News, Notes & A Bunch Of Observations Made While Covering The Western New York Labor Community Over The Past Week:

What a busy week last week was for WNYLaborToday.com: 

It started on Monday when we were in attendance for the changing of the guard at the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4’s monthly Union Meeting in the Buffalo Suburb of Cheektowaga, where long-time Business Manager Dan Boody officially retired and the reins of one of the strongest Unions in the Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Council was handed over to new Business Manager Mark Stevens.  While we’ll have more on this later in the week when WNYLaborToday.com chronicles a number of major retirements and changes among Labor Leaders here in Western New York and across the United States, it was indeed an honor to be there for Dan – whose Labor Organization has was one of a small core of five Union Supporters that allowed Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper to not only get up and going, but eventually grow to become the Voice of Labor here in Western New York.  IUPAT Representatives from Washington, Chicago and New York City were also in attendance to pay their respects to what many here in Western New York describe as the Labor Leader here in our region.  Many voiced extremely kind words of what Boody, whose career as a WNY Union Member and Leader stretches all the way back to the 80s, has accomplished for his Union and the Labor Movement in general.  Later in the week, Boody was honored by his Building Trades Brothers, who presented him with an extremely large and impressive Buffalo (pictured below/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) Award as recognition for so many years of hard work and dedication to the Labor Movement, including the high-profile battles he led for Project Labor Agreements at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in the late 80s and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport in the early 90s– where Western New York Labor History was written as thousands of Union Members marched on the suburban airport in support of a PLA for the massive improvement project.  Boody led the fight that not only raised the standard of living for Union Construction Workers, but for non-represented Construction Workers as well.  And that, I believe, has been the trademark of a long and memorable career that has spanned nearly three decades.  But Boody isn’t going away.  He will still be involved in the WNY Labor Movement, most notably with the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation, and knowing Dan – he will continue to play a major role in helping push forward Organized Labor’s positive agenda in 2012 and beyond.  WNYLaborToday.com plans to publish a feature story on Boody in the coming weeks because his long, impressive and storied career in the Labor Movement could never be captured here in our Sunday Labor Column in just a few paragraphs.  Congratulations Dan on a job more than well done.  Cheers.

On Tuesday evening, WNYLaborToday.com traveled to Dunkirk for a meeting of the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition meeting at United Steelworkers Local 2693 where more than 30 representatives from Organized Labor met to map out their future plans when it comes to becoming more involved in the County-Wide Chautauqua Democratic Party.  In case you missed WNYLaborToday.com’s Labor News Report, read it here: Chautauqua County Labor Coalition Targets Greater Labor Involvement In County-Wide Democratic Party, Will Request More Meetings With Individual County Legislators As Well As Run Union Candidates For Elected Office And On Democratic Committees.  Among those Unions represented at the meeting were the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the United Steelworkers (USW), the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), 1199 SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Healthcare Workers East and the Public Employees Federation (PEF).  On that note, it was extremely refreshing to see so many new and involved Unions at the meeting, including many representatives of those Unions whom WNYLaborToday.com had not seen before at previous meetings.  In a nutshell, Organized Labor in Chautauqua County – which is overseen by both the Dunkirk and Jamestown AFL-CIO Labor Councils, whose combined Union affiliations represent 5,000 Union Members across the County in both the Public and Private Sectors – is unhappy with the way the Democratic Party has treated Labor in the past.  Several Labor Leaders and Representatives said the only time any candidate seems to be interested in Organized Labor is for its endorsements and campaign contributions.  While that may have been true in the past, the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition seems to be hell-bent on changing this and that was made extremely clear at Tuesday night’s meeting.  It appears their frustration and anger will now be channeled into finding candidates from within Organized Labor to run for a multitude of public offices, as well as for Democratic Committees in the Cities of Dunkirk and Jamestown, as well as in the County’s many Towns and Villages.  On another front, Labor will ask that individual County Legislators begin regularly meeting with Labor Representatives from across the County.  In the end, it’s good to see such a reaction from Labor and those who lead it in Southern Tier.  Dunkirk AFL-CIO Labor Council President Doug Stock chaired the meeting and did a tremendous job of helping bring together a plan of action.  In speaking with WNYLaborToday.com after the meeting, Stock took time to single out IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 106 Business Manager Dave Wilkinson, who has stepped forward down in Jamestown to play a much larger role in motivating and re-involving Labor in that Southern Tier City.  Wilkinson told WNYLaborToday.com after the meeting: “(Labor wants) to be involved in the Democratic Election Process and we’re now holding ourselves accountable for what’s happened in the past.  Our Elected Representatives need to ask for Labor’s in-put.  We’ve left others to guide themselves and we’re out to change that, and I feel personally responsible for sitting on the sidelines, watching what was happening over the past ten years and pretending not to notice.  We also need to involve our younger Union Members in the process and get them involved too, because they ‘are’ our future.  We’re also going to start running candidates for public office and let me tell you, Labor will not allow having any more races where Republicans run unopposed.”  It seems real changes are coming in Chautauqua County and it should be very interesting to see what transpires in the coming months.  As Bob Dylan once sung: The times, they are a-changing…

On Wednesday, WNYLaborToday.com had the pleasure of attending the annual Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO’s Annual Awards Dinner up in Niagara Falls - and what an excellent dinner it was.  First, attendance more than doubled from the previous year to 170 – which was quite an increase.  That’s due to the excellent job Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO President Jim Briggs of the United Steelworkers is doing.  A big assist goes to Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison Bill Jakobi, who’s done an amazing job in helping Briggs and the Council in a number of capacities and truly is worth his weight in gold for the area’s Labor Movement.  Briggs took a page from the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition meeting the night before, taking the time in his address to target those Elected Officials in both Niagara and Orleans Counties who only want Labor’s endorsements and campaign contributions.  Things will change, Briggs said, in respect to the way Labor across Niagara and Orleans Counties will not only approach, but treat those in Public Office that fail to keep Labor and Working People’s agenda first and foremost in their minds.  Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation President Richard Lipsitz and newly-appointed United Steelworkers District 4 President John Shinn were featured speakers and both discussed and touched upon many of Labor’s victories in 2001, as well as the need to continue to build on them in 2012.  Keep an eye out later for a full report on Tuesday’s Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Awards Dinner in the Niagara-Orleans CLC Labor News Section on WNYLaborToday.com that Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper plans to publish.  With that said, it is tremendous to see that both Niagara-Orleans and across Chautauqua County, there’s a rejuvenation of Organized Labor – something that will bode extremely well for all Working People here in Western New York.

On Thursday and Friday, WNYLaborToday.com was involved in attending several individual meetings with the area’s Labor Leadership - including the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), IUPAT/Painters Union and with one of our many Front Page Advertisers, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Western New York.  With so much time spent on running from one meeting to another across Buffalo and Western New York, WNYLaborToday.com was still able to publish 15 Labor News Stories last week, and today we’ll hit the overall 2,400 Labor Story Mark since Your On-Line Labor Newspaper began covering the Western New York Labor Community back in April 2008.  As we near the beginning of our fifth year of bringing you Labor News that you just can’t find anywhere else across Western New York, WNYLaborToday.com is respectfully asking the area’s Labor Leadership to consider underwriting one-year, $5 subscriptions to WNYLaborToday.com for your individual  Memberships - as several other Unions have already done.  This new revenue will allow WNYLaborToday.com to bring aboard a couple of new Labor Reporters and offer even more Labor News that is out there and needs to be covered.  Unfortunately, because of prior commitments, WNYLaborToday.com was not able to report on new developments involving the U.S. Postal Service and its Union Employees last week and a major rally that was held by Building Trades Unions up in Niagara Falls Saturday morning.  While WNYLaborToday.com will offer follow-up reports on both stories during this week, such additional revenue will allow Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper to be there when Labor News happens – across the board.  In addition, the new revenue will also allow WNYLaborToday.com to move forward on creating and airing a Labor News TV Show off our Front Page, which will further work to inform and educate the Labor Community, as well as both the General Public and Elected Community, on the many good things that are happening here in Western New York.  You can reach WNYLaborToday.com Editor/Publisher Tom Campbell directly at 716-681-2300 for more information.  In addition, WNYLaborToday.com would also be extremely appreciative for any assistance the Western New York Labor Community can provide in terms of helping Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper bring aboard Union-Supportive/Friendly Advertisers that would be interested in advertising their services and/or products to the Union Community.  Thanks in advance for your time, interest and support – It’s Appreciated!

On another front, WNLaborToday.com would like to extend our congratulations to both Roger Chenez (on the left) and Bill Jakobi (pictured below/Photo Courtesy of CWA Local 1117 President Greg Chenez) – Members of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1117 in Lockport, who both received awards at the CWA’s Annual Eugene Mays Awards Dinner that was held Friday evening at the Hearthstone Manor near the Buffalo Airport.  WNYLaborToday.com personally knows both gentlemen and applauds their dedication and involvement in the Labor Movement across Niagara and Orleans Counties, as well as across Western New York.  Their reputations and stellar track records in the Labor Community precede them and both are more than well-deserving of their awards.  According to information provided through the CWA, Eugene Mays was its first African-American Officer, whose life vividly illustrated the connection between the struggles for Civil Rights and Workers' Rights.  Mays worked as a Coal Miner in West Virginia until 1943.  After a stint in the Army, he moved to Buffalo, where he was introduced to the Union while working at the Western Electric Wire and Cable Plant.  He soon joined CWA Local 1162, which together with three other Locals: 1191, 1152, and 1170, formed the foundation of CWA in Western New York in the 40s and 50s.  Rising quickly in the Union, Mays was elected Local 1162 President in the late 40s and was appointed CWA International Staff Representative in 1951.  As a leader, he immediately faced major challenges.  These were the McCarthy Years and Unions were not spared from being smeared with a Communist brush.  Shortly after Mays' election as Local President, the company tried to decertify the Union, making insinuations about CWA's affiliation with the CIO and Mays' African-American heritage.  However, under Mays' leadership, CWA won the battle against desertification in what amounted to a strike for recognition.  CWA was certified for the Western Electric Workers and CWA's combined Membership in Western New York grew to 2,000.  Over the next 10 years, CWA's influence increased as Telephone Workers were organized, with Mays playing a major role in supervising the efforts in Upstate New York.  He continued his active involvement when he was appointed Assistant to the Vice President of District One by Morton Bahr in 1969.  At the time, Mays was still the only Black Representative on Staff.  At District One, Mays served as CWA's Defense Fund agent during the longest strike in the Union's history, against New York Telephone from July 14th, 1971 to February 28th, 1972.  Mays died unexpectedly in 1973.  In his prepared remarks that Jakobi forwarded to WNYLaborToday.com late last week, he said: “I’m both honored and very humbled to receive the CWA E. J. Mays Citizenship Award.  I’m proud to be put in the same category as a Eugene Mays who had a passion for the Labor Movement and a passion for his community.  First off, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Roger Chenez on his award, you deserve it.  And to all the scholarship winners, I wish you best of luck in whatever you do.  You ‘are’ our future.  I believe you’re only as good as the supporting cast around you and I would like to thank them for being part of my success.  First and foremost is my wife, Barb, and my two daughters, Janelle and Kayla, my Mother and sisters, my ninety-nine-year-old Grandmother, who passed away a couple of years ago and who always told me that ‘if you work hard at what you do, you can accomplish anything you want in life.’  To my mentor and friend, Earl Frampton, my good friend, Jim Briggs - who is President of the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council, the Executive Board of the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council, my President of CWA Local 1117, Greg Chenez (Roger’s son), to all my colleagues at the United Way, to all Labor Leaders and my Labor Friends – ‘Thanks’ for being there!  I’ve done a little research on Eugene Mays and found out he was a very passionate man.  I also have a passion for Community Services, the Labor Movement and what they stand for.  Even though times are difficult, I love what I do - I enjoy helping people through difficult times and enjoy being the face of Labor working to make our communities a better place to live and work in.  I truly believe Labor plays a major role in the building of a strong community.  My goal as AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison is to continue to position the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council, its affiliated Unions and Union Membership in the forefront in our community.  I want to help Organized Labor get the recognition ‘it deserves’ for the good things they do and to help build a strong community that’s a better place to live and work in.  Also, part of my goal is to keep this partnership going between Organized Labor and The United Way - we both believe in building a better community.  I remember when I was a young boy, sitting at the kitchen table with my Mom and Dad - talking ‘shop talk.’  My Dad worked at Wendt’s Dairy as a mechanic and my Mother worked at Nabisco Shredded Wheat, so learning about Labor Unions and what they stand for was a big part of my life.  Today I’m even more passionate and proud of being part of Organized Labor.  I think people in today’s world, Union or Non-Union, tend to forget that if it weren’t for Organized Labor, we wouldn’t be where we are today.  Through the bargaining process, Organized Labor has fought for benefits like the Eight-Hour Work Day, Social Security, Weekends Off, Vacation Time, Fair Wages, a ban on Child Labor, Job Safety, Unemployment Benefits, Pensions, Civil Rights, Health Insurance, Community Services, Family and Medical Leave Act, Training Apprenticeships, Public Education for ‘all’ children and Worker Compensation and the Minimum Wage Law.  Low and behold, now 100 years later, Corporate America is trying to take these things away from us.  They want to eliminate the Middle Class.  But you know what?  I don’t think Organized Labor and Working People in our communities are going to let that happen.  From what I see going on across this country in places like Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio, and in the Occupy Movement, and right here in Western New York with the Kathy Hochul and Mark Poloncarz races, these are great examples of what Labor ‘can do.’  In my opinion, I think Corporate America’s woken up a ‘sleeping grant.’  Organized Labor will continue to help move America forward!  We can’t let the One-Percent trick us into believing we are different.  We are the Ninety-Nine-Percent!  We are ‘one,’ and if we don’t work together on issues that bring us together, we fall together.  We ‘are’ the people who fight for Working Families.  We ‘are’ the people who fight to protect our Students, our Children, Seniors and our Families.  We ‘are’ the Labor Movement - and together with the Community - we are unbeatable!  As you go home tonight, here’s something to think about: Believe in who you are, believe in where you come from and remember a strong Union starts with ‘you!’  Thank You!”

Finally, here’s a smattering of timely Local and Statewide Labor News that WNYLaborToday.com, which such a busy schedule, just couldn’t get to last week – until now: 

Statement from New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento on the New York State Budget: “Creating jobs and strengthening the Middle Class is the Number One Priority of the Labor Movement.  Much of Governor Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal advances that agenda and we look forward to working with him to that end provided appropriate Labor Protections are in place.  However, on the issue of Tier Six, we disagree with the contention that the current Defined Benefit Pension is unsustainable.  What is unsustainable is a society where each generation of Middle Class Worker retires with less financial security than the one before.  Far too many Workers have learned the hard way that a 401-k is not the answer to long-term economic security.  After twenty or thirty years of work, the retirement security of Nurses, Teachers, Firefighters, and others, should not be imperiled by the fluctuations of Wall Street.  This is not about whether or not Working Men and Women have the ability to decide how to successfully invest their retirement savings.  As we know, even the wealthiest employ a stable of bankers, accountants, and consultants to manage their retirement accounts.  Now, with a 401-k, people of limited means will be forced to pay for financial advisors to hopefully sustain their income through retirement.  They will have to add that burden to the cost of rent, utilities, and prescriptions.  We must keep in mind that Tier Six will not create one job.  It will simply hinder progress on our shared goal of turning the economy around.  The Labor Movement will fight to advance the financial security of Workers, both active and retired, as an alternative to continuing the race to the bottom.  We will continue to review all aspects of the budget with our affiliates to identify other areas of interest to our two-point-five-million Members and are committed to working on their behalf with the Governor and the Legislature in the weeks ahead.”

The New York State United Teachers Union And New York State Indicate Discussions On Teacher Evaluations Are Moving Forward & NYSUT Responds To State Education Department

(NEW YORK) -  New York State Education Commissioner John King, Jr., along with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Richard Iannuzzi have announced that negotiations going on since October are now making significant progress and continue in earnest toward settlement.   NYSUT, the State’s Largest Union, represents some 600,000 professionals in Education and Health Care, also responded to a recent State Education Department (SED) press release: SED’s press release undermines everything the Governor was hoping to achieve.  It flushes out that SED is about themselves and their bureaucracy, and care little about the governor, the students or their teachers.  NYSUT worked with the Legislature to create the law that brought New York $700 million in so-called ‘Race to the Top’ Funding.  We agree with the Governor that we must work to keep that money by implementing the current law that he characterized as ‘real’ Teacher Evaluation.  The record is clear: The Legislature unanimously passed the Teacher/Principal Evaluation Law, the courts have upheld it and now the only litigation that remains is SED’s attempt to undermine the law, the Legislature, the courts and the Governor.  NYSUT remains prepared to work with the Governor and the Legislature.  It’s time for the bureaucrats at SED to wake up and start thinking about the students instead of themselves.”

Federal Mediator Joins Contract Negotiations At Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center/Talks Stall Over Economic Issues

(NIAGARA FALLS) - The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) has stepped in to contract negotiations between the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and the 29 Union-Represented Professional Employees in its Inpatient/Outpatient Behavioral Departments and Physical Therapy Department.  The group of Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Therapists and Discharge Planners joined 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East through Card Check in May 2011.  Negotiations began in October of that year.  Many important issues have been settled, but Union Negotiators say negotiations stalled over wages.   “We take pride in serving this community” says Christy Gilmer, an Out-Patient Therapist in the Behavioral Department. “We’re committed to reaching a fair agreement, but we’re disappointed in the lack of progress.  It’s our hope that FMCS can help us reach a quick settlement.”  The Federal Mediator is expected to join negotiations at the next scheduled bargaining session, which was set for this past Friday.  SEIU represents 650 Employees at the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center including, Service and Maintenance, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Technicians and Registered Nurses.