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This belongs to you. Take it back...
unions 
Fri Mar 11, 2011 at 10:10:52 AM EST
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That would be me, actually. I'll be in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend and I'll be wearing this Union Made Dropkick Murphy's shirt (with proceeds going to the Workers Rights Emergency Response Fund, btw.) that the mailman delivered yesterday.
I'll be blogging all weekend from Madison. Hope you'll stop by and check it out.
I feel enormously fortunate to be able to go. What's happening there and in state houses around the country is enormously important and I can't wait to be a part of it.
Now let me pack this bag and get to my butt to LGA...
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Tue Feb 22, 2011 at 17:38:22 PM EST
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There's a "We Are One" solidarity rally happening right now in front of Fox News HQ in midtown Manhattan. Starting to get some pics. Note the cheeseheads!
Wish I was there.
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Sun Sep 12, 2010 at 18:03:38 PM EDT
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In solidarity with his friend Bingchester, who is not drinking Snapple, my 14 month old son has stopped drinking Mott's apple juice, out of respect for the American worker.
I just submitted the message after the fold at the contact form on the website of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, which owns Mott's Apple Juice and has cut wages and benefits at an upstate New York plant.
My son Quintus, whom many of you TAP folks have met (pictured here with State Senator Jose Peralta) loves apple juice. So we bought another brand, which he seems to like.
Take Action: Visit Bingchester's post here at TAP for links to actions you can take against the wage cuts, in addition to not buying their products. Click here for a list of brands.
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Mon Sep 06, 2010 at 19:30:46 PM EDT
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On this Labor Day, let's all take a moment to think about the American worker. After all today's national holiday is dedicated to workers. Yet corporate America continues to cut workers off at the knees by slashing wages and benefits even while many companies report record profits. One example of this sort of corporate practice is going on in our own backyard, the Rochester Mott/Dr. Pepper Snapple bottling plant. Today the New York State Young Democrats issued a poignant statement relating to the strike and called on all those who stand with workers to officially give up Snapple products in the name of solidarity. On the flip you'll find the letter reprinted in full.
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Tue Aug 17, 2010 at 04:14:47 AM EDT
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Sometimes stories happen because of planning; other times serendipity intervenes, which is how we got to the conversation we'll be having today.
In an exchange of comments on the Blue Hampshire site, I proposed an idea that could be of real value to unions, workers...and surprisingly, employers.
If things worked out correctly, not only would lots of people feel a real desire to have unions represent them, but employers would potentially be coming to unions looking to forge relationships, and, just to make it better, this plan bypasses virtually all of the tools and techniques employers use to shut out union organizers.
Since I just thought this up myself, I'm really not sure exactly how practical the whole thing is, and the last part of the discussion today will be provided by you, as I ask you to sound off on whether this plan could work, and if so, how it could be made better.
It's a new week...so let's all put our heads together and rebuild the labor movement, shall we?
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Wed Jun 16, 2010 at 14:29:44 PM EDT
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When last we left the story of the farmworkers rights bill, the bipartisan piece of legislation was being killed by Senator Aubertine's Agriculture Committee after passing easily through the Labor Committee. In his zest to protect upstate farmers, Senator Aubertine argued that it was ok to abuse the human rights of farmworkers in the name of profit margins of mega industrial farms (the only farms that the bill would actually apply to). At that point, the media and advocates pronounced the bill dead.
Or was it?
Check out this interesting tidbit from Politics on the Hudson today:
Just when it looked like a controversial bill that would have given farmworkers added benefits and mandatory rest periods had finally been laid to rest, Sen. Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, has sponsored a piece of legislation that would require workers to have at least one day off per week and receive overtime pay after working 60 hours.
The bill is nearly identical to the Justice for Farmworkers Act, which has been passed by the Assembly each year for the past decade and defeated by the Senate, except for one major difference: some changed language in the bill would allow for it to go straight to the Senate Rules Committee instead of the Agriculture Committee, where it was defeated in April.
Great news! The return of a bill that will protect workers rights of farm hands by guaranteeing such basic human rights as minimum wage and overtime pay. Cheers to all! But don't get too excited too fast. I have a sneaking suspicion that all is not well with the march to justice for farmworkers.
The bill does not allow for farmworkers to collectively bargain as the Justice for Farmworkers Act would have, Espada said, but he said he thinks the farmworkers could win that right through the courts.
Bingo.
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Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 09:31:57 AM EDT
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NYC Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson is quoted in the NY Post as saying that he's "not averse" to modifying the Taylor Law. Mayor Michael (excuse me, "Mike") Bloomberg is clearly opposed to it.
The Taylor Law prohibits unionized government (or public authority) workers from staging any kind of work stoppage. The concept behind the law is that we as a society cannot afford to have our police or firefighters go on strike. The transit strike a few years ago pointed up just how damaging some work stoppages can be.
The problem is that when workers can't strike they can't force management (the government or public authority) to negotiate. "Mike" Bloomberg forced police officers to go almost five years without a contract, because he refused to negotiate with them. It can make one wonder what damage could be done when the morale of our first responders is affected by the mayor's refusal to treat them with dignity.
While the Taylor Law does provide for binding arbitration, the real-world fact is that nobody wants to go there -- ever. Binding arbitration, unless there is some escape clause, has proven to be untenable time and time again. (Baseball fans will remember the days of binding arbitration there -- it was a disaster, as marginal players were granted exorbitant salaries while bona fide superstars were actually given less.) That's why, over the years when the NYPD was working without a contract, they elected to continue that process rather than go to binding arbitration.
The question, therefore, is what kind of changes should be made to the Taylor Law? I offer one solution:
Allow the union to go to a judge, or to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and ask for a ruling that the government isn't "negotiatiing in good faith." There is a wealth of case law regarding this phrase, so we're on pretty stable ground here. Once a ruling is made that the government isn't negotiating in good faith, the clock starts ticking; after a certain amount of time (say, 30 days), the union may go on strike if a tentative deal isn't reached. Perhaps during the "clock ticking" time a mediator can be brought in to try to help. The only two ways to stop the clock are for the government to get a ruling that the union isn't negotiating in good faith or for a deal to be reached.
Under this scenario, there is no need for binding arbitration, both sides will be required to negotiate, and contracts will be reached. Only in the most extreme circumstances (such as someone like "Mike" Bloomberg trying to exercise dictatorial control) will there be even the threat of a strike -- in which case the cost of our government workers not having a contract could be even worse, so the threat of a strike would be a better scenario.
Of course, for such a modification to be put into effect it would have to be passed in Albany, and right now there aren't a lot of people up there who know anything about negotiating in good faith.
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Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 22:22:51 PM EDT
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I attended a pro-health care rally in Hicksville today sponsored by the LI Fed. of Labor. It was a great turnout for a mid-day, mid-week celebrity free event. We had about 400.
Of course there were about 40 teabaggers protesting us. Most of the comments/signswere the usual; no socialism, hands off mine..., blah, blah, blah.
However, there were two sign of particular note: "Uncle Sam's Plantation" and one that was filled with Jim Crow imagery.You know, Obama with watermelon and all the oldies but goodies. There was also an interesting sign advertising some conservative group. I stumbled across their link and low and behold, found mixed in with their denial numbers commentary, some anti-Semitic and Israel rhetoric.
Once again confirming at the core, these are just a bunch of haters and right now healthcare is their cause celeb'
A closing note, I find it so interesting that those who claim to be defending the "Constitution" and the "Spirit of America" seem to consistently spew positions strongly advocated by the Confederacy.
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Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 11:50:40 AM EDT
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The endorsements for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand keep coming in. Today is no exception.
The largest public employees union in New York - CSEA - announced today that they will support Gillibrand for Senate in the 2010 elections.
CSEA President Danny Donohue said Senator Gillibrand established a strong working relationship with CSEA during her years in the House of Representatives and she has continued to impress with her hard work and fresh ideas. Donohue made the announcement during a meeting of CSEA's 122 member statewide Board of Directors today.
"Senator Gillibrand is an important ally for CSEA members and other working people," Donohue said. "She understands the pressures that our members experience on and off the job and she has consistently worked with us. At a time when our state and nation face extraordinary challenges, we need extraordinary individuals representing New Yorkers in the US Senate."
"We are proud to make this announcement now and without any reservation because we know Senator Gillibrand will continue to serve New Yorkers well.
"I am honored to receive the endorsement of CSEA and the 300,000 members-hardworking New Yorkers in every part of our state. We have a lot of work to do together to move forward on President Obama's agenda to get America's economy working again, create good-paying jobs and repair our nation's broken health care system," Gillibrand said.
CSEA joins a growing number of New York unions that have lined up behind Gillibrand's campaign, including New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1500 (UFCW), New York State Pipe Trades Association, New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF), National Federation of Federal Employees, New York State Council of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and Office and Professional Employees Union.
I am actually a member of CSEA. I just received my membership card in the mail a few days ago. So this endorsement is excellent on many levels.
The strong labor backing Gillibrand has received will help her, not only in a primary, but also in the general election. As Gillibrand's profile grows and she becomes more widely known, it will be tough for anyone to put up a strong fight against her. That goes for Democrats and Republicans.
She is a very strong representative who knows that listening to her constituents, being open (her sunlight initiatives are a rarity in Washington D.C.) and showing leadership is key to winning over New Yorkers who are looking for her to replace Hillary Clinton. She has shown the ability to do all of that and has even shown an ability to embrace the progressive movement and netroots and fight for the same causes we have been battling for.
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Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 13:00:32 PM EDT
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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand received more support from the organized labor community today when two unions announced that they have endorsed Gillibrand for Senate.
The New York State Pipe Trades Association and the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153 backed Gillibrand in her bid for election next year.
Both unions, along with past unions that have backed Gillibrand, have mentioned her work on key labor issues, including the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), fair pay for women and other important issues.
Working men and women from across New York are touting Senator Gillibrand's solid commitment to the Employee Free Choice Act, paycheck fairness for women, along with her efforts to provide health care for 9/11 rescue workers.
"We are proud to endorse Senator Gillibrand for her election in 2010," said Richard Roberts, President of the NY State Pipe Trades Association, which represents plumbers, steamfitters, and sprinklerfitters across the state. "Throughout her time in Congress, Senator Gillibrand has gone to the mat for working families in New York State, showing incredible commitment to the issues we care most about. In particular, we are proud of her leadership on efforts to provide health care to the rescue workers at the world Trade Center and pass the Employee Free Choice Act."
"Kirsten Gillibrand is the kind of Senator our thousands of members can be proud of," said Larry Bulman, Secretary-Treasurer, NY State Pipe Trades Association. "In just four short months on the job, she has demonstrated her commitment to the issues that matter most to our members."
"Kirsten Gillibrand has established herself as a strong advocate for working people," said James Cahill, International Representative for the NY State Pipe Trades Association. "She will work with President Obama to fix this economy and ensure good-paying jobs in New York."
"Kirsten is a true champion for all of us in New York and across America who have been working harder for less and getting squeezed by the fall of this economy," said Mike Goodwin, President of the OPEIU, which has 125,000 members nationwide and 25,000 members in both the private and public sectors in New York City, including New York hotels, the New York Stock Exchange, health insurance companies, manufacturing companies, universities, security companies and teachers in the Archdiocese of New York."
"She knows what's at stake for us," continued Kistler. "She's brought new life to EFCA and is fighting for paycheck fairness and better wages for all of us. She's brought a tenacity to the job that we are confident will help rebuild this economy with the good-paying jobs and affordable health care we need."
"I am honored to have the endorsements of OPEIU and the Pipe Trades Association," said Senator Gillibrand. "It is time we have an economy that works for all our workers, and I am proud to partner with working families to help President Obama create jobs and fix this economy."
Since she first joined Congress, Gillibrand has been a proud original co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. She also co-sponsored legislation to increase the minimum wage, and has been an outspoken advocate for comprehensive health care reform to provide affordable, quality care to every man, woman, and child. Senator Gillibrand has earned a near perfect career rating from the AFL-CIO.
More endorsements for Gillibrand will only strengthen her for a primary challenge, which is still likely to occur. How strong that challenge is, however, remains to be seen. While Rep. Carolyn Maloney is said to be a potential challenger, other names aren't being touted as serious contenders for the job.
These endorsements are crucial for Gillibrand and they highlight her work as a senator and as a member of the House of Representatives. She has made workers a priority and that is reflected in these endorsements.
ON THE WEB:
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's campaign website
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's U.S. Senate website
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Thu May 21, 2009 at 13:38:30 PM EDT
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The National Federation of Federal Employees, a union that represents 100,000 federal employees throughout the country and in New York, announced today that they are endorsing Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate.
(Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand with NFFE members. Photo courtesy of the NFFE.)
In their endorsement of Gillibrand, NFFE President Richard Brown acknowledges her support of federal employees and her advocacy on behalf of working Americans.
"Kirsten Gillibrand is without a doubt the strongest candidate to represent the people of New York," said NFFE National President Richard N. Brown, a lifelong resident of the state. "She understands the needs of constituencies throughout the state, and she is ideally suited to help struggling families get through this difficult economic period. She has been an unwavering advocate of federal employees, and indeed all working Americans."
Throughout her brief tenure in the U.S. Senate, Gillibrand has already proven herself to be a strong leader and champion of the middle class. Her vote in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act delivered desperately needed funds to cash-strapped federal agencies that not only serve, but protect the American people every day. As a result of this vote, thousands of American workers are once again bringing home a paycheck and thousands more will be able to do so in the coming years.
As a co-sponsor of the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, a bill which gives four weeks of paid leave to federal workers caring for a newborn child, the Senator has demonstrated her commitment to building a better workplace for both current and future federal employees.
As the Representative of New York's 20th Congressional District, Gillibrand took a stand against the anti-worker, anti-union National Security Personnel System, protecting the pay and bargaining rights of the dedicated Department of Defense employees in her district. Advocating an 'open-door' policy with employee representatives, Gillibrand has consistently demonstrated a genuine concern for the issues that impact federal workers every day.
This is yet another endorsement and another labor endorsement for Gillibrand. The more endorsements she receives, the less likely a competitive primary will occur.
ON THE WEB:
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's ActBlue Page
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 at 09:24:00 AM EDT
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(Cross-posted at The Excelsior Files, my newest blog project.)
The annual New York State United Teachers convention has concluded in Buffalo and no one could be happier about the convention than NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi.
 Iannuzzi was named president of NYSUT in April 2005 and also serves as vice president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and holds the same title with the New York State AFL-CIO.
(Pictured, at left, is Richard Iannuzzi speaking before the NYSUT Convention in Buffalo.)
Being a teacher is something Iannuzzi knows plenty about. It is why he is the best man to serve as president of such a diverse union that includes 600,000 members statewide. For 34 years, Iannuzzi was an elementary school teacher in Central Islip, where he spent 20 of those years teaching fourth grade. It was during his teaching career that he was very involved in teachers' unions, including his service as vice president of the Central Islip Teachers Association starting in 1976 to 1996 before becoming president of that organization from 1996 to 2004.
While at the convention, I caught up with Iannuzzi and had a chance to ask him a few questions about how he thought the convention went, why NYSUT decided on a social justice theme for the convention and his thoughts on the budget impact on teachers.
QUESTION: How was your experience in Buffalo and how do you think the convention went?
IANNUZZI: I'll start with the city of Buffalo and the wonderful mayor (Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown) and the convention bureau (the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center and Visitors Bureau) they have done more to make us feel at home than any convention site I have ever been at. It's been a great city and a great convention bureau and our hope is that we will be able to be back. That's our goal.
As far as the Representative Assembly goes, I'm excited about it. I feel good now that we are done with it. That we achieved our goals and that the delegates went home inspired and satisfied that they had a good convention. That Woody Guthrie quote does it for me, which is our goal is to make sure that these officers get their job done. If we can help them get their job done, then we've gotten our job done.
Q: There is a debate brewing in school districts across the state about how the state budget and federal stimulus package will impact teachers. Some school districts are proposing cuts, layoffs and so forth to address budget problems. What is your take on that?
IANNUZZI: At the end of the day, when a school district puts its budget forward, it needs to, as always, think about its federal support, state support and its local property tax support. We always understand that and appreciate that.
What's different this year is that the federal stimulus money was clearly designed and directed to save and preserve jobs. Where any school district is not applying those dollars directly for that purpose, our commitment is to aggressively pursue those responsible for that misappropriation and to be sure things get done correctly. We know the Governor's office understands that. We know that the state Education Department understands that.
My last comment on that is to the people that live in those communities and the message is that if your school board is foolishly misappropriating those funds, the result is going to be the potential of losing the funds and property taxes going up even higher.
On behalf of both the community and my members and the kids, our goal will be to be sure those dollars the way they were designed to be spent. And if they are spent that way, what will happen is that teachers will be in classrooms, good things will continue to happen and our hope is that the standards that are raised, the achievement gap is addressed and potentially, we will be able to create the trained and well educated workforce that will grow the economy in the state, especially upstate, in ways that will make it self-sufficient and able to carry it on with their own dollars instead of dollars generated by new business and new industry.
Q: I was impressed by the social justice themes today and that is really impressive that NYSUT has been engaged in that. Talk a little bit about that and what the motives are behind making the union social justice minded.
IANNUZZI: I think if you go back to the birth of the union movement, it really was about providing an opportunity for collective action in ways that the voice of those who were voiceless could be heard. And that's really how unions started and how unions have grown.
Perhaps there is a period of time, it could be argued, where unions, in general, have concentrated on so many other issues that they haven't been able to concentrate on social justice. But our view of social justice is that now that we have begun to move forward in respect to our ability to move workers further and further into the middle class, we still have an obligation to be sure that our lowest wage earning workers get a living wage, that we protect their health insurance and their nutrition.
We believe that our responsibility as a union expands beyond our members. It expands to other workers and that we ought to be sure that it expands to those we serve, whether we are talking about children, patients or the public.
In his biography posted on the NYSUT website, there is this quote from Iannuzzi, which certainly could best sum up Iannuzzi's view of what he hopes to do as a union and as president of that union.
"Whether we work in health care, on a campus or in a school - whether we are in-service or retired - we all bring different contributions and concerns to our shared union endeavors," said Iannuzzi, who has spoken frequently concerning the potential for diversity to increase the power of unity. "After all, each of us understands that our strength is not in focusing on our diverse professions, geography or the size of our locals, but in our common union culture. In essence, our strength is our solidarity."
Iannuzzi's leadership has brought many successes to NYSUT. And with his leadership, the union will still look for ways to best represent their members as well as improving the world around them.
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Tue Mar 24, 2009 at 17:35:18 PM EDT
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Or, at least that what he is threatening. After failing to wrest concessions from the public sector unions that represent most state employees, Paterson says he's going to put almost 9,000 jobs on the chopping block.
Citing a $16.2 billion budget deficit that appears to be growing larger by the day, Gov. David Paterson this afternoon said his administration will eliminate 8,900 jobs, starting this summer.
"This is not a decision that has been reached lightly," said a letter that went out minutes ago from Paterson's state operations director Dennis Whalen.
"However, given the fact that savings through labor concessions were not achieved, Governor Paterson was forced to make this difficult decision for the good of the entire state."
Budget Division spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said the job cuts will probably start in July and they apply to "full-time equivalents," which means some of the target might be reached by attrition.
In his message to agency heads, Whalen said they will be providing updates and bulletins over the next few weeks.
Still unknown was where most of the cuts may fall, by geography and by agency.
That's pretty damn harsh, especially given that huge chunk of change we just got from the feds, funds that were supposed keep states from having to lay off staff in the middle of a severe recession.
Dennis Whalen's full letter is in the extended entry.
UPDATE: Malcolm Smith's office just released this statement:
These are difficult times and no segment of the state is immune to the harsh reality of the fiscal crisis. We urge the union leadership who represent the public sector workforce to step up and renegotiate a fair agreement that is consistent with the principle of shared sacrifice all New Yorkers must accept during times of economic distress. Public employees are among the most vital contributors to our workforce, but at the same time, they must also be our partners as we strive to change the structure of our state's budget and get New York's economy back on track.
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Sun Sep 28, 2008 at 13:47:35 PM EDT
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Brian Foley was joined by over 50 members of four local unions yesterday for door-to-door canvassing in Brookhaven. The campaign has received a huge push from organized labor over the last week thanks to seven endorsements of Foley by local unions.
This Saturday, September 27th, over 50 members from four unions amassed in Brookhaven to walk door to door with Brian X. Foley, talking to voters about Foley's record of changing government and fighting for the working families of Suffolk County. Members of CWA Locals 1104 and 1108, SEIU Local 32BJ, and RWDSU volunteered their Saturday afternoon to join together and walk in the Shirley and Mastic Beach neighborhoods.
"We're proud to walk with Brian X. Foley today, because working people in Brookhaven and Islip deserve more than they're getting thanks to Caesar Trunzo's 36 years of failed economic policies," said Anthony Eramo, CWA Local 1104 Shop Steward. "Trunzo has been in the pocket of special interests for far too long. He's in Albany working for the HMOs and lobbyists; not for the people of this District. We're dedicated to a strong future for middle-class families on Long Island - that's why we're for Brian."
The first labor walk follows on the heels of an exciting week for the Foley campaign. Foley was endorsed this week by seven labor unions. CWA District 1, CWA Local 1108, UFCW Local 1500, RWDSU, UAW Region 9A, SEIU 32BJ, and New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council all threw their support behind Brian X. Foley's campaign. This powerful show of support from labor unions illustrates the strength of Foley's appeal to working families and the momentum of his campaign in Islip and Brookhaven.
In addition a recent public poll by the Siena Research Institute showed that Foley and 36 year incumbent Caesar Trunzo are in a statistical dead heat going into the final 5 weeks of the campaign. This was just the first of three labor walks for Foley. Members will also join Foley to walk the District in October and on Election Day weekend.
"I am honored to be joined by our friends from labor as we go door to door talking to voters about the change we'll bring to Albany," said Foley. Our Coalition for Change is passionate about ending Senator Trunzo's failed policies as part of the Albany status quo. Together, we will win this election and bring the same integrity and common sense approach to government that we used to turn Brookhaven around."
This will be important for Foley moving forward. He is running against a candidate who can't even appear in his own TV ads yet seems to have some level of support remaining in the district. Having unions hit the streets on his behalf will be important for Foley heading into the last month of the campaign.
ON THE WEB:
Brian Foley's ActBlue Page
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Tue Jun 03, 2008 at 08:30:40 AM EDT
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I wrote earlier about reports of creative legislative actuarial work that really suggests that legislators really aren't watching state finances too closely.
Today, the Times goes further, starting to add up the actual cost of bills passed with Schwartz's broken cost estimates:
An actuary paid by public employee unions and yet relied upon by the State Legislature to determine the cost of proposals affecting New York City's pension system underestimated their ultimate cost by at least $500 million, city documents and other records show.
In the hundreds of bills for which he has provided estimates to lawmakers since 2000, the actuary, Jonathan Schwartz, said legislation adjusting the pensions of public employees would have no cost, or limited cost, to the city.
But just 11 of the more than 50 bills vetted by Mr. Schwartz that have become law since 2000 will result in the $500 million in eventual costs, or more than $60 million annually, according to projections provided by Robert C. North Jr., the independent actuary of the city pension system, and by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's office.
Mr. North and other city employees made the calculations on the 11 bills when they were before the Legislature, but for the other bills, no alternative to Mr. Schwartz's projections could be found. The New York Times reported last month that in an arrangement that had not been publicly disclosed, Mr. Schwartz was being paid by labor unions. He acknowledged in an interview that he skewed his work to favor the public employees, calling his job "a step above voodoo."
20% of the bills this guy wrote about, and the tally for that is $500 million? It's not exactly encouraging. (Okay, most of it's in one bill, but what does it all add up to?)
It's both parties, both houses:
Despite legislative leaders' assertions that they undertake independent financial analyses of the pension bills, neither the Senate nor the Assembly could provide any records to bolster that claim.
And sometimes the City Council seems to have fallen for it too.
There's a lot more detail in the article, little of it encouraging, though though both houses say they'll try to make sure it never happens again. (The Senate is proposing changes to rules; the Assembly seems just to have halted consideration of bills prepared by Schwartz.)
Is it any wonder that people don't trust this legislature?
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Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:14:47 AM EDT
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Every piece of legislation in New York requires a "fiscal note" that explains the spending involved.
Guess what? Those notes aren't exactly unbiased:
But what the legislators did not disclose, as they cited the expert analysis of the actuary, Jonathan Schwartz, was that Mr. Schwartz had not been paid by the state to conduct his analysis. His work was bankrolled by unions, including District Council 37, the umbrella group of municipal unions that drafted the early retirement bill, which is now moving through the Legislature....
Mr. Schwartz, a former city actuary, said that he routinely skewed his projections to favor the unions - he called his job "a step above voodoo" - and admitted that he had knowingly overreached on the pension bill by claiming that it cost nothing, either now or in future years. "I got a little bit carried away in my formulation," he explained...
He said: "The Legislature knows full well I'm being paid by the unions. If they choose not to disclose that, that's on them, not me."
Oops.
And does anyone regularly analyze bills after they've been implemented to find out how the costs compare to the original claims?
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Thu May 15, 2008 at 09:55:14 AM EDT
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This morning's New York Times takes a look at the stronger than usual hand unions have in Albany at the moment:
With the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer and an approaching state election that has senators of both parties desperate for support, labor unions are flexing their muscles in the capital to a degree not seen in years....
The unions want their pensions sweetened and their health benefits set in stone. They want local school districts to continue to increase their budgets without interference from the state, and they want to force some nonprofit groups to pay higher wages.
They have already scored a victory by stripping language out of state law that linked decisions on teachers' tenure to their students' performance on standardized tests.
The unions are moving aggressively on their legislative agenda in part because Mr. Paterson is viewed as a relatively weak governor, whereas Mr. Spitzer battled some of the most powerful unions in the state. In fact, there is no effective counterweight to the unions' clout, given the limited influence of the state's business lobby and how close the state's top Republican, Senator Joseph L. Bruno, is to labor leaders.
Balancing the needs of employees with the needs of taxpayers is always a difficult dance, especially since the state has no profits that could be given to workers instead of shareholders.
I can't help remembering SEIU 1199's willingness to support our Republican State Senate (and former Governor Pataki) in return for things like the 2002 "Health Care Worker Recruitment and Retention Act", spending $1.8 billion, passed in the middle of the night by legisators who hadn't read it.
Are we in for a few more rounds of that? Or are there other possibilities that might emerge?
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Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 12:23:40 PM EDT
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Iraq War Veteran and NY-26 Democratic candidate Jon Powers announced today that he has received the support of the Town of Lancaster Democratic Committee, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 86 and the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades.
The Lancaster Democrats join their fellow Democrats in Clarence as the second town Democratic committee to endorse Powers in Erie County.
Powers is very appreciative of these endorsements.
"I am honored to stand with these men and women. They understand that this area is yearning for new leadership and a representative who will fight for real solutions," said Jon Powers, former captain in the U.S. Army, Iraq war veteran and Democratic candidate for Congress.
The list of committees, unions and important individuals who have endorsed Powers is growing. Here is the full list:
Powers' Endorsements:
·Niagara County Democratic Executive Committee
·Genesee County Democratic Committee
·Livingston County Democratic Committee
·Orleans County Democratic Committee
·Wyoming County Democratic Committee
·Town of Clarence Democratic Committee
·Town of Lancaster Democratic Committee
·SEIU 1199
·United Food and Commercial Workers
·Communications Workers of America
·International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
·United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers Industrial Union District 4
·International Union of Painters & Allied Trades
·International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 86
·AFSCME Local 264
·VoteVets
·VetPAC
·General Wesley Clark
·Senator Bob Kerrey
·Senator John Kerry
ON THE WEB:
Jon Powers for Congress
Contribute to Jon Powers for Congress
Sign up for Powers campaign updates.
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Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 22:22:57 PM EST
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WKBW-Channel 7 in Buffalo used to be the top news station in Buffalo. The key words: Used to be.
Now, employees at the station are fighting back because they have been working without a contract since January 31.
Buffalo Pundit has the story.
Channel 7 union workers have been without a contract since January 31st, and instead of striking, they're publicizing their grievance with the public. You can check out their website here, and you may have seen leaflets, bus ads, and lawn signs popping up throughout WNY recently.
It's a far cry from these days, I suppose. I wasn't around, but understand that Channel 7 was the news to watch.
It seems the company has some ridiculous demands. From the 7 News Unfair website:
The starting hourly wage at Channel 7 is barely above minimum, $8.75. That doesn't even meet Buffalo City Hall's designation of a living wage at $9.90 per hour.
· The owner wants the power to impose a "split shift" schedule for part-timers, new hires, along with unwitting full-timers who consent. An employee could be brought in to work the morning show from 4:30 to 7:00 a.m., then sent home, to return for the 5-6 p.m. shows later in the day. The company wants to do this without paying any overtime or other penalty for screwing up an employee's day. And, should you agree to assist the company by working a split shift, your consent is FOREVER! It can NEVER BE WITHDRAWN! We are PEOPLE , not YO-YOS!
· The owner (a Connecticut-based hedge fund) wants the power to work an employee well past 8 hours in a given day without incurring any overtime or penalties. Under this scenario, you could be required to work 16 hours straight, then told to stay home the next day, or later in the week. This scheme would allow the company to avoid paying ANY OVERTIME as long as the workweek does not exceed 40 hours.
There is A LOT on their website covering all of the company's demands. Check it out.
You can also help them out in a few different ways.
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