Today's Teamster News 02.11.13

Trains Restart as U.S. Northeast Fights Back From Storm  Bloomberg   ...Transit officials across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island were forecasting a return to almost full service after crews dug out tracks and bus routes blanketed by as much as three feet of snow that began falling Feb. 8...
China Eclipses U.S. as Biggest Trading Nation Measured in Goods  Bloomberg   ...U.S. exports and imports of goods last year totaled $3.82 trillion, the U.S. Commerce Department said last week. China’s customs administration reported last month that the country’s trade in goods in 2012 amounted to $3.87 trillion...
US Air, AMR near $11 billion merger, deal seen within week : sources  Reuters   ...US Airways Group Inc (LCC.N) and AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK) are nearing an $11 billion merger that would create the world's largest airline and could announce a deal within a week, after resolving key differences on valuation and management structure, people familiar with the matter said...
Have coal companies been ripping Americans off even more than we already knew?  Grist   ...companies pay 25 cents a ton for coal from public lands and then can turn around and sell it for $35 a ton....
Complex Investments Prove Risky as Savers Chase Bigger Payoff  New York Times   ...Regulators across the country are confronting a wave of investor fraud that is saddling retirement savers with steep losses on complex products that until a few years ago were pitched only to the most sophisticated investors...
Ethanol Plants Idled Since Drought Began  Associated Press   ...Many U.S. ethanol plants have halted production over the past year, mostly because the drought has made it difficult to get locally produced corn...
Dude, where's my cheap gas?  Econbrowser   ...a 5.3% increase in petroleum production over the last two years would have been necessary to keep the price of oil from rising. Ongoing conservation, for example, in the form of continued improvement in fuel economy, has been a key factor keeping the oil price from rising more in the face of world income growing much faster than world oil production...

High praise for NYC Teamster SanMen

NYC snowplow convoy turning off 7th Ave. (Thanks JeffreyNYC)

We've seen quite a lot of praise for our brothers and sisters of Teamsters Local 831, New York City's sanitation workers. Jaime A Rodriguez ‏tweeted:

What a excellent job by #NYC Sanitation cleaning up the snow. By 4pm its like #Nemo never happened. Cc: @NYCMayorsOffice

But it's a twitpic that really tells the story, with yesterday's tweet by Lee Goldberg at WABC:

Blue sky. White rooftops. Black streets. What a city! #nycsanitation @eyewitnessnyc

Here's the photo:

We'd also like to give a shoutout to all our brothers and sisters who kept the roads plowed, the trains moving, the grocery stores stocked and citizens safe.  And a special shoutout to all who are working today to restore power in the Northeast.

Amtrak tells us

Amtrak crews have been working through the night and this morning continue to clear track of snow and downed trees as well as making necessary repairs to restore train operations following the severe winter storm that impacted the Northeast.

Sister Mary Donch, a proud member of the Teamsters Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 269, tweeted:

I was out there with an engine rescuing a stalled train at 2:30 AM! Proudly BLE&T 269!

Joan Puopolo Sullivan told us on Facebook that members of Teamsters Local 25 are staffing the South Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center in Hingham, Mass.

We are manning the police, fire, 911 phones. Good job by SSRECC dispatchers in Hingham.

And just a reminder that it isn't ALL about the Northeast:

Santo Joseph Messina posted on Facebook:

Keeping the Interstate and Main Routes safe for democracy. IL. Dept. of Transportation and Teamsters Local 330.

Great job, brothers and sisters!

Teamsters keep moving during blizzard

Highway 84 in West Hartford, Ct. Impassable.

Thousands of Teamsters in the Midwest, Northeast and Canada braved the massive storm that brought hurricane-force winds, two to three feet of snow and widespread power outages. Teamsters kept moving through it all, driving trains, carrying schoolchildren, plowing roads and delivering food, packages and beer.

Sam Theman commented:

This is what the union thugs do. Work in dangerous conditions to keep the citizens safe. Go union forever.

The storm first hit the Midwest. Anne Kopal-Stuart, a member of Teamsters Local 777 in Lyons, Ill., drove schoolchildren home safely on Friday afternoon:

We all got caught in the first wave, that blasted thru the Midwest, not to BRAG, but We all SAFELY delivered Busloads of Precious Cargo Safe & Sound on roads that were nothing but sheets of ice, while being pelted with golf-ball sized snow-flakes. 

At 9:30 Friday night, UPS driver Colby Johnson from Local 264 just got home.

  Getting worse over here in western New York now. 

David Thomas MacMillan from Teamsters Local 170 and Steven Newman from Teamsters Local127 were already plowing on the Mass Pike. Newman posted:

Long hours ahead of us to go! Keep it safe Union Brothers and Sisters! My 30th year doing this 10 to go! 

Here's what some of our other brothers were doing: Jesse James Hammond from Local 264 was hauling gas for Crossett Inc, in Tonawanda, N.Y. Jim Sweenburg from Local 317 in Syracuse, N.Y., delivered liquor and wine to everyone. Charles Hainsworth from Local 628 in Philadelphia was keeping the chassis and trailers going from the intermodal yard. Sean Kennedy from Local 182 in Utica, N.Y., was plowing snow.

The Associated Press tells us just how bad it was:

A behemoth storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts and blizzard conditions swept through the Northeast on Saturday, dumping more than 2 feet of snow on New England and knocking out power to 650,000 homes and businesses. 

More than 28 inches of snow had fallen on central Connecticut by early Saturday, and areas of southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire notched 2 feet or more of snow – with more falling. Airlines scratched more than 5,300 flights through Saturday, and New York City's three major airports and Boston's Logan Airport closed.

The New York City SanMen (New York's Strongest) were out in force with their usual esprit de corps. As the storm approached Andy Seifert posted on Facebook:

Thanks for the support bros. We are going to hold it down like we always do. 831 NY'S Strongest baby!

Tommy Smyth, a proud member of Local 404 in Springfield, also provided an essential service. He posted:

My fellow brothers and myself, considered "essential personnel" to many as we showed true swagger in delivering Budweiser and its brand for the local distributor we all work for.

Check out the Teamsters Facebook page to see comments from people who appreciate what union THUGGS do during storms. Susan Burrell Lewandowski, for example, thanked Boston Teamsters:

Thank you Teamsters Local 25 from Stop & Shop Distribution Center! I know you may have to sleep in Freetown tonight! Your commitment to getting the food and necessities out is greatly appreciated!!!

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