Walmart retail workers in Southern California held the first sit-down strike in the company’s history yesterday. Workers from stores all over California sat down in two Walmart stores in Crenshaw and Pico Rivera, both near L.A., blocking cashier’s lanes and store aisles. They placed tape over their mouths to protest what they say are the company’s illegal efforts to silence those who are calling for better jobs. Click here to read more at Labor Notes....

November 25, 2014: United Airlines (UAL) professional aviation mechanics represented by the Teamsters Union held informational pickets at West Coast airports. United Airlines mechanics are informing the public that they may be forced to strike if the company refuses to keep its promise to reinstate the workers' pension plans. The protest comes as negotiations enter their 24th month, the last twelve having been overseen by the National Mediation Board. In 2010, United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines and the...

November 20, 2014: A jury in Boston yesterday convicted a former member of the Hoffa administration of racketeering and extortion. His “enforcer” was convicted also, and both will be sentenced to a federal prison term in February. John Perry, who was Hoffa’s Trade Show National Director until the IRB removed him from the union, was convicted of multiple counts, along with Joseph “Jo Jo” Burhoe, Perry’s enforcer. Perry’s power was maintained by intimidation of members...

November 20, 2014: A jury in Boston yesterday convicted a former member of the Hoffa administration of racketeering and extortion. His “enforcer” was convicted also, and both will be sentenced to a federal prison term in February. John Perry, who was Hoffa’s Trade Show National Director until the IRB and the feds removed Perry from the union, was convicted of multiple counts, along with Joseph “Jo Jo” Burhoe, Perry’s enforcer. TDU members and other concerned...

November 20, 2014: The 222 city and road drivers at the big Charlotte terminal voted Yes for the Teamsters Union in an NLRB election. It’s the largest union win at FedEx Freight to date, and brings the number of Teamster-represented FedEx Freight workers to about 400. Congratulations to the FedEx Freight brothers and sisters, and to Local 71. The IBT press release on the vote is here.    

November 19, 2014: Walmart workers are planning protests, sit-ins and strikes at stores across the country on Black Friday. Protests against low-wages, lack of full-time jobs, inadequate and expensive healthcare, and disrespect from management will take place at 1,600 locations nationwide on the biggest shopping day of the year. Walmart employs more than 1.4 million workers—who they term “associates”—making it the largest employer in the country. “Associates” make on average just $8.81 an hour. Walmart...

November 19, 2014: Teamsters spoke out at the annual shareholders meeting of Sysco to defend Teamster jobs and contracts in the face of the proposed merger of Sysco and US Foods. Last December, Sysco announced it would buy its competitor US Foods for $8.2 billion. Both companies sell food products to restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools. More than 7,600 Teamsters work at Sysco and another 4,000 Teamsters work as US Foods. The proposed deal threatens...

November 18, 2014: Unless we act now, Congress may end up cutting a legislative deal by year’s-end to allow pension plan trustees to slash the already-earned benefits of retirees as a purported way of saving deeply-troubled multiemployer plans. This would be a radical departure from the federal pension law and it would wipe out the anti-cutback rule which states unequivocally that once a retiree starts receiving a pension – it cannot be taken away unless...

November 13, 2014: UPS is growing fast internationally and so is the middle class. How do we build union power in a global economy? UPS’s business is driven by middle-class consumers sending packages and buying products online. While UPS’s middle-class customer base is expected to grow rapidly through 2030, only a small amount of growth will come from the US. Most of the growth in the global middle class is expected in Asia, especially China,...

November 13, 2014: The TDU Convention in Cleveland last weekend drew a record number of new participants, who were able to link up with stewards, leaders, and concerned Teamsters from across North America. Some of the new folks, like Jeff Williams, were experienced Teamsters but new to TDU and ready to take back our union. "Meeting rank and file Teamsters and TDU members from across the country was terrific. Seeing Fred Zuckerman talking about building...