Nebraska
Nebraska labor union told members political rally was 'mandatory' – Washington Examiner
EXCLUSIVE — Divisions spilled over in a Nebraska labor union after it initially said members were required to attend a political event for the state’s independent Senate nominee, Dan Osborn.
The long shot candidate is challenging Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in a Trump-dominated state for a seat that has become more competitive but still favors the second-term GOP incumbent. There is no Democratic candidate.
The United Association of Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 464 is hosting a Saturday rally for Osborn that includes United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, but the event has been tainted in controversy after members were told five days in advance that attendance at the union hall was “mandatory” and that absent members would face repercussions.
A steamfitters union instructor informed the chapter’s several hundred apprentices by email Monday that they were “required” to be at the union hall Saturday at the same time as the Osborn rally, according to emails obtained by the Washington Examiner. The message made no mention of the political event.
“You all are needed! This Saturday, October 12, you are all required to be at the hall at 11 am,” the email said. “If you are not present it will be counted as an unexcused absence. You will be required to do 2 Saturday Make ups if absent. This Saturday is MANDATORY ATTENDACE.”
A longtime union member, who was granted anonymity out of fear of retribution from union leaders against him and other members, accused steamfitters union leaders of orchestrating a political event akin to a “phantom gun” to avoid scrutiny and that apprentices feared speaking out.
“If it looks like a duck, it’s a duck,” the union member told the Washington Examiner. “If you look at the time that they’re to meet, and then they say, ‘Oh, it’s just a coincidence they’re having this rally and we’re invited, so let’s go.’”
Osborn was a former steamfitter apprentice at the same union chapter before launching his Senate bid.
“They really support Osborn. I’m okay with it,” the union member continued. “But there’s moral ethics, and when you force people to do something, where’s the free-will choice?”
Fischer and other Republicans have dubbed Osborn a “Democrat in sheep’s clothing,” an unrelenting moniker that he’s tried to distance himself from publicly by disassociating with Democrats and far-left figures, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Privately, he’s continued to praise Sanders. Fain’s support has played into the GOP narrative, as he also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and vehemently opposed former President Donald Trump.
It was unclear whether the original mandatory rally could have run afoul of labor laws or the union’s own bylaws, but legal experts described it as an eyebrow-raising scenario due to warnings of consequences.
After the Washington Examiner reached out to the union, the same individual who sent the mandatory notice sent a follow-up email informing apprentices that their attendance would no longer be required but was still encouraged.
“Due to a conflict with other events that were recently scheduled at the hall, the mandatory JATC Saturday event will be cancelled,” the email said. “You are still encouraged to bring your families to the events that are taking place at the hall this weekend.”
Brett DaHart, the union business manager, said the initial requirement was the result of a rogue apprentice instructor and a “complete miscommunication” over other unrelated events set to occur at the union hall around the same time as the Osborn rally.
“I communicated with him and asked him to reach out to get as many people as we could to attend this event,” DaHart said in a phone interview. “He, in turn, not even having the authority or knowing what he was doing, sent out an email that it was mandatory to come. That is absolutely not the case. He had two things misconstrued on what was going on, and I will take responsibility for it because I must not have explained myself well enough.”
DaHart reiterated that members would not face repercussions and that such a threat should not have been conveyed. He said a health fair for retirees will be held indoors while the Osborn rally will take place outside in the parking lot as an entirely separate and voluntary event.
“I did ask him to ask some of the kids to come and represent because Dan is one of our members, but it was never going to be a mandatory thing to come to that event,” DaHart said of the rally.
The Osborn campaign said it was unaware of the saga and that steamfitter union leaders also informed them it was a mistake.
Fischer Campaign Manager Derek Oden said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that there was “no excuse to force [Osborn’s] own former union members to work for his campaign against their will. We encourage him to follow the law and respect those steamfitters who choose not to support him.”
Labor union legal experts suggested the union originally operated in a grey territory of the law.
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“I’ve never seen a union try to level penalties against a member for not going to a political rally,” said attorney David Pryzbylski, who represents employers in union matters for Barnes & Thornburg. “I don’t know that that would be a violation of the National Labor Relations Act, but certainly, I think that could be viewed the wrong way by some people.”
Georgia State University College of Law professor Daniel Bowling said it would be one thing to invite a candidate to a union meeting to discuss political matters but that mandating a rally “would be very problematic legally, and certainly if they threatened people with punishment for not attending.”
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Red Flag Warnings are in effect across Nebraska as dangerous fire conditions develop heading into the weekend, paired with unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds that could quickly spread any flames.
Red Flag Warnings are in place for eastern Nebraska through 9 p.m. Friday night. The warning area expands significantly on Saturday, covering the entire state from throughout the entire day Saturday.
Friday: Moderate Fire Danger, Drying Trend
Friday’s fire concerns are lower than Saturday’s, but still significant. A Red Flag Warning remains in place for eastern Nebraska through 9 p.m. tonight as northerly winds pull in drier air throughout the afternoon. Dewpoints are expected to fall between 0° and 10° this evening as wind speeds taper.
The strongest winds and driest air won’t occur at the same time Friday, which is why confidence in Red Flag conditions is lower than normal today. By sunset, winds will become light and shift to the south as a surface high pressure system moves through the area.
Saturday: Extreme Fire Danger
Saturday brings the most critical fire weather conditions of the period. The Red Flag Warning expands to encompass the entire state as relative humidity values plummet to 8-15% — dangerously dry levels that will allow fires to spread rapidly.
Winds will be the primary concern. Southerly winds are expected to be sustained between 20 and 30 MPH for most — with gusts between 40 and 50 MPH possible at times. These powerful winds combined with extreme dryness create a recipe for rapid fire spread.
Temperatures will warm into the 60s and low 70s on Saturday — warmer in the west — but the heat is secondary to the wind and dryness threat. Relative humidity values will fall below 30% as early as 9 a.m. when the Red Flag Warning begins.
Sunday: High Fire Danger, Lighter Winds
Fire danger remains high to very high Sunday as an upper ridge moves overhead. Temperatures will climb to the upper 70s to upper 80s. The good news: southerly winds won’t be as strong, with gusts peaking at only 20 mph. This provides some relief from the most critical conditions, though fire danger will still be elevated.
Record Heat Monday
Monday will be the week’s warmest day, with mid- to upper-80s and low 90s forecast across Nebraska. Records are within reach — for many areas across the state. Lincoln’s forecast high of 88 degrees would tie the 1917 record.
Pattern Change Ahead
A cold front will slice through the area Tuesday morning, bringing cooler and cloudier conditions back to Nebraska. Highs will fall back to the 50s and 60s — a dramatic 30+ degree temperature drop from Monday. Winds will remain gusty from the north.
Precipitation chances will increase by early to mid-week. Tuesday through Thursday will see low chances (~20%) for light precipitation, with a mixture of rain and snow possible at times. No winter impacts are expected. Better chances are forecast for Wednesday night and Friday night as a wholesale pattern change develops, bringing southwest flow and surface moisture back to the region.
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Iowa coach Ben McCollum met with the media following his team’s 77-71 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Sweet 16. The Cornhuskers led by three at the half but Iowa was able to outscore Nebraska 34-25 in the second half.
Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 25 points while shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from the 3-point line. Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and played for all 40 minutes.
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Iowa shot 52% (27-52) from the floor, 43% (13-30) from beyond the arc and 83% (10-12) from the free throw line. Nebraska struggled shooting 41% (24-58) from the field, 34% (13-38) from the 3-point line and 91% (10-11) from the charity stripe.
The Hawkeyes’ head coach acknowledged that his team had a poor start but a great finish and said that his team will need to play better to advance beyond the Elite Eight.
Yeah, I think to start we weren’t fantastic to start. They had an elite game plan to start. They played with elite pace. They adjusted their defense quite a bit. I think a lot of people will talk about the rivalry. I was around it when I was in Iowa, you know, and grew up in Iowa and understand the rivalry and whatnot. It’s nice to have — I guess if you would a call it rival that runs such a class program.
I think Coach Hoiberg, they have got great kids. They completely turned everything around from the previous season, and they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about or anything. I have the utmost respect for them, all their players, and especially Coach Hoiberg. Heck of a season. I know it’s no consolation, but we still want to beat ’em every time and they want to beat us every time.
But from and internal perspective, there’s not a lot of bad blood there. It’s actually a lot of respect. I was really pleased with our second-half performance. I thought we actually decided we were going to try — not try. They had a lot to do with it, but kind of. Yeah, they’re smiling over there because they saw me break my marker.
And I thought our kids did a good job of executing offensively in both halves. We spent a lot of time trying to make sure that we could score, and you saw the result of that. We didn’t defend. But we were able to score, so we were able to stay in the game long enough and then get enough stops and had some big possessions down the stretch. Really good program win for everybody, coaches, managers, everybody included.
Iowa advances to the Elite Eight with the victory. Nebraska’s season ends with a record of 28-7.
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.
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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday
LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.
Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.
Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.
Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.
Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.
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