Common Ground August 2013

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Thestatelegislativesessionthatend-edlastmonthbroughtsomekeyvicto-riesforthelabormovement—includinganewlawpermittingchild-careworkerstounionizeandabudgetthatreinstatedapensionpayment—but italsoendedinsomenotabledisappointments. “It was OK. I’ll put it that way,”saidMichaelSabitoni,presidentoftheRhode Island Building and Construc-tionTradesCouncil.

Key wins on pensions, wages Sabitoni,who represents public andprivate-sectorworkers,praisedtheGen-eral Assembly rank-and-file membersforvotingtomakeanearly$13millionscheduled payment into the pensionsystem.Thepaymentwassupposedtocome from last year’s surplus, but theHouseleadershipinsteadhadproposed

usingthemoneytohelpplugholeselse-whereinthebudget. Thatdecisionwas reversed ina rarevote against leadership by a coalitionof labor, progressives, dissenters, andGOPmembers, said JimParisi, a lob-byistfortheRhodeIslandFederationofTeachersandHealthProfessionals,whodescribed the vote as themost impor-tantonefortheteachersunion. Anothermajorlaborvictorywaspas-sageofabillthatwillallowmorethan600child-careworkersinhomesettingsto unionize. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO praised the move. “These childcareproviderswillnowhaveavoiceintheirworkingconditions,”thelaboror-ganizationsaidinastatementrecappingthelegislativesession. Lawmakersalsoapprovedhikingtheminimum wage from $7.75 an hour

to$8,whichisabovethefederalmini-mumof$7.25,whichhasbeeninplacesince2009,accordingtotheAFL-CIO. But state lawmakers snubbed laboron a controversial debt payment for38 Studios. Labor leaders had decriedthe fact that state officials were press-inglawmakerstovoteforpaymentsonmoralobligationdebtafterrenegingonwhattheydescribedasa“moralobliga-tion” tokeeptheirpromisesonretireepensions. The budget nonetheless in-cludeda$2.5millionpaymentonthe38 Studios debt. In future years, theamountisexpectedtoincrease.

Mixed outcome for building trades Forthebuildingtrades,thelegislativesession had a similar mix of the goodandbad. Sabitonipraised state lawmakers for

providing funding for infrastructurework in cities and towns. The bud-get establishes a $7millionMunicipalRoads and Bridges Revolving LoanFund,whichhadthebackingofHouseSpeaker Gordon Fox and GeneralTreasurer Gina Raimondo. The fundis meant to help communities borrowmoney for road work at a lower cost,accordingtoanofficialStatehousesum-maryofthebudget. Theassemblyalsopassedaresolutionendorsing the redevelopment of theDynamo House in downtown Provi-dence—akeyprojectfortheconstruc-tionindustry,whichcontinuestobattlea higher-than-average unemploymentrate. Lawmakers also revived the historictax credit program, adding a require-ment thatprojects at$10million and

Legislative session brings mix of good and bad for labor By Common Ground staff

See Labor cont. on page 4

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When Bill Holmes retired fromtheRhodeIslandCarpentersUnionLocal94lastmonth,itwasn’tonly25 years of service that came to aconclusion. It alsomarked the end tohalf acenturyofleadershipofthelocalbytheHolmesfamily.Priortohisten-ure asbusinessmanager,BillHol-mes’father,Herbert,heldthesameposition at the local for 28 years.“It’s been an honor to come afterhimand continuewhathe startedwaybackwhen,”HolmessaidinaninterviewwithCommonGround. Holmessaidhebelieveshislegacywill be the improvement in wagesandstandardoflivingforhismem-bers.When he joined the local inthe1970s,ajourneymanearned$9an hour and apprentices $5.40 anhour.Now,ashe’sleaving,journey-menpullbetween$31and$32inhourly wages—not counting ben-efits. And, apprentice wages haverisenaswell,amountingto50per-centto90percentofwhatjourney-menearn,dependingontheyearoftheapprentice. Those increases have beenachieved through the collectivebargaining agreements Carpenters94 has negotiated with local con-tractorassociations.Overtheyears,he’snegotiated15to18majorcon-tracts, in addition to about half adozen smaller bargaining agree-ments,Holmessaid. “So I think I’ve had quite a lottodowithadvancingthecollectivebargaining and benefits,” Holmessaid.

A changing industry Overtheyears,Holmeshasseenother changes too. The electronicage,he said,has changedhow theunion office is run, but it’s alsochanged things in thefield:wherebuilding blueprints were onceviewed in hard copy form, now

they’reaccessedonacomputeroratablet,Holmessaid. It’s not just computers though.Newtechnologieshavealsohadanimpactontheconstructionprocessitself.Forexample,hetodayittakesabouthalfasmanyworkerstopourconcrete as it once did—and theprocesstakeslesstimetoo. Holmes joinedCarpenters94 in1975 and rose through the rankstobecomethebusinessmanagerin1993.Priortothenhehadservedasbusiness representative, starting in1989.Foraboutfouryears,Holmesworkedside-by-sidewithhisfatherintheunionleadership. Asked if he had been temptedto match his father’s 28 years atthe helm, Holmes responded, “Alot of things have changed in theconstructionfield.Ijustfelt…thetimewasrighttomoveon.” In leaving, Holmes vacated notone,butseveralpositions:businessmanager, financial secretary, andthe trustee positions he had heldfor the health, pension, annuity,and apprenticeship programs forthe local. But he will continue toserve on the statewide apprentice-shipcouncil,whichisagubernato-rialappointment. Inthemeantime,thereisstillonemember of the Holmes family leftintheunion:hissonMichael,whohasfinishedtheapprenticeshippro-gram.

Holmes: Unions the way to go Holmes saidhewill continue toliveinRhodeIsland,butwillspendpartsoftheyearoutWestineitherArizonaorCalifornia. Holmes said he’ll miss the peo-plehe’sworkedwith—butnotthe“day-to-daygrind.” “I’mlookingforwardtothenextstageofmylife,”Holmessaid. Despite his retirement, Holmespromisestoremainanenthusiasticbooster for unionism—somethingthat’s he says is “inmyblood.” “Ithink unions are the way to go,”Holmes said. “The unions haveprovided the middle class with alot of positivebenefits and advan-tages.” The attacks onunions in recentyears,hewarns,arelargely“unwar-ranted” andcouldbe “detrimentaltotheeconomy.” So far, no replacement for Hol-mes has been chosen. Carpenters94doesnotholdelections.Instead,businessmanagersareappointedbytheregionaldistrict,whichhasyettodoso.Intheinterim,DavidPal-misciano,whoworksastheRhodeIslandbusinessmanager,will holdthereinsofthelocal. Palmisciano praised Holmes forhis service,whomhe saidhadputhis“heartandsoul”intohiswork.“We’re a lotbetteroffbyhishardwork,” Palmisciano said. “We’llmisshim.”

Bill Holmes retires from Carpenters 94 By Common Ground staff


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This year’s race for Boston mayor has produced acandidatewithastrongunionbackground:stateRep.Martin Walsh, who announced in April that he wasresigninghis position as thebusinessmanager of theBostonBuildingTradestorunfortheofficeinthisNo-vember’selection. “Ilovethiscity—itspeople,itsinstitutions,itstra-ditionsanditsinnovations—andwanttodoallIcantoseeitcontinuetothrive,”Walshsaidinanannounce-mentofhiscandidacy.“Bostonisadiverseandwelcom-ing center of creativity, where people are valued andpossibilitiesarerealized.ThefutureofBostondependsontheeducationofourchildren,thestrengtheningofourworkingfamilies,theprotectionofourvulnerable,andthegrowthofourbusinesses.” Sofar,Walshhasprovenhimselfaseriouscontenderfortheoffice.Hebegantheracewith$200,000inhiscampaigncoffers,withanother$400,000incommit-mentstohisoffice.Sincehisformalkick-off,onMay4,

hiscampaignhasknockedon130,000doorstoraisesupport.ArecentSuffolkUniversity-BostonHeraldpollshowedWalshataclosesecondintherace,at11 percent—one point behind CityCouncilor-at-largeJohnConnolly. Theracehasdrawnabouttenothercandidates.ThefieldwillbewinnoweddowninapreliminaryelectioninSep-tember,withfinalistsfacingoffinNo-vember. Long-timeMayorThomasMeninohasdecidedtonotseekre-election.

Campaign draws deep union support Walsh’s candidacy has already garnered supportfrom what his campaign describes as a “broad cross-section of workers in different industries.” On July17, the campaign announced endorsements from ten

unions:Carmen589,InternationalLongshoremenAs-sociation,RoofersLocal33,SheetMetalWorkersLo-cal17,InternationalBrotherhoodofElectricalWorkers2321,BostonNewspaperPrintingPressman,PaintersDistrictCouncil35,SEIU509,IronworkersLocal7,andtheLaborersLocal223.(WalshremainsamemberofLocal223.)

Labor candidate Marty Walsh a serious contender for Boston mayor By Common Ground staff

See Walsh cont. on page 7


overuseastate-registeredapprenticeshipprogram,ac-cordingtoSabitoni. Butthenlawmakersdecidedagainstmandatingtheapprenticeprogramforallpubliccontractsworth$1million or more, which came as an “extreme disap-pointment”tothebuildingtrades,Sabitonisaid. The biggest disappointment, however, may havebeenthefailureoftheGeneralAssemblytopassleg-islationonthemisclassificationofworkers,akeyitemontheagendaforthebuildingtradesforseveralyears.Themeasure,HouseBill5388,wouldhavepreventedemployers from classifying workers as independentcontractorswhen,infact,theyarereallyfull-timeem-ployees.Had itbecome law, itwouldhave createda“presumption”thataworkerwasafull-timeemployeeunless “certain specific conditions” were met. (TheleadsponsorwasStephenUcci,D-Johnston.) The bill actually passed the Senate, but it nevermadeitoutoftheHouseLaborCommittee. “ItdiedintheHousebutcommitmentshavebeenmadebyHouseleadershiptodealwiththisissueonceandforallnextsession,”Sabitonisaid.

Teachers describe the session as ‘positive’ Inadditiontothepensionwin,therewasplentyfortheRhode IslandFederationofTeachers andHealthProfessionalstocelebrateinthebudget,accordingtoParisi. He pointed to the addition of $2 million infunding for services to the developmentally disabledand $6 million more for higher education, which isexpected tobeused to avoid tuition increases at thestate’spubliccolleges. TheteachersunionalsoispleasedthattheGeneralAssemblydecidedtokeepteacherevaluationsprivate,Parisisaid. In another move that addressed teacher concerns,theGeneralAssemblycreatedtheRhodeIslandTeach-ersAdvisoryCouncil,orRITAC,whichwillactasabridge between the state education board and rank-and-file educators across the state,making sure theirconcerns about the implementation and impact ofnewregulationsandpolicies isheardbystatepolicy-makers,accordingtothebilltext.

TheGeneralAssemblyalsopassedaresolutionex-pressing concern about using standardized tests as agraduationrequirement,askingtheboardofeducationtorevisittheissue. The big downside to the session? “We were verydisappointedthat theysimplyagainfailedtoaddresslabor-relationsissues,”Parisisaid,referringspecificallytolegislativeeffortstomandatebindingarbitrationforcontractnegotiationsthathavestalled.“Thatwasourbigdisappointment.” Bindingarbitrationisalreadyinplaceforfirefight-er and police unions in Rhode Island, but taxpayergroups have lobbied hard against instituting it forteachers,sayingthatitwouldresultinincreasedcoststolocalschooldistricts.Butprogressiveadvocateshavechallenged such claims, pointing to the examples ofotherstatesthathaveit,suchasConnecticut. Despitethatdisappointment,Parisisaidthesessionoverallwasa“positive”oneforteachers.

AFL-CIO breaks down losses and wins for labor Otherwise,thesessionandfinalbudgetproducedanumberofother lossesandwins for labor, includingthe following, according to a breakdown releasedbytheRhodeIslandAFL-CIO:

Budget Wins• Educationfunding:Theneweducationfunding

formulaisfunded.• Job training: The budget has $1.2 million in

funding for job training programs run by theGovernor’sWorkforceBoard.

• Lead poisoning: $600,000 was allocated for astateprogramfor“childhoodleadpoisoning.”

• Housingforthehomeless:Thebudgetmakesafirst-timeappropriationof$750,000whichwillbe used to fund rental vouchers for homelessRhodeIslanders.

• Labor Board appointments: Lawmakers filledtwo vacant seats on the State Labor RelationsBoard. The nominees approved by the Senatewere: Marcia Reback, former president of theRIFTHP,andScottDuhamel,thesecretary-trea-

surerforthebuildingandconstructiontrades.

Budget Losses

• Tax rates: An attempt to raise income tax rateson the wealthiest earners—part of a campaignfor“taxequity”—ultimatelywentnowhereintheGeneralAssembly.

• COLAs for nursing homes: Governor Chafee’sbudgetreducedCOLAsfornursinghomesby$3million.Lawmakersletthiscutstand,causinganoverallbudget“shortfall”ofmorethan$6millionwhen federal matching funds are taken into ac-count,accordingtotheAFL-CIO.

• Publictransit:TheAFL-CIOalsofaultedlawmak-ers for “[n]o increased funding or action takenondevelopinga sustainable fundingmechanismfor the Rhode Island PublicTransit Authority.”

Other Legislative Wins

• ‘BantheBox’:Employerscannolongeraskaboutapplicants’ criminal history on job applications,duetolegislationthatpassed.

• TDIinsurance:WorkersarenoweligibleforTem-poraryDisabilityInsurancewhilecaringforasickrelative.

Other Legislative Losses: • Biweeklypay:Abillthatpermitsbusinessestopay

employeeseveryotherweekpassed.

• Payday lending:The AFL-CIO has faulted law-makersforinactionon“reformingpaydaylendingrulesandregulations.”

• Privatization:“Noactionwastakenonlegislation,similartolegislationthatisalreadyinplaceatthestatelevel,tolimittheprivatizationofmunicipalservices,”theAFL-CIOsaid.

Labor cont. from cover


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Anewgym thatbuilds ononeof thehottestnewexercisetrends,CrossFit,hasopenedinSmithfield. Formally named Northern Rhode Island StrengthandConditioning, thegymgoesby the shorternameofNoRiskCrossFit—anamethatcallsattentiontothesafetyofaprogramthatisknownforbeingintenseanddemanding.“Wetrytoeliminatealotofthe‘risk’thatpeoplehave,”saidgymownerJudahBoulet.“Anytimepeopleworkoutthere’sriskofgettinginjured.Wetrytodoeverythingwecantominimizepeople’srisk.” Thegym,whichopenedinJune,drew60membersin itsfirstmonth.NoRiskCrossFit isofferingunionmembersan18percentdiscountoffitsnormalmonthlymembershipfeeof$149.Italsooffersamilitary-and-first-responderdiscountedmonthlyrateof$122. NoRiskCrossFitisnoordinarygym.Workoutsaredoneingroups,not individually,andsessionsempha-sizeallaspectsofphysicalhealthandfitnessinsteadoffocusingononeaspect, suchasweight loss,orbuild-ingup strength. In any givenworkout,memberswillliftbarbellsandweights,dogymnastics,anddocardio-relatedexercises,likerunning.Unlikemanygyms,theprograminSmithfieldalsoshunstheuseofmachinesinfavoroftraditionalfreeweights. Officially,CrossFitisdefinedasanexerciseprogram

“which optimizes fitness” through “constantly variedfunctionalmovementsperformedatrelativelyhighin-tensity.” For example, the national recommended workoutof the day for CrossFit devotees one recentThursdayincluded the following: 100 double-unders, running100meters,a15-footropeclimb,fourascents,running100meters(again),30reps(repetitions)ofa135-pountfront squat, running 100 meters (a third time), a100-meterFarmercarrywith70-pounddumbbells,20repsofa70-poundalternatingdumbbellsnatch,andafinal100-meterrun. “Every aspect of physical fitness it targets in somemannerortheother,”Bouletsaid. Nowonder thatCrossFit bills itself as the exerciseprogramofchoicefor“manypoliceacademiesandtac-ticaloperationsteams,militaryspecialoperationsunits,champion martial artists, and hundreds of other eliteandprofessionalathletesworldwide.” ButCrossFitsaysit’salsoforsoccermoms,grandfa-thers,andanyoneelsewhodoesn’tconsiderthemselvesan “elite athlete.” Boulet said the exercise program is“scalable”sothatitworksformembersofallagesandconditions. “It’sforanybody,”Bouletsaid.“Everything’sscaled

totheindividual.” “We’veusedoursameroutinesforelderlyindividualswithheartdiseaseandcagefightersonemonthoutfromtelevised bouts.We scale load and intensity; we don’tchangeprograms,”theofficialsiteforCrossFitexplains. AnotheradvantageofCrossFit: it taps the“naturalcamaraderie,competitionandfun”ofsportsthatitsad-vocatessaylendsitanunmatchedintensity. As a company, CrossFit dates back to the early2000s.ThegyminSmithfieldisaffiliatedwiththena-tionalcompany. Boulethasnearly15yearsofexperienceasacoachandhas a20-yearbackground in strength andcondi-tioning.HeisalsotheformerownerofCrossFitProvi-dence.BouletholdsaMaster’sdegreeinPharmacologyandToxicology.InadditiontorunningNoRiskCross-Fit,Bouletisahighschoolscienceteacherandanad-junctinstructorinnutritionatMerrimackCollegeandJohnsonandWalesUniversity. Boulet co-owns No Risk CrossFit with MeredithPeloquin,whohasabackgroundinmartialarts. Editor’s Note: No Risk CrossFit is located at 300B George Washington Highway in Smithfield. For more in-formation, visit http://noriskcrossfit.com.

New CrossFit gym opens in Smithfield By Common Ground staff


You have the legal right to choose your repair facility in RI, so don’t let the insurance industry direct you to their preferred shop.

Remember when gasoline cost less than $.50 agallon, when cameras had film, and when a goodhealthinsuranceplanwasthecoreofanemployee’semployer-sponsored benefit package? Yes, you readcorrectlyonthelastone;Isaid“whenagoodhealthinsuranceplanwasthecoreofanemployee’semploy-er-sponsoredbenefitpackage.”Somechangesinlifearegood,somechangesarebad,andothersarejustdifferent! Health care reform (HCR) is coming despitesomedelaysandchanges,andwhetherbydesignorasanoverlookedconsequence,manyemployeeswillbelosingtheiremployer-sponsoredhealthplanasaresult.That isprobablynot thenewsyouexpectedtohear,butitisalikelyfactnevertheless.Oneofthereasonsforthischangeisthatthenationalhealthcarereformlegislationsaysthatcompanieswithlessthan50employeesarenotrequiredtooffercoverage.Sowhile most of these smaller companies want to dorightby theiremployees, the rapidly risingcostsofinsuranceandtheopportunitytogetoutfromunderthehealthinsurancealbatrossmaybetooattractiveto pass up. And, when one company discontinuescoverageandgainsacompetitiveedgeinthemarket,astheircostsarethensignificantlylower,theircom-petitors will have to follow suit to compete. Fromover25yearsinthehealthinsurancebusiness,Icanalso say that many companies, given the option toeliminatethehasslesassociatedwithmanagingtheiremployees’ health coverage,wouldwelcome anop-portunitytogetoutofthehealthinsurancebusiness. Withregardtolargeremployerswith50ormore“full-time equivalent” employees, HCR says thattheyarerequiredtooffercoverageorpayapenaltyreferredtoasthe“PlayorPayPenalty,”basedupon

the number of full-time employees they have.Thecomplexformulacombinesthenumbersoffull-time,part-time, seasonal, variable, and excluded employ-eestodeterminethenumberof“full-timeequivalentemployees.”Fromthere,adeterminationismadeastowhetheremployer-sponsoredcoverageisrequired.Then,evenifcoverageisrequired,theemployercanelectthepenaltyinstead,whichisbasedonthenum-berofactual full-timeemployees.So, inanutshell,HCR allows even the largest companies to not of-fercoverageandavoidthepenaltybyreplacingtheirfull-timeemployeeswithpart-time,seasonal,andex-cludedemployees. Many largecompanieswithveryshrewdconsul-tantshavealreadybegunchanginghiringpatternstoreduce thenumberof full-timeemployees toavoidthehealthinsuranceexpenseandthepenalty.Forex-ample,Walmart,acompanynotknownforitsgener-ouslaborpractices,hasbeenrumoredtobeleadingthischargewithstepsinplacealreadytoconverttoanon-full-timeworkforce. Sowhathappensthenforalltheemployeeswork-ingotherthanfull-timewithoutemployer-sponsoredcoverage?SincethecruxofHCRisthatitultimatelyrequireseveryonetohaveinsuranceorpayapenalty,their only option will be to go to the state healthinsuranceexchangeforcoverage.Willthatbeabadoption for employees? Because many of the detailsareyettobeworkedout,wecannotspeaktoexactnumbers.Through the exchange,however, individ-ualswill have a choiceof carriers, a choiceofplancoveragelevels,andsubsidiesavailableforindividualsearninguptofourtimesthefederalpovertylevel. Soaretheexchangesagoodorbaddealfortheseother-than-full-time employees, and for the unem-

ployed?Let’s imagineafigurativescenario,wherebyanemployerstopsofferingcoverage,andtakessomeof thesavings tobuythatnewequipmentthatwillhelpgrowthebusiness.Iftheemployerthensendsitsemployeestotheexchangewheretheygetsubsidizedcoverage,andthentheemployerreturnssomeofthesavingstoemployeesintheformofapayraise,anewretirement plan, or another newly-offered type ofcoverage,mightthatbeagoodthing?Whilewehaveno ideawhat an employerwilldowith the savingsgenerated as the result of eliminatinghealth cover-age,thereisapossibilitythatsomeoptionsmightbevery favorable. So an employee could possibly farewelleveniftheiremployerdoesnotsponsorhealthinsurance! Every employer needs an HCR strategy, and aknowledgeable partner who will discuss all the op-tions, even the less conventional ones. Employeesmayneedto thinkoutside theboxand lookat theentirepicture.Everysituationisunique,butwinsforboth employers and employees are possible. Don’tsettlefor“businessasusual”;contactAllegianceBen-efitAdvisorsforacomplimentaryconsultation. Remember,“Changeisinevitable,struggleisop-tional.Youhavechoices.”

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Thoseendorsementsareinadditiontothepreviouslyannouncedbackingof threeother labororganizations:theNewEnglandRegionalCouncilofCarpenters,theGreaterBostonLaborCouncil, and theMassachusettsNurses Association.The nurses became the first laborgroup to back Walsh’s candidacy, formally endorsinghiminMay. “Iamproudtohavetheendorsementoftheseunionswhichrepresentssomanyhard-workingmenandwom-eninourcommunity.TheyknowthatIwillcontinuetoworkdiligentlytocreatethejobsandthejob-trainingprogramsthatwillgrowoureconomy,”Walshsaid.

Education and economy top priorities InaninterviewwithCommonGround,Walshsaidhiscandidacyisbuildingon16yearsasastatelawmaker. “I’vehadtheopportunitytoworkona lotofgreatissues,”Walshsaid.“I just thought itwasawonderfulopportunitytoexpandonwhatI’vedoneinmypoliticalcareeralready.”

Histwotoppolicypriorities,Walshsaid,areeduca-tionreformandeconomicdevelopment. Asmayor,Walshsaidhewouldfocusonunderper-formingschoolsandexpandvocationaleducationpro-grams. He also said he would seek more flexibility inteacherassignments,sothateducatorscouldbemovedaroundthedistrictasitopensinnovation,pilot,andin-districtcharterschools.Walshalsowantstheflexibilitytohaveextendedschooldays. Assomeonewithalegislativeandlaborbackground,Walsh said he is uniquely position to negotiate withteacherunionsonsuchchanges.“Itshouldn’tbeanus-vs.-themapproach,”Walshsaid. Anotherpriorityiseconomicdevelopment.IfBostoncitizenswantmore services in schools,morepoliceonthe streets and firefighters on the force, and universalpre-kindergarten,Walshsaysthecitywillneedincreasedrevenues.Hesayshewouldratherattractindustrytothecityandexpanditstaxbaseratherthanraisetaxrates. Partofthejobiskeepingbusinesshere,Walshsaid,

notingthatGooglewasoncelocatedintheBostonarea.WhileitmaybetoolateforGoogle,Walshthinksthecity should try to recapture someof the insurance in-dustrythatit’slosttootherstates.HesaidthecityalsoshouldtakeadvantageofthenumerousuniversitiesandcollegesinBoston,whichareproducingtalentedgradu-ateswhocan’tfindjobsinthearea.“IwanttokeepthattalenthereinBoston,”Walshsaid. Inadditiontoeducationandeconomicdevelopment,Walsh said he wants to focus on inner-city gang vio-lence,whichhesaidhasbecomeconcentratedincertainneighborhoods in thecity.Partof theproblemcanbeaddressedthroughbetterschoolsandmorejobopportu-nities,butthereareotherfactorsaswell—suchasalackoffamilystructureinsomecommunities,Walshsaid. Walsh said he also remains committed to ensuringworkershavegoodwagesandkeep theirpensions.Hesaid he is not in favor of a nationwide trend to trimunionbenefitsand“eliminatepensions.”“I’mconcernedaboutwherewe’regoinginthiscountry,”Walshsaid.

Walsh cont. from page 3


AncientChinesewisdom tells us thata journeyofathousandmilesstartswithasinglestep.Formanypeopleseekingtoreclaim their lives from substance abuse,the journey to recovery can look like anendless, arduous road stretching into anunknownandoftenfrighteningdistance. Butoncethey’vemadethatcourageouschoice to overcome addiction, they stillface daunting challenges. In addition tofrequenttemptationstogobacktousing,the difficulties and discomfort of with-drawalcanposearealthreattoresolution. Forthisreason,abriefperiodofdetox-ification in a safe, supportive, andmedi-callymonitoredenvironmentcanprovidea firm foundation on which to take thefirststepstosustainedsobriety. PhoenixHousesofNewEngland’sDe-toxification Services, located on a peace-ful,secludedcampusinExeter,RhodeIs-land,offersanidealsettingforadultswhoarereadytotakethatimportantfirststep.And,tosupporttheseindividualsallalongtheirpathtosobriety,PhoenixHousepro-vides abroad spectrumof treatment ser-vicesinRhodeIsland. “Phoenix Houses of New England,backedbythestrengthandexperienceofPhoenix House Foundation, one of thenation’s most respected substance abusetreatment organizations, provides a fullcontinuumofservicestosavelives,reunitefamilies,andstrengthenourcommunity,”said Fred A.Trapassi, Jr., Vice PresidentandSeniorProgramDirector. “Fromde-toxification throughresidentialoroutpa-tientcaretosupportiverecoveryhousing,we’rethereforourclientseverystepoftheway.” The detoxification program providessafewithdrawalfromalcohol,opiates,andother substances in a short-termresiden-tial facility. Streamlined services ensurethat clients are admitted by registerednurses24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,andeachclientisseenbyalicensedphysi-cian.The program is staffed at all timeswith a team of licensed counselors whowork closely with each client to developanappropriatetreatmentplanfocusingonindividual medical needs, detoxificationissues,andaftercarefollowingdischarge. “Ourstafftakesarealinterestineveryperson who walks through our doors,”said Kristin Kretchman, Director of De-

toxification. “In addition to providingskilledandcompassionatecare,they’real-ways ready to talk, offer encouragement,andguide clients tomake thebest treat-mentchoices.” “IfeltreallysafeandwellcaredforatthePhoenixHouseDetoxProgram,”saidDonna,aclientwhoiscurrentlyfinishingresidentialtreatment.“Formeitwasafirststep in getting well physically as well aspsychologically.” “Detoxwasagreatexperienceforme,”added Nick, another client in residentialtreatment.“Iwastreatedwithrespectbyeveryone;theyhelpedmelearnwheremyfeelingscomefromandshowedmealter-natives to getting high. Plus, I was abletoseemyfamilyoften.Familiarfacesaregood.” Theaveragelengthofstayformedical-lymonitoreddetoxificationisuptosevendays.Duringtheirstay,allclientspartici-pateinanindividualizedtreatmentplan-ningprocessthatidentifiestheirstrengths,needs,andpreferences,whileestablishinggoalswithspecificandmeasurableobjec-tives.

Phoenix House offers two options for individuals seeking detoxification treat-ment at the Exeter facility: TheWalshUnit,namedinmemoryofDavidWalsh,a long-timerecoveryadvo-cateandstaunchfriendofPhoenixHouse,isa20-bedprogramacceptingmostinsur-ance plans as well as self-paying clients.Comfortable accommodations includesemi-privatebedrooms,comfortablelivingrooms, and access to the fully equippedgymnasiumoncampus. RESPECT (Recovery-oriented, Em-pathic Services Proactively EmpoweringConsumers in Treatment) is Rhode Is-land’s innovative detoxification initiative.Funded through the Rhode Island De-

partment of Behavioral Healthcare, De-velopmental Disabilities and Hospitals,RESPECT is a partnership of PhoenixHouse,TheProvidenceCenter,andChar-terCAREHealthPartners,withmorethan100yearsofcombinedexperience. Both RESPECT and the Walsh Unitare committed to providing safe with-drawalfromsubstancesincludingalcoholandopiatessuchasOxyContin.

Extended Stay Options For those who have completed treat-ment, but are not yet ready to face thestressofdailylifeindependently,PhoenixHouse’s detoxification programs offer anextended stay option. This may includeAcute Residential, sleep-over IntensiveOutpatient care, or Partial Hospitaliza-tionProgramforupto30additionaldays.Extended stay clients enjoy our peacefulcountrysettingandhaveaccesstoourful-lyequippedgym.Clientsinallprogramsparticipate inone-on-onecounselingses-sions and group meetings as well as on-siteAlcoholicsAnonymousandNarcoticsAnonymous groups to help them accli-matetosobriety.

A Full Continuum of Services Detoxification, while often a crucialfirst step to recovery, is but one facet inPhoenixHouse’sfullcontinuumoftreat-mentoptionsinRhodeIsland.Byprovid-ingabroadspectrumofservices,rangingfromdetoxificationthroughresidentialoroutpatientcaretorecoveryhousing,Phoe-nixHousecanguideand support clientsoneverystepoftheroadtorecovery.

Continuing Care and Aftercare Longer-term residential treatment isavailableatPhoenixHouseExeterCenter.LocatedonthesamecampusasDetoxifi-cationServices,ExeterCenterservesadult

male clients who no longer experiencephysicalwithdrawal,butwhostillneedacontrolledenvironmenttomaintainsobri-etyandlearntheskillsnecessarytobuildalifeinrecovery.Theprogramholdsnight-ly Alcoholics Anonymous and NarcoticsAnonymousmeetingsforclients.PhoenixHouseOttmarCenter,locatedontheEastSide of Providence, provides gender-spe-cifictreatmentforwomeninaphysicallyandpsychologicallysafeenvironment. Forthoserequiringalessintensiveleveloftreatment,PhoenixHouseoffersoutpa-tientservicesatthreelocationsaroundthestate: Providence, Wakefield, and West-erly. Evening and weekend hours maketreatmentaccessibleforworkingadults. “Detox helped me get my head towhereitneededtobe,”saidBen,aformerclient now well on his way to a healthynew life. “The staffare likemoms.Theytakegreatcareofyou.Theymademewanttostayintreatment,andgavemehopeforrecovery. That’s a beautiful thing whenyou’refeelinghopeless.” For additional information on Phoe-nixHouse’s services forRhode Islanders,please call 1-800-DRUG-HELP (1-800-378-4435), or go to www.phoenixhouse.org/rhode-island. Accreditation: The Phoenix HouseDetoxificationProgramsareaccreditedbyCARF,anationallyrecognizedstandardofexcellence.

Detoxification: First step on the road to recovery Submitted by Phoenix House


Brett LaPlanteOrganizer/Agent

John McMullenBusiness Agent

Paul AlvarezBusiness Agent

If you live or work inRhode Island, chances areyou have driven over theProvidence Viaduct, thepart of Interstate 95 thatruns through Providence.If you live or work in thecapitalcity,youlikelypassoverthestretchofhighwaydaily.

Everysingleday,220,000vehiclescrosstheviaduct,oneofthemostheavilytraf-ficked stretches of interstate on the East Coast, firstconstructed in 1964. Heavy traffic, New Englandweather, andyearsofwear and tearhave taken theirtoll, and the bridge has surpassed its design life. Al-though replacing the interstate seemed a dauntingidea,extensivedamagetothedeck,girders,andpiersmeantthatrehabilitationwasn’tanoption.The1,290feetofroadwayneedstobereplacedcompletely,with-outcuttingofftravelthroughProvidence. Thankfully, in part through a $10 million federalTIGERgrantthatIwaspleasedtohelpacquire,morefundshavebecomeavailable.AndwiththeleadershipoftheRhodeIslandDepartmentofTransportationandManafort Brothers, Inc., the contractor spearheadingconstruction,theprojecthasbeengivenagreenlight.

OnJuly15,IjoinedmycolleaguesintheCongres-sional delegation and state government to officiallybreakgroundontheProvidenceViaductReplacementProject.ReconstructionisexpectedtobecompletedbyNovember2018.Overthenextfiveyears,wewillseethis stretchof road transformed, reopening thegate-waytoourcapitalcity.NewbridgesonI-95north-andsouthbound, as well as new and widened on-ramps,willmakeforeasiertravelandgivevisitorsgreaterac-cesstoProvidencefordailycommutersandvisitors.AreconstructedProvidenceViaductwillimproveaccesstostateoffices,touristattractions,andretailbusiness-es.Theviaductisseriouslydeteriorating,andallNewEnglandersknowthatroadwaysriddledwithpotholescan damage vehicles and cause traffic delays that, insomeinstances,haveadirect,financialimpactonbusi-ness. Wewantpeople toknowthatRhodeIslandcaresabouttheinfrastructurethatsustainsourqualityoflifeandcommerce,andwewillputourmoneywhereourmouthis.WewantpeopletoknowthatRhodeIslandisopenforbusiness. Not only will this project support our statewideandlocaleconomy,butitwillalsobeaboonforourjob market. Approximately 530 jobs will be createdor sustained through theViaduct Replacement Proj-ect,manyintheconstructionindustrythatcontinues

tostruggleamidoneofthemostdifficulteconomieswe have ever faced. According to the Bureau of La-borStatistics,thenationalunemploymentrateintheconstructionindustryisnearly10percent.Thattrendiscertainlybeingfeltlocally.ThestateDepartmentofLaborandTrainingreportsthat,sinceDecember2006,construction has experienced the second largest lossofjobs,secondonlytomanufacturing.ThousandsofconstructionjobshavedriedupinRhodeIsland,and,asoureconomybeginstomakeaslowturnaround,wemustbeginbringingthosejobsback.TheProvidenceViaductReplacementProjectwilldojustthat,puttingunion workers back to work on an important infra-structureimprovementproject. I urge Rhode Islanders to be patient during thisproject.Areconstructionof thismagnitudedoesnothappenovernight,andweshouldrememberthatanyinconveniencenowwillbeworth it in the end for asmooth,easy-to-travelstretchofinterstate.Ilookfor-ward to seeing our state’s professional laborers con-structinganewandimprovedProvidenceViaduct.Inthis instance, a little trafficmightnotbe suchabadthing. Congressman Jim Langevin represents Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District.

Providence Viaduct project a boost for economy and jobs in RI By Congressman Jim Langevin


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NORTH PROVIDENCE—On July 2, over 100seniors joined John A. Pernorio, President of theRhodeIslandAllianceforRetiredAmericansforacel-ebration at the Salvatore Mancini Recourse and Ac-tivity Center in North Providence to thank SenatorSheldonWhitehouseandCongressmenJimLangevinandDavidCicillineforkeepingtheirpromisetostandwithandsupportRhodeIslandseniors,thosewithdis-abilities, and veterans against cuts toSocial Security,Medicare,andMedicaid. JenniferKenny, theARANewEnglandFieldOr-ganizer,andKathleenConnell,theRIAARPStateDi-rector,alsoturnedoutinsupport. AsmanyoftheAllianceforRetiredAmericans-af-filiatedorganizationsacrossthecountryjoinhandstoasktheirCongressionalmemberstouniteintheactionagainst the Chained CPI, in Rhode Island, we weretheretothankourCongressionaldelegationfortheircontinuedstrongsupporttostoptheChainedCPI,aflawedproposalthatwouldhurtmillionsofretirees. SwitchingtoachainedCPIwouldcompoundben-

efitreductionsdramaticallyovertime,resultinginanannualbenefitthatisroughly$1,000lowerbythetimeabeneficiaryreachesage85.Thesereductionswouldhaveserious,real-lifeconsequencesforseniors. The formulawouldreduceSocialSecuritycostoflivingadjustmentsby taking intoaccountalternativepurchasespeoplecanmakeinordertoavoidgoodsandserviceswhosecostsarerisingquickly. Forexample:insteadofWonderBread,youwouldbeexpectedtopurchaseStop&Shopbread.InsteadofGreenGiantcorn,youwouldhavetogowithStop&Shopcorn.YouwouldhavetobuyStop&Shopgasbecauseyoucan’taffordShellgas. Here’s the problem: seniors already do purchasecheaperproductsbecausetheycan’taffordthebrand-nameproducts. Senators Jack Reed and Whitehouse have signedonasco-sponsorsofSR15,aResolutionrejectingtheChained CPI and expressing “the sense of CongressthattheChainedConsumerPriceIndexshouldnotbeusedtocalculatecostoflivingadjustmentsforSocialSecurityorveteransbenefits.” Also,intheHouseofRepresentatives,aresolution,HR34,wasintroducedbyCicilline,andco-sponsoredbyLangevin,alongwith112otherDemocrats.ItalsostatesitisthesenseofCongressthatthechainedCPIshouldnotbethebasisforCOLAsforSocialSecurity

benefits. “SocialSecurityisnotahandoutanddoesnotcon-tributetothedeficit.Itisanearnedbenefitthatretireespaidintofortheirentireworkinglife.Seniorsdeserveadecentstandardofliving,andwedeservethebenefitsthatwepaidfor.Justasimportantly,ourchildrenandgrandchildrendeservethesamebenefitswhenitcomestimeforthemtoretire.TheRIARAwillfightfortherightofallgenerationstohaveastrongandsecurere-tirement.TheywillfighttostoptheChainedCPI.Be-causesomecutsneverheal!”Pernoriosaid.

RI Congressional delegation joins protest against benefit cuts Submitted by the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans

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Canemployeeattitudesmakeadifferenceinbusi-ness?ArecentGallupPollandotherdataprovideanindisputableanswer:aresoundingyes!

Engaged employees are critical The Gallup Organization just released a surveythatupdatesattitudesonemployeeengagementintheworkplace.Employeeengagementisidentifiedashigh-levelsofworkforcemotivation.TheGallupSurveyhasconsistentlyshownthatahighlymotivatedworkforceprovidesmeasurableimprovementsinbusinessperfor-manceandprofitability.Translation:engagedemploy-eesarecriticaltogoodbusiness.

Survey—26 million employees in 89 countries Gallup has collected extensive data that trackedworkforceattributesforovertenyearsandhighlightedtheneedtomotivateandenergizetheworkforce.Over26millionemployeeshavebeensurveyedinsome89countries about attitudes towards workforce engage-ment.Somesombernews:yearsofresearchbyGalluphaveshownthatnomorethanathirdoftheworkforcecanbecalledengagedorfullyconnectedtothework-place.Mostemployeesfallintotwoothercategories—notengagedandactivelydisengaged.

U.S. workforce—70 percent not connected TheGallup2013Surveyalsoprovideddataonem-ployeesintheUnitedStatesandrevealedthatabout70percentoftheAmericanworkforcewasnotconnectedto the workplace and could be considered somewhatengagedoractivelydisengaged,meaningthattheyhave“checkedout”orhadnot shownany commitment totheplacetheywork.Activelydisengagedemployeesmayalsoexhibitvisiblesignsofdiscontentabouttheirjob.

The Q 12 Survey To develop measures or metrics on employee at-titudes in the workplace, Gallup established focusgroups and surveyed employees to develop what be-cameknownasQ12—aseriesof12questionsaboutattitudesandconcernsofemployees.TheresultsoftheQ12 survey accurately identified and predicted vari-ous levelsof jobperformance—meaning, thathighlymotivatedandhigh-performingemployeeswerecon-sistentlyidentifiedashavingthehighestscoresontheQ12questionnaire.

Simple questions Interestingly, the Q12 questions were relativelysimple,forexample:“Doyouknowwhatisexpectedof you at work? In the last seven days, have you re-ceivedrecognitionorpraiseforyourwork?Isthereatwork someone who encourages your development?”Having the ability to utilize predictors of outstand-ingworkforceperformancecanbeaninvaluabletoolfor all organizations. In a busy and highly competi-tivemarketplace,predictivecapabilitycanbecriticaltobusinesssuccess.

Top U.S. workplaces A look at topworkplaces across the countrypro-videsmorereal-lifeexamplesoftop-performanceworksites.WorkplaceDynamics,aconsultingservicesfirm,had also collected data on workplace attitudes andfoundsimilarresultsastheGallupOrganization—en-gagedemployeesarethecornerstoneofanyorganiza-tion,forbothprofit-makingandnon-profitventures.Foroveradecade,WorkforceDynamicsdevelopedan-nuallistingsofthebestplacestoworkacrossthena-tion—fromBostontoLosAngeles.Engagedemploy-

eesconsistentlyidentifiedtopworkplacesashavingapositiveenvironment.

More than just a place to work Top workplaces were identified by focusing on anumber of factors, among them: the direction of thecompany,qualityofmanagement,opencommunicationenvironment, openness to employee ideas and sugges-tions, a commitment to theneedsofworkforce, and abeliefthatemployeesweretrulyvaluedfortheirskillsandability. Inotherwords, topworkplaceswereviewedbyengagedemployeesasmorethan“justaplacetowork.”

Connecting the dots The Gallup Organization, Workplace Dynam-ics, and many other organizations, consistently havedocumentedthatworkplaceswithengagedemployeesaremoreprofitableandgenerategreaterreturnonin-vestment (ROI). So, engaged employees can providea critical competitive advantage to any business andhelpachievesignificantfinancialresults.Inconnectingthedots,it’simportanttonotethatthesamedataalsoshows that workplaces with engaged employees havelower turnover, lower health-care costs, and greateremployeeloyaltytotheorganization.

Think about it: sometimes doing the right thingmakesgoodbusinesssenseaswell.

John A. Furia previously served, for over 20 years, as Executive Director of AFSCME District Council 94, New England. He also has served on the Augsburg College faculty. The college is located in the Twin-Cities (Minne-apolis-St. Paul) and has been ranked as a top higher edu-cational institution in the Midwest. Furia now provides consulting services for JDF Communications.

Want a high-performance workforce? Employee engagement makes the difference By John A. Furia


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The food label—it seemed like aradical ideanot too long ago.Createdtoassisttheconsumerinunderstandingwhatwas in their food, thisnew labelenabledbigfoodcompaniestobecometransparentabouttheiringredients.Andsotheproblemsbegan.Clearlymarkedonthelabels,sometimesburiedinsmallprint were many unpronounceable in-gredients,whichonlythosemajoringinchemistry could articulate.Consumerswere leftevenmoreconfusedthanbe-fore labeling began.To help with thiscomplicated subject, let’smake it easy.Here are seven ingredients you shouldstayawayfrom.

Aspartame - Products such as EqualorNutraSweetcontain this ingredient.

Moreover,itisaddedinmanyprocessedproducts,notonlythoseclaimingtobelow calorie, but not always placed onthose mysterious labels.This chemicalsweetenerisloadedwithphenylalanine,whichisaneurotoxinthatmanyscien-tists believe can alter brain function,causebehavioralchangesinadults,andeven mental retardation in growingfetuses when used by mothers-to-be.Moreover,ithasalsobeenlinkedtosideeffectsthatincludeheadaches,seizures,menstrualproblems,andgastro-intesti-naldistress.

BHA and BHT - These abbreviatedchemical creations prevent foods thatcontain oils from going rancid. Thiscarcinogen has been linked to causing

cancerinlabanimalssuchasrats,mice,andhamsters.

Food Coloring - Designed to makefoodsmore attractive, foodcoloring isnotsopretty;forinstance,caramel-col-oringmanufacturinginvolvestheuseofindustrialsolventsandcarcinogens.Reddyenumber3isassociatedwithtumordevelopment.Reddye40andYellow6arecloselyassociatedwithaggressivebe-haviors and impulse control problemsin children. My advice, do not touchthisstuff.

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein -Thischemically-created, flavor-enhancinginvention is related to MSG. Sadly, ithasbeencamouflagedwithanewname.Enter Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein,also known as HVP, a substance thatcontainsMSG.Consequently,youcanstill wind up sickening yourself withheadaches, migraines, heart irregulari-ties,andsoon.Additionalmembersofthe MSG grouping to avoid include:autolyzedyeast extract andhydrolyzedyeastextract—theytoocanmakesensi-tivetypesfeelawful.

Parabens - These chemical preserva-tivescanbefoundinyourfavoritebeau-ty products and cosmetics. Strangelythough,theyhavefoundtheirwayintobakedgoodsandprocessedmeats.Yes,I saidmeats. Inventedto inhibitmoldgrowth, evidence has suggested thatparabens may contribute to hormone-relatedissuesinwomen,suchasbreastcancer, and lowered testosterone levelsinmen.

Partially Hydrogenated Oil - OK,please steer clearof this stuff.Partiallyhydrogenatedoilandtransfatsareoneand the same. Did you know that aproduct can claim zero gramsof transfat as long as there is less than half agramper serving?Doyourself a favor,andifyouseethisclaimonlabel,donotbuyit(evenifsaystransfatfree)Whytakeachancewithyourhealth?Thisoilmaymakeyourfoodlesslikelytospoil,butitalsoclogsyourarteries,increasesbad cholesterol, and lowers the goodcholesterol.Andmost folksdon’t real-ize that aproduct can claim“0g transfat” as longas there is less thanhalf agramperserving.Soifyouseeitonthelabel,don’tbuyit(evenif itsaystransfatfree).

Nitrites - We are all familiar withwhatmeat looks likewhen it is left inthe fridge fora fewdays. It isnot toopretty. Colors fade and a distinctiveodor spreads throughout the fridge.Spoiledmeatlooksprettyunappetizing.Thenlikemagic,oncethosenitratesareadded in and the meat is refrigerated,thecolorandshelflifeisextended.Theproblemsnowbeginwhenwe eat thispreservative. Nitrites trigger headachesandallergicreactions,andcanincreasetheriskofcanceroustumors.

Joy Feldman is a writer, lecturer, and author. She is the author of JoyfulCook-inginthePursuitofGoodHealth and Is Your Hair Made of Donuts? Learn more about her at www.joyfeldman.com and www.isyourhairmadeofdonuts.com

Food ingredients you should always avoid! By Joy Feldman, JD, NC


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STATEHOUSE – Governor Lin-coln Chafee last month approved leg-islation revising labor laws to allowstudents to train during school hoursin approved manufacturing career andtechnicalprograms. Thenewlawisaimedatallowingstudentsinterestedincareersintoday’smanufacturing industry to participatein programs that would prepare themfor that field with training programssimilar to career and technical highschool programs for other industries,such as auto mechanics, construction,and culinary arts. In creating this op-portunity, the state has the chance tohelpfosterawell-trainedworkforcethatcould attract manufacturers to RhodeIsland. Rep. Mia Ackerman (D-Dist. 45,Cumberland, Lincoln), sponsor of theHousebill(HB6062A),saidgivingstu-dentshands-onexperienceinthework-ing world is one of the most valuablecommodities one can have in today’sworld.

“Asweallknow,thejobmarketisdifficult in Rhode Island,” Ackermansaid. “With this bill, we can open upanotheravenuetotheyouthofRhodeIslandandgivethemtheopportunitiestolearn,findworkandprosperwithinourgreatstate.” Senate Majority Whip MaryellenGoodwin,sponsoroftheSenatebill(SB0950A), added the legislation directstheDepartmentofLaborandTrainingto establish these manufacturing stan-dardsforpre-apprenticeshiportrainingagreements with a joint employer andemployeegroups. “There are sectors within manu-facturing that require highly-trainedemployeesandthatpayaccordinglyforthosevaluableskills.Wewantthosein-dustriesandthosejobshereinRhodeIs-land,andinordertogetthem,wehavetocreatethekindoftrainedworkforcetheyneed,” saidGoodwin (D-Dist. 1,Providence).“Forstudentswhoarein-terestedinthemanufacturingindustry,thisisanopportunitytogetalegup,to

acquiresomeoftheadvancedskillsthatareneededintoday’sindustry,andtobeready to advance in their career whentheygraduate.” TheHousebillispartoftheHouseleadership’s 18-bill economic develop-ment package, which it introducedfollowing an economic conference inwhich state representatives heard fromavarietyofstakeholdersandexpertsonideasforimprovingthestate’seconomy.Followinguponthatconference,severalHouse committees conducted numer-ouspublichearingswithtestimonyof-feredbybusiness,regulatory,workforcedevelopment,andeducation leaders toaidinthedevelopmentofthelegislation.

Cosponsors in the House includeRepresentatives K. Joseph Shekarchi(D-Dist. 23,Warwick), John Edwards(D-Dist. 70, Portsmouth, Tiverton),Katherine Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, EastProvidence), and Marvin Abney (D-Dist. 73, Newport, Middletown). Co-sponsors of the Senate companion in-cludeSenateMajorityLeaderDominickRuggerio(D-Dist.4,NorthProvidence,Providence) and Senators Stephen Ar-chambault (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield,North Providence, Johnston), FrankLombardi(D-Dist.26,Cranston),andPaul Fogarty (D-Dist. 23, Glocester,Burrillville,NorthSmithfield).

New law promotes manufacturing apprenticeships for youth


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STATEHOUSE—With GovernorLincoln Chafee’s signature last monthonthefinaloutstandingelementsoftheSenate’s “Moving the Needle” packageof economic development legislation,28oftheinitiativesaimedatimprovingthe business climate in Rhode Islandhavebeenpassed. “TheSenatetookamulti-facetedap-proach to creating a vibrant economicclimateinRhodeIslandandencourag-ingjobcreation,”saidSenatePresidentM. Teresa Paiva Weed. “The Movingthe Needle package of legislation ad-dresses workforce development andeducation,burdensomecodesandregu-lations, tax incentives, and our overallapproachtoeconomicdevelopment inRhode Island. The successful passageofthislegislationisacredittomycol-

leaguesintheSenate,whoarecommit-tedtoimprovingthebusinessclimateinRhode Island, andourpartners in theHouse, the Governor’s administration,theprivateandnon-profitsectors,and,ofcourse,thebusinesscommunity.” These economic policy initiativesstemmed from a report producedjointlybytheSenateandtheRhodeIs-landPublicExpenditureCouncil.The“Moving theNeedle” report examinedthe factors underlying Rhode Island’sranking in national business-climatesurveys and made recommendationsfor improvement.Legislationwas sub-mitted addressing the state’s approachto economic development, workforcedevelopment, education, costofdoingbusiness,codesandregulations,andtaxincentives.

TheSenateworkedwiththeHouseof Representatives and the Governor’sadministrationoncomplementaryeco-nomic development proposals, all ofwhich demonstrate the commitmentof the General Assembly to improv-ing Rhode Island’s image as business-friendly. Thebillsthatpassedinclude:

APPrOACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTLong-Term Strategic Vision. SB0712A, sponsored by Senate MajorityLeader Dominick J. Ruggerio, Presi-dent Paiva Weed, and Senators Louis

DiPalma, Ryan Pearson, and WilliamWalaska,establishesaneconomicdevel-opmentplanningcouncil todevelopawritten, long-term economic develop-mentpolicyandstrategicplantoenactthat policy. (Companion legislation,HB6069,wassubmittedintheHousebyMajorityLeaderNicholasMattiello.)

Establishment of a Council of Eco-nomic Advisors.SB0730A,sponsoredbySenatorsRogerPicard,RyanPearson,DavidBates,PaivaWeed,andWalaska,establishes a new council of economicadvisors consisting of nine individualsappointed by the Governor, includingSee Law cont. on page 19

28-bill economic development package legislation becomes law


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five public members. The council willgather,analyze,andreportoneconomicdataandinformationonRhodeIsland’seconomy. (Companion legislation: HB6070,Rep.DonnaWalsh.)

reform and rebrand EDC.SB0718B,sponsored by Senators James Sheehan,Walaska,WalterFelag,MaryellenGood-win, and Paul Jabour, eliminates theEconomic Development Corporation,creatinganewRhodeIslandCommerceCorporationtotakeonitsformerduties.Specific guidelines are set out, includ-ing: requiringboardmembers toadoptamissionstatementthatstatespurposesand goals of the corporation, identifiesitsstakeholdersandtheirreasonableex-pectations, and lists measurements forperformance and achievement of goals;establishing quantifiable performancemeasurements for all programs of thecorporation and its subsidiaries; andpubliclypostingallenablinglegislation,its mission statement, bylaws, regula-tions,andboardmeetings,amongotherdocuments. The Commerce Corpora-tion will also be required to establishguidelines,principals,andprocesses forall loans and financing programs, in-cluding risk assessments and metrics,similartothelendingguidelinesusedbybanks and other financial institutions.(Companionlegislation:HB6071,Rep.StephenUcci.)

‘Made in rhode Island’ Collaborative. SB0809A,sponsoredbyGoodwin,cre-atestheMadeinRhodeIslandManufac-turingCollaborative,whichwillworktopromoteandmarketRhodeIsland-madeproducts.ThecollaborativewillalsoberesponsibleforprovidingannualreportstotheGovernorandGeneralAssemblyregardingthebrandingandmarketingofsuchproducts. (Companionlegislation:HB6030,Rep.JeremiahO’Grady.)

“State of the Arts” Task Force. SB0914, a joint resolution sponsoredby Paiva Weed, Ruggerio and Sena-tors Joshua Miller, Juan Pichardo, andGoodwin, requests that the governorestablishtheRhodeIsland“StateoftheArts” Planning Task Force. (Compan-ion:2013-H6142,SpeakeroftheHouseGordonFox.)

Business Voices on Statewide Planning.SB0760,sponsoredbySenateMinorityLeaderDennisAlgiereandSenatorsPaulFogarty,Jabour,HaroldMetts,andPich-ardo,addstwobusinessrepresentativesaspublic members to the Statewide Plan-ningBoard.(Companionlegislation:HB6285,Rep.KennethMarshall.)

retaining renewable Energy Fund at EDC. Incorporated into thebudget,this requirement keeps the renewableenergy fund at the Economic Develop-mentCorporation—nowtheCommerceCorporation—forbusinessdevelopmentpurposes, instead of moving it into theOfficeofEnergyResources.Thepropos-albeganasseparatelegislation,SB0735,sponsored by Senators Bates, SusanSosnowski, Miller, DiPalma, and FrankLombardi.

Improve EDC Web Site. SB 0714, aSenateresolutionsponsoredbySenatorsMarcCote,StephenArchambault,AdamSatchell,LeonidasRaptakis,andWilliamConley,requeststhattheOfficeofDigi-tal Excellence, in partnership with theEconomic Development Corporation,upgrade and improve the EDC’s Website to align with Web sites of leadingstates.

Executive Office of Commerce. SB1048, sponsored by Pearson and Shee-han, creates the Executive Office ofCommerceonFebruary1,2015,whichwillserveastheprincipalstateagencyformanagingandpromotingcommerceandtheeconomy.ItalsocreatesaGovernor’sCabinet on Workforce and Commerce;elevates the role of regulatory reformand housing development to the newCommerceOffice;andseekstoexpeditepermitting across all state departmentsdealing with businesses. (Companionlegislation: HB 6063B, Rep. HelioMelo.)

WOrKFOrCE DEVELOPMENTBack to Work rI. SB0402B,sponsoredbySenatorErinLynch,PaivaWeed,Al-giere, Cote, and Ruggerio, creates theBack to Work Rhode Island program,which will provide individuals collect-ingunemploymentsecuritybenefitswithplanned, structured, and career-relevant

job training at companies looking tohire, and assists employers in locatingandobtainingskilled,wellqualified jobcandidates. Funding for this initiativewas included in the budget. (Compan-ion legislation: HB 5033, Rep. JosephMcNamara.)

Addressing the Child-care Benefits Cliff. Included in the budget was cre-ationofapilotchild-careassistancetran-sitionprogramforfamiliesonthevergeof losingallchild-careassistance if theyreceive a slight increase in income.TheproposalwasoriginallysubmittedasSB0736, sponsored by Senator ElizabethCrowley,Pichardo,Metts,GayleGoldin,andSosnowski.(Companion:HB5132,Rep.GraceDiaz.)

Child-care for Training Participants.Incorporatedintothebudgetwasanini-tiative to provide short-term child-careforqualifyingfamiliessothatthefamilymemberscanparticipateintraining,ap-prenticeship, internship,andon-the-jobtraining programs funded by the Hu-manResourcesInvestmentCouncil.Theproposal began as SB 0250, sponsoredbyGoldin,Crowley,Jabour,Miller,andPichardo. (Companion legislation: HB5473,Rep.DeborahRuggiero.)

Pre-Apprenticeship Training. SB0950A,sponsoredbyGoodwin,Rugge-rio, Archambault, Lombardi, and Fog-arty, instructs theDepartmentofLaborandTrainingtoestablishmanufacturingstandardsforpre-apprenticeshiportrain-ingagreementssothatolderyouthmayobtain jobexposure. (Companionlegis-lation:HB6062,Ackerman.)

Enhanced Jobs Match Program. TheEnhanced Jobs Match Program, which

was incorporated into the budget, cre-atesaneasy-to-use,Web-basedprogramfor employers and jobs seekers whichefficiently identifies and addresses skillsgapsamongjobseekers.Theinitiallegis-lation,SB0403,wassponsoredbyShee-han,Fogarty,PaivaWeed,Ruggerio,andAlgiere. (Companion legislation: HB5939,Walsh.)

EDUCATIONreverse Transfer of College Credits.SB1046requeststhestateBoardofEduca-tionsetforthregulationsthatwouldpro-vide a policy for the reverse transfer ofcreditsfromafour-yearschooltoatwo-year institution.The Senate ResolutionwassponsoredbySenatorsPichardoandHannaGallo.

Dual Enrollment. SB 0639B, spon-sored by Senator Michael McCaffrey,Paiva Weed, Ruggerio, Gallo, and Di-Palma, requires theBoardofEducationtoprescribeandregulateastatewidedualenrollmentpolicythatwouldallowstu-dentstoenrollincoursesatpostsecond-aryinstitutionstosatisfyacademiccreditrequirements in both high school andpostsecondary schools. (Companion:HB6290,Rep.WilliamO’Brien.)

‘Finish What You Started’ Outreach. SB0512,sponsoredbyEducationCom-mittee Chairwoman Hanna Gallo andPichardo, Satchell, DiPalma, and Lom-bardi, isaSenateresolutionrespectfullyurging the Rhode Island CommissiononHigherEducationtoassistintheco-ordination and expansion of programswithinRhodeIsland’spublicuniversities See Law cont. on page 21

Law cont. from page 17


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and institutions which are intended tohelpindividuals,includingtheestimated110,000RhodeIslanderswithsomecol-lege educationbutnodegree, return toschool,andgainacredential.

COST OF DOINg BUSINESSAccelerated Depreciation. Accelerateddepreciation for state tax purposes wasincludedinthebudgetandallowsfasterdepreciationonthevalueofnewequip-mentpurchasedbybusinessesandman-ufacturers. Instead of that depreciationbeingspreadoverseveralyears,itwillbealignedwithfederalstandardsthatallowmuch more of the depreciation in thefirst year, to the benefit of businesses.The initial legislation, SB 0744, was

sponsoredbySenateFinanceCommitteeChairman Daniel Da Ponte and Bates,Pearson,DiPalma,andFelag.(Compan-ion:HB5478,Rep.LarryValencia.)

Health Care reform Act. SB 0540A,known as the Health Care Reform Actof2013,wassponsoredbySenateHealthandHumanServicesCommitteeChair-man Joshua Miller and Senators Chris-topherOttiano,Goldin,CatherineCoolRumsey, and Donna Nesselbush. Thishealthcarecost containment legislationmakesanumberof substantivechangestothegeneralhealthcarelawsandprovi-sionstocontrolthecostsofhealthcare,increasetransparency inthesystem,ad-dressmarketpower,andimproveaccesstoandqualityofcareforall.(Compan-

ion:HB6283,Rep.CaleKeable.)

renewable Energy Law revisions – Distributed generation. SB 0641B,sponsored by Walaska, Miller, PaivaWeed,Ruggerio,andDiPalma,isanen-ergycostsavingsbill.Itamendsthedefi-nitionofa“smalldistributedgenerationproject” and would allow hydroelectricprojects to participate in the standardcontract enforcement program. (Com-panion legislation: HB 5803, Rep. Ar-thurHandy.)

Biweekly Pay. SB 0980, sponsored bySenators Picard, Miller, Lynch, Pear-son,andFrankLombardo,establishesaprocessforbusinessestopaywagesonabi-weeklybasis,savingonadministrative

costs.(Companion:HB6065,Rep.JoyHearn;thisbillwasopposedbylabor.)

CODES AND rEgULATIONSMunicipal Advisory Council for State-wide Planning. SB 0757A, sponsoredbySosnowski,DiPalma,Lynch,Crowley,andPaivaWeed,establishesaMunicipalAdvisoryCounciltoStatewidePlanningtodeveloprecommendationstoestablisha statewide process for electronic planreview,encouragemunicipalitiestopar-ticipate, and review those who are notparticipatingeverythreemonths.(Com-panion legislation:HB6322,O’Brien.)See Law cont. on page 23



ExECUTIVE BOArDKevinCole•NickDeCristofaro•BrianFarrell•ChristopherLemire

VirginiaMoffitt•AtthurOlink•FrankPlutzner•VinRowan

SCHOOL BUS DIVISIONS

Warwick-Jamestown:DaveKilduff•BrendaPaine•MaryTarbox

Johnston:KimCastiglioni•WendyLaCombe

Limerock Fire Fighters:JonWright


Single State Standard for Septic and Wetlands Setbacks.SB0672A,spon-soredbyLynch,PaivaWeed,Ruggerio,Nesselbush, and Crowley, establishesa task force representingdiverse inter-ests to prepare recommendations forsingle statewidestandards thataddresson-site wastewater treatment systems(OWTS)regulationsandwetlandsandwatershedplanning.(Companion:HB5425,Rep.PatriciaSerpa.)

Expedited Processing of DEM Cita-tions.SB0495A,sponsoredbyWalas-kaandSosnowski,provides for timelyand streamlined resolution of DEMcitations for non-compliance viola-tionswhicharenotindispute.Thebillpromotesthetimelyandeffectivereso-lution of small violations and a quickreturntocompliance.(Companionleg-islation:HB5677,Valencia.)

Code Consistency Council. SB0761A,sponsoredbyFogarty,McCaf-frey,Lombardo,Nesselbush,andGallo,establishesaCodeConsistencyCounciltoexaminethebuilding,fire,elevator,and relatedcodes forconsistency.Thecouncilwoulddeterminewhich codeswilltakepriorityincertainsituationsaswellasestablishamoreconsistentanduniform structure. (Companion: HB6323,Kazarian.)

TAx INCENTIVESStatewide Arts District. Incorporatedinto the budget was the proposal toprovideastatewidesalestaxexemptionfororiginalworksofartmadeinRhodeIsland.Theoriginalproposalwascon-tainedinSB0743,sponsoredbyPaivaWeed, Sheehan, Goodwin, Ruggerio,and CoolRumsey. (Companion legis-lation:HB5844,Walsh.)

Historic Tax Credit reauthorization.Alsoincorporatedintothebudget,SB0733, sponsored by Goodwin, Pich-ardo,Pearson,Miller,andPaivaWeed,allowstheEDCandtheRhodeIslandHistorical Preservation and HeritageCommissiontosolicitandacceptnewhistorictaxcreditapplicationsforproj-ects to replace those projects whichhave been abandoned. (Companionlegislation:HB6060,O’Grady.)

Tax Credit Evaluation. SB 0734B,sponsored by Da Ponte, Goodwin,Ruggerio,PaivaWeed, andLynch, re-quires the Director of the Office ofManagementandBudget toprepareareviewandinventoryofallreportsfromthe executive office and other stateagenciesthatarefiledwiththeGeneralAssembly.Thisactcreates the“RhodeIsland Economic Development TaxIncentivesEvaluationActof2013” to

provideanassessmentofthestate’staxincentiveprograms. (Companion:HB5742,Rep.TeresaTanzi.)

Passage of the legislative packagebuildsontheGeneralAssembly’sworkoverthepastseveralsessionstoimprovethe state’s economic competitiveness,including the creation of the Officeof Regulatory Reform, pro-growth re-forms to the state’s income tax, de-veloping a single statewide electronicpermittingsystem,andinvestments inworkforce development.The compre-hensiveapproachrecognizesthatthereisnoquickfixtoimprovingthestate’slong-term economic competitiveness,andthat,tocontendandsucceedintheglobaleconomy,RhodeIslandneedstoexcelinarangeofareas.



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Common Ground August 2013

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