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June 30, 2009National/PoliticalLabor Movement Backs UNITE HERE Against SEIU Raids In a dramatic blow to SEIU’s efforts to raid UNITE HERE members and jurisdictions, 15 of the nation’s leading unions pledged Monday to provide the union with “material and moral” support. Before a wildly cheering and upbeat crowd of 700, AFSCME President Gerald McEntee denounced SEIU for the “poaching” of UNITE HERE, and for engaging in “piracy on the high seas of organized labor.” Reprinted in Huffington Post: Labor Movement Backs UNITE HERE Against SEIU Raids Labor Progress Rallies Around UNITE HERE / Opening of Chicago Convention Includes Outpouring of Brook from Major Union Presidents and Local Labor Bodies ... Gerry McEntee, President of AFSCME, in discussing AFSCME’s signing of the mortgage supporting UNITE HERE, noted, ‘Different unions have different strategies and that’s keen, but you cross the line when you interfere with another amalgamation. For another union to come onto your turf and take profit of what you’ve built, that is piracy on the seas of organized labor. It breaks an unwritten rules. I signed your solidarity agreement and I pledge support to commingle HERE against any union raid, big or small. You have the underpinning of 1.6 million AFSCME members. We’ve stood with you up front and we stand with you now.’ Union Assails Citigroup for Planned Pay Raises The nation’s largest public employees union is taking aim at Citigroup, saying it is “dismayed” by the bank’s plan to raise salaries for its employees by as much as 50 percent to offset smaller bonuses. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees asserted Monday that Citigroup’s bankers and traders would be receiving “a great deal more pay that has no tie to performance.” The union said short-term compensation had played a role in creating the current financial crisis — essentially by encouraging excessive risk-taking. .. Mr. McEntee noted in his letter, which was provided to DealBook, that the various pension plans for its 1.6 million members held about 3 percent of Citigroup’s stock. Solis Hopes to 'Level the Playing Field' for Unions After a lifetime in politics, Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis has honed the fine art of dodging controversial questions, but here's one issue where she doesn't pull her punches: the 9.4 percent unemployment rate. The June figures will be released Thursday, and she's braced for more bad news. ... One of her most pressing issues is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a huge priority of labor that would effectively change the way unions are organized. Under the proposed legislation, a secret ballot election can be bypassed. Gibbs Says Questions on Obama Tax Pledge Are Speculative White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Monday declined to reaffirm President Barack Obama’s pledge not to raise taxes on families earning under $250,000 per year, calling questions about the promise — asked in the context of a possible tax on health benefits — speculative. Taxing Employer Health Benefits: The Poison Pill That Would Kill Health Care Reform Congress is finally beginning to grapple with a way to give all U.S. citizens access to affordable health insurance. Unions support universal coverage like a large majority of Americans. Almost 15 years have gone by since lawmakers considered comprehensive reform to our nation’s health care system with the goal of making sure every American can access health care. How to pay for health care reform was the problem then — and it’s the problem now. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the powerful chairman of the Finance Committee, is suggesting an enormous new tax on employer-sponsored health insurance. Lawmakers Face Pressure to Resolve U.S. Health Issues Lawmakers working to overhaul the U.S. health-care system face a pressure-filled July after leaving town this week without resolving the biggest questions dividing Democrats and Republicans. .. Much of the focus will be on the Senate Finance Committee, the likeliest place for a bipartisan agreement. Committee Chairman Max Baucus is hailing progress made on reining in the cost of the legislation and on Congress’s role in overseeing cuts in Medicare, even after missing two deadlines he set for his panel’s work. Republicans are sounding less optimistic. Related from the New York Times: Obama Steers Health Debate Out of Capital Insurance figure at center of health debate / Lobby’s CEO adds a diplomatic voice The face of the insurance industry in Washington is a slight, soft-spoken former AFL-CIO employee benefits director with a penchant for data-driven logic. She has the confidence and intellectual agility of a skilled debater, but prefers to dwell on areas of agreement. On healthcare, Karen Ignagni often sounds like the lifelong Democrat that she is. “The president is right,’’ she said at a panel discussion recently, when asked about President Obama’s belief that insurers must stop refusing to cover people who are sick. “That needs to change.’’ Union Targets Baucus, Conrad on Health Benefits Tax The Laborers’ International Union of North America is targeting Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) with a television ad urging the two Senators to resist taxing health insurance benefits as a means to pay for health care reform. Related from USA Today: Health tax focus of new labor ads States brace for shutdowns ... Indiana is one of five states -- along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania -- bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets. Of the 46 states whose fiscal year ends today, 32 did not have budgets passed and approved by their governors as of Monday afternoon, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. ... Since 2002, only five states have been forced to shut down their governments. Related article from the Wall Street Journal: Ten States Race to Finish Budgets Furloughs cut into state services With states facing a $121 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year, a growing number of them have turned to squeezing their workforce for savings, and effects are being felt, both great and small. ... By comparison, at least 54,000 state workers have been laid off so far, according to tallies by the National Conference of State Legislators and the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME). “People were saying, ‘well if things are so bad, why aren’t people getting laid off?’ The answer to that is that in a lot of places, they’re choosing furloughs,” said AFSCME’s Kerri Korpi. Report: States not spending stimulus money effectively States are not making as much progress as possible in spending funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), according to a report by Washington-based Smart Growth America (SGA). Not enough of the $26 billion in ARRA funding for transportation projects has gone to repairing existing roads and bridges or to fund public transportation, the report says. SGA released " The States and the Stimulus" on Monday to coincide with the 120-day deadline for states to commit 50 percent of the ARRA money they are scheduled to receive. The report sought to answer three questions regarding states and urban areas' use of ARRA funds: Is the money being used to create jobs and new transportation options; are the recipients meeting ARRA's objectives; and, is the decision making process transparent and accountable? Governments Grab Unused Gift Cards Some states faced with sinking tax collections and rising debt are going after unused gift cards that bolster their revenue. South Carolina is considering legislation that would give the state the right to collect unclaimed gift-card credit. A similar measure in Texas to allow the collection of unused credit even from cards that have no expiration date passed that state's House this spring and stalled in the Senate. Texas already collects unused gift cards with expiration dates. Letter: Promoting Equal Pay: Lilly Ledbetter States Her Case Re “Paycheck Fairness” (editorial, June 24): Your editorial endorsing the Paycheck Fairness Act was right on the money. Ever since I lost my Supreme Court case, I’ve been traveling the country and lobbying Capitol Hill in support of new, stronger equal pay laws. Last weekend I addressed the national convention of the American Association of University Women, which is also pushing for passage of the act. Ruling Offers Little Guidance on Fair Hiring In ruling for a group of white firefighters in New Haven on Monday, the Supreme Court tried to address a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t quandary for many cities and other employers: what they should do when an employment test yields results that overwhelmingly favor whites. But many legal experts said that instead of setting forth clear new rules, the court’s decision left things as muddled as ever for the nation’s employers — and seemed to ensure much more litigation over the explosive issue of employment discrimination. .. The 5-to-4 ruling applies largely to public-sector hiring and to civil service exams, but could also affect private employers that use tests or other screening methods. Towers-Watson deal rankles governance activists Corporate governance activists decried a merger of Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc (WW.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Towers Perrin, saying conflicts of interests could arise if executive compensation consultants get hired by the same managers to advise them on human resources issues. ... "We want to break the link between consulting for executive pay and other human resources issues," said Richard Ferlauto, director of pension and benefit policy at labor group the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The two unions are among shareholder activists who have urged the federal government to get more involved in overseeing the multimillion-dollar pay packages received by a growing number of American chief executives. The art of labour In these times of fraught union-management relations brought about by the global economic recession and employers' consequent need to cut costs, this new book is a vivid reminder of the sad fact that the two sides of the production coin have never really gotten along. ... Agitate Educate Organize: American Labor Posters, by Lincoln Cushing and Timothy W. Drescher, Cornell Paperbacks “The best posters about American workers and the jobs at which they labor make up a visually fascinating body of work that rewards our attention,” the authors, Lincoln Cushing and Timothy W. Drescher, write in their introduction. “The posters were produced with a dual purpose: to entertain and inform.” State/LocalPay Freeze Approved For Minn. State Employees A two-year pay freeze for Minnesota state workers has cleared its last hurdle. The Employee Relations Subcommittee of the Legislative Coordinating Commission signed off on contracts for the two largest state employee unions on Monday, the last step before the freeze takes effect. The new contracts begin Wednesday. Workers represented by AFSCME Council 5 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees will see their wages frozen at current levels through June 2011. The contracts suspend raises for years of service in the first year, but reinstate those increases in the second year. Arbitrator ends county's 35-hour work week after one day An arbitrator has ordered Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker to cease his unpaid furlough order for county employees, he said in a press conference Monday morning. ... The arbitrator’s cease and desist order was the result of a grievance filed by Milwaukee County District Council 48 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “This is highly unfortunate,” Walker said. “As county executive, I have the responsibility to the taxpayers of Milwaukee to have a balanced budget.” Related:
Doyle signs state budget, kills county sales tax Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has signed the state budget bill for the 2009-2011 biennium, vetoing a 0.65 percent sales tax in Milwaukee County and killing the proposed transit authority for the county. As city contracts expire tonight, no strikes - or deals - loom At the stroke of midnight tonight, contracts for the city's 20,000 union workers will expire, with the prospect of new deals still on the distant horizon. But don't look for striking workers outside City Hall at 12:05 a.m. tomorrow. Although workers in District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and AFSCME District Council 47 can hit the pavement, neither unit has called a strike-authorization vote. Related article CBS3: City Union Contract Deadline Looming Budget passage a protracted process In years past, Gov. Rendell and legislative leaders would be gearing up by now for marathon backroom negotiations, usually emerging sometime over the Fourth of July holiday with an agreement on the new state budget. This year - today, the last day of the constitutional budget deadline - there is not even a pretense of a deal in the works. The governor and Republicans who control the Senate are so far apart in the fundamentals of enacting a state budget that talks are expected to stretch weeks into July and possibly beyond. Rendell to outline loan program for state workers Gov. Rendell has planned a press briefing Tuesday morning in Harrisburg to announce loan programs designed to help state employees during a possible budget impasse. Charleston Sanitation Workers Fight for Union Recognition Sanitation workers in Charleston, South Carolina, are knocking on doors to drum up support for their battle to gain union recognition. They've been learning from leaders of a historic 1969 struggle, and drawing support from students and members of Longshoremen (ILA) Local 1422. Photo: Ajamu Dillahunt. Sanitation workers in Charleston, South Carolina, are knocking on doors to drum up support for their battle to gain recognition for Local 1199B, part of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees-AFSCME. On April 4, the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination during a 1968 sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, the Charleston workers launched a door-to-door petition drive to raise awareness of their struggle and pressure the City Council to recognize the union. Schwarzenegger calls for two-tier state pension system California public employee unions already reeling from pay cuts have been dealt a new blow by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – a push to lower pension and retiree health care benefits for state workers hired after today. Two Unions in Hawaii Seek to Block Governor from Ordering Furloughs—and More Bargaining News Two unions in Hawaii seek to block the governor from ordering furloughs for thousands of state workers—and more updates here from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” .. Two Hawaii state unions, the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA-AFSCME) and the independent University of Hawaii Public Assembly (UHPA-Ind.), asked a judge to block Gov. Linda Lingle from unilaterally ordering thousands of state workers to take three unpaid days off per month, starting in July. Related: Facing state mess, Suozzi won't discuss layoffs A day after declaring that state legislation "must by passed before June 30" to bail Nassau County out of its budget mess, County Executive Thomas Suozzi refused Monday to disclose further layoff plans if the state fails to act. ... Jerry Laricchiuta, president of CSEA Local 830, the biggest county union, said he had agreed to the day-to-day extensions, at least until July 10, when some of his workers will have to take their early retirement. "The deal can be extended by mutual agreement," Laricchiuta said. Senate split: now labor is angry Pleas for sanity have been of little use in getting the attention of the warring factions in the state Senate. How about some old-fashioned political threats — like a union saying it’s going to take out a couple of senators if they don’t get back to work? “Hey. Maybe it’s time to tell some of these politicians that they don’t have job security,” Jerry Laricchiuta, president of CSEA Local 830, representing Nassau County government workers, said late Monday. NYC hit by nerd job rob It's a geek tragedy. While the city vows to save and create jobs for recession-ravaged New Yorkers, one of its biggest contractors is importing techies from India, instead of hiring local computer nerds. IBM won a $1.9 million contract with the Department of Finance to analyze its old main databases so they can be improved, but the company has transported "consultants" from Mumbai and other parts of India to do most of the work. At least 17 employees hired by an IBM subsidiary in India have worked in New York since October, inspecting the city's computer systems, which hold property and other tax records, insiders said. ... But Amin's fortune means US citizens get shut out of well-paying jobs, critics charge. Four Concessions Decrease Hartford's $3.2 Million Revenue Gap HARTFORD - Concessions by four municipal unions won city council approval Monday night, moving the city closer to closing a $3.2 million revenue gap in the new budget that begins Wednesday. The exact amount saved by the concession packages was not available at the meeting. The contracts, covering more than 500 municipal employees, are with the Hartford Professional Employees Association; Local 1716, Council 4, AFSCME; the School Crossing Guards Association and Hartford Municipal Employees Association. Fiscal year deadline looms does state shut down? For months, people in the state Capitol have said Illinois needs a budget by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. But it's unlikely anyone will shut off the lights if there's no budget deal by midnight Tuesday. .. But Anders Lindall says the annual budget stalemates are "wearying" for state employees. Lindall is spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. 2009 Legislative Action: Taxes about to increase as Legislature's work takes effect ... The public won't be happy with fewer state employees on the job, according to the head of a state employee organization. "This time our customers, the taxpayers, are going to see the consequences," said Dennis Mallory, the chief of staff of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041. "They are going to be longer lines at the DMV. They aren't going to get as quick of response for requests for any services." UT, AFSCME extend current contract The University of Toledo and union officials representing 1,800 employees on Health Science Campus announced today that the current collective bargaining agreement has been extended to Sept. 30. Connie Rubin, senior director of labor and employees relations, and Tom Kosek, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2415 and AFSCME Ohio Council 8, said despite progress on non-financial issues, both sides lack vital information yet to be released as part of the state of Ohio’s budgetary process. Toledo mayor, police hammer out tentative deal Eight months of tense and stressful labor negotiations between the city of Toledo and its police patrolmen's union came to an end yesterday with a tentative agreement both sides said they could accept. ... The city is also negotiating for concessions with the Toledo Police Command Officers Association; Local 92 Firefighters; AFSCME Local 2058 Supervisors, and Local 7 Communication Operators. Agencies don’t need merger, says director/ State: Retirement Systems, Health Care Authority can work together, boss asserts The state Department of Retirement Systems and the Health Care Authority don’t need to merge, said Steve Hill, who has been the director of both agencies for four months. ... Retired public employees likely will see the decision as a good thing, said Jeffrey Jaksich, an active member of the local retirees council of the Washington Federation of State Employees. But he disagreed with Hill’s stated reasons for pulling back, saying the merger was clearly impractical. Behind closed doors The special city council meeting was called to order at 6pm. ... They listened to a short speech by AFSCME president, Mike Taylor, who said he had sent an email to the council members so he really didn’t need to repeat his message. Then the council voted 6-0 (Gallagher absent), with no comments from any of the council members, to postpone any decision on laying off any AFSCME workers until the July 13 meeting. Budget woes may lead to Waukegan layoffs Waukegan city officials are considering laying off scores of workers, including up to 40 police officers and firefighters, because of a budget shortfall. About 60 workers and union leaders and former Mayor Richard Hyde turned out Monday night for a special City Council meeting called by aldermen to discuss the crisis but the meeting was cancelled. Hyde said he was present because he opposed layoffs. ... Similar proposals were made to leaders of members of the Service Employee International Union Local 73 (clerical and office workers) and an American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees local (public works and water plant workers) and a police sergeants union. City union agrees .... To gain the 8 percent wage cutback the city’s sought from all employees, DPW workers will work three fewer hours on Friday. ... He said the two-fold concessions were similar to what 71 Government Center workers of the American Federal of State County and Municipal Employees, Council 93, recently accepted. Gov. Deval Patrick cuts $147m from fiscal 2010 line items Gov. Deval Patrick approved new taxes and issued roughly $147 million in line item vetoes Monday afternoon. The bottom line on the budget Patrick signed is about $364 million lower than the $27.4 billion budget the Legislature sent the governor because of the cuts and a $217 million agreement regarding the consolidation of county sheriff operations. NJ Gov. Corzine signs $29B 'recession budget' Taxes on New Jersey's top earners, smokers and wine and liquor drinkers will go up this week under the state budget Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed Monday. Some homeowners also will not get their usual property tax rebates this fall, and state workers will have to take 10 unpaid days off under the new tax and spending plan. Atlanta council raises taxes, ends furloughs .. Atlanta is one of the few big cities nationwide to raise property taxes this year. .. Monday’s decision was an about-face from last June’s vote by the council against a property tax increase pushed by Franklin. The mayor subsequently ordered public safety cuts and imposed 10 percent pay cuts through the furloughs on city workers to balance the budget. Covering Costs of State Workers' Insurance Remains Huge Concern ... The idea is to eliminate the health care retirement subsidy for anyone who is hired by the state after next year. That would make the cost of health care about $1,000 each month after they retire -- something that troopers say will cost the public. State services uncertain if government shuts down The Legislature's fractured Republican majority struggled Monday to reach a budget agreement, bringing Arizona within hours of a nearly total government shutdown. With hours remaining before the start of fiscal 2010, lawmakers had not yet sent a budget to Gov. Jan Brewer. DPS cuts to total nearly 2,500 staff Detroit Public Schools, struggling with a multiyear deficit, will cut 700 more employees and is even considering bankruptcy, emergency financial manager Robert Bobb said Monday. |
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