http://pittnews.com/newsstory/carpenters-protest-in-schenley-plaza/"Carpenters protest in Schenley Plaza"
June 7, 2011, The Pitt News (daily student paper)
Men holding picketing signs surrounded the green fence in Schenley Plaza on Monday and Tuesday afternoon to protest what they called unfair wages for the carpenters working on the site.
The Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters organized the protest at the Eat’n Park Hospitality Group’s construction site. The protesters — who varied in number from 10 to 20 over the course of the two-day protest — all held signs that read “We want the public to know Bridges is undermining wages and conditions.”
Mike Sepesy, an organizer behind the protest, said that the group’s complaint is that Eat’n Park and Bridges General Contractors are undercutting wages and area standards that have been put in place for many years. The area standards Sepesy referred to are ones that the contractors in the area collectively bargain on. The agreed-upon deal is then sent to the state and sets the wages and area standards.
Sam Shilling, an organizer for the protest, said that the protest is directed at carpenter wages put in place by the partnership of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, the two organizations responsible for the construction project. “It’s a crying shame that the Conservancy and Eat’n Park and the multiple people involved didn’t insist on fair carpenter wages,” Shilling said. “We want the world to know that.”
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The construction company claims that no union shop bid on the project. Union rep says that bidding was by invitation only, and only one union shop was included, and it DID put in a bid. Also claims that workers are brought in from out of area (instead of employing locals) and construction company wouldn't answer questions on pay rates.