In 2017, is white supremacy still alive and well in this Philadelphia building trades union?

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542, a union representing heavy machinery operators, is coming under heavy fire from its minority members over claims of racist behavior. Local 542 has been under a consent decree from a federal court since 1979, after a series of incidents in which minority workers were beaten in the union hall. The union still sends periodic updates to a "special master" assigned to keep track of its practices toward minority workers, but at the union's biannual meeting in May, and through other complaints filed with its civil rights committee, workers of color have alleged a pattern of discrimination and hate speech from within the union, PlanPhilly reports. At the meeting, according to PlanPhilly, a black union member stood up and said into the microphone that he would not tolerate any more racial slurs lobbed in his direction, punctuating his statement with, "I am not a monkey." Separate complaints to the union, some of which were acknowledged by Local 542 spokesman Tom Danese, showed photos of the numbers 88 and 14 — coded symbols of white supremacists — spray painted at work sites, PlanPhilly reports. One minority worker reported seeing a noose hanging from a crane, and several reported white supervisors using racial epithets on job sites. Perhaps more damaging to minority members of Local 542 is the disparity in their numbers against the jobs for which they are hired. PlanPhilly reports that over 21% of Local 541 members are people of color, but only 15% of job hours go to such members. While there is a civil rights committee in place to hear those concerns, one anonymous member called it a "dog and pony show." Racism, Discrimination Complaints Mount Against Local Construction Union Wikimedia/Thekohser “Minority members of 542 have long ago lost trust in the civil rights committee,” another union member told PlanPhilly. “Recently, however, there has been a surge in complaints given to the civil rights committee members.” These allegations are coming to light just as Mayor Jim Kenney's Rebuild initiative, meant to both foster public development and improve diversity in building trades, has kicked into gear. Earlier in July, the city appointed Philly-based, minority-owned Talson Solutions to help ensure that minority-owned businesses get a fair shake at building contracts. It is unclear whether Kenney plans to cast a wider net into unions and job sites to address racial discrimination in Philadelphia's construction industry.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/philadelphia/news/construction-development/racism-discrimination-builders-union-local-542-77015?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542, a union representing heavy machinery operators, is coming under heavy fire from its minority members over claims of racist behavior. Local 542 has been under a consent decree from a federal court since 1979, after a series of incidents in which minority workers were beaten in the union hall. The union still sends periodic updates to a "special master" assigned to keep track of its practices toward minority workers, but at the union's biannual meeting in May, and through other complaints filed with its civil rights committee, workers of color have alleged a pattern of discrimination and hate speech from within the union, PlanPhilly reports. At the meeting, according to PlanPhilly, a black union member stood up and said into the microphone that he would not tolerate any more racial slurs lobbed in his direction, punctuating his statement with, "I am not a monkey." Separate complaints to the union, some of which were acknowledged by Local 542 spokesman Tom Danese, showed photos of the numbers 88 and 14 — coded symbols of white supremacists — spray painted at work sites, PlanPhilly reports. One minority worker reported seeing a noose hanging from a crane, and several reported white supervisors using racial epithets on job sites. Perhaps more damaging to minority members of Local 542 is the disparity in their numbers against the jobs for which they are hired. PlanPhilly reports that over 21% of Local 541 members are people of color, but only 15% of job hours go to such members. While there is a civil rights committee in place to hear those concerns, one anonymous member called it a "dog and pony show." Racism, Discrimination Complaints Mount Against Local Construction Union Wikimedia/Thekohser “Minority members of 542 have long ago lost trust in the civil rights committee,” another union member told PlanPhilly. “Recently, however, there has been a surge in complaints given to the civil rights committee members.” These allegations are coming to light just as Mayor Jim Kenney's Rebuild initiative, meant to both foster public development and improve diversity in building trades, has kicked into gear. Earlier in July, the city appointed Philly-based, minority-owned Talson Solutions to help ensure that minority-owned businesses get a fair shake at building contracts. It is unclear whether Kenney plans to cast a wider net into unions and job sites to address racial discrimination in Philadelphia's construction industry.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/philadelphia/news/construction-development/racism-discrimination-builders-union-local-542-77015?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

A year before the first Comcast tower opened for business in 2008, as construction continued at a frenetic pace, a black union worker named Paul Solomon was reportedly threatened with a noose. The incident elicited outcry from members of City Council and the African-American Chamber of Commerce, among others. To some, it was just another day in the long history of racism in the local construction trade.

Now, as the second Comcast tower comes ever closer to its own opening next spring, a sense of deja vu has beset some members of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542, the union that Solomon belonged to. Several members of the union that represents crane operators and other heavy-machinery workers — who spoke to PlanPhilly under the condition of anonymity — say white supremacist symbols like the numbers 88 and 14 are commonly found inside trailers and on worksites across the city manned by Local 542. And they view the pro-Trump stickers slapped across beams and bannisters of the skyscraper after last year’s election as just another sign of a groundswell of racism.

Bricklayers union says Criniti Construction failed to make timely contributions

A local union is suing Criniti Construction Inc. and Joe Criniti, citing alleged breach of contract.
Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 of PA/DE and its associated employee benefit funds filed a complaint on June 16 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the defendants alleging that they failed to remit their employees' contributions to the labor funds.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that it was damaged due to unpaid and late payments. The plaintiffs hold Criniti Construction and Criniti responsible because they allegedly breached their agreement with the labor group when they failed to make the payments.

The plaintiffs seek $45,899.28 in contributions owed, as well as interest, liquidated damages, court costs and any further relief this court grants. They are represented by Robert P. Curley of O'Donoghue & O'Donoghue LLP in Philadelphia.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:17-cv-02737-NIQA

Source: Penn Record

Union sues Philadelphia construction firm over unpaid benefits

PHILADELPHIA — A labor union is suing Torrado Construction Co. Inc. of Philadelphia, alleging the firm failed to pay benefits owed to various union funds.

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council No. 21 filed a complaint on June 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Torrado, alleging that the company failed to remit its contribution to the union funds dealing with health and welfare, annuities, vacations and scholarships. The plaintiff is alleging breach of contract and violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that the union funds were hurt financially due to unpaid and late contributions. The plaintiffs hold Torrado responsible because the defendant allegedly breached its bargaining agreement with the plaintiff by being delinquent with the contributions.

The plaintiffs seek the amount of $9,877.27, $16,800 in court costs, interest at the rate of 5 percent and any further relief the court grants. They are represented by Martin W. Milz and Syretta Jasmine Martin of Spear Wilderman P.C. in Philadelphia.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:17-cv-02723-MAK

Source: Penn Record

Wesley plans $15M in renovations at campus in Media

Wesley Enhanced Living, which operates six retirement communities in the Philadelphia region, plans to spend $15 million on renovations at what it calls its Main Line campus, which was formerly known as Martins Run, according to a bond prospectus.

The money will be spent on wide-ranging upgrades to the nursing facility, public spaces in the personal-care unit, independent-living apartments, the dining room, and other areas. The renovations are expected to take from 18 to 24 months.

Carlyle Group part of venture paying $118M for U City apartment tower

A venture involving the Carlyle Group, the Washington, D.C.-based private-equity and asset-management giant, has paid $118 million for the two-year-old 3737 Chestnut apartment building in University City.

Carlyle joined Korman Residential Properties of Blue Bell in acquiring the 26-story, 276-unit apartment building, which was fully leased at the time of the sale, the project’s developer, Wayne-based Radnor Property Group, said in a release this week.

Delaware officials postpone hearing on prevailing wage rules

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Gov. John Carney has agreed to scrap plans for a public hearing next week on proposed rule changes regarding Delaware's prevailing wage law, which was a bone of contention during recent budget negotiations in the legislature.

In a letter to Carney, Republican legislative leaders noted Thursday that the proposed changes, quietly developed by the state Department of Labor, were never mentioned during lengthy discussions by lawmakers regarding the prevailing wage.

"Additionally, it is our understanding that at a minimum you and your senior staff were apparently completely unaware of this initiative," read the letter, signed by the GOP minority leaders and whips in the House and Senate.

Blatstein poised to cash in on Philly police HQ plan

Conversion of the Inquirer Building on North Broad Street into the Philadelphia Police Department’s new headquarters – stacking up to be the second most expensive historic-rehabilitation project of its kind in city history – comes with an extra bonus for the plan’s developer: a federal historic-renovation subsidy said to be worth $40 million.

Buyer makes $220 million offer for closed Revel

The owner of the former Revel is denying he received an offer on the shuttered boardwalk casino, but a representative of the buyer says a $220 million offer was made within the last 10 days.

A leader with New York-based marketing and management firm Digital Launch told the Press of Atlantic City it is representing a private equity firm, also based in New York, which is ready to pay Glenn Straub $220 million for the Revel property.

Straub, who has renamed the casino TEN, paid $82 million for the resort after it fell into bankruptcy. It cost more than $2 billion to build.

Digital Launch declined to disclose the potential buyer's name to the Press of A.C., which said Straub denied receiving any offers – though that doesn't necessarily mean he is unwilling to entertain them.

John Dougherty rep: Union council restructuring is not due to federal probe

Aiming to assist union leader John Dougherty while his wife is hospitalized and bring more diversity to the trades in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Building Trades Council will add a second in command later this month, a rep for the IBEW Local 98 head told the Inquirer.

The Sprinkler Fitters Local 692 leader, who is also the current president of the Building Trades Council, Wayne Miller will become assistant business manager of the organization – a newly created position, the Inquirer said, and Ryan Boyer will take over Miller's previous role.

Speaking for Dougherty, Frank Keel said restructuring the Building Trades Council has nothing to do with the wide-ranging federal probe involving the union head known as "Johnny Doc." The changes are meant to give Dougherty help on the day-to-day operations of the council, while his wife, Cecilia, remains hospitalized.

“He has the full support of the membership, and any inference to the contrary is patently false. [The changes] have nothing to do with all the problems. Anybody who is spinning anything other than what I said is a liar.”

By bringing Boyer, who is African American, into the fold, the moves will also add diversity to the labor organization's ranks. The city's building trades have been criticized for years for a lack of diversity. The issue came up again recently as City Council discussed the Rebuild program that involves updating city libraries and rec centers.

  

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal

John Dougherty gets an assistant at union council

John Dougherty, business manager at the Philadelphia Building Trades Council, will likely get a second in command when the group’s executive board meets July 19.

The current president, Wayne Miller, who also heads Sprinkler Fitters Local 692, will likely step into a more responsible position as assistant business manager, a new position under Dougherty, according to several sources. Miller’s position will be likely filled by Ryan Boyer, who leads the Laborers’ District Council in Philadelphia.

In the building trades, business manager outranks president.