Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Today's Teamster News 09.16.14

Teamster News
Leaked memo: YRC tweaks discipline policy; union takes exception  Kansas City Business Journal   ...The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is taking exception to a new discipline policy at YRC Worldwide Inc., according to a leaked internal memo...
St. Charles City Council OKs 4-year Teamsters union contract  My Suburban Life   ...The contract is for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union No. 330. The union represents 54 employees in the departments of public works, finance and community development...
Trade
Trade Deals Set Their Sights on Public Workers (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...Under the guise of crafting trade agreements, big business -- which bankrolled many of those same elected officials -- is looking to impose provisions across the globe that open up government services to the private sector. Other language would limit the ability of democratic governments to regulate in the public interest...
Teamsters, others protest World Bank hearing on Pacific Rim's right to mine El Salvador  TeamsterNation   ...a protest was held in front of the World Bank by Teamsters and others who don't think multinationals should be able to override the laws of a sovereign nation...
State Battles
Here's What Happened When 13 States Raised Their Minimum Wages  New Republic   ...job growth was higher in states that raised their minimum wages than it was in those that didn’t...
MDOC Wants New Private Prison Contracts  Jackson Free Press   ...The MDOC and the private firms managing the agency's prisons have come under intense scrutiny in recent years. East Mississippi, which houses the state's prisoners with the most acute mental illnesses, is currently the subject of a class-action lawsuit that alleges inmates' health needs are often ignored...
This Is What Happens When Chicago Privatizes School Janitorial Services  Addicting Info   ...One Southwest Side elementary principal — who along with others did not want her name printed for fear of retribution — said in a telephone interview that since Aramark took over the school, it has developed a problem with bugs and rodents that are feasting on garbage and on spilled drops of milk on floors that aren’t being cleaned enough, she said...
Illinois, Michigan move ahead on high-speed rail  Associated Press   ...If you’re looking for high-speed rail with a Chicago connection, don’t look toward Wisconsin. Two high-speed train sets that originally were set to connect Chicago with Milwaukee and Madison, and eventually Minneapolis, look like they’re headed to Michigan instead...
‘A Big, Big Mistake’ In Voter ID Case (opinion)  New York Times   ...Mr. Hasen predicted that the appeals court’s ruling itself could well be stayed by the Supreme Court on the grounds that last-minute changes risk introducing electoral chaos...
Sinquefield donates $1.2 million to MO Club for Growth PAC  Missouri Times   ...In March, the group received $973,000.00 from Sinquefield, making the total contribution from the businessman to the group now $2,173,000.00...
Illinois is labor’s next big battleground  MSNBC   ...This year, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is squaring off against a Republican challenger who has made opposition to the labor movement into a central plank of his campaign. Bruce Rauner, a venture capitalist, has promised to establish “right-to-work” zones in Illinois if elected and dramatically revise the state’s public employee retirement system...
Income Inequality Is Hurting State Tax Revenue, Report Says  Washington Post   ...The widening gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else has been matched by a slowdown in state tax revenue, according to a report being released Monday by Standard and Poor’s...
Conservative Experiment Faces Revolt In Reliably Red Kansas  New York Times   ...Mr. Brownback’s proudly conservative policies have turned out to be so divisive and his tax cuts have generated such a drop in state revenue that they have caused even many Republicans to revolt. Projections put state budget shortfalls in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, raising questions of whether the state can adequately fund education in particular...
Koch Brothers' Dollars To Scott  Sarasota Herald Tribune   ...The latest campaign finance reports show Koch Industries and national pro-school voucher advocate Jack R. Anderson combined to give Gov. Rick Scott’s political action committee $75,000 in August to help him win re-election. That came on top of a $4.5 million check given to Scott’s campaign from the Republican Governors Association since Aug. 19...
Exclusive: New Jersey unloads investment related to Charlie Baker 'pay-to-play' allegations  Fortune   ...The New Jersey Division of Investments has quietly sold its stake in a venture capital fund managed by General Catalyst Partners, following allegations of impropriety related to a political contribution from General Catalyst “executive-in-residence” and current Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker...
War On Workers
Oil Trains Move Across Dozens Of Missouri Counties  Columbia Daily Tribune   ...Railroads have been hauling more than a dozen trains weekly through Missouri carrying volatile crude oil from the Northern Plains that has been involved in multiple fiery accidents, according to railroad disclosures released Thursday...
Pool Worker Dies in Pool  WJHG   ...27 year old Ryan Cook of Chipley and a co-worker were replacing the wiring for the pool lights at a home on North Lagoon Drive around 9 am Monday morning...
Google Report Shows Governments’ Increasing Demands for Users’ Data  New York Times   ...The roughly 32,000 requests Google fielded in the first six months of 2014 were up 15 percent from the previous six months, and up 150 percent since the company started publishing its transparency report in 2009...
Union ends strike after reaching agreement with Lear  NWI.com   ...A tentative agreement has ended a strike at the Lear Corp. automotive seat factory in Hammond, a day after workers walked off the job...
UBER DRIVERS PROTEST: 'You Can't Make A Living Working Only For Uber'  Business Insider   ...Uber's steep discounts, intended to give the company a competitive edge over competitors like Lyft and Gett, as well as yellow cabs, are hurting Uber drivers...
Miscellaneous
New Social Network For “Elites” Has $9,000 Membership Fee   GovtSlaves   ...Are you a 1-percenter who needs a safe social media outlet to talk about your first-world problems, without the risk of alienating your commoner friends? Now you have an alternative to the impoverished unwashed masses of Facebook. Enter Netropolitan.club, an exclusive digital country club — essentially, Facebook for rich people...