Today's Teamster News 06.20.13

<="http://www.salon.com/2013/06/19/american_middle_class_prosperity_is_pure_fantasy_partner/singleton/print/">American middle-class prosperity is pure fantasy  Salon   ...New research reveals that the US ranks 27th in the world when it comes to middle-class wealth...
<="http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/us-wages-fall-amid-overseas-pressure-692123/">Wages in U.S. fall amid overseas pressure  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   ...Competition from China and other low-wage rivals, coupled with fallout from the 2007-09 financial crisis, has put American wages under such unprecedented strain that they have shifted into reverse -- not merely stagnating, but falling...
<="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/20/brazil-protesters-u-turn-fare-rises">Brazil protesters win U-turn on fare rises  The Guardian   ...A quarter of a million people took to the streets in at least 12 cities on Monday to call for better public services, an end to corruption, punishment for police brutality, and less wasteful spending on the World Cup. Sporadic protests have continued since and spread to smaller cities...
<="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/us-piracy-law-opens-new-possibilities-for-exporters/article4829085.ece">U.S. piracy law opens new possibilities for exporters  The Hindu   ...The Unfair Competition Act (UCA), an anti-piracy law that was recently introduced in the United States, may provide Indian rubber exporters a chance to improve their presence in the fast growing U.S. rubber products market...
<="http://www.connectsavannah.com/savannah/a-ride-in-a-sweatshop-on-wheels/Content?oid=2271969">Port truckers unite  Connect Savannah   ...Oh, how we struggle with our love/hate relationship with cheap stuff. We knit our brows over children toiling away in faraway places like Saipan and China, but we can't help but help ourselves to six-dollar Old Navy t-shirts and 50 percent off tube socks at Sam's...
<="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/18/us-american-usairways-congress-idUSBRE95H1G020130618">U.S. lawmakers urge careful review of American-US Airways deal  Reuters   ...Two U.S. lawmakers with antitrust oversight have urged the Obama administration to carefully review a planned merger of American Airlines and US Airways Group to ensure that it will not lead to higher prices for air travelers...
<="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/18/moral-monday-north-carolina_n_3458957.html?utm_hp_ref=politics">Moral Monday Protests Lead To 84 More Arrests In North Carolina: 'We Cannot Be Silenced' Huffington Post   ...For the seventh week in a row, protesters crowded into the North Carolina General Assembly building on Monday in a boisterous demonstration against state GOP policies that ultimately led to 84 arrests...
<="http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130619brewer-signs-controversial-election-bill-into-law.html">Brewer signs controversial election bill into law  Arizona Republic   ...Her signature Wednesday on House Bill 2305 ushers in a wave of changes, from limits on who can return a voter’s ballot to the polls, to stricter controls on citizen initiatives, to tougher requirements for minor-party candidates to qualify for the Arizona ballot...
<="http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2013/06/providence-ri---over-the.html">RI senate committee approves biweekly pay bill sought by business  Providence Journal   ...Over the objections of organized labor, a Senate committee has approved a bill that would relieve private-sector employers from having to pay their workers weekly...
<="http://www.twincities.com/business/ci_23485656/amazon-ending-affiliate-relationships-avoid-minnesotas-online-sale">Amazon dumps Minnesota affiliates to avoid collecting online state sales tax  Pioneer Press   ...In advance of having to collect online state sales tax, Amazon.com said that at the end of the month it will sever ties with its Minnesota-based affiliate websites that receive a fee for referring shoppers to the retail giant's online store…
<="http://peoplesworld.org/walker-s-anti-union-law-heads-for-new-test-in-court/">Walker’s anti-union law heads for new test in court  People’s World   ...Here we go again in Wisconsin: Right-wing Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union law is headed for another test in the state's Supreme Court....
<="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-p-hoffa/ceos-want-to-hide-riches_b_3463236.html">Hoffa: CEOs Want To Hide Riches Through Repeal Of Wage Gap Disclosure Requirement (opinion)  Huffington Post   ...The divide in pay between top executives and regular workers is out of control. A recent <="http://http/go.bloomberg.com/multimedia/ceo-pay-ratio/">Bloomberg News calculation concluded that chief executives on average take home 204 times more than their rank-and-file employees...
<="http://www.teamster.org/content/first-student-drivers-join-local-174">First Student Drivers Join Local 174  IBT   ....More than 370 First Student school bus drivers in Seattle have joined Teamsters Local 174 in Tukwila, Wash. The drivers, who work at four First Student yards, join the 17 school bus mechanics who are already members of Teamsters Local 174.
<="http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_23488595/clerical-workers-at-washington-hospital-get-raises">Teamster clerical workers at Washington Hospital get raises  The Daily Review   ...Clerical workers at Washington Hospital in Fremont, Calif., who are represented by Teamsters Local 856, will see their pay jump 5 percent under a deal approved by the board of directors...
<="http://newsok.com/ups-trucker-wins-oklahoma-driving-championship/article/3854036">UPS trucker wins Oklahoma driving championship  The Oklahoman   ...UPS driver Richie Guess, who has worked for UPS for 29 years, is one of nine truck drivers who will represent Oklahoma at the National Truck Driving Championships in August. Guess was named grand champion at this month's Oklahoma Truck Driving Championships...