Today's Teamster News 02.03.15

Teamsters
Dutchess County LOOP Strike Averted As Negotiations Continue  Daily Freeman   ...The potential strike by the union representing Dutchess County LOOP bus drivers, mechanics, office employees and bus washers has apparently been averted. Teamsters Local 445 Business Agent Jerry Ebert said ... the company said it would resume negotiations, resulting in the union calling off its threat to strike.....
City Of Monroe Reports On Feb. 1 Snow Removal Efforts  Monroe News   ..."I am proud to report that all 15 Teamster personnel, both of our 2 supervisors, and our Superintendent of Public Services, Bill Walters, have all already been involved in our efforts today to combat the winter storm...
Leslie Marshall Show Features Teamsters Fight At Allegiant Air  teamster.org   …Teamsters Local 1224 President Daniel Wells talks with Leslie Marshall about the more than 500 Teamster Allegiant Air pilots and their fight for a fair contract...
Sysco Offers To Sell 11 Facilities To Win Merger Approval  New York Times   ...Sysco said on Monday that it had agreed to divest 11 distribution centers in a bid to obtain the blessing of regulators including the Federal Trade Commission. Sysco will sell the centers for an undisclosed sum to Performance Food Group, which will be its nearest rival after the deal for US Foods closes...
Trade
TPP negotiators agree on copyrights protection  NHK World News   …Negotiators of the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade pact say they are a step closer to reaching a deal on copyright duration in principle. The plan is for copyrights to last for 70 years...
Let's Take Apart The Corporate Case For Fast Track Trade Authority  Economy In Crisis   …an argument that TPP and similar agreements will “expand trade” masks what the bulk of these agreements are really about, which is getting governments off the backs of the giant corporations and protecting their profits from competition and democratic regulation...
Syriza-Led Greek Parliament ‘Will Never Ratify TTIP’  EurActiv   ...After making its voice heard in the debate over sanctions on Russia, the new government in Athens is now making its opposition known to the EU-US trade deal, TTIP...
State Battles
Legislation is detrimental to Missouri workers (opinion)  St. Louis Post Dispatch   …Missouri House Speaker John Diehl wants to make so-called worker freedom a key emphasis for the Legislature by passing right-to-work and “paycheck protection” bills. This legislation has nothing to do with workers’ rights or workers’ protection. Actually, these bills attack both. They undermine the ability of workers to have a voice and to organize opposition to the out-of-state, well-heeled efforts of extremists and the 1 percent...
Right To Work bill introduced in Senate  The InterMountain.com   …Proposed legislation would make West Virginia a Right To Work state...
Scott Walker To Cut $300 Million From Universities, Spend $500 Million On A Pro Basketball Stadium  Think Progress   ...Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) will unveil a budget Tuesday night that aims to slash hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s public universities over the next two years....
War on Workers
U.S. workers strike for second day at nine refineries; one to shut  Reuters   …Union workers were on strike for a second day on Monday at nine U.S. refineries and chemical plants as they sought a new national contract with oil companies covering laborers at 63 plants...
Croatia just canceled the debts of its poorest citizens  Washington Post   …the government scheme aims to help some of the 317,000 Croatians whose bank accounts have been blocked due to their debts. Given that Croatia is a relatively small Mediterranean country of only 4.4 million inhabitants, the number of indebted citizens is significant and has become a major economic burden for the country…
World Bank Declines Child Labor Investigation World Bulletin   ...The World Banks internal watchdog has decided to pursue and investiage the link between the banks' loans and the Uzbek government-organised forced labour. The request by human rights campaigners to investigate the use of forced labour and child labour was declined, even though it has acknowledged that farms benfitting from its assistance might be forcing both adults and children against their will...
The Mental And Physical Toll Of Student Loans  The Atlantic   ...“Cumulative student loans were significantly and inversely associated with better psychological functioning,” according to the results. That means, generally speaking, student-loan debt was not great for the mental health of study participants...
Portland strippers head to Salem to lobby for better work conditions  Associated Press  …Tired of watching well-meaning strangers impose their own visions for improving the plight of the dancer, some of Portland's seasoned strippers are working directly with state lawmakers and professional lobbyists...
Uber Opening Robotics Research Facility In Pittsburgh To Build Self-Driving Cars  Tech Crunch   …Driver-on-demand service Uber is building a robotics research lab in Pittsburgh, PA to “kickstart autonomous taxi fleet development,” sources close to the decision have confirmed to TechCrunch. They say the company has hired talent from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, including lead engineering and commercialization experts...
The New Face of the Koch Campaign  The Daily Beast   …A father of two was sentenced to 55 years in jail for selling pot. The Koch brothers want to help set him free and make him the face of their new campaign for criminal justice reform...
Worker Dies On The Job At Chattanooga's Wrigley Plant  News Channel 9   …A worker died while on the job at Chattanooga's Wrigley Plant in Tuesday's early morning hours…This is the second time someone has died on site of the Wrigley Plant…
Cops: Social Worker Killed to Cover Up Embezzlement  Newser   …In a case that Philadelphia police say has left them "angry and confounded," a social worker allegedly gunned down a colleague in broad daylight after she discovered that he had embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from an after-school outreach program...
Miscellaneous
Keystone XL Pipeline Bill House Vote Eyed For Next Week  International Business Times   ...The House can either vote on the Senate version of the bill as is or write its own bill, pass that and then go into a conference committee with Senate leaders to hash out compromise legislation. A compromise bill might take too long, especially because eight agencies have a Monday deadline to weigh in on Keystone, according to Politico...

Union THUGGS save a life

Three union THUGGS -- Mary Seitz, Leigh Ann Wilkinson and Mary Beth Henderson -- all expected their daughters’ graduation from Wallkill Senior High School would be a day that would change their lives. What they didn’t expect was that they would end up changing somebody else’s life in the process.

The three Teamsters Local 445 nurses from St. Luke’s-Cornwall Hospital were seated in the football risers when 72 year-old Peter Bonk lost consciousness.

These union THUGGS (which, as you know, stands for Those Helpful Union Guys and Gals) knew exactly what to do.  The Times Herald-Record reports:

Seitz reached Bonk first and quickly shouted for Wilkinson, whom she'd seen earlier. Henderson was close behind. They began CPR as someone ran to grab the school's defibrillator. They administrated the first jolts of electricity from the defibrillator before transferring Bonk to the care of the Wallkill Volunteer Ambulance Corp.

Because of the nurses’ heroic and rapid response, Bonk regained cognitive function before he even reached the hospital.  There he was then put in the excellent care of other Local 445 workers at the St Luke campus in Newburgh, N.Y.  Now, after getting a stint in his artery and a portable defibrillator, Bonk is more active than ever. 

Bonk and his wife donated a new defibrillator to the hospital in the trio’s honor.  They want to stay in touch with the Local 445 members who saved Bonk’s life.

And those union THUGGS?  They were just happy to help.

“We happened to be at the right place at the right time," said Mary Seitz.  “Everybody would have done the same thing.”

Today's Teamster News 04.26.13

Everything Is Rigged: The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever  Rolling Stone   ...The second huge financial scandal of the year reveals the real international conspiracy: There's no price the big banks can't fix...
Executive-Pay Tax Break Saved Fortune 500 Corporations $27 Billion Over the Past Three Years  Citizens for Tax Justice   ...One “single tax break, for executive stock options” allowed Fortune 500 corporations to avoid paying $11.2 billion in income taxes in 2012. The top 25 benefiting during 2010-12: Apple $3.2bn, Facebook $1.6bn, JP Morgan $1.1 bn, etc...
The West, Texas, explosion shows the deadly effect of profit before safety   The Guardian ...Poor regulation of the West Fertilizer plant likely contributed to 15 deaths – just as 13 US workers die at their jobs every single day…
Bangladesh Factory Disasters Will Become ‘More And More’ Common   Talking Points Memo   ...Walmart, H&M, Sears, Gap, etc. outsource to Bangladesh because of its low wages and labor standards. It also lacks safety regulations, resulting in the recent factory collapse which left at least 250 dead and more than 1,000 injured...
Four Reasons to Worry About the Potential Koch Takeover of Tribune Co. Newspapers (opinion)  The Nation   ...If their bid is successful, the Koch brothers won’t just have a strong influence over the laws we all live under and the climate we pass on to the next generation, they’ll be publishing the news we read...
Labor Department: Florida Unemployment Regime Violates Civil Rights Requirements  Huffington Post   ...Florida violated federal civil rights law with its new and unusual requirement that unemployment claimants file online and take math and reading tests before they can receive benefits, the U.S. Labor Department determined this month...
California Lawmakers Consider Soda Tax  KTLA5 ...A bill that would impose a tax on sugary drinks in California is in front of lawmakers in Sacramento this week. The state law would tax sugary drinks such as sodas, energy drinks and sweet teas one cent per fluid ounce.
Anti-Worker "Paycheck Protection" Bills Moving in Missouri   PR Watch   ...Missouri is the latest front in the attack on organized labor with so-called "paycheck protection" bills moving through the legislature, with backing from the usual array of corporate interests. But according to the Economic Policy Institute, the bills primarily disadvantage workers while preserving privileges for corporations...
Cincinnati city council votes no on right-to-work law  Business Courier   ...Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing right-to-work laws and the “workplace freedom” amendment being pushed by some groups in Columbus...
Maine lawmakers kill right-to-work, dues bills  Associated Press   ...The Maine Senate has killed a pair of bills labeled by opponents as anti-union. Senators voted 21-13 Thursday against a right-to-work bill, which would have made it illegal for a private employer to require employees to join a labor organization or pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment...
Oregon lawmakers pass law to lower pension COLAs  Pensions & Investments   ...The Oregon House of Representatives passed a pension reform bill Wednesday that lowers the maximum cost-of-living adjustment for retirees of the $61.1 billion Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund...
Ind. lawmakers reach deal on tax cuts, road funds  Associated Press   ...Gov. Mike Pence and Indiana's Republican legislative leaders have reached a budget deal that increases spending on roads and schools while giving the governor a piece of the income tax cut he has arduously sought this session...
Teamsters Reach Tentative Agreements Covering 250,000 Workers at UPS, UPS Freight  IBT   ...The Teamsters Union announced last night that it has reached tentative agreements with UPS on new five-year national contracts for package and freight workers that protect their health care benefits, provide substantial wage increases and significantly raise contributions to pension and health and welfare benefits...
Hudson Valley Teamster School Bus Drivers Return To Work At Durham  IBT   ...After engaging in an unfair labor practice strike today, Teamsters Local 445 has given Durham School Services an unconditional offer to return to work at the beginning of the work day on Friday morning, April 26, 2013...
Torres Adds Teamsters To Trove of Union Endorsements  City & State ...Bronx City Council candidate Ritchie Torres continues to pick up support from organized labor in a crowded to replace City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera, winning the endorsement of the Teamsters Joint Council 16, one of the largest unions in the city with roughly 120,000 members...
Striking Thorn Creek Basin workers to return Friday  NWI Times   ...A two-month picket by Teamsters members of the Thorn Creek Basin Sanitary District will come to an end this week...

Today's Teamster News 02.13.13

Fired America  Economic Populist   ... a full 23% of Americans have been fired in the last four years... a full 22% (of those) cannot find another job...
The One Percent Gobbled Up the Recovery, Too  The New Republic   ...the one percent didn’t just gobble up all of the recovery during 2010 and 2011; it put the 99 percent back into recession...
TARP: The bailout success story that wasn’t (opinion)  MarketWatch   ...As of Dec. 30, TARP was still owed $67.3 billion, including $27 billion in realized losses — which is to say, that money is gone and is never coming back...
State Of The Union: Obama Calls For Controversial Trade Deals  Huffington Post   ...President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to urge the United States to pass two key trade agreements, including the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership and a new deal with the European Union that human rights say will impede access to medicines and degrade labor standards...
Obama announces voting rights commission to tackle broken system  The Guardian   ...Obama has ordered the creation of a non-partisan commission on voting rights in the US in an attempt to remove the hurdles to democratic participation that dogged the 2012 presidential election...
Slower Growth of Health Costs Eases Budget Deficit  New York Times   ...A sharp and surprisingly persistent slowdown in the growth of health care costs is helping to narrow the federal deficit, leaving budget experts trying to figure out whether the trend will last and how much the slower growth could help alleviate the country’s long-term fiscal problems...
Greek Factory Under Workers Control  The Nation   ...after a series of general assemblies the workers convened, they've started occupying the factory and operating it under direct democratic workers’ control...
General Assembly may be divided on future of “right to work” legislation  MO Politics   ...the Senate Majority Floor Leader, said there is “a lot of talk” in the House about legislation that would prevent union membership from being a condition of employment, but believes it would be a hard sell in the Senate...
Two years since Walker 'dropped the bomb,' and state economy is still shattered  The Capital Times   ...On Feb. 11, 2011, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in his own words, "dropped the bomb" when he announced that he would eliminate collective bargaining for public workers in the state...Walker promised to create 250,000 jobs during his tenure, but is well short of that total...
Mich. Gov. Rick Snyder's approval rating down sharply since right-to-work law passed  Detroit Free Press   ...A poll released to the Free Press today suggests that support for Gov. Rick Snyder dropped sharply after he did an about-face in December and backed the speedy passage of controversial right-to-work legislation...
Could Washington state trucker reclassification be near?  Land Line Magazine   ...On the move at the Washington statehouse is a bill that could soon result in many truck drivers being reclassified as employees...Supporters say that some employers classify people as subcontractors to avoid paying insurance and other benefits due employees...
Dems decry ALEC influence on working Kansans  Capital Journal   ...Kansas Democrats say Republicans in charge of the House and Senate have loaded the legislative session with "anti-worker" bills straight out of the American Legislative Exchange Council's playbook...
Rhinebeck school bus drivers reject contract offer but defer strike  Daily Freeman   ...bus drivers who take Rhinebeck school district students to and from school have rejected a contract offer but do not plan to strike immediately...Rather, the Durham Student Services drivers in Teamsters Local 445 plan to continue negotiations...
Teamsters Bring Protest, Inflable Rat To SuperInvestor  PEHub.com   ...Members of the Teamsters union who transport chemicals for Nexeo Solutions showed up in front of San Francisco’s famous Fairmont Hotel, site of this week’s SuperInvestor private equity conference...The Teamsters said that TPG Capital “loaded” the company with $600 million in debt and then quickly slashed the retirement and health care benefits of Nexeo employees...
Gettysburg police union files complaint against the borough  The Evening Sun   ...A complaint has been filed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Number 776 against the borough and Police Chief Joseph Dougherty, claiming that they violated police department employees' First and 14th Amendment rights...

Teamsters echo King's rallying cry in CO, OH, NY, WI, NV



Ohio Teamsters march in the annual MLK parade in Cleveland.

 Thousands of Teamsters joined the great wave of demonstrations for workers' rights throughout America yesterday, in the streets, the parks, the churches and the statehouses.

In Cleveland, Brother Fred Crow reports:

Attended two events in Cleveland today in some awful weather, for our first event which was put together by AFGE, we had our Ohio Conference Truck in attendence so we could use the stage for our "outdoor" rally. Well to make a long story short, due to the wind, rain, lightning, etc. we moved the rally inside, where we had a great rally, that filled the AFGE union hall, and guest speaker Betty Sutton!

Rally 2 Cleveland, Ohio The weather still awful, We still marched and had a great rally in the Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church!

Teamsters came out to a rally at City Park in Denver, Colo. KDVR-TV has the story.

Several hundred Colorado teachers, firefighters and pipe-fitters gathered in City Park Monday night to channel inspiration from the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King toward their own battle for worker's rights...Less than a month after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker eliminated collective bargaining for union workers there, Colorado's teamsters believe that unions everywhere are under attack.

We saw Pennsylvania Teamsters at an energetic rally in Pittsburgh, captured here on youtube, and Local 776 got to showcase its new semi in Harrisburg.

Brother Tom Bennett, president of Local  200 in Milwaukee, shared this photo of the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the "Memphis to Madison" rally in Wisconsin. Bennett writes:

Local 200 at the Memphis to Madison Rally on 4.4.11 as Rev. Jackson energizes the crowd of thousands and then a moment to honor MLK at the moment in time when his death came upon him.

In Newburgh, N.Y., Local 445 held a rallyat the intersection of Rte. 300 and Rte. 17K. We have this picture:

And in Nevada, Teamsters joined what the Las Vegas Sun called a "motley" group

...of about 500 activists from unions across the valley that gathered under the late afternoon sun Monday to protest budget cuts proposed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

From steelworkers and boilermakers to firefighters and elevator construction workers, they assembled in a parking lot at the College of Southern Nevada’s Charleston campus, waving signs and chanting slogans.

Despite their different backgrounds, the union activists who gathered for the national “We are One, Respect our Rights” rally held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a cohesive message: stop education cuts and save collective bargaining.

Teamsters joined the Las Vegas rally.

Still more to come!

Today's Teamster News 02.05.11

Missouri union membership rises, defying national trend  St. Louis Post-Dispatch  ...defying a national trend and mystifying both union leaders and economists...
Union, agents consider boycott of combine or draft  NBC Sports   ...union officials and player agents are discussing withholding players from the Scouting Combine and urging players not to attend the NFL Draft...
Local Government Jobs More at Risk  Wall Street Journal   ...The economic slump may be just beginning for thousands of teachers, police, office clerks and other local-government workers still on the job...
Harper presses Obama to approve Keystone oilsands pipeline  The Vancouver Sun   ...Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a personal pitch Friday for President Barack Obama to support a controversial $7 billion pipeline that could double the amount of Alberta oilsands crude exported to the United States.
Walker hurting state, starting with train mess (Opinion)   Appleton Post Crescent ...It's such a shame that high-speed rail is dead in Wisconsin...
UCRRA workers approve contract extension  (Local 445) midhudsonnews.com   ...Workers at the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency have approved a one year extension of their union contract...

Today's Teamster News 01.22.11

US union membership dropped 4% in 2010  AFP  ...After very small gains for a few years, the US recession, which has pushed joblessness to near 10 percent, has further eroded the unions' influence...
Corporate contributions have surged for new Republican leaders in House  Washington Post   ...The new Republican leaders in the House have received millions of dollars in contributions from banks, health insurers and other major business interests, which are pressing for broad reversals of Democratic policies that affect corporations...
Jobless Claims Slide as Recovery Picks Up  Wall Street Journal   ...The economy appears poised to gather momentum this year, as a separate index of leading indicators posted gains at the end of 2010...
Union Seeks Vote to Represent United Ramp Workers  ABC News   ...The IAM wants the federal National Mediation Board to declare that United and Continental are operating as a single carrier. That would trigger an election to pick a union for the combined groups...
Union files grievances over Sullivan pay freeze (Local 445)  Times Herald Record   ...Hundreds of workers represented by Sullivan County's largest union will begin handing written grievances to department heads in the next week in response to a freeze on raises and longevity payments that already has triggered a federal lawsuit and grievances by other unions...
Unions Are Aided By Obama Picks Republicans Can’t Curb  Bloomberg   ...the National Labor Relations Board may soon rule on cases that would give unions greater access to company property for organizing drives. The board may also push for speedier elections after workers petition for a vote...
Los Angeles, Long Beach ports have record-breaking year in 2010  Los Angeles Times   ...Experts said they expected a strong economic recovery to continue, although not at such a rapid pace...
Roxbury school board reaches settlement with school bus driver union  NJ.com   ...Teamsters Local 97, which represents 47 bus drivers, agreed to a new three-year contract that carries no pay increase in the first two years and a 2-percent increase in the contract’s final year...
Central Grocers to Hire Up to Fifty New Workers  Triblocal.com   ...“These are full-time positions that fall in the wage and benefit scale that we have agreed to in our contract with Teamsters Local 703"...
Truck Sales Hit Highest Monthly Peak Since 2006  Journal of Commerce   ...trucking companies put newfound profits into new vehicles...
TransCanada to move U.S. crude through Keystone  The Globe and Mail   ...TransCanada Corp. is filling part of its proposed Keystone XL pipeline with U.S. crude, a move it hopes will mute some of the fierce opposition that has erupted south of the border against the project...
Congressman: Florida high-speed rail should go forward  The Tampa Tribune   ...the Tampa-to-Orlando project should proceed - as long as private interests pick up any costs not covered by a federal grant, U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, reiterated...

Today's Teamster News 01.11.11

Ford Plans to Hire More Than 7,000 Workers  New York Times  ...Ford ... said it would add 4,000 hourly jobs and 750 salaried positions this year and at least 2,500 hourly jobs in 2012...
Teamsters Lament ‘In-Sourcing’ At Chicago Rail Yard In These Times   ...union “hostlers” who transfer shipping containers between trucks and trains at one of Chicago’s largest rail yards have now lost jobs, pensions and benefits because of “in-sourcing...
Teamsters Union Intends to Strike  WDIO.com   ...Local No. 320 sent a letter to the Bureau of Mediation Services on Friday (stating) ...they intend to engage in a strike against St. Louis County...
School bus workers still s working in region despite strike vote  (Local 445) Daily Freeman   ...175 Durham School Services bus drivers and monitors are continuing to work despite a strike vote ... as negotiations have moved forward...
Goldman says buy UPS  benzinga.com   ...UPS (CL-Buy) remains our top pick, due to improving pricing and an inflection point in shareholder returns...
NFL lockout would hurt Anheuser-Busch InBev deal  St. Louis Business Journal   ...A NFL lockout during the 2011 season would result in $12 billion in lost revenue in the form of missed advertising, including an Anheuser-Busch InBev sponsorship, as well as canceled fantasy football leagues, empty sports bars and out-of-work stadium personnel...
US mulls 'supplemental' draft EIS for TransCanada's Keystone XL: Clinton  Platts   ... "hopefully" an alternative route for Keystone "would be explored..."
Judges Berate Bank Lawyers in Foreclosures  New York Times   ...they are reaching beyond the bankers to heap some of their most scorching criticism on the lawyers...

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...

Today's Teamster News 12.30.10

U.S. Foreclosures Jump in Third Quarter: Regulators  CNBC   ...one reason for the increase in foreclosures is that banks have "exhausted" options for keeping many delinquent borrowers in their homes...
Trucking firm still searching for stability  The Press-Enterprise  ...The firm's rigs are still on the road, but its financial situation is filled with doubt...
Madison Dearborn's VWR Distribution Center Violates California Laws Protecting Public Health And Environment  IBT   ...Teamsters Union And city resident sue VWR And City Of Visalia to stop illegal project...
Nadler’s port bill dies; could be resurrected this year  The Trucker   ...The bill (that) ...would have rewritten federal law to allow ports and other public entities to regulate trucking within their jurisdictions...
City, union reps talking  Marietta Times  ...Leaders from three unions representing City of Marietta workers met with municipal officials Monday to discuss concessions aimed at avoiding furloughs...
New Page votes on contract today (Local 486)  Daily Press  ...Union employees at NewPage will decide ...(on)... a contract ...following two years of negotiations and previous failed agreements...
Sullivan unions to announce wage freeze battle plan (Local 445)  Mid-Hudson News  ...Unions representing almost 1,000 Sullivan County employees will announce their plans for fighting what they consider an illegal wage freeze...

Today's Teamster News 12.29.10

Job Market Booming Overseas For Many American Companies  Huffington Post   ...UPS is also hiring at a faster clip overseas...
U.S. home prices frop 1.3 percent from September to October  Washington Post   ...in six regions - Atlanta; Charlotte; Miami; Portland, Ore.; Seattle and Tampa - prices fell in October to their lowest levels since their housing markets began deteriorating in 2006...
China cuts rare earth export quotas  Los Angeles Times   ...further shrinking supplies of metals needed to make a range of high-tech products...
Passenger Outrage Rises as Winter Storm Snarls U.S. Travel  Bloomberg   ...As many as 1.2 million airline customers may have been affected by almost 8,000 flight cancellations...
UPS Snowed In  Stockbriefings.com   ...United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) has cancelled various services in response to an East Coast blizzard...
Sullivan 911 proposal draws ire from union  (Local 445) Times Herald-Record   ...Sullivan County is considering ... (having) its dispatchers field the sheriff's dispatch calls and have the Sheriff's Office assume control...
Historic Teamster trucks could soon be homeless  Edmonton Journal  ...the trucks and memorabilia may be homeless by year's end...

Today's Teamster News 12.23.10

Teamsters Hail Passage of Zadroga 9/11 Bill  IBT   ...Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa commended Congress today for passing the James Zadroga 9/11 bill to monitor and treat workers who got sick because of their work at Ground Zero...
Teamsters Back MP's Bid to Get Double Tractor-Trailers off Ontario Highways  Globe and Mail   ...The Teamsters believe the huge, long trucks can be dangerous and even contribute to road rage...
Alabama Town's Failed Pension is a Warning  New York Times   ...Prichard did something that pension experts say they have never seen before: it stopped sending monthly pension checks to its 150 retired workers, breaking a state law requiring it to pay its promised retirement benefits in full...
In a Sign of Foreclosure Flaws, Suits Claim Break-Ins by Banks  New York Times   ...lawsuits detailing bank break-ins...house keep surfacing....

Bus drivers, monitors vote to strike  Mid-Hudson News   ...School bus drivers and monitors who are members of Teamsters Local 445 headquartered in Newburgh have voted almost unanimously to strike against several area school districts...
Teamsters warn about VWR project in Visalia  Visalia Times-Delta  Doug Bloch, political director of San Francisco-based Teamsters Joint Council No. 7 (said)  "We ask that the city of Visalia find out more about a facility of this size, and how it affects the environment, worker safety and air quality"...

YRC gets break on lending agreements  Kansas City Star
Holiday delivers UPS b usiest day  Associated Press   ...Its 24 million shipments is 9 percent higher than 2009 and 2007...

Today's Teamster News 12.09.10

About 6 Million Didn't Work at all Last Year  Wall Street Journal   ...The Labor Department’s report...highlights the long-term unemployment problem that’s likely to linger for years...
Tax Cut Deal a Hidden Threat to Social Security  Huffington Post
Ron Paul Claims Chairmanship of Monetary Policy Subcommittee, Prepared to Subpoena Fed  MISH's Global Economic Trend Analysis
Tax Appeals Swamp U.S. Cities, Towns, as Property Prices Plunge  Bloomberg News
Valley Central school bus drivers may strike Mid-Hudson News ...school bus drivers, monitors, mechanics and office employees voted on Tuesday night to reject the latest offer made by First Student...The employees are members of Teamsters Local 445 of Newburgh...
Fight night in Caledon East Friday Caledon Citizen ...Teamsters Local 100 and 938 presented an Olympic-style boxing card at the Caledon Community Complex ... in support of the fight against ovarian cancer...