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Around the horn: Corporate election spending ban upheld by Montana court

HELENA - The Montana Supreme Court restored the state's century-old ban on direct spending by corporations on political candidates or committees in a ruling Friday that interest groups say bucks a high-profile U.S. Supreme Court decision granting political speech rights to corporations. The decision grants a big win to Attorney General Steve Bullock, who personally represented the state in defending its ban that came under fire after the "Citizens United" decision last year from the U.S. Supreme court.

Hoffa, Hall, Vairma vow all-out fight for workers

WASHINGTON -- The year 2012 will be a watershed year for the Teamsters Union, which will continue to be a force for change and will lead the nation in efforts to improve the lives of working families.

That is the message sent to the membership by Teamsters President James P. Hoffa after the Hoffa-Hall Slate, which included Joint Council 3 President Steve Vairma, was decisively elected last month to serve as the union executive board for the next five years.

America needs work; and its people do, too

In America, 69,842 bridges are structurally deficient. Meanwhile 9.1 percent of Americans are jobless.

In Teamsters Joint Council 3, 2,425 bridges are structurally deficient. Meanwhile, about eight percent of Americans in Joint Council 3 are jobless. In Arizona, 230 bridges are deficient—and more than 1.2 million vehicles cross those bridges every day. Meanwhile, 9.

In America, 69,842 bridges are structurally deficient. Meanwhile 9.1 percent of Americans are jobless. In Teamsters Joint Council 3, 2,425 bridges are structurally deficient. Meanwhile, about eight percent of Americans in Joint Council 3 are jobless. In Arizona, 230 bridges are deficient—and more than 1.2 million vehicles cross those bridges every day. Meanwhile, 9.

In Colorado, Arizona

Father time is union enemy in labor disputes

Local unions in Colorado and Arizona are concerned with the time it is taking for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to resolve disputes at two companies that have been charged by the board with violating federal labor laws.

Strange but true . . .
More jobs, more jobless in Joint Council 3

Although the addition nearly a quarter million jobs in April was the largest monthly gain in U.S. jobs in five years, the unemployment rate rose nationally and in all six states comprising Teamster Joint Council 3.

President's column

Don’t let them destroy the middle class

The union busters Don’t let them destroy the middle class By Steve Vairma President, Teamsters Joint Council 3

Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, New Hampshire and Maine are the states that come to mind when the War on Workers is mentioned. Historically, they have been solid labor states that have, with the exception of Florida, a high density of union members in the workplace.

Around the horn: News from JC3

Dismissal expected in Rehberg lawsuit

HELENA--The city of Billings is expecting U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg to dismiss the lawsuit he filed against his hometown over the way it handled a 2008 wildfire on his land.

The city’s attorney this week sent Rehberg a lengthy letter on the matter, arguing that 400 pages of documents on the fire show the Rehbergs should be congratulating the firefighters instead of condemning them.

Rehberg filed the lawsuit last year on the eve of the biggest election campaign of his career. He is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

Rehberg and his wife say in the lawsuit that the city didn'?t do enough to protect land being developed for a subdivision. Rehberg recently offered to settle ?without monetary compensation? as long as the city adopted new firefighting standards.