YRC Gains Labor Flexibility as ABF Threatens Pension Pullout
December 26, 2007: The trucking industry association is bragging about new concessions in the tentative deal at Yellow/Roadway. The proposed deal would give YRC more “flexibility,” according to Transport Topics, a publication of the American Trucking Associations. The magazine also reports that ABF will soon release a proposal to withdraw from all Teamster multi-employer pension plans. “The second act of the LTL talks could offer more fireworks,” according to the magazine. Click here to read...
Chicago Teamsters Win Gains after Rejecting Deal
December 21, 2007: With little support from their outgoing officers, Teamsters at the University of Chicago have won some improvements after voting down their tentative agreement twice. On Friday, members voted to accept a new tentative agreement. Local 743 members and students worked together to win a stronger contract.“The union and the company told us this was the best deal they could offer us, but each time we voted down the deal, they made improvements,”...
Proposed Freight Agreement Has Concessions
The new freight deal includes $1 an hour to protect our pensions and benefits, but it also contains concessions that severely weaken our contract. Click here to read the full story and download the bulletin at Freight2008.org.
Concessions for PTS Carhaulers Approved
December 19, 2007: The International Union pushed through 17.5% wage concessions for 1500 PTS Teamsters, by giving none of them the right to vote on the pay cut. Allied Teamsters voted by a 3-1 margin to approve the concessions, in balloting tallied today. There were nearly one thousand fewer votes cast than in the Allied vote in April, when most strong carhaul locals voted No. Most angry Teamsters simply didn’t vote in the charade, and...
Hours of Service Back in Court
December 19, 2007: Public Citizen filed a motion asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to reinstate the 10-hour driving limit and end the 34-hour restart. The motion blasts the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for ignoring driver health and safety, and the orders of the court in two previous rulings. The Teamsters Union is supporting the Public Citizen motion. Hopefully the court, which has twice ruled against the FMCSA on this issue, will soon...
BNA Daily Labor Report: Bill to Cut Funding for Mexican Truck Program
December 19, 2007: The omnibus spending bill (H.R. 2764) passed by the House Dec. 17 contains language denying funds for the Transportation Department's pilot program under which 100 Mexican trucks would be able to travel freely within the United States to make cargo deliveries. Mexico-domiciled trucks have been limited to the commercial zones along the borders of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The pilot program was developed to comply with the North American Free...
Warehouse Workers Fight for a Voice at FreshDirect
December 19, 2007: Teamsters Local 805 is fighting to win a voice for warehouse workers at FreshDirect, but the company is threatening workers who want to join the union. Click here to read the article “Panic at FreshDirect” by Tom Robbins. Click here to tell FreshDirect to stop threatening workers.
Take Action: Tell FreshDirect to Stop Threatening Workers
December 18, 2007: Just days before Christmas, the food-delivery service FreshDirect has threatened the jobs of hundreds of workers in its Queens, New York warehouse. So far, at least 46 employees have lost their jobs or been suspended, and FreshDirect could terminate dozens more in the next few days. Click here to take action and tell FreshDirect to stop threatening workers. Read more about Teamster Local 805's campaign to win respect for warehouse workers at...
Supplements Approved at UPS in NY and PA
December 18, 2007: The UPS national contract is moving toward being officially ratified as Teamsters in New York and Pennsylvania have voted to approve their supplements. UPS Teamsters in metro New York voted to approve the Local 804 Supplement by a 1,367 to 854 margin after UPS took several pension concessions off of the table. Click here to read the full story at MakeUPSDeliver.org.
Hahs Faces Harsher Penalty
December 17, 2007: Charged with embezzling members’ money, Don Hahs faces harsher punishment now that the Independent Review Board has rejected a proposed settlement as too light. In September, the IRB charged Hahs, the president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), with embezzling over $58,000 in members’ money. The IRB instructed Hoffa to conduct an internal hearing to hear the charges against Hahs. Instead Hahs cut a deal with Hoffa to repay...