Plane Safety Questioned By Pilots At Allegiant Air, Which Serves LVIA, Report Says

Allegiant Air pilots, who are locked in tense contract negotiations with the low-cost carrier, say they are worried about repeated safety problems with the carrier’s fleet, according to a report.

The carrier serves Lehigh Valley International Airport and maintains major hubs in Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Las Vegas. The pilots authorized a strike last month but later agreed to stay on the job while a federal judge reviews arguments from their union and the airline’s management.

The pilots are now saying they’re concerned about mechanical problems with the airline’s fleet of older planes, poor maintenance and “a culture where profits come before safety,” according to a story published Monday on the New York Times website. 

Read more:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015/04/plane_safety_questioned_by_pil.html

Hostess, Maker Of Twinkies, To Close

Hostess Brands Inc. says it’s going out of business after striking workers across the country crippled its ability to make its Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Wonder Bread and other snacks.

The company had warned employees that it would file a motion with U.S. Bankruptcy Court today seeking permission to shutter its operations and sell assets if plants didn’t resume normal operations by a Thursday evening deadline.

The closing would mean the loss of about 18,500 jobs.

“Many people have worked incredibly long and hard to keep this from happening, but now Hostess Brands has no other alternative than to begin the process of winding down and preparing for the sale of our iconic brands,” CEO Gregory Rayburn said in a letter to employees posted on the company website.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=428558

Candlelight Vigil Held Tonight At St. John’s UCC Pottstown For Union Workers

The long drawn out union negotiations at PMMC are wearing down the hard working staff.  A candlelight vigil was held at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Pottstown this afternoon at 4 pm.  Hospital workers, union representatives, Pottstown Mayor Sharon Thomas and the press gathered to pray for a settlement and support each other during this difficult time.

Community Health Services of Brentwood, TN bought PMMC a few years ago and has transformed our caring community hospital into a “profit center”.  CHS has failed to show up at three of the last four bargaining sessions.  The contact has been extended twice already so the union voted overwhelming to go on a three day strike in December to protest unfair labor practices by CHS. 

While most of the country is in a recession, CHS is making record breaking profits and for the 3rd Quarter of 2009, their profits increased a whopping 13%.  CHS is trying to take away worker pensions and replace them with a 401K and has not made any indication of what, if any, matching contributions would be.  Also, CHS proposes to drastically increase employee health care contributions.  In the case of part time employees their out of pocket contributions would increase 400%!

Many workers spoke as well as union leaders.  A letter from US Senator Bob Casey (D) was read showing his support for the union and the hard working PMMC employees.  Two nurses from the Wyoming Valley (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area) came in support of hospital workers.  They briefly spoke saying their hospital was recently purchased by CHS and they are having similar difficulty in negotiating with CHS.  They wanted to show their solidarity to the workers in Pottstown.

Channel 6 was also there and interviewed several key people.

The attached pictures hopefully put a human face on the struggle to get fair and equitable treatment for our hospital workers.  These are Pottstown area people who are trying to get a fair contract from a corporate giant who evidently cares little for the Pottstown community.

Rev. Karen Creasy, Pastor of St. John’s UCC lead the service which included a Litany for Solidarity and candle lighting.  Participants prayed that God would loosen the hard heartedness of those at CHS and PMMC.

There are two more bargaining sessions before the strike deadline.  November 24th and November 30th.

CHS Continues To Drag Feet On PMMC Negotiations – Strike Threatened

I have been watching this situation unfold and am not surprised it has come to this.  CHS has done some good things at PMMC by bringing in more doctors, expanding services and buying new and better equipment. However, their treatment of the staff is poor. 

I know a number of staff members at the hospital and attended the Sunnybrook Rally and the Board of Directors Meeting.  I feel I have some perspective on this situation as an outside observer.  Workers are stressed out and the proposed contract is beyond unfair. 

If CHS were struggling financially and needed the workers to make concessions to keep the doors open, I would feel differently.  What I see is another corporate giant worried about increasing their bottom line, not the people who work to make PMMC profitable. 

Mr. Kirby isn’t making PMMC profitable all by himself.  The other 1100 people who work at the hospital contribute to that success as well.  There is no I in team!

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center Employees Rally At Sunnybrook

Check out my coverage of this afternoon’s PMMC union rally at Sunnybrook on the Pottstown Herald!   The Mercury did not cover this event!!

http://pottstownherald.com/pottstown-memorial-medical-center-employees-rally-at-sunnybrook/1432/

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center Employees To Hold Rally On Wednesday – 4 PM At Sunnybrook

I have been asked to cover a union rally Wednesday at Sunnybrook.  PMMC employees are working under an expired but extended contract.  Pottstown Memorial Medical Center is Pottstown’s largest employer! 

The rally will be held at Sunnybrook – 4 PM this Wednesday.  I have no details if the rally is being held inside or outside but I was told by a reliable source that it is being held.  I intend to cover this event and report back via the Pottstown Herald and my blog. 

Stay tuned for further details!