Thursday, June 6, 2013

Today's Teamster News 06.06.13

UCLA Anderson Forecast paints dismal picture of economic recovery  Los Angeles Times   ..."It's not a recovery. It's not even normal growth. It's bad," UCLA economist Edward Leamer says...
U.S. worker productivity increases as hourly compensation drops  Los Angeles Times   ... hourly compensation fell 3.8% in the first quarter. That decline was the largest in the series, kept since 1947...
Wal-Mart's low wages cost taxpayers  CNNMoney   ...At the end of 2012, there were 3,216 Wal-Mart employees who were enrolled in Wisconsin public health care programs, more than any other employer. Add in the dependents of Wal-Mart workers and the total jumps up to 9,207...
Always Low Wages: Meet the Billionaires Who Run Walmart  The Nation   ...This week, Walmart shareholders will gather in the retail giant’s Arkansas backyard and re-elect a board of directors charged with guiding the company over the coming years...
Your student loan isn’t really a loan  Salon   ...You can't refinance, or get rid of the debt through bankruptcy. Here's how it's even more of a sham than you know...
Yes, Europe really is in the throes of austerity  Washington Post   ...“Immediate spending cuts would, by themselves, likely slow the economy.”...
Senators Introduce Currency Manipulation Bill  U.S. Senate   ...Following new figures that show a 34 percent jump over last month’s U.S.-China trade deficit, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Robert Casey (D-PA), today introduced the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2013, bipartisan legislation that would reform and enhance oversight of currency exchange rates...
Mothers join effort as Florida debates rules on sick leave  Herald-Tribune   ...Myriam Rivera joined a group of Central Florida mothers who used baby strollers and a red wagon to deliver 11,000 petitions to Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday. The message: Veto a business-backed bill that would prevent local governments from setting sick-leave standards for workers...
The billionaire force behind GOP attempts to dismantle Maine’s renewable energy standards  Bangor Daily News   ...Put into effect nearly 15 years ago with bipartisan support, Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard has created thousands of jobs, cut down on harmful pollution and helped to keep more of Mainers’ energy dollars in the state.  So, why are some elected officials pushing legislation that would dismantle it?...
Bail Bond Bill Will Create Debtor’s Prisons  Urban Milwaukee   ...Across America, more than half a million inmates sit in jails simply because they are poor. ... They are here because they can’t make bail — sometimes as little as $50.”...
Operation: Stop Bruce Karsh From Selling Tribune to the Koch Brothers  Daily Beast   ...The left’s biggest bogeymen could snap up the ailing Tribune Company, and with it the ‘Los Angeles Times.’ David Freedlander reports on the effort to stop the billionaires—and whether it extends to the newsroom...
Delaware bill would restrict government agency use of criminal background checks for new hires  Associated Press   ...The bill introduced last week would prohibit public employers in Delaware from considering the criminal history or credit history of an applicant before making a conditional job offer...
Kentucky tax collection measure draws lawmaker concerns  Courier-Journal   ...Lawmakers fear that a provision in Kentucky’s recent pension reforms will hamper the ability of delinquent taxpayers to pay back taxes owed to the state by revoking their driver's and other professional licenses if they fail to pay...
Labor Trouble Possibly on the Horizon at Kaleida Health   WGRZ-TV   ...Three unions (SEIU, CWA, IUOE) representing 7,000 healthcare workers at Keleida Health Hospitals in Western New York have scheduled strike votes for next week...
TSA To Keep Knives Off Passenger Planes  IBT   ...The Coalition of Flight Attendants, which the Teamsters Airline Division is part of, today celebrated the success of its campaign to keep knives off planes and commended the TSA for holding the line against weapons on flights...
Derry council approves union contract for some Public Works workers  New Hampshire Union Leader   ...The Town Council approved a new three-year contract for Teamsters Local 633, the union that represents a number of divisions of the Department of Public Works...
Middletown council approves new union contract  Middletown Press   ...The Common Council approved a contract between the city and Teamsters Local 671, concluding a year-long negotiation process...
Collective Bargaining TLA Slated for June 18-21  IBT ...The IBT Training and Development Department is conducting a Teamsters Leadership Academy on Collective Bargaining, June18-21, 2013, hosted by Joint Council 40 in Mars, Pennsylvania...
Pipeline Training Fund Offers Courses in June   IBT ...The Teamsters National Pipeline Training Fund has the following trainings scheduled in Illinois for June 2013. Every Teamster Pipeliner or prospective Teamster Pipeliner is encouraged to attend...
Advanced Business Agents’ Seminar Scheduled July 29-31  IBT ...The IBT Training and Development Department will conduct an Advanced Business Agents seminar July 29-31, 2013 at Teamsters Joint Council 25 in Chicago...