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Valued Member of The Local One:
With Unity there is Strength. Those words are very powerful especially if you live by them. As of February 11th, 2005, the picket lines have been removed from 15 Broad Street. The owners of 15 Broad Street are in negotiations with the construction building trades council. We must thank all the Brothers and Sister who gave up their lunch hours and time after work to sit on the picket line downtown and demonstrated uptown. There was not a day when one of our Brothers and Sisters didn’t help that picket line be strong and we thank you for that. To learn about any further picket lines or demonstrations log onto www.iuec1.org.
There are companies out there that are fueling the exodus of American jobs. I have been reading a lot about one such company, “Wal-Mart.” It is the largest and most profitable company in the United States, employing 1.3 million workers and taking in 9.1 billion in profits for 2004. They come up into communities and force local businesses to close and other retailers to adopt low wages and benefit practices that Wal-Mart has. Wal-Mart associates and employees are paid an average $7.50 to $8.50 an hour and work 32 hours a week. At $8.50 an hour, working 32 hours a week, a Wal-Mart employee earns $14,144 annually. Less than $15,600 is the federal poverty line for a family of four.
The real question is how does this affect you since you are not a Wal-Mart employee. The first way it does effect you is that since these wages are so low, they cannot afford to buy into a health coverage plan. As a result, they are forced to turn to tax payer- funded health services. Taxpayers regularly pick up the tab for Wal-Mart nationwide. Each Wal-Mart store with 200 employees costs taxpayers an average of $420,750 annually in social services, such as subsidized housing and health care, according to everyday low wages.
The problems Wal-Mart creates go well beyond the company’s employment practices though Wal-Mart squeezes its suppliers for impossibly low prices, forcing production and good jobs to China and other countries. Wal-Mart alone imports 15 billion in goods each year from China.
Addressing Wal-Mart of America must be a key component of the union movements, and efforts to restore good jobs and strengthen the nation’s middle class. A multipronged, union-movement-wide campaign will challenge the policies of corporations such as Wal-Mart that drain taxpayers dollars from communities, deny workers family supporting wages and benefits, and drastically lower employment standards throughout the whole industries. Until their standards change we must fight to keep companies like this out of our neighborhoods. If you would like to find out more about Wal-Mart, log onto www.walmartcostsyou.com.
What’s Happening?
We are forming this year’s picnic committee headed by Brother Bob Stork. If you are interested in being a part of the picnic committee, please e-mail me, or call the hall with your name and telephone number.
Thank You
We appreciate your generosity Brother John Noberini Jr. for you generous donation to Local One.
We would like to thank Brother Ronald Paul for his generous donation to the Local One scholarship fund.
Congratulations
Local One wishes Brother Joesph Peele and Brother Ray Day a healthy and happy retirement.
Sadly Departed
We, at Local One, would like to give our deepest condolences to the family of Retired Brother Jim Hickey. Brother Hickey worked tirelessly as a shop stewart at Otis protecting the rights of our fellow Brothers and Sisters. He will be missed.
Work Safe. Stay Involved.
Lee Pirone .
Local One Brothers at Trump Plaza installing escalators.
Congratulations on your 25-year pin- Charles Booth, Craig Booth, Pete Lana, Ernest Meyer III, Rob Sanborn & Michael E. Santoro Sr.
Proud grandparents, Brother Tom and Debora O'Brien welcome Emily Chiella, born June 11, 2004, showing her support for Local One.
Congratulations on your Local One card.
Posted Online March 12, 2005
