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Watch now: Union says unfair labor practices happening at UNL construction sites | Education

Watch now: Union says unfair labor practices happening at UNL construction sites | Education

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The United Brotherhood of Carpenters picketed a worksite at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Friday to draw attention to what it says are unfair labor practices involving contractors working on those projects.

Blowing whistles and marching on the sidewalk at 14th and Vine streets, near an ongoing renovation of Mabel Lee Hall, members of the carpenters’ union said Friday’s action was part of an area campaign.

“Right now, as we speak, there are labor brokers on the project with a number of workers who are being paid in cash,” said Felicia Hilton, the political director of the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.

Hilton, who spoke at the NU Board of Regents’ meeting earlier Friday, was joined by about two dozen union members, each wearing a neon vest that read “Standing up to Tax Fraud.”







Santos Hernandez carries signs to a North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters picket line at 14th and Vine streets Friday.




According to Hilton, the union is seeking to draw attention to construction companies — including those working on the Mabel Lee Hall project, the Barkley Memorial Center on East Campus, and the athletic training complex near Memorial Stadium — that pay laborers under the table.

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Workers hired by labor brokers do not receive benefits such as health insurance or workers’ compensation if they are injured on the job, which Hilton told the board can create an added cost to taxpayers.

The companies that hire workers off-the-books, or classify them as independent contractors, also do not deduct payroll taxes, Hilton said, while the workers themselves do not pay state or federal income taxes on their earnings.

Ultimately, not paying health insurance, workers’ compensation, or deducting taxes allows companies to submit lower bids than competitors, Hilton said.

The union said labor brokers are more often involved with sub-contractors on larger projects, but it did not specifically name any companies in protesting unfair practices Friday.


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“Our issue is that there are legitimate businesses, union and non-union, who cannot compete for this work, who cannot submit a bid for this work because they don’t practice this model,” Hilton said.

That’s particularly troubling as NU seeks to address an $800 million backlog of deferred maintenance projects through 2062, she said. NU received $400 million in bond financing from a 2021 sale to begin renovating and replacing its aging infrastructure across its four campuses.

“We think it’s a horrible business model, and we think the university should not support a model like this,” she added.

Chris Kabourek, NU’s vice president for business and finance, said the university requires companies to follow all applicable state and federal labor laws when they are awarded projects.

A committee comprised of university and non-university staff responsible for reviewing proposals submitted for projects also asks about a company’s ability to do the work, Kabourek said, which includes following the law.

A call to a spokesperson for Hausmann Construction, which is the general contractor working on several of the UNL projects, was not answered Friday. 

Hilton said the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters has a questionnaire it says will help vet contractors and sub-contractors who meet best practices.

Kabourek said NU will arrange a meeting between its facilities staff and the carpenters’ union to hear its concerns and see if they can address the issues raised at Friday’s meeting.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or [email protected].

On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS

Longtime SCC, Lincoln school board member dies |

Longtime SCC, Lincoln school board member dies |

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Southeast Community College is mourning the loss of a longtime board member and advocate of education.

James J. Garver, who served on the SCC Board of Governors for 13 years after sitting on the Lincoln Board of Education for 20 years, died Wednesday.







James J. Garver




He was 71.

Garver was born on July 28, 1958, in Lincoln, the son of refugees who escaped Poland during World War II, and graduated from Lincoln High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he majored in accounting and economics.

A 40-plus year employee of the Nebraska Department of Revenue, Garver was also an avid community advocate, serving on the Near South Neighborhood Association and Prescott Parent-Teacher Association.

He later ran for the Lincoln school board, winning election five times. After stepping down from the school board, he was asked to run to represent one of the Lincoln districts on the SCC board.

Garver last won election in 2018, and was running unopposed for another term representing District 4, which cuts across central Lincoln and parts of western Lancaster County.







SCC Board of Governors district map

According to his obituary, Garver took pride in participating in graduation ceremonies: “The joy and happiness of students at the culmination of their educational journey filled his heart.”

Garver served on the SCC Board representing District 4 between 2007-12, and then again beginning in 2015.

During his time on the board, SCC began an ambitious project to renovate and renew its campuses, creating state-of-the-art facilities for students and faculty members.

Neal Stenberg, the chairman of the SCC Board and its former attorney, said Garver was a dedicated board member who always kept students and employees in mind.

“Jim was highly respected by, and a mentor to, those of us who followed in his footsteps on the board,” Stenberg said in a statement.

Stenberg added Garver “knew the value of the dollar” and required the college to justify the benefits of any new expenditures brought before the board.

“Jim was hardworking, steady, and a recognized leader in postsecondary education in Nebraska,” Stenberg said. “He will be greatly missed.”

Garver died with his wife, Rachel, and dog, Theo, at his side.

According to his wishes, his body was donated to the University of Nebraska Medical Center through the Nebraska Anatomical Board.

“Even in death, Jim wished to have an educational impact,” his obituary states.

A celebration of life is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sacred Winds Native Mission United Methodist Church, 2400 S. 11th St.

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Memorials are directed to the Southeast Community College Foundation and the Sacred Winds Native Mission Church.

The SCC board will interview applicants and appoint a replacement to complete the remainder of Garver’s term, which expires in December.

Because the deadline for removing candidates from consideration in the upcoming May 10 primary election has passed, Garver’s name will remain on the ballot.

Following the primary, a vacancy for the position will be declared, allowing candidates to petition to appear on the November general election ballot, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office.

Potential candidates will be required to receive a number of signatures equal to 10% of those who voted in SCC District 4 in the 2020 presidential election.

The deadline for submitting petitions will be Sept. 1.

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SCC planning $42M facility to expand science, technology education | Education

SCC planning $42M facility to expand science, technology education | Education

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Southeast Community College is planning a pair of new facilities dedicated to training students to enter careers in science and technology.

A proposed $42.7 million tower focused on technology education will also serve as a hub for businesses that want to “re-skill or up-skill” their existing workforce, the college said.

The project will be paid for through a combination of SCC’s capital improvement fund, facility use fees and private donations, according to Bev Cummins, director of the Lincoln campus.

SCC already has about $8 million in funds pledged to the project, including $5 million from Sandhills Global of Lincoln.

The Sandhills Global Technology Center is expected to help SCC address the state’s growing workforce needs in science, technology, engineering and math-related fields, which are expected to grow by 11% between 2018 and 2028, according to the Nebraska Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Non-STEM fields, meanwhile, are anticipated to grow by 5% across the state over the same period.

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In the Lincoln area, the growth in STEM careers is projected to outpace the state, increasing by 11.6% compared with 5.9% for non-STEM fields, the Bureau of Labor report states.

With demand surging for a trained workforce, SCC said its teaching spaces for science and technology classes “no longer meet the pedagogical needs” of instructors and students.

“In general, most of the rooms are too small for the class sizes desired by the institution,” a report submitted to the SCC board states. “Instructional equipment and technology required is also insufficient. Many spaces cannot support the anticipated and necessary growth in science and technology offerings.”

For example, science labs within the main building at 8800 O St. were last overhauled in the late 1990s, while the computer information technology program is housed in a 35-year-old space without room for students to train in cybersecurity, network management or computer support.


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SCC has also been limited in its ability to expand its electronic systems technology program because of cramped space and can’t offer space for area businesses looking for areas to train new or existing employees.

Several Lincoln companies — TMCO, Kawasaki and Sandhills, to name a few — often request space in SCC’s facilities, Cummins said.

“Because our labs are used throughout the day in our credit programs, trainings for industry can only occur in the evenings or when the college is on break,” she said.

Even then, SCC’s existing facilities often show their age.

Matt Thorne, executive vice president of Electronic Contracting, which employs 130 people, including 65 in Lincoln, said the commercial electronics integrator will often look for space where it can conduct certification classes or large sales meetings.

Electronic Contracting — also known as ECCO — has made use of the auditorium at SCC’s Lincoln campus, but found itself scrambling when there was no HDMI connection, Thorne said.

A new, dedicated training space at SCC that can accompany a large number of employees would be a big boon to both ECCO and other companies, he added, particularly as many anticipate workloads to shift into high gear once supply-chain bottlenecks are resolved.

“Once we get the raw goods in our hands, we’re going to be scrambling to find workers as quick as we can to get everything installed,” Thorne said. “We’re not going to have time to worry about finding a time and a place to train workers, so I’m really excited about these spaces they are creating that we will be able to use.”

According to Cummins, the new facility would have labs that are flexible and dedicated to “short-term, work-based training,” which will increase SCC’s capacity to produce a qualified workforce.

The Sandhills Global Technology Center, which is planned east of the Health Science Facility that opened on SCC’s Lincoln campus in 2021, would be followed by a science-focused facility to be built within five years.

The projects continue the renewal of SCC’s campuses in Lincoln, Beatrice and Milford.

A $24 million expansion and renovation of SCC’s student services center is under construction at the Lincoln campus.

SCC-Lincoln is also planning a 250-bed residence hall.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or [email protected].

On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS

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