Let's get America working!

The Teamsters want greater investment, better jobs.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is unveiling a new “Let’s Get America Working” campaign in advance of the 2016 election that will encourage both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to endorse a pro-worker platform.

At the center of the platform is the need for this country to invest in infrastructure, which in turn will create good jobs for everyday Americans. Working on transportation, energy and water projects will put thousands to work in construction jobs across the country. It will also improve roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructure, which in turn will help business and improve the U.S. economy.

The U.S. Labor Department’s own statistics support the Teamsters’ initiative. The median union worker earns more than $200 a week more than the median non-union worker. That’s an extra $10,000 a year that goes into the pockets of union workers. These jobs also offer health benefits and a pension.

Teamster President Jim Hoffa said:

While unemployment is down, the vast majority of jobs being created pay low wages. We can stop this trend and create good-paying union jobs if government invests in our nation’s workforce.

Infrastructure presents an opportunity to break the political gridlock. Congress in late July approved a three-month extension for spending on transportation projects that provides a temporary patch until the end of October for the continuing issue of road and rail funding. But it is not a real solution.

Since 2008, Congress has transferred more than $62 billion from the general fund to keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat, and it has been more than a decade since Congress has passed a highway bill more than two years in duration. Meanwhile, the transportation system continues to crumble and the safety of those who work and travel along the vast network of U.S. roads and rails is being jeopardized. Our nation’s failure to maintain and improve our infrastructure is costing Americans more and more.

There also is a significant need to move forward with a broader agenda that puts U.S. workers first. That means standing up against lousy trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership that send American jobs overseas; protecting workers’ rights to form unions and collectively bargain; increasing affordability of college and vocational schools; and ensuring retirement and pension security for working families.

Lawmakers need to remember that dollars invested in education, job training and supporting retirement for those who worked hard all their lives helps not only individuals, but our society as a whole. These are promises each generation in this country has made to the next and we can’t forget it.

But if this nation is going to improve the lives of its citizens, Congress needs to advance bipartisan policies that will encourage good job growth. And it must put the current and future generations of workers in a position to succeed in the workforce by giving them the skills they need.

There was a time when all these issues weren’t partisan issues – they were American values, something everyone could support. But government is broken. Partisan bickering has replaced finding solutions. That’s why it’s essential for the Teamsters and like-minded allies all over the country to join together and push this message with lawmakers, colleagues, friends and family.

If elected officials from both parties want to rebuild and repair the trust between government and workers, they need to reinvest in people that have and can continue to make this country great. Better pay will lead to more spending and improve workers’ quality of life. That way everyone wins.

Let’s Get America Working! Now is the time to Build, Repair and Maintain America!

Today's Teamster News 02.07.15

Teamsters
JCPS School Bus Driver Taken To Hospital, Assaulted By Student, Official Says  WHAS   ...A representative from the Teamsters Local 783, the union that represents school bus drivers, tells WHAS the driver was transporting students from the Binet School which serves special needs children. That teamsters representative says a student tried to open the bus' rear door, when a bus monitor intervened. When the bus driver walked back to help, the student allegedly pulled her by the hair, dragging her to the floor. The bus driver was taken to the hospital for arm and shoulder injuries...
CP Rail, Teamsters union tensions near boiling point  CBC News   ...Now, the union alleges the railway is violating a recent ruling regarding the use of union workers to teach CP Rail managers and office workers to operate trains. The union claims managers are telling locomotive engineers to vacate the train seat or be disciplined. The workers are then told to remain on the train engine...
Credentialing The Military  Military.com   ...One program to help military truck drivers get civilian credentials was developed by the Teamsters Union; it provides additional training, through the Teamsters Military Assistance Program, that helps service members earn commercial drivers' licenses. James P. Hoffa, the union's general president, is a featured speaker at the summit...
Air Canada And International Brotherhood Of Teamsters Reach Tentative Agreement On New Contract  AviTrader   ...Air Canada has reached a tentative collective agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) for the airline’s U.S.-based workforce. The agreement is subject to ratification by the union membership...
Fashion Week Will Kick Off With City Horse Carriages Trotting Models Down Central Park South  New York Daily News   ...Fashion Week will kick off next week with a parade of horse-drawn carriages trotting models down Central Park South for the second year in a row, a four-legged tradition that organizers say will be a permanent part of the festivities...
Trade
The Need to Address Currency Manipulation in TPP, and Why U.S. Monetary Policy Is Not at Risk  Huffington Post   ...Over the past decade, currency manipulation by foreign governments has resulted in an increase in unfairly traded imports into the United States and has made it more difficult for U.S. exporters to compete in foreign markets. The practice has cost U.S. workers between one million and five million jobs -- and is responsible for as much as half of excess unemployment in the United States...
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Is a Huge Deal. So Why Is It Being Kept Secret?  In These Times   ...The trade rules of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership between the United States and 11 Asian nations would cover nearly 40 percent of the world economy—but don't ask what they are. Access to the text of the proposed deal is highly restricted...
‘Secret’ Trade Pact Stirs Up Suspicion  truthdig   ... “The public has a legitimate interest in knowing what has already been decided on its behalf, and what is now at stake with our various countries’ positions on these controversial regulatory issues.”...
Stop fast-track authority from removing the voice of the 100 percent (opinion)  The Hill   ...The morally responsible approach is to learn from damage caused by earlier trade deals and modify our approach. Just consider one example: last month, the Government Accountability Office reported that labor provisions, including the very terms sought by the Obama administration for TPP, have failed to improve working conditions internationally...
State Battles
Reality Check: Right To Work Hurts Working Families (opinion)  Ruidoso News   ... On average, workers who belong to a union and who have the power to bargain collectively with their employer take home nearly 20 percent more in earnings each week compared to workers who are not union members. The decline of union density over the past decades corresponds to the decline in income share for the vast majority, 60 percent, of middle class America....
Legislators Hear From Union Workers At Forum  Huntington Herald Leader   ...A major portion of attendees were union workers who spoke out against the prevailing wage and right to work bills, the first of which would eliminate the requirement of prevailing hourly rate wages for public improvement projects and the second of which would prohibit the requirement for workers to be in a union...
Gov. Rauner, Union Leaders Tangle During Mount Vernon Stop  The Southern   ...“He can call it as many ways as he can, but it’s right-to-work and it’s taking away from working class families in Southern Illinois, especially,” said Will Attig, a laborer from DeSoto. “We’re just out here to let him know, he’s not welcome here.” Bret Seferian, who works with the Illinois Education Association, based in Carterville, on behalf of SIU and John A. Logan employees’ unions, said it’s clear to him Rauner isn’t interested in “supporting employees.”...
Senate Democrats Pass $11-An-Hour State Minimum Wage In Rebuff To Rauner  Chicago Tribune   ...Senate Democrats on Thursday pushed through what could end up being a symbolic measure to raise the state's minimum wage to $11 an hour by 2019, bucking Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's call a day earlier for a smaller increase that would be phased in over a longer period of time...
Kentucky Minimum Wage Bill Passed In House Labor And Industry Committee  WLKY   ...Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo presented his minimum wage bill to the state Legislature Thursday. After discussion and voting, the bill passed in the House Labor and Industry Committee on a 13-to-3 vote...
Oh Sweet Irony: Walker Caught Lying About Removing "Search For Truth" from UW Mission Statement  Daily Kos   …He introduced a budget that removed several lines from the University of Wisconsin System's mission statement (aka a little thing known as "The Wisconsin Idea"), including the phrase, "basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth."...
War on Workers
Only 20% are Middle-Class, Most Don't Come Close  Economic Populist   …The number of 18-29 year olds who consider themselves  lower-middle-class has doubled since 2008 reaching 49%...
How Nebraska Took Its Energy Out of Corporate Hands and Made It Affordable for Everyone  Alternet   ...In Nebraska, 121 publicly owned utilities, ten cooperatives, and 30 public power districts provide electricity to a population of around 1.8 million people. Public and cooperative ownership keeps costs low for the state’s consumers. Nebraskans pay one of the lowest rates for electricity in the nation and revenues are reinvested in infrastructure to ensure reliable and cheap service for years to come...
Gallup CEO Fears He Might “Suddenly Disappear” for Questioning U.S. Jobs Data  Wall Street on Parade   ... the percent of full time jobs in this country as a percent of the adult population “is the worst it’s been in 30 years.”...
Coke Settles Labor Dispute With Dismissed Employee  Atlanta Journal Constitution   ...Coca-Cola has settled a National Labor Relations Board complaint with a former employee who claimed the beverage giant fired him in retaliation for his role in trying to organize a union at a metro Atlanta bottling plant...
Comcast Employee Killed While Working On Utility Pole In Glen Ridge  NJ.com   ...A Comcast worker was killed while apparently working on a utility pole in Glen Ridge this morning...
Miscellaneous
What will passengers stand for?  The Economist   ...YET again a story has surfaced of an airline trying to get approval for a standing section on a plane. Previously the idea was mooted by Michael O’Leary, the boss of Ryanair—although that was probably more attention-seeking than serious proposal. Now reports suggest that Spring Airlines, a Chinese budget carrier, is trying to get approval for standing posts, to which passengers could be strapped, presumably in a similar fashion to a Wall of Death fairground ride, although the airline might want to think of a better name than that...

Today's Teamster News 05.14.13

Teamster News
USF Reddaway Teamsters in Las Vegas Approve First Contract  teamster.org   ...USF Reddaway workers, represented by Teamsters Local 631 in Las Vegas, have unanimously ratified their first contract which provides excellent benefits and a grievance procedure, among other improvements. There are 45 workers in the bargaining unit...
Teamster Taxi Association Representatives, Drivers Blast D.C. Council Committee Bill  teamster.org   ...The representatives and drivers said the Council bill, titled the Transportation Network Services Innovation Act of 2014, favors the private sedan service companies and continues to give them an unfair competitive advantage over D.C. taxi drivers...
First Teamsters Contract For Warehouse Workers At IKEA  teamster.org   ...Congratulations to 64 warehouse workers at the IKEA distribution center in Frederickson, WA who voted overwhelmingly last night to ratify their first union contract.  Welcome to Teamsters Local 117!..
National Express Faces Joint Attack From Unite And Teamsters  The Guardian   ...National Express will face combined union pressure from Jim Hoffa Jr. president of the American Teamsters, and Len McClusky from Unite at its annual meeting on Wednesday...
Trade
No final deal on Pacific trade pact expected next week -US official  Reuters   ...Pacific trading partners are not expecting to reach a final agreement on an ambitious free trade pact at a ministerial meeting in Singapore next week, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday...
Surging Steel Imports Put Up To Half a Million U.S. Jobs at Risk  Economic Policy Institute   ...The U.S. steel industry is facing its worst import crisis in more than a decade...
State Battles
Filling in the blanks on ALEC  Burlington Free Press   ...The American Association for Justice characterizes ALEC as “ghostwriting the law for corporate America,” because it develops legislation funded and designed by those corporations...
War On Workers
Sadness, Shock as Hundreds Perish in Turkish Coal Mine Tragedy  ABC News   ...Women wailed uncontrollably, men knelt sobbing and others just stared in disbelief outside a coal mine in western Turkey as rescue workers removed a steady stream of bodies Wednesday from an underground explosion and fire that killed at least 238 workers...
Sallie Mae, Navient To Pay $139 Million Settling Probes Into Cheating Troops On Student Loans  Huffington Post   ...The Department of Justice and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. accused Sallie Mae and its loan unit, now called Navient, of intentionally violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act by overcharging active-duty troops beginning in 2005, a period in which service members were fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The FDIC said Sallie Mae and Navient processed borrowers’ monthly student loan payments in a way designed to maximize late fees...
Banks At Walmart Are 'Exploiting The Poor': Investor  Huffington Post   ...Christopher Grisanti, co-founder of Grisanti Capital Management, said many of the independently-operated banks located in the retailer’s stores take advantage of cash-strapped consumers with nowhere else to turn. They allow poor Americans to overdraw their checking accounts and then subsequently charge overdraft fees...
The National Restaurant Association Spends Big to Keep Wages Low  Center for Media and Democracy   ...A majority of the Senate voted to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour recently, yet the bill failed to clear the 60 vote hurdle necessary for passage -- thanks in no small part to the political power of the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry's trade association...
Miscellaneous
When Driverless Cars Break the Law  New York Times   ...There is little doubt that the technology behind driverless cars is nearly advanced enough for mainstream use. Google plans to make its biggest public display yet of its cars on Tuesday...
Germany Sets New Record, Generating 74 Percent Of Energy Needs From Renewable Energy  Think Progress   ...On Sunday, Germany's impressive streak of renewable energy milestones continued, with renewable energy generation surging to a record portion --nearly 75 percent-- of the country's overall energy demand by midday...

Today's Teamster News 02.18.14

Trade
Here's Why Foreign Investors Are Trying to Buy American Farmland  Take Part   ...wealthy international investors and corporations are buying up much of America’s usable land at astronomical prices per acre, turning the farmers into their tenants or repurposing the land altogether...
State Battles
After Historic UAW Defeat at Tennessee Volkswagen Plant, Theories Abound  In These Times   ...interviews with both pro-union and anti-union workers—as well as low-level Volkswagen supervisors, top UAW officials and community activists—point to a confluence of factors, including outside interference by GOP politicians and unsanctioned anti-union activity by low-level supervisors. Some questioned, too, whether missteps by the UAW and concerns about its prior bargaining agreements played a role...
'Joe the Plumber' Wurzelbacher gets union job with Chrysler Group  Toledo Blade   ...Mr. Wurzelbacher, 40, of Springfield Township, who once was vilified as an "unlicensed plumber," said he was on his fourth day today and taking a smoke break at the time, when he was accosted by a co-worker as a “teabagger,” a derogatory term used for Tea Party members...
The War on Workers
Businesses Going Into “All Surveillance All the Time” Mode in Pursuit of More Productivity  Naked Capitalism   ...Another pioneering outfit is Sociometric Solutions, which puts sensors in name badges to discover social dynamics at work. The badges monitor how employees move around the workplace, who they talk to and in what tone of voice...
Making Retirements Less Secure (opinion)  New York Times   ...It is easy to see why companies are switching to lump-sum contributions: It saves them money...
What can unite liberals and tea partyers? The NSA  Associated Press   ...By exposing the NSA's vast surveillance web, Snowden created a link between tea partyers and liberals — two tribes camped on opposite sides of the nation's political chasm...
Corporate Cronyism: The Secret to Overpaid CEOs  truthout   ...we have people like Erskine Bowles who had the distinction of sitting on the boards of both Morgan Stanley and General Motors in the years they were bailed out by the government. And we have Martin Feldstein, the country's most prominent conservative economist, who sat on the board of insurance giant AIG when it nearly tanked the world's financial system. Both Bowles and Feldstein were well-compensated for their "work."...
Miscellaneous
Obama to take next step in fuel efficiency for trucks  CNN Politics   ...Obama will direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Transportation Department to propose a new standards for post-2018 model years...
EXCLUSIVE: National clown shortage may be approaching, trade organizations fear  New York Daily News   ...As the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returns to Brooklyn Thursday, membership at the country's largest clown organizations has plunged over the past decade amid declining interest, old age and higher standards for the jokesters...

Today's Teamster News 01.07.13

Teamsters Urged To Boycott Yuengling Beer  teamster.org   ...The General Executive Board recently voted to support a Teamsters Union boycott of Yuengling beer over the owner’s push for anti-union laws...
Hampton selectmen, Teamsters reach tentative contract agreement  SeacoastOnline   ...The town will vote on a new contract with the Teamsters in March, after the selectmen and union ratified a tentative agreement Monday night...
Contract deal averts strike at Minnesota oil refinery  Grand Forks Herald   ...Contract negotiators reached agreement on a new three-year contract for St. Paul Park oil refinery workers, who are represented by Teamsters Local 120, hours before a threatened strike was to begin...
Hoffa: Just Like With NAFTA, Fast Track is the Wrong Track for TPP  Huffington Post   ...Teamsters President James P. Hoffa says Congress should learn from the mistakes it made during the passage of NAFTA 20 years ago, including the approval of fast-track authority that limited debate and prevented amendments to the trade agreement. As the fast track discussion begins anew on Capitol Hill, now is the time for lawmakers to take a different path to ensure fair trade...
Japan, U.S. may meet to discuss TPP on fringes of Davos forum  global post   ..."Unless Japan and the United States make certain progress within January, it will be difficult to finalize the whole (negotiations)," Amari told a press conference in Tokyo...
Americans Suffer After Failure to Extend Emergency Unemployment Benefits  U.S. Department of Labor   ...Want to know how this failure is affecting families near you? Here are the latest state-by-state estimates of people who have been impacted, or will be in the near future...
Why the U.S. Oil Boom may go off the Rails  Oil Price   ...Lawmakers and U.S. regulators began asking questions about the safety of transporting oil on the nation's rail system following a December derailment in North Dakota. The emerging anxiety about midstream issues may create new problems for U.S. oil...
Exclusive: Permit Shows Bakken Shale Oil in Casselton Train Explosion Contained High Levels of Volatile Chemicals  DeSmog Blog   ...On January 2, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a major safety alert, declaring oil obtained via hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") in the Bakken Shale may be more chemically explosive than the agency or industry previously admitted publicly. This alert came three days after the massive Casselton, ND explosion of a freight rail train owned by Warren Buffett's Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and was the first time the U.S. Department of Transportation agency ever made such a statement about Bakken crude...
Forever Temp?  In These Times   ...Not only has temporary employment expanded into sectors that used to be sources of stable full-time employment, he says, but it’s often no longer really temporary. Some temps are brought on for only days or weeks, others work for years at the same plant through the same agency...
Click farms are the new sweatshops  Washington Post   ...Online “popularity” is a commodity, and of course it comes from Bangladesh...
JPMorgan Nears $2 Billion Deal Over Involvement With Madoff  Reuters   ...JPMorgan Chase & Co is reportedly nearing a $2 billion settlement with federal authorities to resolve suspicions that the bank ignored signs of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme...
French workers at Goodyear tyre plant take bosses captive  The Guardian   ...Workers at a French tyre factory threatened with closure have taken two company executives hostage and promised to hold them until given "enormous amounts of money"...
The Last Great Class Equalizer In New York Faces A Tech Threat  Huffington Post   ...Here in New York City, where rising income inequality lets the super-rich frolic while the super-poor despair, laundry is one of the few remaining class equalizers...
Former ALEC tactician Robert King among finalists for UW System presidency  The Cap Times   ...Is a former politician and American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) captain on education reform a good fit for president of the University of Wisconsin System?...
As Session Opens, Missouri Legislature May Refight Old Battles But Resolve Some New Ones  St. Louis Public Radio   ...Jones said in an interview that he also plans to seek House passage of a “right-to-work’’ bill to bar unions and employers from requiring workers to join a union, and pay dues, if a majority of the employees votes for representation. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who presides over the state Senate, says he strongly supports such a move.  A debate over union rights would likely ensnare the state Senate in a filibuster by the Democratic minority...

Today's Teamsters News 12.30.13

Refinery news: Minnesota Northern Tier workers may strike Dec. 31 on wages, safety issues: Teamsters  Platts   ...Minnesota's Northern Tier refinery is facing a potential strike that could shut its refinery in Saint Paul Park, Minnesota, as soon as December 31, according to Teamsters Local 120, which represents about 200 workers at the plant...
Service Corporation International : Teamsters Local 727 Updates on Service Corp. International Refuses Interest Arbitration  Teamsters Local 727   ...Teamsters Local 727 announced Service Corp. International refused an interest arbitration offer made by the Teamsters to end a five- month lockout of Chicago funeral directors and drivers...
Antiques to replace NYC horse carriages  CNN   ...If activists have their way, horse-drawn carriages in New York City may soon be replaced by antique electric cars...
Charts: The Worst Long-Term Unemployment Crisis Since the Depression  Mother Jones   ...the economic downturn remains in full effect for millions of Americans, particularly the nearly 40 percent of the unemployed who have been looking for work for six months or more...
Where the 1.3 million people losing unemployment aid this week live  Washington Post   ...every state but one — North Dakota — has added more people than jobs since the recession began...
Elizabeth Warren: It's the Right of Every American to Retire with Dignity -- Why We Must Expand Social Security  Alternet   ...If we do nothing, Social Security will be safe for the next 20 years and even after that will continue to pay most benefits through the end of the century. With some modest adjustments, we can keep the system solvent for many more years, and could even increase benefits...
Wis. teachers refuses award from Paul Ryan during MLK ceremony: 'Lackey for the 1%'  The Blaze   ... A Wisconsin teacher refused to accept an award from Rep. Paul Ryan during a ceremony last week, saying he couldn’t do so “in good conscience” because of the Republican congressman’s politics...
As critics gain, ALEC gives ground  Politico   ...The American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group of state lawmakers and corporations that, among other things, drafts model legislation, saw an exodus of members and a sharp decline in fundraising after it was tied to controversial “stand your ground laws” like the one made infamous following the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin...
“Honey, I Shrunk Killed the Middle Class”  naked capitalism   ... even as the stock market roars ahead, more investors are coming to recognize the shoddy foundations of this so-called recovery and perhaps more important, that the legitimacy of the ruling classes erodes quickly when ordinary citizens recognize how badly the deck is stacked against them...
'Military-Style' Raid on California Power Station Spooks U.S.  Foreign Policy   ...Around 1:00 AM on April 16, at least one individual (possibly two) entered two different manholes at the PG&E Metcalf power substation, southeast of San Jose, and cut fiber cables in the area around the substation. That knocked out some local 911 services, landline service to the substation, and cell phone service in the area, a senior U.S. intelligence official told Foreign Policy. The intruder(s) then fired more than 100 rounds from what two officials described as a high-powered rifle at several transformers in the facility. Ten transformers were damaged in one area of the facility, and three transformer banks -- or groups of transformers -- were hit in another...
Home Prices Back at Peaks in Some Areas  Wall Street Journal   ...Home prices have zipped back into record territory in a handful of American cities, a milestone that comes seven years after the housing bust ravaged the market and the broader economy. Values are up more than 13% from their 2007 high in Oklahoma City and by more than 6% in the Denver metro area. Prices are back to all-time highs in 10 of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas...
This Trade Fight Is Against ‘Global Apartheid’ (opinion)  Campaign for America's Future   ...organizations ... (should) step up against is what she calls “this global apartheid phenomenon” in which “international elites, some of whom don’t have a allegiance to any country,” are creating conditions that are worsening economic inequality and racial inequities around the world, including the United States...
Why China is stepping up its presence in Detroit auto industry  TradeReform   ...Encouraged by the low price of real estate and the high level of advanced engineering talent, dozens of Chinese auto companies and suppliers are opening plants and offices in and around the Motor City, where they hope to one day sell cars to US buyers...
‘Safe Harbor’ in Bankruptcy Is Upended in Detroit Case  New York Times   ...“When you’re in a municipal bankruptcy, where the debtor is a municipality, there are very strong public-interest considerations that ought to be balanced,” Mr. Schwarcz said. He and other specialists said there had not been any such discussion in Detroit’s case...
France’s Hollande Gets Court Approval for 75% Millionaire Tax  Bloomberg   ...French President Francois Hollande received approval from the country’s constitutional court to proceed with his plan to tax salaries above 1 million euros at 75 percent for this year and next....
Setback for Scalia in Attempt to Curtail Labor Rights  truthout   ...the Supreme Court decided against ruling on a legal decision from a lower court which, if broadly applied, could have undermined some of the few remaining effective union organizing techniques: neutrality and card check agreements...

Today's Teamster News 09.20.13

Strike, lockout possibilities for Darigold workers  KIRO TV   ...Workers at Darigold, who have worked without a contract since June 1, staged an informational picket line a couple of weeks ago with signs that read "just practicing." Now the members of Teamster Local 117 believe their company has set the stage for a lockout or strike...
Middle-Class Decline Mirrors The Fall Of Unions In One Chart  Huffington Post   ...This week the Census Bureau reported the latest depressing decline in middle-class incomes during the so-called economic recovery. But it may have missed an important factor in this story. As union membership declines, middle-class incomes shrink...
Income, Poverty, and Healthcare 2012: The Patient Did Not Get Worse But Remains Seriously Ill  Corrente   ...A comparison of real household income over the past five years showed an 8.3 percent decline since 2007, the year before the nation entered an economic recession, and a 9.0 percent decrease from the 1999 peak of $56,080...
The Era of Cheap Gasoline is Over  OilPrice   ...The last time the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the United States was below $3.00, however, was the day before Christmas Eve 2010. AAA said that, on average, prices may never be that low again...
As President’s Export Council Meets, No Chance to Meet Obama’s Export Doubling Goal; Exports Fall Under Free Trade Agreements  Public Citizen   ...recent government data show it will be virtually impossible to meet Obama’s stated goal of doubling exports by the end of 2014. The same data shows that in 16 out of 16 months since the Korea “free trade” agreement (FTA) took effect last year, U.S. goods exports to Korea have fallen below the average export level in the year before the deal...
Pope Says Church Is ‘Obsessed’ With Gays, Abortion and Birth Control  New York Times   ...Six months into his papacy, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Roman Catholic church on Thursday with the publication of his remarks that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics...
Search for L.A. film czar drags on at City Hall  Los Angeles Times   ....L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti is still searching for a film czar to serve as an industry advocate in City Hall and to help stop runaway production...
AAR: Rail Traffic increased in August  Calculated Risk   ...The Association of American Railroads (AAR) ... reported increased total U.S. rail traffic for the month of August 2013, with intermodal setting a new record and carload volume increasing overall compared with August 2012...
Union rep: Cutbacks cost lives in Navy Yard shooting  USA TODAY   ...A top union official for Washington Navy Yard police says he believes fewer lives would have been lost had the department not been understaffed during the attack that left the shooter and 12 of his victims dead...
Tensions Between BART and Unions Escalate, Transit Strike Looming  SF Weekly   ...After another full day of negotiations Wednesday, it's fair to say things between BART and its unions are getting worse, not better...
Labor to “play heavily” in state elections next year  People’s World   ...Organized labor, with its community allies, will "play heavily" in state gubernatorial and legislative races next year, its top two political operatives say...
Watch the growth of U.S. income inequality with this animated map  Washington Post   ...Here's a fascinating visualization of how inequality in the United States has evolved over the years...
Postmaster says USPS may need emergency rate hike  Associated Press   ...The Postal Service may need an emergency rate increase to stay afloat, according to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe who says the agency’s cash balance next month likely will cover only five days of its average daily expenses...
The Monsanto Protection Act Is Back!  Huffington Post   ...The agrichemical companies may have the best lobbyists in town. Last May, the agrichemical giants -- Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta, Bayer, DuPont, BASF -- pulled off a stunning maneuver to protect their massive profits. These companies could have legal protection to continue selling their products even if the courts pulled the products from the market...
In JPMorgan case, a rare admission: bank broke the law  Los Angeles Times   ...The $920-million settlement JPMorgan Chase and Co. struck with regulators in the "London Whale" fiasco contains something rare: an admission the bank broke the law...
More Amazon Warehouse Workers Sue Retailer Over Unpaid Security Waits  Huffington Post   ...A growing number of Amazon.com warehouse workers are suing the online retail giant and its contractors for requiring them to undergo time-consuming and unpaid security screenings in order to do their jobs...
Misplaced Idea to Private the Tennessee Valley Authority Brings Unions, GOP Together  The We Party   ...The budget proposed by President Barack Obama in April floated an idea to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a crown jewel of the New Deal. Labor unions expressing deep opposition to the idea are being joined by unlikely allies in the fight...
Ohio unions keep watchful eye on Right to Work legal challenge in Indiana  PR News Channel   ...Ohio union supporters are anxiously watching the developments in Indiana on the heels of the state’s controversial Right to Work law being ruled unconstitutional by a Lake County judge last week…
Wisconsin's Anti-Voting Law Heads to Federal Court  Huffington Post   ...With deceptively little fanfare or attention, a federal judge in Wisconsin is poised to preside over the first trial challenging a photo ID law under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act...
Florida Gov. Rick Scott seeks Supreme Court review of worker drug test  Associated Press   ...Florida Gov. Rick Scott plans to seek U.S. Supreme Court review of his executive order requiring random drug tests for thousands of state employees...
Senator: 'Flawed' bidding process led to privatization of prison food service  Lansing State Journal   ...A Republican senator told the Civil Service Commission on Wednesday that a flawed bidding process led to the state’s decision to privatize food service for 45,000 Michigan prisoners and eliminate about 370 state jobs...

Today's Teamster News 08.03.13

Teamsters, other unions strike deal with Pennsylvania Convention Center  Daily News   ...Trade union members who went on strike early yesterday morning at the Pennsylvania Convention Center over proposed changes to work rules reached an agreement with the center's officials last night that put them back on the job...
Support for Teamsters Local 542 Strikers Grows as Families Joint Picket Line  CBS/El Centro, CA   ... Despite the 106 degree heat, 60 paramedics and EMTs in Imperial County continue to walk the picket line 24/7 as they fight for a pay raise and better health benefits...
Members of Congress Join Mayor Emanuel, Gov. Quinn to Support Striking Teamster Funeral Directors  IBT   ...Three members of Congress have joined Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and more than a dozen state legislators in support of striking Teamster-represented funeral directors...
BLET, SMART Advance Rail Crew Size Legislation  BLET   ...The Transportation Division of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation International Association (SMART) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET/IBT) have jointly announced that legislation requiring at least two crew members on all freight trains in the U.S. has been filed in Congress...
Paratransit to hire new personnel to replace striking Teamsters  Lake County Record-Bee   ...Paratransit Services personnel confirmed that they are hiring new permanent employees to replace workers who are currently on strike. About 25 Paratransit Services employees and Teamsters began the strike on Monday and has forced Lake Transit to reduce its services...
Study: Record Number 21 Million Young Adults Living With Parents  CBSDC   ...A new study from Pew Research finds that 36 percent of Millennials – young adults ages 18 to 31 – are living at their parents’ homes, the highest number in four decades. A record 21.6 million young adults were still living at home last year...
Flawed FBI Records Threaten Work Opportunities For Hundreds of Thousands of Job Seekers  National Employment Law Project   ...—A record 16.9 million FBI criminal background checks were run for employment or licensing purposes in 2012, a six-fold increase since 9/11. But serious flaws in the FBI records are jeopardizing work opportunities for hundreds of thousands of job seekers every year...
Swaps Probe Finds Banks Rigged Rate at Expense of Retirees  Bloomberg   ...U.S. investigators uncovered evidence that banks reaped millions of dollars in trading profits at the expense of companies and pension funds by manipulating a benchmark for interest-rate derivatives...
Banks Replacing Enron in Energy Incite Congress as Abuses Abound  Bloomberg   ...The U.S. government permitted Wall Street firms to expand in the energy industry a decade ago, when the collapse of Enron Corp. and its army of traders left a void in the market. The results aren’t pretty...
The Rule of Law in the Financial System (opinion)  Credit Slips   ...we cannot and will not see sufficient and durable financial regulatory reform without political reform...
Michigan Leads Nation in Massive Corporate Tax Breaks (The Untold Story of Detroit's Decline)  The Real News   ...Michigan leads the country with 29 mega corporate tax breaks, costing the state more than $7 billion and accounting for 12 percent of the megadeals nationwide...
Detroit automakers have right to object to Japan's currency manipulation (opinion)  Detroit Free Press   ...Last week, on the same day Japan finally jostled its way into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks with the U.S. and 10 other nations, petitions signed by more than 80,000 autoworkers were sent to U.S. Congress members, urging that Japan be forced to stop rigging its currency to subsidize exports and keep out imports...
New labor movement emerges in Scott Walker’s Wisconsin  Salon   ...The legal protections that Walker took away were the fruits of decades of rank-and-file organizing, community partnership and direct action. What started in Wisconsin — which became the first state to recognize public sector unions in 1959 — is, after 2011, starting again...
What We Don’t Know about Foreclosure Practices May Still Hurt Us   The Gilmer Mirror   ...We already know that federal regulators have undermined accountability for the abuses by mortgage servicing companies. In another disturbing development, the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) are refusing to turn over information to members of Congress that could help them prevent such abuses from happening again...
IMF pressures Spain to weaken labor laws  CBS News   ...Currently, 26.3 percent of the nation's workforce is unemployed, down from an all-time high of 27.2 in the first quarter of 2013.The IMF called on Madrid to give more flexibility to employers when it comes to hiring and firing by reducing the legal requirements for temporary and permanent workers...
Greece: Anti-austerity protesters take campaign to Acropolis site in Athens  Associated Press   ...Greek civil servants protesting mass staff cuts took their campaign to the gates of the ancient Acropolis on Friday, after the government announced that 500 workers at the culture ministry would be suspended next month...
DOT Proposes to Cut ‘Burdensome’ Trucking Paperwork  Journal of Commerce   ...U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced a proposal to eliminate a “burdensome” daily paperwork requirement for professional truck drivers, in order to reduce costs to the industry by an estimated $1.7 billion...
Is Oregon's mileage tax the future for the rest of us?  San Gabriel Valley Tribune   ...Two years from now, thousands of Oregon drivers could get a taste of what the future may hold for the rest of us: They will pay taxes not on the amount of gasoline their cars burn, but on the number of miles they drive...
Study: Wal-Mart Could Cost Taxpayers Millions Per Year in Employee Subsidies  CBS D.C.   ...While the fate of six Wal-Mart stores planned for D.C. remains unclear, a 2013 study says the company could cost taxpayers millions of dollars per year because of publicly funded benefit programs many of its 1.3 million U.S. employees are eligible for...
Michigan tells South Dakota Internet lender of cease-and-desist move over high interest rates  Associated Press   ...Michigan regulators say that Western Sky Financial charges interest rates of more than 340 percent. Michigan’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services said that it has given notice of its intention to issue a cease-and-desist order to the company that also charges loan fees of as much as 70 percent of the loan amount, 14 times the legal limit...
North Carolina’s Moral Mondays Keep Up Morale for the Long Haul  In These Times   ...On July 29, North Carolinians kicked off Raleigh’s last "Moral Monday" protest of 2013 before going on tour to organize other regions of the state. Despite reports that the movement had ended, organizers stressed the fight was far from over...
7-Eleven Sued for Representing Itself as Franchisor  Blue MauMau   ...Amid the other negative press, including litigation against franchisee and human trafficking, a lawsuit filed in the New Jersey federal court on Wednesday against 7-Eleven, Inc. and its Japanese entities accuses the franchisor of fraudulent business practices and abuses, related to misclassifying employees as independent contractors...
Motorola's New Smartphone: Made in the U.S.A., but Not for Much Pay  The Atlantic   ...Factory workers assembling the Moto X will make as little as $9-an-hour, if the help wanted ads are to be believed...
California to get America's fastest high-speed rail line  Gizmag   ...When people grumble about how they think the US isn’t as technologically advanced as it should be, they like to bring up bullet trains – Europe and Asia have them, so why doesn’t America? Well, it’s getting one...
Pennsylvania Will Extend Voter-ID Ban Through Next Election  Bloomberg News   ...Pennsylvania agreed to let a court order barring enforcement of the state’s voter-identification law continue through the November elections...
Illinois legislative leaders sue governor over pay veto  Reuters   ...The leaders of the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate filed a lawsuit challenging Governor Pat Quinn's veto of lawmakers' pay during a legislative impasse over pension reform...

Today's Teamster News 03.15.13

Pelosi open to looking at Obama proposal to cut Social Security  The Hill   ...House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she'll consider Social Security cuts as part of a sweeping deficit-reduction package...
MSNBC ending Ed Schultz's weekday show  Politico   ...Sources at MSNBC told POLITICO that that was a very generous interpretation of events. Schultz was pushed out to make way for new talent, they said...
Companies Are Putting Sensors on Employees To Track Their Every Move  Business Insider   ...Sociometric Solutions has created tracking devices for Bank of America, Steelcase, and Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc., and is in talks with General Motors...
Census: Record 1 in 3 US counties are now dying  Associated Press   ...A record number of U.S. counties — more than 1 in 3 — are now dying off, hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere...
Cities Weigh Taking Over From Private Utilities  New York Times   ...Across the country, cities are showing a renewed interest in taking over the electricity business from private utilities, reflecting intensifying concerns about climate change, responses to power disruptions and a desire to pump more renewable energy into the grid...
Could gold be the next Libor scandal?  Guardian   ...London's financial sector was last night bracing itself for another official investigation into alleged price-fixing following reports that a US regulator is considering launching an inquiry into the City's gold and silver markets...
New Poultry Plant Rule Would Give Food Inspectors 1/3 Of A Second To Examine A Chicken  ThinkProgress   ...A new food inspection rule proposed by the US Department of Agriculture would let poultry plants conduct their own inspections, removing federal food inspectors from the assembly line...
Corporate-Approved State Bills Kick Low-Wage Workers While They're Down  In These Times   ...Most of the anti-worker bills were proposed by lawmakers directly linked to ALEC and include language that echoes that of "model legislation" developed by ALEC. Among the proposals are measures to undercut minimum wages for teenage workers, restrict overtime pay and repeal or ban local laws to improve working conditions...
GOP lawmakers criticize unions for move to rush pacts into place before right-to-work laws start  Michigan Live   ...Push back against local schools and universities for approving lengthy contracts prior to Michigan’s right-to-work taking effect has caught the attention of administrators at Grand Rapids Public Schools, according to the president of the district’s teachers union...
Teamsters Oppose Legislation That Will Damage Florida Retirement System  IBT   ...Public employees in Florida converged on the state Capitol today to protest proposed legislation that would harm the Florida Retirement System (FRS). More than 20,000 Teamsters who work as police officers, correctional officers, and public school employees would be affected by the drastic changes in the legislation, HB 7011...
Kasich’s Development Director Departs Amid JobsOhio Financing Scandal  Plunderbund   ...a spokesperson for the Development Services Agency refused to answer questions from reporters about $5.6 million in development grants to JobsOhio that circumvented the Ohio Legislature and the Controlling Board...
Montana Legislature: Bill seeks tax increase for wealthy, cut for rest  Associated Press   ...A Helena Democrat is waging a longshot bid to persuade the Republican-led Legislature to accept a tax hike for those earning more than $150,000 in taxable income...
Committee OKs new restrictions on state workers' union  KnoxNews   ...A bill putting new restrictions on the Tennessee State Employees Union — enough to disable or eliminate many of the organization’s functions, according to a TSEA official — won approval of the House State Government Committee on Wednesday...
General Cable Threatens Workers' Jobs During Contract Negotiations  Local 727   ...Teamsters Local 727 representatives are fighting to stop global giant General Cable from closing its Des Plaines, Ill., plant, where 70 workers voted last August to join the Teamsters...
Sacramento Coca-Cola plant to close  Sacramento Business Journal   ...Coca-Cola Co. said Wednesday it plans to close its Stockton Boulevard production plant, costing 60 jobs. The world’s largest beverage company (NYSE: KO) must negotiate with Teamsters Local 150, but expects to shutter the plant at 2200 Stockton Blvd. by mid-summer...
Concord reaches contract with largest union eliminating furlough days  Contra Costa Times   ...the tug-of-war between the city and its largest union has ended with a deal eliminating a controversial furlough program and restoring pay for city workers for the first time since the economy plummeted. The city council unanimously approved the contract with 150 city workers represented by Teamsters Local 856...
Teamsters declare impasse with Hernando County  Tampa Bay Times   ...The Hernando County administration and the Teamsters Union representatives tried on Thursday to reach an agreement about how much weight seniority should carry when making hiring decisions. They couldn't...

Today's Teamster News 01.12.13

Top Senate Dems to White House: If you unilaterally raise debt ceiling, we’ve got your back  Washington Post   ...In a move that will significantly ratchet up the brinksmanship around the debt ceiling, the four members of the Senate Democratic leadership are privately telling the White House that they will give Obama full support if he opts for a unilateral solution to the debt ceiling crisis...
U.S. China Commission staff report on Balance of Trade with China in 2012  Trade Reform   ...The U.S. Balance of Trade with ChinaThe U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the cumulative trade deficit with China through November 2012 was nearly $291 billion, more than $18 billion higher than a year ago...
Private-sector pension coverage fell by half over two decades  Economic Policy Institute   ...The BLS’ “visual essay” documents the decline in defined benefit pensions, which now cover 18 percent of private-sector workers, down from 35 percent in the early 1990s...
Boomtown charity buys homeless one-way ticket out  CNN Money   ...Hundreds of job seekers arriving in the oil boomtown of Williston, N.D., are being sent back to where they came from after ending up homeless...
Rise of the zombie title: How thousands of homeowners finding themselves legally liable for houses that were seized by banks but never foreclosed  Reuters   ...Former homeowners who thought they no longer were responsible for properties now finding they are held financially responsible for often-derelict properties...
Secret Money Lobbyists Fight SEC Disclosure Rule  The Nation   ...A new rule, sparked by shareholder complaints, would compel publicly traded corporations to disclose much of their political spending to investors...
Manufacturers go to war with oil industry over gas exports  The Hill   ...The petroleum industry and several big manufacturing companies are warring over whether U.S. regulators should allow a major expansion of liquefied natural-gas exports...
"If You Want To Win An Election, Just Control The Voting Machines"  Common Dreams   ...Perhaps it's just a coincidence that the sudden rise of inaccurate exit polls happened around the same time corporate-programmed, computer-controlled, modem-capable voting machines began recording and tabulating ballots...
Can't Miss Work Even if You Have the Flu? You're Not Alone  AFL-CIO blog   ...While many experts and doctors urge people to stay at home to avoid infecting others, 38% of private-sector workers lack even one paid sick day...
Assembly rule on dissenters goes too far  The Cap Times   ...Under a new rule advanced by Republican Assembly leaders and passed 59-37 Thursday, a protester who is asked to leave three times would be banished from the galleries for the remainder of the session...
Port of Milwaukee saves on utility bills from wind turbine  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ..."This has proven to be a sensible, sustainable investment in green energy, and city residents are saving money..."

Today's Teamster News 01.06.12

Payrolls Tread Water Once Again in December 2012  Economic Populist   ...The United States is now down -3.961 million jobs from December 2007, five years ago. The ongoing employment crisis just hit the half decade anniversary...
Secret and Lies of the Bailout   Rolling Stone   ...The federal rescue of Wall Street didn’t fix the economy – it created a permanent bailout state based on a Ponzi-like confidence scheme. And the worst may be yet to come...
Freedom of Speech vs. Wall Street’s Interests  All Things Democrat   ...even if you hate OWS (Occupy Wall Street( and you want to scream at them because you think they’re selfish, dirty hippies who just need to get a job, if you consider yourself an American, you should be appalled by Wall Street’s role in the violent crackdown...
CTJ: Poorest 60% of Americans Get Just 18% of the Tax Cuts in the Fiscal Cliff Deal  Tax Justice Network   ...the richest one percent of Americans will receive the same share of the tax cuts as the poorest 60 percent of Americans...
Labor Groups Pan Walmart Plan to Bring Oversight Approach Used in Bangladesh to the US  The Nation   "...it makes perfect sense that now that they’re facing public relations problems anew around treatment of workers in their domestic distribution system, that they would choose to apply the same public relations scam to that problem that they’ve applied internationally...”
New twist in stricken rig saga: Shell was moving it to avoid tax  The Independent   ...The oil giant will instead suffer a multi-million dollar loss on the exercise after the rig ran aground off the Alaskan coast...
US Army joins battle to save stricken Shell rig  The Telegraph   ...The US Army has been called in to help with the battle to salvage Royal Dutch Shell’s stricken Kulluk Arctic drilling rig, which has now been beached in environmentally delicate waters for nearly a week...
Health Insurers Raise Some Rates by Double Digits  New York Times   ...Health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administration’s health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers...
Army Corps tamps down barge worries on Mississippi  Associated Press   ...Efforts taken to keep a crucial stretch of the drought-starved Mississippi River open to barge traffic should be sufficient to avert a shipping shutdown that the industry fears is imminent, Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard officials said...

Today's Teamster News 11.25.12

With Biggest Strike Against Biggest Employer, Walmart Workers Make History Again  The Nation   ...worker activists and staff organizers have long been talking about it as an escalation, not a climax. While on the picket line Thursday and Friday, workers were already talking about striking again, and hoping that their courage this time would embolden more workers to join in the next...
The Giant Lie Trotted Out by Fiscal Conservatives Trying to Shred Social Security  Alternet   ...Here are five clear reasons why the life expectancy argument is nonsensical, counterproductive and based on a pack of lies...
10,000 anti-austerity protesters march in Dublin against government plans for more cuts, taxes  Associated Press   ...The demonstrators were from a wide range of anti-tax campaigns, labor unions and community groups...
More on the Economic Effects of Superstorm Sandy  Economic Populist   ...Sandy set employment back on it's heels for some time to come...
Poor management, not union intransigence, killed Hostess (opinion)  Los Angeles Times   ...It failed because the people that ran it had no idea what they were doing...
Preventing Armageddon Would Cost Only $100 Million … But Congress Is Too Thick to Approve the Fix  zero hedge   ...well-known physicist Michio Kaku and other members of the American Physical Society asked Congress to appropriate $100 million to harden the country’s electrical grid against solar flares...

Today's Teamster News 07.25.12

The U.S. Economic Policy Debate Is a Sham  Bloomberg   ...The debate in Washington has become completely unmoored from this consensus, and in a particular direction: Angry Republicans have pushed their representatives to adopt positions that are at odds with the best of modern economic thinking. That may be good politics, but it’s terrible policy...
White House warns of $1,600 tax hike on 114M middle-class families  The Hill   ...The Democrat-controlled Senate is expected to vote this week on legislation to extend tax rates only on those with annual income up to $250,000. Senate Republicans are pressing for a separate vote to extend all of the tax rates...
China Continues Push to Control North American Energy  Economy in Crisis   ...A Chinese oil company has purchased  Canadian firm Nexen Inc. for $15.1 billion in cash, expanding China’s ever growing presence in the North American energy market. This deal, if approved, will give the Chinese firm CNOOC Ltd access to oil drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as shale oil reserves in British Columbia...
Ahead Of Voter ID Trial, Pennsylvania Admits There’s No In-Person Voter Fraud  TPMMuckraker   ...The state signed a stipulation agreement with lawyers for the plaintiffs which acknowledges there “have been no investigations or prosecutions of in-person voter fraud in Pennsylvania; and the parties do not have direct personal knowledge of any such investigations or prosecutions in other states...”
Marijuana Dispensaries Banned in L.A. Per City Council Vote  LA Weekly   ... No more weed retailers in the pot shop capital of the nation. Maybe...
Cronyism and Corruption Define Walker’s Reign  The Progressive   ... Start tugging at a thread in that story and the whole tapestry of corporate domination of state policy starts to unravel. It leads everywhere: From the recently awarded federal waiver of the No Child Left Behind law to the imposition of more and more standardized testing in schools; from the initiative to orient K-12 curriculum away from the needs of children and toward needs of employers to the practical elimination of teachers’ unions and catastrophic cuts to education budgets...

Today's Teamster News 07.02.12

Former IRS Official Demands Investigation of ALEC  Roll Call   ..."ALEC has deliberately and repeatedly failed to comply with some of the most fundamental federal tax requirements applicable to public charities,” he wrote. "The information in this submission also suggests, quite strongly, that the conduct of ALEC and certain of its representatives violates other civil and criminal tax laws and may violate other federal and state criminal statutes as well."...
Analysis: Jumping off the fiscal cliff  Reuters   ...Members of Congress from both parties are increasingly mulling the unthinkable: going home in December without acting to avoid the $4 trillion in tax hikes and deep spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff...
Big Banks Have Criminally Conspired Since 2005 to Rig $800 Trillion Dollar Market  zero hedge   ...Barclays and other large banks – including Citigroup, HSBC, J.P. Morgan Chase, Lloyds, Bank of America, UBS, Royal Bank of Scotland – manipulated the world’s primary interest rate (Libor) which virtually every adjustable-rate investment globally is pegged to...
America's Jaw-Dropping Shale Gas Boom Is Starting To Slow Down  Business Insider   ...the growth rate in shale gas production has gone geometric. However, things are showing signs of slowing down...
Gov. Rick Scott presses for prison privatization  Miami Herald   ...The prison system says it has the authority under state law, but the Teamsters Union that represents state correctional officers is threatening a lawsuit...
Tensions Run High in Teamster Communications with City Leaders  Lamorinda Weekly   ...The Orinda City Council and City managers have been receiving an earful from employees and their union representatives since deciding to reorganize several departments...

Today's Teamster News 05.13.12

Big Oil Is Gaming the System to Keep Domestic U.S. Prices High  The Big Picture   ...the U.S. is now an oil exporter, but that Americans aren’t getting reduced oil prices because the oil companies are now pricing the oil according to European metrics...
A Generation Hobbled by the Soaring Cost of College  New York Times   ...Ninety-four percent of students who earn a bachelor’s degree borrow to pay for higher education — up from 45 percent in 1993, according to an analysis by The New York Times of the latest data from the Department of Education...
The worm in Apple (and the US tax code)--offshoring of US Profits  Angry Bear   ...companies offshore their profits to post-office boxes in tax haven countries and claim that the US Is no longer the source of their profits, even though the IP was invented in the US, is still used in the US and still results in most of the sales actually in the US...
U.S. posts first budget surplus since 2008  MarketWatch   ...Last surplus was September 2008, the month Lehman collapsed...
Capitol Report: It didn't take 'divide and conquer' video to sway police union against Walker  The Cap Times   ...although the Walker recall effort was triggered by his repeal of most collective bargaining rights for public workers, job creation is currently the top issue of concern among Wisconsin voters, according to a Marquette Law School poll released last week....
High-ranking Teamsters member is Lincoln County native Charlestown Gazette-Mail   ...High-ranking Teamsters member Ken Hall began working in the oilfields, in and around Lincoln County, for the Pennzoil Company back in 1976...

Today's Teamster News 05.04.12

Mitt Romney Commissioned Pro-America Pins, Made Them In China  ThinkProgress   ...He told a story about the “We Stand United” American flag pins he commissioned for the games, which took place just months after the terror attacks on 9/11. ..Complicating Romney’s patriotic message is the fact that the pins were made in China...
Paul: The High Cost of Our Addiction to China  CNBC   ...Ten years after the United States officially ended its yearly review of China's trade status, no one can credibly argue that China is any freer or more attentive to human rights, nor can they claim the United States is better off economically as a result of our bilateral trade and investment relationship with the People's Republic...
How work boredom is the new stress... and it affects everyone from office workers to those on the Afghan frontline  Daily Mail   ...'We seem to be in a culture of having meetings, which a lot of people find boring. There are a lot of automated systems now, so a lot of the things we do are quite remote. We have more people working night shifts, which are more boring because you've got fewer people to talk to...
T. Boone Pickens: Biggest Deterrent To U.S. Energy Plan Is Koch Industries  Yahoo Daily Ticker   ..."They do not want an energy plan for America because they have the cheapest natural gas price they've ever had, and they're in the fertilizer business and they're in the chemical business. So their margins are huge. And they do not want you to have an energy plan, because if you had a plan, then natural gas prices would come up."...
Economists' Malign Influence on Taxes  Forbes   ...The United States is a plutocracy, with an income and wealth distribution that rivals South America’s worst cases, but economists refuse to acknowledge that these outcomes are attributable to ill-advised public policies on taxation, regulation, trade, and education spending over the last several decades...
Sotheby's 'The Scream' Sale Intensifies Criticism Of Art Handlers' Lockout  Huffington Post   ...The final sale price for the Munch painting included $12.9 million in commission fees for the art house. Teamsters Local 814, which represents the handlers, says the yearly contract for all 42 union members would cost the company $3.3 million...