14-city protest against the Kochs today

Protesters rallied against the Benedict Arnold Koch brothers in 14 cities today, mostly to oppose their rumored purchase of 10 major newspapers but also to demand they clean up their mountain of petroleum coke next to the Detroit River.

Nearly half a million people signed petitions opposing the brothers' takeover of the Tribune newspaper chain, which includes the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, the Hartford Courant and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The protests are backed by a coalition of union, good-government and environmental groups.

They gathered in midtown Manhattan in front of the offices of an investment firm that owns 9.4 percent of the chain.  Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal spoke; they directed of the 2013 documentary about the Wisconsin uprising called "Citizen Koch." The film was intended for PBS, but lost its funding over fears it would anger the David Koch.

Today marked the biggest protest yet against the sale of the newspapers to the billionaire brothers. Hundreds have protested the sale of the Los Angeles Times in downtown LA and Beverly Hills, while smaller rallies were held previously in Chicago and Orlando.

In Detroit, protesters wore masks and held signs demanding they remove the huge uncovered pile of petroleum coke blowing into the Detroit River. Good Jobs Now has photos on its Facebook page, with the message:

The Koch Brothers are busy trying to buy up many of the nation's newspapers, but they should be more concerned with cleaning up their mess! The are the owners of many 3 story high mounds of petroluem coke, which is blowing into the Detroit River.

In Philadelphia, a community organizing group sent an email:

The Koch brothers’ political agenda includes de-funding education, privatizing Social Security, overturning the new healthcare law, eliminating the minimum wage, attacking evidence of global warming, and destroying unions. Now, they are trying to purchase media properties in the hope of influencing public opinion.

Protests were also held in Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Baltimore, St. Louis, Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., Houston, Boston and Denver.

Teamster congressman disturbed by DC obsession with money

Rick Nolan worked his way through college as a UPS Teamster and now, for the second time, represents Minnesota's 8th Congressional District. He served for three terms in the '70s, went back to farming, and returned to Washington in January after an absence of 32 years.

He's shocked by the changes since then. He finds that members of Congress don't know each other, don't pass legislation that matters and spend four hours a day raising money. Nolan finds the obsession with raising money "distasteful."

The Boston Globe reports,

Almost immediately after new members got into office, Nolan says, the DCCC began coaching them on fund-raising. A schedule from that session showed that they should spend four hours each day asking for money – more time than any other activity and more than twice the amount of time they should be spending debating issues on the House floor or hammering out legislation in committees. 

Nolan says he understood the impulse — the candidate with the most amount of money typically wins — but he was taken aback. He says he’s been reprimanded by Democratic leadership for not raising enough money. He says he has not set foot in a call center that the DCCC set up near Congress, where cubicles are lined up so that congressmen can come in and dial their donors without using congressional resources. 

“It helps dictate the ultimate decisions around here. We have a saying out in the country, ‘Who pays the fiddler gets to pick the tune,’ ” Nolan says. “Not only does it take away time from governance, but it has an equally adverse tendency to corrupt and pervert the public policy process.”

 Welcome to the plutocracy.

Tell NJ Senate: Crack down on abusive employers (like FedEx Ground) now

Tomorrow, New Jersey state senators will vote on a bill to crack down on employers who illegally misclassify drivers in the motor trucking industry. That includes employers FedEx Ground.

These bad actors call their workers independent contractors despite treating them as employees. The workers are denied basic workplace rights, like protections under OSHA and the Federal Labor Relations Act. They're forced to pay out-of-pocket for all of the costs of their jobs, like uniforms and equipment. 
These drivers even have to ask employers for vacation time, despite being called independent.

The New Jersey Assembly has already voted to end the misclassification of truck drivers. Teamsters came out in strong support of the measure. Many lawmakers were contacted and urged to vote for the bill.

Now, we need help from New Jersey Teamsters more than ever. Please send an email asking your state senator to vote yes on S-1450.

FedEx is lobbying hard against the bill:

FedEx has also come out swinging against the measure, which specifically includes drayage truck operators and package delivery drivers. Drayage trucking involves the short-distance transportation of goods.

These bad-acting employers get the best of both worlds; control of abused workers while saving millions of dollars in workers compensation and unemployment benefits.   And when these employers are allowed to cheat they put law abiding companies at a competitive disadvantage and bring down standards for all workers.

Join thousands of other Teamsters today and tell your Senator to support S-1450. Just click here and send an email to support S-1450: The Truck Operator Independent Contractor Act. The email says, in part: 

...the legislation ... would crack down on employers who intentionally misclassify drivers and cost the state millions of dollars every year. This practice, which the state has deemed a “serious injustice” to workers, costs the state millions annually in unpaid income and unemployment taxes as well as unpaid workers compensation premiums. Meanwhile, these misclassified drivers are left unprotected by some of the most basic work place rights, like OSHA and even the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Don't delay! Just click here to send the email today!

This is what we union thuggs do in pink feather boas and sunglasses

We raise almost $10,000 for cancer research.

Women’s Committee of Joint Council 25 raised almost $10,000 for the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer research and support fund at the Inaugural Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Park Ridge, Ill., earlier this month. 

Our sisters recruited nearly 200 participants, making them the top fundraising team at the walk. 

The marchers decked themselves out in pink feather boas, flashy hats and snazzy sunglasses as they were encouraged by children and cheerleaders.

Although this was the first American Cancer Society walk held in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, the 3.1 mile trek raised more than $70,000 – exceeding fundraising goals by more than $20,000.

The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 234,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. So it's not surprising that many participating Teamsters had a personal connection to  the disease. For many participants, Teamster support in this year’s march demonstrates how important the issue continues to be. 

Leo Watkins from Local 700 said the march is a great way to make a difference in people's lives.

This march is a way of telling people that have this sort of illness that people support them, and to give them hope.

Carrie Sapienza, a machinery operator from Local 727, said the march was a way for the Joint Council and the Women's Committee to say that women are important too.

It's about unity, it's about solidarity. We've all got the same goal that everyone else has. We're not going away. If we show up to one of these things, it shows that we aren't going anywhere.

In previous years, local Teamsters participated in the Y-ME National Breast Cancer ­Organization walk in downtown Chicago, but changed organizations after that walk was cancelled earlier this year. After their rousing success, the Women’s Committee is already planning bigger and better participation in next year’s efforts.

Remember, THUGGS stands for "Those Helpful Union Guys and Gals."

'Made in USA' store inspired by book about low-wage work

What a great idea -- a traditional general store that sells only products made in the U.S.A.

Norton's USA in Barrington, Ill., has been selling American-made products for six years with the intention of keeping the country working.

The owner was inspired to start  because of a book:  Nickel And Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. Here's Amazon's reveiw:

...how does anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich left her home, took the cheapest lodgings she could find, and accepted whatever jobs she was offered. Moving from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, she worked as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing-home aide, and a Wal-Mart sales clerk. She lived in trailer parks and crumbling residential motels. Very quickly, she discovered that no job is truly "unskilled," that even the lowliest occupations require exhausting mental and muscular effort. She also learned that one job is not enough; you need at least two if you int to live indoors.

manufacture this tells us Norton's proprietor (and actress) Deborah Leydig says her inspiration for launching Norton's U.S.A. came after after portraying Barbara Ehrenreich in a stage adaptation of the book..

Leydig began to research made in U.S.A. products and was upset to "learn how many jobs had been shipped overseas." 

She explains that Norton's U.S.A. was born from a mission "to keep America working."

The store sells clothes, pet supplies, toys, housewares and flags and patriotic decor:

At NORTON'S U.S.A., we sell only products made in the United States! 

We wanted to do something positive to support the American worker and the American manufacturer, so we have spent the last ten years researching American made goods. 

We have over 425 manufacturers from around the country and we add new companies everyday. 

BUY American Made Products with ease. 

When you shop at NORTON'S U.S.A., you help keep America working!

Watch a short video about the store here.

Walker to fill Koch brothers' sandbox in WI

The Benedict Arnold Koch brothers spent a lot of money propping up Job-killer Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker during his recall election last year. Now the governor is returning the favor.

Walker wants to use the state's limited budget dollars to invest in the state's sand industry. Why? Because Wisconsin's sand is a key component in the natural gas extraction process known as fracking. And guess what two ultra-rich brothers are sinking some of their sizeable wealth in fracking? Yeah, you know.

As detailed in the Capital Times:

Wisconsin, along with neighboring Minnesota, has some of the best frac sand in the continent, and Koch Industries is heavily invested in natural gas extraction using a technique known as hydraulic fracturing.

The type of silica sand found in Wisconsin is mixed with water and chemicals, then injected at high-pressure into bedrock to help bring natural gas deposits to the surface.

This proposed legislative gift is just the latest example of how the Kochs are using their dollars to help bend the state to their own purposes. Besides funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), politicians and a number of state stink tanks, they are rumored to be suitors for the Tribune Company, which includes the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun.

The Kochs claim to be "libertarians," while they are really corporate predators. As Middle Class Political Economist points out recently, they've accepted at least $73.1 million in government handouts over the last six years:

Flagship Koch Industries has taken over $16.5 million in subsidies from 11 different awards, none of which are sales tax breaks (which generally are not subsidies). 

Subsidiary Georgia Pacific has received 72 subsidies worth over $43.9 million (none of these were sales tax breaks). 

Subsidiary Flint Hills Resources LP has received subsidies from Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and Michigan, according to the Good Jobs First Subsidy Tracker; the New York Timessubsidy database, which omits Michigan but includes one more Iowa subsidy, puts the value of the Iowa and Kansas subsidies alone at just over $12.5 million (again, none of which were sales tax breaks). 

Subsidiary INVISTA has received $217,504 in training grants from South Carolina, according to Subsidy Tracker. Several other subsidies appear to be connected to this subsidiary, but none have available subsidy amounts. Again, none were sales tax breaks.

Meanwhile, Gov. Walker has other reasons for crafting a budget that provides help to the sand industry. This includes freight rail line upgrades and new positions at the Department of Natural Resources to oversee development of new sand mines. Gov. Walker has received the most gas and sand money of any state politician, accepting $520,266, according to the Democracy Campaign report.

Wisconsin, it's time to put your foot down and tell Gov. Walker to stop playing in the Koch brothers' sandbox. Contact your state lawmakers and tell them to oppose expansion of the Department of Natural Resources to benefit sand companies.

Today's Teamster News 05.29.13

Working moms are now main breadwinners in a record 40 percent of US households with children  Associated Press   ...While most are headed by single mothers, a growing number are families with married mothers who bring in more income than their husbands...
Chance at a Union Job Draws 800 Job Applicants in Queens, N.Y.  AFL-CIO   ...a union elevator mechanic job prompted nearly 1,000 young workers to haul out tents and mattresses and weather the great outdoors of Long Island City at the chance to be considered...
Feds investigate Md. train derailment, explosion  Associated Press   ...In the third serious derailment this month, a dozen or so rail cars — at least one carrying hazardous materials — went off the tracks around 2 p.m. Tuesday in Rosedale, Md., a suburb east of Baltimore. Several rail cars caught fire, sending a plume of black and gray smoke into the air that could be seen for miles, and an explosion rattled homes at least a half-mile away...
'Lost generation' fears for Europe's youth as unemployment soars across eurozone and leaves more than 19million without jobs  Daily Mail   ...In Greece, 58 per cent of under-25s are unemployed, along with 56 per cent in Spain and 38 per cent in Portugal and Italy. In the eurozone as a whole it is 24 per cent. In the UK it is 21 per cent...
Citi settles U.S. suit over $3.5 billion in mortgage securities  Reuters   ...Citigroup Inc (C.N) has reached a settlement with a federal agency that had accused the bank of misleading Fannie Mae (FNMA.OB) and Freddie Mac (FMCC.OB) into buying $3.5 billion of mortgage-backed securities...
US tax inspector targets Caribbean bank  The Guardian   ...A Caribbean bank formerly co-owned by Barclays has been targeted by US tax authorities seeking information on suspected American tax evaders...
US prosecutes '$6 bn money-laundering hub'  BBC News   ...The Liberty Reserve digital money service that was shut down laundered more than $6 billion in criminal cash, US authorities have said...
Wal-Mart pleads guilty in environmental case involving pesticides sent to Missouri contractor   Kansas City Star  ...Retailer Wal-Mart resolved years of hazardous-waste complaints Tuesday with criminal guilty pleas in Missouri and California and the settlement of a civil lawsuit filed by federal environmental authorities...
Elders Should Exercise Caution Before Turning to Payday Loans   Rocky Mount Telegram   ...An increasing number of cash-strapped elders are turning to payday loans—a highly-risky source of short-term financing—to cover their day-to-day expenses...
Appeals court says union groups may revise lawsuit  Associated Press   ...Union groups are getting a chance to revise their lawsuit and add new defendants in a challenge to two Idaho laws targeting organized labor...
Women still on the lower salary rungs in Wyoming state government  Star-Tribune   ...Women working in Wyoming’s state government hold relatively few high-paid jobs — including management positions — compared to men, a state-issued report found...
American Airlines Mechanics File for Election to Become Teamsters  IBT   ...American Airlines mechanics and related workers filed for an election today with the National Mediation Board (NMB) as part of a months-long effort to become Teamsters...
Local 117 Members Attend National Police Week  Teamsters Local 117   ...Two Local 117 Police Officers, Roger Gale of the City of Pacific and Willie Bergin from the University of Washington, attended National Police Week in Washington D.C. from May 12-18...
Collective Bargaining TLA Slated for June 18-21  IBT   ...The IBT Training and Development Department is conducting a Teamsters Leadership Academy on Collective Bargaining, June18-21, 2013, hosted by Joint Council 40 in Mars, Pennsylvania...
Advanced Business Agents’ Seminar Scheduled July 29-31  IBT   ...The IBT Training and Development Department will conduct an Advanced Business Agents seminar July 29-31, 2013 at Teamsters Joint Council 25 in Chicago...