Building Trades News

New York State has toughened a federal law that protects workers from unexpected mass lay off notices. The State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act was signed into law by Governor David Paterson and will now require businesses with 50 or more employees to notify workers and the Department of labor 90 days before a plant is closed or mass layoffs are to be executed. The federal law applies to businesses with 100 or more employees and only calls for 60 days notice.

Lede: The International Association of Machinists is poised to strike Boeing. Doug Cunningham has more.

By Doug Cunningham
The IAM says eighty percent of its workers rejected Boeing?s ?best and final offer? and today is the deadline for the company has to get serious to settle the new contract without a strike. The union says Boeing?s offer doesn?t provide enough job security, doesn?t make enough overall improvements and still takes some things away from workers. Under a 48 hour extension granted Wednesday IAM members at Boeing were to work until today and then a strike is possible.

American Airlines has sent notice of layoffs to 469 employees. Three hundred fifty-three of the jobs will be cut at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport with the rest of the cuts coming from four other airports. The majority of those being laid off are service clerks and the union representing those workers was notified last Thursday. The airline is expanding its "voluntary bridge to retirement program" that will offer workers over the age of 50 a $12,500 severance payment and additional benefits.

Economic Report:

Have you found yourself living paycheck to paycheck? You aren?t quite in the minority, but a new study shows you are very close. A new study by CareerBuilder.com reveals that 47 percent of Americans say they typically live paycheck to paycheck and it isn?t just those that make less than $100,000. The study showed that 21 percent who pull in $100,000 or more live paycheck to paycheck. As a result, Americans aren?t saving. Thirty-four percent save less than $100 a month for savings.

Automobile workers in the Brazilian state of San Paulo went on a 24-hour strike on Wednesday. The 5000 workers at plants that assemble vehicles for GM, Daimler, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz walked off the job demanding a 18.83 percent pay increase.

Automobile workers in the Brazilian state of San Paulo went on a 24-hour strike on Wednesday. The 5000 workers at plants that assemble vehicles for GM, Damler, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz walked off the job demanding a 18.83 percent pay increase.

Workers rights were violated by a hotel in Waikiki according to charges the National Labor Relations Board has agreed to hear. Jesse Russell reports:

The National Labor Relations Board agreed to open a hearing regarding charges by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union that the owners of the Pacific Beach Hotel in Waikiki abused the rights of workers. The ILWU has filed numerous charges against the hotel including one allegation that says the hotel fired all employees and ordered them to reapply for jobs. The union alleges this was an illegal firing aimed at union activity. The hotel will respond to the allegations during a November 4 hearing. The charges date back to January of 2007.

By Doug Cunningham

Police raids that targeted activists and journalists at the Republican National Convention ? and resulted in the arrest of Democracy Now?s Amy Goodman - are expected to trigger lawsuits. Anticipating that, a special deal was cut that required the Republican Party?s host committee to buy insurance covering police liability up to $10 million. Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality says this special insurance agreement means there?s nothing to hold police back from using excessive force, since they won?t be liable. Democracy Now host Amy Goodman was arrested as she tried to question police about earlier arrests of Democracy Now journalists. Here?s what it sounded like when Goodman was cuffed.