Posts tagged carpenters

    Commentary: Union power in Illinois: Shrinking membership and surging political clout

    October 18, 2024 // On their face, the slow decline of the unionization rate in the Illinois workforce and the obstacles to public sector unionization created by the Janus decision could raise questions about the long-term viability of the labor movement in Illinois. But a closer look shows labor unions in Illinois are politically stronger than ever.

    Commentary: How organized labor shames its traitors − the story of the ‘scab’

    September 16, 2024 // In the 19th century, American workers started using the word to attack peers who refused to join a union or worked when others were striking. By the 1880s, periodicals, union pamphlets and books all regularly used the epithet to chastise any workers or labor leaders who cooperated with bosses. Names of scabs were often printed in local papers. Scab likely caught on because it directed visceral disgust at anyone who put self-interest above class solidarity.

    Production Assistants Launch Ambitious Bid for Unionization With LiUNA

    September 3, 2024 // The group acknowledges that they’re ramping up their organizing at a time when major Hollywood firms are cutting costs and production work in L.A., at least, still hasn’t fully rebounded. But they’re confident that they will eventually succeed in bringing a union to production assistants, even as they and their colleagues have been affected by the ongoing contraction. “It’s a new chapter in our organizing effort with the strength of LiUNA. We are so confident that we are going to get our union,” says Ravens.

    ‘This is the year’: SF labor unions prepare for hectic elections

    July 15, 2024 // The Labor Council, which represents more than 100 unions, has already signaled it’s unlikely to reach a consensus on an endorsement. “Historically in San Francisco it’s been a bit all over the map,” said Jay Bradshaw, executive secretary-treasurer for the Nor Cal Carpenters Union. “There are times when there’s been alignment, and times when there’s not ... labor gets lumped in like a monolith — and labor is not.” At the state and national levels, unions have historically backed Democratic candidates. In a city where every legitimate candidate is a Democrat, labor organizers are taking a nuanced look at both the policy positions of — and personal relationships with — the candidates.

    House Seeks Information from Unions on Policies to Prevent Corruption

    March 20, 2024 // Each of the letters asks for a comprehensive description of the policies and procedures the union has in place to monitor and deter fraud, corruption, and improper accounting, including any third-party audits, the types of training and education provided to prevent fraud or corruption, internal reporting mechanisms, and disciplinary policies. These questions apply both to each union’s headquarters as well as its locals. U.S. House Subpoenas UAW Local over Controversial Resolution Chairwoman Foxx cites specific examples of corruption for each union. For example, in the Teamsters letter, she cites a state senator from Illinois who was indicted for taking more than $245,000 in fraudulent income and other benefits from Teamsters Joint Council 25 while purporting to be a union organizer.

    SF school district reaches memorandum of understanding with tradespeople, staving off strike

    December 4, 2023 // “SFUSD and Common Crafts agreed to negotiate in good faith to address outstanding grievances, arbitrations, memorandums of understanding, and other contract negotiation-related issues,” said the school district. The district has agreed to meet with employees to negotiate salary and resolve outstanding pay issues, convene a task force to work toward completing these negotiations by Feb. 1, and will pay Common Crafts unit members a one-time, off-schedule $3,000 stipend by Friday, SFUSD officials said.

    Carpenters Trade Union Bets Big On America’s Transition To Renewable Energy

    May 24, 2022 // At least two major offshore wind developers, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Ørsted, have signed agreements to use union labor for their planned projects. And Atlantic Power Transmission LLC, a Blackstone company vying to build the transmission lines that connect offshore wind farms to the grid, has partnered with EASRCC and other unions and committed to investing $50 million for workforce development in New Jersey.

    California: Anti-worker or pro-worker? Why labor unions are fighting over a housing bill

    May 12, 2022 // Under Wicks’ bill, developers would have to pay union-level wages — which are common to builders of exclusively affordable housing, but rare among market rate developers. Projects larger than 50 units would require health benefits for workers and contractors would need to request the dispatch of apprentices, but if they’re unavailable, the project would move forward anyway.