Today's Teamster News 02.26.15

Teamsters
Hoffa: Port Driver Efforts Show The Long, Hard Fight For Justice  Huffington Post   ...The port truck industry is highly fragmented, poorly organized and grossly inefficient. Deregulation has forced trucking companies to engage in cutthroat competition. Consequently, many are gearing up to fight the efforts of drivers and the Teamsters to organize and receive a fair wage. Luckily, more and more decision makers are beginning to side with workers...
Teamsters, Consumers And Community Protest Sprouts Farmers Market  teamster.org   ...“It’s time for UNFI to stop the bullying and stop the intimidation,” said Steve Vairma, Teamsters Warehouse Division Director. “Over the years UNFI has tried to undermine workers who have asserted their rights protected by United States law, even where the Teamsters have been certified as the workers’ union through federally supervised elections. UNFI wants to destroy its workers’ fundamental rights join together to improve their working conditions.”...
Trade
The Trans-Pacific Partnership clause everyone should oppose  Washington Post   …Agreeing to ISDS in this enormous new treaty would tilt the playing field in the United States further in favor of big multinational corporations. Worse, it would undermine U.S. sovereignty...
Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership Promises Echo Clinton's On NAFTA  Op-Ed News   …NAFTA -- the North American Free Trade Agreement -- was sold with promises of jobs and prosperity on all sides of the border. What really happened was that an increased trade deficit sucked demand and jobs out of the U.S. economy; workers lost bargaining power, resulting in pay and benefit cuts; and income inequality rose as corporations pocketed the wage differential. Now the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is being sold with literally the same promises…
Trade Crazy: The Push For Fast-Track Trade Authority (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...There are many issues in the TPP that our trading partners don't like. They don't like rules that will force them to pay more for drugs from Pfizer and Merck, nor do they like rules that will make them pay more money to Time Warner for Hollywood movies, or to Microsoft for software...
State Battles
Wisconsin Senate approves right-to-work bill  Chicago Tribune   …The Wisconsin state Senate narrowly passed a right-to-work bill Wednesday and sent it on to the Assembly, where the Republican majority is wider...
Koch-Funded Allies Descend on Wisconsin to Push Right to Work  Center for Media and Democracy   …It's a rare citizen who would rush to testify that the higher wages, benefits, and training that unions bring are a bad idea. Fortunately, the Wisconsin GOP had the full support of the Koch-funded "think tanks" that are a critical part of the right-wing infrastructure...
Registrations at Wisconsin Senate hearing overwhelmingly against right-to-work bill  Associated Press   …Opponents to right-to-work outnumbered supporters 70-to-1 at a Wisconsin state Senate public hearing that was cut short before Republicans voted to advance the bill...
Kenton County To Adopt "Right to Work" Ordinance  River City News   ...Kenton County will pass a so-called "Right to Work" ordinance at its next meeting after hearing a first reading on Tuesday night in Covington...
Missouri house passes two voter ID measures  CedarRepublican.com   …The Missouri House passed two measures Thursday, Feb. 19, which would make Missouri the 32nd state to require a government issued ID to vote...
Iowa Senate Approves $8.75 Minimum Wage Bill  Des Moines Register   ...Senate File 269 was approved 27-22 with no debate. All 26 Democrats voted for the bill. Only one Republican, Sen. Rick Bertrand of Sioux City, voted yes. Iowa's minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour. The bill would increase Iowa's minimum wage to $8 an hour on July 1, 2015, and to $8.75 an hour on July 1, 2016...
This Billionaire Governor Taxed The Rich And Increased The Minimum Wage -- Now, His State's Economy Is One Of The Best In The Country  Huffington Post   ...The reason Gov. Dayton was able to radically transform Minnesota's economy into one of the best in the nation is simple arithmetic. Raising taxes on those who can afford to pay more will turn a deficit into a surplus. Raising the minimum wage will increase the median income. And in a state where education is a budget priority and economic growth is one of the highest in the nation, it only makes sense that more businesses would stay. It's official -- trickle-down economics is bunk. Minnesota has proven it once and for all. If you believe otherwise, you are wrong...
War on Workers
T.J. Maxx to hike minimum wage for workers  CNN Monday  …The owner of T.J. Maxx, Marshall's and Home Goods is raising wages for its workers to at least $10 an hour by next year...
JPMorgan, Still On 2-Year Probation, Under Scrutiny in Gold Fixing Probe  Wall Street on Parade   …the U.S. Justice Department is investigating at least 10 of the biggest U.S. and foreign banks for potentially rigging the gold market and other precious metals markets. That investigation comes while ongoing investigations continue into the potential rigging by big banks of the setting of interest-rate benchmarks and foreign currency...
Student Debt Strikers Take On Corinthian College  Mathbabe   …Good for them. Corinthian College is a predatory and fraudulent company which was in the business of gaming the federal loan system while making false promises to its students. Those students are victims of fraud and should not be the ones paying back the government money for an education they never got. Instead, Corinthian should pay back the money...
Iron Worker At Barclays Center Crushed To Death By Steel Beams  New York Daily News   ...A 52-year-old iron worker constructing a green roof on the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was crushed to death by steel beams on Tuesday, police said. Hardhat Peter Zepf was helping to move the massive beams — called joists — from a truck onto a hoist when four of the parts fell on him near the Atlantic Ave. side of the arena around 1 p.m., witnesses said...
Miscellaneous
Janet Yellen Puts Fed On Path To Lift Rates  Wall Street Journal   ...If the economy continues to strengthen as the Fed anticipates and officials become more confident that low inflation will rise toward their 2% goal, she said, the central bank “will at some point begin considering an increase in the target range for the federal funds rate.”...

This is what NFLPA THUGGS do off the field

They invest in their communities, visit elementary schools, feed hungry children and fund scholarships.

We learned about all this on the NFL Players Association Facebook page here.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Charlie Batch, for example, recently won the Byron Whizzer White Award for outstanding philanthropic efforts. He runs the Best of Batch Foundation in Pittsburgh, which helps young people through

...after school programs, sports activities, scholarships, school visits, and public speaking. In addition to Best of Batch, he is the owner of Batch Development Company which reinvests back into the Pittsburgh community by creating jobs and career opportunities.

Players also support the arts (who knew?) The NFLPA tells us about a $10,000 donation to a jazz program at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. The money was raised at an auction of former players' artwork.

Art for auction was provided by:Baron Batch (Pittsburgh Steelers), Steve Christie (former placekicker), Andre Collins (former linebacker, NFLPA Director of Former Players), Chris Cooley (Washington Redskins), Philip Crosby (former fullback), Quinn Early (former wide receiver), Dhani Jones (former linebacker), Sydney Justin (former cornerback), Cedric Killings (former defensive tackle), Desmond Mason (former NBA player), Mike McGraw (former linebacker), George Nock (former running back), Steve Sabol (NFL Films, art for display only), Cory Schelsinger (former linebacker), Jeffery Stephenson (former linebacker), Lynde Washington (former player) andGaro Yepremian (former placekicker).

We realize all NFL Players aren't exactly perfect. But check out the NFL Players Association page to find out some of the things they do that don't make headlines.

And remember, THUGGS stands for "Those Helpful Union Guys and Gals."

Meet the unions putting on the Super Bowl

The central players in the Super Bowl on Sunday -- the Ravens and the 49ers -- are union members. They belong to the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Thousands of other union members all play key roles in the extravaganza.

Our brother and sister Teamsters from Local 270, for example, will serve hot dogs, draw beer and staff the New Orleans Saints team store.

The AFL-CIO Now blog tells us more:

(The players) share a bond with the men in the striped shirts—members of the NFL Referees Association. During the past two years, both have been locked out by NFL owners. 

The announcers, camera operators, technicians and other hardworking folks who are bringing the game to the big flat-screen TV in your home or favorite watering hole are members of SAG-AFTRA, Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA (NABET-CWA), Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Laborers (LIUNA) ... 

The half-time spectacular ... is made possible by the skills of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the talents of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) and other performing artists...

The AFL-CIO adds that skilled workers from the the Southeast Louisiana and Louisiana State Building and Construction Trades councils rebuilt the Mercedes-Benz Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

And firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other New Orleans city workers are members of the Fire Fighters (IAFF) and AFSCME. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) members operate many of the buses and trolleys that are shuttling fans around town.

Read the complete story here.

NFL players statement: 'No to RTW'

Indiana's Republican leadership is slam-bamming a right-to-work-for-less bill through the Legislature even as we blog. Part of their incentive: they want to get it done before their precious Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Well, guess what. The players themselves -- you know, those unionized athletes without which you'd have no Super Bowl -- are against what the Republicans are trying to do. They just came out with a statement. Here's the whole thing:

WASHINGTON—As NFL players, we know our success on the field comes from working together as a team. We’re not just a team of football players—we’re also the fans at games and at home, the employees who work the concession stands and the kids who wear the jerseys of our favorite football heroes. NFL players know what it means to fight for workers’ rights, better pensions and health and safety in the workplace.

To win, we have to work together and look out for one another. Today, even as the city of Indianapolis is exemplifying that teamwork in preparing to host the Super Bowl, politicians are looking to destroy it trying to ram through so-called “right-to-work” legislation.

“Right-to-work” is a political ploy designed to destroy basic workers’ rights. It’s not about jobs or rights, and it’s the wrong priority for Indiana.

The facts are clear—according to a January 2012 Economic Policy Institute briefing report (“Working Hard to Make Indiana Look Bad”), “right-to-work” will lower wages for a worker in Indiana by $1,500 a year because it weakens the ability of working families to work together, and it will make it less likely that working people will get health care and pensions.

So-called “right-to-work” bills divide working families at a time when communities need to stand united. We need unity—not division. We urge legislators in Indiana to oppose “right-to-work” efforts, and focus instead on job creation.

As Indianapolis proudly prepares to host the Super Bowl it should be a time to shine in the national spotlight and highlight the hard-working families that make Indiana run instead of launching political attacks on their basic rights. It is important to keep in mind the plight of the average Indiana worker and not let them get lost in the ceremony and spectacle of such a special event. This Super Bowl should be about celebrating the best of what Indianapolis has to offer, not about legislation that hurts the people of Indiana.