MSNBC December 19, 2014 View the original piece America "survived" the government shutdown, sacrificing the benefits and pensions for millions of retirees. Ed Schultz gives an impassioned response to the new budget. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Tony Cardenas join the conversation. Click here to see the video.

Transport Topics December 17, 2014 View the original piece Questions and answers on the impact of the suspension of the HOS restart provision approved by Congress (as supplied by American Trucking Associations):  On Dec. 13, Congress passed the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill, providing funding for the vast majority of the federal government, including the Department of Transportation, for the current fiscal year. The President signed the bill into law Dec. 16. Officially titled the Consolidated...

Segal Consulting December 16, 2014 View the original piece Click here to read a brief summary of the Multiemployer Pension Reform passed by Congress expected to become law.

Richard Weiss Bloomberg News December 16, 2014 View the original piece While Google Inc. plans to someday unleash driverless cars on public streets, the logistics industry will probably be one of the first training grounds for such automated vehicles. Shipping companies will probably adopt the technology faster than other industries as moving cargo in non-public areas like storage facilities and warehouses offers a way to test such devices with less risk to human life, according...

Laura Clawson Daily Kos December 16, 2014 View the original piece The National Labor Relations Board finally issued its long-in-the-works rule speeding up union representation elections. Currently, employers can drag out the election process by withholding information from organizers and with frivolous lawsuits, time they often use to intimidate and coerce workers away from union support. The new rule, set to take effect on April 15, will cut waiting times between when an election is set and when it...

International Brotherhood of Teamsters December 15, 2014 View the original piece A group of 74 drivers and dockworkers at Con-way Freight in Miami Lakes, Fla., voted today to join Teamsters Local 769 in North Miami, Fla. “The Con-way workers have taken a bold step today to improve their lives and have a more secure future as Teamsters,” said Mike Scott, President of Teamsters Local 769. “As we have seen across the country, the company spent lots of...

Editorial Board St. Louis Post-Dispatch December 15, 2014 View the original piece The devastating pension reform crammed into the omnibus spending bill that will likely soon become law would allow pension trustees to slash the benefits of retired workers and cut future benefits for a shrinking pool of middle-income employees. These people were and are the backbone of our nation’s economy. They drive trucks, mine coal, haul bricks and bag groceries. Corporations have been weaseling out...

CNN Money Moves CNN Money Moves December 14, 2014 View the original piece More than a million retired and current truck drivers, construction workers and other union workers could see their pension benefits cut now that Congress passed a proposal aimed at shoring up some of the nation's biggest pensions. Tacked on as an amendment to the government's $1.1 trillion spending bill, the proposal was approved by the Senate late Saturday night. While those sponsoring...

Dave Jamieson Huffington Post December 12, 2014 View the original piece WASHINGTON -- Federal officials unveiled new rules on Friday that will streamline and simplify the union election process, a reform long sought by labor unions and fiercely opposed by businesses. Among other changes, the rules issued by the National Labor Relations Board will limit some of the litigation that can precede a union election, making it harder for parties to stall or drag out...

Michael Hiltzik Los Angeles Times December 11, 2014 View the original piece At last the actual language has been released of the backroom, last-minute congressional deal allowing benefits of millions of retired workers to be shredded. It's even worse than its critics anticipated. We've tracked this inexcusably hasty, secretive maneuvering during the last week, reporting that it allows extreme, potentially premature cuts in benefits for retirees who are members of multi-employer pension plans. Such plans...