Biden Should Reverse Much of Trump's Anti-Labor Mandate Still No Fed
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THETHE BUILDINGBUILDING Since 1952 TRADESMANTRADESMAN Official Publication of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council Serving the highly skilled men and women in Michigan’s building trades unions VOL. 69, NO. 26 December 25, 2020 SHORT Biden should reverse CUTS much of Trump’s anti-labor mandate This is Tradesman’s By Celine McNicholas and Viewpoint final edition in 2020 Margaret Poydock This will be The Building Economic Policy Institute ment of Labor (DOL)’s ability to Tradesman’s final edition in 2020 For the last four years, at ev- provide proper oversight of fed- Our next edition will be mailed ery turn, the Trump Administration eral apprenticeship program stan- the week of Jan. 11, 2021. systematically promoted the inter- dards, which in turn reduces the ests of corporations and sharehold- quality of the program. First jobless jump ers over those of working people. Leaving millions without since April for MI Through a series of executive or- overtime: In 2016, the Obama ders and agency regulations, the (Continued on Page 4) LANSING – Michigan’s Trump administration attacked seasonally adjusted unemploy- workers’ health and safety, wages, It will take some ment rate advanced by eight- BOOM STONE CO. masons from Warren-based Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 2 set and collective bargaining rights. tenths of a percentage point to a 500-lb. statue of deceased K-9 Axe atop a granite base in front of the St. Clair Shores Police It is critical that the Biden ad- time to re-sync 6.9 percent in November, ac- Department on Nov. 30. Axe was a police dog who was killed in the line of duty, and an outpouring of ministration work from day one to cording to data released Dec. community support led to the funding of the statue and construction of a “pocket park” in front of reverse these actions and NLRB with 16 by the Michigan Department the building at 11 Mile and Jefferson. strengthen workers’ rights. Here, we of Technology, Management & review the Trump administration’s nation’s workers Budget. Masons set memorial statue for K-9 Axe anti-worker executive and regulatory Viewpoint Meanwhile, Michigan’s actions and chart a course for the new October rate was revised up- By Marty Mulcahy administration to address these By Robert M. Schwartz wards from 5.5 to 6.1 percent. Editor harmful actions. Labor Notes Total employment in November ST. CLAIR SHORES – Dogs are man’s best Following are policies that Unions are hoping that Presi- moved down by 14,000, while friend. None more so than Axe, the Police need to be changed or ended: dent-elect Joe Biden quickly takes the number of unemployed rose Department’s K-9 dog who was killed in the line Weakening federal work- control of the National Labor Re- by 43,000. of duty two years ago. ers’ collective bargaining rights. lations Board and launches a new Michigan’s number was Killed by a bullet during a shootout, the On May 25, 2018, President era of federal labor policy. slightly above the national No- beloved German shepherd has been immortal- Trump issued three executive or- Over the past four years, a vember jobless rate of 6.7 per- ized with a statue in front of the city’s Police ders aimed at eroding the collec- cabal of Trump appointees, de- cent, which declined by two- Department, the centerpiece of a newly created tive bargaining rights of federal termined to rewrite U.S. labor law, tenths of a point from October. “pocket park” at 11 Mile and Jefferson Avenue. workers. One shortened the has run the NLRB into the During the course of 2020, the Masons employed by Boom Stone Co. set timeframe expected to complete ground. The agency has issued a national jobless rate rose by 3.2 the four-foot-tall granite base and then atop it bargaining and directing agencies steady stream of precedent-set- percentage points, while the placed the 500-lb. bronze likeness of Axe on the not to bargain over certain top- ting anti-labor rulings, seemingly state’s rate advanced by 3.0 wintry morning of Nov. 30. St. Clair Shores-based ics. Another limited the use of of- designed to not only undo all percentage points during the Bernco managed the entire project, which in- ficial time for collective bargain- progress made on workers’ rights same period. cluded new cement pavement, a flagpole, light- ing activities. A third weakened during the Obama administration “In November, Michigan’s ing, benches, landscaping and repair of drain- due process protections for fed- but also to grievously undermine unemployment rate rose for the age issues at the police station. eral workers subject to discipline. the ability of unions to resist. first time since April,” said “Everybody who had a hand in this just did Privatizing America’s ap- What are the chances that Wayne Rourke, associate direc- a terrific job,” said St. Clair Shores Police Chief prenticeship programs. Building Biden will resuscitate the labor tor of the state Bureau of Labor Todd Woodcox. “I don’t think there could be a trades unions – which saw board and restore its role as a Market Information and Strate- more fitting way to pay tribute to Axe.” Woodcox Trump’s order to allow private em- defender of workers’ right to en- gic Initiatives. “With payroll said the bronze statue was cast in Axe’s likeness ployers to create their own gov- gage in concerted action against jobs also decreasing slightly with funding by the Michigan War Dog Memo- ernment-funded apprenticeship employers? It may take quite a this month, the recent surge in rial and is the dog’s “spitting image.” programs as an existential threat while before we find out. COVID-19 cases is still having Axe was killed in a Nov. 4, 2018, shootout – protested vehemently and were Republicans still in control. an impact on the state’s labor between police and a fleeing gunman, who was carved out of the privatization The NLRB is governed by five market.” also shot and killed. A memorial service with full plan. Trump’s executive order Board members appointed by the Since April, total unem- honors was given for the dog, and the commu- A 500-LB. BRONZE LIKENESS of Axe was permits third parties to set their president. The Senate must confirm ployment fell by 761,000, or nity responded with an outpouring of tens mounted on a 4,000 lb. granite base in front of the own standards for government- each appointment by a majority 69.0 percent. The state (Continued on Page 2) St. Clair Shores Police Department. funded apprenticeship programs, vote of senators present and vot- workforce was little changed and the order inhibits the Depart- ing (a filibuster rule requiring 60 over the year, edging down by votes was jettisoned in 2013). 0.4 percent. In comparison, Board members serve for five the national workforce fell by Still no fed standard for workplace COVID years with one member’s term ex- 2.4 percent since November By Nick Fox its own ETS in July, OSHA pro- work in multiple states,” says President-elect Joe Biden piring each year. Depending on 2019. Laborers Health and Safety grams in Michigan, Oregon and Travis Parsons, the Laborers has committed to using his first the composition of the Board Since April, Michigan Fund of North America California have followed suit. In Health and Safety Fund of North 100 days in office to get COVID-19 and the number of vacancies added 623,000 nonfarm jobs. With no emergency tempo- other states, including but not America’s associate director of under control. It’s likely that will when a new president takes of- However, the November payroll rary standard (ETS) for COVID- limited to Kentucky, Minnesota, occupational safety and health. include directing federal OSHA to fice, it may take as many as three employment total was still 19 at the federal OSHA level, more Washington and New Jersey, “That’s one reason labor groups develop a nationwide COVID-19 years before he or she has three 438,000 below the February pre- governors are directing their governors are using executive continue to advocate for federal ETS. If that happens, the agency seats, the number of members pandemic level. state’s OSHA programs to create orders to fill a similar role. OSHA to issue an ETS. We need will have several strong state pro- needed to issue precedent-set- ‘Wrong direction’ their own standards to protect “While we’re happy states a strong, consistent message grams to use as a foundation for a ting decisions. workers. are stepping up, the differences from the top that sets expectations national standard. So what do At present, four board mem- for federal UI claims Since Virginia became the between all these rules can get for employers and employees these state programs require, and bers are in place. Three are U.S. jobless benefit appli- first state in the country to issue confusing for contractors who alike.” (Continued on Page 4) (Continued on Page 2) cations jumped to 885,000, in- A construction year that has in September. construction building projects.” cent compared to the pre-COVID creasing from 862,000 the pre- been infected, and affected, by “It’s clear to us,” said Dodge The Dodge Index of U.S. world of February 2020. vious week, the U.S. Labor De- the COVID-19 virus is ending a Data and Analytics Chief Econo- Construction is a leading indica- “We’re now facing the next partment reported Dec.