For Air, Rail Workers, NMB Rule Means ‘Democracy Won Today’

by Mike Hall, May 10, 2010

A new rule issued this morning by the National Mediation Board (NMB) means airline and rail workers will now be able to choose whether to join a union under rules that are more fair and more in line with democratic principles.

For decades, the deck has been stacked against workers covered under the Rail Labor Act (RLA) because every worker who did not cast a vote in a representation election was automatically counted as a “No” vote. The new NMB rule says that an election’s outcome will be decided by the majority of votes cast, just like every other election, from city council to the presidency.

LL 731 May Business Meeting

The May 2010 monthy business meeting of IAM Local Lodge 731 will be held at the Union Hall, 277 Tallulah Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32208 on Tuesday, May 10 at 7:00pm.

The meeting lasts for about an hour, so please take time to attend the meeting. Directions can be found by clicking on the Maps & Directions link or by going to www.iam731.org to the LL 731 page.

Please be respectful and wait for the Executive Board meeting to finish its meeting before entering the meeting area.

Alliance for Retired Americans - Friday Alert, May 7

Friday, May 7, 2010

(Alliance for Retired Americans)

New Alliance Voting Record Focuses on Health Care, Medicare, and Economics
On Tuesday, the Alliance marked Older Americans Month by releasing its latest voting record, a new report detailing the 2009 votes of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key issues affecting current and future retirees. The document is available at http://bit.ly/9KfGCU. "Higher scores show a commitment to improve health care, strengthen Medicare, and put seniors ahead of drug and insurance companies," said Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling.

U.S. Economy Adds 290,000 Jobs

By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 8, 2010

The economic recovery that has bolstered manufacturing and retail recently might have finally reached the labor market, according to government data released Friday showing that employers hired workers last month at the quickest pace in four years.

The economy added 290,000 jobs, the Labor Department reported, far more than analysts had expected. The figure was embraced by economists who have lamented that the improvements in the economy, including in the housing and manufacturing sectors, had not been accompanied by encouraging news about the workforce. U.S. employers have added jobs for the past four months, according to the government survey.

New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans Wins Hearing Aid Help Bill

by Mike Hall, May 1, 2010

Charlie Balban, a retired Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA) member and president of the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans, suspects his hearing loss started during his apprentice days in a noisy shop.

Now, years later, he knows firsthand how expensive a good hearing aid can be—and how essential. Balban joined with the New Hampshire Alliance, which led the successful fight for state legislation that will help retirees and workers afford the devices.

This week, the New Hampshire Senate has passed a bill that ensures insurance companies provide $1,500 over five years to help people purchase hearing aids and related services. The bill passed the House earlier. “A good hearing aid can cost as much as $6,000,” says Balban.

Obama Pokes Fun at McCain's Maverick Claim

President Barack Obama nibbles on fruit during the White House Correspondents' Association fundraising dinner, at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Saturday, May 1, 2010, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)© 2010 The Associated Press

May 2, 2010, 12:55AM

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is poking fun at Sen. John McCain's claim he was not identified as a maverick.

Obama quipped Saturday night at the White House correspondent's dinner that "we know what happens in Arizona when you don't have an ID. ... Adios amigos."

McCain faces a tough re-election fight against a conservative opponent and has distanced himself from the maverick label he once embraced as a presidential candidate.

Despite Annual Shortfalls, Jacksonville City Budget Keeps Rising

As mayor seeks more cuts, some are asking: “Where is the money going?”

Posted: May 3, 2010 - 1:51am

By Matt Galnor

Every spring since Mayor John Peyton took office, the words “budget shortfall” ring from City Hall as Jacksonville leaders try to craft a spending plan for the next year.

Yet every fall, when the City Council signs off on the budget, it’s more than the previous year.

Since Mayor John Peyton took office in 2003, the city’s annual revenue has ballooned $265 million, records show.

But expenses, Peyton counters, have gone up even more — annual pension contributions have doubled, and health insurance costs have double-digit percentage increases about every year.

More Tough Decisions Ahead on City’s Budget

Submitted by Ron Littlepage on May 1, 2010 - 11:47pm

Mayor John Peyton says the City Council acted courageously last Tuesday when it approved increasing city fees, including doubling the garbage fee.

I’ve heard several other choice descriptions of what the council did, and courageous wasn’t among them.
But, like it or not, what the council did was necessary to begin getting the city’s financial house in order.
And it was just one step of many that need to be taken.

Peyton met with council members last Thursday and began laying out his budget plans for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Florida Senator Wants Plans for Drilling Halted

Posted: April 30, 2010 - 11:58pm

By Steve Patterson

FERNANDINA BEACH - As sheens of spilled oil drifted in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Friday that President Barack Obama should drop plans for expanded oil exploration off Florida's coast.

"I've said to the White House, 'Don't you dare think about your five-year plans [for offshore oil leases] ... We're just not going to let you,' " the Florida Democrat said hours after visiting Pensacola and checking preparations for a potential oil landfall.

Obama proposed expanded oil drilling in the Gulf and preparations for oil and gas exploration along the South Atlantic in March. The Interior Department has been collecting public comments on plans that would be implemented in five year-phases, holding a hearing in Jacksonville last month.

Several First Coast Judges Keep Their Posts

Posted: April 30, 2010 - 12:38pm

By Scott Butler

Several First Coast circuit and county judges have been re-elected with no opposition, supervisor of election offices announced Friday.

They’ll serve additional six-year terms as of January 2011.

The Duval County judges are John A. Moran, Russell L. Healey, Eleni Elia Derke and Ronald P. Higbee.
Two county judges in Clay — Timothy Collins and Richard Townsend — also retained their seats after having no opposition when qualifying ended Friday. St. Johns County Judge Charles J. Tinlin kept his judgeship.