International Operating Engineer - Summer 2016

POLITICS
In June 2016, Limon told CNN that
the course material was useless and
devoid of any advanced real estate
techniques. The one tip he does recall
came from an instructor who detailed
the benefits of paying off unpaid tax
debts of elderly people— keeping them
in their homes until they die— but then
taking ownership of their properties.
“When I saw that teaching, you had
to steal somebody’s house? This is not
right,” Limon said. “We were ripped
off.”
Veterans Employed by “Trump
University” were Fired
Veterans also worked for “Trump
University” and associated companies,
and at least two veterans have claimed
that they were fired for their military
service.
Air Force Senior Master Sgt.
Richard Wright, was fired from his job
as a mentor at the Trump Institute, an
affiliate of Trump University, after a
deployment to Afghanistan.
The Trump Institute hired Wright as
a tele-consultant or “mentor.” His job
was to speak on the phone with clients
who had purchased “memberships”
in the Trump Institute, and give them
advice about investing in real estate.
During his employment, Master
Sgt. Wright’s reserve unit was called
up for active duty and he spent three
months serving in Afghanistan. Upon
his arrival back home in Florida,
his bosses told him that, “all of your
22 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
absences” had forced the company
to “reevaluate your position with the
Trump Institute.”
TRUMP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
It is a violation of federal law to
FLOOD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
like that of retired Navy veteran penalize an employee for absences First and foremost remember your
Felicisimo Limon. Mr. Limon believed
the billionaire wanted him to achieve
success, but after charging $26,000 to
caused by military service. Wright
sued for wrongful termination under
the Uniformed Services Employment
training! Remember what you learned
in the safety classes you’ve taken at
your local union, all of the same safety
his credit card to enroll himself and his and Reemployment Rights Act. rules apply.
wife in the program in 2008, he now The company ultimately reached a
feels differently.
settlement with Wright that forbids him
from talking further about the case.
Iraq War veteran Corinne Sommer
was fired from Trump University in
2007. In a deposition filed as part of an
ongoing California court case, Sommer
said she believed Trump University
terminated her because her military
commitments as a reservist interfered
with her work as an events planner for
the company.
“I was fired because I was in the
military,” she told attorneys as part
of an unrelated fraud case against
Trump University. “At the end of my
[performance] evaluation, they wrote
that it was a problem that I was in the
military.”
Sommer was an Army staff sergeant
who had deployed to Iraq in 2003.
After returning from active service she
remained a reservist. Her reservist
commitment amounted to two days a
month, she said. Following a lawsuit,
Trump University also settled with Ms.
Sommer.
Is Donald Trump really a champion
for our veterans? The truth is that
his actions don’t track with his bold
statements from the campaign trail.
Find out more details and read further
examples about Trump’s treatment of
our veterans at www.engineersaction.
org.
HAZMAT
There a number of additional things
to think about in floods because this is
not a normal work environment. The
list below is not complete, but hits
on some of the important things to
be aware of when working in a flood
disaster area.
• traumatic stress,
• heat stress,
• sunburn,
• eye injuries,
• noise,
• breathing dust contaminated with
toxic materials,
• piles of debris and unstable work
surfaces,
• handling a variety of sharp and
jagged materials,
• flood water contaminated with
raw sewage and other hazardous
materials (chemicals),
• carbon monoxide from gasoline or
propane powered generators,
• heavy equipment or tools,
• the use of ladders,
• operating a chain saw,
• structural integrity,
• mold,
• trench foot (immersion foot),
• food-borne disease,
• insects and insect-borne disease,
animals and animal-borne
disease, snakes and reptiles.
Stay safe and healthy! Watch out for
each other. Co-workers/helpers may
not notice a hazard nearby or behind.
IMAGINE WHAT’S NEXT.
Get the ultimate view of where construction is going.
Go hands-on with the new technologies spread out over 2,400,000
square feet of exhibition space. Learn next-gen techniques, tools
and ideas from over 100 education sessions. From earthshaking
big iron to groundbreaking innovations, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017
is where over 130,000 construction industry professionals from
around the world go to stay ahead of their competition.
To see who’s included in our 2,400+ exhibitors,
visit conexpoconagg.com
March 7-11, 2017 | Las Vegas Convention Center | Las Vegas, USA
IF IT’S NEW,
IT’S HERE.
Co-located
with
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