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PhillyUnions.com News Archive - 2005 Current News Nov. - Dec. '05:
Oct. '05:
Sept. '05:
June - Aug. '05:
Jan. - May. '05:
December 22, 2005: A Holiday Greeting in Solidarity Attention: Fellow Union Members, Families and Supporters. The holiday season is a time to celebrate and spend time with family, friends, and loved ones. It is also a time to reflect and be thankful for the livelihood we enjoy, and to appreciate and honor those hard working generations before us that have paved the way so that we may experience the many benefits and standards we enjoy in our workplaces. When we look into the eyes of our children, spouses, brothers and sisters, let us remember the hundreds of thousands of union members, leaders, and supporters who came before us, who suffered, sacrificed and fought to secure a better future for all of us. It is also important that we continue to give thanks and support to our current union leaders who continue to carry the torch, often in the face of adversity, to further advance and protect our working conditions, standards, and industries. In the spirit of union brotherhood and sisterhood, please take a moment of your time this holiday season to reflect upon our history as a movement as well as our future and what it means for union members in all union industries to continue to be committed in solidarity, so that our future generations can reflect graciously upon ourselves in the same manner! Happy Holidays and Solidarity to ALL! November 30, 2005: Warm In Winter Holiday Drive for Homeless Philadelphia Children We are asking all Constituency Groups to make donations. The Women Making a Difference Committee Presents The Sixth Annual Warm In Winter Holiday Drive for Homeless Philadelphia Children Ages 1 to 12 Who Need You. Let's keep our children warm! The last day for collections is Wednesday, December 7, 2005. You can drop off NEW mittens, gloves, hats and scarves at our office at 22 S. 22nd Street. Thank you. December 9, 2005: Bah-Humbug Bush this Monday 12/12 Join Jobs with Justice with the Communications Workers of America District 13 to protest George Bush's anti-worker NLRB appointee, Peter Kirsanow, and employers like Verizon Wireless that use the anti-worker NRLB to strip workers of their right to form a union! Philadelphia Labor unites Against the War! Come out and stand up against the Bush tax cauts, cuts to food stamps and human services and the threats to womens' freedom and equality! The JwJ march will join anti-war protestors at City Hall to unwelcome George Jr. to the City of Brotherly Love. Bah-Humbug Bush Rally and March Click here for more information. Or read more in the Philadelphia Inquirer. December 8, 2005: ACTION ALERT - Support Requested: Rally/Demonstration March this Friday 12/9 at 3:30 PM We are having a rally/demonstration march on Friday December 9th at 3:30 PM at Broad and Spring Garden Sts. (The Vallas Palace). We are protesting the School District's decision to waste over 12 million dollars of tax payers' money to contract out the cleaning of 22 high schools. They rejected a proposal from our union Local 1201 that would have saved them that money and kept our members working there, allowing that money to be used for the children. We want to know why! We need everyone who can make it there to be there. Our future depends on it! Get the word out! The media will be there! We will have signs, shirts and hats. We need to make a stand NOW! If it snows Friday and schools are open the rally is ON!! Thank You, In Solidarity, December 7, 2005: ACTION ALERT: Health Care Rally and March Thursday December 8 Join GET-UP/AFT, Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice, and a number of local unions this Thursday at noon to demand health care for all workers at the University of Pennsylvania. Thousands of workers at U-Penn lack adequate health care. U-Penn is the region's largest private employer and has an endowment of $4 billion dollars. GET-UP/AFT has been fighting for five years for the right to form a union. This health care action is part of our campaign for a voice at work and is occurring in conjunction with the December 10th Voice at Work Mobilization. DETAILS: WHAT: March and Rally December 2, 2005: December 6th Press Conference and Human Rights Forum with National AFL-CIO President Sweeney Workers' Rights Are Human Rights The Philadelphia Congressional Delegation understands that human rights have little meaning without workers' rights. On Tuesday, December 6th at 10:00 AM U.S. Representatives Curt Weldon and Mike Fitzpatrick will sign on as co-sponsors of the Employee Free Choice Act at a press conference at the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO offices. Later that day, at 4:00 PM, National AFL-CIO President John Sweeney will be joined by community and religious leaders and workers at an International Human Rights Day forum --
Everyone is welcome to join a short candlelight procession to highlight the campaign to make WalMart become a responsible corporate citizen in the U.S., and to respect human rights globally. Join Us! Press Conference: 10:00 AM Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO Offices 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: International Human Rights Day Forum For more information, call Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO (215) 665-9800, Co-Sponsored by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and Jobs with Justice INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home... the factory, farm or office... Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere." November 30, 2005: ACTION ALERT: Ironworkers Local 401 Needs Your Help! Attention: Philadelphia Union Community If you or your family members, co-workers, friends, etc. live in the Normandy neighborhood section of Philadelphia, Ironworkers Local 401 is requesting your help. This Thursday night, December 1, at 7 PM at the Norcom Community Center, 10980 Norcom Road (Norcom and Comly), a special meeting of the Normandy Civic Association will be held to decide whether or not a zoning variance for construction of a new vocational school should be approved or denied in the location directly adjacent to the Ironworkers union hall and training facility on Norcom Rd. Currently the proposed location for the school has an L-2 zoning classification which could potentially attract a much more intrusive use and future neighbor that could negatively impact the Ironworkers' property. This is why if you or anyone you know lives in the Normandy section of Philadelphia, Ironworkers Local 401 would greatly appreciate your help in SUPPORTING the proposed variance for construction of the new vocational school specializing in computer technology, which will certainly be an upgrade in comparison to what is currently allowed in this location. It is also important to know that the builder, Maguire and Associates, has committed in writing to use 100% union labor during construction at the location. Please note that proper ID is required for proof of address. Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing everyone from the Normandy neighborhood at the meeting. Sincerely, Joseph J. Dougherty November 22, 2005: Volunteers Needed for United Way's Project Warm Heart Volunteers Needed! United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania is recruiting volunteers to weatherize homes throughout our region. No experience required! Winter is on the way and heating costs will be an issue for many individuals and families, especially those on a fixed income. However, by weatherizing a home and reducing the use of heat, you can save 5% - 20% in energy costs! United Way in Action United Way is mobilizing volunteers to provide weatherization assistance and conservation education to vulnerable households (i.e. the elderly, disabled, homebound, families with infants and children) across the region. United Way will also educate families (via service providers) about conservation techniques and crisis assistance funds, and provide them with the tools and training to conduct their own weatherization efforts. Join United Way and Volunteer Today!
Volunteers Needed 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on the following days: Saturday December 3rd in two sites - Montgomery and Delaware Counties To register or get more information, visit the United Way web site: www.uwsepa.org and take the Project Warm Heart link. October 22, 2005: Major Victory for Fire Fighter's Union Court again tells city it can't close fire companies - yet. An earlier order about reentering arbitration talks with firefighters' union wasn't followed. By Anthony S. Twyman In a victory for the city firefighters' union, a judge has reinstated an injunction that blocks the Street administration from closing four fire engine and four ladder companies to save $6.8 million annually. Common Pleas Court Judge Matthew D. Carrafiello's order temporarily prohibits city officials from reorganizing the Fire Department until they reenter arbitration talks with the firefighters. City Solicitor Romulo Diaz Jr. said the city was disappointed with the judge's order and was considering an appeal. "The issue here, from the city's perspective, ultimately, is that a management decision was taken," Diaz said. "Ultimately, the city is going to be responsible for the residents of this city, with all due respect, not the judge." Brian McBride, president of Local 22 of the International Association of Firefighters, said he was pleased and hoped that a study could be performed to determine whether the cuts would jeopardize the safety of the firefighters and the public. "We're delighted that the judge recognized the impact of health and safety on the citizens, the community, and the firefighters of Philadelphia," McBride said. Carrafiello's order is the latest development in a long-running battle between the city and the union. The city sought to close the eight fire companies by July 2004. No firefighters were to be laid off, and no firehouses were to be closed. Instead, individual companies within the firehouses were to be closed or reorganized. The city also planned to create eight new emergency medical service units that would operate 12 hours a day to respond to a sharp rise in calls from residents for emergency help. But the union challenged that decision in court, saying the city had failed to negotiate with the union before seeking the cuts. In April, a city arbitrator ruled that the Street administration could go forward with the cuts and enter arbitration talks later. All that stood in the city's way was Carrafiello's original July 2004 injunction, which blocked the city from making the cuts until the state resolved an unfair-labor-practice complaint filed by the firefighters union. When the state Labor Relations Board deferred to the arbitrator, the city was set to go until Carrafiello again interceded with the order issued Wednesday. He took offense at the April decision by Kinard Lang, the arbitrator, which concluded that the city did not have to bargain with the firefighters before implementing the reorganization plan. "As this court's order was binding, and yet ignored at arbitration, the award must be vacated and the issues must be re-litigated pursuant to the court's original direction," Carrafiello wrote. Contact staff writer Anthony S. Twyman at 215-854-2664 or at atwyman@phillynews.com. October 22, 2005: Principals' Union in School District Reelects President By Susan Snyder - (From Philly.com) George DiPilato, president of the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, the principals' union in the Philadelphia School District, was elected this week to a third three-year term. Before being elected to head the union in 1999, DiPilato was principal of the Youth Study Center, a detention facility run by the city and served by city educators. The union represents principals, assistants and some supervisors in the 268-school district. September 21, 2005: Habitat for Humanity Friends Asking Friends - Help Spread the Word An Exciting New Way to Help Hurricane Victims Rebuild Their Lives We would like to tell you about an exciting new Friends Asking Friends tool we've developed that will make it easy for you help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Here's how it works: Visit our Operation Home Delivery Action Center (http://faf.habitat.org/), where you can fill out a simple form and we will provide you with a personal homepage to rally the support of your friends and family for our long-term rebuilding effort. You can also help us spread the word by forwarding an email to others who share your spirit of compassion. Click here to forward an email now. P.S. The need for affordable housing right now is unprecedented. So we urge you to make a generous contribution in support of our efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina today. Click here to make a secure, online donation. September 13, 2005: Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO Labor to Neighbor Volunteer Opportunities Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES The American Red Cross of Southeastern PA Training is provided for all volunteers. Must be at least 18 years old. National Response Call Center Volunteers needed to answer the phones for the National Response Center. Must be able to enter information into a computer and provide information and referral services to people in the affected areas. Call: Lori Boland 215-405-8554 Southeastern Chapter Call Center Volunteers needed to answer the phones and provide information and referral services. Call: Lori Boland 215-405-8554 CAN YOU TRAVEL TO THE GULF REGION FOR THE RED CROSS? We need people willing to be trained as part of a disaster response team prior to going to the Gulf region. Workers are needed for the shelters and to do manual labor. The Red Cross will provide hardship coverage (flight and meals only). Call 1-877-AFLCIO-9 FOR MORE INFORMATION In Solidarity, September 13, 2005: Demand aid for Katrina's victims & justice for the workers who will rebuild the Gulf coast Most of us cannot imagine the devastation that Hurricane Katrina has brought to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The hurricane left behind massive, unprecedented, and enduring needs. The immediate needs for rescue, safe drinking water, shelter and food are staggering. The longer-term needs -- help for working families whose homes and jobs were washed away, for the injured and for survivors -- are hard to imagine. The government's actions and inaction to protect the working people of the Gulf coast is a disgrace. In New Orleans, where one third of the population lives below the poverty line, 70% is African-American, 40% are illiterate, and less than half own cars, the lack of preparation for a disaster that has been predicted for years is unfathomable. In rural areas across the Gulf Coast where many of the farmworkers speak only Spanish, word of the hurricane came too late for many to evacuate and now that the storm is over, no Spanish-language materials are available to help them find the food, water, and shelter they need. Friday, in a move that will further hurt the working families affected by the hurricane, President Bush issued an executive order that will allow employers using federal disaster assistance money to pay poverty wages to workers in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. The executive order suspends the requirements of the Davis-Bacon law, a federal law which requires that federal contractors pay workers wages that are at least equal to the prevailing wages in the area where the work is conducted, such as highway construction and other federally-funded construction projects. The working people of the Gulf Coast will not go quietly into the night, scattering across the country to become homeless in countless other cities while federal relief funds are funneled into rebuilding casinos, hotels, and only the wealthy sections of their cities. Those of us fortunate enough to live outside of the hurricane's path must do what we can to help. We are asking you to do two things to help the working people hurt most by the hurricane:
GROUPS ORGANIZING TO HELP WORKING FAMILIES:
Many unions have set up relief funds for their members. Check out your union's web site to see if they have set up a Katrina fund, or check out the AFL-CIO's website to see what several unions are doing to help. The AFL-CIO also is recruiting 1,000 volunteers to work at relief centers. If you are able to endure difficult conditions and are willing to volunteer, please e-mail hurricanevolunteers@aflcio.org. Please click here to take action and send a message to the President and Congress now.September 7, 2005: Katrina Disaster Relief Efforts Seeking Financial Support Everyone has been affected in some way by the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. Here are two ways you and your members can make a difference. Our sisters and brothers of UFCW Local 1776 are asking you to consider making a donation to Blessed Sacrament Hurricane Fund c/o Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament St. Elizabeth Convent, 1663 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA 19020. The good Sisters operate numerous schools in the affected area and have always taken care of the neediest populations especially in New Orleans. For more information contact UFCW Local 1776 at 610-940-1776. * * * Join Business Manager John J. Dougherty and friends as they host "The Ultimate Eagles Pep Rally" at the Lincoln Financial Field East Club Lounge, Monday, September 12, from 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM. Watch the Eagles vs. Falcons game on FANAVISION. All proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort. Tax deductible donation of $100 includes free parking, door prizes, food and beverages, live entertainment, Eagles Cheerleaders, and meet Eagles Alumni. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Make checks payable to 298 Inc. (501c3 organization). Contact: Scott Keenan (267-230-5677) for ticket information. For more important news and ways to help, visit the National AFL-CIO Katrina Relief web page: http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/ns08312005.cfm In Solidarity, September 7, 2005: AFSC Earmarks One Million Dollars in Immediate Assistance for Hurricane Katrina Survivors Philadelphia, PA -- September 5 -- The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker humanitarian relief organization, has earmarked a million dollars in immediate assistance for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Funds will support food, water and other items for evacuees who have been relocated to communities in Texas. Anticipating what may be one of the largest U.S. relief operations in its history, AFSC has activated its emergency response team to assess critical needs in the region and to determine the most effective and efficient methods of service delivery. Staff in the southeastern region will coordinate with Friends organizations and other groups in the area and national outreach to key Quaker organizations has begun. AFSC general secretary Mary Ellen McNish expressed particular concern about vulnerable populations -- the poor, elderly, and immigrant communities -- who may have borne the brunt of the hurricane's wrath. "Families who were struggling prior to the disaster have been dealt a knockout blow," McNish states. "Thousands have been left homeless and without food, water or other critical necessities." Earlier this week, the Service Committee launched a fund raising appeal, seeking for contributions to its Crisis Fund for long-term support for the thousands of homeless and displaced people affected by the disaster. "Natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, tend to intensify inequalities that existed prior to their occurrence," McNish adds. "The sheer scale of Hurricane Katrina's devastation is magnified by its catastrophic impact on the poor, the elderly -- people who were forced to remain in harm's way because they have no place to go or were without financial means to leave the area." Backed by an 87-year history of humanitarian work, the American Friends Service Committee has provided crucial, life-saving assistance to people struggling for survival whether caught in the crossfire of war or suffering the horrors of earthquake or famine. The Service Committee is a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, accepting on behalf of Quakers worldwide for humanitarian relief efforts. AFSC helps those who are suffering without regard to their religious, ethnic, or political affiliation. Funds raised in recent AFSC relief efforts helped in the following ways:
Domestic Work in the U.S.:
"Working collaboratively to relieve pain and suffering has been a major focus of the Service Committee's highly regarded international affairs work," McNish explains. "The key is to identify approaches that the people who have been most affected feel are vitally needed and will strengthen the community as a whole." Donations to the AFSC Crisis Fund should be made payable and be sent to AFSC Development, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. To contribute via Visa or MasterCard, call 1-888-588-2372, ext. 1, or through the AFSC website at http://www.afsc.org. Thank you. September 6, 2005: Philadelphia Area Unions for Hurricane Relief Following the unthinkable devastation caused by hurricane Katrina, which has cost many of our fellow Americans on the Gulf Coast their homes, their personal belongings, their livelihoods and in many cases their lives and/or the lives of their loved ones, PhillyUnions.com is calling out to all of our Philadelphia area union community to please help make at least a small difference in the lives of so many who can no longer help themselves. In times of trouble throughout the history of our great country such as 911 and more, it has always been the solidarity, pride and spirit of our union community to be leaders, to lead the way to help out in any way possible. This selfless spirit has always clearly distinguished our Union Way as THE American Way. An injury to our New Orleans Brothers and Sisters is the concern of all! How Can You Make Even a Small Difference?
We also wish to pass on to you the following important message from the CWA: Help CWA Members Devastated by Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina has left millions of Americans -- including up to 20,000 CWA Members -- with next to nothing. Homes have been leveled, jobs destroyed -- lives devastated. Many of our brothers and sisters have lost everything they own in the world -- but they still have their union. We've got to act now to help them. Through the CWA Disaster Relief Fund, you will have a tremendous impact on the lives of members and retirees who have been affected. Your valuable financial support will be given directly to CWA families trying to rebuild their lives -- at a time when many have little to build on. It's up to each of us to show the strength of our union family and support our CWA brothers and sisters through the difficult time ahead. Please, give what you can: Donate to CWA's Disaster Relief Fund The long road to recovery will be difficult, and we have to start helping now. If you know of a CWA family affected by this disaster, please email disasterrelief@cwa-union.org or call me at (202) 434-1149 with any details you have. It is imperative that we identify people in need as soon as possible so we can get help to them. This is a call for help that every CWA Member needs to hear -- but not all of them will receive this email. Please, forward this message to as many people as you can. Our donations website also has a form you can download to copy and share with those who wish to send a check. Thank you for standing with our fellow CWA families in their hour of need. In Solidarity, PS: Contributions to the CWA Disaster Relief Fund are tax-deductible. In Solidarity, August 23, 2005: Petition to Help Stop Working Poverty by Raising Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Pennsylvania's minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour since 1996. It's time to give low-wage workers a raise. The minimum wage isn't just for teenagers -- it's for working moms, senior citizens, and college students trying to pay their bills. Please support raising the minimum wage to $7.15 per hour. Please make sure that Pennsylvania's families are not working 40 hours a week just to end up in poverty! It's time for minimum wage workers to get a raise. How Can You Make a Difference? 1) Please sign our online petition and let our lawmakers know you want them to stop working poverty in our community. Join the many who will send a message to Harrisburg that we will no longer permit this abusive situation to continue so that big business can prosper on the backs of the often unrepresented and less fortunate citizens of our state! Click here to sign the petition now. 2) If you haven't already done so, please sign up for the PhillyUnions.com email newsletter to receive important union related news and info such as this. (Only your email address is necessary and will never be shared with any third party.) Click here to join our email newsletter list now. 3) IMPORTANT: Please spread the word about this petition by asking interested friends, family, co-workers, etc. to visit PhillyUnions.com and sign the petition. In Solidarity, August 19, 2005: AFL-CIO State and Local Leaders Applaud Solidarity Charters Aug. 18 -- Leaders of AFL-CIO state federations and central labor councils today issued a joint letter in support of the proposal by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to the AFL-CIO Executive Council to provide for continued participation of disaffiliated unions in state federations and central labor councils through Solidarity Charters. Three unions disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO in July. Under Solidarity Charters, if a local union of a disaffiliated union wants to be part of a united local movement in their city and state, they can apply to be part of the central labor council or state federation. They will sign up with the same level of membership they had before their union left the AFL-CIO, or sign up at the average membership level for that city or state, whichever is higher. They also will pay a 10 percent solidarity fee to the labor council or state federation to help offset the cost of services and mobilization systems provided by the national AFL-CIO and supported by its affiliated unions. The solidarity fee will go into the Solidarity Fund established at the convention that help support local bodies affected by the unions' decision to leave the federation. In the letter, union leaders write: "The very concept of allowing continued participation in our local central bodies by unions which have disaffiliated from the national AFL-CIO is as unprecedented as it is important." Read the full letter from state and local labor leaders and find out more about the proposed Solidarity Charters. August 15, 2005: PhillyUnions.com Announces Union-Yes Expansion and New Media and PR Program PhillyUnions.com is excited to announce that our new Pro-Union VIP Partners Program is now part of an expanded area-wide effort entitled the Union-Yes Philadelphia Campaign, a concerted effort to connect union and union-friendly businesses, services, products, supporters and organizations with the vast Philadelphia area union community while working to increase awareness and support for union standards and issues. The new program will provide the Philadelphia area union community with a series of comprehensive Buy Union/Pro-Union Guides as a way to locate, support, and receive discounts from screened and certified Union/Pro-Union businesses and services. The program will also provide important exposure opportunities for certified Union-Yes public and political officials, industry-specific union contractors, organizations, non-profits and individual union supporters. VIP Partners in all these fields will also be introduced and promoted regularly to our union community via our new weekly Union-Yes Reports. The program will provide area union members and supporters with a comprehensive and official Union-Yes resource and a very effective tool for all of us to support those entities who support the Union Way in our community. Proceeds from the Union-Yes Philadelphia Campaign will benefit important AFL-CIO endorsed programs and particularly the newly created PhillyUnions.com Public Relations and Media Program, which will work directly with top Philadelphia based Public Relations firms for the purpose of utilizing all major media outlets to promote important union situations and issues related to politics, legislation, employment, events etc. This groundbreaking program represents an unprecedented opportunity for our union community to begin using the power of the media to promote, advance, and protect our union standards and the Union Way in our Philadelphia region. A committee of union leaders including Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Patrick Eiding will volunteer to oversee the direction of the media program. More details will be forthcoming and will be posted here on our web site. We look forward to implementing these important programs and helping to keep Philadelphia and vicinity the number one union region in America. In Solidarity, July 27, 2005: Stop Unfair Working Conditions in our Community. Help a Workplace in Need to ORGANIZE NOW! A worker's right to fair working conditions, collective bargaining, health benefits, and fair wages is what joining a union is all about. An honest day's work for an honest day's pay in a safe working environment. Still, there are many employers in America who do not offer these basic rights to workers who are unable to provide security for their families. Just as importantly, many workers suffering under these conditions are not aware of their basic right to organize and receive the representation they are entitled to, based simply on their co-workers' desire to organize. Many of these unfortunate individuals live in constant fear of losing their jobs or worse yet, their dignity, to employers whose bottom line is the almighty profit no matter what the cost. Many of these individuals are our neighbors, our friends, our relatives and our fellow Americans. PhillyUnions.com wants to help stop this abuse now by sending a message that we won't stand by and allow these situations to exist in our communities anymore! How Can You Help Make a Difference NOW? Please spread the word to interested friends, family, co-workers, etc. and encourage anyone who is in this situation or who knows someone in this situation to confidentially email us at: info@phillyunions.com. We will put you in touch with the proper union representatives who will be happy to confidentially assist your organizational efforts. You never know who is working in an unfair or unsafe workplace. Don't let it happen to your friends and family! Take ACTION and pass this message to everyone NOW! In Solidarity, June 2, 2005: Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and PhillyUnions.com Launch Vendor Certification and Marketing Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Pro-Union Partners VIP Program will connect Philadelphia's vast union community with Union/Pro-Union Vendors and Businesses PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 2, 2005 -- The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO (http://phillyunions.com/aflcio) announced today that on April 5, 2005, its Executive Board unanimously selected and endorsed the PhillyUnions.com Pro-Union Partners VIP ("Vendors in Partnership") Program as its official, authorized Buy-Union resource and guide as well as its official pro-union vendor certification and marketing program. The new program, to be administered by PhillyUnions.com (http://phillyunions.com), will serve as the Philadelphia area union community's official standard by which vendors and businesses are certified to be union or pro-union. Says Patrick Eiding, president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, "We are optimistic that the obvious benefits and overwhelming demand for the program will lead to a high level of participation on the part of both vendors and our union community as a whole." Eiding went on to say the program, if successful, will help the entire union community by providing visibility and promotion to qualified union-friendly businesses while creating a resource for union leaders, members and supporters to conveniently "buy union." According to Joe Dougherty III, president of PhillyUnions.com, the Pro-Union Partners VIP Program will fill great and long-standing needs in the union community. "Businesses interested in soliciting and targeting our union community often face tremendous obstacles introducing and marketing their products and services to even individual unions, let alone the entire market. At the same time, Philly area union members, who want to 'buy union' and patronize union/pro-union businesses, have no convenient, reliable, central resource to do so." Dougherty believes the VIP Program will finally provide the solution to both problems. Interested vendors will submit an application and undergo a brief screening process. There is no application fee, and union vendors currently operating under a union contract are automatically approved. A vendor need not be in a union-related industry to be accepted into the program (thus the distinction between "union" and "pro-union"), but businesses operating non-union in unionized industries are not eligible to participate. Upon approval by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and area union leadership, newly certified VIP Partners will enjoy a range of membership privileges and will take advantage of a detailed marketing program designed to provide maximum visibility to the Philadelphia area union community. Unions and AFL-CIO affiliate organizations will promote the VIP Partners to their memberships and will refer potential VIP vendors to PhillyUnions.com. Union members wishing to buy union/pro-union will be able to search the VIP Partners directory by geographic location, business type, etc. for union and union-friendly businesses, and will take advantage of discounts and preferred services that Partners will offer exclusively to union members and supporters. There is no cost to unions or union members to take advantage of the VIP directory. More information about the Pro-Union Partners VIP Program can be found at: http://phillyunions.com/partners/info.php About the AFL-CIO: The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO (http://phillyunions.com/aflcio) is a voluntary federation of over 100 local labor unions whose mission is to improve the lives of the area's hundreds of thousands of working union families -- to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our region. About PhillyUnions.com: PhillyUnions.com (http://phillyunions.com) is the official online communication network and authorized Buy Union Source of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, serving the entire Philadelphia area union community and providing free web and communication services to over 100 Philadelphia area unions and labor activist organizations. SOURCE Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO May 18, 2005: Successful Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO endorsed candidates The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO wishes to congratulate the following candidates who were successful at their bids for election/re-election: District Attorney: Lynne Abraham City Controller: Alan Butkovitz Court of Common Pleas: Susan Schulman, Lisette Shirdan-Harris, Walter Olszewski, Glenn Bronson, and Leon Tucker Municipal Court: Brad Moss, Karen Simmons, and David Shuter Traffic Court: Mike Sullivan Thank you for supporting our Candidates. April 26, 2005: Employee Free Choice Act -- Let Workers Choose to Form a Union Dear Working Families Network Member, Some 57 million workers in America say they would join a union tomorrow if they could. On Tuesday, April 19, a bill was reintroduced in both houses of Congress that would level the playing field for workers trying to form unions. It's the bipartisan Employee Free Choice Act and it could make a world of difference for working people trying to gain a voice on the job. Please click the following link to urge your members of Congress to support it: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Support_EFCA The bill was introduced into the 109th Congress by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Pete King (R-N.Y.). The Employee Free Choice Act says when a majority of employees in a workplace decide to form a union, they can do so without the bitter war employers now wage to block them. Every 23 minutes a worker is fired or discriminated against for exercising the basic freedom to decide whether to form a union. On paper, U.S. labor law and international standards give workers the legal right to form unions -- but in the real world, employers block that right day after day. So 57 million workers who want the benefits of union membership can't get them. Please do your part to restore workers' freedom to decide for themselves whether to have a union. Send a message now urging your members of Congress to support the Employee Free Choice Act. Click here: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/EFCA_Support The Employee Free Choice Act is a commonsense approach to restoring workers' freedom to form unions. It would require employers to recognize the union once a majority of workers signed cards authorizing union representation. It also would provide for mediation and arbitration of first-contract disputes and authorize stronger penalties for employers that violate the legal rights of workers seeking to form unions and negotiate first contracts. By the time Congress adjourned last year, 38 senators and 210 U.S. representatives had signed on as co-sponsors of the Employee Free Choice Act. That's a good start, but we need far more supporters to win this fight for working families. Please click the following link to urge your U.S. senators and representative to support this important legislation: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/EFCA_Support And when you've sent your message, please ask your friends and colleagues to send their members of Congress a message as well. Click the link below: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Support_EFCA/forward Thank you for all you do for working families. In solidarity, Working Families Network, AFL-CIO April 26, 2005: Women's Pay Gap Costing Families $200 Billion Annually With women earning 76 cents for every $1 a man makes, working women will mark Equal Pay Day, April 19, by stepping up the fight for pay equity. April 19 is the date symbolizing how far into the year women must work, on average, to earn what men earned the previous year. On April 18, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced it will end collection of payroll data on the number of women employees -- despite strong public opposition. The National Committee on Pay Equity will host a press conference April 19 to announce the reintroduction of the Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Fair Pay Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), would require employers to provide equal pay for work in jobs that are comparable in skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. The Paycheck Fairness Act, sponsored by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), would strengthen current equal pay laws and toughen penalties for violations. Nearly 72 percent of mothers with children younger than 18 years old work for pay. According to a study by the AFL-CIO and the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), working families lose $200 billion of income annually to the wage gap -- an average loss of more than $4,000 each for working women's families every year because of unequal pay. Equal pay is a key issue for working families. Altogether, 62 percent of all working women responding to the AFL-CIO's Ask a Working Woman survey 2004 say they provide half or more of their families' incomes and an overwhelming 90 percent say stronger equal pay laws are "important," with 61 percent saying stronger laws are "very important." Despite Opposition, Labor Department Will Stop Collecting Data on Women Workers Although nearly 90 percent of the 5,000 comments the BLS received opposed its proposal to end collection of payroll data on the number of women employees, the BLS plans to go ahead with the plan. Some 90 members of Congress are urging BLS to reconsider, but BLS officials say the data on women's employment, earnings and occupations will continue to be available from a separate monthly survey of U.S. households. The proposal still needs approval from the Office of Management and Budget. If the BLS proposal is approved, "we will not know how women and men are faring in the economy overall and whether women's job experience is different from men," says Deborah Chalfie, senior counsel for the National Women's Law Center. The data is critical, Chalfie says, to develop policies that help women overcome economic inequities. The IWPR study also shows if married women were paid the same as comparable men, their family incomes would rise by nearly 6 percent, and their families' poverty rates would fall from 2.1 percent to 0.8 percent. Another IWPR report, Still a Man's Labor Market: The Long-Term Earnings Gap, finds women's total earnings over their prime working years average only 38 percent of what prime-age men earn. For more go to: http://aflcio.org/issuespolitics/women/ns04182005.cfm Thank You April 07, 2005: New AFL-CIO Report: CAFTA Weakens Workers' Rights The proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) retreats from the already weak worker protections in other trade deals and may put workers at even greater risk, a new AFL-CIO report says. The report, The Real Record on Workers' Rights in Central America, released April 4, came as four key House Democrats charged the labor provisions in CAFTA fall short in at least 20 areas of recognized international labor standards, such as the right to form a union or a ban against child labor. Passing CAFTA is President George W. Bush's top trade priority, and he is expected to send the trade deal to Congress as early as this month. Under the fast-track trade approval, Congress cannot amend the agreement and must vote the entire treaty up or down... To read the rest of this article and more important articles please click here. March 27, 2005: Philadelphia Cleaners Merge with Local 32BJ, Nation's Largest Property Service Workers Union Philadelphia, PA -- Nearly 5,000 members of Local 36, representing Philadelphia's cleaners, have voted overwhelmingly to merge with Local 32BJ -- the largest property service workers union in the country. Local 32BJ and Local 36 are affiliates of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents 1.8 million members. Today's vote count was overseen by Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding. Under the new structure, Local 36 will become District 36 of Local 32BJ with elected officers including a District Chairman, Secretary, and Executive Board member. SEIU must first approve the merger before it can become final. "The Local 32BJ merger will benefit Philadelphia area cleaners by strengthening their hand at the bargaining table when negotiating new labor contracts," said Local 36 President Wayne MacManiman Jr. "Furthermore, the new District 36 will have much-needed resources for organizing Philadelphia area workers." The merger will extend the geographic reach of Local 32BJ across four states, from Hartford to Philadelphia. In New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, where Local 32BJ is headquartered, Local 32BJ members have voted overwhelmingly for the merger. "To confront an industry dominated by large and growing companies, unions must work together across state lines to protect hard-fought gains in wages and health care," said Michael Fishman, Local 32BJ President. "A merger benefits Local 36 and Local 32BJ members in their fight to raise worker standards in an increasingly global economy." "I voted to merge with Local 32BJ because we are stronger together," said Sophie Adams, a cleaner employed by ABM at Centre Square and a member of Local 36 since 1986. "Creating a larger union will give us more leverage at the bargaining table with our employers and more influence with our elected officials in government." As a result of the merger, the new Local 32BJ will represent more than 75,000 cleaners, door attendants, porters, maintenance workers, window cleaners, security officers, superintendents, and theater and stadium workers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and now Pennsylvania. March 8, 2005: Social Security Update The Student Labor Action Project has been busy organizing students to stick up for Social Security all across the city. As the Bush Administration courts students with its Social Security privatization schemes, SLAP has been a vocal opponent. SLAP will stage actions on several Philadelphia campuses during the Student Labor Week of Action (March 31 - April 1). Unions and students plan to protest any privatization of the Social Security system on March 31. The SLAP Week of Action commemorates the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez. Last year hundreds of students got involved at Temple to support AFSCME Local 1723 and helped them win a contract. For more information about the SLAP 2005 National Student Labor Week of Action, visit http://www.jwj.org/SLAP/A4/2005.htm According to the National AFL-CIO, more and more Americans disapprove of President George W. Bush's Social Security privatization scheme, according to recent polls. A new USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll released Feb. 28 showed in late February, 56 percent of those surveyed disapproved of Bush's privatization plan, up from a 48 percent disapproval in early February. An Associated Press poll showed just 39 percent support for Bush's plan, which cuts guaranteed benefits and drives up the federal deficit. For the full story, please visit: http://aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/wip/wip03072005.cfm and: To sign a petition to protest President Bush's privatization plan and to protect Social Security, visit: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/ProtectSocialSecurity March 8, 2005: Collective Bargaining Rights in Jeopardy According to unionvoice.org, the Bush Administration has proposed new personnel rules for 750,000 civilian Defense Department workers that would:
Known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), these rules become a model for attacks on collective bargaining throughout the federal government -- and by states and private-sector employers. The rights of all of us are threatened. To learn more and find out what you can do about it, please visit: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/dod_cwaand: January 25, 2005: Happy New Year; Tsunami Relief As you know, this year's holiday celebrations were marred by one of the worst natural disasters in human history, the tsunamis that devastated Asia and Africa. The epic scale and unthinkable loss of life of these events far overshadow the rash of pre-Christmas virus and hacker attacks that caused us to take the pre-emptive step of taking PhillyUnions.com offline while we performed extensive and necessary maintenance and upgrades to protect our systems from these far-ranging attacks and keep them safe into the future. We're back online now, and at this time while we begin a new year and huge portions of the world begin to rebuild and try to find ways to cope with their losses, we want to wish you a healthy and happy year and we encourage you to remember and appreciate the blessings we have and to do what you can to help those affected by the tsunamis. Please email us any information you have about specific relief efforts that you, your union, community or other group are involved with, so that we may publish your efforts here on PhillyUnions.com. We are part of a powerful and passionate union community in the Philadelphia area, a community that knows how to come together and make a difference in times of need. Let's show our solidarity now and send a clear message that the Philadelphia area union community cares. Please send details about your relief efforts to info@phillyunions.com. Wishing you and your family all the best, PhillyUnions.com January 25, 2005: New: Union-Related Links Page PhillyUnions.com is pleased to announce an addition to our web site, our new Union-Related Links page. This resource provides area union members and leaders with a convenient list of union- and labor-related web sites and many other great sources of union and political news. Visit now: To suggest a union- or labor-related link you feel should appear on this page, send your suggestions to info@phillyunions.com. |
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