Raids flush out more crooked contractors in Connecticut
Posted by NERCC on March 27, 2013 at 10:41 AM

A series of sweeps of construction sites in Connecticut this year has resulted in 27 "Stop Work" orders against contractors for misclassification of workers as "independent contractors." The results continue a disturbing trend in the state's construction industry. In the past year, the Connecticut Department of Labor reports that inspection and review of 108 construction projects and 299 contractors has resulted in 199 "Stop Work" work orders, an alarming rate of cheating.

"Some employers will misclassify workers as independent contractors with the intent of avoiding their obligations under federal and state employment law covering such matters as workers' compensation, unemployment taxes and payroll reporting," said state Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer. "Unfortunately, when an employer fails to pay for the proper coverage for injuries suffered on the job, and a worker gets hurt, the state's taxpayers ultimately foot the bill."

Avoiding tax obligations gives cheating employers a significant advantage in competitive bidding and negotiated pricing within the construction industry and creates a funding gap for state and federal governments, among other problems.

Media coverage here.

Carpenters highlight thefts at Botany Bay
Posted by NERCC on March 01, 2013 at 09:01 AM

NERCC staff recently spoke to a group of five workers employed at the Botany Bay development in Worcester who were owed more than $25,000 in wages and began making noise about it. Regular bannering was done at the site and last week a rally drew members of Local 107, representatives of the MetroWest Worker's Center, religious leaders and Worcester City Councilor Sarai Rivera.

The event led to pieces in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette and Vocero Hispano, which highlighted the wage theft and the unwillingness of the project developer to do anything but turn a blind eye. The bad publicity may force his hand, though, as regular events are gaining attention and the support of the community.
 

NERCC Business Maganer in television commercial
Posted by NERCC on February 14, 2013 at 10:29 AM

NERCC Business Manager Jason Garand recently recorded the following commercial spot for Health New England, the health insurance provider for Carpenters Local 108. The commercial will run on local television stations in Western Massachusetts through May. 

Architects predict strong construction growth
Posted by NERCC on January 29, 2013 at 10:46 AM

The American Institute of Architects is confidently projecting strong growth in nonresidential construction this year and next, with increase of 5% in 2013 and 7.2% in 2014. Commercial construction is expected to lead the way in growth, followed by industrial work, while institutional construction will grow at a slower pace. The AIA is basing its predictions on a comparison of its own "Architecture Billings Index" with forecasts from six different industry groups. The consistency in forecasts leads them to believe they will be very reliable.

State, Feds raid Stamford mega-sites
Posted by NERCC on January 29, 2013 at 10:41 AM

The Connecticut Department of Labor was joined by the US Department of Labor, OSHA and local and state police in raids of at least four construction sites in Stamford last week in an unprecedented effort to crack down on payroll fraud. The Stamford Advocate covered the raids and published a column by Angela Carella calling for developers to clean up their businesses.

The raids targeted three sites being built by Building and Land Technology and another by Greenfield Partners. The sites have all previously been the target of numerous public complaints as well as demonstrations by union carpenters and other trades workers. The Harbor Point project being built by BL&T has also been the site of numerious enforcement actions. More than 34 "Stop Work" orders had been issued at the project prior to last week's raids.

Investigators talked to more than 200 workers, according to media reports, and will sort out possible violations in the coming weeks after reviewing those interviews.
 

Standing up, speaking out in Waltham
Posted by NERCC on January 28, 2013 at 11:18 AM

 A group of union carpenters were joined by senior citizens and others at a crowded meeting in Waltham to discuss the future of a former Polaroid site. The parcel is one of a handful of large projects slated for the Metro-West city. Union carpenters are watching closely to see if they will be the source of good jobs for local people or rampant fraud and profiteering by developers. With persistent action, they hope to ensure the former.

The Polaroid project--to be done in phases--will involve the construction of 180,000 square feet of retail space, 100,000 square feet for a Market Basket and another 100,000 square feet of office space.

Members of Local 275 were joined by members of other UBC locals who live in Waltham. Local 275 Business Manager Kevin Kelley was one of the few speakers at the meeting, expressing his desire for developers to make a commitment to decent standards on the project. The meeting was not open for everyone to speak, so carpenters made their feelings known by holding up and rotating small signs that read "Save The Middle Class"  on one side and "Build Union" on the other.

Members in Waltham plan to be active a other upcoming meetings, to discuss the Polaroid project as well as work at One Moody Street, with an eyee toward cementing Waltham as a strong union city. Members in and around Waltham who are interested in participating can contact Brother Kelley at Local 275's union  hall.

 

 

Contractor: Being union is beneficial to all
Posted by NERCC on January 11, 2013 at 09:01 AM

David Rampone, President of Hart Engineering, a signatory contractor based in Cumberland, Rhode Island isn't shy about being a union contractor. Last year he volunteered to be one of the latest union contractors to do a radio ad on behalf of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters. Now, he's published an opinion piece in the Providence Journal explaining why his business is better with a union partnership. Click through to read it.

The following opinion piece appeared in the January 10 print edition of the Providence Journal-Bulletin.

The benefits of employing unionists

DAVID RAMPONE

Regarding Charles Chieppo’s Dec. 20 column, “Unions are 1 percenters in Mass.,” in which he portrayed the construction industry inaccurately:

As the chief executive of a major Rhode lsland construction firm that does work all over New England, I’ll set the record straight. I am the president of Hart Engineering Corp., a general and process mechanical contractor founded over 70 years ago and based in Cumberland.

While I have read several opinion pieces by “public-relations experts” articulating the “evils” of the unionized construction industry, it needs to be pointed out that these experts have no actual experience in the construction industry and draw their conclusions based purely on anecdotal information provided by those who wish to see the unionized construction industry fail.

For the record, the National Labor Relations Act lets construction companies decide for themselves whether to be affiliated with the industry’s trade unions. It is the only industry that has such a provision. Since its inception, our firm has made the business-driven decision to be affiliated with several trade unions — a decision that has been beneficial to both our company and employees.

Currently we employ more than100 union tradesmen and women on dozens of jobs, large and small, throughout New England. These employees receive a fair wage, full health-care benefits and pension contributions — a package that lets them provide their families with a respectable standard of living. And in light of the negative attention cast on public-sector unions in these times, note that unionized construction workers are not guaranteed employment. In fact, Rhode Island unionized construction workers average about 1,500 hours worked a year. They do not receive vacation time, sick days or holiday pay, nor do they receive any benefits if they do not work the required number of hours a year — usually between 1,200 and 1,400, depending on the trade union involved.

Beyond my own company, the performance of Rhode Island’s trade unions and union contractors speaks for itself. There are more than 200 local contractors with union agreements in the Rhode Island area, and there have been more than 50 all-union project labor agreements (PLAs) worth billions of dollars completed in this area, including most of the state’s highest-profile projects. Most of these PLAs have been in the private sector.

These agreements symbolize the marketplace at work. Owners, construction managers and contractors enter into these agreements for one reason only: It is in their best interest to do so. And why? The trade unions in partnership with their contractors invest millions of dollars annually recruiting, training and retraining their workers to provide the safest, most skilled workforce in our industry. In today’s world, owners want their projects completed safely, on time, under budget and to the highest level of quality possible. That is why owners from small firms to Fortune 500 companies enter into project labor agreements.

While there are far fewer PLAs in the public sector than in the private sector, they are becoming more prevalent. However, before any public entity in Rhode Island can implement a PLA, it must complete an independent “objective and reasoned” study that recommends their use.

The trade unions’ record of providing contractors and owners with a safe and productive workforce is unmatched in our industry. Those who oppose them assert that using nonunionized workers would provide the owner with great savings. Unfortunately, those savings are usually the result of substandard wages, failure to provide health-care benefits to employees, or misclassifying employees to pay them a lower wage.

For 70 years we have provided our clients with the safest, most capable and productive work force in the industry, and our employees with a fair wage and benefits for them and their families. We are proud of what we have been able to achieve with our union partners.

David Rampone is president of Hart Engineering Corp., in Cumberland.  

Misclassification crackdown, publicity
Posted by NERCC on December 07, 2012 at 11:12 AM

Misclassification has been a serious problem in the construction industry for years, and something against which the Carpenters union has led the fight locally, regionally and nationally. Union efforts resulted first in greater understanding and awareness among elected officials and now regularly lead to enforcement and publicity on the issue that is either directly a result of union action or an indirect result of efforts initiated by the union.

Two items broke this week that reinforce that point. In Worcester, Telegram and Gazette columnist Clive McFarlane wrote about efforts by NERCC Organizer Manny Gines to chase down employers who cheat by misclassifying workers as independent contractors or cheat them out of their wages.

McFarlane's column ties into an announcement earlier in the week by the Executive Office of Labor in Massachusetts that more they had found more than 2,300 workers misclassified by just three employers. Though the three companies were not involved in the construction industry, the eye-popping $11 million in unreported wages and millions of dollars the state should have received for unemployment insurance payments generated new stories that put the issue in front of the general public.

Leavitt goes on air for a good cause
Posted by NERCC on December 05, 2012 at 12:12 PM

John Leavitt, the Business Agent for Local 1996 in Portland hit the airwaves this week to promote the union and help a disk jockey fill time as he stays on the air for four consecutive days. The Mark-a-thon is an annual event held by WCYY's Mark Curdo to raise money for the Center for Grieving Children. CYY is one of the radio stations on which NERCC and the New England Carpenters Labor Management Program place ads to promote the union and industry standards. They also carry radio broadcasts of New England Patriots games, on which the union advertises. Leavitt was on air with Mark on Tuesday afternoon at 3pm.

Marriott management “asleep at the switch”
Posted by NERCC on September 11, 2012 at 02:09 PM

Banker and Tradesman ran a piece this past Sunday about the lack of awareness shown by property owner Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. and Marriot management regarding what was happening on their $18 million renovation project.

Earlier this year, Union carpenters, painters and other union members demonstrated twice a week for months at the site against Baystate Interiors, Inc. of Woburn for undermining area standard for carpenters' wages and benefits.

Investigators for the state task force on the underground economy found that contractor’s working on the renovation project failed to report $1.2 million in wages, which cost the state $86,000 in taxes. Investigators from the state task force on the underground economy also found that 63 employees were misclassified as independent contractors. Read more here. http://www.nercc.org/blog/p/1713

Scott Van Voorhis, the author of the piece notes that “the allegations that recovering drug addicts imported from Philadelphia were paid $4 an hour – half the state’s already measly minimum wage – are sorry enough. But the defense of the hotel’s owners – they just didn’t know what was going on with the contractors – is just as indefensible when it comes to savvy business management in a major metro market.”

Read the Banker and Tradesman piece in its entirety here.

Investigators find widespread labor violations at Copley Marriott
Posted by NERCC on September 04, 2012 at 02:50 PM

As a result of the the protests  by union carpenters at the Boston Marriott Copley Place renovation project, state investigators found improper activity by fifteen companies that worked on site.

Contractor’s working on the renovation project failed to report $1.2 million in wages, which cost the state $86,000 in taxes. Investigators from the state task force on the underground economy also found that 63 employees were misclassified as independent contractors.

In the article printed in the Boston Globe, a lawyer representing Baystate Services, the general contractor that oversaw the renovation of the hotel said “it, too, was unaware of labor violations.”

Earlier this year, Baystate agreed to pay $31,000 in back wages to 37 Victory Outreach workers who received illegally low wages for 3 months of work. Read more about Victory Outreach here. 

Unfortunately, state law protects the privacy of companies accused of tax violations. Even in a case like this, with widespread labor violations, investigators are blocked from state laws from charging contractors and property owners.

Read more about the results of the investigation by the state task force online here.  To view a PDF of the article, click here.

Ex-boxer fights for exploited
Posted by NERCC on September 04, 2012 at 08:01 AM

Clive McFarlane reports for Worcester’s Telegram & Gazette

Labor organizer Manny Gines looks like the professional ex-boxer he is.

His clean-shaven head is anchored to a solid, stocky frame with tattooed arms and strong hands.

But it is his eyes that acutely betray his former pugilistic days. They look at you measuredly, as if working out the timing of a right cross or left uppercut.

His battleground is no longer in the boxing ring, however. It is in the local trenches of the country’s underground economy.

For years now Mr. Gines has been visiting and picketing construction sites at which he suspects the presence of illegal work activities.

He is constantly working with clients who come to him with claims of being abused, underpaid or not paid at all by their employers, a role that has placed him on a first-name basis with those in the state attorney general’s office who monitor the underground economy.

A union member fighting on behalf of non-unionized and oftentimes undocumented workers would seem counterproductive, but Mr. Gines sees himself as protecting legitimate businesses from unscrupulous employers.

Read the entire piece here. 

Recession hit construction industry hard
Posted by NERCC on September 03, 2012 at 11:19 AM

Over Labor Day weekend, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette ran a story about the impact of the recession on the construction industry. While the story mentions that “over the last six years, the construction industry in Massachusetts has lost almost a third of its jobs” it also talks about the success of two Local 107 apprentices, who joined the Carpenters Union in the middle of the recession and have worked steady since. Read the entire article online here. For a PDF version, click here. 

 

A look behind the scenes: Copley Marriott Boston
Posted by NERCC on August 27, 2012 at 09:44 AM

Remember the protests by union carpenters at the Copley Marriott in Boston? In his article "A story of hope, and a lopsided deal," Boston Globe reporter Casey Ross reports on what was was going on behind the scenes at the hotel that was uncovered as a result of those demonstrations. 

The article looks into Victory Outreach, the Christian drug rehabilitation ministry hired for furniture installation on the job. Twelve laborers working for Victory Outreach worked for three months on the project, making about $4 an hour, half the required minimum wage in Massachuseets. 

Check out the entire article online here or in PDF format here. 

Local 107 Member Authors Report
Posted by NERCC on August 08, 2012 at 10:43 AM

Brother Keith Wrightson, Local 107, has authored a report about the cost of construction injuries and fatalities to the residents of Maryland. Wrightson is a Worker Safety and Health Advocate for the Congress Watch division of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group.

“The Price of Inaction: A Comprehensive Look at the Costs of Injuries and Fatalities in Maryland’s Construction Industry,” quantifies the estimated costs of deaths and injuries in the state’s construction industry by considering an array of factors.

The report found that incidents of occupational injuries and fatalities cost the state $712.8 million over a three-year period and suggests that implementing a safety component to the prequalification process for public construction projects. Public Citizen suggests that “the system should be expanded to require construction firms to demonstrate that they provide safety training to workers and site supervisors, and that they do not have serious safety violations.”

The release of the report was covered online here at the Huffington Post.

Economy continues to fluctuate
Posted by NERCC on July 23, 2012 at 12:01 PM

The Boston Globe reports on economic concerns in Massachusetts, where a net reduction in jobs occurred for the first time since November. Though the unemployment rate is fairly steady, concerns are mounting that the slow recovery could be slipping away. NERCC's Mark Erlich is quoted.

Reaction to Supreme Court decision
Posted by NERCC on June 28, 2012 at 06:40 PM

Mark Erlich, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters released the following statement regarding today's Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act.

"We are pleased that the Supreme Court did not strike down the ACA. When Carpenters work, we have great health insurance, but the costs continue to skyrocket. Too much of our contract increases have gone to fund health care over the years. The ACA has the potential not only to extend access but to control costs and we support efforts in that direction."

Worcester passes new REO
Posted by NERCC on June 22, 2012 at 09:36 AM

The Worcester City Council this week voted to move forward with a newly proposed Responsible Employer Ordinance for public construction in the city by a 9-1 vote. The result comes after an anti-union contractor association and corporate-backed "research" group threatened long, expensive litigation if the ordinance was passed.

The City of Worcester has had a Responsible Employer Ordinance in place since 2005, but the City Manager had suspended portions of it recently out of concern that the entire ordinance would be eliminated on legal challenge. Councilors worked with various groups to re-write portions of the ordinance--most significantly to retain the language requiring contractors to participate in apprentice training programs--to put it on safer legal ground.

The Merit Construction Alliance, which represents nonunion contractors, has been using the Worcester Regional Research Bureau to back its opposition to standards for public construction in the city. According to GoLocalWorcester.com, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau is "privately funded by a host of corporate sponsors." Their top sponsors consist mostly of banks, law firms and insurance companies. When a City Councilor asked for clarification on who the group was and what function it serves, the head of the organization claimed she was somehow being "attacked" and blamed unions. In arguing that the newly drafted REO wouldn't stand up to legal scrutiny, the group's own work seemed to be less than convincing.

Union carpenters were very active in pushing for passage of the revised REO, participating in rallies, attending hearings and lining up support from Council members. Supporters also got a boost from Susan Mailman, the president of Coghlin Electrical Contractors, who wrote a convincing opinion piece in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette detailing why opposition to the REO was built on false assumptions.
 

National talk host digs into Stamford
Posted by NERCC on June 15, 2012 at 10:39 AM

National television talk show host Cenk Uygur this week hosted NERCC Representative Tim Sullivan on his show "The Young Turks" to talk about events at Stamford's Harbor Point development. The two talked about how the project is undermining area standards for carpenters' wages and benefits and how instead of local citizens voting on the project, votes were cast by a single lawyer representing a handful of corporations. That's right, corporations voting, not citizens.

 

Union carpenters, pension $ put to work in Providence
Posted by NERCC on June 07, 2012 at 01:01 PM

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras were among those on hand today for a ceremonial groundbreaking for The Highlands on the East Side in Pro. The project is a renovation of senior housing that will become an assisted living facility. The project is being financed by the New England Carpenters Pension Fund and led by union general contractor CWC. It will provide an eventual monetary return to the Fund while providing immediate employment opportunities to union carpenters, economic activity for Providence and badly needed housing for an aging population.

The building is owned by Halkeen Management if Norwood, Massachusetts and will eventually provide 64 unites of housing, including Alzheimer's and Dementia apartments in a variety of layouts.

The Carpenters Pension Fund is investing in the project as part of their diversified investment portfolio.

The groundbreaking was covered briefly by Providence Channel 10.

 

Rego uncovers potential mess at FRHA
Posted by NERCC on May 30, 2012 at 11:39 AM

Local 1305 member Dan Rego, who is a NERCC Organizer and Fall River City Councilor, is shaking things up in the Southeastern Massachusetts city. A few weeks ago, he raised concerns over issues with work being done by the Fall River Housing Authority. Since then, the sparks have started flying.

Rego spoke at a Housing Authority meeting and reported on conversations he had with workers on several FRHA projects in the city, some of which were receiving federal funding. Several workers had reported being misclassified as independent contractors, not being paid the legally mandated prevailing wage or not being paid at all. Rego told the Board that he had referred all of the allegations and evidence to proper state authorities.

 The Housing Authority went into immediate executive session, during which they appointed their own independent investigator. The story quickly hit the Fall River Herald News. The paper then followed up with a vicious attack on Rego, questioning not only his motives, but actions by Rego and the union in the past to protect industry standards. This in a city where legal violations on public construction projects are not unheard of.

This week, Rego spoke out in his own defense in the paper, reminding readers that his knowledge of and experience in the construction industry are a benefit to the city and its residents.

Please take a moment to read Rego's "Letter to the Editor" and consider weighing in with a respectful comment on the Herald News site.

 

CT DOL issues 13 "Stop Work" orders
Posted by NERCC on May 17, 2012 at 11:30 AM

The Connecticut Department of Labor issued “Stop Work” orders against 13 construction companies in recent weeks for misclassifying workers as “independent contractors.” The orders were issued in multiple communities where contractors were found to have misclassified workers for the purpose of avoiding their obligations to carry workers’ compensation and paying federal and state unemployment taxes, including unemployment.

One of the "Stop Work" orders was issued against NLP Contractors at the New London Plaza. Union carpenters have been protesting at the site, where renovations are being done and where North Carolina-based SandovalConstruction has already been issued a "Stop Work " order. (earlier post)

The Hartford Courant, New London Day, Republican American,  Danbury Patch and Greenwich Patch reported on the story. Sites where contractors issued "Stop Work" orders were issued were located in Danbury, Greenwich, New London, Preston, Naugatuck and Simsbury.

“Stop Work” orders result in the halting of all activity at a cited company’s worksite, as well as a $300 civil penalty for each day the company does not carry workers’ compensation coverage as required by law.

According to a release on the "Stop Work" orders by the Department of Labor: “in the past 12 months the agency has inspected 167 construction projects and reviewed the records of 688 contractors. A total of 281 “Stop Work” orders have been issued during this time, with 116 identified as being issued to out‐of‐state contractors. Since October 2007, a total of 735 “Stop Work” orders have been issued with $285,000 collected in civil penalties for the misclassification of workers. Additionally, referrals have been made to the Department of Revenue Services and the Labor Department’s Tax Division audit unit for further investigation.”
 

This blog post was updated form a previous post on 5/16 to include links to additional media coverage and information about the New London Plaza site.

Rego targets possible problems in FRHA
Posted by NERCC on May 15, 2012 at 11:30 AM

Dan Rego, a union carpenter and organizer who successfully ran for City Council in Fall River, is starting to shake things up in the Southeastern Massachusetts City. At a Monday night hearing for the Fall River Housing Authority, Rego raised questions about the agency's awarding of construction contracts and the payment and treatment of workers.

The Fall River Herald News reported on Rego's questions in today's paper. The Housing Authority cut off Rego's statement and went into Executive Session, ultimately voting to begin an independet investigation of the allegations, according to the paper. Rego has already discussed improprieties he has found on FRHA sites with Fall River Mayor William Flanagan as well as the offices of Attorney General Martha Coakley,  Inspector General Gregory Sullivan and State Auditor Suzanne Bump.

Rego told the Housing Authority that he has found issues with projects that are valued at less than $10,000, which are done with very little oversight.

NECN reports on Jackson Square renaissance
Posted by NERCC on May 14, 2012 at 10:42 AM

New England Cable News last week reported on the work being done to rebuild Jackson Square in Boston. The piece includes an interview with the developer and also Charles Cofield. Cofield grew up in the area and is now working there as the carpenter steward and a member of Local 67.

Carpenters demonstrate against Sandoval
Posted by NERCC on April 12, 2012 at 12:17 PM

Carpenters in Connecticut have been protesting at the new London Plaza Hotel (formerly the Radisson Hotel) against Sandoval Construction of North Carolina. The company does not meet area standards for wages and benefits. It was also issued a Stop Work Order by the Connecticut Department of Labor last week for not having proper workers' compensation coverage.

The New London Patch posted a story, photos and video of the event.

 

NECTC in the news
Posted by NERCC on February 29, 2012 at 12:03 PM

WWLP/TV-22 televised the following story on the New England Carpenters Training Center in Millbury, MA. First-year apprentice Jose Parrilla and NECTC Training Director Bert Rousseau were interviewed for the piece. 

See the report on WWLP's website by clicking here.

Confidence growing, but not without concerns
Posted by NERCC on February 27, 2012 at 09:37 AM

Mark Erlich, NERCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer, was quoted in an article from this Sunday’s Boston Herald that speaks about confidence and job creation in the construction industry. Those quoted in the piece all seem to sense things shifting, although as Erlich points out, it is “a little early to start to throw confetti.”

Also quoted in the piece is Northeastern University economist Alan Clayton-Matthews who said construction confidence has extended to Massachusetts as sector employment from December 2010 to December 2011 grew faster than overall employment in the state at 2.3 percent.

“It looks like at both the national and state levels, overall employment will be growing and may begin to pick up in growth later this year and in 2013,” he said. “Construction will follow that, but it will be with a little bit of a lag.”

Read the article online at the Boston Herald or click here for a PDF.

NYTimes gets only part of Stamford story
Posted by NERCC on February 24, 2012 at 09:26 AM

"Stamford Plan Hits a Speedbump" is the headline of a piece in the national version of the New York Times today. And while the reporter seems to go out of her way to heap praise on the Harbor Point project being developed by Carl Kuehner's Building and Land Technology (BLT), the headline and the substance of the article probably make Kuehner wish the article had never been published. It's become a familiar feeling for him lately.

The Times article is about a dispute between Keuhner's BLT and Stamford's Downtown Special Services District (DSSD), which acts as a guide and clearinghouse for downtown development. The group participated in a grueling process to develop guidelines that B&LT is attempting to ignore with a planned 124-room hotel. The DSSD is digging in its heels and getting strong support from within Stamford, because, despite the Times focus on this single issue, Kuehner and Harbor Point have come under fire repeatedly in recent months for behavior that indicates a consistent, disdainful attitutde toward standards, rules and anyone that attempts to defend them.

The Harbor Point site has been the subject of repeated demonstrations by union carpenters calling attention to the presence of subcontractors on site who do not pay area standard wages and benefits for carpenters on all of their projects.

Local residents became upset and demanded answers from B&LT and Stamford City officials when a previously existing boathouse was demolished in defiance of an agreement to maintain a full service boatyard at the site. Mayor Michael Pavia seemed curiously ignorant of the situation until asked by reporters. The Zoning Board later ordered BLT to stop demolition work.

Not long after, an article in the Stamford Advocate headlined "Developer Shows Signs of Disregarding Rules" detailed a number of instances where the Kuehner and BLT acted as if they were entitled to do just about whatever they wanted at Harbor Point, including trying to restrict the public from using public playgrounds and parking spaces, illegally blocking streets and building without permits.

In recent weeks, union claims about improper treatment of workers were borne out when the Department of Labor issued Stop Work Orders against 8 subcontractors working at Harbor Point for violating wage, hour or insurance laws. Three of the companies were charged with returning to work in defiance of previous Stop Work Orders without permission from the DOL.

The issue is not new to BLT or the construction industry. Subcontractors on other BLT projects had been the subject of at least eight Stop Work Orders for misclassifying workers and other violations. One subcontractor, Heritage Drywall, was ordered to pay more than $100,000 in owed wages and penalties on a BLT project. A reporter permitted to do a "ride along" with the DOL on the Harbor Point visit put it in a greater context of an industry spiraling out of control and costing honest businesses and taxpayers more than they know.

Despite the current "speed bumps," the Harbor Point project and a companion hotel will undoubtedly be completed in some fashion and will benefit the City. But Stamford and its residents might suggest a few flashing yellow or red lights for those dealing with Kuehner and BLT in the future.

 

Stop work orders issued at Harbor Point, media depicts industry mess
Posted by NERCC on February 17, 2012 at 10:55 AM

The Connecticut Department of Labor's Wages & Workplace Standards Division, has issued "Stop Work Orders" against eight contractors working on the Harbor Point project in Stamford, continuing a string of bad practices and bad press for the city and the project's developer, Carl Kuehner's Building and Land Technology (BLT).

The Stamford Advocate has run a significant story on the orders, as well as an excellent piece detailing the Department of Labor's efforts to confront extensive problems in the construction industry. Both are well worth reading and sharing.

Avilik Inc., Flagg World, M&M Construction, Pillar Construction, T.F. Andrews, Brothers Contracting, Continental Tile and Kitchen Classics were the companies cited for various violations of wage, hour, insurance or tax laws by the Department of Labor's Stop Fraud Unit. None of the companies are based in Connecticut. Some are only as close as New York, some have come from as far away as Maryland, according to the Advocate.

Three of those companies--Brothers Contracting, Continental Tile and Kitchen Classics--are being charged with violating a previous stop work order by going back to work without clearence by the DOL.

The project has come under intense criticism in Stamford, where citizens feel the developer and oher companies based in Harbor Point has been given too much control with little or no oversight. Union carpenters have started an online petition calling for Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia to step in and give residents more of a voice. Please read and consider signing the petition here.

Despite assaults, unionization rates hold steady
Posted by NERCC on January 30, 2012 at 11:46 AM

While Republicans Governors and legislatures in the United States mounted a withering attack on public sector workers in 2011, rates of unionization among workers in the country remained steady, with some potentially positive signs for the future.

John Schmitt and Jannelle Jones from the Center for Economic Policy and Research broke down the numbers (reporduced in a post on truth-out.org over the weekend). In the public sector, the number of union members declined slightly in 2011, but union density went up. In the private sector, which has seen a greater decline in union members and union density over the years, the number of union members went up with union density holding steady.

The numbers indicate that even though there are fewer union jobs in the public sector, union jobs are being cut at a lower rate than nonunion positions. The increase in the number of union jobs in the private sector is also a positive indicator that anti-union efforts were not as successful in 2011.

Time will tell if the numbers indicate a reaction to attacks on union rights, which exploded on the public scene in Wisconsin and other states early in 2011 or a manifestation of the same frustration with economic inequality that spurred the "Occupy" movements later in the year. But they are good news for American workers.

Carpenters demonstrating against Baker Concrete
Posted by NERCC on January 20, 2012 at 01:12 PM

Union Carpenters in southwestern Connecticut held an area standards demonstration yesterday at Commons Park on Crosby Street in Stamford to bring attention the business practices of Baker Concrete. The Ohio-based company does not meet area standards for wages and benefits for carpenters on all of their projects.

Baker is currently performing concrete work as part of the massive development at Harbor Point. The owner and development of the project is Building and Land Technology (BLT). Baker Concrete is the latest in a string of questionable subcontractors used on BLT developments. Subcontractors on BLT projects have been the subject of at least eight "Stop Work Orders" for misclassifying workers and other violations. One subcontractor, Heritage Drywall, was ordered to pay more than $100,000 in owed wages and penalties on a BLT project.

Ted Duarte, a Representative of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters said trades workers and community members will be demonstrating because Baker Concrete's attempts to undermine area standards is not only bad for the area construction industry but the regional economy.

“Most workers on this project are from out of state and that’s obviously not a good thing for area residents," he said. "It's taking jobs from local people, taking money out of the local economy and undermining standards for local workers in the future."

The demonstration was covered by local media, including the Stamford Advocate and video of Duarte commenting at the site of the demonstration were posted on YouTube (see below)

State investigating use of shelter workers at Boston Marriott
Posted by NERCC on January 20, 2012 at 01:11 PM

A prominent article in the Boston Globe today revealed that state investigators are looking into the use and treatment of out-of-state shelter workers in the renovation of rooms at the Boston Copley Marriott. Union carpenters, painters and other union members have been demonstrating twice a week for months at the site against Baystate Interiors, Inc. of Woburn for undermining area standard for carpenters' wages and benefits.

Baystate is renovating several floors of rooms at the pricey downtown hotel owned by Host Hotels and using a California-based company named Installations Plus. Installations is using workers from a missionary shelter in Philadelphia to do work at the Marriott and allegedly violating wage and hour laws to do it.

The workers come from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation shelter in Philadelphia run by Victory Outreach International, an evangelical group based in the San Diego area.

“Our concern is that Host Hotels is trying to take advantage of the recession by bringing in out-of-state laborers to do work that has traditionally been done by local union tradespeople,’’ said Mark Erlich, president of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters.

The investigation is not the first trouble enforcement authorities have found on the site. The subcontractors working on the project--including Installations Plus--have been issued "Stop Work Orders" and paid fines for not having proper workers' compensation insurance.

Click here to view a NERCC-produced video about the demonstrations at the Boston Copley Marriott.

Boston.com features union project
Posted by NERCC on January 10, 2012 at 02:51 PM

Work by the members of Carpenters Local 275 and Turner Construction at the soon-to-be-open Wellesley High School was featured at the top center of Boston.com today. The online arm of the Boston Globe posted close to 20 large photos detailing various aspects of the project.

You can view the images here.

Indiana carpenters confront tough times
Posted by NERCC on January 09, 2012 at 08:46 AM

Fifty millworkers who are members of UBC Local 8093 working for Indiana Limestone Company have been on strike through the holidays after unanimously rejecting a concessionary contract. Difficult economic times have forced many Americans and union members to watch wages and working conditions slip backwards. And though they have not blindly agreed to every concession demanded of employers, union members and Americans have been flexible and realistic in working with employers to strike a balance between business viability and protecting a decent standard of living.

What's at play in Indiana, though, may have less to do with recent economic conditions than it does with the move my many American businesses from family run and privately owned to investor owned or publicly traded.

A piece by Joseph Varga for LaborNotes explains.

Resilience is the new player in Indiana’s limestone industry. Like Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital, Resilience specializes in “flipping” mid-range “stressed” companies like Indiana Limestone. The private equity firm buys them up, strips them down, lowers their labor costs, and sells them to investors.

It’s the same process that has occurred throughout the country for the past 30 years, turning family-owned businesses into “lean and mean” concerns, in the process destroying good union jobs and shrinking the tax base in communities that are struggling to survive.

While company officials make the usual statements about being fair-minded corporate citizens, the fact is that there had been only one other brief strike in Indiana Limestone’s long history, while in two years Resilience had made it clear it was only about lowering costs in order to resell.

According to the article, among the concessions sought by Resilience are elimination of "just cause" standards for discipline and an end to safety meetings, though the work done can be extremely dangerous.

Varga's piece goes on to detail the context in which the strike is taking place. The state has been at the forefront of battles over rescinding collective bargaining rights and enacting so-called "right to work" laws. It has also seen some pushback from workers--both union and nonunion--as well as younger citizens who have become involved in the "occupy" movement.

New understandings and alliances have been forming between the workers and young people eager to get involved and make a lasting difference in the future.

There's no happy ending to the story, at least yet. And there may not be. But one can't help feeling there could be better results in the future if the conversations between workers and their neighbors continue, creating a better understanding of each other and the common problems they face.

New Year's resolution in New Hampshire
Posted by NERCC on January 09, 2012 at 08:27 AM

The Nashua Telegraph yesterday published a piece by Mark Mackenzie, President of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO calling for a New Year's resolution to help workers in 2012. The piece was a good summary of what workers want and deserve, but aren't gettingin today's America. Click through to read the piece and consider sharing it with others.

California to attack underground economy
Posted by NERCC on January 03, 2012 at 08:01 AM

Fed up with billions of dollars in lost tax revenue and a business community that is increasingly upset by being put at a competitive disadvantage, California is vowing to make a major push to crackdown on businesses that misclassify workers as independent contractors to avoid paying unemployment insurance, workers compensation coverage and other required feeds. The Los Angeles Times reports.

CTA Bannering gets press in Tewksbury
Posted by NERCC on December 28, 2011 at 11:15 AM

The Lowell Sun reported on bannering by union carpenters, who were highlighting both quality issues with CTA and their questionable selection of subcontractors, at the Tewksbury Town Hall.

This is not the first time the company has appeared in the Lowell Sun. CTA received bad press in late October in regards to a school project in Billerica, MA.

 

Troubling state of affairs in Stamford
Posted by NERCC on December 16, 2011 at 10:29 AM

John Cunningham, Business Manager for Carpenters Local 210, has written an opinion piece, published in the Stamford Advocate today highlighting some very dangerous trends in the area's construction industry. A young trades worker was killed when he was blown off a roof in a very preventable accident. He and his brothers were owed more than $6,000 in wages, according to reports. Stop Work Orders issued against contractors who don't carry workers' compensation insurance for their crews or who misclassify workers to avoid payroll taxes and their share of other "safety net" programs are becoming more and more common. Major projects being done by major developers are involved.

The last few months should serve as something of a wake-up call for everyone from workers to elected officials and everyone in between. It is especially necessary that general contractors, construction managers and developers begin to pay more attention to what is actually happening on their sites.

Union carpenters have also begun to make more noise in the streets, demonstrating and asking people to pay a more attention to these very serious issues. The industry needs basic standards for how work is done and how workers are treated. Contractors who only focus on getting jobs, investors interested in only profits and elected officials interested in only ribbon cuttings and job creation statistics can not be relied on to follow through. Union carpenters intend to lead the fight.

Chelsea Piers sub arrested
Posted by NERCC on December 13, 2011 at 03:21 PM

Connecticut State Police last week arrested John Dosky on multiple felony charges of nonpayment of wages for work performed at the Chelsea Piers project, according to the Stamford Advocate. Dosky is the owner of American Building Group, for whom Javiar Salinas was working when he was killed in late October after being blown off a 50-foot roof by wind. Salinas was not wearing a harness or any safety equipment and no ABG employees were given safety training.

Salinas and his brothers are owed close to $8,000 from Dosky and American Building Group, which was one of three companies on the site issued Stop Work Orders after the accident for misclassifying workers as independent contractors.

Chelsea Piers is a high profile sports complex being built on 28 acres of land that formerly housed offices and manufacturing for the Clairol company. Just hours before Salinas' death, NBC Sports announced plans to move 450 jobs to the site.

Union carpenters have been demonstrating regularly at the Chelsea Piers site and plan to be front and center for Dosky's court appearance on Wednesday.
 

CBS covers misclassification
Posted by NERCC on December 06, 2011 at 08:17 AM

Misclassification of workers is rampant in the construction industry. If you are a union carpenter, you and your fellow Brothers and Sisters are being denied work opportunities because of this issue. It is used as a tactic by nonunion subcontractors who do it to artificially lower their bids. Union contractors--and nonunion ones that play by the rules--are put at at significant competitive disadvantage.

Click below to see a story done by CBS News about how misclassification is being used in the trucking industry. Though it is a different industry, the story gives a very clear idea of how and why employers use this kind of scheme in the construction industry.

 

 

CTA gets more bad press
Posted by NERCC on October 31, 2011 at 04:55 PM

After the Billerica Minuteman's piece on problems at the Parker School, the Lowell Sun has now published a piece on the controversy surrounding the use of a debarred contractors and the owner of a debarred contractor working on site for a new company apparently started by his wife.

CTA's supervision of the project and the poor work done as a result was the subject of a scathing letter by the principal of an engineering firm hired to work on the project.

The lack of oversight and avoidance of accountability is hard to accept in the current economy. How many honest contractors who employ local workers are pushed aside and struggle to keep their doors open when owners and general contractors allow these practices to occur?

Earlier post on this project.

Globe goes beyond construction employment numbers
Posted by NERCC on August 17, 2011 at 12:00 AM

The Boston Globe this weekend ran a piece that scratched just a bit beyond the surface of unemployment in the construction industry. Local 56 Pile Driver Barry Beaudoin and Local 40 Carpenter Vionet Montano were interviewed for the article, as was NERCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mark Erlich.

Best practices program highlighted in HBJ
Posted by NERCC on August 01, 2011 at 12:00 AM

The Hartford Business Journal this week showcased the union's use of the UBC's "Best Practices in Health Care Construction" program to train carpenters. The specialized training emphasizes the special conditions and concerns that exist while building in active health care facilities and techniques and behaviors that limit the dangers construction brings to a healing environment.

To learn more about the program, visit NERCC's "Health in Building" site or UBCTraining.com.

NERCC in the news
Posted by NERCC on July 12, 2011 at 12:00 AM

The Daily Hampshire Gazette published a story today about the rennovation of the historic James House in Northampton into space for two community groups; The Literacy Project (TLP) and the Center for New Americans (CNA). The rennovation was done with the help of union carpenters.

Brother Jon Avery was on hand and quoted in the story:
"We're part of this community," said John Avery, a representative from the local carpenters union, explaining why Local 108 got involved. "We believe in all of the things that government does."

Read the entire story here.

~~~~~~~~~~

The MetroWest Daily News published a story on a public meeting held in Framingham by Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray. Brother Steve Joyce was on hand and quoted asking a question about construction jobs.

Read the story here.

Worcester members build a garden for the village
Posted by NERCC on May 10, 2011 at 12:00 AM

This weekend, members of Carpenters Local 107 and YouthBuild lent their skills to a garden project at the Plumley Village housing development. Raised garden frames were built by YouthBuild and then installed by members of Local 107. The project was supported by numerous city and state groups. Twenty-four families living in Plumley Village have already signed up for plots in the new garden.

The carpenters' work drew the attention of wrcstr.com, which posted about the project complete with photos.

Helping out on the project were Brothers Fred Taylor, Wayne Johnson, Sean Peek, Jim Turner, Luis Tirado & Manny Gines

All photos courtesy of Mike Benedetti.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Carpenters Center wins Chapter Energy Project Award
Posted by NERCC on April 13, 2011 at 12:00 AM

As reported in the New England Real Estate Journal

The Association of Energy Engineers New England selected the Carpenters Center, the new headquarters for the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC), as a recipient for their annual Chapter Energy Project Award. This award honors projects with energy-conscious design. The Carpenters Center was recognized for its outstanding use of energy and energy savings.

RDK Engineers joined forces with architect and design firm ADD Inc and provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, audio-visual, and commissioning services for the new center located between 1-93 and Dorchester Ave. With the creation of this new three-story building, fully equipped with a 30-foot LED sign that is used to promote the carpentry trade, motorists on the Southeast Expressway have a new landmark to appreciate on their commutes in and out of Boston. The facility was converted from an abandoned two-story commercial building to a three-story, 75,000 s/f center which will train 2,000 students per year. In addition to student classrooms, the renovated space also contains state-of-the-art offices, a conveniently located bank, and an eye-care center for union members. The center also includes energy-efficient lighting features such as incandescent lights with motion sensors and automatic shut-off.

"RDK Engineers has long been committed to sustainable and energy-efficient design practices," said RDK principal Pat Murphy. "The RDK project team truly enjoyed partnering with the New England Regional Council of Carpenters and ADD Inc on a center that was designed to suit the needs of everyone in the Carpenters' Union. We are proud to have been a part of this unique opportunity."

You also read this story on the NEREJ website.

Carpenters Center wins award from the Association of Energy Engineers New England
Posted by NERCC on April 13, 2011 at 12:00 AM

As reported in the New England Real Estate Journal

The Association of Energy Engineers New England selected the Carpenters Center, the new headquarters for the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC), as a recipient for their annual Chapter Energy Project Award. This award honors projects with energy-conscious design. The Carpenters Center was recognized for its outstanding use of energy and energy savings.

RDK Engineers joined forces with architect and design firm ADD Inc and provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, audio-visual, and commissioning services for the new center located between 1-93 and Dorchester Ave. With the creation of this new three-story building, fully equipped with a 30-foot LED sign that is used to promote the carpentry trade, motorists on the Southeast Expressway have a new landmark to appreciate on their commutes in and out of Boston. The facility was converted from an abandoned two-story commercial building to a three-story, 75,000 s/f center which will train 2,000 students per year. In addition to student classrooms, the renovated space also contains state-of-the-art offices, a conveniently located bank, and an eye-care center for union members. The center also includes energy-efficient lighting features such as incandescent lights with motion sensors and automatic shut-off.

"RDK Engineers has long been committed to sustainable and energy-efficient design practices," said RDK principal Pat Murphy. "The RDK project team truly enjoyed partnering with the New England Regional Council of Carpenters and ADD Inc on a center that was designed to suit the needs of everyone in the Carpenters' Union. We are proud to have been a part of this unique opportunity."

You also read this story on the NEREJ website.

Globe features Erlich piece
Posted by NERCC on February 23, 2011 at 12:00 AM

The Boston Globe today published an opinion piece by Mark Erlich, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters.

Please read and share.

Scapegoats in Wisconsin
Why is the middle class demonized when Wall Street is the problem?

WE ARE in the third winter of the recession; 26 million Americans are out of work, cannot find full-time work, or have given up looking for work, and $11 trillion in household wealth has vanished.

As winter turns to spring, there is an evolving perspective on the crisis, shifting from an attempt to identify the causes to blaming the victims.

Congress is aggressively looking to eliminate regulatory excesses that are presumably hindering economic recovery only weeks after the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, appointed by Congress in 2009, issued a report concluding that the crash was caused by 30 years of deregulation, the stripping of key safeguards, and an overly optimistic reliance on self-regulation by large financial institutions. If the Republican approach were part of a homicide investigation, it would be as if the detectives had removed the smoking guns from the perpetrators’ hands and arrested the corpses.

Wisconsin is only the most dramatic site of a broader strategy of absolving Wall Street and scapegoating public employees and their unions. While there are legitimate and critical public policy issues about education reform, spiraling health costs, and pension liabilities at a time of state and municipal budget deficits, why is the fault laid at the feet of teachers, police, and firefighters? Today’s pension obligations are the product of massive investment losses, not excessively generous public pensions that, in fact, average about $19,000 a year. For that matter, a 2010 Economic Policy Institute study showed that, controlled for educational achievement, public sector workers actually earn less than their private sector counterparts.

With corporate profits at record levels, strong bank balance sheets, along with the return of large compensation packages in the financial sector, the commission’s reminder that the continuing devastation of the crisis was entirely avoidable is worth remembering. It was not the invisible hand of the free market but rather “the result of human action and inaction,’’ a reckless environment in which the five major investment banks had leverage ratios (assets protected by capital) as high as 40 to 1.

For a brief moment after the economy fell off the cliff, the excesses of financial manipulations put broader social and economic questions back on the table. Why, for example, does the United States rank 31st out of the world’s 33 most advanced economies in terms of income inequality, more unequal than Third World countries such as Guyana, Nicaragua, and Venezuela? Why, according to the Census Bureau, has inequality increased by 22 percent, and why have the wealthiest 5 percent expanded their share of total income by 32 percent since 1980? And why, during the same period, has average family income climbed less than 1 percent a year, especially when there are far more two-income earners in most families?

The emergence of an American middle class coincided with the growth of unions, and the rise in inequality has accompanied their decline. The myth of the American dream, of the United States as a meritocracy in which economic opportunity is universally available, has never been more in question. Children from upper income families are now 20 times more likely to have high incomes of their own than children from low income families. Classic rags-to-riches stories are limited to professional athletes, celebrities, and fortunate individuals who manage to beat the odds.

Why does the gulf in economic equality matter? Research has repeatedly shown that negative indicators for health, educational performance, economic mobility, and a broad array of social issues are correlated with income inequality. The more unequal a society, the less likely its citizens will have a stake in pulling in the same direction. A generation ago, non-union workers often welcomed news of improved wages and benefits for unionized employees, recognizing that a rising tide lifts all boats. But today’s waters are murkier. At a time of sacrifice and insecurity, many would prefer to sink their neighbor’s slightly bigger boat while wistfully hoping for a glance at a yacht in a gated marina.

The demonization of public employees is a calculated strategy to steer the political spotlight away from those who brought us the recession. If the focus is not shifted back to the root causes of the crisis, in the words of the commission, it will happen again.

Mark Erlich is executive secretary-treasurer of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters.

Follow up from Fox 5 in Georgia
Posted by NERCC on February 22, 2011 at 12:00 AM

The Local Fox affiliate in Georgia that ran a piece about illegal immigrants being hired to work on public school projects in that state has run a follow-up. The second piece focuses on a group of more than 50 workers who were not paid for work they performed for a masonry contractor.

I-Team: Hiring Illegal Immigrants Pt. 2: MyFoxATLANTA.com

Schools, GCs play "hear no evil, see no evil..."
Posted by NERCC on February 17, 2011 at 12:00 AM

I-Team: Hiring Illegal Immigrants: MyFoxATLANTA.com

A Fox station in Georgia--and Georgia workers--take up some of the same issues NERCC has been working on. In this case it is immigrant workers building public schools without any attempt to verify their status. This is despite laws in Georgia requiring the use of the federal e-verify system.

The workers are not hired by the general contractor or even a subcontractor. They're brought in by a subcontractor to a subcontractor and are each paid as so-called "independent contractors" themselves.

When the reporter confronts the general contractor--the one who celebrates their winning low bid and will brag about the project's completion at the end--they shrug and claim to not know and not be responsible. The subcontractor doesn't respond to requests for information.

So who's responsible for the project and the laws being broken on them in the name of lowering the project cost? Whether it's the employment of undocumented workers or the classification of workers to cheat the government out of revenue and the workers out of basic protections, there are crimes being committed. The victims of the crimes are:
--The people in the industry who play by the rules and, therefore, can't compete.
--Workers who can't get jobs because they won't give up their protections and can't afford to work for what illegal immigrants do.
--Entire communities, which must struggle with budget crisis's exacerbated by cheating employers.