May 9, 2007

Master Freight: The Time is Now
My freight brothers and sisters, a call to action. It’s time to dig out those National Master Freight contract books that expire March 31, 2008…the names of the union negotiating committee members are in there, thirty-three of them plus Hoffa. Many will be back at the table this time around. If one of these guys is in your local, it’s time to get to them in union meetings with our contract demands.

The time to start is now, to make sure our issues get on the table. I guarantee you that the employers are already making their plans. Parity in supplements should be one of our demands. We have benefits and language that is better from one supplement to the other. For example, you get three personal days in the East, two in the South, and only one in the Central. 

Michael P. Schaffer
Local 769, Roadway
Miami, Fla.

Respect UFCW Picket Lines
Things are getting crazy in Southern California with contract negotiation for the clerks at Albertsons and SuperValu. They’re UFCW members, and they’re fighting for a stronger agreement. They deserve our support.

I’ve been a Teamster since 1970 and to this day, it has always bothered me to see anyone cross a picket line. We need to join together and back our clerk brothers.

In 1985, my local officers told my fellow brothers to cross our picket line or they would be out of a job, even though we were all in the same local. Brothers crossed my picket because they were wholesale and we were retail.  A union brother is a union brother whether they have the same job title or not.

The issues facing our clerk brothers are not affecting them alone; they’re affecting all Teamsters! It’s time to strengthen our union before we lose it and unite with our brothers and sisters in Southern California. We should honor their pickets and make things that much tougher for the employers.

George Figueroa
Local 952, Retired
La Habra, Calif.

Unity Conference: We’re Watching Closely
We’re keeping a close eye on our officers—they’re at the Unity Conference in Las Vegas this week. We want to make sure they’re there to help make our union stronger—not to party.

Leedham won Local 174. That tells me that the heart of 174 is reform. Reform is alive and well in Seattle.

Mary Pat Lang
Local 174, King County
Seattle, Wash.

Thanks TDU For Fighting for Our Pension
I sure hope the union officers from Hoffa on down will be honest enough and caring enough to negotiate tough with UPS and fight to keep our UPS brothers and sisters in our pension fund, along with Yellow Roadway and others.

Central States needs to come clean on their pension operation and give us a break on reemployment rules.

Thanks TDU for keeping our union honest and growing.

And one more thing: Please keep us informed about our union railroad brothers and sisters!
 
John C. Landgraf
Local 364, Retired
Goshen, Ind.