November 30, 2011: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration expects to complete work on a final hours-of-service rule within the next 30 days, according to a joint report of the agency and plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit. “The final [HOS] rule is under review by the Office of Management and Budget, and FMCSA expects to issue the final rule within 30 days,” said the report, filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...

November 28, 2011: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a final rule specifically prohibiting interstate truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating their vehicles. The joint rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is the latest action by the U.S. Department of Transportation to end distracted driving. "When drivers of large trucks, buses and hazardous materials take their eyes...

November 21, 2011: Not long ago, truckers pulled off highways across America and tuned in to someone whose CB handle was “Troublemaker.” “I’m barely hanging on,” one driver lamented. His employer, the U.P.S. freight unit, was turning to nonunion drivers — people outside the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, he said. Click here to read more at The New York Times.

November 21, 2011: Teamsters President James Hoffa is expected to win another five-year term heading one of the nation’s largest labor unions. With most of the votes counted, election results show Hoffa garnering about 57 percent of the vote and challengers Fred Gegare and Sandy Pope splitting the rest. Click here to read more.

November 09, 2011: Organized labor’s early flirtation with Occupy Wall Street is starting to get serious. Union leaders, who were initially cautious in embracing the Occupy movement, have in recent weeks showered the protesters with help — tents, air mattresses, propane heaters and tons of food. The protesters, for their part, have joined in union marches and picket lines across the nation. About 100 protesters from Occupy Wall Street are expected to join a Teamsters...

October 28, 2011: Protestors affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement have raised awareness about the degree to which economic rewards in the U.S. are more concentrated in recent decades. The figure below shows the shares of income growth that have been claimed by households, grouped by income-class; it perfectly illustrates our country’s growing problem with economic inequality. Click here to read more.

October 25, 2011: Locked-out Teamster art-handlers talk about their role in the world of high-end art auctions, and how they feel about the work they so artfully handle. There is a right way and a wrong way to pick up a $15,000 chair that was made in 18th century France. According to Sotheby’s art handler Luis Baucage, this kind of knowledge matters when you’re handling high-priced antiques. “But there’s more than a price tag underneath...

October 21, 2011: Did you get a Hoffa Campaign Mailing? Did you get the big one in which Hoffa brags that he is keeping Mexican-based trucks from displacing US-based Teamsters? It didn’t take long to prove that a lie. Yesterday trucks drove some 400 miles into the interior of the US, replacing US-based drivers with workers who get paid a lot less. How do you know when Hoffa's lying? His lips are moving. He can...

October 21, 2011: The Occupy Wall Street protests that began as a nebulous mix of social and economic grievances are becoming more politically organized — with help from some of the country’s largest labor unions. Labor groups are mobilizing to provide office space, meeting rooms, photocopying services, legal help, food and other necessities to the protesters. The support is lending some institutional heft to a movement that has prided itself on its freewheeling, non- institutional...

October 21, 2011: Guillermo Pérez knows all eyes will be on his trucks, but he says he’s up to the challenge. He’s a manager at Transportes Olympic, the first Mexican trucking company to receive U.S. approval for direct, long-haul trips north of the border. The first truck is expected to arrive in the U.S. sometime this week. Click here to read more at Fronteras.