News, Notes & Observations collected while covering the Western New York Labor Community over the past several days:

WNYLaborToday.com touched base with Buffalo AFL-CIO Council President Michael Hoffert last week, who wanted to remind the Western New York Labor Community that the Buffalo AFL-CIO Council’s Summer Picnic will be held on Friday, July 30th at Elma Meadows on Girdle and Rice Roads/Shelter #2 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Tickets for the picnic can be obtained by either calling 716-852-0375 or e-mailing your request to BuffaloCLC@WNYALF.org.  The picnic is an annual attraction to not only the Western New York Labor Community, but also with the elected community, as many incumbents and candidates turn out to hob-knob and press the flesh with a variety of Labor Leaders.  In addition, Stewart Acuff - who serves as chief of staff and assistant to the president of the Utility Workers Union of America, and has been involved in the Organized Labor Movement for 30 years now, beginning in 1982 with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – is slated to attend the picnic.  Acuff has written a book with Labor Economist Dr. Richard Levins that’s entitled, Getting America Back to Work.  In 1990, Acuff became president of the Atlanta AFL-CIO Labor Council, where he led the campaign to organize the 1996 Olympics.  A decade later, he left to serve as Organizing Director for the National AFL-CIO.  In 2008, Acuff began channeling his efforts in leading the AFL-CIO’s campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.  WNYLaborToday.com plans to interview Acuff during his visit to Buffalo.

On a political note, Buffalo AFL-CIO President Hoffert tells WNYLaborToday.com he’s “revved up” for the upcoming elections and what possible new blood in the elected community can do to rejuvenate the local, State and National economy.  “I don’t like what I’m seeing in the (local and national) job market.  There’s high unemployment and there’s no jobs to turn to.  How does this happen with the Democratic Party in power?  Wasn’t it something better that (Organized Labor) was hoping for (with the election of Barack Obama)?  People aren’t happy with Health Care.  They wanted a single-payer option.  I see it affecting so many, including myself.  I’ll be paying more with co-pays and I’m watching my Health Care products diminish,” Hoffert said.  The Buffalo AFL-CIO president is also concerned about Immigration Law and Policies, as well as the need for “a couple of mega-projects in Upstate New York” to get the economy moving again and put people back to work, including moving forward on notable infrastructure projects such as high-speed rail and the Route 219 expansion.

On a final note, Hoffert tells WNYLaborToday.com $3,300 was recently raised for the local United Way through Labor Night at the Ballpark, hosted by the Buffalo Bisons in Downtown Buffalo.  This year’s donation total more than doubled last year’s $1,400, he said.

WNYLaborToday.com gained new respect for the jobs that Union Members represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 17 and Ironworkers Local 6 perform while visiting the Heart Vascular Institute building project at Buffalo General Hospital last week.  It was impressive watching a Local 17 Engineer operate a massive tower crane (pictured above/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) several stories up in the air - gently swinging over two large steel girders in place for two Union Ironworkers, who effortlessly guided them into place while skating back and forth across the girders.  For anyone who says that Building Trades workers are paid too much, I suggest you take a ride down to Buffalo General and watch them work.  This is not a job for the unskilled or untrained, and the work they are performing shows how experienced and qualified they really are.  WNYLaborToday.com plans to publish news coverage of the project in the coming weeks in order to focus a spotlight on the interesting project that is continuing to shape Buffalo’s emerging Medical Corridor.

WNYLaborToday.com would like to congratulate old friend and WBFO-FM/88.7 FM Reporter Eileen Buckley.  It’s been announced that Buckley has been chosen to serve as Interim News Director at the NPR Radio Station here in Buffalo.  Buckley, who will succeed Mark Scott - who is retiring, has done a tremendous job covering the Western New York Region over the years, and has focused some of her time reporting on the Western New York Labor Community.  In fact, Buckley is one of only a small few in the local mainstream media that’s truly interested in what is occurring within Organized Labor and we thank her for that.  With nearly 25 years experience in radio news, the appointment of Buckley was a good move by WBFO.  Her professionalism and drive for excellence will continue to enhance what the WBFO News Department offers its listeners now and in the future.  Congratulations Eileen!

For the past two weeks in this Sunday Labor Column, WNYLaborToday.com has addressed Erie County Executive Chris Collins and his decision not to use Federal Stimulus Dollars given to the county for job creation.  King Chris has instead decided to hold on to that money for rainy day purposes.  While WNYLaborToday.com has criticized Collins for that decision, it seems others in Erie County are doing the same.  If you did not see it, the following Letter to the Editor from Kevin Connors of Buffalo, that was headlined Collins governs with an iron fist and appeared in The Buffalo News last week:

Where would we be in Erie County if we didn’t have The News trying its darnedest to make County Executive Chris Collins and his style of governing seem legitimate?  A recent article paints a picture of a beleaguered altruist boldly following his vision. I believe Collins is a con man and a tyrant the people of Erie County should watch very closely.  The article gives a prime example of his malfeasance.  He is quoted using the phrase “promises made, promises kept.” Didn’t he promise us he was a business-man and not a politician when he ran for the post?  The article states that he has made his changes through “power politics— and less through the power of his ideas,” thus Collins the con man.  How about an article about the taxpayer dollars spent fighting useless lawsuits?  It would be difficult to do because we’d have to sue him to find out, as the ACLU is doing.  I wonder if the amount Collins has spent fighting the U. S. Justice Department, which he ended up settling anyway, could have funded the $200,000 he cut from youth programs this summer?  How about the cost of the doomed appeals (three now) of his hiring policy?  He has no respect for the law or his constituents.  Sounds like tyranny to me.  He has eliminated jobs funded elsewhere while his surplus was a gift so that he could create jobs, which he seems uninterested in doing no matter how many of us little birdies “chirp” at him.  He limits the ability of people to work through his day care cuts and lessens the value of the good jobs that remain.  His accomplishments are negligible and the damage he’s causing is mounting.

Hopefully Connors’ sentiments are shared by many others.  Boiling it down to the bottom of a pan, Collins has done more damage than good when it comes to Working People – both Union and non – across Erie County.  The King – who ran on a platform of running Erie County like a business – has quickly become what he campaigned against, a career politician.  As previously stated in this column, Organized Labor must take a leading role in next year’s Erie County Executive’s race in order to make sure Collins is replaced with a county executive who looks to work with all within Erie County and not just one faction – which has benefitted greatly by electing him to office.  So, let’s flip the hourglass over and watch the sand fall.  Hopefully it’ll only be a matter of time before true change that benefits many – and not a few – will be installed in the office of Erie County Executive.

An interesting story emerged last week as the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) issued a “non-recommendation” in the 145th District State Assembly involving incumbent Mark Schroeder, as well as the WNYALF’s acknowledgement that it will ask the New York State AFL-CIO not to endorse Schroeder’s re-election bid.  This action stems from Schroeder’s unexplainable decision to endorse a Walmart store in his South Buffalo District, despite the fact it clashes dramatically with his Labor roots and the company’s anti-Union/anti-Worker track record across the United States.  What has left many in the local Labor Community scratching their heads is why Schroeder would take such a stance at all?  Especially when the project would hurt area grocery store workers represented by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), which is headed locally by Angelo Vellake, who also happens to serve as WNYALF president.  Despite his high-profile and public stance for Walmart, Schroeder was given an opportunity to re-think his position and simply walk away during a recent meeting he attended with Vellake, Buffalo AFL-CIO President Hoffert and WNYALF Vice President Richard Lipsitz.  However, Schroeder subsequently declined to do so and during his recent appearance at the WNYALF’s annual candidate interviews, apparently was so incensed he ripped into all three Labor Leaders – as well as WNYLaborToday.com for reporting on what he believe to be a private meeting – before a group of nearly 40 representatives of Organized Labor.  Even with issuing a “no recommendation” in his race – it appears the WNYALF is not totally done with Schroeder, according to several sources in the Labor Community who spoke on the condition they not be identified.  While they would not reveal what action or actions they will take, they impressed upon WNYLaborToday.com that Schroeder’s decision to support Walmart and not make Labor aware of what he was doing – even though he has continued to seek Labor’s endorsements – is something that cannot be ignored and must be dealt with.  It is truly unfortunate that Schroeder could turn out to be the poster boy for what happens when an elected official flip-flops on issues important to Organized Labor.  WNYLaborToday.com has known the Assemblyman for years and is too scratching our head trying to figure out why he would go down this road.  As WNYLaborToday.com has been reporting in recent months, Organized Labor is taking a new tact this time around as the elections approach.  It is not business as usual.  Things must truly change and Labor is sending that message.  If those who are elected on a state level here in Western New York cannot truly do what needs to be done to rejuvenate the Upstate economy, and instead blame the “three men in a room” in Albany for our woes, then – as two area Labor Leaders told WNYLaborToday.com, “Maybe we should all just go down to Albany and talk with the ‘three men in a room’ to get things done – since they make all the decisions.”  WNYLaborToday.com will keep our viewers/readers posted on upcoming developments, including a potential road trip by local Labor Leaders to Albany to meeting with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver – one of three men in that room.

And speaking of politics, WNYLaborToday.com had to chuckle during the week when it was reported that Buffalo Developer and Republican/Tea Party Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino has raised $1.7 million for his campaign since March.  The only problem is that $1.6 million of that was Carl’s own money.  In the end, Carl’s rant that he’s just an everyday guy doesn’t seem to have caught the attention of those who you think would be contributing to his campaign, since $100,000 really isn’t much in the world of politics.  Interestingly, among Carl’s campaign expenses included $20,000 to local Tea Party spokesman Rus Thompson and nearly $300,000 to his campaign manager.  Now that’s a plum PR job, huh?  In the end, it doesn’t seem as though Carl has much of a chance, other than to continue to buy himself some TV time and media coverage.  Everyday guy?  WNYLaborToday.com doesn’t think so.  In fact, maybe there are more people out there than he would like to believe who are getting tired of listening to his rants and are mad as hell he’s wasted their time and energy.

Hey, if you’re heading to New York City, here’s some great news from the RWDSU as more than 1,400 Filene's Basement employees have voted for representation with Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 1102.  According to a press release: Filene’s Basement is a popular clothing retailer known for its exceptional prices on brand name clothes.  Now, thanks to the largest successful organizing campaign in Local 1102 history, when shoppers take advantage of the great prices and products at the store, they’ll be shopping RWDSU.  Over 1,400 workers at Filene’s Basement have joined RWDSU Local 1102, signing up for the Union by an overwhelming margin.  The new RWDSU members work at all Filene’s Basement locations including the retailer’s distribution center.  "In tough economic times Working People need Unions more than ever," said RWDSU Local 1102 President Frank Bail.  "We’re proud to be able to bring a ‘Union Voice’ to the members at Filenes and to have them be part of the RWDSU family.”  Congratulations RWDSU on a job more than well done!

Another interesting story reported on by WNYLaborToday.com last week was the Labor Law Firm of Collins & Brown making a decision to hire a Union Contractor to perform a major restoration project at its historic headquarters on North Street.  Collins & Brown is spending $400,000 with R.E. Kelley, Inc., which is represented by Bricklayers Local 3 in Buffalo, to do the job.  It’s a tremendous example of a business talking the talk and walking the walk when it comes to hiring Union-Represented services when the need arises.  It’s no secret that some who do quite an amount of business with Organized Labor conveniently forget to hire Union when they need something done.  One Labor Leader said he has seen non-Union trucks outside the businesses of some who do a lot of work with Labor, choosing – in the end - to go a cheaper route and forgetting to remember where they’re making their money.  That’s not right and more businesses need to remember that it’s a two-way street…

On that note, WNYLaborToday.com asks our viewers/readers to consider patronizing those advertisers who appear in our Union Mall Section of our website.  These businesses and companies have made an advertising commitment to Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper – which allows the local Labor Community to get its message out – unimpeded.  WNYLaborToday.com is presently in discussions with a number of other advertisers that are interested in coming aboard our Union Mall - especially in light of our upcoming digital billboard campaign that kick off during the first week of August and runs through Labor Day into the end of September in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and the Southtowns.  As an added incentive, WNYLaborToday.com is offering new advertisers one-third off our Union Mall ad rates.  Without such support, WNYLaborToday.com would not have come so far so fast and grown to become such an important media vehicle for Organized Labor to use to not only inform its membership - but with the reach of our digital billboard campaign - the general pubic and business community as well to the many positives going on within the Labor Community and what can be accomplished when management and Labor work together.