Today in Labor History

July 28, 2002: Nine miners are rescued in Sommerset, Pa., after being trapped for 77 hours 240 feet underground in the flooded Quecreek Mine.- Union Communication Services

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Send us your completed contract proposal form no later than August 15
July 19, 2017 | On July 5 we mailed you a contract proposal form with an attached cover letter describing the importance of your input as part of the Union’s process for upcoming negotiations. It’s more important than ever that all members are engaged in the process ahead of bargaining so we can be a strong an united force at the negotiating table. From Sean O’Brien, Package Division Director: “It is great to see so many Teamsters passionate about the upcoming negotiations – we are seeing a lot of ideas from members on social media, it’s extremely important that members get with their locals to fill out these proposal forms.” You must return the completed proposal form to Local 992 no later that 5 pm Tuesday, August 15, 2017. Proposal forms are available for download: UPS/Master Agreement UPS/Supplement, Rider, Addendum UPS Freight Proposal Form

UPS reports 8% rise in domestic revenue; Teamsters call for ‘fair contract’
July 28, 2017 | UPS announced Thursday an 8.1 precent U.S. domestic revenue bump in their second-quarter earnings, furled in large part by surging ecommerce deliveries. The report drew a call for fairness from the Teamsters union representing UPS aircraft mechanics which is involved in a contract dispute with the company… bizjournals.com

Excessive CEO pay fight takes new turn
July 26, 2017 | The fight against excessive CEO pay is a fight the Teamsters know well. For years, the union has decried the disproportionate pay between those at the top of the corporate structure and those who actually do the work that makes the firm profitable. But it has taken on added meaning recently as one of the nation’s richest CEOs continues to collect substantial payment while his company gets punished by the U.S. Justice Department for the role the company played in failing to report suspicious opioid orders… teamster.org Related: Seventy top health care CEOs raked in $9.8 billion since 2010

Wolf nominates teachers’ union head to be Penn. labor secretary
July 24, 2017 | Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is turning to the leader of the state’s largest teachers’ union, Jerry Olekslak, to head the Department of Labor and Industry. The nomination requires Senate approval… usnews.com

XPO workers in Texas win recognition with Teamsters
July 24, 2017 | XPO workers in Laredo, Texas who voted to form their union with Teamsters Local 657 have won a major victory. The group of drivers and dockworkers were the very first former Con-way Freight workers in the country to form their union with the Teamsters. The workers and the Local Union have fought diligently to be recognized as a union and begin contract negotiations since winning their election in 2014, but XPO has deliberately delayed the process every step of the way. Last week the company lost their court battle and has formally recognized the workers’ union and will begin contract negotiations. teamsters.org

Social Security and It’s Purported Death Spiral – and A Scam Warning
July 24, 2017 | “Preserving Social Security in anything like its current form for our kids and grandkids involves sacrifice, not financial subterfuge,” [Washington Post columnist Allan Sloan] says. “We have to put in more cash and slow the growth in benefit outlaws. Trusting in trust funds and ignoring reality won’t end well. You can trust me on that.” If what Sloan has to say isn’t scary enough, there’s a new scam out there you need to avoid, according to the Social Security Administration. The agency said in a warning last week … Retirees

Older news items are posted at 992 News.

Elsewhere in the News

Teamsters Denounce GOP Bill to Roll Back NLRB Joint-Employer Ruling

July 28, 2017 | WAR ON WORKERS | The 2015 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) “joint employer” ruling in the case of Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc. was the decision that established protections for millions of American workers by holding employers that rely on temporary or contracted workers accountable. The joint employer rule prevents companies from claiming they are not responsible for workers employed by agencies retained by the company… teamster.org

Quality Health Care is a Basic Human Right

July 27, 2017 | HEALTH CARE | The following statement was issued yesterday by the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO: "Quality health care should be a basic human right in the United States. It should not be a commodity that can be denied because you have too little income, do not have the right job or any job, or have a pre-existing medical condition. Republican leaders in Congress, however, are pursuing an agenda that attacks this principle and undermines everyones health care, whether you are covered through a job and individual plan, Medicaid or Medicare. Each of their attempts, so far, to pass legislation that repeals major parts of the Affordable Care Act has failed, however, largely because tens of millions of Americans have spoken out against their proposals, and because some Republican lawmakers have stood up for working people against these health care cuts despite enormous pressure... " peoplesworld.org

Teamster Opioid Protest Leads to Change at Drug Wholesaler

July 26, 2017 | COLLECTIVE ACTION | (Click image to enlarge) Top U.S. drug wholesaler McKesson has decided to create an independent board chairman, responding to a Teamster-led shareholder protest over its role in distributing opioids. Wednesday’s move comes even though a majority of shareholders didn’t back the Teamsters’ proposal to separate the CEO and board chairman jobs to provide more oversight. Union members protested before the start of the shareholders meeting in Irving, Texas… abcnews.com Photo/LM Otero, AP

One Million Jobs On The Line

July 25, 2017 | HEALTH CARE | America could lose more than a million jobs if the Senate votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act today. That’s according to a report from George Washington University’s Milken Institute of Public Health and the Commonwealth Fund. Repealing the law, also known as Obamacare, would dramatically scale back federal funding for healthcare, especially Medicaid. That translates into job losses as hospitals, retirement homes and other health facilities get fewer dollars… Much of the debate over the “repeal and replace” of Obamacare has centered on how many Americans would lose insurance. Job losses, however, get much less attention… washingtonpost.com

NAFTA 2.0 Must Put Workers First

July 24, 2017 | POLITICAL LEGISLATIVE | The renegotiation of NAFTA is finally heating up, with the first round of talks set [to begin August 16] in the nation’s capital. But there is a lot to be sorted out before any new deal can be struck. The Teamsters have real concerns about what a new Noth American trade pact will look like. And the White House’s release of its “Summary of Objectives for the NAFTA Renegotiation” earlier this week did little to assuage the union’s doubts… teamster.org