SMART Sheet Metal Workers across Missouri endorse Lucas Kunce for Senate Page 4
PART 4 OF A SERIES
By THOM HARTMANN
EDITOR’S NOTE: As the critical Nov. 5 election approaches, this series provides a stark contrast for readers to consider. We hope it will help in the
decision-making process of whom to support at all levels of government. Summarized from The Hartmann Report: Billionaire Dreams, Middle Class Nightmares.)
DEMOCRATS
• Democrats believe housing should be a right rather than a privilege, and to that end have supported public housing, housing vouchers, and government subsidies and tax breaks to developers who put up
low-income housing.
• They are increasingly calling out the relatively new Wall Street practice of buying up millions of single-family homes and flipping them into rentals, provoking an epidemic of homelessness.
REPUBLICANS
• Republicans think the thing they ironically call the “free market” (a marketplace owned by the richest people and corporations, who are
then “free” to set the rules for the rest of us) should decide who gets housing and what it costs.
• They have opposed all federal and state support for housing for over 100 years, and most recently threatened to shut down the government if they didn’t get “steep spending cuts to domestic programs, including HUD’s and USDA’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs.”
Who do you think speaks for you on Nov. 5?
Forum focuses on the challenges of substance use disorder in the construction industry
Teamsters Local 688 endorses Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Page 7
St. Louis Amazon workers announce $25 pay demand Page 8
Glaziers Local 513 Golf Tournament raises $14,650 for St. Louis Crisis Nursery Page 6 Missouri and Illinois election endorsements Page 12
By TIM ROWDEN Editor-in-Chief
Sunset Hills, MO – Around 15 percent of all construction workers in the United states have a substance use disorder, compared to 8.6 percent of the general population of adults.
Construction workers represent about 25 percent of fatal opioid overdoses among all workers.
Last week, on Sept. 17, experts came together to talk about the issue and what can be done as part of a free program, co-produced by Construction Forum and the Missouri AFL-CIO’s Missouri Works Initiative and sponsored by Aetna at the LiUNA Event Center.
The program was the third of three in a series sponsored by
Aetna. The first dealt with mental health in construction, the second on suicide prevention in the construction industry.
“We need to get beyond just the how are you type stuff and actually have more pertinent, more meaningful conversations and maybe a little more listening and talking, pick up on things that that people are telling you,” said Dr. John Gaal, Worker Wellness director for the Missouri AFL-CIO’s Missouri Works Initiative.
Gaal said he learned that lesson in March of 2016 when his good friend Don Willey, then business manager of Laborers Local 110, lost his son to an opioid overdose. The two began an effort to educate
Laborers Local 42’s inaugural Top Golf fundraiser benefits veterans groups
Chesterfield, MO – Laborers
Local 42’s Top Golf Fundraiser
Sept.12 scored a hole-in-one with participants and for the veterans groups which will benefit from the inaugural event to support Laborers Local 42’s Veterans Committee and area veterans organizations.
The fundraiser was the culmination of a project that has been in the works for some time.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Laborers 42 chartered a 501(c)(3) not for profit Veterans Committee through its International Union to benefit Local 42 member veterans and other groups that deal with veterans’ issues.
“I believe that the construction
Periodicals Publication
industry and Labor are in a unique position to both help solve, and benefit from addressing issues,” said Local 42 President Matt Andrews, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “We are
labortribune.com facebook.com/labortribune twitter.com/STLLaborTribune linkedin.com/company/st-louissouthern-illinois-labor-tribune News: (314) 535-9660 See FORUM page 11
uniquely equipped to help.
“One of the issues surrounding mental health in veterans is the loss of a task or a mission that they believe in, and the other is dealing with the loss of their network of peers and support. These funds raised allow for the Veteran’s Committee to spend on Local 42 veterans in need, or veterans within the community. For example if a veteran needs a wheelchair ramp built, we can purchase the materials and help to coordinate the volunteers.”
Helping veterans and, when possible, bringing them into the building trades, also addresses a growing issue facing the construction industry – a shortage of work-
ers. “Workforce shortages could be helped by embracing this mostly under-utilized group of individuals,” Andrews said.
THE MISSION
The Laborers Local 42 Veterans Committee’s is committed to bettering the lives of veterans who have bravely and honorable served our country as well as focusing on concerns that directly affect them by providing social support for veterans, including but not limited to emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal assistance. Local 42 and the Missouri/ Kansas Laborers District Council
See TOP GOLF page 3
Members of the following unions and councils see page 5 for changes in your notices
FROM ADDICTION TO RECOVERY: Dr. John Gaal (left), director of the Missouri Works Initiative’s worker wellness program, led a panel discussion Sept. 17 on substance use disorder in the construction industry with Jenny Armbruster (second from left) interim executive director of PreventEd; Jake Dunavant (third from left), director of the National Peer Recovery Alliance; and Aaron Walsh, peer support specialist with the Laborers’ LEAN-STL (Laborers Escaping Addiction Now) peer support program. – Labor Tribune file photo
Why it’s essential for America to own supply chains
By DAVID MCCALL President United Steelworkers
A knot formed in Sam Phillips’s stomach a few months ago when he learned that corroded titanium — sold with faked documents — somehow made it into doors and other components on civilian airliners.
It was exactly the kind of nightmare scenario that Phillips and other members of the United Steelworkers (USW) warned of while trying to save the nation’s last titanium sponge plant, located in Henderson, Nev.
TIMET, the owner of the plant, closed it anyway in 2020, not only leaving America dependent on foreign supplies of a crucial industrial material but also putting the nation’s security at risk.
Only domestic ownership of manufacturing supply chains — from the sourcing of raw materials like titanium sponge to the production of goods like airplane components — will keep the nation strong.
Fortunately, the Biden-Harris administration grasped what’s at stake and delivered historic legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to revitalize the nation’s manufacturing economy and preserve America’s freedom.
ESSENTIAL ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES
It’s essential for Americans to own supply chains across all industries, Phillips said, noting foreign companies can cut off shipments of goods at any time and for any reason.
Even manufacturers in ostensibly friendly countries like Japan can encounter production delays or shift operations, affecting U.S. access to needed goods. Just as worrisome, as the airliner titanium scare shows, the long decline of domestic manufacturing capacity even left Americans at the mercy of rogue, corner-cutting producers operating in the shadows thousands of miles away.
“How did it get manufactured and actually put in a plane?” asked Phillips, former president of USW Local 4856.
“It doesn’t make me want to get on airplanes anytime soon,” added Phillips, who learned about the debacle while reading a New York Times article in June. “They should have U.S. titanium in them.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began an investigation after a parts supplier discovered holes, caused by corrosion, in airplane components made with titanium believed to have come from a Chinese company.
Adding to the uncertainty, authorities discovered that the Chinese firm falsified documents relating to the material it provided. The Times reported that the FAA was “investigating the scope of the problem and trying to determine the short- and long-term safety implications to planes” containing the suspect material.
COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH UNION WORKERS
It’s the kind of turmoil that’s easily avoided when union workers at U.S.-owned firms produce goods right here at home, said Phillips, emphasizing the trust he and his hundreds of co-workers built with TIMET customers over the years.
“They relied on us to give them a good, decent product,” Phillips said, observing that the plant supplied numerous civilian industries and the armed forces while providing middle-class livelihoods for generations of Henderson residents.
“I made a good living for 24 years,” explained Phillips, who now works in the logistics field. “I didn’t have to worry about paying my bills or putting food on the table. It was a good union job. The union took care of its members.”
Before closing the plant, TIMET cited dumping and other unfair competition from some of the same countries that, ironically, gamed greater market opportunities and tightened their grip on the U.S. when the Henderson facility shut down.
Trump’s Project 2025
would put over 20 million workers at risk of wage theft and lower pay
By DAVID COOPER, DAVE KAMPER, and SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ HICKEY EPI Action
The Republican Party has long opposed raising the federal minimum wage, and some even call for its repeal. Donald Trump’s Project 2025 proposes a new scheme to cut wages for the nation’s lowestpaid workers: allow states to opt out of federal wage and hour laws entirely, including the federal minimum wage.
Guest Opinions
Phillips, who tells his story to help others understand the danger of letting foreign companies seize control of U.S. supply chains, described shortages of face masks at the start of the pandemic and of semiconductors a couple of years after that as further proof of the need to bolster U.S.-owned manufacturing.
A NEW ERA OF MANUFACTURING POWER
That’s what’s happening right now as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris work with the USW and other unions to advance a new era of manufacturing power.
Those efforts include fighting foreign takeovers of essential American firms and standing up to trade cheaters that undercut U.S. producers and put jobs at risk.
They include leveraging the job creation, “Buy American” requirements, and manufacturing investments spurred by the IIJA, IRA, and the CHIPS and Science Act.
Among many other important projects, for example, the IIJA and IRA allocate up to $500 million to help Century Aluminum construct a new energy- and cost-efficient aluminum smelter in Kentucky or in another location in the Ohio River or Mississippi River basins.
It will be the nation’s first new aluminum smelter in 45 years and will create 1,000 permanent union jobs, along with hundreds of construction jobs.
And it represents a critical step forward for the aluminum industry, which fills a vital role in economic and national security but has experienced a spate of smelter closures over the years because of high energy costs and other challenges. Today, only a handful remain in operation in the U.S.
“They keep it open for a reason,” said Todd Manning, president of USW Local 420A, citing the strategic importance of Alcoa’s aluminum smelting operations in Massena, N.Y.
The world’s oldest continuously operating smelter, it’s a bedrock of American industry serving both civilian and defense needs. And like the new Century Aluminum smelter, to be operated with renewable energy, the Massena smelter benefits from an affordable, accessible energy source — hydropower.
That’s helped to keep the facility open, said Manning, who looks forward to the stability the Century smelter will bring to American industry and the decreasing reliance on foreign producers.
“It’s very important not to have to deal with any of them,” Manning said, instead supporting the higher-quality, more reliable work performed by America’s union workers.
“We need to be able to write our own checks.”
Such a drastic step would put the country’s lowestpaid workers at risk of wage cuts, denied raises, and lower-paying future jobs. It would also mean over 20 million workers could lose protections against wage theft and other employer abuse.
Project 2025 encourages Congress to “pass legislation allowing waivers from federal labor laws like the FLSA [Fair Labor Standards Act]” (p. 605). While the proposal makes vague references to such waivers not taking away “any current rights held by workers or employers,” the clear intent is to allow states to disregard federal labor laws they don’t like.
The FLSA establishes the nation’s wage and hour laws, including the minimum wage, overtime, and various other protections related to how workers are paid. The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. States are allowed to set a higher minimum wage than $7.25, and 30 states plus the District of Columbia have done so. In most of the states where the minimum wage is still $7.25, Republicans control either the state legislature, the governorship, or both.
MINIMUM WAGE WOULD DECLINE
If FLSA waivers were available, there are seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming — where a FLSA exemption would mean that the minimum wage would immediately decline. In Georgia and Wyoming, it would drop to $5.15 an hour. In the other five states, there would be no minimum wage at all. Those states have no statutory minimum wage in state law, and companies there would be free to pay workers as low wages as they wanted — with no legal repercussions.
Given Republican control in many of the other states with state minimum wages equal to the federal $7.25, it’s no stretch to assume that many would likely seek to eliminate their state minimum wage.
For instance, Republican lawmakers in New Hampshire eliminated the statespecified $7.25 minimum wage when they took control in 2011. The state law now simply states that the federal minimum wage applies. If New Hampshire and other states with similar provisions obtained FLSA waivers, it could effectively mean no minimum wages in those places as well.
RISK OF WAGE THEFT
FLSA waivers would also put more workers at risk of being cheated by their employers. There are six states — Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Dakota — that defer all wage and hour law enforcement to the federal government. That means if an employer in those states does not pay workers all the money they’re owed, the state does not assist workers in recovering lost wages. Workers in those states must go to the federal Department of Labor to pursue a wage theft claim under federal labor law (i.e., the FLSA.) If those states were exempted from FLSA, 20.3 million workers would be at risk of losing all government support for attempts to recover stolen wages in the event their employer cheats them out of pay.
Federal law has long been the backstop protecting pay for millions of workers in states where Republican elected leaders have failed to set higher standards or protect workers from employer abuse. Giving those same elected officials a means to opt out of federal protections puts over 20 million workers’ paychecks at risk. That’s a risk that workers don’t need.
(EPI Action is an independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization that uses rigorous research to advocate for policies that advance economic, gender, and racial justice and ensure working peoples’ voices are heard by policymakers and candidates. We also highlight the impact of candidates’ economic records and policy platforms and correct false claims about workers and the economy.)
Speak Out
More than 30,000 of our Machinists (IAM) brothers, sisters and siblings in the Seattle area went on strike at Boeing on Sept. 13.
For anyone who has followed Boeing for the better part of a decade, this news may not come as a surprise. Since its merger with another manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing executives have put profit over people. They’ve cut corners on workplace and product safety — putting our workers and passengers at risk. They’ve threatened our jobs, and squeezed every last dollar for their own bonuses, regardless of workers.
This strike is about our IAM family standSolidarity
ing up and saying: Corporate greed won’t fly. A few months ago, in Seattle, I stood with our machinists in a baseball stadium they’d filled to the brim, to rally together. What I saw there was solidarity and resolve — which is exactly what’s going to win this fight.
The more than 12.5 million members of our federation are united with IAM members. We have their back in this fight because this is about something way bigger than one company. It’s about all of us, standing together, to win our dignity and respect.
LIZ SHULER President AFL-CIO
Views from Near and Far
Top golf From page 1
have a long history of supporting veterans whether assisting with The Kaufman Fund’s annual Trees For Vets program, helping place wreaths and flags at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery or volunteering for other veterans causes.
Last year, Laborers Locals 42, 110 and 660 and the Missouri Laborers Employees and Education Trust together donated a combined $10,000 for the Trees for Vets program sponsored by The Kaufmann Fund, and provided volunteers to help load and distribute the trees.
Other veterans group benefitting from the Top Golf fundraiser and the Veterans Committee’s efforts include Focus Marines, Folds of Honor, Showers of Hope and Wreaths Across America as well as others.
PARTICIPATING CONTRACTORS AND SPONSORS
Contractors and other organiza-
tions sponsoring and or participating in the fundraiser included:
Laborers Local 42 Executive Board, Laborers Locals 100, 397, 660, 663, 773, 830, 840 and 1290, Downstate
Illinois Laborers District Council, LiUNA Midwest Region, Missouri
Kansas Laborers District Council, ACR Environmental, Aetna, Anders CPAs and Advisors, Anthem, Bates Utilities, Hammond & Shinners, Heitkamp Masonry, PROLOAN-Richmond Capital Management, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, St. Louis Building Trades Council, Steadfast City, TJ Ahrens, Fred Luth & Sons Inc., Advanced Environmental, McCarthy, ULLICO, ABOC, AGC of St. Louis, Archview Contracting, Bates Utilities, Bricklayers Local 1, Commerce Bank, D.L. Carlson Investment Group, Everside Health-Marathon Health, Golf Discount STL, Heat and Frost Insulators Local 1, Holland General Contractors, Iron Workers Local 396, JDS Masonry, Kozeny-Wagner, the Labor Tribune, Lizmark, Lucco Management, Machinists District 9, Marquette Associates, Mason Contractors Association, Metropolitan Sewer District, North County Labor Club, Peoples National Bank, Show Me Victories, Walkenhorst Law Firm, Labor First, Arnold, Newbold, Sollars & Hollins P.C., Marquette Associates, Mesirow Financial, Millstone Weber, O’Brien Law Firm and Segal Company (Midwest).
St. Louis Labor Council delegates all in for Kunce
SUPPORT FOR LUCAS KUNCE, the 13-year Marine veteran challenging incumbent Josh Hawley for U.S. Senate, continues to grow. St. Louis Labor Council delegates and members of the Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans recently took time out from their Sept. 17 delegates meeting to pose with a “Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate” banner to show their support. – Labor Tribune photo
SMART Sheet Metal Workers across Missouri endorse Lucas Kunce for Senate
St. Louis — SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 in St. Louis and Local 2 in Kansas City have endorsed Lucas Kunce, the 13-year Marine veteran challenging unpopular incumbent Josh Hawley for U.S. Senate.
Director
Lauren Marshall Advertising Representative
Lynn Alpert Production Manager/ Graphic Designer
“There’s only one candidate in this U.S. Senate race who has a record of serving us and not himself — and that’s Marine veteran Lucas Kunce,” said Ray Reasons, president and business manager of Local 36.
REASONS
“While Josh Hawley’s been busy selling his book for six-figure royalty checks, he hasn’t directed a single dollar of federal project funding to Missouri workers. Lucas Kunce is the warrior for working families who we know will fight like hell to invest in us.”
HONORED TO HAVE SUPPORT
“I am honored to have the support of the sheet metal workers in St.
SUBSCRIBE
Louis and Kansas City,” Kunce said. “By investing in and empowering their members, the highest trained workers in their fields, we can build a stronger, more resilient economy while we rebuild Missouri and put America first in the next generation of industry.”
Kunce is a 13-year Marine veteran, national security expert, and antitrust advocate running against Josh Hawley to take Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat back for working people.
After three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Kunce was stationed at the Pentagon, where he served on the Joint Staff to contain the threat of nuclear and chemical weapons around the globe, and later represented the United States in arms control negotiations with NATO and Russia.
After active duty, he became the National Security Director for the American Economic Liberties Project, where he fought back against the corporate monopolists and corrupt politicians who strip our communities for parts while
undermining our security.
ENDORSEMENTS
Kunce has been endorsed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, Bricklayers Local 1, the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, Insulators Local 1, Insulators Local 63, Iron Workers Local 396, Iron Workers Local 10, Missouri Fire Fighters, Missouri State Council of Machinists, Missouri-Kansas Laborers’ District Council, Roofers Local 2, Roofers Local 20, SEIU Missouri State Council, Sprinkler Fitters Local 268, Tilesetters Local 18, UFCW Local 655 (Missouri’s largest private-sector local union), United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers IBEW Local 124, Missouri State Fire Fighters and Pipe Fitters Local 533, as well as Vote Vets, Abortion Action Missouri, Reproductive Freedom for All, End Citizens United, The League of Conservation Voters, Social Security Works PAC and
$5
Labor History
SEPTEMBER 30
1892 – A total of 29 strike leaders are charged with treason — plotting “to incite insurrection, rebellion & war against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” — for daring to strike the Carnegie Steel Co. in Homestead, Pa. Jurors refuse to convict them.
1915 – Railroad shopmen in 28 cities strike the Illinois Central Railroad and the Harriman lines for an eight-hour day, improved conditions and union recognition, but railroad officials obtain sweeping injunctions against them and rely on police and armed guards to protect strikebreakers.
1919 – Black farmers meet in Elaine, Ark., to establish the Progressive Farmers and Householders Union to fight for better pay and higher cotton prices.
OCTOBER 1
1910 – An ink storage room in the L.A. Times building is dynamited during a citywide fight over labor rights and organizing.
1931 – The George Washington Bridge officially opens, spanning the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York.
1935 – Thousands of dairy farmers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa strike in demand of higher prices for their milk.
OCTOBER 2
1934 – American Federation of Labor officially endorses campaign for a six-hour day, five-day workweek.
1949 – Joining with 400,000 coal miners already on strike, 500,000 CIO steel workers close down the
nation’s foundries, steel and iron mills, demanding pensions and better wages and working conditions.
2007 – Starbucks Workers Union baristas at an outlet in East Grand Rapids, Mich., organized by the Wobblies, win their grievances after the National Labor Relations Board cites the company for labor law violations, including threats against union activists.
2010 – Union members, progressives and others rally in Washington D.C., under the Banner of One Nation Working Together, demand “good jobs, equal justice, and quality education for all.”
OCTOBER 3
1932 – The state militia is called in after 164 high school students in Kincaid, Ill., go on strike when the school board buys coal from the scab Peabody Coal Co.
1933 – The Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America is founded in Camden, N.J. It eventually merged with the Int’l Association of Machinists, in 1988.
1945 – Pacific Greyhound Lines bus drivers in seven western states begin what is to become a threeweek strike, eventually settling for
a 10.5-percent raise.
OCTOBER 4
1927 – Work begins on the carving of Mt. Rushmore, a task 400 craftsmen would eventually complete in 1941. Despite the dangerous nature of the project, not one worker died.
1945 – President Truman orders the U.S. Navy to seize oil refineries, breaking a 20-state post-war strike.
1916 – The United Mine Workers of America votes to re-affiliate with the AFL-CIO after years of on-andoff conflict with the federation. In 2009 the union’s leader, Richard Trumka, becomes AFL-CIO President.
1995 – Distillery, Wine & Allied Workers Int’l Union merges with United Food & Commercial Workers Int’l Union.
OCTOBER 5
1976 – The UAW ends a three-week strike against Ford Motor Co. when the company agrees to a contract that includes more vacation days and better retirement and unemployment benefits.
1983 – Polish Solidarity union founder Lech Walesa wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
2004 – Some 2,100 supermarket janitors in California, mostly from Mexico, win a $22.4 million settlement over unpaid overtime.
OCTOBER 6
1918 – First National Conference of Trade Union Women.
Vance hopes talking nonstop about pet-eating will make him seem less weird
The Ohio senator, who has been struggling to simulate human behavior, believes he has found the answer by appearing to be obsessed with people eating cats and dogs.
7 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Knights of Columbus Council 1712, One Columbus Plaza, Collinsville, IL 62234.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 101 Union Meetings will be held on the 4th Wednesday of the month except December, which will be held on the 3rd Wednesday. The meetings will be held at the Local 101 Hall located at 8 Premier Drive in Belleville, IL 62220 at 7:30 p.m.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 160 Union meetings are on the second Friday of the month at 8 p.m. at the hall, 901 Mulberry Street, Murphysboro, Ill. 62966.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 553
First Tuesday of each month September through May, 7 p.m., 967 East Airline Dr., East Alton, IL 62024.
Sheet Metal Workers Local 268
Caseyville Meetings: Fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Sheet Metal Workers’ Hall, 2701 N. 89th Street, Caseyville, Ill. 62232. Southern counties: Meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the training center, 13963 Route 37, Johnston City, Ill.
Steamfitters Local 439 Meets first Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. in the Donald Bailey Building, 1220 Donald Bailey Dr., Caseyville, Ill. 62232-2061.
1927 – The first “talkie” movie, The Jazz Singer, premiers in New York City. Within three years, according to the American Federation of Musicians, theater jobs for some 22,000 musicians who accompanied silent movies
Vance said that spreading baseless rumors about immigrant pet-consumption makes him “way more relatable than Tim Walz.”
“Any weirdo can order a donut,” he said. “Talking incessantly about pet-eating is something normal people do.”
Amid rumors that Vance plans to visit, the people of Springfield, Ohio have started building a wall.
were lost, while only a few hundred jobs for musicians performing on soundtracks were created by the new technology.
1986 – Some 1,700 female flight attendants win 18-year, $37 million suit against United Airlines. They
IBEW Local 4 5850 Elizabeth Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 1 First Friday, 7 p.m. at the Hoisting Engineers Hall,
LOCAL UNIONS
their apprenticeship shall be without discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, age or sex. Every applicant must supply a copy of their BIRTH CERTIFICATE and High School DIPLOMA/G.E.D. that the Committee can keep at the time of filing application for apprenticeship.
WELDING QUALIFICATION: Applicants that have a welding certification or welding training qualifications will have priority selection over applicants with no welding qualifications. Applicants must provide a copy and proof of welding certification or welding training qualifications at the time of application.
Bricklayers Local 1 Meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Thursday at Bricklayers’ Local No. 1 Union Hall, 1670 Fenpark, Fenton, MO 63026. To register for a course, contact Dale Jennewein at the Bricklayers Local 1 MO JATC at 314-770-1066.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Officers nomination meeting Thursday, Oct. 3, at 5:30 p.m. at ADC Union Hall, 1670 Fenpark, Fenton, MO 63026.
Cement Masons Local 527
3341 Hollenberg Dr, Bridgeton, MO 63044
Elevator Constructors Local 3
5916 Wilson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Glaziers Local 513 5916 Wilson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
IBEW Local 1 Union Meetings will be held the First Wednesday and the Third Friday of each Month at the IBEW, Local 1 Union Hall, 5850 Elizabeth Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110. The meeting begins promptly at 5 p.m. Please note: There are no First Wednesday Meetings held during the months of June, July, and August.
IBEW Local 1 Apprentices Meeting on the first and third Friday of each month, 7 p.m. at the Training Center, 2300 Hampton.
had been fired for getting married. 1995 – Thirty-two thousand machinists begin what is to be a successful 69-day strike against the Boeing Co. (Compiled by David Prosten, founder Union Communication Services)
Springfield, OH — JD Vance revealed on Monday that he is talking nonstop about pet-eating in the hopes of dispelling the widespread impression that he is weird.
State troopers guard 164 striking high school students, protesting Peabody Coal Company.
Florissant, MO – The Glaziers Local 513 Golf Tournament held Aug. 24 at Florissant Golf Club was a huge success, raising $14,650 for St. Louis Crisis Nursery. The notfor-profit organization provides a short-term, safe haven for nearly 4,000 children a year, ages birth through age 12, whose families face an emergency caused by illness, homelessness, domestic violence or overwhelming parental stress. – John Deeken/Glaziers Local 513 photos
Teamsters Local 688 endorses Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for their commitment to workers’ rights
St. Louis – Teamsters Local 688 has announced its endorsement of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for their unwavering dedication to fighting for the rights of working families.
“As a union committed to advocating for fair wages, benefits, and worker protections, we believe these candidates embody the values that are essential to improving the lives of our members and their families,” the union said in a statement.
“At Local 688, we are not only fighting for fair conditions on the job but also pushing for legislative efforts that protect our rights as workers such as the PRO Act, the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the most pro-labor National Labor Relations Board in modern times,” said Chris Tongay, secretarytreasurer of Local 688.
TONGAY country,” Tongay said. “Local 688 knows this election is too important for us to stay neutral. President Biden helped save Teamsters’ pensions and Vice President Kamala Harris was the deciding vote. The Harris/Walz ticket has our back.
“Our endorsed candidates, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, have consistently proven their commitment to these goals, and they will uphold these principles in office.”
RANK-AND-FILE MEMBERS
“The decision to endorse these candidates was made by rankand-file members of the Local 688 Political Education Committee. These members, who represent the collective voice of their union, carefully evaluated each candidate’s record on Labor issues and determined who would best support Teamster families.
“These endorsements are never made lightly but with thoughtful consideration of the impact on our families, our jobs, and our future,” the local said.
“The General Executive Board at the International Union level has decided to make no endorsement, leaving that decision to Joint Councils and local unions across the
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“As we approach the next election, it is paramount that we sup-
port candidates who will protect our rights, fight for Labor-friendly policies, and ensure that working people have a seat at the table,” Local 688 said. “Teamsters Local 688 encourages all members to vote for candidates who will stand with us and continue to fight for the dignity and respect all workers deserve.”
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
– Ronda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images
St. Louis Amazon workers announce $25 pay demand at STL8 warehouse
‘Prime time for a real raise’
St. Peters, MO – St. Louis Amazon warehouse workers on Sept. 18 presented management at the STL8 Fulfillment Center with an 800-plus signature petition demanding $25 an hour for all Amazon workers.
Following the action, workers, janitors, and drivers from Amazon STL8 and DLI8 in St. Peters, as well as SMO2 in Sauget, Ill., held a rally and press conference outside of STL8, where they publicly announced their demands to a crowd of workers and community members. Amazon workers in at least three other states — including New York, Georgia, and New Jersey — also raised the shared pay demand last week.
“I’ve lost out on thousands of dollars of income,” said Christine Manno, an Amazon STL8 worker and longtime STL8 Organizing Committee member who is on medical leave after being seriously injured on the job. “I haven’t gotten a paycheck since my short-term disability — which only covered 60 percent of my regular pay — ended in January.”
Manno said she awaiting approval for long-term disability, which she applied for in January. “I’ve maxed out my credit cards and drained my 401k. I’m on food stamps,” she said.
Manno just got approved for Medicaid, she said.
“Today shows that Amazon workers are united and stronger than ever in our demands for higher pay,” Manno said. “With over 800 worker signatures on our petition and new workers joining us from across the region, together we will win the $25 an hour that we all deserve.”
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Workers also delivered to management a separate community letter in support of their demands with over 200 signatories, including the Missouri AFL-CIO and the St. Louis County NAACP, among other civil rights, faith, and Labor organizations.
Other unions and community civil rights and workers’ rights groups with representatives at the
rally included the United Autoworkers (UAW) Local 2250, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Teamsters Local 688, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists St. Louis Chapter and Missouri Jobs with Justice.
‘WE’RE EXPENDABLE’
Brian Phillips, an Amazon SMO2 warehouse worker and SMO2 Or-
ganizing Committee member also spoke at the rally.
“I started at DLI4 in Edwardsville, where the tornado struck,” Phillips said. “My partner and I were on COVID leave that day, but my friends weren’t so lucky. Clayton died trying to get people to the shelter, along with five other workers.
Another coworker of mine with a medical condition died last year after falling off a ladder. I watched
her fall and radioed my boss, and despite them saying they were on it, I found later it took a half hour for them to call an ambulance. To corporations like Amazon, we are expendable.
“The only reason I stay is the benefits, but they don’t pay you enough to keep them. I have to work 60 hours, five days a week. It’s kind of like being an indentured servant. That’s why I’m here, with my sisters, brothers, and siblings who work at Amazon, to say enough is enough. It’s prime time for $25 now.”
PUSHING FAMILIES INTO POVERTY
Research supports that Amazon’s failure to pay workers what they deserve is pushing families into poverty and debt. Half of Amazon workers in a national survey reported food insecurity (53 percent) and housing insecurity (48 percent) and an inability to pay off bills on time (56 percent).
“I worked hundreds of hours of overtime cleaning Amazon warehouses without pay, yet KBS called me the thief,” said Yery Castillo, another speaker who, as a janitor for Amazon’s primary cleaning contractor KBS at DLI8, experienced wage theft and racism by management. “That money could have cov-
AMAZON WORKERS at the STL8 warehouse in St. Peters presented management with an 800-signature petition Sept. 18 demanding $25 an hour for all Amazon workers before rallying in front of the warehouse and holding a press conference to announce their demands. – Mike Marquardt, Teamsters Local 688 photo
ered rent, car payments, food, my good friend’s surgery, or medicine for my sister. I can’t even afford my own health insurance. This isn’t the life I wanted, but Amazon’s greed drives contractors like KBS to understaff and overwork janitors, like they do with warehouse workers.”
ORGANIZING SINCE 2022
STL8 workers have been organizing since 2022 for higher pay, safer work, and a voice on the job. In -
mittee launched an investigation into Amazon’s warehouse working conditions and released initial findings that 45 percent of Amazon warehouse workers were injured during peak operational periods like Prime Day.
Southern Illinois Builders Association accepting scholarship applications
• Have a cumulative minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0. Application must include a current copy of transcript.
zon workers sounding the alarm about the company’s injury crisis, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, -
UNIONS
Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Amazon STL8 five times for its failure to report injuries. In May of this year, STL8 worker and Organizing Committee member Wendy Taylor stood with U.S. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Tina Smith (DFL-Minn.) in Washington, D.C., to introduce the Warehouse Worker Protection Act.
The Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) is accepting applications for scholarships. SIBA began offering scholarships in 2012 and has awarded 137 scholarships totaling approximately $264,400. SIBA solicits candidates for the SIBA Scholarships in the fall and requests that all information be submitted by Nov. 1, 2024 for the SIBA Education Committee to meet and make their selections.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for a SIBA Scholarship:
• Candidates must be pursuing a degree in the field of construction management / construction related engineering / architectural / construction safety.
• Submit a personal recommendation from a person unrelated to the applicant within the current year; planning to enroll as a full-time student and maintain full-time student status (12-hour minimum); part-time students working fulltime in the construction industry will be awarded partial awards (written verification from full-time employer required).
• Show evidence that individual applying is related to an individual employed full-time by an SIBA member firm for a minimum of two years (written evidence from employer required within the current year).
• Submit a typewritten report (minimum of 500 words) on career goal and what events they have experienced in their life that made them decide to decide to pursue a career in the construction field and the quality of the essay will be judged.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To obtain a complete list of requirements for the SIBA scholarships, please contact Donna at the SIBA office 618-624-9055 or by email to ceo@siba-agc.org
The Southern Illinois Builders Association is a trade association of contractors representing approximately 500 commercial and industrial building, highway and utility construction contractors throughout Southern Illinois.
CREATE PROSPERITY IN OUR COMMUNITY
Your Union-Earned Dollars
LOOK FOR THEM — THEY’RE EVERYWHERE
The Distinctive Consumer Emblems of Organized Labor have played leading roles in our economic society. Every success story has its supporters . . . the millions of union members and the general public have recognized the importance of these emblems by looking for them when purchasing products and services.
ELECTRICAL WORKERS
LOCAL UNION #309, AFL-CIO Collinsville, Illinois and Vicinity Office: 2000 Mall Street (Route 157) Collinsville, Ill. 62234
John Garrett, President
Tyler Mueth, Vice President
Collin Wasson, Recording Secretary
David Rhymer, Treasurer
Chris Hankins, Business Manager
Dustin Grice, Organizer
Executive Board Members
Jacob Albers, Adam Biagi, Stephen Erspamer, Brian Hutson, Steve Lodes, Michael Meinhardt, Andrew Reibold, Ron Scott
Asst. Business Managers
Steve Duft, Mark Link, Carlos Perez
Examining Board Members
Jeremy Carron
Josh Jenkins
Josh Stewart Joe Varvera
Downstate Illinois
Laborers' District Council
Glyn Ramage, Business Manager
Greg Kipping, Sec’y./Treas.
618/234-2704 FAX: 618/234-2721
20 Bronze Pointe North, Swansea, Il. 62226
ELECTRICAL WORKERS
Local #649, AFL-CIO
TERRY L. SHEWMAKE
Business Manager and Financial Secretary
ALAN UZZELL, President (618) 462-1627
3945 Humbert Road, Alton, Ill. 62002
Building Union Diversity (BUD) program seeking mentors to help new apprentices get a good start
The Building Union Diversity (BUD) program has been extremely successful growing the participation of women and people of color in the building and construction trades. The next step is making sure these new apprentices have the support they need to navigate their new careers.
The United Way of Greater St. Louis is coordinating the BUD Mentor Program to help recruit and retain new apprentices.
“The BUD Mentoring Program plays a crucial role in creating a network of support and guidance for aspiring individuals entering the workforce,” said Sonja
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Gholston-Byrd, vice president of Labor Engagement at the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
The mentoring program connects seasoned skilled trades union members with those eager to learn and grow in their respective fields.
Some of the reasons supporting the BUD Mentoring program is so
essential include:
• Knowledge transfer – Experienced mentors have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share through the mentorship program. Valuable knowledge is passed on to the next generation of workers, ensuring a transfer of skills and wisdom.
• Career development – Mentorship is a powerful tool for career development. It helps mentees set and achieve career goals, navigate professional challenges and gain
insigths that may not be readily available through traditional education.
• Community building – The BUD Program fosters a sense of community within the Labor Movement. By connecting mentors and mentees, you can help strengthen the bonds that make our collective efforts more impactful and sustainable.
The United Way is seeking volunteers to make this program successful. Your contribution can take various forms, including:
• Volunteering your time as a mentor to share your expertise with those seeking guidance.
• Spreading the word about the mentoring program in your network. To volunteer, or to learn more, contact Sonja Gholston-Byrd, vicepresident of Labor Engagement, United Way of Greater St. Louis at 314-539-4192 or email sonja.gbyrd@ stl.unitedway.org
Forum From page 1 substances.”
themselves and began a campaign to spread awareness of the opioid and substance abuse epidemic in the construction industry.
“The bottom line is this is not an issue of plausible deniability anymore,” Gaal said. “We’ve been talking about it at least since 2016, and it’s time to do something.”
Gaal, who with his wife Mary have twice used Narcan – sold commercially as Naloxone and Revive – nasal spray to revive strangers suffering an overdose, urged the more than 100 people in attendance to get trained in its use for reversing opioid overdoses and urged them to take some of the free packages of Revive at their tables back to their job sites and union halls.
The Alliance on Naloxone Safety in the Workplace (www.answ.org) provides information on how to administer Naloxone in the mist form, as well as information on establishing workplace policies.
“I’ve been in the industry for 40 years,” said Gaal, who was the director of workforce and education for the Carpenters union in Missouri and Southern Illinois for three decades. “I can’t tell you how many times I took first aid and CPR and truly never used them on the jobsite. I’m not saying we shouldn’t do that. I think we need to be prepared. I’m an old Boy Scout, we need to be prepared. But the one thing I did take that mattered was how to administer Narcan.”
LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PEER SUPPORT
Aaron Walsh, a recovery specialist with Laborers Local 42, who along with James Pursell, Laborers Local 110, heads up the Laborers’ LEAN-STL (Laborers Escaping Addiction Now) peer support program, shared the story of his own tumultuous childhood – born to drug addicted parents, growing up in a house rife with needles, abused, unsupervised.
As an adult he descended into his own substance use issues and was ready to end his life when he reached out to a coworker who had escaped addiction and got help.
“We do recover,” Walsh said. “We do get better. That’s the message that I want to send out today. It kind of goes down the line. You’ve got prevention, then you’ve got
treatment, then you have recovery. The construction industry is huge for this grassroots movement to support people with mental health issues and I’m extremely proud and honored to be a part of that. And we’re going to do our best to be a part of that instead of just talking about it.”
REDUCING STIGMA
Jenny Armbruster is the interim executive director of PreventEd, which works to prevent the harms of alcohol and other drugs through education, intervention and advocacy and has been a leader in the Recovery Friendly Workplaces initiative.
“We do a lot of work with reducing stigma,” Armbruster said. “This should not be a topic we should be afraid to talk about. We should be having conversations all the time with each other, with young people, around substances. It doesn’t need to be something that is whispered about or we’re only addressing when it becomes a problem. If we can have open and honest conversations and start those early, we’re really going to make sure that people get the help they need if they encounter any struggles with
PreventEd has resources available to help with conversations around substance use at prevented. org
‘WE ARE AT WAR’
Jake Dunavant wears many hats. He is director of the National Peer Recovery Alliance, a division of the ARCHway Institute, an outreach coordinator for Illinois Recovery Center and an Advocate for Hope volunteer.
“Make no mistake, we are at war when it comes to the opioid epidemic,” Dunavant said. “There is, however, an army of people fighting a good fight. There’s evidence of that here surrounding the Aetna group. You don’t have to join the army so to speak to support this fight. There are a lot of individuals, there are a lot of organizations. Something as simple as carrying Naloxone to me indicates a knowledge of the existence of this problem.
“It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t discriminate in the business industry. It doesn’t discriminate for those who are wealthy or those who are poor. And it certainly doesn’t discriminate in the construction trades.”
Utility Workers Local 335 wins strong new contract with Missouri American Water
Members of Utility Workers (UWUA) Local 335 have ratified a strong new contract with Missouri American Water Corporation.
Members ratified the contract on Sept. 11 by a four-to-one vote, more than a month ahead of the current contract’s expiration, said Local 335 President Allan Bathon.
“The members were pretty happy with it,” Bathon said.
The five-year contract includes a 3.75 percent raise in the first year, a 3.50 percent raise in the second and a three percent raise in each of the remaining years, the highest raise package the company has given, beginning on the date of ratification.
With the raises kicking in early, Bathon said, members will actually see closer to a 3.86 percent raise over the course of the first contract year.
“We met for 10 straight days over two weeks in a row, so it worked out pretty well,” Bathon said of the negotiations, noting some past contracts have taken months to negotiate.
“We’re happy with it.” In addition to raises, other wins in the contract include:
• An increased boot allowance to $235.
• A third floating holiday.
• 40 hours of vacation carryover that can be used anytime during the next year.
• Company bereavement language more generous than the Union’s death in the immediate family language.
• Replacement of the line of promotion chart with system seniority for all job descriptions.
• Big pipe pay for every member of the crew when replacing pipe.
• Quicker access to vacation for new hires.
BATHON
Missouri AFL-CIO endorsed candidates for Nov. 5
Following are the Missouri AFLCIO endorsed state candidates for the Nov. 5 general election. Incumbents are marked with an asterisk (*). Union affiliation is noted where applicable.
STATEWIDE
Governor Crystal Quade (D) (Teamsters Local 245)
Lt. Governor Richard Brown (D) (AFT Local 691 – Retired)
Secretary of State Barbara Phifer (D)
Treasurer Mark Osmack (D)
Attorney General Elad Gross (D) U.S.
U.S. Senate Lucas Kunce (D) U.S. HOUSE
District
(D) District
District
District
Jeanette Cass (D)
Emanuel Cleaver (D)*
District 7 Missi Hesketh (D)
District 8 Randi McCallian (D) MISSOURI SENATE
District
District
District
District
Walton Mosley (D)* (CWA Local 6300)
Joe Pereles (D)
Maggie Nurrenbern (D) (MNEA)
Stephen Webber (D) (UFCW Local 655)
District 21 Jim Bates (D)
District 23 Matt Williams( D) District
Chuck Banks (D)
District 27 Jamie Burger (R)
District 29 Ron Monnig (D)
District 31 Raymond James (D)
HOUSE
District 4 Melissa Jo Viloria (D)
District 6 John Akins (D)
District 7 Terrence Fiala (D)
District 8 Sandy Van Wagner (D)
District 10 Andrew Gibson (D) (RWDSU Local 125)
District 11 Brenda Shields (R)*
District 12 Jamie Johnson (D)*
District 13 Andrea Denning (D)
District 14 Ashley Aune (D)*
District 15 Kenneth Jamison (D)
District 16 Gloria Young (D)
District 17 Shirley Mata (D) (UAW Local 249)
District 18 Eric Woods (D)*
District 19 Wick Thomas (D)
District 20 Clarence Franklin, Jr. (D)
District 21 Will Jobe (D)
District 22 Yolanda Young (D)*
District 23 Michael Johnson (D)*
District 24 Emily Weber (D)*
District 25 Pattie Mansur(D)
District 26 Tiffany Price (D)
District 27 Melissa Douglas (D)
District 28 Donna Barnes (D)
District 29 Aaron Crossley (D)*
District 30 Kevin Grover (D)
District 31 Jeremy Rowan (D)
District 32 Jennifer Cassidy (D)
District 34 Kemp Strickler (D)*
District 35 Keri Ingle (D)*
District 36 Anthony Ealy (D)*
District 37 Mark Sharp (D)*
District 38 Martin Jacobs (D)
District 41 Hans Stock (D)
District 42 Shaun Sparks (D)
District 43 Erik Richardson (D)
District 44 Dave Raithel (D)
District 45 Kathy Steinhoff (D)*
District 46 David Tyson Smith (D)*
District 47 Adrian Plank (D)*
District 48 Joseph Jefferies (D)
District 49 Jessica O’Neal-Slisz (D)
District 50 Gregg Bush (D) (LIUNA 955)
District 51 Glenda Bainbridge (D)
District 52 Rene Vance (D)
District 53 Beth Grubb (D)
District 54 Eric Stevens (D)
District 56 Pam Jenkins Hatcher (D)
District 57 Michael Walbom (D)
District 58 Willard Haley (R)*
District 60 Jamie Howard (D)
District 63 Jenna Roberson (D)
District 64 Cheryl Hibbeler (D)
District 66 Marlene Terry (D)*
District 67 Tonya Rush (D)
District 68 Kem Smith (D)
District 69 Chris Chapman (D)
District 70 Stephanie Boykin (D)
District 71 LaDonna Appelbaum (D)*
District 72 Doug Clemens (D)*
District 73 Raychel Proudie (D)*
District 74 Kevin Windham (D)*
District 75 Chanel Mosley (D)
District 76 Marlon Anderson (D)*
District 77 Kimberly-Ann Collins (D)*
District 78 Marty Joe Murray (D)
District 79 LaKeysha Bosley (D)*
District 80 Elizabeth Fuchs (D)
District 81 Steve Butz (D)*
District 82 Nick Kimble (D) (SMART 36 Householder)
District 83 Ray Reed (D)
District 84 Del Taylor (D)*
District 85 Yolonda Fountain Henderson (D)
District 86 Jeff Hales (D)
District 87 Connie Steinmetz (D) (MNEA)
District 88 Kyle Luzynski (D)
District 89 Eric Morse (D)
District 90 Mark Boyko (D)
District 91 Jo Doll (D)*
District 92 Michael Burton (D)*
District 93 Bridget Walsh Moorem (D)
District 94 Kyle Kerns (D)
District 95 Deb Langland (D)
District 96 Leslie Derrington (D)
District 97 David Casteel (R)*
District 98 Jaclyn Zimmerman (D)
District 99 Ian Mackey (D)*
District 100 Colin Lovett (D)
District 101 Jacqueline Cotton (D)
District 102 Alex Hissong (D)
District 103 Amanda Taylor (D)
District 104 Tara Murray (D)
District 105 Ron Odenthal (D)
District 106 Karen Edge (D)
District 107 Gary Wester (D)
District 108 Susan Shumway (D)
District 109 Eleanor Maynard (D)
District 110 Josh Thackston (D)
District 112 Renee Reuter (R)*
District113 Phil Amato (R)*
District 114 Ken Waller (R)*
District
District
District
District
District
Illinois AFL-CIO COPE endorsements for the November election
