NEWS
Local 79 Expands Eligibility for Legal Services
Business Manager Mike Prohaska, Secretary-Treasurer George Zecca, and President Kenneth Brancaccio—the Trustees of Local 79's Legal Services Plan—recently announced a change, effective immediately, that expands eligibility for Local 79's Legal Services Plan. Members will now be eligible for a full year of legal services—January 1-December 31—if they have worked a minimum of 700 hours during the eligibility period (defined as November 1 through October 31 of the preceding year.) Another [...]
African American Day Parade Draws a Crowd of Many Thousands
Hundreds of Local 79 members joined a crowd of many thousands for the annual African American Day Parade in Harlem on Sunday, September 20. Members gathered at 113th Street where they received distinctive t-shirts and awaited their turn to march alongside the Local 79 float as it made its way down Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. Unions and community organizations throughout New York City were represented at the festive parade, [...]
Hundreds Walk for St. Mary’s Hospital for Children
Over 500 Local 79 members went to Coney Island on the morning of September 19 to participate in a Walk for St. Mary's Kids, which raised over $10,000 for St. Mary's Hospital. Members gathered near the Parachute Jump and then proceeded to proudly march down the boardwalk to Asser Levy Park. At Asser Levy, members were greeted by a mobile Nathan's hot dog truck and the NY State Laborers' Health and Safety [...]
Local 79 Sets Up Wage Theft Line at Museum of the City of New York
On September 17, Local 79 members lined up behind yellow hazard tape emblazoned with “Wage Theft” and passed out leaflets about wage theft to participants attending a symposium about affordable housing . The symposium was linked to the opening of a new exhibition at the museum entitled “Affordable New York: A Housing Legacy.” Local 79 members had good cause to be there: a number of the sponsors of the exhibition—Lettire [...]
Local 79 Marches in Labor Day Parade
On September12, over 500 Local 79 members joined thousands of members of other labor unions throughout New York City as they marched down Fifth Avenue in a spirited celebration of Labor Day. Throngs of onlookers lined the streets as cries of "Whose City? Our City" echoed off the buildings while a sea of Local 79 workers in LiUNA orange t-shirts proceeded up the corridor. It was by far the largest Local 79 turnout ever for [...]
Local 79 Members Show Solidarity as Fast Food Workers Win the Fight for $15
Dozens of Local 79 members and members of other LiUNA locals joined members of other New York City unions on September 10 to hear Governor Cuomo announce that the state Labor Department has approved the recommendations of a wage board to increase the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $15 an hour. About 180,000 workers will be impacted by this increase, which will be phased in. Governor Cuomo also announced [...]
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act
With the 14th Anniversary of 9/11 approaching, Local 79 and the Mason Tenders’ District Council Political Action Committee are asking Local 79 members to get in touch with their legislators to push to gain more co-sponsors for HR 1786 /S. 928, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act. The programs created by the original James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act are now helping responders and survivors in every [...]
Mason Tenders Training Fund And Building Contractors Association College Scholarships
A letter was recently sent to all Local 79 members notifying them of eligibility and deadlines for applying for the Mason Tenders' Training Fund scholarship. High school seniors who are eligible dependents of Local 79 members and are planning to go to college are encouraged to apply for this scholarship, which provides the winners with $3,000 a year for a maximum of four years. The Building Contractors Association also offers a scholarship which provides winners with $2,000 [...]
Local 79 Members Attend Ecuadorian Day Parade
Ecuadorian pride overflowed in the streets of Queens on Sunday, August 2nd as thousands of people marched in the annual Ecuadorian Day Parade. Local 79 was well represented as over 300 members and their families took part in the march and the festivities that followed. "This is a day that our members look forward to every year," said Local 79 Business Agent Luis Montalvo. "The Ecuadorian community is such a vital [...]
Local 79: Loud and Proud!
July 16th was not an unusual day for members of Local 79. Organizers and members put up a rat on Staten Island and on the second day of the picket line turned the job union, putting members to work. Simultaneously we had over 30 members with Governor Cuomo in the Bronx, supporting his announcement of a 10-Agency Joint Task Force to investigate and focus on worker exploitation, wage, and workplace violations. Local 79 [...]
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LOCAL 79
We’re Fighting for the Future of New York City Construction
