WASHINGTON — September 6, 2018 — The following is a joint statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and Teamsters Canada President François Laporte in response to ongoing North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) reform discussions taking place in Washington now between U.S. and Canadian trade representatives and the need for a trilateral agreement.

“The Teamsters are encouraged to see U.S. and Canadian representatives sitting down this week and trying to reach agreement on essential outstanding issues as part of NAFTA 2.0. Canada’s inclusion in any revamped trade deal is necessary if the Teamsters are ultimately going to endorse this pact.

“Likewise, all North American nations must be included in a freight rail fix the Teamsters and our Mexican rail union brethren are demanding that would protect the jobs of some 143,000 freight rail workers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It builds off an agreement reached by the continent’s railway unions two decades ago in the spirit of solidarity — that no movement of employees across borders would occur absent explicit agreement with the unions permitting it.

“The U.S. Teamsters-affiliated Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen sent a letter to President Trump in July informing him that Kansas City Southern Railway was already allowing Mexican rail workers to staff trains inside U.S. borders, in violation of federal law.

“Similarly, Teamsters Canada sent a letter to the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs in late August calling on Canada to protect its rail members from companies wishing to replace them with U.S. workers. It referenced the 2015 actions of Canadian Pacific Railway as necessitating the request.

“We note that the exclusion of foreign rail crews that the Mexican government inserted in the original NAFTA is likely to survive into the replacement agreement and therefore we call on the U.S. and Canadian governments to similarly protect our freight rail crew members. These workers are members of BLET and TCRC, Teamsters all, and we expect that their existing collective bargaining agreements will be honored and their jobs will be protected from unilateral cross-border incursion under any new trilateral NAFTA replacement.

“The threat to North American rail workers is real. We urge the U.S. and Canada to make sure these workers are protected as part of a new NAFTA.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Posted September 7, 2018

Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters

NEW YORK CITY — September 6, 2018 — Community organizations in Baltimore, Los Angeles and Philadelphia will receive grants totaling $330,000 to help transform vacant lots into sports, recreation and play spaces.

The 12 awards, announced today, are part of ESPN’s RePlay initiative, a collaboration with Under Armour and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the nation’s leading community development finance institutions.

RePlay seeks to help local organizations and residents plan and implement revitalization projects that transform vacant spaces into safe, quality places for youth and community. The grants will be awarded in $75,000, $25,000 and $10,000 increments to a total of 12 organizations. All are intended to help groups revitalize vacant spaces, which present great opportunities for access to safe, healthy recreation.

According to the Brookings Institution, in 60 U.S. cities with populations over 100,000, there are an average of two vacant buildings for every 1,000 residents. “At ESPN, we’re committed to providing access to sports for all people, especially in underserved communities where places to play sports aren’t always available,” said Kevin Martinez, ESPN vice president of Corporate Citizenship. “RePlay aims to turn these vacant lots into play spaces that act as vibrant hubs at the heart of their communities. Together with Under Armour, LISC and local residents, we’re excited to transform these vacant properties into valuable community assets.”

LISC, which has nearly 40 years of experience working with community organizations, identified the projects through a formal application process and will provide technical assistance to local residents and community groups in the predevelopment and construction phases. ESPN and Under Armour are providing funding for the grants.

The $75,000 implementation grants are for:

• Telesis Baltimore Corporation, which is creating a recreation space on two vacant lots adjacent to the Greenmount Recreation Center. New spaces will include a rock climbing wall, a play lawn, a giant chessboard and smaller chess tables.
• City Neighbors Charter School in Baltimore, which will transform a vacant house into a playground and community park. The Malone Children Memorial Playground will be dedicated to the memory of six children, two who were students at the school, who died in a fire.
• Kounkuey Design Initiative in Los Angeles, which will transform six city-owned vacant lots into play spaces.

The $25,000 implementation grant is for:

• One Day at a Time/ Urban Affairs Coalition in Philadelphia, which will build an off-street bicycle riding track adjacent to the Winchester Recreation Center.

The $10,000 planning grants are for:

• ACHIEVEablility in Philadelphia, to transform a vacant space behind the New Market West building into a recreation/community space.
• HACE CDC in Philadelphia, to develop a walking/running track along the Conrail rail line in the Fairhill neighborhood.
• Make the World Better Foundation in Philadelphia, to revitalize an abandoned lot in South Philadelphia.
• New Kensington CDC in Philadelphia, to turn a vacant, 10,000-square-foot lot into a mini soccer pitch.
• Belmont Alliance CDC in Philadelphia, to revitalize two abandoned, vacant lots into community spaces for adults and children.
• Parks and People Foundation in Baltimore, to refurbish Gateway Park into a youth recreation space. The grant will be used for construction design and plan development.
• Reservoir Hill Improvement Council in Baltimore, to develop an open space and recreation plan for Reservoir Hill and Penn North, including a recreational trail linking the two communities.
• Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, to assist with community organizing and planning for the transformation of a vacant lot into a park that will provide access to sports, recreation and play for local residents.

LISC President and CEO Maurice A. Jones said the RePlay Program is an important part of LISC’s mission to revitalize communities. “Restoring vacant areas into safe, recreational sports and play spaces not only give youth a place to exercise and learn sports, they are also places that bring residents together and become a source of pride for the neighborhood,” he said. “Our partnership with ESPN and Under Armour gives us an opportunity to strengthen communities across the country.”

Partnering with ESPN and LISC for the RePlay Initiative is true to the spirit of Under Armour and its approach to reinvigorating the model of how companies and communities work together to create positive, lasting change. “At Under Armour we believe innovation should be encouraged everywhere – including in our communities,” said Stacey Ullrich, Under Armour’s Senior Director of Global Philanthropy. “We’re thrilled to join forces with ESPN and LISC to award these grants to organizations that ignite innovation and bring the joy of sport and recreation to our communities. Because we all know that sport can inspire, unite and even change the world.”

Posted September 7, 2018

Source: LISC

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — September 7, 2018 — Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Corp., whose six locations serve hospitals and health systems across the western U.S. and Canada, has been recertified Clean Green, reflecting the company’s continued dedication to standards for operational efficiency and sustainability. The certification quantifies linen, uniform and facility services’ environmentally friendly performance by confirming an operation launders within TRSA-designated water and energy use thresholds; and verifies use of best management practices (BMPs) in line with the ASTM International environmental laundering standard. Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Corp.’s laundries are located in Albuquerque, N.M., Oklahoma City, Okla., Tacoma, Wash.,  and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario (Mississauga) and British Columbia (Abbotsford and Kelowna).

Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Corp.’s customers can be assured their reusable healthcare textiles are washed, dried and finished with processes that maximize sustainability and reduce greenhouse emissions. Clean Green certified operations demonstrate significant commitment to conservation and green operations through these BMPs:

• Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water;
• Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse;
• Using environmentally friendly detergents;
• Removing solids and liquids from wastewater;
• Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting;
• Recycling programs;
• Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel; and
• Spill prevention plans.

Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Corp.  earned the Clean Green certification initially in 2012. The designation is valid for three years at a time. TRSA inspects laundry facilities seeking certification and approves documentation of their water and energy use and BMP deployment through production reports they submit to auditors during the inspections. TRSA’s certification management protocol includes auditor training by the association’s inspection program administrator.

Clean Green aligns with the ASTM International standard, Guide for Sustainable Laundry Practices, which recognizes key criteria for the certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work. ASTM’s review of TRSA BMPs verified these as the most effective and practical techniques for a laundry to achieve green objectives.

TRSA members prompted development of the standard, which was vetted in the sustainability subcommittee of the ASTM Committee on Textiles. Top technical experts, scientists and environmental professionals from outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry reviewed the BMPs. ASTM is the global leader in developing and delivering voluntary consensus standards unparalleled in building consumer confidence in product and service quality.

“I applaud Ecotex for their ongoing sustainability efforts and maintaining the highest standards in their production and delivery operations,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “Meeting all the criteria for certification is not easy, but the company is committed to industry-leading processes and technologies.”

Posted September 7, 2018

Source: TRSA