Sunday, March 1, 2015

Today's Teamster News 03.01.15

Teamsters
Teamsters picket car hauler outside GM Lordstown plant  WFMJ   …A local union gathered in Lordstown at the General Motors plant – not to protest GM, but to picket the company that transports the finished cars…
Nashville Chapter TNBC Holds Successful Awards Banquet  teamster.org   …The Nashville Middle TN Valley Chapter of the Teamsters National Black Caucus (TNBC) held its Third Annual awards banquet titled “Education and Accountability” on February 21, 2015 in Nashville, TN. The event was successful despite the icy weather conditions that night...
Trade
Wyden should side with Merkley, working families on trade agreement (OPINION)  oregon Live   …Because of his seniority on the Senate Finance Committee, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has a pivotal role in determining the future of the TPP… Given what we know of the trade pact, Wyden's stated concern for the middle class should make him a skeptic, if not an adamant opponent, of the TPP...
State Battles
Thousands Protest Wisconsin's Right-To-Work Bill At The State's Capitol  Reuters   …Wisconsin unions bused in thousands of workers from around the state on Saturday to demonstrate against the impending adoption of a law that would ban private sector workers from being required to join a union or pay dues...
War on Workers
Austerity Kills: Economic Distress Seen as Culprit in Sharp Rise in Suicide Rate Among Middle Aged  naked capitalism   …Suicide rates for adults between 40 and 64 years of age in the U.S. have risen about 40% since 1999, with a sharp rise since 2007. One possible explanation could be the detrimental effects of the economic downturn of 2007-2009, leading to disproportionate effects on house values, household finances, and retirement savings for that age group...
Out of Trouble, but Criminal Records Keep Men Out of Work  New York Times   …The share of American men with criminal records — particularly black men — grew rapidly in recent decades as the government pursued aggressive law enforcement strategies, especially against drug crimes. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, those men are having particular trouble finding work. Men with criminal records account for about 34 percent of all nonworking men ages 25 to 54...
Education Department Terminates Contracts With Debt Collectors Accused Of Wrongdoing  Huffington Post   …The U.S. Department of Education, under fire for its lackluster oversight of student loan contractors, said Friday it will terminate its relationship with five debt collectors after accusing them of misleading distressed borrowers at "unacceptably high rates."...
How wages in services vs. goods-producing jobs explain relative GDP growth during Recoveries (Hint: producing goods is better)  Angry Bear   …The singular difference between losses in the Great Recession and the 3 previous ones is that, in prior recessions, service jobs were relatively untouched, while in the Great Recession, nearly as many service jobs were lost (4.5 million) as were goods-producing jobs (5.0 million)...