Thousands prepare for march against school closings

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Scabby the Rat is shown at a Downers Grove protest

Fox Valley
Labor News Staff
Thursday, May 16, 2013
     CHICAGO — The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) announced that as the city braces itself for the largest assault on public education in the country, thousands of parents, students, teachers, clergy, citizens and community leaders are preparing for a march against school closings on May 18, 19 and 20.
     Many of the neighborhoods along the South and West side routes that marchers will travel already have been adversely affected by rising crime during Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s first term, in addition to the long-term impact of massive home and business foreclosures and steady unemployment. Mass school closings will further decimate and destabilize these minority communities.
     “The devastation that the neighborhood schools faced came long before the latest list of school closures came down the pipeline,” said CTU President Karen Lewis in a press conference at Mayo Elementary, a South Side school slated for closure.
     The 30-plus mile march is themed, “Our City. Our Schools. Our Voice,” and will include simultaneous routes from the West and South sides of the city. Protestors intend to walk each day past many of the 54 school communities slated for closure and their efforts will culminate in a mass demonstration in Daley Plaza.
     It is sponsored by the CTU, the Grassroots Education Movement, SEIU Local 1, Unite Here Local 1 and Chicago PEACE, an interdenominational coalition of clergy leaders from across the city. Donations are pouring in from across the country.
     “Despite the testimony of thousands of parents, teachers and people who work and living in the school communities impacted, Rahm Emanuel is dedicated to entering the history books as having destroyed the most public schools in one year than anyone in history,” Lewis said.
     “He refuses to listen to independent judges, law enforcement officials, educators, researchers and the students themselves. We have no choice but to use power of organizing to engage in what will be a long fight to restore sanity to our school district.”
     The march kicks off at 10 a.m. May 18 on the South Side at Jesse Owens Elementary School, 12450 S. State St., and on the near West Side at Jean de Lafayette Elementary School, 2714 W. Augusta Blvd.
     “School closings hurt children academically and the mayor’s plan will also put thousands of students’ safety at risk and many public school employees may lose their jobs,” Lewis said.
     “We must do whatever is necessary to stop this assault on the working class and the poor. In the midst of getting angry, we must organize. We want to tell Emanuel, the Board, the school CEO and their corporate sponsors that this is our city, these are our schools and we will use our voice to fight for justice.”
     The mayor’s hand-picked Chicago Board of Education will vote on school closings on Wednesday, May 22. Shortly thereafter, a massive voter registration drive will commence throughout the city.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Police learn what is protected under Labor Dispute Act

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Scabby the Rat is shown at a Downers Grove protest
Fox Valley Labor News file photo
Three types of pickets are recognitional, unfair labor practice and violating area standards. Scabby the Rat, pictured above, was used in a 2012 violating area standards picket in Downers Grove.

By Jennifer Rice
Managing Editor
Thursday, May 16, 2013
     OSWEGO — As a way to recoup labor costs after the decline in work due to the housing market crash, contractors that were once signatory contractors are coming back non-union.
     As a result, contractors may take work away from union contractors — an action that could result in labor protests.
     “Contractors are finding houses aren’t selling for $350,000 anymore. They are now worth $250,000. Labor costs are different,” said Marc Poulos, executive director with Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting (IIIFFC).
     “They can hire a guy for $15 an hour instead of paying them $30 an hour,” he added.
As with any labor dispute — like a picket, laypeople may not understand its intention, so they may find it more difficult to understand the purpose behind the inflatable Scabby the Rat or a strike — all of which may alarm residents and offend them, leading them to call to law enforcement.
     Poulos wants local police to understand the National Labor Dispute Act allows for preemption of state law, meaning organized labor can engage in picketing activity unless someone is engaged in criminal activity.
     To get this message out, Poulos, along with IIIFFC Compliance Manager Richard Stewart, recently talked to members of the Oswego Police Department to educate them on the National Labor Dispute Act.
     “After this training, the officers will have a better knowledge to apply the principals and tactics of what is meant by the National Labor Dispute Act and the purpose behind the laws,” Poulos explained.
     Oswego Chief of Police Dwight Baird said he received a lot of positive feedback from his officers attending the training sessions. “It’s always good to hear from professionals on what is allowable by law. If my officers have that knowledge, then it’s better for both sides. That way, nobody’s rights are violated,” Baird said.
     Poulos explained to officers the different types of pickets and that their purpose is to signal there is a labor dispute. Labor organizations are instructed to notify local law enforcement of their intentions to picket or strike, giving police the location, date and duration.
     Any type of picket or strike can lead to work stoppage. As a result, replacement workers may be called in. “Having replacement workers come in allows for a situation to become worse,” Poulos said — and may be the time law enforcement is called out to a site.
     Upon arrival, police should always ask for the picket/strike captain. Poulos explained temporary shelters can be erected and Scabby the Rat and the Fat Cat inflatables can be put up.
     “Outside of the Labor Dispute Act, there is an absolute First Amendment right to erect Scabby the Rat and the Fat Cat. Of course, it can’t block motorists’ view or impede traffic,” he added.
     The key to labor disputes is communication with law enforcement, which labor organizations utilize. Poulos warned that police have the right to act on criminal activity — if picketers were littering or urinating in public.
     “The Labor Dispute Act protects individuals lawfully and peacefully picketing. Nothing protects a picketer from unlawful activity,” he said.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Aurora Exchange Club names Officers of the Year

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Aurora officers Darrell Moore and John Munn were awarded Officer of the Year
Pat Barcas photo
Investigators Darrell Moore, left, and John Munn (not present) were honored Tuesday at the Aurora Exchange Club’s Officers of the Year. Also nominated were, second from left, officers Dave Hornburg, Dave Brian, and Matt Bonnie for their heroic actions.

By Pat Barcas
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 16, 2013
     It takes a lot to take top honors among Aurora police officers, and Tuesday, May 14 saw a further accolade given to Investigators John Munn and Darrell Moore, who exhaustively researched information that would lead to the release of a wrongly convicted man who had already spent 13 years in prison.
     Munn and Moore took co-honors of the Aurora Exchange Club’s Officer of the Year award Tuesday, with three other officers nominated.
     “The officers honored today exemplify the best qualities found in law enforcement,” said keynote speaker, 16th Circuit Court Chief Judge Judith Brawka.
     Brawka listed a number of qualities it takes to be considered a hero, including being hardworking, having heart, being helpful, honest, honorable, humble, enthusiastic and encouraging.
     “Police officers are fortunate in that they can be distinguished not by one deed, but by their entire profession,” she said. “We are lucky to live in a society where we can honor our heroes.”
     Moore was present to accept the award. The duo also received the Co-employee of the Year award Feb. 20 at the Aurora police station.
     “I’m extremely honored and want to thank the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office, without their help this would have never been overturned,” he said.
     The two investigators initially said they received a tip in April 2011 from a confidential informant that indicted the man in jail, Jonathan Moore, actually did not commit the August 2000 shooting that claimed the life of a 20-year-old Montgomery man. Jonathan stood trial and had exhausted his appeals, and was serving a 75 year sentence for murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery with a firearm charges.
     Once the new information came to the attention of investigators Munn and Moore, they re-interviewed prior witnesses and located 10 new people who had pertinent information on the case but did not come forward originally.
     After conferring with the Kane County State’s Attorney throughout the investigation, Jonathan Moore’s conviction was vacated March 6, 2012 after he served 13 years in prison.
     Also recognized at the ceremony was Officer Dave Hornburg for saving the life of a 56-year-old heart attack victim after being the first to arrive at a home on a call for a man who had stopped breathing.
     After paramedics arrived, Hornburg continued to administer CPR even though it appeared his efforts would be in vain. The man underwent an emergency procedure once at the hospital and responded well to out-patient therapy.
     Officer Dave Brian was recognized for initiating the follow-up questioning of a man stopped for suspicious behavior, which later led to possession of child pornography, burglary, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct charges in connection with several “Peeping Tom” incidents on the west side of Aurora. It is believed that the suspect may have escalated his illegal activity if not apprehended.
     Officer Matt Bonnie was nominated for his off-duty actions. He came across a burning, occupied vehicle that was involved in a crash in Oswego. He ended up rescuing a Yorkville man from the burning car and saved his life.

Pat Barcas’ e-mail address is pat@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Food donations pour in for annual Stamp Out Hunger

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NALC collects food donations
Jennifer Rice photo
Volunteers for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive take time May 11 to sort food that is being brought into the Aurora Post Office. The communities of Aurora, Montgomery, Yorkville and Plano donated 39,000 pounds of food.

By Jennifer Rice
Managing Editor
Thursday, May 16, 2013
     If you didn’t know there was a food drive going on at the Aurora Post Office Saturday afternoon, after listening to some of the conversations — you might think you were at home in your kitchen.
     “Has anyone seen baking products?” or “Who has the container for cereal?” or “I’ve got dried beans, where do these go?”
     These comments came from volunteers of the National Association of Letter Carriers annual Stamp Out Hunger event. As containers and containers of food donated by the community was placed on the dock area of the Aurora Post Office, everything had to be sorted and organized.
     Items were organized into canned goods containers, cereal containers and pasta containers.
     “Sorting everything now helps the food pantries because they don’t have to do it,” explained Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry Director Diane Renner
     “Sorting requires a lot of room, and not all food pantries have the luxury of a lot of room.”
     During this year’s 21st annual Stamp Out Hunger event, a total of 39,000 pounds of food was collected in Aurora, Montgomery, Yorkville and Plano. Of that, Aurora collected 27,500 said National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Local 219 Trustee Mary Kluber.
     “Anything that comes in is a success. This drive is a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”
     The food collected by NALC members in Montgomery, Yorkville and Plano went to support food pantries in Kendall County, while food collected by Aurora NALC members benefits local Aurora food pantries.
     Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry Executive Director Marilyn Weisner said the annual Stamp Out Hunger event helps them distribute food throughout the summer to its clients.
     “Starting in June, donations drop off dramatically and continue that way until the end of summer, so there are times during the summer we’re really struggling and we sometimes have to reduce the amount of food we give to families,” Weisner explained.
     Students from four area schools participated in the food drive, bringing in around 2,500 pounds of food.
     “Bardwell Elementary School is a huge supporter of the food drive. They always give us so much food,” Kluber said.
     She added she’s always amazed at how generous the community is. “People are always there to help others in need.”

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Immigration reform on the minds of Chicago marchers

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LiUNA General President Terry O'Sullivan
Photo by Jennifer Rice
Labor took a stand for comprehensive immigration reform during May Day festivities at Chicago’s Federal Plaza. LIUNA General President Terry O’Sullivan said immigrant workers founded LIUNA 110 years ago. Union members are fighting for reform that gives immigrants a chance to earn citizenship.

By Jennife Rice
Managing Editor
Thursday, May 9, 2013
     CHICAGO — In a 125 years from now, people are going to say a group of trade unionists and community groups came together in Chicago and across this country to pass comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).
     That was the thought of Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) General President Terry O’Sullivan as he looked out over faces of thousands of marchers May 1 at Federal Plaza.
     They had marched from Union Park on the Near West Side, met with more marchers at the Haymarket Monument, then traveled to Federal Plaza — where several community and union leaders discussed the need to pass CIR, language of which is included in a bill currently making its way through Congress.
     “Immigrant workers have continued to contribute to our society, to our economy, to our culture, to our country and to our unions,” O’Sullivan said. LIUNA was founded 110 years ago by immigrant workers no body else wanted. “They laid their lives on the line — not just for our union, but for the trade union movement. And that is what this fight is all about,” he explained.
     The CIR bill currently proposed in Congress was recently introduced. Discussion on its amendments is currently ongoing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Dick Durbin said this is the beginning of the journey. “I will be voting on these amendments and make sure we preserve the concepts to paths of citizenship, family unification and fair treatment for all people in the United States,” he said.
     “We cannot miss this opportunity. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We have the best chance we have had in 25 years to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” Durbin said to applause.
     The Senate bipartisan bill is not perfect. Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights President Alie Kabba said the public needs to ensure that there is a wide and inclusive road map to citizenship for all. “We must hold government officials accountable. Just because we have a Senate bill doesn’t mean we can take our foot off the pedal,” Kabba warned.
     As the marches in Federal Plaza held signs and waved flags, the children affected by the fear of having a parent deported told their heart wrenching stories. Liz Marquez, 9, couldn’t control her emotions as she explained the fear she has that her father won’t come home to her. “When he doesn’t come home from work soon, I get scared that he will be stopped and taken away. Every night I go to bed with the fear that they will try to separate him from us,” the girl said.

PDC No. 30 to host 5th annual safety training awards event

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PDC 30 to give away a new Ford F150 truck
Photo courtesy of Painters District Council No. 30
PDC 30 STARs Coordinator Dave Panico (left) shakes hands with Christopher Bement, last year’s grand prize winner of a new Ford F150 truck from Fox Valley Ford.

By Marisa Troutman
Special to the Fox Valley Labor News
Thursday, May 9, 2013
     The message of the Painters District Council No. 30’s Labor Management Industry Development Fund (LMIDF) is a simple one: Safety is important to the unionized painters, drywall finishers and glaziers represented by Painters District Council No. 30.
     This is the message the LMIDF hopes to send Saturday, May 18 when it sponsors its 5th annual awards event at the PDC 30 headquarters in Aurora.
     “When labor and management join forces to develop a safety culture, everybody wins,” said PDC 30 Secretary-Treasurer Chuck Anderson.
     “A lot of well-meaning people preach the importance of safety, but for construction workers and the contractors that employ them, safety has become both a moral imperative and an important matter of cost and quality,” he added.
     The Safety Training Awards Recognition Program (STARs) is PDC 30’s answer to the national trend toward improving workplace health and safety. For the 5th year in a row, the STARs program worked to increase participation in, and attention to, health and safety training among PDC 30 members. Those who have completed the requirements will be eligible to win several awards at the ceremony, including a new Ford F150.
     Now in its 5th year, the program has grown to be quite a success. “The buzz about STARs spreads more each year, and with the growing hype of the second-tier award requirement for apprentices, more PDC 30 members are able to qualify,” said Dave Panico, member of the PDC 30 Apprenticeship & Training Program who coordinates the STARs program.
     “It’s good to know that, by incentivizing health and safety training, we are getting our members excited about safety and improvement in their work,” Panico explained.
     A total of 166 members qualify for prizes at the event, of which, 139 will be given the chance to win the Grand Prize — a new Ford F150. To qualify for prizes, members had to have completed at least two continuing safety education courses — such as CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens (BBP), First Aid, Respiratory Fit Training — and worked accident-free for a period of 800 back-to-back hours between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012.
     Qualifiers must not have missed a full day’s pay due to an accident on the job or due to a work-related illness, or have filed a workers’ compensation claim for an accident or work-related injury or illness during the respective 800-hour qualifying work period.
     “Those who are eligible to win the new Ford F150 and several other awards will receive automatic prizes as well — such as a pair of Red Wing work boots — and many will walk away with some really great stuff,” said Panico.
     “We’re taking a proactive approach that rewards members who work accident-free and take advantage of safety training offered in conjunction with the Apprenticeship Program,” says Brian Dahl, chairman of PDC 30’s LMIDF, the labor-management cooperation committee that administers the program.
     “The event changes a bit from year to year, but the most exciting aspect of the day is always the awarding of the grand prize,” says Dahl, noting that the odds of winning a new Ford F150, for this 5th group of finalists, are quite good.
     Working with Fox Valley Ford, organizers of the STARs program have placed a new F150 at the entrance of the apprenticeship and training facility as an enticement for others to qualify for next year’s drawing.
     “You can feel the excitement build as everyone waits for that grand prize winner to be announced,” said Dahl. Last year’s winner, Christopher Bement, was proud to drive away in his new Ford F150. He is a member of Local 1285 and is employed by Oosterbaan & Sons, Co., out of Posen, Ill. Bement currently lives in Braceville.
     Individuals and family members who attend the STARs event will enjoy food, refreshments and activities and be eligible to partake in a Wellness Fair/blood drive and many prize raffles. All proceeds gathered from both raffle tickets sold and participation in games offered at the event will benefit the PATCH Foundation, which works to address the needs of children in the community, providing area organizations with the funds, tools and materials necessary for success.
     “It’s important that we are engaged in an active effort to incentivize training,” says Panico. “The stakes are too high to ignore the importance of safety and we are excited to focus some of the expertise of our Apprenticeship and Training Program on the day-to-day safety challenges that our members face when they perform their craft.”
—Painters District Council 30

International pledge given during annual May Day festivities

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Aurora Library groundbreaking ceremony
Jennifer Rice photo
Members from New Zealand’s Council of Trade Unions present the Haymarket Monument with a plaque at May Day celebrations in Chicago.

By Jennifer Rice
Managing Editor
Thursday, May 9, 2013
     CHICAGO — When hundreds of laboring immigrants gathered to strike and fight for an 8-hour workday at Haymarket Square 125 years ago, the international labor movement was born.
     Though workers gathered peacefully, the day ended with a bomb exploding and police bullets flying. The result was 11 people died. Arrests were made, men were found guilty, but because the “guilty” were never proven to have fired the shots or thrown the bomb, they have since become a symbol for worker solidarity and strength.
     Since the Haymarket incident, May 1 has been designated International Workers’ Day — or May Day, and the Haymarket Monument at Randolph and Des Plaines in Chicago has become a meeting place for solidarity, peace and brotherhood.
     This year, a plaque was presented by John Shennan and Roger Middlemass, representatives with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, which represents 360,000 workers and is the largest democratic organization in New Zealand.
     AFSCME Council 31 Regional Director and Illinois Labor History Society President Larry Spivack said the men and American workers are connected internationally by the common thread of dignity and organizing.
     “Shennan and Middlemass have recognized this as a spot of social and economic justice for workers everywhere. They chose us to remember labor history,” Spivack explained.
     Shennan and Middlemass said organized labor is the only way for workers of the world to stand up for their rights and have a chance to win a fair share of the worlds wealth.
     “Today, workers struggle for what they’ve always struggled for — for what the Haymarket marches died for — a better life and a fairer society,” Shennan said. “Workers should become united and focus on what gives us power — union power.
     “We want to work with you to ensure a better life for all workers of the world and to create fairer, more just societies for working families to live in,” he said.
     Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) President Jorge Ramirez added that the same problems and injustices that existed for workers 125 years ago exist now.
     “They just present themselves with a different face and in a different way, but the injustice is real,” Ramirez explained.
     As May Day festivities were winding down at the Haymarket Monument, participants prepared to join thousands of marchers who were scheduled to pass the monument.
     Earlier in the day, thousands of immigrant rights’ supporters left Chicago’s Union Park, headed to Federal Plaza for a 4:30 p.m. rally. The marchers were focused on ending deportations and demanding legalization for all immigrants — a mission of labor.
     “Those of you from labor know that comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) is the biggest game changer we have to bring more than 11 million immigrants out of the shadows and into the sunlight to let them exercise their choice — free of interference and intimidation from their employer — to decide weather or not they want to join a union,” Ramirez said.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Aurora’s library turns the page on new building

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Aurora Library groundbreaking ceremony
Phil Hubbert photo
The first bits of dirt take to the wind at the Aurora library’s groundbreaking ceremony May 1.

By Jennifer Rice
Managing Editor
Thursday, May 9, 2013
     Of the hundreds that turned out for the May 1 groundbreaking ceremony of Aurora’s new $28 million library, it was explained that children will benefit the most from the facility.
     Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner explained children will have continued access to state-of-the-art technology, allowing them access to resources and learning. “This library will be relevant for the next century,” he said.
     The 92,000 square foot library will be built on land purchased in 2009, on River and Benton streets. It is expected to open by late 2014, early 2015. Local construction management R.C. Wegman Construction will build the facility — creating hundreds of union jobs.
     People are looking to the library as a shot-in-the-arm to Aurora’s downtown economy. Rep. Bill Foster commented the library is one part of the “rebirth” of downtown Aurora to make it a growing, thriving hub for economic and educational progress.
     In general, “libraries are an integral part of learning and of personal enrichment and they will always play an important role in our community,” Foster explained.
     Aurora Library Executive Director Eva Luckinbill said the future for the library is bright. “Our River Street friends will learn the library will have an economic impact to the neighborhood. Schools and colleges will find we’ll be able to provide expanded resources to allow for even greater collaboration,” Luckinbill explained.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Book analyzes building trades history

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Skilled Hands, Strong Spirit

Mike Matejka
Thursday, May 9, 2013
     Almost every construction trades worker has been at a union meeting or on the job where those infamous words “jurisdictional dispute” have arisen.
     Two trades, or sometimes even three, claim the same task on a construction site. One trade claims “we’ve always done that here,” but the other trades invokes, “we do this work everywhere else.”
     The building trades’ diverse unions have a unique gift. Each union has specialized skills it has honed and trained its apprentices to able to perform that work efficiently and with quality.
     At the same time, having 10 or more different trades on a job site can lead to inter-trade friction.
     That dynamic that plays out on the job also has played out historically. The AFL-CIO’s Building & Construction Trades Department (BCTD)was formally established in 1908, after multiple attempts to unify the construction trades. It took the AFL to finally bring them under one roof.
     Throughout its history, various unions have left the BCTD over jurisdictional and other disputes. Today, the Carpenters are not in the BCTD and historically, they have been in and out at different times. When they are in, they’ve been a leader and important cornerstone for trade unity.
     Not only has the BCTD wrestled with jurisdictional disputes and tried to find a satisfactory mediation system, the organization also has done much to improve workers’ lives.
     During the 1930s, establishment of prevailing wages — first through the federal Davis-Bacon Act — gave construction workers a firmer floor to stand on. Prevailing wages are standard wages for an area, preventing bidders on publicly-funded jobs from undercutting workers to gain work.
     Government-funded jobs at prevailing wages helped the trades establish local footholds. World War II labor shortages not only found building trades workers overseas in the Seabees and other military groups, but in high demand as the war economy’s tight labor market allowed unions to more firmly control local markets.
     Through the 1950s and 1960s, the Building Trades reigned comfortably; the 1960s Civil Rights movement forced many trades to diversify, creating cultural tensions and bringing conflict with governmental agencies. Even more challenging, the 1970s Business Roundtable movement brought a renewed “open shop” era where many areas saw their union work plummet.
     Since then, the Trades have tried unified organizing drives with renewed apprenticeship programs and diversity efforts to change with the times.
     Institutional histories are difficult to write; it’s easy to get caught up in personalities or the spider web of intrigue and behind-the-scenes deals.
     However, author Grace Pallidino handles this with grace and an over-arching view of the story. What is most striking about this fine book is how often the same challenges repeat. Arguments over jurisdiction, rebuilding the trades in a city and the love-hate relationship with government recur. Anyone who has spent time on a construction site or a newly elected local trades officer would learn much from this very readable volume.

Mike Matejka currently is the Vice President of the Illinois Labor History Society and is the Great Plains Laborers District Council Legislative Affairs Director.