The District Council has hired three new representatives. The new District Representatives are Frank Ippoliti, John Montgomery and Tom Russell who came on board this Monday, July 11, 2011. These new hires will be assigned to the Manhattan and Queens Rep. Centers.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Message from the District Council - 2011 Contract Update
From NYCDC
NYC District Council of Carpenters 2011 Contract Update
**As reported at the July 13, 2011 District Council Delegate Meeting**
While significant progress has been made regarding contract negotiations we have yet to reach a final agreement. Therefore the District Council and our contractor associations have agreed to a second extension of the terms and conditions of our previous contracts until July 28, 2011. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we anticipate settling these negotiations by then if not before.
Please be advised that for all work performed under the jurisdiction of the New York City District Council of Carpenters the terms, conditions, wage and benefit rates will continue as is pending these negotiations.
Court Transcript June 28, 2011
THE COURT: Nice to see you all. Please be seated. So just a couple of preliminary remarks and then we'll get started.We have a pretty ambitious agenda today, which is to have essentially a series of reports of status on some rather critical areas. One relates to the funds, another relates to the status of the provisions of the bylaws, the another to the restructuring plan, another to negotiations with Wall and Ceiling, and in relation thereto to work rules, and then lastly the election schedule.
So that's a lot -- that is a mouthful. And from my point of view, I am going to try and devote this following rough timeframe: A half hour to the first topic, 20 minutes to the second and third, and then 10 each to the fourth and fifth. And then we'll be able after that to hear from people who haven't spoken.
Carpenters vote to build a union
Members of local that was dissolved say they will now form own group
By ERIC ANDERSON
ALBANY -- Several dozen carpenters are forming their own union after the United Brotherhood of Carpenters dissolved their former local and combined it with another local.
Richard Dorrough, one of the organizers, said 68 people attended a meeting in Albany on Monday night to talk with labor lawyers about their options after the consolidation, which also combined other locals across New York state and merged the Empire State Regional Council of Carpenters into the New Jersey Regional Council to form the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters.
In all, 33 locals in New York and New Jersey were combined into 10.
Dorrough said that during Monday night's meeting, "we made a motion, took a vote and formed our own local."
What comes next hasn't been decided. The new union will seek to enlist additional members.
The new union could remain independent, or affiliate with another union, or even affiliate as a separate union with the AFL-CIO.
"We're leaning toward re-affiliating with the AFL-CIO," he said.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Construction strike postponed 1 week
A Wednesday walkout by concrete workers was pushed back at least a week as contractors and union officials agreed to keep negotiating. Big projects could still stall if progress doesn't appear.
By Daniel Massey
A threatened walkout by 2,700 concrete workers was averted—at least temporarily—when their unions and the Cement League agreed Tuesday night to continue negotiations for another week.
It’s the second time the two sides have extended their talks since the workers’ contract expired on June 30. Union officials said last week that the league had made a last and final offer that would amount to a pay cut for the workers, who earn about $40 an hour.
The workers had said they would strike starting Wednesday if the league, an industry association, did not improve its offer, but the eleventh-hour extension averts a strike that would have stalled work at 34 sites across the city, including, potentially, the World Trade Center memorial.
Alex Castaldi, business manager of the Cement and Concrete Workers District Council, said a bargaining session has been tentatively scheduled for Friday. He said that the workers decided to continue talks “out of sympathy for affected contractors who are not sitting on the negotiating committee and the whole situation with Ground Zero.”
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Manhattan office leasing volume hits 13-year highs
Activity in first half of year soars 40% over 2010 level and in May and June sets a new record; in good news for tenants, rent increases are still seen as modest.
By
Leasing activity in Manhattan in the first half of the year totaled 17.6 million square feet, the best six-month performance in 13 years and a 40% surge from the corresponding period of 2010, according to Cushman & Wakefield Inc. Meanwhile, activity in the last two months of the quarter was the strongest on record.
In yet another bullish sign, absorption—which measures the net change of occupied space in a given time—was a positive 3.2 million square feet. That marked the first time that measure has been positive for the first six months of the year since 2007.
“Leasing activity has been pretty impressive,” said Joseph Harbert, Cushman & Wakefield's chief operating officer for he New York metro region.
All that activity helped shrink the overall average vacancy rate to 9.4% by the end of last month from 10.8% in the same period last year.
The surprising news for landlords—and the good news for tenants--was that despite the surge in deal volumes, the overall asking rents grew a mere 2% to an average of $55.52 a square foot.
“Increases are modest compared to the activity,” said Mr. Harbert. “This is still a relatively good [leasing] opportunity for tenants.”
Monday, July 11, 2011
Notice of Meeting
Just received a postcard advising that the next two scheduled Local 157 meeting will be held on Monday July 25, and August 15.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The National Labor Relations Act
The principal labor law in the United States is the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Before its passage in 1935, employers were free to spy on, interrogate, discipline, fire, and blacklist union members. Nonetheless, during the Great Depression workers took over factories, engaged in citywide general strikes, and battled police and private security forces. Some historians believe that Congress adopted the NLRA to steer labor struggles away from potentially revolutionary confrontations.
The NLRA declares collective bargaining as an official policy of the United States.1 Employers are forbidden from discriminating against workers who join unions, exercise leadership, or engage in strikes.
The NLRA spurred organizing in the automobile, steel, electrical, meatpacking, rubber, and other industries. By 1945, union contracts covered a third of the private sector workforce.
In 1945 and 1946, a great wave of strikes swept the country. In response, business interests petitioned Congress to amend the NLRA. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 prohibited solidarity strikes, closed shops, and secondary picketing. The Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959 imposed further restrictions.
Court Transcript May 16, 2011
THE COURT: I did get a letter from one of the union members'asking that we adjourn today's meeting. I thought better of that because so many people are involved and had already planned to come and also the meeting that that individual, Mr. Franco, was concerned about, was to occur at 5:00 today, and unless there's something very unusual I don't know about we'll be done long before 5:00 and certainly in time for anybody to get to that meeting.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Big rise in rental charges for NYC apartments
 |
| The Beekman Tower is one of Manhattan's newest rental buildings |
By
Maybe the only thing hotter than the weather in Manhattan the past few months has been the apartment rental market, where rents have continued to rise and vacancy rates have hit a new low, according to reports released Friday.
Manhattan's apartment vacancy rate was 0.72% in the second quarter, the lowest vacancy rate that Citi Habitats, the city's largest rental residential brokerage, has seen since it started tracking vacancies in 2002. The last time the rate was nearly this low was in second quarter of 2006, when it was 0.76%.
Average rents have seen large increases across the board over the past year, regardless of apartment size. Rental prices for studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments increased 9.1%, 9.2%, 10.8% and 11.3%, respectively, according to Citi Habitats.
Similar trends could be found in a report by Prudential Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel. The firms tracked 8,572 new rentals in the second quarter, an increase of 51.5% year-over-year, with the average apartment rental on the market for 33 days, compared with 40 last year.
Open Letter: Response to UBC Proposed Restructuring Plan for the NYCDCC
(John's note: This letter was emailed to the RO on July 1, 2011)
Dear Review Officer Walsh:
This letter is in response to the May 26, 2011 United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America, (UBCJA) International Union and the New York City District Council of Carpenters (NYCDCC) and Latham and Watkins proposed Restructuring Plan for the NYCDCC, while its Local Union autonomy has been suspended under a temporary Trusteeship imposed under the LMRDA.
Per the Court Conference of June 28, 2011, we are submitting this to you as we requested and as you have approved.
NYC Pension Funds Earn 20 Percent Return
By Stephanie West
According to New York City Comptroller John C. Liu the New York City Pension Funds recorded investment returns of more than 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2011, which ended June 30. This is the first time in 13 years the Funds have achieved this mark. The preliminary data indicates the Funds values at approximately $119 billion as of June 30, 2011, which exceeds the $115 billion pre 2008 crash peak, and the June 30, 2010 value of $97.8 billion.
The estimated returns for FY 2011, the first full fiscal year under Comptroller Liu who took office on Jan. 1, 2010, follow gains of 14 percent in FY 2010, and reflect stock and bond market recoveries, as well as new actions taken by the Comptroller’s Office and the Trustees of the Pension Boards.
“While the markets remain volatile, we have vigorously pursued a diversification strategy to enhance our returns while lowering pension costs to the City. This will protect pensioners and taxpayers alike in the long run,” said Comptroller Liu. “It has been gratifying to work closely with our dedicated Trustees to achieve these results.”
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Cary Kane Named “ERISA Law Firm of the Year"
By Stephanie West
The labor law firm of Cary Kane LLP has been named the 2011 “ERISA Law Firm of the Year” for the United States by Finance Monthly Magazine, an international publication based in England which is read by law firms, corporate financiers, and international and domestic corporations. The Finance Monthly Law Awards is made by tabulating the votes received from the magazine’s readership.
Cary Kane’s ERISA practice focuses on union affiliated benefit funds. “I think it wonderful that a union-side law firm can be recognized by the readership of an international finance publication as the ERISA Law Firm of the Year in the United States,” said Larry Cary, a founding partner of the firm. “For many years I have tried to develop our ERISA practice to the point where it can become the recognized preeminent union-side ERISA law firm in New York City and I think we are on our way,” he added.
Cary has over 25 years of experience with litigating on behalf of and advising union benefit funds. He serves as a designated trustee for TWU Local 100 on the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, which has $44 Billion in assets, 300,000 participants and is the largest municipal retirement system in the United States.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Prospects for Manhattan Office Construction Brighten
 |
| Richard T. Anderson President, Building Congress |
While Manhattan will, for the first time since 2000, go an entire year without celebrating the opening of a significant new office tower, the ingredients exist for a major mid-decade surge in new office construction, according to a New York Building Congress analysis of multiple data sources.
Except for the anticipated completion of 33,700 square feet of office space at 2 Allen Street, no new office completions are expected in Manhattan until the 700,000 square foot Gem Tower in 2012. That tower will be followed by the anticipated completions of 1 WTC and 4 WTC starting in late 2013.
Prior to this year, Manhattan had welcomed at least one new major office tower annually since 2000, including 10 towers of at least one million square feet.
New Office Supply Lagging
Manhattan added approximately 20 million square feet of new office space between 2001 and 2010. While this represents a considerable improvement from the prior decade, when just six million square feet were produced, it is still modest by historical standards. In addition, its effect on Manhattan’s inventory of office space was offset by the 13.5 million square feet destroyed on September 11, 2001.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Birthday, America
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Major construction strike averted
Tentative contract agreements between contractors and the unionized operating engineers were reached just before Thursday's midnight deadline, preventing a $10 billion strike.
By
International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 14 and 15 reached new three-year deals late Thursday with contractor associations, averting a strike that could have brought unionized construction in the city to a standstill.
In a statement, Louis Coletti, president of the Building Trades Employers' Association said the unions "made major adjustments" in order for the sides to come together. He declined to elaborate beyond the statement. Details of the agreements were not immediately available.
The deal was announced shortly before a midnight deadline and came after months of tension leading up to the expiration of some two-dozen contracts spanning the construction industry. Union leaders had portrayed a public relations campaign by contractors as counterproductive.
“We’ve said from the start that negotiations are conducted at the bargaining table. Not anywhere else or by anyone else who is not party to collective bargaining,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “We are pleased that the pessimism of those predicting a strike has proven to be as misguided as the extreme rhetoric and demands that ultimately yielded to the real-world approach brought by organized labor to solving problems and improving competitiveness.”
Friday, July 1, 2011
Details Emerge on NY Operating Engineer, Contractor Deal
By Carolina Worrell and Debra K. Rubin
While neither union or contractor officials have disclosed terms of a newly signed agreement with two operating engineer locals in New York, details are emerging on key work-rule changes, says an industry source.
The pact was reached June 30 between Operating Engineers Locals 14 and 15 and the Building Contractors Association, Contractors Association of Greater New York and Cement League.
The industry source says one significant change involves cutting overtime pay for workers who run inside and outside elevators at jobsites. Another modification would limit use of supervisory "master mechanics" on sites, the source says. The agreement with union officials still must be ratified by the rank and file, with a vote set for July 14. The source says the vote would be contentious.
According to the source, outside elevator operators would see overtime rates cut from double time after eight hours, to time-and-a-half, and inside operators would lose $10 an hour in overtime pay. Elevators can run 24/7 at jobsites, so overtime costs can be significant, the source says.
NYC crane operators avert strike at eleventh hour
Associated Press
NEW YORK — New York City crane operators have averted a strike after negotiations went down to the wire.
Louis Coletti of the Building Trade Employers Association says two unions representing crane operators, excavators and maintenance engineers agreed on a new contract late Thursday, less than two hours before their contracts expired.
Work could have been halted at World Trade Center sites and a new basketball arena in Brooklyn.
The New York Building Congress said a strike would have threatened $10 billion in unionized construction projects. The trade association says construction spending is down 25 percent from its 2008 peak and a strike would have come at the wrong time.
Details of the agreements were not immediately released.
Operating Engineers Locals 14 and 15 did not return calls for comment.
Crane operators ready for possible citywide strike that threatens $10B in construction projects
 |
| A strike of crane operators across New York City is looming. |
City developers are gearing up for a possible crane operator strike on Friday that could bring $10 billion in construction projects across the city to a screeching halt.
Threatened are scores of projects including such high-profile sites as the Nets arena in Brooklyn, the 34-story Gem Tower in midtown's Diamond District and the Weill-Cornell Medical Research Building on E. 69th St., according to the Real Estate Board of New York, a developers lobbying group.
A strike could also halt or slow construction on as much as $1 billion in public-sector projects, much of it school construction.
Insiders said a walkout at the Sept. 11 Memorial is unlikely but other Ground Zero sites could be hit.
"They'd be lunatics to strike at the Sept. 11 Memorial," one source linked to developers said. "Their members would lose a fortune and it would be a public relations nightmare, but nobody knows about the other towers."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
