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Local and National Union News
Baltimore Red Cross workers vote to join Local 570
 Dec. 13, 2018 | Mobile blood collections staff at the American Red Cross in Baltimore voted 37-0 today to become members of Teamsters Local 570. The group of 46 workers is seeking affordable health insurance and they want their concerns about cross-training to be addressed. The workers also want to get paid for the time spent driving to and from collection sites. “We look forward to addressing all the workers’ concerns when we sit down to negotiate a first contract with Red Cross,” said Sean Cedenio, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 570 in Baltimore. “These workers play an important role in keeping our community healthy, and they deserve to be treated fairly and with respect.” "I'm looking forward to what the future has to bring now that I am a Teamster,” said Raeisha Clay, a collections specialist and 10-year Red Cross employee. “We need a contract that puts our rights and protections in writing. This will give us peace of mind and stability.” Pictured (L-R): Sade Handy, Ciara Mundell, and Kiera Haney
Applications are being accepted for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship
 Dec. 10, 2018 | The application process for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship for the 2019 year is now open. Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 are awarded annually to eligible outstanding high school seniors. Applicants must be the son, daughter or grandchild of an active, retired, disabled, deceased or laid-off Teamster member who has or had at least twelve months of consecutive membership in good standing in the Teamsters Union. The submission deadline is March 31, 2019. Applications are available in English or Spanish, and are available online or at the Local office. For more information, click here.
Local members get their pink on for breast cancer awareness
 Dec. 3, 2018 | With sales of bright pink T-shirts sporting the union logo and images of the Teamster horses (Lightning and Thunder), Local 570 raised $1,500 in October for breast cancer research during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One hundred percent of the profits from sales were donated. Many thanks to everyone who supported our campaign to increase awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research. (L-R) Principle Officer Sean Cedenio; Carrie Mitchell, Local Union staff; Business Agent Kevin Davidson, President Rich Brown; Dawn Wagner, Local Union staff; Business Agent Bill Heil; Recording Secretary Joe Fowler.
Older news stories can be found at Local News
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Dec. 13, 2018 | LABOR | […] Why is Amazon so important to the future of organized labor? Not merely because it is one of the biggest companies in America; not merely because it is led by the richest man in the country; not merely because it is one of the most important tech companies, an area that it is critical for unions to break into; Amazon is uniquely important because its business model represents, to a large degree, the future of work in America. Organized labor must always, always, move in tandem with the US economy itself, lest workers be left behind. And no company is leading the changes to our economy more than Amazon. If unions cannot crack Amazon, it is bad news for tens of millions of working Americans at countless other companies that will be following in the wake of changes that Amazon has made… Splinter
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 Dec. 12, 2018 | WAGES | Employers added 155,000 jobs to the US economy in November — far fewer than the 198,000 new positions economists had expected, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent. Both figures are a sign that the US economy is strong and continues to expand, even with weaker job growth. It means that most Americans don’t have to worry much about finding a job. The problem that remains, however, is that US workers haven’t seen their paychecks get any bigger…Frustration over stagnant wages is the underlying factor behind widespread workers’ strikes across the country. In addition, congressional Republicans had promised that their massive corporate tax cuts would help the average worker, but the gains have been meager… Vox
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Dec. 10 2018 | THE FUTURE OF WORK | The trucking industry has long faced a driver shortage, in part because of high risk, low pay and long hours. The rise of autonomous vehicles could alleviate that problem--but it could also eliminate jobs for a population of older men who lack college degrees and might have difficulty finding new work. Paul Solman explores the conundrum for our special Future of Work series… PBS.org
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 Dec. 6, 2018 | STRIKES | Thousands of Marriott workers [went] back to work Wednesday after ending the largest hotel strike in US history. About 2,500 striking hotel workers in San Francisco ratified a new contract with the hotel chain on Monday after months of tense negotiations, according to their labor union Unite Here. It was the final deal reached during a two-month strike that spread to 23 Marriott hotels in eight cities… The new contracts end months of loud, heated protests outside some of America’s most iconic Marriott-owned hotels. Nearly 8,000 housekeepers, bartenders, and other service workers walked off the job at two dozen hotels in Detroit, Boston, San Diego, San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco, Maui, and Oahu, according to Unite Here, which represents more than 20,000 Marriott workers in the United States and Canada… Vox
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• Labor power is the 
