Teamsters at Illinois Central Bus Company Ratify New Supplemental Contract
(COAL CITY, Ill.) – Members of Teamsters Local 179 at Illinois Central Bus Company, a subsidiary of North American Central School Bus, in Coal City have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a supplemental collective bargaining agreement. The new three-year supplement includes a 40 percent economic increase over the life of the agreement, reduced years of service […]
Read More....
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Temple Faculty, Administration Reach Tentative Agreement
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Temple Faculty, Administration Reach Tentative Agreement
Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP)—an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—has secured a tentative agreement (TA) on a five-year contract with the administration of Temple University.This deal follows more than a year of negotiations and is subject to approval by both membership and Temple’s board of trustees. The TA features a $10,000 across-the-board raise for full-time employees upon ratification—amounting to a 10% raise for at least half the bargaining unit, which includes more than 2,300 faculty, librarians and other academic professionals. Over the life of the contract, a tenured professor on average will receive an 18% increase, while those who are nontenured will get about 23%. Other wins include expanded bereavement leave, improved parental leave, more protections for academic freedom, no increased health care costs and more.“This is the most complex and transformative agreement for our union since our 1990 strike, and contained in this agreement are historic wins on pay equity, job security, and numerous working conditions, benefits, and union power,” the union said in a statement posted to social media.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 09/20/2024 – 09:54
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Alicia Castro Chicol
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Alicia Castro Chicol
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today’s profile features Alicia Castro Chicol of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
Since becoming a member of IATSE Local 480 in 2011, Alicia Castro Chicol has actively served as a volunteer and board member of Chainbreaker Collective, a membership-based economic and environmental justice organization that helps expand access to affordable transportation and sustainable communities for working people in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and surrounding areas. Having strong roots in both El Salvador and Guatemala, Chicol helps with community organizing through different grassroots and political entities within these countries.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 09/20/2024 – 09:53
Teamsters Wrap Up National Planning Meeting for Dairy Farmers of America
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – Last week, Teamsters from across the country met to discuss bargaining with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). At the meeting, the Teamsters representatives in attendance voted unanimously in favor of coordinated bargaining with the dairy cooperative. “It’d be very hypocritical for DFA to refuse coordinated bargaining with us,” said Jesse Case, Secretary-Treasurer […]
Read More....
Unions Rally for Social Security Fairness on Capitol Hill
September 19, 2024With just over a week before members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. until after the November elections, the time is now to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (H.R. 82, S. 597)!
https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/dimondstein_ssfa.jpgSocial SecurityCongressLegislative and Political
(Update: As of 5 p.m. on September 19, the discharge petition has successfully moved the Social Security Fairness Act to the House floor for a vote. With the finish line in sight, we must now switch our focus from the discharge petition to passage of H.R. 82 on the House floor later this month!
With just over a week before members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. until after the November elections, the time is now to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (H.R. 82, S. 597)!
Joined by a number of public-sector union leaders, including APWU President Mark Dimondstein, the leaders of this bill, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-06) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), held a press conference on Thursday morning in support of the SSFA.
If passed, this bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which are parts of Social Security law that unfairly reduce, or sometimes eliminate, Social Security benefits for almost three million civil servants, including postal workers, many state employees, and federal annuitants, as well as their survivors. The GPO and WEP penalize postal and federal Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees that meet the requirements for Social Security benefits and have paid their fair share into the program.
Although the bill has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, it has not been able to move out of committee to the House floor for a vote. That’s why Rep. Graves and Rep. Spanberger now support a discharge petition, H. Res. 1410. A discharge petition is a process to bring any bill sitting in committee to the House floor for a vote as long as at least 218 members of Congress sign the petition.
“We are really proud and pleased that we are at the cusp of finally righting this wrong and getting some real justice moving forward – stopping the theft, stopping the raid on our pensions, and letting those civil service retirees live their retirement [with] the dignity and the financial security that [they] earn,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein.
“We urge all the Congress folks who have not yet signed the discharge petition to do so. Let’s bring this to a vote…let the needs and the voices of the people be heard…and we’ll finally get the justice our retirees have earned today and into the future,” he concluded.
Thanks to the hard work of our members and allies from all 50 states who made phone calls to their representatives during our “Call Congress Day of Action” last week, we are now only 13 signatures away from a successful discharge petition!
“Today I witnessed what we can accomplish when we work together,” said APWU Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard. “We thank Rep. Graves and Rep. Spanberger for their support in this fight for justice. Regardless of party, each speaker at today’s press conference said the same thing – GPO and WEP are wrong, and they must be repealed now! Due to the hard work of our members, along with other unions and affected organizations, we have built a strong movement that will get this bill to the House floor!”
Unions Rally for Social Security Fairness on Capitol Hill0
Read More....
Teamsters Strike Bigfoot for Fair Contract
(EUGENE, Ore.) – At 12:00 a.m. this morning, members of Teamsters Local 324 and 206 walked off the job as part of an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike at Bigfoot Beverages facilities in Coos Bay, Eugene, Roseberg, and Newport, Ore. “Bigfoot is trying to destroy workers’ retirement security. The greedy CEOs running this company are […]
Read More....
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement.
Here’s who we’ve featured so far:Omayra Sánchez, Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU)Amanda Filpo, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)Roy Zuniga, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)Elizabeth Mercado, Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 09/19/2024 – 13:41
IAM Celebrates U.S. Air Force Anniversary
In the aftermath of the second World War, U.S. leaders saw a need to restructure our military forces in an era of growing tensions of the Cold War, and the need to demobilize nearly ten million Americans serving in uniform. The National Security Act of 1947 separated the Army Air Corp from the U.S. Army,
The post IAM Celebrates U.S. Air Force Anniversary appeared first on IAMAW.
APWU Pleased USPS Will Reverse Some Consolidation Efforts and More Facilities Will ‘Keep Local Mail Local ‘
September 19, 2024The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
Plant Consolidationnetwork modernization
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
The union has consistently opposed local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away only to then return to the local area. Such a process can only further delay mail.
As such, the union has consistently advocated that mail generated in a local area, for delivery in the local area, should stay and be processed and sorted in the local area.
Recently management has announced a reversal of some previous consolidation efforts and now plan to keep processing of “local mail local” in a number of locations previously expected to have that work moved long distances as part of management’s network modernization plans.
“While the union is still assessing these newly announced changes and seeking more clarification and details, we welcome what appears to be some positive steps in the right direction,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers, elected representatives and communities across the country have made their voices heard to keep local mail local and to avoid any further slow-down in the mail.”
However, along with some positive developments are negative ones. Postal management and the Postal Board of Governors are also filing a case with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that we believe will further slowdown mail service for many areas of the country, particularly in rural America.
“The APWU believes that USPS must modernize its network in a way that speeds up and improves service” said Dimondstein. “While we are pleased that more facilities will keep their local mail local, we have serious concerns about the latest service standard proposal. We are prepared to engage in the PRC review and to organize in our communities to defend the quality mail service we all deserve.”
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.0
Read More....
APWU Welcomes Reversal of Partial USPS Consolidation Efforts, Keeping Mail Processing Local at More Facilities
September 19, 2024The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
Plant Consolidationnetwork modernization
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
The union has consistently opposed local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away only to then return to the local area. Such a process can only further delay mail.
As such, the union has consistently advocated that mail generated in a local area, for delivery in the local area, should stay and be processed and sorted in the local area.
Recently management has announced a reversal of some previous consolidation efforts and now plan to keep processing of “local mail local” in a number of locations previously expected to have that work moved long distances as part of management’s network modernization plans.
“While the union is still assessing these newly announced changes and seeking more clarification and details, we welcome what appears to be some positive steps in the right direction,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers, elected representatives and communities across the country have made their voices heard to keep local mail local and to avoid any further slow-down in the mail.”
However, along with some positive developments are negative ones. Postal management and the Postal Board of Governors are also filing a case with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that we believe will further slowdown mail service for many areas of the country, particularly in rural America.
“The APWU believes that USPS must modernize its network in a way that speeds up and improves service” said Dimondstein. “While we are pleased that more facilities will keep their local mail local, we have serious concerns about the latest service standard proposal. We are prepared to engage in the PRC review and to organize in our communities to defend the quality mail service we all deserve.”
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.0
Read More....