Today's Teamster News 01.08.12

Continuing Assault on Unions (opinion)  New York Times   ...Voters, unionized or not, should recognize the new “right to work” push for what it is: bad economics and cynical politics...
How Cities and States are Sticking It to Citizens United  Common Dreams   ...From courthouses to statehouses, the pro-corporate ruling is under pressure...
From East and West, Foreclosure Horror Stories  New York Times   ...borrowers had to deal with documents containing “false assertions about which entity was authorized to foreclose, and false assertions about whether the consumer was delinquent on a loan payment.”...
Eurozone strains increase with grim new economic data  The Guardian   ...Spain's jobless rate jumped to almost 23% in November, when the rate for the European Union rose to 10.3%. Italian bond yields, which act as a proxy for interest rates, reached 7.19% on further worries about the state of the economy and the government's ability to pay its bills...
Questions remain about organic foods grown in China  Seattle Times   ...the country has faced a string of reported food dramas: Watermelons exploding from too much growth chemical, borax in beef, bleach in mushrooms, soy sauce made with arsenic and from human hair, and "eggs" created using chemicals, gelatin and paraffin...
Biggest Story of 2012: Implosion of H-1B Business Model  IT Business Edge   ...the visa and tax fraud lawsuit Palmer filed against the company in February 2011, sparked a criminal investigation by U.S. government authorities, unprecedented in its scope and rigor, as investigators from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service joined forces to bring Infosys to account for its actions once and for all...
 

VIDEO: How will the Tea Partiers in Congress vote on S. Korea NAFTA?

President Obama is likely to send the job-killing trade deal with S. Korea to Congress for approval sometime soon. Many Democrats will vote against it, so Obama is counting on Republican support. But an increasing number of Republicans are dubious about voting for the deal. Acording to Global Trade Watch, during the 2010 campaign,

...a record number of 75 Republicans adopted some fair trade messaging ... 43 of whom won their races. More than sixty races became "fair trade offs," where both the Democrat and Republican ran on fair trade themes. Only 37 candidates campaigned in favor of more North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)-style trade agreements - about half of these candidates lost ...

There are 50-odd members of the Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives, and many rank-and-fileTea Partiers oppose this deal. They've put up a website explaining their opposition:

Opposition is gaining among grassroots activists who historically opposed NAFTA, those who are alarmed at the violation of U.S. sovereignty, and even among conservative/libertarian “free traders” who now admit that the NAFTA-style Korea trade deal is not a true free-trade agreement.

Here's a video showing an unelected Tea Partier asking Tea Party members of Congress how they'll vote on the deal. Note that Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, didn't say he'd vote against it.

Given that the union-busting billionaire Koch brothers fund the Tea Party, we're strongly doubting the Tea Party Caucus will join Democrats to kill the job-killing S. Korean trade bill. But time will tell.

Today's Teamster News 02.10.11

South Korea, US Sign Revisions to Free Trade Deal  ABC News   ...The two sides agreed to revisions on the elimination of auto tariffs and South Korea said American manufacturers could export a limited number of vehicles that conform only to U.S. safety standards. The beef issue ... was ultimately not included...
High-speed rail group surveys industry's interest  San Francisco Chronicle   ...the California High-Speed Rail Authority invited private industry Wednesday to help finance, build and operate the system...
Koch Brothers Positioned To Be Big Winners If Keystone XL Pipeline Is Approved  Reuters   ...Obama’s bitterest political enemies already import and refine 25 percent of oil sands crude reaching the U.S., and stand to profit from an increased flow...
New Questions in Mortgage Financing   New York Times   ...some of those banks may have secretly collected partial payments on those same (soured) mortgages several years ago and pocketed that money...
Insider Inquiry Steps up its Focus on Hedge Funds  New York Times   ...The government has taken its strongest action against hedge funds as part of a vast investigation into insider trading on Wall Street...
Hoyer And Boehner Agree Retirement Age Should Be 'On The Table'  talkingpointsmemo.com   ...Many Democrats support the idea of raising the wage-cap on the Social Security payroll tax to shore up the program indefinitely, and the GOP doesn't...
Rule change aids unions  Houston Chronicle   ...The new rule, set last May by the National Mediation Board, requires a simple majority among votes actually cast — much the same way a community elects its mayor or school board representatives...
Mad Money Lightning Round: Cramer Likes United Parcel Service  benzinga   ...Cramer said that Fedex (NYSE: FDX) is “terrific, but I happen to like UPS more..."

Today's Teamster News 01.31.11

Inflation in China May Limit U.S. Trade Deficit  New York Times   ...Inflation is starting to slow China’s mighty export machine, as buyers from Western multinational companies balk at higher prices...
Unrest in Egypt Unsettles Global Markets  New York Times   ...the situation in Egypt has the potential to cause more widespread uncertainty, especially if oil and other commodities keep surging or the unrest spreads to more countries in the Middle East...
What’s at Stake in the N.F.L.’s Labor Talks  New York Times   ...In the last two weeks, personalities as disparate as the Pittsburgh Steelers chairman emeritus Dan Rooney and Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie aired their concerns about the pace of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, which expires March 3...
State workers fear likely pension fees  Miami Herald   ...Florida is the last state not to require employees to contribute to their own pension, while some states offer free retirement to only a limited class of workers...
Wis. unions gird for cuts from Walker  NECN   ...Forcing concessions from state employees is a popular talking point for Gov. Scott Walker and one that likely will find a central place in his first State of the State speech on Tuesday...
Unethical Predatory Practices  Economy in Crisis   ...The United States is told that it must oblige to its commitment to “free trade,” not because it is in our best interest but because it is in our foreign creditors best interest...
Fight to finish on U.S.-S. Korea trade pact  AFP   ...With US President Barack Obama and his main foes both embracing a trade pact with South Korea, opponents are racing against the clock to regain momentum while supporters are leaving nothing to chance...

Why the U.S. would be crazy to sign a trade deal with Panama

Panama workers protest laws weakening their rights.

We're hearing that a job-killing trade deal with Panama might be sent to Congress later this year.

There are so many reasons to oppose this deal that it's hard to know where to start. But here's a try:

Panama is a great example of how trade deals in Latin America create political instability. President Martinelli (a free-trading supermarket billionaire) used anti-democratic methods to weaken unions that oppose the trade deal with Panama. Reports truthout (via Buzzflash)

Panama's combative labor unions would be unlikely to simply roll over and accept the looming corporate-style U.S.-Panama free trade agreement.

Martinelli last summer forced through a law that severely eroded labor protections and almost eliminated the right to assemble. It legalized the hiring of strikebreakers and granted police immunity for shooting striking workers. Panama's workers staged a general strike to protest the new law. As many as 11 protesters were killed. In the end, the law was rolled back in a great victory for workers.

There are plenty of other reasons to oppose a trade deal with Panama. It would reward a country that's been on every major list of tax havens and whose banks have repeatedly been accused of money laundering. The proposed deal would continue to allow Panama to protect money launderers and tax cheats. It would encourage U.S. companies to move to Panama, and it would give Panama-based subsidiaries of U.S. banks greater rights within the United States than the Constitution provides U.S. citizens.

Martinelli has also shown an indifference to following his own laws. It was recently revealed in diplomatic cables that the U.S. government believed Martinelli "may be willing to set aside the rule of law in order to achieve his political and developmental goals." He had tried to bully the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to wiretap his political rivals who oppose this trade deal.

As Global Trade Watch points out,

Since President Martinelli apparently can't be bothered to follow the laws of his own country, how can his government be trusted to follow an international agreement and help the U.S. government ferret out tax dodgers?

Today's Teamster News 1.3.11

Teamsters Grant Conditional Extension on YRCW Restructuring Plan Timelines  IBT   ...TNFINC... announced today that it has granted YRC Worldwide Inc. (YRCW) a conditional extension until March 15, 2011 on key timelines to achieve elements of its comprehensive restructuring plan...
Teamsters Local 401 members fill stockings for United Way agencies serving children  The Times Leader   ...Children with special needs who are served by United Way of Wyoming Valley member agencies received 500 Christmas stockings filled with candy thanks to the efforts of volunteers from Teamsters Local 401 and their families...
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Safety, trade interests clash  Washington Post   ...Some of the United States' top trading partners are aggressively fighting to stop the Obama administration from treating lithium batteries as hazardous cargo because they say that would disrupt international shipping and cost businesses hundreds of millions of dollars...
Diplomats Help Push Sales of Jetliners on the Global Market  New York Times   ...diplomats are a big part of the sales force, according to hundreds of cables released by WikiLeaks, which describe politicking and cajoling at the highest levels...
Deep Hole Economics (opinion)  New York Times   ...Even though we may finally have stopped digging, we’re still near the bottom of a very deep hole...

Today's Teamster News 11/04/10

Republican House Could Re-energize Trade Talks New York Times ...lawmakers with a strong interest in trade would have leading roles in the next Congress...

Fed Fires $600 Billion Stimulus Shot Wall Street Journal ...The Federal Reserve...said it would buy $600 billion of government bonds...to drive down interest rates and encourage more borrowing and growth...

Emerging-Market Countries Criticize Fed Decision New York Times ...the Federal Reserve('s) decision ... they fear ...could escalate the worrisome influx of cash into fast-growing economies around the world...

A Lull in Deals, IPOs, Hits KKR's Earnings Wall Street Journal ...Private equity firms are finding it harder to rack up big gains...

Drugs Seized in Tunnel Near Border New York Times ...the discovery came after officals found 10 tons of marijuana in a tractor-trailer at a freeway checkpoint Tuesday afternoon...

The sad tale of the Democrats who hated the unemployed Salon ...nearly all of them were rewarded with early ... retirement from public service...

Some good news on the trade front

The Obama administration says it will investigate the United Steelworkers' complaint about China illegally subsidizing green technology.

The Teamsters are quite pleased.

Here's what Hoffa had to say:

"President Obama is fighting for America's jobs today and America's jobs tomorrow. Green technology is vital to our economic future. We cannot allow China to get ahead of us by cheating."

The steelworkers were pretty happy about it too. Their president, Leo Gerard, said "America is not going to stand by while our jobs get outsourced."

Two more reasons why a trade deal with Colombia is a bad idea

A trade deal with Colombia is a horrible idea for a lot of reasons. Here are two of the latest:

According to U.S. LEAP (the U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project), the violence against workers is getting worse, not better, in Colombia.

...violence against trade unionists is set to exceed the 38 assassinated in 2009, with 36 killings reported as of September 15.

Impunity for the 3,000 cases of civilian deaths at the hands of Colombian armed forces continues, death threats against Afro-Colombian leaders, unionists and human rights defenders have increased significantly, and Colombia’s intelligence agency (DAS) still operates in spite of allegations of widespread illegal surveillance...

And according to Public Citizen, so-called "free-trade agreements" like the one proposed for Colombia actually discourage U.S. exports.

Global Trade Watch found that the growth of U.S. exports to countries with which we don't have "free-trade agreements" is faster than the growth of U.S. exports to the 17 countries with which we do have these agreements.

Says GTW:

Last month, the corporate members of the President’s Export Council released a letter advocating for the passage of the Bush-negotiated Korea, Panama, and Colombia Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), claiming that passage would boost exports. They ignored the fact that the growth of exports to FTA partners has lagged behind exports to other countries, as we showed in our recent report.

It is possible that these corporations are pushing for FTAs since it would facilitate the export of American jobs rather than American goods.

Links 09/08/10

Ligh bulb factory closes; end of era for U.S. means new jobs overseas Washington Post ... The last major GE factory making ordinary incandescent light bulbs in the United States is closing...

Bill calls for all workers to have IRAs UPI ...A New Mexico Democrat has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to establish automatic private retirement accounts for U.S. workers...

Mott's plans no more meetings with strikers Democrat and Chronicle ... the company is ramping up production of apple products at the Williamson plant using replacement workers...

Not Just Jobs -- Good Jobs Huffington Post ...we don't have enough jobs that pay decently.

Companies must take steps to defuse workers' stress McClatchy ...Three out of every four American workers are on the brink of a meltdown, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University report.

Links 08/04/10

Ensuring Another 75 Years of Social Security Huffington Post ...there is one federal program that has remained consistently popular since it was first signed into law 75 years ago this month: Social Security.

Obama Courts Labor Support for Trade Deal Wall Street Journal ...The Obama administration is promising labor unions that it will enforce a range of worker protections in new trade pacts in an effort to win labor's support of a revised South Korea free-trade agreement.

Smoother Ride for Auto-Parts Makers Wall Street Journal ...Now, the U.S.-based automotive suppliers are not only doing better, but they are profitable, their stocks are surging, they are hiring...


Dollar Thrifty Rejects Avis Bid Reuters

More Workers Face Pay Cuts, Not Furloughs New York Times ...Local and state governments, as well as some companies, are squeezing their employees to work the same amount for less money in cost-saving measures that are often described as a last-ditch effort to avoid layoffs.


Rolling Museum Casts Light on Current-Day Forced Labor New York Times ...Institutionalized slavery may have largely gone by the wayside in the United States around 1865, but that does not mean it has entirely vanished.


Top state court keeps union proposition off November ballot Arizona Daily Sun ...Arizonans won't be able to vote in November to make it harder for unions to organize, at least not unless legislators fix it -- and quickly.

Links 07/30/10

The new division of labor: Adding profits, subtracting workers Washington Post ...If Chamber President Tom Donohue wants to round up those responsible for the lack of job growth in this country, all he has to do is call a meeting of his board of directors.

In Michigan Visit, Trade Talk Is Taboo Wall Street Journal ...On his first presidential visit to the heart of the American auto industry Friday, President Barack Obama is likely to avoid a subject that's high on Detroit's list of concerns—trade.

Thrifty Rivals Know Value of Dollar Wall Street Journal ...Avis Budget vowed not to let Hertz carjack Dollar Thrifty, but its own offer still has a whiff of grand theft auto about it.

Jobless Claims Fall Wall Street Journal ...In a positive sign for the labor market, the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week by more than expected and continuing claims fell to their lowest level since December 2008.

U.S. Economic Growth Slowed to 2.4% Rate in 2nd Quarter New York Times ...The United States economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.4 percent in the second quarter, after expanding 3.7 percent in the previous three months.

House rejects bill to aid sick 9/11 responders Associated Press

Ruh-roh

President Obama says he'll push for trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama, the New York Times reports.

Rob Scott at the Economic Policy Institute just posted his report that shows a trade deal with South Korea will

... increase the U.S. trade deficit with Korea by about $16.7 billion,
and displace about 159,000 American jobs within the first seven years after it takes effect.

Global Trade Watch points out that Panama

is one of the world's top venues for tax evasion and money laundering

and that the proposed trade deal includes

...no special requirements that take into consideration, much less try to counter, Panama's banking secrecy rules, lax financial service regulations or designation as a venue for money laundering and tax evasion. In fact, if the Panama FTA were adopted, it would make these matters of bipartisan concern worse.

The U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project reminds us that Colombia kills more trade unionists than all other countries in the world combined.

Through April 2010, more than 2,700 trade unionists have been assassinated in the last two decades. Virtually no one is prosecuted or convicted for these murders, with approximately a 96% impunity rate.