Carpenters pile on TruStone for undermining area labor standards in Burnsville

November 9, 2015 by
Carpenters call out TruStone outside the credit union's new Burnsville location.

Carpenters call out TruStone outside the credit union’s new Burnsville location.

 

Already embroiled in a dispute with its own employees’ union, TruStone Financial got an earful today from local Carpenters, who called out the credit union for working with a contractor that does not meet area standards for wages and benefits.

Members of the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters erected a banner reading “Shame on TruStone Financial” outside the credit union’s new Burnsville branch today, just three days after Office and Professional Employees Local 12 staged informational picketing during the location’s grand opening celebration.

Carpenters distributed fliers urging the public to “join members of North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters and their families by not patronizing Trustone” after the credit union used Friedges Drywall to build the Burnsville branch.

Fridges fails to compensate carpenters with wages, family health benefits and retirement benefits that meet area standards, according to the union.

“When carpenters are not paid area standards, they have fewer dollars to spend in the communities where they live and work, and where their children go to school,” the flier said. “Whether through greed or lack of understanding, TruStone Financial has made a choice not to support our local tradesmen and women. Please ask your family and friends to join you in not patronizing TruStone Financial.”

Formerly Teacher Federal Credit Union, TruStone’s membership base includes thousands of union members and retirees.

But some teachers are reevaluating their relationship with the credit union after Local 12, which represents tellers, personal bankers and other employees at branches across the Twin Cities, accused TruStone of union busting in charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board this fall.

The Carpenters are urging supporters to call Timothy Bosiacki of TruStone at 1-800-862-1998 and urge him to see that area labor standards are met in Burnsville – and at all future construction projects.

Filed Under: Organizing, Union Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Electrical Workers crash Bonfe’s open house

September 26, 2014 by
IBEW Local 110 members (L to R) Jaime Hubbard, Dan Crawmer and Ray Lee called out Bonfe's for not paying area-standard wages and benefits to its electricians.

IBEW Local 110 members (L to R) Jaime Hubbard, Dan Crawmer and Ray Lee called out Bonfe’s for not paying area-standard wages and benefits to its electricians.

Bonfe’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Service held an open house for prospective employees last night in St. Paul, but not everyone on the guest list appreciated the invite.

About two dozen members of St. Paul-based Local 110 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers surrounded Bonfe’s property during the open house. They carried signs and banners, distributed leaflets and warned the public – and potential employees – that Bonfe’s does not pay its electricians wages and benefits that meet area standards.

Bonfe's, a non-union contractor, mailed open-house invitations to members of IBEW Local 110 in an apparent attempt to "poach" skilled workers.

Bonfe’s, a non-union contractor, mailed open-house invitations to members of IBEW Local 110 in an apparent attempt to “poach” skilled workers.

The open house drew IBEW Local 110’s attention after members reported receiving invitations in the mail, union representative Jeff Anderson said.

“They invited me here, and I came,” Anderson said. “Now they don’t want me here.”

Anderson speculated that Bonfe’s accessed Local 110 members’ mailing addresses via the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s registry. The open house, he said, was nothing more than an attempt to “poach” skilled workers from the IBEW and its signatory contractors.

Bonfe’s once was among Local 110’s signatory contractors, but it decertified about five years ago. The company no longer hires union electricians, plumbers or sheet metal workers. Bonfe’s is completely non-union.

“Not only do they not pay area standards,” Anderson said, “but from the reviews I’ve read online, it does not appear they are passing those saving on to their customers either.”

Filed Under: Union Events Tagged With: , , , , , ,

In Forest Lake, Electrical Workers picket City Hall construction site

May 22, 2014 by
Members of IBEW Local 110 picket the non-union entrance to the construction site of Forest Lake's new City Hall. Picketing, from L to R, are Gary Kispert, Mike Finamore and John Vejtruba.

Members of IBEW Local 110 picket the non-union entrance to the construction site of Forest Lake’s new City Hall. Picketing, from L to R, are Gary Kispert, Mike Finamore and John Vejtruba.

FOREST LAKE – Construction of a new City Hall in this northeast suburb slowed to a snail’s pace yesterday, as members of Local 110 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers erected a picket line to protest the city’s use of an electrical contractor that, members say, undermines area standards for wages and benefits.

Efforts to reach an agreement with Vinco Inc. to pay wages and benefits on par with area standards have been unsuccessful, Local 110 organizer Bill Malecha said. Union members have greeted the contractor with “Shame On You” banners at its job sites more than a dozen times in recent months.

But when the City of Forest Lake awarded the electrical work on the City Hall project to Vinco, it was the final straw.

“We decided to step up the pressure with a three-day picket,” Malecha said, adding that the action had been sanctioned by the St. Paul Building & Construction Trades Council. “We can’t tell our union brothers and sisters not cross the line, but you can see pretty much the only people on the jobsite are the non-union electrical workers.”

Laborers Local 563 was among the unions who honored Local 110’s picket line yesterday, business agent Chris Peltier said. He and a handful of other Laborers bolstered the IBEW members’ ranks on the picket line today.

“When there’s a dispute on a job, we try to do whatever we can to support the other Trades,” Peltier said. “Yesterday we were able to keep all our people out, along with the other Trades.”

Before work began this morning, the general contractor on the construction site, Kraus-Anderson, established a “double-gate system.” It allows union contractors to access the construction site through a picket-free entrance. Work has picked up somewhat as a result.

It’s not the first time in recent months that the City of Forest Lake, under City Administrator Aaron Parrish, has found itself the target of a union protest. In fact, the IBEW’s three-day picket isn’t even the only demonstration taking place on the City Hall construction site.

Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 has put up a banner protesting R.J. Mechanical for subcontracting insulation work on the site to O’Leary Insulation, a non-union contractor that fails to pay the industry-standard wages and benefits established by Local 34.

Last fall members of Local 517 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees pushed back against Parrish’s drastic plan to reorganize city staff. Most notoriously, Parrish made firefighting a part of five workers’ job descriptions, despite the fact most were older than 50 with no previous firefighting experience.

“We’ve heard it many, many times from people who stop to ask us what we’re doing. They say, ‘It’s about time somebody does something in this town,’” Malecha said. “I would only hope the city would understand the reason this project is being held up is because they hired a non-union contractor who doesn’t pay area-standard wages and benefits.”

Local 110 plans to keep the picket line up through Friday.

“Our goal is to have Vinco sign a letter of assent with Local 110,” Malecha said.

Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 protested alongside IBEW members on the Forest Lake City Hall construction site, targeting a non-union insulating contractor. Holding the banner, from L to R, are Brandon Sebesta, Robin Carlen and Angela Sheehan.

Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 protested alongside IBEW members on the Forest Lake City Hall construction site, targeting a non-union insulating contractor. Holding the banner, from L to R, are Brandon Sebesta, Robin Carlen and Angela Sheehan.

Filed Under: Union Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Electrical Workers question safety, wage standards of Lowry Building overhaul

January 14, 2013 by
Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers man a banner outside the Lowry Building in St. Paul.

Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers man a banner outside the Lowry Building in St. Paul.

Local 110 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is targeting a contractor that union leaders say has undermined area-standard wages and benefits – and may be putting his workers at risk.

Jim Crockarell, vice president of Madison Equities, drew a “Shame On” banner from the union last month after contracting with Reliance Electric do to installation work at the Lowry Building downtown St. Paul.

“Reliance Electric does not pay the area-standard wages and benefits fought for and secured by St. Paul Electricians,” the IBEW flier distributed at the site reads.

The Lowry Building is undergoing a complete remodeling, and Ramsey County intends to lease the bottom two floors for the County Attorney’s offices.

Brian Winkelaar, IBEW Local 110’s political director, said the county has assured the union prevailing wages will be paid on any remodeling work done on the bottom two floors, but Crockarell “has discretion over” in the rest of the building.

What’s more, Winkelaar and other Local 110 representatives visited the worksite Nov. 29 and found safety standards lacking.

“We saw open electrical panels, stairwells that had no handrails and numerous trip hazards,” Winkelaar said. “All these things we are told when we go on a job site need to be done – none of them were done there.”

The company has a stake in several buildings around St. Paul – from Lexington Plaza in Roseville to the building that houses the Hat Trick Lounge in Lowertown. Electricians will be taking their banner to all of the sites to shame Crockarell even more – until he hires a contractor that pays prevailing wages and puts its workers’ safety first.

“All workers deserve to go home after a day’s work,” Winkelaar said.

Filed Under: Organizing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,