​Perhaps there might be some positive outcomes from the Dominique Strauss-Kahn fisaco after all. In a direct response to the case, the newest version of the New York Hotel Trades Council union workers' contract calls for some employees to be equipped with "devices to be carried on their persons at work that they can quickly and easily activate to effectively summon prompt assistance to their location." In other words, panic buttons that function exactly like the ones that elderly folks sometimes wear in case they fall down and can't get up again.

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​A disputed tip to a tabloid about MTA employee contact talks could deal a damaging blow to negotiations -- according the MTA Transit Authority's top honcho, Joseph J. Lhota.

In today's New York Post, an article claims that the MTA "has caved to several costly union demands," including "one concession agreeing to give subway operators three paid days off when they hit someone."

An exasperated-sounding Lhota fired back with a statement this morning, disputing the paper's reporting.

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​After footage of a police officer dousing students with pepper spray went viral, UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi announced she is forming a "task force" to look into the incident. She told CNN, "We really want to look into this very carefully and take action ... make sure that it will never happen again on our campus." She added that the task force would be "made of faculty, students and staff," and they "will review the events and provide a report within 90 days." [CNN]

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​Mayor Bloomberg just held a press conference with NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo to address a possible strike by the city's school bus drivers that would affect 152,000 kids.

Bloomberg described the proposed strike as "just outrageous" and said that "the city has been threatened with what we believe is an illegal strike." The disagreement stems from a Department of Education request for bids for new school bus service for special education pre-kindergarten kids. Local 1181 of the bus drivers' union wants an employee protection provision for long-term employees, something that the city says has never been included in the contract.

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NYO

​Spotted at Occupy Wall Street by the Observer: employees of News Corp-owned book publishing company HarperCollins are staging a rally next Wednesday, making this the latest union action to throw its lot in with OWS.

"Employees of HarperCollins have been working without a contract for almost a year," the flier reads. "Management wants to eliminate guaranteed wage increases, double the cost of health benefits and eviscerate layoff and seniority protection."

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​Like anyone who's recently moved, Governor Cuomo has been doing a lot of shopping (for the Executive Mansion, in his case), spending "about $300 in recent months" reports the Daily News. State workers have been sent to Albany-area Walmarts for supplies for Cuomo's official abode. This is to keep spending down, because, as a matter of fact, Walmart does seem to have some fairly good deals. However, union leaders are not happy, given Walmart's apparent, rather notorious, stance against unions. "We think it would be a better use of taxpayers' money to shop at stores that are not causing so much harm to working people," said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (and a supporter of Cuomo).

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​This morning the UAW -- the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America -- issued an official endorsement of Occupy Wall Street, which they deem "a movement for economic and political justice." They've said they'll commit resources to the movement and also activate their membership nationally "in support of reclaiming the American economy on behalf of working men and women, the poor, the elderly, the unemployed and our nation's youth." UAW members have already been showing solidarity at Occupy Wall Street protests and rallies in New York and in Boston on an individual level; this announcement puts the full support of another union behind the protesters at Zuccotti Park.

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TWU 100 President John Samuelsen visiting OWS

​Today the Transport Workers Union, which last week voted unanimously in support of Occupy Wall Street, went to court to fight against the city's use of city bus drivers to transport arrested protesters. Following the Brooklyn Bridge arrests on Saturday, the Union said the NYPD had commandeered numerous MTA buses to transport many of the 700 demonstrators arrested, and that ordering bus drivers to drive arrested protesters was, per Union President John Samuelsen, "a blatant act of political retaliation." The TWU was in court today with their attorney Arthur Schwartz to request a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction forbidding the involuntary use, by the NYPD, of New York City Bus Operators to transport prisoners. The request was denied by a federal district judge sitting on the U.S. Southern District Court.

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​Occupy Wall Street is in its 13th day, with support growing among factions veering from the "grungy unemployed hippie stereotype." There's the event led by two CUNY professors to protest the treatment of the protesters at the hands of the NYPD (Critical Mass has written they'll join in this rally, which may be preceded by a feeder march from Zuccotti Park consisting of other groups as well). Michael Moore, who's been involved for days now, is doing a book signing at St. Marks Bookshop (another cause!) with royalties on sales to go to support Occupy Wall Street. And last night, the Transport Workers Union voted to support Occupy Wall Street. We hear that the UAW will be showing support as well.

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​At least three people died yesterday when a plane at an air race in Reno, Nevada crashed near a grandstand. Jimmy Leeward was piloting a P-51 Mustang at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show when he lost control of the aircraft. Witnesses say he managed to pull up before impact, preventing an even worse disaster. More than 50 people are reported to have injuries and 12 are in critical condition. In 2007, a collision between two planes killed both pilots at the same annual Reno event. [CNN]

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