would protect the rights of public employees to bargain in 21 states which do not currently protect collective bargaining. Unions supporting the bill include the International Association of Fire Fighters, International Brotherhood of Police Officers, International Union of Police Organizations, National Association of Police Organizations, and Fraternal Order of Police. Two states, North Carolina and Virginia, explicitly prohibit public safety employees from engaging in collective bargaining. Four more states allow bargaining as a local option but prohibit legally enforceable contracts. Eleven states allow it only as a local option. Finally, four states allow bargaining only for firefighters and not for police officers. – Government Employee Relations (24 July 2007): 850.
Oakbrook, Illinois-based McDonald’s announced yesterday that restaurant and full-time office workers in China will be paid 12 to 56 percent over the Chinese minimum wage. An official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the company has spread up its expansion and caught up with KFC, subsidiary of its rival Yum! Brands Inc. – Shanghai Daily (8 August 2007)
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of women truck drivers and operators of other heavy machinery is increasing. In 2006, the Bureau counted 182,000, 5.2 percent of the country’s 3.5 million truck (and similar) drivers are women. This is up almost two percent from figures in 1983. Greenbay, Wisconsin-based Schneider National Inc’s Ellen Voie has noted how the industry has become more female-friendly over the years, but still does not often provide basic facilities such as toilets, showers and a secure place to sleep that are friendly to women. Chairman Ray Kuntz of ATA, the largest US trucking lobbying group, spoke of the need for trucking companies to invest the necessary infrastructure to make it easier for females to join the workforce of heavy machine operators. He said, “If we don’t reach a broader audience, the lack of drivers will bring the US economy to its knees.” In World War II, thousands of women joined the trucking industry but the number plummeted in the immediate postwar years. – www.stuff.co.nz (6 August 2007) Posted by IRX at 4:35 PM July 31, 2007Weekly News ReportJuly 31, 2007
Working without a contract since July 1, 100 workers of Local 1174 at Quad City Die Casting in Moline were notified of a lockout Thursday night. The company told workers in a letter, “you are not to report to work for your next scheduled shift and you will not be allowed to work even if you desire to work until the Union agrees to the Company’s last, best, and final offer for a new labor agreement.” They explained to workers, “contrary to what you have been told by the Union, (our proposal) does not affect your wage rate or your job security. Temporary employees can only be used when 75 employees are scheduled to work and no employees are on layoff and they will not have seniority rights.” A federal mediator began working July 21 but failed to resolve the dispute after the union rejected his last offer. Union President Richard Nordholm said that workers had not had a raise in three years, but is most concerned over the hiring of temporary and part-time workers. He said, “I’m afraid all our full time people will be training the temporary people to take over their own jobs, like training your own executioner.” The company letter told them to pick up their tools and belongings on August 1, and that they would receive a COBRA notice with further information on how to continue their health insurance. – WQAD.com (27 July 2007)
S.B. 500, the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, will eliminate the current patchwork of local laws and ordinances that place limitations on smoking. Smoking is now prohibited in all enclosed public places, workplaces, and government vehicles. The ban covers all restaurants, bars, and casinos and will extend to dormitories and public areas of public and private institutions of higher education. Smoking will be permitted outside and inside particular hotel rooms, retail tobacco shops, and private nursing home rooms. – Daily Labor Report (24 July 2007): A-8. Chicago Metal Conduit Technology This March, Local 134 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Chicago cosponsored a training program for metal conduit benders with the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (NJATC). Conduits are steel pipes through which run electrical wires. They are grounded to prevent electrical shorts from erupting into fire. Hence, the week long seminar, made possible through cooperation between the training and professional associations, represented a worker-led move for higher safety and professional standards. Members also hope that the training makes union workers more competitive against nonunion contractors. IBEW Director of Construction and Maintenance Mark Ayers said, “We always focused on having our members be able to do everything well before they got started on a job, but that is not necessarily the most realistic option if we want to compete. If a job needs pipe benders, then we will start training new members on pipe bending first sot hey have productive skills the first day on the job.” --- IBEW Journal (Summer 2007): 10-11.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 21 lobbied hard in Springfield for the passage of SB 678, Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007. The law, passed on June 30, will allow competitors in the market for cable television. Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, and Dennis Gannon, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor have publicly expressed their hope that the law will open new union jobs to Illinois families. AT &T, for example, plan on entering the market as soon as possible. The new legislation requires companies to get local clearance for their building infrastructure in public rights of way, and requires them to pay a franchise fee to the communities in which they do business. – Labor Letter (Spring 2007): 6.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined American Airlines $231,000 for 22 significant safety violations found through an inspection of the company’s operating procedures at O’Hare International Airport. The Administration inspected two hangars, a cargo building, a baggage room, ramp services, and ticket and gate services, and found both careless and “willful,” or repeat, violations. Repeat violations include fall protection, electrical and fire hazards, machine guard issues, hygiene issues and “lockout/tagout” procedures. OSHA claimed that American Airlines inspectors should be checking their heaters from unprotected catwalks 80 feet above the ground, jet bridges and de-icing trucks without proper fall protection. – Chicagotribune.com (28 July 2007)
Beginning on August 20, the village of Algonquin will conduct an analysis of its Algonquin Corporate Campus, a 1000-acre swath of land in the northwest Chicago suburb. The village will work with Nortillo & Associates, in association with Carter & Burgess Inc., to complete the study about wages and fringe benefits, work force availability and quality, and training and education data. They will interview about 25 local employers, workforce training providers and community leaders. – www.suburbanchicagonews.com (29 July 2007) Posted by IRX at 3:17 PM July 26, 2007Weekly Labor NewsWeekly Labor News Weekly Labor News Caterpillar Contends that UAW Should Pay for Healthcare Lawsuits Because Caterpillar’s branch of the United Auto Workers participated in negotiations for worker and retiree health insurance, the company contends that the union should pay for lawsuits brought by dissatisfied employees. To that end, Caterpillar has filed a lawsuit in Tennessee against the UAW International and seven locals to reclaim legal fees. – Peoria Journal Star (26 July 2007) State Intervenes in Labor Dispute Between City and Chicago Transit Authority The Illinois General Assembly has helped strike a deal between the city of Chicago and its public transit workers. The CTA’s contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents 10,000 workers, was extended for five years. Workers are required to contribute 3% of their pay for health benefits, and contributions toward pensions have increased to 6%. Workers are required to work until 64 to receive their pensions, up nine years from 54. Annual raises will be 3.5%, about the rate of inflation. Meanwhile, the CTA will contribute 12% of the payroll into these individualized worker retirement funds (not the hoped-for 401Ks). Crain’s business news reports, “The deal was structured as a negotiated settlement to a pending arbitration case.” Therefore, the settlement will not be voted upon by union members. – www.chicagobusiness.com (27 June 2007)
Over 100 uniformed pilots participated in “informational picketing” in front of the downtown Chicago headquarters of the United Airlines headquarters. They protest the tens of millions of dollars in stock and option awards granted to top U-A-L managers, while employees were given pay cuts. The company has declared bankruptcy, allowing for such pay cuts. However, the company still hauls in revenue in order to “recover.” – WREX TV (23 July 2007)
The House passed legislation 276 to 140 providing $11.9 billion in discretionary spending for the Labor Department. It came as part of H.R. 3043, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008. However, Democrats expect Bush to veto the legislation, and do not expect a 2/3 majority for an override. – Daily Labor Report (20 July2007): AA-1. One significant, last-minute amendment to the House Appropriations Bill proposed to cut 20% of the funding provided for the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards, an agency that monitors unions. Illinois Representatives Ray LaHood (R- 18th District) and Peter Roskum, each of whom voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, did not vote with many other House Republicans who lobbied against the amendment. Meanwhile, Illinois Representative Mark Kirk (R-10th District) voted for the amendment. – Weekly Standard (20 July 2007) Posted by IRX at 2:27 PM July 19, 2007Weekly News DigestWeek of July 12, 2007
In two decisions, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that graduate students who are funded by university-related research foundations, rather than the university itself, are entitled to unionize. Both recent cases occurred in New York. In the first decision, the board ruled 2-1 that research assistants employed by the Research Foundation of the State University of New York had the right to unionize. In a second ruling, the board decided that research assistants employed by a similar foundation at the City University of New York were employees under the NLRA. Not only is a union seeking to organize its research assistants entitled to proceed. The decision now allows the NLRB to count ballots in unionization votes cast by Research Foundation employees dating back to March 2002 in Albany, April 2003 in Buffalo and March 2004 in Syracuse. NLRB chairman Robert Battista dissented from the SUNY decision but affirmed the CUNY decision. In the first case, he upheld the precedent of distinguishing between students and workers, and held that SUNY research assistants were primarily students because their work directly impacted their receipt of a degree. Meanwhile, Battista concurred with his colleagues on the CUNY case, holding that because these research assistants worked on an hourly basis and on different campuses, their relationship with their employer was primarily economic and not educational. – Daily Labor Report (12 July 2007): AA-1.
The Dana Corporation reached new labor agreements with the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers. The corporation will replace responsibility for providing health care for retirees and long-term disability coverage for other employees with union-run Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association trusts. The private equity firm Centerbridge Capital agreed to invest up to $500 to fund upstart trust.—Labor Relation Week (12 July 2007): 989.
Enacted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, new labor legislation in China requires employers to provide written contracts to their workers and restrict the use of temporary laborers. The legislation also makes it more difficult to lay off employees. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions, a Communist or state labor trust, endeavors to undermine the abuses of migrant and temporary workers in booming sectors. The law empowers company-based bargaining units to negotiate with employee representation committees over salaries, bonuses, training and other work-related benefits and duties. The law took no stand on wage or benefit minimums. – New York Times (30 June 2007)
Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 ousted its president, John Chwarzynski, for abusing his office. Eleven members of his union filed charges of misconduct against him for, among other charges: extorting union funds for a fancy dinner for two, and receiving a reimbursement for attending a conference for longer than he actually stayed. – Chicago Suntimes (12 July 2007)
The International Union of Electrical Workers (affiliate of the Communications Workers of America) and the United Electrical Workers, which together represents about 14,000 General Electric employees, ratified a new contract. Terms of the contract have been offered to nine other unions that also represent GE workers, which include: the United Auto Workers, the International Association of Machinists, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the United Steelworkers, the Sheet Metal Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices, and the Service Employees International Union. – Daily Labor Report (29 June 2007): A-1.
The United Transportation Union (UTU) and the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) have combined to form the 230,000-member International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers. SMART would bolster the number of policy holders within the United Transportation Union Insurance Association, but it would remain autonomous. – Fox Valley Labor News (14 June 2007): 14. Posted by IRX at 4:17 PM July 10, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeek of July 2, 2007 NLRB Amends Rules on “Salts” Protections The National Labor Relations Board ruled that it will no longer assume that workers who were fired because of union activity necessarily have a right to backpay until the time the employer makes a valid hiring offer. Now, the general counsel must demonstrate that the organizer “would have worked for the employer for the backpay period claimed.” Colloquially, firing workers for their union organizing activity is called “salting.” – Construction Labor Report (13 June 2007): 530
Contractor L.E. Myers was convicted of criminal violations by the Occupational Safety and Health Act in the death by electrocution of employee Blake Lane. The 20-year old was killed at a transmission tower in Mt. Prospect, Illinois when he touched what his employers thought was a grounded lightning rod (known to the industry as “static wire”). Wade Cumpston was also killed by electrocution through his work with the company a few months earlier in Plainfield, Illinois. However, the jury acquitted the company of charges relating to his death, holding the difference in the amount of precautions the supervisor took in checking to see which lines were energized. Myers’ appeal of his $7 million fine and conviction in the death of Blake has been denied. He argued that the jury did not have correct instructions in making their decision, but the U.S. District court for the Northern District of Illinois has ruled that the errors were insignificant to the determination of the case. – Occupational Safety and Health (21 June 2007): 562.
One amendment that is likely to come to a vote on the comprehensive immigration bill now pending in Congress (S. 1348) will increase the cap on H-1B visas for skilled workers—from 65,000 to 225,000, possibly up to 290,000. The amendment is designed to address concerns that universities and businesses lose their competitive edge when they are not allowed to include foreign applicants in their job searches. People with advanced degrees in math and science are exempted from the annual cap. Illinois Senator Richard Durbin has insisted that these highly skilled foreign workers be paid the “prevailing wage,” not substandard wages which provide a disincentive to hiring American workers. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) oppose the legislation in its entirety, for they suggest that the guest worker system would only drive down wages and benefits for the American working class further. In a report released on June 20, the White House Council of Economic concluded that immigrants comprise 15 percent of the US workforce. A full 40 percent of all the “American” scientists who hold Ph.Ds have been born abroad. – Daily Labor Report (21 June 2007): A-6.
In its bankruptcy negotiations, the Dana Corporation has agreed with the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers to replace its commitment to providing health care for retirees and long term disability coverage for other employees with the union-run Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association trusts. Dana would contribute about $700 million in cash and $80 in common stock to the VEBA. In order to finance this, Centerbridge Capital Partners, a private equity company in New York, will invest up to $500 million in the company and facilitate additional investments of $250 million by other investors. The agreements would allow for extensions of current union contracts until June of 2011, providing cuts in workers’ pensions and disability benefits. – Daily Labor Report (9 July 2007): AA-1.
The “combination” exemption of the Fair Labor Standards Act provides an exemption for employees whose work spans multiple exemptions from employee status. Baback Habibi, one of the founders of IntraComm, Inc., a software integration system, failed in his attempts to find protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act for his intellectual property. He designed a software integration system that, after a few financial agreements with other companies, is now valued at $1.5 million. He claims that he took a $7/hour software engineering job with the expectation that he would receive compensation for his idea. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require BAE Systems Information Technology to purchase his software integration system from him.—Daily Labor Report (9 July 2007): A-9.
The U.S. Court of appeals has upheld the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulation that exempts employers’ refusal to grant health benefits for seniors from violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). They found that the EEOC regulation was “reasonable” and “necessary and proper for the public interest.” The court said that many employers lowered retiree health benefit coverage rather than maintaining retiree benefits at pre-Medicare eligibility levels for all retirees simply in order to avoid being called “discriminatory” by the ADEA. – http://pub.bna.com/054594a.pdf Bulletin to Management (12 June 2007)
All nine justices sided with Long Island Care at Home in their decision that in-home health care providers, even if employed by third parties, were exempted from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Evelyn Coke, home attendant, described her suit as a test-case of the regulations set by the health care agency. Justice Stephen Breyer ruled that the court has no power to contradict the rules set by agencies. He explained, “Where an agency rule sets forth important individual rights and duties, where the agency focuses fully and directly upon the issue, where the agency uses full notice-and-comment procedures to promulgate a rule, where the resulting rule itself is reasonable, then a court ordinarily assumes that Congress intended to defer it to an agency’s discrimination.” The Department of Labor, as any other federal agency, they ruled, usually has discretion as long as its regulations fall within its own interpretation of its boundaries. – Daily Labor Report (12 June 2007): AA-1.
Federal legislation has been introduced to bolster the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s ability “to enforce safety and health regulations, improve mine emergency response plans, and bolster rescue, recovery and accident investigations.” United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts has praised the legislation. The legislation would put pressure on the MSHA within the Department of Labor to investigate mines deemed hazardous by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health within 30 days of their notice. Among other provisions, it would also “update the 40-year old exposure limits for hundreds of toxic substances and set improved requirements to protect miners from asbestos exposure.” – Occupational Safety and Health Report (21 June 2007): 553.
A Railroad Safety and Improvement bill (H.R. 2095) proposes new regulations to provide for rail workers, passengers, and their surrounding tracks and yards. According to publication of the International Association of Machinists, the bill proposes to “increase the number of qualified inspectors; establish stringent fatigue management programs; strengthen whistle blower protections; establish training standards for all rail workers; and provide new regulations to end intimidation of rail workers who report personal injuries.” – International Association of Machinists Journal (Summer 2007): 26. Posted by IRX at 4:47 PM June 28, 2007Labor in Illinois: Weekly ReportWeek of June 25, 2007 UAW Accepts Cerberus’ Takeover of DaimlerChrysler Cerberus, which finalized its partial purchase of the failing DaimlerChrysler, has committed to cutting no more than the 13,000 jobs already announced. They have also agreed to take over Chrysler’s health care, pension and retiree responsibilities. The United Auto Workers originally protested the sale but ultimately decided that they would “move forward with the new owner.” – Labor News (Indianapolis) (June 2007)
ABF Freight System has declared that breaking out of Teamster pension plans is their primary goal for next year’s negotiations. UPS has also suggested they would like to pull out of the Central States Pension Fund. According to the Teamster magazine Convoy Dispatch, breaking a pension plan invested in the union would severely undercut union leverage in negotiations. -- Convoy Dispatch (June 2007):1.
While Chicago financier Sam Zell lobbies the Capitol to help him in his petition to release Tribune newspapers and television affiliates form Federal Commerce Commission restrictions, a number of consumer advocacy groups lobby against him. The United Church of Christ, the Consumer Federation of America and the Teamsters, which represent about 2,000 company workers, have all strongly criticized the media consolidation. Zell seeks waivers against FCC regulation in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Hartford, Conn. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin supports the consolidation. He explained, "I don't find any kind of monopoly power being pushed into the market, and I think most people in the market feel … that they're good sources of news." He met with Zell, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and Sen. Charles S. Schumer (D-N.Y.) in supporting the consolidation and a quick, affirmative FCC decision. – Newsday (14 June 2007)
Illinois’ power utility company Ameresco has won important contracts throughout Illinois and Indiana for demonstrating their energy efficiency. Jim Strayer of the Northwest Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, however, contends that "Our members felt they weren't given the opportunity to bid on the work." He argues that the counties did not advertise contracts sufficiently. State law holds a loop hole that allows the a County Council to issue contracts without the approval of commissioners if they are for the sake of an “energy savings plan.” – Post Tribune (10 June 2007)
The project to widen Route 22 to four lanes between Route 83 and Milwaukee Avenue in Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and Lincolnshire was supposed to be completed by November of last year. However, Capitol Cement, the original government subcontractor hired by the Illinois Department of Transportation, left the job for another one. Business owners seek tax relief and the IDOT is considering offering incentives for early completion of projects rather than simply fines for delays. -- Daily Herald (26 June 2007) Posted by IRX at 4:04 PM June 21, 2007Weekly News DigestWeek of June 21, 2007 Motorola to Close Champaign Facility Motorola will lay off 183 workers at the Champaign software research and development facility, leaving 32 to transfer or telecommute. It has already begun downsizing from a high point of about 275 employees. The Schaumberg-based company has downsized by 11 percent this year, and also closes facilities in Quebec, Montreal, and Adelaide, Australia. It posted its first quarterly loss since 2004. Motorola has not yet determined what to do with the facility they built on land leased from the University of Illinois. – News Gazette (19 June 2007)
In a speech before the Interfaith Worker Justice network in Chicago, Los Angeles auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala entreated Catholics to use labor unions for redeeming Christian work. He said, “Unions must reach out to new audiences of the poor and vulnerable, including immigrants, seasonal and migrant workers and those who lack the skills to participate in the current work environment. Unions must look beyond the self-interest of their current members and work for the good of those who have no voice or power." He interestingly clarified, "Unions grew out of the struggle for social justice, not class struggle. Over the past century, unions have been an important force in ensuring that workers are treated with the dignity that is their due." Linda Chavez-Thompson, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO, also spoke before the rally in defense of immigrant and other workers in Resurrection Health Care system in Chicago. – www.catholicnews.com
American Federation of Teachers’ President Edward McElroy announced during National Charter School Week that the AFT is committed to developing opportunities for teaching staff at charter schools to bargain collectively. Introduced in a 1988 speech by former AFT president Albert Shanker, McElroy reaffirmed his commitment to the idea and introduced a special network for charter teaching staff called ACTS, the Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff. “Being a part of a union will definitely have a positive impact on our students,” said McElroy. “We’ll be connected to a huge network of other educational professionals and will have access to high-quality professional development and the latest educational research.” – Chicago Union Teacher (May 2007)
A custodian at Willow Bend School in Rolling Meadows (Palatine Township Elementary School District 15) appealed his firing because the video surveillance used in his release was not part of his employment contract. Catherine Schutzius, director of the Service Employees International Union, would not say why he was fired, but said it was “not criminal behavior.” She appeals the Illinois Labor Relations Board on behalf of the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act. – Chicago Daily Herald (21 June 2007) Posted by IRX at 5:50 PM June 9, 2007Weekly Labor ReportNLRB Issues Mixed Rulings on Sam's Club Actions The National Labor Relations Board ruled against Sam's Club, a Walmart subsidiary, that a Las Vegas manager violated the NLRA in prohibiting workers from discussing the United Food and Commercial Workers union on the sales floor and prohibiting employees from attaching statements about their asserted rights to their badge holders. The panel was divided, however, over the suspension of an employee who insisted that a coworker accompany her to a meeting with management. Management characterized her as hysterical. – Daily Labor Report (11 May 2007) A coalition of advocacy groups including the Teamsters, Sierra Club, Public Citizen, Environmental Law Foundation, Auto and Truck Drivers Local 70 and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have filed a federal suit against the operation of Mexican-based longhaul trucks in the United States. The groups contend that the pilot project was developed by the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carried Safety Administration secretly, outside of the Administrative Procedure Act's requirement to publicly approve the agreement. They echo a 2002 suit on the subject, wherein they argued that Mexican diesel trucks, which are not held to US emissions standards, will increase pollution around the border. Though the Supreme Court decided in 2004 that the Bush administration did not have to consider the environmental impact of the Mexican trucks, the plantiffs still contend that the secrecy of this new agreement violates the official procedures of the North American Free Trade Agreement. – Union Labor Report (4 May 2007): 69. Disney World's Service Trades Council Union, which comprises six separate local unions, held a vote on May 18 over the approval of a three- year contract. Member unions include UNITE HERE, the International Alliance of Theatrical State Employees, Transportation Communications Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Among the provisions of the proposed contract are wage hikes varying from 2 to 5 percent per year, pension credit for workers past 30 years of service, and a "Health Value" plan that offers low co-payments and deductibles. Teamsters recommend that members reject the proposal because it pushes too large a share of the health insurance costs onto employees. – Daily Labor Report (14 May 2007): AA-11. A bilateral proposal on Congressional "Fast Track" authority which gestures to the consideration of the rights of workers but expands free-trade agreements has provoked disagreements among unions and has strained the relationship between organized labor and House Democrats. The AFL-CIO has optimistically embraced free trade agreements with Panama and Peru, but have voiced concern over the expansion of Congressional "fast track authority" to Columbia and South Korea. The Change to Win federation, meanwhile, has stated they are "extremely disappointed that House Democratic leaders in Congress joined with the Bush administration yesterday to announce a trade 'deal' that is far more free than fair." They are concerned that expansion of the free-trade agreement resembles the North American Free Trade Agreement and Central American Free Trade Agreement, neither of which strive to protect American jobs. Furthermore, they argue, NAFTA/CAFTA directly promote "a surge in undocumented immigration, a soaring trade deficit, declining wages, and a deterioration of labor standards." The Teamsters' James Hoffa, president of one of the seven partners in the Change to Win federation, argued, "I am baffled as to why there is such eagerness to give this president—who is unwilling to enforce current labor and trade laws—a victory by continuing to pass more…trade models that send good-paying jobs overseas." A statement by the United Steelworkers held, "We are deeply disappointed that neither the Democratic Caucus nor the labor movement were fully briefed about the details of the proposed agreement before those who negotiated it were publicly proclaiming its virtues." National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler supports the House proposal and holds that it does not obligate manufacturers to uphold International Labor Organization Core Conventions that they have not ratified.— Daily Labor Report (14 May 2007): AA-1. Karla Teasley of Illinois American Water announced plans to initiate a rate case with the Illinois Commerce Commission to cover, according to the Daily Southtown, "rising fuel, power, labor, materials and health insurance prices." Several localities including Orland Hills, Illinois have considered freeing themselves of dependence on the corporation by exercising their right of eminent domain over their local water infrastructure. The town still remembers the installation of new water meters in 2005 that many claim were faulty. Illinois American Water has discussed changing the currently flat-rate sewage fee to one based on usage. – Daily Southtown (16 May 2007) The new pact reached by the International Association of Machinists and Boeing Co. includes a either a 3.5 percent lump sum payment or four percent increase in workers' pay, a bonus plan to encourage improvements in quality and productivity, continued opportunities to join the employee stock-distribution plan, and opportunities for workers to contribute four to 12 percent of their pay to their choice of heath insurance plans. The IAM successfully fended off Boeing's proposal to disregard layoff seniority rules "for workers said to possess critical skills or a necessary security clearance," says the Daily Labor Report. Anger at that proposal was repudely the primary motivation behind an April 22 strike-authorization vote. – Daily Labor Report (18 May 2007): A-6. Posted by IRX at 9:18 AM May 22, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeekly Labor Report Illinois Discusses Crack Downs on Construction Firms Misclassifying Workers A bill that may become the Illinois Employee Classification Act, now pending in the Illinois General Assembly, would create rigid limitations on the use of the term independent contractor within the construction industry. It would arm the Illinois Department of Labor and Illinois Attorney General with new authorities to penalize firms violating the law. Caroline Shannon, director of the Illinois Department of Labor, said that some employers and contractors get an unfair advantage in not having to pay workmen's compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, or payroll taxes. Generally, the Bureau of National Affairs reports, the IRS requires that independent contractors direct their own work, set their own schedules and provide their own equipment. An Illinois Department of Employment Security report found that using the most conservative income reporting rate, Illinois lost $125 million in income taxes annually between 2001 and 2005 due to misclassification. – Construction Labor Report (4 Apr 2007): 182. John Flynn, president of the International Union of Bricklayers and Craftsworkers, took the findings of his undercover reporting on misclassified workers to the Illinois state attorney general as well as the House Education and Labor Committee. Cliff Horn, Chicago-area masonry contractor testifying on behalf of the Mason Contractors Association of America, affirmed that though his 75 employee company is growing, it is still hard to fight the firms with a 15 to 30 percent labor cost advantage because of misclassified workers. He argued, "Independent contractors typically have no formalized training, no quality control, and no access to continuing education." He questioned if "shortcuts in construction methods and design specifications would be out of the question?" – Labor Tribune (12 Apr 2007):11. The Employee Benefits Security Administration continues to try to enforce the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, says the Government Accountability Office. – Labor News (April 2007): 1-2.
Among the multiplicity of rallies for immigration reform this week, marchers gathered in Chicago's Pilsen, Union Park and Humboldt Park neighborhoods and marched through the Loop to join the main rally in Grant Park. The Chicago Tribune notes only Mayor Daley as a speaker who addressed the crowd. The Tribune described the march from the view of "office workers" who both "peered out windows above" and "lunched outside" "[o]n an otherwise quiet, sunny afternoon downtown." They note the frustration of a motorist stuck in traffic for ten minutes and a "legal immigrant" from Bosnia as "the march clogged portions of the Loop for hours, with police closing down intersections as marchers made their way from Union Park to Grant Park." The coverage concludes with commentary by a man named Kevin Houseworth who admits his first reaction was "Go back to Mexico." It finishes with his thought, "The city is becoming more Mexican whether we like it or not." – Chicago Tribune (1 May 2007) Coverage of a similar march in the University of Illinois' Daily Illini was only slightly more immigrant friendly. The UI student group La Colectiva and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights organized the local rally immigrant and refugee rights to coincide with national marches. Some students, including sophomore Sonia Rodriguez, read off a list of demands including comprehensive immigration reform, a stop on raids and deportation, and privacy rights for undocumented students and employees. The Daily Illini reports a visit from University Chancellor Richard Herman and notes his ambiguous statement out of context, "Those who have come from outside have served this country and this University well in the past and will continue to do so in the future." – Daily Illini (2 May 2007
Cerberus Capital Management, a private Wall Street equity firm, emerged as the front runner in recent negotiations to buy DaimlerChrysler's American arm, which makes Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep brands. The National Review comments, "America's automakers are facing a day of reckoning: either bring their labor costs in line with competitive standards or die." David Cole of the Center for Automotive Research has argued that Cerberus, with a 22 percent record of return on investment, is "not a member of the Benevolent Society of Employers." Auto sector financial analyst Brad Rubin posits that Cerberus will likely change from 401k retirement accounts, co-pays and deductibles on health care, and a reduction in hourly pay. United Auto Workers at Chrysler are currently paid $30 more than non-union workers at an American Toyota plant. Rubin is most concerned, however, that an upcoming Democratic presidential administration would mandate increased fuel efficiency standards which would cut the proportion of profit per car. – National Review Online (16 May 2007) Un-unionized workers from Toyota of Kentucky, meanwhile, have protested that taxpayers have funded over $371 million in tax subsidies since 1986 but the company has ignored the "human cost of industrial success." At a recent forum in Lexington, Kentucky, they declared that the company does not care enough for workers who are injured, hires low-paid temporary workers, and has plans to current prevailing wages. Rev. John Rausch of the Diocese of Lexington and Cylister Williams, member of the Kentucky Jobs with Justice Steering Committee that has ties to Illinois, have organized a Workers' Rights Board to provide space through churches and community organizations for Toyota workers in Kentucky to share their concerns with one another. – Solidarity (May- June 2007) Linda Forst of the University of Illinois at Chicago has found that since 1997, Latino workers in Illinois have had an injury rate twice that of others. Their rate of amputation for fingers of hands is three times that of others. However, the rate is quite uncertain since an estimated 7.2 million unauthorized workers fuel the nation's economy. Many injuries suffered by Latino workers, a Chicago-area hospital's occupational health officer determined, could have been prevented through English literacy, proper equipment, and proper care by employers. Many injured workers are afraid of reporting to hospitals for fear their undocumented status would require their deportation. – Labor Tribune (26 Apr 2007) Two laptop computers which were being used by an auditing firm working at the Chicago Public School offices were stolen. The computers contained social security numbers and all other personal information relating to CPS employees who contributed to the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) between 2003 and 2006. Chicago Teachers Union president Marilyn Stewart expressed outrage at the carelessness of CPS security. Dan Yost of MyLaptopGPS.com has worked closely with the union and the CPS, but concedes, "Laptop theft has reached epidemic proportions with nearly one laptop stolen every 53 seconds…If the identities of any of the 40,000 individuals are stolen it will take, on average, 12-16 months for most of them to detect it." --- Chicago Union Teacher (April 2007)
According to a recent study released by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, women with four year college degrees earn 5 percent less than men one year the same the year after graduation. That gap widens to 12 percent after 10 years. The study analyzed data from two Department of Education studies of approximately 9000 people who graduated college in 1993, and 10,000 people who graduated in 2000. – Bulletin to Management 8 May 2007
Cadence Innovation LLC, the likely buyer of Collins and Aikman manufacturing, has agreed to $1/ hour pay increases for all employees hired within 90 days of the company's effective date of plant acquisition. Hiring would proceed by job classification, with priority given to workers with special skills. Only those employees who accepted job offers within 150 days would retain all accumulated seniority and benefit service credits from the previous owner, and job contract negotiations were restricted for the first 60 days after the acquisition.— News Gazette (Champaign) (4 May 2007) Economist Ernie Goss and CEO Bill McQuillan of City National have suggested that skilled labor shortages in ethanol production have slowed economic growth in primarily agricultural regions of the United States. They did not respond to comments on the slower planting and harvesting season this year because of late frosts and especially heavy rain. States cited as declining too quickly in rural unemployment because of new ethanol producing projects include Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. – Forbes. Com (18 May 2007) According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the state added more than 54,300 new jobs in the past year, more than any other state in the Midwest. Last month, the most jobs were added in educational and health care services and construction sectors. On the other hand, Illinois layed off 15,558 workers during the first quarter of this year, the third largest state layoff in the country after California and Ohio. – Business First (Columbus, OH) and 2 News (18 May 2007) Posted by IRX at 2:45 PM April 26, 2007Weekly Labor ReportWeek of Apr 23
The United Steelworkers and the two largest manufacturing unions in the United Kingdom, Amicus and the Transportation & General Workers Union, have announced plans to work toward a merger that would represent over 3 million workers and retirees. Known as the Ottawa Accord, the agreement follows a strategic alliance signed by Amicus and the Steelworkers two years ago. In the UK, Amicus and the T&GWU have already agreed to merge. The Steelworkers, the largest manufacturing union in North America, has 850,000 members in the United States and Canada. With retirees, it numbers 1.2 million. USW president Leo Gerard said, “Unless we move, the corporations will be the ones who have he playing field.” – Daily Labor Report (19 April 2007): A-6.
Union leaders from various industries with varying levels of employer sponsored or union and employer sponsored health care benefits stand behind the AFL-CIO’s decision to officially support nationalized public health care. Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers said, “I’m not interested in having Wal-Mart sell insurance to people who can go to a Kaiser Permanente clinic in the store.” AFL-CIO health care specialist Gerald Shea said that they did not yet officially endorse any legislation but suggested that both the single-payer or medicare-based proposals are worth discussing. – Dupage County Labor Record (April 2007): 4.
Chicagoans again overwhelmingly approved a referendum for the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance, a proposal that would require large retailers in stores over 90,000 square feet and $1billion in sales to pay a living wage of $10/hour and $3 in benefits by 2010. the ordinance was passed by the Chicago City Council in 2006 with a 35-14 vote. Three months later, however, Mayor Daley vetoed the ordinance and the council fell three votes short of overriding the veto. In predominantly African American wards, 82 percent of voters support the ordinance, while in Latino and White wards support averaged 79 percent.—Federation News (April 2007):3.
Universal Form Clamp of Bellwood was deemed by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation as unprepared in training and plans for the major accidental chemical release of June 2006. The plant was not designed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association fire codes with an alarm system and regular emergency drills, a violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s standards. The chemical safety board further recommended that the OSHA amend its standard governing flammable and combustible liquids to require the facilities that handle such liquids to implement OSHA’s emergency action plan. In December 2006, the OSHA issued $151,650 in proposed penalties to Universal Form Clamp for 40 alleged serious safety and health violations relating to the accident. – Occupational Safety and Health (12 Apr 2007): 326.
The Illinois Apellate Court denied a petition by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association for a new prevailing wage classification for landscape workers. The Illinois Department of Labor and Laborers’ International Union convinced judges that landscape workers “do not possess different skills, knowledge or abilities from those of laborers.” Recently, some Illinois landscape workers have organized through the International Union of Operating Engineers and International Brotherhood of Teamsters. – Construction Labor Report (18 Apr 2007): 254-255.
University of Illinois African American graduate student Londell Brewer was fired from the personnel office after altering a parking permit on the Urbana-Champaign campus. Soon after, the parking scandal was used to tip the scales in his departmental evaluation which found that his grades fell fractionally short of the required minimum. Despite Brewer’s claims against the that his racist personnel supervisor told him to use the tag but later denied it, judges ruled that this supervisor was not connected closely enough to the departmental decision to terminate him. Brewer’s claims also failed because he could not identify a similarly situated, non-African American individual who was treated better. Judges decided that though it may be a violation in university policy to consider personnel office work in graduate program decisions, Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects against employment discrimination, “does not create liability for any decision that violates a university policy, only for decisions that violate Title VII’s policy against racism.” – Government Employee Relations (10 Apr 2007): 433.
The Labor Department’s Employment Standards Administration announced its plans to work with the Occupational Safety and Health Report to revise the list of permissible jobs and occupations for 14 and 15 year olds. Paul DeCamp, administrator of the Wage and Hour Administration, has announced plans to study whether these younger teenagers can function as appropriate employees in the construction trades, banks and high technology companies. Currently, Department of Labor specifications have limited teenagers to retail establishments, food service, and gas stations. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor proposes to bar teens under 18 from working in Hazardous Occupations such as logging and sawmills, meat processing, bakery equipment, compacting and baling equipment, and certain cutting, shearing and guillotining equipment. – Daily Labor Report (17 Apr 2007): A-3 – A-5. Posted by IRX at 4:55 PM April 20, 2007Labor in Ilinois Weekly News DigestWeek of Apr 17 Teamsters Sponsor Protest Against First Student Bus Company in Naperville Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Engineers to Protect Free Internet Communication Within Union
Coalition of Labor Union Women Launch New Drive for ERA
Posted by IRX at 1:23 PM April 12, 2007Labor in Illinois Weekly News DigestRESPECT Act Challenges Expansive Definition of "Supervisor" The AFL-CIO supports a new bill, dubbed the Re-Employment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradeworkers (RESPECT), which challenges the National Labor Relations Board's expansive new definition of "supervisor." In three recent decisions collectively referred to as the Oakland cases, the NLRB ruled that a worker can be classified as a supervisor if he or she spends only 10 to 15 percent of his or her time in oversight duties. Supervisors are not protected by the NLRA. AFL-CIO president John Sweeney said, "The NLRB defied congressional intent by reclassifying as 'supervisors' many workers with only low-level supervisory duties, professionals such as nurses, and other skilled craftsperson. The RESPECT Act will restore Congress's original intent, which was never to deny protection to these workers." The bill, introduced in the house by Robert Andrews (D-NJ) and Don Young (R-Alaska) has bipartisan support. The NLRB is currently holding dozens of cases that address the definition of supervisor, and 60 of them are union election cases. – The Labor Paper (5 April 2007): 1. Registered nurses in several Chicago area hospitals and chains won federal district court approval for pursuing their class action lawsuit against violations in the Sherman Antitrust Act. The nurses claim that these Chicago health care providers, some of whom maintain collective bargaining agreements and some who do not, have conspired to exchange compensation information and thereby depress their wages. The case involves the following hospitals and/or chains: Advocate Health Care, Children's Memorial Hospital, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Michael Reese Medical Center Corp., Doctors Community Healthcare Corp., Resurrection Health Care, and the University of Chicago Hospitals. – Daily Labor Report (4 April 2007): A-9. Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act to encourage employers to recruit and retain US workers, improve wage standards, and enhance the audit authority of the Immigration and Naturalization services. AFL-CIO president John Sweeney affirmed the senators, arguing that under the current law, high-tech and other employers have driven down standards in working conditions and often facilitated the outsourcing of highly skilled jobs. However, advocates for business and educators in the Compete America coalition call for expansion and reform to the already very limited visas available through the H-1B and L-1 immigration programs. The STRIVE Act, introduced by Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), would increase the overall cap on employment-based visas from 140,000 to 290,000 per year. It would also increase the cap on H-1B visas from 65,000 to 115,000 per year. – Daily Labor Report (30 Mar 2007): A-15. The International Association of Machinists (IAM) and International Metalworkers Foundation (IAF) sponsored the Boeing Workers World Conference, which included union representatives from seven countries where Boeing has major manufacturing operations. Built upon the precedent of other global alliances of unionized workers within a single corporation, such as those already in place at Goodyear and Exxon, the Boeing alliance will represent workers in the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweeden. The alliance is open to new member organizations that represent Boeing workers in countries that support free and independent trade union associations. Boeing's tentative plans for expanding into China, where the machinists are not confident free and independent trade unions are currently possible, is one provocation for the alliance's formation. – Daily Labor Report (2 Apr 2007): A-4. Part-time Firefighters and Paramedics in New Lenox Fire Protection District were voted Saturday to be replaced with temporary, contract workers. The decision follows the part-time workers' efforts to organize a union. Tim McDonald, vice president of Employees International Local 73, stated that an unfair labor practices grievance would be filed shortly. The New Lenox Fired Board denies that it ever recognized part-time workers as a collective bargaining unit. – www.firefightingnews.com (9 Apr 2007) Collins & Aikman, operator of three Rantoul automotive supply plants that employ 950, has announced its bankruptcy and the possibility of massive layoffs in case the sale falls through. Robert Bruce, Rantoul's economic development director, said he is optimistic and hopes that the plant's announcement about the possibility of closing is just "due diligence." Collins & Aikman is the largest employer in Rantoul, a community of around 13,000. About 650 of its workers are Teamsters. – Chicago Tribune (11 Apr 2007) Florida field and farm workers, working within the Coalition of Imokalee Workers (CIW) and Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA), have won their demands for a penny more per pound to tomato harvesters and continued openness to labor negotiations. However, they will continue their ten day awareness-raising tour to bring continued attention to the human rights abuses in poor working conditions and to support those not fully represented by the new contract. The tour will stop in several states including Florida, New York, Illinois and California. Among the unions leaders supporting the campaign are John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO, Dolores Huerta of the United Farm Workers, and Jan Schakowsky of the SEIU. – Infoshop news (10 Apr 2007) Delegates to the United Auto Workers' bargaining convention approved a resolution that spells out bargaining goals that the union will pursue in talks with major domestic automakers later this year. On the list of priorities is "the maximum possible protection" for wages, health care, and pensions, limits on the use of temporary and contingent workers that create two-tier paying systems, continued lobbying for the Employee Free Choice Act, support for fellow workers globally, and provisoin of health and prescription drug coverage. – Labor Relations Week (5 Apr 2007) The AFL-CIO unveiled a lobbying campaign to challenge President Bush's "Fast Track" or Trade Promotion Authority, the unlimited prerogative the president currently has to negotiate trade pacts overseas without the input of organized labor. The Change to Win coalition passed a resolution that Congress, rather than the president alone, should have the authority to "help create standards that will stimulate development and maintain high standards and around the globe." The Economic Policy Institute released a study earlier this year that shows "fast track" presidential authority has hurt workers in Mexico, Canada and the United States. – The Labor Paper (5 Apr 2007): 13. Mayor Daley had hoped that leasing the city-operated Midway Airport to a private operator would bolster the city's underfunded pension plans and pay for infrastructure repairs and upkeep. Ron Ricks of Southwest Airlines, however, has argued that because Southwest contributed to rebuilding Midway into a modern, major hub of transportation, they should earn a percentage of the city's potential profits. Other airlines, who would also have to agree for the privatization plan to pass, raised questions about whether a private operator would truly improve productivity in reducing maintenance or emergency services. Ricks wrote in a letter to the City of Chicago in February, "While new information could change our minds, presently we believe that privatization is threatening to the interests of (Midway) and the airlines and passengers who rely upon it." – Crain's Chicago Business (2 April 2007): 1, 8. Posted by IRX at 8:23 PM April 5, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestSouthern Illinois Coal Mine Closes in Response to Strike Just hours after workers at the Wabash Mine near Keensburg, Illinois began a coordinated strike for a better national contract, Foundation Coal Holdings Inc. announced it would close the facility. The company said that the Illinois site lost $26 million last year and has struggled recently with “extensive aged infrastructure, geologic challenges and soft market conditions.” The two Foundation Coal affiliates with whom the United Mine Workers’ strike was coordinated, Cumberland and Emerald (near Waynesburg, Pennsylvania), agreed to sign the national agreement. The Lithnicum Heights, Maryland-based Foundation operates 14 mines and produces 72 million tons of coal per year. Local UMW representatives have declined to comment, but are scheduling a rally at the Gibson County Fairgrounds in Princeton, Indiana. – Courier Press (Evansville, IL) (5 Apr 2007): http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/apr/05/southern-illinois-coal-mine-closes-after-workers/ Gutierrez Introduces New Immigration Bill to Congress Illinois Representatives Louis Gutierrez (IL-4) and Jeff Flake (AZ-6) introduced the Security Through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act of 2007 to Congress. The employment verification program would support stronger “interior enforcement” and border security, as well as a “new worker” program that would support up to 400,000 immigrants, based on market demand. The measure would also overhaul the visa system, creating a new H-2C visa. Valid for three years, the visa would be available to workers who showed their qualifications and proof of a job offer from a US employer, underwent background checks, and paid a $500 application fee, among other requirements. The bill would require that employers first tried to find qualified American workers, and would prohibit hiring H2-C workers in areas with very high unemployment for workers with very little formal education. The visa would provide some protections, as well as the opportunity to apply for permanent residence after five years. It does not provide amnesty for currently undocumented workers, but outlines a protocol, including a fine and back taxes, for these immigrants to earn citizenship. – Daily Labor Report (23 Mar 2007): A-8-11. City of Chicago Agrees to Patronage Reform The Shakman Settlement Agreement and Accord, recently filed in the Northern District of Illinois, provides $12 million to support further reforms to the role of party loyalty in personnel decisions. The agreement should affect nearly 40,000 job titles, while about 800 policy level jobs will remain “Shakman-exempt.” The settlement funds will also compensate workers who were violated by previous Shakman decrees. –Daily Labor Report (23 March 2007): A-10-11. Employee Misclassification Bill Passes IL House Labor Committee The Illinois AFL-CIO, in collaboration with the Illinois, Iowa, Indiana Foundation for Fair Contracting, the Chicago & Cook County Building Trades, and the support of Representative Osterman (D-Chicago), helped pass a bill that will make it more difficult to misclassify workers as independent contractors in the construction industry. –Fox Valley Labor News (22 Mar 2007): 3. Franklin Park Deans’ Foods Drivers Join Teamsters Franklin Park milk deliverers for Deans’ Foods, a distributor serving stores throughout Chicagoland, recently voted 18-1 in favor of joining Teamsters’ Local 754 in Elmhurst. According to Mike DiGrazia, Joint Council 25’s Organizing Director, the drivers “withstood a very aggressive anti-union campaign.” – Teamster (March/April 2007) IAM Featured on Wheel of Fortune The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, will share sponsorship of television program Wheel of Fortune between April 23 and May 18, and again between August 27 and Sept 7 of this year. Contestants will compete to win some products sponsored by the IAM, and Machinists’ commercials will air periodically. International President Tom Buffenbarger explained, “We want America to know about the Machinists union and about the products our members proudly manufacture.” – IAM Journal (Spring 2007):4. Posted by IRX at 3:14 PM March 29, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of March 26, 2007
Chrysler Belvidere Headed to Arbitration The UAW local representing Belvidere assembly plant locals will go seek federal arbitration over the fairness of 600 "enhanced temporary employees," temporary workers, hired to fill out three shifts. DaimlerChrysler contends that two-year contracts, with no guarantee of future work, are permissible within the current contract. Compared to the old temporary positions with a maximum 119 days of work, the new temporary employee contract system pays less and has lower bonus and medical benefits. Belvidere temporary worker and Illinois resident Kathy Hungness, part of the union lawsuit, was dismissed on the old temporary contract and rehired on the new temporary contract, a few months later. She and four other Illinois residents seek class action status in their suit for breach of the UAW labor contract. Some predict that the UAW jobs bank, "where laid off workers do other odd jobs while still receiving most of their pay," will be an important part of negotiations in the new contract. Currently, workers like Hungness are compelled to take back their old jobs for less compensation because it would have cut unemployment benefits.— Rockford Register-Star http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/BUSINESS05/103230016 (23 Mar 2007)
Peoria Area Labor Management and Tri-County Construction-Management Council now share office space in the Chase Bank building in downtown Peoria . They are considering merging at some point in the future, but currently use different funding systems: the former from membership dues and grants, and the latter from area contractors and unions. Their partnership represents the potential of managerial, but also union, strength across construction and manufacturing industries in Peoria. -- Peoria Journal Star ( 25 Mar 2007) http://www.pjstar.com/stories/032507/PAU_BCNV4JL4.027.php Governor Blagojevich recently announced the results of a study that found "intermodal rail terminals" in Ogle and Will counties have brought unexpected benefits to local farm economies. Several years ago, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad established Logistics Park Chicago in Ellwood and Global Ill in Rochelle, truck-to-train loading ramps that avoid shipping on barges via the Mississippi River. Now, Blagojevich reports, Illinois corn, soybeans and DDGS (corn meal co-product) are being shipped via rail to the West Coast, and often loaded onto container vessels for delivery to Asia. State Senator AJ Wilhelmi (D-Joliet) has expressed enthusiasm for the "more effective containerized export system that will advance or regional economy."- Illinois Department of Agriculture News Release http://www.agr.state.il.us/newsrels/r0322071.html (22 Mar 2007) Though the closing of the Revere Corning and Thrall Trinity Freight Car plants brought temporary recession to the Clinton economy in Central Illinois , Syngenta and Trinity Structural Towers have plans for reoccupying the two premises as tenants. The Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce predicts that these new tenants, combined with Aramark Uniforms' renovation and expansion of its old facility, will create about 300 new jobs. Pantagraph (25 Mar 2007) http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/03/25/money/doc4606021e7a7d2477345835.txt
According to the Teamsters' contract with the UI, some workers receive a "prevailing rate" of about $26 per hour, while others receive a "negotiated rate" of about $20 per hour. Beginning in March 2006, Teamsters argue, some who should have received the prevailing rate have been receiving the negotiated rate. They also contend that negotiated rate drivers have not had adequate opportunities to receive "upgrades" to prevailing rate work. Furthermore, Teamsters observe, senior drivers are not receiving as many opportunities for overtime work. The case has now been submitted to the Labor Board to determine whether or not a hearing will take place. – ( Champaign) News Gazette (25 March 2007) http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/03/25/teamsters_ui_at_odds_over_contract_language
After it broke away from the AFL-CIO nearly two years ago, the Change to Win coalition faces internal divides. When it initially broke away, Change to Win vowed to focus less on presidential politics and more on union organizing, with joint strategies in retirement security, healthcare, and immigration. However, all the unions do not agree on how to go about achieving these objectives. For example, some unions are unhappy with SEIU's plans to work with Wal-Mart in developing a plan for universal health coverage by 2012. – LA Times (27 Mar 2007) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-labor27mar27,1,5667346,print.story?ctrack=2&cset=true Posted by IRX at 8:06 PM March 25, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of Mar 19 Labor Secretary Elaine Chao Encourages HR Professionals to Help Defeat EFCA US Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao encouraged the Society for Human Resource Management to aide in President Bush’s efforts to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. Chao said, “Please do not think that President Bush can simply wave the veto pen and the debate is over. It is very important that this bill be defeated on the Hill and defeated soundly. Proponents of this bill should not be allowed to harbor any hope that they can win in 2009.” Chao charges that the EFCA challenges “a worker’s freedom to vote in a private ballot election.” She challenged that NLRB mediation necessarily represents workers’ interests, and suggested that the Act prevents individual workers’ control over whether they are represented by a union. She encourages HR professionals to support President Bush’s immigration reform packages, including temporary worker programs, and reports that the Department of Labor is currently reviewing the Family and Medical Leave Act. – Daily Labor Report No. 49 (14 Mar 2007): A-1. IBT Disputes Ratification of Allied/Yucaipa Concessions Deal The ratification of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is necessary for the Allied Holdings trucking company, which has declared bankruptcy, to complete a “concessions deal” with the Los Angeles-based trucking firm, Yucaipa. In an agreement that IBT members may ratify in the coming weeks, truckers would take a 15 percent wage cut in return for Allied’s continuing contributions to previously committed union agreements, including health and pension plans. Fred Zuckerman, director of IBT’s carhaul division, has expressed support for the agreement, on behalf of Teamsters President James Hoffa, as the best alternative to keep Allied in business. Other teamsters, however, including John Thyer of St. Louis and members of the Teamsters for a Democratic Union, have argued that Yucaipa does not require union concessions to turn Allied around. The bulk of Allied workers are concentrated in Detroit, Chicago, and Louisville, Kentucky. Union voting is expected to be higher in the coming weeks than it has been in previous elections. –Daily Labor Report No. 52 (19 March 2007): A-5-6. Democrats Divided over State and Corporate Role in Providing Worker “Safety Net” Democrats in Congress divide over the role of the State and corporations in providing a safety net for workers displaced by globalization and other economic restructuring. Representative Jim McDermott of Washington State has proposed “wage insurance,” a federal subsidy to workers who are forced, through globalization and other economic restructuring, to take jobs with lower pay. Under his plan, the government would pay up to 50 percent of the difference between a person’s old and new wage, with a maximum benefit of $10,000 per year, lasting as long as two years. New York Senator Charles Schumer, chair of the Joint Economic Committee, Robert Rubin, former Treasury Secretary, and Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, have critically supported the plan. However, Democrats who follow the demands of organized labor argue that the plan would subsidize corporations’ habit of retaining for shareholders the benefits of workplace productivity, and offering workers the lowest wages possible. Thea Lee, policy director of the AFL-CIO observed, “This seems to be giving up on the possibility of trying to get workers into better-paying jobs.” Meanwhile, House Republicans, including Representative Jerry Weller (R-IL) reject the proposal for other reasons. Weller argues that Congress would likely fund the program by cutting back on traditional unemployment insurance and on Trade Adjustment Assistance, a benefit and training program for executives (but not service workers or local suppliers) who lose jobs to foreign competition. New York Times columnist Edmund Andrews suggests that the disagreement between labor leaders and pro-globalization Democrats reflects “a schism among Democrats over globalization and trade,” and cites Schumer and Rubin’s ties to Wall Street. – New York Times (18 Mar 2007). http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/business/yourmoney/18view.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Classified Staff Move to Unionize at College of DuPage Classified staff at the College of DuPage in Glenn Ellyn have begun the process of organizing a union to represent around 700 college employees, and affiliate with the Illinois Education Association. One example that classified staff could use their own bargaining mechanism, noted Karen Masterson, financial aide counselor and member of the Classified Personnel Association, is a recent administrative decision on vacation days. The College recently moved to close the campus between Christmas and New Years Day, which meant that many staff members lost their floating holidays in accord with their previously negotiated agreement.—(Chicago) Daily Herald (22 March 2007) Posted by at 9:54 PM March 16, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of Mar 12 Bankrupt Dana Corporation Agrees to Nonunion Retiree Health Care Trust The Dana Corporation, a bankrupt car and truck parts dealer with both union and non-union employees, agreed to create a health care trust for nonunion retirees as it settled labor and health care concerns with a smaller union. It has still not reached agreements with United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers, but a court date is scheduled to discuss Dana’s rights as a bankrupt corporation to reject labor contracts and benefit plans. Dana recently reached agreement on wages and benefits with the International Association of Machinists, which covers about 250 workers at a plant in Illinois. Dana has sold several plants and hopes to save $130 to $180 million per year by cutting union and nonunion labor costs and health care benefits. – Reuters (12 Mar 2007)
At its annual meeting, the AFL-CIO Executive Council called for expansion of universal health care through the present Medicare system. The council explained that publicly subsidized health care will be best for workers and corporations: On one hand, universal health care would protect against workers’ fear that they would lose their health coverage if they lost or changed jobs. On the other, employers who provide adequate benefits are at a significant disadvantage in the international marketplace, since they have to compete with foreign companies who do not invest into a comparable benefit system. Under the federation’s proposal, health care would be available to everyone in the United States, without exclusions or penalties. The government would play a central role in regulating, financing, and providing health care. --- Daily Labor Report, No. 44 (7 Mar 2007)
Among the seven labor contracts in Vermillion County government up for renewal this year is a contract with Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 21, an umbrella union that includes county workers in the judiciary as well as various other county positions. Among others, it includes employees in the office of the State Attorney, bailiff, Animal Control Department, County Courthouse Annex, and Vermillion Manor Nursing Home. All labor contracts anticipate moderate wage increases, even though some board members express concern about how the raises will affect current and future budgets.—News Gazette (Champaign) (12 Mar 2007)
At a forum on Capitol Hill, the Economic Policy Institute discussed three papers under the banner of an Agenda for Shared Prosperity. Panelists included Thomas Kochan, co-director of the Institute for Work and Employment research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Paul Krugman, professor of economics and international affairs of Princeton University, and Beth Shulman, work-related consultant and author of The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans. Panelists suggested policy reforms for a “new social contract” of avowed cooperation among workers, corporations and (sometimes) unions to provide safety nets for workers in all segments of the workforce. – Labor Relations Week Vol. 21, No. 9 (1 Mar 2007): 323. See also: http://www.sharedprosperity.org/
Four years after fighting to cut back more than 200 management positions in the Department of Corrections, Governor Blagojevich announced a proposed increase in these management positions. Some suggest that the administration’s reversal stems from recommendations made by a private consultant, Harvey M. Rose Accountancy Corp. of San Francisco, which the administration allegedly hired in 2005 to investigate to what extent prisons were effectively staffed. Front line, non-management prison workers expressed concern that the governor’s apparent reversal comes at a time when their union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), has demanded more of the administration’s attention. – The Southern (13 Mar 2007) Posted by at 3:49 PM March 9, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of Mar 5 Finley Hospital (Dubuque) Heads to Court in Illinois The National Labor Relations Board says that the hospital used unfair labor practices during contract negotiations. They will meet, once again, in a Jo Daviess County, Illinois, courtroom. According to the Board, the hospital has refused to increase nurses’ wages since the expiration of their contract last June. The hospital also allegedly asked the union to throw out its labor grievances to reach a contract agreement, and denied nurses specific patient information. Finley has contended that the patient information violates privacy laws. As of latest notice, Finley nurses do not plan to strike again, and call last month’s bargaining sessions successful – KCRG.TV News (5 Mar 2007)
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich unveiled a plan calling for, among other things, a $10 billion lease of the Illinois Lottery and an estimated $16 billion in bond sales to fund state pensions. He proposes dedicating $1.5 billion to school construction, rehabilitation and other infrastructure projects, and vows that $6.5 billion of the cost of the projects will be matched with federal grants. He also proposes investing $750 million to develop renewable energy sources, $425 million for public transportation, and $600 million for capital investments in public universities. -- Quincy Herald Whig (8 Mar 2007)
Since December, Illinois’ 19,900 new jobs mark the highest employment gain of any state. Employment in the state rose to 6.65 million in January, up from 6.48 million in December but down from 6.7 million in January 2006. – St. Louis Business Journal (8 Mar 2007)
According to the Congressional Research Service, the nation’s six million retired civil servants, including teachers, police, administrators and laborers, received a median benefit of $17,640 in 2005. Retired government employees are twice as likely to get a pension as their counterparts in the private sector. Several states, including Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia and especially Illinois, currently maintain budgets that still owe their military and civil servants pensions as well as Social Security benefits. – USA Today (25 Feb 2007)
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the Senate’s majority whip, has supported a movement to restore intercity passenger trains from Chicago to Rockford, Freeport, Galena, and Dubuque. Durbin vows that such non-stop passenger service is feasible and sustainable if communities along the line, as well as labor unions and the State, all support the project. Studies on the project’s feasibility cited the success of the Canadian National (CN, ex-Illinois Central) line. Durbin’s office showed that a train running on the CN line could get from Chicago to Dubuque in less than 4.5 hours, and from Chicago to Rockford in 45 minutes. The Rockford Register Star reports that the Illinois Department of Transportation and Amtrak have had difficulty in gaining cooperation from CN on recent, state-sponsored expansion of Amtrak service in two cases, but they remain hopeful. Last year, Illinois doubled Amtrak funding to $24 million, increasing service on three state-sponsored routes. The Rockford Register Star reports that communities along the line are excited about the transportation expansion possibilities. – Rockford Register Star (6 Mar 2007)
Representative Ray LaHood, serving Western and Central Illinois, voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, calling it “unbalanced.” He said the provision for secret ballots would “take away the opportunity for the worker to participate and have their voice heard through the ballot.” Last Friday, labor unions of the West Central Illinois Labor Council (WCILC) and workers from the Peoria area gathered before the Peoria Public Library, across from LaHood’s office, to protest. Mike Everett, president of the WCILC, said “It’s actually easier to form unions in other countries than it is here, in the land of the free.” – Pekin Daily Times (02 Mar 2007)
Labor leaders gathering in Las Vegas this week are considering the priorities of the labor movement, and especially the position of the unions on health care. Some union leaders support HR 646, an expansion of the Medicare system, as a priority in the next presidential election. – Capital Newspapers (Wisconsin) (6 Mar 2007)
Posted by at 12:36 PM March 2, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of Feb 26 Steelworkers Seek to Block Sale of Baltimore Mill Though the US Justice Department ordered Mittal Steel Company to sell a mill near Baltimore to settle an antitrust suit, United Steelworkers have demanded that the companies seek alternative methods to resolve the company’s pending merge with Arcelor SA of Luxembourg. Under their present contract, Steelworkers have the right to block the pending merger, and are considering their options. Illinois-Based Esmark of Chicago Heights says it may consider purchasing the Sparrows Point mill if another in West Virginia is unavailable. – Daily Southtown (22 Feb 2007)
With public court calendars overbooked with civil trials, suing parties have long had access to alternative, private mediation through groups such as the Neighborhood Justice for Chicago and the Center for Conflict Resolution. Usually, these centers have been staffed with bar-certified lawyers. Chicago’s Marc Becker, however, has pioneered an arbitration business in Chicago that grossed $3.6 million in revenue last year alone. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) professionals are not necessarily lawyers and do not necessarily issue decisions based on the law. Nevertheless, an increasing number of Chicago courts are recommending or demanding ADR to keep make room on court calendars. – Crain’s Chicago Business (19 Feb 2007): 22.
Abbott Laboratories, employer of about 14,000 at their Lake County facilities, confirmed Monday its plans to cut 200 research scientists and many more drug representatives, most of whom worked on a particular area of research for obesity and diabetes pharmaceuticals. The company announced that the cuts were part of the company’s reorganization plan. -- Chicago Tribune (26 Feb 2007).
Alton Policemen’s Benevolent Labor Committee recently filed a petition to the Illinois Labor Relations Board to certify six Alton police lieutenants as an independent bargaining unit within Unit 14 of their union. Alton Personnel Director David Miles said that lieutenants, who are supervisors, have different concerns from those ranked below them. Only one captain, a chief, and a deputy chief are ranked above them, and these positions are either Civil Service positions or mayoral appointments. The lieutenants would not like to leave the umbrella Unit 14 of Alton police but, similar to the organization of the Chicago Police Department, comprise separate units of ranked officers with different bargaining times for each rank. – The Telegraph (Alton) (26 Feb 2007)
A 2006 ruling in an appellate court gave Bloomington's union firefighters the right to negotiate city promotions through the Illinois Labor Relations Board. The union has now sued for the right to review currently promoted fire chiefs retroactively, under the new negotiation system. Also in Normal, firefighters picketed Monday over respect for the union, Firefighters Local 2442. Specifically, they argue that the union represents training officers as part of their collective bargaining unit. – www.firefightingnews.com
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Chancellor John Dunn said he was confident about meeting the terms of a new contract with employees—a 3 percent salary increase over the next four years and $3.25 million in backpay. He suggests the university can depend on increases in both state and campus funding.— The Southern (27 Feb 2007)
Members of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), IFT/AFT Local 6300, ratified the terms of a new contract. The agreement ensures a 3.3% raise to employees working for the minimum stipend in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 academic years. The University will contribute 50% of the health insurance fee. The University also settled a grievance with the GEO, agreeing to retroactive backpay for employees who worked 12 months but were paid for only 11 months. – www.uigeo.org
Under the banner, “Better Health Care Together,” Illinois legislators, non-profits and unions have designed four reform proposals they hope to initiate by 2012. Meanwhile, Illinois Representatives Rahm Emanuel (D) and Ray LaHood (R) have cooperated to push for a reauthorization and expansion of the federal State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Senator Dick Durbin has pledged support in the Senate. –Labor Paper (Peoria) (1 Mar 2007): 8. Posted by at 10:53 AM February 15, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of February 12 Three Items: 1. Illinois Professors Sue Over Ethics Exam The Southern Illinois University-Carbondale faculty union filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Inspector General, demanding the state drop disciplinary measures against 65 faculty members for their failure of the state-wide, online exam. The state holds that employees violated the testing rules by taking the exam too quickly, while the union holds that the minimum time required to take the test is not listed in the Ethics Act. Faculty Association President Marvin Zeman has argued that the inspector general’s office itself is in violation of Illinois’ 2003 Ethics Act. – 7 Feb 2007, The Courier News 2. Teamsters Warn First Group that Bus Drivers are Organized When FirstGroup, a Scottish transportation company, acquired Laidlaw, the largest private operator of yellow school buses in the United States and based in Illinois, Teamsters’ president Jimmy Hoffa and a delegation of the Service Employees International Union traveled to FirstGroup’s annual meeting in Scotland. They voiced concern over FirstGroup’s self- identified collective bargaining “neutrality,” or poor record of working with unions. Hoffa told the Scottish company that the buyout means FirstGroup will become a much more unionized company. He emphasized the importance of minimizing layoffs, for rebuilding current infrastructure would risk the company’s reputation and profits. Laidlaw and FirstGroup currently employ over 11,000 Teamsters. – 10 Feb 2007 (The Herald –United Kingdom) Web Issue 2758 http://www.theherald.co.uk/business/news/display.var.1184914.0.0.php
American Federation of Labor president John Sweeney and Teamsters’ James Hoffa blasted President Bush for his recent characterization of the Peoria-based Caterpillar as “reaping the benefit of US trade policies.” Bush used Caterpillar’s prosperity to rationalize the value of his Trade Promotion Authority, a presidential freedom to bargain on behalf of American businesses for overseas contracts, and only subject the contract to an up-or-down vote in Congress (without the option of amendments or discussion). Lori Wallach, director of the Public Citizen advocacy group, has argued that such presidential authority not only violates unions’ rights to collective bargaining but pits United States workers in a race to the bottom with wage-cuts worldwide. (3 Feb 2007) Workday Minnesota Posted by at 5:22 PM February 13, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestUN Body Rules Against Transportation Security Administration The United Nation’s International Labour Organization (ILO) ruled that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) unfairly denied the collective bargaining rights of Transportation Security Officers throughout the country. TSA employees work under the Department of Homeland Security in divisions such as Border Control, Customs, and Immigration. The ILO ruled that National Security is not a good enough excuse to ignore rights to collective bargaining. Transportation Security workers allied with the American Federation of Government Employees to make their case before the ILO. –The Government Standard Vol. 74, No. 1 (Jan/Feb 2007).
The Seventh Circuit Court ruled against Northern Contracting Inc (NCI) and affirmed that the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise plan was constitutional. The IDOT relied upon the National Economic Research Associates, a private firm, for its tabulation of public needs for social and economic justice in federally assisted projects. Northern Contracting contended that the IDOT relied on a “custom census,” and appealed its loss in the lower courts on the basis of a demographic miscalculation. -- http://news.findlaw.com/prnewswire/20070205/05feb20071206.html (5 Feb 2007)
School teachers in Ullin, a small town in Southern Illinois, voted to withdraw from the Illinois Education Association (IEA), the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) last week. Their newly formed Century Education Association (CEA) will become part of the Association of American Educators (AAE), a national body that calls itself a non-union, “professional alternative to teacher labor unions.” According to its website, the AAE “seeks to increase the respect and professionalism of teachers, to improve public education through increased accountability for higher achievement, and to provide educators with a professional alternative to teacher labor unions.”- www.aaeteachers.org. and http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), supported by many unions in the AFL-CIO, launched a club for union members who enjoy outdoor recreation. The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), formally launched Jan 13 at a Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, plans to offer an independent magazine, website, radio show, and television program on the Outdoor Life Network. It will also offer group rates for union families on outdoor sporting gear, travel and services. Formal registration for will begin April 1 of this year. –Construction Labor Report Vol. 52, No. 2606 (24 Jan 2007): 1435.
Reported union membership throughout the country fell 325,000 in 2006, and 84% of the decline was in the private sector. Little to no job growth was reported within the public sector. However, among the top five states with union members—California, New York, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio—only Illinois reported increased union membership. –Fox Valley Labor News (1 Feb 2007):3.
Machinists’ strike at a Harley Davidson plant in York, Pennsylvania has slowed business and indefinitely suspended many orders at the Torshware manufacturing plant in Homer, Illinois. Harley Davidson workers demand better health insurance coverage and wage increases, and protest the two tiered wage system that pays newer employees less than current employees.— News-Gazette (Champaign) (2 Feb 2007): C-10.
The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently encouraged employers to terminate workers whose Social Security documentation does not match that on file with the federal government. Several coalitions of unions and faith-based organizations, especially the Chicago Workers Collaborative, UNITE HERE and the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice have protested massive firings of workers in companies such as Cintas (laundry and hotel) and Swift (pork processing), contending that the “No-Match” policy unfairly targets immigrant workers.—Labor Notes (Feb 2007): 3.
A coalition of business and labor groups in Chicago has recently put pressure on lawmakers to invest $25 billion over the next five years into the Illinois highway, transit, air and rail network. The Transportation for Illinois Coalition (TFIC) argues that such investment is necessary, both to maintain the current influx of travelers to and from Illinois, and to sustain employment and the state economy over the next five years. – http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/ Posted by at 3:31 PM February 2, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestWeek of Jan 29 UFCW Presses for Immigrant Rights In response to recent surprise inspections at meatpacking plants from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 881 has argued that due process and equal protection rights must be enforced for undocumented workers. Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) has worked to such purges from taking place in Illinois. He supports legislation that would create a legal pathway for workers to attain citizenship, and prevent potential identity theft of those workers already legally working in the United States.—Labor News (Indianapolis) Jan 2007 (Vol 41, No. 10)
Chicago Teamsters Local 727 won a new contract that establishes Chicago parking attendants the highest-paid of any attendants in the country. Highlights of the new contract include substantial wage increases, health insurance, pension increases, education and legal assistance programs for workers and their families, five week vacations, and a reduction in part-time employees. ---International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Jan/Feb 2007): 22-23.
Sara Lee officials announced that for the long-term profitability of the corporation, they will continue cutting investments that are not breads and breakfast foods. Though officials expressed disappointment in its potential effects on the community, they recently announced the shut down of a plant in West Point, Mississippi. Sara Lee only recently acquired the plant from Consolidated Foods, which bought out the original Bryan Foods. ---30 Jan 2007 (Chicago Tribune Online)
In House Bill 480, Illinois State Representative Lou Lang (Skokie Democrat) proposed expanding licenses to casinos and other gambling facilities in Illinois. Doug Dobmeyer of the Task Force to Oppose Gambling fiercely opposes the measure. – State Journal Register (Springfield) 30 Jan 2007
Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was on the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, campus this week to meet with members of his union and deliver a public lecture on the need for immigration reform. Medina criticized plans to build a security fence along the U.S.-Mexico border as expensive and ineffective. He and his union favor granting legal status to most undocumented immigrants in the country, after they pay back taxes or other fines that may be owed. SEIU also favors a guest worker program to handle future immigrants, as long as future immigrants have the same labor rights as other workers in the country. -- Daily Illini (February 1, 2007), p. 1, 5. Posted by at 2:25 PM January 28, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestBudget Cuts Threaten Police and Health Care Workers in Cook County County Board President Todd Stroger proposed that Cook County release more than 100 police officers and 200 courtroom deputies, and close about 16 health clinics, in accordance with his proposed budget.—Chicago Tribune (23 Jan 2007)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (of the U.S. Department of Labor) fined a Bartlett, Illinois contractor $234,000 in penalties to for repeat violations in a trenching project along the Dan Ryan Expressway. OSHA holds that Benchmark Construction repeatedly exposed workers to potential cave-ins and violated inspections codes.--Occupational Safety and Health, (13 Jan 2007) Vol. 37, No. 3, p. 50
Mayoral candidate Dorothy Brown called for an ordinance that would require all residential developers to set aside ten percent of what they build for low income residents. The city currently requires developers who receive city assistance in the form of city land or subsidies to dedicate at least ten percent of units with at least ten units to low and moderate-income buyers. Brown and Mayor Daley agree that the requirement should be broadened to create more mixed income neighborhoods. Daley suggests that the funding for affordable housing should come from legal fees paid to prosecute City Hall corruption. -- Chicago Tribune (25 Jan 2007)
AFSCME Council 31 announced endorsements of candidates in contested races for Chicago's February 27 municipal elections. The union represents 6,000 Cook County employees -- AFSCME website, http://www.afscme31.org/articleDetail.asp?objectID=1094 25 Jan 2007 Posted by at 3:21 PM Labor in Illinois News DigestClarification of "Independent Contractor" in Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act Organized labor and Governor Blagojevich have each supported clarification of the term “independent contractor” so that more workers would reap the benefits of the minimum wage, overtime, and workmen’s compensation. New legislation would define independent contractors as employees functioning “outside of the employer’s typical course of business,” and free from control or direction of the employer. Legislators are concerned that the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act as currently structured does not demand healthy workplaces for the workers for whom it was intended, because employees are logged as independent contractors. Safety and Health, Vol 32. No. 2 (11 Jan 2007), S-27-28. General Assembly Considering Revival of Scaffold Act Originally passed by the Illinois legislature in 1907, the Scaffold or Structural Work Act provided workers injured in accidents the right to sue their employers for damages. While it was repealed in the wake of workmen’s compensation laws, it was partially resurrected in 1952, providing injured workers the right to sue general contractors, subcontactors, property owners or architects. This law was repealed again in 1995. Support for the return of the Scaffold Act has accompanied demands for tighter restrictions on the use of “independent contractor” status for workers in dangerous occupations. Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 32. No. 2 (11 Jan 2007), S-27. Posted by at 3:12 PM January 10, 2007Labor in Illinois News DigestEmployee Free-Choice Act on floor of Congress Co-sponsored by Illinois Senators Durbin and Obama, this act would better facilitate the formation and bargaining process of local unions. For example, it would allow for certification of unions as collective bargaining agents based on “card check recognition” in addition to elections. The proposed law also would provide for heavier penalties for employer violations of union contracts. Legislators are concerned that recent National Labor Relations Board decisions side with companies, and hope the act would reinstate the power of the NLRA. --- 4 Jan 2007, The Labor Paper (Vol 111, No. 1), p.1.
A federal court in Urbana ruled that the EEOC presented sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for sexual discrimination occurring at the Kankakee Fed-Ex facility. A male employee alleges that since the time of his hiring in 1999 one of his male co-workers physically harassed him, and engaged in inappropriate sexual conversations. He alleges that though he repeatedly complained to his supervisor, she both trivialized the problem and retaliated against him by cutting his hours and eventually terminating him. The court warranted a trial because numerous claims under dispute.--- 7 Dec 2006, Daily Labor Report (No. 235), p. A-1
Michael Linder, third-party administrator for pension plans of union locals, pleaded guilty to embezzling $1.9 million for himself, as well as investing $5 million of pension assets into annuity contracts rather than mutual funds. His victims included Ironworkers Local in Urbana, Plumbers and Steamfitters Union 149 in Savoy, a plumbers union in DeKalb, sheet metal workers in Springfield and Decatur, a painters’ union in Collinsville, the plaster and cement masons local in Peoria, and several ironworkers locals around the state, including those in the U.S. attorney’s office. Some union officials, who were given Harley-Davidson motorcycles in connection with the graft, have already been convicted. Linder is sentenced to seven years in prison without parole, and three years of supervised release thereafter.--- 22 Dec 2006, News-Gazette
Ironworkers leader Joseph Hunt states that recent divisions among building trades unions exist because of personalities and not fundamental matters of labor movement philosophy. He hopes to reunite AFL-CIO construction locals with the major international unions that left to join the “Change to Win” coalition, as well as the half-dozen building trades unions who started a new National Construction Alliance. --- December 2006, Dupage County Labor Record, (Vol. 29, No.9) p. 15
Governor Blagojevich signed Senate Bill 1268, which increased the adult minimum wage to $7.50, in addition to scheduled increases to $7.75 in July 2008, $8.00 in July 2009, and $8.25 in July 2010. Workers in training and minors under 18 years of age may be paid $.50 below the legal minimum. Though Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan initially objected, Democrats and Republicans vow that the Act represents a compromise long in the making. --- 19 Dec 2006, Chicago Sun-Times
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1546 reached a tentative pact with Chicago Midwest Meat Association (CMMA) for united terms of agreement, pending ratification by mailed votes of union members. The agreement potentially draws together meatpackers across various states at several midsize and small meatpacking plants, with about 2,000 UFCW workers.--- 14 Dec 2006, Daily Labor Report (No. 240) A-11
Unless the state reduces retiree benefits, it needs an additional $5.9 billion in 2007 revenue to reduce its $106 billion liability for future employee and retiree pensions and health insurance. Currently, the state has $45.7 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, while unfunded commitments to cover health chare costs of employees and retirees are estimated at approximately $48 billion. Furthermore, the state owes $1.7 billion in unpaid Medicaid bills to health care providers. Illinois currently has one of the lowest funding ratios of any state for its government pension plans, and has not set aside trust funds for health insurance as it has for pensions. Increases in income and sales tax are controversial, though predicted.--- 2 Jan 2007, Government Employee Relations, (Vol. 45, No. 2187), p.11 Posted by at 11:25 AM January 7, 2007Central Illinois Jobs with Justice UpdateCentral Illinois Jobs with Justice 1. The AFL-CIO and Jobs with Justice have action alerts asking folks to contact Congress, insisting that Congress increase the minimum wage to $7.25 no anti-worker amendments or tax breaks for the wealthy. There is a toll-free number: 1-866-338-1015. Here is the JwJ alert: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/min_wage_07 2. In accordance with the ruling of an independent arbitrator, the University of Illinois administration paid these graduate employees up to 15 months of back wages and will begin paying them an additional 9% each month. This adjustment in pay will correct the administration's misreading of the wage language in its labor agreement with the 3. Right before Christmas the USW reached a tentative agreement (that was subsequently ratified by Goodyear Workers) with Goodyear. 15,000 workers at Goodyear who were on strike for 86 days. Our local action was highlighted in an update from the Steelworkers. Thanks to everyone who came out for the picket. 4. Next Steering Committee Meeting January 13, Illinois Disciples Foundation, Springfield and Wright, 10 AM. Steering cmte members interested in fundraising are invited to meet at the same place - IDF-tomorrow/Saturday Jan. 6 at 10am. Posted by at 11:40 PM US & European Unions Form AllianceAccording to a December 31st report from the the Guardian newspaper, the United Steel Workers and International Association of Machinists have agreed to work with two major European industrial unions to confront the global corporations that employ their members. The move creates a loose federation that is being hailed as the first global union. Posted by at 11:23 PM October 6, 2006Labor Board Ruling Criticized by Unions The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a long anticipated ruling expanding the definition of "supervisor." The AFL-CIO and the Change to Win coalition immediately denounced the ruling as evidence of antiunion bias on the part of the board, and predicted the ruling would lead to many workers losing their rights to union representation. The Board split along partisan lines with the three Republican-appointed members in the majority, and the two Democratic-appointed members writing scathing dissent. In their dissent, the minority warned that the Board's ruling could lead to the elimination of union rights for nearly all professional employees because they often perform minor supervisory tasks in their course of their jobs. In the words of the minority: "Today’s decision threatens to create a new class of workers under Federal labor law: workers who have neither the genuine prerogatives of management, nor the statutory rights of ordinary employees. Into that category may fall most professionals (among many other workers), who by 2012 could number almost 34 million, accounting for 23.3 percent of the work force." Read the entire ruling and dissent at: http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/shared_files/decisions/348/348-37.htm Read the AFL-CIO's response at their news blog, AFL-CIO Now. And other commentary at: Working Life, SEIU. Posted by at 11:28 AM | TrackBack February 18, 2006Champaign Jobs with Justice Protests Wal-MartBrrr! We see some familiar faces in this crowd. Keep up the good work.To learn more about Jobs with Justice in Champaign-Urbana, contact... Posted by at 10:27 PM | Comments (1) February 13, 2006Chicago Labor Education Program UpdateThis week's headlines: 1. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH G-MAIL? 2. SOME JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS. 3. BASIC and ADVANCED CERTIFICATE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CLASSES. 4. SHORT COURSES. 5. NATIONAL LABOR COLLEGE CLASSES. 5. POLK PROGRAMS for WOMEN WORKERS. 6. CACOSH, the Chicago Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, is now located at Casa Aztlan at 1831 South Racine Street. More Details: 1. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH G-MAIL? The last CLEP UPdate was returned via a UBC Business Agent whose mail 2. SOME JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS: Field Education Coordinator – Western Region This position is based in AFSCME’'s western region, preferably in Education Coordinator – Washington, DC This position is based in AFSCME’'s headquarters office in 3. BASIC and ADVANCED CERTIFICATE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CLASSES START THE MORNING BASIC SEQUENCE WILL START WITH THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 4. SHORT COURSES. Labor Literature begins Feb 13; ADA and Collective 5. NATIONAL LABOR COLLEGE CLASSES START D National Labor College classes are a partnership between the University LBST2021.EMPLOYMENT LAW. February 4, Saturday, and February 18, March LBOR 2180: Organizing and Representing the New Workforce. February 9, LBST 2990, Educational Planning. February 24-25: Friday evening 6-9 pm JUMPSTARTS. These are brief (4-hour) sessions for people who have taken 5. POLK PROGRAMS: On April 21 we host a conference for nurses and The Regina V. Polk Women's Conference will be held May 17-20 at Pheasant On June 8th the Working Women's History Project will present it's The Midwest School for Women Workers will be held here in Chicago July CACOSH, the Chicago Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, is now Helena Worthen Posted by at 12:56 PM February 5, 2006Latest Video from LabourStartUnion activists across the globe are creating great video. Whether it is footage of strikes and demonstrations or spoof music videos, this new technology holds promise for communicating labor's message. Read on for the latest videos from LabourStart TV. Posted by at 9:17 PM February 3, 2006Welcome to "Labor in Illinois"Welcome to the newly revived "Labor in Illinois" website. In the coming weeks we will be adding content and fiddling with the layout. We hope "Labor in Illinois" will become the place that Illinois unionists and unorganized workers alike come to for news, commentary, and culture. Feel free to offer your comments and suggestions.
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