After 50 years, Lone Star Teamster reflects on career

A.D. Dawson

A.D. Dawson looks back on his 50 years as a Teamster, most of them at the Lone Star Army Ammunition plant, with great fondness – especially for his fellow union members. As he prepares to retire in the spring, the 35-year shop steward often reflects on the work heyday of the Cold War, privatization and decades of contract negotiations.

Dawson, who started his career at East Texas Motor Freight, has had a remarkable career at Lone Star. He has reliably transported countless rounds of ammunition and explosives for our armed services, and his legacy of service for our nation is a point of pride and passion, he said:

The military to me is the number one priority. I respect our troops so I do the best job possible for them. The people who worked with me, if they came to me with a problem, I would always tell them, that our main priority is to do a good job and do it correctly for our service members. My grandson is in the Marine Corps and to this day, the military still is priority number one.

Dawson has also provided more than 35 years to his fellow Teamsters as a shop steward. Starting as an auditor, the East Texas native learned inside and out the business practices of his employer, along with the rules governing wages, benefits and the workplace in the Teamster contract. After three years as an auditor, he was voted chief steward for the Teamsters at Lone Star. Since his first election victory in 1980, his colleagues haven’t elected anyone else to that role.

Tim Nichols, President of Local 878 in Little Rock, Ark., said:

Mr. Dawson and all of our amazing stewards deserve our utmost respect and gratitude. They are on the front line of union service, helping resolve the issues that our members face on a daily basis. We’ve worked with A.D. for a long time and I want to congratulate him on a remarkable and successful career and wish him all the best in retirement. He is the epitome of what a Teamster steward and leader should embody.

Outside of his union job, Dawson has been noted as one of the most popular bartenders in East Texas. Operating his own bartending business after his cousin helped him learn the ropes at Texarkana Country Club, he has poured drinks for over 35 years. He has served a collection of well-known individuals including President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

A proud husband, father and grandfather, Dawson looks back with pride on his time with the Teamsters:

If you are a Teamster, you stand tall. Your shoulders go back. When I’m introduced, I say I’m a Teamster. And people, you can see it in their eyes, they understand the prestige and honor that comes with that title. I am so proud to say I am a part of this union.

Court ruling on Texas voter suppression is a positive step

Texas lawmakers tried to silence the voices of thousands of their residents at the voting booth. They've created rules that disproportionately impeded minorities, poor, elderly and young people. But last week a federal appeals court let the state know its voter suppression efforts went too far.

The Lone Star State jumped quickly to alter its rules after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in 2013 that curtailed enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Even though experts have repeatedly stated that illegal voting is an insignificant issue trumped up by elected officials with their own political agendas, the Texas Legislature decided to disenfranchise some 600,000 people in the state anyway.

As The New York Times explained:

The case is one of a few across the country that are being closely watched in legal circles after a 2013 Supreme Court decision that blocked the voting act’s most potent enforcement tool, federal oversight of election laws in numerous states, including Texas, with histories of racial discrimination. 

While the federal act still bans laws that suppress minority voting, it has been uncertain exactly what kinds of measures cross the legal line since that Supreme Court ruling.

The Texas ID law is one of the strictest of its kind in the country. It requires voters to bring a government-issued photo ID to the polls. Accepted forms of identification include a driver’s license, a United States passport, a concealed-handgun license and an election identification certificate issued by the State Department of Public Safety.

Another case is currently being heard in federal court in North Carolina, where state lawmakers also instituted draconian voting requirements against their own residents. Plaintiffs in North Carolina NAACP v. McCrory are rightfully questioning the trimming or eliminating measures that had been adopted over the previous 15 years in an effort to help boost electoral participation by minority and younger voters in North Carolina.

The Texas ruling is a step in the right direction, but is still far from settled given that a lower court judge will be tasked with deciding whether the state "acted with discriminatory purpose." What is truly required is a process that allows all qualified voters to go to the polls and carry out their constitutional rights, instead of letting lawmakers try to monkey wrench the proceedings.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Our elected officials shouldn't be making a mockery of it.

Today's Teamster News 03.21.15

Teamsters
Employees Vote On Whether They Want Teamsters Representation  Fontana News Herald   ...Ballots were mailed out last week to more than 15,000 San Bernardino county, city and agency employees to vote in an election for Teamsters representation. The workers, who are members of the San Bernardino Public Employees Association (SBPEA), will have the opportunity to vote in favor of affiliating with the Teamsters...
SEC to allow shareholder vote on Wal-Mart independent chairman  Reuters   ...Wal-Mart had argued that the proposal, submitted by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Fund, should be omitted because it was vague in its standard of independence...
Sysco, US Foods Seek Disclosure Of FTC Witness Identities  JDSupra   ...The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) went head-to-head last week with Sysco Corp. and US Foods Inc. over whether to make public the names of the declarants relied on by the FTC in its preliminary injunction to block Sysco and US Foods’ merger. Sysco and US Foods filed a motion in a Washington, D.C. federal district court on March 6 asking the judge to publicize the names, which the FTC quickly opposed...
Special Election 170th Legislative District: Dem. Sarah DelRicci Vs. Rep. Martina White  Philadelphia Public Record   ...The unions backing White are FOP Lodge 5; International Association of Fire Fighters Local 22; International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council 21; AFSCME DC 33; Teamsters Local 500; Gas Workers Local 686; Drywall Fitters Local 1955; International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8; Glaziers Local 252; Sprinkler Fitters Local 692; Steamfitters Local 420; Painters 2011; and Plasterers Local 8...
In Sunset Park, Doubts About Development Plan  Wall Street Journal   ...The groups holding Sunday’s rally, at Uprose’s offices, include Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a tenant-advocacy group, and the Teamsters Local 812, which wants to preserve union port jobs. The developers are seeking a rezoning, which will require approval from the City Planning Commission and City Council...
Trade
DeLauro clashes with Obama trade officials over U.S. exports  the ct mirror   ...DeLauro, D-3rd District, was one of eight House Democrats who sent Froman a letter Thursday accusing him of inflating the number of U.S. exports and misleading Congress. The lawmakers also held a press conference challenging Froman’s calculations...
Dem: Trade officials ‘baffling’ lawmakers ‘with bullshit’  The Hill   ...Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) on Thursday accused the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of “baffling” Democrats “with bullshit” in an effort to advance President Obama's trade agenda...
Japan says difficult to reach Japan-U.S. trade deal without TPA  Reuters   ...Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari said on Friday it would be difficult to reach an agreement in two-way trade talks between Japan and the United States unless U.S. lawmakers fast-tracked trade promotion legislation...
Fair trade is racial justice issue (opinion) Sky Valley Chronicle   ...Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal could make matters worse in places like Ferguson, Mo...
State Battles
Wisconsin Lawmakers Go After Workers’ Weekends  ThinkProgress   ...Two Wisconsin state lawmakers have proposed a bill that would roll back the state’s requirement that companies give workers at least one day off every seven days...
Texas Senate considering bill that could financially kill public-sector unions  Breitbart   ...The bill, SB 1968, was filed at the very end of the bill filing period for this Legislative Session last Friday, and would end the practice of automatic payroll deductions for labor union dues for the majority of public-sector unions...
8 ways Nevada Republicans want to shift power from labor unions  Reno Gazette-Journal   ...Republican lawmakers have long been on a quest to eat away at the power local government employee unions have when negotiating the labor contracts that govern their salaries, benefits and working conditions...
Kansas Senate Committee Advances Bill On Public Sector Unions  Wichita Eagle   ...The Kansas Senate is headed for a fight with the state’s public sector unions after a committee advanced a bill limiting public employees’ collective bargaining power and changing the way unions collect dues. The bill would limit automatic paycheck deductions for public employee unions and other organizations such as charities. The head of United Way of the Plains called it “a kick in the teeth.”...
Wisconsin Judge Declines To Block New Right-To-Work Law  Chicago Tribune   ...Dane County Circuit Judge William Foust rejected the request by three unions to grant a temporary injunction blocking the law from being enforced pending the outcome of their legal challenge...
Illinois: Governor Tells Agencies To Divert Union Fees  New York Times   ...Gov. Bruce Rauner, dogged in his attempts to eliminate fees paid to unions by workers who choose not to join, has instructed state agencies to divert money from nonunion employee paychecks away from organized labor until a judge settles the matter...
War on Workers
OSHA Whistleblower Investigator Blows Whistle on Own Agency  NBC Bay Area   ...Employee says the federal whistleblower program isn’t protecting whistleblowers or the public...
Missing Citigroup Checks Spur Lawmaker to Call for Investigation  Bloomberg   ...Citigroup Inc.’s failure to pay 24,000 people owed money as part of a settlement with the government over foreclosure abuses has prompted a U.S. lawmaker to call for an investigation into whether banks missed other borrowers...
Congress sets up veto showdown with vote to roll back labor rule  Los Angeles Times   ...Setting up another veto showdown with President Obama, Congress on Thursday approved a measure that seeks to roll back a new labor rule that allows workers to conduct union elections more quickly...
House Passes Bill To Overturn Labor Board Rule  Wall Street Journal   ...The vote was 232-186. It followed Senate passage earlier this month of the measure, which uses a rarely invoked law that allows Congress to reverse certain agency actions. The White House has said Mr. Obama’s senior advisers would recommend that he veto the resolution...
Worker Killed: Electrocuted, Struck By Motorcycles  Space Coast Daily   ...A man working on a utilities truck that was cleaning storm drains along S. Harbor City Boulevard was killed Thursday night as a result of an unusual chain of events...
Tolland DPW Truck Hits And Kills Worker Patching Potholes  WVIT   ...A veteran Tolland public works employee died after he was hit by one of his own trucks while patching potholes in town on Thursday, according to state police...

Another ALEC rep could be in trouble -- in Texas!

ALEC rep. Stephanie Klick

Stephanie Klick, a Texas state representative, doesn't think she needs to obey state open records laws when it comes to her dealings with ALEC. Unfortunately for Rep. Klick, Texas' attorney general thinks she needs to obey the law.

The Center for Media and Democracy asked Rep. Klick for records of her communications with ALEC, the corporate dating service for state lawmakers. That apparently unnerved Klick, because she asked the attorney general if she could keep her records secret. She argued that her dealings with corporate lobbyists could be withheld from the public because of her right to freedom of association and something called "deliberative privilege."

Attorney General Greg Abbott didn't buy it. Neither did the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which editorialized:

...she shouldn’t keep her correspondence a secret. As the preamble to the Texas Public Information Act says, the people delegate authority to make laws, but they “do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know.”

Klick isn't the first state lawmaker to stonewall requests for information about ties to ALEC. The Center for Media and Democracy is suing Wisconsin state Sen. Leah Vukmir, ALEC's treasurer, for hiding documents sent from ALEC to legislators.

Another ALEC front, Georgia state Sen. Don Balfour, was indicted recently on 18 counts of corruption.

(No one, by the way, should be surprised at corruption charges against state lawmakers who take money from ALEC to travel to posh resorts where they meet corporate donors.)

Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, came up with the best description of why Rep. Klick couldn't get away with hiding her dealings with ALEC.

You cannot just create a special private club between lobbyists and lawmakers and then claim your communications with legislators cannot be disclosed to the public under state sunshine laws.

Exactly.

Teamster organizing victory in Texas!

Please give a warm welcome to our 25 new Teamster brothers and sisters who voted on Thursday to join the Brotherhood of Loco

motive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). They are train and engine service employees who work for the Texas-Pacifico Transportation Ltd. short line.

Texas-Pacifico operates freight service over approximately 380 miles in West Texas, from San Angelo Junction to Alpine Junction. It also operates from Paisano Junction to International Bridge near Presidio, Texas, and it interchanges with the BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, Ferromex and the Fort Worth & Western Railroad.

The National Mediation Board has certified the election results.

BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce welcomed the new Texas-Pacifico workers to the House of Labor and thanked them for voting BLET. The Brotherhood will begin contract negotiations with rail management as quickly as possible, he said:

The best way to respond to the confidence shown by our new Texas-Pacifico members is to help them realize the goals they identified in their first-ever collective bargaining agreement, and that job begins today.

Brother Pierce thanked Kent Confer, BLET special representative and director of organizing, for his hard work in securing the election victory at Texas-Pacifico. He also thanked General Chairman Alan Holdcraft, 1^st Vice Chairman Robby Cunningham and Secretary-Treasurer Chris Mosser for their help in the organizing effort.

Our new brothers and sisters at Texas-Pacifico will belong to the BLET’s BNSF (former AT&SF) General Committee of Adjustment.

Today's Teamster News 06.16.13

Father of modern 401(k) says it fails many Americans  Marketplace   ...Today, the typical middle-class household nearing retirement has saved $120,000 -- one-tenth what many say it needs. ..
Why real wages are falling  Stumbling and Mumbling   ...Real wages are falling at a near-record rate...they were 6% lower in April than they were in April 2008. This is the biggest five-year drop in real wages since 1921-26, and the second-largest fall since records began in 1855...
IMF Article IV on the US: "deficit reduction in 2013 has been excessively rapid and ill-designed" Econbrowser   ... the automatic spending cuts (“sequester”) not only exert a heavy toll on growth in the short term, but the indiscriminate reductions in education, science, and infrastructure spending could also reduce medium-term potential growth...
GOP labor bills limit 'micro-unions,' require secret ballots  The Hill   ...Legislation introduced in the House and Senate on Thursday would cut back on the ability of unions to form among smaller groups of workers and require that workers use a secret ballot when voting to organize...
26 Lawmakers Live Off Food Stamps To Protest Republican Cuts  ThinkProgress   ...The SNAP challenge means that Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and 25 participating members must try to live off of under $4.50 per day for food and drink...
Spanish Austerity Cuts Put Lives at Risk, Study Finds  Reuters   ... Austerity cuts in Spain could lead to the effective dismantling of large parts of its healthcare system and significantly damage the health of the population, according to a study...
As neighboring states add jobs, Wisconsin leads nation in losses over past 12 months  The Cap Times   ...Wisconsin (had)...6,800 fewer total non-farm jobs in April 2013 compared to April 2012...
Rick Perry Vetoes Texas Equal Pay Bill  Huffington Post   ...Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has vetoed a bill meant to prevent wage discrimination against women...
Emergency Manager: Detroit won't pay $2.5B it owes  Associated Press   ...A team led by a state-appointed emergency manager said Friday that Detroit is defaulting on about $2.5 billion in unsecured debt and is asking creditors to take about 10 cents on the dollar of what the city owes them. Kevyn Orr spent two hours with about 180 bond insurers, pension trustees, union representatives and other creditors in a move to avoid what bankruptcy experts have said would be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history...
LABOR: Teamsters to vote on strike at bottling company  Press-Enterprise   ...Local 63 of the Teamsters is preparing to take a vote this weekend on whether to authorize a strike against American Bottling Co., which has a distribution center in Riverside...

Hoffa incensed by lack of support for 'Buy American' provisions

Texas Gov. Rick Perry thinks it's wrong for his state to buy American. But James P. Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, says the former presidential hopeful isn't the only one missing a major opportunity to help put more people back to work.

Hoffa, speaking on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" Saturday, was incensed with Perry's decision last week to veto "Buy American" legislation. He said it was illogical to do so at a time when politicians are looking to create jobs. While leaders in other countries look to give their home-grown industries a helping hand, Perry and too many other U.S. lawmakers won't do the same for their own constituents, he stated.

"This country is being inundated and flooded with foreign steel, foreign iron, foreign products, and that's why we have so much unemployment in this country. What better than to have a bill that says buy American? What's wrong with having American steel, American iron, American things that go into what makes Texas strong or makes our country strong? ... it's incredible that he would veto such a bill."

Despite Perry's audacity, however, Hoffa said he was hopeful the Texas legislature would override the governor's veto this week. The House previously approved the bill unanimously, 145-to-0, while it passed the Senate by a 23-to-7 vote.

Hoffa said the Teamsters would continue their fight to stick up for workers both in Texas and across the nation. He noted there is a need to convince policymakers about the importance of supporting American employees especially during these challenging economic times.

"We fight this battle every day, we fight it in trade bills. There's a Trans-Pacific Partnership bill, guess what they want to do? Take out buy America. We fight the Pentagon, the military wants to take out buy America. What do they want to do, get their tanks from China? What are they thinking out there? And we have to basically make it stronger and mobilize people in the Congress and House and Senate, and the people, the good people of Texas, to make a stand to say, hey, let's buy American, let's put America to work, let's be proud of who we are."

One such opportunity to get more American workers on the job is to further invest in U.S. infrastructure by rebuilding roads and bridges, Hoffa said. He issued his support for President Obama's call to do so, saying it would benefit the entire nation.

Today's Teamster News 05.28.13

Cambodia: Protest at Factory for Nike  Reuters   ...At least 23 workers were hurt in Cambodia on Monday after the police clashed with workers protesting wages at a factory that makes clothing for Nike, a union representative said...
Fashion retailer issues recall after finding radioactive material in belts  The Verge   ..."the incident is quite a common occurrence. India and the far east are large consumers of scrap metal," and during the refining process "radioactive sources are sometimes accidentally melted at the same time."...
Groups Targeted by I.R.S. Tested Rules on Politics  New York Times   ...a close examination of these groups and others reveals an array of election activities that tax experts and former I.R.S. officials said would provide a legitimate basis for flagging them for closer review...
Canadian Federal Court confirms the country’s 2011 election was Fraudulent  The European Union Times   ...The court emphasized in a Thursday ruling that it has found in no uncertain terms that widespread election fraud took place during the vote...
 On Victory Drive, Soldiers Defeated by Debt  ProPublica   ...Seven years after Congress banned payday-loan companies from charging exorbitant interest rates to service members, many of the nation's military bases are surrounded by storefront lenders who charge high annual percentage rates, sometimes exceeding 400 percent...
Another Day, Another Walmart Class Action Employee Lawsuit  About.com   ...This month, Walmart (WMT) found itself on the defending end of another massive employee class action suit in California when a California judge certified a class of 10,000 employees who think Walmart broke the law when it refused to provide suitable seating for its cashiers who requested it...
Public Unions Need to Stop Poisonous Koch Brothers From Buying Tribune Papers  AlterNet   ...They are considering buying the Tribune papers, which comprise eight major publications, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. This would allow the Kochs to spread their right-wing nuttery even more effectively than they do now. But public unions could put a stop to this...
SC Boeing exec sends workers anti-union e-mail  Associated Press   ...The general manager of Boeing’s new plant in South Carolina has sent out an e-mail telling his workers that Boeing wants to keep the plant union free...
Rick Perry Vetoes GOP-Backed Disclosure Bill  Huffington Post   ...Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) vetoed a Republican bill Saturday that would have required nonprofits that engage in politics to disclose their donors...
Union-backed pension plan saves more than thought, Democrats say  Gatehouse News Service   ...A union-backed pension reform plan will cut the state of Illinois’pension debt by more than $9 billion, Senate Democrats said...
Texas prohibits nearly 70 percent of its counties from having a fire code  Dallas Morning News   ...Despite the lessons from the West Fertilizer Co. fire and explosions about the value of fire prevention, site security and safe storage of dangerous goods, Texas prohibits nearly 70 percent of its counties from having a fire code...
Texas State Legislature approves drug tests for unemployment benefits  Daily Caller   ...The Texas State Legislature approved a bill that would require workers who lose their job to pass a drug screening in order to receive unemployment benefits Saturday, according to news reports...
The latest WEDC revelations help explain Wisconsin's poor performance  The Isthmus   ...How much evidence do we need that Gov. Scott Walker's pro-corporate, anti-government rhetoric adds up to a whole lot of freebies for his cronies and absolutely nothing in terms of actually creating jobs?...
Montana using mortgage settlement funds to battle foreclosure  Independent Record   ...When Montana received nearly $6 million from a $25 billion national settlement with the nation’s five largest banks — a result of their shady mortgage practices — the state tucked away its share of the funding to help homeowners address the threat of foreclosure...
Privatization review bill shelved by Louisiana Senate committee  Times-Picayune   ...A bill requiring a more thorough review of privatization plans was shot down by a Louisiana Senate committee Monday. The measure, opposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, had already received unanimous approval of the state House...

Today's Teamster News 12.03.12

Why Raising the Eligibility Age is the 'Single Worst Idea' for Medicare Reform  The Nation   ...The key facts to understand about raising the Medicare eligibility age: not only does it shift substantial costs onto seniors, it also doesn’t save the federal government any notable amount of money...
Stealth Class Warfare (opinion)  Angry Bear   ...arrogance is at work in the class warfare that the radical right is waging against the social programs that have been partof the great stabilization of the middle class and a singular pathway to a more sustainable lifestyle for those who are underprivileged in America--Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid...
Next Up For A "Recovering" Europe: A 30-50% Collapse In Wages In Spain, Italy And... France  zero hedge   ... how will the long-suffering workers of Greece, Spain, and Italy (and also France), who are confident they have gone to the 9th circle of hell in the past 4 years, react when they realize that none of the needed internal devaluation has actually taken place yet?...
Spain's disabled protest austerity cuts  Associated Press   ...More than 10,000 people, many in wheelchairs or being led by guide dogs, marched in a demonstration with the slogan "SOS Disability: Save our Rights, Inclusion and Welfare..."
Lines Blur as Texas Gives Industries a Bonanza  New York Times   ...Texas gives out more of the incentives than any other state, around $19 billion a year ... Yet the raw numbers mask a more complicated reality behind the flood of incentives, the examination shows, and raise questions about who benefits more, the businesses or the people of Texas. Along with the huge job growth, the state has the third-highest proportion of hourly jobs paying at or below minimum wage. And despite its low level of unemployment, Texas has the 11th-highest poverty rate among states...
Kasich’s ODOT “considers” spending turnpike money in Southern Ohio  Plunderbund   ... the Kasich Administration is trying to gain statewide support for their soon-to-be released Ohio Turnpike plan by teasing Ohioans with the possibility that turnpike lease/bonding money could be used to help solve all of their transportation woes...

Today's Teamster News 08.16.12

Revealed: Romney Campaign’s Attempts to Deny Paul Ryan’s Insider Trading Don't Add Up  Alternet   ...Team Romney wants you to believe Ryan didn’t really profit from privileged information. Don’t buy it...
Husted standardizes Ohio's early voting hours  The Community Press & Recorder   ...Husted, a Republican, apparently acted to quell a growing national controversy over disparities in voting hours that appeared to give Republicans an edge in November...
Pennsylvania Judge Keeps Voter ID Law Intact on Its Way to Higher Court  New York Times   ...Judge Robert Simpson of Pennsylvania, a Republican, said that there might have been a partisan motive behind the law and that it might indeed cause difficulties for tens of thousands of voters on Nov. 6. But neither matter is enough to stop it...
State insurance agency worker blocked consumers' emails  Austin-American Statesman   ...The emails that were blocked stemmed from a letter-writing campaign by Texas Watch… The group sought to address a statement that Kitzman made at a legislative hearing, where she told senators that there isn't anything the department can do in the near term to help consumers with high costs on homeowners insurance...
Hostess Brands makes final offer to Teamsters  Morning Sentinel   ...The Teamsters said it is reviewing the offer and would reach out to its local members in the coming weeks...
First non-profit pub in U.S. set to open in Portland  KPTV   ..."We've set ourselves up in a unique way to become the fundraising department for various local charitable organizations," said Ryan Saari, who came up with the ambitious idea for the pub...

Teamsters protest Walker in Texas

Koch whore Gov. Scott Walker got the welcome he deserved today in Austin, Texas, as Teamsters, ironworkers, moveon.org, OccupyAustin and Texas AFL-CIO protested loudly against him outside the Austin Hilton.

The guy really can't go anywhere, can he?

Walker was spewing 69% lies speaking to the billionaires' propaganda machine Texas Public Policy Foundation at the Austin Hilton, but protesters gathered at 11:30 a.m. in Brush Square, between the Austin convention center and the Hilton at 4th and Neches. Since Texans sure know how to tweet, we have a pretty complete picture of what happened.

Protesters brought signs and plenty of chants: "Whose Town? Our town. What kind of town? Union town." Also called into service were old favorites, "Recall Walker" and "Hey, hey, ho, ho Scott Walker has got to go."

At 12:10 p.m., @KitOConnell tweeted

Word is our friend is not here yet. Teamsters trying to figure out where he will enter the hotel. #occupyaustin #ows

@eyzbrn tweeted

Chants of "Recall Walker" echoing in Austin, TX to welcome @GovWalker. They hate you there too. #wisdems #wiunion #wirecall #recallwalker

Some of the protesters went into the Hilton lobby for a mic check (see video above) before they were escorted out.  They shouted "Recall Scott Walker," and "Power to the union. Security guards quickly arrived and chased them out of the building.

We love this tweet from @eponymousthing

Thanks to @OccupyAustin for protesting Walker! Love that he *still* can't go anywhere.

TX gets its protest on -- for jobs

Texas Gov. Goodhair Rick Perry says he'll do for the U.S. what he did for Texas.

Aaaaaaargh!!!!

Texas's economy can't suck enough. That is, unless you're an oil baron or a hedge fund manager. Yes, there are a lot of new jobs in Texas, but they're mostly crappy. Texas ranks No. 1 in workplace fatalities, minimum-wage jobs and people without health insurance.

And so some angry Texans staged a funeral outside of an anti-worker congressman's office -- a funeral for good jobs.

ThinkProgress reports:

Staffers at the Houston office of GOP Rep. John Culberson (R) must have gotten quite a surprise on Thursday when they looked outside to see more than 100 constituents gathered for a funeral. But this wasn’t a typical funeral — these Texans were gathered to mourn the loss of good, high-wage jobs in their state.

Mourners circled around a mock casket for “Good Jobs,” and Taps played in the background while Rev. Louis Dorsey eulogized. “I used to be middle class!” one woman cried out during the ceremony. Constituents also chanted “Hey, hey, what do you say? How many jobs have you killed today?”

Look closer at TX economy. It sucks.

There can be no doubt that Gov. Goodhair Rick Perry is another vapid corporate stooge running Texas. Perry actually appointed an Enron executive to the state Public Utilities Commission in exchange for a campaign donation of $25,000. 

But what's important about Texas is that shows us the tragic outcome of the corporate economic vision: lousy education, inadequate health care, shitty jobs. And just wait for that Nafta highway to wreak more damage on our country.

Here are a few facts about the Texas economy: The biggest industry in Texas is government. Texas jobs are crappy. And Texas ranks dead last in job creation.

This, from Economic Populist:

Texas is being declared an economic miracle. Yet anyone can quickly calculate a few facts on Texas. Guess which the largest industry in Texas was in 2010? Government. I kid you not, from the BEA:

In 2010, the largest industry in Texas was government. This industry accounted for 11.8 percent of Texas GDP and had 1.7 percent real growth. The second largest industry was mining, which accounted for 9.5 percent of Texas GDP and had 0.8 percent real growth...

Since January 2010 to June 2011, Texas has gained 505,100 jobs. Nationally, jobs gained are 1,792,000. Texas has gained 28.19% of the total jobs created. Seems like a lot, yet in determining what type of jobs we get, they are mainly crappy jobs. Trade, transportation and Utilities includes Retail trade, which are as a whole, low paying service type of jobs.

Writes the New York Times:

...if Mr. Perry were to win the nomination, he would face critics, among them Democrats, who have long complained that the state’s economic health came at a steep price: a long-term hollowing out of its prospects because of deep cuts to education spending, low rates of investment in research and development, and a disparity in the job market that confines many blacks and Hispanics to minimum-wage jobs without health insurance.

And ThinkProgress reports that Texas is dead last in job creation if you account for population growth. Writes ThinkProgress,

While over 126,000 net jobs were created in Texas over the last two and a half years, the labor force expanded by over 437,000, meaning that overall Texas has added unemployed workers at a rate much faster than it has created jobs. And although states like Michigan have lost jobs (29,200 since February 2009), the state’s labor force has shrunk by over 185,000 since then. As a result, while there are fewer jobs, there are significantly less workers looking for them

ThinkProgress also notes that jobs grew faster in Massachusetts than Texas between 2008 and 2010, jobs actually grew at a faster pace in Massachusetts than in Texas.

Meybe Gov. Goodhair should keep his yap shut about the Texas economy.

WOW rally recap: Almost too many to keep track of

If it hasn’t come to your state, it is going to be coming to your state real soon. You need to stand proud. You need to stand strong. There are a lot of Governor Walkers out there. There’s probably one in your state right now.

Those are the words of Sen. Jon Erpenbach, one of the 14 Wisconsin Democratic state senators who left the state in an attempt to block Koch whore Gov. Scott Walker’s bill. He was speaking to the IAFF legislative conference on Monday, according to The Hill.

It has come to Tennessee, where people protested the Legislature's attempt to strip teachers of their collective bargaining rights.

Troopers forcibly carried out seven union supporters from the Tennessee's legislative office complex on Tuesday after their protest disrupted a Senate committee hearing

The disruption occurred after hundreds of labor supporters gathered for a midday protest near the Capitol to denounce a bill to strip teachers of their collective bargaining rights. The seven arrested were among those who stood up during the hearing and began chants about "union busting" by the Legislature.

Most demonstrators left the hearing room after a half-hour, but a small group tried to lock arms to keep from being removed.

Rally Girl tells us where else it has arrived:

In Eugene, Ore. on Friday, hundreds of residents took to the streets in the name of justice. Protesting against corporate greed, both public and private sector employees marched in solidarity with Wisconsin.

Two thousand miles away in Medina, Ohio, more than 500 people gathered to protest Senate Bill 5, which, if passed, would rewrite collective bargaining laws for public employees.

U.S. Rep. (and Teamster good friend) Betty Sutton, (D-Copley Township), spoke to attendees, calling the bill an attack on workers and the middle class.

It is the middle class that makes this country strong. We have to say "enough is enough."

In New Haven, Conn., Al Sharpton greeted protestors rallying against Mayor John DeStefano, who, in the name of budget cuts laid off dozens of city employees including 16 police officers.

And Democracy Now has more:

In South Carolina, thousands of teachers, religious leaders and state workers gathered at the capitol building on Sunday in opposition to cuts targeted at education, healthcare and other state services. In Austin, Texas, more than 10,000 protesters swarmed the grounds of the capitol Saturday to denounce Gov. Rick Perry’s proposal to fire educators, increase class sizes and cut programs. On Friday, protesters in Maine filled the capitol building to take a stand against Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to strip $18 million from the state’s Fund for a Healthy Maine. Also on Friday, concerned parents and citizens in Maryland’s Prince George’s County gathered at a local school to protest budget cuts that could leave hundreds of low-income, magnet high school students without school buses. Meanwhile, protests in response to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s plan to tax the public and private pensions of senior citizens are scheduled for Tuesday in Lansing.

Today's Teamster News 1.4.11

Truckers Launch Clean-Trucks Appeal Journal of Commerce   ...The American Trucking Associations filed its opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, charging that the U.S. District Court in September erroneously upheld the concession requirements in the Port of Los Angeles' clean-truck plan...
Cuomo Cuts Own Pay 5%, Seeks State Wage Freeze in Face of $11 Billion Gap  Bloomberg News  ...Former Governor David Paterson said in October he would cut about 900 workers by year-end. Cuomo said Jan. 1 he would let that action go forward.
Drilling Is Stalled Even After Ban Is Lifted  Wall Street Journal  ...oil companies are still waiting for approval to drill the first new oil well (in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico)...
NTSB issues 'urgent' recommendations in wake of San Bruno explosion (Local 856)  Los Angeles Times  ...the seam-welded sections may not be as strong as the seamless pipe that was indicated in PG&E’s records...
Unions vow to fight Sullivan wage freezes  (Local 445)  ...Four Sullivan County unions representing some 900 employees vowed Monday to fight the county on a blanket wage and longevity freeze...
Teamsters stand up for General Logistics drivers  (Local 374) WHBF-TV Quad Cities   ...Eight specialized truck drivers for General Logistics didn't go to work on Monday...
There's One Huge State Budget Crisis That Everyone Is Refusing To Talk About  Talking Points Memo   ...(Texas) is a pro-business, lean-spending, no-union state...
Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions  New York Times   ...elected officials from Maine to Alabama, Ohio to Arizona, are pushing new legislation to limit the power of labor unions...

A Teensy Bit of Good News

Jobs are slowly coming back, according to the Wall Street Journal. Indiana and Texas doing better, but only 12 states and the District of Columbia had more jobs in May than they did a year ago.