RI Chapter 94 Retirees

Employers Struggle With Hiring Undocumented Workers: 'You Cannot Hire American Here'

"That is the biggest joke. I hear it all the time. We put ads on Craigslist, Facebook, in the window, in the newspaper...The people [US citizens] that come in and apply to take our jobs will show up for one shift. They will not be clean. They will not probably be sober. They will ask for their money at the end of the shift and then they will not be back for the second shift."

npr.org Unauthorized immigrants often do manual, low-paying jobs, and employers say they have no choice but to hire them. But the White House and advocates for lower immigration say the law is the law.

Bernie Sanders introduces labor plan to broaden union power

"Sanders' Workplace Democracy Plan includes a mix of legislation and promised executive orders, including one that would deny federal contracts to companies that pay their executives 150 times more than their employees or offer wages lower than $15 an hour. The Vermont independent would also push new legislation allowing all federal workers the right to strike and end so-called right-to-work laws."

cnn.com Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has frequently done his presidential campaigning on picket lines, unveiled a comprehensive set of proposals on Wednesday designed to revive and newly empower organized labor.

High turnover, understaffing, low pay: US nurses fight to unionize

"The American healthcare system is plagued by the most expensive costs in the world, as millions of citizens suffer from medical debt and 13.7% of adults have no insurance. In the midst of these issues, nurses across the US are fighting to unionize as a way to take on the for-profit healthcare system that they see as failing to help patients."

theguardian.com Several groups of nurses are organizing to form unions in response to poor working conditions, despite opposition from management

RI DEM announces Take Me Fishing Day, August 25, 2019
Kelley House – Lincoln, RI

US National Park Service and RI DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife is partnering to provide families with a freshwater fishing experience. The event will feature crafts, fishing clinics, loaner rods and more for kids and adults of all ages.

For additional questions contact: [email protected].

Why We Always Cover Union Fights From the Perspective of Workers, Not Bosses

"Perhaps we should instead focus on union propensity—the fighting union spirit, as old-school labor folks might say."

inthesetimes.com We've been covering the labor movement for decades. And we're not quitting.

Former State Police Union Chief Allegedly Embezzled $75,000 from Fellow Troopers' Dues

“Simply put, both Pullman and Lynch were being paid to look out for the best interests of union members, but they were only looking out for themselves.”

bostonmagazine.com Prosecutors say he ran the union like "an old school mob boss."

City, public safety retirees reach deal on pension case

"The settlement last week memorializes an agreement between the parties allowing for 50 percent of the lost COLA from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2019, and restores retirees’ monthly pension to 65 percent of the lost COLA benefit from July 1 forward."

valleybreeze.com PAWTUCKET – City officials and retired public safety employees announced this week a settlement in a five-year lawsuit over cuts in retiree pension payments.Last Thursday, Aug.

Why Labor Unions Are Increasing Influence - Rhode Island Monthly

“The customers stayed away, and that was a tribute to the workers. As a trade unionist, that support was something to see. That was the greatest feeling — everybody stuck together.”

rimonthly.com "The company was not taking us too seriously, but without us, they don't have a company."

Fired Boeing South Carolina union workers' discrimination cases headed to court

"The six workers say they were unjustly fired in 2018 from Boeing's South Carolina production facility after supporting the flight line crew's decision to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAW) labor union."

abcnews4.com A federal official has ruled a judge must take up the complaints of union-affiliated former Boeing flight line workers who've filed employment discrimination complaints against the aerospace company. John Doyle, southeast regional director for the National Labor Relations Board, ruled on the cases M...

89-year-old civil rights leader Dolores Huerta arrested at California labor protest

"Huerta, co-founder of what would become the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez, was one of six protesters arrested by Fresno County deputies for allegedly failing to disperse after being issued an order to do so, according to Fresno County sheriff's spokesperson Tony Botti."

usatoday.com The 89-year-old civil rights icon Dolores Huerta was taken away in handcuffs at a Fresno protest Tuesday.

Trump shocks Danes by cancelling state visit over Greenland rebuff

“Total chaos with and cancellation of state visit to Denmark. It has gone from a big opportunity for strengthened dialogue between allies to a diplomatic crisis."

theguardian.com US president calls off Denmark trip after Danish PM labelled his idea of buying territory ‘absurd’

Barrington blanked by New Jersey 2-0, ending LLWS run

"Both teams remained scoreless until the top of the 6th inning when New Jersey (Mid-Atlantic) scored not once – but twice. Barrington (New England) couldn’t rebound in their final at-bat, stranding a runner with a groundout to third."

wpri.com Both teams remained scoreless until the top of the 6th inning when New Jersey (Mid-Atlantic) scored not once – but twice.

Endo agrees to pay $10 million to settle landmark opioid case - STAT

"In a client note, John Leppard of Washington Analysis wrote that the deal 'appears designed only to spare Endo the expense of the bellwether trial, rather than satisfying their overall potential costs in a comprehensive resolution of government-related opioid claims with the approximately 2,000 cities and counties party to the multi-district litigation… The cash portion of this settlement appears intended to reflect Endo’s estimated costs of having to participate in the bellwether trial itself, rather than their overall liability or culpability.'"

statnews.com The upcoming trial will be the first to test arguments made by numerous cities, counties, and others that drug makers and distributors fomented the crisis.

How Trump’s Political Appointees Overruled Tougher Settlements With Big Banks — ProPublica

"Since Donald Trump’s election, federal white-collar enforcement has taken a big hit. Fines and settlements against corporations have plummeted. Prosecutions of individuals are falling to record lows...But just how these fines and settlements came to be slashed is less well understood. Two settlements with giant banks over financial crisis-era misdeeds provide a window into how the Trump administration has eased up on corporate wrongdoers."

propublica.org After talks with well-connected lawyers for Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland, senior Justice Department officials in Washington last year told career prosecutors who’d been investigating the banks’ misdeeds to settle for less than they wanted.

Hasbro announces plan to phase out plastic from product packaging

"The company says it aims to eliminate virtually all plastic in packaging — including bags, elastic bands, shrink wrap and blister packs — for new products by the end of 2022."

providencejournal.com PAWTUCKET — Hasbro Inc. announced Tuesday that it will begin to phase out plastic from new toy and game packaging beginning next year.The company

GoLocalProv | Business | More Trouble for Twin River as Encore Launches Coach Service To & From Patriot Place

"The service will run Monday through Thursday. The new service is likely to have an adverse impact on Twin River's locations in Lincoln and Tiverton."

golocalprov.com Encore Boston Harbor has launched a premium coach service to and from Patriot Place.

10,000 gallons of sewage overflows into Newport Harbor

"The sewage overflow site is just east of a large area that already is prohibited to harvesting shellfish because of the Newport wastewater treatment facility’s outfall, activities at the Naval Station, and other potential pollution sources of Newport Harbor."

wpri.com The overflow isn’t expected to further affect shellfishing in that area, the DEM says.

On a Kentucky Train Track, a Union Protest without the Union - TheHumanist.com

"By making it harder for workers to form and join unions, corporate interests keep the scales tipped in their favor. Without an effective union, it’s nearly impossible to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, or working conditions. Due to these long-term union-busting efforts, by 2017 there was not a single unionized miner in Harlan County, a trend matched (albeit to lesser extremes) around the country."

thehumanist.com Coal miners in Harlan County are demanding back pay from their former employer—and are blocking a train track to get it.

D’Amico: Town Kept $1.5 Million Intended for School District – East Greenwich News

"Finance consultant Mike D’Amico told the School Committee last week he’d calculated that over the past 10 years, the town has gotten a total of $1.5 million in reimbursements from the state that should have gone to the school district."

eastgreenwichnews.com By Elizabeth F. McNamara Finance consultant Mike D’Amico told the School Committee last week he’d calculated that over the past 10 years, the town has gotten a total of $1.5 million in reimbursements from the state that should have gone to the school district. “Back in April, I was looking at ...

As I See It: Unions key to driving Worcester's resurgence

Worcester, Massachusetts is trending up!

"Of course there’s lots of reasons why developers and contractors rely on highly-skilled union labor. For one, it eliminates the sticker shock, by ensuring projects are built on-time and on-budget by the best-trained workers. It also guarantees that the workforce is local. Whereas non-union workers often come from out of state, the same isn’t true for the union building trades. It makes sense for Worcester-area folks to build the Worcester area. It boosts our regional economy since the dollars earned here will be spent here."

telegram.com On Labor Day, it's common to take stock of the latest job numbers and economic growth. And by many accounts, Worcester is on the rise. The local economy

Meet the powerful new business group at the center of R.I.’s hot-button issues - The Boston Globe

An elite shadow government?

bostonglobe.com The Partnership for Rhode Island is comprised of 12 members whose companies pay $100,000 a year to be part of the group.

Lawsuit: DMV signs banning recording are unconstitutional

"Gilbert filed the lawsuit against the state agency after he tried to document his time registering his daughter’s car."

wpri.com “I think everybody should be able to take out their camera and record their interactions with government officials—especially at the registry—to highlight what goes on in that absurdity of a …

Another Union Sues to Block Trump Workforce Orders

"Local 200 United of the Service Employees International Union is suing President Trump and acting Office of Personnel Management Director Margaret Weichert in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, alleging that three workforce orders signed in May 2018 exceeded the president’s constitutional authority and violated the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act."

govexec.com Although an injunction against the executive orders could soon be lifted, a federal lawsuit brought by a union representing Veterans Affairs employees in New York could prolong the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail collective bargaining activities.

‘This will be catastrophic’: Maine families face elder boom, worker shortage in preview of nation’s future

"The disconnect between Maine’s aging population and its need for young workers to care for that population is expected to be mirrored in states throughout the country over the coming decade, demographic experts say. And that’s especially true in states with populations with fewer immigrants, who are disproportionately represented in many occupations serving the elderly, statistics show."

washingtonpost.com The disconnect between Maine’s aging population and its need for young workers is expected to be mirrored throughout the country, demographic experts say.

Barrington Little League still in it.

Barrington beats Kentucky 6-1! The boys are still alive in Williamsport!

Longtime sports broadcaster Jack Whitaker dies at 95

"Whitaker, a World War 2 veteran, spent more than two decades as a CBS sports broadcaster before moving to ABC, where he spent the rest of his career. Among many career highlights, Whitaker called Super Bowl 1 and Secretariat’s Triple Crown win, along with multiple Olympics."

awfulannouncing.com Hall of fame broadcaster Jack Whitaker called Super Bowl 1 and Secretariat's Triple Crown as part of his long career at CBS. He died today at 95.

Why doesn't the government prosecute employers for harboring undocumented workers? The answer is complicated.

"Moreover, the companies that profit from undocumented labor are drawing renewed scrutiny for their role in the dysfunctional immigration system."

newsweek.com The campaign against undocumented laborers escalated to its most severe crackdown in over a decade when federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided five poultry processing

Shell Workers Had To Attend Trump Speech To Be Paid, Were Ordered Not To Protest: Report

Taken from the North Korea playbook?

"Attendance was not mandatory for thousands of union workers at Royal Dutch Shell’s petrochemical plant north of Pittsburgh, but they had to forfeit pay for the day if they skipped, according to attendance and comportment information obtained by the newspaper."

yahoo.com They were instructed: "No yelling, shouting, protesting or anything viewed as resistance," according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Peter Fonda, the 'Easy Rider' star and counterculture icon, has died at 79

"Like a true nature's child
We were born
Born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die
Born to be wild"

latimes.com Peter Fonda, the counterculture icon who came from a show business family that included his father, Oscar winner Henry Fonda, and sister, Jane Fonda, has died.

Labor Dept. Moves to Expand Religion Exemption for Hiring and Firing

"The Labor Department has proposed a rule that would allow more federal contractors to base employment decisions on religion, a move that rights advocates said could be used to discriminate against workers for all manner of reasons."

nytimes.com The policy director for a gay-rights group said the “proposed rule would permit taxpayer-funded discrimination.”

NFLPA publishes “Work Stoppage Guide” for players

"While the NFLPA could at some point begin setting the table for a strike, for now they’re advising players to save under the vague notion that owners will eventually lock them out. Either way, the players need to be able to match the willingness of owners to get by without football revenue, and the 'Work Stoppage Guide' is part of the effort by the players to get themselves ready — and/or to convince the owners that they will be."

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com It could be posturing. It could be pragmatism. Either way, the NFL Players Association has prepared a digital pamphlet that advises players on how to handle a looming work stoppage. The “Work…

Ocasio-Cortez knocks Barstool Sports founder over threat to fire unionizing workers

Barstool sports fan? Read this.

"I hope and I pray that Barstool employees try to unionize...I can’t tell you how much I want them to unionize. Just so I can smash their little union to smithereens. Nothing would please me more than to break it into a million little pieces."

thehill.com Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday ripped the founder of the Barstool Sports blog for threatening to fire workers attempting to unionize, warning that he is “likely breaking the law and can be sued.”

Average Pay for State, Local Government Workers Down Slightly

"Average pay increases for state and local government workers are inching down in 2019, according to the latest biweekly Bloomberg Law data of U.S. wage settlements."

Subscription required to read the entire article.

news.bloomberglaw.com Average pay increases for state and local government workers are inching down in 2019, according to the latest biweekly Bloomberg Law data of U.S. wage settlements.

General Electric shares tank following accusation of 'bigger fraud than Enron'

GE, the company the governor tried to lure its headquarters to RI.

"In a report titled General Electric, a Bigger Fraud Than Enron, the investigator, Harry Markopolos, claims GE is engaging in accounting fraud worth $38bn. He said GE was heading for bankruptcy and was hiding $29bn in long-term care losses."

theguardian.com Share price plummets as Madoff whistleblower Harry Markopolos claims company is engaging in $38bn accounting fraud

Appeals court won’t allow agencies to immediately enforce Trump workforce executive orders | Federal News Network

"A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Wednesday denied the government’s motion to immediately lift the injunction on President Donald Trump’s executive orders on collective bargaining, official time and employee removals."

federalnewsnetwork.com The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Wednesday denied the Trump administration’s motion to immediately lift the injunction on the president’s workforce executive orders.

Labor Reporter Steven Greenhouse: How Dems were complicit in union decline

It's a video worth a look-see..."Former NYT labor reporter Steven Greenhouse explains the decline of worker power in the modern U.S. workforce."

thehill.com Former NYT labor reporter Steven Greenhouse explains the decline of worker power in the modern U.S. workforce.

Home buyers weary of Boston prices slip south to Rhode Island

"Bargain-hunting city lovers priced out of Boston and Cambridge can skip right over all the strip mall-strewn exurbs to find affordable urban refuge in Providence, a small but vibrant city where they can walk to acclaimed restaurants and theater and commute to Boston by train."

realestate.boston.com ‘Now we’re seeing people who are moving here and commuting up to Boston like it was a suburb.’ Read more on realestate.boston.com.

Panic buttons among concessions as Fatima Hospital contracts finalized

New UNAP CBA highlights worker and patient safety.

"UNAP Local 5110 is proud to have won favorable contracts for both our service and maintenance employees and registered nurses locals...These contracts address critical issues that have been raised by our members, including: workplace and patient safety, access to appropriate resources, as well as a competitive wages and benefit package that recognizes the commitment and world-class care and services provided by UNAP members.”

valleybreeze.com NORTH PROVIDENCE – Members of the union representing employees at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital say their new contracts address concerns around safety at the hospital.“The UNAP has long raised concerns relative to patient and worker safety at Fatima Hospital.

The US labor shortage, explained

"These are the kinds of jobs that low-skilled immigrants, often from Latin America, have long helped fill. But Trump’s restrictions on immigration threaten to make the labor shortage worse. Since taking office, his administration has tried to scale back nearly every avenue of legal immigration, ignoring the high demand for unskilled immigrant workers, even though he employs undocumented workers at his own golf clubs."

vox.com More Americans are quitting their jobs than ever.