Monday, November 11, 2013

Today's Teamster News 11.11.13

Today is Veterans Day. Remember to thank the veterans you know for their service. And check out the Teamsters Facebook page, where photos of Teamster veterans are being posted.

Mayor's Spokesperson Is Sorry If Anyone Thought His 'Third-World Taxicab System' Comment Was Offensive  DCist   ..."Those words are hurtful to each and every driver who works long days—often up to 16 hours, seven days a week—and who earn about $25,000 to $30,000 per year providing a valuable service," the statement from the Teamsters-affiliated association continued...
Teamsters choose sides in Inquirer owners' dispute  philly.com   ...The union local representing more than 325 truck drivers and other employees for The Inquirer on Sunday declared its support for the two newspaper co-owners seeking to reinstate fired editor William K. Marimow. During its monthly meeting in Bridesburg, Teamsters Local 628 president John P. Laigaie said the owners, Lewis Katz and H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, would preserve the editorial integrity of the paper...
Everyone In America Is Even More Broke Than You Think  Huffington Post   ...more than half of U.S. wage earners made less than $30,000 last year, according to an analysis released by the Social Security Administration on Tuesday. That's not far above the $27,010 that marked the federal poverty line for a family of five in 2012...
The Pension Theft Crime Wave Rages On  Alternet   ...Rhode Island ... handed more than $1 billion in pension funds over to hedge fund companies to manage—in exchange for an expected $2.1 billion in fees over 20 years, effectively taken straight out of the pockets of retirees, who would forego $2.3 billion in COLAs over the same period...
Wal-Mart: An economic cancer on our cities  Salon   ... the small businesses that occupied the old Penney’s building employed fourteen people, which doesn’t seem like many until you realize that this is actually seventy-four jobs per acre, compared with the fewer than six jobs per acre created on a sprawling Walmart site...
Children Locked Up For Life: 10 Shockers About America's Prison System  Alternet   ...Twice as many people rot in prison for crack use than for violent crimes. Children are being locked up for life. What's wrong with our criminal justice system?...
Chinese labor camp inmate tells of true horror of Halloween 'SOS'  CNN   ..."Making products turned out to be an escape from the horrible violence," he said. "We thought we could protect ourselves, and avoid verbal and physical assaults as long as we worked and did the job well..."
Seattle council race tightens; socialist Sawant has 49.5% of vote  The Seattle Times   ...Kshama Sawant has steadily gained ground on Councilmember Richard Conlin, giving her a chance to pull off a shocking turnaround victory and become the first socialist on the Seattle City Council in modern history...
Every Green vote was a conscious vote  Green Party   ...40% for a Green Party candidate (for Syracuse, N.Y., Council) where the Democratic Party threw everything it had into the race is nothing to be discouraged about. Our capacity in terms of volunteers, fundraising, and campaign skills exploded. We offered realistic and positive alternatives to a status quo that is failing...
Your daily jolt: A Chamber-sponsored alternative to ALEC  Atlanta Journal-Constitution   ...One of the main generators of model legislation in Georgia and other red states has been the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization sometimes criticized for its conservative social agenda. An alternative has sprung up recently, and come January it will be chaired by Chris Clark, the president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber...
For the First Time Ever, a Prosecutor Will Go to Jail for Wrongfully Convicting an Innocent Man  Alternet   ...Today in Texas, former prosecutor and judge Ken Anderson pled guilty to  intentionally failing to disclose evidence in a case that sent an innocent man,  Michael Morton, to prison for the murder of his wife...
It’s possible to end homelessness for veterans. Here’s where Maine stands so far  Bangor Daily News   ...Veterans Housing Services has served 308 veterans — either preventing homelessness or securing safe, permanent housing for homeless veterans and their families as quickly as possible...