Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalFTC speculation rises in Family Dollar deal
Dollar General on Wednesday affirmed commitment to its pursuit of rival discounter Family Dollar Stores in the wake of press speculation that mandated divestitures may be more than expected.
Family Dollar in the meantime said it was delaying its shareholder vote on its agreement to be acquired by another rival, Dollar Tree, from Dec. 11 to Dec. 23 so it can examine the impact of the Federal Trade Commission review of that deal.
A New York Post report Wednesday said Dollar General may have to divest up to 4,000 stores to meet approval of the FTC to acquire Family Dollar, more than twice the 1,500 stores DG has said it was prepared to divest to complete the deal. The report cited anonymous sources. SN was unable to confirm its accuracy. The FTC does not comment on ongoing investigations.
http://supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/ftc-speculation-rises-family-dollar-deal
National Guard troops will hit St. Louis city's streets in secondary role
ST. LOUIS • National Guard troops will be stationed throughout the city of St. Louis in a secondary role to civilian police, Mayor Francis Slay said on Monday.
Slay held a press conference minutes after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in anticipation of a grand jury decision in the Darren Wilson case.
"We do not want people to feel like they have to panic or be afraid," Slay said, saying residents should go about their daily business.
Slay said the troops will serve as a backup role to the city's civilian police. They will not interact with protesters unless an emergency requires it, he said. Slay said the civilian troops live in St. Louis and know the community better, therefore his preference for them to be on the front lines.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/nick-pistor/national-guard-troops-will-hit-st-louis-city-s-streets/article_14d736ab-6f7e-565f-bbee-f6a3eb5d551b.html
Schools think they'll get advance notice of grand jury decision
Preparations have been under way for weeks at area schools as they await a decision from the grand jury reviewing the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson.
Administrators say emergency plans are in place to keep students safe should unrest erupt in the days following the announcement of a decision from a St. Louis County grand jury. They’ve asked parents and guardians to update their contact information. They’ve met with police and reviewed alternative bus routes should roads be closed.
Last month, several superintendents and education officials asked Prosecutor Robert McCulloch that any decision be announced on a Sunday. A spokesman for McCulloch declined to comment Friday on advance notice for schools.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/schools-think-they-ll-get-advance-notice-of-grand-jury/article_f1f380aa-f6c9-5985-b08e-c52abacd8a3e.html
Nixon announces members of Ferguson Commission
Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday swore in the 16 members of the Ferguson Commission: a mix of lawyers, CEOs, former and current police officials and educators — along with one 20-year-old protester.
Nixon created the commission to address the “social and economic conditions” highlighted by protests after the killing of Michael Brown by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.
At least one member of the commission, Felicia Pulliam, lives in Ferguson. She is development director at Focus St. Louis and was an adjunct criminal justice professor at St. Louis Community College. Another member, Scott Negwer, owns the Ferguson-based Negwer Materials.
Some of the appointees were selected by the governor from a pool of more than 300 people who applied. Nixon introduced them Tuesday afternoon at the Missouri History Museum.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/nixon-announces-members-of-ferguson-commission/article_018cc5a3-d3db-5296-a581-75ca49921153.html
60 St. Louis County municipalities join holiday warrant forgiveness program
ST. LOUIS COUNTY • More than 60 St. Louis County municipalities have agreed to participate in a warrant forgiveness program for the month of December.
The program, timed for the holidays, is sponsored by Better Family Life and the St. Louis County Municipal Court Improvement Committee.
The latter is a voluntary committee of judges, prosecutors, court administrators, community leaders and defense attorneys who have joined to reform the municipal courts, which have been scrutinized heavily for heaping fines upon the region's poorest citizens.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-municipalities-join-holiday-warrant-forgiveness-program/article_0101d9c5-af16-5080-9e96-204dbf9fad61.html
USW, Allies Rally in Houston, Call for End to Sherwin Lockout
HOUSTON (November 19, 2014) — More than 150 Sherwin Alumina workers along with allies from across south Texas rallied on Wednesday outside the Houston offices of Sherwin’s parent company Glencore, calling on the global conglomerate to end a six-week lockout at Sherwin’s Gregory, Texas, facility.
Sherwin locked its doors on 450 members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 235A on October 11 after the workers overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer demanding deep cuts in benefits for workers and retirees.
“Glencore is a highly profitable company, and the USW members at Sherwin have worked hard for years to help make it that way,” said Ruben Garza, Director of USW District 13. “For the company to lock its doors on those same hard-working employees is not only greedy and irresponsible, it does a disservice to the entire community.”
Glencore, a commodities firm based in Switzerland, made $4.6 billion in net income in 2013 and ranks 10th on the Fortune 500 list of the world's largest companies.
http://www.usw.org/news/media-center/articles/2014/usw-allies-rally-in-houston-call-for-end-to-sherwin-lockout
Labor-Board Officer Rejects Marist College Vote Against Adjunct Union
An official at the National Labor Relations Board has called for the agency to toss out the results of an unsuccessful vote to unionize adjunct instructors at Marist College after concluding that the election had been tainted by the college’s interference and by ballots wrongly cast by administrative employees.
Thomas A. Miller, a regional NLRB hearing officer, said in a report released on Monday that illegal actions by the private college, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., justified disallowing the narrow vote against unionization that had resulted. He said the college’s administration had interfered in the process just before ballots were cast last June by offering adjuncts pay raises, proposing the establishment of a faculty committee on adjunct issues in lieu of a union, and enforcing a faculty-email policy in an inconsistent manner to put the union organizers at a disadvantage.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/labor-board-officer-rejects-marist-college-vote-against-adjunct-unionization/89885
Casino Workers March Against Billionaire Investor Carl Icahn
As the Trump Taj Mahal casino hurtled toward closing, hundreds of union members marched on Atlantic City's Boardwalk on Wednesday to denounce billionaire Carl Icahn and his role in its anticipated demise.
Icahn would acquire the casino and its parent company, Trump Entertainment Resorts by swapping the $286 million in company debt he holds for ownership of the company. His planned $100 million investment into the Taj Mahal, however, is contingent on receiving $175 million in state and local tax breaks that have so far have been rejected at every level of government.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Casino-Workers-to-March-Against-Billionaire-Investor-Carl-Icahn-283169261.html
Firefighters union plans legal action against York
YORK, Pa. (WHTM) -
The budget cut proposal is not sitting well with everyone, especially not the firefighters union who plan on taking legal action against the city for what they say is a breach of contract.
"One of the hardest things I've had to do is call the four members getting laid off and tell them they are getting laid off because they were young families," union president Fred DeSantis said.
Of the 75 city jobs that could be cut, 46 are police officers and eight are in the fire department.
"It's going to be a lot of stress because you don't have as much time to rest," DeSantis said.
http://www.abc27.com/story/27430620/firefighters-union-plans-legal-action-against-york
Facebook Drivers Vote To Join Teamsters
WASHINGTON) – Drivers who shuttle Facebook employees to and from the company headquarters in Menlo Park., Calif., have voted in favor of representation by Teamsters Local 853 in San Leandro, Calif.
The 87 drivers, employees of Loop Transportation, organized to improve their working conditions, including low pay and an abusive split shift schedule.
“The only way that Loop will listen to us is with a union and a collective voice. I’m very relieved that we have that now,” said Demaurae Hooston, a driver.
Loop Transportation is one of a number of operators that Silicon Valley companies contract with to provide transportation for their employees.
http://teamster.org/news/2014/11/facebook-drivers-vote-join-teamsters
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