Unions rally to restore, strengthen Voting Rights Act

Urged on by union leaders, civil rights leaders and sympathetic lawmakers, more than 1,000 people descended on Congress last week to demand lawmakers restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.

Voting rights is still a problem.

The lobbying followed a mass rally on Capitol Hill, organized by the Democracy Initiative. The rally was the culmination of a months-long march of unionists, civil rights activists, clergy, environmentalists and others from Selma, Ala., to D.C., demanding restoration and improvement of the law.

They all demanded lawmakers approve the Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation introduced in June to overturn the two-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gutted the enforcement sections of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act.
 
Several of the speakers vowed that if Congress didn't act now, marchers would be back, with sit-ins and risking arrest, just as the original civil rights marchers crusaded, sat in and were arrested 50 or more years ago.

Larry Cohen, the former president of the Communications Workers of America, said:

We will continue to work, we will continue to fight, we will continue to march until we have justice, the right to vote and democracy in our country. We will mobilize millions. ... We care about workers’ rights, which are in a shambles and are a disgrace, but we can’t win these fights if 30 million people can’t vote. 

The legislation, introduced by top Democrats on committees that handle civil rights bills and Congressional Black Caucus members, just picked up its first GOP backer, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. It also would outlaw voter suppression laws that curb or ban voting by African-Americans, women, Latinos, workers, students, the elderly and others.

• Press Associates contributed to this report.

Magazine preview: Teamsters Professor Eric Arnesen

Teamsters Professor Eric Arnesen

In February, history professor Eric Arnesen officially became the first James R. Hoffa Teamsters Professor in Modern American Labor History at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

The introduction of a Teamsters Professor was a new experience for both Arnesen and the union, but the Teamsters have worked with Arnesen in his capacity as a history professor for years.

In the April/May issue of Teamster Magazine, you were introduced to Arnesen as the new Teamsters Professor, but you may have seen his book reviews and other writings in the magazine earlier.

As far back as 2005, the union has been quoting his work, which acknowledges the importance of labor unions in American history. He has reviewed books on the PATCO strike and farm labor for the union, and written about civil rights for the website.

In the next issue of Teamster Magazine, he has another book review.

Arnesen says of “Bending Toward Justice” in the June/July issue that the book:

... illustrates the tremendous courage and suffering that brought about that transformation. But is the voting rights victory secure? Since 2010, a growing number of conservative state legislatures have passed laws making voting more difficult, ostensibly to combat the (non-existent) problem of voter fraud. With voting rights again under attack, May’s timely book reminds us of just how crucial the 1965 Act was and how important it remains today.

Look for the full review toward the end of June in the next issue of Teamster Magazine.

Port truck driver: Workers' rights should be civil rights

Alex Paz urges other port drivers to join the fight.

Shouldn't federal law protect people for trying to organize -- just as it protects them from discrimination because of their race, religion, sex or national origin? 

Alex Paz thinks so. He's a port truck driver at LA/Long Beach who got fired for complaining that he was misclassified as an independent contractor. 

Today Alex joined U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Keith Ellison at a Capitol Hill news conference. The two congressmen announced they filed a bill to make labor organizing a civil right.

Their bill would change the National Labor Relations Act so it protects workers who ask for better wages or working conditions. George Zornick at The Nation explains:

The Ellison-Lewis legislation would amend the National Labor Relations Act to include protections found under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to include labor organizing as a fundamental right. That would give workers a broader range of legal options if they feel discriminated against for trying to form a union. 

Currently, their only redress is through a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board—an important process, but one that workers and labor analysts frequently criticize as both too slow and often too lenient on offending employers. 

If the NLRA were amended, however, after 180 days a worker could take his or her labor complaint from the NLRB to a federal court. This is how the law works now for civil rights complaints, which gives workers the option, after 180 days, to step outside the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission process. 

Then, workers would have sole discretion on whether to push a complaint, as opposed to relying on a decision by the NLRB on whether to forge ahead. Workers could also move the process along much faster than the NLRB handles complaints, which can often take years.

Alex with Civil Rights icon John Lewis today.

Alex Paz's story shows why workers' rights should be more than the right to hope they don't get fired. He drove for TTSI in Rancho Dominguez, Calif. The truck he drove belonged to TTSI and it was registered to TTSI, but Alex had to pay for registering it. He also had to pay for insurance, fees, fuel, maintenance and tires. His costs amounted to $3,500 a month, leaving him with minimum wage for his work.

TTSI got away with it by calling him an independent contractor. "There was nothing independent in what I do," Alex said.

In June 2013, Alex complained to the California Labor Commissioner that TTSI misclassified him to avoid paying taxes and treating him as an employee. TTSI then sued him. He was served with papers on Christmas Eve. Alex then led the strike in April against Port of LA/Long Beach employers, including TTSI. In May, the Labor Commission held a hearing on his complaint. The company president showed up. Alex was fired four days after telling labor commissioners about the TTSI's scam.

"These companies are getting out of control," he said. "They used ruthless tactics to scare us, but we're not going to back down. I urge other port drivers to join us. Come along and join us in the fight."

If the Ellison-Lewis bill becomes law, the port drivers will have a powerful new tool in their arsenal.

Today's Teamster News 07.22.14

Teamster News
Rep. Ellison Statement On The 80th Anniversary Of The 1934 Minnesota Teamsters Strike  Rep. Keith Ellison   ...The rights and protections that we enjoy today, from the 40-hour workweek to the minimum wage, are all thanks to the men and women of organized labor who faced violent backlash for their organizing....
Teamsters move to restrict obscene payout to McKesson CEO  teamsternation   ...The Teamsters are more than a little annoyed that McKesson CEO John Hammergren stands to take home $616.5 million if the company were sold tomorrow...
McKesson CEO's $292 Million Golden Parachute Faces A Proxy Fight  Bloomberg Businessweek   ...Hammergren’s potential payout under a change in control would include equity awards worth $140.6 million that were set up to vest only over time. They’d be his right away, though, if he were terminated after a sale. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which calls that kind of pay “unearned compensation for top executives on their way out the door,” has proposed a ballot measure urging McKesson’s board to reduce the accelerated vesting...
Trade
Proposed U.S.-China Treaty Would Expose U.S. Laws to Extrajudicial Attacks by Chinese Corporations, Incentivize More U.S. Job Offshoring  Public Citizen   ...Chinese Acquisitions, Establishment of U.S. Subsidiaries Growing at 80 Percent Annual Rate with 820 Major Deals Totaling More Than $37 Billion Since 2000...
US loses multi-billion dollar court cases against China and India  Reuters   ...The World Trade Organization agreed on Monday this week to side with claims against the United States made by both China and India concerning US-imposed tariffs on products exported to America...
Production Halted At Samsung China Supplier Amid China Labor Probe  Reuters   ...Production has been indefinitely halted at a Chinese supplier to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd after the factory was suspected of using child workers...
No US-Japan TPP framework seen until fall  Nikkei Asian Review   ...The mood was strained at times during negotiations Tuesday in Washington, and differences remain, but both sides agreed to work toward an early agreement, fearing that delays could derail the wider talks...
State Battles
Private Prison CEO Will Host Governor At $10-K-A-Plate Fundraiser  Think Progress   ...Over the past few years, private prison firm GEO Group has become known for inmate abuse, workplace violence, and fraudulent reporting at its U.S. facilities. ... But on Monday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) will headline a $10,000-per-person VIP fundraiser at the home of GEO Group Chief Executive Officer George Zoley...
States That Raised Minimum Wage See Faster Job Growth, Report Says  NPR   ...New data released by the Department of Labor suggests that raising the minimum wage in some states might have spurred job growth, contrary to what critics said would happen...
Walker spent $320,000 from campaign on Doe defense attorneys  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...The latest legal expenses come on top of almost $650,000 that Walker's campaign paid to attorneys during an earlier John Doe investigation into his aides and associates during his time as Milwaukee County executive. That brings the total the governor has had to spend on John Doe investigations to nearly $1 million...
Gov. Walker's Cross Country Cash Grab Rolls On  One Wisconsin Now   ...Fully 52 percent of his money raised from individuals ($4 million) came from donations in excess of $1,000 and 106 individuals gave Walker the maximum allowable contribution of $10,000 in the last six months...
War On Workers
Is the Employment Situation Really Improving?  Wall Street Cheat Sheet   ...The labor participation rate peaked at a little over 67 percent in the year 2000, and it has been declining ever since. It is now 62.8 percent, which is the lowest level since 1978, and it has been declining especially rapidly since the financial crisis when it was about 66 percent...
1 Worker Killed, 2 Hospitalized In Fort Lauderdale Construction Site Accident  NBC South Florida   ...One worker was killed and two others were hospitalized following an accident at a construction site in Fort Lauderdale Monday morning...
New college grads hit by slow wage growth: Fed study  Reuters   ...The researchers found that the slow wage growth does not reflect any shift in the types of jobs college grads get, and argued it would be "misguided'' to conclude that going to college is a poor investment...
Is Your Job Becoming Obsolete? 10 Most Endangered Careers of 2014  Wall Street Cheat Sheet   ...The jobs to be wary of? Anything paper related. The decrease in paper can be attributed to several factors, including people reading the news on their tablets and smartphones, in addition to using email and social media to stay in touch rather than writing letters, per Forbes...
Rep. Keith Ellison Wants To Make Union Organizing A Civil Right  MSNBC   ...Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison plans to unveil legislation that would make unionization into a legally protected civil right, the congressman said on Saturday. The bill, which he plans to formally introduce on July 30, would make it easier for workers to take legal action against companies that violate their right to organize...
Miscellaneous
Bad bet: Atlantic City's future looks bleak thanks to glut of casinos  FOX News   ...The rapid disintegration of Atlantic City's casino market might be an early indicator of what could happen in other parts of the country that have too many casinos and not enough gamblers...

In memory of a Teamster who fought for justice his whole life

John Taylor's mugshot from his Freedom Ride

John Taylor, our Teamster brother and a 1961 Freedom Rider,  passed away March 6 at the age of 78. He fought for justice his entire life. 

He was a business representative and organizer for the Western Conference of Teamsters, and went on to be elected executive director of United Workers Association, Local 911 of the Western Conference. He also campaigned for the integration of schools and businesses in his home of Berkeley, Calif.

The Contra Costa Times told the story of his life in his obituary:

...his mother was unable to get work as a nurse in California because the state had ruled that her degree from Dillard University, a historically black institution in New Orleans, was insufficient. She had to earn the same degree again at UC Berkeley, and in 1946 became the first black registered nurse in California. 

Taylor, who joined the U.S. Air Force after Berkeley High and was honorably discharged in 1956, married his high school sweetheart Deanna O'Neal in 1955. It was around that time that he became active in the Congress of Racial Equality.

His involvement in CORE led him to become a Freedom Rider, one of the people who risked their lives to integrate bus and train travel in the United States.

John Taylor, center

In 1961, Taylor departed Berkeley to join the Freedom Riders in Jackson, Miss. There he participated in civil rights demonstrations and spent two weeks in jail after entering a "white only" waiting room in a Mississippi train station. He and other protesters were bailed out of jail by Thurgood Marshall, who would later become the first African-American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

In later years, Taylor proudly displayed his jail booking photos, along with a display about Marshall, in the annual African American History Month display at Easter Hill United Methodist Church in Richmond, where he was a longtime congregation member. 

He wanted future generations to know the sacrifices that had been made to give them a better life. 

"The children have got to know what these people have gone through to get where they were going," he said in 2007. 

In 2011, even though his health had declined, Taylor had the satisfaction of returning with other Freedom Riders to the Greyhound station in Jackson, Miss., where a marker was dedicated in memory of the barrier-breaking protest.

Rest in peace, brother.

Minimum wage lower today than during the March on Washington

50 years ago: Teamsters head to D.C.

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, a significant moment in civil rights and labor history. In the days leading up to the celebration, we are going to reexamine the demands of protesters, including many Teamsters, and measure them against the progress made in the past 50 years.

The march was as much about creating more good jobs as it was about racial discrimination. Organizers, after all, called it, "The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." Since 1963, the percentage of people in poverty has fallen, from about 20 percent in 1963 to about 15 percent today.

One of the most overlooked demands of the march was “a national minimum wage act that will give all Americans a decent standard of living.” Protesters wanted $2.00 an hour.

Today, that $2.00 hourly wage would equal $15.26 per hour, similar to what the “Strike for 15” coalition of fast food and other low-paid workers across the country are advocating.

Though low-wage workers are fighting for the same economic opportunities they were 50 years ago, their current economic reality is much worse.

Today the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Some political leaders have been talking about increasing the wage, but no significant effort has been put into reform.

In August of 1963, theminimum wage was $1.15. Today, a minimum wage worker who attended the March on Washington would be making an hourly rate of $8.78, according to the ConsumerPrice Index converter. The difference is that back then that rate was considered so low that Congress increased the rate less than a month later.

If the minimum wage were tied to inflation, full-time minimum wage workers would be making over $3,000 extra annually.

The impact is readily felt. Assuming a minimum wage employee works full time, with no time off for vacation, holidays, or illness, they would still need $7,000 to avoid falling below the official poverty line if they take care of anyone else

For a family of four with two kids, the Census Bureau says the absolute minimum workers need to support themselves is $22,811. At minimum wage, one worker would need to work more than 60 hours a week to support a family with the bare essentials.

Back in 1963, the same worker would have worked 10 fewer hours to meet the same requirements.

Obviously, many workers are forced to look for additional help.

The food stamp program, known as SNAP, was established permanently in 1963 to feed hungry low-income American families.

In the first two years of the program, fewer than a half million people were enrolled. Today 47 million people, or 15 percent of Americans, are enrolled. Another 15 million people are financially eligible for SNAP, but haven't enrolled in the program.

With wages stagnating and low income jobs on the rise, maybe it’s time to start marching again.

Wal-Mart freedom riders hailed in union halls, churches

Wal-Mart freedom riders are setting out from union halls, churches and outdoor rallies to demand respect from the company at its headquarters in Arkansas.

As they set out on their cross-country journey they were blessed by a bishop, hailed by a mayor, cheered in union halls.

They call the bus trips the "Ride for Respect." It's part of the biggest and longest strike by Wal-Mart workers who are fed up with poverty wages and intimidation. At least 100 Wal-Mart workers walked off the job in Massachusetts, Miami and California on Tuesday, and more are expected to join. They are riding on buses through the South, much as the freedom riders did in 1961. They will stop in 30 cities on the way to their protest at Wal-Mart's shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Ark., on June 7.

They'll be greeted by supporters in the towns and cities where they stop. Events are being planned in more than 40 Wal-Mart stores, union halls and churches throughout the country.

Earlier this week, two Wal-Mart workers in Massachusetts held a news conference before driving to Washington, where they'd board the bus to Bentonville. Aubretia told the press that employees were tired of depending on government subsidies for health care, food, heat and electricity because of Wal-Mart's low wages.

What we want to do is stand up and live better. we are the employees of Wal-Mart except they keep pushing us down and pushing us down.

In Washington, D.C., UFCW tells us,

Labor and community groups gathered in support in D.C. at Florida Ave. Baptist Church for a pep rally and breakfast to send off Maryland and Massachusetts Walmart associates who are also members of the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart). After an opening prayer by Reverend Dr. Edwin Jones from Living Faith Baptist Church, the all women social justice a cappella group, Song Rise, gave an inspirational performance by serenading the attendees with “aint gonna let no Walmart, turn me around” and “aint gonna let injustice, turn me around.”

In El Monte, Calif., Mayor Andre Quintero spoke about respect to a gathering of striking Wal-Mart workers and their supporters. In Pico Rivera, Calif., clergy joined a picket line in front of a store and Bishop Mendez blessed the bus. In Irvine, Calif., janitors and Wal-Mart strikers represented with a large drum and signs demanding respect outside of a store.

In Atlanta, Wal-Mart strikers kicked off their Ride for Respect with a community breakfast at IBEW Local 613's hall. They got a sendoff from the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center, as community leaders joined them to protest the company's refusal to change.

And in Seattle, a dozen strikers posed for a photo in front of their bus before heading south.

Rallies to support the Wal-Mart strikers are being held all across the country. To find one near you, click here. To donate to the strike fund, click here. To follow them on twitter, use the #WalmartStrikers hashtag.

Prolonged strike against Wal-Mart starts today in MA, CA, FL

Wal-Mart strikers in Massachusetts.

Today at least 100 Wal-Mart workers began a prolonged strike in three states, an action that follows one-day strikes in October and on Black Friday.

They will emulate the 1961 Civil Rights freedom riders and board buses to the retailer's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. The buses will stop dozens of cities to pick up supporters on the way to protest Wal-Mart's annual shareholder meeting.

@MsFlowersTweets tells us one bus carrying freedom riders has left from Miami.

#WalmartStrikers have embarked on their leg of their #FreedomRide from Miami. Help me wish @hanson_alan and the crew peace & power. #p2 #1u

Strikers walked off the job in Massachusetts and the California Bay Area. Buses are also expected to leave from Washington, D.C., Chicago, Seattle and Southern California. At least 30 direct actions are planned to show support for the latter-day freedom riders. (Click here to find one or organize one yourself.)

Josh Eidelson at The Nation reports,

The union-backed labor group OUR Walmart says that at least a hundred workers have pledged to join the strikes, and that some workers walking off the job today will stay out at least through June 7, when Walmart holds its annual shareholder meeting near Bentonville, Arkansas. 

Organizers expect retail employees in more cities to join the work stoppage, which follows the country’s first-ever coordinated Walmart store strikes last October, and a high-profile Black Friday walkout November 23. Like Black Friday’s, today’s strike is being framed by the union-backed labor group OUR Walmart as a response to retaliation against worker-activists...

That “Ride for Respect” will bring workers to about thirty cities, including Los Angeles, D.C., Chicago, and Cincinnati, where they’ll meet supporters and visit Walmart stores before continuing to Arkansas. Schlademan called the caravans “a massive education program meant to educate Walmart workers and communities about the issues of Walmart.”

Bloomberg interviewed some of the striking workers:

“This is the first time in my life I’m standing up for something I know is right,” says Barbara Getz, who is 45 years old and makes $10 an hour as an overnight stocker in Store No. 5334 in Aurora, Colo. “Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world, and we want them to set a high standard.” Among the group’s requests: full-time work for those who want it, with a minimum yearly salary of $25,000. 

Dominic Ware will be on a bus, too. He’s a 26-year-old part-time employee at Store No. 5434 in San Leandro, Calif. He makes $8.65 an hour. “My plan is to make a lot of noise and be direct and be respectful,” he says.

Workers have also walked out on Wal-Mart suppliers. In July, eight immigrant guest workers walked out on a Louisiana seafood supplier that had basically enslaved them. In September, workers at warehouses subcontracted by Wal-Mart struck for several weeks in Southern California and in Greater Chicago.

Wal-Mart resistance to escalate next week

Planned bus routes to Bentonville next week.

Next week Wal-Mart workers will turn up the volume a notch in their campaign to be treated decently by the retail giant. Echoing the freedom riders of the Civil Rights movement, they will ride in caravans of buses to the company's June 7 annual meeting in Bentonville, Ark.

The buses will be leaving from all over the U.S., including Southern California, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. They'll pick up Wal-Mart associates along the way. They're hoping for support from union members and other allies at their stops.

Josh Eidelson at The Nation reported earlier this month:

Several days before the shareholder gathering, caravans will leave from several cities around the country, stopping along the way to pick up workers and supporters, and to meet with community activists. OUR Walmart’s plans for the next month also include confrontations between Walmart employees and members of the company’s board of directors.

They decided on the Ride for Respect during a five-day planning session at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Ala.

Los Angeles Wal-Mart worker Tsehai Almaz told The Nation that she and her colleagues feel they're facing many of the same issues as the 1961 freedom riders:

I feel like we’re facing many of the same issues, even though it’s not necessarily about race—this time it’s about respect. And being able to feed our families, and having good working conditions...

It’s time for this generation basically to accept the baton and continue the movement. Because it didn’t end in the ’60’s. That just started the movement—it’s continuing with how Walmart is treating its associates.

The workers want full-time jobs, living wages, affordable health care and better working conditions. Wal-Mart pays its workers an average of $8.81 an hour, forcing many of them onto food stamps and Medicaid.

Preparations for the Ride for Respect can be found on OUR Walmart's Facebook page.

Across the country we're getting ready for the Ride for Respect! We'll be talking to Associates across the country and bringing our message of change to Bentonville for the Annual Meeting. Thanks to OUR Walmart So Cal for sharing this image. Like if you support and go to this link to sign up!

OUR Walmart is asking workers to sign the Bentonville Strike Pledge here. It says, in part,

I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED by Walmart’s threats and retaliation against Associates who speak out for better pay, more hours and respect at work. I’m ready to put an end to Walmart’s unfair labor practices.

The Teamsters are supporting OUR Walmart through the Change to Win federation. Teamsters are encouraged to show support for the Ride for Respect.

Teamster civil rights martyr inducted into Labor's International Hall of Fame today

Viola Liuzzo, murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in 1965 for her role in the civil rights movement, is being inducted into Labor's International Hall of Fame today. She was the wife of a Teamster business agent and a heroine to us all.

A recent CNN story describes what happened more than four decades ago:

The murder of Viola Liuzzo was one of the most shocking moments in the civil rights movement. On a winding, isolated road outside Selma, Liuzzo was ambushed and shot to death by a car full of Ku Klux Klansmen. 

She was murdered while giving a ride to a 19-year-old black man, Leroy Moton, one of many civil rights marchers she had driven around Selma. Liuzzo had joined the movement's carpool system soon after arriving in the small Alabama town. Liuzzo's murder became international news. Her photo became a fixture in history books. Her name has been inscribed on civil rights memorials throughout the United States. 

But people had far less sympathy for Liuzzo when she was murdered. Hate mail flooded her family's Detroit home, accusing her of being a deranged communist. Crosses were burned in front of the home. Her husband, Anthony Liuzzo Sr., had to hire armed guards to protect his family. 

A Ladies' Home Journal magazine survey taken right after Liuzzo's death asked its readers what kind of woman would leave her family for a civil rights demonstration. The magazine suggested that she had brought death on herself by leaving home -- and 55% of its readers agreed.

The Hall of Fame is also inducting two other women today:

• "Big Annie” Clemenc was one of the most visible leaders of the 1913 copper miners’ strike on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, many times standing between the miners and police while draped in an American flag.

• And Evelyn Dubrow, a journalist by trade and member of the American Newspaper Guild (now known as The Newspaper Guild/Communications Workers of America), also became a organizer, writer, educator and, in 1956, the chief Washington, D.C., lobbyist for the International Ladies’ Garment Workers, which is now UNITE HERE.

Labor's International Hall of Fame announced the inductees in September in a statement:

These incredible advocates are so deserving of the labor movement’s recognition and remembrance. We look forward to the induction ceremony on May 16, 2013, and making sure the rich histories of sisters Liuzzo, Clemenc and Dubrow are properly remembered.

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...

This Teamster heroine died for the Voting Rights Act

The attack on the Voting Rights Act now before the U.S. Supreme Court should be especially offensive to Teamsters. One of our own died for the cause of equal voting rights. The 1965 murder of Viola Liuzzo, wife of a Teamster business agent,  sparked passage of the historic civil rights legislation.

CNN reminded us yesterday of Violet's sacrifice:

The murder of Viola Liuzzo was one of the most shocking moments in the civil rights movement. On a winding, isolated road outside Selma, Liuzzo was ambushed and shot to death by a car full of Ku Klux Klansmen. 

Viola Liuzzo was murdered in this car on an isolated Alabama highway while she participated in a voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama. 

She was murdered while giving a ride to a 19-year-old black man, Leroy Moton, one of many civil rights marchers she had driven around Selma. Liuzzo had joined the movement's carpool system soon after arriving in the small Alabama town. Liuzzo's murder became international news. Her photo became a fixture in history books. Her name has been inscribed on civil rights memorials throughout the United States. 

But people had far less sympathy for Liuzzo when she was murdered. Hate mail flooded her family's Detroit home, accusing her of being a deranged communist. Crosses were burned in front of the home. Her husband, Anthony Liuzzo Sr., had to hire armed guards to protect his family.

The Teamsters have long honored Viola's memory, from the day James R. Hoffa attended her funeal on March 30, 1965 in Detroit to the present. An online tribute to Viola at teamster.org tells us:

Viola Liuzzo and her husband Anthony “Jim” Liuzzo, who retired after more than 16 years as a business agent of Teamsters Local 247, had always been a family with a purpose. They believed in racial equality, helping fellow union members in their struggle for economic justice or dignity on the job and fighting discrimination in all its form as they had done all their life. 

Viola Liuzzo was an active member of her community and was a member of DRIVE— the Teamsters political and legislative arm. She could often be found attending various political meetings, away at a meeting of Congress on Racial Equality or other meetings that attract those who have a deep concern for their fellow men. 

It came as no surprise to Anthony Liuzzo when his wife and mother of his five children called from the campus of Wayne State University, where she attended classes for sociology, to tell him she had to go to Selma, Alabama to assist the civil rights marchers.

You can read more about her here.

Jimmy Hoffa letter on discrimination discovered

James R. "Jimmy" Hoffa, who would turn 100 on Feb. 14, was a strong supporter of civil rights for all.

Just how strong is clear from a letter he wrote that was just obtained by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. A member purchased a trove of Teamster memorabilia from an estate and donated it to the union.

Dated April 18, 1958, the letter says:

TO ALL LOCAL UNIONS, JOINT COUNCILS,
 AREA CONFERENCES AND GENERAL ORGANIZERS.



Dear Sir and Brother:



As you know, the Teamsters International Union has a policy of non-discrimination because of race, color, or creed. This is based not only upon our Constitution, but also upon the traditional belief of the labor movement in the brotherhood of man.



At the February meeting of the General Executive Board in Miami, this policy was reaffirmed. However, to simply reaffirm this policy means
 nothing unless we are prepared to take positive action.



As Americans, we should be opposed to bigotry and racial discrimination at every turn, and do everything possible to make the Bill of Rights a
 reality for every citizen.



Our International Constitution (Section 2, Article II) states:



"Any person of good moral character, employed in the craft or the various employments over which this International Union has jurisdiction, shall be eligible to membership in this organization."



On behalf of the General Executive Board, I urge each and every local union to take positive action in this regard. Not only should be accept
 for membership all persons who are eligible, each local should also assist in obtaining employment for everyone, regardless of race, creed,
or color.



As members of the American labor movement, we support every tenet of Americanism. Equal opportunity is one of those tenets. The General Executive Board asks your full support in enforcing our non-discrimination policy.




Fraternally yours,





James R. Hoffa

General President

Today's Teamster News 01.22.13

Obama's second term foe - China: Column  USA Today   ...roughly 30% of American manufacturing job loss since 2001 can be tied to the China PNTR decision...
Hilda Solis, Outgoing Labor Secretary, Reflects On Economic Recovery, Right-Wing Attacks  Huffington Post   ...Although mine safety reform has stalled in Congress, Solis said the department has worked to make improvements, including a new rule issued this week that would make it easier for the government to shut down mines with a history of safety violations...
Investigation ordered after Spanish politicians got ‘salaries’ from private companies  AFP   ...senior members of the party, which Rajoy has led since 2004, had received undeclared salaries, mainly from private companies, over a 20-year period...
Back down on austerity, Osborne urged as Britain slips towards triple-dip  The Guardian   ...A second negative quarter, from January to March, would mark the onset of Britain's third recession in five years...
$240 billion amassed by 100 richest people enough to end extreme poverty four times over: Oxfam  Raw Story   ...The report found that the richest 1% had increased their incomes by 60% in the past 20 years, with the financial crisis accelerating rather than slowing the process...
Cayman Islands to Disclose Tax Shelter Companies  The Progressuve   ...After decades of secrecy, the tax-haven country is considering a public database that will make the names of thousands of previously hidden companies and their directors, public...
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein Gets 75 Percent Raise: Report  Huffington Post   ...Lloyd Blankfein made $21 million last year, including a $2 million salary and a $19 million bonus...
Goldman bankers get rich betting on food prices as millions starve  The Independent   ...Goldman Sachs made more than a quarter of a billion pounds last year by speculating on food staples, reigniting the controversy over banks profiting from the global food crisis...
Analysis: 201,000 in Florida didn't vote because of long lines  Orlando Sentinel   ...The long Election Day lines around Florida may have turned away more than 200,000 frustrated would-be voters who gave up and went home before they cast ballots — or else saw the lines and elected not to join them...
Sanitation workers march for union rights in DeKalb Co.  My Fox Atlanta   ...DeKalb County sanitation workers marched in downtown Atlanta on Monday in an effort to have their union recognized by the county commission. They had the support of two retired sanitation workers who marched in Memphis nearly 45 years ago just before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr….
Turner and Leach are supporting attempts by DeKalb County sanitation workers to get the county commission to recognize them as members of Teamsters Local 728...
More Bad News From Private Prison  City Beat   ...Since the end of 2012, four have been arrested and charged with smuggling. Another four were arrested Monday and police suspect they were in Conneaut for a smuggling job... the four suspects arrested Monday were only caught due to the increased police presence outside the Lake Erie prison...
Virginia Senate Sneaks Through Gerrymandering Bill While Country Watches Inauguration  ThinkProgress   ...the move could potentially eliminate at least one Democratic seat, the 25th district, which currently belongs to former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Creigh Deeds (D)...

Teamsters support civil rights, then and now (video)

Teamsters from the beginning stood up for all workers. Watch and see how.

Petition: Make labor organizing a civil right

Let's face it: Current labor law doesn't protect workers much against employer abuse. But why shouldn't all workers have the same rights as those protected because of their race, religion, sex or national origin?

That's the argument made by two authors who've written a book, “Why Labor Organizing Should Be a Civil Right: Rebuilding a Middle-Class Democracy by Enhancing Worker Voice.” The authors, Richard Kahlenberg and Moshe Marvit, explained their argument in a New York Times op-ed in March:

While there are many factors that help explain why the nation has progressed on (Dr. Martin Luther) King’s vision for civil rights while it has moved backward on his goal of economic equality, among the most important is the substantial difference between the strength of our laws on civil rights and labor. It is time to write protections for labor into the Civil Rights Act itself.

Amending The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would strengthen penalties and procedures against employers who abuse workers who try to organize. Kahlenberg and Marvit explain:

Under our proposal, complaints about wrongful terminations for union organizing could still go through the National Labor Relations Board, which has expertise in this field. But the board would employ the procedures currently used by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which provide that after 180 days, a plaintiff can move his or her case from the administrative agency to federal court. There, plaintiffs alleging that they were unfairly dismissed for trying to organize could sue for compensatory and punitive damages and lawyers’ fees, have the opportunity to engage in pretrial legal discovery and have access to a jury — none of which are available under current law.

There's a petition going around that demands the Democratic Party support such an amendment to the Civil Rights Act. It says:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Democratic Party show its support for working men and women by officially adopting into its legislative priorities for the next Congress legislation to officially recognize as a civil right the right to join or organize a union. This legislation would provide anti discrimination protection to workers trying to organize a union akin to those provided under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to protect against discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and national origin. This change would give workers real rights and remedies in exercising their right to have a voice the workplace, would diminish employers’ violation of currently weak labor laws, and would finally recognize what most Americans already believe: It is an individual’s civil right to join or organize a union, and they should not be fired for exercising that right.

You can sign the petition here.

04.03.68: MLK Jr.'s 'I've Been to the Mountaintop' speech

Forty-four years ago today.

And a reminder here that Teamsters supported the civil rights movement and the rights of all workers.

Inspiration Wednesday: 'Go, Tell It On The Mountain'

Thanks to our Teamster brother @JimNichols for bringing this and other terrific songs about the struggle for justice to our attention. If you have any you'd like to share on Twitter, use the #SongsISangAtWorkToday. This one comes from Ray Beckerman's youtube playlist, well worth checking out.

"Go, Tell It On the Mountain" started out as an African-American spiritual, compiled by John Wesley Work, Jr., in 1865. Peter, Paul and Mary adapted it in the '60s as a civil rights song. In its original version it's considered a Christmas carol.

(UPDATE: Oops! Wrong title in the headline.)

Madison: "We Shall Overcome" (VIDEO)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., believed that the fate of labor unions and the fate of the civil rights movement are intertwined. He believed the coalition that can have the greatest impact in the struggle for human dignity in America is the coalition of African-Americans and the forces of labor. That is why it is especially poignant that the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was with Dr. King during the Memphis sanitation strike, led the Madison protesters in singing the civil rights anthem, "We Shall Overcome," last night.

The Teamsters have a long history of supporting the civil rights movement. As long ago as 1919, the Teamsters stood for equal pay for equal wages. Chicago locals marched with King in 1966 as they are marching with their brothers and sisters in Madison in 2011.
Here's what Dr. King told the AFL-CIO convention in 1961:

Our needs are identical with labor's needs: decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old age security, health and welfare measure, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community.

That is why Negroes support labor's demands and fight laws which curb labor. That is why the labor-hater and labor-baiter is virtually always a twin-headed creature spewing anti-Negro epithets from one mouth and anti-labor propaganda from the other mouth.

Be sure to watch all the videos.

You go girls: A million women sue Wal-Mart

Here’s Betty Dukes, who started the class-action lawsuit charging Wal-Mart with violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

AP’s Paul Elias has the story:

Her dual roles have turned her into a civil rights crusader for the
company's many critics, who have dubbed the legal battle "Betty v. Goliath." It
is a far cry from where Dukes expected to be when she enthusiastically accepted
an offer in 1994 to work the cash registers part-time for $5 an hour. She
dreamed of turning around a hard life by advancing, through work and
determination, into Wal-Mart corporate management. Read the whole thing here.