Trade
Secret Negotiations Hide the TPP’s Most Damaging Provisions Economy in Crisis ...Under the proposed agreement, American laws regarding labor, environmental or financial issues would apply to companies based in America, but foreign companies operating in the U.S. could challenge these laws in a secret international tribunal if they felt these laws affected their ability to do business. ..
WTO in Seattle - 15 Years Ago Huffington Post ...it's clear that the WTO and NAFTA-style trade deals were never about economics or shared prosperity. They are really about power relationships. Who will have the power to claim any new gains created through work?...
State Battles
Voter ID Laws Are Now In 17 More States Than They Were In 2000 Five Thirty Eight ...It's gotten a lot harder to vote...
Scott Walker Runs Ad Supporting Equal Pay After Repealing Wisconsin's Equal Pay Law Huffington Post ...Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) released an ad on Tuesday in which his female lieutenant governor applauds his support for equal pay for women -- just two years after the governor signed a bill repealing the state's equal pay law...
New York State Allows Water Grab Natural Resources News Service ...Painted Post siphons water from a shallow, rain-dependent aquifer it shares with several neighboring communities, including the town of Corning. In 2012 the village signed a five-year deal reportedly worth up to $20 million with a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell to sell up to 1 million gallons a day used to frack Shell’s natural gas wells in Pennsylvania. The village has called the sale a routine disposal of “surplus property.”...
Has privatization failed Texas utility customers? Electric Light & Power ...Relative to U.S. electricity prices, Texas electricity prices during the deregulation and privatization period (2002-2011) rise four times faster than increases in Texas electricity prices before deregulation (1970-2001). The Texas electricity market is much less efficient now as a result of deregulation...
Minority Voter Suppression In North Carolina Witnessed Firsthand Politicususa ...on Thursday, October 23rd [] I voted in Winston-Salem at the Forsyth County Government Center. Several African-American voters told me they were told by people outside the polling place that it would take two hours to vote. I, a clearly upper-middle-class white man, was told forty-five minutes to an hour; it took fifty-five minutes...
War on Workers
$17.27 an Hour, With Benefits, While Training? Welcome to Union Apprenticeship in Indiana We Party Patriots ... Lee Culver of United Association (Plumbers) Local 210 said there was plenty of opportunity in his union and claimed they “struggled to get good applicants.” The five-year apprenticeship does not cost the students a dime. Rather, they earn $17.27 with benefits while they train....
Workers at Amazon.com logistics centers in Germany on strike again in wage dispute Associated Press ...The ver.di union said Monday workers at Amazon's logistics centers in Bad Hersfeld, Leipzig, Rheinberg and Graben will be off the job through the end of Wednesday's late shift, while those at Werne through Tuesday's late shift...
One worker killed, 3 injured when facade falls from building WGN-TV ...This morning, the building is barricaded and its owner is facing citations for having work performed by unlicensed contractors without permits...
Branson spaceship explosion: The 'missed' warnings The Telegraph ...Sir Richard Branson’s company and US authorities were repeatedly warned about safety issues surrounding Virgin Galactic’s rocket engine system...
Showing posts with label NY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NY. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Today's Teamster News 10.14.14
Teamsters
Schneiderman gets Teamsters endorsement Albany Times-Union ...State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman picked up the endorsement of the state Teamsters union Monday...Schneiderman’s campaign on Monday rolled out the backing of the Teamsters Joint Council 16, a union known for its electoral efforts...
Teamsters ratify contract giving Pasco County employees raises Tampa Tribune ...The vote was nearly unanimous — 97 percent — clearing the way for employees to get their raises in the first paycheck of the fiscal year....Teamsters Local 79 represents more than half of the county’s 2,000 workers...
Facebook Shuttle Drivers Demand a Union—And Some Sleep In These Times ...the company’s shuttle bus drivers are looking to unionize with the Teamsters, seeking reasonable work hours and a living wage...
Trade
Mexico lifts dollar restrictions after drug cartels target US businesses to launder profits Fox News ...A Mexican law to severely limit the amount of dollars that banks can accept in cash has led drug cartels to bring money back to the U.S. to be deposited in American banks and wired back in pesos under the guise of international trade...
Demonstrations over missing Mexico students turn violent Washington Post ...Hundreds of students and teachers smashed windows and set fires inside a state capital building in southern Mexico on Monday, as fury erupted over the disappearance of 43 young people believed abducted by local police linked to a drug cartel...
Shock China coal tariff decision throws Australian free trade talks into turmoil Sydney Morning News ...The crucial final stages of free trade talks between Canberra and Beijing have been thrown into turmoil following China's shock decision to impose harsh new tariffs on Australian coal supplies...
State Battles
Will Voters Punish or Reward Scott Walker for His Out-of-Touch Views on the Minimum Wage? (opinion) Express Milwaukee ...Although a majority of Wisconsinites support a higher minimum wage, Walker is standing on the side of employers who don’t pay adequate wages...
The Big Lie Behind Voter ID Laws New York Times ...There is virtually no in-person voter fraud; the purpose of these laws is to suppress voting...
War on Workers
Americans Face Post-foreclosure Hell As Wages Garnished, Assets Seized Reuters ...Many thousands of Americans who lost their homes in the housing bust, but have since begun to rebuild their finances, are suddenly facing a new foreclosure nightmare: debt collectors are chasing them down for the money they still owe by freezing their bank accounts, garnishing their wages and seizing their assets...
How 14 People Made More Money Than the Entire Food Stamp Budget for 50 Million People Alternet ...For the second year in a row, America's richest 14 individuals made more from their annual investments than the $80 billion provided for people in need of food. Nearly half of the food-deprived are children...
Invisible Hands: The Businessmen’s Campaign to Dismantle the Post Office Angry Bear ...The plans are clear: eliminate the layoff protections in union contracts; cut the career workforce by nearly half while tripling the number of non-career workers; reduce service standards for first-class mail; do away with Saturday delivery; give management control of workers’ benefit plans; consolidate over 250 processing plants; and close 15,000 post offices...
Car Wash Worker in Newark Killed in Crossfire of Shooting WABC-TV ...Witnesses tell Eyewitness News that Zoungo Sou-Oud was hard at work at the car wash, when a spray of bullets from across the street shattered what had been a peaceful Sunday afternoon...
Texas Health Worker Tests Positive For Ebola Huffington Post ...A Texas health worker has contracted Ebola after treating a Liberian who died of the disease at a Dallas hospital last week, raising concern about how U.S. medical guidelines aimed at stopping the spread of the disease were breached...
Schneiderman gets Teamsters endorsement Albany Times-Union ...State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman picked up the endorsement of the state Teamsters union Monday...Schneiderman’s campaign on Monday rolled out the backing of the Teamsters Joint Council 16, a union known for its electoral efforts...
Teamsters ratify contract giving Pasco County employees raises Tampa Tribune ...The vote was nearly unanimous — 97 percent — clearing the way for employees to get their raises in the first paycheck of the fiscal year....Teamsters Local 79 represents more than half of the county’s 2,000 workers...
Facebook Shuttle Drivers Demand a Union—And Some Sleep In These Times ...the company’s shuttle bus drivers are looking to unionize with the Teamsters, seeking reasonable work hours and a living wage...
Trade
Mexico lifts dollar restrictions after drug cartels target US businesses to launder profits Fox News ...A Mexican law to severely limit the amount of dollars that banks can accept in cash has led drug cartels to bring money back to the U.S. to be deposited in American banks and wired back in pesos under the guise of international trade...
Demonstrations over missing Mexico students turn violent Washington Post ...Hundreds of students and teachers smashed windows and set fires inside a state capital building in southern Mexico on Monday, as fury erupted over the disappearance of 43 young people believed abducted by local police linked to a drug cartel...
Shock China coal tariff decision throws Australian free trade talks into turmoil Sydney Morning News ...The crucial final stages of free trade talks between Canberra and Beijing have been thrown into turmoil following China's shock decision to impose harsh new tariffs on Australian coal supplies...
State Battles
Will Voters Punish or Reward Scott Walker for His Out-of-Touch Views on the Minimum Wage? (opinion) Express Milwaukee ...Although a majority of Wisconsinites support a higher minimum wage, Walker is standing on the side of employers who don’t pay adequate wages...
The Big Lie Behind Voter ID Laws New York Times ...There is virtually no in-person voter fraud; the purpose of these laws is to suppress voting...
War on Workers
Americans Face Post-foreclosure Hell As Wages Garnished, Assets Seized Reuters ...Many thousands of Americans who lost their homes in the housing bust, but have since begun to rebuild their finances, are suddenly facing a new foreclosure nightmare: debt collectors are chasing them down for the money they still owe by freezing their bank accounts, garnishing their wages and seizing their assets...
How 14 People Made More Money Than the Entire Food Stamp Budget for 50 Million People Alternet ...For the second year in a row, America's richest 14 individuals made more from their annual investments than the $80 billion provided for people in need of food. Nearly half of the food-deprived are children...
Invisible Hands: The Businessmen’s Campaign to Dismantle the Post Office Angry Bear ...The plans are clear: eliminate the layoff protections in union contracts; cut the career workforce by nearly half while tripling the number of non-career workers; reduce service standards for first-class mail; do away with Saturday delivery; give management control of workers’ benefit plans; consolidate over 250 processing plants; and close 15,000 post offices...
Car Wash Worker in Newark Killed in Crossfire of Shooting WABC-TV ...Witnesses tell Eyewitness News that Zoungo Sou-Oud was hard at work at the car wash, when a spray of bullets from across the street shattered what had been a peaceful Sunday afternoon...
Texas Health Worker Tests Positive For Ebola Huffington Post ...A Texas health worker has contracted Ebola after treating a Liberian who died of the disease at a Dallas hospital last week, raising concern about how U.S. medical guidelines aimed at stopping the spread of the disease were breached...
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Today's Teamster News 08.17.14
Trade
Why Germany Is Backing Away From a Trade Deal That Lets Corporations Sue the Government truthout ...Germany might reject a new trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. The deal is called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. It's part of a new wave of large, aggressive trade deals that also includes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States and the European Union, and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) between 12 countries of the Pacific Rim...
State Battles
Get pumped for a Moral Week of Action! NC State AFL-CIO ...Join us for seven consecutive days of action at the North Carolina State Capitol to expose and challenge the destructive laws coming out of Raleigh...
How Zephyr Teachout Became a Contender The Nation ...Andrew Cuomo’s unlikely challenger for Governor of New York is gaining endorsements and giving him a headache...they have managed to tap into some of the profound frustration that people feel with a governor who has come to symbolize the corporate-friendly wing of the Democratic party...
On Wall Street, ‘Right-to-Work’ Means a Wider Gap Between Rich & Poor (opinion) CT News Junkie ...As part of “Employee Freedom Week,” a nationally coordinated effort to convince workers to drop out of their unions, ads are running in Connecticut urging home healthcare workers to opt out. This is a thinly veiled attempt to convince these workers to act against their own self-interest, and could have lethal repercussions in an industry where collective bargaining rights have not only alleviated home health aides’ difficult working conditions, but also have helped prolong their patients’ lives...
War on Workers
Sandwich Artists Unionize In These Times ...On July 18, after a three-month campaign, employees of a Subway franchise in Bloomsbury, N.J. voted 8-5 to join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 108...
More Jobs Are Open, but They’re Filling Slowly New York Times ...In a report this week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that employers reported in June that they had 4.5 million available jobs that they were unable to fill. That is the highest number since 2007, and more than twice as high as the figure in October 2009, when the economy was officially beginning to recover but there were no signs of that in the labor market...
Cry for Argentina: Fiscal Mismanagement or Pillage? truthout ...Paul Singer’s Elliott Management has spent over a decade aggressively trying to force Argentina to pay down nearly $1.3 billion in sovereign debt. Elliott would get about $300 million for bonds that Argentina claims it picked up for $48 million. Where most creditors have accepted payment at a 70% loss, Elliott Management would thus get a 600% return...
Miscellaneous
How High Up Did the Madoff Fraud Go at JPMorgan? Wall Street on Parade ...It is universally agreed among these authors, the prosecutors and the trustee for the Madoff victims’ fund that JPMorgan Chase (or its predecessor banks) stood at the center of the fraud as Madoff’s commercial bank for more than 20 years. It’s the lack of criminal prosecutions against the JPMorgan wrongdoers that has incensed these attorneys to launch the book and web site...
You Can Get Hacked Just By Watching This Cat Video on YouTube The Intercept ...The only thing you need to do to render your computer’s secrets—your private conversations, banking information, photographs—transparent to prying eyes is watch a cute cat video on YouTube, and catch the interest of a nation-state or law enforcement agency that has $1 million or so to spare...
Why Germany Is Backing Away From a Trade Deal That Lets Corporations Sue the Government truthout ...Germany might reject a new trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. The deal is called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. It's part of a new wave of large, aggressive trade deals that also includes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States and the European Union, and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) between 12 countries of the Pacific Rim...
State Battles
Get pumped for a Moral Week of Action! NC State AFL-CIO ...Join us for seven consecutive days of action at the North Carolina State Capitol to expose and challenge the destructive laws coming out of Raleigh...
How Zephyr Teachout Became a Contender The Nation ...Andrew Cuomo’s unlikely challenger for Governor of New York is gaining endorsements and giving him a headache...they have managed to tap into some of the profound frustration that people feel with a governor who has come to symbolize the corporate-friendly wing of the Democratic party...
On Wall Street, ‘Right-to-Work’ Means a Wider Gap Between Rich & Poor (opinion) CT News Junkie ...As part of “Employee Freedom Week,” a nationally coordinated effort to convince workers to drop out of their unions, ads are running in Connecticut urging home healthcare workers to opt out. This is a thinly veiled attempt to convince these workers to act against their own self-interest, and could have lethal repercussions in an industry where collective bargaining rights have not only alleviated home health aides’ difficult working conditions, but also have helped prolong their patients’ lives...
War on Workers
Sandwich Artists Unionize In These Times ...On July 18, after a three-month campaign, employees of a Subway franchise in Bloomsbury, N.J. voted 8-5 to join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 108...
More Jobs Are Open, but They’re Filling Slowly New York Times ...In a report this week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that employers reported in June that they had 4.5 million available jobs that they were unable to fill. That is the highest number since 2007, and more than twice as high as the figure in October 2009, when the economy was officially beginning to recover but there were no signs of that in the labor market...
Cry for Argentina: Fiscal Mismanagement or Pillage? truthout ...Paul Singer’s Elliott Management has spent over a decade aggressively trying to force Argentina to pay down nearly $1.3 billion in sovereign debt. Elliott would get about $300 million for bonds that Argentina claims it picked up for $48 million. Where most creditors have accepted payment at a 70% loss, Elliott Management would thus get a 600% return...
Miscellaneous
How High Up Did the Madoff Fraud Go at JPMorgan? Wall Street on Parade ...It is universally agreed among these authors, the prosecutors and the trustee for the Madoff victims’ fund that JPMorgan Chase (or its predecessor banks) stood at the center of the fraud as Madoff’s commercial bank for more than 20 years. It’s the lack of criminal prosecutions against the JPMorgan wrongdoers that has incensed these attorneys to launch the book and web site...
You Can Get Hacked Just By Watching This Cat Video on YouTube The Intercept ...The only thing you need to do to render your computer’s secrets—your private conversations, banking information, photographs—transparent to prying eyes is watch a cute cat video on YouTube, and catch the interest of a nation-state or law enforcement agency that has $1 million or so to spare...
Monday, June 30, 2014
Woo-hoo! Another Teamster organizing victory in New York!
The company made a concerted effort to discourage unionization through weekly captive audience meetings and intimidation.
The workers approached Local 264 in early May looking for help with problems that had grown unbearable at Costanzo's.
Kevin Schmidt, a sales route driver at Costanzo's, said:
We were being treated poorly by management who was adding more and more stops to our routes without compensation. No matter how we approached the company, they ignored us, but with the Teamsters representing us, they won’t be able to ignore us any longer.Schmidt praised the local for all the work they had done leading up to the vote, including getting a driver reinstated after the company fired him.
Tony Vaccaro, Local 264 business agent, explained:
We filed an unfair labor practice complaint after Costanzo’s fired a driver as a way, we believe, to intimidate other workers who wanted a union. Despite all of the anti-union tactics management threw at these guys, they remained united and voted for their union.They made the right decision!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Today's Teamster News 06.18.14
Teamsters
Assemblyman joins Teamsters in Taylor Farms protest Tracy News ...call for worker equality was shouted outside Taylor Farms Pacific on MacArthur Drive on Thursday by members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The group gathered in large numbers to protest the alleged mistreatment of company employees...
Obama sides with Teamsters in employment non-discrimination order TeamsterNation ...President Obama today is signing an order forbidding federal contractors from discriminating against employees because of their sexual orientation, a policy supported by the Teamsters Union...
Teamster Women's Conference To Be Held September 4-6 teamster.org ...The 2014 Teamster Women's Conference will be held September 4-6, 2014 in Chicago. For details about this conference, click here...
Trade
Trade deals, Investment Treaties and the Death of Democracy – How companies sue whole nations and win. Golem XIV ...there is a growing discontent and a determination to question mainstream assurances and find new answers...
State Battles
GDP Numbers Confirm Wisconsin’s Lagging Growth WI Budget Project ...Wisconsin’s GDP growth of 4.5% over the last three years has been well below the national average of 6.1%...
A $13.13 Minimum Wage Means 1.2 Million NYers Earn An Extra $100/Week Gothamist ...New York's $8/hour ($9 by 2016) continues to be the lowest of any major city, a fact noted by Comptroller Scott Stringer, who just released a report [PDF] detailing the effects of raising the minimum wage in the city to $13.13/hour: 1.2 million New Yorkers would receive an extra $100/week...
Princeton considering ordinance to protect workers from wage theft The Star-Ledger ...Those seeking landscaping permits to do work in Princeton will first need to acknowledge federal and state wage theft laws pertaining to their employees if the governing body adopts an ordinance that ties the two together...
War on Workers
A Small Increase in Inflation Squeezes U.S. Workers New York Times ...Average hourly earnings for private sector American workers rose about 49 cents an hour over the last year, to $24.38 in May. But that wasn’t enough to cover inflation over the year, so in real or inflation-adjusted terms, hourly worker pay fell 0.1 percent over the last 12 months...
A manager agrees – bargaining is better (opinion) Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ...The most important and consistent feature of collective bargaining is not disagreement about work rules or compensation – it is problem-solving. ..
The US Chemical Safety Board's Turmoil Is Playing With Public Safety truthout ...Inside this fight is a tale of ambition, manipulation and personal games that put public safety and the prevention of chemical accidents at risk...
Fed Issues Surreptitious SNAP Payments to Bankster Welfare Queens At Taxpayer Expense Wall Street Examiner ...This is a direct giveaway to the banks at the expense of US taxpayers. The banks will shift as much of their excess cash as they can, subject to the $10 billion per bank limit, from their regular deposit accounts at the Fed (aka reserves) to these higher interest paying term deposits. This is cash which the Fed has given them for free in the first place...
Raise the Minimum Wage to Help Economy, IMF Tells U.S. NBC News ...The International Monetary Fund released its annual review of the U.S. economy on Monday and called on the U.S. to raise its federal minimum wage rate...
Uber Drivers Protest Their Dick Boss Gawker ...They're not just protesting autonomous taxis. Uber's drivers say "they feel exploited, don't earn enough money and are taken for granted."...
Assemblyman joins Teamsters in Taylor Farms protest Tracy News ...call for worker equality was shouted outside Taylor Farms Pacific on MacArthur Drive on Thursday by members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The group gathered in large numbers to protest the alleged mistreatment of company employees...
Obama sides with Teamsters in employment non-discrimination order TeamsterNation ...President Obama today is signing an order forbidding federal contractors from discriminating against employees because of their sexual orientation, a policy supported by the Teamsters Union...
Teamster Women's Conference To Be Held September 4-6 teamster.org ...The 2014 Teamster Women's Conference will be held September 4-6, 2014 in Chicago. For details about this conference, click here...
Trade
Trade deals, Investment Treaties and the Death of Democracy – How companies sue whole nations and win. Golem XIV ...there is a growing discontent and a determination to question mainstream assurances and find new answers...
State Battles
GDP Numbers Confirm Wisconsin’s Lagging Growth WI Budget Project ...Wisconsin’s GDP growth of 4.5% over the last three years has been well below the national average of 6.1%...
A $13.13 Minimum Wage Means 1.2 Million NYers Earn An Extra $100/Week Gothamist ...New York's $8/hour ($9 by 2016) continues to be the lowest of any major city, a fact noted by Comptroller Scott Stringer, who just released a report [PDF] detailing the effects of raising the minimum wage in the city to $13.13/hour: 1.2 million New Yorkers would receive an extra $100/week...
Princeton considering ordinance to protect workers from wage theft The Star-Ledger ...Those seeking landscaping permits to do work in Princeton will first need to acknowledge federal and state wage theft laws pertaining to their employees if the governing body adopts an ordinance that ties the two together...
War on Workers
A Small Increase in Inflation Squeezes U.S. Workers New York Times ...Average hourly earnings for private sector American workers rose about 49 cents an hour over the last year, to $24.38 in May. But that wasn’t enough to cover inflation over the year, so in real or inflation-adjusted terms, hourly worker pay fell 0.1 percent over the last 12 months...
A manager agrees – bargaining is better (opinion) Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ...The most important and consistent feature of collective bargaining is not disagreement about work rules or compensation – it is problem-solving. ..
The US Chemical Safety Board's Turmoil Is Playing With Public Safety truthout ...Inside this fight is a tale of ambition, manipulation and personal games that put public safety and the prevention of chemical accidents at risk...
Fed Issues Surreptitious SNAP Payments to Bankster Welfare Queens At Taxpayer Expense Wall Street Examiner ...This is a direct giveaway to the banks at the expense of US taxpayers. The banks will shift as much of their excess cash as they can, subject to the $10 billion per bank limit, from their regular deposit accounts at the Fed (aka reserves) to these higher interest paying term deposits. This is cash which the Fed has given them for free in the first place...
Raise the Minimum Wage to Help Economy, IMF Tells U.S. NBC News ...The International Monetary Fund released its annual review of the U.S. economy on Monday and called on the U.S. to raise its federal minimum wage rate...
Uber Drivers Protest Their Dick Boss Gawker ...They're not just protesting autonomous taxis. Uber's drivers say "they feel exploited, don't earn enough money and are taken for granted."...
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Today's Teamster News 04.01.14
Teamster News
CCTA Management and Drivers Still Make No Deal Burlington Free Press ...After another marathon negotiation session, no deal was reached between Chittenden County Transportation Authority management and the Teamsters Local 597 bus drivers' union, the two sides said Saturday...
City of Chicago Member wins Primary Election for Cook County Board Local 700 ...Teamsters Local 700 member Luis Arroyo, Jr. will soon transition from a motor truck driver for the City of Chicago to a democratic nominee for the Cook County Board of Commissioners...
Tom O’Donnell Replaces Leo Reed As Director Of Teamsters Deadline Hollywood ...Tom O’Donnell, the current president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 817 in New York, has been named director of the Teamsters Motion Picture and Theatrical Trades Division, replacing the venerable Leo Reed, who left the post in January after 25 years at the helm...
Teamsters: Lack of county pay raises hurts services Topeka Capital Journal ...Shawnee County’s ability to provide quality services is suffering because the county commission isn’t giving employees pay raises, Teamsters Union members said at Monday’s commission meeting...
Trade
Trans-Pacific Partnership: Geopolitics, Not Growth The National Interest ...If you have to pick a winner, it’s Vietnam by a significant margin. By 2025, Vietnam would stand to gain nearly $96 billion or 28 percent of its GDP. This is largely due to exports increasing an estimated 37 percent...
Why do a majority of Americans oppose fast-tracking the TPP? The New American ...A recent poll reveals a majority of Americans oppose giving President Obama an end run around the constitution by fast tracking the Trans Pacific Partnership...
State Battles
Right to Work Vote in Missouri House Could Have Narrow Margin St. Louis Post-Dispatch ...One business priority touted by Republican Leadership has been slow to move out of the Missouri House this session. Right-to-work legislation has stalled partly because of divisions within the Republican Party and concerns the issue could endanger Republicans in swing districts...
Employee misclassification affects Illinois workers' compensation benefits Digital Journal ...The independent contractor versus employee classification may affect whether you will qualify for workers' compensation benefits following an on-the-job injury...
New York state joins NYC in suing FedEx for shipping untaxed cigarettes Reuters ...New York State joined New York City in suing package delivery company FedEx Corp for allegedly violating state and federal laws by illegally delivering contraband cigarettes to people's homes...
New York Times suggests Wisconsin voting changes are part of larger GOP swing-state effort Cap Times ...A story this weekend notes that laws like the new one to reduce voting hours in Wisconsin are also being passed in other states where the electorate swings between Republicans and Democrats...
'Paycheck protection' lets some workers get free benefits (Opinion) Patriot News ...The Paycheck Protection Act would destroy the current system of union dues and fair share payments for public employees and put in its place an unfair one...
Detroit: bankrupt city readies for divisive $450m Red Wings arena The Guardian ...Billionaire Mike Illitch to build new hockey stadium but critics question use of $284.5m of public money...
Arizona GOP gives private prison company $1 million to house inmates who don’t exist Raw Story ...Lobbyists for the private prison company GEO Group convinced lawmakers to include almost $1 million extra in funding despite the fact that the Arizona Department of Corrections claimed the money wasn’t needed...
War on Workers
U.S. Regulators Say Oil Industry Withholding Data on Rail Crashes Oil Price ...Federal regulators said on March 28 that the oil industry was withholding key information related to the series of train derailments and explosions involving transporting crude oil...
Chemical industry-funded senators want to hide chemical industry funding of studies Raw Story ...OSHA chief David Michaels wants to update guidelines for working with silica dust, a significant hazard for construction workers and others exposed to the industrial byproduct that can cause lung cancer and other deadly diseases...
Walmart Realizes It’s Losing Billions Of Dollars By Denying Workers More Hours ThinkProgress ...Walmart will begin adding worker hours this year as part of an effort to address complaints about empty shelves at the company’s understaffed stores. Fixing the chain’s stocking problems could be worth $3 billion per year, a tacit acknowledgment that Walmart’s notorious efforts to wring productivity out of skeleton crews have hurt its bottom line...
Walmart Has A Lower Hiring Rate Than Harvard Admissions Rates Crooks and Liars ...It’s hard to find oneself among the freshman class at America’s top universities–and it should be! However, you may find it surprising to know that it is actually tougher to find a job at Walmart than it is to attend one of these schools...
Payday loans, overdraft fees can drain finances Post and Courier ...A new federal report has detailed reasons why payday lending is a financial horror that traps people in a cycle of high-interest debt...
Miscellaneous
New Alabama food truck regulations prevent local churches from feeding the homeless The Raw Story ...Food truck regulations that went into effect on January 1, 2014 are preventing churches in Birmingham, Alabama from feeding the homeless...
CCTA Management and Drivers Still Make No Deal Burlington Free Press ...After another marathon negotiation session, no deal was reached between Chittenden County Transportation Authority management and the Teamsters Local 597 bus drivers' union, the two sides said Saturday...
City of Chicago Member wins Primary Election for Cook County Board Local 700 ...Teamsters Local 700 member Luis Arroyo, Jr. will soon transition from a motor truck driver for the City of Chicago to a democratic nominee for the Cook County Board of Commissioners...
Tom O’Donnell Replaces Leo Reed As Director Of Teamsters Deadline Hollywood ...Tom O’Donnell, the current president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 817 in New York, has been named director of the Teamsters Motion Picture and Theatrical Trades Division, replacing the venerable Leo Reed, who left the post in January after 25 years at the helm...
Teamsters: Lack of county pay raises hurts services Topeka Capital Journal ...Shawnee County’s ability to provide quality services is suffering because the county commission isn’t giving employees pay raises, Teamsters Union members said at Monday’s commission meeting...
Trade
Trans-Pacific Partnership: Geopolitics, Not Growth The National Interest ...If you have to pick a winner, it’s Vietnam by a significant margin. By 2025, Vietnam would stand to gain nearly $96 billion or 28 percent of its GDP. This is largely due to exports increasing an estimated 37 percent...
Why do a majority of Americans oppose fast-tracking the TPP? The New American ...A recent poll reveals a majority of Americans oppose giving President Obama an end run around the constitution by fast tracking the Trans Pacific Partnership...
State Battles
Right to Work Vote in Missouri House Could Have Narrow Margin St. Louis Post-Dispatch ...One business priority touted by Republican Leadership has been slow to move out of the Missouri House this session. Right-to-work legislation has stalled partly because of divisions within the Republican Party and concerns the issue could endanger Republicans in swing districts...
Employee misclassification affects Illinois workers' compensation benefits Digital Journal ...The independent contractor versus employee classification may affect whether you will qualify for workers' compensation benefits following an on-the-job injury...
New York state joins NYC in suing FedEx for shipping untaxed cigarettes Reuters ...New York State joined New York City in suing package delivery company FedEx Corp for allegedly violating state and federal laws by illegally delivering contraband cigarettes to people's homes...
New York Times suggests Wisconsin voting changes are part of larger GOP swing-state effort Cap Times ...A story this weekend notes that laws like the new one to reduce voting hours in Wisconsin are also being passed in other states where the electorate swings between Republicans and Democrats...
'Paycheck protection' lets some workers get free benefits (Opinion) Patriot News ...The Paycheck Protection Act would destroy the current system of union dues and fair share payments for public employees and put in its place an unfair one...
Detroit: bankrupt city readies for divisive $450m Red Wings arena The Guardian ...Billionaire Mike Illitch to build new hockey stadium but critics question use of $284.5m of public money...
Arizona GOP gives private prison company $1 million to house inmates who don’t exist Raw Story ...Lobbyists for the private prison company GEO Group convinced lawmakers to include almost $1 million extra in funding despite the fact that the Arizona Department of Corrections claimed the money wasn’t needed...
War on Workers
U.S. Regulators Say Oil Industry Withholding Data on Rail Crashes Oil Price ...Federal regulators said on March 28 that the oil industry was withholding key information related to the series of train derailments and explosions involving transporting crude oil...
Chemical industry-funded senators want to hide chemical industry funding of studies Raw Story ...OSHA chief David Michaels wants to update guidelines for working with silica dust, a significant hazard for construction workers and others exposed to the industrial byproduct that can cause lung cancer and other deadly diseases...
Walmart Realizes It’s Losing Billions Of Dollars By Denying Workers More Hours ThinkProgress ...Walmart will begin adding worker hours this year as part of an effort to address complaints about empty shelves at the company’s understaffed stores. Fixing the chain’s stocking problems could be worth $3 billion per year, a tacit acknowledgment that Walmart’s notorious efforts to wring productivity out of skeleton crews have hurt its bottom line...
Walmart Has A Lower Hiring Rate Than Harvard Admissions Rates Crooks and Liars ...It’s hard to find oneself among the freshman class at America’s top universities–and it should be! However, you may find it surprising to know that it is actually tougher to find a job at Walmart than it is to attend one of these schools...
Payday loans, overdraft fees can drain finances Post and Courier ...A new federal report has detailed reasons why payday lending is a financial horror that traps people in a cycle of high-interest debt...
Miscellaneous
New Alabama food truck regulations prevent local churches from feeding the homeless The Raw Story ...Food truck regulations that went into effect on January 1, 2014 are preventing churches in Birmingham, Alabama from feeding the homeless...
Monday, March 24, 2014
It's getting harder to steal wages from truck drivers
The crackdown on bad actors in New York follows a huge victory over misclassification last week by port drivers in California. On Friday, they announced their employer, Pacific 9 Transportation (Pac9), agreed to stop calling them independent contractors and to recognize their right to form a union.
The Los Angeles Times reported the Pac 9 settlement strengthened the hand of port truckers who want to join a union. It follows a string of victories by the port drivers challenging their misclassification. Reports the Times:
A total of 515 drivers serving the two ports have filed complaints with the state Labor Commissioner’s office about wage disputes, many saying exorbitant deductions had been taken from their checks.
The state agency has sided with drivers in all 30 of the cases decided so far, determining that the workers had been misclassified as independent contractors when their job requirements made them tantamount to employees.On the other coast, the new New York law will impose stiff penalties -- including prison sentences -- on companies that misclassify their workers.
Go By Truck News reports:
The bill ... creates new definitions for employee and independent contractor, with standards above and beyond the Internal Revenue Service definitions.
Under the law, employers will bear the burden of properly classifying their drivers. The law also includes a whistleblower provision for those who report misclassification...
The law also outlines penalties for employers and contractors who violate the law. First-time offenders will pay a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per misclassified employee and either spend up to 30 days in prison or pay up to $25,000 in criminal fines. Subsequent offenses are penalized at $5,000 per affected employee and carry prison sentences up to 60 days and criminal fines up to $50,000.Now let's take on a few more states!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Today's Teamster News 02.28.14
Teamster News
Teamsters not happy with inmates filling potholes WFMJ.com ...The Teamsters union, representing employees with the Mahoning County engineer's office, is considering filing a grievance after seeing inmates filling potholes...
Teamsters not happy with inmates filling potholes WFMJ.com ...The Teamsters union, representing employees with the Mahoning County engineer's office, is considering filing a grievance after seeing inmates filling potholes...
Teamster School Bus News teamster.org ...Baltimore school bus workers win $1.25 million wage settlement; Teamsters Local 445 drivers and monitors in New York win fight for fair contract at Durham; what to do when your bus equipment is defective – all these stories and more are in the latest issue of the Drive Up Standards newsletter...
Nashville Chapter of TNBC Honors Leaders teamster.org ...The Nashville Middle TN Valley Chapter of the Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) held its second annual awards banquet titled “Education and Accountability” on February 22, 2014 in Nashville...
Liam Neeson: NYC Mayor Is a Horse Nazi TMZ ...Liam Neeson is PISSED OFF at New York City's new mayor for trying to kill the Central Park horse industry...
Will Academy Award nominees speak up for the workers who make the Oscars? Pando Daily ...The Teamsters Local 743 in Chicago has been unable to reach an agreement with R.S. Owens & Company, the local awards shop that has exclusively manufactured the familiar gold statuettes for the last three decades...
D.C. Taxi Drivers' Voices Are Being Heard teamster.org ...Over the past few months, Washington, D.C. taxi drivers have joined together with the Washington, D.C. Taxi Operators Association, affiliated with Teamsters Local 922, for one strong voice...
Teamster Tells Lawmakers How TPP Will Damage Workers teamster.org ..."this is about American families and these trade deals have brutalized the American economy,” he said. “A trade agreement is not an agreement. It is a gun to the head of the American worker...”
BLET tells House: Don’t extend deadline for Positive Train Control BLET News ...BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman made a strong case for the timely implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) and other measures to boost rail safety and improve the quality of life for BLET members during testimony delivered at a House subcommittee hearing on February 26...
Trade
NPPC: Japan's Offer On TPP Unacceptable to U.S. Agriculture National Hog Farmer ...The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says U.S. acceptance of the recent Japanese offer, made as part of the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks, would be a radical departure from previous U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) and could potentially set an unacceptable precedent for future trade deals...
Japanese activist: TPP will affect food security FMT News ...The TPP will not only widen the economic disparity between the rich and the poor, but also deny poor nations the power to secure food import, says a Japanese activist...
Ending currency manipulation would create jobs ABC, Sioux Falls ...Policy change could bring 20,000 jobs to South Dakota...
State Battles
Protestors gather as Republicans unveil Right to Work legislation WAVE News ...Protesters gathered in Frankfort on Thursday as Kentucky Republicans introduced right to work legislation, even though the legislation has dim chances of success this year...
Vermont Citizens Push to Form a State Bank, But Will Ratings Agencies Kill the Idea? naked capitalism ...The objective is not to set up a retail bank (say along the lines of a Post Office bank) but to save the fees that are now paid to large financial institutions and to fund public projects...
The War on Workers
Household wealth still down 14 percent since recession EurekAlert ...the mean net worth of American households in mid-2013 was still about 14 percent below the pre-recession peak in 2006. Their analysis suggested that middle-aged people took the biggest hit...
Wal-Mart Ad Celebrates American Workers With A Canadian Band's Song About A Guy Who Hates His Job Business Insider ...Wal-Mart has been running a high-profile advertising campaign to promote its recent pledge to purchase $250 billion of American-made products over the next 10 years...Rush was strange choice of soundtrack for an ad celebrating American manufacturing given that the band is not just Canadian, but famously Canadian...
Underemployment Piles On Problems For Low-Wage Workers CBS ...The state Labor Department says there are about 276,000 Pennsylvanians in the category “working part time for economic reasons.” They include 47,900 people who usually work full-time but are working part-time, and 228,000 people who usually work part-time but are working less than they normally would...
GOP blocks veterans bill The Hill ...Senate Republicans stopped Democrats from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for veterans...
Miscellaneous
Federal Budget Deficit Falls to Smallest Level Since 2008 New York Times ...Closing the books on a fiscal year in which the federal budget deficit fell more sharply than in any year since the end of World War II, the Treasury Department reported on Thursday that the deficit for 2013 dropped to $680 billion, from about $1.1 trillion the previous year...
Nashville Chapter of TNBC Honors Leaders teamster.org ...The Nashville Middle TN Valley Chapter of the Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) held its second annual awards banquet titled “Education and Accountability” on February 22, 2014 in Nashville...
Liam Neeson: NYC Mayor Is a Horse Nazi TMZ ...Liam Neeson is PISSED OFF at New York City's new mayor for trying to kill the Central Park horse industry...
Will Academy Award nominees speak up for the workers who make the Oscars? Pando Daily ...The Teamsters Local 743 in Chicago has been unable to reach an agreement with R.S. Owens & Company, the local awards shop that has exclusively manufactured the familiar gold statuettes for the last three decades...
D.C. Taxi Drivers' Voices Are Being Heard teamster.org ...Over the past few months, Washington, D.C. taxi drivers have joined together with the Washington, D.C. Taxi Operators Association, affiliated with Teamsters Local 922, for one strong voice...
Teamster Tells Lawmakers How TPP Will Damage Workers teamster.org ..."this is about American families and these trade deals have brutalized the American economy,” he said. “A trade agreement is not an agreement. It is a gun to the head of the American worker...”
BLET tells House: Don’t extend deadline for Positive Train Control BLET News ...BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman made a strong case for the timely implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) and other measures to boost rail safety and improve the quality of life for BLET members during testimony delivered at a House subcommittee hearing on February 26...
Trade
NPPC: Japan's Offer On TPP Unacceptable to U.S. Agriculture National Hog Farmer ...The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says U.S. acceptance of the recent Japanese offer, made as part of the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks, would be a radical departure from previous U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) and could potentially set an unacceptable precedent for future trade deals...
Japanese activist: TPP will affect food security FMT News ...The TPP will not only widen the economic disparity between the rich and the poor, but also deny poor nations the power to secure food import, says a Japanese activist...
Ending currency manipulation would create jobs ABC, Sioux Falls ...Policy change could bring 20,000 jobs to South Dakota...
State Battles
Protestors gather as Republicans unveil Right to Work legislation WAVE News ...Protesters gathered in Frankfort on Thursday as Kentucky Republicans introduced right to work legislation, even though the legislation has dim chances of success this year...
Vermont Citizens Push to Form a State Bank, But Will Ratings Agencies Kill the Idea? naked capitalism ...The objective is not to set up a retail bank (say along the lines of a Post Office bank) but to save the fees that are now paid to large financial institutions and to fund public projects...
The War on Workers
Household wealth still down 14 percent since recession EurekAlert ...the mean net worth of American households in mid-2013 was still about 14 percent below the pre-recession peak in 2006. Their analysis suggested that middle-aged people took the biggest hit...
Wal-Mart Ad Celebrates American Workers With A Canadian Band's Song About A Guy Who Hates His Job Business Insider ...Wal-Mart has been running a high-profile advertising campaign to promote its recent pledge to purchase $250 billion of American-made products over the next 10 years...Rush was strange choice of soundtrack for an ad celebrating American manufacturing given that the band is not just Canadian, but famously Canadian...
Underemployment Piles On Problems For Low-Wage Workers CBS ...The state Labor Department says there are about 276,000 Pennsylvanians in the category “working part time for economic reasons.” They include 47,900 people who usually work full-time but are working part-time, and 228,000 people who usually work part-time but are working less than they normally would...
GOP blocks veterans bill The Hill ...Senate Republicans stopped Democrats from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for veterans...
Miscellaneous
Federal Budget Deficit Falls to Smallest Level Since 2008 New York Times ...Closing the books on a fiscal year in which the federal budget deficit fell more sharply than in any year since the end of World War II, the Treasury Department reported on Thursday that the deficit for 2013 dropped to $680 billion, from about $1.1 trillion the previous year...
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Teamster local president wins election to county legislature
 |
| Kevin McCaffrey, New York's new county legislator and president of Teamsters Local 707. |
Congratulations to Brother Kevin McCaffrey, who won his race for Suffolk County legislator on Tuesday.
He's president of Teamsters Local 707 on Long Island, which represents truckers and Nassau County off-track betting workers. He's also been deputy mayor of Lindenhurst for 23 years.
New York Newsday endorsed him for the seat, citing his experience and independence:
(He) has been a trustee and deputy mayor of Lindenhurst Village for 23 years...McCaffrey's municipal background has prepared him to be an effective legislator...McCaffrey has helped balance Lindenhurst's budgets for years while Dolan's experience is more limited and outside the public sector.And, like so many of our Teamster brothers and sisters in the New York region, Brother McCaffrey devoted many hours and much effort to helping victims of Superstorm Sandy. Newsday wrote,
McCaffrey says his efforts to help residents the night superstorm Sandy hit and in the aftermath have been draining but rewarding. His passion is affecting.The Lindenhurst Patch reported on his victory:
With 100 percent of precincts reporting on Tuesday evening, Kevin McCaffrey, the Republican candidate and current deputy mayor of Lindenhurst, took the majority of the legislative district with 5,334 votes, or 52.47 percent...
The mood was celebratory for McCaffrey and company, who celebrated what he called a "hard-fought but well deserved victory" at Suffolk County Republican Headquarters.
"We worked very hard but I always felt I had the experience to go on," McCaffrey told Patch. "I am going to show that experience and independence for the district."Learn more about Brother McCaffrey on his Facebook page.
Proud of you, Brother!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Woot! Teamster EMT strike results in victory!
We just got some great news from Buffalo, where 400 of our brothers and sisters from Local 375 went on strike over wages and benefits at 12:01 a.m. today. After 21 hours of negotiating, Teamster EMTs and paramedics at Rural/Metro reached a tentative agreement early this morning. They're back to work and getting ready to vote in the next few days on a contract that includes wage increases and better benefits.
Kevin Drysdale, president of Local 375, said the members are proud to serve Buffalo.
Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz was worried that Rural/Metro brought in scabs from Kentucky or Ohio.
Another letter of support for the EMTs and paramedics came from the executive director of the New York State Nurses Association. “The RNs of the New York State Nurses Association are proud to stand with Local 375 and the communities they serve,” wrote Jill Furillo, RN.
Our brothers and sisters also got supportive tweets like this one from Frontier Fire Co.
Kevin Drysdale, president of Local 375, said the members are proud to serve Buffalo.
Because of the important work they do as first responders, we needed to secure an agreement with good wages and working conditions.Dennis Wellspeak, a 20-year employee, said the citizens of Buffalo are his neighbors and friends.
I am pleased that we won a fair tentative agreement with Rural/Metro. To think that Rural/Metro was at one point offering higher hourly wages to temporary workers was quite a shock, but we fought hard to win a new agreement that respects us.
 |
| Early this morning in Buffalo. |
How would they know the city streets? This is not in the best interest of this community.State Sen. Tim Kennedy urged the employer to consider a fair offer that reflects the important work "these brave and dedicated first-responders provide our community every day.”
Another letter of support for the EMTs and paramedics came from the executive director of the New York State Nurses Association. “The RNs of the New York State Nurses Association are proud to stand with Local 375 and the communities they serve,” wrote Jill Furillo, RN.
Our brothers and sisters also got supportive tweets like this one from Frontier Fire Co.
@FrontierVFC 7h
We sympathize with EMTs & Paramedics of @Teamsters local 375 striking against @RuralMetroWNY, especially our own
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Today's Teamster News 06.23.13
Dead Being Billed for Life Insurance ABC News ... the nation's leading insurance companies continued billing customers for life insurance long after they were dead. The companies--including such household names as AIG, Hartford, John Hancock, Met Life, Prudential, Transamerica and TIAA-CREF-- have agreed to a multi-state settlement under which they will repay some $763 million owed the heirs of the deceased...
The other hacking scandal: Suppressed report reveals that law firms, telecoms giants and insurance companies routinely hire criminals to steal rivals' information The Independent ...Some of Britain’s most respected industries routinely employ criminals to hack, blag and steal personal information on business rivals and members of the public, according to a secret report leaked to The Independent...
Firing of 5 Walmart Strikers Condemned by Rep. Ellison: 'Completely Unjust and Illegal' The Nation ...Of the roughly one hundred Walmart workers who this month went on strike and traveled to Arkansas this month, OUR Walmart alleges that five have been fired, ten have received disciplinary “coachings,” and one has been suspended...
House GOP ratchets up battle with Senate over student loan rates The Hill ...Without congressional action, rates for subsidized Stafford loans will jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1...
Brazil: 250K protest against government corruption USA Today ...A quarter-million Brazilians took to the streets in the latest a wave of sometimes-violent protests that are increasingly focusing on corruption and reforming a government system in which people have lost faith. A new poll shows that 75 percent of citizens support the demonstrations...
How Currency Wars End in Violence as Brazil Erupts (opinion) The Market Oracle ...Hot money is fleeing, the Real is sinking, inflation is soaring, and Brazil has no idea how to stem the tide (or the protests)...
Food Network Drops Paula Deen New York Times ...Paula Deen, the self-proclaimed queen of Southern cooking and a sugary mainstay of the Food Network, was dropped by the network on Friday, after a bewildering day in which she failed to show up for an interview on the “Today” show and then in two online videos begged her family and audience to forgive her for using racist language...
Woot! NY lawmakers vote to crack down on trucking co. cheats TeamsterNation ...Here's a real Teamster victory: Both chambers of the New York state Legislatures passed a bill today that cracks down on trucking companies that misclassify their employers. Bad actors like FedEx Ground would pay stiff fines for treating their employees as contractors...
Report Shows Majority Of Proposed Tax Cuts Benefits Those Earning $100K-Plus Wisconsin Public Radio ...63.4 percent of the overall tax cut would be paid to people earning more than $100,000...
Panera Bread uses Natl. Labor Relations Review Board dysfunction to exploit bakers trying to unionize eclectablog ...Over a year ago, Panera Bread bakers along the I-94 corridor Michigan voted to form a union. The parent company refused to recognize the union, forcing the workers to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) demanding that the company recognize and bargain with their union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM). The NLRB ruled for the workers. However, due to a decision in Noel Canning v. NLRB overturning President Obama’s recess appointments to the NLRB, Panera Bread has refused to comply...
The other hacking scandal: Suppressed report reveals that law firms, telecoms giants and insurance companies routinely hire criminals to steal rivals' information The Independent ...Some of Britain’s most respected industries routinely employ criminals to hack, blag and steal personal information on business rivals and members of the public, according to a secret report leaked to The Independent...
Firing of 5 Walmart Strikers Condemned by Rep. Ellison: 'Completely Unjust and Illegal' The Nation ...Of the roughly one hundred Walmart workers who this month went on strike and traveled to Arkansas this month, OUR Walmart alleges that five have been fired, ten have received disciplinary “coachings,” and one has been suspended...
House GOP ratchets up battle with Senate over student loan rates The Hill ...Without congressional action, rates for subsidized Stafford loans will jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1...
Brazil: 250K protest against government corruption USA Today ...A quarter-million Brazilians took to the streets in the latest a wave of sometimes-violent protests that are increasingly focusing on corruption and reforming a government system in which people have lost faith. A new poll shows that 75 percent of citizens support the demonstrations...
How Currency Wars End in Violence as Brazil Erupts (opinion) The Market Oracle ...Hot money is fleeing, the Real is sinking, inflation is soaring, and Brazil has no idea how to stem the tide (or the protests)...
Food Network Drops Paula Deen New York Times ...Paula Deen, the self-proclaimed queen of Southern cooking and a sugary mainstay of the Food Network, was dropped by the network on Friday, after a bewildering day in which she failed to show up for an interview on the “Today” show and then in two online videos begged her family and audience to forgive her for using racist language...
Woot! NY lawmakers vote to crack down on trucking co. cheats TeamsterNation ...Here's a real Teamster victory: Both chambers of the New York state Legislatures passed a bill today that cracks down on trucking companies that misclassify their employers. Bad actors like FedEx Ground would pay stiff fines for treating their employees as contractors...
Report Shows Majority Of Proposed Tax Cuts Benefits Those Earning $100K-Plus Wisconsin Public Radio ...63.4 percent of the overall tax cut would be paid to people earning more than $100,000...
Panera Bread uses Natl. Labor Relations Review Board dysfunction to exploit bakers trying to unionize eclectablog ...Over a year ago, Panera Bread bakers along the I-94 corridor Michigan voted to form a union. The parent company refused to recognize the union, forcing the workers to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) demanding that the company recognize and bargain with their union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM). The NLRB ruled for the workers. However, due to a decision in Noel Canning v. NLRB overturning President Obama’s recess appointments to the NLRB, Panera Bread has refused to comply...
Friday, June 21, 2013
Woot! NY lawmakers vote to crack down on trucking co. cheats
Here's a real Teamster victory: Both chambers of the New York state Legislatures passed a bill today that cracks down on trucking companies that misclassify their employers. Bad actors like FedEx Ground would pay stiff fines for treating their employees as contractors.
Great work, Joint Council 16!
The joint council's president, George Miranda, told Crain's New York Business:
Crain's tells us:
Great work, Joint Council 16!
The joint council's president, George Miranda, told Crain's New York Business:
This was a tough fight and it took us two years, but it was worth it in the end. We delivered better pay, better benefits and better working conditions for thousands of truckers, and that's how you spell victory when you're a Teamster.The bill intends to correct the situation in New York where close to 30,000 truck drivers in New york are misclassified as independent contractors. That's $6.3 million in unpaid unemployment insurance taxes every year.
Crain's tells us:
...trucking companies suspect the Teamsters will try to organize them, perhaps with the bill as a selling point. The Teamsters said they were interested in the issue, in part, because companies that employ Teamsters in the air freight industry were having trouble competing with rivals such as UPS and FedEx that the union believed were misclassifying workers.
The law would force companies to provide currently misclassified employees with benefits such as unemployment insurance and workers compensation, and would subject trucking companies that misclassify employees to penalties.A similar bill passed the New Jersey Legislature and is sitting on Gov. Chris Christie's desk for his signature. Let's hope both Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sign these important pieces of legislation!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Today's Teamster News 05.26.13
Millions march against GM crops The Guardian ...Organisers say that two million people marched in protest against seed giant Monsanto in hundreds of rallies across the US and in more than 50 other countries on Saturday. "March Against Monsanto" protesters say they wanted to call attention to the dangers posed by genetically modified food...
France seizes a million doses of fake Chinese aspirin Raw Story ...French customs officers have seized 1.2 million doses of counterfeit aspirin from China, the biggest haul of fake medicines ever in France and the EU, the economy ministry announced Saturday...
France seizes a million doses of fake Chinese aspirin Raw Story ...French customs officers have seized 1.2 million doses of counterfeit aspirin from China, the biggest haul of fake medicines ever in France and the EU, the economy ministry announced Saturday...
Stockholm riots spread west on sixth night The Local ...Nearly a week of unrest, which spread briefly Friday night to the medium-sized city of Örebro 160 kilometres west of Stockholm, have put Sweden's reputation as an oasis of peace and harmony at risk...
Unrest may spread across Europe, warns Red Cross chief The Independent ...Rocketing unemployment and poverty in some areas of Europe could lead to rising civil unrest, unless governments take measures to address the humanitarian consequences of austerity measures, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned...
Sequester guts wildfire prevention, sets up bigger blazes Grist ...the sequester took a 7.5 percent bite out of the Forest Service’s budget, nearly half of which is spent fighting wildfires. That means there will be 500 fewer pairs of boots on the ground and 200,000 fewer acres treated to prevent fires; the agency’s next proposed budget cuts preventative spending by a further 24 percent...
Why are our Bridges Falling? The Economics of the Infrastructure Deficit Economonitor ...We are not spending enough to stay even with our infrastructure deficit. Our bridges, roads, dams, electric grid, sewers, and water treatment plants are wearing out faster than we are replacing them. And that is happening, in large part, because of our misguided obsession with the federal fiscal deficit...
Banner Week for Politicians Trying to Keep Poor People Hungry and Sick Gawker ...Louisiana Senator David Vitter, sad little boy and lover of prostitutes, proposed an amendment to the long-delayed farm bill that would make certain ex-cons ineligible from food stamps for life...
The Corporate Dictatorship of PBS and NPR Truthout ...“Citizen Koch” is a documentary about money and politics, focusing heavily on the uprising that took place in Wisconsin in 2011 and 2012 ... the documentary was originally supposed to air on PBS stations nationwide, but its funding was abruptly cut off when, it appears, David Koch was offended...
Koch Media’s Megaphone and the IRS “Scandal” Wall Street ...For decades, billionaires Charles and David Koch had secretly owned shares giving them 50 percent ownership of the Cato Institute – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization subsidized by the taxpayer – while pushing a deregulatory agenda for big business. Today, Cato is functioning as a megaphone to spin the current flap over the IRS to advance its agenda...
How exactly would Mike Bloomberg “fucking destroy” the taxi industry? Quartz ...New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg told the head of a taxicab fleet that he plans to “fucking destroy” the city’s taxi industry when he leaves office on January 1...
Fear of art sale sparked by Detroit emergency manager asking for appraisal Reuters ...As part of his efforts to solve Detroit's financial crisis, the city's emergency manager Kevyn Orr has asked for an appraisal of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts, sparking fears in artistic and philanthropic circles that he means to auction off the city's artistic jewels...
Wisconsin jobs agency names 4th CFO in 2 years Associated Press ...Gov. Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature created WEDC in 2011 to help the governor meet his campaign promise to create 250,000 private-sector jobs. But the agency has been beset by problems, including persistent turnover...
Unrest may spread across Europe, warns Red Cross chief The Independent ...Rocketing unemployment and poverty in some areas of Europe could lead to rising civil unrest, unless governments take measures to address the humanitarian consequences of austerity measures, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned...
Sequester guts wildfire prevention, sets up bigger blazes Grist ...the sequester took a 7.5 percent bite out of the Forest Service’s budget, nearly half of which is spent fighting wildfires. That means there will be 500 fewer pairs of boots on the ground and 200,000 fewer acres treated to prevent fires; the agency’s next proposed budget cuts preventative spending by a further 24 percent...
Why are our Bridges Falling? The Economics of the Infrastructure Deficit Economonitor ...We are not spending enough to stay even with our infrastructure deficit. Our bridges, roads, dams, electric grid, sewers, and water treatment plants are wearing out faster than we are replacing them. And that is happening, in large part, because of our misguided obsession with the federal fiscal deficit...
Banner Week for Politicians Trying to Keep Poor People Hungry and Sick Gawker ...Louisiana Senator David Vitter, sad little boy and lover of prostitutes, proposed an amendment to the long-delayed farm bill that would make certain ex-cons ineligible from food stamps for life...
The Corporate Dictatorship of PBS and NPR Truthout ...“Citizen Koch” is a documentary about money and politics, focusing heavily on the uprising that took place in Wisconsin in 2011 and 2012 ... the documentary was originally supposed to air on PBS stations nationwide, but its funding was abruptly cut off when, it appears, David Koch was offended...
Koch Media’s Megaphone and the IRS “Scandal” Wall Street ...For decades, billionaires Charles and David Koch had secretly owned shares giving them 50 percent ownership of the Cato Institute – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization subsidized by the taxpayer – while pushing a deregulatory agenda for big business. Today, Cato is functioning as a megaphone to spin the current flap over the IRS to advance its agenda...
How exactly would Mike Bloomberg “fucking destroy” the taxi industry? Quartz ...New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg told the head of a taxicab fleet that he plans to “fucking destroy” the city’s taxi industry when he leaves office on January 1...
Fear of art sale sparked by Detroit emergency manager asking for appraisal Reuters ...As part of his efforts to solve Detroit's financial crisis, the city's emergency manager Kevyn Orr has asked for an appraisal of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts, sparking fears in artistic and philanthropic circles that he means to auction off the city's artistic jewels...
Wisconsin jobs agency names 4th CFO in 2 years Associated Press ...Gov. Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature created WEDC in 2011 to help the governor meet his campaign promise to create 250,000 private-sector jobs. But the agency has been beset by problems, including persistent turnover...
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Teamsters take a stand at Randall’s Island
Despite the
rain, today’s rally
in New York City was a success.
More than 80
union members showed up at Randall’s Island to protest the Frieze New York Art
Show’s discrimination against union workers.
Members of
the following unions showed up to take a stand for working families: Teamsters
Locals 817, 807, 210, 917, 553, 814 and 202; District Council of
Carpenters; Painters DC 9; Operating Engineers Local 30; and IATSE Locals 1 and
829. Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, chair of the NYC Parks Committee
(pictured) has been one of the most prominent voices on this issue.
Unions weren’t
the only ones to call out the sponsors of the big-money event. At least one
artist whose work is being exhibited at the art show got involved. Art in
America magazine has the story:
In the midst of setting up her booth
at the Frieze Art Fair, Los Angeles dealer Susanne Vielmetter was presented
with a last-minute problem. One of the artists she's showing, Andrea Bowers,
disagreed with the fair's decision to hire non-union workers (an issue that
plagued the fair last year as well). Two days before Frieze's preview, which is
this Thursday, May 9, Bowers had decided to display a pamphlet and a written
statement calling out Frieze's anti-union labor practices.
"By
refusing to pay living wages to the workers who built the Frieze fairgrounds,
Frieze Art Fair and sponsor Deutsche Bank are blemishes on the New York
community. Frieze and Deutsche are driving down standards for working people in
the art and exhibition industry while taking advantage of the New York City
taxpayers who subsidize our parks. The Teamsters will always fight for good
jobs in New York, now and for the long term. We are so honored that artists
like Andrea Bowers are standing up for workers and speaking truth to the
powerful corporations in the art and banking worlds."
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Calling all New York Teamsters
Labor leaders have repeatedly
reached out to the organizers of Frieze New York and their local events
coordinator, Project Glue, LLC without response. The unions have demanded that
the New York City Parks Department look into altering the permitting process
for major private events in order to better evaluate labor standards. Last
week, a hearing was held to shed light on the festival’s use of public park
space at Randall’s Island and its consequences for New York City residents and
workers.
The rally will coincide with the fair’s invitation-only VIP
preview. Here are the rally details you need to know:
When: 10 a.m.,
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Where: Randall’s
Island, near Icahn Stadium, 20 Randall’s Island, New York, NY 10035
Who:
Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito, Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, various
labor unions
Friday, May 3, 2013
New York City Council hearing slams terms of art permit
Teamsters and other union members gave testimony on Thursday, May 2, at a hearing called by the chair of the New York City Council Parks Committee. Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-East Harlem), chair of the committee, convened the hearing to shed light on the use of public park space at Randall’s Island for private interests and its consequences for New York City residents and its workers.
Joint Council 16 Teamsters,
including members from Locals 807 and 817, testified alongside workers
from the New York City Central Labor Council, NY District Council of
Carpenters, Operating Engineers and IATSE Local 829.
One
of the main issues was the upcoming London-based Frieze Art Fair, which made
its debut in New York City last year using workers who were paid below the
local union rate and many of whom were from outside New York state. The New
York City Parks Department testified that Frieze NY was paying $200,000 for use
of Randall’s Island over eight weeks. At over 250,000 square feet, that is less
than $1 per square foot noted Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley.
"New
Yorkers should not be on the hook for corporate art welfare." said George Miranda,
President of Teamsters Joint Council 16, “Our employers pay much higher fees
for the use of the Armory and this clearly is a way to undercut them.”
Labor
leaders are calling for transparency in the permitting process and for the city
to create minimum work standards for productions similar to Frieze NY.
“Residents
from my district cannot afford to attend this event, families are displaced
from the park, workers are clearly being paid substandard wages, and I question
whether or not the safest working conditions are being adhered to,”
Councilmember Mark-Viverito said. “There is a lack of transparency that we are
going to investigate.”
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Honor the dead, fight for the living
Workers’ Memorial Day may be over, but stories and
photos are still coming in.
In New York City on Tuesday, Teamsters showed up to
an event honoring the Local 272 member who was killed in a parking garage
during Hurricane Sandy. In this photo, Matthew Bruccoleri, Secretary-Treasurer
of New York City’s Local 272, speaks at the event, which took place at the
garage where the Teamster member died.
On Monday, Teamsters attended an event where David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, read a Workers’ Memorial Day
proclamation issued by President Obama. The event also featured acting
Secretary of Labor Seth Harris and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety
and Health Joseph Main and family members who have lost loved ones. A panel
discussion on the importance of safety and health protections for temporary and
contingent workers followed. At the conclusion of the program in the César E. Chávez
Memorial Auditorium, participants paid a visit to the memorial American Dogwood
tree planted two years ago for a short ceremony and a moment of silence in
memory of the workers who have lost their lives on the job.
Below you’ll find portions of the proclamation by
President Obama for Workers’ Memorial Day:
At the turn of the 20th century, laborers
faced hazardous conditions. Factory doors were locked from the outside, which
prevented quick evacuation in emergencies. A combination of shoddy equipment
and fatigue from long shifts made serious injury and death all too common.
Career-ending injuries often led to poverty and starvation.
From mine shafts to railroads to factory
floors, workers began to speak out. Thanks to generations of union organizers
and advocates, conditions slowly improved. But it was not until decades later
that our laws assured the right to a safe workplace. The Federal Coal Mine
Health and Safety Act of 1969 established comprehensive health and safety
standards for the mining industry, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act
of 1970 enacted similar standards for all workers. These statutes remain the
cornerstone of our protections today, and my Administration remains committed
to enforcing them by ensuring workers know their rights, worksites comply with
the law, and wrongdoers are held accountable.
Today, our thoughts and prayers are with
all those who have lost a loved one to a workplace accident or work-related
illness. But we owe them more than prayers. We owe them action and
accountability. While we cannot eliminate all risk from the world's most
dangerous professions, we can guarantee that when a worker steps up to an
assembly line or into a mine shaft, their country stands alongside them,
protecting their safety and their stake in the American dream.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Member goes from HVAC to legal department
A few years after starting his job at NYU, he became
the shop steward in his department. His business agent with Local 810, based in
Long Island City, N.Y., was among the first to notice Torres’ potential, so he
appointed Torres chief steward where he would assist in grievance processing
and collective bargaining.
“When I first met him, he stood out because he
seemed very intelligent. I knew he’d make a good head steward,” said John
Mascali, Local 810 business agent. “As head steward, Mark did an incredible
job.”
As he continued to work, Torres pursued a higher
education and in 2003, he received a bachelor’s degree, with honors, from NYU.
He then proceeded to law school where he earned his law degree from Fordham Law
School in 2008. Torres earned both of these degrees while working full time,
serving as a shop steward and raising a family.
Shortly after graduating with his law degree, Torres
left his job at NYU to work at Proskauer Rose LLP where he practiced in that
firm’s renowned employee benefits department. Then in 2009, he was offered the
position of General Counsel at Local 810 where he represents the local on all
labor matters and represents the local’s three employee benefit funds.
Torres has a tireless work ethic and is dedicated to
the labor movement. As a former member of the union he now serves as counsel,
Torres relies heavily on his personal life experience to represent the many
members of Local 810.
“Without a doubt, I owe all of my success to my
affiliation with the Teamsters which gave me the job security to allow me to
pursue a higher education and become what I am today. I particularly with the
thank Louis Smith and Michael Smith, along with the rest of Local 810, for
their foresight, tutelage and leadership,” Torres said. “Most of all, I am
eternally greateful that they have put their undying trust in me to represent
thousands of members in the position I have always wanted.”
Torres’ story is a fine example of being part of the
Teamster family.
“He’s really an asset. Our local is lucky to have
him. All Teamsters are lucky to have him on their side,” Mascali said.
“I am an attorney in practice and title, but at
heart I am a Teamster with a law degree and that’s something that I will always
be.”
Monday, April 29, 2013
One World Trade Center
The
spire of One World Trade Center was scheduled to be placed atop the
under-construction building, but bad weather forced workers to reschedule.
But that didn’t put a damper on the spirits of thousands of union men and
women, including many Teamsters, who built the 104-floor skyscraper that
replaces the fallen Twin Towers. High winds forced the postponement, but when the spire is in place, the building's official height will be 1,776 feet. One World Trade Center is scheduled to open for business in 2014.
More than 1,200 Teamsters work on the site on any given day, mainly delivering materials. They have played a big role in the construction of the skyscraper and in 2011, Teamster magazine covered the progress. Here are some highlights from that story:
In World War I,
Teamsters taught soldiers to drive trucks when the military was moving from a
cavalry to motorized units. During a polio outbreak in the 1950s, Teamsters
jumped into action to make and deliver vaccinations to the entire American
population. In World War II, Teamsters raised money for war bonds, started
scrap metal and rubber drives to assist the war effort, and more than 125,000
Teamsters served in the military during the war. The union immediately worked
to help families, communities and employers who were devastated by Hurricane
Katrina in 2005.
Sept. 11, 2001, was a
day like no other in our nation’s history, but Teamsters reacted with
characteristic solidarity. Local unions and Joint Councils in the metro areas
of New York City and Washington, D.C. all played a part in the rescue, recovery
and cleanup efforts, and the International Union also took action to make sure
members were protected from the economic fallout and health risks of the
terrorist attacks. Teamsters from across North America donated hundreds of
thousands of dollars to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund to help those in
need. Today, Teamsters are working on rebuilding the site.
“I have heard our members
describe their work on the World Trade Center site as an honor,” said Jim
Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “We have never taken on a challenge that we
can’t conquer. The World Trade Center project is a testament to the courage of
our members on the day of the tragedy, and their commitment to the vision the
planners have for making the site a crowning jewel of the nation’s largest
city. As we work side by side with operating engineers, carpenters,
electricians and more, the solidarity and strength of belonging to a union
brotherhood shines ever brighter.”
“Our city suffered a
devastating blow on Sept. 11, but I am so proud to know that our union brothers
and sisters stepped up, dove in and worked to first excavate the site, dig the
foundations for the new structures and now are helping raise the structures up
into the air,” said George Miranda, International Vice President and President
of Joint Council 16…
Teamster members have
not stopped working at the Ground Zero site since the day of the attacks 10
years ago, and they now have a huge part in the rebuilding of the neighborhood.
“I believe the strength
of our union brotherhood has been a good counter-balance to the despair and
pain borne by the families of the victims of Sept. 11,” said Tom Gesauldi,
President of Local 282, which is actively involved in construction at Ground
Zero. “Our members are deeply committed to the rebuilding, or actually, the
rebirth of the World Trade Center. Their commitment began on the first day of
cleanup and continues today.”
“I worked on the
cleanup, the excavation, of this site,” said John Mazzola. “Before my work here
I was a concrete driver for 20 years. On 9/11 I was working on a construction
site nearby.” Mazzola is an on-site steward for Local 282 and coordinates the
deliveries to Towers 2, 3 and 4.
Teamsters also bring
equipment to the site, such as mobile or crawler cranes. Kenny Montoux is a
28-year Teamster who has worked as a crane driver for 16 years. “I started work
here two days after the towers came down,” Montoux said. “The construction here
is a tribute back to New York. Bringing back the glory of what it once was.”
“It’s a shame what
happened here, but I think we are building something beautiful,” said Billy
Petrino, the on-site steward for Tower 3. “My father was a Teamster, too. I’m
glad to be working here.”
Observing Workers' Memorial Day
Workers’
Memorial Day was on Sunday and while Teamsters nationwide honored their
fallen co-workers in a variety of ways, other locals are gearing up for their
own events now. Every year the labor movement commemorates Workers’ Memorial
Day as a day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to
renew the fight for safe workplaces.
On
Tuesday, April 30, Workers’ Memorial Day will be observed in New York City at
the site where Anthony Nahr, a Teamster parking attendant and member of Local 272, drowned during
Hurricane Sandy. The event will be an opportunity to mourn the loss of Nahr as
well as the many others who lost their lives at work or because of the work
they do, but it will also highlight the continued need for regulations
protecting workers and ensuring that when the workday ends, every worker
returns home safe and healthy.
The
event
will take place from 1-2 p.m. on April 30 at 92 Laight St. (at West St.) in New
York City, 10013. Participants include the New York City Central Labor Council,
the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH), AFL-CIO
and the Greater New York Labor Religion Coalition.
Other
events were held within the last few days, including one event at Teamsters
Local 404 in Springfield, Mass. Here’s more from a story
written on the Massachusetts events:
Union officials and other labor leaders
gathered Thursday to remember fallen police officers, firefighters, soldiers
and others killed in the line of work on Workers’ Memorial Day.
The event is an international day of
mourning for those who have died in the workplace, although some take the
occasion to commemorate the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act,
which was approved by Congress in 1970.
Speakers read the names of 41 workers
in Massachusetts who died on the job in 2012 and early 2013. They included
Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose, a 36-year veteran of the
force who was shot to death in June 2012 while responding to a call for a
domestic disturbance at an apartment on Lawton Street.
Firefighters and fishermen made up a
good part of the list, along with several tree workers. It also included three
members of the armed services who died in Afghanistan.
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