Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Today's Teamster News 07.09.13

Temporary jobs becoming a permanent fixture in US  Associated Press   ...companies are increasingly turning to temps and to a much larger universe of freelancers, contract workers and consultants. Combined, these workers number nearly 17 million people...
The State of the Unions  American Prospect   ...While 51 percent of all Americans have favorable views of unions, 61 percent of Americans under 30 hold that view...
European Trade Deal Could Undermine Important Regulations Here At Home  ThinkProgress   ...Forthcoming trade negotiations between the U.S. and the European Commission threaten to undermine environmental, workplace, and financial regulations, according to a July 8 letter from a slew of American and European public interest groups sent to President Barack Obama and his European counterparts...
Clothiers Act to Inspect Bangladeshi Factories  New York Times   ...A mostly European consortium of 70 retailers and apparel brands has agreed to inspect within nine months all Bangladeshi garment factories that supply the companies in the wake of 1,300 factory workers who have lost their lives since November…
40 still missing in deadly Canada rail crash, fire  Associated Press   ...About 40 people were still missing a day after a runaway train derailed in Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a busy downtown district and killed five people...
Eight injured in West Virginia gas well explosion  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   ...A natural gas well in West Virginia exploded early Sunday, injuring eight people. The well, about an hour southwest of Morgantown in New Milton, ignited about 4 a.m...
Civilians on unpaid leave in Pentagon austerity move  Reuters   ...Civilian defense workers across the United States began taking unpaid leave on Monday in a Pentagon-imposed austerity move expected to save $1.8 billion through September 30 by effectively cutting the pay of about 650,000 workers by nearly 20 percent...
Letter: Women Unite (opinion)  Salt Lake City Tribune   ...There has been a lot of talk recently about the minimum wage and the fact that 40 percent of heads of households are women. Some want to move the minimum wage to $15 an hour. There is a solution to this problem…
Feds: FedEx may face charges on illegal drug shipments  Long Island Newsday   ...Federal authorities are considering filing criminal charges against FedEx, which is under investigation for shipping powerful prescription pills for illegal online pharmacies -- including some packages sent to Long Island, according to federal law enforcement sources...
Pennsylvania 4th in U.S. for breaking hotel wage-and-hour laws  Erie Times-News   ...If you've stayed at the Heritage Hills Resort in York while touring Amish country, toasted newlyweds at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, or settled in for a weekend of pampering at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in the Laurel Highlands, chances are the person who made your bed, poured your champagne or washed your towels wasn't being paid minimum wage...
Iowa court to reconsider ruling on woman's firing  Associated Press   ...The Iowa Supreme Court will reconsider a controversial ruling in which the court said it was legal for a dentist to fire his assistant for being too attractive. A new decision could come as early as Friday...
OK Tax Commission asks state high court to overturn ruling that could cost state $450 million  Tulsa World   ...The state of Oklahoma stands to lose as much as $450 million if a Court of Civil Appeals ruling on how a capital-gains tax deduction is figured is allowed to stand…
NJ employers scaling back the most on health insurance contributions: ADP study  Star-Ledger   ...Large companies across the country have been scaling back on what they contribute to their workers’ health care plans, and the sharpest decline has been in New Jersey, according to new data from the ADP Research Institute...
Newborn died because of mother’s labor-intensive job during pregnancy: suit   NY Daily News   ...Reyna Garcia, of Atascadero, Calif., alleges that despite three doctor's notes showing she had a high-risk pregnancy, her employer, Albertsons, refused her requests for work that didn't involve heavy lifting. She gave birth to a baby girl in November who died 10 minutes after being born...
Union Secures First Contract For Marriott O'Hare Shuttle Drivers  Teamsters Local 727   ...Shuttle bus drivers at Marriott Chicago O’Hare on June 21 ratified their first Teamster contract, which yields annual raises and job protections...
Finding the Perfect Spot to Shoot  New York Times   ...A member of the Teamsters Union and the Directors Guild of America, Kevin Breslin is a filmmaker and a location scout for commercials. Over 20 years, he has maneuvered crews through the city and arranged thousands of shoots, including the New York Lottery’s “If I Had a Million Dollars” and Verizon’s “Can You Hear Me Now?” spots. Read the interview...
Union says Florida is taking away workers’ holidays  Pensacola News Journal   ...The state of Florida is trying to illegally take away time off from corrections officers, according to a complaint filed Wednesday by the Teamsters Union...
CSA Training Offered at Local 541  IBT ...The Teamsters National Pipeline Training Fund will conduct training for drivers on Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) on July 28, 2013 at 9:00 am at Local 541 in Kansas City. CSA is the new FMCSA’s regulation to reduce commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes...
TNBC Annual Conference Slated for August 14-18  TNBC   ...The Teamsters National Black Caucus will hold its 38tth annual educational conference and banquet in Atlanta on August 14-18. Click here for hotel and conference information...