June 20, 2008: As Convoy goes to press in mid-June, the employers and the International are near to announcing a tentative agreement, which the members can review and vote on. It’s time for members to get informed to make some serious decisions.

At the same time, PTS has exited the game, with some 1,300 PTS drivers, mechanics, yard and office Teamsters looking for union backing to follow their work to the carriers that acquire it.

The other employers have benefited from the PTS closure, each of them picking up more business in a downsized auto industry.

Aftermath of PTS Strike

The PTS strike was aimed at putting a sick company out of its misery, and putting its Teamsters employees to work at healthier union carriers.

It will be a success if the union successfully presses the shippers to transfer all, or nearly all, the work to union carriers, and if the union protects the rights of all carhaulers in the transfer process.

As we go to press, the national grievance panel is meeting near Detroit, where some cases of seniority have been settled and some others deadlocked, regarding 15 former PTS locations.

The union needs to insist that the carriers gaining traffic respect the contract, and allow the former PTS Teamsters to follow their work.

With the contract open, the union has plenty of leverage to win a fair shake for the PTS Teamsters who were called out on strike, and all other carhaulers. All it will take is the will to do it.

Meanwhile, nonunion outfits such as United Road Service, Accurate Auto and TransLogic are hauling some of the PTS traffic.

Contract Decision Up to Members

There will soon be a proposed tentative contract for members to consider. Negotiations have been conducted in secret, but some outlines of it are known.

The pension and health and welfare money will be the same as in the freight contract ($1 per hour per year).

No one expects wage improvements, and carhaul director Fred Zuckerman has promised members in a number of meetings there will not be wage concessions.

The problem may be in concessions on job protections and changes that would allow the companies to play one local against another. Members may be willing to make some changes, but when we give concessions, it’s usually a hard road to win them back later.

Overwhelmingly, we have heard from members that at this terrible time to be bargaining in the auto industry, and therefore we should agree to a short term contract, such as two years, which would then expire when Allied’s concession deal expires.

Now is the time to protect our jobs and our future.