Pitt to challenge grad student union election petition

Pitt administrators have told the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board they plan challenge the graduate student petition to hold a union election, organizers said Wednesday.

Pitt will look to convince the board that graduate students aren’t employees. The labor board in February ruled that graduate students at Penn State were considered employees and could unionize.
In a post on Facebook, the Graduate Student Organizing Committee called the move an “attempt to drag out the process in hopes of busting our union.” 

DC 47 City Contract Update

Contract talks between the City of Philadelphia and AFCME DC 47 representatives have continued weekly (generally more than once a week). The existing contract has continued to be extended.
We just received, within the past few weeks, information the Union requested from the City of Philadelphia concerning the economic impact of changes that the City wants to make regarding the defined pension plan. In consultation with your leadership, we have made several counterproposals regarding pensions, in an effort to reach a settlement.

Cap on labor contracts, Amazon credits pending in lame duck

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The fate of expiring legislation that caps what police and fire officials can get in labor contract disputes and up to $5 billion in tax credits to attract Amazon's new headquarters is uncertain as New Jersey's government heads into Chris Christie's lame duck period.

Before Democratic Gov.-elect Phil Murphy takes over New Jersey's government from Christie, a Republican, the Democrat-led Legislature has roughly six weeks to wrap up business with the two-term incumbent.

These Pa. teachers may lose the raises they were promised

Teachers who were hired by the Harrisburg School District since July 2016 faced a rude awakening when they learned late last week that raises promised to entice them to the district were imperiled by a labor grievance.

Incoming teachers who were part of a wave of hires designed to address an ongoing shortage were offered salaries that increased their pay beyond the existing negotiated "steps." The Harrisburg Education Association, however, filed a grievance due to the disparity with existing teachers, who've seen pay increases frozen amid recent budget woes.

New police contract will wipe out city's $200M labor reserve fund: Report

Philadelphia may be in for some service cuts as it struggles to pay for new municipal labor contracts, according to a city official.

Finance Director Rob Dubow's comments came as the state board overseeing the city's finances met Tuesday to approve a change to the city's five-year plan to pay for a new police contract.

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Kimberly Paynter/ WHYY

That agreement handed down by an arbitration panel gave officers a three-year contract with raises averaging 3.5 percent a year.

The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority staff said in a report the cost of that deal will more than wipe out a $200 million labor reserve fund the city had set aside.

And if contracts yet to come for two more city unions provide raises comparable to the police officers, those costs will eliminate all the financial cushion built into the city's plan for four of the next five years.

Dubow said he'll start talking to city department heads now about finding savings, and that could mean service cuts.

What a PICA board member has to say about the city's fiscal plan, at Newsworks.org.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal

Collective bargaining bills would apply public records, open meetings laws to contract negotiations

Some state lawmakers are pushing a package of bills that they say would make contract negotiations between government agencies and public worker unions more transparent.

Two measures would require contract negotiations with all public unions to happen in open session, and apply the state's Right-to-Know Law to related documents.

Committee votes have been along party lines.

Senator Daylin Leach, who represents Delaware and Montgomery Counties, is one Democrat who's opposed.

Teachers in Methacton School District on strike; classes cancelled

EAGLEVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) --It is just a few weeks into the new school year, and now students and teachers in the Methacton School District will be off again for an unknown amount of time.

Teachers are expected to officially go on strike at 7:30 a.m. Monday. They have been working without a contract since January.

A stalemate in the bargaining process lead to an announcement Friday by the Methacton Education Association that its members had authorized a strike.

The union represents over 400 teachers and professional staff.

The issues being negotiated include salary, benefits, class size, teacher-student ratio and team teaching.

Methacton Schools: No deal reached; Teachers will strike. Walter Perez reports during Action News at 11 p.m. on September 17, 2017.

Over the weekend, school board president Chris Boardman reassured parents and teachers that negotiations had been productive.

But shortly after that, the union released a statement, saying in part, "...dramatically increasing the employee's share of the health care premium while not adequately increasing salaries is unacceptable..."

A state mediator is now involved to coordinate the exchange of proposals between parties.

Picket lines were expected to be established at locations including Methacton High School.

According to the school district, State Department of Education rules will prevent the work stoppage from going past 15 days.

Source: 6ABC

Hearings on graduate unionization effort conclude

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Wednesday (Sept. 13), seven days of hearings concluded before a hearing examiner appointed by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board related to the petition filed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association to unionize Penn State graduate students.

More than 20 witnesses testified about graduate education at Penn State. Faculty from across the University testified that graduate students, including students who have their graduate education funded on assistantships, are engaged in teaching and research that are part of their degree programs. Penn State believes that graduate students are here to be students, not employees.

A schedule for submission of post-hearing legal briefs is pending. Following submission of those briefs, the hearing examiner will determine whether to dismiss the petition or order an election for some specified group of graduate students. If there is an election, either side can appeal the results. Ultimately, the courts may have to decide this unsettled issue of Pennsylvania law.

Information about the unionization process under Pennsylvania law and FAQs for Penn State graduate students, faculty and staff are available at gradfacts.psu.edu.

Questions about the hearings or unionization process should be directed to gradinfo@psu.edu.

Source: PSU

Teamsters With Allentown Housing Authority Vote To Authorize Strike: Maintenance Workers Are Seeking a Fair Contract From Housing Authority

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Aug. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 773 members with the Allentown Housing Authority voted unanimously to authorize a strike Tuesday night.

The Teamsters have been seeking a fair contract from their employer for nearly a year. The Allentown Housing Authority wants to increase workers' health care costs by 200 to 300 percent. The employer also proposed that union members receive a wage increase of 2 percent per year, while nonunion personnel are set to receive a 3 percent increase.

The workers' contract with the city ended December 31, 2016, and they have since been working under an extension. Negotiations began in September 2016.

In May 2017, a neutral fact-finder with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board issued recommended changes to the contract proposals from each side in order to come to a final agreement. Local 773 twice accepted the fair compromise proposals. The employer twice rejected them.

The workers maintain public housing units, turning over units when they are vacated, responding to emergencies in the middle of the night and making all necessary repairs.

"These are extremely dedicated workers who are on call 24/7. They come to work in all kinds of weather to clear sidewalks and lots, repair water breaks and serve the residents. They don't deserve to be treated this way," said Darrin Fry, a business agent with Local 773.

A date for a strike has not been set. An additional negotiation session with the Allentown Housing Authority is scheduled for August 31.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Source: PR NEwswire

Strike Authorized at Pennsylvania Public Housing Authority: Unionized maintenance workers at a Pennsylvania public housing authority are threatening to strike.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Unionized maintenance workers at a Pennsylvania public housing authority are threatening to strike.

Teamsters union members who work for the Allentown Housing Authority voted unanimously Tuesday night to authorize a strike.

At issue are pay and health care costs.

The workers' contract with the city expired Dec. 31. Negotiations on a new contract began last September. The next bargaining session is set for Aug. 31.

No strike date has been set.

 

Source: US News