Today's Teamster News 08.24.13

<a href="http://www.teamster.org/content/ups-teamsters-not-impacted-company-decision-eliminate-spousal-coverage" rel="nofollow">UPS Teamsters Not Impacted By Company Decision To Eliminate Spousal Coverage</a>  IBT   ...UPS announced a change in its health care coverage for spouses of nonunion employees. Going forward, UPS will not cover spouses of nonunion employees who are eligible for employer coverage at their workplace. This decision does not impact the health care coverage of Teamsters at UPS...<br /><a href="http://mtstandard.com/news/local/administrators-ratify-hike-in-contract/article_06d732e6-0baa-11e3-976a-001a4bcf887a.html" rel="nofollow">Teamster school administrators ratify 3.1% hike in contract</a>  The Montana Standard   ...The Butte school district’s 15 administrators, who are members of Teamsters Local 2, ratified a contract offer that provides a 3.1 percent wage hike in 2013-14, and a 1.5 percent increase in 2014-15...<br /><a href="http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamster.org/files/8613OfficeManagersTLA2013.pdf" rel="nofollow">Organizational Skills for Office Managers Scheduled for November 6-8</a>  IBT   ...The IBT Training and Development Department will conduct a TLA for Teamster office managers and key administrative staff, November 6-8, 2013, at the International Headquarters in Washington, D.C...<br /><a href="http://www.teamster.org/content/allied-bankruptcy-hearing-postponed-court-september-10" rel="nofollow">Allied Bankruptcy Hearing Postponed By the Court to September 10 </a>  IBT   ...A hearing before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Allied Systems’ bankruptcy case that was scheduled for Thursday, August 22, has been postponed by the court to noon Tuesday, September 10...<br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/24/us/march-on-washington/" rel="nofollow">March on Washington: Throngs to attend events, mark 'I Have a Dream' anniversary</a>  CNN   ...Saturday's event begins with speeches before a march past the King Memorial, where an image of the slain civil rights leader now stands immortalized in granite...<br /><a href="http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/massachusetts-senator-elizabeth-warren-targets-doj-settlements-with-banks-over-forged-documents-and-illegal-practices-83773/" rel="nofollow">Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren targets DOJ settlements with banks over forged documents and illegal practices</a>  Global Dispatch   ...Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) calls the latest deal “settling cheap” in her letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, questioning whether a major government settlement with the nation’s largest mortgage companies is a “timid enforcement strategy.”...<br /><a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/walmarts-latest-scheme-replace-middle-class-underclass-forced-buy-its-shoddy-goods" rel="nofollow">Walmart's Latest Scheme to Replace the Middle Class With an Underclass Forced to Buy its Shoddy Goods</a>  AlterNet    ...Almost 30 years ago, as the U.S. was bleeding jobs, Walmart launched a "Buy America" program and started hanging "Made in America" signs in its 750 stores. It was a marketing success, cementing the retailer's popularity in the country's struggling, blue-collar heartland. A few years later, NBC's Dateline <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/24/business/wal-mart-disputes-report-on-labor.html" rel="nofollow">revealed the program to be a sham</a>...<br /><a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/175875/fired-walmart-workers-arrested-rally-announcing-labor-day-deadline#axzz2coqFj7Sx" rel="nofollow">Fired Walmart Workers Arrested at Rally Announcing Labor Day Deadline</a>  The Nation   ...Nine fired workers and a current employee were arrested around 2:30 pm Thursday after locking arms and sitting in front of the entrance to a Washington, D.C. Walmart office...<br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bank-layoffs-20130823,0,961124.story" rel="nofollow">Banks shed thousands of jobs as housing market improves</a>  Los Angeles Times   ...Six years after the mortgage meltdown, delinquencies and foreclosures are way down. That's great for borrowers and bank balance sheets, but bad for bank workers — who are now being laid off by the thousands...<br /><a href="http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2013/08/23/boeings-wage-slashing-move-to-sc-backfires-as-company-cant-meet-787-production-demand/" rel="nofollow">Boeing’s Wage-Slashing Move to SC Backfires as Company Can’t Meet 787 Production Demand</a>  We Party Patriots   ...When Boeing left Washington for South Carolina in order to suppress the wages of its workers, it also left behind the quality work that had been provided by a highly skilled, union workforce. Now, that <a href="http://www.eoionline.org/blog/union-busting-doesnt-pay-off-for-boeing/">union-busting is backfiring</a> as productivity has dropped immensely and Boeing is unable to meet their 787 Dreamliner production goals...<br /><a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/175865/keeping-massive-trade-deal-out-fast-lane#" rel="nofollow">Keeping a Massive Trade Deal Out of the Fast Lane</a>  The Nation   ...Congress itself hasn’t heard much about the TPP; the negotiating process has been characterized by extreme secrecy and the Obama administration has denied repeated calls from legislators to make the process more transparent, while pressing to finalize the agreement this year...<br /><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/La-man-sentenced-in-Afghanistan-kickback-scheme-4752288.php" rel="nofollow">Louisiana businessman sentenced in Afghanistan kickback scheme</a>  Associated Press   ...<a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/La-man-sentenced-in-Afghanistan-kickback-scheme-4752288.php" rel="nofollow">He kidnapped an Indian businessman in South Sudan</a>, but got off. Now he’s been found guilty of demanding $60,000 in kickbacks for approving a $3.2m award to an American company for construction in Afghanistan. His sentence? 10 months in the federal slammer...<br /><a href="http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/15498/fight_against_right_to_work_not_over_in_michigan/" rel="nofollow">Fight Against ‘Right-to-Work’ Not Over in Michigan</a>  In These Times   ...Last December, Gov. Rick Snyder outraged unions and progressives when he abruptly <a href="http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14285/big_surprise_michigan_house_passes_right_to_work_bill/" rel="nofollow">signed two bills</a> into law making Michigan the 24th so-called "right-to-work" state. The laws allow workers to get union benefits without paying mandatory union membership dues. Organized labor has widely decried right-to-work laws as dangerous to unions and ultimately detrimental to all workers...<br /><a href="http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/steven_elbow/sen-jon-erpenbach-goes-to-bat-for-capitol-protesters/article_35e6eae1-c200-5a16-a304-2105b78281e5.html#ixzz2cjNkuo7O" rel="nofollow">Sen. Jon Erpenbach goes to bat for Capitol protesters</a>  The Cap Times   ..."I would suggest that you abandon the current permit policy, and stop the arrests of noon-time singers," Erpenbach writes. "Because if the goal was eliminating the singing — your policy is producing the direct opposite..."<br /><a href="http://progressillinois.com/news/content/2013/08/22/midway-privatization-deal-could-negatively-affect-workers-nearby-residents" rel="nofollow">Chicago Midway Airport Privatization Deal Could Negatively Affect Workers, residents</a>  Progress Illinois   ...Privatization plans for Chicago Midway Airport could negatively affect both nearby residents as well as airport workers, according to Alderman Michael Zalewski (23rd), who is concerned about allegations that one of the two contenders for the privatization contract has a history of "union busting and black-listing."...<br /><a href="http://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/quinn-looking-to-boost-minimum-wage/article_cce66e70-7bdf-53c3-9fb9-81dff464180b.html" rel="nofollow">Quinn looking to boost minimum wage</a>  Quad-City Times   ...Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's signing of the first of a series of increases in Illinois' minimum wage. And now, his former running mate and successor, Gov. Pat Quinn, says he wants to push the state's $8.25 per hour minimum wage higher...<br /><a href="http://rockrivertimes.com/2013/08/22/illinois-receives-more-than-2-billion-in-relief-from-national-foreclosure-settlement/" rel="nofollow">Illinois receives more than $2 billion in relief from national foreclosure settlement</a>  Rock River Times   ...Illinois Attorney General Madigan (D) reported that Illinois homeowners and assistance organizations have received more than $2 billion in total relief under the national foreclosure settlement...<br /><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-voting-states-20130821,0,4055323.story" rel="nofollow">Arizona and Kansas sue U.S. over voter registration law</a>  Reuters   ...Kansas and Arizona filed a lawsuit against the U.S. federal government on Wednesday, seeking court approval for states to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote...<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/21/3576943/maine-group-touts-new-plan-to.html" rel="nofollow">Maine group touts new plan to eliminate income tax</a>  Associated Press   ...A conservative think tank in Maine is rolling out a new proposal to gradually phase out the state's income tax, one of the top priorities for Gov. Paul LePage's administration...

Today's Teamster News 08.24.13

UPS Teamsters Not Impacted By Company Decision To Eliminate Spousal Coverage  IBT   ...UPS announced a change in its health care coverage for spouses of nonunion employees. Going forward, UPS will not cover spouses of nonunion employees who are elig…

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