LOCAL 1001 NEWS

I, like so many before me, am a part of the skilled labor force of this great country of ours. In fact, going back to almost the turn of the last century, my relatives have been a part of the working men and women who helped build our infrastructure.

In my youth I never realized the tradition that I had embraced by choosing this road. I often wonder, like so many of us, should I have taken another path? Should I have gone on to become a lawyer or a doctor, like most parents wish for their children. Children who have seen the struggle and hardship that so many ordinary working families do.

I am proud to have been given the opportunity to walk in my ancestor’s footsteps. But I am the last of a breed, the end of the line. My other family members and siblings have chosen another road, the road of white collars and wingtip shoes. And for them, now maybe for the very first time, I feel a sense of sorrow in my heart, because I have something that they will never experience. The sweat, the pain, the cold hands and the aching feet, the thought of the work day being just a little while longer, and then the relief and immense pride felt when the job is done. A feeling that only those of us who have actually been there can feel. The sense of accomplishment that not even the CEO of the biggest corporation can ever experience.

In the early days being a worker on the railroads, the tunnels or the bridges was a way for our immigrant ancestors to attain a better life for themselves and their families. Their sense of hard work was only surpassed by their great sense of pride in what they had built. Many of our ancestors never made it out of those trenches or off those bridges or tracks, and for them I feel a deep sense of grief. Knowing now how hard they worked to build this country and to build a life for their families is somehow lost in the new age of technology.

It’s not brain surgery or biochemistry but what we do every day with our hands and our backs is something that only we can truly understand.

I must admit that for many years I was frustrated and bitter for making the choice that I made. Wanting what so many around me had gotten because of their interest in being the one who chooses the color, not paints the house.

I really didn’t understand how lucky I was!

To see a road built is fine but knowing that I helped build it is something that doesn’t fade quickly. The architect who draws the building is featured in magazines but the men and women who actually build it are never asked, never told, never seen, as the true artist. That building is much more theirs, than the man who put the drawings on paper.

Yes, most times it is an unrecognized effort by those who are looking for nothing more than an honest living and a means to support their families.

Yet can it be any different? Probably not, but I don’t think that really matters to many of us. You see, we know we were there, we know how much sweat and pain it took and we know when we look up at that building that those who went before us are looking on and cheering, “Good Job!”

I am sure they can see the fruits of my labor and theirs, and I often wonder if the feelings I have in my heart are those of all who came before me. Feelings swelled like a great big ball, the fiery emotions of friendships and toil, laughter and hardship, combined with spirited globs of heartaches, smiles, tears and cheers. One can only take faith that this has been their gift to me.

I sometimes wonder if our fathers, grandfathers, brothers and sisters are up there looking on and smiling about how far we have come and how much we have accomplished.

But most of all, I wonder if they are proud of me. Proud of the work I have done, of what I have built and what I have yet to build. Proud to see that the road they chose to travel has once again been traveled by one of their own.

The thought of their pride is what drives me even harder every day.

To all of those who came before me I say “Thank you”.

And to all of you I say, “I am Proud to be a Laborer”.

WRITTEN BY MAX RUST – Chicago Sun-Times

Gov. Bruce Rauner isn’t the only Midwestern politician seeking to enact “right-to-work” legislation.

In Missouri, Republican House members are deciding whether to try to override a recent veto by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon of right-to-work” legislation. In Kentucky, which has a gubernatorial election in November, Republican Matt Bevin has made passing such a law a keystone of his campaign.

If right-to-work becomes the law in those two states, Illinois would be an island surrounded by right-to-work states, most of them recently adopted. read more……

Dear Members,

On Labor Day, it is time to reflect on all those who worked, fought, struggled, sacrificed, and even laid down their lives for justice in the work place. For both Americans and Canadians, it is a day to think about, honor, and thank the blue-collar men and women who keep both of our countries running. Labor Day is about recognizing the dignity of hard work and those who do it.

LIUNA members are not only the greatest asset of our union; they, and all workers, are the lifeblood of our two nations.

Labor Day is a time to recognize those who are frequently overlooked: the working class heroes who labor, day in and day out, at jobs that are essential to our lives, our economy, and our world. Increasingly, workers and their families are losing economic ground and political power, while being dismissed and disparaged by many policy-making elites.

This Labor Day, let’s resolve to start turning things around. Let’s push our elected officials to stop playing political games and start passing legislation to move our nations forward, create jobs, and solve problems. And let’s truly honor working men and women by respecting them, thanking them, and strengthening their rights to band together and bargain for better pay, benefits, and working conditions.

With kind regards, I am

Fraternally yours,

TERRY O’SULLIVAN
General President

This weeks scores for the Local 1001 16in Softball Tournament are:

34th Street – 30   Southwest – 15

52nd Street – 16  Northwest – 1

There are only 2 weeks left make sure you come out and support you team.

By Hal Dardick and Bill Ruthhart – Chicago Tribune

Against that dire backdrop, the mayor is prepared this month to call for a $500 million property tax hike. On top of that, Emanuel plans to seek a host of new taxes and fees, including asking homeowners to start paying to have their garbage hauled away.

“I don’t think it’s ever been this bleak,” Ald. Patrick O’Connor, the mayor’s City Council floor leader, said of the city’s financial health since he took office in 1983. “I clearly think the mayor has some bad choices (to make).”

How deep is the money pit? If Emanuel and aldermen were to use property taxes just to cover what they plan to pay into city workers’ pension funds the next six years, they’d have to more than double the city property tax to come up with the more than $850 million a year it would take.

“There’s definitely some tough choices that have to be made and some work to do, and this year I think is going to be a real important year to determine whether we’re actually doing that or not,” said Ald. Joe Moore, 49th. “It’s a come-to-Jesus point.” read more…….

WRITTEN BY FRAN SPIELMAN – CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

African-American aldermen have urged Mayor Rahm Emanuel to trash plans to impose a garbage collection fee on grounds it will leave some neighborhoods filthy, breed widespread avoidance and cost laborers their jobs.

MONIQUE GARCIA, RICK PEARSON, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Gov. Bruce Rauner scored the biggest legislative win of his short tenure on Wednesday when Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan fell three votes short in a bid to override the governor’s veto of a major labor bill.
Amid a high-stakes battle against a governor who has made weakening unions a cornerstone of his agenda, Democrats and their allies in organized labor were unable to prevail on legislation that would send stalemated state contract talks with union workers to arbitration if an impasse is reached. read more….

CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION

AIRPORT OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR I – MIDWAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NUMBER OF VACANCIES: 2

Shift: Varies

Hours/Days Off: Vary

Two years of airfield operations work experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. A valid State of Illinois driver’s license is required. Must obtain airfield certification within six months of hire.

Work environment requires the ability to operate an SUV and truck and requires the ability to climb two flights of stairs through a narrow passageway. Some lifting (up to 25 pounds) is required.

Apply online here…

By Natasha Korcki – Chicago SunTimes

A colossal battle is looming in Springfield this week. It’s not over the budget, raising taxes, giving money to disabled adults or bailing out Chicago Public Schools.

No, this is pure Illinois labor vs. Gov. Bruce Rauner.
It distills a year’s worth of acrimony between the bitter rivals into one vote in the Illinois House, expected to come Wednesday.
At issue is whether House Democrats follow the Senate’s lead and override a Rauner veto of legislation that strips some of the governor’s negotiating powers in public sector union contracts. They’ll need a three-fifths majority to do that.

In a memo to its members, it said Rauner wanted to freeze wages, step raises, cut holiday and vacation, change overtime calculations, move workers to a less attractive pension system and make costly changes to employee and retiree health insurance plans.

The legislation affects collectivebargaining agreements ending by June 30, 2019. read more……

By Fran Spielman – SunTimes

African-American aldermen are urging Mayor Rahm Emanuel to trash plans to impose a suburban-style garbage collection fee on grounds it will leave some neighborhoods filthy, breed widespread avoidance and, possibly, cost laborers their jobs.

In Chicago, the Department of Streets and Sanitation still operates with three employees on a truck. Unless work rules are changed or garbage collection is privatized, costs would be higher, but the first-ever fees would have to be lower. read more……

By Lydia DePillis – The Washington Post

A federal labor board voted Thursday to redefine the employee-employer relationship granting new bargaining powers to workers caught up in an economy increasingly reliant on subcontractors, franchisees and temporary staffing agencies.

In a case that drew intense lobbying by both business and union groups, Democratic appointees on the panel split 3-2 with Republicans to adopt a more expansive definition of what it means to be an “joint employer,” making it more difficult for companies to avoid responsibility through various forms of outsourcing.

The issue has not just been a bone of contention between unions and employers. It also created sharp disagreements within the labor board: The two Republican appointees authored a blistering dissent, alleging that the new standard goes beyond the body’s authority and could affect a vast swath of new employers. read more…..

ATTENTION THIS BID IS OPEN THRU  SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

JOB TITLE – DISTRICT ASPHALT SUPERVISOR

DEPARTMENT: TRANSPORTATION
NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 1
Location: 1501 West Pershing Rd.

Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Posting Date August 27, 2015 | Unposting Date: September 10, 2015

BU: 54

Salary: $7,000.93 monthly

Apply Online here….

By: GEORGE CARDENAS  – CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

Chicago’s future will continue to be uncertain if we do not address our structural imbalances and looming debt. It is imperative that the city take immediate steps to fix our budget woes. The markets will not wait, and taxpayers can’t afford it either.

There are several paths to stability. Enacting the following changes could save $613 million this year alone.

Create an enterprise fund for the Department of Streets and Sanitation. I oppose privatization. The way to avoid this long term is with an enterprise fund model, which would free $116 million a year from the corporate fund. If Streets and Sanitation charged $10 a month per single-family unit in a home, it would fund its own budget. In addition, the department could generate additional revenue by enforcing lot pickup, tire pickup and bulk pickup fees among other violations.

read more……

To: All Bureau of Sanitation Refuse Laborers

The Cart Inventory Section is seeking volunteers, for a 90 day assignment, that will begin on August 31, 2015. Three volunteers will be chosen from each Division by seniority. If there are not enough volunteers to fill the assignment, reverse seniority will be used. All requests should be submitted to Pearlesa Ford, in room 1107, City Hall, by the close of business Wednesday, August 26, 2015.

Please note that all volunteers must be able to use a mobile hand-held data device.

Official DSS Memo

Michael Hiltzik – LOS ANGELES TIMES

Amid the nationwide panic over the rising costs of public employee pensions, one proposed solution is nearly universal: States and municipalities should shutter their traditional defined benefit plans and place all new employees in a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan instead.

That’s the idea in a proposed California ballot initiative we reported on last week. The measure, which would end defined benefit plans for new employees as of Jan. 1, 2019, was praised by the Wall Street Journal as one that would “end defined-benefit pensions and save taxpayers billions of dollars.”

As it turns out, the Journal — and the drafters of the initiative — have the math exactly wrong. The experience of states that did exactly that shows that taking these steps sharply increases pension costs to taxpayers while providing employees with markedly poorer retirement benefits.
The evidence comes from a study by the National Institute on Retirement Security, whose board and advisors comprise officials of public pension agencies and leading academic experts on pension economics. The study examined the experience of West Virginia, Michigan and Alaska, each of which responded to rapidly rising unfunded liabilities in their defined benefit public pension funds by closing those plans and placing new employees in defined contribution plans. read more……

Written by Fran Spielman – Chicago Sun-Times

Suburbanites have grown accustomed to paying a garbage-collection fee in addition to their property tax bill. It looks like Chicagoans will soon face a similar pain in the wallet.

One week after his budget team held closed-door meetings with aldermen, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is all but saying that a garbage-collection fee is coming to Chicago.

Struggling to solve a $30 billion pension crisis that has dropped the city’s bond rating to junk status, Emanuel needs $754 million in new revenue to balance his 2016 budget and shore up police and fire pensions, even under the best-case scenario. read more…..

Just a friendly reminder today, Thursday, August 20, 2015, is the

LiUNA Local 1001 Regular Membership Meeting

at

Dear Member, You may not have heard of the 40% benefits tax, also known as the “Cadillac” tax, but it’s a penalty built into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that could affect your paycheck and health care benefits in 2018 if not sooner.  It’s urgent that Congress repeal this tax because it could destroy the health and welfare funds of millions of workers, including you and your LIUNA brothers and sisters. Tell Congress there is nothing affordable about the 40% benefits tax on health care! The tax was intended to discourage overly generous and unnecessary plans. But there are unintended consequences for all workers, with union members taking the brunt of it. As insurance premiums continue to rise, many quality mid-range plans will be subject to the tax – unless benefits and the quality of care are slashed or the plans shut down entirely. Because LIUNA members and other union workers have struggled and sacrificed for years to build quality healthcare plans, ours plans could face cuts sooner rather than later. Two bills in the U.S. House of Representatives– one championed by Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and one by Republican Rep. Frank Guinta of New Hampshire – would repeal the tax. Let’s keep up the momentum by urging the Senate to repeal this harmful tax The 40 percent benefits tax doesn’t reform healthcare, it punishes responsible employers and workers who for generations have paid for quality health care coverage. Employers are already considering ways to slash benefits to avoid the tax. Members of Congress are back in their districts until the end of August and they need to hear from you on this critical issue. Send a message to your Senators and urge them to introduce legislation to repeal the taxSenator Heller (R- NV) is planning on introducing legislation early in September.  We need Democrats to show leadership and join him in introducing this important piece of legislation.  The stakes are high for LIUNA families and millions of fellow workers. This tax threatens to unravel our nation’s employer-sponsored health system that covers 150 million Americans.  With kind regards, I am Fraternally yours, TERRY O’SULLIVAN General President

By Nick Gass – Politico Magazine

Nearly six in 10 Americans have a favorable view of labor unions, according to the results of a new Gallup survey released Monday.

Approval of unions jumped to 58 percent this year, an increase of five percentage points from 2014, though still well below the 75 percent organized labor enjoyed in the early 1950s but greater than the 48 percent who approved in 2009 in the grips of the recession.

Nearly eight in ten Democrats (79 percent) approve of unions, compared to 52 percent of independents and 42 percent of Republicans. read more…..

WRITTEN BY FRAN SPIELMAN – CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) has suggested that Chicago follow the lead of nearly every suburb and start charging a monthly fee for garbage collection.

More recently, rookie Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) called it a “matter of fairness,” now that city pickups are ending for more than 1,800 multiunit residential buildings, but continuing for 600,000 households, including single-family homes and all residential units with up to four units.

Four years ago, Inspector General Joe Ferguson estimated that a volume-based, “pay-as-you-throw” garbage collection fee could generate as much as $125 million a year and that Chicago could raise an additional $18 million a year by imposing a blue cart recycling fee.

Emanuel ignored both ideas, apparently concerned it would be viewed as a backdoor property tax increase. But now that aldermen are warming to the idea, so is the mayor, sources said.

There has also been talk of raising revenue by allowing city crews to compete with private scavenger services for the business of collecting trash at multi-unit buildings.  read more…..

WRITTEN BY MARK BROWN – CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

If only public employees didn’t have the right to bargain with their local government employers over pay, benefits or anything else of importance, life would be fantastic again in Illinois.

Property taxes would plummet. Employers would again embrace Illinois as a great place to do business. Jobs would be plentiful.

That’s Gov. Bruce Rauner’s view of the world, which he doubled down on Monday by moving to the top of his agenda legislation that would strip teachers and other local government workers of their collective-bargaining rights.

Let me amend that. Although I think that’s a fair summary of what Rauner said, I believe his real world view is that taking away collective bargaining for local government employees would be just a first step toward his economic nirvana.  read more……

WRITTEN BY RICK MORRISSEY – CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

When Northwestern’s football players voted to unionize last year, it made national headlines. Imagine: athletes as workers, worthy of protection and financial benefits.

But now that the National Labor Relations Board has decided not to assert its jurisdiction in the players’ request for recognition as a union, it feels like naivety. We really thought a group of college kids could win against monoliths like the Big Ten, the NCAA and now even the NLRB, which is supposed to be in the business of fixing unfair labor practices?  read more…..

ATTENTION THIS BID HAS BEEN EXTENDED THRU  AUGUST 31, 2015

JOB TITLE – FORESTRY SUPERVISOR

DEPARTMENT: STREETS AND SAINITATION
NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 3
Location: various

Address: various

Hours: 6:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday – Friday

Posting Date Jul 31, 2015 | Unposting Date: Aug 31, 2015

BU: 54

Salary: $58,020.00 | Maximum Salary: Pay BasisYearly

Apply Online here….

Congratulations to the new General Laborer class on your successful completion today, August 14, 2015, of the DSS training course at the Chicagoland Laborers’ Training Center.

On behalf of all of your brothers and sisters of LiUNA Laborers’ Local 1001 we welcome you to the family.

We are glad to have you aboard and hope you will succeed in your career as a member of our great Union.

Welcome!

If deemed school employees, they could form union

By Mark Brown  Chicago Sun-Times

If I were amember of a public employee union in Illinois, particularly a teacher, I’d be getting pretty nervous right about now. On Monday, Gov. Bruce Rauner described himself as “cautiously optimistic” about a proposed Chicago Public Schools budget that relies on a $ 500 million bailout from the state to get through the school year.

During a news conference in Chicago, Rauner actually came across as even more enthusiastic than his “cautiously optimistic” assessment would indicate.

And by going the legislative route, Democrats could open the door to the same limits on collective bargaining rights of public employees that Rauner believes should be available to all local governments and school districts across the state.

read more…..