Today's Teamster News 08.08.13

<a href="http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/federal-mediator-arrive-to-gold-cross-ambulance-strike/article_d4973b7c-ff2f-11e2-b5be-0019bb30f31a.html" rel="nofollow">Federal Mediator Arrive To Teamsters Strike Against Gold Cross Ambulance</a>  Imperial Valley Press   ...Federal mediators arrived Tuesday to assist with negotiations between Gold Cross Ambulance employees on strike and the company...<br /><a href="http://teamsters2010.org/index.cfm?zone=%2Funionactive%2Fview_article.cfm&HomeID=298948" rel="nofollow">Teamsters Local 2010 Signs Up 333 New Members</a>  Teamsters Local 2010   ...Employees at the University of California’s state-wide campuses stepped up and joined Local 2010 as a result of a union-building blitz recently...<br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/rail-company-involved-in-megantic-disaster-files-for-bankruptcy/article13644535/" rel="nofollow">MM&A files for creditor protection after Lac-Mégantic rail disaster</a>  Globe and Mail   ...The U.S.-based railway whose train crashed in Lac-Mégantic, Que., last month has filed for creditor protection in Canada and the United States, saying it is unable to deal with mounting bills arising from the disaster...<br /><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/08/12203/whats-alecs-agenda-its-40th-anniversary-meeting-chicago" rel="nofollow">What's on ALEC's Agenda for its 40th Anniversary Meeting in Chicago?</a>  Center for Media and Democracy   ...The "Employee Secret Ballot Protection Act" will be amended "to call for [union certification by] a majority of members in the bargaining unit, rather than a majority of those voting." This was the same certification policy pushed by Scott Walker in Wisconsin, and creates an almost insurmountable burden...<br /><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/06/news/economy/costco-fast-food-strikes/index.html?sr=fb080613fastfoodwages7p" rel="nofollow">Worker wages: Wendy's vs. Wal-Mart vs. Costco</a>  CNNMoney   ...Hundreds of dissatisfied workers at major companies like Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Wendy's have joined protests nationwide, demanding higher wages and better benefits. One company hasn't had to deal with such strikes. Costco pays its hourly workers an average of just over $20 an hour, compared to just under $13 at competitor Wal-Mart. Even President Obama praised Costco in a recent speech about helping the middle class...<br /><a href="http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20130807/OPINION03/130809687/wage-gap-between-ceos-workers-shows-costly-disregard" rel="nofollow">Wage Gap Between CEOs, Workers Shows Costly Disregard</a> (opinion) The Reporter …U.S. workers are tired of being the last ones considered when wealth is being made in America. While the average CEO pay has climbed to over 300 times the average worker’s, those making the legal minimum of $7.25—only $15,000 a year—have gone without a legally required raise for four years...<br /><a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/07/25/fast-food-worker-we-go-hungry/" rel="nofollow">Fast food worker: 'We go hungry'</a>  MSNBC   ...In a major speech on the economy Wednesday, President Obama declared that it is “time for the minimum wage to go up.” While more people are employed as the country continues to climb out of a deep recession, many full-time workers making the minimum wage are still living in poverty…<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-a-hard-landing-for-the-middle-class/2013/08/06/e8948e4c-fec4-11e2-bd97-676ec24f1f3f_story.html?hpid=z3" rel="nofollow">A hard landing for the middle class</a> (opinion)  Washington Post   ...It’s August, and Americans by the millions are cramming themselves into coach-class seats as they embark on their summer vacations. Airline seating may be the best concrete expression of what’s happened to the economy. The joys of air travel have been redistributed upward and are now reserved for the well-heeled few...<br /><a href="http://www.mlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/08/guest_column_michigans_auto_co.html" rel="nofollow">Michigan's auto companies, workers pay price when economic rivals rig the market</a>  Michigan Live   ...U.S. automakers, only a few years out of their deathbeds, are back in the black, despite their prewritten obituaries in 2009. But despite their turnaround, the Big Three still face significant hurdles in getting their goods into Japan, and face import competition subsidized by currency manipulation...<br /><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_23812557/free-trade-deal-korea-is-costing-american-jobs" rel="nofollow">Free-trade deal with Korea is costing American jobs, report says</a>  Denver Post   ...Although the Korea-US FTA has been in effect for little more than a year, it is already drawing vehement condemnation. It wasn't supposed to be this way. The International Trade Commission estimated the pact would kick-start some $10 billion in US exports to Korea. But it's not clear that the agreement is living up to its promise...<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/corporate-tax-lies_b_3709157.html" rel="nofollow">The Three Biggest Lies About Why Corporate Taxes Should Be Lowered</a> (opinion)   Huffington Post   ...Instead of spending August on the beach, corporate lobbyists are readying arguments for when Congress returns in September about why corporate taxes should be lowered. But they're lies. You need to know why so you can spread the truth...<br /><a href="http://liberalconspiracy.org/2013/08/06/cameron-is-the-worst-british-pm-for-living-standards-in-recorded-history/">Cameron the worst PM for living standards in history</a>  Liberal Conspiracy   ...An analysis of figures from the Office for National Statistics out today show that David Cameron has been in Downing Street for 36 months of falling real wages – more than any Prime Minister on record...<br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-07/jpmorgan-sued-with-goldman-in-aluminum-antitrust-case.html" rel="nofollow">JPMorgan Sued With Goldman in Aluminum Antitrust Case </a> Bloomberg   ...<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/JPM:US">JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)</a>, the biggest U.S. bank, was sued with <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/GS:US">Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS)</a> and <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/GLEN:LN">Glencore Xstrata Plc (GLEN)</a> over claims they restrained aluminum supplies and drove up prices...<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/06/rick-perry-macys_n_3714546.html" rel="nofollow">Perry Vetoed Texas Equal Pay Bill Under Pressure From Macy's, Kroger</a> Huffington Post   ...Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) vetoed a bill to help prevent wage discrimination after receiving letters against the measure from retailers like Macy's and Kroger Food Stores, <a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Perry-vetoed-wage-bill-after-getting-letters-from-4708525.php?t=fa8a8175f5" rel="nofollow">according to newly obtained documents</a>. The bill would have brought Texas state law in line with the federal <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/lilly-ledbetter-fair-pay-act" rel="nofollow">Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act</a>, which makes it easier for women to sue employers over wage discrimination...<br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0807-eminent-domain-20130807,0,5669410.story" rel="nofollow">Eminent domain proposal for mortgages gains traction in California</a>  Los Angeles Times   ...Cities in the Golden State are once again testing a controversial mortgage relief plan that could use local eminent domain powers to help residents stung by the last housing crisis...<br /><a href="http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2013-08-06-84656.113122-Cuomo-Administration-cracks-down-on-illegal-payday-lenders.html" rel="nofollow">Cuomo administration cracks down on illegal payday lenders</a>   Legislative Gazette   ...Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced his administration is actively issuing cease and desist orders to online loan companies providing illegal payday loans to New York residents following an investigation that revealed that some lenders were offering online loans with interest rates as high as 1,095 percent...<br /><a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/175635/veto-decision-looms-dc-retail-living-wage-bill#" rel="nofollow">Veto Decision Looms for DC Retail Living Wage Bill</a>  The Nation   ...Four weeks after the Washington, D.C. City Council passed a bill to hike some retail workers’ wages, D.C. Mayor Vince Gray has not yet indicated whether he will let it become law...<br /><br /><br />

Today's Teamster News 08.08.13

Federal Mediator Arrive To Teamsters Strike Against Gold Cross Ambulance   Imperial Valley Press   ...Federal mediators arrived Tuesday to a...

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