Voting begins for Clark County school workers

Ballots went out yesterday to more than 11,500 Clark County School District (CCSD) workers in Nevada. After more than a decade fighting an unfair supermajority election rule, the support staff workers at the nation’s fifth-largest school district are finally taking part in a free and fair election.

According to Local 14 Secretary-Treasurer Larry Griffith, the vote for representation by simple majority was a result of support staff's determination for strong union representation:

The unit first came to us in the early 2000s seeking strong union representation. The odds were against them but they never gave up. I couldn’t be prouder of this unit’s determination. Finally, we will put an end to the pay cuts and concessions by uniting at the bargaining table to win support staff a strong Teamster-backed contract.

CCSD support staff has already voted overwhelmingly two times in favor of Local 14 representation – in a vote tabulated Feb. 3 and in 2006. Despite democratically voting to join the Teamsters, in both elections a supermajority, 50-percent-plus-1 of eligible voters was required to unseat the unit’s current representation, the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA).

After Local 14 overwhelmingly won with 71 percent of workers voting to join the Teamsters over the ESEA in February, however, the workers rallied in protest. Following the vote, on Feb. 12, support staff united once again at the Employee Management Relation Board (EMRB).

This time their voice could no longer be ignored and the EMRB ruled in favor of a third election – this time by a simple-majority vote – take place, acknowledging that the supermajority election rule for the support staff was not in the best interest of the employees. After hundreds of workers joined Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on stage at the Teamsters Unity Conference this year, CCSD support staff launched a new campaign. This time, the rules are fair and democratic.

The excitement for Teamster representation is at an all-time high, says Carlos Pinto, head custodian at CCSD:

It’s been a long time coming, but change is finally here. We are all thrilled to become members of Local and win back what we have lost. We can’t wait to win a Teamster contract that will provide the respect workers deserve and the security our families need.

Turning the tide on voter suppression

Voting rights is a key issue of our time, challenging democracy and the ability of the American people to participate in the electoral process as guaranteed under U.S. law.

N.C. residents took to the streets against voter suppression.

Many states in recent years have approved rules that tamp down on the ability of particularly minority voters to make it to the polls. An ongoing federal lawsuit challenging restrictive voter suppression rules approved by North Carolina lawmakers in 2013 stands as one of the leading examples of how legislatures across the country have tried to tip the scales toward a more corporate-friendly landscape.

As part of North Carolina NAACP v. McCrory, plaintiffs are rightfully questioning the trimming or eliminating measures that had been adopted over the previous 15 years in an effort to help boost electoral participation by minority and younger voters in North Carolina.

It appears even some of the proponents of those changes have had a change of heart in regards to the provisions they enacted two years ago. Gov. Pat McCrory (R.), for instance, recently signed into law changes that lessened the identification requirements to vote.

Efforts to defeat voter suppression or even make state laws less restrictive are actually on the rise, according to a panel that discussed the issue at the Netroots Nation conference in Phoenix last week. In fact, DeNora Getachew, campaign manager and legislative counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, said four times as many bills to expand voter rights were introduced in 2014 than to restrict them.

The trends we have seen ... is that the trend is actually in favor of increasing access to voting.

Participants from Nevada, Oregon and New Mexico discussed how building coalitions were essential to their efforts either to defeat stricter voting rules or to get measures passed that made it easier for state residents to cast a ballot. And in some instances, the results were truly monumental. In Oregon, for instance, the state earlier this year approved automatic voter registration.

The Teamsters have been active for years in registering union members to vote. That is the way this country makes sure the voices of all Americans are heard. Oregon is doing that. North Carolina isn't. Others need to follow the more inclusive model.

Workers' wages aren't the problem -- corporate tax breaks are!

Income inequality is a growing problem in this country. But you would never know that by the actions of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and their corporate cronies who keep trying to take even more pay away from hardworking Americans.

The latest effort involves the move to roll back prevailing wage laws in states across the nation. Pushed for years by ALEC, the effort is making headway in states such as Indiana, Nevada and West Virginia, where Republican-controlled legislatures are buying into the argument that low wages for skilled professionals are OK if it means the state has to pay less.

Henry Burks, a 57-year-old union electrician in Indianapolis, said he will likely lose a quarter of his salary if Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R.) signs the bill there into law:

This is going to inhibit me from taking care of my family. Our wages will go down. The contractors we work for won't get as many jobs. Maybe I'll have to find work outside of Indiana.

Prevailing wage laws were passed in many states during the Great Depression to stop companies from offering low bids for projects that ultimately were covered by paying workers low wages. The law, which exists in 32 states and on federal contracts, ensures that private contractors pay workers on these public projects a salary in line with other workers doing similar work in a given geographical region.

Too many state lawmakers, however, are now looking to tamp down on such rules. This when many states at the same time are doling out tax breaks to corporations raking in record profits. It just isn't right!

Luckily, there are some standing up to this madness. Wisconsin state Sen. Howard Marklein, a Republican, announced he would oppose legislation that would repeal prevailing wage in that state, ensuring the bill won't make it through committee:

The prevailing wage law isn't perfect by any means, but I've got people in my district, contractors and workers, who are affected by it. I'm not comfortable at this point with full repeal.

More elected officials need to keep the needs of workers in mind when they go to vote on such legislation. Because the Teamsters will remember!

Today's Teamster News 04.06.15

Teamsters
Anti-Union Allegiant CEO Lives His Worst Dream: Teamster Pilots  Forbes   ...In January, pilots voted 465-8 to authorize a strike. Now, the union is moving on two fronts to use the threat of a strike to improve working conditions. Pilots were prepared to strike on April 2, but on April 1 a U.S. district court judge in Las Vegas issued a temporary restraining order. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 10...
Horse Carriage Foes Spend $14k on Subway Ads  City & State   ...Demos Demopoulos, executive officer of the Teamsters Local 553 union that represents about 120 horse carriage drivers, said his group is also lobbying the Council. Demopoulos claimed a majority is opposed to the bill and noted that polling has shown that public opinion is on the side of drivers...
Detroit residents unite to honor Viola Liuzzo  USA Today   ...The committee, supported by the Greening of Detroit, has received financial commitments totaling $300,000 from the UAW-Ford and the Teamsters, among others, and two fundraisers are planned for upcoming days. (Anthony Liuzzo Sr., who died in 1978, was a Teamsters official.)...
NYCHA worker may have been killed by faulty trash machine  NY Daily News   ...An investigation by Teamsters Local 237, which represents 8,000 NYCHA workers, has since found evidence that contradicts the NYPD theory and suggests maintenance failures may have contributed to Jackson’s death...

Global Labor & Trade
White House Says Enviros Love This Trade Pact, But Enviros Say Otherwise  Huffington Post  ...The Obama administration has angered a host of environmentalist organizations with an Internet campaign that suggests green groups broadly support the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership, which environmentalists have in fact been fighting for years...
The True Myths on the Trans-Pacific Partnership  CEPR   ...The proponents of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are doing everything they can to try to push their case as they prepare for the fast-track vote before Congress this month. They begin by giving us three myths, all of which happen to be accurate depictions of reality...
Strikes proliferate in China as working class awakens  Today Online   ...More than three decades after Beijing began allowing market reforms, China’s 168 million migrant workers are discovering their labour rights through the spread of social media. They are on the forefront of a labour protest movement that is posing a growing and awkward problem for the ruling Communist Party...

State & Living Wage Battles
Right-to-work backers vow continued push  Albuquerque Journal   ...A high-profile push to approve a New Mexico right-to-work law stalled during the recent 60-day legislative session, but the issue appears likely to be back next year — both in the Roundhouse and on the 2016 campaign trail...
State Looking For National Role In Union-Backed Bill   Hartford Courant   ...Connecticut gained widespread attention in recent years as a national leader in Democratic circles by increasing the minimum wage and passing a first-in-the-nation statewide mandate for paid sick days for some service employees...
Nevada Senate approves minimum wage increase bill  Las Vegas Review Journal   ...A Republican-backed bill to overhaul Nevada’s overtime law and increase the minimum wage for some workers was approved Friday by the state Senate on a party-line vote, with Democrats calling the measure a “slap in the face” to the working poor...
U.S. Supreme Court Declines To Review North Carolina Voting Law  Huffington Post   ...The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the legality of new Republican-backed voting restrictions in North Carolina that were part of a law opponents argued was aimed at making it harder for voters who tend to favor Democrats to cast ballots...
Kansas Will Limit Welfare Recipients To $25 A Day   Think Progress  ...During debate over the bill state Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D) pointed out that many recipients need to withdraw hundreds of dollars some days in order to be able to pay rent...
Fast Food Workers: Thanks for the Raise, McDonald’s, But We Said $15 an Hour, Not $10  In These Times   ...The company, fighting to improve its battered image, may not have intended the move to be a joke. But in the end, many workers saw the welcome boost in pay and benefits as largely a fraud perpetrated on the public as well as on fast food workers...
This City Could Become The Next Detroit   Think Progress  ...Starting this week, 25,000 households in Baltimore will suddenly lose their access to water for owing bills of $250 or more, with very little notice given and no public hearings...

U.S. Labor
Be Nervous (But Not Panicked) About The March Jobs Report   FiveThirtyEight   ...Employers added 126,000 jobs last month, breaking a 12-month streak of growth over 200,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. The report was far weaker than most economists expected and represented the slowest pace of growth since the end of 2013. The government also revised down its estimate of January and February hiring by a combined 69,000 jobs...
Michigan Factory Owner Gives Out $6 Million In Thank-You Bonuses  Huffington Post  ...When J.C. Huizenga sold his namesake machinery manufacturing company, he wanted to share the spoils. The Huizenga Group chairman gave out nearly $6 million in bonuses to more than 575 workers in his two Michigan factories. It was his way of thanking the employees for helping grow the company, which now earns about $170 million in annual sales, according to CBS News...
Trade workers set to benefit from Gov. Jerry Brown's project list  Los Angeles Times   ...At his recent groundbreaking for the state's high-speed train, Gov. Jerry Brown paused while extolling the project to laud the union workers who will build it. "You've got to put something in the ground," Brown said, riffing on what drives economic growth. "You've got to get these building trades men and women doing stuff. That's what makes America — what makes the world — go 'round."...
Workers — not employers — are the real wage movers and shakers  (opinion) Washington Post   ...“We’re too big and complicated a system to do anything in reaction to a particular group or something happening,” Karen King, who has the wonderful title of “chief people officer” at McDonald’s, said Wednesday, explaining her company’s decision to raise wages for some of its employees. If you believe that, don’t go near anyone purporting to sell you a bridge, even if it comes with fries on the side...

Today's Teamster News 03.26.15

Teamsters
San Francisco Board Of Supervisors Back Labor Harmony For Commuter Shuttles  teamster.org   ...The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today adopted a resolution that would require the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to consider the labor practices of commuter shuttle operators as part of their permitting process...
Why Teamsters Present Walmart With A New Challenge  Forbes   ...When the Securities and Exchange Commission rejected a request by Walmart Stores to prevent shareholders from voting on a proposal to elect an independent board chairman at their annual shareholder meeting they were whistling up the wrong tree. The matter will now become part of the proxy for fiscal 2016 to be voted on in early June. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Fund submitted the proposal in an effort to unseat Walton family member, S. Robson (Rob) Walton from a position that he has held for many years...
BLET Urges Senators To Oppose PTC Extension  BLET   ...The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced today that it strongly opposes S. 650, the Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act, which is expected to be voted on in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation within hours...
Senator: Union's reversal makes Sunday growler sales likely in Minnesota  Associated Press   ...The Teamsters Joint Council 32 helped derail the measure near the end of the legislative session last year, citing concerns about its impact on the union's labor contracts. But union lobbyist Ed Reynoso told a Senate Committee on Monday that, "at this point" the union won't oppose the effort this year...
Railroads Need To Do More To Improve Track, Union Official Says  Progressive Railroading   ...The president of a national railroad labor union this week called on freight railroads to step up their maintenance of track carrying oil trains in order to help prevent future derailments. Track conditions are a leading cause of train derailments in the United States, accounting for a third of all train accidents, noted Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division President Freddie Simpson, who cited Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) data....
Trade
Trans-Pacific Partnership Seen as Door for Foreign Suits Against U.S.  New York Times   ...The Trans-Pacific Partnership -- a cornerstone of Mr. obama's remaining economic agenda -- would grant broad powers to multinational companies operating in North America, South America and Asia. Under the accord, still under negotiation but nearing completion, companies and investors would be empowered to challenge regulations, rules, government actions and curt rulings -- federal state or local -- before tribunals organized under the World Bank or the United Nations...
Oregon MoveOn Members: If Sen. Wyden Supports Fast Track for TPP, We’ll Back a Progressive Challenger in 2016 Primary  MoveOn.org   ...Oregon members of MoveOn.org Political Action said overwhelmingly that they would back a progressive challenger to Sen. Ron Wyden (D) if the state’s senior senator supports Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a dangerous trade agreement that’s been called “NAFTA on steroids.”...
Ron Wyden avoids anti-trade pact protesters while continuing his fundraising  The Oregonian   ...A liberal Internet freedom group says it mounted an anti-free-trade protest Tuesday night that scared away Sen. Ron Wyden from holding a fundraiser at an upscale French restaurant near the Capitol...
State Battles
Work On Weekends: GOP Bill Takes Away Right To Weekend Day Off In Wisconsin  Inquisitr   ...Should you be forced to work on weekends? Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin think so, and they have introduced legislation to strip workers in that state of their right to a single, 24-hour “rest period,” once every seven days...
Public unions will lose power if new bill passes  Associated Press   ...The measure would prevent local government employers [in Nevada] from giving their employees paid time off for union tasks. It would bar supervisors and administrators from unionizing at all, and would expand local governments' ability to implement layoffs...
Bill Limiting Public Workers’ Payroll Deductions Stalls Without Charity Exemption  Wichita Eagle   ...A bill that would significantly scale back the collective bargaining power of public-sector unions hit a major snag Tuesday. One part of HB 2096 would prohibit automatic deductions from public workers’ paychecks for union dues or charitable contributions. The United Way of the Plains has said it would lose $300,000 if that happens. An amendment Tuesday sought to exempt charities from the bill, but it was rejected by conservative Republicans and Democrats...
Madigan: Rauner's right-to-work plans illegal  Dispatch-Argus   ... she also said Gov. Rauner's proposal to prevent unions from getting "fair share" dues from nonmembers working for the state would break the law as it stands...
Health Dept. To Study Landfill Effects  KSDK   ...The St. Louis County Health Department wants to study hundreds of north county residents. It's part of an effort to determine whether the smoldering Bridgeton Landfill is making people sick. The south quarry of the landfill has experienced an underground smoldering event since 2010. The reaction is releasing gas and odors into the air. Now St. Louis County's new Health Director wants to know what effect those emissions are having on people...
NLRB schedules union election for Boeing SC  Charleston Business Journal   ...More than 3,000 production and maintenance employees at Boeing South Carolina are eligible to vote on April 22 to decide whether they want union representation, following a National Labor Relations Board’s decision today to allow an election at the local plant...
War on Workers
The growing distance between people and jobs in metropolitan America  Brookings   ...Between 2000 and 2012, the number of jobs within the typical commute distance for residents in a major metro area fell by 7 percent...
America Needs Labor Unions (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...The reality is that unions are the greatest tool at most workers' disposal for rebuilding the middle class. Advocating for the elimination of this tool is the epitome of cutting off your nose to spite your face...
Senate Dems Seek Stronger Oil Train Safety Rules  The Hill   ...Senate Democrats have proposed a bill to set stronger safety rules for trains carrying oil, including regulating the content of the oil itself. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said the most critical problem with the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) ongoing regulatory effort on oil trains is that it does not confront the problem of the volatility of oil from North Dakota’s Bakken region...
Labor Board Still Grappling With Supreme Court Defeat  The Hill   ... In a case known as NLRB v. Noel Canning, the high court last June overturned a set of President Obama’s recess appointments to the labor board, concluding he overstepped in exerting his authority to fill vacancies while the Senate was technically in session. As a result, the board has had to revisit more than 100 labor cases that were decided while the NLRB was unconstitutionally constructed...
Miscellaneous
Inflation, New-Home Sales Firm Up  Wall Street Journal   ...The consumer-price index—covering everything from Americans’ rent to the cost of their dental care—rose in February for the first time in four months, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Overall prices were up 0.2% from January, though they were flat from a year ago. The move suggested inflation pressures are slowly building back up after succumbing to a six-month slide in oil prices...

Today's Teamster News 03.25.15

Teamsters
Ownership Fight At Heidelberg Distributing Could Affect Teamster Contracts  WCPO   ...Union workers are threatening a statewide strike at one of the largest beer and wine distributorships in the Midwest, citing stalled contract negotiations over better wages and health care...
State Education Association Replaces Leader Amid Turmoil  Las Vegas Review Journal   ...During the March 12 meeting, the Local Government Employee-Management Relations Board discussed holding a runoff election between ESEA and Teamsters Local 14 to decide who will represent district support staff at the bargaining table. That election could prove to be the downfall of ESEA, which has represented school district support staff for more than 40 years...
Labor Federation Re-Elects Top Officers To 3-Year Terms  Buffalo News   ...Richard Lipsitz Jr. of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will continue to serve as president of the Western New York Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. His new term runs until March 2018; Lipsitz and the three other officers ran unopposed. The federation is an umbrella group that covers unions with about 125,000 dues-paying members, stretching as far east as Batavia and as far south as Jamestown...
ONTC And Union Reach Five-Year Deal  North Bay Nugget   ...This year the ONTC will be negotiating with the remaining four unions (Unifor, Teamsters-Rail, Teamsters-Motor Coach, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers System). Eight collective agreements remain to be negotiated...
Union Drops Objection To Sunday Growler Sales  KARE   ...Ed Reynoso of the Teamsters Joint Council 32 told a Senate committee on Monday that "at this point" the union won't oppose a bill legalizing those growler sales on Sunday. It's a shift from last year when Teamsters' concerns about those sales affecting labor contracts helped derail the proposal...
City Council Candidates Stockpile Endorsements  Philadelphia Tribune   ...Teamsters Joint Council 53 recently endorsed at–large candidate Isaiah Thomas. “I am proud to have the support from Teamsters Joint Council 53,” Thomas said. “I have received endorsements from many members of the labor community and am excited that the Teamsters Union joins this extensive list. As the candidate who will work for Philadelphia, I understand the importance of strong labor support...
Teamsters Local 25 Will Honor David O. Russell  Boston Globe   ...Teamsters Local 25 will honor writer-director David O. Russell at its annual Light Up the Night Gala for Autism on Saturday. Russell has worked closely with Local 25 while filming the Massachusetts movies “The Fighter,” “American Hustle,” and “Joy,” which is now in production. He’ll be recognized for his work as an advocate for mental health issues...
Trade
Rep. Sander Levin, 83, may pose greatest obstacle to sweeping Asia trade pact  Los Angeles Times   ...If the president wants to push the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, through Congress this year, first he must win over Levin and other leading liberals, convincing them to ease their demands and give U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman a freer hand...
U.S. fast-track trade deal unlikely until next month: Senator Hatch  Reuters   ..."I will do my very best to come up with something between now and when we get back, but if he doesn't do it, that would be very unfortunate, but we are going to have to go ahead," Hatch said...
State Battles
ALEC, NFIB Push Prevailing Wage Repeal  Center for Media and Democracy   ...As unions and working people battle "right-to-work" legislation in several states, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and allies have opened another flank in their war on good jobs. Targeted this time are state prevailing wage laws, which require public construction projects to support local wage standards instead of undercutting them...
Changes to collective bargaining in Nevada?  MyNews4   ...A hot topic is set to go before a committee of lawmakers on Wednesday. It’s a bill that would change collective bargaining involving public employee unions...
Unions Win Round Over Rauner In Fee Lawsuit  Chicago Tribune   ...Unions sued this month to halt an executive order Rauner issued that stopped the "fair share" fees from being sent to them, asking a St. Clair County judge to free up the money while the legal process plays out. Rauner attempted to have the matter moved to a federal court, but U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle ruled that the suit deals with questions regarding Illinois law and should be debated in state court...
Colorado Lawmakers Begin Debate For A $12.50 Minimum Wage By 2020  Denver Post   ...A Colorado House committee passed two bills Monday to potentially raise the minimum wage. The first would allow urban and resort communities to raise the local minimum wages, and the other would let voters in 2016 decide on a plan that could hike the state minimum wage to $12.50 an hour by 2020. Both passed on a 6-5 party-line vote with Democrats in support...
Supreme Court Lets Wisconsin’s Voter-ID Law Stand  Washington Post   ...The justices’ decision not to review a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the law was a victory for Gov. Scott Walker (R), who supported and signed the law, and perhaps for other states that have tightened voting procedures to require additional identification. More challenges to specific state laws are in the pipeline...
War on Workers
AP Investigation: Slavery taints global supply of seafood  Associated Press   ...Here, in the Indonesian island village of Benjina and the surrounding waters, hundreds of trapped men represent one of the most desperate links criss-crossing between companies and countries in the seafood industry. This intricate web of connections separates the fish we eat from the men who catch it, and obscures a brutal truth: Your seafood may come from slaves...
Scientists to Smithsonian: Cut ties with Koch brothers  Washington Post   ...Three dozen scientists sent an open letter to museums of natural history calling on them to cut ties with the Koch brothers and anyone else with connections to the fossil fuel industry...
Power from the People  International Monetary Fund   ...The decline in unionization in recent decades has fed the rise in incomes at the top...
Miscellaneous
RadioShack's Bankruptcy Could Give Your Customer Data to the Highest Bidder  Bloomberg   ...The phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and shopping habits of more than 100 million customers are part of RadioShack's bankruptcy auction...

Today's Teamster News 03.24.15

Teamsters
BMWED/Teamsters: Improving Track Safety Is Key To Oil Train Safety  teamster.org   ...“The key to reducing the frequency of oil train derailments plaguing North America is improved track maintenance,” says Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division President Freddie N. Simpson...
Teamsters, Rhode Island Hospital Forge Tentative Agreement  NPR   ...The Teamsters Union Local 251 and Rhode Island Hospital management have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract that the union says will bring $19 million in improved wages and benefits to workers at the Lifespan hospital network...
Sysco, US Foods To Reveal FTC Informants  The Packer   ...Defense attorneys representing Sysco Corp. and US Foods Inc. plan to reveal the names and employers of 92 people who provided information to the Federal Trade Commission for its anti-trust investigation into the foodservice suppliers’ merger...
Teamsters And Technology: Developing Labor Issues For Technology Industry Employers  National Law Review   ...Unions have been using this discontent to increase  their  influence in the TMT industry. Facebook’s shuttle bus drivers voted to unionize this past November and ratified a first contract on February 21 of this year. On February 27th shuttle bus drivers employed by a contractor that provides shuttle services for Apple, eBay, Yahoo, and Zynga employees voted to be represented by the Teamsters...
Trade
TPP Facing Stiff Opposition In Congress (opinion)  Denver Post   ...Keen to reach a trade deal with 11 other countries along the Pacific Rim, the Obama administration is actively engaged in intense negotiations. But the proposed deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal (TPP) — the largest such accord since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — is facing stiff opposition in Congress, primarily from Democrats...
State Battles
Labor groups fear `union Armageddon' in Nevada Legislature  Associated Press   ...Despite union protests, a bevy of bills to weaken collective bargaining and restructure public employee pensions remain on the legislative agenda, including one scheduled for a hearing Wednesday that labor groups call the "Union Armageddon Bill."...
Oil Giant BP Drops Membership With ALEC  National Journal   ... Major oil-and-gas corporation BP announced Monday it is parting ways with the American Legislative Exchange Council, marking just the latest—and likely most significant—departure of a blue-chip company from the conservative group in recent months, National Journal has learned. Major oil-and-gas corporation BP announced Monday it is parting ways with the American Legislative Exchange Council, marking just the latest—and likely most significant—departure of a blue-chip company from the conservative group in recent months, National Journal has learned...
Minimum Wage Increase Killing Seattle Restaurants? Anatomy Of A Lie From Inside The Bubble  Forbes   ...Never mind that not so much as one of the restaurant closings discussed in the original piece referenced the coming rise in minimum wage as a reason for their decision to shutter their business. And never mind that the owner of one of the four eateries discussed is currently opening two new restaurants in Seattle. It was a headline that opponents of the citywide minimum wage increase could not resist—and the facts could not be allowed to stand in the way...
'It's a disgrace': civil liberties groups in frantic bid to stop Wisconsin voter ID law  Guardian   ...Civil liberties campaigners filed an emergency motion on Monday to stop Wisconsin’s “disenfranchising” new voter identification requirements from going into effect, setting up an instant showdown after the US supreme court turned away an appeal to throw out Wisconsin’s controversial law that forces people already registered to vote to show photo ID...
New St. Louis County Health Chief Promises To Study Bridgeton Landfill Effects  St. Louis Post Dispatch   ...St. Louis County’s new health director made it clear that his department would be more involved in the issues stemming from the smoldering landfill here, promising first a new survey of residents’ health conditions...
War on Workers
If We Don't Overturn Citizens United, the Congress Will Become Paid Employees Of The Billionaire Class (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...Who are those members of Congress elected with the help of billionaires going to be representing? Do you think they're going to be representing the middle class and working families? The answers seem clear to me. Unless the campaign financing system is reformed, the U.S. Congress will become paid employees of the people who pay for their campaigns -- the billionaire class. Needless to say, not everyone on the Committee agreed. It was an interesting and informative debate. Not one Republican supported the amendment and it lost by a 12-10 vote...
Miscellaneous
Congress Won’t Tackle NSA Reform Before Cybersecurity  National Journal   ...Congress likely needs to pass cybersecurity legislation before it can pave the way to addressing the National Security Agency bulk collection of American phone records, despite the looming June expiration of a key surveillance authority, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says...

Today's Teamster News 03.21.15

Teamsters
Employees Vote On Whether They Want Teamsters Representation  Fontana News Herald   ...Ballots were mailed out last week to more than 15,000 San Bernardino county, city and agency employees to vote in an election for Teamsters representation. The workers, who are members of the San Bernardino Public Employees Association (SBPEA), will have the opportunity to vote in favor of affiliating with the Teamsters...
SEC to allow shareholder vote on Wal-Mart independent chairman  Reuters   ...Wal-Mart had argued that the proposal, submitted by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Fund, should be omitted because it was vague in its standard of independence...
Sysco, US Foods Seek Disclosure Of FTC Witness Identities  JDSupra   ...The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) went head-to-head last week with Sysco Corp. and US Foods Inc. over whether to make public the names of the declarants relied on by the FTC in its preliminary injunction to block Sysco and US Foods’ merger. Sysco and US Foods filed a motion in a Washington, D.C. federal district court on March 6 asking the judge to publicize the names, which the FTC quickly opposed...
Special Election 170th Legislative District: Dem. Sarah DelRicci Vs. Rep. Martina White  Philadelphia Public Record   ...The unions backing White are FOP Lodge 5; International Association of Fire Fighters Local 22; International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council 21; AFSCME DC 33; Teamsters Local 500; Gas Workers Local 686; Drywall Fitters Local 1955; International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8; Glaziers Local 252; Sprinkler Fitters Local 692; Steamfitters Local 420; Painters 2011; and Plasterers Local 8...
In Sunset Park, Doubts About Development Plan  Wall Street Journal   ...The groups holding Sunday’s rally, at Uprose’s offices, include Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a tenant-advocacy group, and the Teamsters Local 812, which wants to preserve union port jobs. The developers are seeking a rezoning, which will require approval from the City Planning Commission and City Council...
Trade
DeLauro clashes with Obama trade officials over U.S. exports  the ct mirror   ...DeLauro, D-3rd District, was one of eight House Democrats who sent Froman a letter Thursday accusing him of inflating the number of U.S. exports and misleading Congress. The lawmakers also held a press conference challenging Froman’s calculations...
Dem: Trade officials ‘baffling’ lawmakers ‘with bullshit’  The Hill   ...Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) on Thursday accused the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of “baffling” Democrats “with bullshit” in an effort to advance President Obama's trade agenda...
Japan says difficult to reach Japan-U.S. trade deal without TPA  Reuters   ...Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari said on Friday it would be difficult to reach an agreement in two-way trade talks between Japan and the United States unless U.S. lawmakers fast-tracked trade promotion legislation...
Fair trade is racial justice issue (opinion) Sky Valley Chronicle   ...Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal could make matters worse in places like Ferguson, Mo...
State Battles
Wisconsin Lawmakers Go After Workers’ Weekends  ThinkProgress   ...Two Wisconsin state lawmakers have proposed a bill that would roll back the state’s requirement that companies give workers at least one day off every seven days...
Texas Senate considering bill that could financially kill public-sector unions  Breitbart   ...The bill, SB 1968, was filed at the very end of the bill filing period for this Legislative Session last Friday, and would end the practice of automatic payroll deductions for labor union dues for the majority of public-sector unions...
8 ways Nevada Republicans want to shift power from labor unions  Reno Gazette-Journal   ...Republican lawmakers have long been on a quest to eat away at the power local government employee unions have when negotiating the labor contracts that govern their salaries, benefits and working conditions...
Kansas Senate Committee Advances Bill On Public Sector Unions  Wichita Eagle   ...The Kansas Senate is headed for a fight with the state’s public sector unions after a committee advanced a bill limiting public employees’ collective bargaining power and changing the way unions collect dues. The bill would limit automatic paycheck deductions for public employee unions and other organizations such as charities. The head of United Way of the Plains called it “a kick in the teeth.”...
Wisconsin Judge Declines To Block New Right-To-Work Law  Chicago Tribune   ...Dane County Circuit Judge William Foust rejected the request by three unions to grant a temporary injunction blocking the law from being enforced pending the outcome of their legal challenge...
Illinois: Governor Tells Agencies To Divert Union Fees  New York Times   ...Gov. Bruce Rauner, dogged in his attempts to eliminate fees paid to unions by workers who choose not to join, has instructed state agencies to divert money from nonunion employee paychecks away from organized labor until a judge settles the matter...
War on Workers
OSHA Whistleblower Investigator Blows Whistle on Own Agency  NBC Bay Area   ...Employee says the federal whistleblower program isn’t protecting whistleblowers or the public...
Missing Citigroup Checks Spur Lawmaker to Call for Investigation  Bloomberg   ...Citigroup Inc.’s failure to pay 24,000 people owed money as part of a settlement with the government over foreclosure abuses has prompted a U.S. lawmaker to call for an investigation into whether banks missed other borrowers...
Congress sets up veto showdown with vote to roll back labor rule  Los Angeles Times   ...Setting up another veto showdown with President Obama, Congress on Thursday approved a measure that seeks to roll back a new labor rule that allows workers to conduct union elections more quickly...
House Passes Bill To Overturn Labor Board Rule  Wall Street Journal   ...The vote was 232-186. It followed Senate passage earlier this month of the measure, which uses a rarely invoked law that allows Congress to reverse certain agency actions. The White House has said Mr. Obama’s senior advisers would recommend that he veto the resolution...
Worker Killed: Electrocuted, Struck By Motorcycles  Space Coast Daily   ...A man working on a utilities truck that was cleaning storm drains along S. Harbor City Boulevard was killed Thursday night as a result of an unusual chain of events...
Tolland DPW Truck Hits And Kills Worker Patching Potholes  WVIT   ...A veteran Tolland public works employee died after he was hit by one of his own trucks while patching potholes in town on Thursday, according to state police...

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.

Today's Teamster News 02.22.15

Teamsters
Union and company reach contract for Facebook shuttle drivers  USA Today   …Facebook shuttle bus drivers can expect higher wages and better working conditions as part of a new contract agreement reached today. More than two-thirds of about 90 drivers voted unanimously Saturday to accept a contract negotiated by the Teamsters and South San Francisco-based Loop Transportation…
Trade
TPP accord no longer expected before April  Japan Times   …Japan and the United States had hoped the 12-member TPP talks would conclude as early as March, assuming the two countries could clinch an accord at a bilateral meeting in late February or early March. The delay reflects slow progress in U.S. congressional procedures to grant President Barack Obama trade promotion authority...
State Battles
Right-to-work effort winds around Great Lakes into Wisconsin  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   …This week, the right-to-work debate moves front and center in Wisconsin...
NEW INFORMATION: Wisconsin Senate leader lays out timeline for right-to-work  Associated Press   …Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Friday that a public hearing will be held Tuesday on the measure by the Senate Labor Committee. Debate will begin Wednesday in the Senate and continue until there's a vote...
Can Labor Survive Nevada's Republican Party?  The Atlantic   …For the first time in decades, the GOP controls the state's assembly, the senate, and the governor's mansion—and they're targeting unions...
Udall speaks against right-to-work, urges more funds for early ed  Santa Fe New Mexican   …U.S. Sen. Tom Udall used his pulpit during a joint session of the New Mexico Legislature on Friday to weigh in on two of the most divisive issues facing state lawmakers this session...
War on Workers
America, Land of Low Pay -- The Numbers Will Surprise You  Alternet   …Each American produced an average of $140,000 in goods in 2013, but median wages were less than $28,000. Who's getting that money?...
U.S. Oil Workers' Union Expands Biggest Plant Strike Since 1980  Bloomberg News   …The United Steelworkers, which represents 30,000 U.S. oil workers, called on four more plants to join the biggest strike since 1980 as talks dragged on with Royal Dutch Shell Plc, negotiating a labor contract for oil companies...
This is the scariest chart in the American economy today  Vox   …The unemployment rate has come down a lot, but the share of unemployed workers who've been unemployed a long time is still at historic levels...
Inmates riot at Willacy County prison  Valley Star   …Complaints over medical service led about 2,000 prisoners to riot Friday at the so-called tent-city prison here, setting fire to a tent-like dome while guards fired tear gas to try to control what Willacy County Sheriff Larry Spence called the prison’s worst disturbance since it opened nearly 10 years ago.Two officers and a prisoner suffered minor injuries before officials tried to settle the uprising late Friday afternoon at the Willacy County Correctional Center, said Issa Arnita, spokesman for Management & Training Corp., the Utah company that operates the low security-level prison for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons…
The Rich Benefit the Most From Tax Breaks Designed to Help People Build Wealth  Bloomberg   …The federal government spent $384 billion in 2013 on tax incentives that encourage savings, linked mainly to home ownership and retirement plans. Most of that money went to the rich...
Investment Charges When Mexico Privatized Social Security  Conversable Economist   …"Fund managers charged an average load (a fee taken as a share of account contributions at the time of contribution) of 23 percent and an annual fee on assets under management of 0.63 percent, implying that a 100-peso deposit earning a 5 percent annual real return would only be worth 95.4 pesos after five years."...
Big tech companies cause income inequality — but not in the ways you think  Pando Daily   … these companies invest huge portions of their annual revenues into buying back stock to line the pockets of shareholders, not to mention keep the bulk of global profits safely offshore and out of the reach of US tax collectors. And because stock performance is often used as a key factor in determining executive compensation, buyback schemes may also boost a CEO’s take-home pay...
Coroner: Worker dies when rock falls in Pennsylvania mine  WPXI   …ndiana County Coroner Jerry L. Overman Jr. says in a news release that the man — 29-year-old Todd Trimble of Gallitzin — was installing roof bolts at Rosebud Heilwood mine on Friday afternoon when the rock fell and he was trapped underneath...

Teamsters rock the vote all over the USA

Teamsters heading out to hear President Obama in Denver on Oct. 24 

Teamster boots are walking all over the country for pro-worker candidates. It's never been more important to elect people who will make sure that the benefits of our economy go to working and middle-income families.

Our Colorado brothers and sisters saw President Obama in Denver earlier this week. The Denver Post reported,

President Barack Obama asked huddling supporters in a chilly City Park on Wednesday to stick with him for another four years, calling his GOP opponent out of touch on America's problems and arguing that the presidential election is about trust. 

Obama stood with sleeves rolled up beneath overcast skies and boasted about his frenetic schedule with nine swing state stops in a no-sleep 38-hour stretch, 13 days before the election. 

Polls say Romney and Obama are in a statistical tie in Colorado.

Teamsters from Local 30 in Pennsylvania were phone banking for President Obama in Greensburg -- with none other than former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. In the photo above are Roger Foley, Carl "Hands" Paullet from Teamsters Joint Council 40, Gov. Dean and Jan Foley.

Nevada is another battleground state where polls show the two presidential candidates very close.

To the left is a picture of Local 993 President Mike Magnani speaking with his members at the general membership meeting on Wednesday. Mike asked his members to vote for President Obama to protect their jobs. He reminded his members that they have until Nov 2 to vote early.

Nevada is the home of billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is trying to buy the election for Mitt Romney. Adelson, who owns casinos overseas, wants to break the unions responsible for Las Vegas' middle class and reduce gaming and hotel wages so they match those in India and Macao. He told the Times of India,

• In India, the manpower is abundant and very cheap, and that makes investment very enticing. 
• Manpower here (in Macao) is cheap.
• Tax rates in Macau are much higher than in Vegas, but we intend to balance that with the much cheaper manpower here.

Our brothers and sisters in Ohio are working hard for President Obama and Sen. Sherrod Brown, one of the staunches opponents of job-killing trade deals you'll meet. Below is a photo of Sen. Brown  talking at Teamsters Local 413 and 284 in Columbus earlier this week.

And finally, we bring you this photo of Carl A. "Hands" Paulette, retiree; Jim McClalland and Mark Hilderbrand from Local 249. They's standing in front of the Teamster Temple in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. We love to see that Teamster power!

Today's Teamster News 12.04.11

Conservative group sues to ban public employees from the Legislature  Las Vegas Sun   ...A conservative think tank filed a lawsuit today with the ultimate goal of preventing public employees from serving in the Nevada Legislature...
Mo. jobs chief defends review of sweetener maker  Associated Press   ...Missouri's economic development chief defended the state's review of a Chinese firm that failed to follow through on a pledge to open an artificial sweetener factory in rural Missouri but insisted Wednesday that it would have been a waste of taxpayer money to more thoroughly screen the company...
Why Did the Unemployment Rate Drop When Only 120,000 Jobs Were Added?  The Economic Populist   ...it's all a ratio and there is a large segment of the working population that is classified as not in the labor force. Bottom line, we're still in a jobs crisis, no doubt about it...
Foreclosure battle: A new hope  Salon   ...As Occupy gears up for a foreclosure campaign, state attorneys general show backbone in tussle over bank fraud...
China Rejects U.S. Ruling on Solar Imports  Bloomberg   ...China said a preliminary ruling by a U.S. trade panel that imports of Chinese solar panels are harming the domestic industry shows the country’s “inclination to trade protectionism...”
D.E.A. Launders Mexican Profits of Drug Cartels  New York Times   ...The high-risk activities raise delicate questions about the agency’s effectiveness in bringing down drug kingpins, underscore diplomatic concerns about Mexican sovereignty, and blur the line between surveillance and facilitating crime. As it launders drug money, the agency often allows cartels to continue their operations over months or even years before making seizures or arrests...

Today's Teamster News 06.05.11

(Sorry, got the date wrong. It's the 6th!)
Firefighters, Teamsters Pitch In For Tornado Relief   WCVB-TV   ...The MA Building Trades Council, the Professional Firefighters of MA and Teamsters Local 25 are holding a Labor Tornado Relief Effort at statewide fire stations until Thursday, June 9...
Wisconsin activists create Walkerville to taunt governor, tout change  CNN   ...Eighty years after Hoovervilles sprung up around the country, and four months after tens of thousands descended on the Wisconsin state capitol, progressives have a new home in what they're calling Walkerville...
SB5 Repeal Backers Pound the Pavement in Ohio  Public News Service   ...It's crunch time for opponents of Ohio's controversial collective bargaining law...
Recall attempts target Snyder, a dozen other GOPs  Detroit Free Press   ...Recall attempts are fairly easy to start but it's far tougher to make the ballot and win an election...
Scott's budget brings job losses  Ocala.com   ... There will be significant layoffs for workers in state mental health hospitals, juvenile justice facilities and state prisons...
Pension 'reforms' an insult to hardworking Mainers  (opinion)   Morning Sentinel  ...It would be one thing if these folks were allowed to participate in Social Security -- where employees and employers traditionally contribute equal shares of 7.65 percent of a worker's income to the retirement fund -- but they're not...
Republicans get their way, mostly, in final budget  Las Vegas Sun   ...Gov. Brian Sandoval and Republicans extended for two years taxes passed in 2009 to fund a budget that contains pay cuts and layoffs for public employees and cuts to social services...

NV Teamsters rally at capitol

Teamsters rallied at the Statehouse in Carson City, Nev., yesterday to take a stand for workers’ rights. The rally drew about 500 construction workers and supporters from across the state. Teamsters from Local 631 in Las Vegas were there, having made the 450 mile trip by bus. Sister Almaraz with Local 631 reports:

The major issues we rallied around are prevailing wage and collective bargaining. Legislators want to cut public employee wages, repeal the minimum wage and push a lot of other proposals that will hurt working families. The rally was great because we made our voices heard.

Workers in Nevada are already suffering. The recession and housing slump have had a huge impact on the state. A recent article referred to Las Vegas as "the new Detroit." Last year, Nevada was one of the states with the largest drops in construction employment and reported its first population decline in 90 years.

The momentum of the Nevada protest continues with rallies over the weekend, including rallies in Florida and Michigan.

Go to our Stop the War on Workers site for more info on the latest events.

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 04.04.11

Maine Voices: Governor's rhetoric interferes with goals, say GOP state senators (opinion)  Portland Press Herald   ...As Republican senators...we feel compelled to express our discomfort and dismay with the tone and spirit of some of the remarks (Gov. Paul LePage) has made...
State court race the new focus of Wisconsin battle  Politico   ...A conservative judge’s campaign for re-election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court has become the next front in a growing multi-state Republican effort to limit the power of organized labor...
Opponents Begin Push To Repeal Ohio Union Law  Associated Press   ...Mike Patrick said he was first to sign the petition Saturday. The 45-year-old small-business owner said some provisions will hurt public services and the business environment...
LEGISLATURE: Package of bills aimed at curbing misuse of independent contractors  Lahonton Valley News   ...The ...proposals (are) ...supported by labor groups and some construction industry representatives, but opposed by others in the Nevada business community...
School cuts spur Michigan conflict  Wall Street Journal   ..."There is the gathering prospect that we could end up with another Wisconsin."..
Gov. Rick Scott is also Defendant Scott  Orlando Sentinel   ...In his first three months in office, he's been sued at least three times...
Teamsters anticipate strike at Plymouth-based U.S. Foodservice  Daily Planet   ... Talks between the two sides broke down when U.S. Foodservice insisted Local 120 members pay up to 20 percent of their health care insurance premiums - a steep increase...

Another day of protests

And not just in Wisconsin, where the rally today is expected to be even bigger than yesterday's. They're protesting Gov. Scott Walker's savage, vindictive budget,  which passed the Senate committee last night and will move to the floor today.

In Ohio, the crowd is already estimated at 4,200. They're protesting as hearings continue on Sen. Shannon Jones' vindictive, savage SB 5, which would eliminate collective bargaining for government workers. (If you haven't yet, sign up for the StandUpForOhio Facebook page for updates.)

Workers held a "Working Families Day" at the Minnesota statehouse and hundreds of students demonstrated against planned tuition hikes. Watch the Minnesota AFL-CIO's video about the lobby day here.

In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder is announcing his budget, which may also set off protests. It includes job cuts, concessions from government workers, tax hikes on the middle class and tax breaks for business.

Oh, and here's another lovely proposal from the corporate stooges who managed to get themselves elected in Nevada: a bill was introduced to repeal the minimum wage.

It just gets better and better.

Corporations pay for new governors' balls in OH, NV, OK

Inaugural balls, that is.

Newly elected governors are wasting no time collecting even more do-re-mi from their corporate puppetmasters. Corporations are paying for lavish inaugural parties -- and the opportunity to tell the governor how to run the state.

ThinkProgress reports that Ohio Gov. John Kasich's four-day, $1.15 million inaugural party...

...is being bankrolled mostly by “about 130 corporations that gave maximum $10,000 donations apiece.” According to the conservative Cincinnati Enquirer, “many of the top givers” — including automakers, banks, insurers, energy consultants, casinos owners, and major lobbying or law firms — “are likely to benefit from government policies and contracts, or are regulated by state agencies and state law...

Kasich, by the way, blames unions for Ohio's financial woes. That must be a lot more convenient for Kasich than acknowledging Ohio's problems were caused by his former employer, Lehman Bros., which used dubious accounting methods in the run-up to its bankruptcy, which triggered the global financial crisis. 

The Las Vegas Sun tells us that Nevada's new Gov. Brian Sandoval is having an inauguration party sponsored by corporations "with some of the thorniest issues before the Legislature next year." Sandoval's inauguration, writes the Sun,

signifies a re-emergence of sorts for Nevada’s political and business establishment — a group accustomed to shaping public policy to protect its interests.

The mining industry, for example, will fight taxes to pay for better state services. The Las Vegas Gleaner notes (sarcastically) that Sandoval will side with the no-new-taxes crowd:

In his capacity as one of America's most respected economic theorists, Sandoval has repeatedly explained there is one and only one path to prosperity, and that is no new taxes. The magical power of no new taxes will mesmerize businesses the world over, forcing them to abandon whatever education-heavy economically diversified community they've been foolishly inhabiting and high-tail it to Nevada, a place where state government is proudly hailed as America's cheapest. The logic. It's ironclad.

Another pay-to-play governor is Oklahoma's first woman top executive, Mary Fallin. Even her own supporters were cheesed off that corporations got first -- and only -- dibs on tickets for the inaugural ball at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. A long-time financial supporter told Red Dirt Report,

"I've been told by three organizers on the inaugural committee that they sold out (tables) to the corporations before the invitations even went out."

A list of inaugural hosts, underwriters and sponsors reads like a who's who of Oklahoma's corporate world, from the health care industry to railroads to Indian tribes to retail heavyweights, reports Red Dirt Report. The donor who obtained the list said Fallin "certainly knows who is buttering her bread."

It's going to be a long four years in Ohio, Nevada and Oklahoma.