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Local #3 General Membership Meeting
August 13
The next Local #3 General Membership Meeting will take place Thursday, August 13, 2015. The meetings occur on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 5:00 PM at 158-11 Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Avenue, Flushing, NY 11365.
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Legislative News
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NYC Department of Buildings Introduces a New Code of Conduct
Last week, the NYC Department of Buildings announced that they will be issuing a new Code of Conduct for construction industry professionals and others who conduct business with the Department to use. Topics discussed are ethical codes and principles, licensing standards, abuse of privileges, the DOB Bill of Rights and FAQs. Architects and engineers, licensees and registrants, filing representatives, code and zoning representatives, workers and property owners should use the new code as a guide when conducting business with Department employees.
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The U.S. Department of Labor Proposes FLSA Overtime Changes to the White-Collar Exception
In March of 2014, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum, directing the Department of Labor to modernize the regulations defining which white collar workers are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime standards, and ensuring the overtime protections are fully implemented. The FLSA guarantees a minimum wage and overtime pay for hours worked over 40 hours in a work-week. In June, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking called upon the President to update and revise the regulations related to "white collar" exemption, as it was premised on the belief that the exempted workers earned salaries well above the minimum wage, setting them apart from workers entitled to overtime pay.
Following months of consultations with employers, workers, unions and other stakeholders, the Department of Labor developed a proposal. Notable stipulations include updating the salary level to $50,440 a year for overtime payment exemption, which extended overtime pay to nearly 5 million workers within the first year of its implementation, and automatically updating the salary level on an annual basis so that it does not become outdated. Public comments will be accepted on the NPRM for 60 days or until August 30, 2015.
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Noteworthy Projects
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Hudson Yards Devises Plan to Grow Healthy Public Square Garden over Train Yards
The Hudson Yards Project will be between West 30th and West 34th Streets in Manhattan, with much of the development projected to be over the John D. Caemmerer West Side Storage Yard. The Storage Yard is home to Long Island Rail Road cars, waiting to embark on their routes and dispersing massive amounts of heat above them. The heat, fumes and other releases from the idling trains are not the most conducive environment to grow a healthy, 4.5 acre public square garden on, not to mention, the reduced space when sewer lines, ventilation and utility lines are placed on the same roof area.
The landscape architects who designed the layout of 225 trees and 28,000 plants proposed to grow atop the rail yard have created a plan for a healthy Public Square. The plan includes cooling slabs between the hot air of the train and the plant's roots, fans and layers of soil to protect the growing garden. The Hudson Yards Project is expected to finish in 2018, so we will just have to wait until then to see if Mother Nature can win over the machines rumbling below.
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JFK Terminal Construction: Animal Oasis for Easier
Transport with Furry Friends
Dog lovers, worry about your pets no more while hopping on an airplane. JFK is building a $48 million terminal for safer and easier travel. The animal terminal, dubbed "The Ark," is a 178,000 square foot shelter and quarantine area for animals who are getting ready or getting off flights. The Ark is equipped with a 20,000-square foot dog resort featuring bone-shaped pools and pooch spa services, a Cat Adventure Jungle and a luxury dog boarding kennel where rooms go for $100 a night. The Ark isn't just for pets, though; it is equipped with facilities for nearly any kind of critter. Horses relax in climate-controlled stalls with soft floors to accommodate their hooves, livestock have their own deluxe facilities and even zoo animals have a spot of their own at the Ark.
The facility is expected to open next year, with over 70,000 animals passing through its doors per year. So, remember while you are waiting in lines and stuffing your bags into overhead bins, Fido and Fluffy are getting Pawdicures and romping around on custom-made climbing trees. How's that for first class?
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