Labor Union Blog

Economic Report:

U.S. prices jumped in July marking the largest year-over-year spike since 1991. Energy prices shot up by 29.3 percent and food costs up by 6 percent. Meanwhile, paychecks are not keeping up with that inflation marking a decline in the U.S. standard of living. Real earnings in July were 3.1 percent lower in July then they were at the same time last year.

Need an extra incentive to quit smoking? Move to South Carolina and become a state employee. Jesse Russell takes a look at a new move by the state to cut down health insurance costs.

A South Carolina state worker who smokes or has a family member who smokes will be paying an additional $25 for health insurance starting in 2010. The state is now the eighth in the nation to take such measures so they don’t need to pay for a co-workers decision to smoke or chew tobacco. The state’s budget board voted 3 to 2 to enact the increase for smokers, and quoted numbers that showed tobacco-related illness is responsible for 7 percent of the $1.1 billion the state worker health plan has covered. The board estimates that 24 percent of state employees or their relatives smoke or chew tobacco. South Carolina is fourth in the nation for tobacco farming and has the lowest cigarette tax rate in the country. The trend of charging a health insurance surcharge to tobacco-users started with U.S. corporations like General Mills and American Financial. Some companies charge as much as $50 per month.

Need an extra incentive to quit smoking? Move to South Carolina and become a state employee. Jesse Russell takes a look at a new move by the state to cut down health insurance costs.

A South Carolina state worker who smokes or has a family member who smokes will be paying an additional $25 for health insurance starting in 2010. The state is now the eighth in the nation to take such measures to offset the costs for nonsmokers so they don’t need to pay for a co-workers decision to smoke or chew tobacco. The state’s budget board voted 302 to enact the increase for smokers, and quoted numbers that showed tobacco-related illness responsible for 7 percent of the $1.1 billion the state worker health plan has covered. The board estimates that 24 percent of state employees or their relatives smoke or chew tobacco. South Carolina is fourth in the nation for tobacco farming and has the lowest cigarette tax rate in the country. The trend of charging a health insurance surcharge to tobacco-users started with U.S. corporations like General Mills and American Financial. Some companies charge as much as $50 per month.

By Doug Cunningham

Teamsters Anheuser Busch workers are rallying in St. Louis Saturday in preparation for contract talks with the new owner of the company. Belgium’s InBev bought Anheuser-Busch. The union and the workers are hopeful that it will be a smooth transition. Tommy Davis has worked 30 years as a Teamster at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis.

[Davis]: “We’re gonna try, the Teamsters and all the employees there is gonna try. So I just hope it’s a smooth transition. You know, I sort of hate to see it happen ‘cause, you know, we’ve all had a pretty good run and it’s been a good opportunity. And I hope all the employees that are left get the same opportunity.”

Sen. Barack Obama has pledged to fight for working families, and he has the record and the policy proposals to back it up.

Check out new fact sheets that spell out what Obama would do as president in two crucial areas: education and the building trades.

When it comes to education, Obama has a record of supporting full funding for No Child Left Behind, increased special education funding and expanding Pell Grants to enable more students to attend college.

Pennsylvania’s Union Veterans Council includes, left to right, Allegheny County Central Labor Council Political Director and WWII veteran John Vento, Allegheny County Central Labor Council President Jack Shea and ATU Local 85 President and Vietnam veteran Patrick McMahon.

Frank Snyder, Labor 2008 state director for Pennsylvania, reports on the launch of a new Union Veterans Council in Pennsylvania.

This week, union veterans across Pennsylvania came together to kick off the activities of a new Union Veterans Council. Our goal? To mobilize union veterans and hold politicians accountable for keeping America’s promises to returning veterans.

On Aug. 11, more than 50 union members and retirees met in Bethlehem to launch the state Union Veterans Council. USW Local 2599 President Jerry Green and IBEW member Jim Wasser took part in the event as participants discussed crucial issues in the 2008 election, including Sen. John McCain’s record of voting against veterans.