Common Ground March

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MARCH 2012

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A new solution to economic woes — state banks

By Common Ground Staff

As local economies continue to lag across the country, more and more states are turning to a new idea that its advocates say would become a new generator for economic development and strengthen state finances: stateowned and operated banks.

More than a dozen states are considering establishing their own banks, including California and Hawaii, and, here in New England, New Hampshire and Vermont, according to news reports.

Rhode Island may become the latest state to join the trend, according to local attorney Joseph White, who said he has pitched the idea to state Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield and North Smithfield, who is also the publisher of “Common Ground.”

White said the idea has gained traction in recent years in response to

the economic downturn, the collapse of private banks and the resulting inability of small businesses to obtain working capital.

Technically, the idea of creating a state bank is actually a very old one.

Most of the proposals for state banks are modeled on the Bank of North Dakota, which was founded about 90 years ago as a way to get commercial loans to local farms. Since then the state bank has taken off, assuming many other responsibilities such as participating in commercial loans with private banks, offering student loans to state residents and providing a stop gap for personal home mortgage foreclosures, all without competing with smaller private banks, according to White.

Thanks to its state bank, North Dakota did not have a banking crisis,

White said. North Dakota has the most local banks per capita and the lowest borrower default rate of any state, according to a fact sheet White provided.

“They are very proud of their banking system,” White told “Common Ground.”

“It is seemed to be one of the most successful banking systems in the world.”

The proposal for Rhode Island is being researched by the staff of Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, according to Tassoni.

A source of small business loans One of the chief problems that a state bank would be aimed at fixing is the scarcity of capital for small businesses, according to White, who, as a corporate transactions attorney with Robinson & Cole, says he represents hundreds, if not thousands,

of businesses in the area.

“This has been their biggest outcry – the inability to access capital,” White said.

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation does offer loan guarantees and grants to small businesses, but it’s not enough to feed the demand in Rhode Island, White said. Obtaining commercial loans See State Banks, page 2

Union leaders plead with nonprofit institutions to pay taxes

By Common Ground Staff As Providence teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, local union leaders are urging tax-exempt hospitals and universities to pay their fair share in tax contributions, which their peer institutions in Connecticut and Massachusetts do.

Much of the pressure is on Brown University, owner of roughly 200 properties worth more than $1 billion in the richest real estate areas of town, according to city tax rolls. Thanks to its exemption, the university is saving $38 million in taxes and instead makes far smaller voluntary contributions each year to the city. Without increased payments from Brown and other tax-exempt nonprofits, Mayor Angel Taveras has warned that Providence

could go broke by summer.

“Brown should neither skate nor be demonized but rather I think that the Angel Taveras of 2011 should reappear, roll up his sleeves and say, ‘Everybody in the room, don’t leave until we find a solution,’” said Donald Iannazzi, business manager for Local 1033 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the largest of Providence’s three main unions.

Iannazzi was referring to Taveras’ ability to broker major cost-saving deals with his union as well as the fire and police unions last year, when he first warned that the city was in dire fiscal shape. But the mayor seems to have lost his diplomatic mojo recently, Iannazzi suggested, pointing to his

standoff with retirees over changes to their health care benefits and reductions to their pension income as examples.

Other Ivy institutions pay more than Brown In December when talks with Brown University stalled, the Providence firefighters and Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) took action, launching a Facebook page to turn up the heat on the university. Dubbed BUSTED Providence, which stands for Brown University Stop Tax Exempt Deals, the site already has more than 400 followers.

In keeping with a 2003 agreement with the city, Brown owes $2.4 million in payments in lieu of taxes, which are

known as PILOT contributions. The university this year is also chipping in an additional $1.6 million in voluntary tax payments on about 30 properties.

But that $4 million total is dwarfed by what other top universities pay in other cities. In New Haven, Conn., Yale University is making a total of $12 million in financial contributions to the city, which is a combination of $4 million in regular taxes on non-academic properties and another $8 million in voluntary payments, according to a spokeswoman for the mayor. Plus, the university puts up $4 million a year in a city-affiliated scholarship program for local collegebound students.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

State Banks, from page 1

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John J. Tassoni, Jr. - Publisher Common Ground, Inc. 111 Wayland Avenue Providence, RI 02906 c. 401.451.1305 f. 401.831.6111 john@commongroundnews.net www.ricommongroundnews.com

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The Union Stewards Prayer Grant me, Oh Lord, the genius to explain to my brothers and sisters the policies and plans of our great union even though no one explains them to me.

Give me the understanding that I may forgive the apathetic member, curb the overly ambitious member, and accept the views of the member who does nothing until I have done something... and then tells me what I should have done and how I should have done it.

Oh Lord, make me formidable in debate, logical in argument and fearless in confrontation.

Let me be a lawyer, actor, mathematician, sage, philosopher, sociologist, and economist; pleasing, cajoling, threatening, and belaboring so that I make the best of a good case and a good case from no case at all.

for buying real estate or a new piece of equipment is one thing, but it is difficult for businesses to obtain loans for software development, marketing or work force expansion, according to White.

Before the recession, the U.S. banking system was more liberal. Since then banks have tightened up rules for lending while funding sources such as venture capitalists, private equity firms and angel investors have dried up. “All these areas of funding seem to have become less accessible over the last decade,” White said. “It’s a culmination of the perfect storm.”

When lending to businesses, the state bank would partner with private banks to facilitate, according to White, who said there would be an emphasis on cooperating with the private banking system.

State banks have numerous benefits Better business banking is just the beginning of the benefits to having a state bank, according to White. It could also serve a number of other functions, including: • Centralizing state and municipal banking functions.

• Issuing student loans, in amounts potentially greater than the federal Pell grant program.

• Reinforcing the local banking system, leading to fewer loan defaults.

• Buying up mortgages that private banks want to dump.

• Becoming a local source of relief loans in event of a natural disaster.

The benefits to public higher education in the form of student loans alone could be significant at a time when higher education spending is at a low. Although the state boosted spending under Gov. Lincoln Chafee, the state is still devoting 17 percent, or roughly $33 million, less than it did at the beginning of the recession. The University of Rhode Island, for example, owes just 14 percent of its budget to state funding, according to White.

The public bank would also handle all the banking functions for the state, as well. State money would be deposited and withdrawn from the bank, resulting in significant savings on interest payments. Instead of paying interest to a private bank, the state would be effectively paying interest to itself.

All state departments and agencies, including quasi-

How it would work The state would capitalize its new bank by doing its payroll through the bank, according to White. Any money from federal grants and loans would also be deposited and held in the bank. The bank could then build a capital surplus from profits generated on its federally-guaranteed loans. Those profits could then be used to issue loans to businesses.

Using the success of the Bank of North Dakota again, White points out that the institution reportedly has a 25 to 26 percent return on equity. Also, it has returned about $300 million in dividends to state coffers over the last decade to a dozen years, according to a 2009 report in “Mother Jones.”

The bank would not be run through the general treasurer’s office, it would not replace the state investment commission and pension funds would continue to be invested and managed as they are. Elected officials such as the governor and attorney general would be involved in the governance of the bank, but much of that work would be entrusted to a board of professional bankers, according to White.

In that respect too, his proposal is modeled on North Dakota, where the governor, agriculture commissioner and attorney general serve on a three-member commission that by law must “operate, manage and control” the bank. That commission is supplemented by a seven-member advisory board, of which two must be officers of local banks and one must be an officer of a state or federally-chartered financial institution.

A new ‘Lively Experiment’ for the Ocean State?

“Rhode Island is well-positioned to try the banking experiment,” White said.

For one thing, the state economy is sorely in need of a shot in the arm. Rhode Island consistently ranks among the highest in the country for its unemployment rate and lowest for its business climate.

Plus, White said Rhode Island has a lot in common with North Dakota. While North Dakota may be larger landwise, he said, the populations in the two states are close in size.

Tuesdays are for union bashing at ‘The Journal’

By Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr. I am writing in response to “The Providence Journal’s” Deputy Editorial-Pages Editor and chief union basher Edward Achorn’s column of Feb. 21 headlined “Fessing up to funding a senator.”

Mr. Achorn set his distorted vision on me in his weekly effort to paint labor unions as the root of all that is wrong with society, even though the writers at his own newspaper are unionized. Ignoring the fact that I am a businessman who is no longer an employee of any labor union – certainly because that doesn’t fit in nicely with his wrongheaded argument – he paints an inaccurate portrait of my work in the Senate and in private enterprise. He plays loose with the facts and draws his points from misunderstood newspaper articles and his own previous rants.

His central point seems to be that some of those who choose to advertise in the newspaper and radio program I run failed to report that to the secretary of state. Any entity that lobbies before the General Assembly is required to make such a report. He disparages those ventures as propaganda, apparently because they target niche markets and are growing while “The Journal’s” own circulation shrinks perilously. He derides those who would advertise in those outlets to reach their target audience as “special interests,” a neat little phrase that sounds vaguely sinister but in fact refers to any group of people. My constituents are “special interests.” Those with developmental disabilities are “special interests” as well.

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Teach me, Oh Lord, to stand at all times with both feet firmly on the ground ….

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Of course, that is all an effort to besmirch my character knowing that his lies, repeated every Tuesday, may eventually sink in with whoever it is that is bothering to read his column. While unusual to bear such an assault from a person whose never met me or had a conversation with me, I don’t let it upset me. However, I do feel compelled to correct a few misperceptions he created: • Our salary as part-time legislators is $14,000, requiring the vast majority of the members of this “citizen legislature” to hold other jobs. Among my endeavors is newspaper publishing and radio broadcasting. If citizens would prefer that their legislators not hold other employment, then it may be time to explore a full-time legislature that pays senators and representatives a decent wage. In the meantime, it is the responsibility of those organizations that employ lobbyists who advertised in publication I own to report those expenditures to the Secretary of State, just as it would be their responsibility to report money spent in a restaurant, law firm, insurance company or any other business owned by a legislator. That is a new law, and I voted in favor of it and continue to support it because it provides citizens with transparency in government. The legal requirement is clear, however, that it is the responsibility of those who have paid lobbyists to file a report, not the responsibility of elected officials. To infer that I am somehow culpable because See Tassoni, page 4

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

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Conn. AFT gives failing grade to governor’s certification proposals Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy released proposals last month to change his state’s teacher certification process, and they drew strong criticism from the president of the American Federation of Teachers Connecticut, Sharon Palmer.

Malloy based his proposals on the evaluation procedure the Hartford Federation of Teachers (HFT) helped develop and support as part of the ongoing Performance Evaluation Advisory Council process. The evaluation is used by the HFT to assess teacher performance and assist faculty with reaching maximum potential.

The governor says he wants a meaningful evaluation

process in place for certification, which is considered a license to teach.

“This proposal puts the cart before the horse,” Palmer said. “Our focus this year is to improve education for everyone, and that should begin with ensuring teacher quality by establishing rigorous teacher preparation, meaningful evaluation and support.”

There are many ideas on certification that have merit, according to Palmer. She said the AFT members will be discussing those and other ideas, and that the organization will continue to work with PEAC to reach a collaborative

agreement on what will work best for the state.

Palmer said the justification for the governor’s proposals is limited to a survey of superintendents, and that only 15 percent of the respondents appear to be from school districts with the greatest need.

“We are very disappointed that the governor has chosen to base these proposals on the opinions of only the superintendents and not the 50,000 educators who are doing the work of educating children,” Palmer said, adding that the HFT also hopes that the opinions of a broader range of education will be considered.

Page 4

Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Nonprofit, from page 1 To the north, Ivy League icon Harvard University helped out Cambridge last year to the tune of $15.9 million – a figure that encompasses real estate taxes and voluntary contributions as well as approximately $8 million in various city fees. That figure is topped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which poured $44.7 million into city coffers last year.

In the City of Boston, Boston University is putting up $5.3 million in voluntary tax contributions this year, according to city records show.

Hospitals help Boston but not Providence Taveras is pressing for all the city nonprofits – not just Brown, but also the three other city colleges, and the hospitals – to cough up collectively just $7 million more in contributions this year.

Records show that in addition to contributions from colleges and universities, the City of Boston also expects to receive $9 million in PILOT payments from hospitals this year – an increase of about $3 million over 2011.

Partners HealthCare, a conglomerate that includes Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals, alone is shouldering $5.6 million of that burden.

Hospitals in Providence do not make any PILOT payments.

“The hospitals argue that they provide uncompensated care, therefore they shouldn’t pay property taxes,” said Paul Doughty, president of Providence Fire Fighters International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 799. “But the uncompensated care is provided to (the) state or even the region, not just the city.”

According to the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, city hospitals provide $115 million in uncompensated care each year, but the organization has not provided a breakdown of exactly how much goes to Providence residents only.

BUSTED Providence is calling on an audit of all nonprofit institutions to make sure their tax-exemption is being properly applied. It is also urging them to pay 50 percent of what they would otherwise owe in taxes.

Providence recently announced that one of the three other colleges, Johnson and Wales University, came forward with an agreement that boosts its annual contributions from $308,000 to as much as $1.45 million. The university also could make advance payments of as much as $5 million to help the city cope with the budget crisis. The announcement came amid

reports of renewed talks with the two local hospital associations and Brown.

I overstated the particular example Mr. Achorn referenced. But does that mean there wasn’t mismanagement of the public’s money in Central Falls schools?

Clearly there was as demonstrated by the $5.6 million school deficit in that city. Central Falls Receiver Robert G. Flanders, Jr. has eliminated the position of School Department finance director and taken control of the district’s business operations.

I am in my sixth term in office. I am not running for re-election. I would point out, however, that I have won each election for Senate in convincing fashion not because of “special interests,” but

because I pay close attention to the needs of my constituents and work hard to address their needs and be a strong voice for them at the Statehouse. My many positive initiatives don’t get Mr. Achorn’s attention, though. He’s too busy concocting conspiracy theories and penning the kinds of columns that discourage good people from running for office in Rhode Island.

If the reader missed last week’s installment of Mr. Achorn’s anti-union propaganda, there’s no need to fret. Just wait until Tuesday, when again he will copy and paste his tired routine onto “The Journal’s” editorial pages. If you’re

Risk of a repeat crisis In its rush to wrestle more money out of the university, Doughty worries that Providence may not solve the problem for the long term. Any agreement that involves the payment of fixed amounts, he warns, will become outdated the moment it is signed because it motivates Brown to start buying more properties, knowing that it would not have to contribute more to the city all the while it is taking more land off the tax rolls.

Instead, Doughty says the city should hash out a formula for annual tax payments based on a percentage, he proposes 25 percent, of what the city would be receiving if Brown was not exempt from taxes. And Doughty believes that should be done at the state level through legislation rather than a one-off deal between the city and college.

“There’s a short-term crisis right now for this budget, but if we don’t address this in the long (term) with a thoughtful formula, I believe we’re going to repeat this in 10 years,” Doughty said.

A potential legal roadblock to new state legislation, however, could be Brown’s charter, which exempts

it from all taxes and predates both the state and the U.S. Constitution.

Under both constitutions, the charter presumably would override any restrictions established in state law.

But Doughty said that’s a risky strategy for the university to pursue.

“From a business perspective, Brown’s position does not make sense, rolling the dice on untested law,” he said.

Ultimately, failing an agreement with Brown and the other nonprofits, Doughty says it’s his members who will suffer. The extent of the city deficit, which now stands at $22 million to $30 million, is simply too great a sum at too late a date in the fiscal year to make up the difference with wage and benefit cuts. Instead, barring a major tax increase, he said the city would have to make deep cuts in the Fire, Police, and Public Works departments.

Asked if his union is feeling the pressure of potentially more cuts, Iannazzi responded: “Every day for the last four years has been a day of pressure for our union and our members.” He added that Local 1033 has already opened its contract several times, not only with Taveras last year, but twice under his predecessor, former mayor and current Congressman David Cicilline.

Tassoni, from page 2 some of those reports were not filed or that the business relationship is anything less than above board, is irresponsible and dishonest.

• It is true that I have supported legislation that has been supported by labor unions. Unlike Mr. Achorn, I don’t automatically take their support to mean a bill is not meritorious. I have also supported numerous pieces of legislation that have not enjoyed the support of labor, such as the state budget.

• Did I overstate an example of fiscal mismanagement by Superintendent Fran Gallo in the Central Falls School Department? Yes, I readily admit that

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waiting for the day he sets his sights on a new topic, you’ll be waiting a long time.

For now, those of us subjected to his weekly spewing of half-truths should adhere to that old adage: Don’t believe everything you read. Mr. Achorn might try to adhere to a different adage: People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

John J. Tassoni Jr. is a Democratic state senator, representing Smithfield and North Smithfield, publisher of the “Common Ground” newspaper and host of the Common Ground radio show on 790 AM.

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Numerous bills geared toward working families

By Common Ground Staff

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) has backed several key pieces of legislation to help working families and the labor community, ranging from layoff prevention measures to new steps to bar pay discrimination in the workplace, according to a breakdown of the bills provided by his office. “The Rhode Island labor community plays a critical role in the lives of so many working families across our region,� Reed said. “As our economy continues to gain strength, we must ensure Rhode Islanders have opportunities and access to the education and training they need to succeed.�

Spokesman Chip Unruh said the senator has advanced several legislative priorities based on his belief that the economy can only succeed when working families have health care and are earning a living wage.

Key legislation includes the following, according to Unruh: • The Layoff Prevention Act: Introduced by Reed and included in the new payroll tax cut law, the bill boosts state-based work sharing initiatives such as the WorkShare program in Rhode Island. The program, which is credited with saving 10,000 jobs here, allows employees to collect unemployment benefits while working reduced hours instead of only permitting unemployment benefits to be paid out if an employee is laid off.

The act is an incentive to businesses to prevent layoffs, and, according to a recent article in “The Guardian,� a British newspaper, the work-sharing program could save an estimated 1.2 million jobs a year nationwide.

The new law sets aside $500 million nationwide for such initiatives. That will save states money that can be channeled toward other job creation

and economic growth initiatives. Had the new federal provisions been in place over the last three years, they would have saved the Ocean State about $36 million in state funding, according to Unruh. • Adult Education and Economic Growth Act: Co-sponsored by Reed, the bill would reform and increase in adult education, job training and “other programs needed to build a 21st century work force,â€? according to Unruh. It provides a tax credit to businesses that pay for an employee’s continuing education, prompting greater investment in lower-skilled workers. • The Rebuild America Jobs Act: A key portion of that bill is the handiwork of Reed and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The senators have developed a plan to create a national infrastructure bank that would make loans and loan guarantees “for critical ‌ projects of national and regional importance,â€? according to a summary provided by Reed’s office. New infrastructure projects mean more jobs created and saved, increased economic competitiveness, boosted exports and more private investment, according to Reed’s staff. However, the bill was filibustered last November. • National defense jobs: Reed has also labored to boost jobs in the defense industry by virtue of his position on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He submitted several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, which will ensure “the involvement and input of dualstatus technicians.â€? The amendments were included in the final version of the bill that passed and was signed into law

by President Obama. Also, Reed has requested several meetings between the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic (NAVFAC) and Rhode

Island construction companies aimed at “improving the opportunitiesâ€? for more local contractors to be competitive in regional awards with the NAVFAC, according to Unruh. • The Paycheck Fairness Act: Reed is a co-sponsor of the bill aimed at preventing pay discrimination. It would reinforce the original provisions of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which famously outlawed businesses from paying “unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially the same work.â€? In 2009, women on average earned 77 cents to the dollar paid to their male counterparts who were working full time, according to the Coalition for Labor Union Women, which is citing U.S. Census Bureau data. The disparity is even more pronounced for minorities -- 62 cents for African-American women and 53 cents for Hispanic women.

The American Civil Liberties Union has said the original bill is flawed because of its “limited enforcement tools and inadequate remedies.� The new version would set a series of stricter requirements on businesses, requiring them to justify wage differentials and imposing harsher penalties for violations.

The bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives, but it has been blocked in the Senate. The bill was reintroduced last year and is supported by President Obama. • The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act: Co-sponsored by Reed, the bill seeks to “crack down on Chinese currency manipulationâ€? by placing tariffs on imports from China and other countries with undervalued currencies, according to Reed’s office.

The practice of devaluing currency is viewed as a subsidy of exports, giving businesses in those countries an unfair advantage over their U.S. competitors.

That exacerbates the trade deficit, reduces the incentive for investment in the United States, and, ultimately, kills jobs at home, according to the Fair Currency Coalition. The group points to a sluggish pace of recovery as proof.

In addition to numerous legislative initiatives, Reed, who is the only member of the Rhode Island congressional delegation on the Appropriations Committee, also stands out as the member who has targeted the most federal earmarks to Rhode Island.

For fiscal year 2011, Reed requested $606 million worth of earmarks for 226 projects. However, the new GOPcontrolled House of Representatives has instituted a ban on earmark spending. “Sen. Jack Reed has delivered much-needed federal dollars to jumpstart economic development and make needed repairs to our roadways, bridges and transit systems and to keep teachers in classrooms and cops and first responders on the streets,� Unruh said.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Byrne fired up over chance to lead plumbers, pipe fitters Local 51

By Common Ground Staff

EAST PROVIDENCE – When Timothy L. Byrne was around 5 years old, he would walk the picket line with his mother, a shop steward at one job and a Teamster at another. Back in 1965, parents didn’t have the day care options available today, so their children had to accompany them at times to the job or work-related events.

The 52-year-old Byrne has no regrets, however. Like his mother, he is a firm believer that unions have played a critical role in building a middle class of workers that can afford homes and automobiles and essential services such as day care.

That deep commitment to labor led Byrne to pursue a career as a union official. After serving as an organizer and business agent for Local 51 of the Plumbers, Pipefitters and Refrigeration Union, the Tiverton native won the recent election for business manager of the 1,380 member local. Of that total, 850 are active members, and Byrne said about 74 percent of those workers are employed.

Helping to get the other 26 percent of the members back to work and increasing membership are two of Byrne’s top priorities. To those ends, he is trying to start a dialogue with officials at General Dynamics’ Electric

Boat Quonset Point location. The company’s Rhode Island facility is nonunion, but Byrne insists the firm and its employees could reap valuable benefits by becoming a Plumbers and Pipefitters union shop.

He views the training facility at the 11 Hemingway Drive headquarters of the local as his strongest selling point.

He said the plumbers, welders and pipe fitters hired to work at the Quonset location could be trained for the company if it forges a partnership with the union. “They have to be trained, and I can train them,” he said.

Byrne has reached out to Congressman James R. Langevin (D-R.I), state Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed and Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Director Charles J. Fogarty to assist with fusing an agreement between Local 51 and General Dynamics, which recently received an $8 million award from the U.S. Navy for Virginia-class submarine work.

Besides the efforts at Quonset, Byrne said he will continue securing as many projects as possible and approaching mechanical contractors throughout Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts with the benefits of being a union shop and the many

Teachers’ group outraged at regents’ preliminary approval of Achievement First Mayoral Academy The Board of Regents’ vote earlier this year to create a parallel school system by approving a corporate charter school for Providence angered the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals.

According to Frank J. Flynn, president of the federation, the charter school proposal was passed against the strong objections of numerous elected officials, including state representatives and senators, city councilors and School Committee members who maintain resources will be siphoned from their districts.

In a prepared statement, Flynn says it is unfortunate that state Commissioner of Education Deborah A. Gist is promoting the charter school. He states the school will divert valuable education

funding to support Achievement First, a private company, rather than Rhode Island’s “financially strapped cities and towns.”

Flynn called the 5 to 4 regents vote to approve that charter school an outage.

He said the federation urges elected officials, including Gov. Lincoln Chafee, to enact legislation to remove the charter school approval process from the authority of an appointed board, many of whose school districts will be unaffected by the diversion of local tax dollars to a private company.

The responsibility to allocate taxpayer money and approve charter schools should be returned to locally-elected officials whose communities bear the funding burden, he states.

Common Ground photo Timothy L. Byrne stands next to a control panel used in the East Providence training center operated by Local 51 of the Plumbers, Pipefitters Refrigeration Union. Byrne was recently elected to head up the local.

educational tools available at the local’s state-of-the-art training center.

Byrne believes expansion of the T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick will be a plus for his local.

Extension of the main runway will result in jobs and more employment opportunities will be created through work the project will spark at ancillary businesses, he said.

He is in agreement with the assessment that the post-recession economy is beginning to improve, and that 2015 will be a competitive year as the recovery continues to grow.

Byrne became a member of the union in 1981. He started as an organizer for the local in November 1998, after working as a pipe fitter for 17 years.

He held the position of organizer for nine years, and then served as a business agent for four years.

He explained the position of business manager for Local 51 is equivalent to the post of president in other unions.

He hopes to serve at least two threeyear terms, which he says is necessary to be successful in the slot.

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Common Ground

Page 7

MARCH 2012

Brown’s building projects crucial for R.I.

By Michael Sabitoni

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate remains unacceptably high at 10.8 percent. In the construction trades, it is an appalling 40 percent if not higher.

For many Rhode Islanders – and indeed for everyone in the trades – there is no more compelling need than ensuring a business/investment climate that encourages companies, nonprofits and individuals to build, expand or renovate.

While businesses have been scaling back throughout the state, Brown University continues to invest in and expand its presence with new construction and renovation of existing buildings. In fact over the past 10 years, Brown has invested nearly $500 million in renovations and new construction on campus and across Providence.

When the economic downturn sharply intensified in 2008, many

businesses and institutions halted construction altogether. Although Brown was not immune from the crisis, losing for a time a significant part of its endowment, it continued to invest in Providence and kept many Rhode Islanders employed. In fact, at times, Brown construction projects were employing nearly 1,000 local union tradesmen and women, accounting for one of every six union tradesmen and women employed across the state.

Brown’s projects have been a lifeline for our members in the Ocean State.

There’s a misconception that Brown’s expansion over the past several years has been a drain on the tax rolls. A quick check of the facts shows that although it is a tax-exempt institution, Brown pays property taxes on nearly every building purchased since 2003.

This includes 121 South Main St., where renovations for the Institute

for Computational Experimental Research in Mathematics were recently completed, as well as 222 Richmond St., the home of the Warren Alpert Medical School, renovated at a cost of $45 million. Both of those projects were completed with the expertise of union tradesmen and women, all of whom earn middle-class wages and pay state income tax.

Brown has also invested in the people of Providence by supporting the Building Futures pre-apprenticeship initiative. Building Futures provides low-income urban residents with a proven path to economic selfsufficiency by placing them in pre-apprenticeship programs in the building trades. Brown set a goal to have 15 percent of all hours worked set aside for new employees hired from Providence, demonstrating not only its commitment to Providence but a desire

to help Providence residents have solid employment and earn middle-class wages and benefits.

Since the first project four years ago, more than 50 Providence residents have worked on Brown projects through the Building Futures initiative and have since gone on to develop careers through building tradeapprenticeship programs.

Brown has another $100 million in construction projects planned in the next two to three years alone, which will mean hundreds of sorely needed construction and related jobs. Brown is an engine that fuels the construction and related trades, providing solid middle-class jobs to local workers who have mortgages to pay, families to feed and who want to stay in Rhode Island.

Michael Sabitoni is president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Bill to redirect fees could save public transportation

By James Celenza The ongoing saga of announced Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) budget deficits and service cuts wears on people. The truth is unless we supply nutrients to the system, it will starve and that starvation has broad and damaging ramifications as was demonstrated from public hearings throughout the state last year. As I have stated before, by supporting public transit, we improve public health, reduce global warming, improve air quality, support green jobs, encourage safer communities

and protect open space.

Public transit is essential to the prosperity of our state’s economy.

A bill, H-7581, has been introduced in the General Assembly to help support a stable and efficient transportation system. If passed, an Act Relating to Public Transit Investment would result in more stable funding for mass transit.

The bill would redirect all proceeds from transportation user, registration and license fees to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to

fix and maintain roads and bridges and to RIPTA to prevent service cuts and to maintain the transit system.

There are 11 cosponsors of the bill, including Reps.

Jeremiah T. O’Grady, Teresa Ann Tanzi, Arthur Handy, Christopher R. Blazejewski and Larry Valencia.

In the last four years, gas tax yield has declined 12.9 percent, leading to perennial budget shortfalls for RIPTA. Moreover, most of R1DOT’s share of the gas tax doesn’t even go for maintaining and fixing roads and bridges and bike paths; it goes to

pay interest on previous transportation bonds.

Support for the legislation has been affirmed by many organizations, including the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and the Coalition for Transportation Choices.

The concept behind the bill is not new. The austere and pro-business Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) had proposed to increase the proportion of gasoline tax proceeds to support RIPTA and also suggested that a portion of

the revenue collected from motor vehicle registration and driver license fees be earmarked for mass transit.

Meanwhile, the Senate is reconvening a commission to make a comprehensive examination of new funding sources for RIDOT and RIPTA as replacements for or supplements to the gasoline tax.

James Celenza is director of the Rhode Island Committee on Occupational Safety and Health.

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FRI. THROUGH WED. Technicians hold rally at Boch Honda in Norwood, Mass.

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NORWOOD,Mass.— More than 250 union employees converged upon Boch Honda last month in support of technicians working the site, according to wickedlocal.com.

Workers at the informational rally argue Boch Honda on Route 1 has been blocking the attempts of technicians to negotiate a contract. Protesters held signs that read, “Boch: Unfair to Labor- Negotiate not dictate” and chanted, “What do we want? Contracts!

When do we want them? Now!” and “Union busting is disgusting!”

“We put this rally on to show the technicians inside there that they’ve got a large support group,” Michael Vartabedian, business representative for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, told wickedlocal.com.

Vartabedian said on Nov. 18, 2010, Norwood Boch Honda technicians voted to form a union through International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Since then, Boch Honda management has thwarted efforts of these workers to get a contract.

“We’ve tried to negotiate a fair contract,” Vartabedian said at the rally. “It’s not just about the money, but a fair working environment.” He said technicians have a 54-hour workweek, 14-hour days and mandatory Sunday work. Some have gone without raises for over five years, he said.

In an e-mail statement issued by Boch Honda, the company said the negotiations are ongoing.

“Boch Honda’s technicians organized with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in November of 2010,” the statement reads.

“Since January of 2011, the company has engaged in good faith contract negotiations, and has reached agreement with respect to many issues.”

According to wickedlocal.com, the statement also said the company met with union representatives about the negotiations process on Feb. 9.

If a union has been created and gone for a year without a contract, Vartabedian said, employees at the company could try and vote the union out through a decertification petition. The technicians have been without a contract for 15 months.

A statement from Boch Honda confirms that

11

out in support of the technicians at the rally. technicians have filed a petition to decertify with the “We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for National Labor Relations Board. In order to file such a a fair hand here,” AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman petition, 30 percent of the employees in the established said. “We’re not going to go away. unit, in this case the technicians, must support the We’re going to stand with our brothers and sisters to measure. bring this to a successful conclusion.”

This petition requests, “that the National Labor The NIGHT technicians also have the support of several local Relations Board conduct an election at Boch Honda THURSDAY - LADIES politicians, including state Rep. John Rogers and U.S. to determine if the machinists currently represent a 8 PM - 11 PM Rep. Stephen Lynch’s, according to wickedlocal.com. majority of the technicians.”

“I recall the man, the very good man, Ernie Boch The statement explains that the “petition and election Sr., who made famous the catchphrase ‘Come on are being held in abeyance, pending charges filed PURCHASE Rogers said. “I invoke those immortal words down!’” against the company by the machinists union. It isW/BEVERAGE the today and appeal to senior management at Boch company’s hope and expectation that all technicians Honda. Come on down and see what I see. Come on will have an opportunity to vote in a secret ballot down and see good, hardworking men and women. election conducted by the National Labor Relations EVERY SUNDAY 9:30-1:30 Come on down and treat them fairly.served Come Board in the near future. In the meantime, the company ✭ All dinners withon down $ 99 $ 99 Children and give them a contract!” remains committed to fulfilling its obligation to French Fries, Spaghetti or Ziti & Soup or Salad ✭ (3-12 yrs) Adults Workers have also protested Boch Honda’s negotiate in good faith with the machinists union.”

Theatre and Vartabedian explained to wickedlocal.com thatNEWPORT the 1537 AVE.Westford location and at the Wang SpumonisRestaurant.com PAWTUCKET, RI William H. Mortensen Hall, when Ernie The decertification petition is “a common union-busting Cannot& be combined 726-4449 with any other promotion Automatics opened for Deep Purple, reports or coupon. tactic.” He said technicians have filed charges against wickedlocal.com.

Boch Honda for violations of the National Labor Relations Act. The more than 25 charges include soliciting signatures for a decertification petition and firing people for union activity, he said.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Wave of retirements expected in wake of pension reform

By Common Ground staff Rhode Island could be hit with a massive wave of retirements this summer before the new pension reform legislation takes effect, labor officials are predicting, which would strain state departments and agencies that have already been stretched thin.

“I’m not sure about the exact number, but I’m sure there is going to be a massive exodus,” said Philip Keefe, president of Local 580 of the Service Employees International Union, which has approximately 1,000 members. In his workplace at the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), Keefe said he could think of five or six co-workers who are eyeing an exit.

Keefe said the state retirement board has been swamped with so many inquiries that callers are being told callers that if they aren’t leaving their jobs within the next three months, that they should call back. However, Dara Chadwick, a spokeswoman for the retirement board, disputed Keefe’s account in an e-mail, saying that the board is “not receiving atypical call volumes.”

The pension overhaul passed by the General Assembly takes effect fully on July 1. Keefe said state workers who have already seen a series of changes to their retirement benefits have finally decided that they’ve had enough, especially given that some lawmakers, according to Keefe, have hinted that they want yet more reforms.

“This is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Keefe said.

Frank Flynn, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, says he has not seen a lot of retirements come through so far.

For one thing, many teachers retired in anticipation of pension reform legislation passed in 2010. That legislation changed

how cost of living adjustments are calculated.

However, Flynn still thinks this latest round of pension reform will have an impact. “I think there will be more retirements than in a normal year, but it’s really not a science,” he said.

The decision to retire, he said, likely is motivated by three factors.

On the local level, it depends on what kind of a health care plan a teacher can expect in retirement.

On a statewide level, Flynn said teachers may choose to leave because the accrual rate under the new system is lower than it has been in the past: so they won’t lose what they have earned, but they don’t stand to gain much by hanging on either. (The new accrual rate is 1 percent. It used to be 3 percent for older workers after 20 years of service and ranged between 2 and 2.5 percent for newer workers due to a pension changes that occurred under Gov. Don Carcieri.)

Plus, older teachers will not be working long enough to benefit from the new 401(k)-style plans in which they will be required to participate, Flynn said, adding that it’s “ridiculous” that eligible retirees are being forced into the defined contribution system along with younger workers.

Even though he doesn’t have an estimate of his own, Keefe expects that the final tally of retirees could very well be in the thousands. That could decimate a state work force that is already at its thinnest in two decades, after a reduction of as many as 2,000 employees under Carcieri. The shrinkage of the state work force could have unintended consequences for state government, according to Keefe, forcing the elimination of whole sections of departments or services.

Keefe said Carcieri was a major proponent of privatization, but so far, Keefe has received assurances from the administration of Gov. Lincoln Chafee that there won’t be any move to compensate for leaner departments with private service providers. Nonetheless, he said the state will have to find a way to make up the difference. “There will be a need for you to get that work done one way or another,” he said.

Not everyone is convinced that there will be a race to the exits. David Mellon, president of the Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, said he has had no indication among his membership that large numbers of them will retire this year.

Mellon pointed to a provision in the new pension law that does not hike the retirement age for those who are already eligible to retire. He said that was included to prevent a similar exodus of state workers that occurred during the Carcieri years, when the state modified health benefits for retirees.

In fact, he says the law actually has incentives to keep correctional workers on the job longer. Previously, someone could retire at 80 percent of pay after 35 years. But now, those under 25 years of service will need to work to 37.5 years to reach the new maximum of 75 percent of income.

Fear of future changes Other labor leaders, however, suggest that the decision to retire is more of a political calculus, rather than simple economics. Like Keefe, Paul Doughty, president of the Providence Fire Fighters Local 799 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said eligible retirees are leaving not so much because of the changes that will take effect in a few months, but because they want to avoid

future changes. State workers will be in a much better legal position to resist those changes if they are already retired, according to Doughty, who is also the former secretary-treasurer for the state firefighters association.

“Once you’ve kind of broken that window – ‘I’m going to go after actives’ – no one knows where it’s going to stop,” Doughty said.

But state workers might have an idea of where it goes next: retiree health care, which is the other half of the unfunded liabilities the state and communities are facing. The latest round of state pension reform tackled the unfunded pension liability, but it did not address retiree health care, which is part of other post employment benefits or OPEB. That figure stands at $775 million, according to the general treasurer’s office.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if OPEB becomes the issue for next spring,” Doughty said.

Like Keefe, he anticipates a wave of pre-emptive retirements this year.

“That’s a real possibility of the fallout that’s going to result from this change,” Doughty said. “People are going to leave, which is going to trigger some unintended consequences.”

Besides the hit to state services, Doughty said it could throw off actuarial projections for the state pension system.

Those calculations, according to Doughty, assume a smooth level of annual retirements over the years -- not a sudden bump in departures.

Editor’s note: The general treasurer’s office has published An Employee’s Guide to Understanding the Rhode Island Retirement Security Act, which is available online here at http://www. treasury.ri.gov/documents/SPRI/FINAL_ RIRSAGuide_January2012.pdf.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Page 11

Merrimack, N.H. school board, teachers union disagree over new layoff policy

MERRIMACK, N.H. – The teachers union and school board here are locked in a dispute over a new district policy to consider a teacher’s education along with his or her seniority when imposing layoffs, according to “The Nashua Telegraph.”

Driven by a new state law, the ensuing policy change has left some teachers fearing for their jobs, given that the budget proposal for next year includes eliminating seven teaching positions. The school board voted earlier this month to adjust the district policy to include teacher education in their layoff decisions.

Jody Vaillancourt, school board chairwoman, told “The Nashua Telegraph” that members were acting in response to a state law that requires administrators to consider factors other than seniority in their layoff practices.

The new plan, which would allow administrators to favor teachers with higher certifications over those without, puts the district in compliance with the law, supporters said.

“We couldn’t just be in violation of the law. That’s not a good place to be,” said Vaillancourt.

Teachers, however, fear the new plan not only breaks the current collective bargaining agreement, which is based on seniority only, but it leaves some of the district’s most veteran teachers at risk of losing their jobs. Michael Cirelli is president of the Merrimack Teachers Association, which filed a grievance against the

school board over the policy decision.

The issue could have an immediate impact, as district administrators plan to eliminate seven teaching positions in next year’s budget, which goes to voters next month.

“A bill of this magnitude fundamentally changes everything,” said Cirelli, who teaches photography at the high school. “All of a sudden, the district is saying there’s more value in a first-year teacher with a master’s than a teacher with 15 years experience (without a degree). This is going to put jobs in jeopardy.”

The state law implemented July 1 is not as contentious in other communities. Many school districts, including Nashua and Hudson, already include factors such as certifications and teacher evaluations in their layoff procedures, administrators told the “Telegraph.”

“We have a system that looks at both seniority and evaluations, so it hasn’t really been an issue for us,” said Bob Sherman, president of the Nashua Teachers Union.

“Generally, you couldn’t just go by seniority,” added Rhonda Wesolowski, president of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association. “You have to go by area of certification. You have to go by department. …We haven’t really heard about this being an issue many places.”

As the months have passed, however, the law has proven more problematic in Merrimack and other districts, where administrators

rely solely on seniority when determining layoffs.

“The Nashua Telegraph” reports that the seniority issue has held up contract negotiations in some districts across the state, said Ted Comstock, director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association. But most districts have refrained from trying to adjust the language of existing contracts, waiting instead to take up the issue in future contract negotiations.

However, school board members here sought to address the matter quickly after the law went into effect.

District administrators approached the teachers union this fall about writing the new policy into the existing contract.

Union officials declined, looking to hold off instead until the existing agreement expires in 2013.

“We don’t want to set a precedent that Concord can write any bill to void any contract,” Cirelli said. “If we did that, they would run all over us.”

Without the union’s cooperation, school board members took up the matter themselves, voting earlier this month to include education level in the layoff policy.

Board members briefly discussed several possible factors, including performance improvement plans and disciplinary action against teachers.

At a Feb. 6 meeting, members settled on teacher education as a “reasonable, objective and fair” criteria that would survive a legal challenge.

“Do I think it’s the best criteria?

No, I don’t,” Vaillancourt said, “But I also don’t believe that seniority alone is the best measure when doing a reduction in force.”

Teachers and school board members would like to move to a layoff policy based more on teacher performance, reported the “Telegraph.” But such a system is likely years away, both sides agreed.

“That will take a lot of research and a lot of time,” Cirelli said.

In the meantime, district administrators have less than two months before they must determine who will be let go next school year.

Administrators must send their layoff notices by mid-April, they said.

Having filed their grievance, union members are hoping to resolve the matter in the coming weeks, bringing the matter before an independent mediator who could issue a ruling or send the matter on to court.

“We go above and beyond our contract every day. We’re only asking the district to follow the terms of our agreement,” Cirelli told the “Telegram.”

“The argument has been, you’re losing some good teachers because of the level of education,” countered Vaillancourt. “But we’ve lost some good teachers because of the seniority system. Any time you have a reduction in force, you’re losing some good teachers. …We’re just trying to do this as equitably and legally as we can.”

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Page 12

Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Alliance to Congress: Protect seniors when reducing budget deficit

By John A. Pernorio The Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans (RIARA) is part of a nationwide grassroots organization that represents more than 4 million retirees and 32 state affiliate organizations and advocates on behalf of America’s seniors.

We want to let our members of Congress know where we stand on our key issues, and that we want to work with them on a regular basis to achieve full retirement security for all seniors.

More than anyone, seniors want to lower the deficit. We don’t want a big debt to be the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. However, the fact is that Social Security has not added one penny to the federal budget deficit. The program is fully-financed by worker and employer contributions. In fact, Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus.

We must not balance the budget on the backs of retirees. Social Security did not create our nation’s fiscal problems, nor

should it be used to fix them. The federal deficit should not be political cover for attacking Social Security. Social Security is based on a promise: If people pay into the system, then they earn their guaranteed benefits. That is one promise that politicians should not break.

Cutting benefits and increasing the retirement age as proposed by the cochairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility would result in extreme economic hardship for current and future retirees. The proposal is an attack on middle class Americans.

In spite of the public’s repudiation of the Bush scheme in 2005 to privatize Social Security, some politicians and Wall Street executives continue to try to generate backing for that goal by scaring the public into believing Social Security is on the brink of insolvency.

The system has enough funds to pay full benefits through 2036. Even economist Alan Greenspan has stated that Social Security is within 2 percent

of being sound for the rest of the 21st century. Raising the earnings cap on Social Security withholdings, which President Obama has endorsed, would go a long way toward keeping Social Security sound.

In addition, cost of living adjustments for Social Security should be tied to the consumer price index for elderly Americans (CPI-E), which is proposed in a bill (S-1876) filed by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

In another matter, the plan proposed by the GOP’s House Committee on the Budget would end Medicare as we know it. The proposal to make the program a voucher system administered by private insurance companies must be stopped. Medicare Part D is supposed to be for seniors, not pharmaceutical and insurance companies. The people who administer Medicare should negotiate prices, create a Medicare-run Part D program and eliminate the doughnut hole.

Tell your senators and congressmen to stop Medicaid cuts and to oppose efforts to turn it into a block grant program.

Millions of seniors rely on that program for their long-term care.

The RIARA opposes raising the Medicare eligibility age because that would leave millions of older Americans with great uncertainty about affordable health care coverage. The chapter also opposes means testing of Medicare: It is a universal insurance plan covering all beneficiaries equally regardless of income.

Social Security and Medicare are great American success stories. They help millions of retirees pay their bills and stay healthy. We must keep those programs strong for generations to come. We want to let Congress know that current and future retirees are counting on them.

For more information about RIARA benefits, visit our new Web site at www.ri-ara.org.

Carpenters union build fund for shelter Local 94 of the Rhode Island Carpenters Union’s Dollars for Food holiday drive raised more than $7,000 for the Rhode Island Family Shelter in Warwick.

The recent fund-raising campaign involved members of Local 94,

contractors and business associates.

The effort started as a food drive more than 10 years ago at one of the local’s Volunteer Organizing Committee meetings and has blossomed into Dollars for Food. All donations are given to the shelter to help buy for

food in some of the neediest months, including those in the dead of winter.

Even with unemployment running between 30 and 40 percent in the construction industry, union carpenters continue to support others and give back to the community. Since 2005,

the Rhode Island Carpenters Union has raised more than $51,000 for the shelter. The carpenters have also volunteered to do work at the shelter, including building stairs and walls, installing ceilings and repainting rooms.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Expert tackles substance abuse in the workplace

By Steve Miranda Gerald D. Shulman has 50 yeas of experience in providing direct treatment services and clinical supervision and administering treatment programs in single and multi-site systems in the notfor-profit and proprietary sectors.

He is a licensed psychologist, a master addiction counselor and a Fellow of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators. He is an author of all three editions of the ASAM Patient Placement Criteria and provides extensive training and implementation consultation on the criteria, co-occurring disorders, treatment planning and documentation, relapse prevention and evidenced-based practices. Shulman is committed to helping the staff of treatment programs and systems provide persons with substance use disorders appropriate clinical services with an efficient and cost-effective approach.

In the following interview, Shulman discusses drug use in the workplace and what can be done about it. While the focus is on illicit drug use, keep in mind that many of the same ideas apply to the abuse of alcohol and prescription medications.

Q: Let’s start with the basics.

How prevalent is drug abuse in the workplace?

A: Very. Statistics show that 75 percent of illicit drug users are employed, and 60 percent of adults know someone who has gone to work under the influence. You can see from those statistics that there is a high probability that someone with whom you work is struggling with addiction or drug abuse. Some industries are more affected by illicit drug use than others, many of which are represented by organized labor unions. They include food service, bartenders, construction, retail, transportation, helpers/handlers and laborers.

Q: What impact does drug abuse in the workplace have on other employees?

A: In many jobs, employees depend on each other for their own safety.

Employees who use drugs are less likely to do their share of work, putting a burden on the rest of the team and their co-workers may fear their erratic and unpredictable behavior. Imagine how you’d feel if the person operating the crane above your head had a drug problem; drug use can affect the entire safety and trust of the work force.

Q: What impact does drug abuse have on a business’ bottom line?

A: Workplaces that don’t have a drug-free policy experience three-timeshigher turnover rates. Workers comp claims are five times higher than in drug-free workplaces. There is much higher health care utilization, morale problems, damage to a company’s external reputation and more frequent grievance procedures -- which tie up union representatives, managers and employees. The list goes on and on.

Q: Do you have ay statistics that approximate the loss of revenue as a result of workplace abuse?

A: During a 12-month period, almost 3 million workers will show up at work under the influence of drugs.

That accounts for 3 percent of the entire work force, and one-in-three workers know of drug sales in their workplace. It is estimated that drug abuse costs companies $500 billion a year, 60 percent of which is caused by lost productivity alone. A worker who is using drugs is 50 percent more likely to be involved in a workplace incident and has a 10 times higher absenteeism rate than a sober co-worker. A surprising statistic is that two-thirds of the people involved in workplace violence test positive for illicit drugs.

Q: If an employer or fellow caused by drug users’ actions. The best employee suspects a co-worker may prevention for this type of liability is to be abusing drugs in the workplace or implement regular drug testing and a is under the influence at work, what drug-free workplace policy. are the signs to look for?

Q: If a business does not have a A: There are many signs. If you drug abuse protocol in place, how can suspect drug use, compare the employees go about implementing employee’s current work to his or her one? past. Are there more errors? Is the A: I’m not sure employees themselves quality of work slipping? Have they can do anything, so it’s important for been absent more often or taking longer companies to have drug testing protocols breaks? Have they been tardy or leaving in place. In addition, they should have early more often than usual? Though written policies on drug use that are those signs don’t necessarily point to consistently applied and on which drug use, when they are combined with employees and managers are trained. physical symptoms such as exhaustion, Also, a solid employee assistance dilated pupils, slurred speech, erratic program (EAP) should be in place. mood swings and red or glossy eyes it Q: Should you contact your loved should certainly raise serious red flags. one’s supervisor if he or she is abusing Q: What if an employee suspects drugs at their workplace? someone in management -- or even A: Think about what you’ve already a high-level executive -- is abusing tried. The best person to contact would drugs? Accusing your boss of having be someone in human resources or his a substance abuse problem doesn’t or her EAP administrator. It’s important seem conducive to job security. to realize that a drug user is putting A: That is a tough question. It can be everyone at risk. a risk to one’s continued employment Q: What is the best system for to report a supervisor. The reality is dealing with addiction in the drug users often have a support system workplace that you’ve seen? of enablers and excuse-makers that A: The best systems are those in which protect them and make it difficult to get union representatives and management them to admit there is a problem. But work together to save the employee’s ultimately, you have to realize that their life rather than the employee’s job. drug use is endangering themselves and Policies, actions and protocols that are others, and you may end up being the in alignment with a strong EAP system one hurt by their actions. It takes guts, supporting an employee’s recovery are but the end result will be a safer and the systems that work best. It’s also key more productive workplace assuming for the employee to have an aftercare that you’re willing to risk your own plan that is supported by his or her union employment. and employer.

Q: Can a business be held Steve Miranda is Treatment Solutions Serving the City of Providence since 1854 responsible if an employee has an Network’s director of special projects. injury at work while under the Contact him at stevem@tsnemail. influence of drugs? com or at (508) 525-5974 Visit A: Yes. If employers know about drug treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/events.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Page 15

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Woonsocket teachers union urges residents, city to stand up for quality education WOONSOCKET – The Woonsocket Teachers Guild (WTG) has issued a warning that the plan to send termination notices to all teachers and paraprofessionals would disrupt the education of the community’s children without addressing the financial issues facing the school district.

“While not all educators receiving notices would actually be let go, giving termination notices to all teachers and paraprofessionals sends the wrong message to the community about the city’s commitment to public education,” WTG President Jeffrey Partington said in a statement released

to the press.

Partington said the union has made its share of sacrifices, including $3.6 million worth of givebacks during the last round of bargaining. But tax breaks and state funding cuts have contributed to a more than $2.7 million deficit, which is increasing. According to the guild, it is time for shared sacrifice by the community to adequately fund the city’s schools and do right by the students of the city.

“This is not a cost issue – this is a revenue issue,” Partington said.

“We have done all we can do to save millions of dollars for the district

through five years of pay freezes, salary givebacks and a significant change in health care plan designs and co-payments. We cannot cut any further. The city needs to step up and start contributing for the sake of our children.”

Under state law, layoff notices must be received by March 1. Most districts tabulate the number of potential terminations based on anticipated cuts in state or federal funding. But in Woonsocket, officials have been unable to disclose the amount of the projected deficit, causing them to significantly overreach what is considered normal.

“The plan to terminate all teachers and paraprofessionals is an extreme, arbitrary and irresponsible step that will only foster lower morale, distrust and uncertainty,” Partington said. “It will hurt our schools, and it will hurt our children. We have to find a better way.”

The WTG called on Gov. Lincoln Chafee and Education Commissioner Deborah Gist to join the union in opposing the shortsighted and dangerous plan. “We ask that the district and School Committee work with us to identify real solutions for our district’s challenges,” Partington said.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Page 17

Hundreds gather to fight N.H. right-to-work bill CONCORD, N.H. — About 300 people turned out during a public debate to oppose a bill that would make New Hampshire the only rightto-work state in the Northeast, “The Union Leader” reported.

Despite the opposition, House Bill 1677 does have the support of the two announced Republican gubernatorial candidates, Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith, along with the backing of House Speaker William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon.

O’Brien criticized Gov. John Lynch for vetoing the bill last year, saying he showed his lack of commitment to job creation and how much he owes to unions.

Opponents said the bill amounted to nothing more than union busting and one more in a long line of bills attacking middle class workers in a race to the bottom for wages and benefits.

David Lang, president of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of New Hampshire, called the bill “bad for New Hampshire and bad for New Hampshire workers.”

He told the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitation Services

Committee, “Look at the polls, look at the people here. New Hampshire is not for this.”

“The Union Leader” explains that a similar bill passed the House and Senate last year, but was vetoed by Lynch. The House failed to override the veto by 13 votes.

House Bill 1677 would prohibit collective bargaining agreements from including provisions requiring all employees in a workplace to pay union fees.

The bill would also eliminate the requirement that unions represent all employees, including nonunion members in negotiations and in administering contracts.

Supporters said the bill gives state workers a choice, freedom of association and the right not to support something they oppose.

“My fundamental belief in liberty causes me to support this bill,” said Sen. James Forsythe, R-Strafford, a bill sponsor.

Lamontagne said he too supported the bill because of the freedom it gives the state’s workers. “I will err on the side of the individual employee,” he said.

“The Union Leader” reported that Smith said the time has come to pass the bill, although he acknowledged it would not bring immediate jobs.

Others touted the bill’s economic advantages with several citing the move by Caterpillar from Canada to Indiana after that state passed right-towork legislation.

“This means over 450 new, highpaying jobs for Indiana’s workers, as well as hundreds of additional spin-off jobs from the presence of the plant,” said O’Brien.

But bill opponents countered that states with right-to-work laws have lower wages and benefits and do not create any more jobs than New Hampshire, which is already near the top in job creation, low unemployment and wages.

They cited testimony by Lynch and the commissioners of Labor, Resources and Economic Development, saying not one company they had talked to mentioned right-to-work as a consideration in moving to New Hampshire, according to “The Union Leader.”

“This system works well for our communities and the state. It is not

broken, so please don’t try to fix it,” said New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie. “This legislation will only create chaos and confusion where we now have a workable and orderly process.”

Several speakers questioned why they were talking about the issue once again after the long, bitter and contentious debate last session.

“Right-to-work has been deliberated, vetted and defeated,” said Rep. Mary Gorman, D-Nashua. “Let’s get back to the job of creating a robust economy for our citizenry and our state.”

But the bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. William Smith, R-New Castle, said the bill is to ensure union members have influence over their “union bosses,” and to make sure those bosses negotiate in the best interest of all their members, reported “The Union Leader.”

“This is not an anti-union bill, it’s a pro-member bill,” Smith said, as most of the 300 people laughed loudly.

“The Union Leader” explained that if the bill were approved, New Hampshire would become the 24th state to have a right-to-work law.

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Page 18

Common Ground

MARCH 2012

Libraries demonstrate a of love for learning

By Almas Kalafian

On Dec. 21, Providence Mayor Angel Tavares ended a seven-year struggle between the Providence Public Library (PPL) and nine other city libraries now known as the Providence Community Library (PCL). Most of the libraries originated in the early 1900s through the efforts of both philanthropists and community activists. But as the Great Depression neared, much more was needed, and the PPL stepped in, and to its credit, assisted with expansion, renovation, or relocation of many branch libraries for eight decades.

Struggle began in 2004, when PPL started moving away from strong public insistence that neighborhood libraries be kept together. Threats of cutting branches personnel gave cause for library employees to unionize in 2005, and others to file appropriate papers with the Secretary of State to form the PCL in 2008. Settlement by Mayor Tavares in December permanently severed all ties between the two entities, and jurisdiction over the PCL will be taken over by the city for the next 20 years.

Similar to the way in which almost all the libraries originated, the PCL was formed by community activists. They include Patricia Raub, Linda Kushner, Ellen Schwartz and Marcus Mitchell. All serve voluntarily with others as policy makers on the Board of Trustees.

Raub and Kushner contribute greatly as planners for press conferences and

community events while Schwartz, as treasurer, generously shares her expertise as business director. Mitchell, a business strategist, adds that perspective as trustees president whenever he attends public forums to voice how “invaluable” library services are for residents, especially now with its troubled financial condition. Trustees hold fast to the belief that their libraries must remain intact.

Mitchell asserts that they are the silver lining in the fabric connecting all nine neighborhoods and keeping them strong.

PCL trustees appointed Laura Marlane in 2010 as executive director to oversee library operations. At the 2011 annual meeting, Marlane noted the extraordinary changes that have emerged within libraries through the years.

Marlane describes the libraries as vibrant community centers, offering activities to people of all ages. Librarians participate in story hour and “cradles to crayons,” which include safety and health tip discussions. “Preschool play” sets up individual stations for parents and children, where mutual respect and sharing are nurtured. Kitchen, music, puzzle and toy areas are commonly set up for interaction. Book discussions in English and Spanish are available for adolescents and adults everywhere.

Some sites offer chess clubs, poetry contests, music and dance lessons.

Computer use is a constant in all the libraries, and now downloading eBooks

The “Library Buck” is an incentive program designed to challenge, recognize and reward students that demonstrate an ability to make the library/school connection.

has become popular. PCL program appeal extends beyond the city, attracting patrons from around the state.

On staff with Marlane is Michelle Novello, program coordinator and library visionary. After examining PCL neighborhoods, she designed two school-related programs with a common connection of instruction between them, successfully linking to the Providence School Department. Her English as a Second Language (ESL) literacy program has just begun; she reaches out to parents new to the country by teaching them how to utilize library services; and she plans to start a citywide summer reading program.

PCL regional librarians each oversee activities in three facilities that have distinct personalities and offer special projects for their neighborhoods.

Dhana Whiteing supervises the Mount Pleasant, Olneyville and Wanskuck libraries. People often speak of the high level of liveliness in every department at Mount Pleasant. Children of Laurel Hill Elementary are actively engaged at Olneyville. Collaboration between Wanskuck and its nearby elementary school, Veazie, is featured in a program that develops components of good leadership along with a reward system.

Good work habits, school and library attendance and social interaction are just some of the categories highlighted in the “Library Buck” program. In addition, students from the Esek Hopkins Middle and e-Cubed High schools along with

children who attend the local YMCA collaborate with Wanskuck in a community service project.

Rod Burkett supervises the Knight, South Providence and Washington Park libraries. Knight features two high school equivalency classes a week.

South Providence runs highly energized Spanish language book discussion groups for adolescents and for adults.

Activities for younger children are featured at Washington Park.

Tom O’Donnell supervises the Fox Point, Smith Hill and Rochambeau libraries. Fox Point coordinates activities with teachers from Gregorian Elementary and with the Boys and Girls Club housed in the same building. Smith Hill has a Providence College student who volunteers in an ESL work study program. Rochambeau is the busiest of all the PCL libraries, with 25 weekly activities. Music lessons, dance and jazz concerts are offered, and a collection of Russian books was just completed.

A vital part of every PCL library is the volunteer group of “friends,” individuals who come with a spirit of strong support for their librarians. They are dependable workers, willing to promote programs, sort books, run sales, fund cultural events and help purchase what is needed.

Having a strong friends group completes what PCL libraries strive to have -havens providing the ultimate level of love for learning.

Almas Kalafian is a retired Providence teacher and PCL Friends member.

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Common Ground

MARCH 2012

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• Free E-Statements

• Free Mobile and Text Banking • Free Online Banking

Stop by any branch, call 401.233.4700, or open an account online at navigantcu.org.

Federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

Hosted by John J. Tassoni, Jr. Monday Afternoons 2pm – 3pm on AM 790

Enjoy Life’s Journey

*$10 minimum opening balance. Students 16 and 17 years old require a parent or guardian as a joint owner on the account. When a student turns 25 years old, the account will automatically switch to a free Journe Rewards Checking account. **Must be at least 18 years old.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ LOCAL UNION 1033

Partnering with Rhode Island’s Municipalities to Provide the Most Effective and Cost-efficient Public Employee Benefits

The Rhode Island Public Employees’ Health Services Fund

The Rhode Island Public Employees’ Legal Services Fund

Representing the Public Servants who make government work!

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES = PUBLIC SERVICE DONALD S. IANNAZZI, ESQ, Business Manager

The Rhode Island Public Employees’ Education, Training and Apprenticeship Fund

VICKI A. VIRGILIO, President

Donald S. Iannazzi, Esq., Chairman

Cranston Crossing Guards Narragansett Town Hall Town of North Kingstown North Providence Crossing Guards Lincoln Highway Department Lincoln Water Commission Providence Community Action Program Providence Civic Center Authority Providence School Department R.I. Department of Transportation Lincoln Public Library Warwick Crossing Guards Narragansett Bay Commission North Providence School Department Town of North Providence Lincoln Town Hall City of Providence

Vicki A. Virgilio Trustee Sharen Gleckman Trustee Betty Jackson

Liaison

Pasquale T. D’Amico Trustee Joseph F. Kenney Trustee Chris Lombardi Coordinator

Rhode Island’s Union Built, Operated and Staffed Facilities

Roger Williams Park Casino

city center skating rink

accommodating 50 - 300

accommodating groups from 10 - 400

(401) 941-5640 • (401) 785-9450

(401) 331-5544 ext. 5