Hundreds of St. Louis Teamsters and families rallied today in downtown St. Louis to show support for Anheuser-Busch workers nationwide in the wake of the purchase of the iconic American beer company by Belgium-based brewing giant InBev. Carrying rally signs that said “InBev: Keep Your Promises!,” rally participants, along with Teamster trucks, overflowed Kiener Plaza next to the famous St. Louis Arch.

This full story appeared first at Budwatch.com; it is printed here with permission.

If you ever wonder what Teamster Power is all about, you should get to know a little something about Local Union 786 President Mick Yauger.

The Chicago-based union leader is a decorated veteran, and the IBT Helmets to Hardhats liaison.

In March 2007 a Dwight, Illinois solider was killed in Iraq. Lance Corporal Ray Holzauer was Lori Fraher's only son. While attending the war hero's funeral, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn was asked to assist Lori with some construction problems at her home. What came from that discussion is a whole lot more than "some construction fixes."

The news about the huge rally in Oakland on July 22, where the Teamsters joined together with more than 3,000 environmental, community and labor advocates to call for clean air and good jobs at the Port of Oakland - throuigh the implementation of a comprehensive clean trucks program, reminded me of a guy at Netroots Nation who asked me why labor and the environmentalists are not working together. Clearly he was not fully aware of what labor is doing, or alternatively, thought labor should be doing more.

This is a cross post from Union Review.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa lead a rally today in Memphis, Tn. with hundreds of Teamster members, organizers and FedEx Express mechanics to throw his support behind their efforts to form a union.

Teamster Ready Mix drivers from Local 200 in Milwaukee voted 110-4 to extend their contract into 2011.

The drivers, who work for a number of Ready Mix companies, including Meyer Material, Central, Sonag, Ace, New Berlin, Ojibwa, Ottawa and Okauchee Ready Mix, were concerned about their future retirement benefits. Talk of the weak economy and possibly concessions by the employers of the Ready Mix Association in the upcoming 2009 negotiations also got Local 200 leaders moving on a plan of action.

Lenders Pull Plug on Company

PTS announced today that it was shutting down, effective today, and Teamster carhaul negotiators are setting the record straight about the company's demise.