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Current News

Last Updated: November 10, 2008
Current News gives you just that — a first, capsulized look at current stories and photos from around the Joint Board which have not appeared anywhere else. In most instances, you'll find the full version of each story, and often additional pictures, in the next issue of "Reflections", the Joint Board's quarterly newspaper.

Bard College workers win year-round medical coverage

George Kimball

Local 4 members who work in food service at Bard College near Poughkeepsie have approved a new, three-year pact featuring not only wage hikes, but year-round medical coverage that is free for an individual policy. Chief negotiator and business rep George Kimball stressed that it’s the first time members have ever had year round coverage. “This is a big victory for our members. It was a sight to see our negotiating committee in action. From today forward, the general manager will forever look at our members differently,” Kimball noted.

The year-round medical coverage mirrors a similar agreement Kimball and union negotiators were able to hammer out for members working in food service at SUNY Plattsburgh. The Local 4 members at Bard have also won 4% raises each year of the agreement and other contract improvements. They work for Chartwell’s in a wide variety of food service jobs at Bard. Chartwell’s holds the food service contract at the college.

Francis Pollizi retires after 52-year career

Francis Pollizi

Francis Pollizi has retired after a 52-year career at Stern and Stern in Hornell. That’s quite a career considering he went to work for the company in 1956 as a temporary worker.

Over the years, Pollizi did a variety of jobs, including warp mounter, cloth dauber, smash fixer, side machine helper, and, finally, weaver. He was in that weaving job from 1983 until his recent retirement. He was chief shop steward at the company longer than many people work — 35 years, a post he held until he retired. “I always tried to represent the people the very best I could," Pollizi noted.

In his retirement, Pollizi intends to continue his interest in doing some cooking at home. He also intends to walk in good weather and watch a little television. Pollizi and his wife, Barbara, have been married 52 years. They have three sons and four daughters, all adults; 19 grandchildren; and three great-grand-children.

More Local 150 jobs will be created by $20 million hotel project

Ann Marie Taliercio

The Liverpool Holiday Inn complex is undergoing a $20 million expansion and renovation that will add more jobs for Local 150 members, business rep Ann Marie Taliercio announced. The project, which will be finished next year, will create more housekeeping, food service and banquet server jobs, she noted. Local 150 already represents members working in those capacities at the current Holiday Inn facility.

In the first phase of the project, a major expansion is creating a 123-room Staybridge Hotel that will adjoin the existing Holiday Inn. The Staybridge will be operated separately as an extended stay hotel. In the second phase, the current Holiday Inn will be extensively refurbished and renovated, and some 10,000 square feet of new meeting space will be added.

Taliercio emphasized that “because of the relationship we have been able to establish with management, the new employees will be hired under the existing contract, maintaining one seniority list per classification.” She said the only negotiating will be to define the workday for room attendants who will be assigned to the Staybridge Hotel. “At present, the housekeepers are responsible to clean a minimum of 15 rooms daily. Since the new Staybridge will have apartments, the question to decide is how many apartments equals 15 rooms.”