Common Ground November 2014 by ricommongroundnews

Rhode Island’s Newspaper for Working Families NOVEMBER 2014

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Labor Leaders United—At Least Against Fung By Common Ground staff

Don’t like Gina Raimondo? Allan Fung isn’t the answer, so say labor leaders. While Raimondo—the first-term state treasurer whose name has become virtually synonymous with pension reform—has managed to garner some support in among private sector unions, she stirs deep resentment among many in the public sector who have been affected or will be by the cuts to retirement benefits she championed. That’s why one WPRI-Providence Journal poll actually showed Fung, who is the Republican candidate for Governor, with a slight lead among union households. But to vote for Fung because you don’t like Raimondo would be a grave mistake—on that point labor leaders who were divided on whom to support in the Democratic primary seemed to have reached a consensus.

“He’s anti-labor and he’s a right-to-work state guy,” said Philip Keefe, vice president of the SEIU state council. “It’s the whole Republican game plan which has gotten us into this predicament,” added Michael Sabitoni, the president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council. Maureen Martin, the secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO said some public employees have come around to supporting Raimondo, despite whatever misgivings they might have had over pension reform. But others just cannot bring themselves to vote for her. “My advice to them is, do not vote for Allan Fung instead,” she said. Tax and spending cut plan draws most fire It is Fung’s plans to make steep cuts in state tax

rates—coupled with a $200 million whack to the state budget—that has local labor leaders most concerned. “The only way you do that is reduce some services, which will reduce the employment,” said Martin, describing it as the wrong direction to take the economy. “You cannot cut yourself out of this problem.” Keefe accused Fung of planning a 5 percent cut in the state workforce. “What 5 percent?” Keefe asks. It’s a target Fung has set without doing any analysis, according to Keefe. “It’s disingenuous and it’s insulting for informed voters,” he added. For Sabitoni, Fung’s plans have an all-too-familiar ring to them. “Liked the Carcieri years? He’s your guy,” Sabitoni said. Sabitoni blames the approach for sinking the state into a full-blown recession and describes Fung’s plans See Fung cont. on page 2

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Workers Prayer Lord Jesus, We offer you this day our works, Our hopes and struggles, Our joys and sorrows.

Give us and all workers of the world The grace to work as you did So that everything we do May benefit our fellowmen and Glorify GOD, our Father. Your Kingdom come Into all factories, farms, offices and into our homes. Give us this day our daily bread, May we receive it without envy or injustice May those of us who, today, may be in danger of sin Remain in Your grace, and May those who died in labor’s field of honor rest in peace. Teach us to be generous, To serve you as you deserve to be served, To give without counting the cost, To fight without minding the wounds, To work and pray as our right and duty, and To spend our life without expecting any return Other than the conviction that We are doing Your holy will. AMEN

NOVEMBER 2014

Nurses Union Warns State May Not Be Fully Prepared for Ebola By Common Ground staff PROVIDENCE - The United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) last month called on Governor Lincoln D. Chafee and health leaders at hospitals and health care facilities across the state to take immediate steps to improve Rhode Island’s level of preparedness for treating patients who test positive for the Ebola virus. “The current disposition of our members reflects widespread concern, confusion, and a lack of confidence in the state’s ability to appropriately ensure patient and caregiver safety with regard to the Ebola virus,” said UNAP president Linda McDonald, RN, at the end of last month. McDonald said that a union survey conducted over the last week found that 80 percent of member respondents said the hospital or health care facility in which they work is not prepared or less prepared to accept and treat a patient who have tested positive for the Ebola virus.

McDonald planned to send a letter to Gov. Chafee, Health Department Director Dr. Michael Fine, as well as to the presidents of all Rhode Island hospitals asking for: • Access, for nurses and caregivers, to optimal personal protective equipment (PPE) for Ebola that meets the highest standards as used at the four special isolation facilities in the U.S. rated for appropriately treating patients who have tested positive for Ebola. • Appropriate staffing to minimize exposure during the donning and removal of the protective garments and equipment. • Frequent and clear protocols that are tested, with drills, to ensure that treatment and protective policies are clear and workable. • The establishment of anterooms and decontamination areas outside of every isolation area in the emergency room and on the isolation unit.

Among the survey’s other findings: • Almost half of all respondents (49.7 percent) said they had not received formal communication regarding procedures or protocol for the Ebola virus. • 47.13 percent said that procedures and protocols had been discussed or disseminated, but not in great detail. • 92 percent said “no” or were unsure when asked if they believed that they have access to the appropriate protective equipment. • As a result of the finding, McDonald said the union is “asking that swift action be taken to ensure the safety of all frontline caregivers, patients, and the public at large.”

“Enacting these policy changes is the right and responsible thing to do,” McDonald said. “We stand ready and willing to work with state and administrative health officials in order to truly make Rhode Island’s health care facilities a place where patients, families, and caregivers can feel safe and protected,” she added. The United Nurses and Allied Professionals is a regional health care union representing more than 6,500 technologists, therapists, support staff, and other health care workers employed in Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut.

Fung cont. from cover to do more of the same as a recipe for disaster. “I haven’t heard him say one thing about job creation,” Sabitoni said. “Everything begins with a C with him—cut,” he added. “Nothing begins with an I—invest.” Right to work an ‘affront’ to labor Taxes and spending aside, labor leaders also are warning their members about Fung’s apparent fondness for right-to-work laws. “We see that as a direct affront to

any progress we can make for workers or the people we provide services to,” Martin said. Then there are other positions that are problematic as well, such Fung’s opposition to further increases to the minimum wage and his lack of support for prevailing wage laws, labor leaders added. In other words, as Martin put it, “When we talk to Allan Fung, it is difficult to find any commonalities.”

Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

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Labor Urges No Vote on Constitutional Convention Question By Common Ground Staff It may sound harmless enough, but labor leaders are warning that a new constitutional convention could turn into an anti-labor free-for-all. They are urging their members to vote no on Question 3, which would authorize the state to hold another election for delegates to the constitutional convention. Their big concern: the deep pockets funding the pro-constitutional convention movement, for whom Rhode Island is an easy mark for anti-labor reforms. “I think it’s obscene when we have sources outside of state dictate our laws, our policies, and our government,” said Philip Keefe, the vice president of the SEIU State Council. “This is a perfect opportunity for people like the Koch Brothers to push their agenda—because they’ve got billions of dollars—and affect working people like you and me.” “People have this weird perception that labor controls everything, that labor is too powerful. It’s exactly the opposite,” said Michael Sabitoni, the president of

the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council. By definition, in a constitutional convention, anything is up for grabs, labor leaders warn. “They could get into a whole bunch of crap. The sky’s the limit. If you’ve got an imagination, you could put it on the ballot,” Sabitoni said. What exactly could a convention do? “Worker rights and civil rights and so many things we work on day in and day out … will be at risk in the constitutional convention process because of the out-of-state money,” said Maureen Martin, the secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. That includes such things as the minimum wage and right-to-work provisions, Sabitoni added. Beyond the direct threat the convention would pose to labor, Sabitoni and others question the prudence of the constitutional revisions process at this point. He says delegates to the convention would not necessarily

have the experience that state lawmakers have. Without that knowledge, inexperienced delegates may not fully grasp the impact of decisions they have to make. Martin warns that there’s a wide margin of error for the delegates to the convention. Plus, unlike lawmakers, there’s little accountability for those delegates: they cannot, unlike lawmakers, be voted out of office for voting against the best interests of the public, Martin noted. Both Martin and Sabitoni instead expressed confidence in the General Assembly. Sabitoni praised the Assembly members for working with the building trades in recent years on legislation to make the state more business-friendly. To be sure, labor may not always get its way on Smith Hill, but at least there’s a reliable process in place for making changes to state law, Martin added. “We think that process works well,” she said. Member ATU Local 618

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Blackstone Valley Prep: Suburban Achievement and Urban Depression By Tom Hoffman Since the opening of the first mayoral academy, now known as Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP), in Cumberland in 2009, a single elementary school has grown into a four-school network and become the flagship of the school reform fleet in Rhode Island. BVP is known as a diverse urban-suburban school that gets the academic results of a suburban school. What has been less noticed is that in surveys its middle school students report the mental health profile of an inner city school. For 15 years, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has conducted extensive annual surveys of students, teachers, parents, and administrators, and publicly released the results for each school. Common Ground has found no other state that releases such detailed survey data at the individual school level, particularly for charter schools. This report is based on analysis of public data from RIDE’s InfoWorks! Web site. The current middle school survey includes three questions related to depression: During the past 12 months, did you ever feel so sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more that you did not feel like doing anything? If students answer “yes” to that question, they are also asked the following two: During the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider killing yourself? During the past 12 months, have you tried to kill yourself? The results of the last two questions are used to generate school-wide rates.

Overall, student responses to these questions are strongly correlated to the rates of free and reduced lunch eligibility, that is, lower incomes and poverty. In other words, higher poverty equals more depression. BVP stands out as an outlier because for each of the three questions above related to student depression it has ranked in top three (i.e., highest reported rate of hopelessness, etc.) each time those questions have been asked, for three consecutive years, despite the fact that it currently ranks 23rd in terms of free and reduced lunch rate, at 62 percent, The best way to understand the BVP data in context is to study the table of results from all Blackstone Valley middle schools, including the rates of student response to the survey and percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch.

2013 SurveyWorks! data from Blackstone Valley Middle Schools

Note that Completion Rate equals the percentage of students who turned in a survey and answered the depression question. One should not read too much into a set of survey questions administered to 11 to 13 year-olds, and this data raises more questions than it answers, but those questions are important and perhaps surprising. On the whole these responses, while troubling, are broadly in line with national historical data, including surveys coordinated by the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For example, in 2011, 10 percent of eighth graders in the DC Public Schools reported having attempted suicide. Superintendent Kaya Henderson’s reaction was “It’s very alarming. I think it is a generalized cry for help.” In 2013, the CDC found that, for the same question about feeling sad or hopeless that RIDE uses, “Across 21 large urban school districts, the prevalence ranged from 21.1 percent to 32.5 percent (median: 28.4 perent). Jeremy Chiappetta, Executive Director of BVP, points out that “there is no evidence to suggest that (the difference in responses) is due to school-based factors.” Indeed, the table suggests that very different schools serving a high-poverty population in the Blackstone Valley get largely the same outcomes on this report of student mental health. This is disappointing considering, for example, the Segue Institute was named the second RIASCD Whole Child recognized school in 2013, for demonstrating “what it means to engage the community See BVP cont. on page 5

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401.751.5522 ley middle schools had a skip rate of 2 percent to 7 percent, with the exception of Calcutt Middle, where 13 percent skipped the question. This suggests that the impact of student comfort with the question is moderate. Similarly, the percentage of students in each school who turn in a survey at all varies somewhat, but all Blackstone Valley middle schools were over 90 percent, except for McCourt Middle, where only 75 percent of students submitted a survey. Given that non-completing students are likely biased toward being depressed (thus perhaps missing school or not wanting to answer “yes”), and that charters have higher response rates, it is reasonable to assume that there would not a significant difference between the high-poverty charters and high-poverty district schools if they all had 100 percent completion. What is surprising about Blackstone Valley Prep is that from the point of view of student responses about depression and suicide, it looks like an urban core highpoverty school, but it has the free and reduced lunch rate of an inner-ring suburban school, as one might find in Cranston, East Providence, or Newport. For example, Frank E. Thompson Middle School in Newport has a 64 percent free and reduced lunch rate and a 93 percent completion rate for the depression ques-

tions, like BVP, but 12 percent fewer students reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness at Frank Thompson than at BVP. There are now four BVP schools, and in coming years there will be seven. In October, the state Board of Education gave preliminary approval to a new mayoral academy modeled on BVP, called RISE Academy, that will eventually serve 700 students in Woonsocket, Burrillville, and North Smithfield. BVP is not simply a school, but the leading edge of an effort funded by some of the wealthiest people in the world, including the Walmart Walton family and Bill Gates, to transform how Rhode Island governs and funds its schools. It leverages marketing and lobbying on a level never before seen at the school level. The mayoral academy model is explicitly anti-union, antiprevailing wage, and anti-pension. But beyond all that, we must be vigilant in monitoring the effect these rapidly growing schools have on the children they serve. The evidence from BVP Middle School is that while their “joyful, high-expectations, high-support school culture,” may serve some students very well, a significant minority of others may be left awash in hopelessness. Tom Hoffman is an education and technology consultant in Providence.

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Twin River Dealers Vote to Join Union By Common Ground staff Last month, the dealers at Twin River Casino in Lincoln overwhelmingly voted to join the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the union announced last month. Dealers who turned out for an Oct. 10 vote chose LiUNA by an overwhelming margin of 83 percent. Out of those voting, 216 went with the international, 41 voted to not unionize, and 2 went with an unidentified third union that was contending to represent them, according to figures provided to Common Ground by the Laborers. As a result the Laborers will now be representing 383 dealers at Twin River. (Turnout for the vote was less than 100 percent of all those that will be represented.)

The election was done by secret ballot and was overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. “This is an important and resounding victory for the hard working dealers at Twin River Casino. Courageously they banded together, exercising their right to join a union to collectively bargain and we are proud to welcome them into our Laborers’ family. Now we are eager to negotiate a fair contract in good faith with Twin River,” said Michael Sabitoni, Business Manager for the RI Laborer’s District Council. Sabitoni suggested the vote also had broader implications for the local labor movement. “It’s a significant win in organizing for organized labor,”

he told Common Ground. As gaming expands in the region, he said it means there may be more opportunities to make corresponding gains in

labor membership. By the time of publication, it was expected that the board would have certified the election results. The next step is

for the union to put together a team that will negotiate the first contract for the dealers, according to Sabitoni.

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Governor Chafee Approves Non-Traditional Apprenticeship Program for the Construction Industry News Release Providence, RI— Governor Lincoln D. Chafee joined Charles J. Fogarty, the director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, last month to announce the approval of the state’s fourth non-traditional apprenticeship program—and the second one developed under a program Governor Chafee created and funded in 2013. Established by Gilbane Building Co. in conjunction with Building Futures, during its

first year, this apprenticeship program is expected to train one or two job-ready professionals in the construction industry. “Apprenticeships are one of the most effective pathways into challenging, good-paying careers, and I thank Gilbane and Building Futures for working together on this project,” Chafee said. “For more than 75 years, hundreds of thousands of employers across the

United States have used the apprenticeship model to recruit, train, and retain workers with the right skills. I believe that by investing in talent, we keep pace with the latest advances in growth sectors and help meet anticipated workforce shortages in other industries such as construction.” Building Futures is a construction industry coalition comprised of government, private, and nonprofit See Apprenticeship cont. on page 8

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Apprenticeship cont. from page 7 members and is funded in part through the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council. Chafee’s proposed fiscal year 2014 budget allocated up to $150,000 to develop core elements of non-traditional apprenticeship programs. These components include classroom instruction using the highest industry standards, and earnwhile-you-learn on-the-job training and sponsors, which can be single employers, multiemployer partnerships, or unions. “The sponsorships are vital because they’re true partnerships and because companies and trade unions know their industries, and the skills that they need to cultivate to build an agile workforce,” Fogarty said. “At the same time, companies can realize a number of benefits from implementing apprenticeships such as creating customized training to develop a highly skilled workforce and stay ahead of the competition, reducing turnover and liability costs and improving productivity, profitability, and their bottom line.” “The construction industry is facing some serious challenges in the near- and long-term that include an anticipated shortage of trained labor and a dwindling number of highly skilled profes-

sionals entering the workforce. This apprenticeship program offers a creative, non-traditional way to increase the talent pool that we need to tap into for these essential industry roles while, at the same time, providing college credit and real-life experience to those who may not have the means to acquire them otherwise,” said Pierre LaPerriere, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources for Gilbane Building Company. He added: “Based on the program’s success in Rhode Island, our vision is to replicate the program at other Gilbane locations around the country so we can boost interest in these important positions, help fill a pressing need for experienced workers and create career opportunities for women, minority and veterans groups seeking a path to good paying jobs.” “Gilbane has demonstrated its leadership in the construction industry yet again; in partnership, this innovative ‘whitecollar’ registered apprenticeship program will demonstrate the power of apprenticeship to effectively develop careers beyond the traditional building trades occupations,” Andrew Cortés, Director of Building Futures, said. “By designing and leveraging this earn-while-you-learn model with us, Gilbane’s ap-

prenticeship program provides an additional approach to further diversify its workforce and incorporates elements of Building Futures’ nationally celebrated pre-apprenticeship program, which extends and expands career opportunities to the Rhode Island residents in the construction industry we serve.” With today’s announcement, Chafee’s administration has now established non-traditional apprenticeships in information technology (February 2012, through the employer sponsorship of Atrion Networking Corp.); the marine trades (March 2013, through industry sponsor the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, and training partner the New England Institute of Technology); computer numerically controlled machining (May 2014) and last month’s announcement for construction managers and cost estimators. Apprenticeships are mostly found in the construction-related trades in occupations such as plumbers, electricians, pipe fitters, sheet metal workers, and ironworkers, among others. Following enactment of the FY 2014 budget by the General Assembly, the Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB), the state’s workforce policy-making body, issued an RFP to establish two

new non-traditional apprenticeship programs. GWB, which selected the computer numerically controlled machining and construction industry apprenticeships in November 2013, has been statutorily charged by the Governor and General Assembly with promoting and developing non-traditional apprenticeships by awarding grants to GWB Industry partnerships. GWB will be doing so again this fall. The State Office of Apprenticeship, led by Bernard Treml III, is a unit of DLT’s Divi-

NOVEMBER 2014 sion of Workforce Regulation and Safety. The office registers, educates about, promotes and expands apprenticeships in Rhode Island. In 2013, this office oversaw 551 apprenticeship programs and more than 1,300 individual agreements. Some 305 apprentices completed their programs in 2013. For more information, contact Michael Healey, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, 401-4628090 or Michael.Healey@DLT. ri.gov.

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Page 11

All Four City Unions Backing Cianci for Mayor By Common Ground Staff All four major city unions in Providence are now backing Vincent “Buddy” Cianci’s second comeback campaign for mayor. Last month Common Ground reported that both the police and fire unions had endorsed the former mayor, who is running as an independent in the race. Since then the remaining two unions have also announced their support. First was the Providence Teachers Union, which announced its support in late September. The Laborers endorsed two days later. The second endorsement was announced by the Rhode Island Laborers’ District Council, (RILDC) which represents 10,000 workers across the state.

One of its locals, Local 1033, specifically represents city workers in Providence. The race pits Cianci against Democratic nominee Jorge Elorza, a former housing court judge and law professor at Roger Williams University. GOP candidate Dan Harrop is also running. Michael Sabitoni, Business Manager for the RILDC said its endorsement ultimately came down to Cianci’s experience. “As we recover from the recession that hit us so hard, we felt it important to consider experience in public service and managing a large city, as Providence is on the cusp of another renaissance,” Sabitoni said in a press statement. “The overall experience that’s in

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place I think would expedite that,” Sabitoni told Common Ground. “The ability to have that experience on Day One was the deciding factor.” In particular, Sabitoni said Cianci has experience in helping the city recover from tough economic times. “Mr. Cianci has proven that he can bring back a city that has fallen on difficult times. A key factor when vetting a candidate for a position such as this is municipal management experience,” Sabitoni said in a press statement. He said many members still remember Providence’s renaissance of the 1990s as well as “what it’s like since.” In their endorsement announcement, the teachers stressed Cianci’s

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familiarity with the needs of the local school system. “We are excited by Buddy’s vision for Providence schools,” said Union President Maribeth Calabro, who represents 1,900 teachers. “He clearly understands the needs of our district. Buddy’s emphasis on ensuring that all classrooms have the resources and materials they need, coupled with students and teachers feeling safe, is critical to creating an environment where teaching and learning can continue to prepare all Providence students for college and career readiness. We look forward to working with Buddy and know that he will work hard on behalf of the students of Providence.”

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Page 12

Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Rhode Island AFL-CIO Endorses Catherine Taylor for Lieutenant Governor News Release Providence, RI – The Executive Board of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, which represents nearly 80,000 union workers and their families across the state, met on Oct. 14 and unanimously voted to endorse Republican Catherine Taylor for Lieutenant Governor. The last Republicans endorsed by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO were John W. Lyle Jr. for Secretary of State and Claudine Schneider for U.S. Representative, both in 1986. At the Rhode Island AFL-CIO COPE Convention in September an endorsement of Taylor was deferred to allow her additional time to meet and discuss issues of importance with

Rhode Island AFL-CIO affiliated unions. However, the labor federation went on record at the time as opposing Democratic nominee Dan McKee’s candidacy. “Rhode Island’s working families deserve a lieutenant governor who cares about them,” said Maureen Martin, RI AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer. “Throughout her long tenure as the director of Elderly Affairs Mrs. Taylor showed compassion and concern not only for seniors, adults with disabilities, and families, but also for the many workers who provided care to some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable citizens.”

“I’m honored and humbled to be the first Republican endorsed by the RI AFL-CIO in almost 30 years,” said Taylor when informed of the endorsement. “Every voter I’ve met over the last four months has expressed a deep frustration with our political discourse

and the state of our economy. People are ready and eager to move away from dysfunction and discord. I’m grateful that the AFL-CIO and its members believe in my vision and ability to help turn Rhode Island around.”

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Suboxone as a Street Drug and Contraband in Our Prisons Submitted by the Alliance for Safe Communities Last month, we discussed aspects both positive and negative from the use of Suboxone the powerful narcotic and potentially addictive pain killer used for opioid addiction. We discussed Suboxone’s success in enabling otherwise heroin addicted individuals to lead to more independent successful lives. We also discussed the darker side of Suboxone’s legacy. We reviewed data concerning lack of medical expertise when administering Suboxone, as well as financially lucrative benefits to some unscrupulous physicians and pharmaceutical companies that are profiting. This month we will examine Suboxone as a “street drug,” and contraband in correctional facilities across the country. Suboxone as a street drug is bartered or exchanged for money, heroin, or other illegal drugs. According to one estimate, about half of the buprenorphine obtained through legitimate prescriptions is either diverted or used illicitly. “We joke there is more Suboxone on the streets than in the pharmacies,” said Charlie Cichon, executive director of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, a nonprofit that educates and provides drug abuse and diversion. Cichon expresses concern that with so many generic versions on the market this street availability will explode. The Alliance is well aware of the street usage in one of our urban centers, ironically in close proximity to a

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Suboxone clinic. Suboxone, among a variety of street drugs, was quite available two years ago in one district of Cranston. The estimated “street” value of one Suboxone tablet was $20 to $30 dollars. The Cranston Police Drug Enforcement Unit, in conjunction with the Alliance, was able to make arrests within a group of individuals ranging from ages 19 to 50. What was most disturbing—and is not relatively uncommon—was that the drugs were finding their way into the hands of minors. Suboxone is also increasingly used in the college scene among young adults as a recreational drug to get high, not realizing how strong it is and the potential for overdose. Suboxone in prison In an interview, Rhode Island’s President of the Brotherhood of Corrections, Richard Ferruccio, confirmed that there has been an increase in contraband and the prevalence of Suboxone in its facilities. Many facilities throughout the country have seen Suboxone smuggled in as crushed tablets in the seam lining of clothes, adhesive strips attached to envelopes seals, and crushed tablets painted into gift cards, coloring books, and pictures that can easily be “licked clean.” State agencies like the Vermont Department of Corrections are taking measures to improve procedures to prevent the drug entering the prisons illegally. Some of Presented by

Page 13

these changes include random searches of temp workers and visitors entering secure portions of facilities. Prisoners who test positive for drugs while in prison should lose their rights to “in-person visits.” The Associated Press has reported that states from Maine to New Mexico have seen a jump in discoveries of illegal doses of Suboxone at prisons. The Alliance researched a plethora of data regarding the influx and predominance of Suboxone is rapidly becoming the most popular contraband in correctional facilities. It’s all available with the click of a mouse and with very little effort. In summary, the Alliance’s opinion is that it is obvious this drug offers amazing benefits as well as contrastingly disturbing fatal incidences. This drug and its use is truly a “work in progress.” Sources: 1. “Panel seeks more control of Suboxone,” Impact.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/09/Suboxone_an_addiction_treatment.html 2. “Suboxone, an addiction treatment drug, seeps into Ohio prisons as contraband” http://www.timesargus. com/apps/pbcsdll/article? AID=/20140212/N…. 3. “Meet Suboxone, the street’s hot new drug,” http:// www.muckgers.com/2014/01/meet-Suboxone-thestreets-hot-new-drug/

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Page 14

Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Social Security to Resume Mailing Statements but Urges Online Service Submitted by the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans Social Security is going to resume mailing statements to those enrolled in the program, a practice they had tried to eliminate. The agency says mailed statements will be sent about once every five years for most workers. But, SSA is still strongly urging all enrollees to create a my Social Security account online to have immediate access to their statement. “The Statement is a valuable financial planning tool providing workers age 18 and older with important individualized information regarding their earnings, tax contributions, and estimates for future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits,” according to the announcement issued by Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Com-

missioner. Beginning in September, workers attaining ages 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 who are not receiving Social Security benefits and who are not registered for a my Social Security account will receive the Statement in the mail about three months before their birthday. After age 60, people will receive a Statement every year. The agency expects to send nearly 48 million Statements each year. “We have listened to our customers, advocates, and Congress, and renewing the mailing of the Statement reinforces our commitment to provide the public with an easy, efficient way to obtain an estimate of their future Social Security

benefits,” she added. “I encourage everyone to create their own secure my Social Security account to obtain immediate access to their Statement online, anytime.” The Social Security Statement helps people plan for their financial future. In addition to providing future benefit estimates, the Statement highlights a person’s complete earnings history, allowing workers to verify the accuracy of their earnings. This is important because an individual’s future benefit amount is determined by the amount of their earnings over their lifetime. To date, more than 14 million people have established a personalized my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity. gov/myaccount.

With a my Social Security account, people may access the Statement from the comfort of their home, office or library whenever they choose. Individuals who currently receive benefits should sign up for a my Social Security account to manage their benefit payments and, when the need arises, get an instant benefit verification letter, change their address and phone number, and start or change direct deposit of their benefit payment. Colvin reinforced that “whether conducting business with Social Security via the Internet, mail, telephone or face-toface, we will continue to provide convenient, cost-effective, secure, and quality customer service to meet the needs of the public we serve.”

You have the legal right to choose your repair facility in RI, so don’t let the insurance industry direct you to their preferred shop.

Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Page 15

Phoenix House and The Gavin Foundation Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Services in Greater Boston Submitted Article Phoenix House New England is pleased to announce its expansion in the Greater Boston area. In December 2014, Phoenix House Quincy Center will open its doors to provide acute withdrawal and clinical stabilization services to adult men and women. The 64-bed facility, located at 43 Old Colony Avenue in Quincy, Massachusetts, is a partnership between Phoenix House New England and Boston’s highly respected Gavin Foundation, a partnership built in response to the opioid addiction epidemic sweeping across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the entire nation. Phoenix House Quincy Center is a health care facility that will provide medically managed withdrawal services for adult men and women, while providing education, motivational interventions, and case management services focused on guiding individuals to the next level of care. The clinical stabili-

zation program will provide residential treatment to support individuals in stabilizing their recovery, enhancing their motivation for change, and facilitating their transfer to continued treatment services. The Center will be a self-contained treatment facility where clients will receive comprehensive treatment in a staff-secure setting supervised by highly skilled, licensed professionals, and on completion of treatment, transportation will be provided to the next appropriate level of care. This collaborative partnership between Phoenix House and The Gavin Foundation grew out of their joint response to a competitive bid request issued to providers by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for acute treatment services and clinical stabilization services to be located in Quincy. The new facility joins Phoenix House Dorchester Center, a residential family treatment program for sub-

stance-dependent women with young children, in serving the Greater Boston community. Working together, Phoenix House and The Gavin Foundation have provided substance abuse treatment services to more than one hundred women and their families over the past four years at Dorchester Center, located on the campus of St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children in Dorchester Heights. Dorchester Center’s sister program, Phoenix Families, is an emergency shelter and rehousing program for homeless mothers with small children, also located on the St. Mary’s campus. A reception celebrating Quincy Center’s anticipated opening was held on Thursday, October 9, at Port 305 Restaurant in Quincy’s Marina Bay neighborhood. In attendance were numerous representatives of the Quincy and Greater Boston government, legislature, Chamber of Commerce, and

school district, as well as a number of employee assistance programs and peer substance abuse providers from the area. By coincidence, a news story that very afternoon announced that the bridge connecting nearby Long Island to the Greater Boston mainland had been condemned as unsafe, forcing the evacuation of approximately 750 residential clients of a number of treatment and shelter facilities for an indefinite period. This circumstance, coupled the with devastation caused by the opioid addiction epidemic ravaging New England and the rest of the nation, underscored the importance of the additional treatment beds Phoenix House will provide. “By offering acute withdrawal and clinical stabilization services, Phoenix House Quincy Center will help individuals suffering from substance abuse and dependency take the key steps necessary See Phoenix House cont. on page 16

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

See Phoenix House cont. from page 15 to pursue continued treatment and build a solid foundation for long-term recovery,” said Patrick B. McEneaney, Senior Vice President, Regional Director, Phoenix House New England. “From 2010 to 2012, there were 55 reported overdose deaths in Quincy, with 322 additional non-fatal overdoses reported, and the epidemic continues unabated, resulting in a state of emergency throughout Massachusetts. Collaborating with The Gavin Foundation provides us both with the opportunity to expand our continuum of care—from medically managed detoxification to residential treatment to comprehensive outpatient services and recovery housing—all committed to enhancing the health and well-being of Massachusetts residents and communities.” John P. McGahan, President and CEO of The Gavin Foundation, added: “We are excited to partner with Phoenix House to address the critical issues presented by the opioid addiction epidemic on the South Shore. Working together we will be able

Matthew Taibi Secretary-Treasurer, Principal Executive Officer, Executive Board Paul Santos President & Business Agent, Executive Board

to help counter the devastating effects of this unprecedented epidemic.” The Gavin Foundation is a multiservice agency providing comprehensive, community-based substance abuse education, prevention, and treatment. Located in the South Boston, the Foundation serves more than 3,500 individuals each year through its adult, youth, and community programs. The Gavin Foundation works from a deep commitment to the community, including the widespread community of individuals and families in recovery. In all areas, The Gavin Foundation builds recovery by supporting relationships among individuals, within families, and with communities. The Foundation offers independent programs—residential, outpatient, juvenile justice diversion, 12-step study, recidivism prevention, and parolee re-entry— and collaborative programs, such as a recovery high school, and recovery support for youth and young adults. Phoenix House New England pro-

vides a broad array of substance abuse treatment services, safeguarding children, strengthening families and communities, and enabling men, women, and adolescents to overcome drug dependence and to start and maintain new, drugfree lives. Phoenix House New England operates more than 45 programs in four states, serving more than 3,500 individuals annually. Services include residential treatment centers for adolescents and adults, detoxification programs, services for criminal justice offenders in prison and community settings, comprehensive outpatient programs, special programs for individuals with co-occurring mental health issues, education programs for adolescents, and temporary transitional living for homeless women and children in Boston. Phoenix House New England is supported by state contracts and grants from private foundations, corporations, and individual donors. Since 1999, Phoenix House New England has been affiliated with Phoenix

House Foundation, the nation’s leading provider of substance abuse treatment services, serving more than 7,000 individuals each day in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, California, Florida, New York, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Phoenix House’s Massachusetts programs provide residential treatment for adults, residential treatment and academic tutoring for teens, outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment for adults and adolescents, stabilization for those just beginning recovery, residential family treatment for mothers and children, and emergency shelter and rehousing services for mothers with young children. For additional information on Phoenix House Quincy Center, please call 413-739-2440, extension 6257. You may also visit the Phoenix House Web site at www.phoenixhouse.org and The Gavin Foundation site at www.gavinfoundation. org.

Sandra Cabral Recording Secretary Matthew Martins Trustee Carl Chicoine Trustee

Matthew Maini Business Agent

Decio Goulart Trustee

Edmund Carreiro Business Agent

Nick Williams Assistant Business Agent

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Bob Sayer Assistant Business Agent

Antonio Suazo Vice President

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Page 17

STATE APPROVED TRAINING PROGRAM IN DRUG ADMINISTRATION State Approved Training Program in Drug Administration is a course designed to meet the requirements of Section R23-17.9 Rules and Regulations Pertaining to RI Certificates of Registration for Medication Aides, Rhode Island Department of Health. This course is offered by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in partnership with The Pathfinders Foundation.

Next Session begins Tuesday, December 30th, 2014 This 15 week session will meet Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. All classes are held at: Generations Comprehensive Health & Rehabilitative Services 267 Jenckes Hill Road, Smithfield, RI

For registration information or further details please call 401.725.6400 or visit us online at www.pathfindersri.org to register today!

RHODE ISLAND STATE LODGE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE 95 TANNER AVE., WARWICK, RI 02886 PHONE (401) 475-3054 FAX (401) 475-5160 E-mail stateoffice@rifop.necoxmail.com

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Page 18

Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Requirement for New UI Claimants to Post Résumés is Now in Effect News Release Effective Aug. 31, 2014, unemployed Rhode Islanders filing for Unemployment Insurance for the first time must post their résumés to www. EmployRI.org within six consecutive weeks of collecting UI benefits. The product of increased alignment between the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) Income Support and Workforce Development divisions, this new requirement is the latest step taken by DLT that’s intended to help unemployed workers find jobs faster.

Based on federal and state law, individuals who claim UI benefits promise that they must be able and available for work and actively seeking full-time work when they certify for their weekly claim. DLT sees its new rule as a way to help jobless workers make the most of their job search and reconnect with the workforce faster. “The idea is to engage our customers with www.EmployRI.org and our netWORKri One Stop Career Centers far earlier in their claims. We believe it

will help them take advantage of DLT job-seeker resources that are available to them earlier, and therefore, conduct more focused and effective job searches,” said DLT Director Charles J. Fogarty. “We want our UI customers to understand that their claim period comes with an end date and that their 26 weeks will go by fast. We’re trying to encourage them to view their job search as if it’s a full-time job, which comes with deadlines. We’re providing the

tools to help our customers follow the new rule quickly,” he added. In order to prepare for additional customers using its services for the first time, DLT has scheduled more classes in its four netWORKri One Stop Career Centers teaching basic computer skills, résumé preparation, and how to use EmployRI.org; and partnered with libraries and community-based organizations throughout the state so they can provide assistance when requested.

Common Ground

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Politicians know their careers may depend on prompt removal of snow from the highways, so this is always given a high priority. Unfortunately, less attention is given to snow removal from sidewalks, often impassable long after a snowstorm is over. Indeed, last winter, the RIPTA Riders Alliance produced a short video taken along Smith 1 XXXXX 1 Street, showing the bad conditions of sidewalks, bus stops, and even bus shelters there, even around the State Capitol, long after the streets were cleared. For those that use the buses, or who must walk on such streets, this can be dangerous and intimidating. Access for home services can be unsafe. Yet for reasons of health, environment, and economy, we all have an interest in facilitating safe bus and pedestrian travel, and even drivers usually are pedestrians for part of their trip. One difficulty is the lack of clear responsibility. RIDOT, RIPTA and its shelter owners, police departments, municipal governments and DPWs, snow plow operators, and adjacent property owners all have some responsibility and all tend to pass the buck. Nobody seems to know who is responsible for sidewalks on overpasses over highways, or for snow piled up by plows in front of bus shelters. There seems little enforcement when businesses pile up snow from their private driveways and parking lots onto the public sidewalk, the resulting snow blocking passage long after most snow has melted. There are rarely any dedicated city sidewalk snow crews or contractors. There is possible progress. Walk Boston’s Web site, www.walkboston. org, has a seven-point suggestion list summarized as follows: 1. create an ex-

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pectation that sidewalks will be cleared; 2. specify a municipal official put in charge so the public knows where to go for help; 3. set priorities for most critical sidewalks, presumably near schools, businesses, transit; 4. improve monitoring and enforcement (it was noted in Cambridge parking police can give tickets for failure to clear sidewalks, perhaps crossing guards can too); 5. design sidewalks for easier clearing, for example with street furniture, utilities at the edge rather than smack in the middle; 6. train plow operators to be sensitive to needs of pedestrians and avoid hopelessly blocking crosswalks, bus stops, and piling up snow at corners; 7. have state policies that enable municipalities to manage snow removal, perhaps as part of “complete streets” policies. Walk Boston reports innovations such as “adopt-a-spot” programs for clearing bus stops in Portland, Maine. But there are local programs too. Newport and Pawtucket report programs to help seniors clear their sidewalks, there may be others. RIPTA has arranged for the Lamar company to clear the busiest 25 bus shelters that they built. “Snow Ready Providence” has a call-in number. And the RIPTA Riders Alliance and other walking advocates have been calling attention to the issue in many forums, including at the state’s Transportation Advisory Committee, and it has gotten noticed by the powers that be. Perhaps this winter we’ll see improved conditions. Let’s walk! Barry Schiller is a member of the State Planning Council’s Transportation Advisory Committee and can be reached at bschiller@localnet.com

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Your choice United Rentals Announces District Manager $ 99 Friday, January 18 to Monday, February 2nd, 2013

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United Rentals is pleased to announce that Chris Puccetti has been promoted to District Manager for the New England South District. In this role, Chris will lead the District in driving profitable revenue and championing safety, sales, and operational excellence. Working closely with a talented District team, other Regions, and National and Strategic Account Managers, Chris will use his years of Company experience to achieve the District’s financial goals and maintain a high level of employee engagement. After serving our country proudly for six years in the United States Marine Corps, Chris joined United Rentals in 1999 as a sales representative for our Smithfield, RI branch. In 2001, Chris was promoted to Branch Manager and continued in that role for

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five years, significantly growing the branch’s market share and producing a solid record of safety, revenue growth, and profitability. Over the next three years, Chris demonstrated his versatility by wearing many hats, including Branch Manager of our Manchester, CT location, District Sales Manager, and District Manager for the Eastern Connecticut District. In 2009, Chris returned as Branch Manager at Smithfield, RI, where he has enjoyed tremendous success, nearly doubling the branch’s revenue and substantially increasing its operating income in less than five years. Further, Chris and his service team was awarded Top Shop for the Northeast Region in 2012 and 2013, and piloted the first Kaizen event in the Company, and went over three years without a recordable injury. Chris’ broad company experience, significant leadership skills acquired in his years of military service, and substantial New England market knowledge position him well for success in his new District

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Common Ground

NOVEMBER 2014

Page 21

DePetro Boycotters Takes Toll on WPRO in Election Season By Common Ground Staff John DePetro may still be on the air, but a union-led boycott against him over misogynist remarks he made against anti-Gina Raimondo protesters has taken its toll on the radio station that hosts him. Election season is, in some ways, talk radio season, but virtually none of the candidates who had signed a pledge with the boycott campaign, known as For Our Daughters, has broken it, according to Maureen Martin, the secretary-treasurer for the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and one of the leaders of the effort.

There’s just one exception, Cumberland Mayor Dan McKee, who is running for Lieutenant Governor. “Other than that, nobody’s gone on,” Martin said. “Everybody has held strong.” Besides cutting talk show hosts off from a huge swath of elected officials and candidates, the boycott has also meant less revenue in advertising for the station. It has also diminished the station’s profile and prestige as a news organization. Martin said WPRO executives had tried to organize Democratic gubernatorial, Secretary of State,

and mayoral debates. But candidates declined to show up. McKee did attend one debate—and ended up spending an hour talking by himself as his two opponents in the Democratic primary, Ralph Mollis and Frank Ferri, refused to attend. After the primary, McKee finally got a debate partner in GOP opponent Catherine Taylor, who never actually had signed the pledge. (Taylor announced her candidacy months after the initial launch of the boycott campaign. She has since been endorsed by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.)

The boycotters have yet to achieve the final objective—booting DePetro off the airwaves—but they’ve certainly succeeded in send their message home where it matters most at a for-profit radio station—the pockets and wallets of media executives. Martin said the group remains as committed to ever in pressing forward with the boycott. “Sometimes,” she said, “it takes a long time.”

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Page 22

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Common Ground

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Page 23

Hodgson Calls out Kilmartin for Dropping the Ball on Gun Prosecutions

News Release

SLOCUM, RI – Attorney Gen-

administration of justice at the crime

man of the Crime Lab Commission,

crimes is a cornerstone of any prog-

eral candidate Dawson Hodgson last

lab that represents his systemic fail-

waited more than two years to attend

ress here. Peter’s inattentiveness to

month expressed grave concern with

ure as the state’s top law enforcement

his first Commission meeting.

such an important issue doesn’t just

incumbent Peter Kilmartin’s lacka-

official.

At that meeting the Crime Lab

break his core campaign promise, it

daisical approach to prosecuting gun

The state crime lab, responsible

professionals pleaded for resources,

dilutes the justice system and puts

crimes in Rhode Island.

for conducting firearms examina-

specifically access to a portion of the

our citizens in danger.”

“He’s putting our residents at

tions in all firearms cases, has a back-

Google settlement fund under the

risk,” Hodgson said. “This is Ameri-

log of over one year. Such examina-

Attorney General’s control. Kilmar-

a chief prosecutor in Rhode Island

ca not a war zone. It is unacceptable

tions are needed to prosecute gun

tin said no.

who understands what the criminal

for parents anywhere in Rhode Is-

crimes. This backlog has existed for

land to have to raise their children to

quite some time and must be correct-

utes

the sound of gunfire in the streets.”

min-

justice system needs and who is will-

http://sos.ri.gov/docu-

ing to do the work to fix it. Instead,

ed to effectively take on gun violence

ments/publicinfo/omdocs/min-

we have Peter Kilmartin, a 24-year

in our state.

utes/103/2013/30224.pdf

politician who has never prosecuted

have already expressed disappoint-

“Gang shootings are ruining

a felony case, and will say anything

ment over Kilmartin’s plea bargain

for the office. He called it a “travesty”

quality of life for good people in our

to get elected. We can’t afford Peter’s

which resulted in no jail time for a

and said fixing the crime lab would

urban communities,” said Senator

focus on perks, patronage, and pub-

criminal charged with transfer of an

be his “first priority” as Attorney

Hodgson, who served as a state pros-

lic relations in the best of times, but

illegal firearm in last year’s MS-13

General. Nevertheless, after being

ecutor from 2005 to 2010. “Swiftly

it’s especially galling when the justice

case. It’s Kilmartin’s inattention to

elected in 2010, Kilmartin, Chair-

and

system is crumbling around him.”

Law enforcement professionals

Kilmartin knew this when he ran

Read

the

here:

Commission

Hodgson concluded: “It’s time for

effectively

prosecuting

gun

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Page 24

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