Thursday, January 16, 2014

Today's Teamster News 01.16.14

Rockland officer cited for bravery in preventing ‘suicide by cop’  Bangor Daily News   ...Rockland police Officer Joel Neal’s bravery prevented a city resident from committing “suicide by cop” last summer, according to his fellow officers. That bravery was recognized Wednesday when Officer Joel Neal was presented a medal by his chief...
Hoffa: Congress Needs to Help Put People Back to Work  teamster.org   ...Congress erred last month when it approved a budget compromise that did not extend long-term unemployment benefits for some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens. And now nearly 190,000 Michiganians are paying the price...
Chehalis Agreement With Police Union Includes Pay Increase  The Chronicle   ...The Chehalis City Council unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement between the city and the police department’s union — Teamsters Local 252 — on Monday night...
Silgan thought to be hiring temporary workers at Modesto plant amid employee lockout  Modesto Bee   ...While 100 Teamsters remain locked out of their jobs, Silgan Containers Corp.’s Modesto can-making plant reportedly has started bringing in six to eight temporary replacement workers per shift to run one of its manufacturing lines...
D.C. Taxi Commission Removes Company As Credit Card Provider  teamster.org   ...The D.C. Taxi Commission has ordered Gleike to cease operating as a Payment Service Provider due to allegations that Gleike has failed to meet DCTC regulations following financial problems that have jeopardized the required payments to drivers and payment to the District of the 25-cent surcharge, and other issues...
Wikileaks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Environment Chapter: “Toothless Public Relations Exercise”  naked capitalism.com   ...Wikileaks has thrown yet another wrench in the negotiations over the sellout-to-multinationals-masquerading-as-trade-deal otherwise called the Trans-Pacific Partnership...
NAFTA’s Trail of Destruction  In These Times   ...That giant sucking sound predicted by Ross Perot commenced 20 years ago last week. It is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) vacuuming up U.S. jobs and depositing them in Mexico...
Make Wealthy Pay Social Security Taxes on Their Full Salaries -- and Retirement Benefits Could Likely Be Expanded for All  Buzzflash   ...If the wealthy paid Social Security taxes on their full salaries (and we aren't even talking stock options and other forms of bonuses that are not subject to Social Security taxation) the Social Security Trust Fund would likely be able to expand benefits...
Leaked Walmart Documents Reveal Propaganda Campaign to Fight Workers Attempting to Organize  Alternet   ...A set of internal documents leaked earlier today revealed that Walmart is attempting to win the hearts and minds of its employees by scaring them out of joining OUR Walmart, a collection of Walmart workers who have organized strikes on behalf of all the company’s most vulnerable employees...
Walmart Is Facing Claims That It Fired Protesters  New York Times   ...The National Labor Relations Board, in a sweeping complaint filed on Wednesday, said that Walmart illegally disciplined and fired employees after strikes and protests for better pay. The complaint listed violations of federal law in 14 states involving more than 60 workers and 34 stores...
J.C. Penney closing 33 stores, cutting 2,000 jobs  CBS Money Watch   ...Struggling department-store operator J.C. Penney announced it will cut 2,000 jobs and close 33 stores as it tries to get back on the path to profitability...
Despite Violence, Cambodian Workers Vow To Continue Their Fight   In These Times   ...Though Cambodia’s days of colonialization, war and genocide may be over, the country is still wrestling with political turmoil. At the start of the new year, when workers massed in Phnom Penh to demand fair wages, the government responded with a spray of bullets...
New York agrees $18m settlement with 2004 Republican convention protesters  The Guardian   ...The city of New York has agreed to pay $18m to settle a civil rights claim from hundreds of protesters who were rounded up and detained in overcrowded and dirty conditions after they rallied outside the 2004 Republican National Convention...
Moral Monday Movement Spreads Through the South  Truthout   ...After drawing thousands of protesters to the state legislature and inspiring the arrests of more than 900 people for nonviolent civil disobedience, North Carolina's Moral Monday movement is gearing up for more actions in 2014...
NSA Says It Can’t Search Its Own Database To See If It Spied On Congress  Firedoglake.com   ...There has been a lot of unintentionally hilarious things said during the NSA spying scandal unleashed by leaks from Edward Snowden, but the latest statement from the NSA surely is the most hilarious...
Colorado Legislator Introduces Bill to Ban Collective Bargaining  Education Week   ...A Colorado lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban collective-bargaining between public employers and employees, including teachers...
Top Ten Examples of Welfare for the Rich  CounterPunch   ...There are actually thousands of tax breaks and subsidies for the rich and corporations provided by federal, state and local governments but these ten will give a taste...
D.C. Council Takes First Step Toward Decriminalizing Marijuana Just Say Now   ...If all goes well possession of less than an ounce of marijuana will soon be decriminalized in the nation’s capital...
Leaders of closed Milwaukee voucher school are now in Florida  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...A husband and wife running a private Milwaukee voucher school that abruptly closed last month — after accepting a total of more than $2.3 million in taxpayer money — now live in a gated community in Florida by the beach, records show...