Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

A toast to Steven Slater
http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/17/toast-to-steven-slater
A toast to Steven Slater
Danny Lucia wonders what the JetBlue flight attendant has planned for an encore.
August 17, 2010

Steven Slater

TODAY, WE raise a glass to Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who gave a vicarious thrill to workers across Great Recession America.

Steven, when the light dinged on in your head that you were now free to tell off that rude passenger, pop open the emergency exit and just slip-slide away, you did more than fulfill your own long-held fantasy.

Thanks to you, Steven, flight attendants are walking those narrow aisles today with a swagger, and air travelers are making eye contact with them to let them know "you won't have any trouble from me."

You taught America that our working-class heroes can be gay--badass gay at that. You escaped from the airport, raced home and jumped into bed with your boyfriend, which is how the police found you. That is ridiculously cool.

You've showed us that solidarity via Facebook can force media wiseasses to take their narrative (New York Daily News Day 1: "Planely Nuts") and shove it (New York Daily News Day 2: "Hero to Working Stiffs.")

Chicago Teamsters boot Local 743 boss Berg

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1986074,teamster-union-berg-011210.article

Chicago Teamsters boot Local 743 boss Berg
He's accused of improperly firing, giving $20,000 severance to an organizer

Comments

January 12, 2010
FROM ChicagoUnionNews.com
Richard Berg -- who took the helm of Teamsters Local 743 on a reform plank, ousting an "old guard" regime rife with corruption -- now is being booted out of office for alleged violations of union rules.

Berg is accused of improperly firing a Local 743 organizer and, along with secretary-treasurer Gina Alvarez, signing off on a $20,000-plus severance check for the man, officials said.

The firing and the payout first should have gotten approval from Local 743's executive board, a Teamsters official said.

Berg also is accused of preventing two business agents from rejoining Local 743 -- even though they apparently were entitled to do so. Some viewed the move as an attempt by Berg to undercut future political rivals.

The alleged violations were brought by members of the group's executive board to the Teamsters' umbrella organization for the Chicago region, Joint Council 25, which made the decision to boot Berg from office and strip him of membership for five years, the official said.

A big step for Teamster reform in NYC

http://socialistworker.org/2009/12/18/big-step-for-teamster-reform

A big step for Teamster reform
Former Teamsters Local 804 member Danny Katch looks at the significance of the reformers' victory in the union's recent election.
December 18, 2009

Tim Sylvester (left, facing camera), the newly elected president of Teamsters Local 804, with a group of UPS drivers (804 Members United Slate)

THE TEAMSTER reform movement took a step forward earlier this month when members of the New York City-based Local 804 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters voted for Tim Sylvester and the 804 Members United slate.

The new reform team, which defeated the incumbent leadership of Howard Redmond by a more than 2-to-1 margin, won the election by pledging to increase member involvement and take a more confrontational approach with the local's main employer, UPS. "The membership was ready for change," said Ken Reiman, a member of the new executive board and leader in Teamsters for a Democratic Union. "They told us this at every gate we hit."

The reformers' victory in New York has national significance. Local 804 is one of the largest locals of UPS workers, and the change in local leadership could increase pressure on IBT President James Hoffa to stand stronger against company demands for concessions.

Pissed Off French Dockers Furious About Union Busting Privatization Drive "Masked Mob Ransacks Marseilles Port Office"
http://www.joc.com/node/412123

Masked Mob Ransacks Marseilles Port Office
Bruce Barnard | Jun 29, 2009 4:09PM GMT
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story

Hooded attackers raid port chief’s office with axes, iron bars
Up to 40 hooded people swinging axes and iron bars attacked the offices of the Port of Marseilles Authority June 29 in what appeared to be a major escalation of a long running dispute over container handling.
The attackers ransacked the offices of the port director Jean-Claude Terrier, the port authority said in a statement.
The authority said the attackers, who were wearing port clothing, invaded its offices an hour after it had delivered a letter to union officials detailing plans to transfer dock workers from its payroll to a private stevedore.
Dock workers have been staging strikes at the container terminal at Marseilles’ eastern docks to protest plans to transfer them onto the books of private stevedore Intramar to comply with the French government’s port reform program.
Intramar is a joint venture between CMA-CGM, the Marseilles-based ocean carrier, and Dubai’s DP World, a global ports company.

From: Teresa Gutierrez
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:37 AM
Subject: Truck Drivers & May Day

We are excited to report that a truck will be leading the May Day March from Union Square to Foley Square tomorrow.

This is great news to show our solidarity among all workers of all nationalities, documented, undocumented or born in the U.S.
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For Immediate Release:
Transportation Workers Coalition for Change

Contact: Billy Randel, 646-645-6284

New Jersey Port Truckers to Strike Over Fuel and Energy Costs

Workers Will Rally Off the New Jersey Turnpike in Large Work Stoppage.

WHAT: Port truckers will stop work for two days to protest rising fuel and energy costs.

WHY: Rising fuel and energy costs are threatening the ability of port truckers to earn a decent living and support their families as well as negatively impacting communities across the country. NJ port truckers are taking action as part of a national effort of transportation workers including - longshoremen and women, taxi
workers, port and long haul truck drivers, and railway workers - to build rank and file unity.