UPDATED September 11, 2013: The largest supplement to the ABF agreement – the Central Region local cartage agreement – was rejected again, as was the Western Region office supplement. Updated Local-by-Local contract votes are posted here.

The other five supplements which were previously rejected were accepted in the second round of voting.

The IBT Constitution (Article XII, Section 2) provides that after two such rejections, "The master national negotiating committee shall return to the bargaining table and attempt to address the issues… in the event no new tentative agreement is reached, or if the members reject the new tentative agreement, the master committee shall conduct a strike authorization vote" in the supplemental area.

This should give the two groups some leverage to win changes to the agreement. But the Hoffa administration will likely try yet another "vote till you get it right" push. Hoffa and the Freight Division's game is to divide, discourage, and threaten members.

Maybe they can get a contract passed that way, but they cannot build Teamster power like this. They cannot organize. They cannot defend our pension plans.

The Record in Freight

They did nothing to increase Teamster bargaining power at ABF, misled members, then sold management's deal.

They lied to UPS Freight Teamsters and when the members rejected their deal, Hoffa-Hall went into hiding for over two months, and counting.

It looks like a secret deal with YRC may be in the works, and Hoffa cares more about his hedge-fund pal Harry Wilson than YRC Teamsters.

Worst of all, there is no plan to organize in freight or build Teamster power in trucking.

Teamster power is not just about numbers. It's about a strategy to leverage our power across the supply chain, at ports, plants, rail, trucking, warehousing and distribution, and use that power to grow and diversify our union.

Hoffa wouldn't recognize Teamster power if it stole his golf clubs. We need a new leadership with the vision and commitment to make it happen.