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Local and National News
Advisories, industry-specific fact sheets, and resources for members
Apr. 28, 2020 | Our Union is closely monitoring the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Working with other unions, public health officials and other experts in our Safety and Health Department, the Union is focused on providing Local Unions and staff with the most up-to-date information and resources to help everyone in this difficult time. Click on COVID-19 Outbreak Resources for Members for local and regional resources. On the left column, click on COVID-19 News for Industry-related Fact Sheets and other critical information from the IBT.
What you need to know about Maryland’s mask mandate
July 31, 2020 | Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order Wednesday expanding mask-wearing restrictions, mandating that everyone older than 5 must wear masks inside all public buildings, including restaurants, houses of worship, gyms, casinos, stores and office buildings starting Friday at 5 p.m. Masks also will now be required outdoors whenever it is not possible to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from others. Learn more here.Notices: Nominations for delegates/alternates to IBT 2021 convention
July 30, 2020 | Elections for our International Officers and Executive Board will be held in 2021. On June 26, 2020, we submitted to the Office of the Election Supervisor as required by the Constitution our Election Plan (view it here) for this Local Union’s nominations for the election of delegates and alternate delegates to the IBT Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, in June of 2021. We have received approval for our Election Plan; you can read the rules for nominations here. The nomination meeting will be held Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at 5 pm at the Local Union office. We’ll send reminders as that time draws near.
Teamsters across the country strike for Black lives
July 21, 2020 | Workers with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters joined other major national labor organizations, leading racial and social justice groups, and activists in the national Strike for Black Lives. Hundreds of Teamsters across the U.S., joined by thousands more who walked off of their jobs for eight minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black people who are victims of police violence. “The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded on the principle of winning justice for all workers, and that cannot happen unless we dismantle racism and racist systems that continue to hold Black workers back,” said Marcus King, Director of the Human Rights and Diversity Commission at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Read the full press release here. Related: Workers in 25 cities held a short strike to protest systemic racism in society and the economyHoffa on passing of Congressman John Lewis
July 20, 2020 | “Last night, our country lost a lion of the civil rights movement and a national force for good. As Teamsters, we are devastated to learn of the passing of Congressman John Lewis. “John Lewis dedicated his life to causes that were bigger than himself. For more than 60 years, his courageous leadership gave hope to the entire nation, reminding us all to be better. “More than anything, John Lewis was a fighter… Continue reading hereOlder news items can be viewed at 888 News.
Elsewhere in The News
Aug. 4, 2020 | PRIVATIZATION | July has a flurry of confusion and stress for postal workers, as a barrage of new measures are threatening to fundamentally overhaul and undermine the culture and operations of the U.S. Postal Service. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported on a memo from the new USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging postal staff to leave behind mail at distribution centers if they thought it would cause a delay for letter carriers. Another memo stated that the USPS would be looking to cut transportation and overtime costs, bringing about “immediate, lasting, and impactful changes” to the federal agency… Intercept
Aug. 3, 2020 | ECONOMY | Decades of soaring income inequality rendered tens of millions of Americans just one or two missed paychecks away from financial calamity. While CEO and shareholder income skyrocketed over the past four decades, ordinary Americans’ wages stagnated. Even those juggling multiple jobs struggle to feed their families, leaving them unable to save for retirement or squirrel away money for emergencies. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Labor unions force corporations to provide workers with family-sustaining wages, affordable health insurance, viable retirement plans, safe working conditions and other benefits that help workers survive crises like the pandemic. And only the growth of unions—along with a much-needed strengthening of U.S. labor rights—can restore fairness to the cruel economic system laid bare by COVID-19… LA Progressive
• Teamsters use new GOTV methods
• Covid-19 news updates for July 30
• Economy shrinks by 33 percent, 2M more jobless
• Why the working-class votes against its own interests
• Meatpackers sue OSHA for virus safety enforcement
• Covid-19 among meatpacking workers: An American tragedy
• Employers require liability waivers as conflict mounts over workplace safety
• How Labor Sec'y Scalia played chicken with meatpacking workers’ lives
• Unions urge congressional action on Philippines Human Rights Act
• If ‘cancel culture’ is about getting fired, let’s cancel at-will employment
July 30, 2020 | ORGANIZING | With less than 100 days before election day amidst the deadliest disease outbreak of our lifetime, many election officials across the country are scrambling to expand voting by mail, early voting and other alternatives to showing up on election day so Americans can exercise their right to vote without risking their lives in the process. As the debate over alternatives to in-person voting plays out in our national discourse, another voting right under the law is equally under attack because of COVID-19 but has received little attention: the rights of workers to vote on union representation under the supervision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The National Labor Relations Board has been forbidden from conducting elections online in every congressional appropriations bill since 2012, in no small part because of baseless concerns on the part of anti-union members in the House of Representatives like Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who said that conducting NLRB elections electronically risks “hacking, fraud, and coercion.” This claim is absurd… Teamsters Union
July 28, 2020 | OPINION | In recent decades, we have rarely seen so much worker anger and so many strikes as we’ve seen since COVID-19 hit America. Fears of the virus have greatly emboldened American workers. Some labor historians say this new militancy resembles the 1930s, when a huge strike wave helped lead to landmark pro-labor legislation and one of the biggest bursts of unionization in American history. Now many workers are hoping — and many employers are dreading — that the pandemic-induced wave of militancy could produce a similar surge of unionization. Support for unions is rising. Sixty-four percent of Americans approve of unions, nearly the highest level in 50 years. Another promising sign is the changing generational support for labor… Los Angeles Times
