Results tagged “union”

Looks like that temporary Walmart in Times Square last year may have been a sign of what’s to come for the city. The Financial Times reported today that the retail giant is finally ready to muscle its way into larger cities, including New York. "We already have in our real estate program a robust plan to go after those [urban markets]," Eduardo Castro Wright, the CEO of Wal-Mart's U.S. stores, told analysts

You may get to Carnegie Hall through practice, but you get to walk away from Carnegie Hall with a half million a year by being a stagehand at the legendary venue. Bloomberg News blows the lid off the shocking salaries that Carnegie doles out annually, saying that while "a star pianist can receive $20,000 a night... he or she would have to perform at least 27 times to match the income of Dennis O’Connell, who oversees props at the hall."

Is another transit strike looming on the horizon? Yesterday over 350 furious transit workers took to the streets outside MTA headquarters in protest, some carrying signs like the one seen here. The employees are outraged over an ongoing contract dispute with the MTA board, whose decisions are heavily influenced by the Mayor. The MTA is refusing to accept a plan to raise the hourly pay rate by more than 11 percent over three years; the deal was reached through arbitration in August, but now the MTA is asking a judge to toss it out, claiming that the panel "made legal and factual mistakes." The raises would cost the MTA 350 million dollars.

The union that organizes restaurant workers at Tavern on the Green is spoiling for a fight with the new leaseholder, who's trying to renegotiate the union's contract. The new operator, Dean Poll, was awarded the license by the Parks Department last month, but he's under no obligation to honor the previous labor contract. So he wants the workers to agree to a pay cut, agree to no advance notice for layoffs or reduction in hours, and a change to the banquet staff to a vague new hourly rate, without tips. They're currently paid $5.26 an hour with tips.

The New York State Health Department is now requiring mandatory seasonal and swine flu vaccinations for all hospital, home health and hospice workers. No other state or city agency in America has such a requirement, and a coalition of local health care workers unions are considering filing a lawsuit to block it. Less than half of all health care workers across America get an annual flu shot, and Dr. Julie Gerberding, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thinks the New York requirement is "a big deal." She tells the Times it's time for "a more aggressive approach," not just for the protection of workers, but also for patients with weak immune systems.

The Daily News and NY Times are reporting that District 37, the city's largest union, will endorse City Comptroller William Thompson for mayor. The News writes that this is a "turnaround from four years ago that gives fresh momentum to Thompson's campaign."

It looks like a shutdown has been averted at the Boston Globe: The Globe reports that its "largest union reached a tentative deal with the New York Times Co. shortly after 3 a.m. this morning, agreeing to a substantial pay cut, unpaid furloughs, and modifications to the lifetime job guarantee provisions that protect almost 200 employees in the Boston Newspaper Guild, according to sources familiar with the deal." The Newspaper Guild was the last holdout in talks with the NY Times Co. (which owns the Globe); three other unions already worked out agreements on concessions, after the NY Times Co. threatened to shut down a plant. The Globe lost $50 million last year and is on track to lose $85 million this year.

After threatening to shut down its plant if unions did not make concessions, agreements have been made between Boston Globe management (the paper is owned by the NY Times Co.) and three of four unions, thus allowing the Globe to survive a little longer. The Boston Newspaper Guild is the lone holdout and the Globe reports, "The possibility of a shutdown remains if the company can't reach agreement with the Guild over $10 million in cost reductions, as well as contract changes, particularly the elimination of lifetime job guarantees enjoyed by about 190 Guild employees." However, spokesperson is optimistic and says those savings could be achieved in other ways. Over in NYC, the NY Times' Newspaper Guild members agreed to take a 5% pay cut in order to avoid laying off dozens of people; the pay cuts will be restored if ad revenues bounce back.

Last month, the financially battered NY Times Co. had suggested it would close the Boston Globe, Massachusetts' biggest paper, because the paper lost $50 million last year and was on track to lose $85 million this year. Late last night, the Globe reports the Times made this threat: "Agree to major financial and contract concessions, including the abolition of lifetime job guarantees for some workers, or the Times Co. would begin the shutdown process." Currently two unions have made deals but negotiations are still continuing with the pressmen's union and the Boston Newspaper Guild. The Times bought the Globe in 1993 for $1.1 billion; it is also looking to sell its stake in the Boston Red Sox.

Last week, the state's largest union rejected Governor Paterson's offer, raising the possibility he might make good on his threat to cut almost 9,000 jobs if unions didn't make concessions in contract negotiations. Now the NY Times reports on how the union is pressing forward: "They produced television commercials and newspaper ads with photos of Mr. Paterson sticking his fingers in his ears above the words 'Why aren’t you listening?' The president of one of the unions variously accused the governor last week of union busting, putting people’s lives in danger, and drug use." The unions were looking to drive Paterson's numbers down, but Paterson's approval ratings are already pretty much rock bottom, and the Times points out, "the ferocity of the attacks has only stiffened Mr. Paterson’s resolve." As for one union's claim that reopening the contract would "set a precedent," a Paterson spokesperson scoffed, "What is the precedent exactly? That every 80 years, when there’s a historic economic and fiscal crisis, the state work force might only get half its planned raise?”

The Civil Service Employees Association, the state's largest union, rejected Governor Paterson's offer of smaller raises and a two-year reprieve on layoffs, raising the possibility that thousands of jobs may be eliminated. Paterson had warned that without union concessions, given the state's huge budget deficit, he would have to lay off almost 9,000 state employees. But CSEA spokesman Stephen Madarasz said, "If we open one contract, what's to stop every other employer to say, 'We want to reopen the contract'? You set a precedent. You can never again do good-faith bargaining. It's a matter of principle as well as practicality." Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield told the AP, "They have rejected every single proposal that we put forward to prevent job losses among their ranks. Nonetheless, the governor is still committed to finding a resolution."

About a dozen current and former Starbucks employees protested outside the Union Square Starbucks last night, demanding that management reinstate fired barista Sharon Bell. Managers say they terminated Bell last week because of tardiness and attendance issues, but she says its actually retaliation for her involvement in the Starbucks Workers Union. Two other fellow union members were also fired recently, though one was reinstated. In December, a National Labor Relations Board judge found the company guilty of union busting and ordered several employees reinstated with back wages. According to the Seattle PI, the court documents read "like a reality-TV script, revealing Starbucks baristas and managers yelling at each other, mishandling blenders and cursing." One incident at the East 9th Street Starbucks almost came to blows, with a barista telling a manager, "You can go f*** yourself, if you want to f*** me up, go ahead, I'm here."

Authorities are investigating a brawl that led to a fatal shooting at the Skate 22 roller rink in Union, NJ. The Union County Prosecutor's Office says that 100 people, ages 13 to 25, had been attending a party, "At some point before the shooting, there were two groups of people fighting, words were exchanged and shots rang out." The victim was reportedly a 15 or 16 year old boy who was shot in the head. One witness said groups of girls had been fighting throughout the night and the shooting then resulted in a stampede out of the facility. WABC 7 reports while many of the party goers were held as police searched for the gunmen, "Police were investigating the possibility that several armed men fled the rink in the chaotic rush following the shooting."

A National Labor Relations Board judge ruled yesterday that Starbucks engaged in unfair labor practices at several of its New York coffee shops, the Associated Press reports. The decision is the culmination of a lengthy trial which began in March 2006 when the Industrial Workers of the World filed charges against the company, accusing managers of interrogating employees and firing workers who supported the union.

After a number of vice squad crackdowns on Manhattan S&M clubs, some outraged dominatrices are bonding together to defend their profession, which they say has been wrongly maligned as prostitution. The Post sent a reporter over to Dungeon Alley (a cluster of S&M clubs in Midtown) and Chelsea's Le Salon De Sade, where the dominatrices "were dressed to the hilt with no one to flog. " De Sade's owner Mistress Johanna says, "It's never been worse. Business is down 70 percent. We've had all these busts, and now the economy is out of control. The uncertainty is torturing us." Investigators say that the raided clubs were essentially prostitution houses, but a lawyer hired by over a dozen dominatrices and dungeon owners insists "everyone was operating under the belief that what they were doing was legal." Besides retaining an attorney, the group is forming a union and even a political action committee (DomPAC!) to lobby lawmakers for legal protection.

There have been worries that NJ's biggest paper, the Star-Ledger, will close, as it has been losing $30-40 million a year. The publisher outlined that it could stay opened if 200 buyouts are accepted by staff and union concession are met. Last week, its mailers union agreed to a new deal and yesterday the deliverers union reached a deal with Advance. Now all that's left is finding 200 employees willing to take buyouts, but Advance president Donald Newhouse said, "We're very hopeful that everything will fall into place."

The NY Time has a huge, front page article on the curious "disability epidemic among" Long Island Rail Road retirees. In a nutshell, the article points out how many LIRR employees apply for disability after retiring...and they end up getting those federal payments. Back in 2004, 97% of employees who retired after the age of 50, applied for and received disability.

Yesterday, The Star-Ledger's publisher George Arwady told employees that the newspaper will close on January 5 next year "if 200 buyouts and several union concessions are not met, or if the paper cannot be sold," according to Editor & Publisher. The e-mail explains there are three things that need to be done: Get concessions from drivers, cut non-union staff via buyouts and get concessions from the mailers' union. As the Star-Ledger itself reports, while the paper's dire situation was known, "yesterday was the first time a Jan. 5 closure date has been mentioned." The president of S-L's parent company Donald Newhouse said, "We strongly believe that if we can achieve the three objectives we set for ourselves ... then we will be able to produce a viable newspaper."

Verizon won't have to worry about 65,000 workers striking, as it came to an agreement with two unions on a new 3-year contract with a total of 10.5% in wage increases and changes to retirement benefits. While the sides negotiated past its original deadline last week, recently, labors leaders were unhappy with talks, setting a new deadline of 12:01 a.m. today. The Communications Workers of America said it was a "breakthrough agreement" that "provides a framework for growth at Verizon and a good standard of living with careers for our members." The International Brotherhood of Electrial Workers cited how it protects former employees, too--one big part is that Verizon will still to "pay 100 percent of current workers’ and retirees’ health premiums."

The new Yankee Stadium, Second Avenue subway, Citi Field and Freedom Tower are just some of the projects whose progress may be delayed a little more due to a strike by cement trucker drivers.

Though the clock ticked past last night's midnight deadline for contract negotiations between Con Ed and the Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, the two sides kept working and have worked out a tentative deal to avert a strike of about 9,000 members.

Tonight, if midnight strikes without a new contract from Con Ed, the 9,000 workers represented by the Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2 could go on strike (unless Governor Paterson intervenes again, of course). The two sides are resuming their talks today at a NJ hotel.

Con Ed and the union representing 9,000 members agreed to extend their contract negotiations for another three days, after Governor David Paterson intervened late yesterday.

Thousands of Con Ed employees may be striking tomorrow, if the utility keeps up their act. Joe Flaherty, spokesman for the Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America, said of Con Ed's 0.5% base raise, "They want us to strike, no doubt about it. Half a percent, followed by 1% in the years after that, is just asinine."

Con Ed and about 9,000 workers are locked in a contract battle that may threaten the city's power come Sunday. According to Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, the utility and workers are "miles and miles apart."

Last month, the NY Times found that an actuarial consultant who reviewed legislation pending in the State Legislature also had financial ties to labor unions. The consultant, whose expertise was used to examine the financial impact of bills (like retirement, pension benefit bills), even admitted he skewed his analysis to support unions. Now, the city has found the consultant's work underestimated costs by $500 million.

Dina Matos McGreevey is having her days in court this week, as the divorce proceedings between her and former NJ Gov. Jim McGreevey drag on ever-longer. Having settled the child custody portion of the divorce, Dina and Jim are now squabbling about the important stuff: money.

Two years after the FBI raided his offices, a former State Assemblyman and labor leader pleaded guilty to racketeering. Brian McLaughlin was charged with over 40 crimes, using his power as a seven-term Assemblyman, division head of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and head of the NYC Central Labor Council to bribe and steal.

Costumed performers and tour guides are fighting for unionization at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where they work to recreate the squalid living conditions of turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants, the very group that was integral to 20th century unionization efforts. Dozens of the tenement employees protested last night outside a fundraiser for the museum at Chelsea Piers.

Building workers such as doormen, office cleaners, and janitors will probably not go on strike at the start of 2008 after their local union reached an agreement with Manhattan commercial property owners. Union members still have to vote to ratify the new four year contract, but the union leaders are recommending they do so.