August 13, 2015

White House to Hold Summit to Amplify Employees’ Voice in Workplace

The White House will hold a summit in October to explore how American workers can amplify their voices on the job to get ahead, and it touted labor unions as a powerful way to enable that.

The “Worker Voice” summit will focus on how to ensure workers “are fully sharing in the benefits of the broad-based economic growth that they are helping to create,” the White House said in a statement Wednesday that announced the Oct. 7 event.

President Barack Obama said in March that he wanted to hold a summit but the details hadn’t been sorted yet. He said at the time that even as the economy was recovering many working families were still finding it hard to advance.

The summit is aimed at tackling income inequality and the administration made no secret of that. The White House said that as it continues to address economic inequality and adapt to workforce changes it wants “to energize a new generation of Americans to come together and recognize the potential power of their voice at work.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/08/12/white-house-to-hold-summit-to-amplify-employees-voice-in-workplace/

August 13, 2015

Businesses brace for game-changing labor decision

Business leaders in Washington are bracing for a labor ruling that they warn would redefine what constitutes an “employer” in the United States, exposing thousands of companies to new liabilities and potentially upending entire industries.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is widely expected to rule by month’s end that Browning-Ferris Industries, a Houston-based waste-disposal company, is a joint employer of workers provided to the firm by a staffing agency, experts say. As a result, the company would be forced to collectively bargain with those employees and could be held liable for any labor violations committed against them.

Such a decision could hit companies from a host of industries, including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, construction, financial service providers, cleaning services and security.

The expected action would be the latest in a string of major wins for labor groups under the Obama administration, which has already issued several sweeping executive actions on worker protections and wages.

http://thehill.com/regulation/labor/250880-businesses-brace-for-game-changing-labor-decision

August 13, 2015

A&P asks bankruptcy court to set aside union provisions

A&P has asked a bankruptcy court judge to set aside two key union provisions — bumping rights and full severance pay — after reaching a negotiation impasse with labor groups, officials said in court documents filed late Tuesday.

The supermarket wants to completely eliminate bumping rights, saying the administrative burden and costs associated with allowing workers to do that are too high and undesirable to would-be buyers of its stores. Bumping rights allow employees who work the longest for the company — and at a store slated to close — to take the job of a less senior worker at a supermarket that will continue to operate.

The other sticking point is the amount of severance pay A&P will pay and when. The supermarket has proposed paying employees who will lose their jobs as part of the bankruptcy 25 percent of the severance they are entitled to on a "timely basis" with a maximum cap of $10 million for all workers. The rest of the severance would be paid later, depending on how much remains after the stores have been sold and what other A&P creditors are due, as part of settling the bankruptcy case.

Besides these two sticking points, both parties appear to have reached an agreement on most of their other issues. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/2015/08/12/aandp-bankruptcy-union-contracts/31522937/

August 13, 2015

Construction honcho in Chicago Yashvant Patel indicted on $1.9 million cash wages scheme

CHICAGO: Yashvant C. Patel, 59, of St. Charles, the former president of a Southwest Side construction company in Chicago paid off-the-books cash wages to workers and under-reported their hours as part of a scheme to defraud the benefit funds of the employees’ labor union, according to a federal indictment unsealed here, on Friday.

While serving as president of My Baps Construction Corp., Patel paid less-than-union-scale wages to dozens of employees, including illegal aliens, in order to reduce the employer contributions to the benefit funds of the Construction and General Laborers’ District Council of Chicago and Vicinity, according to the indictment, according to the Justice Department.

Patel falsely reported that My Baps and a sister company, Vijay Construction Corp., owed approximately $600,000 less to the benefit funds and approximately $1.3 million less to the companies’ employees than what was required by collective-bargaining agreements with the union, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Patel with four counts of mail fraud and four counts of making false statements in documents required to be kept pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The indictment seeks forfeiture from Patel of $1.9 million.

http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2015/08/11/indian-american-construction-honcho-in-chicago-indicted-on-1-9-million-cash-wages-scheme/

August 13, 2015

Bumble Bee Foods to pay $6 million in death of worker in pressure cooker

On one of his early morning shifts, Jose Melena stepped into a 35-foot-long cylinder-shaped oven at the Bumble Bee Foods plant in Santa Fe Springs.

The 62-year-old father of six needed to make a quick repair inside the massive industrial pressure cooker, which is used to sterilize thousands of cans of tuna at a time.

Not realizing Melena was inside, fellow employees shut the machine door behind him on that day in October 2012 and turned the oven on.

With temperatures reaching about 270 degrees, Melena was cooked to death. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bumble-bee-worker-killed-settlement-20150812-story.html

August 13, 2015

Daily Holidays - August 13

National Filet Mignon Day National Filet Mignon Day is observed annually on August 13th. Usually from a steer or heifer, a filet mignon is a steak cut of beef taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin of the beef carcass.

Filet mignon is French for “cute fillet” or “dainty fillet”.
In French, filet mignon may be called “filet de boeuf”, which translates to beef fillet in English.
When found on a French menu, filet mignon may also refer to pork rather than beef.
The tenderloin from which the filet mignon comes from, is the most tender cut of beef and is also considered the most desirable and therefore the most expensive.

Filet mignon is commonly cut into 1 inch to 2 inch thick portions, grilled and then served as is. When found in grocery stores, filet mignon is already cut into bacon wrapped portions. The usual method for cooking the filet mignon is to cook it on high heat by either grilling, pan frying, broiling or roasting. Restaurants may sometimes prepare the fillets served in a cognac cream sauce, au poivre with peppercorns or in a red wine reduction. http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-filet-mignon-day-august-13/

International Lefthander's Day Being left handed isn’t that uncommon, but it’s a condition not widely catered for; Lefthanders Day promotes consideration for left handed people by promoting left handed activities, competitive challenges and general awareness raising. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/lefthanders-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august13.html

August 12, 2015

PolitiFact: Americans For Prosperity’s ‘facts’ are FALSE

Americans for Prosperity (AFP), one of the Koch Brothers right-wing conservative front groups, is financing the right-to-work campaign in Missouri with TV and radio ads and print materials like door hangers.

The unvarnished truth, according to PolitiFact.com – a fact-checking project of the Tampa Bay Times and its partners, the “facts” used in AFP’s materials are all lies, distortions and half-truths.

That’s not the Labor Tribune’s assertion (we knew it all along) but the result of in-depth studies of AFP’s statements and issue papers made over time by PolitiFact.com, which has built a reputation for holding politicians and their front groups accountable their statements with a Truth-O-Meter rating.

As noted in the attached chart, based on independent review of 15 recent statements made by AFP not a single one was “True” or even “Mostly True.” They were all rated “Half Truth” (13%), “Mostly False” (40%), “False” (33%) and “Pants on Fire” or a total bald-faced lie (13%).

http://labortribune.com/politifact-americans-for-prosperitys-facts-are-false/

August 12, 2015

Daily Holidays - August 12

Julienne Fries Day Each year, National Julienne Fries Day is observed on August 12th.

To julienne fries is to cut the potatoes into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks. Julienne fries are also sometimes called “shoestring fries”.

Although the origin of the julienne cut is uncertain, the oldest known print is in the 1722 edition of Francois Massialot’s Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois. http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-julienne-fries-day-august-12/

International Youth Day Youth Day presents an opportunity for every country to assess their investment in and commitment to youth, as well as general education (both of and to youth). Take the opportunity to find out about local youth culture, activities and education, and to get involved in the wellbeing of the next generation of humanity. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/youth-day/

Middle Child Day Let’s face it, being the middle child sucks, right? You have an older sibling, who you have to somehow live up to; you have a younger sibling, who gets all of the attention, and you are left with no clearly defined role. In fact, ‘Middle Child Syndrome’ is a recognised concept and birth order is believed to impact upon various personality traits.

As the middle child, you’re not the leader, so you aren’t able to have things your own way. You’re also no longer the baby of the family, so you aren’t as protected. And you’re certainly not excused for bad behaviour. It might seem like nothing ever really goes your way.

Well, no longer. Middle Child’s Day provides a well-deserved day to celebrate those special children who were neither the first-born or the last-born. Finally, a day where you get some attention and love, at the expense of your other siblings. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/middle-childs-day/

Vinyl Record Day Vinyl Record Day is organised by (you guessed it) the Vinyl Record Day Company – a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to recognising the preserving vinyl music, its culture, art and sound. Whilst you could dust off some old vinyl records, you may be surprised to find many modern artists producing music in vinyl format to provide a richer, more immersive experience. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/vinyl-record-day/

World Elephant Day They’re intelligent. They’re family-oriented. They have great memories. They are capable of feeling a wide range of deep emotions, from intense grief to joy bordering on elation, as well as empathy and stunning self-awareness. They create complex, supportive societies much like our own. Taking into consideration all of that and much, much more, what’s not to love about elephants? Still, countless elephants are brutally killed every year for their ivory by greedy poachers who then leave their carcasses to rot in the sun. As Graydon Carter, Editor of Vanity Fair, put it:

We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits (…) but the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behavior.

World Elephant Day is the perfect time to find out more about these amazing animals and what we can do to preserve and protect them so they do not go the way of the mammoth. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-elephant-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august12.html

August 11, 2015

Daily Holidays - August 11

Ingersoll Day Robert Green Ingersoll was a famous American orator, who lived and became famous during the nineteenth century. Ingersoll Day celebrates his contributions to society, which he made through passionate campaigning for womens’ and minority rights. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/ingersoll-day/

Play in the Sand Day What better way to enjoy a nice day out than to get down to the beach, paddle in the ocean, eat ice-cream and relax in the sun? Play In The Sand Day is all about building sandcastles, digging holes and burying your friends! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/play-in-the-sand-day/

Son and Daughter Day is the perfect opportunity to set aside some time to reflect on the joy that children bring to your life. Whether sons and daughters are young or old, teenagers or toddlers, the bond between parent and child is like no other on earth and this annual celebration ensures the miracle of bringing new life into the world is never forgotten. Though the origins of Son and Daughter Day are unknown, it is celebrated widely across the world simply by parents spending time with their children and letting them know how special they are to them. The best gift to give on Son and Daughter Day is the gift of time. If your children are still living at home, take some time out of your schedule to truly enjoy their company. If your children have moved away, make sure they return so you can spend quality family time together. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/son-and-daughter-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/august11.html

August 10, 2015

A Moment for Prayer, Peace and Harmony Reflected at Pallottine Renewal Center

Although the day ended with gunfire and stores being looted, the anniversary of Michael Brown’s death was also observed through peaceful events across the area, including Florissant. Some organizations offered free school supplies and some groups joined in peaceful marches.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, Marillyn Webb, executive director of the Pallottine Renewal Center, 15270 Old Halls Ferry Road, welcomed guests to a service focused on praying for peace and harmony in North County.

Rance Thomas, president of North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice, was among the leaders of the United Prayer for Peace service. In speaking beforehand, he said, “Because of the issues brought to light in the Ferguson community and in our nation by the Michael Brown incident, it is very important for the community to come together in prayer for peace, justice and unity for all on the anniversary of this tragic event.””

http://www.flovalleynews.com/a-moment-for-prayer-peace-and-harmony-reflected-at-pallottine-renewal-center