Contract negotiations can be an opportunity to win better wages and working conditions—and to build union power. As members, how can we make a difference at contract time?

We spoke with members of the Minnesota TDU Chapter who have done just that. Local 320 members Erik Jensen and David Kremer helped beat concessions at the University of Minnesota. Bob McNattin from Local 120 helped unite ready-mix drivers from three different companies to improve industry conditions. Here’s how they did it and you can too.

Keep members informed

Sharing the information with members about what’s happening at the bargaining table is key to any contract fight, says Jensen, a steward and elected member of the committee. “We got folks on the committee to keep people informed and to help build support in the shop. By putting out newsletters and emails, we keep the membership informed about what happens at the table.”

Key issues in Local 320 included improvements in health care and wages, and also a demand for no job out-sourcing. These were issues which surveys of members showed they wanted. Jensen says members insisted that the union “let members know what is going on in negotiations. The employer knows, why shouldn’t you? Up to date information is a key part of having an informed and mobilized membership that can get the contract we deserve.”

Jensen adds, “last time we pushed successfully to get a strike authorization. We didn’t go on strike, but it helped pressure the employer to take some concessionary demands off the table.”

Coordinated Bargaining

They won the battle over open negotiations in 320, but not in Local 120. McNattin said, “we tried to get open negotiations but the officials were worried about losing control. The president said if there was a leak from the negotiating committee and he found out who it was, he would remove them from the committee.”

However, the major focus here was on coordinated bargaining between three different companies and two different Teamster locals. The ready-mix companies had been able to play the workforces off one another at contract time. Last year the biggest three contracts came open at the same time. McNattin talked to workers at his company but also went to its competitors and he said, “lots of guys I talked to said, ‘finally, someone is talking about leveling the playing field.’ They took fliers and said ‘I’ll be sure to get these around.’ Fifty-five drivers came to that first meeting. They formed a steering committee which met regularly over the next year and came to the proposal discussions fully informed about each others’ contracts.”

They were then able to push for bringing all contracts up to the best standards. “We worked toward major improvements including parity in labor costs and working conditions and common expiration dates on contracts.”

Members Have the Final Say

At the end of the day, the power lies in the members’ hands: Teamsters have a right to vote by majority rule in a secret ballot. If it looks like the proposal will be bad, prepare early for a possible “Vote No” campaign. As negotiations move along, keep a list of significant concessions and areas where members’ demands are not met. Keep members informed, build a network among various groups or departments.

If you are against the proposal, be ready with a strategy if it is voted down. You need to be ready for inevitable threats like “if you vote ‘no,’ the company will close.” You need to consider what is realistic and be prepared to unite people behind it.

TDU has fought for and won the right to majority rule on contracts, and the right to a fair and informed vote. Make use of those rights.

Time to Understand the Proposal

Early planning is important. In a lot of shops concerned members wait to see what the union comes up with, then either like it or grumble. By then it’s often too late to organize to get it rejected.

Some union officials will try to rush a vote on a proposal with little notice, and no chance to read the proposal in advance. Would you buy a car or a house in that kind of rush? One of McNattin’s regrets from last year is that, “we tried to get more time for the vote, but the first time the proposal was presented was the time we voted on it.” For this reason, you want to have copies of the proposal circulated that show all changes, not just the highlights.

“We have raised the members’ expectations of the union,” points out Erik Jensen in Local 320. “Now even the business agents who don’t agree with us have adopted some of our approach.”

In 120, McNattin is planning for other ready-mix contracts that come up this year. Because of their success last year he says, “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble getting people to come to a meeting for three to four different locals and three companies. We are aiming to work with all the crafts, not just ready-mix drivers in the Teamsters, but also the mechanics in the Teamster and the Machinists union, the Operating Engineers and the guys in the gravel pits. Last year we made the first step to returning to coordinated bargaining and will use that success with the drivers and others this year to enhance the bargaining strength of all concrete workers.”

Stronger Contract, Stronger Union

McNattin puts a lot of work into his local, but also sees how it relates to the whole Teamsters Union. “The biggest problem we face is membership apathy. Members need to be involved in their own affairs rather than passively waiting for their officers to do something for them. This involvement in their local issues leads to interest in building a stronger union.”