Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago.

Teamsters Local 703 has been on strike at South Water Market. However, some of the workers are not union members and refuse to abandon their jobs. Under federal law, workers who are not union members cannot be disciplined for continuing to work during a strike.

According to the worker's federal charge, union agents harassed and threatened nonmember workers who continue working to support their families. In the charge, the worker states that his personal property was damaged soon after the threats. The worker is seeking compensatory damages.

A video posted on Youtube.com purports to show security camera footage of a South Water Market work truck on fire while someone on the sidewalk watches. The video also shows the purported damage to the truck afterSchool Absences Translate to Lower Test Scores, Study Says

Minutes spent on homework on the rise

Missing even a few days of school seems to make a difference in whether 8th graders perform at the top of their game, according to a new analysis of results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The report, the first of a planned series of analyses of NAEP's background-survey data, looks at how 4th and 8th graders use existing school time, including their attendance, instructional time, and homework. It was previewed here at a Nov. 29 meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP. The study found that instructional time in reading, math, music, and the visual arts is on the rise nationwide, and that teachers are expecting more homework