PILMA In The News
Partners In Progress
Keep America competitive: stem the innovation gap
Barriers at top American universities confront female and minority students wishing to go into science, technology, engineering and math
Opinion piece in the post-gazette.com 2/1/2012
By Gregory S. Babe, President and CEO of Bayer Corp.
With the new year comes a sobering report that shows a number of Asian countries are creeping ever closer in their efforts to close the innovation gap with the United States.
A National Science Foundation study this month reports China, India, South Korea and others are experiencing tremendous growth in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), while here at home STEM education, research and development, and manufacturing are either flat or decreasing.
For the United States to remain the global innovation leader we must develop creative solutions, including learning how to harness all the STEM talent this country has to offer. It's a huge task, considering we have done a poor job attracting and retaining women, African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians to the nation's STEM fields.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12032/1207203-109-0.stm or download a pdf
Building Trades and Pharmaceutical Companies:
The Right Medicine
By Steve Grieco
Biopharmaceutical companies perform high-risk, highreward research at a very high level, requiring exacting standards. Their building and system requirements involve working with volatile compounds and biologic formulations
that must be rigidly controlled. Read the article from Partners in Progress Magazine >
Industry, labor team up
(The following op-ed, written by SMWIA Local 40 President Dave Roche, appeared in the Sept. 28, 2011 Journal Inquirer.) (download the pdf)
This summer, many members of Congress held district meetings that were dominated by disagreement and confrontation. Here in Connecticut, however, Sen. Richard Blumenthal participated in an event that showed what we can accomplish when two important constituencies focus on working together. keep reading >
PILMA Vows to ‘Redouble’ Support
for Increased Protections Against Intellectual Property Theft
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Labor and management in the biopharmaceutical industry will “redouble efforts at the federal level to support increased protections to fight intellectual property theft, counterfeiting and piracy, along with real enforcement measures to implement those protections.”
In a resolution unanimously adopted by the trustees of the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association (PILMA), the group applauds the ongoing efforts by labor and industry to erect strong intellectual property protections and to enforce those standards vigorously. The resolution points out that the pharmaceutical sector is “one of the few manufacturing industries that still maintains a significant employment footprint domestically, supporting more than 3.2 million American jobs.”
As part of this commitment to intellectual property rights, PILMA has been advocating for years in support meaningful reform of the United States’ patent system. PILMA commended Congress’ recent passage of the America Invents Act as an important step in the right direction. Looking forward, PILMA will increase its advocacy efforts on behalf of the PROTECT IP Act, a bill that will strengthen enforcement against rogue websites that sell counterfeit products, including unsafe medications.
“PILMA will join ongoing collaborative efforts—both within the business community and the trade union movement—to protect our knowledge-based economy, innovation industries and affected U.S. workers by fighting intellectual property theft, counterfeiting and piracy at every level,” the resolution declares.
Chaired by Michael Sullivan, former President of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, PILMA is composed of unions and employers in the pharmaceutical industry working together to promote industry employment, innovation and legislation affecting working families.
Senator Blumenthal Tours Sheet Metal Workers Local 40 Training Center
(from the North Branford Patch)
The Sheet Metal Workers Local 40 and the Associated Sheet Metal and Roofing Contractors of Connecticut provided Sen. Richard Blumenthal with a tour of their training center on Old Forge Road Monday afternoon.
The center helps provide training for skilled craftsmen to improve air quality and reduce wasteful energy in heating, ventilation and air conditioning, the company press release said. The facility is also focused on creating more green jobs.
Patent Reform
Keep America inventing:
William Burga
Published: Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 3:00 AM cleveland.com
View this article online at cleveland.com or download a pdf version (pdf)
Americans are famous as innovators. From the light bulb to Lipitor and from the first PC to the iPhone4, our inventions have made us the global leader in information technology, entertainment, biomedicine, and countless other growth industries.
Good patents protect jobs
All politicians should support the patent-reform bill
Thursday, April 07, 2011
By William George
download a pdf of the this oped (pdf) or click the link below to read the post online.
All eyes have been on Wisconsin lately, as union members and the governor's office have battled very publicly over the conditions of employment in the state. Some political observers have speculated the fight might come to Pennsylvania next.
Read More >
March 8, 2011--The Pharmaceutical Industry Labor Management Association applauds tonight’s decisive action by the Senate in passing the 2011 Patent Protection Act. The strong 95 to 5 vote is a solid indication that the bill meets the concerns from both sides of the aisle. This measure will unlock U.S. innovation and support good jobs. It provides the framework for simplifying the patent protection process while enhancing U.S. competitiveness. We congratulate Chairman Leahy for his work in developing this legislation and his determination in seeing it through to passage. PILMA will continue to support this bill as it moves to the House, working with our friends on both sides of the aisle to make sure that it is not weakened as it goes through the legislative process.
A strong patent system is crucial to American competitiveness as the country focuses on job growth and rebuilding. Read More >
PILMA Resolution on Patent Reform (or download the pdf)
Comments from Senator Patrick Leahy on Floor Schedule for Patent Reform Act
The America Invents Act: One Page Summary (pdf)
Why the Patent Process Should Be Overhauled (editorial from the Washington Post 2/25/2011)
or download a copy of this editorial in pdf format (pdf)
Union workers play role in bioscience future--Feb. 22, 2011, Letter to the editor, Indy Star--In his State of the Union address last month, President Barack Obama shared his thoughts for how America can return to its previous strength: “We need to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world,” he said. (download in pdf format)
Reaction to the President's State of the Union Message from Michael J. Sullivan, PILMA Chair
“As we saw tonight, the momentum exists to advance a national innovation agenda, one that stands to benefit millions of union members. But now comes the hard part: what can the administration and Members of Congress specifically do to translate this into new jobs and a higher quality of life for working Americans? The president did a great job of selling the need for a greater focus on innovation and competitiveness, but to do so we must identify which specific sectors and policy areas stand to have the greatest short and long-term impact here at home. In other words, where do America’s working families have the most to gain? How can we continue to bring business and labor together?
We believe the answer lies in a strong medical innovation agenda that takes advantage of our greatest resource: the American worker.”
Michael J. Sullivan is General President of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, AFL-CIO, and serves as Chair of the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association.
Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association Applauds Senator Casey (D-PA) For Biopharmaceutical Job Creation Efforts
The Pharmaceutical Industry Labor-Management Association (PILMA) today applauded Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey’s record of leadership on the issue of creating high-quality jobs in the life sciences sector. This afternoon the senator will be joined by Dave Holveck, CEO of Endo Pharmaceuticals, to advance the discussion of promoting innovation in the industry that leads to job growth.
Senator Casey knows first-hand the critical link between public policies that enable the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to remain globally competitive and putting people to work in good-paying, high-quality jobs. This past fall Senator Casey toured Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Training Center in Philadelphia, joined by union and company representatives to identify ways of working together to spur jobs and innovation in the industry. Today he is taking that hands-on experience and translating it to an important discussion about the role that Congress can play in supporting the men and women who make a living in the pharmaceutical industry.
PILMA recently released an in-depth report on the very subject of today’s event, “Jobs Today: Cures Tomorrow—Innovation and the Biopharmaceutical Industry”. In our report, we note that the United States has “the opportunity to create jobs and strengthen U.S. global competitiveness by both promoting and expanding biopharmaceutical industry investment in R&D.”
The ultimate goal, of course is better patient outcomes. Across the country, working men and women are utilizing the latest innovations to build and maintain facilities, research and find cures to diseases and enhance and sustain the lives of all Americans.
We look forward to working with Senator Casey and members of both parties to advance a pro-innovation, pro-jobs agenda based on creating a business environment that enables the life sciences sector to continue to thrive here in the United States.
For a copy of “Jobs Today: Cures Tomorrow—Innovation and the Biopharmaceutical Industry” or more information about PILMA, log on to www.pilma.org.
Building Trades Seek Meaningful Debate on Puerto Rico Tax Increase Legislation
Puerto Rico Law 154 is yet another example of misguided tax policy that will cost Building and Construction Trades union members jobs. For the skilled men and women in Puerto Rico construction trades unions, this could lead to a decrease in local jobs and infrastructure investment.
Our member unions have invested millions of dollars in training union workers to provide the latest in innovative building and construction techniques in highly technical areas. Our workers are the best trained, safest, and the most efficient and productive building and construction workers in the world. If companies are forced to relocate because of misguided tax policy, our investments cannot be effectively put to work to train Puerto Rico’s skilled labor force.
Union workers deserve policies that affect their livelihood to be debated fully and in the open, and a chance to prove themselves on the job site without having to worry about a tax policy that will drive their jobs off-shore.
Click here to download a copy of SMWIA President Michael Sullivan's Letter to the Governor of Puerto Rico (PDF)
Maryland's Coming Bioscience Revolution--By Fred Mason (The Bowie Star 9-16-10 pdf)
Bioscience Offers Jobs of the Future--By William Burga (Cincinnati Enquirer 9-14-2010 pdf)
Life Sciences Need Cultivation--By Sam Lathem (Delaware News Journal 8-9-2010 pdf)
The Promise of Science: Pennsylvania Must Support the Biosciences to Create Cures and Jobs--By William George Pittsburgh Post-Gazette June 17, 2010 Editorial (Post-Gazette link) View article (pdf format)
Pharmaceutical Companies Among the Leaders in Keeping Construction Industry Humming--11-17-2009--America's Pharmaceutical companies are doing their share to keep the construction industry working as the U.S. emerges from recession. According to Engineering News Record, a McGraw-Hill publication that tracks construction spending, eight pharmaceutical companies have more than $1.3 billion worth of construction projects in the works. Read More >
What working families need to know about counterfeit medicines--In today's global environment, it doesn't matter where you live--U.S., Canada, Kenya or India--everyone is at risk from unsafe drugs. Everyday, millions of unsuspecting patients across the globe are exposed to counterfeit drugs manufactured by criminals that deny them of the medical treatment they need. Read More >
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Jobs Nationwide--Number of manufacturing jobs nationwide sorted by state Read More >