Right to Work: State Lawmakers' Positions That Are Wrong for Workers

In a recent article published on its website, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) cautioned unions and their members about the increasing number of government officials who are voicing support for right-to-work laws.

Missouri State House

As the article stated, "New Republican governors in Missouri and New Hampshire and an incoming GOP House majority in Kentucky mean big changes are coming for the labor community in those states."

As we pointed out on this blog last August, workers in right-to-work states earn almost $6,000 a year less than workers in other states. In addition, right-to-work states have:

• Lower wages and incomes
• Lower rates of health insurance coverage
• Higher poverty and infant mortality rates
• Less investment in education
• Higher workplace fatalities

By contrast, states without right-to-work laws benefit from a higher tax base, which has the effect of improving the overall quality of life.

In the IBEW article, President Lonnie R. Stephenson said that unions would be spending "the next few years" fighting such attacks on working men and women at the state and federal levels. "Wouldn’t it be nice," he said, "if these elected officials spent less time attacking unions and a little more time working to make the middle class accessible to even more of their constituents?”

The union also cautioned against attacks on education that could negatively affect union apprenticeship programs.

The article concluded with this comment from Stephenson: “All of this just means it’s more important than ever that we in the labor movement stick together to push back against efforts to silence working people."

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Trades Express Concern as Trump Wavers on Infrastructure Promises

Throughout the 2016 presidential race, President-elect Donald Trump made repairing America's infrastructure a central plank of his campaign. He spoke of rebuilding the nation's roads, bridges, airports, as well as schools, hospitals, pipelines, water treatment plants and the electrical grid.

However, since the election he has tempered his promises, as have Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Chief of Staff-designate Reince Preibus. The president-elect himself said that the infrastructure plan won't be a core part of the first few years of his administration.

It's a significant retreat, considering Trump had promised to commit between $500 billion to $1 trillion toward the project.

Trade associations have expressed their concerns. Brian Turmail of the Associated General Contractors of America said it was difficult to tell if Trump's advisers don't know what the plan is, or simply don't want a plan at all, stating simply, "We're worried."

Others have begun organizing lobbying efforts to remind Trump and his transition team of the vital need for the infrastructure program, and the candidate's promises. The American Road and Transportation Builders Assocation prompted its members to send letters to their representatives, to hold their feet to the fire regarding the promises made by the Trump campaign.

The promise was that tens of thousands of jobs would be created by the infrastructure plan, and the building trades stand ready to tackle those jobs and complete the ambitious agenda set forth by Mr. Trump. Now is certainly not the time to back down, and we stand with our fellow unions in urging the new administration to make rebuilding our nation's infrastructure a top priority, and not allowing it to be reduced to an afterthought.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

National Apprenticeship Week Highlights Skilled Labor Training Across the U.S.A.

This is National Apprenticeship Week (Nov. 14-20), as highlighted by a special web page published by the U.S. Department of Labor. It was the second annual apprenticeship week, as proclaimed in 2015 by President Obama, following in the footsteps of President John F. Kennedy, who issued a similar proclamation, for National Apprenticeship Month, in 1962.

Part of our apprenticeship training brochure

National Apprenticeship Week recognizes the important role apprentices play in offering employers an opportunity to develop a highly skilled workforce and career seekers the chance to earn a salary while learning the skills necessary to be successful in a trade. The week celebrates the role that apprenticeship programs play in moving America's vital industries forward.

As we wrote on this blog in August, apprenticeships are making a difference for skilled workers nationwide. In that article we cited several examples from around the country of the value of apprenticeship programs and the difference they're making both for employers and laborers.

This week an article in The Hill, a political newspaper published in Washington, D.C., focused on removing the barriers that exist for women seeking apprenticeships. "Women currently account for only 6.3% of apprentices and less than 3% of apprentices in the construction and building trades," the article said. "At a time when women make up 47% of the workforce -- and when the construction industry is seeing its highest growth rate since 2005 -- such paltry numbers are simply unacceptable."

Apprenticeship training is of the highest caliber and is specific to the construction industry. Trainees learn exactly what is needed to succeed and qualify for advancement. You can review our brochure containing information about our apprenticeship training programs on our website, www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Hillary for President: Both the NABTU and AFL-CIO Agree

As Election Day nears, the East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council reminds you of the presidential endorsements of both North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and the AFL-CIO.

The NABTU announced its endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President in December 2015. "In these times of international strife and uncertainty, our nation needs a leader with the toughness, strength, intelligence and experience to successfully steer the United States through tumultuous waters," said Sean McGarvey, NABTU president. "Here at home, we trust that Secretary Clinton will always do what's best for America's working families."

In may, the organization formally recognized Mrs. Clinton for promising infrastructure action during her first 100 days in office. “North America’s Building Trades Unions are pleased with Hillary Clinton’s proposal to, if elected President, move a 5-year $275 billion infrastructure investment plan during her first 100 days in office in order to upgrade our nation’s roads, bridges, airports and public transit," the statement declared. “In the same vein as Mrs. Clinton, the skilled craft professionals of our unions believe wholeheartedly that to build a strong economy for our future, we must rebuild the foundation on which that economy is built upon, and that is our infrastructure."

In June the general board of the AFL-CIO voted to endorse Mrs. Clinton for President, as well. “Hillary Clinton is a proven leader who shares our values,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “Throughout the campaign, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to the issues that matter to working people, and our members have taken notice. The activism of working people has already been a major force in this election and is now poised to elect Hillary Clinton and move America forward.”

Lee Saunders, AFSCME President and Chair of the AFL-CIO Political Committee said, “This election offers a stark choice between an unstoppable champion for working families and an unstable charlatan who made his fortune scamming them. Working people know that Hillary Clinton has the temperament and experience to unite all Americans in our fight to increase incomes at home and extinguish threats abroad.”

The election approaching on Nov. 8 is an important day in our country's history, and for workers across the country. Be sure to get out and vote -- let's make our voices heard!

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Why Union Support for Hillary Clinton is Strong

As the 2016 Presidential campaign rolls along, labor unions across the country have been lining up in their support of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

It was significant earlier this year when the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America (CWA), at one time in favor of Sen. Bernie Sanders, recognized that the result of the primaries was that Mrs. Clinton would be the party’s nominee and announced their support of her candidacy.

“Whatever you think of Secretary Clinton — I happen to think she was a damn good senator from New York and that a lot of the hostility against her is attributable to out-and-out sexism and to the ‘vast right-wing conspiracy’ — she is the candidate who is running against Donald Trump,” said Chris Shelton, CWA president. “And brothers and sisters, we must stop Donald Trump from becoming president.”

This came on the heels of an earlier statement from leaders of more than 20 unions, representing more than 10 million workers, that affirmed their support for the former secretary of state.

“Secretary Clinton has proven herself as the fighter and champion working people and their families need in the White House,” read the statement. “That is why, of all unions endorsing a candidate in the Democratic primary, the vast majority of the membership in these unions has endorsed her.”

The statement was released on behalf of a number of large labor unions, including Service Employees International, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

As we reported previously, Mrs. Clinton has also earned the support of our national affiliate, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), as well as the AFL-CIO.

As the election nears, we encourage our members to support Hillary Clinton for President. Click here to learn her position on labor issues, as outlined on her campaignwebsite.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Union Membership: The Return on Investment is Strong!

Recent articles from a cross section of websites across the country demonstrated the outstanding return on union apprentice programs and membership.

Ann article titled "I'm In a Union -- You're Welcome," published on www.alternet.org on Aug. 20, showed how strong unions result in higher wages for members and nonmembers alike.

(Photo: illinoisupdate.com)

The article refers to the decline in private-sector union membership over the past four decades, from a third of all private-sector employees in 1979 to just 6.7 today. It then cites a study by the Economic Policy Institute that suggests the typical full-time private sector worker (union or not) "would be making thousands of dollars more per year if unions had the power they once did to influence a state's or region's standard wages and benefits packages."

Meanwhile, the Midwest Economic Policy Institute published on its website, midwestepi.org, an article headlined, "Unionized Construction Workers in Minnesota Get Back $5.59 for Every Dollar Paid in Dues."

The article points out that more than 30 percent of Minnesota construction workers are union members. It also cites statistics from a study by the institute, including substantial wage and benefit increases for union members, dues spent on bargaining and representation, and more.

Finally, an article on The Illinois Update (illinoisupdate.com) said that the state's construction apprenticeship programs return $11 in total benefits for every dollar invested.

"For many young Illinois workers, enrolling in a registered apprenticeship program is a better option than attending a college or university," the article states. 

It goes on to show that registered apprenticeship programs in Illinois' construction industry generate substantial economic benefits to the state.

Time and time again, statistics reveal that the benefits of union membership, and union apprenticeship programs, benefit all workers, across the country.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.
Keep up with the latest headlines on the council's online publication, The ECO Building Trader.

The Value of Apprenticeships: In the News

The undeniable value of apprenticeship programs have recently been in the news across the country.

An Aug. 25 article in the Mississippi Business Journal reported that 90 new apprentices are taking part in a five-year training program, sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), to become certified to work in commercial and industrial construction. The program was created more than 70 years ago by the IBEW and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

(Missouri Business Journal photo)

"So far the NECA/IBEW alliance has trained more than 350,000 apprentices to become journeymen and is the largest such training program of its kind," the report said, while also detailing the 900 hours of classroom work and almost 10,000 hours of on-the-job training necessary to be certified.

In that same issue, the Journal profiled a "Women in Construction" program that is providing women with a way to make a living wage to support their families. Classes run eight to 12 weeks, and training "can include apprenticeships or workforce training at community colleges."

In Iowa, Monica Verdon, a candidate for Congress, stressed the importance of investing in workforce training and job training during a campaign stop Aug. 25 at the Iron Workers Local 89 apprentice training center in Cedar Rapids.

Steve Coleson, a journeyman iron worker and part-time instructor at the center, told Verdon that apprentice iron workers start at $17.15 an hour, with benefits doubling that. "Journeyman iron workers can earn $45,000 a year and superintendents can make six-figure salaries," he said.

Verdon was impressed. "A four-year degree is not the only route to a successful career," she said. "We need to be doing everything we can to ensure Iowans are prepared for high-skill, good-paying jobs."

Apprenticeship programs are making a difference for skilled workers nationwide. Learn more about local apprenticeship programs at the East Central Ohio Building Trades website.

The East Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Summarizing the Problem with 'Right-to-Work'

(AFL-CIO graphic)

Since 2012, four states have adopted right-to-work laws: Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The danger, as the AFL-CIO has pointed out in an article on its website, is that by targeting unions and making them weaker, these laws lower wages and negatively affect living standards for workers.

The article points out that workers in right-to-work states earn almost $6,000 a year less than workers in other states. It also summarizes the case against right-to-work in a series of clear, documented points, pointing out that those states have:

• Lower wages and incomes
• Lower rates of health insurance coverage
• Higher poverty and infant mortality rates
• Less investment in education
• Higher workplace fatalities

In addition, states without right-to-work laws benefit from a higher tax base, which has the effect of improving the overall quality of life.

Review the entire summary on the AFL-CIO website. 

Review the Economic Policy Institute's research on right-to-work.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

The Building Trades and Oil & Gas: A Pipeline to High-Paying Jobs

For the past few years the East Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council has been a strong supporter of the Stark Carroll Oil & Gas Partnership -- and with good reason. Although the oil and gas industry has been experiencing a downturn over the past 12 to 18 months, it remains a source of high-paying jobs for construction workers.

In a recent article on its website, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) published an article stating that the building of America's energy infrastructure could support 1.15 million new jobs and add an average of $120 billion per year to the nation's GDP.

"The 14 national and international unions that comprise North America’s Building Trades Unions estimate that 50% of our collective membership of over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada are employed in energy-related industries," the article said.

In a statement before the U.S. Senate earlier this year, NABTU President Scott McGarvey emphasized the importance of those numbers, saying it meant workers "are able to provide for their families while receiving union-provided healthcare and pension benefits."

The estimate of 50 percent is a significant jump over just two years ago, when less than 10 percent of oil and gas workers were represented by unions. But, according to a report in USA Today, a shift from out-of-state to local labor led to a rise in union involvement.

The article said anti-fracking groups were dismayed that unions were supportive of drilling activity. "The increasing use of union construction labor has given energy companies a powerful ally as drilling is debated in communities nationwide," the article pointed out. "Many Republicans have been pro-drilling, but now some unions traditionally associated with Democrats are using their political clout to urge politicians to reject bans on pipelines or drilling."

Last year McGarvey reiterated, in a Huffington Post editorial, that the energy boom was responsible for creating new jobs, calling it "a leading contributor to American workers' vaulting out of the unemployment line and into the middle class."

The Building Trades continue to benefit from the ongoing work of the oil and gas industry. It's been a hotbed of opportunity in East Central Ohio, and is expected to rebound and again be a source of job growth between now and 2017.

Visit the East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Apprenticeship: The Path to a Rewarding, High-Paying Career

A recent op-ed piece in the Seattle Times highlighted the positive impact on earnings that an apprenticeship program can have. Titled "A job in the trades can bring personal, financial success," it was written by Mike Sotelo, president and CEO of the Consolidar Network, a Seattle-based organization that connects employers with the growing Latino workforce.

"A four-year apprenticeship program can equal or exceed the earning potential of a postsecondary degree," he wrote. "But the message we're getting is that if we don't earn a college degree, then we become second tier in the social food chain."

Nothing could be further from the truth, and more voices are needed to highlight the long-term value of apprenticeship programs.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council put the spotlight squarely on that value in an information and recruitment publication we produced in 2013. You can view the publication on our website. Some highlights:

We produced this information/recruitment piece in 2013

• Funded and operated by America's construction unions, the apprenticeship training we offer is of the highest caliber and is specific our industries, providing exactly what is needed to succeed and qualify for advancement.

• Learning on the job enables trainees to avoid the college debt trap and graduate to journeyman status with immediate job prospects.

• As a lifelong process, training ensures a lifetime of employment opportunities anywhere in the country.

• Apprenticeship training ranges from two to five years, depending on the craft.

Mike Sotelo was exactly right; the path to apprenticeship is the path to a fulfilling, rewarding, and high-paying career. We're always available to answer questions and provide complete details. Contact the East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council at (330) 454-3664, or online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

For a report from North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) on construction apprenticeships, click on the link below:

Construction Apprenticeship: The "Other Four-Year Degree"

Visit the East Central Ohio Building Trades online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Project Labor Agreements: Good for Communities, Good for Developers

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is proud to have been a part of negotiating a Project Labor Agreement with the developers of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village in Canton.

As reported last year in the CantonRepository, “Those involved with Hall of Fame Village have committed to using as much local labor as possible on a development venture expected to draw nearly 3,000 construction jobs to Stark County within four years.”

Construction underway at Benson Stadium. (CantonRep.com photo)

That was good news for local unions. At that time (June 2015), complete details weren’t ironed out, but in the weeks that followed a PLA was signed, sealed and delivered. Former Canton Mayor William Healy was a big proponent of our local labor unions and supported our desire to sign a Project Labor Agreement. Developers on the project include Industrial Realty Group of Los Angeles, with an office in Akron; Welty Building Co. of Akron; Fred Olivieri Construction of Canton; and Motter & Meadows Architects, also of Canton.

As the Repository would later report, Canton City Councilman Frank Morris said that the PLA not only ensures that workers are paid prevailing wages, it protects the local tax base, which is an important revenue stream for the city.

“We will bring this project in on time and under budget, because that’s what we do,” Dave Kirven, president of the East Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council and business agent of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 94, told the Repository.

Our colleagues at the Ohio State Building & Construction Trades Council posted on their website that Project Labor Agreements “differ from standard collective bargaining agreements by including all of the parties working on a specific project, not just a single union and contractor.”

Indeed, they are a proven way to effectively manage and maintain time schedules and budgets on a project by including all the union parties working on a specific contract. By standardizing labor conditions, PLAs encourage fair competition among contractors.

Not only that, but PLAs provide a pathway to better paying jobs for low-income communities, minorities and veterans. That was the finding of the Industrial Labor Relations School at Cornell University in 2011.

At the time, the late Mark Ayers, former Building & Construction Trades Department president of the AFL-CIO, said, “Not only are PLAs an effective project management tool that delivers ‘on time, on budget’ results…but they are extremely effective at providing job and career training opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities. The bottom line, as exemplified by this report, is that PLAs work.”

If you haven’t been by the Pro Football Hall of Fame lately, take a drive down I-77 through Canton and you’ll see the flurry of activity that is taking place there. The first phase of construction on Tom Benson Stadium will be complete in time for the Hall of Fame enshrinement activities this summer. Construction on the entire village project will continue over the next several years, and labor unions in the East Central Ohio region will play an important part in that construction.

Visit the East Central Ohio Building Trades online at http://eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com/

Union Members Collaborate to Help Build Canton's Future

More than 300 attended the Draft Day Experience

Thursday, April 28, will go down as another milestone date for the building trades unions in East Central Ohio. The inaugural Draft Day Experience took place in Downtown Canton and exceeded all expectations, with more than 300 football fans and Canton enthusiasts packing the ballroom at the McKinley Grand Hotel to watch the first round of the NFL Draft and support the plans for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village.

The event was the brainchild of the East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council and particularly our president, Dave Kirven, who also serves as Business Manager for Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 94 in Canton. Dave and his colleagues with the Stark Carroll Oil & Gas Partnership -- including Brodie Haer, Doug Lane, Mike Boyd, Mike Furcolow and Tom Delamater -- began working on the idea in January and put the event together in three months' time. Deb Oberlin of the Holiday Inn in Canton was instrumental in bringing NFL alumni to the event and helped with other planning and logistics. It was truly a team effort.

Dave Kirven (L) visits with
Anthony Griggs, who played for
the Browns and Eagles

Just as important was the involvement and support of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Senior VP Dave Motts met with our committee in early February to offer the Hall's support and discuss how they could be involved. Pete Fierle, Jim Macris, Brian Proud and many others helped open doors and provide memorabilia, publicity and displays to top off the evening and give it the prestige that only the Hall of Fame can offer.

The goal of the event was two-fold: One, to raise funds in support of the Legends Landing, an assisted living residence planned as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village; and two, to position Canton to host the actual NFL Draft in the future. 

Support for the Legends Landing and the Village project is important, said Kirven, because the Hall of Fame and the project developers have signed a project labor agreement that will guarantee union participation in the construction of the facility.

Fans bid on NFL memorabilia and other
items during our silent and live auctions

A true testament to the collaborative nature of the draft event came from an editorial in the Canton Repository on April 27. Titled "NFL Draft dream still alive," the editorial praised the groups for their work, not only on the Draft Day Experience, but also on the goal of bringing the Draft to Canton.

"These are the types of community partnerships that must be built now if Canton is going to win over the NFL's site selection committee," the editorial stated, before adding: "There's no better way for the NFL to celebrate its 100th season (2019) or its centennial (2020) than by holding its draft in the birthplace of the league and the home of the game's immortals."

We agree, and are grateful to our event sponsors, plus the more than 300 guests -- including a strong showing of union members -- who attended the first of what will be an annual event to celebrate the NFL Draft and our member unions' involvement in the future growth of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Visit the East Central Ohio Building Trades online at http://eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com/