May 17, 2007:The House passed legislation (H.R. 1773) May 15 that establishes strict requirements for an administration pilot plan to let Mexican trucks operate inside the United States under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.) said the "Safe American Roads Act of 2007" would assure in-depth audits and oversight of the Department of Transportation program to allow Mexican trucks to cross into the United States. DeFazio said he wished the...

A new bulletin and a detailed Q&A on management’s plan to split 42,000 UPS Teamsters from the Central States Pension Plan is available online. Click here to get the latest info at MakeUPSDeliver.org

May 16, 2007: Jim Hoffa and Ken Hall promised that early negotiations would send a message to every Teamster employer not to mess with our pension funds. With UPS and other employers trying to break out of the Central States, what message will we send now? See Ken Hall’s pledge to the Teamster Convention.  

May 16, 2007: Ten years after the 1997 UPS strike, former General President Ron Carey spoke in New York about some of the keys to the union's contract victory. "You don't keep members in the dark, you don't have secret negotiations," Carey said. Carey’s advice for members? "You have the right to get answers from your leadership. Responding in a very activist way is the way to go." Carey Looks Back: Ex-Teamster Head Still Driving...

May 11, 2007: “We believe there is an opportunity in this negotiating cycle to withdraw from some or all of these [Teamster pension plans] and provide benefits directly to our employees, and we’re prepared to negotiate that with the Teamsters in the coming negotiations.” “We view the multiemployer [Teamster pension] withdrawal opportunity to be the most significant thing facing us.” -- Robert Davidson, CEO of ABF, Interviewed on May 8, 2007 by transportation stock analysts...

May 14, 2007: MONTREAL (Reuters) - Some 3,200 workers who maintain track at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, Canada's second-largest railway, are set to strike early on Wednesday, the company and union said on Saturday. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division said it had served a 72-hour strike notice on CP Rail over failed talks on wages and other issues. The union represents about 3,200 employees who inspect, maintain and build the...

May 11, 2007: by John Gallagher in Traffic World Online --Arkansas Best Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Davidson said he's willing to take the financial hit necessary to negotiate with labor an end to its multiemployer pension fund contributions. "We can provide the same benefits that we're providing now directly to our employees at significantly less cost than we're now paying," Davidson told Wall Street analysts at a conference sponsored by Bear Stearns...

May 9, 2007: Management has put a proposal on the table to pull UPS Teamsters out of the Central States Pension Plan – the plan that covers 42,000 full-timers in 25 states. UPS wants to create new pension plan to be run jointly by trustees from UPS and the Teamsters—similar to the Local 804 plan where the company recently forced through a 30 percent pension cut over the opposition of Teamster trustees. Management knows what...

May 9, 2007: See what UPS workers say they want out of contract negotiations. No Early Contract Unless Our Issues Are Addressed “UPS made $4 billion last year. They are getting fatter while we get the shaft. The Teamsters need to take a stand and look out for our future. That means us. The union isn’t the executive board. We are the union—the rank and file. Without us, there is no Teamsters. We have the...

May 9, 2007: “Teamsters at UPS have been kept in the dark about bargaining. But our right to vote gives us the power to reject an early deal if Hoffa and Hall settle short. “TDU will get the details of any early settlement out to members fast so UPS Teamsters can make an informed decision. Be in the loop. Stand up for our contract. Join TDU today.” Dianne Bolton, Local 174 Seattle, Feeder Driver Co-chair...