Sunday, June 9, 2013

Today's Teamster News 06.09.13

The Most Dishonest Words in American Politics: 'Right to Work'  AlterNet   ...Right-to-work measures appeal to freedom and choice, but they're all about busting unions...
Striking Worker and Bangladesh Activist Address Thousands at Walmart Shareholder Meeting  The Nation... A striking retail worker and a Bangladesh labor activist made their case from the floor of Walmart’s shareholder meeting, addressing thousands of workers and stock-owners and countering what was otherwise a highly scripted celebration of the largest private company in the world...
Taxpayers' loss on GM bailout looks to be about $10 billion  Chicago Tribune   ...The U.S. Treasury’s deal to sell 30 million shares of General Motors Co. will recoup taxpayers another $1 billion of the bailout money the government put into the automaker back in 2009...
Oklahoma Sweatshop Tells One Story of Labor's Challenge   Huffington Post   ...Temperatures would hit levels higher than 120 degrees. Because there was no air conditioning, bosses placed high-powered fans throughout the concrete facility. Management chain smoking cigars in the shop while reminding workers of the non-smoking policy. Promised pay increases never materialized, even with business on the upswing. This only begins to describe the horrendous working conditions at this workplace...
'No' votes take lead on measure to privatize trash service in Fresno, California   Reuters   ...Votes against a measure that would privatize garbage service in Fresno to raise revenue for the cash-strapped California city took a slim lead on Friday as election officials continued counting ballots...
Transamerica Among 11 Insurers in $763 Million Settlement  Bloomberg News   ...Aegon NV’s Transamerica and New York Life Insurance Co. are among 11 insurers that will pay a combined total of as much as $763 million to resolve a multistate probe into whether the firms held funds that should have gone to beneficiaries...
Scott signs foreclosure bill  Sun Sentinel   ...Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill Friday designed to speed up foreclosures in Florida, but critics say the measure is unfair to homeowners...
Union files unfair labor practice complaints against 6 Logan contractors  Boston Globe   ...The union trying to organize airport contract employees has charged six aviation services companies at Logan International Airport with unfair labor practices, including restricting free speech, spying on a union meeting, and firing an employee for speaking out about working conditions...
UAW's King: Progressive groups must stand together   Lansing State Journal   ...Now more than ever, organized labor must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other progressive groups as it fights for collective bargaining rights and other civil rights causes, United Auto Workers President Bob King said...
ALEC says its communications with Wisconsin lawmakers are private  Wisconsin State Journal   ...The American Legislative Exchange Council, better known as ALEC, is being challenged for using Internet drop boxes and broad new assertions of privacy to shield from public view the discussions of elected officials and corporate leaders it brings together to write model legislation for state governments...
LA Labor Remains Strong, United After Mayoral Race (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...those who attach too sweeping an analysis to the outcomes -- or suggest that labor's role in this city has declined -- are sadly off the mark...
Academy Award Maker Denies Earned Benefits to Workers  IBT   ...R.S. Owens, the Chicago company that’s produced Hollywood’s coveted Oscar statues for decades, is refusing to compensate its former workforce for nearly a year of earned vacation benefits...