Heartland Blog

Workers can lose everything when their employer files for bankruptcy. At least for now. A pro-labor movement sparked by the employees of Toys “R” Us Inc., and taken up by Sears Holdings Corp., has reached the U.S. Congress. Representative Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat, said he plans to reintroduce 2017 legislation that would define worker claims in bankruptcy as administrative expenses, meaning they’d be paid in full, like the investment bankers, consultants, lawyers and liquida

America’s Building Trades Unions (ABTU), whose members own $600 billion in pension assets, released their third report card on how well fund managers connect pension fund investments to projects that create union jobs. This year's ratings focused on asset managers for real estate and infrastructure funds, according to Pension and Investments Magazine. Of the 24 real estate and infrastructure fund managers responding to this year's survey, 14 earned grades of A+ or A, while se

The U.S. Department of Labor reportedly is investigating a prominent hedge fund sponsor over its handling of hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension funds at some of the U.S. newspapers in its control. The investigation focuses on Alden Global Capital, the controlling shareholder of MNG Enterprises, the publisher of more than 100 local news properties, including The Denver Post and the Boston Herald. The properties are run under the brand MediaNews Group and have also ope

What are the Principles? Operating Principles for Impact Management (the Principles) describe the essential features of managing investment funds with the intent to contribute to measurable positive social, economic, or environmental impact, alongside financial returns. This goes beyond asset selection that aligns investment portfolios with impact goals (for example, the SDGs), to requiring a robust investment thesis of how the investment contributes to the achievement of imp

Some real estate and infrastructure fund managers dealing with building trades pension funds are doing better than others when it comes to connecting pension fund assets and union jobs, according to a report card released Wednesday at the North America’s Building Trades Unions’ Washington legislative conference. Building trades unions with a collective $600 billion in pension fund assets are increasingly demanding that connection, with a goal of moving $70 billion in pension

Pittsburgh is changing, and a large part of it is due to our own workers' capital, which has been invested to renew our built environment. Several projects in the city are coming to fruition and the SVA/Heartland Network are proud to be a part of it. We have been supporting sustainable, labor-friendly investments for over 20 years. Our work has focused on bringing back distressed Pittsburgh-region towns and neighborhoods, and our partners have been instrumental in this work.

The reopening of the former Daily News Building as the "Tube City Center for Business and Innovation" is a signal that McKeesport officials want to direct their focus to revitalizing the city's Downtown area. "We have development coming in at all different corners of town --- in Christy Park, on East Fifth Avenue, and RIDC is going to be out with a big announcement within the next 30 days," McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said at Monday's ribbon cutting ceremony. "Up and d

Port Authority expects to have its first two electric buses by September and to begin testing them in anticipation of use on the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system between Downtown and Oakland. A committee Thursday recommended the authority board approve buying the buses for $2.27 million to test how well they work. The buses will be used for at least a year out of the authority’s East Liberty garage, where two charging stations will be installed, said Don Rivetti, deputy chie

Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority board members cleared the way Thursday for the long-awaited makeover of the historic produce terminal in the Strip District. In 4-0 vote, board members gave permission to Chicago-based McCaffery Interests to start construction on the $49.5 million project. The vote was greeted with applause — whether in joy over the project’s approval or relief that the long struggle to get the development going finally is over. McCaffery is wasting li