Weekly Reading List: What Has Local 1932 Shared Online Lately? (4/17-4/30)
Below is a list of articles, videos, pictures — everything that Local 1932 found important enough to share throughout its social media. Share these items with your own networks! A well-read union is crucial in building power.
April 17:
Solidarity with our union sisters and brothers in Missouri, as they prepare to mount an all-out resistance to so-called right to work:
“If volunteers are successful in collecting the more than 140,000 signatures needed by Aug. 25, the Citizens’ Referendum would halt the Aug. 28 implementation of so-called “right-to-work” legislation signed into law by Missouri Governor Eric Greitens and place the measure on hold until Missouri voters have a chance to decide the issue in a state-wide vote in November 2018.” – http://labortribune.com/fight-to-stop-rtw-is-under-way/
“After closing the pension plan, two things happened in both states: the cost of the plan increased dramatically and retirement security for employees plummeted.” Public pensions matter — just ask Michigan and West Virginia by the Hill’s Bailey Childers and Tyler Bond – http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-budget/328082-public-pensions-matter-just-ask-michigan-and-west-virginia
April 18:
The robot scabs are coming to take your jobs by CNN’s Don Howard: “Lawyers are losing out to bots that write routine contracts, wills and deeds. Architects and engineers no longer do the drafting work now done by computer-aided design software. Business writers are being displaced by AI that abstracts and summarizes corporate reports. And medical diagnosis is now in the hands of IBM’s Watson.” Who will defend good jobs? Organized labor will. http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/15/opinions/the-robot-scabs-are-coming-to-take-your-jobs-howard-opinion
California approves $91 million in tax breaks for 114 firms By the Associated Press’ Jonathan J. Cooper: $91 million, and this is just one avenue these companies get for subsidies. These are multi-billion dollar companies that promise jobs in return for these incentives. Do you believe that there’s any accountability or monitoring in the wages, benefits, and living standards that these jobs provide? More to come from Local 1932 on this issue. https://www.apnews.com/fc1bf1bd97a24332b19d8ffca3ba8738/California-approves-$91-million-in-tax-breaks-for-114-firms
Local 1932 held its General Membership Meeting for the Month of April. Check out scenes from that night here: https://www.facebook.com/teamsterslocal1932/posts/1333244450045086
April 19:
So-called “right to work” is wrong for American workers. Watch this video explainer by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich to find out why: https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/1476463045699620/
Corporate profits are way up, corporate taxes are way down by the Economic Policy Institute’s Hunter Blair: “The driving force behind the recent erosion of the corporate income tax base is the largest corporate loophole— deferral of taxes paid on profits booked abroad. Deferral allows corporations to stash billions of dollars offshore to avoid paying taxes on them. As outlined in a new Americans for Tax Fairness and EPI Chartbook, deferral will drain the U.S. Treasury of about $1.3 trillion in tax revenue over ten years.” – http://www.epi.org/publication/corporate-profits-are-way-up-corporate-taxes-are-way-down/?utm_content=buffere83fc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
April 20: “This victory comes through the incredible work, dedication, and solidarity of activists and leaders from every part of California,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Teamsters Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer. “By building Union power in the workplace, we showed the UC our strength and won a contract that will benefit our members and their families.” – Congratulations to our sisters and brothers at Local 2010 for their contract ratification, with 97% voting yes: http://teamsters2010.org/index.cfm?zone=%2Funionactive%2Fview_article.cfm&HomeID=653814#.WPjGNKxyn6o.twitter
April 21:
Gina, Nicala, Brynn, Daniella, and Irma are just a few of the workers at the City of Ontario who keep residents safe. The second part of our City of Ontario worker profiles: https://www.facebook.com/teamsterslocal1932/photos/a.406569302712610.86892.251438101559065/1336233256412872/?type=3&theater
Drivers employed by XPO Logistics ruled misclassified by CA Labor Commissioner: “The Labor Commissioner’s ruling in our favor is only a partial victory. My co-workers and I won’t stop fighting until XPO recognizes our employee rights and stops misclassifying us as independent contractors.” – https://teamster.org/node/105085
April 22:
The one graph that explains why “Right to WorK” only means “Reduced Teamster Wages” – https://www.facebook.com/teamsterslocal1932/photos/a.406569302712610.86892.251438101559065/1337520902950774/?type=3&theater
April 23:
Teamsters Local 812 is on strike at Clare Rose, the sole distributor of Budweiser, Heineken, and other popular beer brands for Nassau and Suffolk counties. The company is cutting pay by 30% and taking away the pension. “We are the middle-class families that make up Long Island,” said Mark Pooler, who has delivers beer at Clare Rose for 26 years. “When there is no Bud, Heineken, or other beer brands at the supermarket or bar, Long Islanders will know who to blame: Clare Rose executives,” said Teamsters Local 812 President Ed Weber. – http://teamsters.nyc/2017/04/23/budweiser-delivery-teamsters-strike-monday-wage-retirement-cuts/
Tesla Workers File Charges With National Labor Board as Battle With Elon Musk Intensifies by Capital & Main’s David Dayden: “I know my rights, and I know that we acted within them,” said Jonathan Galescu, a body repair technician. Galescu and his colleagues have previously cited low pay, hazardous work conditions, and a culture of intimidation as motivations to unionize the plant – http://capitalandmain.com/tesla-workers-file-charges-with-national-labor-board-as-battle-with-elon-musk-intensifies-0419
April 24:
Grab Your Pitchforks, America, Your 401(K) May Need Defending from Congress by the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Zweig: “Fully 39% of Americans don’t feel very confident in their ability to fund a comfortable retirement, according to a recent survey. It’s safe to say none of those worried folks are members of Congress. Instead of penalizing retirement saving, lawmakers should be making it easier, perhaps even mandatory — as it is for members of Congress.” https://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2017/04/21/grab-your-pitchfork-america-your-401k-may-need-defending-from-congress/
April 25:
Amazon Delivery Drivers Join Teamsters Local 337 in Detroit: “The drivers work four 10-hour days at a flat rate of $140 per day and if they work over 10 hours a day they don’t get paid for the extra time,” said Dave Hughes, Local 337 organizer. “I am so proud of doing something I believe in–voting to become a Teamster,” said Kimberly Johnson, who has worked at Silver Star for about six months. “We need health benefits because we don’t have any right now.” – https://teamster.org/news/2017/04/amazon-delivery-drivers-join-teamsters-local-337-detroit
April 26:
TODAY IN LABOR HISTORY, April 25, 1886: The New York Times declares the struggle for an 8-hour workday to be “un-American” and calls public demonstrations for the shorter hours “labor disturbances brought about by foreigners.” Other publications declare that an eight-hour workday would bring about “loafing and gambling, rioting, debauchery and drunkenness.”
Today, we mourn the deaths of the more than 1,100 Bangladesh garment workers killed in the April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza building collapse. Garment workers need the ability to freely form unions to ensure safety at their workplaces. Four years after Rana Plaza, their freedom to form unions is under attack: https://www.solidaritycenter.org/4-years-rana-plaza-increased-worker-repression/
April 27:
“Rite Aid calls itself a ‘wellness’ company and makes most of its money filling prescriptions. It’s outrageous that the company is attacking the health care of its employees who make and deliver Thrifty Ice Cream in Southern California,” said Randy Cammack, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42.
100 members with Teamster Local Union 630 and Teamsters Local 63 will strike if Rite Aid moves forward with this prescription for failure – https://teamster.org/node/105091
April 28:
A future of shrinking jobs: Most workers today are underpaid, and it gets worse: “A Princeton study concluded that a stunning 94 percent of the nine million new jobs created in the past decade were temporary or contract-based, rather than traditional full-time positions” – http://www.salon.com/2017/04/24/a-future-of-shrinking-jobs-most-workers-today-are-underpaid-and-it-gets-worse_partner/?link_id=12&can_id=c087389d04441d70287a0867537ec1c2&source=email-todays-headlines-jobs-with-justice-42517&email_referrer=todays-headlines-jobs-with-justice-42517&email_subject=todays-headlines-jobs-with-justice-42517
Kathy and Local 1932 members like her at the Recreation and Community Services Department do the work that makes the City of Ontario work. The third installment of our City of Ontario worker profiles: https://www.facebook.com/teamsterslocal1932/photos/a.406569302712610.86892.251438101559065/1343194689050062/?type=3&theater
April 29:
Local 1932 held its latest Volunteer Organizers training session. Check out scenes from that morning’s informative training: https://www.facebook.com/teamsterslocal1932/posts/1343852378984293
Imagine you and some friends go out to eat. Everyone eats, but when the bill comes, one person won’t pay his fair share because he didn’t pick the restaurant. A case rushing toward the Supreme Court (Janus v AFSCME) could overturn a longstanding law that prevents that same kind of unfairness in the workplace and ensures we have a strong middle class in America. Watch the video below and learn more about what fair share fees really mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5JMGx9FXxA