Robert P. Casey, Jr. Press Release 27, 2013 View the original piece Today, U.S Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced his support for the Coalfield Accountability and Retired Employee Act of 2013 which would protect pension for retired coal miners. Currently some retirees are facing uncertainty because the United Mine Workers of America’s (UMWA) 1974 pension plan is severely underfunded and on the road to insolvency because of the 2008 financial crisis and reduced contributions to...

Jonathan S. Reiskin Transport Topics 24, 2013 View the original piece A federal bankruptcy court has approved the sale of Allied Systems Holdings, once the nation’s largest auto hauler, to Jack Cooper Transport Co. for $135 million. Cooper already is the nation’s largest auto hauler, but its pending acquisition of Allied means it will have a position of dominance not seen since Allied’s prime. Cooper’s management said it expects growth in conjunction with expanding U.S....

Mark B. Solomon DC Velocity 20, 2013 View the original piece Jeffrey A. Rogers, the president of YRC Freight, the long-haul unit of less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier YRC Worldwide Inc., was fired today, according to industry sources. James L. Welch, YRC's CEO, has assumed responsibility for the unit, according to industry sources. Welch was unhappy with the pace of progress at the division and had become increasingly involved in the unit's affairs, according to industry sources....

Michael G. Malloy Transport Topics 17, 2013 View the original piece Automobile hauler Jack Cooper Transport was named the winning bidder to buy its bankrupt rival, Allied System Holdings, following an auction in Delaware Bankruptcy Court last week, Mike Riggs, chairman of Cooper, told Transport Topics on Sept. 12. A judge is scheduled to formalize the ruling Sept. 17 as part of Allied’s Chapter 11 proceedings. The companies are two of the top three auto...

BNA Daily Labor Report 11, 2013 View the original piece An Indiana judge Sept. 5 ruled that the state's right-to-work law is unconstitutional, as it compels unions to provide services to workers who do not pay for those services (Sweeney v. Zoeller, Ind. Super. Ct., No. 45D01-1305-PL-52, order 9/5/13). Attorney General Greg Zoeller (R) plans to appeal the ruling to the Indiana Supreme Court, a spokesman said. Lake County Superior Court Judge John Sedia found that...

Nathalie Tadena The Wall Street Journal 03, 2013 View the original piece A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss a complaint from an Arkansas Best Corp. (ABFS) unit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, YRC Worldwide Inc. (YRCW) and other parties for alleged violations of a collective bargaining agreement governing most unionized trucking companies. Arkansas Best shares were down 7% to $24.73 in recent trading. The trucking company's largest...

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 03, 2013 View the original piece The IAM cited “44 million reasons” to defend America’s pensions in a new full-page ad published in USA Today. The ad ran from Friday, August 30, 2013 to Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2013. To see a copy, click here. “More than 44 million American workers faithfully contributed part of their paychecks every week into U.S. pension funds based on the promise that...

Jenny Brown Labor Notes 30, 2013 View the original piece Thousands of fast food workers walked off their jobs in 58 U.S. cities yesterday, an indictment of an economy that’s producing little more than McJobs. Some picket lines turned into temporary occupations, and several stores closed. From a McDonald’s in Peoria, Illinois, to a Burger King in Durham, North Carolina, the one-day strikes hit businesses in dozens of new cities and towns. Organizers estimated a...

Micah Uetricht In These Times 28, 2013 View the original piece Workers at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles were probably surprised yesterday to see groups of truckers chasing trucks making deliveries and setting up temporary picket lines in front of them. Port truck drivers went on a 24-hour strike early Monday evening to protest alleged union-busting by Green Fleet, one of the port's biggest trucking companies. The Green Fleet drivers say that...

Mike Hall AFL-CIO 29, 2013 View the original piece On Thursday, fast-food and other low-wage workers in more than three dozen cities will boost their campaign for a living wage and justice with a nationwide one-day strike. The workers and the faith, community and labor groups that back them are calling for a living wage of $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation. The mobilization began in November with a handful of...