Today is Tuesday, July 17, 2018. I hope everybody who views this site has a great day today and a great week.
CONGRATULATIONS CROATIA ON A GREAT JOB. THOUGH THEY DID NOT WIN THE WORLD CUP THEY PLAYED GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO FRANCE ON WINNING THE WORLD CUP.
The positive thought for today is:
"Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success."
-Shiv Khera
Believe in yourself and hold yourself accountable. Always do what is right even when nobody is around. Your actions can set the tone for success for those around you.
Please remember to go to work on time, work safe, work hard, take your lunch break, leave work on time and take pride in your work.
BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE - BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE AT ALL TIMES AND SUCCESS WILL FIND YOU!
CONGRATULATIONS CROATIA ON A GREAT JOB. THOUGH THEY DID NOT WIN THE WORLD CUP THEY PLAYED GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO FRANCE ON WINNING THE WORLD CUP.
The positive thought for today is:
"Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success."
-Shiv Khera
Believe in yourself and hold yourself accountable. Always do what is right even when nobody is around. Your actions can set the tone for success for those around you.
Please remember to go to work on time, work safe, work hard, take your lunch break, leave work on time and take pride in your work.
BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE - BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE AT ALL TIMES AND SUCCESS WILL FIND YOU!
These Union Members Are Going to War with the Largest Private Development Project in U.S. History
BY Juan Cruz Ferre
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Trades workers rally on January 11 at Hudson Yards, New York. (Photo: Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust)
It’s 6:00 a.m. in a gelid winter morning. A crowd of sturdy bodies, mostly construction workers, packs a corner in Midtown Manhattan. The chants of, “Open shop, broken shop!” can be heard blocks away amidst the cacophony of New York City traffic.
The January 11 weekly rally—one of many continuing to the present—was held in the shadow of a structural behemoth standing at 1,296 feet and scheduled to open in 2019. Hudson Yards is the largest private development project in U.S. history. But while billions of dollars are poured into it every year, the main developer, Related, is trying to reduce costs by hiring non-union labor. Workers of all trades are standing up together to keep the jobs union.
The months-long rallies started in November and endured through the harsh winter, every Thursday morning. Now they continue into the summer, with campaign organizers staging additional rallies on Tuesday afternoons. The campaign, known on social media as #CountMeIn, originated last year in a rank-and-file effort to keep union jobs at Hudson Yards. Every so often, a massive march shakes the streets of mid-town Manhattan.
Related is refusing to sign a new Project Labor Agreement (PLA). Signing such an agreement would prohibit them from employing non-union workers and reduce the labor costs in the second phase of the project. Currently, union workers earn on average 42 percent higher wages than nonunion workers.
PLAs are deals between employers and unions for specific construction projects that override existing collective bargaining agreements. PLAs in the past few decades have typically included concessions from labor in terms of pay and work rules to compel employers to hire union workers. Unfortunately, PLAs often include a no-strike pledge, which requires labor to give up its most powerful weapon against bosses. Related has expressed through their spokesperson Joanna Rose that they “will not negotiate" with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.
Construction boom
In times of economic downturn, employers argue that the only way to keep the shop afloat is by lowering costs, and so workers have to bear part of the burden and tighten their belts for the benefit of all. But when business thrives, only employers reap the profits.
The construction sector has seen vigorous growth after the dust from the economic crash settled. The U.S. construction industry climbed from value-added $547 billion in 2011 to $826 billion in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. New York City’s landscape is, indeed, a microcosm of this construction boom, with cranes and bare-bones-towers springing across the city. Between 2010 and 2016, employment in construction of buildings in New Yorkgrew almost 50 percent, from 30 to over 43 thousand registered workers.
Hudson Yards is by far the most significant private development in the city, with an estimated 4,000 construction workers employed on any given day. Expected to be completed by 2025, the entire project will have cost $25 billion. Although presented as a megaproject built on idle land, Hudson Yards needs to be contrasted with alternative projects proposed for that space.
Tom Angotti, an urban policy scholar and author of New York For Sale, told In These Times, “People in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, local businesses, small businesses, got together and said ‘this is what we want the area to look like.’ They presented their vision. The city patiently listened and then went ahead and structured the Hudson Yards’ deal the way they wanted anyway.”
In January of 2005, the City Council approved the Bloomberg Administration’s plan to re-zone the far West Side of Manhattan to allow the wholesale construction of high-rise towers. Community boards, it is stipulated in the city charter, have to be consulted on development proposals like this one. “But whatever they say,” scholar David Halle at CUNY Graduate Center told In These TImes, “It’s only advisory.” According to Halle, “If they say they love it, it goes through, if they say they don’t like it, it still goes through.”
There is no doubt that this megaproject is changing the physiognomy of Manhattan’s West Side, deepening the gentrification of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. Although developers made sure to include some affordable units in the project, a feature that allows them to build taller, the average cost of a regular unit is out reach for working-class people. Of the building’s 251 apartments, just 63 are affordable units. Other units, meanwhile, rent for high prices, with one-bedroom apartments priced at $5,400 a month. “None of us trades-persons can afford those apartments,” says Mark Davis, a tile setter and member of Local 7. “So, in my opinion, what they consider affordable housing is just an illusion.”
The future of labor
In February, Related filed a federal lawsuit against Mr. LaBarbera. They accused him and the unions working at Hudson Yards of corruption and violation of the labor agreement signed by both parties before starting the construction. The trades council accused Related in court of unlawful labor practices that unfairly targeted workers who supported the #CountMeIn campaign. Other lawsuits were filed against Trade Off and other companies subcontracted by Related, which had employed non-union contractors.
Workers say the real purpose behind Related’s legal attack is to sideline the Building Trades Council and negotiate with individual unions or replace union workers with non-union ones when possible. Initial works in the foundations of 55 Hudson Yards with nonunion workers sparked the outrage of union members at the very earliest stages of the development project. “If you bring someone to work side by side with us and pay him 15 bucks an hour, because that’s what you think he’s worth. And we know that we put our lives in the line day in and day out… It’s a smack in the face to us,” says Desmond Rivers, sheet metal worker at Hudson Yards. Existing frictions within the building trades may allow Related to drive a wedge between them, undermining them all.
The outcome of this battle will have lasting consequences for the labor movement in New York and beyond. In the past few decades, the building trades unions, much like most other unions, have given up concessions to allow their employers to ‘compete with nonunion’ contractors. Anger among workers, particularly among apprentices, has grown for this reason. And the rank-and-file origins of #CountMeIn clearly show that the membership is ready to fight.
The outcome of this landmark struggle may well depend on whether the unions involved can become a vehicle for advancing class struggle, and not cross-class compromise. The #CountMeIn campaign has the potential to break the decades-long decline in union membership in the building trades in New York, especially if it opens an opportunity for the active engagement of the rank and file. This means mobilizing members, but also encouraging them to discuss the next steps and take the campaign in their hands. All in all, winning this battle will likely require the undertaking of bold actions, disruptive pickets and even breaking the law or going on strike if necessary.
Juan Cruz FerreJuan Cruz Ferre is a writer and editor for Left Voice and La Izquierda Diario. He is a political activist and medical doctor from Argentina and is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology at the City University of New York.
ELECTION FOR THE OFFICE OF LOCAL 12 VICE PRESIDENT WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2018
Dear Local 12 Member:
On Saturday, July 21, 2018 – The election for the Local 12 Vice President will be held between 7:00 AM and 12:00 PM. It will be held at:
Local 12 Union Hall
35-53 24th Street
Long Island City, NY 11106
The candidates for Local 12 Vice President: (Vote for one) Ivica “Big John” Begonja #1, Chris Cook #2
Some of the responsibilities of the Local 12 Vice President are as follows:
The Vice President in the absence of the President shall perform all duties of the President.
The Vice President shall be the chairman at all meetings of the executive board.
Should the office of the President become vacant, the Vice President automatically becomes the President for the remainder of the President’s term.
The Vice President is and alternate Trustee to the Benefit Funds of Local 12 and they are the Welfare Fund, Pension Fund, Annuity Fund, Vacation Fund and the AJEF.
The Vice President attends all Trustees Meetings for the Benefit Funds of Local 12. In the event one of the Union Trustees is unable to attend a Trustees Meeting the Vice President acts as the replacement of the Union Trustee. Which means the Vice President has the power to vote on any and all motions that may be proposed at the meeting regarding all policies of the Benefit Funds of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12.
The Vice President is part of the Local 12 Contract Negotiating Team. That means the Vice President will be part of the negotiating team of the next contract in 2020.
The Vice President represents Local 12 on the job as well at all meetings and functions that pertain to Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12.
Your vote counts. Make your voice heard and come down and vote on Saturday, July 21, 2018. If you cannot make it on Saturday July 21, 2018 you may cast an absentee ballot all the way up to Friday, July 20, 2018. You cannot request an absentee ballot through the mail at this time. If you wish to cast an absentee ballot you must go directly to Honest Ballot.
To be eligible to vote a member must be in good standing in accordance with the rules of the Constitution and By Laws of the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers; under Article XIII Initiation Fees, Fines, Assessments and Dues Section 5 it states: “Members in good standing are those with dues and all other arrearages paid up to and including the second previous month as set forth in Section 4 of this Article.” This means your dues must be paid up to date as well as any fines or assessments that have been levied against you.
A member can cast a vote at Honest Ballot up until the day before the election. You must contact Honest Ballot directly to cast an absentee ballot. You can no longer mail in an absentee ballot if you wish to cast an absentee ballot you must go to Honest Ballot and vote at their location. Honest Ballot is located at 27246 Grand Central Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11005. They are open on Thursday and Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. To contact Honest Ballot by phone you can call them at 800-541-1851. Their website is www.honestballot.com
Good Luck to both of the candidates who are running for Local 12 Vice President. Thank you for your commitment to Local 12.
Sincerely and Fraternally Yours,
Al Wassell
Fund Manager
Benefit Funds of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12
PROUD MEMBER OF HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS LOCAL 12
YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ME IN!
SUPPORT EACH OTHER!
AS A MEMBER OF LOCAL 12 YOU ARE YOUR BROTHER’S AND SISTER’S KEEPER!
SUPPORT THE TROOPS!
Dear Local 12 Member:
On Saturday, July 21, 2018 there will be an election for the Vice President position. The election of Vice- President will be held between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. at the Local 12 Union Hall, 35-53 24th Street, Long Island City, New York, 11106.
To be eligible to vote a member must be in good standing in accordance with the rules of the Constitution and By Laws of the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers; under Article XIII Initiation Fees, Fines, Assessments and Dues Section 5 it states: “Members in good standing are those with dues and all other arrearages paid up to and including the second previous month as set forth in Section 4 of this Article.” This means your dues must be paid up to date as well as any fines or assessments that have been levied against you.
Absentee ballots are available for those unable to attend the vote through Honest Ballot. Each request must be received by Honest Ballot at 27246 Grand Central Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11005, in writing no less than ten (10) days prior to the day of election. A member could also cast a vote at Honest Ballot up until the day before the election. You must contact Honest Ballot directly to cast an absentee ballot. You cannot email your request and you cannot contact the Local 12 Union Hall to request an absentee ballot.
Vice President: (Vote for one) Ivica “Big John” Begonja #1, Chris Cook #2
Sincerely and Fraternally Yours,
John Jovic
Business Manager-Financial Secretary Treasurer
TODAY IN LABOR HISTORY JULY 17
Two ammunition ships explode at Port Chicago, Calif., killing 322, including 202 African-Americans assigned by the Navy to handle explosives. It was the worst home-front disaster of World War II. The resulting refusal of 258 African-Americans to return to the dangerous work underpinned the trial and conviction of 50 of the men in what is called the Port Chicago Mutiny - July 17, 1944
Two ammunition ships explode at Port Chicago, Calif., killing 322, including 202 African-Americans assigned by the Navy to handle explosives. It was the worst home-front disaster of World War II. The resulting refusal of 258 African-Americans to return to the dangerous work underpinned the trial and conviction of 50 of the men in what is called the Port Chicago Mutiny - July 17, 1944
"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."
Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
ATTENTION ALL LOCAL 12 MEMBERS
THE NEXT REGULAR UNION MEETING WILL BE HELD TONIGHT, THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018. THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 5:00 PM
AND IT WILL BE HELD AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
49-18 QUEENS BLVD.
WOODSIDE, NEW YORK 11377
THE NEXT REGULAR UNION MEETING WILL BE HELD TONIGHT, THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018. THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 5:00 PM
AND IT WILL BE HELD AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
49-18 QUEENS BLVD.
WOODSIDE, NEW YORK 11377
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Local 12:
The Local 12 election results for the election of Local 12 Officers held on Saturday, June 23, 2018 is as follows:
President:
John Bohlmann was elected President
Vice President:
There was a tie between Ivica “Big John” Begonja and Chris Cook. They each received 81 votes. There will be another election for the Local 12 Vice President in July of 2018. You will receive information tomorrow, June 25, 2018 regarding when it will occur.
Executive Board:
Charles Sullivan, Ivan Zanki, Don Johnson, Filip Capalija and Octavio Soares were elected to the Executive Board.
Congratulations to all the newly elected and re-elected officers as well as all those Local 12 Members who had the courage to run for office. All those who participated in the election by voting and those who ran for office should be respected and congratulated for their efforts to move Local 12 forward in the right direction. Congratulations to all of you!
I will be sending out more emails this week.
I hope all is well with all of you and all of your families.
Remember to work safe, work hard and take pride in your work.
If you need my assistance please contact me.
Remember my Brothers and Sisters now is the time to UNITE AND FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER!!!!!!! LOCAL 12 UNITED WE STAND!!!!!!!! THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES WE FACE – WE MUST STAND TOGETHER IN SOLIDARITY AGAINST THE FORCES THAT ARE TRYING TO DESTROY US!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a great week.
In Deepest Solidarity,
Al Wassell
Proud Member of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12
THE NEXT EARLY WITHDRAWAL VACATION FUND CHECKS
WILL BE PRINTED FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018.
THE NEXT EARLY WITHDRAWAL VACATION FUND CHECKS
WILL BE PRINTED FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018.
CONGRATULATIONS TO LOCAL 12 ORGANIZER ANTHONY FAGIOLO ON BEING HONORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JUMAANE WILLIAMS WHO JOINS 100 BLACK CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN HONORING ANTHONY AS WELL AS FIVE OTHER WELL DESERVED LABOR LEADERS ON WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018.
GREAT JOB ANTHONY - YOU DESERVE IT!
GREAT JOB ANTHONY - YOU DESERVE IT!
COUNT ME IN RALLY AT UNION SQUARE IN MANHATTAN ON MAY 8, 2018
LOCAL 12 BUSINESS MANAGER JOHN JOVIC SPEAKS AT THE COUNT ME IN RALLY ON MAY 8, 2018
Unionization: It's Never Been Easy
Almost all current union members were hired into an already represented workplace. But while you personally may have played no role in unionizing your place of work, you can’t assume that those who did had an easy time of it. In the early decades of union organizing in the U.S., it was not unusual for employers to respond to union organizing drives with physical violence. Many of the early industrial unions got their footholds only by standing up to a court system that jailed union supporters, and to the clubs and guns of company thugs. Sometimes the bullets that maimed and killed union supporters and their families were fired by state militias or federal troops, serving as private armies for anti-union employers. Once the union comes in, one battle may be over but the war is far from won. In about one third of newly organized workplaces, using stall and delay tactics, the employer succeeds in preventing the union from ever winning a first contract.
Almost all current union members were hired into an already represented workplace. But while you personally may have played no role in unionizing your place of work, you can’t assume that those who did had an easy time of it. In the early decades of union organizing in the U.S., it was not unusual for employers to respond to union organizing drives with physical violence. Many of the early industrial unions got their footholds only by standing up to a court system that jailed union supporters, and to the clubs and guns of company thugs. Sometimes the bullets that maimed and killed union supporters and their families were fired by state militias or federal troops, serving as private armies for anti-union employers. Once the union comes in, one battle may be over but the war is far from won. In about one third of newly organized workplaces, using stall and delay tactics, the employer succeeds in preventing the union from ever winning a first contract.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2017 FIRST YEAR APPRENTICES OF HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS LOCAL 12
“Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair,
you will do more than simply survive.
You will thrive in spite of it.” —Joel Osteen
you will do more than simply survive.
You will thrive in spite of it.” —Joel Osteen
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"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have."
- Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel,
American theologian, author and educator 1907-1990
- Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel,
American theologian, author and educator 1907-1990
In this expanded edition of Strike! you can read about the General Tire Co. strike as well as other labor-management conflicts that have occurred over the past 140 years. Here you’ll learn much about workers’ struggle to win a degree of justice, from the workers’ point of view.
No Contract, No Peace: A Legal Guide to Contract Campaigns, Strikes and Lockouts: This book is a must-have for any union or activist considering aggressive action to combat management’s growing economic war against workers. No Contract, No Peace! updates information contained in the first edition, entitled Strikes, Picketing and Inside Campaigns, to include reference to recent union activities and NLRB decisions that have affected the labor relations environment. Schwartz’s familiarity with labor and employment law combines with his activist spirit to provide innovative yet practical tips for mounting and maintaining meaningful campaigns designed to build union and workers’ power.
Parliamentary Procedure and Effective Union Meetings: You couldn’t have an effective convention if no one knew how to conduct a meeting. This is a very helpful guide for how to run or participate in a union meeting—not just the formal procedures, but the realities, like how to set an agenda, how to deal with people who just love to hear themselves speak and how to boost attendance, for example.
"You are going to go through tough times that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you. It happens for you’. See the positive in negative events and you will succeed at everything you do. Remember nothing can stop you if you never give up. Remember as a Member of Local 12 you have your fellow Local 12 Members to lean on when times are tough. Local 12 Members support each other in good times and in bad times. True Local 12 Members work through their problems together - we work together to solve the problems we have to build a better life for ourselves and our families."
-Al Wassell
Proud Member of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12
HEAT & FROST INSULATORS LOCAL 12
15-32 127th Street - First Floor - College Point, NY 11356
UNION OFFICE: 718-784-3456
FUNDS OFFICE: 718-784-8883
AJEF: 718-784-1899
Please note due to the upcoming scheduled renovation of our building in Long Island City we have temporarily relocated to 15-32 127th Street - First Floor
College Point NY 11356
15-32 127th Street - First Floor - College Point, NY 11356
UNION OFFICE: 718-784-3456
FUNDS OFFICE: 718-784-8883
AJEF: 718-784-1899
Please note due to the upcoming scheduled renovation of our building in Long Island City we have temporarily relocated to 15-32 127th Street - First Floor
College Point NY 11356
Heat & Frost Insulators Local 12 is committed to delivering proper design, installation and maintenance of mechanical insulation and firestopping in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island.
Local 12 is part of an international union of more than 25,000 members and is recognized as one of the largest, most influential union of trained Heat and Frost Insulators and Firestop Workers in the world. Local 12 ensures workers’ safety through education and continuous training in advanced application techniques while representing the insulation industry at the federal, state and local government levels. Local 12 is proud to say that its members have been part of building the buildings of New York City and its surrounding areas for over 100 years. All Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12 members are Energy Conservation Specialists.
Insulate it’s worth the energy.
Local 12 is part of an international union of more than 25,000 members and is recognized as one of the largest, most influential union of trained Heat and Frost Insulators and Firestop Workers in the world. Local 12 ensures workers’ safety through education and continuous training in advanced application techniques while representing the insulation industry at the federal, state and local government levels. Local 12 is proud to say that its members have been part of building the buildings of New York City and its surrounding areas for over 100 years. All Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12 members are Energy Conservation Specialists.
Insulate it’s worth the energy.
What is Mechanical Insulation? Mechanical insulation, also known as the “forgotten technology”, is thermal insulation used on piping, equipment, and all types of mechanical systems, including boilers, HVAC systems, and ducts. Mechanical insulation serves the following functions:
- Conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Regulate the temperature of process systems
- Condensation control and mold prevention
- Personnel protection from hot or cold surfaces
"SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ASK NOT WHAT MY UNION CAN DO FOR ME BUT WHAT I CAN DO FOR MY UNION."
- Al Wassell
Proud Member of Local 12
Proud American
- Al Wassell
Proud Member of Local 12
Proud American
“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” ~ John Wooden
DO YOU WANT YOUR INSULATION COMPANY TO BECOME A PART OF LOCAL 12 OR DO YOU AS A NON-UNION INSULATOR WANT TO BECOME PART OF LOCAL 12? PLEASE CONTACT US THROUGH THE OPTIONS BELOW:
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This website is administered by Proud Local 12 Member Al Wassell. The opinions and subject matter on this website solely reflect the opinions and thought process of Al Wassell and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and thoughts of the Membership and Officers of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12.
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