November 2009 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

Legislation introduced to assist with funding for new Medical College

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, October 15th- The construction of the new medical college in downtown Scranton is being done without the benefit of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Scranton Building and Construction Trades Council of Lackawanna County but most of the work is still being done with unionzied workers.

According to Drew Simpson, President of the 15 affiliated member labor federation, the President of the Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton would not agree to sign a PLA with the labor organization. A PLA would guarantee local unionized workers would be hired for the building and construction of the school. Under a PLA, a nonunion contractor could still be hired for the project, but if they are selected, local unionized workers must be hired.

“We met with Mr. D’Alessandri and requested he sign a PLA, but he would not,” said Mr. Simpson. Robert D’Alessandri, MD, is the President of the Commonwealth Medical College currently under construction in Scranton.

“Thank goodness for the medical college,” said Kevin McHugh, Business Manager of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers Union Local 489 in Yatesville. Mr. McHugh told the newspaper work for his members is slow and there are some not working and the construction of the medical college has put many of his members to work.

Jack Greenwood, Business Manager of the United Association of Pipefitters & Plumbers Union Local 524, Corey Avenue in Scranton, told the newspaper all aspects of plumbing and pipefitters, including the instulation of heating, has gone to a unionized contractor. “Everything is gone good for us,” said Mr. Greenwood.

Gino Arcurie, Treasurer of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union Local 81, Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, stated his members are working on the medical college construction because a contractor signed with Local 81 was hired for the project. “We have guys working over there. The project is good for us,” said Mr. Arcurie.

Mr. Simpson is also the Council Coordinator of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Union Local 645, Pear Street in Scranton, and told the newspaper his members have also been hired in the construction of the medical college. “The Medical School construction is coming at a good time. We have many members out of work.”

John Gatto, Assistant Business Manager of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Union District Council 21 in Drums, when contacted by the newspaper stated several signatory contractors with District Council 21 were hired for the construction project including for the glazing work which involves the installation of glass.

According to Mr. Simpson, the site preparation and excavation work was done by a nonunion contractor. The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Union Local 542 in Wilkes-Barre represents workers which operate heavy construction equipment and would have be employed at the site if a unionized contractor was hired. However, Local 542 members were hired to operate cranes used to erect steel for the construction.

Meanwhile, United States House of Representative (Democrat, 11th Legislative District) Paul Kanjorski announced on October 8th he has introduced legislation for more federal funding for Medical Schools including the Commonwealth Medical College.

“Out health care system is facing extreme difficulties and it is currently overwhelmed by the number of patients as compared to the number of doctors. This legislation would encourage the creation of new medical schools throughout the country and also assist those developed in the past year, including the Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton,” said Mr. Kanjorski.

November 2009 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

Union files complaint against PPL Corporation

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, October 14th- The union that represents approximately 3,700 employees of PPL Corporation, North Ninth Street in Allentown, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region Four office in Philadelphia alleging the public utility violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRAct). The company is a electricity producer and distributor.

According to the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge filed by the International Brotherhood of Electricial Workers (IBEW) Union Local 1600, Grange Road in Trexlertown on Ocorber 8th, the employer violated Section 8(a) and subsections (1) and (5) of the NLRAct.

The ULP was filed on behalf of IBEW Local 1600 by Attorney Ronald Tomasko, of the lawfirm of James, Smith, Dietterick & Connelly of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. The management official identified on the ULP to be contacted is Harold Fisher.

The complaint alleges PPL management has recently confirmed that it has supervisors performing bargaining unit work. The ULP states Local 1600 is the duly certified bargaining representative for unionized employees of PPL. The parties have a collective bargaining agreement in place that explicitly acknowledges Local 1600’s certified bargaining status.

“However, PPL management, despite numerous requests by Local 1600, has refused to reveal the management personnel performing such work and specific circumstances surround the performance of bargaining unit work by members of Management, all of which is in violation of the Act,” states the ULP, which was reviewed by the newspaper.

The newspaper is the only media in Northeastern Pennsylvania that reviews complaints and petitions filed with the NLRB.

November 2009 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

OSHA begins program to determine accuracy of employer data

BY PAUL LEESON
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, October 9th- The United States Department of Labor’s(DOL’s), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Washington, DC is initiating a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on recordkeeping to assess the accuracy of injury and illness data recorded by employers.

The recordkeeping NEP involves inspecting occupational injury and illness records prepared by businesses and appropriately enforcing regulatory requirements when employers are found to be under-recording injuries and illnesses.

The inspections include a records review, employee interviews, and a limited safety and health inspection of the workplace. The National Emphasis Program will focus on selected industries with high injury and illness rates.

“Accurate and honest recordkeeping is vitally important to workers’ health and safety. This information is not only used by the Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration to determine which workplaces to inspect, but it is an important tool employers and workers can use to identify health and safety problems in their workplaces,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Jordan Barab.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct) of 1970, OSHA’s role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for American’s workers by setting and enforcing standards, and providingtraining, outreach and education.

At the request of the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a study on the accuracy of employer injury and illness records.

This NEP will help the Occupational Safety and Health Administration work cooperatively with the Government Accountability Office. It also complements the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) efforts to investigate factors accounting for differences between the number of workplace injuries and illnesses estimated by BLS and those estimated by other data sources.

November 2009 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News

Meeting held between Scranton Diocese and SDACT Union

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, October 13th- A meeting between officials of the Scranton Diocese and the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) Union did not resolve the on-going dispute between them however, the President of the union told the newspaper he is optimistic the parties could settle their differences.

Mike Milz, President of SDACT, told the newspaper the two sides met on October 7th in Scranton to discuss the union situation with the Diocese of Scranton officials. Mr. Milz stated the meeting held between the parties lasted for a little less than a hour in which the union was told no resolve of the union situation can be obtained until a new Bishop of Scranton is named.

The SDACT represented teachers of the Diocese of Scranton until August 2007 when the previous contracts expired and now retired Scranton Diocese Bishop Joseph Martino refused to negotiate for a new contract agreement.

SDACT represented the teachers of seventeen of the fourty-two grade schools and nine of the ten high schools of the Scranton Diocese until Bishop Martino restructured the school system in 2007.

The new system eliminated the small school boards and created four regional boards. SDACT previously had contracts with each Board of Pastors that represented each school. Bishop Martino implemented a “Employee Relations Program,” after he told the union they no longer represented the employees.

Mr. Milz was a 33-year employee of the Scranton Diocese working as a science teacher and later a social studies teacher at Bishop Hoban High School in Wilkes-Barre, which is now called Holy Redemmer. Mr. Milz was laid-off by the Diocese of Scranton in 2008 and is now working for the Pennsylvania State Educational Association (PSEA) Union in the Lehigh Valley.

Mr. Milz stated SDACT wants to represent the teachers again and still has authorization cards signed by the workers indicating they would like to be union represented. The cards were signed by the workers after Bishop Martino agreed to allow the union to represent the workers if a majority of them wanted to be represented by SDACT for the purpose of collective bargaining. However, Mr. Milz said Bishop Martino went back on his word and later refused to discuss the union situation with the union.

More Concerns Emerge for Christie as New Jersey Election Approaches

by Seth Michaels, Oct 28, 2009

http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/10/28/more-concerns-emerge-for-christie-as-new-jersey-election-approaches/

In six days, New Jersey residents head to the polls to vote for governor—and former Bush political appointee Chris Christie is at the center of yet another scandal. The Star-Ledger reports that near the end of his tenure as a Bush-appointed U.S. attorney, Christie defied requests of his co-workers and hired a political crony’s son as an assistant U.S. attorney.

It’s the latest in a list of allegations that Christie misused his office as U.S. Attorney, through potential violations of spending limits on travel and hotels, deferred prosecution agreements, the use of his position to get out of driving violations, a questionable loan to an employee who may have given aid to his political campaign and planning his run for governor with Bush political operative Karl Rove while still serving as U.S. attorney.

Christie is challenging the New Jersey State AFL-CIO-endorsed Gov. Jon Corzine. The race is tight and the choice for the next governor of New Jersey will come down to turnout on Nov. 3, so union volunteers across the state are working hard to mobilize other union members to get to the polls and support a champion of working families.

Union members are troubled by Christie’s stands on key working-family issues: Christie could move the state in the wrong direction on health care, education and workers’ rights.

So New Jersey union members continue to mobilize as Election Day approaches. More than 1,400 union volunteers braved cold and rain and knocked on some 50,000 union members’ doors over the weekend to get the word out about Christie, Corzine and the need for a strong turnout next Tuesday. Even more volunteers are expected to come out this weekend for the final push.

President Barack Obama visited New Jersey last week to encourage people of all ages to get out the vote for Corzine, calling him

…committed to fighting for New Jersey’s families and New Jersey’s future.

It is looking like we need to reduce the number of Senators it takes to end a filibuster from 60 to 55 to stop this obstructionism from the Right and our own corporate Democrats.

These corporate Democrats are a tiny minority in the Democratic Party and represent essentially almost no Democratic voters. We would be better off as a nation and as a political party if they were marginalized. If they want to sell-out American consumers and workers, they should not be calling themselves Democrats in the process. They are betraying what Democrats are all about…. betraying our deeply held core principles for campaign cash from health insurance corporations.

Any Democratic Senator who fails to support closure on healthcare reform should be stripped of any committee or sub-committee chairmanships they might hold as a result.

In solidarity,

Stephen Crockett

Editor, Mid-Atlantic Labor.com & Host, Democratic Talk Radio