Beginning Oct. 1: Tow trucks included in Maryland's 'move over' law
Oct. 1, 2014  | Motorists will be required by law to move over for tow trucks starting Oct. 1, according to Maryland State Police. The law is intended to provide an extra barrier of safety for police, fire and emergency rescue personnel, and now tow truck drivers, police said… Violation of the "move over" law is a primary offense with a fine of $110 and one point added to a driver's license. Read more here.

Shop news update: Contract and grievance settlements
Oct. 3, 2014  | Eight collective bargaining agreements were up for renewal this year. Of those, seven have been achieved. Negotiations for a new contract with Cinetic Landis continue under an extension agreement. Read the update here.

Election should be about letting all eligible voters vote
Oct. 3, 2014  | In the first of five in-depth blog posts leading up to the Nov. 4 election that will examine the issues of importance not only to Teamsters, but all workers, Teamster Power writes: "How do you know that Election Day is right around the corner? Because anti-worker forces in key swing states are trying to tamp down on who can and cannot vote." Worth your time to read it here.

Facebook's bus drivers seek union
Oct. 6, 2014  | They shuttle highly paid Facebook employees to and from the company's headquarters in Silicon Valley, yet many say their pay is so low that they can't afford to live in the area. Moreover, many complain that they start work around 6 a.m. and do not finish until 9 p.m., 15 hours later. Now, some of these shuttle bus drivers, who get Facebook employees to work are seeking representation by the Teamsters union. Learn more here.

There's nothing fair about being a woman in the workplace
Oct. 7, 2014  | In the second of five in-depth blog posts leading up to the Nov. 4 election, Teamster Power writes: It may be the 21st century, but for too many working women it might as well be the Dark Ages. Their wages continue to lag significantly behind their male counterparts. And congressional efforts to change it have been hampered repeatedly by Senate Republicans. The latest rebuffing of wage equity came last month, when the GOP halted an effort to move forward with the Paycheck Fairness Act…" Worth your time to read it here.

Are you a veteran? The Teamster History Project wants your photo.
Oct. 8, 2014  | The Teamsters History Project is currently working on a new book for the Teamsters History book series about Teamsters in Military Service and is looking for photos of Teamsters who served in the military at any time during the last 110 years of our history. If you'd like to submit photos of you and/or Teamster relatives who have served in any of the conflicts during that time, you will find additional information and instructions for photo submission here.

Fight against the War on Workers by voting
Oct. 13, 2014  | Show how you're fighting the War on Workers by printing out the "I'm a Teamster and I Vote" sign, hold it up and take a selfie for the Teamster Facebook page. Click here to get your sign.

Teamsters’ teach-in spotlights environmental injustice at hazardous landfill
Oct. 14, 2014  | …Speakers at the session, hosted by Teamsters Joint Council 13, emphasized that 1,600 Teamsters and tens of thousands of other workers live within a short radius Republic Service’s toxic landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri. The landfill contains 8,700 tons of un-containerized radioactive waste… The teach-in made clear that unionists, community residents, faith leaders, environmentalists and pro-worker attorneys were going to be anything but invisible. Read the full story here.

Teamsters make history with first-ever organizing victory at FedEx Freight
Oct. 14, 2014  | A group of 47 drivers at FedEx Freight’s East Philadelphia terminal in Croyden, Pennsylvania, made history yesterday when they overwhelmingly voted to join Teamsters Local 107 in Philadelphia. “We are tired of getting treated with disrespect and dealing with constantly changing unfair and unwritten work rules,” driver Gary Loftus said. “We also want job security and to be valued for the work we do making FedEx Freight successful.” Full story here.

Private sector privileges cost regular workers
Oct. 16, 2014  | …In the third of five in-depth blog posts leading up to the Nov. 4 elections, Teamster Power writes: “The U.S. has a population of more than 317 million people It has more than 146 million registered voters. But increasingly, elected officials seem to believe their only constituency is the Fortune 500… Between big business outsourcing jobs overseas and the billion doled out by the federal government in tax breaks directly to corporations every year, you’ll excuse those who believe President Lincoln’s famous clarion for American government has morphed into ‘Of, By, and For the Company.’ Full story here.

The Teamsters of the 21st Century: Think Uber, Lyft, Facebook
Oct. 27, 2014  | The famous labor union is steaming into the gig economy in a big way. When you think of the Teamsters, you might still think Jimmy Hoffa. But you should also now think Uber, Lyft, and even Facebook. That's because the Teamsters are taking a bold step into the new sharing economy by organizing Uber and Lyft drivers in Los Angeles and San Diego and attempting to represent drivers for Facebook and Cisco employee shuttles. Full story here.

Workers hold the future of inequality in their hands
Oct. 31, 2014  | In the final of five in-depth blog posts leading up to the Nov. 4 elections, Teamster Power writes: "Our nation's economic recovery may seem real to those who compile government statistics or for the elites on Wall Street and Capitol Hill. But ask the average rank-and-file worker in cities and towns across America, and you'll likely get a much different answer. Despite a reduction in the U.S. unemployment rate, workers are still struggling. The reason is simple — jobs that paid a fair salary and supported families before the Great Recession have been replaced by those that pay the minimum wage or not much higher. Full story here.

PA GOP tried to sneak ‘paycheck deception’ amendment into allergy medicine bill
Oct. 31, 2014  | The “paycheck protection” amendment — labor organizations typically refer to such efforts as “paycheck deception” — actually dealt with whether schools would be allowed to obtain prescriptions for students who need allergy-related EpiPens.  With the legislative session in its final days, the amendment [that would have disallowed unions from automatically deducting dues from paychecks] was viewed by many as a last ditch Republican hail mary to score anti-union points and bolster right-leaning resumes before the election. Sen. Scott Wagner called the amendment a “victory” despite its outcome. [It failed 20-28.] He promised to bring up the issue next session, saying: “We voted on something. That’s a big deal.  “We’re not going away, trust me.  I’m going to be like the worse case of poison ivy.” Continue reading here.