Today's Teamster News 07.27.12

Economy In U.S. Probably Expanded At Slowest Pace In A Year  Bloomberg   ...The U.S. economy probably expanded in the second quarter at the slowest pace in a year as a softening labor market caused Americans to cut back on spending, economists said before a report today...
Investigations reveal forced labor of immigrants but Congress won’t allow the Labor Department to combat it  Economic Policy Institute   ...The new rules would require employers to first recruit unemployed workers before turning to foreign workers, ensure that U.S. and foreign workers are not underpaid, and protect guest workers from becoming victims of forced labor and human trafficking, as well as from being retaliated against if they attempt to assert their labor and employment rights...
States that Follow ALEC's Recommendations Fare Worse  Wisconsin Budget Project   ...States with minimal public services, tax systems that favor the rich, and weak or non-existent unions fared worse economically during the recession compared to other states, according to a new report. States that followed recommendations made by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) were more likely to experience increased poverty rates and falling income...
Pennsylvania Governor Can’t Recall Requirements Of Voter ID Law He Signed  TPMMuckraker   ...Corbett was asked about a new report showing that 43 percent of Philadelphia voters lack a valid form of identification issued by the state...
Teamsters, Waste Management tussle over picket lines  Seattle Times   ...As garbage sat uncollected for a second day, Waste Management and its recycling and yard-waste drivers argued in competing news releases Thursday about whether picket lines would need to come down before labor negotiations could resume...
Con Ed and Union Reach Contract Agreement  New York Times   ...The settlement came as the two sides worried that severe weather was closing in on New York City and could leave large numbers of customers in the dark for the first time since the lockout began...

Teamsters rally for locked-out Con Ed workers (UPDATE)

(UPDATE: We left off the link of the video that featured Chris Shelton's terrific speech. See the second paragraph.)

It's the third week of the Con Ed lockout and talks aren't going anywhere, according to the press. Teamsters yesterday joined a large, noisy, defiant rally for the UWUA Local 1-2 workers along with the UAW, SEIU 32BJ, CWA, transit workers, teachers, steamfitters, retail workers, Occupy Wall Street and more.

Check out a video of CWA Vice President Chris Shelton's stirring speech at the rally. Here's an excerpt:

There is an ill wind blowing across our country, and that wind reeks of the stench of corporate greed and the political expediency that allows corporate greed. What these sons of bitches are trying to do to you, brothers and sisters, and what they're trying to do to my members at the bargaining table is much bigger than trying to steal your wages and your benefits, what they're trying to do is steal your democracy.

The Village Voice reported,

The demonstration was large, filing the northern section of Union Square...The demonstration was also painfully noisy, as most of the union members were equipped with pump-action air horns that made vuvuzelas seem quiet and sonorous by comparison. 

The mood in Union Square was optimistic and defiant. Utility workers said they were heartened to see the strong showing from other unions. 

"We should be doing this more often," said Ricky Ward, a 45-year-old customer field representative. "Even when we get our jobs back. Organized labor -- we're all one..." 

A member of the United Auto Workers, who didn't wish to give her name, said the Con Ed labor dispute feels like a landmark battle that will have implications for the rest of organized labor. "This is like Wisconsin," she said. "In this case it's the private-sector, but we're talking about a company that's turning a profit -- a billion dollars in profit. If they can win big concessions from workers in that situation, that's a real bad sign for the rest of us."

Sherry Cruz (@sherrycruz4) took the picture above, tweeting,

ConEd locked out workers along w UFT, CWA, IBEW, Teamsters, 32bj, 1199, DC37, & me! :D ‪#union‬ ‪#solidarity

The union asked New York utility regulators to end the lockout and to investigate utility service during the lockout. Stay tuned.

Locked-out Con Ed workers need mojo

Consolidated Edison utility workers say they need help. Eight thousand of them were locked out of their jobs 16 days ago. They're already picketing at 20 Con Ed locations in New York City and Westchester County. This from Tim Holmes on the Teamsters Facebook page:

Today in History your Brotners and Sisters of Li al 1-2 are locked out .There Standing Firm , Their converting this fight into Elitist Austerity, We get Raises They Dont. They need your help in a big way, things like blocking roads, refusing pickups, Loosing trucks, Whatever tricks stunts or in their face maneuvers you dare bring brothers and sisters. We need your Mojo!

One way you can help your union brothers and sisters in New York is to show up at their rally for a fair contract tomorrow. It's at 5:30 pm in Union Square.

All the workers want is fair pay if the company is making money. The Indypendent tells us it is:

And it is: last year, Con Ed grossed over $1 billion in profits, while its CEO Kevin Burke took home almost $11 million. According to Local 1-2, Burke has requested Con Ed shareholders to approve another pay raise while he is simultaneously seeking to cut worker benefits.

Isn't that lovely?

To give you an idea of the lockout's impact on Con Ed workers, here's a post by Quinton Vernon on Facebook:

My wonderful wife and I, are celebrating our 8 anniversary tomorrow. All we can afford to get each other are cards that we'll be exchanging after I get home from the union rally to fight for my pension and benefits to support our family. Thanks Con Ed. My family won't ever forget this. I promise.

Government officials are telling Con Ed to end the lockout. Here's a statement from Republican state Sen. Greg Ball:

There are 3.2 million Con Edison customers and 350,000 reside in Westchester County. There is never a good time for Consolidated Edison workers to be on picket lines and that is especially so when it is as hot as Hades! Utility workers are the backbone keeping us in the 21st century, with all the creature comforts, and it is critical that management provides the framework for an immediate and lasting agreement. The sooner these hard working men and women are allowed to return to work, and both sides meet with open hearts at the bargaining table, the better for Westchester and beyond.

At least the company responded to public pressure and reinstated the workers' health insurance.  

Con Ed gives $250K to biz group, locks out workers

Oh, very, very nice. By way of our friends at American Rights at Work, we learn that Con Ed gave $250,000 to a pro-business group last year. Now it's poor mouthing as it locks out 8,500 workers.

But it isn't the size of the gift that matters -- it's who it influences. Reports Crains' New York Business:

...good-government groups expressed concerns that the utility giant gave $250,000 last year to the Committee to Save New York, a pro-business group set up at the urging of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

...the donation has raised questions from organized labor and good-government groups because the governor appoints board members of the state Public Service Commission, which regulates Con Ed. The commission is reviewing a request by Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America to force Con Ed to end its lockout of 8,500 workers. 

Also, one of Mr. Cuomo's top advisers, Michael Del Giudice, has been a member of Con Ed's board since 1999. 

Mr. Cuomo, who has received political support in the past from both sides of the labor dispute, has not taken sides in the lockout, which is now in its 12th day, and has not personally made any public statements. 

"There's nothing illegal about this, but it is absolutely the problem with these newly formed committees that don't actually have to reveal their donors," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause, a nonprofit that promotes open government. "It's clear that business sees this as a way to get closer to the centers of power, and it's one of the problems we have with large amounts of money sloshing around in our political system."

Meanwhile, Reuters reports the locked-out workers asked the utility commission to end the lockout.

Stay tuned.