Pictured Above: This is just one of several informational digital billboard layouts that Western New York motorists will be seeing over the next several weeks as WNYLaborToday.com kicks off a major advertising campaign in mid August in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and the Southtowns – which is aimed at introducing Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper and The Union Mall to tens of thousands of new viewers and readers across the Niagara Frontier.  The campaign will run through Labor Day Weekend and into the middle of September.  (WNYLaborToday.com Photo)

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

What a week it was and what a week it’s shaping up to be.

First off, the annual Buffalo AFL-CIO Summer Picnic that was held on Friday at Elma Meadows was a smashing success.  In what was literally a Who’s Who of Organized Labor across Western New York, Labor Leaders got the chance to renew old acquaintances, hang out under sunny skies, take the time to chew the fat, discuss the latest going-ons across the Labor Community and take part in a good, old-fashioned cookout.  Among those in attendance (with WNYLaborToday.com’s apologies to anyone we missed and in no certain order): Buffalo AFL-CIO President Mike Hoffert and his wife, Debbie; CWA Regional Director David Palmer; CWA Local 1122 President James Wagner; CSEA Local 815 President Joan Bender; AFSCME Local 1095 President John Orlando; AFSCME Local 264 and Council 35 President Bill Travis; Painters District 4 Business Manager Dan Boody; Alan Pero, International Union of Operating Engineers/International Representative for the Northeast Region; IUOE Local 17 Training Director Jim Smolinski; Teamsters Local 264 President Ron Lucas & Local 264 Business Agent Richard Lipsitz; Several UUP Representatives, including Fred Floss and Tom Tucker; Buffalo Stagehands Representatives Chuck Avery and Joe Abad; Niagara-Orleans Central Labor Council’s Bill Jakobi and Earl Frampton; National Association of Letter Carriers/Branch 3 President Robert McLennan; UAW Region 9 International Representative Ed McGowan; and retired Labor Leaders Dan Dunlap of the United Steelworkers and Jan Borman of CWA Local 1122.  Also in attendance were National AFL-CIO Organizer Stewart Acuff, whom WNYLaborToday.com interviewed for a story and video report to be published later this week, and Jane Dickerson of www.middleclassunionmade.com.  Many of WNYLaborToday.com’s advertisers also took part in the picnic, including: The Independent Health Team, led by Labor Liaison Maureen Wilk; the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Team, led by Labor Liaison Dennis Pawlik; as well as American Images’ Bill Hilliker and Collins Brown Labor Attorney’s omnipresent Tim Heyden.  In addition, a number of area and Labor-endorsed elected officials and candidates were also on hand, including current WNYLaborToday.com supporters: Erie County Legislator Tim Kennedy; State Senator William Stachowski; State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt; Hamburg Town Clerk Cathy Rybczynski and her son, Brad – the multi-Labor-endorsed candidate who is currently running for the 146th Assembly Seat.   WNYLaborToday.com was prominently displayed and spent the day catching up with a number of old friends from the Labor Community, including recently-appointed National Labor Relations Board member and Buffalo Labor Attorney Mark Pearce, whom WNYLaborToday.com also interviewed – with plans to publish a story and video report later in the week.  Also on hand to help out was Labor Union Member Chris Stone, whose son, Nick, is recovering from some serious injuries while serving our county in the Middle East.  More on that too this week on WNYLaborToday.com.  All in all, it was a very enjoyable and interesting time – as is every year. So to wrap things up - Kudos to the Buffalo AFL-CIO Labor Council Team, including Dawn Hanavan, who put together such a tremendous event.

On August 16th, WNYLaborToday.com officially kicks off a major digital billboard advertising campaign in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and the Southtowns in order to celebrate our third year of covering the Western New York Labor Community and offering our viewers/readers a variety of Labor News that you just won’t find anywhere else in the local, mainstream media.  You’ll see a number of different billboard messages from WNYLaborToday.com, including one that highlights our growing Union Mall section of Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper (pictured above).  Those billboard messages – which will consist of 363 total hours of display time from August 16th to September 12th – will be viewed at the following locations: Southwestern Boulevard near Camp Road; On Route 33 heading into Downtown Buffalo at Cherry Street; On the corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa in the Downtown Buffalo Entertainment District; and on the I-190 in Niagara Falls, just before the Outlet Mall.  It’s WNYLaborToday.com’s hope this campaign will not only reintroduce Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper to the Western New York Labor Community, but also introduce – for the first time – Organized Labor’s media vehicle and our Union Mall to the entire Western New York Community, as well as to the Business Community. 

As an enticement for new Union-Represented, Union-friendly and American and Locally made product and service advertisers that may be interested in having their products and/or services listed on the A-to-Z Union Mall, WNYLaborToday.com is offering a rare opportunity to do so.  While our digital billboard campaign is running, new advertisers will be offered a one-third discount off our one-year rates.  As such, you can now secure a 300x250 blocked, direct link ad on The Union Mall for $1,000 or a static, business card-sized ad for $600.  Contact WNYLaborToday.com Editor/Publisher Tom Campbell @ 716-681-2300 or via e-mail at campbell@localnet.com for more information.

On that note, WNYLaborToday.com would like to welcome aboard the two newest advertisers on The Union Mall: The Hearthstone Manor and Manning & Napier Advisors, Inc. 

Centrally-located near the Greater Buffalo Niagara International Airport, The Hearthstone Manor – a Union-Represented banquet and event facility that serves as the Union location for meetings, dinners and social events – has been part of Labor’s past since 1967.  WNYLaborToday.com appreciates The Hearthstone Manor’s support of Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper and would like to thank its sales manager, Carol Zimmer, for her personal involvement and support.  Carol can be reached @ 716-684-8850 and would be happy to speak with any Union Organization that wishes to learn more about The Hearthstone Manor.  According to information posted on its website, The Hearthstone Manor has been one of Western New York's finest banquet facilities over the years and was especially designed and staffed to cater to groups ranging from 20 to 2000 guests - with nearly 16,000 square feet of elegant modular ballroom, exhibition or meeting space available for any event, including weddings, dinner dances, banquets, product displays, business conferences and reunions.  WNYLaborToday.com also wants to take this opportunity to publicly pass along our condolences to The Hearthstone Manor Family on the recent passing of long-time Hearthstone General Manager and Partner, Richard F. Healy. 

On another front, WNYLaborToday.com would like to welcome aboard Manning & Napier, which has been proudly serving the Taft-Hartley Community for more than 35 years.  According to information posted on its website, Manning & Napier was founded in 1970, serves clients in all 50 states and manages approximately $25 billion in client assets. It remains an employee-owned firm, with 100% of the firm owned by full-time employees.  Today, Manning & Napier manages investments for a broad cross-section of clients, including Taft-Hartley and Corporate benefit plans, individuals, endowments and foundations, and municipalities.  Whatever type of portfolio, Manning & Napier is focused on meeting the investment needs of its clients.  WNYLaborToday.com would like to thank Manning & Napier and Mark Bernstein – the company’s vice president/client consultant – for making Manning & Napier aware of Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper and the many opportunities to reach the Western New York Labor Community through our unique and Labor-specialized media vehicle.

On that note, WNYLaborToday.com respectfully asks our viewers/readers seriously consider patronizing those businesses, companies, products and services that are not only offered in The Union Mall, but throughout our On-Line Labor Newspaper.  First off, if you’re looking for such Union-Represented, Union-Friendly and American and locally made products, The Union Mall will become the place for you to find them here in Western New York, which will make your shopping process just a bit easier.  Secondly, these advertisers have and are continuing to make a real commitment to Organized Labor’s On-Line Labor Newspaper, which not only allows us to thrive and grow, but plays a real role in assisting Labor Unions in getting their message out – unimpeded – across Western New York.  WNYLaborToday.com is presently in discussions with another 20 or more advertisers that we hope will come aboard in the next few weeks, making a decision to also take advantage of our upcoming digital billboard campaign – which, again, will continue to expose our site to the Local Labor Community, but introduce WNYLaborToday.com to the general public and the local business community.  There are many companies, businesses and organizations that currently work with Organized Labor that have yet to make a decision and come aboard to advertise on and support Labor’s media vehicle.  That’s why WNYLaborToday.com asks you – our viewers/readers/consumers – to consider doing business with those that advertise that have made that decision to be on our site.  Their involvement and support is not only appreciated, but will allow Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper to continue to improve our web publication and increase our coverage of the Western New York Labor Community in the months and years to come.  For that, WNYLaborToday.com is extremely thankful.