Saturday, February 2, 2013

Today's Teamster News 02.02.13

As U.S. Growth Lags, Some Press the Fed to Do Still More  New York Times   ...In the five months since the Federal Reserve started a campaign to increase growth and reduce unemployment, the economy has slowed and unemployment has increased...
BP tried to manipulate gas market, alleges trader  The Guardian   ...BP faces new embarrassment in America with a court case brought by one of its former traders, who claims the company was trying to manipulate the natural gas liquids market...
Jobs report: why the recovery has stalled  Christian Science Monitor  ...employers added only 157,000 jobs in January...More jobs and faster growth should be the most important objectives now. Yet we’re moving in the opposite direction — following Europe’s sorry example of failed austerity economics...
Groundhog Day in the labor market  Economic Policy Institute  ...The labor market started out 2013 in a lackluster fashion, adding 157,000 jobs...It’s like we’re in Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day” – each month we wake up to the same report...
Foreclosures decline nationally in December Los Angeles Times  ...Foreclosures declined nationally in December...The sizable 19.5% decline in foreclosure inventory, accompanied by a similar drop in completed foreclosures, should help lay a path for a faster recovery in 2013...
Florida Governor Pushes Prison Work Release Privatization Plan  Forbes  ...Though Florida Governor Rick Scott has recently said he won’t privatize state prison operations...he recently recommended that 14 of the state’s publicly operated work release centers should also go to private contractors...
Eight plead guilty in Michigan right-to-work protest  Associated Press  ...Eight people have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors after being arrested inside the state Capitol building during a December protest against passage of Michigan’s right-to-work law...
Gov. Scott Walker transfers $40,000 to legal defense fund  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel  ...Gov. Scott Walker transferred $40,000 in campaign funds late last year to his legal fund set up to pay two high-priced criminal defense lawyers to represent him in the lengthy John Doe investigation...
Justice Department sues to block Anheuser-Busch InBev merger with Grupo Modelo  Washington Post  ...The Justice Department moved Thursday to block beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev from merging with Mexico’s largest maker, Grupo Modelo, arguing the deal would threaten competition and raise prices for consumers. The $20.1 billion deal would have...added Grupo Modelo’s fast-growing Corona brand to AB InBev’s sizable portfolio...
Wal-Mart’s Union Complaint Shelved by U.S. Labor Board Bloomberg ...Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) won a 60-day hiatus from picketing at its U.S. stores in a settlement between a labor union and the world’s largest retailer...
Labor Board Refuses to Halt Strike by School Bus Drivers  New York Times  ...New York’s City’s two-week-old school bus strike will continue. On Friday, officials of the National Labor Relations Board...(rejected) a complaint brought by a coalition of 20 private bus companies, which argued that the strike was illegal...
Teamsters’ complaint accuses city of retaliation, harassment  Quad-City Times  ...The Teamsters union has filed a complaint against the city of Davenport, claiming its union steward in the Public Works Department was fired in retaliation for his union activities...It also claims the city and Public Works director Mike Clarke have harassed and retaliated against city employees for their union activity by refusing to accept grievances...