Shop Local
Photo by Don Norfleet.
Monday, November 15, 2010
A job action effort by a union wanting to organize employees of Glov-Con Construction Co. of Fulton have been picketing part of the time during working hours at the construction site for the new Fulton Fire Station on Tennyson Road.
Nick Pavia Sr. of St. Louis, a union organizer representing Laborers Local 662 of Jefferson City, said the pickets are protesting that employees of Glov-Con are not members of a union.
Pavia said a sub-contractor at the fire station site is Rottger Brothers Foundation Co. of Old Monroe, Mo. Pavia said a representative of the foundation company subcontractor complained to him about the pickets.
“Since the only firm working at the site now is Rottger Brothers Foundation and they are represented by a union, we have decided to discontinue our picket line for now but we plan to be back later,” Pavia said.
He said members of Laborers Local 662 have been picketing the site on and off for the last week. He shut down the picket line at about 10 a.m. Friday.
Pavia said earlier in the week Laborers Union Local 662 erected an large yellow inflatable rat labeled Glov-Con at the work site to symbolize the union’s displeasure that Glov-Con was using workers who are not unionized.
“We call such firms rats,” Pavia said.
The inflatable rat was not at the site Friday.
Pavia said because it is a government project, the contractor is required to pay all employees working on the construction job the state prevailing wage — whether it is a union contractor or not. The prevailing wage is usually set by the state at the rate received by union contracts in that region.
Laborers Local 662 covers the Mid-Missouri counties of Callaway, Cole, Miller and Moniteau.
Pavia said the main difference between the prevailing wage paid to employees on government projects who are non-union and unionized employees is that many non-union contractors do not provide health insurance and pensions, which are made available through union contracts to unionized employees.
Wages for a general laborer who is a member of Laborer Local 662 includes basic pay of $20.31 an hour plus $10.09 for welfare, pension and other benefits. The total pay package amounts to $30.40 an hour, or $243.20 for eight hours of work.
One of the union members manning the picket lines said the union was paying him $50 a day to walk the picket line.
“That isn’t bad pay if you’re unemployed,” he said.
Comments
hooah 2 years, 6 months ago
unions... right up there with politicians.
hudson 2 years, 6 months ago
they should be paying him $30.40 hr.He is working as hard standing around as average union worker *
rock1853 2 years, 6 months ago
Yeah let's complain because someone is being productive and providing for their families. Wha ta bunch of union losers. You are unemployed because you think you have to make $30.40 an hour to push a wheel barrow. Give us a break. We are the tax payers and we don't think you are all that.
mokanemom 2 years, 6 months ago
Unions were created in a time when the common worker needed fair representation for safe work environments and fair treatment. However we do not have these issues now and because we are a FREE COUNTRY we are allowed to choose where we work. Either for union or non-union employers. So how are these union picketers promoting the use of union laborers by "bullying" our local businesses who do provide employment for our local citizens. Either we work or we don't, the only benefit of being union I see from this artical is that you can be a trouble maker and be paid for it, or you could just get a non-union job and WORK for a living. Gee...in this country thats a choice we get to make on our own.
fultonian 2 years, 6 months ago
better think again mokanemom. Unsafe work environments and unfair treatment still plague the workplace today and they always will unless workers band together to get fair treatment. 20 dollars an hour and no benefits is barely enough to get by. 20 an hour is 40,200 a year IF they have a place to work for 40 hours a week. Most construction employees don't work for half the year and without health benefits that's not much money.
malmark 2 years, 6 months ago
I don't see anything wrong with the protesting. The fact of the matter is that companies can afford to pay alot more to the workers but choose not to to maximize profit. I say if the workers can collectively bargain for better pay then good for them. Where do you think the non-unionised workers will be when they are eventually laid off? Back on the unemployment line struggling to feed their families, at least one of the benefits of the union is they will pay unionised workers to promote the formation of unions. It is exactly in this kind of economy that collective bargaining makes sense since every company I know is in the process of belt tightening and squeezing the most out of their workers, they need as many voices to speak for them as possible.
rock1853 2 years, 6 months ago
You don't see anything wrong with the picket? So some jerk can stand around making 50 bucks a day pointing out what he thinks is a fault of our LOCAL workers?
So all non-unionized workers will eventually be laid-off? You need to stop drinkin' the Kool-aid. Unions are to blame for most jobs leaving the country. Just ask former Harbison Walker employees....
"one of the benefits of the union is they will pay unionised workers to promote the formation of unions" ....and where does that money come from? Can you say tax payers?
malmark 2 years, 6 months ago
I'd like to do a line by line response to your comment. If I had no job I'd certainly be thrilled with 50 bucks a day. If you paid attention and read the article you would have understood that the unions are not faulting the workers, they are faulting the companies "Pavia said earlier in the week Laborers Union Local 662 erected an large yellow inflatable rat labeled Glov-Con at the work site to symbolize the union’s displeasure that Glov-Con was using workers who are not unionized. “We call such firms rats,” Pavia said" In this economy it is unreasonable to take it for granted that their construction jobs are going to be there for them always, at least in the short term. Many jobs in construction are permanently gone so what makes you think they can't lose theirs too? Unions are not to blame for most jobs leaving the country. The governments failure to protect the country from cheap overseas labour is what's causing the job losses. I really don't think it matters if you're comparing a union wage or a non union wage to a worker's wage in a country like China, in the end that is where the job will go for 20 bucks a week. Lastly, the union pays unionised workers out of the union dues they have paid through salary deductions... the money does not come from the taxpayer, so get your facts straight.
malmark 2 years, 6 months ago
oh fyi, Harbison-Walker went bust over asbestos related lawsuits..not because anyone joined a union.
mokanemom 2 years, 6 months ago
It seems to me that both non-union and union workers get laid off. They both have the opportunity to draw unemployment. What would union laborers think if the "rat" guys that didn't have anything to do today went and protested and picketed at their jobs. I've had personal dealings with some of the local unions and as a whole they were not good. If you aren't dyed in the wool, ready to protest or picket or walk off at the whim of your boss, then you don't get to work. You get to sign the books and wait for someone to call you in a couple of months. I'm sorry but it's just my opinion that unions are doing more damage than good for this country. We don't allow bullies at school so why is it okay at the workplace? Because of my opinion should people come stand outside of my house and tell everyone that I don't support union jobs? I support jobs period, everybody should get one that want's one and for that matter the people that say there just isn't any work, don't want to work.
rock1853 2 years, 6 months ago
AMEN!
malmark 2 years, 6 months ago
as I said, if you read the article you would understand that the union is protesting the company and calling them the rats, not the workers.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID