RI Common Ground June 11

JUNE 2011

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RI AFL-CIO President George Nee counters union misconceptions

By Common Ground Staff Common Ground sat down with George Nee, president of RI AFL-CIO to ask poignant questions about current labor issues and the future of the labor movement.

We have seen some anti-union legislation in Wisconsin and now Massachusetts recently. Why do you think this anti-union sentiment exists among some legislators?

I think there is some anti-union sentiment among certain legislators because there is unease in these difficult times, and they see a group that has something good, namely good union benefits, and instead of trying to raise all others up to those standards they want to bring them down.

We have an unprecedented fiscal crisis at the state and local level all across this country. This crisis was not caused by union members making

decent wages and benefits, but by Wall Street investors who used the American public as a giant casino to make speculative bets on our economy where they couldn’t lose. Now those bets are coming due and Wall Street has passed the tab on to the government.

How could union members making $35,000$50,000 a year on average have caused multimillion and billion dollar deficits across the country? The answer is they didn’t. It was tax breaks to the wealthy in the form of income tax cuts, capital gains tax cuts, corporate tax cuts, tax incentives to corporations for jobs that never materialized. Union men and women who have faithfully worked day in and day out to make their communities better for everyone should not be the ones to shoulder the burdens of Wall Street.

It has been a concerted effort of the Right Wing over the past 30 or 40 years to tear down the American labor movement and greed is the driving force behind this corporate led movement.

How do you think common ground can be found between public and private sector unions and their non-union counterparts in the workforce?

There is plenty of common ground to be found between union workers and non-union workers.

Union members are average Rhode Island citizens who want the same things for their community that non-union Rhode Islanders want. How is your neighbor that is a firefighter, nurse, school teacher, supermarket worker who just happens to be in a union any different from any other citizen?

They pay their taxes, send their children to public schools, coach in the Little League, attend church, volunteer at the senior center, vote, and want the best for their community.

Union members are average middleclass Americans whose union gives them the opportunity to band together and have a voice in their workplace. There is much more in common among union and non-union middle class Rhode Islanders than those who want to demonize them Continuing union misconceptions - page 2

Crowley and Parisi draw the line on education issues in Rhode Island

By Common Ground Staff Patrick Crowley, Government Relations Director for the National Education Association of RI, and James Parisi, Field Representative of the American Federation of Teachers, recently sat down with John Tassoni, host of Common Ground Radio Show to discuss the recent events, growing trends and surfacing rumors in education in RI. The heated battle over RI education came to a head last month as clear lines were drawn during two same-day rallies at the state house. Providence Mayor Taveras held his rally to demonstrate that the economic strength of Providence is necessary for the whole state’s financial well-being. The second rally, however, attended by teachers from Pawtucket, Warwick and Central Falls and organized by the Providence Teachers Union, argued that it’s impossible to have a strong city in light of the recent teacher dismissals.

Patrick Crowley explained that the Providence Teachers Union held their rally to remind the mayor about Providence’s dismissed teachers.

“You don’t get great by taking away teacher’s jobs, you don’t get great by being unilateral,” said Crowley.

Teacher ‘demonization’ is appearing as a growing trend among media and local officials looking to place blame for low test scores.

“Half truths are being put out there without teacher’s voices being heard in the media,” said Crowley. “NEA tries to counteract the demonization of classroom teachers,” he said.

Parisi further warned of the recent trend to link teacher evaluation or certification to student test scores. Crowley explained that teacher voices are heard in evaluation processes but rarely listened too or taken into consideration.

“Data shows that student performance is not a way to measure effective teaching,” said Crowley.

In addition to unsettling trends in education, Crowley mentioned the rumor of Providence’s school committee performing ‘group hearings’ for fired Providence teachers. He likened this action to a judge doling out sentences without hearing individual cases.

“It flies in the face of rights protected under the current laws and is just anti-democratic,” said Crowely.

Parisi, also opposed to group hearings, explained that, while unsuccessful, group hearings have been attempted in other towns of RI and it’s unfortunate to see it coming up again.

“I read the law, I look at their contract, and what the school district is insisting on just isn’t right,” said Parisi.

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Continuing union misconceptions - from cover for having rights on the job, decent wages for hard work, good health care for when they or their family members get sick, and a modest pension so they can have peace of mind when they retire and live with dignity.

How have unions helped the every-day non-union Rhode Islander who works just as hard as a union member does each day?

Unions have a long tradition of standing up for all workers whether or not they belong to a union. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO has consistently stood up for all Rhode Islanders through our support of minimum wage indexing, which ties the minimum wage to the CPI so it increases automatically every year without having to get legislation passed; a strong and robust workers’ compensation and Temporary Disability Insurance system so those that are injured at work receive fair treatment and compensation for their injuries as well as pay for lost days of work; the weekly pay requirement that insures employees get paid in a prompt manner for their hard work; unemployment insurance for those that have lost their jobs; smart, strategic and focused economic development that will allow Rhode Island to prosper as new industries and sectors of the economy come into our state; fighting for fair and equitable tax policies; increased enforcement of health and safety regulations so Rhode Islanders can go to work in a safe environment; and many more issues that impact all Rhode Islanders. All workers benefit from a strong labor movement, not just those that belong to unions.

Many people claim that unions are the reason for our state’s financial situation. What do you tell people who claim this? How have unions helped our state in the past and what will they do in the future to help our state financially?

In just the past 5 years the Rhode Island state employees have had

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their pensions changed 3 times, given up negotiated raises, taken unpaid furlough days, worked with severely understaffed departments, and continue to go to work day in and day out to do their jobs.

On the municipal side, the story is the same. There have been contracts renegotiated, lay-offs, staff reductions, increased health care co-pays, etc.

Rhode Island’s public employees have a vested interest in seeing our state succeed and want Rhode Island to thrive as much as the next person.

Rhode Island union members will continue to work with our elected leaders to make sure that Rhode Island is in good shape financially while still protecting the rights and benefits that so many have fought for so long to achieve.

Where do you see the labor movement 10 years from now?

I see the labor movement much stronger than it is now in 10 years.

I believe that people who do not belong to a union will get fed up with being asked to do more for less and they will stand up and demand a voice on the job. It is my hope that hard work will be respected again and lead to a rebuilding of the American middle class through increased wages.

US manufacturing will make a comeback when corporations realize that outsourcing costs more than making it in America- we are already seeing this happen in high end manufacturing. It will continue as our national leaders change our tax and trade policies to remove the incentives US companies have to move their jobs overseas. Labor will continue to build relationships with immigrant and minority communities making the movement more diverse and reflective of society as a whole.

It is my hope that in ten years future labor leaders will no longer have to negotiate health care benefits for their members because the US will have joined the rest of the industrialized world and will provide comprehensive universal health care for all Americans.

Ravitch and Meier find common ground in education debate

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Diane Ravitch, education historian and Research Professor of Education at NYU, and Deborah Meier, also an education historian and a senior scholar at Steinhardt School of Education, found common ground last week over the education debate by pointing out the real agenda of those targeting teachers of public schools. In an open format Ravitch and Meier discuss each other’s typically differing opinions through letters posted to each other on edweek.org’s opinion blog.

The recent concurrence of opinion stemmed from a blog post from Ravitch about her experience last month in Rhode Island. Ravitch was asked to give a lecture and invited to meet with Governor Chafee privately before the lecture.

As it turned out, she met with not only Governor Chafee but also with the state’s Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Deborah Gist, along with other leaders of the RI Federation of Teachers. Ravitch explained in her blog how difficult it was to speak since Gist continuously interrupted her and dominated the “conversation.”

In her blog post, Ravitch questioned why leaders are not taking their time to listen to all sides of a sometimes confusing issue.

“I don’t know how we will convince the policymakers, the foundation leaders, and the media that education issues are complex and that all sides should be heard. Of course, there is a need for action, but not all actions make sense.

And driving a train as fast as you can to the edge of a precipice is never a good idea. It pays to listen,” said Ravitch.

In her response to Ravitch, Meier explained why leaders aren’t listening to all sides of an argument. She pinpointed the real agenda of most trying to reform the educational system – and it has nothing to do with education or our children.

“Some see the chance to destroy another public stronghold—our schools—as a lifelong dream come true. They are 100 percent convinced that market competition is always the best. Period.

Probably the only institution they believe should remain public is the military, and they are already nibbling away at some of what we used to consider a soldier’s job.”

“Second are those that see the great advantage of using the moment to destroy the one and only organized body contesting over the ‘proper’ distribution of wages and profits—the American trade unions. This includes many non-billionaires. Having destroyed most of the formerly powerful unions in the private sector, they are coming after the Johnny-come-latelies, the public-sector workers,” said Meier.

Ravitch agreed with Meier’s explanation for leaders’ inability to listen due to their political and economical agenda in her subsequent letter to Meier. She explained two different mind-sets present in the educational debate.

“One sees the school as a community, a place of learning where there is an ethical obligation to support both staff and students, helping both to succeed. The other sees schools as one part of a free-market economy, where quality may be judged by data; if the results aren’t good enough, then fire part or all of the people and close the store, I mean, the school and pick a new location. The former looks to teamwork and mutual support as guiding principles; the other prizes competition, leading either to rewards or punishments,” said Ravitch.

Ravitch explained that the latter mind-set has been seen across many states and shows itself in public policy such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. “We see a continuing campaign to dismantle public education, privatize it, and turn it over to entrepreneurs of various stripes,” said Ravitch.

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Workers in Southeastern Mass and Cape Cod are uniting for community care Workers in Southeastern MA and Cape Cod will kick off the newlycreated United for Community Care campaign on June 18 to fight some of the challenges that are facing community hospitals and to help support the healthcare they provide. The June 18 event will take place along the Cape Cod Canal in Buzzard Bay and include a picnic and rally to kick off the new campaign.

On Cape Cod and in Southeastern MA, community hospitals play a vital role in keeping our communities healthy and safe. However, community hospitals are facing several challenges, and union members at these facilities are facing risks to quality care.

That is why they have kicked off the campaign to protect and strengthen jobs and care at our community hospitals. Together, they save lives and keep our communities healthy. Now 1199SEIU members are mobilizing community support and unity for community hospitals.

The United for Community Care campaign includes priorities such as adequate funding, regulations that give patients more priority and creating stronger jobs.

The campaign calls for community hospitals to be adequately and fairly reimbursed by insurance companies and the state for the care they provide. Changes are coming to how healthcare is paid for in MA and funding for community hospitals should be protected during and beyond these transitions.

“I work hard to make sure that our facility gives the best care possible.

If we lose funding, it could affect staffing, the programs we offer, and our revenue. It’s imperative that we continue to stay well funded,” said Carole Spear, an 1199SEIU member who works in the emergency room at Cape Cod Hospital.

The campaign further asks that the glut of private medical facility growth in the community be regulated to protect healthcare access, prevent discrimination against families based on their insurance provider,

provide a level playing field, and to control healthcare costs. These nonhospital facilities drive up healthcare costs for everyone in the long term and put community emergency rooms at risk.

“With surgical centers and other non-hospital medical facilities popping up, our patients are turning to other places to get their care. That means we lose revenue and have to make some tough decisions as to how we continue to operate,” said Michelle Joyce, an 1199SEIU member at Jordan Hospital.

Finally, the campaign will encourage healthcare jobs to be good jobs for a strong local economy. Local healthcare employers should stop outsourcing jobs to companies that have little or no connection to communities. Healthcare employers are entrusted with private and public funds to deliver the best medical care possible. That’s done by retaining experienced caregivers and investing in knowledgeable staff that care about their local community.

“It’s like the saying goes, ‘A penny saved is a penny earned.’ If we keep qualified, knowledgeable workers on our staff, we save our facilities millions of dollar and provide quality care at the same time. It’s a winwin situation,” said Vicki Linnell, an 1199SEIU member at the Cape Laboratory.

The facilities 1199 SEIU are looking to support are Cape Cod Health Care (including Cape Cod Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, Cape Laboratory, Cape Cod Human Services and Heritage at Falmouth Nursing Home), Tobey Hospital, Jordan Hospital, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Marine Biological Laboratory, Brockton Hospital, Our Island Home, Windemere Nursing Home and Martha’s Vineyard Community Service.

For more information or to RSVP for the rally, contact Jerry Fishbein at 877-409-1199 (ext. 166).

Maximize revenue by treating addiction in the workplace

By Michael Blackburn A recent national survey of human resources professionals revealed that although substance abuse and addiction are among the most serious problems faced in the workplace, employers are not fully addressing the problem. The survey, conducted by the Hazelden Foundation, found that many employers do not proactively deal with substance abuse issues and do not refer employees to treatment programs, although many companies pay for them.

“Addiction is this country’s number one public health problem,” said

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Jill Wiedemann-West, Senior Vice President of Clinical and Recovery Services at the Hazelden Foundation. “We know that treating drug and alcohol addiction results in more people finding their path to recovery, it results in more resilient families, more productive work places and healthier and safer communities.”

According to the survey, more than 67 percent of HR professionals believe that substance abuse and addiction are some of the most serious issues they face in their company. The major problems stemming from substance abuse that affect companies are absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lack of trust and obviously a diminished bottom line.

However, less than 22 percent of HR professionals say their companies openly and proactively deal with their employee’s substance abuse and addiction issues. This is a staggering figure – considering the fact that it has been documented for years that there are simple steps to follow when it comes to dealing with addiction in the workplace. Granted, those are some of the most difficult steps to take if you’re the addict; however, to not be providing a simple path to recovery for your employees is difficult to understand.

More than half of the surveyed professionals believe the biggest challenge is getting employees to acknowledge and talk about their substance abuse. In addition, about half identified four major hurdles in helping their employees: lack of experience in identifying substance abuse and addiction; lack of information regarding treatment options; personal discomfort in approaching employees about the issue; and not having enough time to deal with the issues.

The reality is there is no good reason for not having a plan in place.

What an amazing job by the Hazelden Foundation to illuminate an issue there is simply no excuse for. There are so many options for employers when it comes to providing help for their employees that no excuse is acceptable for not providing help. At Treatment Solutions Network, we have built our vast network around providing these very services to employers and employees on a national scale. We are here to help you help the people who you care about and see to it that your business thrives as a result.

Whether you choose to contact Treatment Solutions Network or not, if you are an employer within that 22 percentile that is not openly dealing with addiction in the workplace, please do something about it as soon as possible. Ultimately, people will die from addiction and businesses will bleed revenue unless the proper steps are taken. Call me directly and I will personally help you carve a new path for your business.

After retiring from the Providence Fire Department as Battalion Chief in 2003, Michael J. Blackburn currently works as Senior Vice President for Treatment Solutions Network. He can be reached for questions or comments at mikeb@tsnemail.com or by phone at 401-255-4622.

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Common Ground

JUNE 2011

Electrical workers’ union put charge into Rebuilding Together

By Paul V. Palange PROVIDENCE – Fueled by the desire to assist people who lack the resources to keep their homes safe, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 99 are carrying on the tradition of helping Rebuilding Together repair area dwellings.

The IBEW is the only union to formally work with Rebuilding Together, said Jane C. Eskelund, the nonprofit’s executive director. “They

Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 99 in Providence participate in Rebuilding Together’s recent 18th Annual Rebuild Day in Rhode Island. Led by IBEW member Michael D’Amico, dozens of union electricians worked at several sites in East Providence.

The IBEW and Rebuilding Together have a longtime association that D’Amico has spearheaded for about 15 years.

are just amazing. They are so generous,” she said of the electrical workers.

“We have had up to 75 electricians working at once on houses.”

One of the leaders of the IBEW’s volunteer effort is Michael D’Amico, who serves on the union’s executive board. “He’s a tiger,” Eskelund said of D’Amico, who coordinates the IBEW participants and solicits and collects materials necessary to do electrical work at the homes targeted by Rebuilding Together.

While Rebuilding Together operates year-round, the organization conducts a nationwide Annual Rebuild Day. The 18th consecutive campaign was conducted in Greater Providence this past April 30, when hundreds of volunteers renovated 12 homes and non-profit sites, according to Eskelund.

She explained Rebuilding Together is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by conducting extensive rehabilitation and modification projects at no cost to those in need. Some projects are aimed at senior citizens so they can live in a safe environment while aging in place.

“We have not seen one house that doesn’t need electrical work, and we want to make sure critical repairs are done,” Eskelund said. The only volunteers allowed to do the electrical tasks are members of the IBEW teams.

“We are helping people who can’t help themselves,” D’Amico said.

“Many of them are elderly. They live alone and don’t have the resources to have the work done. Some of them thank you with tears in their eyes, and that puts a tear in my eye.”

D’Amico, who is the head electrician at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin’ Donuts Center, said IBEW volunteers have replaced wiring, installed new light fixtures and smoke detectors and completed other work to ensure homeowners are safe and comfortable.

Before the work is done, D’Amico spends 100 hours or more contacting electrical supply companies to solicit materials; collecting the donations; and organizing the supplies for each location.

Addressing the impact Rebuilding Together has on people, Eskelund

said: “We just don’t rebuild their homes, we rebuild their lives. We are rebuilding homes, lives and hope that we can reach out and help one another. …We do anything you can think of that will allow people to stay in their homes.”

The largest of this year’s projects was a “cluster” in East Providence, where volunteers from Local 99, the MetLife Foundation, Sears Holdings, Furey Roofing, Textron Inc., Gilbane Building Co., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Housing and other community partners made critical repairs for families, the Cape Verdean Community Center and the Whiteknact Elementary School, Eskelund said.

In the Riverside area of East Providence, employees from the Washington Trust Co. repaired an elderly person’s home while even more volunteers started renovations at the Oldham Elementary School.

The senior citizen is from a military veteran family, which also qualified her for assistance under Rebuilding’s Heroes at Home project, according to Eskelund. The senior is a perfect example of a homeowner who desperately needed help.

She has lived in her home for 38 years and witnessed her husband’s death when he fell off the roof of the house trying to make repairs 36 years ago, according to Eskelund. She was left with four children and providing for them was a struggle, putting home renovations and some repairs on the back burner.

Volunteers gutted her kitchen and bathroom in preparation for new fixtures; put in cabinets and floors; installed doors; replaced ceilings; made critical electrical system repairs; and built a safe home entry platform and stairs.

For more information, go to www.RebuildingTogether.org. The organization can be followed on Twitter@rebldgtogthr or at Facebook. com/RebuildingTogether. Eskelund can be reached at (401) 274-3000.

JUNE 2011

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Rhode Island ranked number 2 nationally in worker safety Rhode Island ranks second nationally in a new report on worker safety released by the AFL-CIO this week. The 20th annual Death on the Job: the Toll of Neglect report finds that the on-the-job fatality rate for Rhode Island workers is 1.4 per 100,000, less than half the national average of 3.3 per 100,000.

The only state with a lower on-thejob fatality rate than Rhode Island is New Hampshire with 0.9 fatalities per 100,000 workers. In 2009, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that was used in the report, 4,340 workers were killed on the job—an average of 12 workers every day—and an estimated 50,000 died from occupational diseases. More than 4.1 million work-related injuries and illnesses were reported, but this number understates the problem. The true toll of job injuries is two

to three times greater—about 8 million to12 million job injuries and illnesses each year. “I think it is a testament to the Rhode Island labor movement and its vigilance to the health and safety of all workers that Rhode

I think it is a testament to the Rhode Island labor movement and its vigilance to the health and safety of all workers that Rhode Island fares so well in the safety of our work force.� - George Nee

Island fares so well in the safety of our work force,� said George Nee, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “All workers have the right to

speak out about unsafe and dangerous working conditions. Unfortunately, seven Rhode Islanders lost their lives trying to provide for their families in 2009. The Rhode Island labor movement is strongly committed to the day when Rhode Island will have zero accidental deaths on the job,� said Nee. Rhode Island has a strong history of protecting and monitoring work place safety. “I think one of the reasons we fare so well in this report is our strong workers’ compensation laws. Dating back to 1990 and the reform of the workers’ comp system government, business, and labor came together to help prevent work place injuries. For example, Beacon Mutual Insurance was created out of that reform and for the last twenty years they have made work place safety and protection one of their top priorities,� said Nee.

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Common Ground

JUNE 2011

Massachusetts Nurses Association reaches agreement with Tufts Medical Center and St. Vincent Hospital The nurses of Massachusetts Nurses Association working in both Tufts Medical Center and St. Vincent Hospital have reached an agreement with management averting strikes at

both institutions.

Tufts Medical Center nurses withdrew its strike notice and ratified the agreement after a 15-hour negotiating session. The agreement, which runs from May 18, 2011 to Nov. 19, 2011, includes key provisions.

The first key provision is to limit patient assignments for nurses working on the medicalsurgical floors to six patients on the night shift, and to no more than two patients in the intensive care units. The hospital has also agreed to convert a number of temporary travel nurses positions to core staff.

The addition of charge nurses with limited assignments to a number of the hospital’s busiest medical surgical floors on day and evening shifts is another key provision.

Strict limits on mandatory overtime is a key provision of the new agreement. No nurse will be

required to work more than 16 hours in a single shift, and cannot be assigned more than 12 hours of mandatory overtime in a calendar quarter.

The agreement provides for protection for nurses who are asked to float to other units, with guarantees that they will receive appropriate orientation and are competent to practice in those areas.

A final key provision allows for a two percent wage increase across the board for all nurses.

Barbara Tiller, RN, co-chair of the nurses’ local bargaining unit at Tufts is proud of the agreement and what it will mean for patients.

“Our nurses made a courageous stand for safe staffing and working conditions, and the hospital finally responded with improvements that we believe will enhance our ability to deliver the care our patients expect and deserve,” said Tiller.

In Worcester, at St. Vincent Hospital, nurses and management agreed on a 3 year pact after 6 hours of negotiating. The agreement, similar to Tufts, called for a modest wage increase, and focused on patient to nurse ratios as well as

staffing increases. Staffing increases come in the form of adding a “resource nurse” with a limited two-patient assignment to all medical-surgical and telemetry floors on day and evening shifts.

The contract also sets a safe limit of four to five patients per nurse on days and evenings and no more than five patients on the night shift.

“The nurses spoke and the hospital was forced to finally listen to us,” said Marlena Pellegrino, RN, co-chair of the nurses’ local bargaining unit in Worcester.

Robert Haynes, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO congratulated the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Tufts Medical Center for their work toward the agreement on the Massachusetts AFL-CIO website: “This agreement shows that while collective bargaining requires hard work from both sides – evidenced by the marathon negotiating sessions held during the last week – it is the only vehicle for achieving fairness in the workplace and reaching true compromise between labor and management,” said Haynes.

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Republicans feel voter heat over plan to end Medicare

By John A. Pernorio In back-home meetings during the twoweek congressional recess, House Republicans who want to kill Medicare and replace it with an under-funded voucher system are finding out first-hand what the polls are telling us. An overwhelming number of voters say “No.” Here is how The New York Times describes it: “After 10 days of trying to sell constituents on their plan to overhaul Medicare, House Republicans in multiple districts appear to be increasingly on the defensive, facing worried and angry questions from voters.”

The scheme to end Medicare, which provides guaranteed health care coverage for all seniors, and turn it over to private insurance companies is a key part of the House Republican budget plan crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and passed earlier this month.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the plan would double a senior’s health care spending over the next decade. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that Ryan’s plan would have seniors paying $20,000 a year for Medicare in 2030, or 68 percent of the total cost of their coverage. That amount is currently 25 percent.

In a radio commercial airing in several states, the Alliance for Retired Americans says the Republicans will use the money slashed from Medicare—along with huge cuts in Medicaid contained in the Ryan budget—“to give more tax breaks to millionaires and corporations.”

Republicans plan to end Medicare as we know it, putting us at the mercy of insurance companies. With Republican priorities upside down, it’s time for us to speak up.

Seniors and other others challenged Ryan at a town hall meeting in Kenosha, Wis. Politico reports that Ryan was met by an overflow crowd that was overwhelmingly opposed to his plan to kill Medicare.

At least 200 people were left outside once the 300-seat auditorium filled to capacity. The people in the crowd largely opposed the Ryan plan, holding signs such as “Ryan Care = Dying Bare,” “Leave Medicare Alone” or simply, “Save Medicare!”

While Ryan spoke inside, the group rallied outside and ironically played Shania Twain’s “Ka-Ching,” which criticizes society’s obsession with money. As Ryan was leaving, they chanted, “Tax the rich, too!”

John A. Pernorio is president of the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans.

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EXECUTIVE BOARD BUSINESS AGENTS

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Secretary-Treasurer

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Daniel Manocchio

James Croce

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Page 8

Common Ground

JUNE 2011

1199SEIU MA and Senator Kerry encourage members of Congress to vote “no” on privatizing Medicare

Last month, 1199SEIU members joined Massachusetts Senator John Kerry at a press conference at the Kit Clark Senior Center in Dorchester

to encourage Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown and other members of Congress to vote “no” on a controversial budget plan proposed

by House Republicans in Congress. The press conference was organized by the Massachusetts Coalition for a Working Economy.

One of the most controversial and extreme measures within the GOP budget plan is a proposal that would privatize Medicare, jeopardizing healthcare coverage and services and driving up costs for millions of seniors.

Brown had originally said on Friday, May 13 that he would vote in favor of the controversial plan, but appeared to change his position Monday

morning in anticipation of the press conference – a victory for healthcare workers and senior advocates who had criticized his initial stance.

1199SEIU had launched radio ads last week encouraging Brown to change course on the GOP budget proposal.

In addition to privatizing Medicare, the GOP budget proposal, often referred to as the “Ryan budget” after House Republican Paul Ryan would simultaneously reduce corporate tax rates to 25 percent.

The Ryan budget would be a massive blow to the health care, home care and long term care systems. Reductions in funding for Medicaid and Medicare, could mean the loss of services for our patients, residents and consumers.

Personal care attendant Ingrid Houlder Baptiste became very emotional while speaking at the press conference about the impact the cuts would have: “I am sorry for crying but this is so emotional for me. Coming to [my consumer’s] home I see how important the work we do is. We can’t have these cuts.”

Though Senator Scott Brown announced on Monday that he would not vote in support of the Ryan budget, Senator John Kerry spoke about the importance of not allowing the budget to pass “We can balance the budget. We can reduce the deficit. We can get rid of the debt. And we can do it while still investing in the future of our country and not do it at the expense of seniors and children,” said Sen. Kerry.

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Page 10

Common Ground

JUNE 2011

Put your economic fate into your own hands

By Laurie White

The Governor led a delegation of key Rhode Islanders – including Mayor Taveras, Speaker Fox, President Paiva Weed and a collection of academic and medical heads – to take a look at the stunning revitalization of an East Coast city that shares many of the same characteristics as Providence.

The epicenter of the trip was the University of Maryland/Baltimore (UMB), located within a mile of the city’s Inner Harbor District. Baltimore and Providence can point to a common set of seemingly magical economic potions: access to water and access to brain power – the forces that are proven game changers.

As recently as six years ago, a large swath of downtown Baltimore lay fallow. Nothing transformational was happening and not much appeared to be on the horizon. An imaginary line separated east and west Baltimore. Neighborhoods sat balkanized. Unemployment spiked. Traditional industry drifted away, and much of the region’s infrastructure frayed. The indicators were heading in the wrong direction – until the academic, civic, medical, business and political leadership took charge. The drive to reinvest was multifaceted, and the results were what the Rhode Island delegation witnessed up close.

The first item on the agenda was an overview of the University of Maryland Medical System, a private, not-for-profit network of 12 academic, community and specialty hospitals. The delegation asked questions of their institutional leaders who spoke about the University’s integrated disciplines including nursing, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, social work and law. They explained their mission to serve the local community with a full range of care options, to educate and train the next generation of health care providers, and to be a site for world-class clinical research. The delegation also met some of the more than 1,200 biomedical researchers whose jobs are sustained by the $567 million in extramural funding.

The delegation walked the grounds of the UMB campus and watched construction workers building the Medical Center’s newest teaching

facility–The Shock Trauma Critical Care Tower.

Hundreds of people were visible on site erecting the elaborate nine-story, 175,000 square foot structure-providing a real boost to the construction trades.

Approximately 250 new jobs will be created once the project is complete in 2014. Interestingly, a large percentage of the funding is coming from the State of Maryland–$50 million over five years.

Next, the group met with the University’s economic development team who talked about the vision to unify the district by stretching the institutional boundaries and seeding new capital investment. The Westside Development model sparked the imagination of the delegation because it showed how bold actions could quickly change neighborhoods and generate jobs.

Moving across the street to the University of Maryland BioPark, they saw a community of innovative bioscience companies and academic researchers in 475,000 square-feet of wet lab and office space. Twenty-five tenants employing 550 people populate two large buildings on the west side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. University President Jay Perman, MD set up the interplay when he said that UMB is “committed to growing discoveries” in campus research buildings, and the discoveries then “will come to the marketplace” in the BioPark. More than $180 million in capital investment has been generated in the last six years, with an additional $67 million in new lab facilities being built right now.

Unique to the BioPark is the embedded presence of the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) which runs a two-year life sciences training program. The workforce training institute features open enrollment and students are actively recruited from the neighborhoods. The remarkable part is that 100 percent of their graduates get jobs or go on to pursue four-year degrees in some aspect of the health sciences. Baltimore’s research-driven economy does, in fact, create jobs across all points of the skills spectrum.

A few lessons can be learned from the delegation’s visit. Begin by putting your economic

fate in your own hands. Purposefully build on your competitive strengths. Assemble the right coalition of people and power. And move quickly because it’s all about actually getting it done.

The universities, colleges and hospitals are huge economic generators. For every $1 in public input, $15 in economic output is generated to benefit the residents of Maryland. That kind of economic vibrancy can be generated here in Rhode Island.

You can move the needle fast, if the collaboration is real. The city of Baltimore was decaying and its workforce was lagging. Passionate people stepped in with a vision and turned things around. That kind of collaboration is present in Rhode Island.

The BioPark was planned, zoned, permitted and licensed in under one year – a very impressive timetable, for sure. The delegation gasped when told about the aggressive scheduling. Rhode Island can commit to that kind of development expediency.

Building in the community college training programs to the start-up environment was a stroke of genius. The BCCC officials told the group that their trainees are scooped up immediately for jobs and that the level of proficiency is enviable. The same can be done with our community college assets here in Rhode Island.

And finally, civic and government leaders were cognizant that the window of opportunity in downtown Baltimore would not be open forever.

With an energetic vision in place, private capital on the sidelines and courageous public leaders willing to trust and collaborate, they plunged forward.

Rhode Island can do the same.

Just 10 days after the delegation’s economic development mission Baltimore leadership decided they will be paying a visit to Providence. More brainstorming will occur. As a result of these efforts the right coalition of people and power is now in place, and the smart and strategic build-out of the Knowledge District is actually going to get done.

Laurie White is president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce

UA Local Union 51 Plumbers • Pipefitters • Refrigeration Thomas A. Handfield Business Manager Robert Walker Financial Secretary

Timothy L. Byrne Business Agent

Frederick Foeri Organizer/Agent

William D. Mello Business Agent

Done Once. Done Right Serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts

II Hemingway Drive, East Providence, Rhode Island 02915 Telephone: 401-943-3033. Fax: 401-943-8027

www.ualocal51.com

JUNE 2011

Common Ground

Page 11

Take Home A New Friend “Ivy” is about 8 years old. She is a little doll! She loves to cuddle and go for nice walks. She seems to do very well with most dogs. Like most Chihuahuas she does get a little scared around high activity. She loves to play and loves to be held. She’s a true lap girl! She would make an excellent companion.

“Buster Brown” is a very young (maybe about 6-8 months old) multi breed mix that makes him his unique self.

He’s a very loving, friendly adorable boy! He’s a great boy to be around, and you can really have fun with him.

Buster loves to go for walks and loves to snuggle up.

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“Carlos” is only about 5-6 months old. Carlos loves to play and is a fun loving energetic boy. He loves to go for nice walks and is very good with kids. Carlos would love a home that has the time to teach him all the good doggy things. He will be neutered and will have all his shots at the time of his adoption. We are now accepting application on this very handsome little man.

1728 Smith Street, North Providence, RI 02911 $550 / 385 sqft. High traffic, heat included, W/ A/C. Office/Store fronts on Smith street, near Citizen’s Bank, Dunkin’ Donuts, David’s Furniture. FIOS & Cox are in building. Fire coded.

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Call 401-231-0930

“Mya” is around 3 years old and is slightly on the shy side. She does well with most dogs but is not crazy about female dogs. She would be good as the only pet because she loves to get all the attention. “I do have a minor skin issue on my back but the nice people here at the shelter are taking care of it. My hair is coming in very nicely, and I’m starting to look as beautiful as I should. I love to go for walks, and I’m very good about getting a bath.” She would do best in a home with no small children, but older children 10 + are okay. Sometimes she gets jumpy with sudden loud bangs or noises. She is very well behaved at the shelter. She would love a home where she can go for walks and a family that would enjoy spending time with her.

If you are interested in adopting a companion animal from Defenders of Animals, please fill out our adoption form at http://www.defendersofanimals.org/adoption-form.htm. We will review your information and contact you as soon as possible. For questions, please call Defenders of Animals at 401-461-1922.

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33 EASTLAND STREET SPRINGFIELD, MA 01109

UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION LOCAL 1459

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Page 12

Common Ground

JUNE 2011

We all own a piece of the bullying problem

By Russell Irving

Bullying doesn’t take a vacation. And we all own a part of the Bullying Phenomena, whether we were the bully, bullied, or the person who joined in the harassing so that we remained “cool” with our friends. We might have been the ones who hung back and watched with morbid curiosity; glad we were not the one getting kicked or verbally beatenup. Or maybe we were the teen who simply didn’t care about anything that did not directly involve us. Or worse, maybe we have been the teacher or administrator who did nothing because of fear of lawsuits or because we truly had no idea what should be done.

Where I grew up I was a member of that neighborhood’s racial and religious minority.

People watched my harassment and did nothing until a buddy of these bullies, who also happened to be huge in size, came to my defense. This “gentle giant” had more guts and heart than teachers, administrators, or peers did. The point of this trip down my memory lane is simply this: We have all been part of the ‘Bullying & Harassing’ problem, one way or another. But we all could be like that gentle giant and do something.

Whether or not you have children in school, you own this problem. Bullies are the type to be vandals in your community or to be the rude, loud, and obnoxious neighbors you detest.

Those who are picked on could someday be your grandchildren, nieces or nephews or they already are.

You need to let the schools know this situation is not acceptable. When adults see fights or threats, they need to act swiftly without cowardice, fearing lawsuits from the bullies’ parents.

Administrators need to punish the bully

differently than the bully’s victim, if the bully begins a fight and the other student is simply defending themselves. Schools need to do more than have yearly 2 hour assemblies discussing the situation. They need to utilize student-run skits and plays regarding bullying, harassment, and tolerance. We need schools bringing in ‘kids-now-adults’ who can let the bullied know that life does get better. We need schools to offer ‘Life Skills’ classes where they learn what is needed to survive in the real world of adulthood. We need to add books on ‘Life Skills’ to summer reading lists.

Summer vacation has the possibility of allowing bullies more time and opportunities for making others’ miserable and, possibly, suicidal with the extra use of internet.

Facebook, Twitter, and countless other social networking sites provide a powerful tool for spreading rumors and harassing innocent teens.

Your responsibility as a parent is to kick it up a notch. Safeguard your kids. Show them you care and that you do not have to be a miserable authoritarian. But neither should you relinquish your responsibility and act as if you were your teen’s buddy. Be a parent, first and friend, second. If your child is being a jerk, then call them on it. Do not assume girls are not bullies because some are.

Bullying can also follow us into the workplace. Too many of us have had bosses who are really just adult versions of the ‘mean kid’ in school. They enjoy finding fault with your work even when the quality is there.

Maybe you have the co-worker who sets you up or takes credit for your work.

When that happens, show courage. If a talk with them does not get results, go to your union steward. If there is no union, go to your

bosses’ boss or your co-worker’s supervisor.

Do not be the heroic police officer who tolerates their partner’s harassment of minorities, youth, or others. It takes away from your “badge’s shine.” Stand up for your coworker when you hear them being put down over something they did not do. The bottom line at work is that we are now adults. We need to stand up for ourselves and others. And, thus, set an example for our children.

Bullying has become more grotesque and destructive than it has ever been. And it’s up to us to speak out for those who cannot or who do not know how to.

We should not tolerate any more teen suicides due to apathetic or lawsuit-weary administrators. You need to contact the schools in your district, the parent-teacher organizations, and the political powers in your area.

As trite as it sounds, the bullies of today can grow up to be the ‘work tyrants’ of tomorrow.

Unless we behave as grownups should. And, take a stand for those too weak to do so on their own. It is part of the obvious—things we too often ignore or purposely choose to overlook. You have the power to make a difference. Use it! ‘Nuff said.

Russell Irving is the author of 2 mediaacclaimed books. Improve Your Marriage – Don’t Overlook the Obvious (www.DontOverlookTheObvious.com) and Teens!

Improve Your Life – Don’t Overlook the Obvious (www.TeensImproveYourLife.com). Both books are available from these websites, Amazon.com, or other book retailers. Russ is also available for speaking engagements and workshops. Reach him at: 401-354-2212 or russ@ExpressYourselfHere.com

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JUNE 2011

Common Ground

Page 13

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Page 14

Common Ground

JUNE 2011

Riding RIPTA for fun

By Barry Schiller Most RIPTA riders use the bus for getting to work, school, or errands, but consider this: the bus system can get you to plenty of places for recreation and fun. If you are tired of driving everywhere, or paying high gas prices, or if you want to help the environment by reducing your emissions, you do have options if you use transit. You can also help the state’s economy by being a tourist here in Rhode Island, and by not sending so much of your money to out of state oil companies. Note that at $100 a barrel you are paying over $2.38 per gallon just for the crude oil. So here are some places to go by bus.

Newport is always a popular destination, and RIPTA provides 43 trips each way there from Providence on the #60 line and 20 trips on Sundays. You get to go right to the Gateway Center, close to the waterfront, shops and restaurants. The fare is just $2 all the way from Providence. At $4 per gallon, a typical car would use about $6 worth of gasoline for that trip, plus there are parking hassles.

Once there, local buses (#67) can take you to the Bellevue Avenue mansions area, and provide access to Cliff Walk. You can walk Cliff Walk one way and catch the local bus back at the far end for an easy ride back. Or, with RIPTA’s rack-and-ride bike racks, you can take your bike on the bus to Newport (no extra charge) and ride around Ocean Drive and wind up on Bellevue Avenue that way.

The #60 line also serves East Bay towns which have many tourist destinations including the Audubon refuge, Colt State Park, and Blithewold in Bristol. Some might like the antique shopping in Warren. The #60 also

gives access to the East Bay bike path in Barrington, Warren and Bristol making oneway rides on the path possible. The bike path can also be reached in Barrington by bus route #32, Riverside by the #33 line, and at its northern end in East Providence by the #34.

Other bike path accessible with RIPTA’s bike racks are the West Bay (Routes 13 at its west end, 30 near the middle, 31 at its northern end) the Woonasquatucket (17, 19, 27) Blackstone (71) and South County. The latter can be reached from the metro area by the #66 to Kingston Station,. Riding back from the beach in Narragansett on the #14 is also a possibility for a nice day trip. Indeed that #14 can serve as a beach bus to the Narragansett town beach and nearby Canonchet Farm.

Other interesting destinations with good RIPTA service include Slater Mill, which is across the street from all Pawtucket bus lines.

The bus stop there is part of the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center which has many excellent suggestions for local sites and events. Further up, the #54 can take you to Woonsocket’s excellent Museum of Work and Culture.

In Smithfield, Audubon’s Rhode Island headquarters at Powder Mill Ledges, with about 2 miles of trails (with free admission!) is on the #9 route.

Rhode Island’s colleges and universities often have interesting events and there is bus service to all of them. Note the frequent #55 goes to Providence College and continues on to RIC which is also served by the #26 Atwells. For URI, the #66 goes 23 times a day each weekday from Providence, and the #64 connects URI to Newport. All the East

Side buses serve Brown and RISD, that #60 line goes by Roger Williams University and connects to the #67 for Salve Regina.

Finally remember all the tourist sites in Providence, most notably Roger Williams Park where the #6 now takes you directly to the zoo.

Even on Sunday this line has 15 zoo trips each way. Lets not forget the “trolley” that goes to Federal Hill and the East Side, including the Thayer Street area with its college hangouts.

Though not everyone thinks the State House is a fun place, there are 4 bus lines that go there, where there is a great reference library and a beautiful State Room.

Full information about RIPTA schedules and its various passes is available at www.ripta. com or by calling 781-9400.

Barry Schiller is a former member of the RIPTA Board of Directors and a current member of the State Planning Council’s Transportation Advisory Committee. He can be contacted at bschiller@localnet.com.

Misclassification is wage theft

By Josie Shagwert At Fuerza Laboral, a worker assistance center located in Central Falls, RI, we see dozens, if not hundreds, of workers each year who have lost hard-earned income, because they were misclassified as independent contractors instead of W-2 employees. We have seen the devastating effects on our members time and again, when families cannot pay for food, shelter, or clothing due to misclassification, which we view as wage theft.

Many people are not sensitive to this issue, because they think it does not affect them, but in fact misclassification affects all of us.

Worker misclassification not only deprives workers of their legally entitled wages, it also steals legally entitled revenue from the taxpayers of the State of Rhode Island. In fact, according to a report issued by the Special Joint Legislative Commission to Study Employee Misclassification and the Underground Economy in June of 2009, worker misclassification stole approximately $50 million of legally entitled revenue from taxpayers in 2008 alone.

And while you face strong penalties for stealing candy from a store, there are currently no such deterrents for the unscrupulous employers who knowingly misclassify their workers and withhold proper payment from the state. Worse yet, those affected have no legal

right to collect their hard earned wages. These unscrupulous employers take advantage of a lack of legal clarity to exploit people who are desperate for work.

Also according to the Commission, nineteen states and the federal government have recognized the issue with at least six states enacting legislation to combat misclassification.

And the legislation has produced results. For example, Massachusetts collected more than $8 million in legally owed revenue in 2010 alone due to misclassification legislation that was enacted into law. Connecticut issued 220 stop work orders in a two year period that collected millions in new revenue.

We cannot allow unscrupulous contractors and businesses to continue denying legally entitled wages from our citizens and robbing our taxpayers of rightfully owed tax dollars anymore. That is why we are urging lawmakers to pass the Omnibus Fair Contracting Standards Act (H5936 / S416), so that there will be more protections in place to prevent this unfair and unacceptable situation.

Who, you might ask, would oppose such logical legislation that would ensure that workers are paid their legally entitled wages, return rightful tax revenue to the state, and level the playing field for law abiding contractors?

Led by Federal Express, several entities

who consistently classify their workers as independent contractors to cut costs informed the general assembly (through their high powered lobbyists) that many people could lose their jobs if this legislation passes into law.

We work hard at Fuerza Laboral to protect the rights of workers, and we do not want to see anyone lose their job. However, this objection does not ring true. In fact, when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed similar legislation, no one from Fed Ex lost their job. Instead, Fed Ex paid the taxpayers of the Commonwealth $3.0 million in a settlement, acknowledging that it had broken the law by misclassifying its employees.

When an employer misclassifies an employee as an independent contractor, the result is bad for workers and for businesses that work hard to play by the rules. It is time to build an economy that works for all of us, instead of one that lowers our quality of life.

We urge you to call your representative and senator to tell them support S-416 and H-5936 to make sure that our workers receive their legally entitled wages, our taxpayers receive their legally entitled tax revenue, and the businesses that work hard to play by the rules are rewarded.

Josie Shagwert is executive director of Fuerza Labor.

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JUNE 2011

Common Ground

Page 15

IAFF General President Schaitberger fires up Woonsocket Firefighters

(401) 946-9940/946-3710 Fax: (401) 946-5060 E-mail: bac1ri@verizon.net

PAUL R. ENOS

Woonsocket Firefighters hosted a visit by their International President last month. It marked the first time an International Association of Fire Fighters President visited Woonsocket Fire Fighters local 732 since it was established in 1942. Woonsocket was just one of 400 station visits Schaitberger will make during the year.

Schaitberger spoke on corporate greed, sinful compensation packages and outsourcing manufacturing, telecommunications and other jobs that were once held by everyday working people.

He explained that there was a time when outsourcing was easier said than done. Today, corporation’s relentless lies and control of the media has made it as easily done as said.

The IAFF President also spoke about how the IAFF and fire suppression companies have been working together in advances with rescue and fire fighting equipment. While a quick response by well trained men and women is the difference between a close call and a tragedy, proper equipment help them do their job.

Fire would seem to be the biggest enemy of a firefighter who help people in stressful times. Yet fire can be controlled and extinguished with manpower, training and equipment.

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Common Ground

JUNE 2011

Rhode Island attracts major grants to assist with health reform

By Elizabeth Roberts, Lieutenant Governor Last month Rhode Island was awarded two important grants totaling over $9 million in funds and technical assistance to aid in implementing provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as the national health reform law.

Early in the month, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced that Rhode Island had been selected as one of ten states to receive approximately one million dollars in technical assistance each year for the next four years. The state’s progress to date in working to fulfill ACA requirements was a contributing factor in the Foundation’s decision to include Rhode Island in its “State Network.” Assistance will be provided in the form of technical help, research, and consumer engagement to most effectively expand and increase healthcare coverage for Rhode Island residents.

“Expanding and improving access to health care, and providing stable, affordable coverage is now in the hands of the states,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“In the coming months, state health leaders will form strategies and consider options that best meet their unique coverage needs. It’s important that these ideas be shared, so that states can learn from each other.”

Technical assistance offered through the State Network will focus on setting up insurance exchanges, instituting insurance market reforms, expanding Medicaid to newly eligible populations, streamlining eligibility and enrollment systems, and using data to drive decisions. Technical assistance will be provided by leading national organizations and experts in the field of health policy and coverage.

Rhode Island was selected through a competitive process to ensure that, as a whole, participating states represent diversity in terms of geography, demographics, coverage statistics and progress-to-date on implementation of the reform law’s provisions. In addition to Rhode Island, others selected include Alabama, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia.

“We are honored to be selected by RWJF as one of only 10 states to receive this invaluable technical assistance,” said Lt. Governor Roberts, Chair of the RI Healthcare Reform Commission. “As we continue to be a national leader in federal health reform implementation, Rhode Island families and businesses will share in the benefits of expanded access to healthcare coverage, with improved health and with care that’s delivered more efficiently and affordably,” said Roberts.

Late last month, Rhode Island was also awarded $5.2 million in federal funds for the Level I Exchange Establishment Grant, one of only three awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will be administered through Rhode Island’s Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner, and will provide considerable resources to aid in the task of creating the mechanisms, technological systems, and consumer support that are imperative to establishing the state’s health insurance exchange.

Health insurance exchanges are envisioned as new market places for health

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insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, each state is to establish one or more health insurance exchanges, or delegate the activity to the federal government.

Rhode Island plans to use these funds to hire initial exchange staff and develop detailed purchasing specifications for information technology, consumer assistance and business operations services that the exchange will purchase.

“The number one priority of the Health Reform Commission this year is to establish a health insurance exchange in Rhode Island,” said Lt. Governor Roberts. “This federal grant acknowledges and rewards the progress we are making in achieving that goal, toward expanding access to affordable, high quality healthcare coverage for all Rhode Islanders.”

In January, Governor Chafee established by Executive Order the RI Healthcare Reform Commission, chaired by Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, to address implementation of health reform under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Commission’s Health Insurance Exchange Subcommittee has been planning for the establishment of the state’s exchange marketplace. Supporting this subcommittee, an interagency work group staffed by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC), the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (OHHS), and the Department of Health (HEALTH) has been working to design and develop a state-based health insurance exchange.

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Common Ground

Page 17

Green building should include air toxins The green building movement focuses on constructing energy efficient buildings and using less toxic building materials, and it has been gaining popularity. But, while there are obvious benefits to the green building movement, air quality during construction is being left out.

Being Green during the construction phase is an opportunity to directly address the health and environmental impact of stationary equipment and motor vehicles, of dust and silicate exposures, and to integrate worker and community health into a seamless package. In addition, this approach will achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The RI Committee on Occupational Safety & Health, in coordination with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 99, RI Building Trades Council and the OSHA Providence area office, has been working to inform and education all parties about the project. The fundamental goal of this project is to encourage institutions, developers, designers,

and professional organizations to adopt a Green During Construction pledge and include key parameters of all three metrics in bid and contract specs for construction projects. Great strides have already been made in adopting the Green During Construction pledge. The City of Providence has passed an ordinance mandating adoption for projects over a certain amount. RI Public Transit Authority and Brown University have also voluntarily agreed to adopt the protocols, and the RI Department of Education will include them in their Collaborative for High Performance Schools (NECHPS) regulations, to which all new school construction must comply.

Improving the Air Quality during construction is important based on concerns to worker’s health.

One concern are the carbon monoxide, fine and ultra fine particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), sulfur and nitrogen oxides that are emitted in significant amounts by diesel and gasolinepowered vehicles and equipment on construction

sites. Gasoline powered vehicles and equipment produce prodigious amounts of carbon monoxide (CO), a lethal gas. Two thousand seven hundred CO emergency poisonings from worksites occur each year. Gasoline emissions have been shown to exceed one in one hundred thousand cancer risk thresholds in northeast urban areas. Prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust can exacerbate asthma and other lung and cardiovascular diseases, probably increasing the risk of lung cancer.

Another air quality concern for workers’ health is the crystalline silica (sand) created during construction by the digging and drilling of soil, granite, and concrete. Occupational exposure to crystalline silica produces silicosis, a chronic, disabling lung disease characterized by nodules of scar tissue in the lungs. Each year nearly 300 workers die from silicosis in the US, hundreds more are disabled. Between 3,000 and 7,000 new cases occur each year. Construction, more than any other industry, leads in premature mortality from silicosis.

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Page 18

Common Ground

JUNE 2011

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JUNE 2011

Common Ground

Page 19

Creating a Metropolitan Public Health Commission Overlay a map of childhood asthma cases in Providence with childhood lead poisoning cases and they will share many of the same addresses. All too often we isolate each issue and press solutions that are directed towards that issue alone. But if they are intertwined perhaps a more comprehensive public health approach is called for.

The general metropolitan area (Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Cranston, Central Falls) has a concentration of nagging public health problems and concerns (preventable lung disease, lead poisoning, asthma, air quality, communicable diseases). The same metro area contains a critical mass of health institutions such as RI Hospital, Miriam, Women’s and Infants, Roger Williams, Memorial, Bradley and Butler, Brown’s medical school, nursing schools at Rhode Island College and CCRI, health centers, the Departments of Health and Environmental Management, and various free standing health projects and programs.

If coherent strategies are lacking to resolve various metro public health problems what may be missing is a coherent and unified metro system. A metro system that could focus on distinct metro issues and that draws on the standing institutional health agencies that exist within the metro realm.

Boston’s Public Health Commission offers a model for our own situation, a Metropolitan Health Commission. For example, many elderly residents are at high risk for heat related illness during heat waves. Fire Departments and Emergency Rooms are the health agencies that shoulder this issue now.

A Metro Health Commission could formulate a

policy to anticipate and prevent heat illness (by locating those at high risk, locating air conditioned areas, or distributing air conditioners) and, in conjunction with primary responders, explore ways and means to fulfill the policy. This way, a unified and systematic approach is developed to address a public health concern.

A Metropolitan Health Commission would be engaged with distinct mandates to formulate specific metro public health policies in areas with high rates of illness such as asthma, lead and immigrant health; to coordinate specific metropolitan health initiatives and to tap into standing health resources for specific metro projects and programs.

The MHC would be made up of political representatives from each political jurisdiction affected, health care institutions, community residents and state and local health officials (a separate health/ technical advisory committee composed of health professionals would provide scientific, medical and technical support).

A Metro Health Commission could pursue a few key themes. They could develop targeted public health strategies. Clearly there is a real need to develop coherent metro strategies for lead and asthma. These would automatically involve relationships with housing and housing agencies.

Healthy transportation choices and healthy housing can be a complex mix (especially in those urban areas most impacted). The commission would present a strong public health voice in that arena.

The MHC could also evaluate current public

health strategies. The proposed MHC would be an open venue to frankly discuss what works and what doesn’t, and to help formulate more practical and strategic programs based on “evidence based medicine” to work towards primary prevention on a wide range of public health initiatives.

They could assist and support public agencies whenever broad public health issues are involved.

There are obviously several pressing issues relating from concern about deliberate biological terror events and natural outbreaks. Even aside from the high or low probability of such deliberate events; there are national mandates to prepare for them.

A MHC could function to coordinate various elements: rounding up infectious disease health professional from various hospitals, developing vaccination sites, screening or arranging for coordinating data and outcomes.

Another key theme a MHC could pursue is to serve as a clearinghouse for separate and distinct health programs, projects, and agencies (Healthy Housing Health communities, Asthma initiates, Brown medical/environmental projects) currently underway that impact the metro area.

Finally, a MHC could support and fund research projects to better assess and evaluate programs and initiatives.

The Rhode Island Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has not addressed funding and financial issues. This is meant only to stimulate thought and discussion on the idea and see how far it can go.

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Common Ground

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