teamsters » Teamster Local 773

Teamsters Hail NLRB For Worker Education Rule

Aug 302011

August 29, 2011

General President Hoffa Says Employees Need Information About Their Rights

(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today applauded the National Labor Relations Board for requiring large employers to tell their workers of their basic fundamental legal right to join a union.

The new rule, which takes effect Nov. 14, requires large companies to post an 11” by 17” poster that notifies workers of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Employers must already inform workers about health, safety, wage and discrimination rights.

“This is a reasonable reform that gives workers clear guidelines about their basic rights under federal labor law,” Hoffa said. “Employers have only one reason to oppose this rule: they don’t want their workers to know about their legal protections and fundamental right to organize into union.”

The requirement doesn’t apply to small mom-and-pop businesses, and it excludes agricultural, railroad and airline employers. The notice must be posted in a second language if at least 20 percent of the employees speak a language other than English.

“These days, American workers are under ferocious attack as corporations cut jobs, cut pay and cut benefits to fatten their CEOs’ compensation,” Hoffa said. “Now more than ever, workers need to know they have the right to join together to improve their working conditions.”

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information.

Press Contact:

Galen Munroe
gmunroe@teamster.org
202-624-6911

Bowlers Raise $2800 for Big Brothers Big Sisters

Community, Events No Responses »

Apr 012011

On Sunday, March 6, 2011, 33 Teamsters from nine companies participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl For Kids Sake.

The bowlers raised of $2800 for the annual event and helped push Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley over their goal of $165,000.

To date, over $175,000 has been raised to assist Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley in their mission to provide mentoring services to at risk children in the Lehigh Valley.

Defending the Middle-Class: Why We Need Unions, Pensions, and Public Employees

News No Responses »

Sep 162010

Posted: September 13, 2010 by Bob Samuels
President, University Council – AFT

Politicians and media pundits have joined the conservative effort to demonize unions, pensions, and public employees. In fact, if you landed on the planet today, you would think that the global financial meltdown was caused by greedy unionized public employees. Instead of blaming the super-wealthy for their huge gambling losses, there is a growing consensus claiming that the working poor and the downsized middle class are the cause of all of our problems.

In the case of pensions for public employees, the popular sentiment is that these benefits will starve local and state governments, and so they should be eliminated or at least severely reduced. Leading the media frenzy against pensions is the misunderstanding of the cause and effects of unfunded pension liabilities. What no one seems to be saying is that due to the unethical and possibly illegal activities of Wall Street, most pension funds lost close to a third of their value in 2007 and 2008. While the banks and financial institutions were bailed out, no relief came to these pension funds, and new accounting rules forced public pensions to declare all of their present and future pension liabilities. However, we should remember that these liabilities do not have to be paid for today; in, fact, the pension liabilities cover the present and future retirement costs of all people in the system.

Since reporters and the general public do not understand how pensions work, they are easily scared by what looks to be giant deficits. Furthermore, employers are using these huge numbers to get employees to accept reduced benefits, and the side effect of this scare tactic is that the public has turned on pensions, public employees, and unions. Unintentionally, the media, public employers, and the general public are playing into the hands of the wealthiest people in America who do not want to pay middle-class workers a decent wage with acceptable benefits.

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