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Economic/Political Articles
Senator DeMint: Al-Qaeda Is the Enemy, Not America's Unions
The thwarted terrorist plot on Christmas Day aboard a Northwest Airlines flight renewed the debate about how safe our skies are and the ability of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) to protect the traveling public from terrorist attacks. The one thing that can't be debated is the fact that TSA would be more capable of protecting the nation's skies if it had an administrator to lead the agency. And if Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) wasn't too busy playing politics and blocking Erroll Southers -- President Obama's nominee -- the agency would … more

Unemployment Claims Edge Higher
The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance rose modestly last week, the government said Thursday. The figure still came in below analysts' expectations. There were 434,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Jan. 2, up 1,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised 433,000, the Labor Department said. A consensus estimate of economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected claims to jump to 440,000. The 4-week moving average of initial claims totaled 450,250, down 10,250 from the … more

Steelworker Articles
Cascade Steel Cuts Another 17 Jobs – District 12
McMinnville's Cascade Steel Rolling Mills is about to embark on its fifth round of layoffs in a little more than a year, President Jeff Dyck confirmed Tuesday in response to a union press release. Management at the mill, one of the largest employers in Yamhill County, notified the United Steelworkers that it plans to lay off an additional 17 union workers Sunday. Joe Munger, president of Local 8378, said that will bring the number of union workers who have been laid off since December 2008, and not called back, to 103. He added they lose their … more

SMDC’s Biggest Union Considers Contract Offer, Strike – District 11
SMDC Health Systems’ largest union will vote today on whether to accept the company’s “best and final” contract offer that calls for a wage freeze and allows more outsourcing. The union — representing about 1,300 health-care support staffers, from housekeeping to licensed practical nurses — also will vote on whether to authorize a strike. “We have never had a strike,” said Diane Davidson, vice president of human resources at SMDC. “We hope it doesn’t come to that.” But if it does, she said the company is ready with … more

Dislocated Steelworkers Getting Federal Retraining Help – District 7
A northwest Indiana group is getting $4.6 million in federal stimulus funds to retrain dislocated steel workers, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today. The Merrillville-based Institute for Career Development Inc. is getting the money to retrain workers in Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties. The money also will help workers in New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The jobs they will be trained for include wind farm field technicians, solar panel and geo-thermal installers, construction, home retrofitting and jobs in … more

Braving The Cold – District 8
Picketers battle freezing temperatures as new contract mediation progresses
Members of United Steelworkers Local 8411 picketed TruSeal Technologies in freezing weather Wednesday while a new contract mediation was in progress. At about noon, Lonnie Bruce, a spokesperson for the picketers, explained that so far no news from the negotiations had come to them. “It’ll probably be late tonight,” before word will come from the union representative or the company as to the progress of the mediations, he said. Meanwhile, he and fellow union members will warm themselves over a wood fire and inside tents just … more

Blue Green Alliance Nets Major Grant For Job Training – District 11
The Blue Green Alliance Foundation will receive a $5 million Energy Training Partnership Grant to train manufacturing workers for the good jobs being created in the clean energy economy, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday. The grant funds the alliance’s GreenPOWER job training program, which brings together labor unions, manufacturers and job training providers to provide workers with the skills they need to succeed in the clean energy economy, the alliance said. Workers will be trained to manufacture … more

DriveTest Centres Now Re-Open – District 6
DriveTest Centres reopened Monday afternoon after a four-month-long strike by the United Steelworkers Local 9511 that put the brakes on road tests for new drivers and seniors, and disrupted commercial licence tests. Around 100 people were lined up outside one of the centres, operated by Serco DES, in Toronto waiting for the opening. The company is honouring all road tests booked for any time after 1 p.m. Monday and is asking any customers who booked tests prior to the reopening date to call to reschedule. In an effort to deal with … more