NEWS
Urgent Message for Local 79 Members Employed By Turner Construction in 2015
Turner Construction has informed Local 79 that it has suffered a data breach and, as a result, personal information of employees that worked for the company in 2015 has been compromised. It takes full responsibility for the disclosure, which was the result of human error. Turner urges its employees to carry out the following steps: Subscribe to a service such as Experian, LifeLock, Identity Guard or similar service to obtain credit [...]
Felicia Mcintosh is Local 79’s 2015 Woman of the Year
At Local 79's March 2nd general membership meeting, Local 79 member Felicia Mcintosh was honored as Local 79's 2015 Woman of the Year. In his remarks, Business Manager Mike Prohaska noted that Ms. Mcintosh was given this award for a number of reasons, including the fact that she had never refused a job since 2000, had always attended union meetings, and had showed her support for the union by going to [...]
Local 79 Members Rally for Truly Affordable Housing
On February 23, nearly one hundred members of Local 79 rallied at City Hall Park alongside hundreds of members of Real Affordability for All (RAFA), a broad-based coalition that is opposed to Mayor de Blasio’s affordable housing plan. Numerous speakers, including Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council, protested the Mayor’s plan to rezone a number of neighborhoods in New York. His plan, which includes a provision [...]
Free Tax Preparation Services for Local 79 Members
According to a survey, many Local 79 members said they spent $200 or more to have someone prepare their taxes. Members may be able to avoid tax preparation fees if they fit into one of the categories below. In general, if you earned less than $54,000 in 2015, you can receive free assistance preparing your tax returns through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. Note that these services do not cover [...]
MLK Day: Local 79 Apprentices Volunteer to Clean Up Wetlands
January 18 was a bitter cold and windy day near the shore, but this did not deter Local 79 apprentices-in-training and staff members from Local 79 and LECET from carrying out a service project at Idlewild Park Preserve in Queens.The service project, organized by the New York City Parks Department, involved removing all manner of debris--tires, discarded rugs and furniture, building materials, and mountains of bottles, cans, and trash--from sensitive wetlands The volunteers also [...]
Local 79: New Prescription Drug Benefit Manager
Beginning January 1, 2016, OptumRx became the new prescription drug benefit manager for Local 79 members who are eligible for healthcare benefits. The change from Aetna Rx to OptumRx was explained fully in a letter sent to Local 79 members in November of 2015. The key points are as follows: New OptumRx prescription ID cards were mailed to you in 2015 and should be used for all prescription drug purchases after January [...]
Local 79 Apprentice Recruitment: January 15, 2016
PLEASE NOTE: THE 1000 SLOTS HAVE BEEN FILLED AND THE RECRUITMENT IS CLOSED FOR THIS CYCLE. THERE ARE USUALLY TWO RECRUITMENTS FOR LOCAL 79 APPRENTICES EACH YEAR. The next date for open recruitment for Local 79's apprenticeship program is January 15th, 2016 at 9:00 am. Information about apprenticeship, the requirements, and how the recruitment process is carried out is available through the Department of Labor posting and the Local 79 and the Mason Tenders' Training Fund [...]
Zadroga Act Extension Passed
Thanks to the advocacy carried out by many parties, including Local 79 members, the MTDCPAC, LiUNA members across the country, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Representative Carolyn Maloney, and others, the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act has been extended to provide healthcare coverage for the next 75 years to first responders and others who suffer from lingering effects from the 9/11 attacks and the cleanup following the attacks. In addition, [...]
2016 IDNYC: Free Identification for All New York City Residents
All Local 79 members and their family members (14 years of age and older) who live in New York City are eligible to get IDNYC, the free identification card for all New York City residents. As a government-issued photo identification card, IDNYC secures access to City services that come from having recognized identification. IDNYC benefits every city resident, including the most vulnerable communities—the homeless, youth, the elderly, undocumented immigrants, the formerly [...]
Local 79 2015 Holiday Party Held at Terrace on the Park
Local 79's annual holiday party, which for the second year in a row was held at Terrace on the Park in Queens, drew 1000 enthusiastic Local 79 members. With beautiful 360 degree views of New York City, Terrace on the Park proved once again to be a perfect venue for the party. The festive atmosphere was filled with camaraderie, good food, music, and prizes. Most importantly, it provided an opportunity to thank [...]
WE
BUILD
NEW YORK
LOCAL 79
We’re Fighting for the Future of New York City Construction
