Sunday, January 12, 2014

Today's Teamster News 01.12.14

Ohio’s right-to-work sideshow can’t become main event (opinion)  Toledo Blade   ...The real discussion Ohio needs to conduct is about job creation and economic revival...
U.S. Politicians Want to Fast-Track the Super-Secret, Super-Controversial TPP  Slate   ... “Blindly approving or disapproving agreements that have largely been negotiated in secret would represent a derelict of duty for Congress. If there is nothing to hide in these agreements, we should be allowed to debate and amend these deals in the open...”
Why House Democrats Might Kill Obama's Big Trade Deal  Huffington Post   ...President Barack Obama's international trade agenda is dead in the water if he doesn't do a better job engaging with Democrats in Congress, and his administration appears to be getting that message, Democrats said Friday...
Camp-Baucus Bill Would Revive Controversial 2002 Fast Track Mechanism  Public Citizen   ... the Camp-Baucus bill would empower the president to sign a trade pact before Congress votes on it, with a guarantee that the executive branch could write legislation to implement the pact and obtain House and Senate votes within 90 days, with all amendments forbidden and a maximum of 20 hours of debate permitted...
We Must Stop Fast Track Trade Authority from Being Granted!  Trade Reform   ...TPP would subject the U.S. to the jurisdiction of foreign tribunals under the authority of the World Bank and United Nations. These unelected, unaccountable panels would constitute a judicial authority higher than the U.S. Supreme Court...
A National Strategy Funds State Political Monopolies  New York Times   ...a sophisticated political apparatus (is) designed to channel political money from around the country into states where conditions were ripe for Republican takeover...
Inside the $400-million political network backed by the Kochs  Washington Post   ...a coalition of nonprofit groups backed by a donor network organized by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch raised more than $400 million in the last election cycle...
Reid backs down in unemployment fight  The Hill   ...Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he is now open to considering Republican amendments to a bill extending emergency unemployment benefits through most of 2014...
Water Ban Continues in West Virginia  Wall Street Journal   ...Doctor Says Several Hundred Thousand Could Have Been Exposed to Contaminated Water for Seven Hours Thursday...
US doctors warn Congress cutting food stamps could mean higher medical bills  The Guardian   ...Among the health risks of hunger are spiked rates of diabetes and developmental problems for young children down the road...
December's Dismal Payrolls Mark Recession Six Year Anniversary  Economic Populist   ...over half, 54.6%, of December's jobs were temporary...
Career Advice for Central Park's Carriage Drivers  Wall Street Journal   ... Consider the plight of the many guys (and four gals) who drive carriages in Central Park. Some got into the business straight out of high school and did nothing else the past 30 or so years. Then along comes Mayor Bill de Blasio...
If firms like Target won't protect privacy, make 'em pay (opinion)  Los Angeles Times   ...The Target hack underlines the vulnerability of consumer data at a time when businesses large and small are doing their darnedest to amass as much of our info as possible...
U.S. pork producers move to reform factory farm abuses  Salon   ...Reform, for pigs destined to the dinner plate, means they’ll be given space to stand, turn around, lie down and even stretch their legs. Sick and injured animals, per Tyson’s new guidelines, will no longer be killed using “manual blunt force...”
Portuguese opposition party challenges country’s austerity measures in court  Agence France-Press   ...The constitutional court has made a series of rulings blocking austerity measures by the government, including plans to trim the civil service, causing a political crisis that nearly brought down the government which is implementing reforms and balancing public finances under Portugal’s 78-billion-euro EU-IMF bailout...
NAFTA Strengthened Canada's Corporate Class  The Real News   ... it's been bad for Canadian workers. It's undermined Canadian workers' bargaining power with companies...