NOVEMBER 2011
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Pension reform proposal decried by union leaders By Common Ground Staff Gov. Lincoln Chafee and state Treasurer Gina Raimondo last month outlined a sweeping pension reform proposal that would freeze cost-ofliving adjustments (COLA) and raise the retirement age, among other major changes, dealing a severe financial blow to retirees and turning the system from a good one to the worst in the country, according to one union leader. The reform plan is aimed at closing an unfunded pension liability as high as $9 billion, putting the system back on stable financial footing and avoiding severe cuts to other areas of the state budget to accommodate skyrocketing costs. Next year alone, the cost to state taxpayers was expected to soar from $303 million to $600 million. State and local union leaders are already lining up in opposition to the plan, denouncing it as unfair and overly burdensome on state workers and teachers. George Nee, the president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and a spokesman for the Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition, said both of the groups he
represents will fight the legislation in its present form. “We feel that it places too heavy a burden on the present state employees and the retired state employees,” Nee said in an interview with “Common Ground.” In all, about 26,000 current retirees will be affected, plus tens of thousands of state and municipal employees as well as any future hires. Nee told “Common Ground” if the proposal is passed it would be the first time that the benefits of retirees would be reduced through legislation in Rhode Island. (The most recent rounds of pension reform focused on changes to benefits for current employees who were not eligible to retire, and Central Falls retiree benefits were reduced by the state-appointed receiver not through legislation.) Big changes All told, the changes are expected to cut $3 billion from the state budget over the course of the next decade. A significant percentage of that money is coming from reductions to benefits,
according to Nee. “From everything I’ve looked at, we will go from a good pension system to probably the worst pension system in the country,” said Larry Purtill, president of the state chapter of the National Education Association (NEA). He added: “I’m more disappointed in Governor Chafee … than I think I have ever been in a political candidate or officeholder.” The major changes include the following: A new hybrid pension system: State employees and teachers will be moved into a hybrid retirement system that combines elements of a traditional pension system and a 401(k)-style system. The key difference is that in the former case benefits are fixed, while in the latter contributions of employees are fixed but there is no guaranteed benefit amount. New employee contribution rates and vesting rules: State employees contribute 8.75 percent of their pay to their pensions while teachers make contributions of 9.5 percent. Under
the new hybrid system, both would contribute a total of 8.75 percent of their pay to their retirement. That would break down into 3.75 percent of their pay for their traditional pension, while 5 percent of salaries would be deposited into a separate fund. Also, employees will become vested after working five years instead of the current 10 years. Freeze on COLAs: The compounded 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment for state workers and teachers would be suspended until their pensions become 80 percent funded. Once that threshold is reached, retirees would get their COLA back. But that COLA will be tied to investment returns and will only be on the first $35,000 of their income. For those retirees earning less than $20,000, a COLA would return when the system gets back to 70 percent funding. Retirement age: Most employees would have to wait until their Social Security age before they could retire. For those eligible to retire, the retirement age will be unchanged. But those who are 52 years old and vested who could have See Pension, page 3
Interstate 195 holds promise for building trades By Common Ground Staff The development of land opened up by the relocation of Interstate 195 is expected to provide a much-needed boost to thousands of unemployed building and construction tradesmen in the region, according to an official with the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council. “What we’re talking about is some prime real estate in the capital city that’s become available,” said Michael Sabitoni, the president of the trades
council and the business manager for the Laborers Local 271. “That’s the good thing.” The bad news: the economy is still not in good shape. That means that it may be years before development of the site takes off, Sabitoni said. In the meantime, he says infrastructure work will be done on the 20-acres, which involves installing water, sewer, utilities and fiber optics to make it “pad-ready” for full development. He expects that work
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could take place in the next year or two. That will benefit the heavy construction industry, but the building construction trades will have to wait. Just how many jobs will be created over the lifetime of the development? No one quite knows for sure. With rampant unemployment among the building and construction trades, Sabitoni says he’d be happy to take whatever he can get. The trades council is comprised of about 15 locals, concentrated in
Rhode Island but spilling over a bit into southeastern Massachusetts and Connecticut. In all, there are 10,000 members, a figure that does include some who are retired. Among the workers, the unemployment rate is 40 percent and climbing, according to Sabitoni. “To say that we need this would be an understatement,” Sabitoni said. “We need this like a blood transfusion.” See 195, page 2 R
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Last month, the three-day Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s 54th Annual Constitutional Convention drew 350 labor leaders and activists from across the state. The convention was held in Quincy and began on Wednesday, Oct. 5 and ended Friday, Oct. 7. Massachusetts AFL-CIO President-Emeritus Robert Haynes gave an inspiring address about the need for the Labor Movement to confront its profound challenges in new ways, with renewed dedication and fresh faces. During an emotional few minutes for all delegates after one of his last speeches as president, Haynes received a long standing-ovation in appreciation of his 24 years of service for the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. During the convention, delegates heard from some of the Constitutional Officers, including Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Secretary of State William Galvin, and State Treasurer Steve Grossman. They all discussed their memories of working with PresidentEmeritus Haynes on dozens of initiatives over the years, and expressed optimism in Sen. Tolman’s new leadership. In an interview with “Common Ground,” Haynes explained that his proudest fulfillment was involving the Massachusetts AFL-CIO in the community with programs such as the cancer walk and helping with Massachusetts’ homeless community. He explained that more work still needs to be done however, to integrate the AFL-CIO into the community.
The Constitutional Officers also discussed optimism over the current street protests going on in opposition to corporate greed and the record levels of income inequality in the US. Delegates to the convention then voted to approve many resolutions, including the endorsement of the Occupy Boston protests. In the afternoon of the first day, the convention began the much-anticipated nomination of officers, and the state federation’s new leadership was unanimously elected. State Sen. Steven Tolman was elected president, Louis Mandarini of Laborers International Union of North America Local 22 was re-elected as secretary-treasurer, and five executive vice presidents were elected. President Tolman addressed delegates and laid out an ambitious agenda for growth, calling on unions that have split from the AFL-CIO to rejoin, emphasizing that only a more unified labor movement can tackle the problem’s facing America’s working families. On Thursday morning, delegates heard from National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, who spoke about the AFL-CIO’s new Young Workers Initiative and of last month’s Young Workers’ Conference in Minneapolis. She credited the Massachusetts AFLCIO for starting the first young workers’ group in the nation, called the “MA AFL-CIO Futures,” which started this program in local and international unions across the country. After Shuler spoke, Massachusetts secretary
Sen. Tassoni and Sen. Tolman at the convention. of Labor and Workforce Development monitored a very informative panel on education and training/ workforce development programs in Massachusetts and nationwide. Delegates then discussed recent developments in the state Legislature, including municipal health insurance reform, pension reform, and expanded gaming. Jim Snow and Dan Justice from the National AFLCIO joined the convention and spoke about many important national issues, including President Obama’s Jobs bill and the National AFL-CIO’s renewed jobs campaign. Concluding Thursday’s events, six candidates for US Senate running against Sen. Scott Brown joined the convention to offer brief remarks about their candidacy and their commitment to working families. The candidates included Elizabeth Warren, Alan Khazei, Marisa DeFranco, Rep. Tom Conroy, Herb Robinson and Bob Massie. US Rep. Bill Keating also stopped by to offer his appreciation for all of labor’s past support and to welcome delegates to
Quincy. The Convention ended on Friday, after Gov. Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo addressed the audience. The five executive vice presidents elected at the convention included Ed Kelly of Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts for executive vice president of the Public Sector, Charles Raso of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsman Local 3 for executive vice president of the Building Trades Sector, Edward Collins of the International Brothers of Electrical Workers Local 455 for executive vice president of the Industrial/ Service Sector, and two new At-Large Executive Vice Presidents were elected; Veronica Turner of the Service Employees International Union Local1199 and Jennifer Springer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 93. The Massachusetts AFLCIO’s next conference will be the State of the Union Conference, typically held in late-January or February.
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195 from page 1 It’s a dramatic turnaround from just a few years ago, when Rhode Island, especially Providence, was going through something of a building boom. Sabitoni rattled off a string of big name projects that consumed the local construction industry -- the Civic Center, Twin River, Masonic Temple, GTECH, Fidelity, FM Global and the final build-out of the Civic Center. “We were pulling people from other areas for supply, and now it’s gone full circle,” Sabitoni said. Other than a few projects at the University of Rhode Island and Brown University, there’s not much else out there, according to Sabitoni. “My industry is probably the last bastion of middle-class blue-collar stuff in this state,” Sabitoni said. “If we go down,
nothing else will be left.” One catalyst for development on the old I-195 land could be the proposed School of Nursing, which is a joint venture of the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, Sabitoni said. “We’re hopeful that (the 195 redevelopment) will spur some increased economic activity, particularly among some education institutions and the health care industry,” added George Nee, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “It’s a very unique opportunity.” Nee praised the state for how it has approached the project, saying the expedited process the state has set up for development will draw businesses to the site. That process will be overseen by
a special commission, whose members have been nominated by Gov. Lincoln Chafee and were approved by the Senate early in October. In the meantime, relief for unemployed construction workers will come from two outstanding contracts that have to be awarded for projects associated with the relocation of Interstate 195. Those will be for redoing the roads in two areas, around the intersection of Wickenden and Benefits streets as well as work on the opposite side of the river. Another potential source of work is construction of the pedestrian bridge across the river, where the old Interstate 195 bridge once was. But the City of Providence still needs to find the money to do that work, according to Sabitoni.
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NOVEMBER 2011
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Pension from page 1 retired before 62 now will have to wait until 62. Other key changes: In addition, the plan calls for adding six years to the amortization schedule, extending it from 19 years to 25 years. The plan also reaches beyond the scope of the state retirement system, with changes that affect the numerous independent pension plans managed by cities and towns. Under the new system, communities would have to develop a plan for better funding their pension systems or face punitive reductions in state aid. COLAs, retirement age most controversial changes Local union leaders said they were most concerned about the changes to the COLAs and increase in the retirement age. Purtill warned that retired teachers could go for 20 years without receiving a COLA. “They go two decades without a COLA -- you’re talking about the poverty line,” he said. Philip Keefe, the vice president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) state council and a member of the state Pension Advisory Group, took exception to the fact that state troopers and judges are not bearing the full brunt of the changes “If we’re state employees, we’re all state employees,” Keefe said. “If you’re going to give special pensions to (state) police and judges, I guess they’re the kings and queens and we’re the serfs,” said Keefe, who also is the president of SEIU Local 580. He said the rules on the COLAs will have a disproportionate effect on his members than judges. The fund for judges, for example, is 77.8 percent funded, so they will reach the 80 percent mark and get their COLAs back a lot sooner than retired state workers, whose fund is just 48.4 percent funded. “By the time a lot of my members are entitled to COLAs, they’ll be dead, and … that’s not a fair and equitable plan,” Keefe said. State troopers and judges get better deal In addition, state troopers and judges won’t have to convert over to the hybrid system; something that Keefe said is “outrageous.” He also took aim at the disparity in the retirement age, which he said is not changing for state troopers and judges. He pointed out that some of the state employees he represents work in high-risk environments such as removing children from dysfunctional homes. “Do you really want a 67-year-old woman doing that? Are they in less danger than a 52-year-old state trooper who is making a traffic stop on (Route) 95?” Keefe said. He said state troopers and judges had escaped the
severest of changes because they are politically connected. And he pointed out that state employees and teachers have already given up a total of $6 billion in retirement pay and benefits over their lifetimes in the last three rounds of pension reform. However, not 1 cent of the money that was saved went to shoring up the funds for state workers and teachers and instead was used to plug budget deficits, Keefe said. All the while, he said the state was dishing out $400 million worth of tax cuts to the wealthiest individuals and corporations in the state. “So how can I go before my membership and say this is a fair proposal?” Keefe concluded. “I need to go back to my membership which makes an average of $24,000 in pension and say, ‘Hey you need to dig into your pocket again?’” Battle looms in General Assembly, state courts Union leaders tell “Common Ground” that they plan to lobby hard in the General Assembly for changes to the proposed pension reform legislation. “We’re expecting that we’re going to have the opportunity to make some changes,” Nee said. Nee said his goal is for a pension reform bill that is less onerous on retirees. Even with some changes, he said it will still be hard to get to a point where his membership could support the final legislation, especially if there are still benefit reductions. “I still maintain this is not a crisis. This is a problem, and we shouldn’t be rushing to fix something when there is not a crisis,” Keefe said, pointing out that the state
retirement system has $7.7 billion in assets. He said he hopes state lawmakers come up with alternative solutions that are more equitable and fair. Beyond the battle in the General Assembly late this fall looms a protracted battle in the state courts. A Superior Court judge has already ruled that pensions are a contractual right, but left open the door to the possibility that the state might still be able to reduce benefits for employees under circumstances such as a budget crisis. That decision is now expected to come before the Supreme Court. Keefe and Purtill said it is too early to speculate about whether state public employee unions would expand their existing lawsuit or file a separate one in response to the new pension changes. Nee said the Superior Court ruling should give the business community pause. “I can’t imagine the business leaders in this state could stand to say contracts aren’t important,” he said. “It’s funny that contracts seem to be sacred in some places in our society and economy but maybe not in others. I think that’s fueling some of the outrage.” Pension Reform—Additional Resources Sites with more information on pension reform and links to the actual legislation: General Treasurer’s site: http://www.treasury.ri.gov/ secure-path-ri/ General Assembly: http://www.pensionreformri.com/ Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition: http:// www.rhodeislandretirementsecurity.org/
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NOVEMBER 2011
IBEW Local 103 steps up for Boston’s military veterans DORCHESTER – Members of Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) opened their arms and the doors of their union hall to help Boston’s at-risk veterans. The Massachusetts branch of Volunteers of America and the Veterans Administration Boston Healthcare System recently hosted its annual Boston Area Stand Down at Local 103’s headquarters, which is located at 256 Freeport St. A wide range of specialized resources were offered to help the city’s struggling veterans, including an estimated 1,000 former service personnel who are homeless. In addition, services such as medical attention, housing assistance, hair care and eye examinations were provided to veterans who are at-risk of becoming homeless. Guest speakers included Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, Secretary of Veterans’ Services Coleman Nee and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Stand down is a military term referring to the brief period a soldier leaves an active combat area in order to rest and regain strength. Today, stand down refers to a grass roots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation’s homeless veteran population. Michael Monahan, Local 103 business manager, said the union was proud “to hold this important event for the first time … and give back to our veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.” Thomas Bierbaum, president and chief executive officer of Volunteer of America Massachusetts explained the opportunities Stand Down provides. “All of us have experienced pulling up to a stop light and a tattered looking man or woman approaches with a sign reading, ‘homeless veteran will work for food,’ and for most of us, that breaks our heart. Many people turn away, not knowing exactly how to help that person. Stand down is an opportunity for the community to come together and help those veterans most in need, both with and without homes. They simply deserve the best,” said Bierbaum. Bierbaum thanked IBEW Local 103 for providing such a convenient location to conduct the event. Lt. Gov. Murray also thanked Local 103, saying, “The IBEW has stepped up as they always do, and thank you IBEW Local 103 for hosting Stand Down this year.” “This is a way to stand up for veterans who made the country what it is today. These veterans left their homes, loved ones and obligations to serve our country – Stand Down is a way to reconnect them with services, obtain a driver’s license, jobs and health care. Thanks again IBEW Local 103 for being a leader and hosting the event,” said Mayor Menino. The philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of hundreds of volunteers and organizations who mobilize their resources to provide free services to any veteran who attends the event. Hundreds of veterans attended the two-day event, which provided food, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, oral health and dental screenings and referrals to a variety of other necessary services. The providers who participate in the event are experts in their field at helping veterans. For more information on Stand Down 2011, please contact Lindsey Ferris of Volunteers of America at LFerris@voamass.org or 617.390.0230.
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Why should Rhode Islanders support RIPTA? By Abel Collins
I am tempted to cite statistics that prove the value of public transportation to economic development; to give percentages of worker and student riders and the savings they realize by taking the bus; to give statistics of how the number of riders has gone up in recent years despite fare increases; to point out that we will never adequately reduce carbon emissions without a robust public transit system; and to elaborate the health benefits associated with the more active lifestyle of a transit rider and the improved air quality of communities with less congested roadways. In a more rational world, those valid and persuasive arguments would already have convinced state leaders to preserve and expand Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) service, but there is a more powerful reason to help RIPTA, one suited to our more irrational times. Justifying public transportation service is part of a larger debate about the legitimacy of any and all government services. Thirty years of the general policy of tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation of corporations and banks and cuts to public services for citizens has created a seriously unbalanced situation. The concentration of wealth in the hands of the few and the policies that perpetuate it are shameful. They are antithetical to the Christian values that many of us claim as guiding principles and to the simple secular value of treating others as we would be treated. Meanwhile, the government has been starved of the revenue it needs to secure a basic standard of living for its people, just as the ranks of those people who need assistance have been pushed to an epic scale. There are 15 million-plus jobless citizens, 46 million U.S. citizens living in poverty and 45 million people on food stamps.
Here we are. It’s a delicate moment in our nation’s history when this lack of balance threatens to deliver us into a second Great Depression. For rich and poor alike, the atmosphere is full of fear, uncertainty, distrust and anger. We are justifiably hesitant to do anything but hide our heads in the sand.
for the rest of us? Since our economy is so dependent on consumer spending, doesn’t it make sense both morally and economically to give help where it is needed? No, it doesn’t, and that is why those who care about the forgotten, underserved, and disenfranchised in
The dominant modern narrative holds that the government is broke, the people are broke and we can no longer afford to provide any social safety net. Subsidizing our failed financial industry and other mega-corporations while demanding sacrifices from the people are the prescriptions of the day, redoubling the policies that brought us here. Following such a narrative is dangerously irresponsible. Contrary to the myth, the truth is that the United States economy is bigger than it’s ever been. The gross domestic product is more than $14 trillion. As a country we have never been richer, but that money is in the hands of a small privileged group. Does it really make sense to coddle them and cut services
this society must continue to support public transportation. RIPTA is the battleground where we need to stop appeasing the bullies and start pushing back and arguing for expanded public services. RIPTA provides a public service critical to social and economic justice. RIPTA is an engine for business and vital to the interests of the environmental and health service communities as well as those people who just want to save a buck by leaving their motor vehicles at home. Winning the battle to expand public transit will boost the morale of the compassionate majority and restore some faith in fairness. At the same time, it will demonstrate that investing in a
public service is good for everybody. Furthermore, winning will give people momentum for whatever cause comes next, and there are many waiting. Unless Congress and the General Assembly take action to provide adequate and sustainable funding for public transit, RIPTA will face massive service cuts next summer that make this year’s 10 percent proposed reductions seem small. We have six months to stop that from happening, and we must start now. The first step is to go to your nearest computer and type “save ripta petition� into your favorite search engine. The least you can do is put your name on it. If you want to do more than that, get in touch with your local senator and representative and let them know you care. If they don’t listen, they can always be voted out. Abel Collins is program manager of Rhode Island Chapter of the Sierra Club and a member of the RIPTA Riders, an independent grassroots group working to preserve and expand public transportation in Rhode Island.
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Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Walker continues pursuit of baseball dream By Common Ground Staff
SMITHFIELD – Less than 1 percent of high school seniors who play baseball will end up being drafted by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Such a slim possibility, however, is not stopping William J. Walker IV from believing he eventually will be among the few players to have a chance to make it big. If he gets a shot at MLB, the Bishop Hendricken High School senior will be forever grateful to his father, William J. III, and his mother, Jane. William III, a card carrying union member, as they continue to sacrifice to increase the likelihood of their son playing in major league ballparks on a regular basis. “I don’t know the last time my wife and I did something for ourselves,” said the older Walker, who works for the Smithfield Department of Public Works. “It’s a good thing we like the game,” he said. It takes thousands of dollars a year to travel to games and pay for the hours of skills and fitness training the high school catcher devotes to improve his game. “I see how hard he works; nobody works harder,” the 51-year-old father insists. “Personally, I think he can do it, and I know about two things -- baseball and heavy equipment.” If he doesn’t get drafted by a Major League team while in high school, William IV plans on attending Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where
he will play baseball. Because he is interested in sports broadcasting, he will major in communications. Other colleges that Walker considered attending included Florida State, the University of Rhode Island, the University of Hartford, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. The care and concern head baseball coach Tom Walter has for his players is one reason why Walker and his parents selected Wake Forest as their college of choice. The coach demonstrated the depth of his commitment to his team by donating one of his kidneys to a player who did not have a match among his family members. “If he is willing to do something like that, he has to be all right,” William III said. In addition, Wake Forest personnel called the Walkers after Tropical Storm Irene whacked Rhode Island to make sure the family was OK and if there was anything it needed. “That sold me on the place,” the father said. Furthermore, the younger Walker pointed out, the university recently invested $50 million in its baseball
facilities and competes in one of the top collegiate divisions for baseball, the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wake Forest baseball team plays a 56-game schedule that starts in February, which is an indication that playing on the collegiate level is a year-round commitment. Such dedication is what it will take to catch the dream of being one of the boys of summer, but Walker says all of the sacrifices will be well-worth it if he gets paid to play a kids’ game and do something that he truly loves.
William J. Walker IV is pictured here playing for Bishop Hendricken High School
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SEIU Local 615 and District 1199 endorse Castillo for Providence City Council Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615 and New England District 1199 have endorsed Democratic candidate Carmen Castillo for the special election to fill the City Council Ward 9 seat. SEIU officials cited Castillo’s commitment to fight for the working families of the city and state. “We are supporting Carmen because she is a worker like us who comes from the bottom and understands what it is to struggle and fight to achieve something,”
medical Technician at Bannister House nursing home, said, “I’m proud my union is supporting Carmen Castillo because she will be a strong voice for working families struggling in today’s economy. I know she will always work tirelessly to advance justice for the working people of Providence when she is at City Hall.” SEIU Local 615 represents 17,000 property service workers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire,
Celsa DelPozo, a member of the local’s executive board, said in a statement submitted to “Common Ground.” “As workers and immigrants, we see ourselves reflected in her and we are inspired that someone like us could aspire to represent working families on the City Council,” added DelPozo, a contracted janitor at the One Financial building in downtown. Lonise Adolphe, a District 1199 executive board member and certified
including contracted janitors that clean offices throughout Rhode Island; food service workers at Brown University; and facilities workers and contracted janitors at Providence College. District 1199 represents more than 3,700 members in Rhode Island, including 700 in Providence. Members work in hospitals, nursing homes, health centers, agencies for the developmentally disabled, student transportation, property services and at Rhode Island Legal Services.
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Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Never Miss Out On Important News Affecting Labor Now the only union paper in Rhode Island and Massachusetts has a union website. Visit ricommongroundnews.com to see up to the minute news affecting labor in your community. You can now skip tedious Google searches and view focused national and local union articles on one website. The articles are collected for you and become available through the website’s news feed. The same website is available for Massachusetts’ labor news and can be accessed at masscommongroundnews.com.
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So Mike, how did you get involved in the EAP and addiction treatment business?
Michael J. Blackburn
CEAP, LADC-1, SAP, LAP-C, BRI-II
Retired Battalion Chief Providence Fire Department Local 799 Vice President Treatment Solutions Network
I became involved in the EAP/MAP programs because of my own struggles with addiction, as I have been in recovery for many years. Twenty-five years ago, I was asked by my Union President to start a committee to assist our members and their families who needed help with addiction and mental health issues, because of my own experiences, I was excited to help. We started a silent committee to offer confidential help to Firefighters and their families who were struggling with these issues. I spent several years obtaining certifications in the field and have been helping members and their families ever since!
How has this program benefited firefighters and their loved ones?
Firefighters often experience things in the line of duty that cause mental and emotional stress that can lead to substance abuse. Once we built the EAP/MAP program we were amazed at how many people came forward to get the help they needed. Part of the rehabilitation process is learning how to deal with these stresses so they don’t negatively affect the rest of their lives and their families.
Where has life taken you since retirement? Well before I retired, I worked closely with Treatment Solutions Network to place my members, providing the care that they needed. I was so impressed with the company that I started working with them more and have now become a Vice President and shareholder in the company. We have expanded the network to include top rated treatment centers, not just in Florida, but across the nation as well. Our network is set up to accept most insurances, self-pay and contracted rates with health & welfare funds to make treatment affordable to everyone.
What is next for you and Treatment Solutions Network? We are working with a committee focus group comprised of leadership from Boston Fire, Boston Police, Providence Fire, MA Department of Corrections and MA Sheriff’s Department. This group is being directed by a highly accomplished therapist to design programs specifically geared toward Unions, Public Safety Officers and to help us better serve the Employee Assistance Professionals we work with. Our programs are designed to find the best possible solution to Dual Diagnosis problems. Solutions that combine, long term success, financial flexibility, and clinical practice into effective services.
To learn more about how we help professionals visit, www.TreatmentSolutionsNetwork.com/professionals, call toll free, 1-877-417-6237, or contact your local Treatment Consultant.
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Page 10
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
National Labor News Super Committee could cut Social Security COLAs By John A. Pernorio According to multiple sources, members of Congress on the Super Committee, including Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), are considering changing the formula that determines the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for future Social Security recipients as a measure to reduce the nation’s budget deficit. Social Security’s COLAs for monthly benefits are designed to help retirees keep up with rising living standards and costs. COLAs are tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W), which surveys price changes in the average set of goods purchased by urban wage earners and clerical workers. There has been no COLA in the past two years. The CPI-W formula does not protect seniors’ purchasing power because it fails to account for the fact that seniors spend two to three times as much of their budget on medical care than younger households. Yet, many in Congress are seriously considering cutting Social Security benefits by now tying the COLA to the chained CPI (C-CPI-U), an even smaller measure of inflation. While many will falsely describe the change as simply technical, it is a change that would result in big lifetime losses in benefits for the average Social Security beneficiary. According to Social Security Works, an average earner retiring in 2011 at age 65 would lose more than $6,000 over 15 years if the chained CPI were adopted today. The chained CPI assumes that a lower COLA is acceptable because consumers can substitute cheaper products when prices go up. The problem is that health care costs, which consume a large amount of senior’s income, cannot simply be substituted with a cheaper version. A senior cannot just substitute triple bypass surgery with a double because it’s cheaper or knee surgery with crutches. The Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans has a new Web page focused exclusively on the Super
Committee. It contains a petition that visitors can sign to tell the committee not to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security benefits. Go to http:// bit.ly/o7LNqS to view the page and sign the petition at http:// bit.ly/rtvvFG. While the Super Committee considers cuts, the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent COLA increase for beneficiaries. However, many seniors will see a substantial part of the COLA consumed by a higher premium for Medicare Part B (doctor visits and outpatient services), which usually is deducted from Social Security payments. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent, co-sponsored a bill -- Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act – to lift the payroll tax cap so that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share into Social Security. That would ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security without cutting benefits, raising the retirement age or raising taxes on the middle class. The positive response to the legislation, which Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is supporting, has been tremendous, with more than 60,000 Americans showing support for scrapping the payroll tax cap on all income more than $250,000 and making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share into Social Security. Someone earning $106,800 pays the same amount of money into Social Security as billionaires such as Bill
Gates. Why? Because all income above that amount is exempt from the Social Security payroll tax. As a result, 94 percent of Americans pay Social Security tax on all of their income, but the wealthiest 6 percent do not. Sanders said, “It doesn’t make sense to me, and it doesn’t make sense to the vast majority of Americans, that big corporations and the super-rich would rather spread lies about Social Security’s sustainability and convert it into a private account system that will enable Wall Street to make hundreds of billions in profits”. We need a grassroots campaign to see the act passed into law and move aggressively to address the major crisis of our time -- massive unemployment and the decline of our middle class. John A. Pernorio is president of the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans. Contact him at Japertnorio_riara@hotmail.com.
Whether you are a union member or not, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO is committed to preserving the rights of all workers and advocating for decent wages, health and retirement benefits, safer workplaces, and a dignified quality of life for all working families. During these difficult times, now more than ever, workers need a strong, unified voice speaking out on each other’s behalf. By advocating for all workers, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO is working to preserve the middle class, and protect you and your family. Steven Tolman President
For more information call
Louis A. Mandarini, Jr. Secretary-Treasurer
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Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Page 11
AFL-CIO President Trumka supports holding Wall Street accountable Occupy Wall Street has captured the imagination and passion of millions of Americans who have lost hope that our nation’s policy-makers are speaking for them. We support the protesters in their determination to hold Wall Street accountable and create good jobs. We are proud that today on Wall Street, bus drivers, painters, nurses and utility workers are joining students and homeowners, the unemployed and the underemployed to call for fundamental change. Across America, working people are turning out with
their friends and neighbors in parks, congregations and union halls to express their frustration – and anger – about our country’s staggering wealth gap, the lack of work for people who want to work and the corrupting of our politics by business and financial elites. The people who do the work to keep our great country running are being robbed not only of income, but of a voice. It is time for all of us – the 99 percent – to be heard. As we did when we marched on Wall Street last year, working people call on corporations, big banks and the financial industry to do their part to create good jobs, stop foreclosures and pay their fair share of taxes. Wall Street and corporate America must invest in America: Big corporations should invest some of the $2 trillion in cash they have on hand and use it to create good jobs, and banks should be making credit more accessible to small businesses instead of parking almost $1 trillion at the Federal Reserve.
Banks should also write down the 14 million mortgages that are underwater and stop the more than 10 million pending foreclosures to halt the downward spiral of our housing markets and inject more than $70 billion into our economy. In addition, a tiny tax on financial transactions could raise hundreds of billions of revenue that could fund education and create jobs to rebuild our country. And it would discourage speculation and encourage long-term investment. We will open our union halls and community centers as well as our arms and our hearts to those with the courage to stand up and demand a better America. For more information, contact Keri A. Shanks, senior secretary of the AFL-CIO Media Outreach Department, at (202)637-5389 or kshanks@aflcio.org or go to the union’s Web site at www.aflcio.org.
AT&T/Mobile is good for American workers By Gerard Dhooge
Over the last decade, the U.S. has lost more than 2.5 million manufacturing jobs and more than 850,000 jobs in the professional service and information sectors, according to the AFL-CIO. The U.S. employment situation doesn’t look like it’s getting better any time soon. In May, the U.S. added only 54,000 jobs – not nearly enough to keep up with the number of new workers entering the market – and the national unemployment was still a high 9.1 percent (the jobless rate in Massachusetts is 7.8 percent). Worker in the U.S. and in the Bay State are struggling and, at this already economically perilous moment, their rights are also threatened by the agendas of some state and federal lawmakers. There is one bright spot on the horizon, however; the pending merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. If approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the merger would unleash billions in additional private infrastructure investment, which would create will-paying jobs. As part of the terms of the merger, AT&T has promised to invest an additional $8 billion over seven years into expanding its 4G LTE wireless communications system. Those additional dollars will enable the company to expand its reach over an additional 1 million square miles. According to a study released in late May by the Economic Policy Institute, that investment would create up to 96,000 new American jobs. So as AT&T builds out its network to expand coverage and improve service for consumers, jobs will be created as equipment is manufactured and the build
out is executed. Furthermore, communications jobs are typically well-paying and, importantly, the workers filling direct positions within the merged company will have the opportunity to join the only unionized work force among the U.S. wireless communication sector. The merger would be an improvement for T-Mobile’s 20,000 non-management workers as well. If the merger goes through, T-mobile’s employees would finally have the chance to join a union and have access to collective bargaining, which would lead to greater job security, wages and benefits. By putting state-of the-art 4G LTE technology in the hands of more Americans, the merger will also improve the skills of workers in other sectors of the economy by giving them better and more reliable access to online job training courses. Improving the skills and knowledge or our work force will raise wages and keep jobs in the United States. Finally, from an engineering perspective, AT&T is the most reasonable partner for T-Mobile. The companies’ network compatibilities will enable faster integration of existing technologies and facilitate an expeditious development of 4G LTE. In addition, AT&T is in the strongest position to invest the dollars and labor necessary to eventually extend 4G LTE to the entire nation. During the last 10 years, the U.S. has witnessed a revolution in wireless technology. A person with a smart phone that is connected to a 4G LTE network can conduct business with virtually the same efficiency and effectiveness as a
person sitting in a downtown office. That kind of technology makes business more productive, leading to job creation. The merger between AT&T and T-Mobile would facilitate the next phase of that technology revolution, which would create good paying jobs, enhance the rights of 20,000 T-Mobile workers
and give people across the country in every industry better access to vital education and training tools. The FCC should quickly approve the merger. Gerard Dhooge is president of Maritime Trades Council of Greater Boston and New England.
FIGHTING FOR A FAIR ECONOMY!
Rhode Island SEIU State Council President – Patrick J. Quinn, District 1199 New England SEIU Vice President – Philip M. Keefe, Local 580 SEIU Treasurer – Roxana Rivera, Local 615 SEIU Secretary – Lynn Tipton, Local 401 SEIU Executive Director – Emmanuel Falck
Page 12
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Ocean State labor leaders fight off attacks By James P. Riley In the past year, Rhode Island has seen attacks on labor in many circumstances. The Westin Hotel in Providence, where workers are represented by UNITE/HERE Local 217, attempted to impose a 20 percent pay reduction, an increase in health insurance costs, and an outsourcing of the jobs of many union workers. In Providence, the labor movement was once again under attack and used as a scapegoat for the economic woes of the states and municipalities when the School Boards voted to fire all 1,926 teachers on Feb. 4. After months of bargaining in good faith, Laborer’s Local 1322, Cranston Bus Drivers, were faced with a bleak future when the city council recommended the privatization of the town’s school bus service. At Amica Insurance in Lincoln, the company eliminated the jobs of 55 maintenance workers by privatizing their department to a contractor with a history of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) violations. Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2323 were forced out on strike when
Verizon officials attempted to take back 50 years of contract negotiations by eliminating job security, slashing pay and benefits and sending jobs overseas. And in Central Falls, the site of the riots of 1934, the Rhode Island Department of Education waged war on the public school teachers halfway into a three-year contract. On Feb. 23, the Central Falls Board of Trustees voted to issue termination notices to all Central Falls High School teachers. The Board read each name in a crowded auditorium. Like the textile strike 77 years ago, the labor strife in Central Falls was once again national news. And what did labor do? But the labor movement fought back as they always do. They stopped the right wing’s agenda to legislate Right to Work Laws in all fifteen attempts this year. They stopped them from repealing the Minnesota Whistle Blower Act of 1987. Governor Guy LePage of Maine lost his bid to turn Maine into a Right to Work State. In New Hampshire, Governor Lynch vetoed the Tea Party’s Right
to Work Law the moment it hit his desk. In Missouri, the anti-union state Senate would not have its way. Labor soundly defeated their attempts to eliminate child-labor laws. Pennsylvania will not be privatizing their liquors stores thanks to an extensive lobbying and education campaign by organized labor. In Ohio, Governor Kasich’s approval numbers are in the 30’s and his antiunion Collective Bargaining Bill will be on the November 8 ballot where the latest poll number show 56 – 32 to repeal. In Wisconsin, Governor Walker’s numbers are worse than Governor Kasich’s’ after stripping public unions of collective bargaining rights. And two safe Republican Senators lost their recall election and were replaced by proworker candidates. The State House Massacre of 2012 In November the members of Rhode Island unions sent a message to the State House: “If you’re going to run as a Democrat, than you better vote like one!” The members proved it by working hard to defeat six incumbent democrats hostile to working families and replaced them with
worker-friendly democrats. Westin workers, members of UNITE/ HERE Local 217, ratified an agreement after a successful boycott with significant gains to their contract and no privatization of union members’ jobs. The Providence Teachers Union reached a new three-year agreement; with all termination notices rescinded. After intense pressure from organized labor and the general public, the Cranston School Committee decided to end their fool-hardy quest to privatize the ninety bus drivers, members of Laborer’s Union, Local 1322. IBEW Local 2323 workers are back to work after being forced out by Verizon three weeks ago after the company agreed to streamline negotiations and bargain in good faith. And recently, the Rhode Island Board of Regents voted 7 to 1 to reject charter schools in Cranston. Every working man and woman in this state owes a great debt of gratitude to those who were knocked down and got up in the past and to all of those who continue to fight back today.
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Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Page 13
Education reformer warns teachers to adapt or face extinction By Common Ground Staff Warning of a crisis in the nation’s public school system, a top education reformer is calling on educators to embrace change and innovation and predicts that unions will either become part of the solution or become marginalized. Geoffrey Canada, the president and chief executive officer of Harlem’s Children Zone, an organization dedicated to improving high school graduation rates among inner city students, made his passionate and controversial plea for education reform at an event recently hosted by Family Service of Rhode Island in Providence. Saying New York City schools had shown virtually no improvement since he was a child half a century ago, Canada accused the American public of becoming complacent with failure in urban public schools. “What’s different than fundamentally 55 years ago? Nothing. No other business in America would be allowed to fail for 55 years,” Canada said. “I believe we got to bring some innovation into this. We simply can’t allow things to stay the way they are.” In an exclusive interview with “Common Ground,” Canada called on teacher unions to become part of the solution by embracing change. “If they don’t change, they’re going to go the way of the UAW (United Auto Workers). … that refused to improve the quality of American cars,” Canada said. As a result, Canada said, consumers turned to foreign cars, and there are auto plants all over the country that are not unionized simply
because they produce the kind of quality cars American buyers want. He said the same could happen in public schools, as more charter schools open with faculties that are not unionized. “They’re going to end up being blamed instead of being part of the solution, so sooner or later they’re going to have to reform,” Canada concluded. Union leader: We’re already doing things differently The response from one local union official: We’re already doing that. “There is truth to that. This requires every organization to think differently and work differently. Organizations that don’t accept or adapt to changes usually don’t stick around,” said Steve Smith, president of the Providence Teachers Union. “I would think that the Providence Teachers Union has been a leader in trying to do things differently.” But, Smith added, unions aren’t the only ones that have to change and adapt. He said management has to be willing to do the same. He said the Providence Teachers Union and school district had been forging ahead with a new model for labor-management relations under the administration of former Schools Superintendent Thomas Brady. Their efforts have earned national recognition from Education Sector, an independent policy think tank, and even won praise from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a national conference on labor-management collaboration in Denver earlier this year.
The collaboration involved a new approach to turning around Providence’s lowest performing schools. Smith said the city chose a “re-start model” for reforming those schools. Under that model, the principal and union affiliate at each of the schools together lead the reform effort in each building. Smith said the union also made strides in reforming teacher evaluations through the new statewide Innovation Fund run by the American Federation of Teachers chapter in RI. Smith said he had been pushing for change ever since he took over as the union president in 2003. His first task, he said, was a new collective bargaining agreement, which he described as a “win-win” departure from the traditional adversarial model of labor negotiations. All this is good for teachers too, according to Smith. “I don’t think the old way of doing business works for teachers,” he said. “The need to have teacher voice in every aspect of what they’re doing is important and that means creating a
Geoffrey Canada flexible environment.” He paraphrases former Patriots head coach Bill Parcels to make his point: To cook the dinner; at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries. “Everyone has to be willing to do things differently and not be entrenched into what their comfort zone is,” Smith concluded. Contacted for comment, the head of the Rhode Island National Education Association was more critical of Canada. “I think he’s wrong,” said Larry Purtill, the president. “We embrace change in different things as long as we think it’s going to work.” “I don’t plan on going extinct,” he quipped.
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Page 14
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Squash and apple casserole tastes like dessert By Micheline Grossi Lombardi On Oct. 20, Sal and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary and I was reflecting on how lucky I was to have found the man who is truly the love of my life. Throughout our lives, our paths have crossed, when we were kids, again when we were teenagers, but it was not until we were in our twenties that we really met and fell in love. As a very young girl, I used to go with my grandfather, Michele Bevelacqua, to Federal Hill to buy the grapes for the making of his wine. Was it really a coincidence or fate that the place my grandfather brought his grapes was in the building owned by Sal’s grandmother, Theresa Lombardi? Sal and his sister, Anna would stay
with their grandmother, who lived upstairs, while his parents worked. Or that Sal often helped the owner at the store at the same time I was with my grandfather picking out just the right grapes for the wine? Then again as teenagers, our paths probably crossed at the S&S Dairy Treat in Johnston, where we went to socialize after the school day ended. We had friends and acquaintances in common; Sal even worked with my Uncle John. But it was not until that night at Allarie’s Jazz Club that I looked up and saw the man of my dreams, who is the love of my life. What does this story have to do with food, you might ask? Well, my beloved grandmother always
said that the way to a man’s heart was with a good meal. Of course, she said it in Italian! Once Sal tasted my cooking, he was hooked like it was Love Potion # 9. Since it is November, I thought I would share a wonderful recipe for a squash and apple casserole. The amount of ingredients will vary with the size of the casserole. Peal and then cut a butternut squash into 1”cubes. Peel and slice several apples. I always use a variety of apples like Gala, Granny Smiths, or Cortland. You will also need brown sugar, chopped nuts (pecans work great), cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and butter. Mix the sugar, nuts
and spices together. Layer the squash and apples, sprinkle with the mixture of sugar and nuts. Dot with butter and repeat the layers until the casserole dish is filled. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven until apples and squash are cooked for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. This is a great dish and you can control the amount of butter, spices and sugar to your taste. I am often requested to bring this dish to pot luck suppers. It’s a side dish that tastes just like a dessert. Micheline Grossi Lombardi is a member of the Retired Rhode Island Probation & Parole Association and can be reached at mangiawithmicheline@verizon.net.
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International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers A progressive labor union representing more than 80,000 men and women in professional, technical, administrative and associated occupations.
685 Warren Avenue East Providence, RI 02914
401.438-5450 www.ifpte400.org
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Brought to you by:
WE MAKE RHODE ISLAND WORK
With Additional Support from: UA 51, National Education Association Rhode Island, RI Federation of Teachers & Health Professionals, IBEW Local 99, RI Building & Construction Trades Council, SEIU State Council, Painters and Allied Trades District Council 11, United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 328, Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), OPEIU LOCAL 25
MA 508-883-9100
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FULL TIME SERVICE DEPARTMENT Serving the City of Providence since 1854 • Service Contracts Available! • Competitive Pricing • Budgets • Assistance Programs
PROVIDENCE FIRE FIGHTERS LOCAL 799 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS
When it comes to everything you value, who you call matters "If you're going to spend 15 minutes on
Rhode Island State Association of Fire Fighters Affiliated with the AFL-CIO Paul A. Doughty, President
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Philip F. Fiore, Vice President PAUL C. REED, President
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Scott G. Mello, Secretary JOSEPH A. ANDRIOLE, Vice President John HANOS, F. Woodard, Treasurer DAVID Secretary Treasurer MARCEL E. FONTENAULT, JR., Exec. Bd. Chairman
Executive Board Representatives 1ST DISTRICT V.P. John Silva
Christopher J. Jannitto Joseph P. Moreino Hans Ramsden 3RD DISTRICT V.P. Michael Stevens Wayne C. Oliveira Robert K. Neill, Jr., Staff Representative Zachariah Kenyon Anthony PAUL L. VALLETTA, JR.,Toro Legislative Agent 2ND DISTRICT V.P. Steve Rodrigues
REBECCA D. FISHER, Legislative Agent
92 Printery Street Paul A. Doughty 356 Smith Street • Providence, Rhode Island 02908 • (401) 272-6870 Providence, RI 02904 401-569-4444 risaff.org 401-272-7999 (O) 401-274-7999 (F) local799.com
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Page 15
Chamber supports Retirement Security Act Tackling the thorny issues embedded in the public pension crisis is a serious issue for the small business community as they continue to struggle with keeping people employed and staying viable. To give voice to those concerns, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce has come out in favor the Retirement Security Act of 2011. As part of the ongoing debate, the Chamber was pleased to host a forum on the subject with AFL-CIO President George Nee, along with the Governor and the General Treasurer. Many Chamber members had thought-provoking questions for the panel and were pleased to have the opportunity to learn more, interact and hear varying viewpoints. The Chamber believes the proposed legislation directly addresses the critical issues that have plagued Rhode Island’s pension structure, and those of local municipalities, while at the same time providing a strong foundation on which to build a secure and sustainable state-administered retirement system going forward. A fiscally sound and appropriately funded pension system is directly linked to the state’s economic climate and more specifically our ability to spur small business
development, grow investment in local innovation and most importantly create jobs. The Chamber encourages the Governor, Treasurer and General Assembly leadership to continue to work together in finding a meaningful and permanent solution to solving this pension crisis. “In a time of economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever that policy leaders, business and labor work collaboratively to create a healthier pension system that is financially responsible for everyone including the employer, the employee, the retiree and the taxpayer,” said Chamber President Laurie White. “Passage of this type of reform is critically important. Not only will it change and stabilize the system, but it will send a strong message that Rhode Island is a good place for business.” The mission of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce is to foster the development of a positive and productive business climate for our community through economic development, business-to-business relationship building and effective public policies and government. Laurie White is President of the Providence Chamber of Commerce.
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James J. White Business Manager and President Timothy E. Quillen Vice President and Bus. Agent Gregory E. Olson Treasurer and Bus. Agent
For more information, please call Joe Foley, Harvard Pilgrim Labor Relations Office, at 617-509-3440.
Page 16
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Massachusetts gambling bill making moves A committee of Massachusetts legislative members has been created to finalize details on the casino bill before passing it on to Gov. Deval Patrick for his signature. The committee include Sen. Rosenberg (D-Amherst), Sen. Flangan (D-Leominster) and Sen. Ross (R-Wrentham). House members on the committee include Rep. Wagner (D-Chicopee), Rep. Dempsey (D-Haverhill) and Rep. Frost (R-Auburn). The Massachusetts’s Senate approved the gambling
bill that would allow the creation of three resort-style casinos and one slot parlor in a 24 to 14 vote. The legislation voted on, however, has multiple differences from the legislation approved by the House. The Senate legislation approved almost 50 amendments to legislation passed by the House and rejected 100 other amendments. If signed by the governor, the bill is estimated to create as many as 15,000 new jobs which include 6,000 temporary construction jobs.
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Affiliated with the INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS 121 BRIGHTRIDGE AVENUE, EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 02914 www.teamsterslocal251.org Joseph J. Bairos Kevin Reddy Secretary-Treasurer Principal Executive Officer Steven Labrie Kevin Reddy Daniel Manocchio President Douglas Teoli Steven Capobianco Asst. Business Agent Vice President David Demuth Michael Nunes Organizer & Recording Secretary Asst. Business Agent Dennis Mello Linda Russolino Trustee Asst. Business Agent Susan Folan Trustee James Croce Anthony Scivola Asst. Business Agent Trustee
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Page 17
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - LOCAL UNION 99 22 Amflex Drive Cranston, R.I. 02921
Michael K. Daley Business Manager/Financial Secretary
James Jackson President/Business Agent
IBEW99.ORG
PH. 401.946.9900
FAX 401.946.9907
www.ricommongroundnews.com
PROVIDENCE FIRE FIGHTERS LOCAL 799
Providence’s Bravest Saving Lives and Property Since 1854 Paul A. Doughty, President Philip F. Fiore, Vice President Scott G. Mello, Secretary John F. Woodard, Treasurer Anthony P. Lancellotti, EAP Chairman
Executive Board Representatives: Christopher J. Jannitto Joseph P. Moreino Hans Ramsden Wayne C. Oliveira Zachariah Kenyon Anthony Toro
Rhode Island Judicial, Professional and Technical Employees’
LOCAL UNION 808 Frank A. Ciccone Business Manager
Pasquale Zompa Norma M. Sousa President Vice President
Claudia Porrazzo Recording Secretary
David Garzone Executive Board Member
Dominick J. Ruggerio Secretary-Treasurer
Gina M. Sabitoni-Arakelian Executive Board Member
Page 18
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Entertainment Wilde drama season continues at Brown University PROVIDENCE – “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” Oscar Wilde’s own biting satire about Victorian society and marriage, continues the Brown University Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies’ Wilde season in November. “Lady Windermere’s Fan” is set amidst the glitter of Victorian high society, where those who cannot laugh at themselves will invariably be laughed at by others. The story involves a young married woman who believes her husband is having an affair. Deception, confusion and campy humor ensue until all is resolved “for better or worse.” A host of comic characters populates Wilde’s stage, including Mrs. Erlynne, Lord and Lady Windermere and the amorous Lord Darlington, who famously states: “I can resist everything except temptation.” Well-known for his many aphorisms and witty commentaries on morality and Victorian society, Wilde loaded “Lady
Windermere’s Fan” with witty quotations, including, “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” Lowry Marshall, a Brown professor, producing artistic director for the theater department and Trinity Repertory Company and a 2011 Pell Award winner for distinguished service in the arts, is directing the play at the Catherine Dill Center for Performing Arts, 77 Waterman St. “Lady Windermere” is being presented on the heels of a sold-out run of “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.” The play opens on Nov. 3, and performances run Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. until Nov. 13. Tickets are $17, $12 for seniors, and $7 for students. To order tickets go to online to Brown.edu/tickets or call (401) 863-2838.
Sarah Gage is being featured as Lady Windermere in an Oscar Wilde play at Brown University. Gage is a native of Menlo Park, Calif., and this is her first production at Brown.
Are you ready for some rockin’ Providence Roller Derby? PROVIDENCE -- The Mob Squad will face the Sakonnet River Roller Rats -- reigning Providence Roller Derby champions – in an exciting match on Nov. 12 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. With hard hitters like Rhode Kill, Rumbledore and Bleeding Rainbow, the Mob is confident it will be laying out bodies. But the Rats have some awesome weapons, including crowd favorites Craisy Dukes, Hot Sauce and Trophy Knife. The sultry Sirena Sultana Belly Dancers will entertain at half-time, and there will be a raffle to support the Meeting Street School, which helps children of all ages and abilities fulfill their potential and cultivate supportive and collaborative relationships with their families. The Convention Center is located at 1 Sabin St., next to the Providence Place Mall. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the bout is scheduled to start at 7. Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com for $10 or at the door for $15. Tickets are half price for children ages 6 to 12. There is no charge for children under age 6. The Providence Roller Derby is a non-profit organization that is self-governed and dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of its skaters and community by participating in local events and activities while working to increase recognition of women’s flat track roller derby. The organization encourages teamwork and dedication and cultivates the individual talents and strengths of its members.
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Page 19
Chorale announces premiere chamber choir concert The Rhode Island Civic Chorale & Orchestra (RICCO), the Ocean State’s oldest continuing community choral ensemble, announces the premiere concert of its chamber choir is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Wickford, The concert will highlight the works of composers associated with New England, according to a release from the chorale. There will be compositions by the founding composer of choral music in New England, William Billings, and of the musicians known as the Second New England School or the Boston Six for their association with this region, including works by Aaron Copland, Randall Thompson, Irving Fine, Charles Ives and the late internationally known Rhode Island composer Paul Nelson. “The rich choral heritage of this area has been a gift to the entire country,” says Edward Markward, conductor and director of RICCO. “No matter where you first sang in an American choir, if you sang for more than a few years you performed one of those excellent and beloved works.” The First Baptist Church is located at 34-44 Main St. For tickets, call (401) 521-5670 or email info@ricco.org. RICCO was established in 1957 and consists of approximately 90 men and women from 27 different towns in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts. The chorale is accompanied by a professional orchestra, including members of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Soloists who perform with the chorale are highly respected professionals in the world of opera and classical music.
UA Local Union 51 Plumbers • Pipefitters • Refrigeration Robert Walker Business Manager
Robert Walker Financial Secretary
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
Page 20
Common Ground
NOVEMBER 2011
Radio Show
Common Ground
Lousy food, a total lack of sleep, and used plastic milk crates for a bookcase. Isn’t life’s journey awesome?
Time Change Starting November 28th Mondays from 2pm - 3pm
E-Access Student Checking It’s the free checking account designed specifically for the student in your family.* • ATM fees refunded (up to $25.00 per month)
• Free Bill Payment**
• Personalized debit cards available
• One non-sufficient funds fee refund • per calendar year
• 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 3pm – 5pm 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
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
Donald S. Iannazzi, Esq., Chairman
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