Shop Stewards DSNY Family Weekly V35

In DSNY Life, History, Holiday, In Loving Memory, Labor by Samuel RiveraLeave a Comment

How could you hate someone who fights for your well being 24/7. Well there are people out there that see these people not in the brightest of light, I for one admire what these people do. I’ve been lucky in the sense that I have had some very good people looking out for me and this group of people are right up there in my eyes as being brothers/sisters in arms and mentors in some cases.

One of the arguments I hear is that they only look out for themselves and maybe some do, but the majority of them are over and above the leaders of the job site they cover. We forget they have the job of keeping the peace and making sure that the people they represent are treated fairly especially when the employee is in the wrong.

They also answer to management in the sense that they have to enforce the job sites rules and make sure the people they represent follow such rules. It is not the easiest of jobs and I know that in most cases they get awarded some kind of extras, like money or shift preference in some cases, but I think its well earned, a lot of them do this job just to help out and that in itself is admirable and should be respected.

This Labor Day I would like to say “Thank You” to all those shop stewards that looked out for me over the years, JOB WELL DONE!

Some things that Unions helped get established for workers over the years.

Weekends without work

All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks

Paid vacation

Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Sick leave

Social Security

Minimum wage

Civil Rights Act/Title VII – prohibits employer discrimination

8-hour work day

Overtime pay

Child labor laws

Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)

40-hour work week

Workers’ compensation (workers’ comp)

Unemployment insurance

Pensions

Workplace safety standards and regulations

Employer health care insurance

Collective bargaining rights for employees

Wrongful termination laws

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

Whistleblower protection laws

Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) – prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on an employee

Veteran’s Employment and Training Services (VETS)

Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e. raises)

Sexual harassment laws

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Holiday pay

Employer dental, life, and vision insurance

Privacy rights

Pregnancy and parental leave

Military leave

The right to strike

Public education for children

Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 – requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work

Laws ending sweatshops in the United States

In Loving Memory

Anthony Mele
Anthony Mele Retired Supervisor Brooklyn South 15

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