Local 57 Bulletin 5-10 REV

UNITEHERE!
57Bulletin
LOCAL
May 2010
Workers Win Fight to Keep Jobs, Seniority
Union Contact Information
UNITEHERE!
57
LOCAL
UNITE HERE Local 57
(412) 212-1142 Telephone
Mailing address:
5 Gateway Center, Suite 615, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Visit us at:
60 Boulevard of the Allies, Suite 615, Pittsburgh
www.unitehere57.org
For questions about the union pension, contact:
UNITE HERE National Retirement Fund
(800) 452-4155 Telephone
HEREIU Welfare Fund (Union health plan)
(412) 434-8700, (866) 381-4373 • hereiufund.com
For months, Aramark management told Mellon
many of us signed the petition, and then
Arena and Igloo Club workers that if they wanted
we wore our union buttons. We fought
to work at the new Consol Energy Center they
together and we won together.”
would have to apply with the rest of the
On April 16th Aramark issued a letter
general public and would lose their senior- stating that Mellon and Igloo workers
ity. The workers, many of
would be offered jobs at the new
Bernie Martin
whom have been at the
arena and would keep their seniority.
arena for decades, were
“This fight isn’t over yet,” said
determined to fight for their
Veronica Muskelly, “We still have
Michelle Winbush
jobs. “Strong dedication is
to fight for improved wages and
what it took; we won this fight with
benefits, but we won the right to
our unity,” said Michelle Winbush.
keep our jobs and seniority. Now
After a campaign that included
we’re ready to fight for the rest.”
Veronica Muskelly
“None of us should take
petitions, delegations to manageDan Renner agreed, “Winning a
our union for granted.
Without being part of
ment, button-ups and outreach to
strong contract is the next step.
UNITE HERE none of us
the Penguins and their fans, manage- would be guaranteed
We’ll stick together and win.”
jobs at the new arena.”
ment reversed its position.
Congratulations to the Mellon and
–Charlene Callendar
Bea Binion noted that
Igloo Club Contract Committee:
“We’re members of UNITE HERE Local 57
Igloo Club: Sue Bates, Carol Lippl, Bernie
and we won this fight. No one should be
Martin, Joy Pelligrini, Margie Sanfilippo; Dan Renner
confused. We came together as a union, as concessions: Bea Binion, Charlene CallenUNITE HERE, and that’s why we won. The
dar, Veronica Muskelly, Anita Renner, Rhionna
Bea Binion
Joint Board is saying that they won this,
Rhodes, Kim Richards, Michelle Winbush; merbut they didn’t. It shows how desperate they are.”
chandise: Nancy Davis, Vince Fera; warehouse: MarBernie Martin added, “It felt so great when so
cus Day; vendors: Mike Grzywinski, Dan Renner.
It’s Not Over Until We Vote
Last month the National Labor
Relations Board’s Division of
Advice said that even though
Local 57 is no longer connected
with the Pennsylvania Joint
Board, the Joint Board represents Local 57 members. The
Local’s officers and members are
determined to fight the decision. No one likes the idea that
the government decides which
union represents us.
The decision has been
appealed, and members in a
number of workplaces have
signed petitions in support of
elections to vote on which
union they want.
“Which union we belong to
should be up to us. That’s
democracy. I can’t wait to
vote for UNITE HERE.” said
Mary Ann Campbell who
works as a server at the
Hilton.
Election petitions have been
filed at Hilton, David L.
Lawrence Convention Center
(Levy’s), Mellon Arena and
Igloo Club (Aramark), Sheraton
Station Square, Westin and
Westminster College (Sodexo).
Joint Board Officers Face Personal Liability
Improve Your Health and Earn Cash!
Workers United/SEIU suffered two legal setbacks in April. First, New York Federal Court Judge
Daniels allowed UNITE HERE officers to file
breach-of-fiduciary-duty counterclaims against former UNITE HERE and Joint Board officers.
The case centers around the rightful ownership
of UNITE HERE assets which former president
Bruce Raynor and his group tried to take for
WU/SEIU. Joint Board Managers like the Pennsylvania Joint Board’s David Melman could find themselves personally responsible for repaying the
union for monies and assets they have not
returned to UNITE HERE since joining SEIU.
Second, Judge Daniels ruled that any money
earned from the sale of a building owned by the
New York-New Jersey Joint Board where WU/SEIU
is headquartered in New York City must be placed
in escrow pending a final decision on ownership of
the building. Facing foreclosure, the NY-NJ Joint
Board was recently forced to sell the building. The
sale of the property will settle the mortgage and
leave several million dollars in profit—money
Workers United desperately needs. UNITE HERE
contends that the building actually belongs to our
union, and WU/SEIU should not receive the profits
from its sale.
The spring enrollment period for the Fund’s
Wellness Incentive Program is underway. The
HEALTHFUNDamentals program is designed to
help you make healthier lifestyle choices.
Using cash and benefit incentives, the program
aims to increase your knowledge of health risks
and encourage you to take all of the medications
your doctor prescribes and/or help you quit using
Fake Election Alert!
Fake Calls Alert!
Local 57 members should disregard the “election notice” the Pennsylvania Joint Board/SEIU
recently sent.
In accordance
with the Local 57
bylaws and the
UNITE HERE
Constitution,
nominations for
Officers and
Our elected Executive Board, sworn in on March 24.
(Mario Davis and Tony Papariella are not pictured.)
Executive Board
were held in March and the officers were sworn in
on March 24 to serve one-year terms.
Members have reported receiving calls from Lisa
Bishop about issues unrelated to healthcare.
Lisa Bishop does not work for UNITE HERE
Local 57 or the HEREIU Fund.
If you have questions about the health plan
please call (866) 381-4373 to speak with Fund staff
who can help you.
Be aware that calls from the Pennsylvania Joint
Board/SEIU may show up on caller ID systems as
“UNITE HERE”.
Make sure you ask the person who calls from
this number for their name and the exact name of
the organization they are representing.
Building Power in Our Industries
One of the reasons UNITE HERE Local 57
members have fought hard against SEIU’s
attempts to raid our union is the belief that
workers in the same industry have more power
when they are united in the same union. Power
we would lose by joining SEIU. So it’s ironic that
SEIU’s president agreed and wrote the following:
“We asked our [SEIU] members in industries
where we lacked experience or a strong membership base, such as laundry, hotel, and utility
workers, if they wanted to vote to transfer to
another national union that could better represent them… By the end of 2004, over fifteen
thousand members—primarily utility workers
and laundry and hotel employees—voted to
transfer to other unions and unite their strength
with the strength of other workers who did the
same type of work.” (Andy Stern, A Country That
Works, 2006, pp. 65-66.)
Stern should remember that he himself said
that it makes sense for hotel workers to leave
SEIU and join UNITE HERE.
tobacco products.
The Fund recently sent eligible Local 57 members
packets with information about the program and
enrollment materials. Fully completed enrollment
forms must be returned to the Fund postmarked
no later than June 30, 2010. If you did not receive
your enrollment packet or have questions about
the program call (800) 841-3380.
Health Fund’s New Customer Service Representative
The HEREIU Fund has a new member services representative. Patty Barker is available to answer your questions
and help with issues related to the Fund. Patty is a member of the Executive Board and a banquet server at the
Westin. The Fund customer service office is located at 60
Boulevard of the Allies.
You may also contact Patty or another Fund representative at (866) 381-4373 or (412) 434-8700.
Worker Wins Fight to Wear Union Button
During the recent Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO
Convention held at the Westin, Local 57 members
proudly wore UNITE HERE buttons welcoming the
convention’s delegates.
At a luncheon for the SEIU Pennsylvania State
Council delegation held at the Westin, a server
working the function was told by a manager that
she could not wear her union button.
Afraid that she would be sent home for wearing
her button, she spoke with Local 57 President Dan
Furlong who was also working that day. They went
to the manager who told them that “the client”
(SEIU) had requested that whoever worked their
function not wear a UNITE HERE button.
They then met with the hotel’s Director of Operations. Furlong presented the director with a card
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. KEEP THIS CARD WITH YOU.
You Have the Right to Wear a Union Button
As a hotel employee, I have a right to wear a union
button at work.
Republic Aviation v. NLRB, 324 U.S. 793, 795-804 (1945);
Pioneer Hotel, 324 NLRB 918, 923 (1997) enf’d in relevant
part, 182 F.3d 939, 946 (D.C. Cir. 1999).
UNITEHERE! Local 57
60 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh
Telephone: 412-212-1142
explaining workers’ legal right to wear a union button. The director agreed that the worker could
wear her button and the situation
was resolved. The worker wore her
button for the remainder of the
luncheon.
Furlong said, “I cannot believe
that any union member would ask
another union member to take off
a union button when we wear it
with pride.” He added that several USW President Leo Gerard
other delegates showed their support for Local 57 members’ right to wear their
union buttons including Steelworkers International
President Leo Gerard who wore one of the buttons
when he addressed the convention.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. KEEP THIS CARD WITH YOU.
“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being
disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal
working conditions, I request that my Union Steward,
Committeeperson, or Union Representative be present
at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to
answer any questions.”
This is my right under a Supreme Court decision called
“Weingarten.”