Union janitors at PC ratify 5-year contract

The 50 unionized janitors at Providence College, who work under contract with their employer, Hurley of America, have ratified a five-year contract. The contract provides for a pay raise of 50 cents an hour in each of the first and second years of the contract and a raise of 65 cents an hour in the third fourth and fifth years, according to organizer Sasha Warner-Berry. Janitors on the third shift are paid a base rate of $11.43 an hour. The janitors, represented by the Service Employees International Union, also won one additional day off in the first year of the contract and one additional day in the second year. Pension contributions were upped by 5 cents in the third year and 5 cents in the fourth year. The contract ratification came after contentious negotiations and several job actions, including a janitors’ strike during Parents Weekend. Some professors also reportedly canceled classes or moved classes off campus during the dispute.

N.E.-based pesticide companies settle with EPA

Six companies based in New England that produce pesticide products recently settled with the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to properly submit annual production reports to the agency, as required by federal law. The companies are: Goldline Controls of North Kingstown, North Safety Products of Cranston, Hydros of Bourne, Mass., AIRMAR Technology Corp. of Milford, N.H., Blue Seal Feedsof Richford, Vt., and Swish Maintenance Ltd. of Burlington, Vt. The companies have addressed all violations and have paid fines of up to $5,400. Penalties were based on several factors including the type of violation and size of the business. The law that governs pesticide use, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, requires pesticide manufacturers to submit annual production reports to the EPA. According to the EPA complaints, each of the six companies has failed on at least one previous occasion to properly submit this information. Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, antimicrobials or other substances and pest-control devices used to control insects, weeds or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.

Maryland legislation targets global warming

The governor of Maryland, one of 10 states including Rhode Island that have pledged to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 10 percent by 2019, has backed legislation that could lead to a statewide cap-and-trade program for global warming gases. The bill, backed by Gov. Martin O’Malley, would require a 20-percent reduction in the state’s greenhouse gases by 2020 and a 90-percent cut by 2050. The state’s Commission on Climate Change has recommended a cap on emissions and market trading in pollution credits to meet the state’s proposed target as cheaply as possible. The Maryland legislation is modeled on a California law adopted last month that requires an 11-percent cut in emissions blamed for global warming by 2020. Maryland is part of the 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The regional program involves Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware and Rhode Island. Power plants in those 10 states emitted 155 million metric tons, 7 percent of the U.S. total, in 2003, according to U.S. Energy Department data.

New RISD president to speak at Business Expo

John Maeda, the new president of the Rhode Island School of Design, will deliver a speech at this year’s Business EXPO, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday. The speech, advertised by the chamber as Maeda’s “first appearance in Rhode Island,” will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Business EXPO will be held May 6 and 7. Maeda’s speech, titled “The Future of Technology, Design, and Simplicity,” is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6. “We are truly excited to have the opportunity to introduce John Maeda to the Rhode Island business community,” Laurie White, the chamber president, said in a statement. “There is no doubt that his presentation and message of simplicity and clarity of purpose as fundamental tools of development will certainly fuel the minds and stimulate ideas for the development of new products and technologies among both businesses large and small at [the] EXPO.” At last year’s Business EXPO, the new president of American Power Conversion Corp., Laurent Vernerey, gave his first speech in Rhode Island.

Smaller business group invites Lynch to talk

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch will address the proposed merger of Lifespan and Care New England at a Smaller Business Association of New England’s Rhode Island Government Affairs Committee meeting today at 8 a.m. The meeting will be held at Central Tools, 456 Wellington Ave., Cranston. Lynch will talk about the complexities of the process and the specific responsibilities that must be fulfilled — pursuant to the Hospital Conversion Act — before any decision on the proposed merger can be made, and discuss what the proposal means for all Rhode Islanders in terms of their ability to access quality health care. Lynch and Dr. David Gifford, director of the state Department of Health, must approve any merger. SBANE is an affiliate of the National Small Business Association (NSBA).

Wellness center opening in North Providence

The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation will today open its Resource & Wellness Center at 1455 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence. The foundation was established in 2004 in memory of Gloria Gemma. With the opening of the Resource & Wellness Center, the foundation will serve breast cancer patients, survivors and family members and further its mission to bring knowledge, comfort, and assistance to those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. The Resource & Wellness Center will offer a monthly schedule of wellness programs as well as updates via e-mail, a medical reference library, a lending library and access to computers for online support. The Resource & Wellness Center is financed entirely through proceeds from the Cotton Candy Boutique and yearly fundraising events.

Maine Turnpike Authority eyes new toll plaza

Maine Turnpike officials have narrowed to four the number of sites under consideration for a new toll plaza at the southern end of the highway. The Maine Turnpike Authority plans to replace the York toll plaza, which was erected in 1969 and serves as the gateway to Maine for thousands of vehicles each day. Construction will begin by the summer of 2009, with the new plaza operational by the summer of 2011. Turnpike officials say 16 possible locations were initially identified after the site-selection process began more than a year ago. That number has now been narrowed down to four sites — all located within a seven-mile stretch of highway north of the existing plaza. The number-one choice is expected to be made in the next three months.

Vt. legislator has plan to reduce gas prices

U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., has proposed suspending the purchase of oil for the country’s oil reserve to give drivers short-term relief from rising gas prices at the pump. He says without the United States as a major buyer on the open petroleum market, gas prices would drop as much as 25 cents per gallon. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was created following the oil embargoes in the 1970s to protect the country against dwindling oil supplies. Welch says the reserve is at 95 percent capacity, providing the country with ample protection. The reserve held about $70 million of fuel according to Tuesday’s trading prices. President Bush has the executive power to suspend new reserve buys. If he doesn’t act, Welch said he and other congressional members will create legislation mandating the suspension.