Victory! 13,500 San Bernardino public employees vote to become Teamsters

A huge group of county public employees in California have voted to affiliate with the Teamsters, bringing more than 13,500 new members into the union! San Bernardino County employees are seeking a more secure future and stronger bargaining power as members of the newly-formed Teamsters Local 1932.

From the Teamsters press release:

The workers have voted over the past several weeks and ballots were counted today. About ... percent voted in favor of Teamster representation. The workers had been represented by the San Bernardino Public Employees Association (SBPEA), but they reached out to the Teamsters seeking stronger representation.

San Bernardino public workers provide essential services in hospitals, public works and public health services departments, police departments, and many other positions.

Hoffa welcomed the San Bernardino members to the union:

The Teamsters have the resources, expertise and clout to negotiate the strongest contracts possible. This vote shows that San Bernardino County public employees understand this and want Teamster power at the bargaining table. We have been successful representing public employees across the country, including those employed in cities, towns, counties and public universities, such as the University of California system, Penn State and the University of Minnesota. We expect to be able to help the workers in San Bernardino as well.

Kathleen Brennan, a county Information Services Department employee, said she and her coworkers are happy to have Teamster power at their side:

We know about the Teamsters’ strong track record of winning improved wages, benefits and working conditions for public employees, so this is a great day for us. We look forward to having real Teamster power when it’s time to sit at the bargaining table.

The union has won wage and benefit increases for 14,000 Local 2010 members at the University of California. Teamsters also represent employees at police and fire departments throughout California, and teaching assistants in LA public schools.

Randy Cammack, President of Joint Council 42, said the Teamsters look forward to representing its new members in San Bernardino:

The San Bernardino public employees reached out to us and we are excited to stand shoulder to shoulder with these dedicated public servants in negotiating strong Teamster contracts.

We are thrilled to welcome San Bernardino workers into the Teamster family!

Nevada Teamsters rally against lawmakers' attacks on workers

Teamsters and other union members rallied outside of the Nevada Statehouse last week to protest lawmakers' attacks on workers. For the first time since 1929, Republicans control the Legislature and the governor's office. They are using their power to lower wages, weaken unions and attack the public employee retirement system. 

Business Agent Fran Almaraz from Teamsters Local 631 in Las Vegas tells us Nevada lawmakers say the rallies really do make a difference. The lawmakers love the Teamster truck (who doesn't?), and some even asked for multiple trucks at the next rally!

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on the action:

About 200 demonstrators cheered in the early morning chill when Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, told them to remind lawmakers that voters can remove them from office. 

Demonstrators regrouped for another rally in the afternoon, where they were joined by other lawmakers who pledged their support for worker issues and urged them to take turn their anger into action at the ballot box in 2016. 

Republicans gained control of both legislative chambers in November for the first time in decades, largely because Democratic voters stayed home on Election Day. 

“If you name an issue that helps the middle class, they have a bill to screw it up,” AFL-CIO boss Danny Thompson told the afternoon crowd.

(Nice use of the word 'boss,' eh?)

The Nevada Legislature is assaulting the middle class in several ways:

• Earlier this month, Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law a bill that removes school and university construction projects from prevailing wage laws.
• Another bill would require local governments to publicize details of their proposed contracts with unions at least 10 days before they come up for a vote.
• A third bill would remove the requirement for employers to pay overtime to employees who work more than eight hours in a 24-hour period.
• A fourth bill would let local governments reopen union contracts if tax collections fall by 5 percent compared to the previous year. 
• A paycheck deception bill would forbid local governments from honoring employees' requests to deduct their union dues from their paychecks. 
• Finally, they want to replace the public employee retirement system -- i.e., a guaranteed pension -- with a smaller pension and a 401(k) plan. 

The AFL-CIO's Thompson told The Atlantic that unions don't have the votes to stop the anti-union laws. But, he said,

...there will come a time when these people have to run for reelection, and they’re going to have some explaining to do.

Today's Teamster News 02.05.14

Allegheny County, Teamsters reach tentative contract for road workers  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   ...Teamsters Local Union 249 and the county Public Works Department reached a tentative agreement on a contract Tuesday, according to a statement issued by Teamsters president Joseph Rossi Jr...
Momentum building against Fast Track; thank you, Teamsters!  TeamsterNation   ...Tens of thousands of people are taking action to stop politicians in Congress from pulling a fast one and passing a Fast Track bill...
Corporations See an Income Divide, So Why Doesn’t Congress?  teamster.org   ...Income inequality is an issue that is receiving increased attention, especially after President Obama addressed the matter during his State of the Union speech last week...
Unsealed John Doe filings reveal roots of recall probe  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...From the outset, the probe focused on possible "illegal campaign coordination between (name redacted), a campaign committee, and certain special interest groups," according to a filing signed by the five district attorneys in the case. The campaign committee under the microscope? Almost certainly it's the Friends of Scott Walker, the governor's campaign committee. "Good guess," said one source familiar with the probe. "That's it."...
Scott Walker's big money comes from big donors outside Wisconsin  The Cap Times   ...the governor could at least show a little respect for the intellect of Wisconsinites when he makes claims about the money that he raises — which has, since 2010, tended to come in very large checks from very wealthy people in very distant states such as Texas and Florida...
Right-to-work would be an unnecessary and divisive fight in Ohio: editorial  Cleveland Plain Dealer   ...The divisive measure should not be enacted. Putting aside the likely partisan explosion, Ohio's voters signaled as recently as 2011 that they do not favor such measures...
Fast-Track Opponents Rally Support  Wall Street Journal   ...A coalition opposed to overseas trade agreements is building grassroots support, gathering more than half a million signatures and making tens of thousands of calls to lawmakers to argue against trade legislation in Congress...
Vermont Becomes 12th State With Legislation Targeting NSA Spying  Truthout   ...a transpartisan group of four Vermont state representatives introduced legislation that would block some of the practical effects of mass data collection by the National Security Agency (NSA)...
Trade deal is bad for working Americans (opinion)  Nogales International   ...There are two related issues to worry about. One is the agreement itself, which was written mostly by business lobbyists and helps the corporate bottom line at taxpayer expense. It also harms the environment, weakens labor protections and increases the price of medicines here in the U.S. The other issue to watch is what’s called trade promotion authority, which is often referred to as “fast track.” If the House and Senate approve fast track – and the House and Senate already have bills to do just that – it would make it impossible for members of Congress to offer any changes to the agreement before it’s approved...
Tea Party teams with union leaders to fight Obama’s trade plan  The Hill   ...The groups are at separate poles when it comes to taxes, ObamaCare and who should be the next president, but they agree that making it easier for the administration to negotiate and win congressional approval of trade deals is a bad idea...
The Farm Bill Still Gives Wads of Cash to Agribusiness. It's Just Sneakier About It.  New Republic   ...while the parties argued about how much food to take away from poor people, it’s just as revealing to look at the area where they both agreed. Democrats and Republicans alike have pointed to the repeal of $4.5 billion in annual direct cash payments, a long disfavored policy where farmers received a fixed amount of money for every acre they owned, regardless of whether it was planted...
Only About One-Third of Labor Force Dropouts Will Return  Wall Street Journal   ...Millions of people have dropped out of the labor force since the start of the recession in late 2007, and only about a third of them will come back in the years ahead when the economy is stronger...
Welcome Relief for Homeowners, Then the Tax Bill  New York Times   ...Come tax time, JPMorgan Chase will be able to write off the $1.5 billion in debt relief it must give homeowners to satisfy the terms of a recent settlement. But the homeowners who receive the help will have to treat it as taxable income, resulting in whopping tax bills for many families who have just lost their homes or only narrowly managed to keep them...
USW: Jail nun/nurse was fired for union organizing  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   ...A nun who worked for five years as a registered nurse at the Allegheny County Jail infirmary was fired last week for spearheading unionization efforts, an organizer for the United Steelworkers union said Monday...

Today's Teamster News 02.04.14

Teamsters join thousands in action against Fast Track  TeamsterNation   ...Teamsters, techies and tens of thousands of people took action Friday to oppose a Fast Track bill that would grease the Congressional skids for so-called 'trade deals' like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)...
'Strongest' union head: Put Sanitation plows on the streets, not private plowers  Staten Island Advance   ...(Teamsters Local 631) Union chief Harry Nespoli called the expense of hiring private contractors and paying them to be on stand-by "foolish" and "a waste taxpayer money."...
New York liquor warehousing law in the works, may cost small dealers big  New York Daily News   ...George Miranda, president of Teamsters Joint Council 16, said the bill could create up to 1,000 warehouse jobs in the state. “It is just the right thing to do,” Miranda said...
De Blasio’s horse-carriage ban stalls  Capital New York   ...as the Council holds its second meeting of the new year under the leadership of de Blasio's ally and fellow carriage opponent, Melissa Mark-Viverito, a bill to ban them has yet to appear on the Council's agenda. A spokesman for Mark-Viverito would not say when the bill will be introduced...
YRC announces $300 million debt reduction plan after Teamsters labor agreement  CCJ   ...YRC Worldwide (No. 3 in CCJ’s Top 250) has closed a deal to attempt to reduce its debt by $300 million, per an announcement from the company Jan. 31, in which it will issue $250 million in new stock and convert $50 million in convertible notes to common stock and use the proceeds to reduce its roughly $1 billion of debt...
CN Rail to meet with union over stalled labor deal  Reuters Canada   ...Union members have "a lot of mistrust" with Canada's largest railway, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference General Chairman Roland Hackl told Reuters, and will need assurances that CN will respect rest provisions for workers in the current agreement...
V & V Supremo Workers Benefit from Teamsters Local 703 Contract  teamster.org   ...Represented by the Teamsters since 2001, the workers at V&V Supremo continue to receive annual wage increases, fair and equitable benefits and the protection of the Teamsters’ grievance procedure due to their contract with Local 703...
Teamsters Applaud Green Light for Keystone XL Pipeline  teamster.org   ...Following the U.S. State Department’s analysis that the Keystone XL pipeline project provides a safe and correct process for the transport of Canadian oil to the U.S. Gulf region, the Teamsters Union is pleased that the project, which will directly create 20,000 good jobs for American workers, is one step closer to reality...
Allegheny County workers to strike  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   ...Nearly 50 Allegheny County workers, mainly truck drivers in the Public Works Department, will strike after members of Teamsters Local 249 overwhelmingly voted Sunday to reject the county's proposals for a new contract, their union leader said...
States Are Feeling the Pinch from Lost Unemployment Revenues  teamster.org   ...Americans who want to work but can’t find a job after months of unemployment are being hit hard by the cut off of long-term unemployment benefits by Republicans in Congress. But their epic policy blunder is hurting everyone, even if they don’t realize it...
New National Poll: Voters Blame Lawmakers for Weak Job Growth  Trade Reform   ...By an overwhelming margin, voters say job creation should be a top priority, beating out deficit reduction by a 2-1 margin (65% vs. 31%)...
2014 stock market selloff intensifies  USA Today   ...The financial turbulence that began in emerging markets and engulfed Wall Street intensified Monday, leaving U.S. stock investors bracing for the possibility of the first 10% market drop since 2011...
Wall Street Journal Exposes Entirely New Private Equity Tax Scam  naked capitalism   ...so-called “monitoring fees” that PE firms levy on the companies they’ve bought should actually be recognized as dividends for corporate tax purposes. This is is significant because fees are a tax deductible expense to the companies while the dividends aren’t, so the effect of this ruse is to shortchange Uncle Sam, and hence ordinary taxpayers to the PE funds’ benefit...
A Rash of Deaths and a Missing Reporter – With Ties to Wall Street Investigations  Wall Street On Parade   ...In a span of four days last week, two current executives and one recently retired top ranking executive of major financial firms were found dead. Both media and police have been quick to label the deaths as likely suicides. Missing from the reports is the salient fact that all three of the financial firms the executives worked for are under investigation for potentially serious financial fraud...
Businesses gather more information than they need from consumers  Los Angeles Times ...Strong rules for collection and use of people's personal data should be enacted...
Edward Snowden speaks: US blackout of interview  Jonathan Turley   ... the interview appears to have been blocked intentionally by US government authorities. In fact, the media in the US appears to have gone to ‘radio silence’ about it. … He says his “breaking point” was “seeing Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, directly lie under oath to Congress.”...
Microsoft, Facebook, Google and Yahoo release US surveillance requests  The Guardian   ...Tens of thousands of accounts associated with customers of Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Yahoo have their data turned over to US government authorities every six months as the result of secret court orders, the tech giants disclosed for the first time on Monday.... 
Newly Wary, Shoppers Trust Cash    ...New York Times ...Like dieters vowing to trade cupcakes for carrots, a number of American shoppers are making a new pledge: cash only...
Factory, construction spending data hint at slowing economy  Reuters   ...U.S. manufacturing activity slowed sharply in January on the back of the biggest drop in new orders in 33 years while construction spending barely rose in December, pointing to some loss of steam in the economy...
Calif. Bill Targets Discrimination Against Caregivers  Associated Press   ...If you don't get a job because you're a woman, or you get fired because you're black, or you get transferred to the night shift because you're gay, there's a law for that. But if you're punished at work because you need time to take your child to the doctor or talk to your confused elderly mother, you might be out of luck...
Olive Garden offers free babysitting to increase sales  Philadelphia Inquirer   ...The "Italian dining experience" inspired restaurant chain has worked on revamping its menu, but on Friday is offering something not many other dining establishments offer: free babysitting...
VW Workers to Decide Whether to Join UAW  uaw.org   From Feb. 12-14, Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn., will decide the issue of union representation by the United Auto Workers in a secret ballot election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board...

100 NY Teamsters, pawns in political games, to be laid off 04.03.13

Local 72 members, in solidarity.

One hundred Teamster brothers and sisters from Local 72 will be laid off from their jobs on the New York State Thruway at close of business on Wednesday, April 3.

Marty Latko, the local's president, wrote an impassioned letter about this injustice. We thought we'd share it with you:

Sisters and Brothers:
"These are the times that try men's souls."
Thomas Paine (1737-1809), American revolutionary 

Organized labor finds itself in a time of crisis. Employers want layoffs and givebacks, with nothing given in return. Since when did this become the trade-off for lifetimes of dedicated service? 

The Thruway Authority, under the control of its political manipulators, has been transitioning what was once a totally self-sufficient, user-funded superhighway efficiently staffed by loyal, hardworking New Yorkers, into just another financial burden on the backs of the taxpayers of New York. 

The Canal System was forced on the Thruway Authority in the early 1990's by a governor playing the shell game with State finances. That move has been costing the Thruway somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million annually ever since. 

Despite the Thruway charging significantly less than many other toll roads, the political manipulators have repeatedly rejected reasonable and sensible toll increases, and have even eliminated tolls, all for political gain. 

There have always been the political appointees. We don't have to agree with that, but we get it. However, do you actually keep around high-priced political hacks while you lay off necessary, skilled employees that actually play a daily role in the maintenance, safety and operation of the Thruway? 

Now, the Thruway Authority wants to offset the results of all of those political games. How? For one thing, the State has decided to contribute $85 million to the Authority. All of the taxpayers of New York, whether or not they utilize the Thruway, will now be chipping in for the first time. You can bet that this is just the beginning of taxpayer subsidy for what should have remained a purely user funded operation.

But the most devastating effects of the attempt to offset those political games are going to be felt by the individual loyal, hardworking employees who have been targeted for layoff. The impact on them, and their families, cannot be measured. 

The Thruway Authority claims that layoffs can be averted by giving in to demands that employees contribute 16% toward individual health care coverage and 31% to family coverage. That equates to hundreds of dollars less in each employee's monthly pay. None of us can afford that. If layoffs can be averted, then that must mean that the Authority needs each employee targeted for layoff, because, as everyone knows, employers don't keep unnecessary people on the payroll (with the exception of those political appointees, of course). No doubt, then, that the loss of anyone of those targeted employees is going to result in compromised service and safety for the motoring public. 

Nobody has to use the Thruway unless they want to. There are plenty of alternate routes. But since the 1950's, motorists have been drawn to the Thruway because it has been well-maintained, safe and user friendly. Each of our members is part of that long. history of service to the motoring public by loyal, dedicated workers. Many sacrifices have been made by our members in return for the benefits that they have earned. A politically manipulated Thruway Authority that uses the threat of layoffs to attempt to divide us will not be tolerated.

Fraternally yours, 

Martin A. Latko

President, Teamsters Local 72 

Today's Teamster News 02.16.13

Wal-Mart Executives Sweat Slow February Start in E-Mails  Bloomberg   ...Wal-Mart and discounters such as Family Dollar Stores Inc. are bracing for a rise in the payroll tax to take a bigger bite from the paychecks of shoppers already dealing with elevated unemployment...
Warren terrifies bankers  Politico   ...Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) generated serious fireworks in her first big Senate Banking Committee hearing, asking tough questions of regulators, repeatedly peppering them to identify the last time they brought a big Wall Street institution to trial rather than settling. There were no real answers...
Media campaign against windfarms funded by anonymous conservatives  The Guardian   ...Secretive funding network channelled millions to stop state governments moving towards renewable energy...
Big Corporations Put Up Seed Funding For Republican Dark Money Group  Pro Publica   ...Some of the nation's biggest corporations donated more than a million dollars to launch a Republican nonprofit that went on to play a key role in recent political fights...
Florida's prison privatization isn't paradise (opinion)  Hernando Today   ...when I think of privatizing prison health care, I visualize Robert Boggon — naked, strapped to a chair, alone and not realizing during his last few hours alive where he was...
No funds after '13 for right-to-work law hires  Detroit News   ..."I think it just goes to prove the point that we were making throughout that the appropriation was there for one purpose and one purpose only and that was to make the policy referendum-proof," said Whitmer, D-East Lansing...
Michigan man launches petition to change state Constitution  The Times-Herald   ... Detroit-area man plans to launch a petition drive to amend Michigan’s Constitution, aiming to close a loophole that allows laws — like right-to-work — to be immune from a repeal by voters...
Missouri proponents of right-to-work bills get set to strike in General Assembly  Kansas City Business Journal   ...Backers of right-to-work legislation in Missouri are confident they can strike down compulsory union membership by the end of the year...
Missouri voter photo ID requirement clears House  Kansas City Star   ...A renewed effort to force Missouri voters to show photo identification cleared the Republican-controlled House on Thursday, but its chances of swiftly advancing beyond that appeared uncertain after the GOP Senate leader said the issue isn't a top tier priority...
Legislature OKs Raise For State Employees  Associated Press   ... Tens of thousands of (Minnesota) state employees will soon get a 2 percent raise...
Secret organization infiltrated Montana Legislature  Hungry Horse News   ...Republican Reps. Scott Reichner and Mark Blasdel are attempting to influence the Montana House of Representatives in the 2013 session of the Montana Legislature by advancing model bills that have been crafted by ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council...
Minimum wage question goes to voters in November over Republican objections  Newark Star-Ledger   ...If voters approve the increase, the wage floor would rise from $7.25 an hour to $8.25. A yes vote would also amend the state constitution to trigger automatic cost-of-living increases every year...
Kane’s rejection of Corbett’s lottery plan sets off fireworks  philly.com   ...Her decision set off a scramble by the administration to find ways to salvage its first major attempt at privatizing state services. It also offered a glimpse of what life for Corbett could be like for much of the next two years...
Grover Norquist cautions Wisconsin's GOP lawmakers  The Cap Times   ...It is imperative that Wisconsin lawmakers continue to take proactive steps to keep the state competitive. A new tax on mining is something the state simply cannot afford."...

Meet the unions putting on the Super Bowl

The central players in the Super Bowl on Sunday -- the Ravens and the 49ers -- are union members. They belong to the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Thousands of other union members all play key roles in the extravaganza.

Our brother and sister Teamsters from Local 270, for example, will serve hot dogs, draw beer and staff the New Orleans Saints team store.

The AFL-CIO Now blog tells us more:

(The players) share a bond with the men in the striped shirts—members of the NFL Referees Association. During the past two years, both have been locked out by NFL owners. 

The announcers, camera operators, technicians and other hardworking folks who are bringing the game to the big flat-screen TV in your home or favorite watering hole are members of SAG-AFTRA, Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA (NABET-CWA), Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Laborers (LIUNA) ... 

The half-time spectacular ... is made possible by the skills of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the talents of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) and other performing artists...

The AFL-CIO adds that skilled workers from the the Southeast Louisiana and Louisiana State Building and Construction Trades councils rebuilt the Mercedes-Benz Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

And firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other New Orleans city workers are members of the Fire Fighters (IAFF) and AFSCME. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) members operate many of the buses and trolleys that are shuttling fans around town.

Read the complete story here.

Today's Teamster News 01.28.13

(UPDATES to add 2 items about auto industry expansion in grafs 2-3)
U.S. Income Inequality Worse Than Many Latin American Countries  Huffington Post   ...More than 50 million people joined the ranks of the middle class in Latin America over the last 15 years...
GM to announce expansion of Kansas assembly plant  Detroit News   ...a local government in Kansas approved $120 million in revenue bonds last September to finance a proposed 400,000-square-foot addition to the paint shop...
Auto suppliers gear up for hiring surge in 2013  Detroit News   ...About 476,000 people work for automotive parts suppliers in the U.S., and those companies are expected to add about 44,000 jobs this year...
California unions grow, bucking U.S. trend  Los Angeles Times   ...California and a few nearby states in the Southwest are showing a vastly different picture — labor's ranks are on an upswing. The Golden State's union organizers signed up more than 100,000 new members last year...
Promises Of Charity Won Tax Breaks for Tech Companies  Buzzfeed   ...Twitter and six other San Francisco tech companies are set to receive sizable tax breaks from the city in exchange for non-binding promises to make charitable contributions totaling, in many cases, just tens of thousands of dollars — along with promoted tweets for local groups. The tax deal also includes promises to volunteer in the community and patronize local businesses...
Reporting Factory Farms Abuses to Be Considered "Act of Terrorism" If New Laws Pass  Alternet   ...How do you keep consumers in the dark about the horrors of factory farms? By making it an "act of terrorism" for anyone to investigate animal cruelty, food safety or environmental violations on the corporate-controlled farms that produce the bulk of our meat, eggs and dairy products. And who better to write the Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act... than  ... the corporate-funded and infamous American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)...
Despite their clout, Oregon's public-sector unions face tough fights in 2013 Legislature  The Oregonian   ...Gov. John Kitzhaber, who almost certainly would not have eked out his narrow 2010 victory without union aid, is pushing legislators to cap the rise in public employee retirement benefits to put more money into schools...
Teamsters approve two-year pact with newspapers  Philadelphia Inquirer   ...The Teamsters local at The Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News overwhelmingly approved a new two-year labor contract with Interstate General Media that allows for continued publication of the two newspapers, the head of the union, John Laigaie, said...

Today's Teamster News 01.10.13

Hilda Solis Resigns  Talking Points Memo   ...Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis is stepping down, having served since 2009...
Americans less healthy than others  AFP   ...Americans are in worse health, die earlier and suffer from more disease than residents of other wealthy nations, according to a new study out Wednesday...
Wal-Mart teams with UPS to fight Amazon  The Slant   ...Big-box giant offers same-day delivery to fend off e-commerce nemesis...
AIG Generously Decides Not To Sue The Country That Bailed It Out  zero hedge   ...American International Group Inc.'s directors decided Wednesday not to participate in a lawsuit that accuses the U.S. government of taking advantage of the company in its rescue from the financial crisis...
A dozen inmates from controversial work release facility sent back to prison  Tampa Bay Times   ...A dozen inmates living at a Goodwill-run work release center were sent back to prison this week after state authorities conducted a surprise security audit...
State ranked 42nd in job creation at midyear, census report shows  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...The data, which covers the 12 months from June 2011 to June 2012, shows that Wisconsin's position worsened from a rank of 37 in the previous period from March 2011 to March 2012...
Horizon Air, Teamsters Ratify Six-Year Contract  Benzinga   ...Horizon Air and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced today that the carrier's 610 pilots ratified an agreement to extend the current contract for three years, creating a new six-year pact. Among pilots who voted, 77 percent approved ratification...
Teamsters Hail Fact-Finder's Report To End Concord Furloughs, Raise Pay  Local 856   ...City workers' union urges city council to take control of the process...

Today's Teamster News 12.23.12

Don’t cut a deal that cuts Social Security (opinion)  The Nation   ...“They will cut Social Security not openly but by stealth — through a cruel cut known colloquially as the chained CPI...”
Fiscal Fail: Government Agencies Plan Few Significant Changes For January, Despite Cliff Hype  Huffington Post   ...for the vast majority of the population, life on the other side of the cliff will be no different than life on this side. Those most likely to get hit, however, are the jobless, who would see unemployment benefits cut off. (They would be eligible for back benefits once a deal is cut...
Failing to Prosecute White Collar Crime Guarantees a Weak and Unstable Economy … and Future Financial Crashes  The Big Picture   ...Failing to prosecute criminal fraud has been destabilizing the economy since at least 2007 … and will cause huge crashes in the future. After all, the main driver of economic growth is a strong rule of law...
Canada Clears $15 Billion Chinese Takeover of an Energy Company  TradeReform   ...Canada on Friday allowed a Chinese state-run oil giant to move forward with $15 billion takeover of a domestic energy company, but the government indicated that such deals might not pass muster in the future....
A Battle In Michigan For The American Dream (opinion)  The Seattle Medium   ...Workers won’t take this assault quietly, nor should they...
California high-speed-rail brawl hits House floor  Politico   ...At issue is a House provision adopted in late June on a highly partisan vote triggered by the California Republican delegation. It would bar any new federal money from going to the Brown-backed California High-Speed Rail Authority...
Postal workers continue hunger strike against proposed delivery cuts  The Hill   ...Six former and current postal workers, part of a group called Communities and Postal Workers United, are calling the strike “six days starving to save six-day delivery.” Their goal is to stop Congress from reducing postal delivery to five days a week...
Formal Reprimand Issued To Flatulent Federal Worker  The Smoking Gun   ...The employee is being represented in connection with the reprimand by a lawyer for his union, AFGE Local 1923...

Teamsters fight against furloughs for City of Concord workers

This morning, in Concord, Calif. Resistance fighters in the War on Workers.

Our brothers and sisters who work for the City of Concord came to work today to protest of the first of 13 unlawfully mandated furlough days.

Local 856, to which they belong, explained the voters of Concord passed a measure two years ago that raised city revenue to maintain and protect their municipal services. But the city is ignoring the voters’referendum. Today it forced city services to be shut down.

Reports Local 856:

The City’s own budget projection includes sizable surpluses; however it is still forcing furlough days and cutting city services. City employees maintain that in some cases, furloughs actually exacerbate costs by increasing the amount of overtime the city must pay other employees to cover essential functions.

The workers answer 911 calls,repair and maintain city streets, monitor water and sewer lines, keep city parks safe and clean, issue business licenses and building permits, process background checks, subpoenas,restraining orders and impounded cars and many other public services.

Local 856 is currently in negotiations with the city and headed to fact-finding next month.

Stand strong, brothers and sisters!

Solidarity from celebrities on Sun.

We're thrilled by the solidarity our brothers and sisters in the Screen Actors Guild showed last night at the SAG Awards. 

Julianna Margulies received an award for her work playing Alicia Florrick on "The Good Wife" television series. In her acceptance speech, she thanked the Teamsters for digging New York out of the snow. Seriously. This is what she said, according to, USA Today:

"Thank you, New York for keeping us -- and thank you to all the Teamsters who've been digging us out of the snow for the last two weeks."

We'd like to thank Margulies for reminding people that it wasn't the city employees who caused the hole in New York City's budget that caused the layoffs that made it harder to remove the snow over Christmas.

Melissa Leo, who received a "Best Supporting Actress" award for her performance in "The Fighter," also gave a shout out to unions. According to Associated Content, she said

Unions made this country great because it gives the voice to the working people.

Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock won best comedy actor in a series. He also thanked the Teamsters.

Thank you to the Teamsters. When you work in New York and you've got to go to work ... you don't want to take a cab or the subway. It's very nice to have these people to drive us to work every day.

Of course Baldwin said he was compelled to thank the Teamsters. He was just joking, folks.

Today's Teamster News 01.13.11

St. Louis County's Teamsters Could Go On Strike  Duluth News Tribune   ...The Teamsters, which represents 170 county employees, are one of five county bargaining units that have been without a contract since since Dec. 31, 2009...
United Parcel Service Delivers Relief  eMoney Daily   ...United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) has decided to partner with the American Red Cross to provide humanitarian relief...
Teamsters Applaud New Public Printer Boarman  IBT   ...The Government Printing Office (GPO) ...has a new chief, William Boarman. More than 1,000 employees of the GPO are represented by the Graphic Communications Conference (GCC)...
FedEx Takes on UPS with Long-Range China Jets  Bloomberg News   ...“If you’re an international logistics provider, which they both are, you’ve got to be big in China...
Lawmaker proposes strict vetting of planned Keystone XL oil pipeline  Lincoln Journal Star   ...Dubas introduced legislation (LB340) on Wednesday that would require oil pipeline companies such as TransCanada, which wants to build the XL, to go through a complex permit process overseen by the state Public Service Commission...
Calif. to cancel cell phone service for thousands of government workers  KDRV-TV News  ...Just days after taking office, Brown announced he will be eliminating phone service for over 48,000 government workers...
Auto Rebound Pays Dividend to Work Force  New York Times  ...The sweeping overhaul and surprising recovery of the American auto industry is about to pay off handsomely for the blue-collar workers at Ford and General Motors...the payouts — expected to top $5,000 at Ford...
Our Country is in Serious Trouble (opinion)  Economy in Crisis  ...We have sold 16,613 of our best companies in the past 30 years, increasing the number of American registered foreign owned companies in the U.S. When we work for foreign owned companies, the technology and the profits go overseas...

Today's Teamster News 01.10.11

Right-to-work laws not seen as employment-maker (Opinion)  Joplin Independent   ...In fact, the highest current unemployment in the country, Nevada, is 14.3%, and Nevada is what I call a “right-to-work-for-less state”...
Gingrich seeks bill allowing state bankruptcy to avert bailouts  Pensions & Investments   ...Move afoot to help states escape benefit obligations...
Pentagon Must ‘Buy American,’ Barring Chinese Solar Panels  New York Times   ... The military appropriations law signed by President Obama on Friday contains a little-noticed “Buy American” provision for the Defense Department purchases of solar panels — a provision that is likely to dismay Chinese officials...
Small Leak Shuts Down Oil Pipeline in Alaska  New York Times   ... A small oil leak ...could lead to higher oil and gasoline prices in the short term and deliver a new blow to the reputation and fortunes of the British oil giant BP...
Deepening crisis traps America's have-nots  (Opinion)  The Telegraph   ... The US is drifting from a financial crisis to a deeper and more insidious social crisis...

The shameful attack on public employees, USA 2011

Memphis, 1968: National Guard and striking workers.

Many have forgotten -- or never knew -- that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated while in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. It was only after King was murdered that city officials came to their senses and recognized Local 1733 of AFSCME as the bargaining representative for the sanitation workers.

Peaceful strikers were gassed, beaten, dragged and arrested by Memphis police. Eventually the workers, carrying nothing more picket signs, were confronted by National Guardsmen in tanks, wielding rifles and bayonets.

America's long history of attacking labor unions is repeating itself today with attacks on government workers. Robert Reich in a recent Huffington Post mentions the Memphis sanitation strike as he reviews criticisms of government workers. He writes,

It's ... convenient to go after people who are doing the public's work -- sanitation workers, police officers, fire fighters, teachers, social workers, federal employees -- to call them "faceless bureaucrats" and portray them as hooligans who are making off with your money and crippling federal and state budgets.

Reich points out that dishonest attacks on government workers support the lie that our economic problems result from government that's too big. He sets the record straight: 

...over the last fifteen years the pay of public sector workers has dropped relative to private-sector employees with the same level of education. Public sector workers now earn 11 percent less than comparable workers in the private sector, and local workers 12 percent less.

He also notes that public pensions -- like private-sector pensions -- are underfunded because of investment losses in the Great Recession, not because too many retirees are taking too much money.

After a career with annual pay averaging less than $45,000, the typical newly-retired public employee receives a pension of $19,000 a year. Few would call that overly generous. And most of that $19,000 isn't even on taxpayers' shoulders. While they're working, most public employees contribute a portion of their salaries into their pension plans. Taxpayers are directly responsible for only about 14 percent of public retirement benefits. Remember also that many public workers aren't covered by Social Security, so the government isn't contributing 6.25 of their pay into the Social Security fund as private employers would.

Reich's essay was published almost simultaneously with The Guardian's terrific explanation of how unions are taking the heat for the finance industry's blunders. Paul Harris writes,

What is perverse about this trend is just how vastly it misunderstands what went wrong with the American economy...the fundamental truth remains: powerful and reckless unions did not cause the Great Recession by rampant speculation. Nor did an out-of-control labour movement cause or burst the housing bubble. It was not union bosses who packaged up complex derivatives to sell in their millions and thus wrecked the economy and put millions out of work. Nor was it union bosses who awarded (and continue to award) themselves salaries worth hundreds of millions of dollars for doing nothing of social value. Neither was it the union movement that was bailed out by the taxpayer and then refused to change its habits.

All that was the work of the finance industry.

Harris praises unions for their flexibility in sacrificing wages to preserve jobs. But the inflexible banking industry,

...where true and meaningful reform has failed to happen, still squeals as if President Obama were a raving socialist. ..In fact, American bankers and big corporations are flush with cash and generous tax breaks and back to most of their old habits (like grotesque bonus payouts, refusing to loan money and offshoring jobs and profits)...

Never, he wrote, "has demonising the labour movement and the hardworking Americans it represents seemed more out of place."

Amen, brother. 

VIDEO: The shameful attack on public service workers, CA, OH, MI, 2011

Here's a thought: if state governments got the same bailout that Wall Street did, they wouldn't have any budget problems.

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...

Let's try to remember it was Wall Street that blew the hole in state budgets

The attacks on government workers get worse every day. Several newly elected Republican governors, including Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Ohio's John Kasich, clearly want to abrogate public employee contracts.

Dave Johnson recently offered some perspective:

Congress just passed tax cuts for the rich along with a huge cut in the estate tax, Wall Street bonuses are up, corporate profits are the highest ever, the top 1% are taking home a higher percentage of all income, and sales of luxury items are breaking records.

Johnson listed 10 holiday season assaults on government workers, including Michigan's new governor Rick Snyder cutting public sector spending and he execrable George Will arguing against giving California a federal bailouts on pensions.

The blogger naked capitalist reminds us:

But what conveniently lost is….what exactly blew a gaping hole in state and local budgets? Let’s see, a big fall in tax receipts, mainly due to the fall in housing prices and the rise in unemployment, which were both the result of the financial crisis. But no, let’s not assign any blame to the plutocrats or their political operatives, let’s focus on the workers instead.

WA Teamster prison workers march on capitol

Today in Olympia our brother and sister Teamsters protested job and program cuts by the Washington State Department of Corrections. It's the latest in a series of actions by Local 117 on behalf of 6,000 workers at Washington State prisons. 

Hundreds of correctional employees converged on the Statehouse to demand safety, dignity, and respect for Washington State prison workers and their families.

According to Local 117's press release:

"We are no less important than the police who patrol our streets and keep us safe, no less important than the firefighters who run into the burning buildings to save our loved ones," said Carl Granger, a correctional officer at the Monroe Correctional Complex, who spoke at the rally.

"We will fight any cuts that pose a threat to the safety of brave men and women who work inside our state's prison system," said Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Tracey A. Thompson. "Your actions here today send a powerful message to the legislature that we are united in defending our rights to a safe work environment."

On Nov. 17, they picketed the Monroe Correctional Complex.

 

Bank ripped off states, cities, pays $137 million

Some men rob you with a six-gun, some with a fountain pen



Here's someone new to blame -- the banks, not public service employees -- for the financial mess that state and local governments find themselves in.

Bank of America is paying $137 million because it ripped off hundreds of U.S. counties, towns, school districts, transit systems and airport authorities. The bank rigged bids for municipal bond financings, which ultimately cost taxpayers millions.

Federal prosecutors said the Bank of America scandal is only the tip of the iceberg. Christine Varney, the head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, told reporters

Stay tuned to this channel -- I think you will see a lot more activity in the coming weeks and months. We are committed to getting restitution, full restitution, to all the municipalities that were victims of this scheme.

Bank of America stole from so many different institutions that officials haven't figured out yet who all gets a piece of the $137 million. We do know that Pennsylvania schools, cities, airports and transit systems will get a share. Reports the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Besides the $2 million for Montgomery County, from the bank's role in a 2001 bond sale, it is also paying $1.1 million to Downingtown Area School District, for bond issues in 2001 and 1998; $321,000 to Chester County from a 2001 bond issue; and $34,500 to the North Penn School District from a 1999 deal, according to the $9 million settlement between the bank and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, BofA's main regulator.

Also, Bank of America will pay $331,000 to New Jersey Transit Corp., stemming from a 2002 bond issue, as part of its $36 million settlement with SEC.

And the bank will pay a total of $4 million to Philadelphia, the city airport and its parking authority, SEPTA, and more than 100 other Bank of America clients across Pennsylvania as part of a $67 million settlement with attorneys general in 20 states...

Stay tuned.