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Local and National News
Hoffa: Washington lawmakers must of right by workers
May 5, 2021 | The Teamsters and other unions for years have been urging lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to prioritize the needs of working people, given that the wealthy in this country have never done better. Finally, elected officials… Continue readingBainum continues his quest for Tribune as time runs out
May 3, 2021 | With time running out, Stewart W. Bainum Jr. is making a renewed effort to buy Tribune Publishing, the newspaper chain that agreed in February to sell itself to its largest shareholder, the hedge fund Alden Global Capital. Mr. Bainum, a Maryland hotel mogul, notified Tribune Publishing on Wednesday that he planned to have $300 million in financing that would go toward a revised offer valuing the company at roughly $680 million, according to three people with knowledge of the proposal. As part of the would-be arrangement, $200 million would come from his own fortune, the people said. The additional $100 million would come from new debt, the people said. The proposal is not quite firm. His offer is contingent on his finding a backer who will take on Tribune’s flagship paper, The Chicago Tribune… The New York TimesHoffa: American Families Plan helps workers bring balance to daily lives
Apr. 28, 2021 | The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa about today’s unveiling of President Biden’s American Families Plan, a sweeping measure that lifts up hardworking Americans by expanding education opportunities, mandating paid leave, subsidizing child care and health care for low- and middle-income workers and providing tax relief to the middle class. “The modern American family is being pulled in a million different directions that make it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. The current pandemic has especially placed additional strains on women workers…” Continue reading
Advisories, industry-specific fact sheets, and resources for members
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.
Older news items can be viewed at 888 News.
Elsewhere in The News
May 7, 2021 | SOLIDARITY | The sports unions for basketball, baseball, football, and hockey have combined forces – and the labor movement is stronger for it. The PRO Act is about as important a piece of labor legislation as we’ve seen in some time. It holds the potential to open the door for workers and organizers to step up and reverse 40 years of losses for organized labor. This is seen as the number one legislative priority for organized labor. The bill’s chances of passing the Senate are regarded as slim, but that isn’t stopping the union movement from trying to get it passed. Now the PRO Act has very loud and proud support from another group of “pros,” the major sports unions of the United States. Together they released a statement where they said… The Nation
May 6, 2021 | WORKERS’ RIGHTS | The Biden administration on Wednesday blocked a Trump-era rule that would have made it easier to classify gig workers who work for companies like Uber and Lyft as independent contractors instead of employees, signaling a potential policy shift toward greater worker protections. "By withdrawing the independent contractor rule, we will help preserve essential worker rights and stop the erosion of worker protections that would have occurred had the rule gone into effect," Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in a statement. "Too often, workers lose important wage and related protections when employers misclassify them as independent contractors," he said… Reuters Related: Hoffa: Rollback of independent contractor rule is a win for workers
May 4, 2021 | COVID-19 | […] Essential workers had “heroism” foisted upon them by corporate employers who quarantined in palatial estates and ordered their groceries online, and we, satisfied that these “heroes” were selflessly sacrificing themselves in our service, did not ask any questions. These workers, however, did not ask to be heroes – and those who died did not ask to be martyrs. We do owe them a thank you, to be sure. But, more than anything, we owe them a fairer, more equal, and more democratic society… On Labor
