labor

RETIREES TO SEE PENSIONS SLASHED UNDER NEW LAW

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo credit: John Vachon, Alabama truck driver, Library of Congress TRUCKING PAST

October 20, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Congress has crumpled the security net for many retired union workers.  A controversial law passed last December allows multi-employer pension funds to cut benefits if the funds are projected to run out of money.  CNN reports that many of these funds, which cover over 10 million works, are in financial trouble.

One of the first to take advantage of the new law is the Central States Pension Fund, which has been teetering on insolvency and now wants to cut benefits as much as 60% for retirees  who are reliant on its pension payments—if the Treasury Department approves the deal.

The fund covers workers and retirees in over 1,500 companies ranging from truck drivers and construction workers to Disneyland employees.


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MAYOR’S PREVALING WAGE ORDINANCE APPROVED BY SD COUNCIL

By Miriam Raftery

 

July 31, 2013 (San Diego) --  On Tuesday, the San Diego City Council yesterday enacted a significant reform benefitting city workers.  Mayor Bob Filner’s proposal to require that construction workers on city projects be paid a prevailing wage won approval in a 5 to 4 vote.  The prevailing wage is defined as the most commonly paid wage for a particular type of work in San Diego County.

“This decision to pay a fair, livable wage to the hard working men and women in the construction business is long overdue,” said Mayor Filner.  “I applaud the City Councilmembers who stood up to do the right thing and voted in favor of the Prevailing Wage Ordinance.”


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MAYOR BOB FILNER LAUNCHES OPEN GOVERNMENT WEB PAGES

 

March 16, 2013 (San Diego)--Mayor Bob Filner has launched the City’s first ever Open Government web pages. The newly created web pages are another step by Mayor Filner to provide easier access to documents the public has a right to and need to know.

“The public has a right to know what their government is doing, and why,” said Mayor Filner. “This information will help make it easier for the public to participate and find documents.”


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SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE RECEIVES FEEDBACK IN SAN DIEGO HEARING ON IMPLEMENTING PROP. 39’S $2.5 BILLION

 

Framework to Advance Jobs, Schools & our Environment

January 30, 2013 (San Diego)--To initiate implementation discussions about Proposition 39 passed by the voters, Senate Appropriations Chair Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) convened the Subcommittee on Fiscal Oversight and Bonded Indebtedness in San Diego on Friday, January 25, Joining Senator De León on the dais were Senate Appropriations Committee member Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) and San Diego representatives Senator Marty Block, and Assembly members Toni Atkins and Ben Hueso. Panelists from education, labor, business and environmental organizations outlined pitfalls to avoid when spending the more than $2 billion in energy efficiency funds generated by the initiative.


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POLITICAL REFLECTIONS: ORGANIZED LABOR'S LAST-DITCH STAND

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

August 22, 2012 (San Diego) – Whoever you think won last June’s elections, there can be no doubt that organized labor was one of the biggest losers.


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UNITED TAXI WORKERS JOINS SAN DIEGO LABOR COUNCIL

United Taxi Workers is Labor Council's first non-union affiliate
 
July 21, 2012 (San Diego) -- The San Diego Labor Council announces the affiliation of United Taxi Workers of San Diego as the council's first non-union affiliate.

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NEW HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATOR JOINS GROSSMONT-CUYAMACA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

 
17-year veteran of labor and employee relations named vice chancellor
 
 July 19, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Victoria Simmons, a consultant and community college administrator specializing in labor relations and human resources for 17 years, is the new vice chancellor of human resources for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.
 
Simmons, who was hired after a nationwide search, began working at the college district July 1. She has experience in labor and employee relations, recruitment, equal employment opportunity compliance, staff development and training, classification, compensation, workers’ compensation and other human resources issues.
 

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LABOR ASKS COMIC-CON ATTENDEES TO THANK WORKERS

 
By Nadin Abbott
Photos by Tom Abbott
 
July 13, 2012 (San Diego)--  Local labor leaders organized a thank a superhero worker event for Comic-Con International. Sandy Naranjo and Ben Cisneros of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council came to the front of the convention to ask attendees to celebrate labor, as well as pop culture.
 
Workers were excited to receive appreciation for their labors--and for people to be reminded that it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to make an event like Comic-Con International run smoothly. 

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TRANSPACIFIC TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COME TO SAN DIEGO

 
By Nadin Abbott
Photos Nadin Abbott
 
Conference sparks protests over proposed new free trade pact
 
July 2, 2012 (San Diego) -- The 13th round of negotiations for the TransPacific Trade Negotiations (TPP) is being held in San Diego at the Bayfront Hilton Hotel. This treaty will expand free trade across the Pacific Rim. 

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PETERS MAKES CASE FOR ELECTABILITY IN NEW 52ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

 
In exclusive interview with East County Magazine, Peters talks about key issues in our region
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
May 30, 2012 (San Diego) –“I’m the candidate with the best record of working across the aisle to get things done,”  says Scott Peters, a Democrat. He is  one of ten candidates vying for the new 52nd Congressional district seat currently held by Republican Brian Bilbray.

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EAST COUNTY NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

 
January 5, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Who were the movers and shakers in East County and San Diego’s inland regions during the past year? 
 
Below, we bring you our picks in the fields of agriculture, arts, business, community activism, education, fire safety, heroes, humanitarians, labor, notorious newsmakers, politics, sports, tribal leadership, and veterans’ issues.

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UNIONS FIGHT BACK AGAINST “STOP SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY NOW” INITIATIVE

 

By Jeremy Los

 

August 2, 2011 (Sacramento)– California labor unions are waging war against a handful of potential ballot initiatives aimed at restricting the power of local unions. The California Labor Federation has issued a warning to voters to be on the lookout for these “deceptive” petitions that are making the rounds.  

 


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“DEFENDING THE DREAM” RALLY IN SAN DIEGO TUES. 6 PM

 

By Jeremy Los

 

March 15, 2011 (San Diego) -- San Diego will be the scene for one of many national rallies being held Tuesday night in reaction to deep budget cuts in California, Wisconsin, Washington and across the nation. Inspired by protests in Wisconsin, America's heartland, over gutting collective bargaining rights for workers, organizers say such cuts are destroying the American dream.

 

Entitled “Defending the Dream,” the rally will take place at County Administration Building,1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego at 6 p.m.


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100,000 RALLY IN WISCONSIN TO SUPPORT PUBLIC WORKERS, PROMPTING RALLIES AND DEBATES IN 50 STATES -- & IN SAN DIEGO

 

Conservatives say eliminating most collective bargaining rights needed to contain costs; opponents accuse Governor of union-busting motives

 

By Miriam Raftery
March 3, 2011 (San Diego) – A crowd of 1,000 demonstrators turned out in downtown San Diego Saturday as part of a nationwide movement in support of Wisconsin public workers.  Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker seeks to eliminate nearly all collective bargaining rights for state workers including teachers, police, firefighters, janitors, highway workers and others. The state’s Republican-controlled House passed the proposal--and Senate Democrats promptly fled the state to prevent passage.  Today, the Governor ordered their arrest.

 

A crowd of over 100,000 braved a snowstorm in Madison, Wisconsin following the house vote, occupying the capitol building overnight. Now recall campaigns have been announced against eight GOP Senators in Wisconsin who back the bill.
 

Much misinformation has been spread in the media and on Internet blogs. What would the Governor’s proposal do—and is it necessary? Could California be next to face a similar proposal? ECM has researched the issues and obtained views from all sides of the aisle.


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U.S. LABOR SECRETARY & TOP UNION OFFICER SPEAK ON JOBS, SMALL BUSINESS ISSUES & NEEDS OF WORKING FAMILIES

By Miriam Raftery
April 19, 2010 (Los Angeles) –“We have to reverse the tide and give working families a fighting chance,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said, speaking at the California Democratic Convention in Los Angeles this weekend.


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NATIONAL LABOR LEADER TO ADDRESS RALLLY FOR JOBS IN SAN DIEGO JAN. 6

 

December 31, 2009 (San Diego) – On Wednesday, January 6th at 10:30 a.m. Richard Trumka, national president of the American Federation for Labor-Congress of Industrial Occupations (AFL-CIO) will speak about putting San Diegans back to work.

 

“The first priority of 2010 for San Diego must be to build on those efforts and find new ways to put people back to work," states a press release issued by Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI), a local research and advocacy group focused on the needs of workers.   "Let's start the new year with strong action for good jobs!”


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LABOR COUNCIL ANNOUNCES FREE JOB TRAINING FOR VETERANS

June 5, 2009 (San Diego) – The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council is offering free job training for returning service men and women. The program is funded by the State of California Employment Development Department.


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2 BILLS TO STOP PAY DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN PASS HOUSE; DAVIS & FILNER VOTE "YES"; BILBRAY, HUNTER & ISSA VOTE "NO"

January 11, 2009 (San Diego) — Two landmark bills aimed at helping women employees achieve equal pay for equal work and obtain judgments against employers who violate the law have passed the House of Representatives and will now go to the Senate. San Diego County's Congressional delegation split down party lines, with Democrats Susan Davis and Bob Filner voting yes, while Republicans Brian Bilbray, Duncan D. Hunter and Darrell Issa voted no on both bills.

The bills were introduced in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Lilly Ledbetter (see photo), who worked nearly 20 years at a Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant in Alabama. Ledbetter filed a lawsuit claiming discrimination immediately after she found out that she was the lowest paid supervisor at the plant, even though she had more experience than her male colleagues. A jury ruled in favor of Ledbetter.


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