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. 70, NO. 17 August 27, 2021 SHORT The holiday’s The trades are pleased: CUTS origin: killing Senate OKs the largest of 30 strikers Candidates picked infrastructure bill ever launches the By Mark Gruenberg deserve. We must seize for November ballot PAI Staff Writer this opportunity. It is time to get Absentee ballots will be WASHINGTON (PAI) – With the job done so Laborers mem- mailed soon for voters to cast day in 1894 the Senate’s bipartisan approval, bers, who are ready, willing, and their ballot in this year’s Gen- Scheduled every year on the 69-30, of a $1 trillion bill to recon- able, can get to work now build- eral Election. first Monday in September, the struct or replace the nation’s crum- ing America and securing our fu- The following candidates Labor Day holiday in the United bling roads, failing bridges, eld- ture,” he added. have been endorsed by the States wasn’t al- erly subways and lead-lined wa- Bricklayers President Tim Greater Detroit ways a fixture on ter pipes, while adding affordable Driscoll agreed, then quickly re- Building and the calendar like broadband for everybody, there’s minded lawmakers to pass the Construction Christmas Day or a caution flag. There’s a lot of second and much larger reconcili- Trades Council New Year’s Day. heavy lifting still to come on the ation, bill, too. Political Action It became a three-day week- two big spending bills going (Continued on Page 5) Committee for end because an American presi- through Capitol Hill. the Nov. 2, 2021, dent wanted to appease Ameri- 2021 And it won’t occur until af- How the state General Election. The list re- can workers, who were upset that ter Labor Day, at the earliest. flects candidates who have re- strikers were killed... for striking. That’s because the Senate’s fares with new quested an endorsement and “In 1894 President Grover “hard” infrastructure bill must still have been screened by the Cleveland created Labor Day by Labor Day Edition clear the Democratic-run House, federal funds: ‘a PAC. signing federal legislation declar- where there’s a razor-thin margin Detroit City Council ing the first Monday in Septem- of control – and where win for Michigan’ (At Large): Janeé Ayers, ber a national holiday,” wrote Ready, set, pause: progressives are already saying By Marty Mulcahy Coleman Young Jr. Mike Smith for Michigan History it doesn’t do enough to curb the Editor (District 4): M.L. Elrick magazine. “Yet the origins of La- galloping global warming a spe- LANSING – Michigan’s (District 6): Gabriela Santiago- bor Day predate his action by Some Labor Day events cial United Nations report re- share of the $1 trillion infrastruc- Romero many years. As the number of vealed. ture package that was adopted by (District 7): Fred Durhal trade unions grew in America dur- Construction union leaders the U.S. Senate, awaiting ap- Dearborn ing the mid- to late-19th century, still on, others canceled hailed the vote. If lawmakers proval by the U.S. House, will be Mayor: Abdullah Hammoud their members began to hold pe- The end of summer approaches, and some Labor Day traditions eventually approve the legisla- a dandy smorgasbord of jobs for City Council: Erin Byrnes, Mike riodic parades, rallies, picnics and are on, others are off this year, as the still-continuing effects of the tion, it’ll mean tens of thousands the building trades. Sareini other events to demonstrate the pandemic affect daily life, on and off the job. of unionized, well-paying jobs on The bill includes $110 billion Hazel Park talents and accomplishments of For the Labor Day weekend in Michigan, following are events those projects. for roads and bridges across the Mayor: Michael Webb American workers. that are still on, and some traditional events that have been canceled Laborers President Terry O’ nation, as well as $66 billion in new City Council: Luke Londo, “For more than 100 years, this year. Sullivan called the measure “one spending on the U.S. rail Alissa Sullivan Michiganians have participated Detroit – The Labor Day Parade is canceled, for the second of the most significant and larg- network. For Michigan, the state Livonia City Council: Dan Cen- in Labor Day parades and other straight year. est investments ever in Department of Transportation ters, Jim Jolly celebrations. One of the first Escanaba – On the calendar is what is hoped will America’s infrastructure by ad- estimates that the bill would fetch Madison Hts. Mayor: Roslyn Michigan labor parades took be the first of many annual Labor Day celebrations. A dressing critical transportation, a total of $7.26 billion from those Grafstein place on July 4, 1865, when more parade lineup will gather at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. water, energy and broadband funds – that’s $1.7 billion more Oak Park Mayor: Marian than 4,000 union members – on 6, at the Marketplace downtown on Ludington Street, and the march needs. The legislation would coming to Michigan over the next Meisner-McClellan their way to a picnic –marched will begin at noon. A 3-D rendering of a monument to labor will be create hundreds of thousands five years than over the past five. Pontiac Mayor: Tim Greimel down Detroit’s Woodward Av- unveiled. Live music, a beer tent and food vendors will be available of good, family-supporting con- Estimates over the past few City Council enue, carrying banners, tools for refreshment and nourishment. Events are sponsored by the Delta struction careers, help restore years have called for additional (District 4): Randy Carter and other symbols of their County Trades and Labor. our nation’s infrastructure to spending in Michigan of an addi- (District 6): William Carrington trades. By the turn of the 20th Grand Rapids – Labor Day festivities are canceled. global greatness, and build a tional $2 billion a year in order to Romulus Century, similar demonstrations Ishpeming – The 32nd Annual Labor Day celebration sponsored lasting legacy for generations to do an adequate job of fixing the Mayor: Robert McCraight were held in urban centers (Continued on Page 4) come. damn roads. This money City Council: Bill Wadsworth, across the state.” “For far too long we have wouldn’t be a permanent funding Virginia Williams New York and Chicago have starved our country of the fix – but it would a great help over Roseville been among the epicenters of infrastructure investment the the next half-decade. Treasurer: John Chirkun (Continued on Page 4) American people want, need and The package also includes City Council: Stephen new programs that would bring Wietecha to Michigan for the first time an Royal Oak To rebuild our nation, make unions great again estimated $171 million to fund Mayor: Michael Fournier By Robert Reich inequality, where workers have a voice of workers has been interference from their employer the reduction of carbon City Council: Monica Hunt, Professor, University bigger share of the fruits of their steadily drowned out in both the – a hard-fought victory that work- via trans-portation emissions, Brandon Kolo, Sharlan Douglas of California- Berkeley labor. workplace and on the national ers shed blood to secure. But cor- and another new $194 million to Southfield Mayor: Ken Siver Imagine a world where work- This world is America in the political stage by the voice of big porate America has been busting (Continued on Page 4) City Council: Jason Hoskins, ers have real power. In this world, 1950s. corporations. unions to prevent workers from Linnie Taylor workers are paid a living wage, This world was far from per- This massive power shift organizing. Many anchors Sterling Heights City Council: are protected by a fect. Black people and women wasn’t the result of “free market In Bessemer, Alabama, for Henry Yanez, Michael Radtke strong union, and were still second-class citizens. forces” but of political choices. instance, Amazon used every Taylor Mayor: Alex Garza wield enough po- Windows of opportunity were still Now, it’s time to make the politi- trick in the anti-union playbook weighing down City Council: Jill Brandana litical clout to en- small or shuttered. That’s why it’s cal choice to strengthen the voice to prevent its predominantly Trenton sure Congress passes pro-worker not enough to just go back in of all workers. Black workforce from forming the U.S. construction Mayor: Steven Rzeppa laws. Corporations can’t treat time. We must build upon it and Start with one of the biggest first Amazon union. Total U.S. construction starts City Council: Dora Rodriguez them like robots and abandon expand it. sources of worker power: unions. Most union-busting tactics fell 3 percent in July to a season- Westland Mayor: Bill Wild communities to find cheaper la- For the past 40 years, this Every worker in America has a le- are illegal, but the punishment is ally adjusted annual rate of $854.8 bor elsewhere. It is a world of low world has been dismantled. The gal right to join a union free from (Continued on Page 5) billion, according to an Aug. 18 Little benefit to halt report by Dodge Data & of jobless money Analytics. There were few bright spots during the month, with all Extended federal unem- New Branch Co. three sectors (residential, non- ployment benefits have been residential building and blamed for making it difficult for nonbuildings) moving lower. employers to hire workers.