Greetings from the Burgh, where it’s been a very frustrating day with the health insurance company.
$82 Owed for Monthly Health Insurance Premiums
We are $82 of what I owe the health insurance company to pay the premium to stay healthy.
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Lula Won’t Send Arms to Ukraine
Yesterday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Brasilia to meet President Lula. When asked if Lula would join Germany’s call to send arms to Ukraine, Lula denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine but warned that his country would not be sending arms.
“Brazil has no interest in handing over munitions that can be used in the war between Ukraine and Russia,” Lula said at a press conference in Brasilia. “We are a country committed to peace.”
As President of Brazil in the 2000s, Lula sought to be a peace broker between nations, even brokering peace deals between the U.S. & Iran. Once again, Lula hopes to play that role on the national stage.
HuffPost Reporters to Strike at Midnight
As Payday went to press late Tuesday night, a deal yet had to be reached between the HuffPost reporters union, WGAE, and Buzzfeed, who owns HuffPost. If an agreement is not reached by midnight, more than 98% of HuffPost’s reporters have signed a pledge to walk out.
The union is upset by a proposal from management that would effectively result in lower wages.
“Their most recent economic proposal would result in lower yearly wage increases for about 90% of our members at a time of high inflation,” HuffPost Union said in a statement. “This is not a serious proposal and is not acceptable to our members.”
For more, check out the statement from HuffPost Union.
Amazon to Close Minnesota Warehouse that Went on Strike
Amazon’s Shakopee Sorting Center in Minnesota employs 680 workers, who are mainly Somali. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the warehouse has been the site of various strikes over working conditions.
Local labor advocates denounced the decision.
“I have reached out to Amazon to let them know that I will do everything in my power as a member of Congress to ensure they keep their word about finding new jobs for these individuals where possible in Shakopee as well as the broader Twin Cities area,” U.S. Rep. Angie Craig told Minnesota Public Radio.
For more, check out Minnesota Public Radio.
Massachusetts Teachers on Illegal Strike
Finally, in Massachusetts, strikes by teachers are illegal. However, that hasn’t stopped a group of Coburn, who went on strike on Monday. Teachers say they were forced to strike by the refusal of the school district to bargain in good faith.
“Mayor Galvin and (Woburn School Committee Chair) Ellen Crowley’s reckless refusal to return to the negotiation table until 2:30 p.m. Monday is why school is canceled for another day. This is simply unacceptable,” WTA President Barbara Locke said in a statement. “Significant progress was made in the last few hours on improving wages for our paraprofessionals. We strongly felt that a contract could have been resolved tonight and that our educators would return to doing what they do best: teaching our Woburn students.”
Alright, folks, that’s all for today. Please, keep sending tips, story ideas, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
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Love & Solidarity,
Melk
