February 17, 2005: On January 14, TDU urged Judge Loretta Preska to review a deal that gave James Hoffa’s executive assistant only a slap on the wrist for embezzling $69,500 from our union over a nearly three-year period. Carlow Scalf, one of the most powerful officials in the union, got the deal with the Teamster Independent Review Board (IRB). The IRB agreed that Scalf would take a 60-day suspension and repay the $69,500 as the...

February 17, 2005: For months, Local 556 members and leaders in Pasco, Wash., have fought a tremendous battle against union-busting at Tyson Foods. But on Feb. 11, Tyson was able to bust the Teamsters at their Pasco plant. The union defeat came just one day after Wal-Mart announced they would close their only unionized store in North America rather than deal fairly with the union in Jonquiere, Quebec. Wal-Mart and Tyson are two of the...

Teamster drivers have a chance right now to influence the future of Hours of Service regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was forced back to the drawing board last July after Public Citizen won a federal Appeals Court decision vacating the regulations. In a victory for drivers’ safety and health, the court ruled the FMCSA had “failed to consider the impact of the rules on the health of the drivers.” Congress subsequently passed...

TDU in Action—Pension and Benefits“TDU will support any fight launched by the International Union to defend our benefits. And we will continue to inform members so we can put pressure on the employers and on Hoffa, when necessary, to save and strengthen our benefits.”K.W. Phillips, RoadwayLocal 667, Memphis, Tenn. Contact our rank-and-file network for pension justice. Pension Workshops: Our Rights, the Benefit Cuts and How We Can Beat ThemTDU brings together concerned Teamsters and pension...

February 17, 2005: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has set a $94 fee for the hazardous material endorsement background check that the U.S. will require under new security rules. The cost includes a $38 fee for collecting and transmitting fingerprints, $34 for a TSA threat assessment, and $22 for an FBI background check. It may take 30-60 days to process the application. It will be a one-time charge and drivers will not be required to...

February 17, 2005: Yellow’s management is routing some freight around Dallas and reportedly considering downsizing that terminal’s operations in the wake of violence and disruptions there. Police have been stationed at the terminal. Yellow drivers and dockhands have expressed a lot of concern, as rumors fly about what management may do.

February 17, 2005: As part of the IBT effort to organize harbor truckers in California, the union plans to sponsor legislation that would exempt independent drivers from federal antitrust laws. Such an exemption would give these workers the right to collectively negotiate freight rates and withhold services. The goal remains to remove this workforce from the confines of being considered “independent contractors” and to make the drivers eligible for unionization. Many experts believe the U.S....

February 17, 2005: In the first full year as a combined company, Yellow-Roadway reported after-tax profits of $184.3 million. ABF posted profits of $127.8 million and an operating ratio of 91.9 percent. USF announced $23.8 million in 2004 profit.

February 17, 2005: The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a report concluding that the Mexican government and the country’s trucking firms have not met the safety requirements and preconditions outlined in the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The report says Mexican trucking companies should not be granted long-haul operating authority within the U.S. The DOT cites problems with access to safety inspections, and raises serious concerns about gathering data on...

February 17, 2005: According to Teamsters representatives, the union is in the early stages of examining the use of security screening devices that use radiation to scan the contents of trucks and trailers at ports and border crossings. The use of gamma rays, which emit low doses of radiation, may pose a health risk to drivers. Recently a Teamsters spokesman reported the union had requested information from the equipment manufacturers and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission....