Congress needs our motivation to act on infrastructure!

America's infrastructure has seen better days. The Teamsters have stressed that point repeatedly as part of our "Let's Get America Working" (LGAW) campaign. But too many in Congress seem to be content not moving forward on a plan to rebuild, maintain and repair the nation's transportation network.

Since 2008, Congress has used more than $62 billion in taxpayer dollars to keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat, and it has been over a decade since lawmakers have passed a long-term highway bill. At the same time, the transportation system continues to crumble and the safety of those who work and travel along the roads and rails is being jeopardized.

One thing could change lawmakers' minds, however, is if they saw pictures of deteriorating infrastructure in their own districts. And that's where you come in. As part of LGAW, the Teamsters have received several photos from our members and friends showing the dire state of infrastructure in their areas. But we need more.

If you spot decrepit examples of roads and bridges in your travels, please send them to teamsterphotos@gmail.com. It will help the union in our push to get Congress to focus on improving infrastructure that will help workers and businesses alike.

Infrastructure investment is key to creating new, better-paying jobs and getting the U.S. economy back on track. Let's show our elected officials why they should be focusing on the issue now!

Railroad Teamsters strike Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway today

More than 100 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) today struck the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (WLE). The railroad is trying to run trains with one operator even after the recent Lac-Megantic tragedy that killed 47 people.

Picket lines were posted at seven primary WLE terminals in Ohio and Pennsylvania, shutting down the railroad’s entire operation.

General Chairman Bob Linsey said they were forced to strike to defend their contracts. The railroad,

...has used management officials to perform the work of bargaining unit employees, namely locomotive engineers and conductors. In defiance of the union’s warnings, the carrier has also recently ignored longstanding crew consist agreements and operated single-person operations in an effort to eliminate trainmen.

The WLE outright admitted that it has no right to run the railroad that way. It made proposals at the bargaining table to lift the restrictions on single-person operations and letting management do the work of conductors and locomotive engineers.

BLET national President Dennis R. Pierce blasted WLE for its actions, saying the WLE loaned money to the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic, which declared bankruptcy after one of its trains rolled driverless down a hill and derailed in Lac Megantic, Quebec. The explosion killed 47 people. Pierce said,

The WLE bankrolled Ed Burkhardt’s failed one-person operation on the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic to the tune of a $25 million loan, so this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. When General Chairman Linsey asked for strike authorization on behalf of our members, the stakes involved made this a fairly easy decision for me to make. It is clear that WLE’s actions are in outright defiance of its obligations, a major dispute in and of itself. BLET will not idly stand by and allow this totally unsafe abrogation of its collectively bargained agreements.

Pierce said Republican and Democratic members of Congress sponsored a bill — H.R. 3040, the Safe Freight Act — requiring at least two crew members on all freight trains in the nation. He called on the House leadership to move forward with the legislation.

Today's Teamster News 07.07.13

Scores Missing after Oil-Laden Train Explosion Rocks Small Town  Common Dreams   ...Reportedly, there was no one on board the train as the oil-laden cars were being "remotely operated..."
'Surreal' escape: How survivors fled badly damaged Asiana Flight 214  NBC News   ...In all, there were 307 people on board the Asiana flight, 291 passengers and 16 crew. Authorities said 182 people were hospitalized, including 49 with serious injuries. Hospitals reported that the injuries included burns, fractures and cuts...
Don’t Get Too Excited About Today’s Jobs Data  Bloomberg   ... it would take four more years of job gains at the current pace of 195,000 per month to completely close the gap that began opening at the end of 2007...
The Part-Timer Problem  The American Prospect   ...Delaying the employer mandate may mean fewer firms will cut workers’ hours—but the rise of part-time work will continue nonetheless...
After Ruling, States Rush to Enact Voting Laws  New York Times   ...State officials across the South are aggressively moving ahead with new laws requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls after the Supreme Court decision striking down a portion of the Voting Rights Act...
Even After One of Worst Worker Atrocities in Human History, Gap & Walmart Won't Get Serious About Preventing Another   Alternet   ...Should the government of Bangladesh or the companies that sell products manufactured in the country be held responsible for working conditions?...
In Secret, Court Vastly Broadens Powers of N.S.A.  New York Times   ...In more than a dozen classified rulings, the nation’s surveillance court has created a secret body of law giving the National Security Agency the power to amass vast collections of data on Americans while pursuing not only terrorism suspects, but also people possibly involved in nuclear proliferation, espionage and cyberattacks, officials say...
The NSA's mass and indiscriminate spying on Brazilians  The Guardian   ...As it does in many non-adversarial countries, the surveillance agency is bulk collecting the communications of millions of citizens of Brazil...
City Unions: Wall Street Looted Oakland   East Bay Express   ...A new report alleges that big banks gouged Oakland taxpayers of nearly $500 million over the past sixteen years as the city has been forced to dramatically cut public services...
Las Vegas Suburb Accused of Plotting to Seize 5,000 Homes with Eminent Domain to Flip Them for a Profit  Alternet   ...The City of North Las Vegas is endangering its financial status with a cockeyed plan to seize up to 5,000 homes through eminent domain, buy them with public money and flip them, a man claims in court...

Another trip down memory lane as nation's oldest union approaches its 150th birthday

Three weeks from now, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen—now part of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters—will celebrate its 150th anniversary. Today marks an important, if somewhat bittersweet, date in the history of the country’s oldest union.

In 1991, BLET took to the picket lines as part of a nationwide railway strike to protest a lack of progress after almost two years of negotiations with carriers as part of the wage/rules movement. The two sides had been at a stalemate since mid-1989, and even the National Mediation Board couldn’t help efforts to reach an agreement. As part of the process, Presidential Emergency Board No. 219 was appointed to recommend a solution to the dispute. Freight carriers convinced the board that the engineers needed to make more concessions, again disappointing BLET.

So BLET went on strike, but it was short-lived. In less than 24 hours, Congress passed legislation that President George H.W. Bush signed into law, ordering the rail workers back to work. Larry McFather, then-BLET president, told The New York Times that management raised public fears about the strike by stopping Amtrak's passenger service on long-distance lines. Such management action and White House collaboration left Congress no choice but to act. "We believe that Congress all along wanted, as we did, a negotiated settlement, but management would not allow it," he said.

As part of the new law, President Bush appointed a special three-person board to reconsider and clarify the recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board No. 219. But the new panel in a July 1991 report basically rubber stamped the recommendations of the earlier emergency board that required employees to pay a portion of their health insurance, among other things.

BLET, however, has persevered. In 2004, it merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as the founding member of the Teamsters Rail Conference. And it is returning to its birthplace of Detroit next month to host a celebration of its historic anniversary. A series of meetings and events will culminate with a celebratory banquet the evening of May 8. All active and retired members are invited to attend. Registration information is available at www.ble-t.org/blet150.

Today's Teamster News 11.18.12

Thousands of Spanish police officers march against austerity  RT   ...Around 5,000 Spanish police officers marched through the streets of Madrid on Saturday to protest government austerity measures, including frozen pensions and the elimination of their Christmas bonuses...
Former Clinton and Bush Cabinet Members, Now Oil and Gas Lobbyists, Expect Keystone XL Green Light  Desmogblog.com   ...The Tar Sands Blockade of TransCanada Corporation's "Keystone XL South" continues in Texas, but former members of the Clinton and George W. Bush cabinets believe the northern half will soon be green-lighted by President Barack Obama...
New Jersey railway put trains in Sandy flood zone despite warnings  Reuters   ...New Jersey Transit's struggle to recover from Superstorm Sandy is being compounded by a pre-storm decision to park much of its equipment in two rail yards that forecasters predicted would flood, a move that resulted in damage to one-third of its locomotives and a quarter of its passenger cars...
Walmart's Internal Compensation Documents Reveal Systematic Limit On Advancement  Huffington Post   ...The plan details a rigid pay structure for hourly employees that makes it difficult for most to rise much beyond poverty-level wages...
Democrat Ron Barber wins Gabby Giffords's seat in Arizona  The Hill   ...Democrats now hold a majority of Arizona's House seats...
Privatizing turnpike looms as a road hazard for Kasich (opinion)  Columbus Dispatch   ... If he goes through with it, he risks pocking his 2014 re-election bid with potholes. Turnpike privatization could be the deal-breaker for Kasich in northern Ohio that opposition to the auto bailout was for Mitt Romney...
Rick Haglund: 'If conditions were ever perfect for (right to work), they are right now' - legislator (opinion)  MLive.com   ...Rep. Mike Shirkey, a Grass Lake Republican who’s been itching to introduce right-to-work legislation for months, isn’t convinced that Snyder is supportive. And Shirkey told me for a post-election story I wrote for Bridge magazine that he will not introduce a bill until he knows Snyder will sign it...
Wisconsin: Walker campaign, GOP hired county aide charged in John Doe probe  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...A former aide to Gov. Scott Walker who has pleaded guilty to felony misconduct in office has been on the payroll of Walker's campaign and the state Republican Party, according to a court document filed Friday...
Allen West recount continues after emergency injunction fails; Teamsters show up to ‘observe’; Update: Count resumes Sunday  Twitchy.com   ...Packed in among volunteers are three members of the U.S. House Administration Committee who appeared at West’s request. Also stopping by, according to one West supporter, were several Teamsters...

Today's Teamster News 06.01.12

38th consecutive night demo peaceful but illegal  Montreal Gazette   ...it began just hours after talks between the government and student associations collapsed. The nighttime demonstration drew a crowd of several thousand and got off to its usual start at 8 p.m. with the sound of pots and pans echoing through Place Émilie-Gamelin...
Federal Officials Shut Down 26 Bus Operators  New York Times   ...Citing imminent safety hazards, federal officials ordered 26 companies on Thursday to stop operating many of the inexpensive buses that pick up passengers at curbsides all over Manhattan’s Chinatown and haul them to other cities up and down the East Coast...
Justice Department Demands Florida Stop Purging Voter Rolls  Talking Points Memo   ...The Justice Department sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner Thursday evening demanding the state cease purging its voting rolls because the process it is using has not been cleared under the Voting Rights Act, TPM has learned...
Walker's office stonewalled DA inquiry, record shows  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...Milwaukee County prosecutors opened the secret John Doe criminal investigation more than two years ago after being stonewalled by Gov. Scott Walker's office when he was county executive, according to a newly released record...
Fla. prison health care privatization challenged  Associated Press   ...Lawyers for public employee unions and a pair of nurses urged a judge Wednesday to block a plan for privatizing health care in Florida's prisons...
CP Rail Workers Return to Jobs as Strike Law Passes  Bloomberg Businessweek   ...Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.’s (CP) striking Teamsters workers are returning to their jobs today after Parliament passed a bill to end the weeklong labor action that snarled industry supply chains and seaport traffic...
The Lockout Is Over: Sotheby’s Finally Resolves Dispute With Its Union Art Handlers  Blouin Art Info   ...All the union-sympathizing auction lovers out there can rejoice — after a 10-month-long lockout of the union art handlers at Sotheby’s New York, the auction house management finally came to an agreement with the Teamsters Local 814, which represents 42 art handlers, according to Crain’s New York...

Today's Teamster News 05.31.12

Unpaid Overtime: Wage And Hour Lawsuits Have Skyrocketed In The Last Decade  Huffington Post   ...Collective action lawsuits alleging wage and hour violations have risen 400 percent in the last 11 years, according to a recent post at CNNMoney. In 2011, there were more than 7,000 such lawsuits filed in federal court -- a huge increase since the turn of the century...
SEC: Taking on Big Firms is 'Tempting,' But We Prefer Whaling on Little Guys  Rolling Stone   ...I’ve heard from several attorneys who represent smaller clients who tell me they’re flabbergasted, watching the S.E.C. give the Chases, Goldmans, and Citigroups free ride after free ride while their pockmarked little clients at fledgling public companies get served the whole regulatory meal for minor disclosure violations – even cases that simply involve bad paperwork, where money isn’t even stolen...
WOW: In No State Is a 40-Hour, Minimum Wage Work Week Enough to Afford a Two-Bedroom Apartment  We Party Patriots   ...The numbers don’t show any discernible trend aside from perhaps 1) states with high cost of living/rent such as NY, NJ, DC, MD require the most man hours and 2) the minimum wage is too low...
Beloit billionaire pays zero in 2010 state income tax bill  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...Hendricks was thrust into the spotlight last month when a videotape showing her talking with Gov. Scott Walker about strategies to fight unions was released...
Is there a “smoking gun” email that implicates Scott Walker in bid-rigging?  Blogging Blue   ...Gov. Walker is no longer cooperating with investigators in the Milwaukee County John Doe investigation, which would certainly explain Walker’s decision to transfer $70,000 to his criminal defense fund on May 3 and $30,000 on May 17, according to campaign finance reports...
On eve of Senate appearance, Raitt calls on CP, Teamsters to voluntarily go back to work  Canada.com   ...Canada’s labour minister called on the two parties in the country’s railway dispute to voluntarily go back to work on Friday, a day after they and the minister are set to face questions from senators reviewing the Canadian Pacific back-to-work bill...
Teamsters, Coca-Cola Dispute Who's Paying For Health Insurance  Hartford Courant   ...No new negotiating sessions have been scheduled since the strike began. The next meeting is on June 12...

Today's Teamster News 05.24.12

Union funds flow into Quebec in support of student activists  The Globe and Mail   ...Trade unions based outside Quebec have already confirmed sending more than $36,000 into the bank accounts of the province’s largest student federations...
1,000 dogs sickened by jerky pet treats made in China  Trade Reform   ...The Food and Drug Administration has been warning owners about continued problems with the chicken jerky strips, treats and nuggets since November. Three of the top brands of treats cited in complaints of harm include Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands produced byNestle Purina PetCare, andMilo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats produced by Del Monte...
Over 99% of Federal Reserve Bank Enforcement Actions Are Resolved Without Admission of Guilt  naked capitalism   ...(Democrats) don’t want regulation, they want to be seen as wanting regulation.  And the Republicans, while they want to be seen as the party against regulation, are actually quite happy having regulators they can work with, regulators who protect the banks from state or local level action...
Walker Lied to Congress, Created Act 10 Immediately After 2010 Election  WTDY   ...Dylan Brogan, has just reported that officials at the the Legislative Reference Bureau say they began work on Act 10, at the request of Walker, in November of 2010-- days after the election. This directly contradicts sworn testimony Walker gave to the U.S. House Oversight Committee...
Labour minister threatens back-to-work bill if CP strike drags on  Financial Post   ...In the wake of Wednesday’s strike by locomotive engineers and conductors at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, the country’s second-biggest railroad, the labour minister issued a warning: Any work stoppage that threatens to have a “grave” impact on the economy is fair game for government action...
Meeting Between Teamsters and Allied Waste Fails to Materialize   TriState Homepage   ...Sources told Eyewitness News that members of the Teamsters Local 215 would meet with Allied Waste this morning at the union headquarters, but no one showed up...
No contract yet for Nichols, union  Quad City Business Journal   ...After another round of contract talks, Nichols Aluminum and Teamsters Local 371 have yet to reach an agreement, the two sides said Wednesday...
St. Luke's Nurses Picket  RecordOnline.com   ...Nurses and pharmacists at St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital have been without a contract for over a year. The administration is proposing radical contract changes including raising healthcare costs by more than 100% , job security issues and cutting their pay among other drastic proposals. Being members of 1199SEIU and Teamsters Local 445...