@LRToday Morning Round-Up: March 12, 2012
"Cuomo Crosses Labor" -- Wall Street Journal
Unions have a short memory. Just ask New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Last year, he broke his promise not to raise taxes by signing into law a "millionaires' tax." Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, figured that the tax hike would give him more leverage with the unions in negotiations over his pension reform plan. It looks like he overestimated their capacity for gratitude.
The AFL-CIO is running ads blasting the governor's plan to "cut pensions by 40%." He should instead "make the big corporations and Wall Street pay their fair share."
"Players' strike loses momentum" -- MySanAntonio.com
San Antonio Talons athletes decided late Friday that they won't let a nasty labor impasse between the Arena Football League and its players' union sack their season opener.
The 24-man roster, in a team meeting headed by veteran quarterback Aaron Garcia, voted unanimously not to strike and instead to take the field against the Utah Blaze at 3 p.m. today at the Alamodome.
"Labor unions rethinking their role in politics" -- Los Angeles Times
As top union leaders gather in Florida on Tuesday to determine labor's political strategy this year, the influential AFL-CIO appears poised to endorse President Obama's reelection — despite some lingering dissatisfaction with his record.
But the way in which unions back him and other Democrats this year is likely to take a very different form than in past campaigns.
"NLRB arbitration ruling appealed" -- LegalNewsline.com
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that requiring employees to sign arbitration agreements that contain clauses prohibiting employees from pursuing class or collective actions is a violation of federal labor law.
The Jan. 3 ruling has been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, New Orleans, La.
"AMR Unions Seek Arbitration in Bankruptcy Concession Talks" -- Bloomberg
American Airlines (AMR) pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and baggage handlers asked U.S. mediators to intervene in talks with management as the carrier seeks $1.25 billion in labor concessions, including 13,000 job cuts, in bankruptcy.
The unions’ requests late yesterday added new complexity to American’s effort to win givebacks in union bargaining instead of asking a judge for authority to scrap existing contracts and impose new terms. American said last week that time is running out for consensual accords at the third-largest U.S. airline.
