Today's Teamster News 02.07.13

<="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/02/05/social-security-retirement-benefits-column/1891155/">401Ks are a disaster (opinion)  USA Today   ...Recent and near-retirees, the first major cohort of the 401(k) era, do not have nearly enough in retirement savings to even come close to maintaining their current lifestyles...
<="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/us-rbs-libor-idUSBRE91500B20130206?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest">RBS fined $612 million for rate rigging  Reuters ...Royal Bank of Scotland will pay $612 million to U.S. and British authorities to settle allegations it manipulated benchmark interest rates, and regulators warned there is more to come in the global investigation. RBS became the third bank to pay fines in the Libor scandal...
<="http://www.zdnet.com/cn/china-made-1-2b-mobile-phones-in-2012-7000010955/">China made 1.2B mobile phones in 2012  ZDNet   ...China produced 1.18 billion mobile phones in 2012, accounting for more than 50 percent of mobile phone sales worldwide...
<="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/06/china-tax-reforms">China unveils major tax reforms to make rich pay more  The Guardian  ...China has unveiled sweeping tax reforms to make wealthy state-owned firms, property speculators and the rich pay more to narrow the gap between the urban elite and hundreds of millions of rural poor...
<="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21344377">Greece orders seamen back to work on 6th day of strike  BBC  ...Workers manning ferry services to Greece's numerous islands have been demanding the payment of wages more than six months in arrears and the signing of collective work contracts with ferry companies...
<="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/06/1547551/postal-service-saturday-delivery/">Thanks To Congressional Incompetence, Saturday Mail Delivery Is History  ThinkProgress   ...Under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Congress has for years forced the USPS to pre-fund 75 years’ worth of pensions for its employees, a requirement not made of any other public or private institution...
<="http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/pointless-attacks-unions-kansas-missouri/">Pointless attacks on unions in Kansas, Missouri (opinion)  Kansas City Star   ...The unnecessary attacks on unions demonstrate how susceptible state legislatures are to outside forces...
<="http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/06/4052195/hearing-on-missouri-right-to-work.html">Hearing on Missouri 'right to work' bill attracts crowd  Associated Press  ...A standing room only crowd spilled into the Capitol hallway Wednesday to watch a Missouri House committee hearing on a bill barring payment of union dues as a condition of employment...
<="http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/senate-approves-constitutional-amendment-on-union-elections/article_59251f6f-cde6-5ef6-83bf-e4058145896c.html">Senate approves constitutional amendment on union elections  Northwest Indiana Times   ...All union organizing elections would have to be conducted by secret ballot under an amendment to the Indiana Constitution approved 33-16 by the Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday...
<="http://posttrib.suntimes.com/business/18029496-420/local-150-will-appeal-judges-dismissal-of-its-challenge-to-right-to-work-law.html">Local 150 will appeal judge’s dismissal of its challenge to right-to-work law  Post-Tribune   ...Attorneys for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 filed the notice to appeal Monday in the U.S. District Court in Hammond...
<="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/maine-voter-id-law_n_2622253.html">Maine Voter ID Law Not Recommended By Independent Elections Panel  Huffington Post   ..."The Commission, by a 4 to 1 vote, finds that the negative aspects of a Voter ID law outweigh its potential benefits and recommends that a Voter ID system not be pursued in Maine," read the report from the five-member panel...
<="http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/02/devos_family_gave_175_million.html">Rich DeVos family gave $1.75 million to fight Michigan's Proposal 2 on union collective bargaining  Michigan Live  ...Betsy DeVos, Dan DeVos, Dick DeVos, Doug DeVos, Elisabeth DeVos, Helen DeVos, Maria DeVos, Pamella DeVos and Richard DeVos altogether gave $2.8 million to the Republican party, political candidates and conservative causes in Michigan last year, a MIRS report calculates...
<="http://www.newhampshire.com/article/20130206/NEWS06/130209484">Right-to-work bill finding little support in NH House  Nashua Telegraph   ...The House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee dealt a blow to the latest attempt to pass right-to-work legislation in New Hampshire. The committee voted 13-5 to recommend House Bill 322 be killed when the full House takes up the measure...
<="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/02/11971/sprucing-suppression-pennsylvania-gop-proposes-new-election-rigging-scheme">Sprucing Up Suppression: Pennsylvania GOP Proposes New Election-Rigging Scheme  Center for Media and Democracy  ...Pennsylvania's Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi intends to introduce legislation that would award that state's electoral votes proportionally according to the popular vote, rather than according to the winner in each Congressional district. If the plan had been in place for last November's election Romney would have received 8 of Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes...
<="http://www.kansas.com/2013/02/05/2664091/attorney-kan-senate-leader-spar.html">Labor lawyer: Kansas union bill will silence workers  Associated Press   ...The payroll bill is one of several proposed measures that Democrats and union representatives see as eroding the rights of public employees to participate in the political process, whether it be supporting candidates with political action committees or advocating public policy changes...
<="http://www.thecoastalsource.com/content/features/states/story/Talks-of-Bus-Strikes-Still-Alive/Gd5xII3QpUS9aK1O34lX9w.cspx">Talks of Bus Strikes Still Alive  The Coastal Source  ...Talks of a possible bus strike for Beaufort County Schools are still up in the air...The Teamsters Union and Durham Services are trying to reach a compromise about possible pay raises for current bus drivers and better benefits, but Tuesday afternoon, rumors spread that Durham Bus Services walked out of the meeting...
<="http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130205/BREAKING/130209692">Cecil supervisors approve police, public works contracts  Observer-Reporter  ...Public works employees, members of Teamsters Local 205, will receive a 3 percent salary increase over the course of their four-year contract...