U.S. Consumer Prices Tick Up 0.1% In February

By RTT News

March 15, 2017

(RTTNews.com) - With a drop in gasoline prices partly offsetting increases in prices for food, shelter, and recreation, the Labor Department released a report on Wednesday showing a modest uptick in U.S. consumer prices in the month of February.

The Labor Department said its consumer price index inched up by 0.1 percent in February after climbing by 0.6 percent in January. The uptick in prices matched economist estimates.

Excluding food and energy prices, core consumer prices edged up by 0.2 percent in February after rising by 0.3 percent in January. The increase in core prices also came in line with expectations.

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Numbers don’t lie. 

If this modest uptick in consumer prices keeps going up.

Lets hope Trump does not piss off the ‘oil cartels’.

To those who voted ‘yes’ on our recent contract - guess how big is your raise now?

raise

DeKalb County, unions stuck on raises, bonuses, insurance costs

By RHONDA GLIMPSE

April 7, 2016

DeKALB – The collective bargaining battle rages on, with DeKalb County and the union representing some of its workers haggling over raises, bonuses and insurance premium costs.

“Our negotiations are not hostile. Both parties have good intent. We just don’t think the county realizes what some of their cuts could do to community members in DeKalb,” said Sara Dorner, the staff representative for American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31.

The labor union represents about 150 county nursing home workers, 60 health department employees and 34 county government personnel, according to Dorner.

The three units still are operating under the union contract that expired Dec. 31.

At issue are raises and the cost of health insurance. For nursing home workers, the county and AFSCME are at loggerheads over the county’s proposal to do away with retention and attendance bonuses, Dorner said.

The certified nursing assistants; licensed practical nurses; and housekeeping, dietary and laundry workers are paid up to $600 a year to stay in the county’s employ – in an industry known for high turnover. The workers get extra money if they don’t take unscheduled days off or have other attendance issues.

As far as raises, AFSCME has proposed a 3 percent increase in the first year of the contract, and 2.5 percent in the second and third (and final) years.

Dorner added that the county wants to eliminate the cap on workers’ health insurance premiums, which currently limits increases to no more than 20 percent.

Paul Miller, who is the head of the county’s planning and zoning department, also represents the county administration on all three of the AFSCME bargaining units.

He would not speak on particulars of the contract negotiations, except to say that they are ongoing. The county and union are scheduled to resume bargaining Monday.

“I got advice that it’s inappropriate to discuss the details of a negotiation while the negotiations are ongoing,” he said. “All parties seem to be working toward resolution.”

The county gave it’s nonunion employees 1 to 2 percent raises this year. Officials have said the county is attempting to be fiscally prudent, especially in the face of the state’s current impasse. County Board members praised the $90 million fiscal 2016 budget for not including more than $400,000 from the county’s reserve fund.

Raise

It is clear that we are entitled to a raise based solely on the raise of fare. In addition to the charging of one dollar ‘green’ fee for procuring a new metro card, there is no question that this is a windfall.

Imagine if this was done in a private industry then it would be ridiculed and challenged in court. Thus this revenue should be able to give members of TWU Local 100 a fair contract.

Raise

It is rumored that John E Samuelsen president of TWU Local 100 - Take Backward Our Union - TBOU wants a 20% (twenty percent) raise. 

Form LM-2 (Revised 2003)

SCHEDULE 11 - ALL OFFICERS AND DISBURSEMENTS TO OFFICERS

FILE NUMBER: 003-424

(D)  Gross Salary  Disbursements  (before any  deductions)

(E)  Allowances  Disbursed

(F)  Disbursements for Official Business

(G)  Other  Disbursements not reported in  (D) thru (F)

(H)  TOTAL

John     Samuelsen President N

$106,080

$400

$41,992

$2,160

$150,632

As you can notice in the above schedule John E Samuelsen made $41,992 for official business which is about forty percent of his gross salary. One wonders what kind of official business is equal to a TA cleaner yearly pay? It is unexplainable since that is almost half of his salary. It is also troubling that the executive board has failed to discipline him for the financial irregularities. What entitlement of allowance to John E Samuelsen gets $400 - are you aware of any member in the TWU Local 100 who has made a $400 allowance? This one tops the rampant hubris of taking ‘not reported’ $2,160.

Now lets discuss the raise that John E Samuelsen desires - it said that he should earn equal or more than Roger Toussaint who earned $175,000 from the TWU International. Thus he desires $175,000 or $180,000 - in John E Samuelsen’s view the TWU International depends on the monthly dues from the TWU Local 100 since without them there is no TWU International. In addition he works long hours so those are his justification.

We here in why did you join the union would advice John E Samuelsen that if he is interested in a raise there is an open position at the MTA - please do seek the CEO and Chair position which will earn him over $350,000 yearly. However we in the TWU Local 100 cannot afford his lavish life style of rich Americans since we are blue collar workers.