PG Edit Desk Progressive Grocer March 17, 2014 View the original piece In response to Safeway’s announced sale to Cerberus Capital Management, which currently operates supermarkets across the country under the Albertson’s, Acme, Jewel-Osco and Shaw's banners, among others, Joe Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International said: “The UFCW represents tens of thousands of workers within these two companies. Through ups and downs, the UFCW” – which represents more than...

Joel Banner Baird Burlington Free Press March 17, 2014 View the original piece Bundled against the cold and clutching signs, placards and coffee about 70 Burlington High School students this morning joined striking Chittenden County Transportation Authority drivers and other community members on a downtown picket line. The drivers’ union called for the strike last week in response to stalled contract negotiations over shift lengths and what they say is an over-reliance on part-time drivers....

Truckinginfo March 14, 2014 View the original piece The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Thursday unveiled its proposal to require interstate commercial truck and bus companies to use Electronic Logging Devices in their vehicles to improve compliance with the safety rules that govern the number of hours a driver can work. FMCSA contends the proposal would significantly reduce the paperwork burden associated with hours-of-service recordkeeping -- the largest in the federal government following tax-related...

David Levin Labor Notes March 07, 2014 View the original piece Teamsters in Rhode Island stunned the union old guard and took back their statewide local from entrenched incumbents last fall. Two weeks into their new term, Local 251’s reform leaders had cut officer salaries by $300,000 a year, members were choosing their stewards and bargaining committees, and more than 110 stewards turned out to the local’s first steward seminar. Click here to read more...

Avery Vise Fleet Owner March 03, 2014 View the original piece Increasing the national standard for twin trailers to 33 ft. from the existing 28 ft. would allow carriers to absorb up to 18% of future freight growth without any change in gross vehicle weight or additional miles traveled on roadways, the chief executive officer of FedEx Ground told a Congressional subcommittee Feb. 27. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s subcommittee on highways and transit...

Jonathan Leavitt Labor Notes February 28, 2014 View the original piece Bus drivers in northern Vermont have voted 53-4 to strike against unsafe conditions, surveillance and discipline, and part-time status. The walkout is set for March 10. Click here to read more at Labor Notes.

Change Walmart February 25, 2014 View the original piece Petition:To Walmart: I recently read that Gap plans to raise its wage to $10 by the end of next year. Yet, Walmart, the country’s largest retailer, has failed to act while many of its 1.3 million workers are barely scraping by. We all know Walmart can do better, but is choosing not to. That’s why I call on you to pay Walmart workers a minimum of...

Mary Schlangenstein and Alan Levin Bloomberg February 24, 2014 View the original piece U.S. safety regulators examining the fatal crash of a United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) jet last year highlighted the dangers of pilot fatigue, a pivotal issue for the cargo crews who often fly overnight. Documents released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board yesterday showed that the captain had complained about an arduous nighttime schedule, while the co-pilot didn’t take full advantage...

April Burbank Burlington Free Press February 20, 2014 View the original piece Chittenden County’s public bus drivers are complaining about difficult working conditions and a contract proposal that they say would require them to work lengthy split shifts, endangering both drivers and riders. “We will not let the public down by driving under unsafe conditions,” said Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) driver Rob Slingerland, speaking at a Wednesday news conference next to the Cherry Street...

Emily Cohn Huffington Post February 20, 2014 View the original piece You can blame the stagnant economy on a "handful of women and men" who run the country's largest companies. And that's according to a man who used to be one of those people. Executive pay has gotten so out of hand, former AT&T Broadband CEO Leo Hindery told HuffPost Live on Thursday, that it has caused a "structural breakdown of the meritocracy of our...