Workers Slam Aramark for Making Mellon Arena Workers Reapply for Own Jobs

Well this sucks!

Who: Workers United, SEIU, Affected Workers, Representatives from One Hill/Hill District Consensus Group, and the Hill District Community

Workers United, SEIU will hold a press conference tomorrow calling on Aramark to change its position on the transfer of Mellon Arena workers to the new Arena.

On February 12th Aramark notified its Mellon Arena employees that they would have to reapply for their jobs when they moved to their new location at the Consol Energy Center. They added that current employees were not guaranteed to get their jobs back. The letter also informed employees that they would not have a union when they started working at Consol Energy Center, meaning that the contract currently in place at Mellon will not be honored, and that the company would not have to honor workers’ seniority or existing wage and benefit standards. .

[snip]

Workers United, SEIU, the union representing the employees, sees this as a ploy by Aramark designed to allow them to disregard seniority, lower wages and reduce benefits, and weaken or remove the union.

“The new arena is a publicly owned building. We can’t stand by and let this vendor use the move as an excuse to strip long term employees of seniority, cut wages or benefits, or strip workers of their union,” said Sam Williamson, Associate Manager of the Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United.

[snip]

“The opening of this new arena should be a good thing for the neighborhood, the city and the region. But this move would give it a black eye. We’re calling on Aramark not to be a spoiler on what would otherwise be an all around celebration,” added Sam Williamson.
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CBA Petition

The PA League of Young Voters is sponsoring a petition to urge Penguins President David Morehouse to negotiate a CBA. You can sign on @ www.theleague.com/pa/cba

Text of petition:

Attention David Morehouse:

Fifty years ago urban redevelopment devastated the Hill District. At the same time the economy of Pittsburgh and the Southwestern PA region suffered as industry left. You have the power to affect the reversal of these problems and contribute to the solution.

By negotiating a Community Benefits Agreement with the One Hill Coalition and Hill District residents, you are being a good neighbor and taking steps to ensure continued economic growth. We are excited for a new arena, but need you to set the standard for new development in our region. We insist that you and the Penguins negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement with One Hill that is fair to working families and young people of the Hill.

We believe public money should only be used to fund development that benefits the pubic as a whole. Until you and the Penguins negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement with the One Hill Coalition, we will do everything in our power to delay construction of the new arena.

I am joining the PA League along with ACORN, Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, North Side Common Ministries, One Hood Coalition, Pittsburgh UNITED, SEIU, Sierra Club, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network and UNITE HERE in supporting One Hill and the community in this process.

WEEKEND EVENTS!

March 29, 2008

One Hill CBA Coalition Meeting
WHAT: One Hill CBA Coalition Meeting
WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 10:00 AM
WHERE: Hill House, 1835 Center Ave. Pittsburgh, PA

"What happens in the Hill will affect all of Pittsburgh...One Hill.. One City.. One County. This Saturday morning, join leaders of the One Hill CBA Coalition to learn about their current struggle to win a Community Benefits Agreement with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Learn how we can help them win and how the Hill's victory can help all of our communities win fights for fair development."

Volunteer for John Paul Jones (PA House 27th District)
WHAT: Help John Paul Jones win the Democratic primary election for the PA House 27th District
WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 10:00 AM - 8 PM
WHERE: West End/Greentree City

Can you spare some time this weekend, next weekend, or the following weekend helping a really great progressive candidate John Paul Jones win the Democratic primary election for the PA House 27th District? Activities include: phone calling from the comfort of your own home; addressing postcards from John's house in Pittsburgh's West End/Greentree City; helping John as he goes door-to-door in the 27th District. Any time you can spare would be appreciated--an hour or two, or all day. If you can phone from home during the day on weekdays, they can get you a phone list. For details contact: Dan Cindric, 412.922.8554. See John's website at www.johnpaulforus.com

Save Our Homes Fair

WHAT: Real Help for People suffering from the Foreclosure Crisis
WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Regional Enterprise Towers, Downtown, 425 6th Avenue, 31st Floor Community Room, (the old Alcoa building) Pittsburgh PA

"The SAVE OUR HOMES Fair on Saturday March 28th will help families who are in foreclosure, in danger of being in foreclosure, struggling to keep up with mortgage payments, or burdened by adjustable interest rates that only seem to go up. Mortgage brokers will be on hand to REWRITE loans with low fixed rates and affordable payment schedules so families don't lose their homes. ACORN Housing Counselors will be on hand to help every homeowner that walks through the door. For families who hold a mortgage with a company not present, ACORN will help them contact their lender to make bad loans better. The event, sponsored by ACORN, PNC Bank, and Sen. Jim Ferlo will also include informational sessions for first time home buyers on how to avoid bad loans."

End the War March & Rally
WHAT: End the War - rebuild Our Communities March & Rally
WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 12:30 PM
WHERE: Oakland, Pittsburgh PA

12:30pm Music at the Software Engineering Institute
1:00pm Rally at the Software Engineering Institute
1:30pm March through Oakland 5th Ave. to McKee St. to Forbes Ave. to Schenley Dr. to Flagstaff Hill.
2:30pm Memorial Service Flagstaff Hill
Click here for more details.

Meet Rob McCord
WHAT: Meet Rob McCord (hosted by Bill Peduto)
WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 1:00PM to 3:00PM
WHERE: Ava Lounge, 126 S. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

"Supporting Barack? Supporting Hillary? On April 22, there's one progressive Democrat running for statewide office that we can all support! Please join us for an informal meet-and-greet with Rob McCord. Rob is an independent businessman and a lifelong Democratic activist and is chair of the Eastern Technology Council. He will bring his progressive values to the position of State Treasurer where he will be a protector of public interests, create jobs, and protect pensions." RSVP here

Political Game Night
WHAT: Political Game Night by the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club
WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 7:00PM, Games start at 8:00PM
WHERE: Schenley Skating Rink on Overlook Drive in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA

"Test your political savvy with original adaptations of your favorite game shows: Jeopardy! Wheel of Fortune! Who Wants to Be a Millionaire! Be a spectator or a contestant! Every ticket comes with three chances to play. Also enjoy delicious appetizers, drinks, and desserts. As our Master of Ceremonies for the evening: Chris Moore, talk show host for WQED-TV,KDKA radio and PCNC-TV And as game-show host our special guest: Allen Kukovich, Director for Governor Rendell's Southwestern Pennsylvania Office. $15 in advance ($20 at the door). Advance tickets will be held at the door. Are you too young to be President? Tickets just $10 for those under 35 and for students and limited income." For more information: http://www.pgh14widc.org/Welcome.html


March 30, 2008

Volunteer for John Paul Jones (PA House 27th District)
WHAT: Help John Paul Jones win the Democratic primary election
for the PA House 27th District
WHEN: Sunday, March 30, 10:00 AM - 8 PM
WHERE: West End/Greentree City

Can you spare some time this weekend, next weekend, or the following weekend helping a really great progressive candidate John Paul Jones win the Democratic primary election for the PA House 27th District? Activities include: phone calling from the comfort of your own home; addressing postcards from John's house in Pittsburgh's West End/Greentree City; helping John as he goes door-to-door in the 27th District. Any time you can spare would be appreciated--an hour or two, or all day. If you can phone from home during the day on weekdays, they can get you a phone list. For details contact: Dan Cindric, 412.922.8554. See John's website at www.johnpaulforus.com
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Call for Speakers on CBA at County Council

County Council Meeting on Community Benefits Agreement

Community members, Pittsburgh UNITED and representatives from local organizations including the PA League of Young Voters, ACORN and Sierra Club, will ask County Council on Tuesday, March 25th to pass legislation supporting Community Benefits Agreements.

The public will be provided with the opportunity to highlight the importance of community input on economic development projects and present arguments on two proposed pieces of legislation.

The Community Benefits Bill #3656-08 will take power away from the community being directly involved in the drafting of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) with developers on proposed projects.

Pittsburgh UNITED recommends the passage of the Impact Analysis Bill #3657-08, which establishes process and criteria for considering the social and economic impacts of proposed major development projects.

Impact reports, completed by Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, will allow the public to learn about and make comment on projects and their anticipated effects on the community as well as provide information valuable to the creation of a CBA between the community and developer.

To sign up to speak:
Before 5 p.m. Monday, March 24th, contact John Mascio, Chief Clerk at [email protected] or 412-350-6495 and provide the following info:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Affiliation/Association, if any

MEETING DETAILS:
Time: 5:00 PM, Tuesday, March 25th
Place: Allegheny County Court House, 436 Grant Street, Downtown Pgh in Gold Room, 4th Floor
Chair: Councilperson Bill Robinson, his committee is hosting hearing
Format: Each person gets to speak for 3 min. max

Check out the official notice with this info at http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/agenda/mar28/280325.pdf

One Hill to hold press conference today (the deadline for challenges to arena master plan)

From the Post-Gazette:

The One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition has scheduled a press conference for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, which coincides with the deadline for challenging the City Planning Commission's approval of the master plan for a new arena.

One Hill spokeswoman Jennifer England would not say whether the coalition plans to appeal the master plan approval. "We're keeping all our options open," she said. "Nothing's been taken off the table."

[snip]

There has been little progress in talks among the coalition, Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh since the Planning Commission appoved the master plan on Jan. 14. The city Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Penguins agreed to contribute $1 million each toward development of a grocery store in the neighborhood, but other demands remain unmet.

The press conference will at 1:30pm at the City-County Bldg (414 Grant St., Downtown).
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One Hill CBA Coalition has its say

Two press releases from One Hill CBA Coalition presented in their entirety.

From yesterday:

One Hill CBA Coalition response to the Mayor's proposed CBA
Pittsburgh, PA: The One Hill CBA coalition has not yet received from the office of the Mayor a letter of intent regarding a proposed version of a Community Benefits Agreement. However One Hill is pleased to hear a number of their planks represented in the proposal, including a grocery store, a job training center and a YMCA/community center.

Yet it appears that vital planks have been expressly ignored. The Mayor has stated that he is not in favor of a Community Improvement Fund controlled by the Community. Contrary to statements appearing in the press, One Hill has not requested "a blank check" but has proposed the creation of an independent board that would include, but not necessarily be entirely limited to, members of the Hill Community to consider proposals for community improvement and empowerment. The creation of such a board would allow the community to have real input on projects and improvements in their community rather than leaving it in the hands of "government entities."

The other side has drawn a line in the sand calling the fund a "hand out" and misrepresenting the concept of community control. One Hill is willing to negotiate on this plank, but it is a crucial part of the Blueprint for a livable hill.

The Penguins are receiving "a handout" in the form of parking revenue from the publicly owned surface parking lots in the Hill. This revenue results in nearly $3
million in revenue for the Penguins a year all accruing from public assents in the Hill District without providing any benefit to the community.

One Hill will conduct a Tour of the Hill on Tuesday January 8 to highlight what types of community projects might benefit from such a fund.

From today:

ONE HILL CBA Tour of "Blueprint for a Livable Hill" Sites for Media, Elected Officials and Community Leaders

January 8, 2008
On Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. ONE HILL will lead a tour of the Hill District to demonstrate how a Community Fund, directed by the Hill community, could be the basis for a whole new democratic approach to development in communities. The 30 minute tour will include several spots that illustrate portions of the Blueprint for a Livable Hill, the basis for the Community Benefits Agreement that One Hill is negotiating with the Penguins, the City and the County. The tour will also view effects of the original arena development in the sixties.

The tour is highlighting the Blueprint for a Livable Hill because the CBA proposed by the Mayor and County Executive which was released yesterday falls short in many areas, such as the Community Fund, and needs to be the subject of ongoing negotiations.

The tour will demonstrate how a Community Benefits Agreement such as proposed by the Blueprint for a Livable Hill can be a new model for development - one in which Pittsburgh will be a national leader. This model allows communities to take charge of their own destiny, rather than leaving it in the hands of government or outside agencies.

For reference:

Arena plan leaves Hill leaders skeptical, P-G

THE BIG GAMBLE: RAVENSTAHL'S STUMBLE ON THE HILL, video on YouTube
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In Luke's Pittsburgh

In Lil Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Pittsburgh, the corporation is always right and the citizens can be ignored (except when it's time to ask for their votes).

We have two recent examples of this.

The first is Luke acting like The One Hill CBA Coalition are little more than con artists trying to scam the city for cash. It's fine to abruptly walk out on them as they're speaking (if only they had given Lukey a free private jet ride and all-night party in NYC he might have taken them seriously as he does the Pittsburgh Penguins).

The second is Luke's Pittsburgh Promise (talk about a scam). Ravenstahl first announced the program to provide free secondary education to the city's public school residents one year ago and for a year the only funds for the "promise" was $10,000 from Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

Then at the beginning of this month, Ravenstahl announced jointly with UPMC that the local healthcare giant would fund a $100 million commitment to The Pittsburgh Promise. Both Luke and UPMC garnered much good will from the gesture.

But then comes the fine print: the monies are matching funds, not seed money. And, now we learn that the very profitable, nonprofit UPMC wants tax credits for their "donation" and Ravenstahl is ready to go to bat for them on that point.

If only Jane/John Q. Public could take Lukey golfing with celebrities for $9,000 a pop perhaps they too could have Luke looking out for their interests.

The Moral of This Story:

At this time of year, when you're trying to finish crossing off names on your gift list, you'd better not forget something for the Boy King Mayor or you'll be the one left with a lump of coal.

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Competing Events

While the Post-Gazette hosts their mayoral candidates' forum tonight:

Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidates' Forum
WHAT: Post-Gazette Mayoral Candidates' Forum
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m
WHERE: Senator John Heinz History Center, Strip District. Please call 412-263-1541 to register.
MORE INFO: (Will Mark DeSantis be required to leave again while Lukey is speaking? See for yourself! I can't -- I'll be working.) More at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07261/818520-192.stm

The Citizen Police Review Board will be hosting the following:

Politics, Policing and Public Perception
WHAT: Politics, Policing and Public Perception
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WHERE: Duquesne University, Duquesne Union -- Rm. 613
MORE INFO: For more info call 412-765-8023 http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cprb
http://www.myspace.com/citizenpolicereviewboard

Not competing (because they rescheduled so as not to conflict with the mayoral candidates' forum):

Neighborhood Self Determination and the "One Hill" Controversy
WHAT: A Discussion and Analysis of the Community Benefits Agreement Movement presented by the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Africana Studies
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 PM (seating begins at 6:00 PM)
WHERE: Frick Fine Arts Building, 650 Schenley Drive on Pitt's campus (can be found in Oakland, across from the Carnegie Library, just off of Forbes Ave.)
MORE INFO: More info can be found at the blog of Dr. Goddess.

UPDATE: I forgot about one more competing event tonight:

Governor Edward G. Rendell's The Tour to Insure
WHAT: Governor Rendell's Town Hall Meeting about Pennsylvanians living without health insurance.
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:00 PM
WHERE: FrickHill House Association's Kaufman Auditorium, 1835 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, 15219
MORE INFO: For more information, contact the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform at 412-565-5700.

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