CONVOY DISPATCH is the voice of Teamsters for a Democratic Union. We are the united rank and file movement to reform the Teamsters, created out of the merger of PROD and TDU. We are truck drivers, dock workers, production workers—every kind of Teamster, and spouses, too. We are a grassroots organization with chapters from coast to coast in the USA and Canada. We believe in returning this union to the membership and we are doing...

Hit by a 30 percent pension cut, many New York Local 804 Teamsters feel it’s time to fight back. Local 804 President and fund trustee Howie Redmond voted against the cuts, but never informed members that UPS management was seeking cuts. “Local 804’s officers certainly knew we had a problem and that management wanted cuts. Why was that hidden from the members?” said Local 804 alternate steward Jim Reynolds. “Now they’re going to blame everyone...

December 5, 2006: A Look at the Facts & Figures Hoffa won with 65 percent of the vote, in a 21 percent turnout. That is the same margin as in 2001, but with a slightly smaller turnout this year. The Hoffa campaign spent over $3 million to Leedham's $300,000 according to forms filed by each campaign with the Election Supervisor. The IBT and Central States and Western Conference Pension Plans spent millions more on propaganda...

Our union faces serious challenges in the next five years. Reversing pension cuts. Protecting our health benefits. Winning strong contracts. Organizing the nonunion competition that is undercutting us nationally (like UPS Freight) and at the local level. In short, we’ve got to rebuild Teamster Power. It’s no secret that TDU thought Hoffa was the wrong man for this job. One hundred thousand Teamsters agreed. But not enough. It’s no time to cry in our beer....

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Yellow has submitted a proposed change of operations that would move 199 Teamsters in the East, South and Central Regions. Management proposes to open 53 new bids for Premium Service Employees (PSEs, or combo jobs), as it expands its premium service operation in the East and Midsouth. The union hearing on the change is scheduled for Jan. 22 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The company hopes to bid just one week later, on Feb. 1. It...

The Employee Free Choice Act would amend the National Labor Relations Act to provide stronger protections for workers who want to form unions. 270 members of Congress have cosponsored the bill. Here is a comparison of organizing conditions now, and under the proposed amended NLRA: Current PracticeUnion-busting: The only penalty for illegally firing a union activist is to reinstate the employee with back pay. Other illegal activities are penalized by requiring the employer to post...

Yellow’s proposed Office Change of Operations reared its head again and will be heard just days after this is printed, on Dec. 7 in Kansas City. The proposal would move work to Sioux Falls, but not move a single Teamster. It was first slated to be heard in September, but postponed after a barrage of questions and protests from members, stewards and locals. Teamsters are concerned that the real goal of the proposal is to...

December 5, 2006:All local and International officials from the Western Region have been invited by International Vice President Jim Santangelo to spend a week at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu in late February. Then, officials with local pension funds can stay an extra week in early March at a pension trustee educational. Some local officials have pointed out to Santangelo their embarrassment at having to face questions from members about these union-paid trips to tropical resorts....

Teamster members of GCC Local 4-N at the San Francisco Chronicle have spent the last few years fighting for a decent contract that upholds industry standards for union pressmen. Despite their united struggle, they were forced to accept concessions by lack of support from the top Teamster leadership. In an Oct. 13 letter, GCC President (and IBT Vice President-elect) George Tedeschi ordered Local 4-N’s leadership to hold a meeting for Chronicle workers to vote on...