Teamsters at Sunsweet Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract teamster.org ...Teamsters who work at the world’s largest dried fruit processing plant are now at work, under a strong contract that resulted from their solidarity...
Teamsters General President: Is Michigan Next In Expressing Outrage Over Trade? Teamster.org ...Michigan in the last month has seen its fair share of low-wage workers walk off the job to protest pay and working conditions. But those demonstrations pale in comparison to what is going on a continent away in Colombia. And U.S. policymakers should take notice...
Township Council Talks Teamster Contract Brick Patch ...The Township Council of Brick, New Jersey, has introduced an ordinance related to Teamsters Local 469 salaries, after months of negotiations...
Rick Smith Show: NJ Governor Turns Back On Workers Rick Smith Show ...Labor radio host Rick Smith interviews Fred Potter, International Vice President and Director of the Teamsters Port Division, about New Jersey Governor Christie’s veto of pro-worker legislation...
Commercial Drivers: Pipeline CSA Training To Be Held In Atlanta, Sept. 29 teamster.org ...The Teamsters National Pipeline Training Fund in collaboration with Teamsters Local 528 and 728 will sponsor a Compliance, Safety and Accountability training program on September 29 for all commercial drivers...
Detroit trash-hauling gets 10 bidders; city to review proposals Detroit Free Press ...Detroit city officials will begin reviewing proposals this week to privatize trash collection, an initiative emergency manager Kevyn Orr says will save about $15 million annually and improve services to residents...
Gleason to Lead Legal Team at Teamsters Local 1224 Teamsters Local 1224 …The Airline Professionals Association (APA), Teamsters Local 1224 announced the addition of a new member to lead its legal team at Teamsters Local 1224. Edward Gleason joins Teamsters Local 1224 as Chief Counsel...
Pay Gap Between 1 Percent And Everybody Else Reaches Widest Point Since 1920s Associated Press ...The gulf between the richest 1 percent and the rest of America is the widest it's been since the Roaring '20s...
Government Policy Gave Us Inequality, not the Market Center for Economic and Policy Research ... we have a totally corrupt system of corporate governance in which CEOs select and pay off directors to look the other way as they pilfer the company by taking outlandish pay packages. Governments write the rules of corporate governance, not markets...
How the 1 percent won the recovery, in one table Washington Post ...While only 49 percent of the decline in incomes during the recession was born by the top 1 percent (whose income share fell to 18.1 percent due to the recession), 95 percent of income gains since the recovery started have gone to them...
Exclusive: The Koch brothers' secret bank Politico ...It raised $256 million in the year after its creation in November 2011, the document shows. And it made grants of $236 million — meaning a totally unknown group was the largest sugar daddy for conservative groups in the last election, second in total spending only to Karl Rove’s American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, which together spent about $300 million...
Polish unionists march to demand labor security Associated Press ...Thousands of Polish labor union members marched through Warsaw in the rain Wednesday, sounding sirens, throwing smoke grenades and blowing whistles in a protest against government labor policy and pension system reform and to demand higher pay...
How Cigarette Companies Use Free Trade Deals To Sell To Women And Kids Quartz ...Global trade negotiations in Washington this week will determine how cigarette companies will be able to market their products in developing nations—and potentially, overturn smoking restrictions around the world...
Walmart’s sales are down: What does that say about the economy? Salon ...For the first time in quite a long time, things may not be looking too great for our favorite mega retailer, Walmart. NBC News reports that Walmart has experienced a decrease in sales as well as a “cautious outlook for the rest of the year.” Wal-Mart blamed this drop on essentially everything under the sun except people not wanting to shop at their stores...
Sallie Mae Becomes 50th Corporation To Dump ALEC Think Progress ...After months of protests by student groups, SLM Corporation (the student loan company commonly known as Sallie Mae) acknowledged Saturday that it has dropped its membership in the conservative, corporate-backed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)...
Deval Patrick backtracks on tech tax Boston Globe ...Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick abruptly changed course Tuesday and said he no longer supports a controversial new tax on computer software services that has triggered a fierce backlash from the state’s technology community and spawned numerous attempts to repeal it...
Biz Journal Ranks Govs by Job Growth in Office: Walker 40th / Would Have 51K More Jobs if WI Kept Pace with US Average Uppity Wisconsin ...every Democratic governor in the country ranks ahead of Walker in job growth...
WI Senate Fast-Tracks Bill to Close Forest to Benefit Out-of-State Mining Firm Center for Media and Democracy ...A controversial out-of-state mining company is closer to gaining control over a 3,600-acre swath of publicly available forest near where it is planning a massive open-pit iron ore mine in Northern Wisconsin...
Showing posts with label Rick Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick Smith. Show all posts
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Today's Teamster News 07.13.13
Iowa Supreme Court: It’s OK To Fire A Woman For Being Too Attractive ThinkProgress ...Standing by a December decision, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that a male dentist who fired a female assistant because she was too attractive and threatened his marriage did not commit sex discrimination...
Brazil protests: Tens of thousands in union-led strikes BBC News ...Ports and motorways were blocked, banks and schools stayed closed, and crowds marched through Rio de Janeiro, where riot police deployed tear gas. The unions want improved working conditions and better public services...
US Treasury delays offshore tax-dodging law by six months Economic Times ...The US Treasury Department said on Friday it will postpone enforcement of a new law that cracks down on offshore tax avoidance by Americans by six months to give foreign banks more time to figure out how to comply...
Sen. Brown urges Obama administration to press China on trade, currency issues BankCreditNews ...Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) urged the Obama administration on Monday to press China on a number of issues that affect American jobs and businesses, including currency manipulation, illegal trade practices, cyber-attacks, human rights abuses and intellectual property theft...
Changing Wal-Mart? Respect our rights, workers say Sacramento Press ...As of July 8, nine Wal-Mart workers in California have been fired for standing up and speaking out publicly to improve labor conditions at the large retailer. The company is saying the employees were let go due to violating attendance policy or for other reasons, and not because of any “specific protest.”...
Smithfield workers conflicted over Chinese buyout Virginian-Pilot ...What’ll happen to workers at Smithfield Foods Inc. if the pork company is taken over by Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd.? The workers feel mixed about the buyout...
Union head threatens 'bloodiest' BART strike in years KTVU News ...Rhetoric remained fiery as BART negotiators and union heads returned to the bargaining table Thursday, with one union head threatening the "bloodiest, longest strike" in decades if a permanent deal isn't reached in less than a month...
Silicon Valley’s Anti-Unionism, Now With a Side of Class Warfare Daily Intelligencer ...Since BART workers went on strike last week, shutting down the Bay Area's primary mass transit system and interrupting millions of commutes, the relationship between the Silicon Valley tech community and labor unions has come under the microscope...
NH's Hassan signs jobless benefits bill Associated Press ...Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill Thursday creating a new program that will allow a small percentage of jobless workers to continue to get unemployment benefits while they start their own businesses. Under the new law, which took effect immediately, only 2.5 percent of unemployed workers can participate in the program at any given time...
Christie Vetoes Bill That Would Check His Power to Privatize Teaneck Patch ...The Christie administration made privatizing dozens of state programs and services a priority shortly after taking office, announcing it was a way to save millions of dollars during economically tough times. But recently, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill whose purpose was to ensure that government privatization actually saved money...
New Jersey approves incentives for firm that oversaw 1,100 New Jersey layoffs Star-Ledger ...The state Economic Development Authority yesterday approved nearly $530,000 in two incentive packages to a New Hampshire-based distributor for supermarket chains whose New Jersey subsidiary laid off its entire work force and shuttered all six New Jersey locations in 2011...
Challenge to union contract that goes around 'right-to-work' dismissed Michigan Radio ...A judge in Wayne County has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a school union contract designed to skirt the Michigan’s new right-to-work law...
California Governor Eliminates Enterprise Tax Zones KPBS Radio News ...A swipe of the governor's pen wiped away California's enterprise tax zones and created a new job strategy focused on sales tax exemptions for companies that buy manufacturing as well as research and development equipment...
Minnesota sues online lender, alleging illegally high payback rates Pioneer Press ...Minnesota is suing Internet lender CashCall Inc., which offers personal loans with annual interest rates as high as 342 percent. The lender claims the loans are OK because the company is governed by tribal law, not state law...
Chicago Funeral Director Speaks Out Against SCI The Bill Press Show ...Funeral director and Teamsters Local 727 member Angela Anello joined Bill Press yesterday to discuss the ongoing strike against Service Corporation International (SCI). Fifty-nine funeral directors have been on strike since July 2 to fight for a fair contract. Visit www.integrityinillinois.com for more information...
Midwest Teamsters Detail Good Works of Union Rick Smith Show ...Rick and the gang spoke with several Teamsters during stops in St. Louis and Detroit about how the union is working to help workers and the local community. Listen here. Visit the People's Tour of America section to get the highlights....
Brazil protests: Tens of thousands in union-led strikes BBC News ...Ports and motorways were blocked, banks and schools stayed closed, and crowds marched through Rio de Janeiro, where riot police deployed tear gas. The unions want improved working conditions and better public services...
US Treasury delays offshore tax-dodging law by six months Economic Times ...The US Treasury Department said on Friday it will postpone enforcement of a new law that cracks down on offshore tax avoidance by Americans by six months to give foreign banks more time to figure out how to comply...
Sen. Brown urges Obama administration to press China on trade, currency issues BankCreditNews ...Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) urged the Obama administration on Monday to press China on a number of issues that affect American jobs and businesses, including currency manipulation, illegal trade practices, cyber-attacks, human rights abuses and intellectual property theft...
Changing Wal-Mart? Respect our rights, workers say Sacramento Press ...As of July 8, nine Wal-Mart workers in California have been fired for standing up and speaking out publicly to improve labor conditions at the large retailer. The company is saying the employees were let go due to violating attendance policy or for other reasons, and not because of any “specific protest.”...
Smithfield workers conflicted over Chinese buyout Virginian-Pilot ...What’ll happen to workers at Smithfield Foods Inc. if the pork company is taken over by Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd.? The workers feel mixed about the buyout...
Union head threatens 'bloodiest' BART strike in years KTVU News ...Rhetoric remained fiery as BART negotiators and union heads returned to the bargaining table Thursday, with one union head threatening the "bloodiest, longest strike" in decades if a permanent deal isn't reached in less than a month...
Silicon Valley’s Anti-Unionism, Now With a Side of Class Warfare Daily Intelligencer ...Since BART workers went on strike last week, shutting down the Bay Area's primary mass transit system and interrupting millions of commutes, the relationship between the Silicon Valley tech community and labor unions has come under the microscope...
NH's Hassan signs jobless benefits bill Associated Press ...Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill Thursday creating a new program that will allow a small percentage of jobless workers to continue to get unemployment benefits while they start their own businesses. Under the new law, which took effect immediately, only 2.5 percent of unemployed workers can participate in the program at any given time...
Christie Vetoes Bill That Would Check His Power to Privatize Teaneck Patch ...The Christie administration made privatizing dozens of state programs and services a priority shortly after taking office, announcing it was a way to save millions of dollars during economically tough times. But recently, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill whose purpose was to ensure that government privatization actually saved money...
New Jersey approves incentives for firm that oversaw 1,100 New Jersey layoffs Star-Ledger ...The state Economic Development Authority yesterday approved nearly $530,000 in two incentive packages to a New Hampshire-based distributor for supermarket chains whose New Jersey subsidiary laid off its entire work force and shuttered all six New Jersey locations in 2011...
Challenge to union contract that goes around 'right-to-work' dismissed Michigan Radio ...A judge in Wayne County has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a school union contract designed to skirt the Michigan’s new right-to-work law...
California Governor Eliminates Enterprise Tax Zones KPBS Radio News ...A swipe of the governor's pen wiped away California's enterprise tax zones and created a new job strategy focused on sales tax exemptions for companies that buy manufacturing as well as research and development equipment...
Minnesota sues online lender, alleging illegally high payback rates Pioneer Press ...Minnesota is suing Internet lender CashCall Inc., which offers personal loans with annual interest rates as high as 342 percent. The lender claims the loans are OK because the company is governed by tribal law, not state law...
Chicago Funeral Director Speaks Out Against SCI The Bill Press Show ...Funeral director and Teamsters Local 727 member Angela Anello joined Bill Press yesterday to discuss the ongoing strike against Service Corporation International (SCI). Fifty-nine funeral directors have been on strike since July 2 to fight for a fair contract. Visit www.integrityinillinois.com for more information...
Midwest Teamsters Detail Good Works of Union Rick Smith Show ...Rick and the gang spoke with several Teamsters during stops in St. Louis and Detroit about how the union is working to help workers and the local community. Listen here. Visit the People's Tour of America section to get the highlights....
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Union members' stories from across the USA
 |
| Rick interviews Mike Kerwin. |
In St. Louis and Detroit, Smith spoke with Roy Gillespie, Teamsters Human Rights Commission representative, and Greg Nowak, president of Teamsters Joint Council 43 in Detroit. He also interviewed local labor historians about the history of organized labor in Michigan.
Gillespie has asked Teamster locals in Missouri, Oklahoma and the New York area for help in recovering from natural disasters. Never was help refused. Said Gillespie,
We worked with the Red Cross and FEMA coordinating the type of union assistance that is needed after a disaster strikes. Whether it’s building stairs or transporting food or furniture, we have met the need. The Teamsters Human Rights Commission is a network of people who are community-minded. It’s what being part of a union is all about.
Mike Kerwin, a labor historian and a director of the Michigan Labor History Society, described how Henry Ford, seen by many as a benevolent employer, actually pushed workers to their limit. Ford forced them to work faster and longer on his production lines. Other auto companies followed a similar model. Then, said Kerwin,
...in December of 1936 workers in the General Motors plants had had enough of being pushed and sat down at work – and soon similar sit-down strikes occurred at other plants. But, union organizers were ready so 41 days later the workers had their first contract.
Nowak said Michigan will rebound from the recent passage of Right-to-Work (for less) laws. The passage of the law in Michigan has long been the goal of CEOs and billionaires who want more of workers’ income for themselves. These laws weaken workers’ rights, lower wages and make workplaces more dangerous.
Said Nowak,
Said Nowak,
Michigan and Detroit are resilient. Our main challenge will be to educate voters about how wrong Right to Work laws are. Lower wages, erosion of the middle class – that’s what Right to Work is about.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Today's Teamster News 07.02.13
Fast-moving Arizona wildfire leaves 19 firefighters dead, destroys more than 200 homes Associated Press ...Gusty, hot winds blew an Arizona blaze out of control Sunday in a forest northwest of Phoenix, overtaking and killing 19 members of an elite fire crew in the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years...
Paid via Card, Workers Feel Sting of Fees New York Times ...A growing number of American workers are confronting a frustrating predicament on payday: to get their wages, they must first pay a fee...
Interest rates on new college student loans double, but Congress could restore low rates later
Paid via Card, Workers Feel Sting of Fees New York Times ...A growing number of American workers are confronting a frustrating predicament on payday: to get their wages, they must first pay a fee...
Interest rates on new college student loans double, but Congress could restore low rates later
Washington Post ...The interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4 percent Monday and could stay doubled unless Congress fulfills its pledge to restore lower rates when it returns from the Fourth of July holiday...
Will the Trans-Atlantic Spying Scandal Kill the Trans-Atlantic "Trade" Scandal? Public Citizen ...The revelation has sparked ire from European officials, unleashing a torrent of warnings today that TAFTA negotiations, slated to start next week, may be doomed before they begin...
Local man found not guilty in chalk vandalsim case ABC 10 News ...A 40-year-old man was acquitted Monday of 13 misdemeanor vandalism charges that stemmed from protest messages he wrote in chalk in front of three Bank of America branches in San Diego...
Lawmakers push U.S. government to buy flags made in America WQAD News 8 ...Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Iowa Senator Bruce Braley are pushing the federal government to only purchase American-made U.S. flags...
Brunswick Council and Chamber split over relevancy of right-to-work resolution Sun News ...In spite of opposition from the Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce, a resolution opposing the state's anti-union "right to work" laws in Ohio passed by a 3-1 vote. Ward 4 Councilman Anthony Capretta, whose father was a Teamster, said his vote in favor of the legislation was a matter of principal...
Maine should not accept low-skill, low-wage future (opinion) Portland Press Herald ...Researchers found that most new jobs in the next decade will be low-wage, low-skill positions that won't require even a high school diploma...
Florida privatized prison health services leaves nearly 1,800 public employees out of a job Miami Herald ...The nation’s largest outsourcing of prison medical care is underway in Florida with the state turning to a private company with a history of problems in other states...
Amendment's OK boon to Penn. liquor privatization effort Meadville Tribune ...An amendment approved by the Pennsylvania state Senate early Saturday morning is a victory for proponents of privatization as it agrees to take a greater step relinquishing control of the lucrative wholesale liquor business...
BART strike on after talks fail San Jose Mercury News ...After a breakdown in contract talks Sunday evening, BART workers are on strike. About 15 workers from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 announced at midnight that their contact had expired without a new offer from BART, and then started their picketing…
UNITE HERE and Hyatt Reach National Agreement UNITE HERE ...Hyatt Hotels Corporation and UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada, announced a national agreement that resolves longstanding disputes between the two organizations...
SCI Funeral Directors Vote to Strike IBT ...Funeral directors and drivers represented by Teamsters Local 727 overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike against Houston-based funeral giant Service Corporation International yesterday evening. The strike is set to begin this morning...
ABF Members Approve National Contract and Most Supplements IBT …The national master portion of the ABF National Master Freight Agreement has been approved. This means the national contract is not open for renegotiating. Most of the supplements were also approved—21 of the 27. The six that did not pass are open for renegotiating...
Private Equity Firm Warburg Pincus' Greed Harming First Responders In Western New York IBT ...On June 28, Rural/Metro Medical Services (Rural/Metro) of Buffalo presented its final wage and benefit offer to paramedics and medical technicians, who are members of Teamsters Local Union 375...
7-Up strike settled Press-Enterprise ...A Teamster strike that began last Monday at the Riverside distribution center that ships 7-Up and other beverages to retailers in the Inland area was resolved Friday afternoon, a union leader said...
On The Waterfront With Labor Rick Smith Show ...The show heads to the Pacific Northwest and talks to several members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. about lockouts and the state of the union. Listen here. Come back to the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from his road travels...
Sign Up for the 2013 Teamster Women's Conference IBT ...The Teamster Women’s Conference will be held September 19-21, 2013 in New Orleans. Register now to join your Teamster Sisters and Brothers!...
Will the Trans-Atlantic Spying Scandal Kill the Trans-Atlantic "Trade" Scandal? Public Citizen ...The revelation has sparked ire from European officials, unleashing a torrent of warnings today that TAFTA negotiations, slated to start next week, may be doomed before they begin...
Local man found not guilty in chalk vandalsim case ABC 10 News ...A 40-year-old man was acquitted Monday of 13 misdemeanor vandalism charges that stemmed from protest messages he wrote in chalk in front of three Bank of America branches in San Diego...
Lawmakers push U.S. government to buy flags made in America WQAD News 8 ...Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Iowa Senator Bruce Braley are pushing the federal government to only purchase American-made U.S. flags...
Brunswick Council and Chamber split over relevancy of right-to-work resolution Sun News ...In spite of opposition from the Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce, a resolution opposing the state's anti-union "right to work" laws in Ohio passed by a 3-1 vote. Ward 4 Councilman Anthony Capretta, whose father was a Teamster, said his vote in favor of the legislation was a matter of principal...
Maine should not accept low-skill, low-wage future (opinion) Portland Press Herald ...Researchers found that most new jobs in the next decade will be low-wage, low-skill positions that won't require even a high school diploma...
Florida privatized prison health services leaves nearly 1,800 public employees out of a job Miami Herald ...The nation’s largest outsourcing of prison medical care is underway in Florida with the state turning to a private company with a history of problems in other states...
Amendment's OK boon to Penn. liquor privatization effort Meadville Tribune ...An amendment approved by the Pennsylvania state Senate early Saturday morning is a victory for proponents of privatization as it agrees to take a greater step relinquishing control of the lucrative wholesale liquor business...
BART strike on after talks fail San Jose Mercury News ...After a breakdown in contract talks Sunday evening, BART workers are on strike. About 15 workers from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 announced at midnight that their contact had expired without a new offer from BART, and then started their picketing…
UNITE HERE and Hyatt Reach National Agreement UNITE HERE ...Hyatt Hotels Corporation and UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada, announced a national agreement that resolves longstanding disputes between the two organizations...
SCI Funeral Directors Vote to Strike IBT ...Funeral directors and drivers represented by Teamsters Local 727 overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike against Houston-based funeral giant Service Corporation International yesterday evening. The strike is set to begin this morning...
ABF Members Approve National Contract and Most Supplements IBT …The national master portion of the ABF National Master Freight Agreement has been approved. This means the national contract is not open for renegotiating. Most of the supplements were also approved—21 of the 27. The six that did not pass are open for renegotiating...
Private Equity Firm Warburg Pincus' Greed Harming First Responders In Western New York IBT ...On June 28, Rural/Metro Medical Services (Rural/Metro) of Buffalo presented its final wage and benefit offer to paramedics and medical technicians, who are members of Teamsters Local Union 375...
7-Up strike settled Press-Enterprise ...A Teamster strike that began last Monday at the Riverside distribution center that ships 7-Up and other beverages to retailers in the Inland area was resolved Friday afternoon, a union leader said...
On The Waterfront With Labor Rick Smith Show ...The show heads to the Pacific Northwest and talks to several members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. about lockouts and the state of the union. Listen here. Come back to the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from his road travels...
Sign Up for the 2013 Teamster Women's Conference IBT ...The Teamster Women’s Conference will be held September 19-21, 2013 in New Orleans. Register now to join your Teamster Sisters and Brothers!...
Friday, June 28, 2013
Today's Teamster News 06.28.13
U.S. to Suspend Trade Privileges With Bangladesh New York Times ...The Obama administration on Thursday will suspend trade privileges for Bangladesh over concerns about safety problems and labor rights violations in that country’s garment industry, according to administration and Congressional officials...
Macy’s Agrees To Pay $175,000 Civil Penalty For Immigrant Worker Treatment; Here Are The H1 Visa Workers Macy's Asked For In 2011 International Business Times ...Congress is currently debating a major immigration reform bill that would increase the number of these and other categories of guest workers allowed to work in the United States...
Chilean police evict student protesters from schools The Guardian ...Chilean police have evicted student protesters from 21 Santiago schools that will be used as polling stations for the weekend's primary elections, a day after a massive march for education reform in the capital...
Ecuador Scraps Trade Pact Over U.S. Threats in Snowden Case Bloomberg ...Ecuador, the South American nation considering an asylum request from fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, renounced its U.S. trade benefits today, saying they were being used as “blackmail.”...
Mulally warns feds about impact of Japanese trade on U.S. auto sales Detroit News ...Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Alan Mulally warned senators and Obama administration office about the impact of Japanese trade and currency policies on U.S. auto sales. He said his message was needed for free trade agreements and the “importance of letting the markets establish the currencies” and ensuring that they reflect “the global trade rules.”...
The Koch Brothers' PAC Is Off To Its Fastest Start Ever In A Federal Election Cycle Business Insider ...KOCHPAC donated $559,000 to federal-level political candidates and committees during the first five months of the year, according to a Center for Public Integrity review of Federal Election Commission disclosure released today...
License-plate readers let police collect millions of records on drivers ThinkProgress ...At a rapid pace, and mostly hidden from the public, police agencies throughout California have been collecting millions of records on drivers and feeding them to intelligence fusion centers operated by local, state and federal law enforcement...
Public Research for Private Gain East Bay Express ...UC Regents recently approved a new corporate entity that will likely give a group of well-connected businesspeople control over how academic research is used...
Toronto propane firm guilty in fatal 2008 blast CBC News ...The directors of Sunrise Propane have been found guilty of environmental and workplace safety violations following an explosion in 2008 in northwest Toronto that killed a worker and forced thousands from their homes...
Judge approves $139 million settlement in lawsuit against News Corp. Associated Press ...A Delaware judge on Wednesday approved a $139 million cash settlement between News Corp. and shareholders in a lawsuit over the British phone hacking scandal and the media conglomerate’s purchase of an entertainment company run by News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch’s daughter...
Florida’s governor wants you to go to work sick The Guardian ...As attempts to dehumanize the workplace go, few could be more sadistic than forcing workers to come to work sick, but that’s precisely what the Florida legislature and Governor Rick Scott recently did...
RI Senate to vote on paid family leave bill Associated Press ...A proposal that would allow workers in Rhode Island to take paid time off to care for a new child or sick loved one is heading to a vote in the state Senate...
Paid sick leave is now the law in NYC Washington Post ...It will now be much easier for many New Yorkers to take a sick day from work . Early Thursday, lawmakers overrode a veto by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to pass a law that would require businesses to offer paid sick leave for their workers...
At New York City Hall, fast-food workers rally for better pay and allege 'wage theft' Staten Island Live ...Fast food workers had a simple message outside City Hall Thursday morning: "We can't survive on $7.25."...
BART Negotiations Underway as Strike Looms NBC Bay Area ...BART has asked Gov. Jerry Brown not to order a 60-day cooling off period that would delay a strike if an agreement isn't reached by Sunday. The unions' contracts expire Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If no agreement is reached, a Monday strike looms.
Teamsters Approve National ABF Agreement; Most Supplements Also Approved IBT ...Teamsters employed at ABF Freight System, Inc. have voted to approve the national master portion of the ABF National Master Freight Agreement as well as 21 of the 27 supplements. Some local/area supplemental agreements, however, were rejected and issues in those areas must be addressed before the national agreement can be implemented...
Ask Congress To Fund High Speed Rail And Amtrak IBT ...The Republicans in the House have taken a whack at funding for Amtrak and eliminated funding for high speed rail. They want to cut federal spending on Amtrak by 29 percent and eliminate funding for High Speed Rail. Please ask your representatives in Washington to support expanding the system in 2014...
Publisher threatens to close NJ's largest paper by year's end if unions don't make concessions Associated Press ...The owners of The Star-Ledger plan to close New Jersey's largest newspaper by year's end if its production unions don't make concessions in contract negotiations, the publisher said...
'Landmark' union agreement will help Detroit auto show, officials say Michigan Live ...A new labor pact between five unions and the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority should help improve the North American International Auto Show...
Unfair Labor Practice Charges Filed Against Funeral Giant SCI IBT ...Teamsters Local 727, which represents funeral directors and drivers at Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI), filed unfair labor practice charges against the company today...
Getting Down With The ‘Roots! Rick Smith Show ...The Rick Smith Show came to San Jose June 21-22 to talk to attendees at the Netroots Nation conference about the state of labor where employees of Wal-Mart and Google also shared the challenges they face in the workplace. Listen here. Visit the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from Rick Smith’s road travels...
Macy’s Agrees To Pay $175,000 Civil Penalty For Immigrant Worker Treatment; Here Are The H1 Visa Workers Macy's Asked For In 2011 International Business Times ...Congress is currently debating a major immigration reform bill that would increase the number of these and other categories of guest workers allowed to work in the United States...
Chilean police evict student protesters from schools The Guardian ...Chilean police have evicted student protesters from 21 Santiago schools that will be used as polling stations for the weekend's primary elections, a day after a massive march for education reform in the capital...
Ecuador Scraps Trade Pact Over U.S. Threats in Snowden Case Bloomberg ...Ecuador, the South American nation considering an asylum request from fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, renounced its U.S. trade benefits today, saying they were being used as “blackmail.”...
Mulally warns feds about impact of Japanese trade on U.S. auto sales Detroit News ...Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Alan Mulally warned senators and Obama administration office about the impact of Japanese trade and currency policies on U.S. auto sales. He said his message was needed for free trade agreements and the “importance of letting the markets establish the currencies” and ensuring that they reflect “the global trade rules.”...
The Koch Brothers' PAC Is Off To Its Fastest Start Ever In A Federal Election Cycle Business Insider ...KOCHPAC donated $559,000 to federal-level political candidates and committees during the first five months of the year, according to a Center for Public Integrity review of Federal Election Commission disclosure released today...
License-plate readers let police collect millions of records on drivers ThinkProgress ...At a rapid pace, and mostly hidden from the public, police agencies throughout California have been collecting millions of records on drivers and feeding them to intelligence fusion centers operated by local, state and federal law enforcement...
Public Research for Private Gain East Bay Express ...UC Regents recently approved a new corporate entity that will likely give a group of well-connected businesspeople control over how academic research is used...
Toronto propane firm guilty in fatal 2008 blast CBC News ...The directors of Sunrise Propane have been found guilty of environmental and workplace safety violations following an explosion in 2008 in northwest Toronto that killed a worker and forced thousands from their homes...
Judge approves $139 million settlement in lawsuit against News Corp. Associated Press ...A Delaware judge on Wednesday approved a $139 million cash settlement between News Corp. and shareholders in a lawsuit over the British phone hacking scandal and the media conglomerate’s purchase of an entertainment company run by News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch’s daughter...
Florida’s governor wants you to go to work sick The Guardian ...As attempts to dehumanize the workplace go, few could be more sadistic than forcing workers to come to work sick, but that’s precisely what the Florida legislature and Governor Rick Scott recently did...
RI Senate to vote on paid family leave bill Associated Press ...A proposal that would allow workers in Rhode Island to take paid time off to care for a new child or sick loved one is heading to a vote in the state Senate...
Paid sick leave is now the law in NYC Washington Post ...It will now be much easier for many New Yorkers to take a sick day from work . Early Thursday, lawmakers overrode a veto by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to pass a law that would require businesses to offer paid sick leave for their workers...
At New York City Hall, fast-food workers rally for better pay and allege 'wage theft' Staten Island Live ...Fast food workers had a simple message outside City Hall Thursday morning: "We can't survive on $7.25."...
BART Negotiations Underway as Strike Looms NBC Bay Area ...BART has asked Gov. Jerry Brown not to order a 60-day cooling off period that would delay a strike if an agreement isn't reached by Sunday. The unions' contracts expire Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If no agreement is reached, a Monday strike looms.
Teamsters Approve National ABF Agreement; Most Supplements Also Approved IBT ...Teamsters employed at ABF Freight System, Inc. have voted to approve the national master portion of the ABF National Master Freight Agreement as well as 21 of the 27 supplements. Some local/area supplemental agreements, however, were rejected and issues in those areas must be addressed before the national agreement can be implemented...
Ask Congress To Fund High Speed Rail And Amtrak IBT ...The Republicans in the House have taken a whack at funding for Amtrak and eliminated funding for high speed rail. They want to cut federal spending on Amtrak by 29 percent and eliminate funding for High Speed Rail. Please ask your representatives in Washington to support expanding the system in 2014...
Publisher threatens to close NJ's largest paper by year's end if unions don't make concessions Associated Press ...The owners of The Star-Ledger plan to close New Jersey's largest newspaper by year's end if its production unions don't make concessions in contract negotiations, the publisher said...
'Landmark' union agreement will help Detroit auto show, officials say Michigan Live ...A new labor pact between five unions and the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority should help improve the North American International Auto Show...
Unfair Labor Practice Charges Filed Against Funeral Giant SCI IBT ...Teamsters Local 727, which represents funeral directors and drivers at Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI), filed unfair labor practice charges against the company today...
Getting Down With The ‘Roots! Rick Smith Show ...The Rick Smith Show came to San Jose June 21-22 to talk to attendees at the Netroots Nation conference about the state of labor where employees of Wal-Mart and Google also shared the challenges they face in the workplace. Listen here. Visit the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from Rick Smith’s road travels...
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Today's Teamster News 06.27.13
U.S. CEO sets a record with $159 million pension Associated Press ...McKesson’s Chairman and CEO John Hammergren has set a new record in corporate America: Largest pension around...
CEO Pay in 2012 Was Extraordinarily High Relative to Typical Workers and Other High Earners EPI ...Average CEO compensation was $14.1 million in 2012...
Jeff Olson, California Man, Faces 13 Years In Jail For Writing Anti-Big Bank Messages In Chalk Huffington Post ...a judge had decided to prohibit Olson's attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial..."
Foreclosure settlement a billion-dollar bust USA Today ...The renegotiated settlement created a $3.6 billion pot to compensate borrowers for shoddy foreclosure practices that ran the gamut from wrongful foreclosures to lost consumer documents.About two-thirds of the recipients received $300 — the smallest possible amount. Fewer than 1,200 got $125,000, the most allowed...
Trans-Pacific Partnership and Monsanto ZCommunications ...Something is looming in the shadows that could help erode our basic rights and contaminate our food...
OSHA Citations Follow Fatal Explosion at Cincinnati Hazardous Waste Plant Waste Management World ...Environmental Enterprises, an environmental services company specializing in industrial and hazardous waste management, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with 22 safety and health violations following a fire and explosion at its Cincinnati waste treatment facility on December 28 last year...
Amtrak: $1.45B Senate appropriation 'workable' The Hill ...The safety and efficiency of Amtrak is at stake. The Senate is proposing to fund the railroad at $1.4 billion, which is simply too low. The proposed funding would jeopardize Teamster locomotive engineers and maintenance of way members...
Nevada attorney general urges stronger service member protections KNTV-13 ...Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto urged the U.S. Department of Defense to strengthen regulations of the federal Military Lending Act, to protect service members and military families from abusive lending practices...
NY Legislature OKs Employee-Driver Bill Journal of Commerce ...The New York State Legislature gave final approval to a bill creating the presumption that commercial drivers are company employees unless they meet certain standards showing they are independent contractors...
Teamsters Approve National UPS Contract IBT ...The Teamsters Union announced yesterday that a majority of UPS Teamsters have voted to approve a new five-year national contract that contains significant wage increases and other improvements. However, the UPS Freight agreement was rejected in a separate referendum...
Lake Transit workers plan strike following contract negotiations breakdown Lake County (Calif.) News ...The county's transit agency is preparing for a strike action by transit workers that's expected to take place early next week. The strike by members of Teamsters Local 665 is anticipated to take place on Monday, July 1, and Tuesday, July 2, in response to a breakdown in negotiations with Paratransit Services…
Brunswick City Council opposes ‘right-to-work’ legislation Medina-Gazette ...City Council members in Brunswick, Ohio approved a resolution opposing “right-to-work” legislation Monday night, with the support of more than 30 union members and their families in attendance...
The University of California – Teamster Strong! Rick Smith Show ...On June 19, the Rick Smith Show visited Teamsters Joint Council 42 in Los Angeles and spoke with Don Thornsburg, labor historian about the origins of Los Angeles labor unions and the various industries that were essential for the growth of southern California. Listen here. Visit the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from Rick Smith’s road travels...
Teamsters contract ratified, but dispute with Manchester teachers’ union continues New Hampshire Union Leader ...The Manchester, New Hampshire Board of School Committee ratified two-year contracts with the district’s principals and the directors and coordinators, who are represented by Teamsters Local 633...
County Board OKs labor agreement, pay raises Duluth News Tribune ...St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to salary agreements for three categories of employees that include Teamster members...
Teamsters on strike at RL Lipton The Vindicator ...Workers are on strike at RL Lipton Distributing Co. in Austintown, Ohio. The members of Teamsters 377 started picketing Tuesday morning at the company…
Durham Driver Speaks Out About Poor Working Conditions Drive Up Standards ...“My co-worker said, ‘I cannot afford to miss a day from work,’ even though she’s the one that found her mama dead that afternoon.” --Latrisha Pringle, a school bus driver, talks about poor working conditions at Durham School Services in S.C. The Teamsters are fighting for justice at Durham. Watch the video here...
CEO Pay in 2012 Was Extraordinarily High Relative to Typical Workers and Other High Earners EPI ...Average CEO compensation was $14.1 million in 2012...
Jeff Olson, California Man, Faces 13 Years In Jail For Writing Anti-Big Bank Messages In Chalk Huffington Post ...a judge had decided to prohibit Olson's attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial..."
Foreclosure settlement a billion-dollar bust USA Today ...The renegotiated settlement created a $3.6 billion pot to compensate borrowers for shoddy foreclosure practices that ran the gamut from wrongful foreclosures to lost consumer documents.About two-thirds of the recipients received $300 — the smallest possible amount. Fewer than 1,200 got $125,000, the most allowed...
Trans-Pacific Partnership and Monsanto ZCommunications ...Something is looming in the shadows that could help erode our basic rights and contaminate our food...
OSHA Citations Follow Fatal Explosion at Cincinnati Hazardous Waste Plant Waste Management World ...Environmental Enterprises, an environmental services company specializing in industrial and hazardous waste management, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with 22 safety and health violations following a fire and explosion at its Cincinnati waste treatment facility on December 28 last year...
Amtrak: $1.45B Senate appropriation 'workable' The Hill ...The safety and efficiency of Amtrak is at stake. The Senate is proposing to fund the railroad at $1.4 billion, which is simply too low. The proposed funding would jeopardize Teamster locomotive engineers and maintenance of way members...
Nevada attorney general urges stronger service member protections KNTV-13 ...Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto urged the U.S. Department of Defense to strengthen regulations of the federal Military Lending Act, to protect service members and military families from abusive lending practices...
NY Legislature OKs Employee-Driver Bill Journal of Commerce ...The New York State Legislature gave final approval to a bill creating the presumption that commercial drivers are company employees unless they meet certain standards showing they are independent contractors...
Teamsters Approve National UPS Contract IBT ...The Teamsters Union announced yesterday that a majority of UPS Teamsters have voted to approve a new five-year national contract that contains significant wage increases and other improvements. However, the UPS Freight agreement was rejected in a separate referendum...
Lake Transit workers plan strike following contract negotiations breakdown Lake County (Calif.) News ...The county's transit agency is preparing for a strike action by transit workers that's expected to take place early next week. The strike by members of Teamsters Local 665 is anticipated to take place on Monday, July 1, and Tuesday, July 2, in response to a breakdown in negotiations with Paratransit Services…
Brunswick City Council opposes ‘right-to-work’ legislation Medina-Gazette ...City Council members in Brunswick, Ohio approved a resolution opposing “right-to-work” legislation Monday night, with the support of more than 30 union members and their families in attendance...
The University of California – Teamster Strong! Rick Smith Show ...On June 19, the Rick Smith Show visited Teamsters Joint Council 42 in Los Angeles and spoke with Don Thornsburg, labor historian about the origins of Los Angeles labor unions and the various industries that were essential for the growth of southern California. Listen here. Visit the People’s Tour of America page daily to hear the latest from Rick Smith’s road travels...
Teamsters contract ratified, but dispute with Manchester teachers’ union continues New Hampshire Union Leader ...The Manchester, New Hampshire Board of School Committee ratified two-year contracts with the district’s principals and the directors and coordinators, who are represented by Teamsters Local 633...
County Board OKs labor agreement, pay raises Duluth News Tribune ...St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to salary agreements for three categories of employees that include Teamster members...
Teamsters on strike at RL Lipton The Vindicator ...Workers are on strike at RL Lipton Distributing Co. in Austintown, Ohio. The members of Teamsters 377 started picketing Tuesday morning at the company…
Durham Driver Speaks Out About Poor Working Conditions Drive Up Standards ...“My co-worker said, ‘I cannot afford to miss a day from work,’ even though she’s the one that found her mama dead that afternoon.” --Latrisha Pringle, a school bus driver, talks about poor working conditions at Durham School Services in S.C. The Teamsters are fighting for justice at Durham. Watch the video here...
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Today's Teamster News 06.25.13
American factory exec says he's being held hostage by scores of angry workers in Beijing Associated Press ...An American executive said Monday he has been held hostage for four days at his medical supply plant in Beijing by scores of workers demanding severance packages like those given to 30 co-workers in a phased-out department...
76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck CNN Money ...Fewer than one in four Americans have enough money in their savings account to cover at least six months of expenses, enough to help cushion the blow of a job loss, medical emergency or some other unexpected event, according to the survey of 1,000 adults. Meanwhile, 50% of those surveyed have less than a three-month cushion and 27% had no savings at all...
U.S. Surveillance Is Not Aimed at Terrorists Bloomberg ...monitoring phone calls is hardly the way to catch terrorists. They’re generally not dumb enough to use Verizon...
Court makes it harder to sue businesses Associated Press ...The court's conservatives, in two 5-4 decisions, ruled that a person must be able to hire and fire someone to be considered a supervisor in discrimination lawsuits, making it harder to blame a business for a co-worker's racism or sexism. The court then decided to limit how juries can decide retaliation lawsuits...
Supreme Court to decide whether union-business agreement valid The Republic ...The Supreme Court will decide whether a business and a union's agreement is valid after the business helped the union organize in return for help with a ballot initiative...
Lawmakers want to stop government from buying USA flags from China Daily Caller ...Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are renewing a push to stop the federal government from buying and flying American flags made outside the country...
They’re not telling us all of it Trade Reform ...I met with 22 Congressional offices last week. None of them had seen the TPP language...
Rising middle class fuels Brazil's protests Forbes ... in the protests that have gripped Brazil since last week, regional experts say economic growth is actually feeding discontent, as a rising middle class puts demands on social services such as education and transportation that the government has failed to meet...
7-Eleven convenience stores raided as part of US probe Associated Press ...Federal authorities say they’ve raided 7-Eleven convenience stores in two US states as part of a probe into human smuggling, identity theft and money laundering...
McDonald's pay practice scrutinized by federal authorities Citizens’ Voice ...As a lawsuit against a local McDonald's franchise gains national attention, federal authorities are investigating the company's practice of forcing employees to be paid only by debit cards that come with an assortment of fees...
Twinkies Set to Make 'Sweetest Comeback' in July ABC News ...Hostess is now owned by the private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co...
Wearing a mask at a riot is now a crime CBC News ...A bill that bans the wearing of masks during a riot or unlawful assembly and carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence with a conviction of the offence became law today (in Canada)...
Tennessee Ends $40 Million in Child Allowances for Unemployed Associated Press ...The state is notifying Tennesseans drawing unemployment benefits that they will soon lose a weekly $15-per-child allowance as part of a new law signed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam...
State of Ohio skips union, picks private food service Columbus Dispatch ...A Philadelphia mega-company that provides food and beverage service at ballparks, national parks, hospitals and schools nationwide has been picked to provide private food service for Ohio prisons...
Alaska minimum wage hike plan gets go-ahead Associated Press ...The organizers of a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in Alaska have been given the go-ahead to begin collecting signature, Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said Monday....
Montana will prosper with equal pay for equal work (opinion) Billings Gazette ...Fifty years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, American women earn, on average, 77 percent of what their male counterparts do. In Montana, women are earning only 67 percent for doing the same work, putting Montana in 39th place for pay equity...
Indiana gives BP a pass on mercury Chicago Tribune ...Under the terms of an earlier decision by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the BP refinery can legally discharge an annual average of 23.1 parts per trillion of mercury — nearly 20 times the federal water quality standard...
Indiana grain elevator blast kills 1 worker Associated Press ...An explosion Monday inside a grain elevator killed a worker at a sprawling northwestern Indiana farm co-op, authorities said...
Teamster UPS Vote IBT ...National Master Contract 34037 (Y) 29576 (N)...
Teamster UPS Freight Returns IBT ...1897 (Y) 4244 (N)...
Pepsi Plant Employees Reject Contract Offer Associated Press ...Employees at the Pepsi Beverage plant in Huntington, who are members of Teamsters Local 175, have unanimously rejected a contract offer they claim would erode their current benefits...
Carteret firm's truckers to vote Friday on joining Teamsters union NJ.com ...Friday’s vote, which follows a contentious unionization campaign, involves 112 short and long-haul drivers and support workers for Toll Global Forwarding...
Listen To The Rick Smith Show’s Broadcasts From His People’s Tour Of America IBT ...The Teamsters are supporting Brother Rick Smith as he takes his labor radio show from his home in Harrisburg, Pa. on a cross-country tour from June 11 to July 5. On the way, he is meeting with union leaders and workers about the state of the American labor movement and the challenges facing the middle class. Come back to this page daily to hear the latest from his road travels...
76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck CNN Money ...Fewer than one in four Americans have enough money in their savings account to cover at least six months of expenses, enough to help cushion the blow of a job loss, medical emergency or some other unexpected event, according to the survey of 1,000 adults. Meanwhile, 50% of those surveyed have less than a three-month cushion and 27% had no savings at all...
U.S. Surveillance Is Not Aimed at Terrorists Bloomberg ...monitoring phone calls is hardly the way to catch terrorists. They’re generally not dumb enough to use Verizon...
Court makes it harder to sue businesses Associated Press ...The court's conservatives, in two 5-4 decisions, ruled that a person must be able to hire and fire someone to be considered a supervisor in discrimination lawsuits, making it harder to blame a business for a co-worker's racism or sexism. The court then decided to limit how juries can decide retaliation lawsuits...
Supreme Court to decide whether union-business agreement valid The Republic ...The Supreme Court will decide whether a business and a union's agreement is valid after the business helped the union organize in return for help with a ballot initiative...
Lawmakers want to stop government from buying USA flags from China Daily Caller ...Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are renewing a push to stop the federal government from buying and flying American flags made outside the country...
They’re not telling us all of it Trade Reform ...I met with 22 Congressional offices last week. None of them had seen the TPP language...
Rising middle class fuels Brazil's protests Forbes ... in the protests that have gripped Brazil since last week, regional experts say economic growth is actually feeding discontent, as a rising middle class puts demands on social services such as education and transportation that the government has failed to meet...
7-Eleven convenience stores raided as part of US probe Associated Press ...Federal authorities say they’ve raided 7-Eleven convenience stores in two US states as part of a probe into human smuggling, identity theft and money laundering...
McDonald's pay practice scrutinized by federal authorities Citizens’ Voice ...As a lawsuit against a local McDonald's franchise gains national attention, federal authorities are investigating the company's practice of forcing employees to be paid only by debit cards that come with an assortment of fees...
Twinkies Set to Make 'Sweetest Comeback' in July ABC News ...Hostess is now owned by the private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co...
Wearing a mask at a riot is now a crime CBC News ...A bill that bans the wearing of masks during a riot or unlawful assembly and carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence with a conviction of the offence became law today (in Canada)...
Tennessee Ends $40 Million in Child Allowances for Unemployed Associated Press ...The state is notifying Tennesseans drawing unemployment benefits that they will soon lose a weekly $15-per-child allowance as part of a new law signed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam...
State of Ohio skips union, picks private food service Columbus Dispatch ...A Philadelphia mega-company that provides food and beverage service at ballparks, national parks, hospitals and schools nationwide has been picked to provide private food service for Ohio prisons...
Alaska minimum wage hike plan gets go-ahead Associated Press ...The organizers of a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in Alaska have been given the go-ahead to begin collecting signature, Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said Monday....
Montana will prosper with equal pay for equal work (opinion) Billings Gazette ...Fifty years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, American women earn, on average, 77 percent of what their male counterparts do. In Montana, women are earning only 67 percent for doing the same work, putting Montana in 39th place for pay equity...
Indiana gives BP a pass on mercury Chicago Tribune ...Under the terms of an earlier decision by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the BP refinery can legally discharge an annual average of 23.1 parts per trillion of mercury — nearly 20 times the federal water quality standard...
Indiana grain elevator blast kills 1 worker Associated Press ...An explosion Monday inside a grain elevator killed a worker at a sprawling northwestern Indiana farm co-op, authorities said...
Teamster UPS Vote IBT ...National Master Contract 34037 (Y) 29576 (N)...
Teamster UPS Freight Returns IBT ...1897 (Y) 4244 (N)...
Pepsi Plant Employees Reject Contract Offer Associated Press ...Employees at the Pepsi Beverage plant in Huntington, who are members of Teamsters Local 175, have unanimously rejected a contract offer they claim would erode their current benefits...
Carteret firm's truckers to vote Friday on joining Teamsters union NJ.com ...Friday’s vote, which follows a contentious unionization campaign, involves 112 short and long-haul drivers and support workers for Toll Global Forwarding...
Listen To The Rick Smith Show’s Broadcasts From His People’s Tour Of America IBT ...The Teamsters are supporting Brother Rick Smith as he takes his labor radio show from his home in Harrisburg, Pa. on a cross-country tour from June 11 to July 5. On the way, he is meeting with union leaders and workers about the state of the American labor movement and the challenges facing the middle class. Come back to this page daily to hear the latest from his road travels...
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Teamster voices from across America
Back in the day, Robert Seay fought hard for the wages, seniority and safe working conditions that workers have today.
And now you can hear about his role in Teamster history on The Rick Smith Show. Just click here.
Rick Smith is a Teamster visiting labor history sites across America on his "Peoples Tour of America." He has already visited Teamster locals in Memphis, Little Rock and Los Angeles.
During a special podcast of the show, Brother Rick interviewed Teamster members about the history of the union, the changes in the trucking industry and the continued threat of No Rights At Work. And he spoke to Robert Seay, now retired from Consolidated Freight and living in Memphis. Brother Seay tells us:
Karin Jones, Teamsters historian, described how two unions came together in 1903 to form the Teamsters. She said the union recognized the need to collect and preserve the union's history, ever since the 100th anniversary. And so the Teamsters Labor History Research Center was established at the George Washington University. Said Sister Jones:
The next podcast of the People’s Tour will feature interviews made at Teamsters Joint Council 42 in Los Angeles.
And now you can hear about his role in Teamster history on The Rick Smith Show. Just click here.
Rick Smith is a Teamster visiting labor history sites across America on his "Peoples Tour of America." He has already visited Teamster locals in Memphis, Little Rock and Los Angeles.
During a special podcast of the show, Brother Rick interviewed Teamster members about the history of the union, the changes in the trucking industry and the continued threat of No Rights At Work. And he spoke to Robert Seay, now retired from Consolidated Freight and living in Memphis. Brother Seay tells us:
I started as a Teamster when I was 17 years old – started working at a dock in Birmingham, Alabama. I started out pushing a two-wheeler on the dock. In 1955 we got a pension system started and from contract to contract we fought to have better wages. We had to really fight for better working conditions, seniority rights. We had to walk picket lines in all kinds of weather, but we made it through.
The history archive gives students an opportunity to learn about labor and relate to the struggles that went into creating a strong labor movement to the challenges of today. We take donations from members, retirees, local unions, joint councils – everything that was important to members has a place in the Teamster archive.Little Rock, Rick interviewed Melanie Orman, political coordinator at Local 878. She told Rick about the fights against cuts in unemployment benefits in the Arkansas Legislature and against attempts to misclassify drivers as independent contractors.
The next podcast of the People’s Tour will feature interviews made at Teamsters Joint Council 42 in Los Angeles.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Today's Teamster News 06.14.13
Reminder: There Are Still 3 Times More Unemployed Workers Than Job Openings The Atlantic ...there are more job hunters than job openings in every single major industry sector...
White-collar Workers Turning to Labor Unions Los Angeles Times ...The next wave of union protesters isn't blue collar. It's lawyers, paralegals, secretaries, helicopter pilots, judges, insurance agents and podiatrists...
U.S. Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms Bloomberg ...Thousands of technology, finance and manufacturing companies are working closely with U.S. national security agencies, providing sensitive information and in return receiving benefits that include access to classified intelligence, four people familiar with the process said...
Secret Trade Agreements Threaten to Undo Our Last Shreds of Food Safety Alternet ...You could soon be eating imported seafood, beef or chicken products that don’t meet even basic U.S. food safety standards. Under two new trade agreements, currently in negotiation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could be powerless to shut down imports of unsafe food or food ingredients...
Conflicting Goals Complicate an Effort to Forge a Trans-Atlantic Trade Deal New York Times ...The leaders of the European Union, mired in recession and battered by increasing opposition from voters, are desperate for political success to promote economic growth. They are pushing for a rapid negotiation of a trade agreement with the United States aimed at expanding commerce and creating jobs...
IBM employee axe cuts away 1,300 staff ZD Net ...While 1,300 IBM employees have received lay-off notices in the US, they are hiring in India...
Supreme Court Bans Protests On Its Grounds Huffington Post ...The Supreme Court has come up with a new regulation banning demonstrations on its grounds, two days after a broader anti-demonstration law was declared unconstitutional...
ERT closure: Greek unions stage 24-hour protest strike BBC News ...A general strike, in protest at the Greek government's surprise move to shut down state broadcaster ERT with nearly 2,700 jobs being lost, has brought many public services to a halt...
Walmart Accepted Clothing from Banned Bangladesh Factories ProPublica ...Walmart said it had list 200 factories it said it had barred from producing its merchandise because of serious or repeated safety problems, labor violations or unauthorized subcontracting.” Two of the factories on the list continued to “send massive shipments” to Walmart anyway...
Ohio right to work legislation continues public, clandestine march forward PR News Channel ..."as Michigan proved, we can’t afford to let our guard down for an instant...”
'Witness Wednesday' Organized By North Carolina NAACP As Followup To 'Moral Monday' Protests Huffington Post ...Seeking to build off a string of highly successful "Moral Monday" demonstrations at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C., members of the state's NAACP gathered on the premises again for what they're calling the first "Witness Wednesday."...
California Governor Jerry Brown, Business Leaders and Workers Call for Action on Economic Development Plan Sierra Sun Times ...Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined business leaders and workers to call for action on his plan to revamp the state’s economic development program and help put Californians back to work. “California’s 35-year-old Enterprise Zone program is not enterprising, it’s wasteful,” Brown said...
Exclusive: Walker Will Withdraw Regent Nomination of Student who Signed Recall Petition Right Wisconsin ...A day after RightWisconsin.com reported that a Walker appointee to the UW Board of Regents had signed a recall petition, sources say the administration will be asking the State Senate to withdraw the nomination...
Veterans protest GOP limits on veterans tax credits, and Walker isn't happy Wisconsin State Journal ...Veterans groups are rising up against what they consider a “shameful” move by Republican state lawmakers to strap limits on a popular tax credit for 100 percent disabled veterans and surviving spouses. A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker said he wants the Legislature to “fix the issue...
Brother Rick Smith Takes Radio Show on the Road IBT ...Teamster and radio show host Rick Smith is in the midst of a cross-country tour that is taking him from his home in Pennsylvania to the West Coast and back before finishing July 5. On the way, he is meeting with union leaders and workers about the state of the American labor movement and the challenges facing the middle class. You can follow his journey by listening to his podcasts at the Teamster website...
Radiological Transportation Training for Rail Members National Labor College ...The National Labor College will be conducting courses for rail members where they will learn the basics about radioactive materials, what they are, how they can be affected by them, and how to they can protect themselves. The U.S. Department of Transportation has funded this program...
White-collar Workers Turning to Labor Unions Los Angeles Times ...The next wave of union protesters isn't blue collar. It's lawyers, paralegals, secretaries, helicopter pilots, judges, insurance agents and podiatrists...
U.S. Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms Bloomberg ...Thousands of technology, finance and manufacturing companies are working closely with U.S. national security agencies, providing sensitive information and in return receiving benefits that include access to classified intelligence, four people familiar with the process said...
Secret Trade Agreements Threaten to Undo Our Last Shreds of Food Safety Alternet ...You could soon be eating imported seafood, beef or chicken products that don’t meet even basic U.S. food safety standards. Under two new trade agreements, currently in negotiation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could be powerless to shut down imports of unsafe food or food ingredients...
Conflicting Goals Complicate an Effort to Forge a Trans-Atlantic Trade Deal New York Times ...The leaders of the European Union, mired in recession and battered by increasing opposition from voters, are desperate for political success to promote economic growth. They are pushing for a rapid negotiation of a trade agreement with the United States aimed at expanding commerce and creating jobs...
IBM employee axe cuts away 1,300 staff ZD Net ...While 1,300 IBM employees have received lay-off notices in the US, they are hiring in India...
Supreme Court Bans Protests On Its Grounds Huffington Post ...The Supreme Court has come up with a new regulation banning demonstrations on its grounds, two days after a broader anti-demonstration law was declared unconstitutional...
ERT closure: Greek unions stage 24-hour protest strike BBC News ...A general strike, in protest at the Greek government's surprise move to shut down state broadcaster ERT with nearly 2,700 jobs being lost, has brought many public services to a halt...
Walmart Accepted Clothing from Banned Bangladesh Factories ProPublica ...Walmart said it had list 200 factories it said it had barred from producing its merchandise because of serious or repeated safety problems, labor violations or unauthorized subcontracting.” Two of the factories on the list continued to “send massive shipments” to Walmart anyway...
Ohio right to work legislation continues public, clandestine march forward PR News Channel ..."as Michigan proved, we can’t afford to let our guard down for an instant...”
'Witness Wednesday' Organized By North Carolina NAACP As Followup To 'Moral Monday' Protests Huffington Post ...Seeking to build off a string of highly successful "Moral Monday" demonstrations at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C., members of the state's NAACP gathered on the premises again for what they're calling the first "Witness Wednesday."...
California Governor Jerry Brown, Business Leaders and Workers Call for Action on Economic Development Plan Sierra Sun Times ...Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined business leaders and workers to call for action on his plan to revamp the state’s economic development program and help put Californians back to work. “California’s 35-year-old Enterprise Zone program is not enterprising, it’s wasteful,” Brown said...
Exclusive: Walker Will Withdraw Regent Nomination of Student who Signed Recall Petition Right Wisconsin ...A day after RightWisconsin.com reported that a Walker appointee to the UW Board of Regents had signed a recall petition, sources say the administration will be asking the State Senate to withdraw the nomination...
Veterans protest GOP limits on veterans tax credits, and Walker isn't happy Wisconsin State Journal ...Veterans groups are rising up against what they consider a “shameful” move by Republican state lawmakers to strap limits on a popular tax credit for 100 percent disabled veterans and surviving spouses. A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker said he wants the Legislature to “fix the issue...
Brother Rick Smith Takes Radio Show on the Road IBT ...Teamster and radio show host Rick Smith is in the midst of a cross-country tour that is taking him from his home in Pennsylvania to the West Coast and back before finishing July 5. On the way, he is meeting with union leaders and workers about the state of the American labor movement and the challenges facing the middle class. You can follow his journey by listening to his podcasts at the Teamster website...
Radiological Transportation Training for Rail Members National Labor College ...The National Labor College will be conducting courses for rail members where they will learn the basics about radioactive materials, what they are, how they can be affected by them, and how to they can protect themselves. The U.S. Department of Transportation has funded this program...
Thursday, June 13, 2013
On the road with Teamster Rick Smith talking labor
Teamster and radio show host Rick Smith hit the highway June 10 on a quest to meet regular union people like himself. Since then, he's traveled through West Virginia, Tennessee and Arkansas talking with workers and discussing the labor movement's history and future. The tour will take him all the way to the West Coast and back to his home in Pennsylvania before it ends July 5.
Tonight, Rick's RV pulls into Dallas, the latest stop of The People's Tour for America. He and the crew will be talking with Teamster historian Karin Jones as well as several retired union members about activism in the South and how trucking has changed. In addition, Rick will chat with local members from BLET and the Teamsters on why young people need to learn about the labor movement and organize today.
You can listen to the show live here beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or download the stitcher app on your phone. You can also download the podcast at a later date from here.
Already on his tour, Rick has challenged the conventional wisdom that there is no union presence in the South. He learned, for example, that the Highlander Research and Education Center in Knoxville, Tenn. began training community members about labor and civil rights organizing more 70 years ago. He's also gotten the flavor of the union movement in Memphis.
Follow Rick's adventures here as he documents the challenges facing the nation's middle class families. Stay safe Brother!
Tonight, Rick's RV pulls into Dallas, the latest stop of The People's Tour for America. He and the crew will be talking with Teamster historian Karin Jones as well as several retired union members about activism in the South and how trucking has changed. In addition, Rick will chat with local members from BLET and the Teamsters on why young people need to learn about the labor movement and organize today.
You can listen to the show live here beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or download the stitcher app on your phone. You can also download the podcast at a later date from here.
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| Rick outside of Teamsters Local 667 in Memphis. |
Follow Rick's adventures here as he documents the challenges facing the nation's middle class families. Stay safe Brother!
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