March 2023 13 our retirees can and should lend their help to lobby lawmakers and make labor’s voice heard. Our local unions would love the help with letter writing campaigns, get-out-the-vote drives, door knocking, etc. Organizing has always been the lifeblood of our union. With more members and more signatory contractors comes more control of the market share, and truthfully, more leverage when it comes to contract negotiations. Our contract negotiations dictate pension contributions so there is no debating that our success in organizing directly impacts our retirees. I hope it’s not just for financial reasons that our retirees stay engaged and concerned about our union. In addition to all of the reasons I mentioned above, I hope our retirees want to continue to see the IUEC thrive and future generations be afforded opportunities to succeed. Being a union member has always been about more than just a paycheck. It’s a way of life, a family. Every member who came before us worked to create a union that would last forever, that would be the legacy they would leave behind. Our retirees should see themselves as an integral part of our union, today, not just for the work they did while working with the tools, but for the support, guidance and contributions they can still make in retirement to help all of us succeed. In Your Best Interest continued equipment for you to BE SAFE? Has the general contractor done the same to ensure a safe work environment on the jobsite? Remember, you must do your part to BE SAFE by using the PPE provided by your employer and notifying the proper authority when safety hazards exist. We have many resources “to improve the Elevator Constructors’ sense of awareness” and hopefully “BE SAFE” can remind us of the “daily hazards present in the workplace.” Please remember the IUEC Safety Stand Down is Friday, April 28, 2023. This coincides with Workers Memorial Day in the United States and the National Day of Mourning in Canada. We ask each local to open their doors and collaborate with our employers to support the Stand Down during the week of April 24th through the 28th. If you have a safety concern, please reach out to me or Director of Safety Brother Mike Langer to discuss the issue. BE SAFE, Brothers and Sisters. Fraternally, Eric W. McClaskey Assistant Director of Safety From the Directors of Safety continued Many believe that the players’ experiences during the pandemic, in addition to the MLBPA’s recent alignment with the national labor movement and the increased publicity for athletes’ working conditions, set the conditions for this historic win. The pandemic forced working conditions to the forefront of minors’ minds as they lost an entire season’s pay. Moreover, roughly 1,000 players lost their jobs as MLB eliminated minor league teams. The MLBPA stepped in to help devastated players, offering $1 million in aid to them. Additionally, the MLBPA affiliated with the AFL-CIO for the first time on September 7, 2022. The move was prompted by MLB’s recent 99-day lockout that stymied contract negotiations. The AFL-CIO pledged to “bring [the federation’s] strength” to the movement to organize minor league baseball. Lastly, growing public concern over the working conditions and pay of athletes generally may have pushed MLB to voluntarily recognize the union instead of forcing an official vote. Publicity about the working conditions of minor leaguers in conjunction with national news stories on other sports has shored up public support for athletes against their leagues. The National Women’s Soccer team hit headlines recently over its class action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay, which resulted in a $24 million settlement equalizing pay structures. The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association also recently affiliated with the AFL-CIO, further pushing athletes and the public alike to associate athletes’ issues as workers’ issues. MLB’s treatment of minor league players has also caught the attention of lawmakers. Senator Sanders introduced legislation in March 2022 targeting baseball’s longstanding antitrust exemption. The exemption is unique to baseball and allows MLB to effectively set prices and pay with little pushback. The bill, called the “Save American Baseball Act,” would permit others to start different major baseball leagues and the sport to spread to areas where it does not currently exist. MLB would have to compete for fans and players’ patronage for the first time since 1922, when the Supreme Court ruled that the Sherman Antitrust Act does not apply to MLB. The bill could have the effect of increasing players’ leverage to bargain for better pay and working conditions. The minors, referred to as the future of every major league team, are looking forward to the protections of unionization on and off the field. ~ O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue LLP ~ From a Legal Standpoint continued
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