Labor official named by Gov. Jay Nixon to housing commission
Tom Heinsz, a Carpenters Union official active in efforts to keep illegal immigrants from working on construction projects in St. Charles County, has been named by Gov. Jay Nixon to the state Housing Development Commission.
Heinsz
If confirmed by the Missouri Senate, Heinsz, a Wentzville Democrat, would replace former state Rep. Bill Luetkenhaus, a Democrat also from St. Charles County. Luetkenhaus resigned, Nixon’s office said.
Heinsz, director of organizing for his union in the St. Louis area, has pressed county, state and municipal officials in recent years to check into allegations that undocumented workers were used at some apartment projects in O’Fallon. The state housing commission has been among the agencies that has had to deal with the issue.
In 2006, illegal immigrants were found working for subcontractors at the O’Fallon Lakes affordable-housing complex which had gotten $1.4 million in federal and state tax credits through the state commission and $14.6 million in tax-exempt bonds from a county authority.
After the lead investor in the project switched to another company using union trade contractors, the commission awarded $8.85 million in additional tax credits to the project.
Heinsz’s union endorsed the successful gubernatorial candidacy of Nixon, a Democrat, last year.
Nixon named Gregory Hayden of south St. Louis County, a real estate company owner and a former union carpenter himself, to another spot on the commission.
Hayden would replace Loren Cook, a Jefferson City Republican whose term expired. Nixon listed Hayden as a Democrat. Hayden said in an interview that he considered himself an independent who leans Democratic.
This is why Organized Labor supports the Democratic Party.
The “Republican Corporate” sponsored party will have to find another way for their cheap lobby of scab contractors to make an easy and illegal buck at the expense of hard working Missourians.
Nice try, Garrison, but the vast majority of opponents to illegal immigration I’ve met are Republicans. Sure, Bush is a notable exception. But most of those advocating for expanded rights and benefits for illegal immigrants, as well as amnesty and a path to citizenship, are Democrats.
Bingo! Nick.
Labor wants immigrants with legal documentation and registration..or at least some enforcement at the border, but for 8 years Bush just simply turned his back. Corporate America (Republicans) encourage illegals to sneak across the border to work for major corporations who make huge profits through human exploitation…..
Armour Meat Packing was fined $20 million in 1997 for hiring 800 illegals working in Arizona for $6/hr (some were paid as low as $3/hr)… ConAgra, IBP, and Cargill dominate the meat packing & processing plants in America and have publicly stated that it’s cheaper to pay the fines than to hire Americans who demand decent wages…..Every one of these scab companies contributes millions to the GOP.
There were ZERO prosecutions during the 8 years of the Bush Labor Department.
Ask me again why I’m a Democrat….Mr. Patriot.
Organized Labor supports the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party gives them set-asides and preferential treatment instead of having them compete in the open marketplace with contractors.
Garrison, you have no clue how the construction industry works or even the deterimental effect labor unions have in trying to control it. Most non-union contractors you call “scabs” are hard working, tax paying American citizens. One crappy company has some illegals on the job and suddenly everyone without a union card is an illegal immigrant scab. You don’t have a clue. Check the DOL labor stats. Less than 10% of the U.S. PRIVATE sector work is union, and in Missouri, the MODOLIR says the construction industry is less than 15% unionized. So I gues 85% of people in Missouri working on construction projects are illegal immigrants and scabs by your reasoning.
What’s even more atrocious is how union workers will cry foul about using union only, but when it’s time to do work on their own house, you bet you butt they are not using contractors paying union scale. I can name a certain organizer from the IBEW whose “fixer-uper” of a house has had scab labor working on it for years… They are all hypocrites.
I can spend the rest of the day telling you horror stories about non-union scab contractors…..Tell me about the IBEW organizer, or keep your scab rumors to yourself.
I know more about the construction industry in St. Louis than you’ll ever know.