UPSEU members from Binghamton University Food Service Unit recently joined together with Sodexo managers for a first ever joint Labor Relations training. The class was administered by Scott Montani of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and covered such topics as Effective Contract Administration, Effective Communications and Labor-Management Building, to name a few.

The training gave members and management an opportunity to see workplace issues from a different point of view through role playing and team building exercises. This class is a perfect lead in for our "Manager for a Day" program, whereby our members change jobs with managers for a day. The goal of this program is to give both labor and management a different perspective into the challenges that each side faces.
 

• The optional standard mileage rates for business use of a vehicle will drop slightly in 2017, the second consecutive annual decline. For business use of a car, van, pickup truck, or panel truck, the rate for 2017 will be 53.5 cents per mile, down from 54 cents per mile in 2016. Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
   
• Driving for medical or moving purposes may be deducted at 17 cents per mile, which is two cents lower than for 2016.
   
• The rate for service to a charitable organization is unchanged at 14 cents per mile.