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Today’s Teamster News For February 18, 2016
TEAMSTERS
Grounded: Could United Airlines mechanics move to strike? Christian Science Monitor …United Airlines mechanics voted Tuesday to to reject a new contract offer from the carrier, opening the door for the possibility of a strike by the union. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said that 93 percent of the maintenance workers who voted on United’s offer chose not to accept it, with more than 7,800 of the 9,000 workers in the bargaining unit voting on whether to accept the United bid…
Union Works with Pharmacists to Prepare for CVS, Osco Negotiations Local 727 …Teamsters Local 727 representatives have spent the last several weeks gathering input from CVS and Osco pharmacists in preparation for upcoming contract negotiations. Pharmacists had the opportunity to provide contract demands via mail, email, the union’s websites and meetings with Local 727 representatives. Both current three year-contracts expire May 7, 2016…
Amerijet Drops Suit Against Teamsters Over Pilots Contract Law360 …Amerijet International Inc. on Monday withdrew its suit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters over a nonvote on a pilots contract after the union notified the company of the completion of a vote. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based cargo airline told a Florida federal court that it had voluntarily withdrawn the suit launched in November that sought to force the pilots to accept a contract offer to amend a 2009 agreement…
State Senate Votes Unanimously to Extend Assault Benefits Local 117 …The Senate has voted unanimously – 97 to 0 – to pass a bill (SB 6286) to extend assault benefits for correctional employees. The bill has made excellent progress because hundreds of Local 117 members have taken the time to contact their legislators through email, phone calls, or in-person visits…
GLOBAL LABOR & TRADE
Nigeria: Health Workers to Embark On Indefinite Strike From Thursday AllAfrica …The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) says it will commence an indefinite strike by 12 midnight today (Feb. 17) if the Federal Government failed to meet members’ demands. The National President of the Medical and Health Workers Union who also doubled as JOHESU National Chairman, Mr Biobebelemoye Josiah, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja…
1,000 company workers strike to protest at salary delay Saudi Gazette …More than 1,000 workers of a major contracting company in Jeddah went on strike on Monday to protest a six-month delay in payment of their salaries. The employees, who had gathered in front of the company’s headquarters since early morning, disconnected electricity supply to the company by turning off the main switch…
Negotiations continue as Toronto municipal workers’ strike looms Global News …Thousands of unionized municipal workers in Toronto could be on strike or locked out as early as 12:01 a.m. ET on Feb. 19 if a labour deal isn’t reached. CUPE local 416, which represents the city’s outside workers, may be off the job in a matter of hours while inside workers represented by CUPE local 79 is slated to hit the picket line at 12:01 a.m. ET on Feb. 20…
White House to sell TPP trade pact at US-ASEAN Summit CCTV …The U.S. is pushing for more Southeast Asian countries to sign up for the Trans-Pacific Partnership at the first U.S.-ASEAN Summit. Four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have signed up already, but there are concerns that the TPP could do more harm than good. Fewer than half of the Southeast Asian nations in ASEAN have joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement…
OECD Cuts World Growth Projections, Warns Over Austerity And Financial Instability IBTimes …The developed world’s top economic group trimmed its projections of global growth for the next two years, warning member countries about financial instability and the drawbacks of fiscal austerity. “Global GDP growth in 2016 is projected to be no higher than in 2015, itself the slowest pace in the past five years,” the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) announced Thursday…
The TPP would be the final death blow to American manufacturing (opinion) Salon …The newest proposed deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), signed in New Zealand last week by representatives of its 12 member states, would further enfeeble American manufacturing. The first of the ilk, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), devastated U.S. manufacturing…
Carrier to Lay-Off 1,400 Workers in 2017, Showing Free Trade Agreements Fail American Workers (opinion) NH Labor News …1,400 carrier workers were told, in the worst possible way, that their jobs are being shipped off to Mexico. This move by Carrier epitomizes everything that is wrong with our current corporate culture. It’s another example of how our so-called free trade agreements, like NAFTA and the upcoming TPP, are only there to benefit the corporations. These agreements encourage corporations like Carrier to relocate their entire operations to Mexico…
STATE & LIVING WAGE BATTLES
Students And Veterans Turned Away From The Polls Under Wisconsin’s New Voter ID Law Think Progress …Wisconsin’s local primary election put the state’s new voter ID law to the test Tuesday, causing problems that left officials seriously concerned about how voters will be impacted this November. The election decided several mayoral contests and helped conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley clear a key hurdle to maintaining her seat on the state’s powerful Supreme Court…
Ford Becomes Latest Major Corporation to Dump ALEC PR Watch …Ford Motor Company confirmed to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that it is cutting ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that has drawn heavy criticism for promoting climate change denial and for opposing the development of renewable energy sources. The Koch-ALEC role in promoting controversial anti-union legislation, like “right to work” passed in Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia, may have also caused concern for the union firm…
All Workers In This State Will Soon Be Guaranteed A Paid Day Off When They Get Sick Think Progress …On Wednesday, Vermont’s House approved a bill that would guarantee workers in the state the ability to earn paid sick days, sending it to Gov. Peter Shumlin (D)’s desk. Once the governor signs it into law, as he has said he will do, Vermont will become the fifth state in the country to ensure employees the right to a paid day off for their own illness or that of their loved ones…
Right-To-Work Amendment Approved In Alabama House WKRG …The Alabama House of Representatives has approved legislation reiterating Alabama’s stance as a so-called “right-to-work” state. Representatives approved the proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday on a 69-33 vote. The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate. Right-to-work states prohibit companies from requiring employees to pay union dues as a condition of employment…
VA State Senate passes right to work amendment Augusta Free Press …The Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate have now both passed legislation to enshrine Virginia’s right to work law in the Constitution. The constitutional amendment, carried by Delegate Dickie Bell (R-Staunton), prohibits union membership as a condition of employment…
Walmart is rolling out big changes to worker schedules this year Washington Post …After nearly two years of testing, Walmart is ready to roll out extensive scheduling changes for its hourly workforce in hopes of improving the daily experience for employees. For many workers, low wages aren’t the only downside of a job in retail. Many have to cope with shifts that can change on short notice in response to store traffic, making it difficult to fit in other priorities like school and childcare…
SeaTac workers say they aren’t getting $15 an hour, sue 14 employers Seattle Times …SeaTac workers at 14 companies have filed lawsuits seeking class-action status that allege their employers have been paying them less than the $15 per hour called for under the minimum-wage ordinance approved by the city’s voters in 2013. The employers named in the 14 separate suits include car-rental firms Hertz and Fox, baggage-handling companies Menzies Aviation and Bags Inc., and global shipping company Hanjin…
U.S. LABOR
Brooklyn ‘carwasheros’ vote to join union to secure minimum wage plus tips, overtime Daily News …Around 50 workers at a Brooklyn carwash have voted to join a union — the largest such business to unionize in the country. The workers at SLS Car Wash in Bushwick demanded the owner enter into negotiations that would guarantee them minimum wage plus tips, overtime, fair scheduling and paid personal days, among other provisions. The workers now belong to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union…
Twin Cities janitors call one-day strike for Wednesday Star Tribune …About 4,000 janitors who clean Twin Cities office buildings say they will go on a 24-hour strike Wednesday after negotiations stalled with the cleaning subcontractors who employ them. Members of Local 26 of the Service Employees International Union voted Jan. 23 to authorize the strike. The janitors’ last three-year contract expired Dec. 31…
NLRB Ruling Says 2 California Nurses Were Illegally Fired During Union Drive In These Times …Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that Huntington illegally terminated the two nurses for their union involvement. If the hospital refuses to reinstate the nurses and compensate them for their lost pay, the NLRB will issue a formal indictment. Huntington’s nurses began to organize for union representation in 2014 with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU)…
Chancellor said the Cal State system is preparing for possible strike OC Register …Chancellor Timothy White said that the 23-campus California State University system is planning for the possibility of a five-day strike in April by faculty during his Tuesday visit to Cal State Fullerton. The board of the California Faculty Association, which represents all Cal State faculty and has more than 50 percent membership at Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton, recently voted for the strike because it wants a 5 percent salary increase for faculty…
Camaco workers say their low pay proof many manufacturing jobs no longer middle class Cleveland.com …From 1976 to 2006, manufacturing workers nationally made more than 150 percent of the average private-sector wage. By 2013, the average pay for manufacturing workers was 7.7 percent below the median wage for all occupations. The report found that workers at auto parts manufacturing facilities – similar to those such as Camaco and LCAS – especially have been hard-hit by this downward trend in compensation…
SOCIAL JUSTICE & OTHER NEWS
‘Watershed Moment for Privacy’ as Apple Refuses FBI Order to Create iPhone Backdoor Common Dreams …Technology behemoth Apple is taking a hard stand against the U.S. government in a case it says could set a dangerous precedent for government overreach after a federal court ruled Tuesday that the company must assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and break into an iPhone recovered from one of the suspected San Bernardino shooters…
President Raises Stakes in Supreme Court Nominee Battle New York Times … President Obama on Tuesday challenged Republicans to offer a plausible rationale for refusing to consider a Supreme Court candidate to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, and he pledged to nominate someone with an “outstanding legal mind” who cares about democracy and the rule of law…
Landmark Survey Shows For-Profit Water is a Risky Rip-Off Common Dreams …With Flint’s water supply still tainted and undrinkable, one advocacy group is spotlighting the benefits of publicly owned, locally managed water systems, In a new survey, Food & Water Watch documents how the dominant trend in the U.S. is toward public ownership of water and sewer systems, while showing that the alternative—large, for-profit, privately owned systems—are often more expensive and less reliable…