Submitted on Sun, 04/06/2008 - 4:16pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
Filed by Oren Liebermann - Wavy.com, April 3, 2008
NEWPORT
NEWS, Va. (WAVY.com) -- Chris Evans remembers the good ole' days of
truck driving, not too long ago, when diesel prices were about two
dollars a gallon.
"It was awesome. It was great to be a trucker then," remembers Evans.
But
now, he says those days are gone, replaced by soaring gas prices and
shrinking profits for independent truckers, who rely on driving more
miles to make more money.
"I hold about 240 gallons, but I haven't filled up," Evans says. "I haven't topped off these tanks in three to four weeks now."
The
U.S. Department of Energy says high worldwide demand for diesel has
forced prices near the $4 per/gallon mark. Adding to the problem, a
switch to low-sulfur diesel has slowed production for American
refineries.
Submitted on Sun, 04/06/2008 - 4:09pm
To the Comrades of IWW
We would like to introduce ourselves to you; we are the Freeters'* Union. We are a Tokyo-based general union, established
recently in the face of the out-of-control global situation that the neo-liberal capitalism is running rampant. As precarious workers suffering from working conditions that are becoming more and more fluid and amorphous, we are intensifying our struggles for freedom and survival.
At this moment one of our new campaigns is to organize the "Gas Station Union" to confront Kanto Toyu Co., LTD. – a Japanese member of the Shell Oil Group – that has begun to lay off an increasing number of part-time workers on the pretext of the rise of oil prices and financial instability. It is a necessity to fight gas station chain and the oil driven conglomerate which forcibly lays off its employees in order to make even bigger profits. We will continue to inform you about this campaign, so please keep an eye on our efforts.
Submitted on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 8:58pm
Headlines:
- Puerto Rican teachers defy government
- Scottish college sacks Unison steward, cuts jobs
- Maquila workers denounce NAFTA
Featured Articles:
- Metro Lighting a scab business
- Green unionism
- Review: End of America offers no alternatives, ignores unions
Download a free PDF copy of this issue.
Submitted on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 3:21pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. The image pictured to the right did not appear in the original article, we have added it here to provide a visual perspective. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
RIDGEFIELD, N.J. (AP) -- Tons of freight idled across the country Tuesday
as independent truckers pulled their rigs off the road while others slowed to a
crawl on major highways in a loosely organized protest of high fuel
prices.
Using CB radios and trucking Web sites, some truckers called for a strike
Tuesday to protest the high cost of diesel fuel, hoping the action might
pressure President Bush to stabilize prices by using the nation's oil
reserves.
"The gas prices are too high," said Lamont Newberne, a trucker from
Wilmington, N.C., who along with 200 drivers protested at a New Jersey Turnpike
service area. "We don't make enough money to pay our bills and take care of our
family."
Submitted on Tue, 04/01/2008 - 2:40pm
To truckers and media:
Our members and organizers in the trucking industry have been hearing about the called for April 1, 2008 trucker shut down.
The IWW is not organizing or calling for this shutdown, but supports all truckers taking action to improve their lives and protest the skyrocketing fuel, low pay, unpaid waits and all the other conditions that grow worse by the day.
Truckers unite! Only through organizing a union across the transportation industry can we begin to change this.
The IWW is committed to building a democratic, fighting union in the trucking industry whether you are an independent contractor driver or company driver, intermodal, LTL or over-the-road. Please contact us if you and your co-workers need support or are interested in making trucking a job worth keeping.
Motor Transport Workers IU 530 contacts:
- Pat Tresca- Midwest (224) 381-4088
- Billy Randel- New York (646) 645-6284
