Laborers local 270. A m e s s a g e f r o m B u s i n e s s M a n a g e r, J i m H o m e r

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1 Laborers local 270 We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year! Volume 3, issue 3 December 2009 A m e s s a g e f r o m B u s i n e s s M a n a g e r, J i m H o m e r I wish to thank the membership for giving me the opportunity to serve you again. The local is at its lowest point in membership in 20 years, in part because of the economy and as a result of mismanagement. I make a commitment to the members of Local 270.I will leave this Union stronger, bigger, more respected and an integral part of building a stronger LIUNA. One of my first meetings was with the President and Vice President of Kaiser Hospital. Thanks to the newly Elected District Council Business Manager, Brother De La Torre,we expect to get Kaiser back soon! Please watch your mail for a notice from the Trust Fund. The priority issue is Jobs. Where and when will the membership see an increase in the number of jobs? The Obama administration is funneling money into the New Energy economy. Our bay area stands to gain construction jobs as a result. To maximize the amount of Union jobs we need members to be involved. Members and staff were present at the East Side Union High School District for a 30 million dollar solar project, which will be all Union. Without members volunteering, these jobs may not go UNION. The high-speed rail project was passed by the voters. It will deliver passengers from LA to SF in two (2) hours. The residents of Menlo Park, Atherton and environmental groups are suing to stop the project. This could cause California to lose $3 Billion from the federal stimulus money to be given to projects that are ready to build. A recent decision on the high speed rail route requires it to go over Pacheco Pass and right though the heart of Santa Clara County. This will create hundreds of jobs. Let s hope the suit is settled quickly. I and other union leaders have met with Zoe Lofgren who represents this area in the House of Representatives and sits on the Immigration Committee. She will be meeting with all interested members of labor as well as the high tech employers of Silicon Valley. Our international supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) which has been introduced by Schumer from New York. This creates a clear path to citizenship. Without the CIR we cannot support the continuation of the Federal program, e-verify, which is now required for any contractor performing work funded solely by the Federal government. This has already caused some of our biggest contractors not to bid on this work, because they do not just monitor the employees on the job site but any employee hired by the company. At this time we may not get this legislation before the midterm elections in The city of San Jose has adopted a new ordinance which allows ATSSA certified flaggers to direct traffic on city streets on public works projects. This took effect in October. The off duty police will be replaced by laborers except in busy intersections. Training classes have been held on Saturdays and Mondays to get our members ATSSA certified so they will qualify for these jobs. Since taking office September 1 st, the following training classes have been held at Local 270. Traffic control/ Flagging and Forklift (gradeall) certification. If you have an interest in taking a class, please call the office. The following classes were scheduled at the Local on November 14, 2009 and Ariel Platform/November 21, 2009 OSH 10.Future classes will be repeated of these classes already held and OSH 10, which is now required if you work at the Palo Alto VA hospital job. Continued on page 2..

2 P A G E 2 Editorial Staff: Jim Homer, Executive Editor Maribel Moreno, Managing Editor L A B O R E R S L O C A L A message from Business Manager, Jim Homer continued... The Laborers Master Agreement will expire on June of I cannot predict what will happen in this tough economy. I can tell you that members need to come to the Membership Meetings and get involved in their union. In the event we have to take job actions we must be together en-masse to show the employers our solidarity. We all must be prepared so we can reach an agreement which protects you and enables you to support your family. There are a number of members who have shown their desire to build their union by signing the Build America card or signing up on Who is to blame for this economic mess? All the reasons cannot be explained in this article, but I can assure you the working class people are not to blame, unless they failed to VOTE in the past elections. You all should be mad as hell! Members have lost jobs, lost investment income, lost houses, gone bankrupt, seen close friends and family break apart, and move away for the same reasons. The pensions in the US. On average lost percent in the last 12 months. Build America Card S e c r e t a r y - T r e a s u r e r & b u s i n e s s A g e n t, J o s e p h R. C o r o n a R e p o r t Hello Brothers and Sisters, I would like to thank you for the past election, for your support and for allowing me to be your Secretary-Treasurer. As you know, this is a very important position which I am honored to have and serve. We are in the process of purchasing the 2009 Christmas gifts. The Secretarial Staff has been sending dues reminders for those whom might go suspended as a courtesy and to avoid penalties. As winter comes around all active members should inquire about classes in the San Ramon Training Center to upgrade your skills and create more work opportunities. We have our monies invested in CDAR s which is a low risk investment account. I want to invite all members to get involved in our political movement to support candidates that care about unions and the working families and will create more work for our members and jobs in our county. Currently I am in charge of checking the plants of RMC Cemex, Leigh and US Concrete. I am also checking the San Jose Airport. Again, I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve you and if you have any questions or concerns please call the office so I can respond in a timely matter. Have a great 2009 Holiday! B u s i n e s s A g e n t R e p o r t, J e s u s T o r r e s Dear Brothers and Sisters, My name is Jesus Jessie Torres. I am the President, Business Agent and Assistant Dispatcher of Laborers Local 270. I would like to thank you for your vote and support. I will do my very best to represent you. The areas that I currently cover are from highway 101 to Highway 880, part of Saratoga and Los Gatos all the way to the south side of Santa Clara County borderline. gress. There is a project at Watson Park. This project is located at Jackson and 22nd St here in San Jose, The project should be done in the fall of The Happy Hallow Park & Zoo is building a new parking lot, new bridge and landscaping. In the month of August 2009, I was checking a job in the Campbell area and I found three non union laborers working for a signatory contractor. I filed a grievance and the signatory contractor had to pay fines. The grievance was settled and closed. Brothers and Sisters, should you have any problems at the job-site or I would like to inform you of the jobs going on in my area at this time. Valley Medical Center has a project that is getting started. The earth moving process has began and the foundation for the new building is in prohave any questions, please call me. Ilario Rodriguez & Business Agent Jesus Torres

3 V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 3 P A G E 3 Business Agent Report, Jose Francisco Mexicano Hello Brothers and Sisters, my name is Jose Francisco Mexicano. I would like to thank every one of you for your support and vote. As some of you know,i am the new dispatcher for the San Jose office, your Recording-Secretary and Business Agent. The areas that I currently cover are Sunnyvale, Mtn. View, Los Altos, Palo Alto and Stanford. Currently, the job in the Sunnyvale Town Center is picking back up. In the Palo Alto area, we have a job at the Veteran s Hospital. In Mt. View, we have work at Moffet Field. In the Los Altos area there is pipework going on and they are repaving the streets. I know that times are tough right now but if you prepare yourself and go to the Training Center you can better your chances on getting a long term job. Thank you again for supporting me and remember, together we can bring this Union back to where is belongs. Member Moises Perez & Business Agent Jose Francisco Mexicano Members Javier Cervantes & Ismael Martinez Apprentice Gavin Turnquist Business Agent report, Eduar do Gonz alez Hello Brothers and Sisters, I would like to thank you for participating in this last election. My current area is Milpitas, East San Jose, Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy. In my area the projects under construction, are at the High School, and Gavilan College in Gilroy. Members who have been trained and have skills get a job sooner than members not trained. Companies usually request laborers with skills, experience and knowledge. Brothers and Sisters, do not ignore the opportunity to improve your knowl- edge. I hope to see you at the next Membership Meeting. It is the last Wednesday of every month starting at 6:00pm at Local 270. Thank you and God Bless you all. Urbano Valencia, Business Agent Eduardo Gonzalez & Arturo Melgar Business agent report, Alfredo quintana Dear Brothers and Sisters, I would like to thank you for your participation and support in this year s Local 270 election. Currently, I cover the area of Santa Cruz County. There are a few projects in progress at UC California Santa Cruz and in the City of Watsonville. Additionally, there will be a few new projects coming up in the next few months such as the Water Treatment Line project in Santa Cruz that will cost approximately $15 million dollars. This will create more jobs for our members. One of my priorities is to support and assist our members as much as possible. I encourage you to get involved with your Local s activities and look out for the newsletters, upcoming events and benefits updates. Melecio Roque, Business Agent Alfredo Quintana & Jose Espindola

4 P A G E 4 L A B O R E R S L O C A L Laborers Local 270 Officers Elected to New Terms Lucrecio Carrillo, Auditor Rodolfo Fuentes, Sgt of Arms Eduardo Gonzalez, Jose Francisco Mexicano, Joseph Corona, Dimas Cuevas, Jesus Torres, Mario Delgado and Jim Homer Executive Board Juan Carlos Hernandez, Auditor Auditor, Jose Rocha A message from local 270 s dispatch Office Direct Line is ext 223 or 224 Members must be available for dispatch calls between the hours of 6:00am-9:00am ROLL CALL DAY is the first Thursday of each month between the hours of 9:00am-12:00pm Please note that on Roll Call Day there is additional parking across the street at the Retiree Hall. August September October Monthly Dispatches Membership Meetings November 18, 2009 at 6:00pm December 30, 2009 at 6:00pm January 27, 2010 at 6:00pm February 24, 2010 at 6:00pm March 31, 2010 at 6:00pm OFFICE CLOSED TO OBSERVE HOILDAYS: November 25, 2009 at 12:00pm November 26 & 27, 2009 Closed December 24, 2009 at 12:00pm December 25 & 26, 2009 Closed December 31, 2009 at 12:00pm January 1, 2010 Closed N e e d t r a i n i n g? p l e a s e c o n t a c t t h e f r o n t o f f i c e F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n. S h o u l d y o u h a v e a n y c e r t i f i c a t i o n s p l e a s e n o t i f y t h e f r o n t o f f i c e t o u p d a t e y o u r s k i l l s. DUES Effective January 1, 2010 there will be an increase of a $1.00 per month in your dues per the LIUNA Constitution. Union Plus Scholarship Awards ranging from $500 to $4,000 are available to current and retired union members, their spouses and dependent children. To apply, just download an application at Union- Plus.prg/Scholarship and return it by January 31, Attention Shop Stewarts Your status reports are due the 15th of each month in order to be compensated.

5 V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 3 P A G E 5 Retiree corner. Francisco Landavazo 1/1/2009 Alejandro Garcia 3/1/2009 Antonio Palomino 2/1/2009 Adolf Navarro 10/1/2008 Joe Heath 12/1/2008 Robert Mc Andrews 1/1/2009 Teodoro Carrasco 12/1/2008 Moises Garcia 3/1/2009 Atilano Gonzalez 4/1/2009 Benjamin Topete 1/1/2009 Jose Solis 1/1/2009 Anselmo Carrillo 4/1/2009 Adrian Ramirez 1/1/2009 Adam Flores, Jr 1/1/2009 Quirino Reyes 5/1/2009 Retirees Are Invited to Attend: Retiree Meetings, Fishing Trips, Casino Trips, Luncheons and More. The Retiree Council Meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month at 11:00am. Retiree Council Officers President: Joe Fernandez Vice President-Luis Hernandez Secretary-Treasurer Antonio Garcia Recording Secretary, Roberto McCord, Adolf Gonzalez, -Trustee Edmundo Escarcega,-Trustee Victor Lombrana-Trustee Condolences are extended from Local 270 to the famillies of the following members: Donald S Sprague.3/31/1950-3/4/2009 Peter S. Cefalu.7/5/1934-6/27/2009 Andres M. Castillo...2/4/1926-4/19/2009 Jesus Muniz..1/1/1944-8/13/2009 Udvaldo D Hernandez.1/5/1940-5/12/2009 William R. Mazon.2/13/1939-8/24/2009 Guadalupe Carrillo.6/26/1931-5/10/2009 Raul Reyes...10/14/ /4/2009 Luciano A. Borjon..7/25/1925-6/18/2009 Pedro Sanchez.4/18/ /11/2009 Ignacio M. Sanchez..7/25/ /17/2009

6 PAGE 6 LABORERS LOCAL 270 Local 270 s members at work Member Catarino LIcea and members that work for European Paving Designs Member Luis Silva Members Moises, Guerrero, Javier Barajas & Gerardo Ruiz Member Hugo Plantilla Member Francisco Mexicano Member Marcos Salinas Member Adolf Avendano Member Erasmo Carrasco Members Jose Perez & Jose de Jesus Perez Member Juan Padilla & Business Agent Jesus Torres Precinct walking: Joe Corona, Leo Ramirez, Eduardo Gonzalez, Alfredo Quintana, Union workers show their solidarity Member Jose Loya Members picketing to maintain laborers wages and benefits

7 V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 3 P A G E 7 I m p o r t a n t i n f o r m a t i o n Planning to Retire? Once you retire, stay active. We urge you to contact your union to learn what benefits are available to you. Have you moved Lately? It is very important to contact the local to update all your information at By filing out a change of address, this will update your information at the Laborers Trust Fund Are you Disabled? You may be eligible for credited hours towards pension or health &welfare. New Service for Members. You will be able to obtain your dues information and plug number 24 hours per day 7 days per week. Laborers Local 270 Member Data Line: Dial Direct to or Extension Using the keys on your phone, enter your social security number followed by the pound key. Avoid additional fees! To avoid any penalty fees, always make sure your dues are paid up on time. Members who are having their homes foreclosed or have financial difficulty should call the Local 270 San Jose office for further information. Remember if you file a long form on your taxes your dues are a write off. 2. Enter your date of birth as Month-Month;Day-Day;Year-Year followed by the pound key. (For example, if your date of birth is March 2, 1982, it would be entered as zero-three-zero-twoeight-two-pound) O f f i c e H o u r s : 6 : 3 0 a m - 5 : 0 0 p m M o n d a y - F r i d a y O p e n t h e l a s t S a t u r d a y o f t h e m o n t h f r o m 8 : 0 0 a m : 0 0 p m D i s p a t c h h o u r s 6 : 0 0 a m - 9 : 0 0 a m M o n d a y - F r i d a y Office: or Santa Cruz office: Fax: Office Staff Extensions Main Fax: Jim Homer ext: 231 Dispatch office: ex 223 or 224 Joe Corona ext: 234 Laborers Training School: Jesus Torres ext: 227 Laborers Trust Fund: or Jose Francisco Mexicano ext: 229 EDD (English): Eduardo Gonzalez ext :229 EDD (Spanish): Alfredo Quintana Social Security Office: Maribel Moreno ext 223 Claremont EAP: Kim Carrasco ext 241 Anthem Blue Cross: Joyce Harris ext: 230 Gloria Ceniceros ext: 225 Veronica Perez ext: 240

8 509 Emory Street San Jose, CA LABORERS LOCAL Emory St Phone: San Fax:: Jose, CA We are now accepting Credit/Debit Cards