Today's Teamster News 09.07.13

Hoffa Signs Agreement With Brazil Union Leader  teamster.org   ...Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa and a top Brazilian labor leader inked an agreement today in Washington that will allow unions in the U.S. and Brazil to better work together and advocate for one another...
Teamsters Hold “Just Practicing” Picket at Darigold  Teamsters Local 117  ...Teamster production workers and lab technicians who work at Darigold participated in “just practicing” picketing actions on Thursday at the company’s facilities in Issaquah and Seattle in protest to the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith...
Teamsters settle on contract with Lake Transit operator  Lake County News   ...On Thursday, the nonprofit that operates Lake Transit Authority reached an agreement for a new three-year contract with union-represented workers who had gone out on two separate strikes this summer...
Teamster Locals Support Aggressive Measures to Protect Contract   teamster.org   ...Yesterday, Teamster Local Unions that represent more than 1,000 Allied Systems Holding workers unanimously supported informing its members on the need to take aggressive action – up to and including a lawful strike – if the current Black Diamond/Spectrum bid to buy Allied proceeds and is approved by the bankruptcy court on Tuesday, Sept. 10...

Wal-Mart and Washington D.C. in minimum wage showdown   Reuters   ...District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray could decide soon whether to sign a minimum wage bill that could discourage Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, from opening stores in the U.S. capital...
Walmart workers tell us why they're protesting  KIRO Radio   ...Walmart workers were protesting in the Puget Sound region and around the country Thursday, prompting KIRO Radio's Dori Monson to invite a few on the show to find out why...
Exports Fall Short under Korea FTA for 16 out of 16 months  Public Citizen   ...government trade data released this week douses Obama's export promise with another bucket of cold reality. Under the Korea "free trade" agreement (FTA), a model for the TPP, U.S. exports have been steadily falling, imports have been rising, and job-displacing trade deficits have surged...
Enormous, Humongous Trade Deficit Grows  Trade Reform   ...So our vast, humongous, enormous, out-of-control trade deficit continues its upward trajectory, sucking more jobs and money from our economy. Our deficit with China, of course, is the biggest factor...
Monsanto and Walmart Influence Secret TPP Negotiations  New American   ...The 12 countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade group reportedly plan to hammer out an agreement on tariffs during meetings late September. Although the American people (and the people of all nations involved in the pact) are prevented from participating or even watching the various rounds of meetings, global multi-nationals Monsanto and Walmart will help draft the agreement...
US employers add 169K jobs, rate falls to 7.3 pct  Associated Press   ...U.S. employers added 169,000 jobs in August and much fewer in July than previously thought. Hiring has slowed from the start of the year and could complicate the Federal Reserve's decision later this month on whether to reduce its bond purchases...
Ignore the headlines. This was a very bad jobs report.  Washington Post   ...in almost all the particulars, you can find signs that this job market is weaker than it appeared just a few months ago, and maybe getting worse...
The STEM Crisis Is a Myth  IEEE Spectrum   ...wages for U.S. workers in computer and math fields have largely stagnated since 2000. Even as the Great Recession slowly recedes, STEM workers at every stage of the career pipeline, from freshly minted grads to mid- and late-career Ph.D.s, still struggle to find employment as many companies, including Boeing, IBM, and Symantec, continue to lay off thousands of STEM workers...
Both parties wary of Obama's proposal to cut Social Security  Reuters   ...Republicans, Democrats and even the White House distanced themselves Thursday from President Barack Obama's proposal to trim Social Security and other safety-net benefits, illustrating yet again the difficulty of reaching a bargain to reduce spending and tame the deficit...
New OSHA Form Will Fan The Flames In Whistle-Blower Filings  Forbes   ...OSHA’s newly approved procedure for whistle-blower retaliation complaints—which allows individuals to file a claim just by completing a simple online form, available 24 hours a day—is sure to spike the already mushrooming claim rate...
FTC asks court to shut down phony payday loan broker Seattle Post-Intelligencer   ...At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has halted a Tampa, Fla.-based operation that promised to help consumers get payday loans. Instead of loans, the defendants used consumers’ personal financial information to debit their bank accounts in increments of $30 without their authorization, the FTC alleges...
Chicago mayor may still seek airport deal after talks called off  Reuters   ...Emanuel late Thursday halted the city's efforts to privatize operations of Chicago's second-largest airport after one bidding consortium pulled out, leaving the city with only one prospective bidder...

Today's Teamster News 08.23.13

Teamsters Ratify UPS Upstate New York Supplement   IBT   ...UPS Teamsters in New York state ratified the Upstate New York supplement to the UPS national agreement yesterday with 65% voting in favor...
Teamster Waste Workers On Cape Cod Ratify First Contract  IBT   ...Workers at Republic/Allied Waste, who serve all of Cape Cod, have ratified their first contract which contains many improvements. The workers joined Local 59 in New Bedford in 2012...
Teamsters gains a foothold in Ontario hospitals  Teamsters Canada   ...Teamsters Union Local 419 has gained approximately 2000 new members as the result of a merger with the Ontario Workers' Union (OWU). The OWU represents 14 bargaining units with two of the more notible sized units being Humber River Hospital with three hospital locations and William Osler Health System with two hospital locations...
Pleasant Hills, Teamsters reach four-year contract agreement  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review   ...Pleasant Hills Council has a tentative contract agreement with the Pleasant Hills police officers, who are represented by Teamsters Local 205 in White Oak, Pennsylvania. Wages would increase by 2.5 percent in the first and fourth years and 3 percent in the second and third years...
Congressman urges Teamsters, Lake Transit to continue talks  Lake County News   ...On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Thompson sent Teamsters Local 665 President Ralph Miranda and Paratransit Services a letter urging the two sides to return to negotiations as soon as possible, noting the service stoppage is having a “devastating effect” on riders...
Teamsters at Ikea Richmond, B.C. unanimously reject fourth contract offer  The Tyee   ...Members of Teamsters Local 213 locked out of the Richmond Ikea since May have unanimously rejected a fourth contract offer from the company, while other unions are calling for a boycott of the store. Ikea has been embroiled in a bitter labor fight with the union at the Richmond outlet in British Columbia since May 13, but reported $32 billion in revenues last year...
Higher Minimum Wage: Public Agrees But Republicans Remain Divided  ABC News   ...Republicans in Congress are divided over a measure that most Americans support: raising minimum wage...
Fired Walmart Workers Arrested at Rally Announcing Labor Day Deadline  The Nation   ...Nine fired workers and a current employee were arrested around 2:30 pm Thursday after locking arms and sitting in front of the entrance to a Washington, DC, Walmart office. The planned act of civil disobedience concluded a noon rally at which workers announced a Labor Day deadline for Walmart to raise wages and reinstate workers they allege were fired for their activism. Twenty workers who joined a June strike by the labor group OUR Walmart have since been terminated; another fifty-some have been otherwise disciplined by Walmart...
‘Alt Labor’ Provides Support For Fast-Food Strikes  Mint Press News   ...On the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, thousands of low wage fast food workers are expected to walk off the job in what could be the largest single-day protest in the history of U.S. fast food. In a $200 billion per year industry, workers across the U.S. have taken part in protests, calling for $15 per hour and the right to form a union without intimidation...
Japan-made parts to push up price of F-35 fighter jets for ASDF  Asahi Shimbun    ...Two Japanese contractors will supply 24 components for the next-generation F-35 stealth fighters for the Air Self-Defense Force, which will push up the price by 50 percent, sources said. The F-35 will be built mainly by Lockheed Martin Corp., with parts procured in the United States, Britain and other countries participating in the project. The aircraft will be assembled in the United States, Italy and Japan...
Working Families Need Fair Trade, Not Free Trade (opinion) Huffington Post   ...Working families haven't seen much of an economic recovery, and we definitely can't afford to lose more manufacturing and service jobs to yet another free trade agreement. But that is exactly where we're headed if the Trans-Pacific Partnership moves ahead unchallenged...
Sources: Koch Industries not buying LA Times, Chicago Tribune  The Daily Caller   ...The company determined that purchasing the newspapers was “not economically viable” and that both parties walked away from the negotiations, they said...
Amazon Ramps Up $13.9 Billion Warehouse Building Spree  Bloomberg   ...Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is stepping up a warehouse building spree, signaling the urgency of getting products to customers more quickly amid rising competition from EBay Inc. (EBAY)and Wal-Mart Stores Inc...
NSA gathered thousands of Americans’ e-mails before court ordered it to revise its tactics Washington Post   ...For several years, the National Security Agency unlawfully gathered tens of thousands of e-mails and other electronic communications between Americans as part of a now-revised collection method, according to a 2011 secret court opinion...
ALEC declares itself exempt from public-disclosure laws, and is challenged   MinnPost   ...Sometime in the last year or so, the super-secretive American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the group that helps its corporate and think-tank members get their wish lists into the hands of state lawmakers, decided to unilaterally declare itself exempt from public disclosure laws throughout the country...
Speaking in Raleigh, Colin Powell blasts North Carolina voting law   News & Observer   ...With Gov. Pat McCrory in the audience, former Secretary of State Colin Powell took aim at North Carolina's new voting law Thursday, saying it hurts the Republican Party, punishes minority voters and makes it more difficult for everyone to vote...
Justice Department will challenge Texas Voter ID law   Washington Post   ...The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that it will challenge Texas’s Voter ID law, saying it violates the Voting Rights Act, as well as the Constitution’s 14th and 15th Amendments...
Pension systems to file longer Chapter 9 objection  Associated Press   ...A federal judge will let Detroit's two pensions systems file longer eligibility objections to emergency manager Kevyn Orr's bankruptcy petition...
CEO Comes Out Swinging in Favor of SB7, Prevailing Wages, and the Race to the Top   We Party Patriots   ...In a recent op-ed for the Modesto Bee, Mark Breslin, CEO of San Francisco-based United Contractors, explains why he favors California’s SB 7, a bill which would make charter cities eligible for public funds only if they follow prevailing wage guidelines...

Today's Teamster News 08.21.13

Republic Waste Workers from Local 728 Ratify First Contract  IBT   ...Waste workers employed by Republic Services near Atlanta have ratified their first contract, which boosts wages and on-the-job protections...
Teamster Contract With Kittitas County Ratified  Daily Record   ...Kittitas County commissioners recently ratified a new, four-year collective bargaining labor contract with Teamsters Local 760, which represents 28 county sheriff’s deputies...
Funeral Industry Giant SCI Locks Out Chicago Teamster Funeral Directors  IBT   ...Funeral industry giant Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI) has locked out 59 Chicago-area funeral directors and drivers represented by Teamsters Local 727, despite an unconditional offer from the union to return to work...
Contract negotiations with Teamsters back on at Sabreliner  Republic Monitor   ...Members of Teamsters Local 600 in Maryland Heights, Missouri, unanimously voted last Thursday to reject the “ last and final” contract terms. But less than 24 hours later, both parties agreed to re-enter negotiations and extend the union’s current contract until this Saturday...
Trucking strike ends for Fontana depot  Press-Enterprise  Drivers and dock workers at a Fontana trucking depot returned to work Monday following a three-day strike. The disputes between Teamsters Local 63 and company officials will be decided by an arbitrator later this week...
Teamster strikers at Gold Cross are attempting negotiations with management again  Imperial Valley Press   ...Teamsters at Gold Cross and their parent company, Schaefer Ambulance, are entering negotiations for the second time since the strike began for get better treatment for the employees, better working conditions, a pay increase, and no cuts to medical benefits...
Many Teamster strikers at Lake Transit return to picket line  Lake County Record-Bee   ...Paratransit Services employees, who are members of Teamsters Local 665, went back to the picket line after ending a three-week strike following the news that the majority of workers will likely not get their jobs back immediately...
Amtrak: Record-Breaking Ridership in July  Amtrak   ...Year-over-year ridership in July grew 4.8 percent to more than 2.9 million passengers, an all-time record for most passengers in one month. Northeast Corridor services, state-supported and other short-distance routes, and long-distance trains all showed gains for July...
Moly-Cop pushes CP Rail for service  Daily News   ...Moly-Cop’s Kamloops operation is demanding that rail service be returned to its plant six weeks after the Kelowna Pacific Railway shut down. The company contends to the Canadian Transportation Agency it has a right to service under the Fair Rail Freight Service Act — legislation that passed only last June...
Rail Traffic Picks Up Some Momentum  Pragmatic Capitalism   ...More decent news here in rail trends as we begin to see some signs of life in traffic. Intermodal jumped 6.1% year over year and total traffic was up 2.7%. Carloads were down marginally. This week’s reading brought the 12 week moving average in intermodal to 2.8% which is the highest reading since May...
‘Oligarchic tendencies’: Study finds only the wealthy get represented in the Senate  Raw Story   ...In all of the five Congresses examined, the voting records of Senators were consistently aligned with the opinions of their wealthiest constituents. The opinions of lower-class constituents, however, never appeared to influence the Senators’ voting behavior...
Koch-Funded Rand Paul Introduces National Anti-Union ‘Right To Work’ Bill To The Senate  Progressive Change Campaign Committee   ...Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) just introduced a federal so-called “right to work” law that would undermine labor organizing nationwide...
Fast Food Workers Plan Nationwide Walkout August 29  Business Review USA   ...“If you work in a fast food or retail store anywhere in the country, we urge you to join our growing movement,” said Terrance Wise, a 34-year old father of three who earns $9.30 an hour after eight years at Burger King and $7.47 at Pizza Hut in Kansas City. “Get together with some or all of your co-workers and make plans to take to the streets on August 29...
Unemployment rates rise in most US states in July  Associated Press   ...Unemployment rates rose in more than half of U.S. states in July and fewer states added jobs, echoing national data that show the job market may have lost some momentum...
Judge endorses use of fraud law against Bank of America  Reuters   ...A federal judge has endorsed a broad interpretation of a savings-and-loan era law that the Justice Department is trying to use in cases against Wall Street banks...
More students than ever rely on federal college aid  Politico   ...Students and families are more willing than ever to borrow to pay for college and increasingly reliant on federal grants and loans to help with tuition bills, statistics released yesterday from the U.S. Education Department show...
Trans-Pacific Partnership Will Remove What’s Left Of American Democracy  firedoglake   ...If TPP passes it will override American law. Again: we will not be able to pass laws that reign in the corporations. We will not be able to protect our jobs and wages because, as we have seen, companies can just close a factory and move your job to a country that pays very little, doesn’t protect the environment, and doesn’t let working people do anything about it...
Greece will need new bailout, says Germany's Schaeuble  BBC News   ...The country's economy has shrunk further than any other in Europe, with bailout money only released on condition that the government imposes cuts and implements restructuring...
First Maine Lobstering Union Meeting Held  WFVX Bangor News   ...Lobstering in Maine has had its fair share of ups and downs over the past year few years, but now with the 'Maine Lobstering Union' officially formed Sunday, lobstermen are hoping to see changes come to this booming business in the Pine Tree State...
Missouri Lt. Governor: ‘We’ll pass Right to Work in 2014;’ Ohioans prepare for legislative fallout Beverly Hills Courier   ...As pro-union supporters in Ohio begin preparations for the upcoming legislative session, their attention will also be focused on Missouri after Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder told an Associated Press reporter that he believes Right to Work is heading to the ballot in an attempt to bypass the state’s anti-right to work governor...
“Indescribably insane”: A public school system from hell  Salon   ...Pennsylvania's right-wing governor drains public schools of basic funds -- and the sickening details will shock you...
Florida teachers still waiting for first raise in a long time  Orlando Sentinel   ...Teachers welcomed the news earlier this year when Florida Gov. Rick Scott called for $2,500 pay hikes and then kept up the raises-for-teachers drumbeat in the months that followed. But seven months after Scott made his teacher-raise announcement, no Central Florida public-school teacher has gotten the pay hike he touted...
California discourages needy from receiving food stamps  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   ...For years, Texas was among a handful of states that required every resident seeking help with grocery bills to first be fingerprinted, an exercise typically associated with criminals. Texas remains one of the most effective states at keeping its poor out of the giant federal food stamp program. But it is not No. 1. That distinction belongs to California...
Democratic North Carolina State Senator Resigns From Office To Help People Get Voter ID PoliticusUSA   ...Many Democrats talk about fighting back against voter suppression, but North Carolina state senator Ellie Kinnaird resigned from office today in order to work on a grassroots project to help people obtain voter IDs. Read her statement...
Bankruptcy Judge Should Respect Michigan’s Constitution Even If Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Doesn’t  Economic Policy Institute   ...By ignoring the state’s constitution and its protection for accrued public employee pensions, Snyder is undermining the rule of law and adopting the kind of “ends justify the means” reasoning that usually precedes violations of public trust...

Today's Teamster News 08.17.13

Waste Workers in California Vote to Become Teamsters  IBT   ...Drivers and mechanics at Waste Management in Carlsbad, California have voted overwhelmingly to join Local 683 in San Diego. There are approximately 80 workers in the bargaining unit...
Teamsters End Representational Campaign at American Airlines  IBT   ...The International Brotherhood of Teamsters yesterday announced an end to the year-long campaign to represent aircraft mechanics and related personnel at American Airlines...
AMR-US Airways Merger Limbo Puts CEOs to Workers on Hold  Bloomberg News   ...About 1,000 white-collar employees with jobs on the block at US Airways Group Inc. (LCC) and American Airlines (AAMRQ) got a temporary reprieve when the U.S. government sued to block the carriers’ planned $14 billion merger...
Allied Selects Black Diamond/Spectrum As Winning Bidder; Teamsters, Others Object  IBT   ...On Thursday, August 15, Allied Systems completed two days of an auction for its assets at a law office in Wilmington, Delaware. The company (Allied) declared the winning bid to an acquisition company formed by Black Diamond/Spectrum, over a bid by Jack Cooper Transport, whose employees are represented by the Teamsters...
Striking Teamsters at Lake Transit vote to return to the job  Lake County News   ...A day after they failed to get intercession from the Lake Transit Authority Board in a labor dispute, striking transit workers voted to immediately return to work. The striking members of Teamsters Local 665 voted to return to work unconditionally in order to restore full service yesterday...
BLET to Conduct Advanced Local Chairman Workshop, October 20-26  BLET   ...The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the BLET Arbitration Department, is proud to host an Advanced Local Chairman Workshop scheduled for October 20 through October 26, 2013...
McDonald's, Walmart Feel The Pinch As Low-Income Shoppers Struggle In The Slow Recovery Reuters   ...From Wal-Mart Stores and Gap to Macy's and McDonald's, chains that cater to middle- and lower-income Americans, say they are feeling the pinch of an uneven economic recovery...
Mexico-L.A. drug ring hid meth, heroin in pipes on big rigs, feds say   Los Angeles Times   ...Federal prosecutors unveiled indictments Thursday against 57 members of an alleged drug trafficking ring that authorities said smuggled cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine from Mexico to Los Angeles, using hidden compartments and PVC piping that were further concealed in tractor trailer axles. Firearms have also been transported...
That awkward moment when an American-made beer company gives away a Made in China hat at a baseball game in the nation's capital  manufacture this   ...One has to wonder why a company that takes care to brand itself as Made-in-the-USA would sponsor Made-in-China souvenirs...
Unions sue to block SunRail contractor  Orlando Sentinel   ...Two unions filed a lawsuit Thursday objecting to the state's attempt to side-step an agreement from 2009 to use federally certified union workers in construction of the signal system that will guide trains on the $1.6 billion SunRail commuter line...
Mass. legislature tackles minimum wage issue Telegram & Gazette   ...As many as half a million of the lowest paid workers in Massachusetts could be getting a raise next year if a proposal to increase the minimum wage as high as $10.50 an hour is approved by the Legislature — or by a 2014 statewide voter referendum being urged by unions, community organizations and individuals, and supported by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren...
North Carolina law takes war on voting rights to a new low   Washington Post   ...In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, that gutted of the Voting Rights Act, it’s difficult to say which of the many recently passed voter-suppression bills constitutes the greatest threat to that most sacred of American freedoms: the right to vote...
Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Barred From Enforcement In November Election By Judge   Huffington Post   ...A state judge issued an order Friday that is expected to block enforcement of Pennsylvania's strict voter-identification law in the Nov. 5 general election...
NorCal mayor demands bank drop foreclosure lawsuit  Associated Press   ... Richmond plans to "seize" underwater loans from banks, reimburse them at market value, and then resell the cheaper loans to the original homeowner at current mortgage rates...
California attorney general announces $750M refund from Canadian utility Powerex  Sacramento Bee   ... the Canadian utility was buying California electricity, shipping it to Canada and then exporting it back to the state at huge markups...
Judge: Special prosecutor will review Perry veto  Associated Press   ...A Texas judge said Thursday he plans to have a special prosecutor review allegations that Gov. Rick Perry abused the powers of his office and broke the law over a veto that cut funding for state public corruption investigators...

Today's Teamster News 08.10.13

Leaders From DHL Locals Approve Tentative Agreement  IBT   ...Leaders from Teamsters local unions that represent DHL members met in Washington, D.C. on August 7 and overwhelmingly approved the tentative master agreement and supplements. Ballot materials will be mailed out to members on or about Wednesday, August 21...
Gold Cross Ambulance Employees, Schaefer Ambulance Service Will Negotiate Again Soon Imperial Valley Press  ...More negotiations between Gold Cross Ambulance employees on strike and the company will take place Aug. 20 in Glendale. A federal mediator came Tuesday to assist in negotiations, but Teamsters Local 542 President Phil Farias said it did not go well...
Cal City seeks 'uniformity' in its union contracts, approves deal with Teamster clerical workers  NWI Times   ...The City Council gave its approval Thursday to a two-year deal with the union representing city clerical staff, with city Treasurer Gerald Tarka saying the deal is meant to be comparable with the union contracts given in recent years to other city employees...
Strike continues, transit restoration plans to be presented  Willits News   ...Teamsters and Lake and Paratransit personnel will make an appearance at the Lake Transit Board of Directors meeting Wednesday where Lake Transit Manager Mark Wall will present a plan to restore transit services to Lake County. Wall said he expects representatives of Teamsters Local 665 to present a plan of their own.
It’s wait, see for Globe’s unions  Boston Herald   ...Union leaders at The Boston Globe said they’ll keep an open mind about new owner John Henry even as they face the unpleasant task of immediate negotiations over new contracts, including for delivery drivers who are represented by Teamsters Local 259…
Sale of Post and Globe signals new era in media ownership  Minnesota Public Radio   ...The recent sale of the Boston Globe and the Washington Post, both to businessmen who are billionaires, signals a new era in media ownership. The two will take control of properties that are part of an industry in turmoil...
China Factories Turn to Undocumented Labor as Local Wages Jump  Bloomberg   ...China’s embrace of higher wages to help bolster consumer spending has sparked a jump in factories along the east-coast export corridor bringing in undocumented and lower-paid workers from Myanmar and Vietnam...
Job Market Faces New Problem, Hitting One Unlucky Group Really Hard  Yahoo Finance   ...recent graduates under 25 years-old are in a particularly bad spot right now...
Study: Wall Street Overpaid, Rent Seeking  firedoglake   ...Yet even more evidence to support the emerging consensus regarding our now dominant financial sector being bloated and useless...
The Problem with 401(k) Plans  Baseline Scenario   ...What Ayres and Curtis did was point out the losses that investors in 401(k) plans incur because of high fees charged at the plan level and high fees charged by individual mutual funds in those plans...
Coming Soon: An Epic Mini-Series ‘Strength In Union’  NH Labor News   ...A five-part documentary film mini-series about the history of the American Labor Movement. “Strength In Union” will most likely air on PBS. The films will also be shown at film festivals throughout the country. Be sure to visit "Strength In Union" website for more information and release information...
Moral Monday coming to Charlotte’s Marshall Park on Aug. 19 Charlotte Business Journal   ...The Moral Monday protests in Raleigh that have generated international attention to North Carolina politics — and led to hundreds of arrests of activists — will arrive in Charlotte on Aug. 19...
The Fast-Food Strikers Are Fighting for All of Us  Huffington Post   ...Fast food workers have been conducting one-day strikes for better wages and working conditions in several American cities. They've also been doing much more than that: They're shown the entire country real leadership. They're fighting for all of us, and their fight is our fight...
NSA Intends To Fire 90% Of Their System Administrators To Prevent Future Leaks  Fire Dog Lake   ...Despite the NSA demanding the public just trust them, the agency itself seems to have some trust issues...
Sallie Mae, Education Department Under Fire For Student Loans To Military Service Members  Huffington Post   ...The U.S. Department of Education and Sallie Mae face fresh questions over the student loan business after the largest educational debt company disclosed a raft of likely federal violations that raise concerns over the government’s oversight of its largest corporate contractor...
Seniors Aren't Very Happy With the Republican Party These Days  Mother Jones   ...Erica Seifert writes that polling evidence suggests that seniors are turning against the Republican Party in big numbers. Here are three of her bits of evidence...
Michigan's bargain fees for overweight trucks need review, Snyder says   ...Gov. Rick Snyder said that Michigan should review the nominal permit fees it charges overweight trucks that chew up the state’s roads...
Texas Launches New Legal Attack On Voting Rights Act  Talking Points Memo   ...Texas escalated a confrontation with the Obama administration this week over the Voting Rights Act, staking out an aggressive new challenge to the landmark 1965 law that could send it back to the Supreme Court for yet another review...
Why Don’t Corporations Give to Charity?   Slate Group   ...Go to virtually any museum—and many hospitals, universities, and civic centers—these days, and you will find a prominent example of corporate philanthropy. If you were to judge it simply by the weight of public branding, you would think that the corporate community in the U.S. has stepped up to support charities in a significant way. They haven’t. Their profits soar, yet they only get stingier...
Meet the Low-Key, Low-Cost Grocery Chain Being Called ‘Walmart’s Worst Nightmare’ Time   ...Retail analysts say that the world’s biggest retailer has reason to fear a small grocery chain that’s based in Idaho and boasts a business model that allows it to undercut Walmart on prices...
Prison guards seek millions of dollars from state  Wisconsin Radio Network   ...Prison guards at 10 Wisconsin correctional institutions file a lawsuit, seeking payment for perhaps a few minutes of unpaid time every work day. That extra time could add up to millions of dollars for the guards...

Today's Teamster News 07.30.13

Waste Drivers In Michigan Join Teamsters Local 337  IBT   ...On July 26, drivers who transport trash in their tractor-trailer rigs voted overwhelmingly to join Local 337 in Detroit/Port Huron...
Teamsters Still Question Mexican Truck Safety Despite Court Decision  IBT ...The Teamsters today questioned the safety of Mexican trucks after a federal court refused to rehear the union’s challenge to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s cross-border truck pilot program...
Teamster horse-and-carriage drivers lash out on ASPCA’s alleged anti-Christine Quinn moves  New York Daily News   ...Teamsters Local 533 says the ASPCA violated its nonprofit status by giving $450,000 over the past several years to New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets, or NYCLASS, which wants to end the horse-carriage industry and runs a website called QuinnHatesAnimals.com...
Latest UPS Update  IBT   ...As you are aware, the national agreement was approved by a majority of Teamsters who voted. However, 17 supplements and riders were not approved...
Teamster Lake Transit workers vote to strike indefinitely  Lake County News   ...On Sunday, Lake Transit Authority workers, who are members of Teamsters Local 665, voted to strike until they settle their new contract--a move that's expected to result in curtailed services for the county's transit riders...
Massive Cuts Looming for MTD Bus Riders  Santa Barbara Independent   ...Four Lines Face Outright Elimination, Another 13 Threatened With Reduced Service. Unless funding is restored, 50 MTD bus drivers, who are represented by Teamsters Local 186, would be affected by the cuts...
BART And Unions Still Far Apart Before Strike Deadline  KCBS5 News   ...While Bay Area Rapid Transit worker contract talks were scheduled to continue this week, the transit agency’s management and labor unions remain as far apart as ever, offering little hope that an agreement will be made before the strike deadline August 4th...
Misclassification of employees carries penalties (opinion)  ABQ Journal   …This practice of misclassification has created substantial problems for affected employees and for the United States Treasury, the Social Security and Medicare...
Fast food strikes intensify in seven cities  Salon   ...The biggest walkout yet began yesterday morning -- and the strikes could have far-reaching implications for labor…
Teachers crowd final Raleigh 'Moral Monday' protest  Associated Press   ...Thousands of North Carolina teachers and other protesters on Monday staged one of the largest of the almost-weekly demonstrations opposing Republican policy decisions...
Michigan attorney general backs pensioners in Detroit bankruptcy  Global Post   ...Michigan's Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, said on Saturday he would defend retirees who risk losing public pensions because of Detroit's bankruptcy, putting him at odds with the city's emergency manager appointed by fellow Republican Governor Rick Snyder...
Labor playing field needs to be leveled with ideas from both sides of the aisle (opinion)  Oakland Press   ...A recent guest opinion asserted that the passage of so-called Right-to-Work legislation in Michigan led to the state's mild economic recovery. To the contrary, it is highly doubtful that Michigan gained a single high-wage job as a result of Right-to-Work or any other piece of anti-labor legislation...
Quinn signs bill allowing online voter registration in Illinois  Chicago Tribune   ...Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed a measure into law Saturday that will make Illinois the 18th state to allow voters to register online...
Landmark California regulations under federal fire  Los Angeles Times   ...Companies are going through Congress to fight California's stricter workplace, consumer and environmental laws. Gridlock and sympathetic Republicans in the House could work in their favor...
State agencies crack down on local temp worker abuse  Burlington County Times   ...The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor in South Jersey has some advice for employers who think they are not responsible for making sure temporary workers are getting paid minimum wage: Don’t...
Openness lost in privatization  Muskogee Phoenix   ...A push toward the privatization of Oklahoma state services is spawning criticism from those who see the trend as the decline of government transparency and accountability...

Today's Teamster News 06.27.13

U.S. CEO sets a record with $159 million pension  Associated Press   ...McKesson’s Chairman and CEO John Hammergren has set a new record in corporate America: Largest pension around...
CEO Pay in 2012 Was Extraordinarily High Relative to Typical Workers and Other High Earners  EPI   ...Average CEO compensation was $14.1 million in 2012...
Jeff Olson, California Man, Faces 13 Years In Jail For Writing Anti-Big Bank Messages In Chalk Huffington Post   ...a judge had decided to prohibit Olson's attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial..."
Foreclosure settlement a billion-dollar bust  USA Today   ...The renegotiated settlement created a $3.6 billion pot to compensate borrowers for shoddy foreclosure practices that ran the gamut from wrongful foreclosures to lost consumer documents.About two-thirds of the recipients received $300 — the smallest possible amount. Fewer than 1,200 got $125,000, the most allowed...
Trans-Pacific Partnership and Monsanto  ZCommunications   ...Something is looming in the shadows that could help erode our basic rights and contaminate our food...
OSHA Citations Follow Fatal Explosion at Cincinnati Hazardous Waste Plant  Waste Management World   ...Environmental Enterprises, an environmental services company specializing in industrial and hazardous waste management, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with 22 safety and health violations following a fire and explosion at its Cincinnati waste treatment facility on December 28 last year...
Amtrak: $1.45B Senate appropriation 'workable'  The Hill   ...The safety and efficiency of Amtrak is at stake. The Senate is proposing to fund the railroad at $1.4 billion, which is simply too low. The proposed funding would jeopardize Teamster locomotive engineers and maintenance of way members...
Nevada attorney general urges stronger service member protections  KNTV-13   ...Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto urged the U.S. Department of Defense to strengthen regulations of the federal Military Lending Act, to protect service members and military families from abusive lending practices...
NY Legislature OKs Employee-Driver Bill  Journal of Commerce   ...The New York State Legislature gave final approval to a bill creating the presumption that commercial drivers are company employees unless they meet certain standards showing they are independent contractors...
Teamsters Approve National UPS Contract  IBT   ...The Teamsters Union announced yesterday that a majority of UPS Teamsters have voted to approve a new five-year national contract that contains significant wage increases and other improvements. However, the UPS Freight agreement was rejected in a separate referendum...
Lake Transit workers plan strike following contract negotiations breakdown  Lake County (Calif.) News   ...The county's transit agency is preparing for a strike action by transit workers that's expected to take place early next week. The strike by members of Teamsters Local 665 is anticipated to take place on Monday, July 1, and Tuesday, July 2, in response to a breakdown in negotiations with Paratransit Services…
Brunswick City Council opposes ‘right-to-work’ legislation  Medina-Gazette   ...City Council members in Brunswick, Ohio approved a resolution opposing “right-to-work” legislation Monday night, with the support of more than 30 union members and their families in attendance...
The University of California – Teamster Strong!  Rick Smith Show  ...On June 19, the Rick Smith Show visited Teamsters Joint Council 42 in Los Angeles and spoke with Don Thornsburg, labor historian about the origins of Los Angeles labor unions and the various industries that were essential for the growth of southern California. Listen here. Visit the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from Rick Smith’s road travels...
Teamsters contract ratified, but dispute with Manchester teachers’ union continues  New Hampshire Union Leader   ...The Manchester, New Hampshire Board of School Committee ratified two-year contracts with the district’s principals and the directors and coordinators, who are represented by Teamsters Local 633...
County Board OKs labor agreement, pay raises  Duluth News Tribune   ...St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to salary agreements for three categories of employees that include Teamster members...
Teamsters on strike at RL Lipton  The Vindicator   ...Workers are on strike at RL Lipton Distributing Co. in Austintown, Ohio. The members of Teamsters 377 started picketing Tuesday morning at the company…
Durham Driver Speaks Out About Poor Working Conditions  Drive Up Standards   ...“My co-worker said, ‘I cannot afford to miss a day from work,’ even though she’s the one that found her mama dead that afternoon.” --Latrisha Pringle, a school bus driver, talks about poor working conditions at Durham School Services in S.C. The Teamsters are fighting for justice at Durham. Watch the video here...