QUARTERLY PUBLICATION FROM THE CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR • ISSUE 1 • 2018 Uniting for Freedom and to End a Rigged System Thousands rally to continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of the Memphis sanitation strike www.chicagolabor.org 94297 Issue 01_2018.indd 3 3/9/18 1:44 PM CONTENTS 4 Affiliate News 6 Cover Story Ending a Rigged System 8 Feature Stories 10 CFL News COVER PHOTO PHOTO COURTESY OF AFSCME COUNCIL 31 CONNECT FACEBOOK CHICAGOFEDERATION OFLABOR TWITTER @CHICAGOAFLCIO TWITTER @PROUDUNIONHOME March to the Polls As part of the Women’s March in Chicago, even the youngest participants brought signs to express their sentiments. YOUTUBE Turn to page 8 to read about the day of action. PHOTO CREDIT: CFL WEAREONECHICAGO 2 | FederationNews 94297 Issue 01_2018.indd 2 3/6/18 10:48 AM President’s Report March 20, 2018. If this date is not already on your calendar, it should be. This is Primary Election day here in Illinois. Between now and then, voters across our state will determine which candidates from each party will face off in November. If you read my column each issue, you know that I continually reiterate the saying that elections have consequences. Unfortunately, since 2015, we have experienced firsthand the ramifications of not electing officials that share our values. Four years ago, the people of Illinois elected an anti- union, corporate CEO to be the governor of our state. Once Rauner took office, labor was on the defensive. We were running around the state to push back against attacks at the municipal levels while also fighting for a budget that funds our state’s greatest needs—social services, education and state agencies. Since President Trump took office in January 2017, the labor movement has also fought back on many fronts because Trump’s policies hurt working families. For example, his administration ended the Obama administration’s expansion of federal overtime rules that would have made an additional 4 million workers eligible for overtime. We have the opportunity to make a change. But victory will not be given to us, it will be earned. For the March primary, the Chicago Federation of Labor endorsed candidates who understand the issues important to working families. The CFL’s endorsement process is exhaustive, and it starts with the completion of a questionnaire with over 40 questions on labor-centric issues. Then candidates are brought in for screenings with a committee comprised of various CFL-affiliated unions. After deliberations, our COPE body democratically decides on who the best candidate is for labor. We go through this process for our local candidates and take part in the Illinois AFL- CIO’s process for statewide candidates. Through the Illinois AFL-CIO’s process, the CFL supported the endorsements of JB Pritzker for Governor and Kwame Raoul for Attorney General. JB is committed to working hand-in-hand with labor to raise the minimum wage, fight worker misclassification and wage theft, support equal pay for men and women, strengthen project labor agreements, and fight back anything or anyone that tries to lower workers’ wages. Kwame supports moving the state to a progressive income tax structure and going after businesses who break prevailing wage, minimum wage and wage theft laws. Just as it is important to vote for JB and Kwame for Governor and Attorney General, respectively, it is important for all of us to vote down the ballet for offices like Cook County Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Subcircuit judges. Each level of government impacts our day-to-day lives. On pages 10 and 11 of this magazine, you will find the CFL’s complete list of endorsed candidates. I encourage you to make copies for your family members and to bring this with you to your polling places. Today, I urge you to make a plan to go vote. Then talk to your family members about their plans to vote. You have until March 20 to make your voice heard. Early voting runs through March 19 and the deadline to vote by mail is March 15. If you want more information on either of these options, visit our website at chicagolabor.org/vote. JORGE RAMIREZ PHOTO CREDIT: CFL PRESIDENT FederationNews | 3 94297 Issue 01_2018.indd 3 3/9/18 11:46 AM Read more on these topics at www.chicagolabor.org/news. Affiliate News Local Construction Special mention went to Iron Worker ironworkers while recovering Plumbers Local 130 Joint from an injury that occurred off Projects Recognized Apprenticeship Committee International the jobsite. for Top-Quality Training Center. The new President Hailed for 48,000-square-foot state-of-the- Union Work His Work on Paid CTU Members Vote art building is equipped for the Maternity Leave for The Construction Industry future of plumbing. The three- to Merge with Service Corporation, CISCO, story building features: rainwater Members Union Charter announced its Project of the harvesting, which takes rainwater Iron Workers International Year award winners at the end of off the roof, stores it in both Educators General President Eric Dean, 2017 as part of its annual Pride a 10,000 gallon underground in Construction Award Program. who got his start as an apprentice In January, members of the tank and a 3,500 above-ground and journeyman with Iron Chicago Teachers Union voted to The program recognizes the tank and puts it back into the top-quality union construction Workers Local 63, was named merge with ChiACTS Local 4343, plumbing system to flush urinals; one of the Top 25 Newsmakers which represents union educators projects in six different categories. grey water harvesting used for for 2017 by Engineering who work for charter school “We are proud to recognize the irrigation system of the trees News-Record, for his role in operators in Chicago. these projects, the project and plants in the new plaza; six establishing a groundbreaking “Our members have spoken,” teams and organizations for this different wet-labs that feature paid maternity leave program. said CTU Vice President Jesse prestigious award,” said CISCO The program is the first of Sharkey, in a press release Executive Director Dan Allen. 94 faucets, residential and commercial plumbing fixtures its kind in the building trades posted to CTU’s website. “We’ve The top project in the New and provides qualified pregnant declared that we’re stronger and a water heater lab; a green Construction/Chicago (above ironworkers up to six months of together in one big union— $20 million) category went to roof; and solar panels to create paid leave and up to six weeks and we embrace our common the new McCormick Place Hotel hot water for the entire building. postpartum. struggle to support our workers, and Event Center in Chicago. To see all the winners, visit www. The tragic story of an our students, their parents and The 40-story Marriott Marquis cisco.org/projects-of-the-year/ ironworker woman who had our neighborhoods. Our two serves as a flagship hotel, and the miscarried due to physically unions share the same goals: an 300,000-square-foot Wintrust demanding work during end to school privatization and Arena is the new home to DePaul Gas Workers pregnancy inspired Eric Dean charter expansion, a living wage University’s men’s and women’s to work with the Ironworker and a fair contract for workers, basketball teams, and the City’s Ratification Vote Management Progressive Action and most importantly, classroom WNBA team, the Chicago Sky. Results Cooperative Trust, IMPACT, resources and supports that allow The arena boasts more than Contractor Co-Chair and CEO our students not just to survive 10,000 seats. Members of Gas Workers Union of Ben Hur Construction Bill but to thrive and grow into The top choice in the category Local 18007 overwhelmingly Brown to introduce a paid engaged, empowered, productive for New Construction – Chicago ratified a new five-year agreement maternity leave program. adults.” or Suburbs (below $20 million) with Peoples Gas in January. “When Eric Dean heard The charter lobby blasted was the new Peoples Gas Training The Gas Workers started their the ironworker woman’s story the merger proposal in the run- Center. The 50,000-square-foot contract campaign in August at the Women Build Nations up to the vote, echoing past conference, he took immediate facility is located in the Chicago 2017 with a rally at Teamster City, charges that a merger between action not only to keep the CTU Local 1 and ChiACTS Little Village neighborhood. One which CFL Secretary-Treasurer ironworker women safe during Local 4343, which represents of the extraordinary aspects of Bob Reiter attended. CFL pregnancy, but also to give them workers at more than 30 charter the project was the construction President Jorge Ramirez later time after birth to take care of schools in Chicago, would remarked, “There’s nothing more of a mock “Gas City”—a fully their babies,” says IW General erode the “independence” of a local union or its members functioning natural gas delivery Organizer Safety/Diversity Vicki charter schools, serve as a way system to 20 “homes” and can do for its families than fight O’Leary. for the CTU to “grab power,” “businesses.” There, employees for a fair collective bargaining The IW leadership hopes and “undermine the charter and their contractors will practice agreement.” the program will not only keep movement.” installing and servicing natural The Gas Workers Executive ironworker women safe but “Educators in district gas pipes and meters, conducting Board would like to thank also improve retention. It’s an and charter school share the safety inspections, locating everyone across the movement adjunct to the IMPACT Off-the- same challenges and the same pipelines and responding to mock who supported them during this Job Accident program, which commitment to our students and emergencies.