Category Archives: Solidarity

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Uncategorized, Unions

E-NEWS: NOVEMBER 3, 2022

November 3, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

TODAY! Informational Picket

UNAP:

as they picket for their patients, their community, safe working conditions, adequate wages and benefits.

Where: Our lady of Fatima Hospital

200 High Service Ave

North Providence, RI

When: Thursday, November 3rd, 2p.m till 6p.m

The UNAP and Prospect Medical Holding management have been bargaining for months for contracts with Fatima Service Workers, Roger Williams RN’s and employees at Prospect Home Health and Hospice, but Prospect CharterCare refuses to negotiate contracts that provide sufficient wages, benefits and working conditions for these health care workers.

Please come out and show your support, because an injury to one is an injury to all.

The Providence Journal: Union puts Prospect CharterCARE ‘on notice’ about possible hospitals sale

ROVIDENCE – Concerned that Roger Williams Medical Center, Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and Prospect Home Health and Hospice are up for sale, the union representing workers at all three facilities has put the owner “on notice” that it will take strong action if patients’ and employees’ interests are not protected.

The three entities are owned by CharterCARE Health Partners, a member of Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings.

In a full-page Journal advertisement this week, the United Nurses and Allied Professionals union wrote that “after the for-profit Prospect Medical Holdings came into Rhode Island, they used their hospitals, including Fatima Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center and Prospect Home Health and Hospice as collateral to borrow $1.5 billion. They then turned around and paid half a billion dollars in dividends to top shareholders, all while failing to properly invest in Rhode Island’s health care workers and hospitals.

“Now, Prospect is looking to sell our community hospitals to another for-profit company, and they’re trying to leave Rhode Island just as they came in, refusing to negotiate fair contracts with the nurses and health care workers who care for our most vulnerable. We’re putting Prospect Medical Holdings on notice. We won’t let them use our community hospitals as piggy banks to line their pockets and then skip town, leaving these hospitals saddled with debt and our health care heroes without a fair contract. Our health care workers, our patients, and all Rhode Islanders deserve better.” Read more here.

1199 SEIU RI Facebook:

Today, frontline caregivers from Women and Infants Hospital marched the picket line demanding Care New England sit down with them and negotiate ways to end the staffing crisis. RI hospitals were awarded $45M in COVID relief funding and workers want a plan in place, now, to stabilize the workforce.

“We have risked our own safety and that of our families, pulled extra shifts and held up our end of the bargain; now we are calling on management to sit down with us and tell us what their plan is to get our system back on track. Enough is enough,” said Kelli Price, Registered Nurse in the Medical, Surgical, Oncology, Critical Care unit for over 20 years.

View pictures here.

The Providence Journal: Bus driver strike averted as tentative agreement reached with First Student

PROVIDENCE – Bus drivers have reached a tentative settlement with their employer, First Student, avoiding a strike that was scheduled to begin Wednesday.

The bus drivers, monitors and aides are members of Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union. The strike would have affected bus drivers in Lincoln, West Warwick and the state bus yard in Cranston, who transport students with special needs, among others.

What is in the new bus driver contract?

The settlement includes a four-year contract that provides a fair wage increase and a boost in guaranteed hours, the union said. The 275 members of the union are expected to ratify the contract, at which time more details will be made public.

“I’ve been a school bus driver for 13 years, and many of the kids I transport have special physical and behavioral needs that require special accommodations and increased attention,” said Mike McDermott, a bus driver at the metro yard in Cranston. “We are happy that First Student was finally willing to come to the table with proposals that will help us better take care of our families and do our jobs. Even before the pandemic, First Student could not recruit bus drivers, monitors to do this work and we are hopeful that better hours and pay will go a long way in attracting more workers to the field. At the end of the day, it’s our students who benefit most.” Read more here.

Climate Jobs RI Twitter:

Today we celebrated the $82.5 million investment awarded to the RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority to conduct necessary repairs and upgrades for the Newport Pell Bridge!

View pictures here.

The Providence Journal: In texts, Kalus called a contractor slurs, ‘a loser.’ She says it shows she is a fighter.

PROVIDENCE − Ashley Kalus, the GOP candidate for governor, is defending a string of profane texts she sent a contractor with whom she was engaged in a construction billing dispute in Chicago several years ago.

In her texts, received by more than one media outlet in recent days, she called the male contractor several female gendered slurs, “a loser,” a “bottom” (which is sometimes used as a slur against gays) and a “low-life” who wears “Costco pants your mom picked out for you.”

“Just get the job done. That’s all,” Kalus’ husband, plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Weinzweig, also texted the contractor.

“And remember your social status here Mike,” wrote Kalus, who has now pumped $4.7 million of her own family’s money into her campaign.

“You like being my little b—h,” she texted at another point. “Always adjusting your pants … Loser … What is the amount to get rid of you? … I can’t wait to pay to keep f—ing you for the next year.”

“I’ll make my money back in making you lose money in the future,” she wrote. Read more here.

Labor 411: A Union-Made World Series Party

The World Series is here! And it’s shaping up to be a good one. It features two awesome baseball towns who are passionate about their teams: the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s a union game, with union players and union empires. And what better way to celebrate it than with union-made snacks and drinks. We’ve put together the shopping list below so that you can support good union brands that treat employers fairly. It’s easier than ever to vote with your wallet.

See list here.

***Remember to do your shopping at Stop & Shop, Shaws and Eastside Marketplace where our union brothers and sister work.

AFL-CIO:

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday Labor Walks

When: Every Saturday, 9am – 12pm

Where: Locations vary, please check here for events and sign up

Join us to canvass for endorsed democratic candidates Seth Magaziner and Governor Dan McKee! This is a tight election year and the most valuable thing you have to give to get our candidates elected is your time!

Call/ email RI AFL-CIO Organizer, Autumn Guillotte with any questions: 401-316-1359 // autumn@riaflcio.com

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United Way of Rhode Island: Indigenous Peoples Equity Challenge

November is Native American Heritage Month, and United Way of Rhode Island is excited to be partnering with the Tomaquag Museum to launch an Indigenous Peoples Equity Challenge.

The free, five-day challenge will kick off on Nov. 14, but you can sign up anytime and take it at your own pace. After registering, you’ll receive a series of five emails with resources, reflection questions, or actions you can take to help create a more equitable Rhode Island.

Register here

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

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Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

Coming up on Labor Vision …

This special segment covers the 2022 Halloween Big Walk for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island, featuring special guests Marty Walsh, U.S. Secretary of Labor, Jack Reed, U.S. Senator, upcoming Rhode Island state election candidates, and Mentor Pair Sandra, Big, and Shania, Little.

Click here to watch the show: https://youtu.be/lXhVJpA-x0I

Click here to sign-up to mentor one of 60+ unmatched Littles today!

Find our latest episodes on our website: www.LaborVisionRI.org

Never miss a segment. Like us on Facebook (@LaborVisionRI), follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube page (LaborVisionTV1).

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Unions

E-NEWS: SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

September 15, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

Teamsters Joint Council 10 Facebook:

NEW ENGLAND TEAMSTERS SUPPORT LOCAL 251 STRIKING NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS

Teamsters across New England were in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Friday to join Governor Dan McKee, Rhode Island AFL-CIO, and local leaders to support General Teamsters Local 251 workers on strike at Northeast Transportation Services.

Teamsters Local 251 members have been on strike at Northeast Transportation Services, a contracted DHL service provider, since June 22. In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company said that while it has the ability, they feel it is “not in the Company’s best interest” to meet our workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare, and pay a share towards retirement. The South Carolina-based company apparently does not believe that employees have rights and deserve fair treatment. This at a location that has more than doubled in number of employees in the last two years. The Union believes the Company has committed unfair labor practices.

View pictures here.

Teamsters Local 251 rally at Northeast Transportation Services in Pawtucket.
Teamsters Local 251@IBT251members have been on strike at Northeast Transportation Services, a contracted DHL service provider since June 22. In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company said that while it has the ability, they feel it is “not in the Company’s best interest” to meet our workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare, and pay a share towards retirement.

The public support from the community, other unions and local leaders has been unwavering but the fight continues for these couriers and dockworkers. It is crucial that we stand together and send a message to the Company that all Teamsters deserve fair wages and benefits.

Watch video here.

Laborers Local 271 Twitter:

$100M South Quay Wind terminal in East Providence means family-supporting jobs and #RI continues as #offshorewind leader @GovDanMcKee @mayorbobdasilva

IBEW Providence Facebook:

Ground breaking at the new $100 million south Quay marine terminal.. a deep water terminal with 33 acres for staging for offshore wind.. more jobs with family sustaining wages and benefits.

See more pictures here.

Pictures and video from LIUNA Get Out the Vote Rally last week:

Laborers Local 271 Twitter:

Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Crowley Twitter:

Governor Dan McKee Twitter:
You’ve had my back and I’ll always have yours. Together let’s continue to bring J-O-B-S to Rhode Island. Our campaign is #UnionStrong and I’m proud to have the support of

@riaflcio, @ri_trades, and the families they represent.

Watch video here.

AFL-CIO: Once ‘Essential,’ Then Expendable, American Workers are Transforming the Economy

In just one second, Amazon’s executive chairman Jeff Bezos makes nearly $2500. That’s four times the weekly pay of an Amazon delivery or warehouse worker toiling in the sweltering summer heat.

Last year alone $6.5 trillion flowed from the bottom 90% of wage earners to the top 1%. That means the janitor who cleans our child’s school, the nurse who cares for our sick father and the grocery clerk who always greets us with a smile are struggling, while the wealthiest among us literally skyrocket into space with bottomless bank accounts.

Upward mobility seems out of reach for most Americans. Young people are backsliding with low wages, out-of-control housing prices and crushing health care costs.

But our story—the American worker’s story—will not be written by billionaires. This Labor Day, working people are writing a new chapter infused with hope for a brighter future. We’re no longer tolerating being called “essential” one minute and treated as expendable the next. Whether on a manufacturing shop floor, in a high-rise office, in a corner cafe or Amazon warehouse, workers are transforming our economy.

Recent data shows that workers won 639 union elections already this year, the highest win total in nearly 20 years. What’s notable is that those victories occurred in many different industries. The heroic organizing efforts at Starbucks and Amazon have captured our imagination. Read more here.

CNN Business: It’s not just money. Unions are fighting for better schedules, safety and work conditions

New York (CNN Business)It’s not just about the money.

There has been a surge in union activism — including strikes and organizing efforts — in the last year that is being driven by factors far beyond pay rates and benefits packages.

If pay was the only issue, the nation probably wouldn’t be facing the risk of its first national rail strike in 30 years this coming week, a walkout that could knock the legs out from under the still struggling supply chain and be another body blow to the US economy.

A presidential panel looking at that labor dispute recommended the two sides agree to a five-year contract that includes an immediate 14% raise, backpay from 2020, and a 24% pay increase over the course of the contract. That’s less than the 31% in raises over five years the union is seeking, but more than the 17% previously offered by railroad management.

That was enough to get some of the unions to agree to tentative deals, but not the unions that represent more than 90,000 workers, including those who make up the two-person crews on freight trains. They appear poised to strike unless Congress acts to keep them on the job.

Those unions say they’re not rejecting the wage offer. Rather, it’s the work rules, staffing and scheduling proposals they object to, which require them to be on call, and ready to report to work, seven days a week for much of the year. If it were just a question of wages, a deal between the two sides would likely already be in place. Read more here.

Labor 411: Union-Made Snacks And Drinks Shopping List

It’s time for one of favorite union sports: NFL football! Will the Rams win it all again? Can the Bengals find a way to secure the trophy this year? Or will super-human Tom Brady add yet another ring? Regardless of what happens, one thing is for sure: snacks and drinks go great with some football. With that in mind, we’ve created a shopping list so that you can support good union jobs while you watch your favorite team. Browse the list below and cheer on your team while enjoying union-made products.

See list here.

***Remember to shop for your food and drinks at Stop & Shop, Shaws and Eastside Marketplace where our union brothers and sisters work.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

NEARI

Please join the National Education Association RI to celebrate the retirement of President Larry Purtill and Executive Director Bob Walsh.

About this event

We are honoring Larry and Bob’s 66 years of combined service and dedication to NEA Rhode Island with an evening of merriment, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres – and a good dose of reminiscing!

A short speaking program will commence at 6:30 p.m.

In lieu of a ticket, please consider a donation in their names to the NEARI Children’s Fund.

Donations may be made online here, or checks made payable to NEARI Children’s Fund.

RSVP here.

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RIILSR 40th Annual Awards Evening: RSVP by September 21st

Union affiliates have all received mailed invitations to the ILSR 40th Annual Awards Evening on September 29th featuring guest speaker US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. If you have not received the invitation, please contact the Institute. Purchase of seats, tables, and ads must be completed no later than September 21st. For more information, call the Institute at (401) 463-9900 or email ads@riilsr.org

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Coming up on Labor Vision …

Check out the Rhode Island Labor History Society’s 34th Annual Awards Dinner which brings together activists from organized labor and community groups to honor Rhode Island labor leaders, hosted by James Parisi, President of RI Labor History Society, and Jim Riley, Board Member RI Labor History Society.

Find our latest episodes on our website: www.LaborVisionRI.org.

Never miss a segment. Like us on Facebook (@LaborVisionRI), follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube page (LaborVisionTV1).

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Uncategorized

E-NEWS: SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

September 8, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

The Boston Globe: Strong unions make the economy — and R.I. — work better

Marking Labor Day, Rhode Island AFL-CIO leaders say passing legislation to make wage theft a felony, and addressing water infrastructure to replace lead pipes, are priorities going forward.

With public support for labor unions the highest it’s been in decades, and union organizing on the upswing around the country, there is much to celebrate this Labor Day. It’s incredibly exciting to see younger workers leading the way, experimenting with innovative approaches to worker organizing while linking unionization with broader calls for expanded social justice. This has always been a core principle of the labor movement.

The ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic has seen an incredible influx of resources from the federal government to rebuild our economy. The American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act are not only helping states like Rhode Island get back on their feet economically, they are all working to transform the economy from the bottom up. These laws pair support for using union labor on rebuilding projects with making the economy more resilient to the ravages of climate change. In our view, the only way to truly decarbonize the economy is to focus on the communities most impacted by the changing climate and ensure the work going into this transformation is done using union labor.

The Rhode Island AFL-CIO, the largest union coalition in the state with over 250 affiliated unions representing close to 80,000 members, is proud of our efforts to help foster these changes here in the Ocean State. With our partners in the environmental movement, we formed Climate Jobs Rhode Island to help move forward an agenda centering workers and working-class communities in the conversation. Working together, we supported the 2021 Act on Climate, as well as legislation leading to Rhode Island becoming the first state in the nation to reach a 100 percent renewable energy standard. Climate Jobs Rhode Island, and many others, worked to require the state to secure up to a gigawatt of new offshore wind energy, and to pass strong legislation ensuring that key labor standards need to be used when large-scale renewable energy projects are built. Read more here.

The Boston Globe: On Labor Day, remembering the 1934 Saylesville Massacre

Patrick Crowley, secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and author of “The Battle of the Gravestones,” discusses the week-long street battle between textile workers and the Rhode Island National guard — the largest strike in American history at the time.

PROVIDENCE — On Labor Day, Rhode Island labor officials will commemorate the 1934 Saylesville Massacre, in which striking workers fought a week-long street battle against the Rhode Island National Guard in the tiny mill village of Saylesville.

Patrick Crowley, secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, has written a book, “The Battle of the Gravestones,” about the events of September 1934, and he answered six questions about them:

Q: Monday marks the annual commemoration of the Saylesville Massacre. Remind us of what happened back in September 1934.

Crowley: On Sept. 4, 1934, the Textile Workers Union of America launched a nationwide textile strike, putting 500,000 workers on picket lines across the country. Here in Rhode Island, thousands of textile workers walked out of their factories to protest horrible working conditions and draconian wage cuts by employers. At the time, it was the largest strike in American history.

The strike was relatively peaceful in Rhode Island until Sept. 10, when deputy sheriffs patrolling the Saylesville Bleachery in Lincoln fired their guns on protesting workers. For the next week, workers, local and state police, and eventually the National Guard, fought a running street battle near the Moshassuck Cemetery in Central Falls. Two workers were shot and killed, and hundreds were injured by police batons and tear and nausea gas. The violence only ended after the owners of the Saylesville Bleachery finally agreed to shut the factory down for the duration of the strike, which ended a week later. Read more here.

The Boston Globe: Will Rhode Island choose to secure our own renewable energy future?

Laura Bartsch is a senior vice president of Advanced Energy Economy and chair of the Rhode Island Distributed Generation Board. Joe Walsh is business manager/financial secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 99 Providence. Helen Anthony is a lawyer practicing with Handy Law, LLC, and a member of the Providence City Council.

The federal government pledges great support for those who invest in energy and climate solutions. Rhode Island can realize that benefit or leave it to others; it is up to us.

Rhode Island is at a crossroads. Every day, we choose whether to build and control our own energy future or outsource it to others.

Our policies call us to build our own supply for cost-effectiveness, security and emissions reduction. But utility and state administrators have blocked the mechanics needed to deliver on that promise. We are taking the politically expedient path of refusing to site and look at our own energy supply in our backyards. As a result, we continue to import more costly, less reliable and dirtier utility-scale solutions by default.

Our General Assembly now requires us to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2033. The question is, where will that clean energy come from? A Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources study on this question says that in the best case, no more than half of our projected demand for electricity can come from offshore wind. Our Act on Climate now requires us to reach net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050. The Office of Energy Resources study did not project the demand produced by electrification of our heating and cooling systems or our vehicles that would be needed to achieve net-zero. In other words, we know we will need much more clean electricity from clean energy projects sited on land, but we don’t know how much more. How much will be produced in Rhode Island? Read more here.

TONIGHT!

Teamsters Local 251 Strike Support on Friday, September 9th

Please join Teamsters Local 251 striking Northeast Transportation Services workers in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, this Friday, September 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 am. for a gathering with fellow union workers, RI Governor Dan McKee and local leaders.

Teamsters Local 251 members have been on strike at Northeast Transportation Services, a contracted DHL service provider since June 22. In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company said that while it has the ability, they feel it is “not in the Company’s best interest” to meet our workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare, and pay a share towards retirement. The South Carolina-based company apparently does not believe that employees have rights and deserve fair treatment. This at a location that has more than doubled in number of employees in the last two years. The Union believes the Company has committed unfair labor practices.

Please join elected Rhode Island officials in demanding that the contractor for DHL Express settles the strike and agrees to a contract that provides for good jobs in Rhode Island.

When: Friday September 9, 2022
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Where: Northeast Transportation Services, 101 Concord St, Pawtucket RI

Out of respect to the City of Pawtucket, please do NOT park on the side of the street closest to the DHL/Northeast Transportation location. Parking on both sides of the street can lead to traffic and public safety concerns.

RI Council 94 Facebook:

What have you been up to this summer? Down in Kingston, at the University of Rhode Island, Local 528 members working for the University of Rhode Island Lands and Grounds Department have spent a portion of summer installing irrigation on the main quadrangle. The project is a collaboration between Local 528 members and their supervisors within Lands and Grounds.

In what has been an unusually hot and dry summer Local 528 members have worked through these difficult conditions. Thanks to the joint effort of our members and their supervisors the lawn at the University’s center piece will flourish. The irrigation our members installed is a major upgrade and will be a significant factor in the overall improvement of the University landscape.

Thank you to the men and women of Local 528 working in URI Lands and Grounds. This effort is something to be proud of and will contribute to an enhanced student experience at the University of Rhode Island.

Michael McDonald

President, Local 528

State Vice President, RI Council 94

View pictures here.

UFCW Local 328 Twitter:

Thanks to all of our members, sponsors and all those who volunteered, our 25th annual charitable golf tournament was a success! Together, we were able to raise $86,328 to benefit the @MarchofDimes, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of mothers and babies.

View pictures here.

AFL-CIO: MLBPA joins AFL-CIO with goal of helping strengthen labor movement

September 7, 2022

The Major League Baseball Players Association announced today that it is formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO with a goal of supporting the efforts and strengthening the voice of the national labor movement.

“The MLBPA has a proud, 56-year history of success rooted in unity and a highly engaged membership,” Executive Director Tony Clark said. “We look forward to bringing that history and experience to bear as a more formal part of the movement.”

The announcement was made during an appearance by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Clark before the National Press Club.

“The MLBPA and every single one of its 1,200 players have a home in our movement because this union understands and lives the meaning of the word solidarity by leveraging the power of sports and helping others,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “Together, with our 12.5 million members, we will bring our strength to their fights, including working to organize 5,400 minor league players.”

Notably, the AFL-CIO and many of its member unions offered consistent support that helped the MLBPA withstand a 99-day lockout by Major League Baseball to achieve significant improvements in a five-year collective bargaining agreement reached on March 10. Read more here.

AFL-CIO: I Celebrated Labor Day Because…

Liz Shuler / September 6, 2022

Yesterday was Labor Day. This year, it was truly a day for workers to celebrate. And we have a lot to be excited about.

We celebrate our union movement that is delivering results, with workers coming together and organizing to make our jobs better, across the country. We celebrate the progress working people have made through decades of advocacy to create better lives for ourselves and our families, ensure safer workplaces and build a stronger economy.

It’s no wonder that unions are more popular today than at any time in more than 50 years! A record 71% of Americans now say we approve of unions.

We are celebrating the Biden–Harris administration that puts working families front and center in everything it does. Look at the victories we’ve had just this year, from the bipartisan infrastructure law to the CHIPS Act to the Inflation Reduction Act to student loan forgiveness. These laws are investments that will change working families’ lives, by creating new jobs, making prescriptions more affordable and lifting the burden of debt.

These are victories we achieved thanks to your activism, organizing and advocacy. Working people are recognizing the power we have when we join together to form unions. We are seeing every day the strength of workers coming together—from sheet metal workers in Alaska to REI workers in the Bay Area, from workers at the Milwaukee Art Museum to nurses in Coral Gables, Florida—and it is truly inspiring. Read more here.

UAW International Facebook:

Across the nation, classrooms are bustling again with children and their teachers as they start their school years. Please be alert and aware on our roadways and in school zones to help reduce accidents.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

See above for events happening today and tomorrow.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Labor Vision is going on break for the rest of the summer. We’ll be back in September!

You can still watch all the episodes from this year!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Uncategorized, Unions

E-NEWS: AUGUST 25, 2022

August 25, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

For immediate release: August 22, 2022

Contact: Patrick Crowley ▪ 401.330.6870 ▪ patrick@riaflcio.com

PRESS RELEASE

RI AFL-CIO endorses Joseph Shekarchi for State Representative in District 23

Providence, RI – The Executive Board of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO voted to endorse Joseph Shekarchi for State Representative in District 23 in the Democratic Primary election to be held on September 13, 2022.

George Nee, president of the state’s largest labor federation, said “As Speaker of the House, Representative Shekarchi has made a positive impact for the working people of Rhode Island. He has provided targeted tax relief for Rhode Islanders by eliminating the car tax, delivering $250 tax credits to working families with children, and eliminating the state income tax on military pensions. He has also passed a bill that increases the minimum wage to $15 per hour and has strongly supported efforts to protect current law that provides for mandatory time and a half pay for all workers who work on Sunday and holidays. We’re supporting Speaker Shekarchi because he has a record of standing with our members.”

Patrick Crowley, Secretary Treasurer of the RI AFL-CIO, highlighted Speaker Shekarchi’s role in creating more jobs in the green economy as a key factor in earning the RI AFL-CIO’s endorsement. “Speaker Shekarchi helped push through the two most consequential climate bills in Rhode Island history – the Act on Climate and the 100% Renewable Energy Standard. These bills are difference makers in protecting our environment and reducing carbon emissions, but they also create good, well-paying green jobs and transition us to a green economy. Speaker Shekarchi has had the foresight to put us on a path to a cleaner environment and ensure we are creating the jobs of the future.”

The Rhode Island AFL-CIO represents over 250 affiliated unions and 80,000 working men and women across the Ocean State.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Contact: Alana O’Hare ▪ Alana@GovernorDanMcKee.com ▪ 401-486-3582

United Auto Workers Endorses Governor Dan McKee

UAW 9A represents nearly 1,000 workers in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE – Today, the United Auto Workers (UAW) announced its endorsement of Governor Dan McKee for a full term. UAW Region 9A represents nearly 1,000 workers in diverse sectors of the economy including the automotive, childcare, gaming, and human service industries.

“Working Rhode Islanders need steady leadership that will invest in good-paying jobs with good benefits to support them and their families. Together, we have created jobs and put Rhode Islanders back to work, earning Rhode Island the lowest unemployment rate on record. With investments to expand key sectors of our economy, and send direct tax relief to Rhode Island families, Veterans, seniors, and businesses, we are making Rhode Island a better place to live, work, and raise a family. I’m grateful to have the UAW’s support and look forward to keeping Rhode Island’s momentum going,” said Governor Dan McKee.

“Governor McKee has made clear that he has the backs of working people and their families,” said Beverley Brakeman, UAW Region 9A Director. “He supports the issues that are important to our members, including better and more fair working conditions, a strong economy, and tax relief for Rhode Islanders. In his first 18 months in office, he has proven that he has the leadership skills to turn Rhode Island’s economy around, and we look forward to supporting him at the polls on September 13.”

UAW Region 9A joins labor organizations Rhode Island AFL-CIO, NEA Rhode Island, Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, Laborers’ District Council, AFSCME Council 94, IBEW Locals 99 and 2323, Teamsters Local 251, ATU Local 618, NAGE/IBPO Rhode Island, Painters District Council 11, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 51, Iron Workers Local 37, United Nurses and Allied Professionals, Rhode Island State Association of Fire Fighters, IFPTE Local 400, Boilermakers Local 29, Bricklayers Local 3, Eastern Millwright Local 1121, Elevator Constructors Local 39, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 6, Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 40, Roofers Local 33, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, Sprinkler Fitters Local 669, as well as the Rhode Island Democratic Party, the Democratic Governors Association, and the Cumberland, East Providence, Johnston, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, and Westerly Democratic committees in endorsing Governor Dan McKee’s campaign for a full term.

An excellent Op-Ed in today’s ProJo by Priscilla De La Cruz, senior director of government affairs for Audubon Society Rhode Island, president of the Environment Council of Rhode Island, and co-chair of Climate Jobs Rhode Island. Patrick Crowley is the secretary-treasurer of the RI AFL-CIO and co-chair of Climate Jobs Rhode Island.

The Providence Journal: Opinion/De La Cruz and Crowley: Federal climate jobs act a boon to RI workers

Federal climate jobs act a boon to workers in RI

The $379-billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the biggest climate bill to pass Congress, will give us a fighting chance to slash harmful pollution and secure a better future for our kids.

But the IRA isn’t just a climate win. It’s a climate jobs win. And that’s what makes it such a big deal for Rhode Island, where we’ve already led the nation with ambitious climate goals and strong investments in a pro-worker renewable energy transition.

Last year, we passed a landmark climate law, the Act On Climate, that laid Rhode Island’s climate action foundation with an ironclad commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This year, climate and labor advocates upped the ante by winning the country’s strongest 100% renewable electricity standard and securing up to an additional 1,000 megawatts of offshore wind power to help us get there.

The IRA is about to turbocharge our efforts to meet these climate goals with aggressive tax incentives that will unleash clean energy development across the country. Importantly, the IRA’s tax credits are tied directly to strong labor standards. Under the IRA, if a developer builds a new utility-scale wind or solar farm, they’ll get a 30 percent tax credit by paying workers the federal prevailing rate for wages and benefits, and for employing a certain number of apprentices. Renewable energy developers will also be eligible for additional benefits by building projects in low-income or fossil fuel dependent communities, or if they build with U.S.-made materials, which will create manufacturing jobs in solar, wind, and electric vehicles across the country.

Rhode Island towns and school districts will be eligible to receive these credits directly as cash through the IRA’s ‘direct pay’ option, which will give a major boost to statewide decarbonization initiatives, like the Green and Healthy Schools campaign. This is our opportunity to maximize the state’s investments in school infrastructure, create tons of good-paying local jobs, and build safe, healthy, and resilient buildings. Read more here.

UFCW Local 328: Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center Workers in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Unanimously Ratify First Contract

The newly ratified agreement marks the first collective bargaining agreement for compassion center workers in Rhode Island

PORTSMOUTH, RI – Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 328, the union for 11,000 Rhode Island and Massachusetts workers, announced that the budtenders, keyholders, online orderers and delivery drivers employed at Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, voted unanimously to approve a first contract. The two-agreement includes:

Immediate wage increases for all employees, including up to 22% for employees with 1 year or more of service
Additional wage increases in the second year
Immediate improvement in starting rates for all classifications by over $2.00 an hour with an additional increase in the second year
Paid vacations and improved paid sick time
Protection of bargaining unit work
Clothing allowance
Additional paid holidays
Protected time and a half on Sunday
Robust grievance procedure and workplace protections
Newly secured opportunity to earn tips
Ratification bonus of $1,000

Nicholas Ventetuolo, a delivery driver at Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center and a member of the negotiating committee, stated after the vote, “This contract sets a tremendous precedent for cannabis workers in Rhode Island, at a time where the industry is undergoing massive changes in preparation for the introduction of recreational sales. Our contract is a powerful statement on the collective power of a united workforce. The workers at Greenleaf would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to UFCW Local 328 for their unwavering support throughout this entire process.” Read more here.

The Boston Globe: Back in R.I., Raimondo said new federal legislation offers ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’

The federal government plans to incentivize up to 10 ‘football field-sized’ semiconductor chip plants, and union leaders and local officials would like to see one in Rhode Island.

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — “Tell me what you need from me.”

Gina M. Raimondo, the current US commerce secretary and former Rhode Island governor, posed that challenge to a group of union members and elected officials on Monday. The response was immediate.

Michael F. Sabitoni, president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, said, “We want a (semiconductor) chip plant in Rhode Island.”

Raimondo said every state will get a shot at the $52 billion in grants and other incentives included ina newly passed $280 billion federal legislation package aimed at boosting the semiconductor industry, and she encouraged Rhode Island officials to make a pitch for one of 10 potential new plants.

Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, sitting in the front row, said she would call Governor Daniel J. McKee about taking advantage of the opportunity.

East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, who was also in the audience, suggested putting one of those plants in East Providence. Read more here.

Laborers Local 271 Twitter:

Honored to have @SecRaimondo address the @ri_trades Women’s Council on issues facing women in construction @LGSabinaMatos @mayorbobdasilva

1199 SEIU New England Facebook:

This week, caregivers at Women and Infants and Butler Hospitals delivered thousands of petitions that a supermajority had signed to Administrators at both buildings. Delegates made it clear that we know that 80% of recent budget funding must be used on frontline staff and we fully intend to have a say in how the funding is used. NOW is the time to address our ongoing workforce crisis by investing in recruitment, retention and training. We won’t settle for anything less!

Local 37 Ironworkers Facebook:

MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

My name is Cash Pina, and I am a member of Local 37 Ironworkers out of Providence, Rhode Island. A friend of mine told me about being an ironworker, so I gave it a shot and haven’t looked back ever since. What drew me in honestly was how thrilling the work looked and also seeing so many successful individuals earning a living through honest work.

What keeps me motivated every day? For me right now there’s a deep sense of brotherhood and camaraderie between the guys I’m working with. We’re building our union together every day and we get to see the work we do that will outlive all of us. Our brotherhood is unmatched and unrivaled. Every ironworker should be welcomed in to see what our union can offer. The union has changed my life. I have a sense of security knowing that every hour I work has my retirement in mind.

One of the coolest jobs I ever got to work on was in the Port of Providence. There’s a new manufacturing facility that will be producing the steel bases for the offshore wind project Revolution Wind, in Rhode Island’s coastal waters. I was there for the steel erection, and I connected near the end. Straight shot 100-foot drop – it was a GREAT view. When it’s up and running there will be union ironworkers fabbing and welding the structures. And I just think that is so cool. I want Ironworkers to have a slice of the pie when it comes to the maintenance of wind turbines. It’s my goal to get as qualified as I can in order to move up in this new offshore wind industry. There are something like 64 wind turbines planned to be installed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. We’ve done the training. It’s a whole new industry, and I know we have our place in it.

To all my non-union brothers and sisters: the time is now to organize or join up through an apprenticeship program. I can tell you one thing, the union has been wonderful to me. I show up and put in an honest day’s work and I get peace of mind. I’ve had opportunities to make a killing, and I’ll keep getting those opportunities as long as we keep growing our union. And with our focus on education through apprenticeship, our journeyman upgrade programs, and organizing unrepresented ironworkers, I think that our success will be assured.

It feels good to be an ironworker. One week I’m connecting in Boston, the next week I’m in Providence at Brown University’s amazing new performing arts center. I truly get to see it all!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Climate Jobs RI Is Hosting A Zap50 Cleanup – JOIN OUR TEAM

WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 8-11AM

WHERE: Stop & Shop, 70 Mendon Rd., Cumberland, RI 02864

WHO: Climate Jobs RI, friends and family

ZAP50 represents the 50th Anniversary of the largest one-day regional environmental cleanup in American History – Blackstone Valley’s Operation ZAP! Climate Jobs RI has signed up as an “Organization in Action”, which means we’ve identified a location that needs a team to clean it up and we’re calling on our coalition members, friends in labor and environment, to turn out and show up in strong support.

In 1972, 10,000 volunteers lined the banks of the Blackstone River to remove tons of trash, appliances, cars, and other debris from its banks. This year, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, among other organizations, plan to recreate this historic day and hundreds of community members and volunteers throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, are already committed to taking part in this day of action.

All are welcome and encouraged to join us. Bring your friends, family, and anyone willing to help. We will provide all cleanup gear (gloves, bags, etc.), along with breakfast snacks and refreshments. RSVP HERE

Questions? Email Erica Hammond at erica@climatejobsri.org

——————————————————-

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company stated it is “unreasonable” to meet the workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare and pay a share towards retirement. The South Carolina-based company apparently doesn’t believe that employees have rights and deserve fair treatment. This at a location that has more than doubled in number of employees in the last two years. The Union believes the Company has committed unfair labor practices. Workers are picketing 24 hours a day at 101 Concord St, Pawtucket RI. Please tell Northeast Transportation and DHL Express that unfair treatment of workers is unacceptable. Call 843-906-9655 and 1-800-225-5345. If you’re a customer serviced by Northeast Transportation Services, please refuse deliveries and ship by a union-represented shipper that treats its employees better.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Labor Vision is going on break for the rest of the summer. We’ll be back in September!

You can still watch all the episodes from this year!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Uncategorized, Unions

E-NEWS: AUGUST 18, 2022

August 18, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

For immediate release: August 15, 2022

Contact: Patrick Crowley ▪ 401.330.6870 ▪ patrick@riaflcio.com

PRESS RELEASE

RI AFL-CIO Endorses Dominick Ruggerio for Senate in District 4

Providence, RI – The Executive Board of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO voted to endorse Dominick Ruggerio for State Senate in District 4 in the Democratic Primary election to be held on September 13, 2022.

George Nee, president of the state’s largest labor federation, said “Dominick Ruggerio has a long history of being a champion for working people. As Senate President, he has taken the lead on a number of issues that are important to working families, like raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour and making wage theft and employee misclassification felonies. He also strongly supports efforts to protect current law that provides for mandatory time and a half pay for all workers who work on Sunday and holidays. Senator Ruggerio doesn’t just talk about helping working people – he acts on it. That’s why we’ve endorsed him for State Senate in District 4.”

Patrick Crowley, Secretary Treasurer of the RI AFL-CIO, highlighted Senator Ruggerio’s role in creating more jobs in the green economy as a key factor in earning the AFL-CIO’s endorsement. “Senator Ruggerio sponsored the 100% Renewable Energy Standard bill and was integral in pushing it across the finish line. This legislation will not only help our environment by reducing carbon emissions, but it will create hundreds of new jobs in the green economy. We need forward thinking leaders who will promote policies that protect our environment for future generations and put the current generation of Rhode Islanders to work in these important jobs.”

The Rhode Island AFL-CIO represents over 250 affiliated unions and 80,000 working men and women across the Ocean State.

General Teamsters Local 251 Facebook:

We are people that make this country MOVE. And we won’t accept less than what we’re worth in the 2023 UPS contract. Local 251 UPS Teamsters are uniting for a strong contract.

Little Compton Fire Department Facebook:

View pictures here.

Yesterday we conducted training with the lifeguards at South Shore Beach. We took time to watch them conduct a couple of different rescues, and then discussed what to expect from us when we arrive on scene.

On top of that we handled several calls thought the day. In a twelve hour period we handled 11 calls for service including several medical emergencies, a fire alarm activation and a mutual aid auto accident in Tiverton. We’d like to thank our mutual aid partners Tiverton FD and Westport FD for assistance. Also we’d like to thank Jim Farrell and the lifeguards at South Shore for their participation and enthusiasm yesterday.

Join Us For This Week’s Campaign Events

View image larger.

Climate Jobs RI Is Hosting A Zap50 Cleanup – JOIN OUR TEAM

WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 8-11AM

WHERE: Stop & Shop, 70 Mendon Rd., Cumberland, RI 02864

WHO: Climate Jobs RI, friends and family

Questions? Email Erica Hammond at erica@climatejobsri.org

RICOSH Advisory: New Covid Guidance released by CDC

CDC has made adjustments in current Covid guidelines shifting away from many behavioral mitigations-including quarantines and social distancing and using vaccine status as a criteria for interventions. But the guidelines still reinforce key mitigations like ventilation for indoor spaces and wearing masks for public indoor spaces when Covid community levels are high or for people at high risk for severe disease if the community risk is medium. It also repeats its special emphases on addressing people at high risk from severe disease.

At High Risk: A significant study involving129 research centers, illustrates the impact of the pandemic on those at risk from severe disease. The study found even vaccinated cancer patients who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections remained at high risk for hospitalization and death. The study showed that vaccinated cancer patients (but not yet boosted) who experienced breakthrough COVID-19 infections had a hospitalization rate of 65%, an ICU or mechanical ventilation rate of 19% and a 13% death rate. [The Lifespan Cancer Institute and Brown University were among the participating research centers.]

“These findings come at a time of concerns that immune escape mutants such as the omicron strain may emerge from chronically infected patients with weakened immune systems,’ said Dr. Dimitrios Farmakiotis, at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School and a coauthor of the study. “Thus, the immunosuppressed and their close contacts should be target groups for therapeutic and preventive interventions, including community-level outreach and educational efforts.” Read more here.

CNBC: Unions are forming at Starbuck, Apple and Google. Here’s why workers are organizing now.

For decades, union membership has been on the decline. Yet in the last few months, workers have been organizing at a pace this country hasn’t seen since the Great Depression.

Amazon has captured headlines for union drives at its warehouses, including a successful effort on New York’s Staten Island. But activity is picking up elsewhere in retail and tech at big companies that are generally viewed as progressive, with no history of labor unions.

As of Wednesday, 209 Starbucks stores have officially voted to unionize according to the National Labor Relations Board. First-ever unions have also formed at an Apple store in Maryland, a Google Fiber contractor, REI, Trader Joe’s, Kickstarter and Activision Blizzard.

“There’s really no rational world in which the Amazon Labor Union or Starbucks Workers United should win,” said John Logan, a labor and employment studies professor at San Francisco State University. “And yet they did, and in the case of Starbucks Workers United, they won over and over and over again.”

The wave at Starbucks started in December with a store in Buffalo, New York, where workers voted 19 to eight to join the large, established Workers United union. In one example of the benefits a big union can bring, Workers United has created a $1 million fund to support Starbucks workers who lose wages as a result of organizing activities like striking.

The movement spread fast. Within six weeks, about 20 other stores filed for elections. Eight months later, about 45 elections have failed, and more than 200 of Starbucks’ 9,000 U.S. stores have unionized. Read more here.

Labor 411: Union-Made, American-Made Boots

A good pair of boots is a thing of beauty. Quality, craftsmanship, and durability set them apart from the many mediocre ones out there.

A great way to ensure that you are buying quality boots is to simply choose union-made.

Below are 15 boots that are 100% union-made in Red Wing, Minnesota. The 272 union members who make these boots belong to UFCW Local 527.

Of the 2.5 million Red Wing Shoes sells each year, over 700,000 are union-made in Red Wing.

To help you know which Red Wing boots are union-made, we’ve put together this list below, with a picture and link to each one so that you can buy union the next time you go boot shopping. For the entire list of union-made shoes, including boots from brands like Thorogood and Carolina, visit our union boots guide here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company stated it is “unreasonable” to meet the workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare and pay a share towards retirement. The South Carolina-based company apparently doesn’t believe that employees have rights and deserve fair treatment. This at a location that has more than doubled in number of employees in the last two years.The Union believes the Company has committed unfair labor practices. Workers are picketing 24 hours a day at 101 Concord St, Pawtucket RI. Please tell Northeast Transportation and DHL Express that unfair treatment of workers is unacceptable. Call 843-906-9655 and 1-800-225-5345. If you’re a customer serviced by Northeast Transportation Services, please refuse deliveries and ship by a union-represented shipper that treats its employees better.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Labor Vision is going on break for the rest of the summer. We’ll be back in September!

You can still watch all the episodes from this year!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Uncategorized, Unions

E-NEWS: AUGUST 11, 2022

August 11, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Contact Alana O’Hare ▪ Alana@GovernorDanMcKee.com ▪ 401-486-3582

Teamsters Local 251 Endorses Governor Dan McKee

Local 251 represents nearly 6,000 Rhode Island Teamsters in industries including trucking, healthcare, beverage, and school bus

PROVIDENCE – Today, Teamsters Local 251 announced its endorsement of Governor Dan McKee for a full term.

“Many of the services we rely on daily are powered by hard-working Teamsters — they get our children to school safely, they work in our hospitals, they build our infrastructure, and they supply our businesses. Rhode Island workers deserve to make a livable wage with good benefits, and I am happy to support the Teamsters and all Rhode Island families to make our state a better place to live, work, and raise a family. I am honored to have earned their endorsement,” said Governor Dan McKee.

“Governor McKee has made it clear he cares about the issues that matter to working people. He demonstrated his support by showing up and supporting our members on the picket line, delivering important tax cuts that will create jobs in Rhode Island, and being an ally for organized labor. Working people in Rhode Island have a champion in Governor McKee and we can always count on him to have our backs,” said Matt Taibi, Principal Officer for Local 251.

Teamsters Local 251 joins labor organizations Rhode Island AFL-CIO, NEA Rhode Island, Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, Laborers’ District Council, AFSCME Council 94, IBEW Locals 99 and 2323, Painters District Council 11, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 51, Iron Workers Local 37, United Nurses and Allied Professionals, Rhode Island State Association of Fire Fighters, as well as the Rhode Island Democratic Party, the Democratic Governors Association, and the Cumberland, East Providence, Johnston, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, and Westerly Democratic committees in endorsing Governor Dan McKee’s campaign for a full term.

Governor Dan McKee Twitter:

What a warm welcome by the hard-working Laborers who have helped kick RI’s economy into high gear. It was a pleasure speaking with you all tonight. Thanks for your support @LIUNALocal271!

Watch video here.

RI Painters Union Twitter:

We are taking political action for working people! The members of the Rhode Island Building Trades & RI AFL CIO are making weekly calls & canvasses for candidates who back union workers.

View pictures here.

The Providence Journal: Nailing a better life: Construction boot camp preps workers for union apprenticeships

CENTRAL FALLS — Johnson Weah stood on a ladder, hammering nails into a joist on what will be a small shade structure at Calcutt Middle School in Central Falls.

Weah had already helped pour the concrete footings for two benches, cut the wood for the shade structure and put it together. The benches would be added later.

At 28, Weah, of Providence, is going through a career change. Until recently a residential counselor for children, he is following in his older brother’s footsteps, trying to get into the building trades.

While he enjoyed working with children, the job didn’t pay enough and he couldn’t even think about one day retiring.

“I’m trying to provide because I have a son,” Weah said. “It’s do or die.”

Weah just graduated from the Building Futures Rhode Island pre-apprenticeship program and is now working in its graduate program, performing basic construction work and waiting for an open slot in a trade-union apprenticeship program.

The program provides basic construction skills to its students over five weeks to prepare them for the rigors of an apprenticeship with a trade union, increasing the retention rate to 80%, compared with 50% for those not in the program. Read more here.

Join Us for this week’s campaign events!

View larger image here.

More info here.

NEARI Open Position for a Member Data Organizer

The NEARI Member Data Organizer is an office support staff position that will focus on maximizing outreach and communication to our membership through data cultivation, management, and utilization. More information at www.near.org/jobs

AFL-CIO: The Inflation Reduction Act is a Victory for Working People

On Sunday, the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act. There will be a House vote on this bill Friday, and it is expected to pass. Then it goes to President Biden for his signature. Once the process is completed, the legislation will represent a significant victory for working families.

About the act, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said:

The effects of this legislation will improve the lives of millions of Americans struggling to afford health care, seniors trying to pay for their prescriptions and future generations who will be able to see the impacts of drastically reduced carbon emissions.

Specifically, the act will:

Allow for the negotiation of lower drug prices for seniors: Medicare will begin negotiating lower drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities. Drug price negotiation will focus on the highest expenditure drugs that have been on the market for nine to 13 years. Negotiation also will save the Medicare program $99 billion, which will bolster the program financially.

Create inflation caps for Medicare prescription drugs: The bill caps increases in prescription drug prices for Medicare recipients to the rate of inflation, putting a much-needed limit on how much manufacturers can raise costs for people who rely on prescriptions to manage their health.

Read more here.

This year we can elect people committed to fighting for workers and their families! But that won’t happen if you and your family and friends aren’t registered to vote. Register or update your registration online: https://bit.ly/Reg2VoteRI

UPCOMING EVENTS:

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company stated it is “unreasonable” to meet the workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare and pay a share towards retirement. The South Carolina-based company apparently doesn’t believe that employees have rights and deserve fair treatment. This at a location that has more than doubled in number of employees in the last two years.The Union believes the Company has committed unfair labor practices. Workers are picketing 24 hours a day at 101 Concord St, Pawtucket RI. Please tell Northeast Transportation and DHL Express that unfair treatment of workers is unacceptable. Call 843-906-9655 and 1-800-225-5345. If you’re a customer serviced by Northeast Transportation Services, please refuse deliveries and ship by a union-represented shipper that treats its employees better.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Labor Vision is going on break for the rest of the summer. We’ll be back in September!

You can still watch all the episodes from this year!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity

E-NEWS: AUGUST 4, 2022

August 4, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

An excellent Commentary piece in The Boston Globe by Priscilla De La Cruz, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Audubon Society Rhode Island, President of the Environment Council of Rhode Island, and co-chair of Climate Jobs Rhode Island. Patrick Crowley is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and co-chair of Climate Jobs Rhode Island.

The Boston Globe: In R.I., labor and environmental groups working together on dual crises of climate and inequality

Nearly two years ago, we formed a coalition of our respective movements uniting around the idea that the climate crisis and inequality must be solved together, write Climate Jobs R.I. co-chairs Priscilla De La Cruz and Patrick Crowley.

President Biden may have stopped short of declaring a climate emergency, and a newly announced climate and health care bill has not yet had its day in Congress, but this hasn’t stopped our small state from taking bold action.

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee recently signed into law a slate of climate jobs priorities, including a commitment to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2033, strong labor standards for renewable energy projects, additional offshore wind development, and free transit on the R-Line, which represents more than half of RIPTA’s annual ridership. These victories put Rhode Island on course to power our communities with 100 percent clean energy sooner than any other state in the country — and we’ll get it done by creating thousands of family-sustaining union jobs in renewables, and by advancing racial equity.

These groundbreaking commitments to protect working people and our beautiful Ocean State are the result of an exciting movement of unions and climate groups working together to show the world what a real pro-worker climate agenda looks like.

It’s worth reflecting on how we got here. Nearly two years ago, members of Rhode Island’s labor and environmental movements joined together in a series of exchanges to learn from each other and identify areas of common ground. Read more here.

Laborers Local 271 Twitter:

Groundbreaking training partnership creating economic opportunity when business, labor, govt and community work together #offshorewind @OrstedUS @GovDanMcKee @LGSabinaMatos @EversourceCorp @CCRINews @goapprenticeRI @ri_trades @RI_DLT

View pictures here.

NEARI Twitter:

@RobertAWalshJr walked through NEARI’s doors for the last time as executive director this week. We wish him all the best in his retirement. He never leaves RI, so we know we’ll see him around! Bob, after 30 yrs, what can we say? It’s the end of an era. Thank you for everything.

General Teamsters Local 251 Facebook:

UPS TEAMSTERS IN RHODE ISLAND PLAN TO RALLY THURSDAY

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1997 UPS strike, Local 251 will be educating UPS members on Thursday August 4th in Warwick. This is part of the national week of action by Teamsters at UPS to kick off the campaign for a strong contract in 2023.

Teamsters: UPS Teamsters Kick Off Contract Fight

Teamster members at UPS have begun a nationwide call to action today with parking lot rallies, leafletting actions and other activities taking place at UPS centers throughout the country. With the current contract expiring in exactly one year, members are mobilizing now for the strongest possible contract in 2023.

The kick-off of this historic contract fight also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the successful 1997 UPS Teamsters strike, when 185,000 members struck the company.

“We are sending a message to UPS that the days of concessions and walking all over our members are over,” said General President Sean M. O’Brien, who joined Teamsters Local 25 UPS members at a rally this morning in Boston. “UPS would not have its billion-dollar profits without hardworking Teamster members. Our message to UPS is that it’s time our contract reflects the essential work of our members.”

“Our members are ready to show the company that we are united at UPS, and the International will use every resource at our disposal to win the best contract in our history,” said General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman, who will visit UPS Teamsters in Traverse City, Mich. on Tuesday. “It’s time to end excessive overtime, the two-tier wage 22.4 classification, subcontracting, driver-facing cameras and harassment – along with securing higher pay for part-timers and more full-time jobs.” Read more here.

IBEW Local 99 Twitter:

Business Manager Joe Walsh and Ibew Providence where honored to host Governor Dan McKee and Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos today announcing the launch of the $25 M High-efficiency Heat Pump Program IBEW Local 99 will be installing union jobs helping stop climate change =win

Build RI Twitter:

Build RI Executive Director Greg Mancini and member of the board Scott Duhamel speaking to the graduating class of @goapprenticeRI today. Congratulations to the graduates and good luck!

Fuerza Laboral Twitter:

Fuerza was part of a rally supporting security officers at PCHC. Thanks to @RISEIUCouncil for inviting us. Poverty wages and union busting practices from Usentra have to stop!

Watch video here.

IUPAT Twitter:

The group of people that steals the most from Americans each year is employers. Wage theft is so pervasive in the United States that at least $16 billion a year is being stolen from workers.

Labor 411: Paleo, The Union Way

Over the years a few diets, or lifestyle changes, have become wildly popular in the US. Many are in essence a variation of a low-carb diet. A particularly noteworthy one is the Paleo diet, which seeks to mirror the diet of humans during the Paleolithic Era, or Stone Age. The diet is centered on meats and vegetables that would have been hunted or gathered during the era, while avoiding products like processed foods, sugars, and grains.

If you are interested in a “back to basics” diet like Paleo, we have a list of union foods and grocery stores so that you can support good jobs while doing good for your body. The brands and stores below have contracts with union members, so you know that workers have a voice on the job and receive fair pay.

Happy union-made dieting from all of us at Labor 411.

See list here.

***Remember to shop for your food and beverages at Stop & Shop, Shaws and Eastside Marketplace where our union brothers and sisters work.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Labor Vision is going on break for the rest of the summer. We’ll be back in September!

You can still watch all the episodes from this year!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity

E-NEWS: JULY 28, 2022

July 28, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release: July 25, 2022

Contact: Patrick Crowley ▪ 401.330.6870 ▪ patrick@riaflcio.com

RI AFL-CIO Endorses Daniel McKee for Governor

Providence, RI – Today, the Executive Board of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO voted to endorse Daniel J. McKee for Governor in the Democratic Party primary election to be held on September 13, 2022.

George Nee, president of the state’s largest labor federation, said “Since becoming Governor in March of 2021, Governor McKee has consistently demonstrated a commitment to making life better for working Rhode Islanders. He signed into law several pieces of legislation important to union members including an increase of the minimum wage to $15 per hour, the Act on Climate, the nursing home safe staffing legislation, an extension of the Rhode Island Promise program, prevailing wage legislation for projects using state tax credits as well as for state contracts with janitorial and security vendors, the voting reform package known as “Let RI Vote” and a number of important gun safety measures. We look forward to continuing to work with the McKee Administration on issues that affect not only the 80,000 men and women of the Rhode Island labor movement but all of the Ocean State’s working people.”

Patrick Crowley, Secretary Treasurer of the RI AFL-CIO, highlighted the Governor’s record on climate change as a key reason for earning the labor movement’s endorsement. “Governor McKee was instrumental in enacting important legislation as Rhode Island looks to build a just transition to a carbon-free economy. The 100% Renewable Energy Standard law, the Off-Shore Wind Procurement law, and the Labor Standards in Renewable Energy Projects law are examples of forward-thinking legislation putting Rhode Island at the forefront of tackling the impact of climate change. Governor McKee’s leadership on these issues puts Rhode Island on the path to meeting the ambitious goals of the 2021 Act on Climate.”

The endorsement comes after interview sessions with all the leading Democratic Party candidates for Governor, including Governor McKee, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, Dr. Luis Daniel Munoz, Helena Foulkes, and Matt Brown.

The Rhode Island AFL-CIO represents over 250 affiliated unions and 80,000 working men and women across the Ocean State.

Providence Business News: Rank and file revival: New kind of labor movement hits R.I.

Starbuckscustomers swinging through the drive-thru on a June morning in Warwick were greeted by something many weren’t expecting: a group of baristas and others holding signs with messages such as “Grind coffee, not workers” and “I want my coffee union made.”

It was an informational picket line ahead of a crucial vote for the 17 employees of the Starbucks Corp. outlet in a busy shopping plaza off Route 2 – a vote on whether they should unionize.

Many drivers beeped horns in support, pumped fists or rolled down their windows to let out a cheer.

Cassie Burke, 23, a Starbucks employee and organizer of the union effort, was among those holding signs. And she wasn’t hiding her frustration.

“With this current generation, there’s a lot of people who do not feel represented through government and law,” she said. “They see this as a way to make change in their community aside from voting every two years.”

The runup to the early June vote was perhaps the most visible example of a new type of union movement rippling across Rhode Island and the rest of the country, one of self-organization that runs counter to traditional labor organizing that has tended to be led by seasoned union officials. Read more here.

The Providence Journal: Security guards from a Warwick firm are trying to form a union after alleged intimidation

Security officers with Warwick firm USENTRA rallied on Tuesday for the creation of a union despite alleged intimidation on the part of management.

About two dozen employees gathered outside the Providence Community Health Centers complex on Prairie Avenue, one of the main locations security staff are sent. However, they also work in Brown University buildings, The Providence Journal printing plant, and other locations.

Sagno Almamy, who emigrated from Guinea in 2009 and started working with USENTRA in 2018, is one of the staffers who has been stationed at the printing plant, along with factories and hospitals.

Almamy, who is 70 years old and said he sometimes works significantly more than 40 hours a week, said he has no health insurance and makes differing wages based on the location he is posted.

At the PCHC complex, he makes $14 to $16 an hour, whereas at the printing plant, he makes $12.25 an hour, he told The Journal. He does, however, make overtime.

“That’s one of the problems,” said Franklin Soults, a spokesperson for the Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ. “They never know how much they’re going to be getting.”

Read more here.

AFL-CIO: CHIPS Act Will Help Secure America’s Future

July 26, 2022

Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on the passage of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Act in the U.S. Senate:

Today’s passage of the bipartisan CHIPS Act in the Senate is a critical step toward rectifying years of underinvestment in our nation’s manufacturing and research and development capabilities. This legislation will boost America’s domestic supply chains, create thousands of high-paying jobs, strengthen our technology infrastructure, increase national security and promote vital research to ensure that we remain a global leader in innovation.

The billions of dollars in funding allocated for the semiconductor industry will expand our ability to develop more chips and incentivize companies to ramp up production nationwide. We also welcome the stipulations in the bill that hold companies accountable for how they utilize taxpayer dollars; facilitate the growth of a well-trained, highly skilled workforce; and create opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities to participate in CHIPS Act–funded projects and training programs.

We will continue to advocate for many of the important trade-related provisions that were not included in this version of the bill and would have done more to protect working people. Provisions such as the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program—which expired in July—would have given workers who have lost their jobs to offshoring the opportunity to gain skills suited for newly built semiconductor facilities. Reinforcing U.S. labor laws and deterring China’s harmful trade practices are top priorities for our movement, and we won’t stop fighting until these necessary measures and reforms are in place. Working people deserve a voice and a seat at the table in every step of the process, and when we have one, we will build a more competitive America.

IUPAT Twitter:

Every day, our union organizes to build and expand on the legacy of the generations of IUPAT women who’ve proudly made our union the union it is today, which has the largest number of women in the building trades.

Watch video here.

RICOSH Advisory: Practical Steps To Beat The Heat

The following is a basic checklist to chose (mix and match) for heat-health:

· Download OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool. Real-time heat index and hourly forecasts, specific to your location, with heat safety recommendations. [www.osha.gov,]

· Regular hydration (fluid intake) is vital. But water and sports drink intake alone will not prevent heat illnesses. It is also important to adjust the work environment and regimen.

· Take frequent rest breaks. If you work outdoors try to take these breaks inside or in a cool shaded area. The hotter it gets, take more and longer breaks. Many cities have designated cooling centers (libraries, auditoriums, school gyms etc): for outdoors crews (landscaping, construction, road work etc) locate nearest cooling center and take breaks and meals in these centers.

· Schedule heavy work at cooler times.

· Workers and staff should have time to adjust to hot environments.

· Shield machinery or equipment that produces heat.

· Attach overhead covering to( lifts, scaffolding etc,); erect open tents to cover stationary work.

· Supply portable general ventilation and spot cooling in hot work areas.

· Providing cooling protective clothing (e.g., water-cooled garments, air-cooled garments, cooling vests, and wetted overgarments).

· Eat smaller meals and avoid sugar, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol.

· Provide training and select a crew or staff member for specific emergency medical training on how to handle a victim of heat stroke.

· Review hazards and precautions when a heat wave is predicted.

Labor 411: The 2022 Union-Built Cars, Trucks, And SUVs List

For most people, cars are the second biggest purchase that they will make. And a great way to vote with all those dollars that they are are spending is to choose union-made cars.

When we buy union, we are supporting companies that pay fair wages. At the same time we are denying money to those automakers that engage in union avoidance, whether it’s through moving plants to “right to work” states or practicing union-busting.

But with so many cars built in North America nowadays, it’s not always easy to know which are assembled at union plants. With that in mind, the United Autoworkers (“UAW”) puts together an annual list of cars assembled at UAW factories. It’s a terrific resource to help consumers vote with their wallets.

Below are the car, truck, and SUV sections of the 2022 UAW list. For the full list of UAW vehicles, visit the union’s guide here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

CALLING ALL UNION MEMBERS!

The Future is Union photo contest is still active, please spread the word among your membership.

This photography competition is a nationwide contest for union members and a selection of photos will win prizes up to $500 Visa gift cards. The contest closes on July 31^st.

Any union member who sees their work as a “climate job” can submit a photograph to this contest—whether you’re driving an electric bus, working on wind turbines, teaching children about the climate crisis, cleaning up after climate-related disasters, constructing green buildings, installing solar, operating water systems, or any other form of climate work! Here is an outreach template to help you spread the word amongst your membership, along with a link to the photo contest website where you will find more details. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me (erica@climatejobsri.org).

———————————————————

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Labor Vision is going on break for the rest of the summer. We’ll be back in September!

You can still watch all the episodes from this year!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity

E-NEWS: JULY 21, 2022

July 21, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

The Boston Globe: Longtime leader of R.I. health care workers union stepping aside

“This is the kind of job that you have to be able to do fully, every single day. And the last couple of years have felt like 10 years,” SEIU 1199′s Patrick Quinn told the Globe.

PROVIDENCE — Patrick J. Quinn, the longtime executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199 New England, told the Globe Wednesday that he is taking a step back from the union he’s been advocating for over the last 36 years.

A carefully spoken collective-bargaining expert who has led one of the state’s most vocal unions for 12 years, Quinn is a powerful figure who has been influential in hospital board rooms, earned the respect of lawmakers, and has been tactical against those managers and corporate owners who aren’t initially willing to negotiate.

Quinn, 63, said he made the decision in January to step away in the middle of his term — which does not end until May 2023 — after having a conversation with his wife of 35 years.

“This is the kind of job that you have to be able to do fully, every single day. And the last couple of years have felt like 10 years,” said Quinn during a phone interview, explaining he has worked nearly seven days a week since the pandemic began.

Jesse Martin, who previously led Connecticut’s SEIU branch, will serve out the rest of Quinn’s term. Quinn said Martin may also run for re-election next spring. Read more here.

Teamsters Local 251:

Striking Northeast Transportation Services Teamsters Request Support

Drivers, couriers and dockworkers are on strike against Northeast Transportation Services, a service contractor for DHL Express. These workers went on strike Wednesday June 22, 2022. In response to worker demands for a fair contract, the Company stated it is “unreasonable” to meet the workers’ demands to pay livable wages, offer affordable healthcare and pay a share towards retirement. The Company apparently doesn’t believe that employees have rights and deserve fair treatment. This at a location that has more than doubled in number of employees in the last two years. We believe the company has committed multiple unfair labor practices. We humbly ask for support for more than 60 workers demanding dignity and respect.

All financial donations can be made to:
Teamsters Local 251 Strike Fund
121 Brightridge Ave
East Providence, RI 02914

Additionally, please stop by the picket line. It’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 101 Concord St, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Tell Northeast Transportation Services that unfair treatment of workers is unacceptable. Call 843-906-9655 and 1-800-225-5345.

We thank you for your support for striking Teamsters 251 workers.

Providence Business News: Agreement reached with BVCHC unionized caregivers, strike averted

PROVIDENCE – Unionized workers at Blackstone Valley Community Health Care called off a three-day strike they planned to start on Wednesday after reaching a last-minute contract agreement.

Caregivers from three BVCHC locations who are members of SEIU 1199NE, 1000 Broad St. in Central Falls, and 39 East Ave. and 210 Main St. in Pawtucket, had planned the strike to protest unfair wages and demand a new, fair contract, after months of negotiations had led to no progress. But before the strike could begin on Wednesday, a spokesperson from the union said it had been called off. It is unclear what the new agreement looks like, as details have not been released.

“We worked throughout the pandemic, many of us got sick, and feel like we deserve appreciation,” said Fabienne Edouard, administrative medical assistant and negotiating committee member on Tuesday. “We are asking for fair wages and respect.”

Unionized workers had voted 99% in favor of the strike and about 70 caregivers were expected to participate. Edouard, who has worked at BVCHC for seven years, said striking felt like a “necessary” decision to encourage management to listen to the caregivers’ demands.

The contract expired in February 2022 and caregivers have been trying to reach a new agreement since December, but all negotiations had been fruitless so far.

Union representatives said BVCHC was refusing to raise wages to match the rising cost of living despite the recent influx of money community health centers received in the state budget. Edouard said the low wages are causing more and more workers to leave for better paying jobs and are deterring potential caregivers from accepting jobs at the center. Read more here.

Providence Business News: Bally’s, unionized Twin River Casino workers reach tentative agreement

LINCOLN – Unionized Twin River Casino workers and Bally’s Corp. have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, avoiding a potential strike.

The agreement includes raises for all workers and increased shifts, said Lynette Ng, a spokesperson for Unite Here Local 26, who said Friday the union will share more details next week.

Last month, unionized employees at the casino voted by 92% to authorize a strike if the bargaining team and Bally’s could not reach a new contract agreement.

The old contract was initially set to expire in late June, but the union and the casino company agreed to extend it for an additional two weeks to continue negotiations. The union and Bally’s reached an agreement a couple days in advance of the updated July 14 deadline, Ng said.

Patti Doyle, a spokesperson for Bally’s, said Friday the company believes the tentative contract to be “a fair agreement for all parties.”

“Our conversations with our Unite Here colleagues are productive, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship,” Doyle said.

The union expects to ratify the contract next Wednesday, Ng said.

IBEW Local 99 Twitter:

IBEW local 99RC & 2323RC stopping by the Pickett line yesterday to support the DHL Teamsters.

View pictures here.

North Providence Firefighters Local 2334 Facebook:

See pictures here.

NPFD Engine 1, Ladder 1, Rescue 1 and Battalion 1, had the opportunity to attend the Fatima Grand Rounds training tonite and put on a presentation on vehicle extrication. Thank you to our good friend Dr. Jardine and the Fatima staff for their hospitality. We are lucky to have a community hospital like Fatima in our town.

Reuters: CEO pay gains far outpace rising wages, says U.S. union report

July 18 (Reuters) – S&P 500 (.SPX) chief executives made $18.3 million on average in 2021, 324 times the pay of their median workers and higher than the ratio in 2020, the top American labor union federation reported on Monday.

Corporate leaders’ raises far outpaced wage gains that failed to keep up with inflation, said the AFL-CIO, in an annual report that has become widely cited as a measure of U.S. inequality trends.

“It’s another version of more for them and less for us,” said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond on a conference call to introduce the report.

The 2021 CEO-to-worker ratio in the S&P 500 was the widest since 2018, when the federation was first able to track the figure based on new disclosures. The ratio was 299-to-1 in 2020. read more

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN.O) CEO Andy Jassy’s total compensation of $212.7 million last year was 6,474 times that of its median worker. That was the highest ratio out of all S&P 500 companies based on their latest proxy statements, the AFL-CIO said. Read more here.

Labor 411: Dogging It In July The Ethical Way

In honor of July being National Hot Dog Month (yes, it’s a thing), we are celebrating that delicious and quite junky fast food item known as the hot dog (or wiener or frank or whatever you choose to call it). Hot dogs are a summer favorite particularly at barbeques and ballparks. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, that’s also a thing) fans will consume more than 19 million hot dogs and five million sausages at ball parks during the 2022 Major League Baseball season.

When you’re planning your own cookout or quick meal, Labor 411 recommends hot dogs of the ethical variety like the ones listed below. These fabulous franks were made by companies who treat their workers fairly and give them a voice on the job. We have also thrown in some equally ethical condiments because who eats hot dogs bare? Enjoy the dog days of July and let’s all help build a stronger American economy.

See list here.

***Remember to shop for your food and drinks at Stop & Shop, Shaws and Eastside Marketplace in support where our union brothers and sisters work.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

RICOSH Webinar:

Staying Healthy in the Heat

When: Monday, July 25 at 1 p.m.

This free virtual RICOSH workshop will explore the hazards of heat and ways to make working in hot environments safer. Workers are at risk because their livelihoods often depend on exposure to hot weather and to hot environs. In the last decade at least 384 workers died from environmental heat exposure in the U.S., according to an investigation by NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations-

Presenters: Jim Celenza and Dr Nick Tsiongas

Please Register in advance for this webinar:

Registration Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ufumqrTktEtRA6zi3i2iTyGQMnAOVmDRE

———————————————————

CALLING ALL UNION MEMBERS!

The Future is Union photo contest is still active, please spread the word among your membership.

This photography competition is a nationwide contest for union members and a selection of photos will win prizes up to $500 Visa gift cards. The contest closes on July 31^st.

———————————————————

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Coming up on Labor Vision …

On this special segment of Labor Vision we visit the Museum of Work and Culture with the museum Executive Director Anne Conway and Rachael Guadagni, the Family and Youth Education Coordinator.

Click below to watch the show: https://youtu.be/fm9TfQRKn94

And visit the museum website to learn more about upcoming events and exhibits: https://www.rihs.org/locations/museum-of-work-culture/

Never miss a segment!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@LaborVisionRI)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (LaborVisionTV1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCVw

Find us on our website at https://laborvisionri.org/

Events, Labor News, Legislation, Press, Solidarity, Uncategorized

E-NEWS: JULY 14, 2022

July 14, 2022 riaflcio

An updated Union Directory listing union goods and services in R.I. can be found on our website at www.RhodeIslandAFLCIO.org under the “Resources” tab.

Here is the direct link—-> Union Directory

Please use this directory to find where you can buy union and use services in Rhode Island.

AFL-CIO: Justice Delayed, but Finally Delivered

We welcome home an American patriot this week who was unjustly deported six years ago. Ivan Ocon, a brave Army veteran, won the right to return to the United States with the support of a powerful network of organizations, including the AFL-CIO; the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO (UVC); the Deported Veterans Support House; and Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic. He was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in a ceremony held in El Paso, Texas, today.

“Justice has finally been served for Ivan and his family, and we look forward to helping more of our deported veterans return home where they belong,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “A few years ago, I was part of a labor delegation that visited the border where we met with veterans in Juarez still proudly wearing their U.S. military uniforms, despite being unable to cross into Texas. We immediately knew we had to take action. Deporting people who have risked their lives to defend our democracy is disgraceful, and unions are determined to right these wrongs.”

In 2021, the AFL-CIO Executive Council launched a campaign, under the leadership of the Union Veterans Council, to end the unjust deportation of U.S. military veterans, including hundreds who have served our nation in combat. The campaign seeks to bring our deported veterans home, reunite families, and prevent further efforts to criminalize and tear apart immigrant communities. Today, with the invaluable support of the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, we will begin to see the concrete results of our advocacy. Read more here.

Bloomberg Law: Unions Jockey For Offshore Wind Leasing Wins in Hostile States

Unions are positioning themselves as a key part of the Biden administration’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, pushing for worker-focused mandates while fielding questions about how it can be done, particularly in the waters off less union-friendly states.

After having lost out on footholds in industries that developed without union buy-in, organized labor is pushing to make sure they’re included at this table, where the many existing skillsets of their members can be put to work. Unions and private developers have already voluntarily agreed to collaborate on some of the slated projects, tapping into what some predict could be tens of thousands of jobs brought about by the industry—but they want more.

Creating equitable work conditions for all workers—including those not in a union—is a priority for labor leaders like Rick Levy, president of the Texas AFL-CIO.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management “has the power in its own hands to shape the direction of this new technology forever,” said Levy. “It would be more than a shame—whatever word you would use—if we let this opportunity pass us by.”

Congressional Democrats, organized labor, and advocates want to see all offshore wind development completed with union labor, and project labor agreements linked to more future leases, actions that the Interior Department’s BOEM could take. Read more here.

CALLING ALL UNION MEMBERS!

The Future is Union photo contest is still active, please spread the word among your membership.

This photography competition is a nationwide contest for union members and a selection of photos will win prizes up to $500 Visa gift cards. The contest closes on July 31^st.

Here is an outreach template to help you spread the word amongst your membership, along with a link to the photo contest website where you will find more details. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me (erica@climatejobsri.org).

RICOSH Advisory: COVID Chronicles

COVID Vigilance: A Strict Constitutional Interpretation

Two new versions of Omicron are gaining ground in the U.S.

The spread of the subvariants adds more uncertainty to the trajectory of the pandemic in the US. These highly transmissible variants BA.4 and BA.t5 now account for the majority recent cases. But so far it has not led to huge spikes in hospitalizations or landing in ICUs and deaths.

“I think one of the things that remains somewhat undetermined with BA.4 and the BA. 5 surges are the levels of severe disease and death that we might expect. but the question is, how many hospitalizations and deaths will come as a result? And what does that mean for the health care system?” Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota BA.4 and BA.5 are picking up speed because they’re able to evade the body’s antibody response even more so than other variants, meaning they’re very good at establishing infections in people who have some level of protection. “Overall, this raises concerns about more frequent BA.4/BA.5 vaccine breakthrough infections than for BA.1/BA.2, and for Omicron reinfections,” the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports

’BA.5 has an R0 of 18.6 – which means it is about as transmissible as measles, which is the most transmissible virus most of us know. That means you can come into a room two hours after an infected person was there and still get infected,’ according to Dr Michael Fine former RIDOH director. People who were infected by an earlier Omicron version could be susceptible to an infection from BA.4 or BA.5, scientists have found, though the combination of vaccination and an earlier Omicron infection provides more durable protection than an infection alone. But even as protection against transmission infection is diluted in the face of the newer variants, protection against serious outcomes continues to be maintained for most people who’ve been vaccinated or had prior infections. Read more here.

Wall Street Journal: Union Organizing Efforts Rise in First Half of Year

The number of U.S. workplaces where employees have started trying to organize unions jumped this year to the highest level in half a dozen years, a rise that reflects warming public attitudes toward unions amid a strong labor market.

In the first half of the year, workers at 1,411 U.S. workplaces filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board, the first step in joining a union, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal data. That represents a 69% increase from the same period in 2021 and the most of any year since 2015.

The union push comes as public opinion about organized labor is the most positive in decades. A Gallup poll last year found that 68% of Americans approve of unions, the highest share since 1965.

Still, the share of American workers who belong to unions has fallen steeply over past decades and remains low by historical standards. About 10.3% of American workers were union members last year, down from 29.3% in 1964, according to researchers from Georgia State University, Trinity University and the Urban Institute.

Of the 1,411 workplaces filing petitions so far this year, about 400, representing more than 21,000 workers, have already voted in favor of a union and around 150, representing almost 7,800 people, have voted against–a small slice of the 164 million in the U.S. labor force. The remaining petitions have either been withdrawn or are awaiting a vote. Read more here.

Liz Shuler Twitter:

The labor movement is calling on the @WhiteHouse to do whatever is necessary to ensure our union sister Brittney Griner is brought home swiftly & safely. #WeAreBG #FreeBrittneyGriner #WeAreNotThe144WithoutBG

Add your name & amplify the message! —> https://act.aflcio.org/forms/freebrittneygriner?source=social

AFL-CIO Facebook:

#FlashbackFriday: Former OPEIU – Office and Professional Employees International Union President John Kelly (1928-1994) marches alongside UFW founder Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) during the 1991 Delano Grape Strike.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

RICOSH Webinar:

Staying Healthy in the Heat

When: Monday, July 25 at 1 p.m.

Presenters: Jim Celenza and Dr Nick Tsiongas

Please Register in advance for this webinar:

Registration Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ufumqrTktEtRA6zi3i2iTyGQMnAOVmDRE

———————————————————

General Teamsters Local 251

***NORTHEAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WORKERS ARE ON STRIKE***

Northeast Transportation Services members, who wear DHL-branded uniforms, drive DHL-branded vehicles, and service DHL Express packages and customers; are on strike as of Wednesday evening.

Are you following us on Social Media? Click on the links below.

FaceBook

Twitter

Instagram

Visit our website for more information, news and events.

If you want a voice on the job or to build a better workplace, click the here to start organizing and taking action.

LABOR VISION:

Coming up on Labor Vision …

On this special segment of Labor Vision we visit the Museum of Work and Culture with the museum Executive Director Anne Conway and Rachael Guadagni, the Family and Youth Education Coordinator.

Click below to watch the show: https://youtu.be/fm9TfQRKn94

And visit the museum website to learn more about upcoming events and exhibits: https://www.rihs.org/locations/museum-of-work-culture/

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