Friday, April 12, 2013

Today's Teamster News 04.12.13

The TPP Could Destroy the American Middle Class  Economy in Crisis   ...Now the United States is moving forward with a disastrous, misguided agreement that would expand this sort of arrangement to even more low-wage countries: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)...
U.S. Warns WTO Global Trade Talks "Hurtling Towards Irrelevance"  Reuters   ...The United States launched a blistering attack on fellow World Trade Organization member states on Thursday for failing to do more to cut global barriers to trade, criticizing India in particular for trying to introduce a "massive new loophole..."
Ex-IMF official warns austerity ‘untenable’  FT   ...Ashoka Mody, the IMF’s former mission chief to Ireland, said on Thursday it was time to ease up on Europe’s policy of austerity, warning further delay in changing course risked dragging out the continent’s economic recovery...
Elizabeth Warren Tears Into Federal Regulators For Shielding Big Banks  Think Progress   ...Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embarrassed government regulators during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Thursday morning as she demanded to know why they won’t reveal how frequently big banks illegally foreclosed on homeowners...
IRS: We Can Read Emails Without Warrant  The Hill   ...The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has claimed that agents do not need warrants to read people's emails, text messages and other private electronic communications, according to internal agency documents...
Wal-Mart Executive Who Called Sales “Total Disaster" Has Left  Reuters   ...Jerry Murray, the mid-level Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) executive who called the chain's early February sales "a total disaster" in an email made public by Bloomberg, left the world's largest retailer last week, Wal-Mart confirmed on Wednesday...
Correct flawed partisan redistricting process  Facebook   ...Freshmen Democratic legislators from the (Wisconsin) State Assembly today announced new legislation that would remove the redistricting authority from politicians and assigns it to a non-partisan body...
State employees say LePage pressured them to deny jobless benefits  Maine Sun Journal   ...Gov. Paul LePage pressured hearing officers at the Department of Labor to decide unemployment-benefit cases in favor of business owners over workers...
Poll: Voters back paid sick days, distrust lawmakers  Orlando Sentinel   ...Florida residents strongly back laws requiring paid sick time and "living wages" for workers, but they don't trust state lawmakers to handle such issues, a statewide poll released today finds....
Comcast Looms Large in Paid Sick Days Fight in Philly  Center for Media and Democracy   ...Almost all of the $108,429.25 Comcast spent on lobbying in 2011 was in opposition to paid sick days. It also is a major contributor to Mayor Nutter, contributing $7,500 to his campaign in 2011 and an additional $8,500 in 2012...
72% of 2012 NYC Construction Deaths Took Place on Non-Union Work Sites  We Party Patriots ...A new report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows that construction deaths more than tripled on NYC work sites last year with 21 workplace fatalities versus six the year before...
Missouri Residents: Take Action to Stop Paycheck Deception Bill  AFL-CIO Now   ...Despite testimony overwhelmingly opposing the bill and universal opposition from the committee's Democrats, the Missouri legislature's House Workforce Development and Workplace Safety Committee passed S.B. 29, a paycheck deception bill, which is now headed to the House floor...
MEDC says right to work may generate big profits  Lansing State Journal   ...The state agency tasked with attracting business investment to Michigan claims the state’s new right-to-work laws will mean “higher potential profits” for companies, but officials at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. declined this week to provide data to back up their statement or answer questions on why the claim was made...
Red Cross Workers in Pomona, CA, Join Local 63  IBT   ...Workers in the Logistics, Kitting and Warehouse departments of the American Red Cross in Pomona, California, have recently voted to become members of Local 63. Local 63 already represents other job titles at the Pomona facility and this new unit brings the total to nearly 200...
Hernando County, FL, Employees Ratify Teamster Contract  IBT   ...Teamster members working in utilities, DPW, road maintenance, office/clerical and facilities management for Hernando County, Florida, have ratified a new agreement...
Teamsters strike at AFC Cable  South Coast Today   ...Local 59 Teamsters went on strike Wednesday at AFC Cable Systems, picketing in front of a company site inside the New Bedford Business Park...