Teamsters from Locals 17 and 455 are looking for Local 267 members and retirees who ride (any bike make/model) to come join us in our newly formed Colorado chapter of the Teamster Horsemen Motorcycle Association.  This is the web site for THMA – http://teamsterhorsemen.org/  Contact us at the Union hall if you’re interested.

Also, raffle tickets are being sold through to the end of May, raising funds to benefit and honor Military Veterans and Law Enforcement Personnel.  The raffle tickets are $10 each for a chance to win a Harley Davidson provided by the Nam Knights of America http://nkmc-md.org/  and Old Glory Harley Davidson.

If you are interested in either (or both); joining the THMA or buying a raffle ticket, please let us know and we will put you in touch with the appropriate representative.

SENATE PASSES SB 1 

Senate Bill 1 (SB1): a labor supported jobs bill was passed by the State Senate 19 to 16 today and it now goes to the Republican-controlled  House where passage is questionable,  to say the least.

The Bill would give contracting preferences for companies that employ at least a specified percentage of Colorado residents to perform the job requirements of a government contract with those companies.

The Bill passed on almost a party-line vote.  Sen. Cheri Jahn of Jefferson County was the only Democrat to vote with minority Republicans against SB1

http://howtobuyamerican.com/bamw/bamw-120402-travelling-American-made-in-mind.shtml

(A message from Joy Jubert)

Hello everyone! I know this is early, but it is time to think about Sierra’s Race 2012. The race this year will be Saturday, June 2nd. I would like to have another good showing in honor of those lives lost in 2010. There is a “Team Bill” again this year, but more important is the money we raise for Sierra’s Race. Who knows how many lives Lisa has saved by providing free vaccinations to anyone who would like one. I plan on attending and participating in the race again this year, please come out and support me and this great cause. Even if you cannot attend the race, it is only a $22 donation on-line. You also get a free t-shirt. I would love to see you all there! Joy http://www.sierrasraceagainstmeningitis.com/

Beer heavyweights including Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, on the hunt for assets in faster-growing markets, are examining a possible purchase of the owner of Czech lager Staropramen in a deal that could be valued at as much as $3 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
CVC Capital Partners—which has owned the brewer, called StarBev, since it bought it from Anheuser in December 2009—has received a number of takeover approaches for the business since late last year, the people said. The process is in early stages and might not lead to an imminent sale.
Besides Anheuser, according to the people, global brewers expected to at least take a look at the business include Europe’s SABMiller PLC, Carlsberg A/S and Heineken NV, as well as Molson Coors Brewing Co. of the U.S., Asahi of Japan and possibly other private-equity firms. Anheuser has a “right of first offer” on the business, but it isn’t clear how much of an advantage that gives it, should it decide to ultimately mount an offer for StarBev.

StarBev, as it was renamed by CVC, is the former Central and Eastern European operations of Anheuser. It has operations in nine countries including Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia and the Czech Republic, where the business is based. It sells a number of labels that are little known in the West, such as Bergenbier and Borsodi, as well as Staropramen, a global brand available in more than 30 countries. StarBev also has the right to brew or distribute Anheuser brands including Beck’s, Hoegaarden, Lowenbrau and Stella Artois.

Although the business has been hurt by a slowdown in Eastern European economies as a result of the European debt crisis, the long-term growth prospects of developing economies in Eastern Europe are thought to be bright. What’s more, few attractive brewing assets around the world are available for sale and a number of the big global brewers are flush with cash. Anheuser, for example, had $4.5 billion as of last June.
In a similar deal unfolding across the globe, Anheuser and Tsingtao Brewery are among several companies considering bids for the brewery operations of Kingway Brewery Holdings Ltd. of China, people familiar with the matter recently said.

Private-equity firms tend to hold on to companies they buy for three to five years, so a sale at this time of StarBev would represent a fairly quick turnaround and underscore the level of strategic interest in the brewer.  While it is unclear exactly how much the company could fetch in a deal, one person said it is likely to be more than CVC paid for it.

The deal Anheuser struck with CVC in 2009 was a complicated one. CVC at that time pegged the enterprise value at $2.23 billion, comprising mainly $1.62 billion in cash and $448 million in a deferred payment obligation. The deal also included a contingent payment of as much as $800 million, though it is unclear how that would fit into any new deal. 

 Anheuser put the Eastern European business up for sale shortly after AB InBev bought Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion in late 2008, a purchase that saddled the company with $45 billion of debt just as global financial markets buckled in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The CVC deal was part of a raft of divestitures that also included Anheuser’s $1.8 billion sale of Oriental Brewery Co. of South Korea to private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. In that case, Anheuser also retained the right to repurchase the company later. It is unclear if and when Anheuser might look to buy back Oriental Brewery.