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.

Dispatch & Photos from WV Mountaineer Workers Rising Rally, March 7

More than 6,000 workers rallied today in front of the West Virginia Capitol, including 1,000 Teamsters and Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall who gave a stirring speech to the packed crowd. Workers vowed to fight state legislators' anti-worker agenda.

Here's more from the press release on Teamster.org:

Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall delivered a rousing speech to thousands of rallying protesters in his home state of West Virginia on Saturday, urging workers to continue their fight against the legislature’s anti-worker agenda currently being pushed by state lawmakers. 

More than 1,000 Teamsters came out to show their support and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in the labor movement. 

“The working people of West Virginia deserve better from our politicians, and we won’t sit back as out-of-state interests try to strip us of our bargaining rights, drive down our wages and weaken job protections,” Hall said to the packed crowd. “All workers deserve dignity and respect, and that’s why Teamsters across the country will be standing with West Virginians to stop this horrible assault on workers.” 

Hall was joined by other national labor leaders including: National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia. 

Union leaders thanked West Virginia workers for their efforts to form a united voice in opposition to lawmakers seeking to establish right to work legislation, roll back coal mine safety protections, lower the prevailing wage and diminish public education. 

“I’ve always believed what’s bad for one union is bad for all unions. Fortunately, workers were ready for this fight months in advance throughout the legislative session,” said Gary Legg, a member of South Charleston, W.Va.-based Teamsters Local 175, noting that Teamsters joined with miners, teachers and building trades members throughout the session as part of a shared fight to stop this harmful legislation. 

“We have fought too hard and too long in the struggle for workers’ rights to become a right to work state. It's time for delegates to realize that West Virginians don't support this agenda. The assault on workers this session is bad for working-class families and it's bad for our economy. It's an assault on the entire state,” Hall said.

We'll have another dispatch from our Teamster on the Ground later this weekend. In the meantime, check out some more scenes from today's powerful rally:

Teamster solidarity with Dutch dock workers helps win back their pensions

Transamerica protest in 2008

A global insurance giant, Aegon, agreed to give back Dutch dockworkers their pension money after a long hard fight that involved the Teamsters and the longshoremen.

The dispute goes back to 2007, when the Dutch Dockworkers Union pension fund was transformed into an insurance company that was bought by Aegon. Aegon decided to steal the dockworkers' money.

The Teamsters were able to pressure Aegon into doing the right thing because many Teamster pension and benefit funds do business with an Aegon subsidiary -- Transamerica, a holding company for investment firms and life insurance companies.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa wrote a stinging letter in 2008 to Aegon's lawyers:

As a result of Aegon's deplorable mismanagement, the dockworkers' hard-earned pension funds are serving as backing for Aegon's own insurance obligations. 

The Teamsters Union condemns Aegon's violation of workers' pension rights and retirement security and stands in solidarity with Dutch dockworkers and the Union, FNV Bondgenoten, in the continuing struggle for justice with Aegon.

Hoffa noted that many Teamsters funds do business with Transamerica, and he pledged to tell all the funds about Aegon's actions. "I urge you to advise Aegon to halt its misappropriation of the funds relegated for the pension benefits of the dockworkers. Such resolution would align Aegon with the values of many of its clients," he wrote.

When nothing happened, Teamsters International Vice President Rome Aloise hosted representatives of the Dutch Dockworkers Union in San Francisco and joined them in a protest outside the Transamerica building. Aloise also sent a letter to the CEO of Aegon.

Aegon finally reached an agreement with the dockworkers, which was announced yesterday.  RTT News reported they would ask a Dutch court to unfreeze the dockworkers' assets. Aegon agreed to pay 80 million euros to the foundation representing the dockworkers and offer more favorable pension terms. Aegon also agreed to contribute up to 20 million euros to the pension fund.

Niek Stam, head of the dockworkers' union, said it was a long and hard fight, but he was deeply grateful to the Teamsters and other unions that pressured Transamerica.

It has been the global character of our campaign that could finally prompt a global insurance giant to settle its conflict about the pension money of dockworkers.

When you fight, you can win.

Today's Teamster News 03.31.14

Teamster News
CCTA strike heads into third week, board to explore options  WPTZ News 5   ...negotiations between management and the Teamsters Union is the top priority, but there are other options to explore. They include legal remedies, such as asking for a judge to step in and file an injunction requiring union members work during the negotiations...
CCTA offers proposal to drivers  Vermont Digger   ...On Friday, March 28, CCTA and the Union engaged in negotiations for over 17 hours. The negotiations resulted in CCTA delivering another complete written compromise contract proposal to the Union...
Trade
Cokie Roberts Picked a Fight With Alan Grayson on the TransPacific Partnership. Guess Who Won?  naked capitalism   ...“Fast Track” legislation simply is a ploy to jam the resulting surrender to multinational corporations through Congress, without hearings, without mark-ups, without amendments and even without significant debate...
State Battles
Raising the Minimum Wage Does not ‘Kill Jobs’ – Preliminary Evidence from 2014  Center for Economic Policy and Research   ...At the beginning of 2014, thirteen states increased their minimum wage…. Goldman Sachs compared the employment change … They concluded that … the group of states that had hikes at the start of 2014 in fact performed better than states without hikes...
Right-to-work takes away employer choice (opinion)  St. Louis Post Dispatch   ... A good wage creates a consumer that with a disposable income that can purchase a good or service from local businesses investing in the local community...
Voters May Decide 'Right to Work' Issue; Controversy Builds  Ozarks First   ...Sen. Eric Burlison, a Republican representing Springfield, says the "Right to Work" bill he introduced may ultimately be decided by Missouri voters...
New G.O.P. Bid to Limit Voting in Swing States  New York Times   ...Pivotal swing states under Republican control are embracing significant new electoral restrictions on registering and voting that go beyond the voter identification requirements that have caused fierce partisan brawls...
The War on Workers
80 percent of U.S. adults face near-poverty, unemployment, survey finds (old)  Associated Press  ...Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream...
A Nation of Takers? (opinion)  New York Times   ...Here are five public welfare programs that are wasteful and turning us into a nation of “takers.” First, welfare subsidies for private planes...
The New Billionaire Political Bosses  Robert Reich   ...So far in the 2014 election cycle, “Americans for Prosperity,” the Koch brother’s political front group, has aired more than 17,000 broadcast TV commercials, compared with only 2,100 aired by Republican Party groups...
United Autoworkers membership grows slightly  Associated Press   ...The United Auto Workers said its membership grew by nearly 9,000 people last year, the union said in a filing with Department of Labor, the fourth-straight year that the union has rebuilt...
Plutocracy without end: Why the 1 percent always defeats the middle class  (opinion)  Salon   ...Plutocracy shocks us every day with its viciousness, but that doesn’t mean God will strike it down. The middle-class model worked much better for about ninety-nine percent of the population, but that doesn’t make it some kind of dialectic inevitability...
Waves of Nationwide Actions Planned at Key Historic Moment  Alternet   ...The #WaveOfAction extends from the day Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated to Independence Day. The campaign will begin with candlelight vigils around the world at the time of MLK’s assassination, which was 7:05 pm EST on April 4...
California Farmers Short of Labor, and Patience  New York Times   ...the powerful Western Growers Association, a group based in Irvine, Calif., that represents hundreds of farmers in California and Arizona, says many of its members may withhold contributions from Republicans in congressional races because of the party’s stance against a comprehensive immigration overhaul...
Miscellaneous
Adelson Wooed by Republican Presidential Prospects at Vegas Meet  Bloomberg   ...Three Republican governors eyeing the White House, including embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, were in Las Vegas yesterday to court Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino owner who could give any of their eventual campaigns a major financial boost...

Momentum building against Fast Track; Thank you, Teamsters!

Our Teamster brothers rallying against Fast Track in Hartford

Tens of thousands of people are taking action to stop politicians in Congress from pulling a fast one and passing a Fast Track bill. Fast Track would make it easier for job-killing trade deals like the TPP to win approval. In fact, it's the only way the TPP will be approved.

Over the past few days, thousands of Teamsters across the country signed a petition, contacted their representative in Congress by phone or email, or participated in the 50-plus rallies in North America. Here's a shoutout to our brothers and sisters from the following Teamsters locals:

• Local 639 from Washington, D.C., rallying in Gaithersburg, Md.
• Local 745 from Dallas, who rallied in Dallas.
• Local 769 from N. Miami, rallying in that city.
• Local 232 in Portland, Ore., rallied outside the Smith Center in Portland before leafletting and meeting with U.S. representatives. 
• Local 597 from South Barre, Vt., rallied in Montpelier (it looked cold, too).
• Local 200 from Milwaukee, Wisc., made phone calls to representatives in Congress. 
• Local 671 from Bloomfield, Conn., rallied in Hartford.
• Local 1150 from Stratford, Conn., rallied in Hartford. 

We're still hearing from locals about their actions over the past few days, so if you have photos or news reports, please let us know. We want to acknowledge all the hard work by Teamsters to defeat Fast Track and the TPP.

We learned about our brothers and sisters in Connecticut from the Hartford Courant,

In Connecticut, a group called Activate CT was joined by members of Move On, Teamsters Local 1150 and Local 671, and others for a rally at the corner of Broad Street and Farmington Avenue on Friday afternoon. ... "This so-called trade agreement has been negotiated in almost total secrecy - it's being kept from the public, the media, and even Congress. However, over 600 'corporate advisors' have free access to the text, and in fact, are even helping to write it. Because of the lack of transparency, a majority of the public doesn't even know about the TPP, and how it will impact their lives."

Here's an example of the momentum building against the bill: Fight for the Future launched a '10 Days of Action' campaign with 30 organizations (including the Teamsters). At the end of 10 days, 100 more organizations had signed up.

Local 769 in Miami.

Even the news media is (finally) starting to wake up to the overwhelming opposition to Fast Track. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's announcement that he opposes Fast Track caught reporters' attention, and now they're realizing the breadth and depth of opposition to these so-called trade deals. In These Times reported:

... the American Jobs Alliance and the United States Business and Industry Council—pro-business groups wary of trade’s impact on America’s national interests—joined with Tea Party Nation and the socially conservative Eagle Forum to rail against the TPP.

The fight is far from over, and we'll be keeping up the pressure on our representatives in Congress to oppose this very bad idea.

If haven't taken action yet, you can email your representative in Congress here or sign a petition here.

Remember, when you fight, you can win.

Today's Teamster News 02.03.14

Rethinking Economics: From the UK, a Global Student Movement Takes Shape  truthout   ...When the financial crisis hit in 2007, economics students at respected institutions around the world found that theories handed down in classrooms failed to explain the reality outside, and an international movement began to demand a change in the way economics is taught...
Maryland Joins Continent-Wide Protests Against the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Unjust Trade  The Real News   ...More than 50 cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada participated...
Globalists Panic; New Details on 'One World' Trade Deal  American Free Press   ...In a clear sign that populist nationalism is a growing force in the western world, United Kingdom (UK) Chancellor George Osborne gave an important address in mid-January in which he called for major European Union (EU) reforms to safeguard member nations’ sovereignty and revive their lackluster economies...
Fast track stopped, but is it dead?  Trade Reform   ...Since 1992, imported goods have been growing three times faster than exports...
Tariff disagreement with U.S. stands in way of TPP  The Japan Times   ...Amari admitted Friday the two allies remain at odds over Japan’s tariffs on five “sacred” farm product categories, including rice. The U.S. is pushing for full removal...
Hated on the Left, the TPP Draws Conservative Foes  In These Times   ...the American Jobs Alliance and the United States Business and Industry Council—pro-business groups wary of trade’s impact on America’s national interests—joined with Tea Party Nation and the socially conservative Eagle Forum to rail against the TPP...
Coming to a Post Office Near You: Loans You Can Trust? (opinion)  The Huffington Post   ...In the same remarkable report this week, the OIG explored the possibility of the USPS offering basic banking services -- bill paying, check cashing, small loans -- to its customers. With post offices and postal workers already on the ground, USPS could partner with banks to make a critical difference for millions of Americans who don't have basic banking services because there are almost no banks or bank branches in their neighborhoods....
After crash, call for closer oversight of truckers  Associated Press   ...A deadly crash in Illinois involving a truck driver accused of staying at the wheel for more than 35 hours without a long enough break prompted a call Thursday for tougher oversight of drivers and trucking companies...
Old idea for new rail safety problem: slow down trains carrying crude  McClatchy   ...The Federal Railroad Administration proposed in October 1970 that trains carrying flammable cargo in tank cars slow to 25 mph through incorporated communities. The proposal was never adopted as a rule...
The "Skills Gap" Is a Convenient Myth  truthout   ...“If there’s a skills shortage, there has to be rises in wages [for skilled workers]. It’s basic economics.” Yet wages in manufacturing—even for skilled workers—are stagnant at best...
The Rise of 'Insourcing' Gives Internet Companies a New Way to Exploit Workers  The Next New Deal   ...These new “insourced” workers are individuals who contract with large Internet-based companies like Uber and Taskrabbit to perform services here in the United States, either at a rate set by the larger company or in a free-for-all bidding war. As contractors, these workers receive very little protection in terms of minimum wage laws or unions, let alone benefits or insurance for the work they do. And their ranks are growing fast...
How Putin's cronies seized control of Russia's Facebook  The Verge   ... In 2011, the oligarch fired two senior managers for publishing anti-Putin photos in an online newspaper that he owns...
Corruption across EU 'breathtaking' - EU Commission  BBC News   ... in some countries public procurement procedures were vulnerable to fraud, while in others party financing was the main problem, or municipal bodies were badly affected. And in some countries patients have to pay bribes in order to get adequate medical care...
Right to Work bad for state  Springfield News-Leader   ...It is not hard to figure out, however, who would benefit from these efforts. The answer is Republican politicians, who believe that unions provide too much support to Democrats, and their own bankrolling supporters — business interests...

Teamsters lead massive PA Statehouse rally against RTW4Less

Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters President Bill Hamilton
and Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord

Thousands of Teamsters are packing the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg today to oppose a paycheck deception bill that would put the state on a path to right-to-work-for-less. They are joined by steelworkers, firefighters, EMTs, police officers, electricians, lunch aides -- you name it.

The Teamsters' good friend Brett Banditelli is tweeting that the highly charged rally is by far the biggest event of 2014. People are stacked up outside, locked out in the cold, as the doors were locked.

"Why do billionaires always try to kill unions when its 0 degrees outside?," asks Brother Banditelli, and he has a point. It's the usual suspects -- sociopath billionaires like the Koch brothers -- who are throwing lots and lots of cash at this anti-worker legislation.

Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters President William Hamilton is speaking to the crowd, along with Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder. Here's what Hamilton is telling Pennsylvania Teamsters about the legislation:

There is no doubt that the passage of HB 1507 dubbed the “Paycheck Protection Bill” would mean that Pennsylvania would move to become the next right-to-work state. The Teamsters can not be silent on this issue.  We firmly believe this bill will be moving very quickly, especially with the significant resources pouring into Pennsylvania from anti-union billionaire contributors that are backing this assault on labor. This bill is strictly designed to bust labor unions and it is being financed by billionaires so they can increase their pocketbooks off the sweat of the hardworking men in women of this great Commonwealth.

The bill would ban public employees from negotiating payroll deduction for union dues, fair share fees, and voluntary political contributions. It attacks school teachers, corrections officers and caregivers. Firefighters and police officers are exempted, but they know they'll be next if the bill passes.

A firefighter stood up before the crowd and said,

We are united to stop the the attacks on Pennsylvania unions.

A police officer agreed:

I am proud to stand with the public sector and private sector who are united.

According to the AFL-CIO, the legislation silences union members' voices to advocate for jobs, improved educational opportunities, quality care for older citizens the sick and disabled and ensuring our communities are safe and protected.

The legislation threatens all workers’ ability to advocate for improved working conditions and safer jobs. Workers attending the press conference will be talking to their State Representatives and State Senators urging them to oppose this legislation and any proposals that silence or weaken the voices of working men and women.

See more photos at the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO's Facebook page here.

Teamsters to take to the Hill for Jobs Not Cuts

The Teamsters Union, other labor unions, and progressive organizations will rally against cuts to vital programs -- Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid --  in Washington, D.C., tomorrow. Instead, millionaires and big corporations should be paying their fair share.

Ken Quinnell at the AFL-CIO Now blog reminds us today of the heavy toll corporate tax avoidance takes on public services:

A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) reveals that state governments lost $39.8 billion in revenues because corporations and wealthy individuals are using offshore tax havens to avoid paying their statutory tax rates. We've seen the devastating effects that offshoring jobs have had on America's workers, and offshoring has long been talked about in terms of lost federal revenue, where $150 billion a year goes unpaid, but little focus has been given to state losses from the practice. Federal and state tax laws allow companies to claim that at least some portion of their profits were earned in other countries, particularly those whose tax rates are low or nonexistent. 

If you're in the Washington, D.C. area on Tuesday please come to Upper Senate Park (Constitution Ave. NW, between New Jersey Ave. NW and Delaware Ave. NE) at noon. You'll hear AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, AFGE President J. David Cox, and middle class workers who depend on the programs that may be on the chopping block.

Wisco protests continue 100 weeks later -- musically

Hard to believe that it was 100 weeks ago that Wisconsin Job-killer Gov. Scott Walker signed his anti-worker bill into law. That was when the Solidarity Sing Along began inside the Capitol, to Walker's unending consternation.

Daily Kos posted a story about the singers called 100 Weeks Later, the Solidarity Sing Along Continues to Protest Loudly and Proudly in the WI Capitol. Wisco Wherls writes,

The faces and songs may change on a daily basis, but the passion is always simmering and the memories of the Uprising of 2011 and the spirit of those who cannot be there are never far from the minds of those in attendance.

The whole thing is worth a read.

More protests in MI as Dems tell Snyder to back off

Local 4 News photo. Nurses protesting RTW4Less today in Lansing.

The Washington Post headline tells the story: “Right to work” push guarantees all out war in Michigan.

Michigan's congressional delegation today told Gov. Rick Snyder to veto the bill as a third day of protests broke out. Tomorrow is expected to bring a historic number of protesters to a Day of Action in Lansing. Already we hear from @Eclectablog that Michigan State Police will be "barricading the City of Lansing" tomorrow. 

Today, we're hearing about a silent protest in Grand Rapids, a rally outside U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek's office in the Upper Peninsula and anti-RTW4Less caroling in Ann Arbor. Nurses just now held a protest on the Capitol steps. ClickOnDetroit.com reports,

Members of the Michigan Nurses Association are protesting right-to-work legislation at the state Capitol by covering their mouths with tape. 

About a dozen nurses stood on the Capitol steps in Lansing on Monday morning. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law. 

Katie Oppenheim, who works at the University of Michigan Health System, says the legislation would leave them with "no security" and "no rights."

Nationwide protests Dec. 10 against cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid

Americans today are working the phones and pounding the pavement to oppose cuts to the safety net. House Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to force a vote on a bill to prevent a tax hike on the middle-class. President Obama says he won't budge on his demand that taxes be raised on the wealthy.

People are working phone banks in Las Vegas, lobbying their congressional representatives in Ohio and holding a visibility in New Hampshire. Some are calling Congress. (You can do it by clicking here.)

As Congress continues to negotiate with President Obama for a budget deal, preparations are being made for a National Day of Action against cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Hundreds of events are planned for Dec. 10.

Yesterday, protesters jammed the atrium of a Senate office building and held a prayer vigil. The Wall Street Journal reports,

About 300 representatives of the faith-based Gamaliel grassroots network and Our DC, a jobs-advocacy group, held a protest and prayer vigil outside the Hart Senate office building Wednesday, urging congressional lawmakers and the Obama administration to ensure they keep the poor from bearing government spending cuts. 

Gamaliel, which says it has a network reaching 1 million people, aims at stopping lawmakers from making cuts to safety-net programs like Social Security. It says tax cuts for high-income earners should be allowed to expire at year’s end, as scheduled, arguing that the wealthy should be required to contribute to deficit reduction.

Today, television ads against cuts to the safety net and education went up in Virginia, Missouri, Ohio and Montana. They were sponsored by the NEA, SEIU and AFSCME.

To find out about an event near you on Monday, click here, here or here.

Today's Teamster News 11.27.12

In 2010, America’s Median Wealth Was At Lowest Point Since 1969  ThinkProgress   ...income inequality has risen in almost every state over the last 30 years and that the middle class has just suffered its “worst decade in modern history.” Unfortunately, many of the jobs created since the Recession don’t pay well enough to make up for the collapse...
Photos Show Walmart Apparel at Site of Deadly Factory Fire in Bangladesh  The Nation   ...NGOs slammed Walmart over a fire that killed at least 112 workers at a Bangladesh factory that supplied apparel for the retail giant...
Why So Secretive? The Trans-Pacific Partnership as Global Coup  truthout   ...Dubbed by many as “NAFTA on steroids” and a “corporate coup,” only two of the TPP’s 26 chapters actually have anything to do with trade. Most of it grants far-reaching new rights and privileges to corporations, specifically related to intellectual property rights (copyright and patent laws), as well as constraints on government regulations...
Greece Kicks The Can For The Third Time - SocGen's Take: "More Will Be Needed"  zero hedge   ...It took the charming three tries for Greece to get its third "bailout", which incidentally does not bail out anyone except the hedge funds...
Scott Walker’s “I am not a crook” moment  Badger Democracy   ...There are several emails that make it abundantly clear that only one of two possibilities is true. Either Scott Walker lied today, or he is an incompetent fool duped by his campaign staff whom he had no control over. You decide…
Red Hook Brewery's parent firm settles with OSHA after probe of fatal accident  Manchester Union-Leader   ...Craft Brew Alliance Inc. has agreed to address numerous violations found by OSHA during a months-long investigation that followed the death of Ben Harris, 26, of Newington...Craft Brew Alliance has agreed to pay fines of $44,500 by Dec. 1, which is a modification of the original penalties totaling $63,500...
Las Vegas Teamsters beat Coke decertification attempt  People's World   ...Coca-Cola's attempt to get rid of the Teamsters and a union contract in Las Vegas fizzled out like so much bad soda...
Teamsters, Jobs with Justice Protest Bill Gates and Republic Services  IBT   ...Sanitation workers ask Bill Gates, primary owner of Republic/Allied Waste, to stop destroying their retirement security...

Today's Teamster News 11.11.12

Noda seizes on TPP as way to steer forthcoming election  Th Asahi Shimbun   ...Charles Lake, the chairman of the U.S.-Japan Business Council ... said it should happen soon. "With U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election, there is the possibility the U.S. administration will accelerate the TPP negotiations next year," said Lake, who is also chairman of Aflac Japan. "It would be desirable if Japan was participating at that time..."
If the Dems got a backbone (opinion)   ataxingmatter   ...Given that the "fiscal cliff" deal doesn't require cuts to social welfare programs, it might be advisable to let the fiscal cliff occur.  Let the spending cuts go through and let the Bush tax cuts expire.  The result will be that we will have taken a much needed first stab at cutting back on the exorbitant military spending that provides rentier profits to the military-industrial complex...
The Gerrymander Triumph  Global Economic Intersection   ...The US house elections have very undemocratic election results in many states, largely in favour of Republicans. In Ohio 52% of the total vote cast gained Republicans 80% of the seats. In Pennsylvania 49% of the vote gave Republicans 72% of the seats...
Sanitation Workers Move Mountains for the City's Recovery  WNYC News   ...While most New Yorkers were trapped at home without mass transit in the aftermath of Sandy, an army of 6,000 sanitation workers had to go right back to their jobs - even though many sustained great losses themselves...
Janitors slated for Christmas layoff swamp City Hall  People's World   ...Hundreds of O'Hare Airport workers slated to lose their jobs just before Christmas marched through City Hall today, chanting and waving banners, flags and signs. The janitors and window washers, holding their brooms, mops and squeegees up high, shouted "Shame Emanuel"...
Spackenkill, Rhinebeck bus talks at critical stage  Poughkeepsie Journal   ...If Teamsters Union Local 445 is unable to come to terms with contractor Durham School Services, the employees are prepared to strike...

Bonus story: David Koch Is the Worst Tipper at 740 Park  Vanity Fair   ...We interviewed a guy who used to work as a doorman at 740 Park. I asked him to rank the tippers at the building, and he said the absolute worst was David Koch...

Today's Teamster News 09.26.12

QE3 = Jobs for Wall St  zero hedge   ...QE3 was basically a program for the Federal Reserve to give money to the banks until Beethoven writes his 10th Symphony. There is no connection to employment whatsoever...
Bacon, pork shortage 'now unavoidable,' industry group says  Los Angeles Times   ..."a world shortage of pork and bacon next year is now unavoidable," according to an industry trade group. Blame the drought conditions that blazed through the corn and soybean crop this year...
IMF says risks remain in financial system as US investors take fright  Guardian   ...A Federal Reserve official's scepticism about the US central bank's efforts to stem the financial crisis alarmed Wall Street on Tuesday, as the International Monetary Fund warned that the global financial system remains as risky as it was before the credit crisis...
Lang says Packers discussed extreme measures on flight home  NBC Sports   ...during the flight home from Seattle, the players discussed the possibility of going on strike — or simply taking a knee on every offensive snap — until the lockout of the officials ends...
Teamsters union rallies to keep jobs intact  Hernando Today   ...some members of Teamsters Local 79 were outside protesting recent personnel decisions. Union steward Dan Oliver expected many of the unionized employees to walk around the building expressing their displeasure over human resources, which he said is engaged in rewriting many of the county personnel job titles and forcing those employees to reapply for their jobs at lower pay scales...
Waste Management to pay $1.24M in settlement over garbage strike  Seattle Times   ...The longest garbage strike in Seattle history has resulted in rebates to customers whose trash wasn't collected, sometimes for as long as 12 days...

Today's Teamster News 09.22.12

Lawmakers may push "fiscal cliff" deadlines into 2013  Reuters   ...Slowly and quietly, the U.S. Congress may be arriving at a consensus on how to avoid falling off the "fiscal cliff" on December 31 - by simply putting off its own deadline for most of the major year-end budget and tax decisions...
The decline of collective bargaining and the erosion of middle class incomes in Michigan  Economic Policy Institute   ...This divergence between pay and productivity and the corresponding failure of middle-class incomes to grow is strongly related to the erosion of collective bargaining. And collective bargaining has eroded more in Michigan than in the rest of the nation, helping to explain Michigan’s more disappointing outcomes...
It’s official: Quebec tuition hikes are history  Canadian Press   ...The tuition increase that triggered such social strife in Quebec was cancelled Thursday during an action-packed first full day in office for the Parti Quebecois government...
Editorial: Electronic voting is the real threat to elections  USA Today   ...While state lawmakers burn enormous energy in a partisan fight over in-person vote fraud, which is virtually nonexistent, they're largely ignoring far likelier ways votes can be lost, stolen or changed...
Concord city employees protest furlough days  KGO-TV   ...Members of teamsters Local 856 agreed to 13 furlough days per year back in 2009, but now they say the city is doing so much better and it's time for the furloughs to end...
CL bus drivers, attendants ink deal  Northwest Herald   ...Teamsters Local 731 represents about 60 bus drivers and bus attendants in Crystal Lake school Districts 47 and 155 employed by the Transportation Joint Agreement...

Today's Teamster News 08.24.12

Household income is below recession levels, report says  Washington Post   ...median income is 7.2 percent below its December 2007 level and 8.1 percent below where it stood in January 2000, when it was $55,470, according to the report...
China Confronts Mounting Piles of Unsold Goods  New York Times   ...The glut of everything from steel and household appliances to cars and apartments is hampering China’s efforts to emerge from a sharp economic slowdown. It has also produced a series of price wars and has led manufacturers to redouble efforts to export what they cannot sell at home.//
Scott says no to more days for early voting  Associated Press   ...Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday flatly rejected any talk of expanding the number of early-voting days in the state prior to this year's presidential election despite a federal court ruling that a new state law could hurt minority participation...
Freedom of the Press dies in Wisconsin  CNNiReport   ...WTDY News reporter Dylan Brogan was barred from covering a Mitt Romney campaign event Wednesday in Madison featuring US Senator Ron Johnson. The event, held at the Monona Terrace, was open to the Press...
Teamsters, carpenters say protest is "for the middle class"  Patriot Ledger   ...100 Teamsters and union carpenters picketed outside the Braintree solid waste transfer station lateThursday morning...They were picketing Callahan Inc. of Bridgewater, the general contractor for a $4 million renovation and improvement to the facility...because the company uses subcontractors who have especially poor labor and job-related records...
Arizona Teamsters File Labor Board Charges Against US Foods  IBT   ...The charges against US Foods include instances of threatening and interrogating workers; issuing unwarranted discipline against union supporters; unilaterally changing work policies and conditions; withholding pay and falsifying company records to discriminate against union supporters; and unlawfully denying employees union representation...

Today's Teamster News 07.31.12

The CEO Plan to Steal Your Social Security and Medicare  Truthout   ...the top executives of some of the country's largest companies are getting together to craft a budget package that they will try to push through Congress and get the president to sign…At the center of their proposal are big cuts in Social Security and Medicare...
Criminals are choosing free room and board over freedom  Financial Armageddon   ..."Some people that are coming to jail are not bonding out because of economics," said Thomas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Steve Jones. "It's cheaper to stay here and to sit for a couple weeks and then go to court."...
There Are 25 Million People Unemployed, Underemployed or Out of the Workforce Altogether and NPR's Presidential Debate Moderator Just Wants to Talk About the Budget Deficit   Beat the Press   ...the deficit is actually shrinking...
Teamsters: Will Republic Airways CEO, Board Show At Shareholder Meeting?  IBT   ...On Wednesday, Aug. 1, Republic Airways Holdings [NASDAQ: RJET] will hold its annual shareholders' meeting in New York City amid worker protests and growing investor concerns about the company's mismanagement and weak governance structure...
Teamsters file suit against ABX Air  Teamsters Local 1224   ...The lawsuit stems from an incident in June, in which an ABX Air captain operating in Japan requested changes to a flight plan after identifying safety concerns. The captain was terminated last week following his refusal to sign a coerced statement that would have required him to acknowledge that his reasons for questioning the flight's safety were invalid and that he had unreasonably used his captain's authority...
Teamsters say no new offer was made to Waste Management  NWCN.com   ...A Teamsters spokesperson on Monday disputed a statement from Waste Management that the union had made a proposal through a federal mediator to end the 6-day-old strike by drivers of the company's garbage and recycling trucks.  Brenda Wiest with Teamsters Local 117 said the union is in frequent contact with the mediator on how to approach the situation, but a formal proposal was never made...