Friday, May 24, 2013

Today's Teamster News 05.24.13

Average CEO Salary Reached A New Record High Of $9.7 Million In 2012  Alternet   ...The average CEO salary broke records in 2011 at $9.6 million — and now, that record high has been topped by 2012 salaries, which averaged out to $9.7 million...
Passenger Trains Bump Along With Fixes Outrunning Funding  Bloomberg   ...U.S. investigators looking into the May 17 Connecticut commuter-rail crash haven’t yet found a clear cause. The fact a broken rail became the most immediate suspect speaks to years of deferred maintenance that have left trouble spots throughout a Washington-Boston network that carries more than 700,000 people a day and dates to the 1800s...
Bridge Collapses in Washington State, Dumping at Least 2 Cars In River  Gawker   ...The Interstate 5 bridge spanning the Skagit River in Washington state collapsed Thursday evening. Several cars fell into the water, though authorities aren't sure how many or if there were any casualties...
Tighter U.S. Rule on Imported Meat May Cost $192 Million  Bloomberg   ...Canada vowed to escalate a dispute with the U.S. over plans to impose stricter country-of-origin labeling rules for meat that are opposed by industry groups on both sides of the border...
The Powerful People Arguing for U.S.-China Free Trade  Bloomberg News   ...Recommending that the U.S. and China work toward a free-trade deal is a bit like stepping into a prize fight and asking the boxers to settle their differences peacefully...
Marcus Hedger, Wrongfully Fired Worker, Loses His Home With NLRB In Limbo  Huffington Post   ...In the past three years, Marcus Hedger has lost a good-paying manufacturing job and a nice home in Antioch, Ill. Thanks to the dysfunction on Capitol Hill, there's no telling when he'll get either of them back...
Wal-Mart Hires Former Bush Aide as Chief Image Maker  New York Times   ...To continue burnishing its image, Wal-Mart has replaced a former Clinton White House aide with a former Bush White House staff member...
Petition urges Tribune not to sell Sun to 'union-bashing' Koch brothers   Baltimore Business-Journal   ...It remains unclear who might emerge as a buyer for the Baltimore Sun, but about 6,500 Maryland residents know whose hands they don't want the Sun to end up in...
Scott Walker's Austerity Plan: Turning Wisconsin Into the New Greece  (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...It's now become clear that austerity -- and the attack on unions that always comes with it -- was not only bad medicine, it was close to toxic...
Washington state joins 9 other states in passing password protection law  Examiner   ...Washington state became the latest one to join these ranks when Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill that would make it illegal for employers or potential employer to ask for the password to your Facebook or any other social media account...
Louisiana Senate passes amended Equal Pay for Women Act  Times-Picayune...Female state workers should be paid as much as their male colleagues, Louisiana lawmakers declared...
Oregon House votes to extend foreclosure mediation  Associated Press   ...The Oregon House has voted to extend a requirement that some mortgage lenders meet with struggling borrowers and a professional mediator before initiating foreclosure proceedings...
Missouri Unemployment Bill Prompted by Federal Rules  CBS News-KMOX   ...Awaiting action from Gov. Jay Nixon are proposed changes for the unemployment compensation program. The changes are designed to avoid a several hundred million dollar price tag and make it harder for workers to receive jobless benefits...
Teamsters Roll Up Their Sleeves in Wake of Oklahoma Tragedy  IBT   ...Teamsters are inundating Oklahoma locals with offers to help them recover from one of the most violent tornadoes in history. The twister that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore killed at least 24 people and damaged as many as 13,000 homes in a 17-mile swath...
Durham School Bus Workers Speak Out About Safety, Wage Theft Concerns  IBT   ...School bus drivers and attendants with Durham School Services who transport students attending Baltimore City Public Schools joined with Teamsters, political and other community leaders at a rally today to demand respect and safe working conditions...
Apply Now for Chicago Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarships  Teamsters Local 727   ...Applications are now available for the 2013-2014 Chicago Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarship. Active adult Teamster members and the children, grandchildren and spouses of active Teamsters are eligible for the academic awards...