Today's Teamster News 11.18.12

Thousands of Spanish police officers march against austerity  RT   ...Around 5,000 Spanish police officers marched through the streets of Madrid on Saturday to protest government austerity measures, including frozen pensions and the elimination of their Christmas bonuses...
Former Clinton and Bush Cabinet Members, Now Oil and Gas Lobbyists, Expect Keystone XL Green Light  Desmogblog.com   ...The Tar Sands Blockade of TransCanada Corporation's "Keystone XL South" continues in Texas, but former members of the Clinton and George W. Bush cabinets believe the northern half will soon be green-lighted by President Barack Obama...
New Jersey railway put trains in Sandy flood zone despite warnings  Reuters   ...New Jersey Transit's struggle to recover from Superstorm Sandy is being compounded by a pre-storm decision to park much of its equipment in two rail yards that forecasters predicted would flood, a move that resulted in damage to one-third of its locomotives and a quarter of its passenger cars...
Walmart's Internal Compensation Documents Reveal Systematic Limit On Advancement  Huffington Post   ...The plan details a rigid pay structure for hourly employees that makes it difficult for most to rise much beyond poverty-level wages...
Democrat Ron Barber wins Gabby Giffords's seat in Arizona  The Hill   ...Democrats now hold a majority of Arizona's House seats...
Privatizing turnpike looms as a road hazard for Kasich (opinion)  Columbus Dispatch   ... If he goes through with it, he risks pocking his 2014 re-election bid with potholes. Turnpike privatization could be the deal-breaker for Kasich in northern Ohio that opposition to the auto bailout was for Mitt Romney...
Rick Haglund: 'If conditions were ever perfect for (right to work), they are right now' - legislator (opinion)  MLive.com   ...Rep. Mike Shirkey, a Grass Lake Republican who’s been itching to introduce right-to-work legislation for months, isn’t convinced that Snyder is supportive. And Shirkey told me for a post-election story I wrote for Bridge magazine that he will not introduce a bill until he knows Snyder will sign it...
Wisconsin: Walker campaign, GOP hired county aide charged in John Doe probe  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...A former aide to Gov. Scott Walker who has pleaded guilty to felony misconduct in office has been on the payroll of Walker's campaign and the state Republican Party, according to a court document filed Friday...
Allen West recount continues after emergency injunction fails; Teamsters show up to ‘observe’; Update: Count resumes Sunday  Twitchy.com   ...Packed in among volunteers are three members of the U.S. House Administration Committee who appeared at West’s request. Also stopping by, according to one West supporter, were several Teamsters...

Today's Teamster News 11.16.12

Unions Played Major Unsung Role in Obama Victory  In These Times   ...union members provided a critical margin of victory for Obama. Mitt Romney actually won among non-union voters by 4 percentage points, but Obama won union voters by 32 percent (65 to 33 percent), sealing the president's victory...
Walmart workers threaten to strike on 'Black Friday'  Seattle Post-Intelligencer   ...Hundreds of Walmart workers walked off the job on Thursday, and the employees are now threatening to strike on one of the biggest shopping days of the year...
BP settles criminal charges for $4 billion in spill; supervisors indicted on manslaughter  Washington Post   ...The Justice Department also sought to attach faces to the disaster, filing manslaughter charges against two BP rig supervisors and obstruction charges against a BP executive who allegedly lied to Congress. The three are not covered by the BP settlement...
Future of Ohio Turnpike troubles consumer group  Youngstown Vindicator   ...“We are very wary, because we have seen situations in other states [that have privatized their turnpikes] where it very much was not in the public interest at all,” said Tabitha Woodruff, an advocate for Ohio Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG...
State lost 7,500 jobs in October  Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel   ...Wisconsin lost 7,500 jobs in October ...the state lost an estimated 6,000 private-sector jobs and 1,500 jobs in the government sector, which includes federal, local and state-level employees...
YRC Worldwide Turnaround Gains Momentum  Seeking Alpha   ...CEO James Welch has targeted being profitable by the end of 2013 but it now looks like they might do that even sooner...
Teamsters: Bakery Workers Should Hold Secret Ballot Vote At Hostess  IBT   ...Today, the Teamsters Union announced its recommendation to the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) that a vote of its Hostess members by secret ballot should be held to determine if the workers want to continue their strike of the company and force it into liquidation...
Latest round of UPS negotiations wraps up  IBT   ...The latest round of UPS negotiations wrapped up this week with the National Negotiating Committee pressing for more full-time jobs and addressing 9.5 concerns...
New Milford Finalizes Contract with Teamsters  Housatonic Times   ...The Town Council has approved a new three-year contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 677, which affects union employees in the highway and Parks & Recreation departments and the recycling center...

Today's Teamster News 11.15.12

If Entitlement Programs Are Your Top Priority, the Fiscal Cliff Is Your Friend  Baseline Scenario   ...the expiration of the Bush-Obama tax cuts will, on its own, eliminate roughly half of the long-term gap between federal government revenues and expenses.* Higher tax revenues (raised through the individual income tax, which is the most progressive part of the tax code) will reduce the pressure to do something about entitlement spending...
Debt crisis: Eurozone in double-dip recession - live  The Telegraph   ...The eurozone has entered its second recession in four years, official data show, as the Dutch economy contracts sharply and Spain's job-killing recession drags on for a fifth straight quarter...
Zillow: 1.3 million fewer U.S. homeowners were in negative equity in Q3  Calculated Risk   ...Slightly more than 14 million U.S. homeowners with a mortgage were in negative equity, or underwater, in the quarter, owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. That was down from 15.3 million in the second quarter...
61 Super PAC Donors Gave as Much Money as 1.4 Million Small Donors to Campaigns  Center for Media and Democracy   ...Approximately $1.28 billion was reported as being spent on the 2012 elections, almost half of it coming from the Super PACs made possible by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC...
The Real Scandal Surrounding the Petraeus Resignation  Huffington Post   ...The FBI, if they thought they had a reason, could find out where you are and read your email, with relatively little oversight...
Michigan should avoid right-to-work sideshow (opinion)  Detroit Free Press   ...The ink's still drying on Tuesday's election results, but already there's word that the push to make Michigan a right-to-work state -- following the defeat of a proposed constitutional amendment to protect collective bargaining -- is gaining steam...
Teamsters, Esber settle dispute  Canton Repository   ...Members of Teamsters Local 92 approved a three-year contract Wednesday to end a strike that started Monday. The agreement includes pay raises and a higher health care premium...

Today's Teamster News 11.12.12

Hostess Member Update  IBT   ...On Friday, November 9th the Bakery Confectionary Tobacco Grain Millers (“BCTGM”) International Union put out a press release and related statements that its Local Unions were striking Hostess Brands at several facilities that would be expanded over the coming days...
The Grand Bargain Under the Fiscal Cliff  Economic Populist   ...Right after the election, which in part was about protecting social security and Medicare from being gutted, we have the threat of that actually happening under the guise of the Fiscal cliff... this great betrayal would actually throw the U.S. into a recession just as much as the fiscal cliff would...
Lying to Push Their Agenda on the Budget: There Was No Bowles-Simpson Commission Report  Beat the Press   ... there was no report that had the approval of 14 of the 18 members of the commission. Therefore there was no commission report...
U.S. in talks with dozens of nations on anti-tax dodge pacts  Reuters   ...In a step toward reining in offshore tax evasion, the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday said it was close to finalizing tax information-sharing pacts with countries ranging from Canada to islands such as Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
Analysis from Princeton finds GOP kept control of House but lost popular vote  examiner   ...It was predicted before the elections that Democrats would win the popular vote in the House but still not regain the majority. That is exactly what happened...
Airlines Face Acute Shortage of Pilots  Wall Street Journal   ...U.S. airlines are facing what threatens to be their most serious pilot shortage since the 1960s, with higher experience requirements for new hires about to take hold just as the industry braces for a wave of retirements...

Today's Teamster News 11.11.12

Noda seizes on TPP as way to steer forthcoming election  Th Asahi Shimbun   ...Charles Lake, the chairman of the U.S.-Japan Business Council ... said it should happen soon. "With U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election, there is the possibility the U.S. administration will accelerate the TPP negotiations next year," said Lake, who is also chairman of Aflac Japan. "It would be desirable if Japan was participating at that time..."
If the Dems got a backbone (opinion)   ataxingmatter   ...Given that the "fiscal cliff" deal doesn't require cuts to social welfare programs, it might be advisable to let the fiscal cliff occur.  Let the spending cuts go through and let the Bush tax cuts expire.  The result will be that we will have taken a much needed first stab at cutting back on the exorbitant military spending that provides rentier profits to the military-industrial complex...
The Gerrymander Triumph  Global Economic Intersection   ...The US house elections have very undemocratic election results in many states, largely in favour of Republicans. In Ohio 52% of the total vote cast gained Republicans 80% of the seats. In Pennsylvania 49% of the vote gave Republicans 72% of the seats...
Sanitation Workers Move Mountains for the City's Recovery  WNYC News   ...While most New Yorkers were trapped at home without mass transit in the aftermath of Sandy, an army of 6,000 sanitation workers had to go right back to their jobs - even though many sustained great losses themselves...
Janitors slated for Christmas layoff swamp City Hall  People's World   ...Hundreds of O'Hare Airport workers slated to lose their jobs just before Christmas marched through City Hall today, chanting and waving banners, flags and signs. The janitors and window washers, holding their brooms, mops and squeegees up high, shouted "Shame Emanuel"...
Spackenkill, Rhinebeck bus talks at critical stage  Poughkeepsie Journal   ...If Teamsters Union Local 445 is unable to come to terms with contractor Durham School Services, the employees are prepared to strike...

Bonus story: David Koch Is the Worst Tipper at 740 Park  Vanity Fair   ...We interviewed a guy who used to work as a doorman at 740 Park. I asked him to rank the tippers at the building, and he said the absolute worst was David Koch...

Jon Stewart's hilarious takedown of Fox News

The Karl Rove meltdown on Fox hasn't gotten old yet.

Victory in Mont. for Steve Bullock!!

We finally have a result in the race for Montana governor, with Teamster friend (and foe of misclassification) Steve Bullock the winner.

Bullock is the former attorney for Local 190 in Billings. USA Today published a nice profile:

One-term Democratic Attorney General Steve Bullock, who was raised in Helena, often recalled on the campaign trail how he used to ride by the state capitol on his paper route. 

Now, Bullock has found his way to the corner office on the second floor of the venerable building, having defeated former Republican Congressman Rick Hill to take the Montana governorship. 

Bullock, 46, made a name for himself nationally by taking on the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Citizen's United campaign finance decision by defending Montana's century-old Corrupt Practices Act, which banned corporate expenditures on political campaigns in the state. Bullock triumphed in the Montana Supreme Court, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the state law by a 5-4 decision. 

Bullock is popular with the state's significant percentage of sportsmen, having written the state's opinion guaranteeing access to rivers, streams and public lands. Bullock worked with the legislature and popular Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer to put the access opinion into state law.

He'll have his hands full with a Legislature full of extremists. But he said he won't hesitate to veto right-to-work-for-less legislation.

Congratulations, Steve!

(On another note: Gary McDowell, a 33-year UPS Teamster, apparently lost his Congressional race by a few dozen votes. It may not be over yet, as he's waiting for a board of canvassers to count all votes.)

Today's Teamster News 11.08.12

The People Who Elected Obama Don't Want Cuts to Social Security and Medicare  Alternet   ...The president should heed the message voters sent as negotiations for a so-called “Grand Bargain” (what white-collar criminologist Bill Black has more properly called a “Grand Betrayal”) heat up in the face of another phony crisis meant to give the fatcats a new shot at redistributing income upward...
Greek parliament narrowly approves €13.5bn austerity package after mass protests  Guardian   ...The vote took place after tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Greek capital to protest about the package. Initially peaceful, the protests were marred by violent scenes and clashes between riot police and a small group of protesters. ..
Obama, Romney and Congressional Candidates Nationwide Used Trade-Themed Ads to Appeal to U.S. Majority Opposing Trade Status Quo, Reinforcing Public Anger and Building Expectations for Reform  Public Citizen   ...An analysis of the 2012 election reveals a bipartisan race to align campaign positions with the American public’s opposition to current U.S. trade policies and the job offshoring they cause...
Continuing Sandy Aftermath, New Nor’Easter Underscore Complex System Fragility  naked capitalism   ...If you see worries about fragile delivery systems and the risks of extended supply chains fade quickly from financial news, it’s likely that even after Sandy, companies and officials lack will to take issues like infrastructure risk seriously...
Teamsters' Largest GOTV Effort In History Helps Re-Elect Obama  IBT   ..."Working people proved something last night: When they fight, they can win against a corporate, anti-middle-class candidate, even after the Citizens' United decision," said Jim Hoffa, General President...
Election 2012: Teamsters send cease and desist to god knows where  Missoula Independent   ...Late last week, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters sent a cease and desist order to the 501(c)(4) Taxpayers for Liberty requesting that it stop using the union's logo on political attack mailers in Montana...

For many, Karl Rove's Fox meltdown will never get old

Karl Rove is believed to be the George W. Bush administration official who famously said, "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality."

But sometimes the reality you create (like lower taxes will create more jobs) runs up against the real reality (like lower taxes don't create more jobs).

Perhaps that's what happened to Rove in this video.

P.S. Read Gawker about the incident and don't miss the comments.

Teamster Election 2012 Update

More results and analyses from yesterday's election are trickling in. There's plenty of good, some bad and some in-between.

In the good column, we'll start with Missouri: We're happy to report Bob Burns, a retired beer truck driver at Local 600 in St. Louis, won his race to represent Missouri's 93rd District in the state House of Representatives. Congratulations! Gov. Jay Nixon, a good friend to working people, won re-election, and Democrat Jason Kander won his race for secretary of state. That's an important win because loony extremist anti-worker billionaire Rex Sinquefield put a boatload of money behind his opponent.

Sadly, another Teamster local 600 candidate for Missouri state representative -- Terry Lesinski, a 30-year ABF member -- didn't make it.

Minnesota Local 320 secretary-treasurer Brian Aldes called the election a "blow-out" for the state's working families. Minnesota voters faulted anti-worker extremists for failing to govern responsibly during the last session, he wrote. Many were voted out of office. Reports Aldes:

Here in Minnesota, 68 percent of Teamsters Joint Council 32 D.R.I.V.E. endorsed candidates won election. Most important of all, D.R.I.V.E. endorsed candidates now have majorities in both chambers at the Statehouse. With Gov. Dayton in control of the executive branch, and the DFL in charge of the legislative branches, I can say with confidence that the Freedom of Employment Scam (right-to-work) is dead... 

We won’t face the type of anti-labor agenda from legislators that we faced in the last Session. So, again I thank all of our volunteers for their hard work to get out the vote!

In Maine, Gov. Paul LePage's nutty wings got clipped. Democrats retook the majority of both Houses in Maine. That means the secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general and auditor will be elected by a joint ballot of the Legislature. (Maybe they'll return the labor mural.)

Another New England wingnut we won't be hearing from is New Hampshire's island-dwelling Speaker of the House, Bill O'Brien. Democrats won back the state House of Representatives, so O'Brien loses his speakership. He also loses the ability to push anti-worker legislation like right-to-work-for-less. (Winning the governor's race was a big plus, too, as a candidate who pledged to be "Scott Walker on steroids" was defeated.)

In Montana, it looks like victory (but we're not sure yet) for gubernatorial candidate Steve Bullock, the friend of Teamsters and foe of misclassification.

Other sort-of good news: Democrats picked up three seats in Pennsylvania's state senate, which will force the anti-worker extremist members of the Republican Party to moderate their tone and their agenda. And Democrats picked up two seats in the Florida Senate, which takes away the GOP's supermajority and may, just may, make it easier to fight the next prison privatization battle should it arise.

A couple of anti-worker crazies in the U.S. House of Representatives were also defeated. In Illinois, U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh lost to veteran Tammy Duckworth after churlishly complaining she's "not a true hero" (she lost both legs in Iraq). And Florida's Allen West, an anti-union kook, looks to lose to a 30-year-old accountant.

Now, the bad news: In Ohio, Republicans are likely to pick up a seat in the House, which will make it that much easier for corporate stooge Gov. John Kasich to ram through a privatization of the Ohio Turnpike. In Wisconsin, Scott Walker's party retook the majority in the Senate, which will allow him to kill more jobs (unless he's indicted). And in Indiana, Gov.-elect Mike Pence is likely to cause trouble for working people, especially as his party may gain a supermajority in the House.

Finally, we're not quite sure what's happening in Michigan. Prop 2 failed, sadly, and 33-year UPSer Gary McDowell is trailing by a a tiny margin in his race for Congress. It also isn't clear what the final makeup of the Michigan House will be.

Today's Teamster News 11.07.12 (Special Edition)

Ohio voters relieved campaign blitz over - but anxiously watch election returns  Detroit Free Press   ...The Teamsters hall in Toledo – with an announced Obama win – erupted tonight in screams and hugs and fist pumps...
Unions May Tip Ohio Vote For Obama  Huffington Post   ...Not only have labor unions blanketed the state with canvassers in recent days, early signs Tuesday showed that Ohio voters who are union members were casting ballots for Obama by especially wide margins...
Union support key to Obama in Pa.  Philadelphia Business Journal   ...labor unions seem as committed as ever to supporting Democrats despite that — and the fact that some local Democrats in cities from Philadelphia to Chicago are joining Republicans in using public-workers unions as punching bags...
Unions, Hispanics, women carry Obama to Nevada win  Associated Press   ...Nevadans also narrowly sided with Republican U.S. Sen. Dean Heller who won a hard-fought race with seven-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley by about 12,000 votes, 46 percent to 45 percent...
Maggie Hassan defeats Republican Ovide Lamontagne in N.H. governor's race  Concord Monitor   ...Maggie Hassan will become the 81st governor of New Hampshire after defeating Republican Ovide Lamontagne yesterday, keeping the corner office in Democratic hands as Gov. John Lynch steps down after an unprecedented four terms...(LaMontaigne promised to be "Scott Walker on steroids"; Hassan's win forestalls a right-to-work-for-less battle in New Hampshire)
Republicans sweep in Salem House  Lawrence Eagle-Tribune   ...Defeated were Democrats Michael Murray, 4,810; Susan Desmet, 4,753; John Murphy, 4,134... (Murphy is a Teamsters International Vice President.)
Elizabeth Warren Projected Winner Over GOP Senator In Massachusetts  Huffington Post   ...The Warren win comes as a critical pick-up for Democrats who just months prior had risked losing their Senate majority...
Democrats dominate Assembly bids  Albany Times-Union   ...Democrats took over Assemblyman George Amedore's seat as Schenectady County Legislator Angelo Santabarbara defeated Republican Minden town Supervisor Tom Quackenbush in the 111th District...Quackenbush, who is well-known in Montgomery County but new to voters in Schenectady and Albany counties. Quackenbush, who faced a 9,000 Democratic voter advantage in the district, is a Teamsters business agent...
John Payne defeats Osman Kamara in 106th state house  The Patriot-News   ...Republican State Rep. John Payne defeated Democratic challenger Osman Kamara with 64.8 percent of the vote, with all precincts appearing to be reporting in the 106th state house race...(Kamara is a member of Teamsters Local 776)
Senator Sherrod Brown's victory speech  WDTN   ...The race is about the resurgence in Ohio manufacturing.  The workers and managers from Navistar in Springfield, Airbus in Columbus and Arcelor-Mittal in Cleveland – all adding jobs in Ohio…And it’s about the Chevy Cruze, Ohio’s comeback story. And Teamster car haulers move those cars all across America...
Ohio voters reject Issue 2 redistricting plan  CantonRep.com   ...Ohio voters have rejected a proposal to change the process for redrawing state legislative and congressional maps....
Michigan unions' gamble doesn't pay off  Detroit Free Press   ...A calculated gamble by Michigan unions to enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution ended Tuesday in a resounding defeat...
Benishek, McDowell in dead heat for Michigan 1st congressional district  MLive   ...With 71 percent of precincts reporting, Democratic challenger Gary McDowell is leading Republican incumbent Dan Benishek by fewer than 100 votes in a rematch of the 2010 election... (McDowell was a 33-year UPS driver.)
Wisconsin sends Democrat Tammy Baldwin to Senate   Los Angeles Times   ...The Democratic candidate for Senate in Wisconsin seized victory after a hard-fought race reflecting the partisan divide that has become Badger State politics...
Hansen fends off challenge for fourth state Senate term  Green Bay Press Gazette   ...Hansen beat local businessman John Macco, 53 percent to 47 percent, with 66 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night. Hansen won 26,472 votes and Macco 23,361... (Hansen is a member of Teamsters Local 662 and one of the "Fab 14")
Indiana Election Results 2012: Pence wins race for governor; Donnelly beats Mourdock in Senate race; Romney wins Hoosier state  Washington Post   ...Democrat Joe Donnelly, who currently sits in the House of Representatives, won Indiana’s Senate race in a fiercely fought contest against Republican state treasurer Richard Mourdock. The win represents a much-needed gain for the Democrats in their bid to retain control of the Senate... (Note: Pence is likely to be more anti-labor than his predecessor, Mitch Daniels. Sadly, all four Teamster candidates for the Indiana Legislature lost.)
Nolan takes Northeastern Minnesota's 8th District seat back from GOP  Duluth News Tribune   ...Democratic challenger Rick Nolan pulled off an upset in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, with incumbent Rep. Chip Cravaack conceding about 1:15 a.m. today... (Nolan is a former Teamster UPSer and a former congressman. He retakes the seat held by Jim Oberstar.)
Minnesota voters shoot down Voter ID amendment  DL-Online   ...Forty-six percent of voters Tuesday wanted to amend the state Constitution to require a photo ID before voting, but 50 percent was needed...
Sodders retains State Senate seat  Times-Republican   ...Sen. Steve Sodders, D-State Center, retained his seat against Republican challenger Jane Jech, of Marshalltown, Tuesday... (Sodders is a Teamster deputy sheriff and an active member of the Teamsters Law Enforcement League.)
Zweifel re-elected to 2nd term as Mo. treasurer  St. Louis Post-Dispatch   ... Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY'-ful) has won re-election, beating a state lawmaker from St. Louis County...(Our brother Jim Sweere lost his race for state representative; we don't know yet about brothers Terry Lesinski and Bob Burns, also candidates for the Missouri Legislature.)
Bullock leads Hill in Montana governor race  Associated Press   ...Democrat Steve Bullock held a slim lead over Republican Rick Hill in early returns Wednesday as the race for Montana governor remained too close to call...(Bullock is the former attorney for Teamsters Local 190.) 
Republican Daines beats Gillan for US Congress  Associated Press   ...Republican businessman Steve Daines has won Montana's sole U.S. House seat, beating Democrat Kim Gillan... (Gillan is a former Teamster.)
Proposition 32: Measure that would restrict union donations is defeated  San Jose Mercury News   ...Labor groups won a resounding victory by defeating Proposition 32, a measure that would have altered the political landscape had it succeeded...
Astronaut Loses Race for House Seat  Courthouse News Service   ...Astronaut José Hernandez, the first person to Tweet in Spanish from a space shuttle, failed to oust incumbent Republican Jeff Denham from his U.S. House seat on Tuesday... (Hernandez is a former Teamster.)
House defense leaders cruise to reelection  The Hill   ...Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) was on track to score a sizeable victory over Democratic challenger Lee Rogers for the 25th congressional district... (Rogers is a Teamster through the California Teamsters Public Affairs Council.)

Judge orders early voting extended in Florida's Orange, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties

Florida Democrats were granted their request for another day of early voting in some counties after long lines kept polls open until midnight last night.

If you vote in Orange County, you need to know this:

Voting hours have been extended in Orange County for today only.
Make sure everyone who has not cast their ballot yet knows that they can vote in Winter Park today.
The Winter Park location is open for early voting from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can vote today as long as you are in line at 5:00 p.m.
If you haven't cast your ballot yet, head to the Winter Park Library -- across from Rollins College:
Winter Park Library
460 East New England Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789

If you live in Pinellas County:

Absentee in-person voting will be open today and Monday in Pinellas County from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 

If you haven't cast your ballot yet, you can vote at any the voting location listed below today and Monday. ass this important voting information along to anyone else who should know:

Election Service Center, Starkey Lakes Corporate Center
13001 Starkey Road
Largo, FL 33773 

Pinellas County Courthouse
315 Court Street, Room 117
Clearwater, FL 33756 

County Building
501 First Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33701 

Here's what you need to do to absentee in-person vote today in four easy steps: 

1. Go to your closest location listed above, and bring a valid photo ID.
2. Request your absentee ballot in person.
3. Complete and return your ballot on the spot!
4. Don't forget to sign your ballot envelope 

If you already have your ballot, make sure to bring it in with you when you go to vote. 

Join your neighbors before 5:00 p.m. today

If you live in Palm Beach County:

Absentee in-person voting will be open today and tomorrow in Palm Beach County from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 

If you haven't cast your ballot yet, you can vote at the Supervisor of Elections Main Office today or tomorrow. Pass this important voting information along to anyone else who should know: 

Supervisor of Elections Main Office
240 S. Military Trail
West Palm Beach, FL 33415 

Here's what you need to do to absentee in-person vote today in four easy steps: 

1. Go to the Supervisor of Elections office listed above, and bring a valid photo ID.
2. Request your absentee ballot in person.
3. Complete and return your ballot on the spot!
4. Don't forget to sign your ballot envelope.
If you already have your ballot, make sure to bring it in with you when you go to vote.

Today's Teamster News 11.04.12

Payroll Growth Shows U.S. Labor Market Healing Before Election  Bloomberg   ...The broad-based job gains -- from positions at car dealers and hospitals to factories and construction sites -- indicate consumers will likely spend more freely, shoring up the three- year expansion in the face of a global economic slowdown and political gridlock in Washington over taxes and spending...
Storm Sandy: Frustration at NY's slow pace of recovery  BBC News   ...Nearly a million people in New York state remain without power after Storm Sandy, as frustration grows over the slow pace of recovery. Power returned to large parts of Manhattan on Saturday, but on Staten Island people were still struggling without electricity and with a huge shortage of fuel...
One Safety Net That Needs to Shrink  New York Times   ...Election Day is upon us, and neither President Obama nor Mitt Romney has really addressed one of the nation’s most pressing economic issues: the risk that one day taxpayers might have to bail out swashbuckling financial institutions again...
FEMA has 9,106 disaster assistance employees. Only 770 get federal health insurance.  Washington Post   ...disaster assistance employees “generally do not have access to employer-provided health insurance and must carry their own private insurance...”
Mexican Cartels Enslave Engineers to Build Radio Network  Wired   ...The Mexican military is trying to dismantle an extensive network of radio antennas built and operated by the notorious Zeta drug cartel...the cartel has also apparently found some unwilling — and alarming — assistance by kidnapping and enslaving technicians to help build it...
Ohio provisional ballot voting order criticized  Associated Press   ...Voter advocates on Saturday criticized an order by Ohio's elections chief dealing with the casting of provisional ballots, saying it increases the likelihood that votes could be wrongly rejected...

UPS freight Teamster running for Ind. state rep.

Kevin Derr with a supporter.

(UPDATES 2nd graf to correct it's District 75, not 25, 3rd graf to correct Township of Boon.)

Teamster Magazine told you about nearly two dozen Teamsters, former Teamsters and close Teamster friends who are running for office this year. We shared one candidate a day with you. Now that we're reaching the end of our series on Teamster candidates, we find at least one who we've overlooked: Kevin Derr.

Derr is running as a Democrat for state representative in District 75 in Indiana. His Republican opponent has voted for right-to-work-for-less, which Indiana labor unions vowed to repeal. (Indiana repealed RTW4less once before, in 1965.)

Derr became a Teamster in July after starting with UPS Freight. Two years ago he took over the Township of Boon Trustee Office after the trustee passed away. As trustee, he lobbied in Indianapolis on the township's behalf.

That was when Gov. Mitch Daniels began his attack on school teachers, removing their collective bargaining rights and introducing vouchers.

"That would make every one of our children a little profit center for somebody's private enterprise," he said. Then came the attack on workers. He decided to run for state rep.

"I want to stop the privatization of all of our essential public services," he said. "I don’t want to see something that should be truly left up to the voters given to something that isn't accountable."

At first he tried to keep work and politics separate. Then the Teamsters found out about him and he received a DRIVE contribution.

"I’m finding that our brotherhood is exactly that," he said. "Everyone comes out to help each other."

Another Teamster local president running for state rep in Ind.

We're paying close attention to political candidates who are Teamsters, used to be Teamsters or are close Teamster friends. Between now and Nov. 6, we'll be presenting one candidate a day to you, courtesy of Teamster Magazine. Read about other Teamster candidates here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, 
here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Brad Thompson, President of Local 1070 in Delphi, is running as a Democrat for Indiana state Senate from District 7.

Thompson’s roots go deep in his rural district, as his grandparents farmed there and he has years of experience working for corn and soybean processors.

He’s running because he believes the citizens of the 7th District need a working-class state senator.

“The system is broke and we can’t depend on career politicians to look out for the concerns of the working middle class,” he said. “The Indiana legislature is set up to meet only two months of the year, setting it up to be a citizens’ legislature. So it’s time to send one of our own to Indianapolis to look out for the working-class interest.”

He has two daughters, one a UAW member and one who wants to be a labor lawyer. They’re helping him with social networking.

Note to Mitt: Coal's coming back as gas prices rise

Coal's return is a big deal for our brothers and sisters in the Teamsters Rail Conference. They've been worried about the drop in coal shipments on eastern and western roads. Thousands of good-paying railroad jobs depend on coal.

The reason coal fell in the first place? It's the fracking, stupid.

Last week, CSX blamed low gas prices for the decline in coal, even as two Wall Street analysts recommended two coal companies as good buys because natural gas prices are now rising.

Mitt Romney, of course, blames President Obama. He's wrong.

Brother Dennis Pierce, national president for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, explains: George W. Bush unleashed a natural gas boom by relieving natural-gas corporations of their obligation to clean up Superfund sites. He also relieved them of the responsibility to tell people what's in the chemical mix they inject into the ground as part of their fracking operations.

Pierce tells us what happened next:

When the increase in fracking flooded the market with natural gas, gas prices fell, and the profit-driven power companies converted operations to the cheaper product where they could. Shortly thereafter the gas industry, having set the hook, started cut down on drilling to drive the prices back up.

Pierce has firsthand knowledge. He has a home that sits on the Barnett Shale in Northern Texas.

For two years, a natural gas "fracking" operation sat less than 1,500 yards from my neighborhood, on land supposedly set aside for a city park.

To put it into railroad speak, the rumbling that our neighborhood endured sounded like an EMD SD-40 sitting in your front yard at throttle 6 night and day for months on end. That drilling site was one of thousands in the Barnett Shale, those in addition to the fracking sites in the Marcellus Shale in Western Pennsylvania and the Meade Peak and Green River Basin Shales in Wyoming.

Now that gas prices are going up, the drilling platform in his neighborhood is gone.

But here's the important point: Mitt Romney is not the savior of coal.  Watch this youtube video of Gov. Mitt Romney standing outside of coal-fired power plant, pointing his finger toward the plant, and saying "That plant kills people!"



Concludes Pierce:

Mitt Romney is a boss ... first, last and always. That's why every few days we see or read or hear about some company owner threatening his workforce with layoffs if President Obama is elected.

2012 campaign drives toddler to tears

We feel her pain.

Local 716 president running for state senate in Ind.

We're paying close attention to 19 political candidates who are Teamsters, used to be Teamsters or are close Teamster friends. Between now and Nov. 6, we'll be presenting one candidate a day to you, courtesy of Teamster Magazine. Read about other Teamster candidates here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, 
here, here, here, here and here.

Jim Cahill, President of Local 716 in Indianapolis, was mad enough that Indiana passed a Republican-sponsored right-to-work-for-less law. He was even madder when he learned that no Democrat was running for state Senate in his district, the 37th. So he went and filed papers to run for the seat himself.

“I signed up at the last minute. When I saw no one was running, I decided to jump in,” he said.

Cahill thinks he has a pretty good chance of winning. He’s passionate about repealing right-to-work-for-less. Like many other Teamsters in Indiana, he was at the Statehouse every day for the past two sessions fighting against anti-worker legislation.

Cahill has lived in Indiana his entire life. According to his website, he “is seeking to become part of the Indiana legislature that is committed to furthering and bettering the lives of the working men and women of Indiana by introducing and supporting legislation and policies directly geared towards that end.”

Cahill was a concrete mixer driver for 31 years with Southside Ready Mix and Irving Materials Incorporated.

Pa. Teamster running for state rep to fight privatization

We're paying close attention to 19 political candidates who are Teamsters, used to be Teamsters or are close Teamster friends. Between now and Nov. 6, we'll be presenting one candidate a day to you, courtesy of Teamster Magazine. Read about other Teamster candidates here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, 
here, here, here and here.

A public sector worker in Dauphin County, Pa., Local 776 member Osman Kamara has seen his own job threatened by privatization. Kamara, who is running for the District 106 Pennsylvania House seat, will not stand by and let this trend continue.

“I’m a 16-year dues-paying Teamster that believes in fair wages, fair benefits and a fair tax system. I will fight against any attack on the labor movement,” Kamara said. “An assault against labor is an assault against the middle class. I promise to represent and fight for labor if elected as a state representative and protect working families.”

Teamster state treasurer up for re-election in Missouri

(UPDATES to change photo.)
We're paying close attention to 19 political candidates who are Teamsters, used to be Teamsters or are close Teamster friends. Between now and Nov. 6, we'll be presenting one candidate a day to you, courtesy of Teamster Magazine. Read about other Teamster candidates here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Clint Zweifel, a Democrat who was elected State Treasurer in 2008, was elected a Missouri State Representative in 2002 and served as Education and Research Director at Local 688 in St. Louis prior to that.

“Growing up in a union household, I witnessed firsthand the entry point to the middle class that labor has provided for many American families,” Zweifel said. “I understand the importance of a strong middle class and the need to grow opportunities for middle-class families.”

Zweifel said he has focused on helping working families as treasurer.

“We partnered with small businesses and farms on more than $1 billion in low-interest loans that helped create jobs and grow our economy,” he said. “Through increased efficiencies and private partnership, we provided opportunities for families to save more money for college through matching funds and better program performance. As a commitment to working families, I continue to look for ways to make government more efficient, accountable and transparent so it works better for them.”