WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Under the theme Reconnecting The Movement, Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Peter DeJesus, Jr. made a conscious effort to diversify those who addressed the more than 100 Central Labor Council Presidents, Union Leaders and Representatives, and Friends of Labor who were in attendance at more»

(ESTACADA, OREGON) - Dakotah Quinn bought her first home at age 24. The 27-year-old Union Electrician lives in Estacada and said her field has opened up a lot of doors for her: financial security, steady work and upward mobility. As a young professional, Quinn is in high demand. The need for Construction Workers and Electricians has skyrocketed in recent more»

In just 12 days, more than 300,000 Wisconsin voters have signed petitions to hold a recall election of Anti-Worker/Anti-Union Republican Governor Scott Walker. The 60-day window to gather 540,000 signatures to qualify for an election ends January 17th. United Wisconsin, the coalition that is spearheading the recall movement, says volunteers have been more»

After months of dirty-trick-maneuvering, Republican New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien got his comeuppance today (November 30th) when the House failed to override Democratic Governor John Lynch’s May veto of a Right-To-Work Bill. The 240-to-139 vote in the heavily-weighted Republican Chamber failed to get the two-thirds necessary for an more»

(VALHALLA) – New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-Registered Nurses (RNs) at the Downstate Westchester Medical Center have declared impasse in their contract talks with Medical Center Management and today (November 30th) filed the necessary paperwork with the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). The most-recent contract covering more»

Organizers working on a campaign to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch are more than half-way to their goal, they announced Monday (November 28th). United Wisconsin, which teamed up with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, has collected 300,000 signed petitions since November 15th. They need to collect 540,206 more»

(WASHINGTON) - The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) - the key agency in ensuring Workers’ Rights - is facing an unprecedented assault from partisan politicians and the 1%. On Wednesday, November 30th - from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. - a variety of panelists at a special forum that will be held at the National AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., will look at how more»

(FINDLAY, OHIO) – The United Steelworkers (USW) are condemning Cooper Tire and Rubber Company’s decision to lock-out Union-Represented Workers at the company’s profitable Findlay, Ohio Production Facility, despite the Union’s good faith offer to keep working while negotiations toward a new Labor Contract proceeded. USW District 1 Director Dave more»

(NIAGARA FALLS) - “Because we’re all in this together,” answered ARCEU (Association For Retarded Citizens Employees Union)/NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) Local 4265 President Nick Zawacki when asked by WNYLaborToday.com why his Union and Management at Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara – Niagara County’s largest Human Service Association more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper has republished – over the course of time – a number of worthy columns authored by Cory McCray, who serves as chairman of the Baltimore, Maryland-headquartered Young Trade Unionists Group (pictured above in one of WNYLaborToday.com’s “It’s Cool To Be Union” T-Shirts). more»

The following statement was issued by Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans: The lack of recommendations from the Super Committee is good news for current and future Retirees. Over the past several months, activists with the Alliance for Retired Americans and other progressive groups helped send a clear message to Congress more»

Around the world, some 215 million children - nearly one in seven - go to jobs or labor at home rather than attend school. American History, too, is rife with the stories of children made to work in factories and mines. Even as one presidential candidate is making the case for a return to Child Labor, the story of Child Labor, present and past, and more»

National Mediation Board Refuses To Remedy Delta's Interference In AFA-CWA 2010 Election The Communications Workers of America (CWA) and AFA-CWA are condemning a National Mediation Board (NMB) decision to take no action against Delta Air Lines for interfering in the September 2010 Union Election for its 25,000 Flight Attendants. Union Leaders said the NMB more»

News, Notes & A Bunch Of Observations Made While Covering The Western New York Labor Community Over The Past Several Days And Rebounding From A Very Big Plate Of Thanksgiving Turkey, Stuffing, Green Beans, Potatoes, Cranberries And Pumpkin Pie: Final touches are being put on a major Workers’ Appreciation Day event, which will be held on Saturday, more»

Americans are talking about the economy - a lot. They're talking about Occupy Wall Street and the Super Committee, about an economy that only works for the 1% and about unemployment. But thanks to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, lots of talk about the economy means lots of misinformation about the economy. So if you're spending this Thanksgiving Holiday with more»

(NEW YORK) - The Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) is assisting the National Association of Professional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) in their fight against the Insurance Company Allstate's efforts to terminate profitable, long-standing agents who don't meet the company's arbitrary Expected Results. OPEIU, with which NAPAA more»

(PITTSBURGH) - Terry Maile’s supervisor called her into a conference room with all of her co-workers to hear the news: It was their last day of employment at Level 3 Communications in Pittsburgh. That was it. The jobs were gone to India. “I couldn’t stop crying,” said Maile, a divorced mother of one, who until that moment had spent her more»

(BUFFALO) – Joining with Occupy Buffalo Activists camped out in Niagara Square in Downtown Buffalo, the Fight for a Fair Economy Coalition – which consists of a number of area Community Organizations and Labor Unions – are urging New York State Legislators to commit to extending the so-called Millionaire’s Tax that is set to expire in December. more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Region 6 Director Roger Sherrie addresses the crowd with the aid of a bullhorn late Tuesday during a rally that was held outside the Rath Building in Downtown Buffalo to protest the proposed layoff of more than 200 Union-Represented Erie County Department of Social more»

(AMHERST) – Looking back on his successful campaign for Erie County Executive, Mark Poloncarz met with more than two dozen Labor Leaders today (Tuesday, November 22nd) at the monthly Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation’s (WNYALF) Political Action Committee (PAC) meeting - telling them: “Not everyone was there at the beginning (of the race more»

You might call it an Unpopularity Contest. The Brave New Foundation (BNF) wants to know who you think are the worst of the worst of the 1% who are doing the most to damage the economy and destroy democracy. They’ve put together a rouges gallery of 30 bankers, politicians, corporate big wigs, hateful pundits and other assorted characters who are using more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: As of this morning (Monday, November 21st), word is quickly spreading across the Labor Movement in regards to Republican plans to shut down the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). According to information sent to Your Regional, On-Line Labor Newspaper, this proposed GOP bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act more»

CWAers Lead Marathon Marches in NYC & Washington Against Corporate Greed As Protestors Deliver '99%’s' Message East Coast Communications Workers of America (CWA) Members collectively put thousands of miles on their sneakers this week as they led multi-day marches to denounce the greed that’s driving Verizon Communications and other hugely more»

AFSCME President & Alliance Supporter Gerald McEntee To Retire Gerald McEntee, who’s guided the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) as its President since 1981, announced in a recent letter that he would not seek another four-year term at the Union’s convention next summer. In response, Alliance For Retired more»

Conventional wisdom says don’t talk politics at big family gatherings, especially with Uncle Earl. But our friends at Working America are offering a unique guide on how to talk about today’s biggest political topic - The Occupy Wall Street/99% Movement - without sending Uncle Earl into one of his legendary fits. Working America’s Turkey Talk Guide more»

News, Notes & A Bunch Of Observations Made While Covering The Western New York Labor Community Over The Past Several Days: WNYLaborToday.com Welcomes Aboard OPEIU Local 212 WNYLaborToday.com would like to welcome aboard our newest Union Subscriber: OPEIU (Office and Professional Employees International Union) Local 212, which represents nearly 400 more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: The University at Buffalo celebrated its Made In Buffalo Day during the UB Football Bulls game against the Akron Zips on Saturday (November 19th) at UB Stadium in Suburban Amherst. Also honored were the Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Council for the high-quality construction work performed by Unionized more»

(ALBANY) – The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Union has announced the release of TED, a new Teacher Evaluation and Development System that aims to advance student learning and professional development by establishing Teachers as participants in - not merely recipients of - their own evaluations. TED breaks new ground in that it’s the first more»

(BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA) – Earlier this week, a delegation of prominent African-American Labor Leaders met with Birmingham, Alabama community leaders, families, business owners and Workers on a fact-finding trip to shed light on the consequences of H.B. 56 - a recently-enacted law that has had wide-reaching implications for Alabama's Latino Workers and their more»

All one had to do was turn on the TV today (Thursday, November 17th) to see how fast the Occupy Wall Movement has grown in just two short months. From New York City to Los Angeles and across New York State, including the State Capitol in Albany, the 99% have ratcheted up their efforts in exercising their Constitutional Right to Free Speech and Peaceful more»

(WASHINGTON) - Exiled Mexican Mine Workers Union Leader Napoleón Gómez Urrutia was honored with the National AFL-CIO’s 2011 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award last night (Wednesday, November 16th) at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said Gómez Urrutia is a “truly courageous man who has shown us how more»

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – which represents 2.1 million Members across the United States – has announced it has endorsed President Obama for a second term. Focused on uniting Workers in three sectors to improve their lives and the services they provide, SEIU is the fastest-growing Union in North America and is: The more»

(PITTSBURGH) – The United Steelworkers (USW) Union today (Wednesday, November 16th) strongly endorsed legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (Democrat-Ohio) and Barbara Mikulski (Democrat-Maryland) that would adopt a much more accurate Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E). Developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor's Note/Update: By a vote of 13-to-11, the Chautauqua County Legislature Wednesday evening (November 16th) tabled a vote on the Chautauqua County Home until January. CSEA Local 6300 President Rose Conti told WNYLaborToday.com the delay was yet "another victory" in stopping the County from its plans to private the Dunkirk Facility. more»

(GLOVERSVILLE) – New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-Represented Registered Nurses (RNs) at Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville have overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract that contains provisions designed to help the Hospital retain experienced RNs and recruit new hires, it was announced today (Wednesday, November 16th). The RNs more»

(NEW YORK) - Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton strongly condemned today’s decision by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to forcibly remove Occupy Wall Street Protesters from Zuccotti Park. Meanwhile, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) President Stuart Appelbaum is calling the action an more»

From a midnight pajama party in a Madison bar to a rally in front of Republican Governor Scott Walker’s Wauwatosa home, thousands of Wisconsin volunteers kicked off the official signature gathering period to put Walker’s recall before the voters next year. Recall forces now have 60 days to gather some 540,000 signatures. At the pajama party, where more»

(ALBANY) - The Public Employees Federation (PEF) today (November 14th) provided examples of ways New York State can save an estimated $55.6 million to $84.3 million a year by having State Employees do between 50% and 90% of the work that is currently done by more expensive private consultants at the State Department of Transportation (DOT). PEF Executive more»

News, Notes & A Bunch Of Observations Made While Covering The Western New York Labor Community Over The Past Several Days, Including A Look Back At Election Day 2011: To no one’s surprise across the Western New York Labor Community, The Buffalo News just couldn’t wait. Less than 48 hours after Democrat and Labor-Endorsed Mark Poloncarz celebrated more»

(BUFFALO) - The Buffalo Newspaper Guild/Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 31026 and The Buffalo News have reached a tentative agreement on a new, two-year contract that includes no changes in Health Insurance and a cash bonus of $400 for part-timers and $800 for full-timers, Union Officials have announced. The agreement was reached on Friday more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Cory McCray, who serves as chairman of the Baltimore, Maryland-headquartered Young Trade Unionists Group (pictured above in one of WNYLaborToday.com’s “It’s Cool To Be Union” T-Shirts), has been reported on and profiled by WNYLaborToday.com many times in recent months. WNYLaborToday.com has also republished more»

(WASHINGTON) – Addressing President Obama’s progress report at the Nine-Nation Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks in Hawaii, United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo Gerard says the announcement that Japan is exploring joining in the negotiations raises new issues and new complexity, especially for Working Americans. President Obama is in more»

Ohio Voters Reject The Politics Of Scape-Goating Last week, voters in Ohio delivered a blow to Republican Governor John Kasich and rejected his attempt to strip Collective Bargaining Rights from Public Employees. A whopping 61% of the Ohio electorate voted to repeal SB-5 by saying “no” on Issue 2, as it was presented on the ballot. SB-5 would have more»

Today (Friday, November 11th) is Veterans Day and lawmakers are making a lot of speeches across the United States that honor the service of our Nation’s military veterans. But many of these same lawmakers are backing legislation that could cost the jobs of 26,000 Veterans who work for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Bill/H.R. 2309, which was sponsored more»

(ROCHESTER) - The Rochester & Genesee Valley AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation, whose 300 affiliated Union Locals combine to represent 100,000 Union Members in the Rochester and Finger Lakes Regions of New York State, are praising an agreement reached between Occupy Rochester and Mayor Thomas Richards that facilitates continued peaceful protests on critical more»

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) Field Coordinator Patty DeVinney (pictured above) speaks at a news conference held outside the Northtown Lexus Dealership on Sheridan Drive in the Buffalo Suburb of Williamsville, which was called to focus attention on the need for Industrial Development Agency more»

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint earlier this week, finding that Twin Cities Jimmy John’s - owned by MikLin Enterprises - unlawfully threatened, disciplined and terminated Workers for engaging in Union Activities. The complaint involving the sandwich shop stems from a March incident where six supporters of the International more»

(PITTSBURGH) - The United Steelworkers (USW) Union says it was the 99% that stood up and fought back with votes against the millions of dollars that was poured into the State of Ohio by the 1% on Election Day, and that Ohio was among a number of other states to declare this election as a turning point in protecting Good Jobs, Working Families and Workplace more»

(NORTH TONAWANDA) – North Tonawanda Mayor Robert Ortt, who’s been accused of “blatantly violating” New York State’s Taylor Law by offering Union-Represented City Workers $200 each to make a judge’s arbitration ruling on a Prescription Drug Plan go away, has proposed the elimination of six Emergency-911 Police Dispatchers from the City’s 2012 more»

(WESTERN NEW YORK) – It was déjà vu all over again on Election Night for Organized Labor as underdog Democrat Erie County Executive Candidate Mark Poloncarz defeated incumbent Republican Chris Collins – just several months after underdog Democrat Kathy Hochul defeated her Republican Challenger in a heavily-populated Republican District to capture more»