Today's Teamster News 07.02.13

Fast-moving Arizona wildfire leaves 19 firefighters dead, destroys more than 200 homes  Associated Press   ...Gusty, hot winds blew an Arizona blaze out of control Sunday in a forest northwest of Phoenix, overtaking and killing 19 members of an elite fire crew in the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years...
Paid via Card, Workers Feel Sting of Fees  New York Times   ...A growing number of American workers are confronting a frustrating predicament on payday: to get their wages, they must first pay a fee...
Interest rates on new college student loans double, but Congress could restore low rates later

Washington Post   ...The interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4 percent Monday and could stay doubled unless Congress fulfills its pledge to restore lower rates when it returns from the Fourth of July holiday...
Will the Trans-Atlantic Spying Scandal Kill the Trans-Atlantic "Trade" Scandal?  Public Citizen   ...The revelation has sparked ire from European officials, unleashing a torrent of warnings today that TAFTA negotiations, slated to start next week, may be doomed before they begin...
Local man found not guilty in chalk vandalsim case  ABC 10 News   ...A 40-year-old man was acquitted Monday of 13 misdemeanor vandalism charges that stemmed from protest messages he wrote in chalk in front of three Bank of America branches in San Diego...
Lawmakers push U.S. government to buy flags made in America  WQAD News 8   ...Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Iowa Senator Bruce Braley are pushing the federal government to only purchase American-made U.S. flags...
Brunswick Council and Chamber split over relevancy of right-to-work resolution  Sun News   ...In spite of opposition from the Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce, a resolution opposing the state's anti-union "right to work" laws in Ohio passed by a 3-1 vote. Ward 4 Councilman Anthony Capretta, whose father was a Teamster, said his vote in favor of the legislation was a matter of principal...
Maine should not accept low-skill, low-wage future (opinion)  Portland Press Herald   ...Researchers found that most new jobs in the next decade will be low-wage, low-skill positions that won't require even a high school diploma...
Florida privatized prison health services leaves nearly 1,800 public employees out of a job  Miami Herald   ...The nation’s largest outsourcing of prison medical care is underway in Florida with the state turning to a private company with a history of problems in other states...
Amendment's OK boon to Penn. liquor privatization effort  Meadville Tribune   ...An amendment approved by the Pennsylvania state Senate early Saturday morning is a victory for proponents of privatization as it agrees to take a greater step relinquishing control of the lucrative wholesale liquor business...
BART strike on after talks fail  San Jose Mercury News   ...After a breakdown in contract talks Sunday evening, BART workers are on strike. About 15 workers from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 announced at midnight that their contact had expired without a new offer from BART, and then started their picketing…
UNITE HERE and Hyatt Reach National Agreement  UNITE HERE   ...Hyatt Hotels Corporation and UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada, announced a national agreement that resolves longstanding disputes between the two organizations...
SCI Funeral Directors Vote to Strike  IBT   ...Funeral directors and drivers represented by Teamsters Local 727 overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike against Houston-based funeral giant Service Corporation International yesterday evening.  The strike is set to begin this morning...
ABF Members Approve National Contract and Most Supplements  IBT …The national master portion of the ABF National Master Freight Agreement has been approved. This means the national contract is not open for renegotiating. Most of the supplements were also approved—21 of the 27. The six that did not pass are open for renegotiating...
Private Equity Firm Warburg Pincus' Greed Harming First Responders In Western New York  IBT   ...On June 28, Rural/Metro Medical Services (Rural/Metro) of Buffalo presented its final wage and benefit offer to paramedics and medical technicians, who are members of Teamsters Local Union 375...
7-Up strike settled  Press-Enterprise   ...A Teamster strike that began last Monday at the Riverside distribution center that ships 7-Up and other beverages to retailers in the Inland area was resolved Friday afternoon, a union leader said...
On The Waterfront With Labor  Rick Smith Show   ...The show heads to the Pacific Northwest and talks to several members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. about lockouts and the state of the union. Listen here. Come back to the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from his road travels...
Sign Up for the 2013 Teamster Women's Conference  IBT   ...The Teamster Women’s Conference will be held September 19-21, 2013 in New Orleans. Register now to join your Teamster Sisters and Brothers!...

Today's Teamster News 06.26.13

(UPDATES to ADD Missouri paycheck deception veto)
Supreme Court stops use of key part of Voting Rights Act  Washington Post   ...The Supreme Court on Tuesday freed states from special federal oversight under the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, saying the data Congress used to identify the states covered by it was outdated and unfair...
Supreme Court Ruled In Favor Of America’s Top Corporate Lobbying Group In 13 of 16 Cases This Term   ThinkProgress   ...after today, the Chamber’s record before the Roberts Court is 13 wins and just 3 loses this term...
Study finds business subsidies lead to few jobs  Evansville Courier & Press   ...Giant subsidy packages awarded by states and local governments to attract businesses or keep them from leaving have been growing steadily in size and occurring more frequently since 2008, according to a Washington, D.C.-based policy think tank...
Fired Walmart Workers Arrested in Protest at Yahoo Headquarters  The Nation   ...Five activists were arrested at Yahoo! headquarters Monday afternoon in a protest over the firing of eleven Walmart employees who this month went on strike...
Dilma Rousseff proposes referendum on political reform  The Guardian   ...Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has proposed a referendum on political reform and a new £17bn public transport programme in her latest attempt to mollify the protest movement that brought more than a million people on to the streets last week...
Grayson Announces Bill to Let Workers Personally Sue Bosses Who Retaliate  The Nation   ...In a Tuesday interview, Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) announced the introduction of a bill to dramatically expand the legal remedies available to non-union workers who are punished for workplace activism...
Nixon strikes down ‘paycheck protection’ measure  Missourinet   ...Gov. Jay Nixon today signed into law several bills, and vetoed Senate Bill 29, which supporters call “paycheck protection” and opponents call “paycheck deception.” The bill would have prevented labor unions from using member dues for political contributions...
Labor-backed bill tests supermajority control of California Legislature  Sacramento Bee   ...With Democrats set to lose their Assembly supermajority this week, moderates are in the hot seat as the house decides the fate of one of organized labor's top priorities. A measure, which seeks to bar Wal-Mart and other large employers from providing wages and hours low enough to qualify for Medi-Cal rolls, requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass...
NJ officials reconsider privatizing toll collection  Asbury Park Press   ...Privatizing cash toll collection on the state’s two major toll roads is back on the table, but a goal of cashless tolls is years away from happening...
Bill to revamp enterprise zone program advances to Senate floor   Los Angeles Times   ...Gov. Jerry Brown's push to overhaul California's controversial enterprise zone program is headed for floor debate in the state Senate after winning a crucial committee endorsement Monday. The measure would get rid of most of the $750-million-a-year incentive program and shift the money to three initiatives...
UPS Freight Agreement Not Accepted By Members  IBT   ...Members at UPS Freight have voted to reject their Tentative Agreement. To see the results of the UPS Freight vote, click here...
Teamster-Represented Funeral Directors Rally for New Contract  IBT   ...Funeral directors, drivers and their supporters from around Chicago rallied in front of SCI-owned Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Oak Lawn today. The rally was held to support the funeral directors’ bargaining team...
Republic Airways announces contract with Teamsters  Associated Press   ...Republic Airways Holdings Inc. says it has a deal with the Teamsters on a five-year contract covering more than 2,000 flight attendants…
Nev. police union votes 'no confidence' in city manager  Las Vegas Sun   ...North Las Vegas police union voted unanimously on Friday on a vote of "no confidence" in City Manager Tim Hacker. The vote came two days after the North Las Vegas City Council declared a state of emergency for the second year in a row to close an $18 million budget deficit after stalled negotiations with unions, including the Teamsters...
Truro Farmers plant will lose about 10 union jobs  Chronicle Herald   ...A Quebec dairy giant’s plan to stop making cheese at its Truro plant will result in about 10 unionized jobs being lost, a Teamsters Canada official said Monday...
Union Representing Rural Metro EMTs & Paramedics Approves Strike Notice  NBC WGRZ-2   ...Paramedics and EMTs at Rural Metro Medical Services in Buffalo, NY have authorized a possible strike. Teamsters Local 375, which represents the workers, informed the company Monday that the strike authorization vote was passed by their membership...
Riverside 7-Up distributors go on strike  Press-Enterprise  ...Distribution workers in Riverside, CA that ship beverages, mostly 7-Up, to area retailers went on strike this morning. About 100 workers walked off their jobs as part of a contract stalemate...
Building and Construction Teamsters: Bringing Light to Southern California Homes  IBT   ...Teamster members of Bloomington, Calif.-based Local 166 work at this vast facility as drivers, inventory control staff, parts managers, and shipping and receiving staff...
Teamsters Local 542 Awards Scholarships to Member's Children  Teamsters Local 542   ...Teamsters Local 542 awarded the “Rick Aceves Memorial Scholarship” to four of its member’s children graduating from high school...